Tornado Alley (PROG)

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President Obama Holds a YLAI Town Hall

Published on Nov 19, 2016 by Michael McIntee [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIPsk87a6D3QqS0DeAUMPA / http://www.youtube.com/user/UpTakeVideo , http://www.youtube.com/user/UpTakeVideo/videos ]

Lima, Peru

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Remarks by the President at YLAI Town Hall

Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
Lima, Peru
November 19, 2016

2:34 P.M. PET
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hola Peru!  (Applause.)  Asu!  Muchas gracias.  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Thank you, Cyntia, for your kind words and your great work here in Peru in bringing people together across generations to meet challenges.  Please give Cyntia a big round of applause for the great introduction.  (Applause.)

So it is wonderful to be here in Peru.  I want to thank everybody at Catholic University of Peru for hosting us.  (Applause.)  I want to thank the government and the people of this beautiful country for your hospitality.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you!

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I love you, too!  (Applause.)

So, while I'm here, I’m hoping to enjoy some good food -- some pollo a la brasa.  (Applause.)  Maybe a pisco sour.  But I will not be attempting the Marinera -- (applause) -- because I usually leave the dancing to my wife, Michelle.  (Laughter.)  She's a better dancer than me.

But I want to thank all of you for being here -- our Young Leaders of America, both live and online, representing every country in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Now, this is my final stop on my final trip abroad as President of the United States.  And I’ve had the usual meetings with world leaders, and we've done important business.  But whenever I travel, one of the things that I've been trying to do for the last eight years is to meet with young people.  First of all, young people are more fun than old people.  (Laughter.)  Second, because today more than half of the world’s population is 30 or younger.  And that means your generation will determine the course of our future -- as individual nations and as a global community.  Now, the good news is, because I've had a chance to meet so many young people around the world, it makes me very optimistic to know that you are going to be in charge.  And that's why I wanted my last public event abroad to be with you.

I often say to young people in my own country:  If you had to be born at any time in human history, it would be right now.  If you think about all the progress that's been made, not just in your lifetimes, but even in the last few years, fewer people than ever around the world live in extreme poverty.  Scientific breakthroughs are paving the way for cures to new diseases.  More children are going to school; more girls in particular are going to school than ever before.  People across the world are securing their human rights.  And technology has reshaped the world, as you can tell, because everybody has their phones.  (Laughter.)  At a time when Earth is now populated by more cell phones than people, you have the power to connect with each other across borders, across nations.  You have the tools in your hand to solve problems that we couldn’t even imagine when I was your age.

Now, even as we make all these important strides in advancing the rights of more people, even as technology brings us closer together, this unprecedented change also brings challenges.  We see it in the widening gap between the rich and the poor around the world.  We see it in the forces of extremism and division that too often tear communities apart.  So the question for all of us is, how can we make sure that in this rapidly changing world, nobody is left behind and that all of us are stronger and more prosperous?

So over the last eight years as President, I've worked to strengthen our relationship with the Americas.  We’re more than just neighbors -- we're linked by trade and culture, and family and values.  Our students study in each other’s countries.  Our businesses sell goods across borders.  Our tourists travel back and forth.  And we’ve moved beyond many of the old arguments to create a new vision for the future -- one that your generation, which is liberated from old ways of thinking, can lead.

During my presidency, the United States recommitted itself to the region, in partnership with your countries, based on mutual interests and mutual respect.  We increased trade.  We stood up for democracy and human rights, fought against corruption and organized crime.  We’ve promoted clean energy.   We’ve led the global fight against climate change.  We opened a new relationship with Cuba.

I strongly believe that this work has to be done with governments, but it's even more important that it's done by people -- because government is important, but it can't solve every problem.  So we have to work together at a people-to-people level -- teachers, and doctors, and students, and entrepreneurs, and religious leaders -- all trying to find ways in which we can promote those values of dignity and humanity and respect that so often are threatened.

And that's why we developed this Young Leaders Initiative.  Our goal is to find the most innovative young entrepreneurs, the most energetic civil society leaders like you, and help empower you with the training, and tools and connections so you can make a difference in your communities and your countries.  This network already has 20,000 people.  This fall, we welcomed the first class of 250 YLAI Fellows to the United States.  (Applause.)  This is just 100 of them.  They're from every country across the Americas.

We want to help -- (applause) -- so we want to help this generation with grants, seed funding, skills training.  Today, I’m announcing the launch of the Latin American and Caribbean Civil Society Innovation Initiative Hub, which is a way to virtually connect civil society organizations across the region so you can learn from each other, share your good work, support each other.  We’re investing $40 million in the talents and entrepreneurship of young people across the Caribbean to help start your own businesses and ventures.  We’re opening what we call the Global Innovation Exchange so that you can showcase your new business or enterprise to people around the world, and that way you can connect and hopefully get resources that you otherwise didn’t have.

And we’re moving ahead with more education partnerships, like the 100,000 Strong in the Americas.  By the end of the decade, we want 100,000 U.S. students studying in the Americas, and 100,000 students from the Americas studying in the United States.  (Applause.)  And today, we’re announcing a partnership between the U.S. Department of State, Sempra, and CAF, which is Latin America’s development bank, to fund the first Innovation Fund competition exclusively between Peruvian and U.S. colleges and universities so students can come together to work on climate change and environmental science.  (Applause.)

So we're focused on the hemisphere, we're focused on the region.  But it's more than just North America, South America.  You're now part of a global network of young leaders from Africa, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas who are doing amazing work in their own communities.  And while my time as U.S. President is coming to an end, this network is just beginning -- it’s never been more important.  We need you to stay connected, work together, learn from each other, so we can build that next generation of leadership who can take on challenges like climate change and poverty, can help grow our economies, make sure that women get opportunity.  (Applause.)  Make sure that every child, wherever they live, has a chance to build a good life.

And I’m going to just give you some examples of the amazing people that are involved in this process.  We need leaders like Dr. Valéry Moise.  As a young doctor in Haiti, Valéry saw firsthand how issues like acute malnutrition -- hunger -- affected the poorest children in his country.  So he and a team of social workers and doctors started an organization called Diagnostik Group, which focuses on improving health care for abandoned children at the largest pediatric hospital in Haiti.  His goal is for the group to become the standard for pediatric care and to expand so that he can reach even more children across Haiti.  So thank you, Valéry, for the great work that you are doing.  (Applause.)

We need leaders like Abbigale Loncke of Guyana.  Abbigale, are you here?  (Applause.)  So after struggling to find her own grandfather home care, Abbigale realized this is a problem for so many other families, so she started Community Health Care, a home care agency.  She started out as a service to help families take care of their loved ones but now has a social movement that also provides training and job opportunities for young women in the health care industry.  So thank you, Abbigale, for the great work you’re doing.  (Applause.)  And you already heard the great work that Cyntia is doing right here in Peru.

Across the world and across the Americas, young people are taking the lead.  They’re seeing problems, they’re seeing injustice, and they are finding ways to take action.

And the main message I want you to know is that you have a partner in me and you have a partner in the United States government.  (Applause.)  And we are going to work together -- (applause) -- we’re going to work together.  We expect the fellowships to continue, but I want you to know that I will also continue to be involved, even after I’m President, because I want to make sure that we continue to invest in your success.  If you succeed, not only do your countries succeed, but the world succeeds.  And I’m very excited to see all the great things you’re going to do in the future.  (Applause.)

So, muchas gracias.  Let’s take some questions.  And now we’re going to start with some questions.  I’m going to take off my jacket because it’s a little hot.  (Laughter and applause.)  I wasn’t trying to get a cheer out of that but -- (laughter.)

All right, so we’re going to start with this question from this gentleman right here.  Please introduce yourself as you speak.

Hold on, the mic is not working.  No, not yet.  Do we have a second mic?  Testing -- one, two, three.  Hold on, here's the technical expert.  Here we go.  Here's another one.  Not yet?  Uh-oh.  Uh-oh.  Here we go.  We got to try this one.  (Laughter.)  One of these is going to work.

Q    Testing, testing.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Oh, there you go.  Hey!  (Applause.)

Q    Good afternoon, Mr. President.  My name is Luis Santiago (ph).  I’m from Caracas, Venezuela.  I’m a YLAI Fellow.  We’re working on the first electronic health records platform for Latin America, and I was a proud member of this chord of YLAI fellows.

I’m here to read a question from our YLAI network.  There were 200 questions posted on Facebook, but Carlos David Carrasco Muro from Venezuela asks:  In Venezuela, there’s a debate about what matters most for stability, whether it’s peace or democracy.  How can we create a world where we do not have to choose between them?  Both are important for development.

Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, it’s a great question.  And it’s a timely question, because I think that after a decade in which we’ve seen more and more countries adopt democratic practices, you’re now starting to see some of those gains reversed.  You’re seeing some countries that are going backwards rather than forwards in terms of freedom of the press, in terms of freedom of the Internet, in terms of respecting political opposition and civil society.  And there are those who argue that democracy is incompatible with development because you need order, you need somebody from the top to tell people what to do in order to achieve.

And I would just suggest that you look at the evidence over the last 20, 30, 40 years.  Those countries that pursue democracy, that pursue transparency, where their leaders are held accountable -- those are the countries that are doing best.  Those countries that are repressive, that don’t respect democracy, that silence critics -- they go backwards economically.

And it makes sense when you think about it, because in this time that we live in, development is based on knowledge and innovation and education and new thinking and sharing of ideas.  It’s not based on how much land you have, it’s not based on natural resources.  It’s based on your people.  And in a democracy, what we’re able to do is -- people, through the freedom they enjoy, are able to create, start businesses, start organizations, solve problems.  And what’s also true then is, they’re able to hold the government accountable, so when the government doesn’t deliver for its people -- if it engages in corruption, if its policies only benefit a few rather than the many -- people can react and respond, and over time people get better policies from their governments.

And look at what’s happened just along the coast here in Latin America.  If you look at Chile, Peru, Colombia -- all of them are growing faster, all of them are doing better because of the new openness and democracy that exists in these countries.  And what’s true here is true around the world.

Now, the one thing I have to say though is, democracy is more than just elections.  Democracy is also a free press.  Democracy is also freedom of religion.  Democracy is making sure that the rights of minorities are protected, not just the majority.  Democracy is rule of law and an independent judiciary.  So it’s a matter of all these elements coming together.

But the main thing we’ve learned is that, in this knowledge-based society, you can maintain order for a while with repressive, nondemocratic governments, but it will rot from within.  Over time, those governments fail and those economies fail -- because when they make mistakes, they try to hide them instead of trying to solve them.  When somebody has a legitimate criticism of a problem, it can be ignored because the politicians don’t have to answer.  And eventually, those societies end up doing much worse, oftentimes by increasing repression as people get more and more dissatisfied and then society breaks down.

It’s also true, by the way, that nondemocratic countries are much more likely to get into wars with other nondemocratic countries.  Democracies tend to try to solve problems through diplomacy and dialogue.  So not only is there not a contradiction between democracy and development, it is my belief that in order, in this new knowledge-based economy, for development to be successful, you need democracy.

I will say this one last thing, though.  Democracy can be frustrating, because democracy means that you don’t always get 100 percent of what you want.  Democracy means that sometimes you have to compromise.  And it means that the outcomes of elections don’t always turn out the way you would hope.  And then you -- we're going through that in the United States, and I'm doing everything I can to help facilitate a successful transition with the President-elect in the United States.  But as long as we keep our democratic systems open, then the society has a chance to try something new, and then it can make a decision and correct problems that they see in the future, and progress will continue.

Good.  All right.  (Applause.)  Let's see -- right there.  Yeah, you.  So let's get a microphone to you so we can hear you.  And introduce yourself.  By the way, I apologize, my Spanish is just okay.  So we're doing this in English, but hopefully I'm being clear.  Go ahead.

Q    Hi, Mr. President.  I'm very glad to be here -- that you are here in my country, in Peru.  And for me, it's an honor to be here in this conference.  Well, my question is, what do you think about the European Union has come together to promote military integration in defense that -- after the victory of Trump?  And do you think we have global paranoia created by the media, or it's real?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good.  What's your name?

Q    Jocelyn Ramirez (ph).

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Nice to meet you.  Are you a student here?

Q    I'm a student from UPC.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Fantastic.  Okay.  You have some classmates here.  (Laughter.)

Well, the United States is such a big country that, after any election, people are uncertain.  And I think it will be important for everybody around the world to not make immediate judgments but give this new President-elect a chance to put their team together, to examine the issues, to determine what their policies will be -- because as I've always said, how you campaign isn’t always the same as how you govern.  Sometimes when you're campaigning, you're trying to stir up passions.  When you govern, you actually have reality in front of you, and you have to figure out how do I make this work.

The alliance between the United States and Europe, through NATO, is very strong.  And the President-elect Trump has already reaffirmed our commitment to NATO.  We actually have been asking, under my administration, for Europe to carry more of the burden of defense spending than they've been doing, because the United States spends a lot more than some of our NATO partners.  And they recognize and acknowledge, I think, the need for them to spend more time -- more resources on that.

With respect to Latin America, I don't anticipate major changes in policy from the new administration.  I think the work that we've done has been successful in establishing the strongest relationships between the United States and Latin America in modern history.  The friendships that we've established with countries like Peru, the reopening of diplomatic relations with Cuba, the investments we're making in trade, in environmental policy, and so forth -- all those things I expect to continue.

There are going to be tensions that arise, probably around trade more than anything else, because the President-elect campaigned on looking at every trade policy and potentially reversing some of those policies.  But once they look at how it's working, I think they'll determine that it's actually good both for the United States and our trading partners.  There may need to be modifications.  I've called for modifications in certain elements of our trading policy.  When we established the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement, one of the requirements was for Peru to strengthen its protection of labor rights, workers' rights.  And we did that in part because, with all of our trading partners we don’t want to be disadvantaged because we're dealing with labor that has no rights, and so it gets the lowest wages and can be exploited.  But we did it also because that will help lift the wages and benefits and protections that workers here in Peru enjoy, because ultimately that's good for everybody.

One of the things that I really believe is that when you pay workers well, when ordinary people are getting a decent wage and decent benefits and decent protections, then they have more money in their pockets, and then they go out and they spend that money, which is good for business, and everybody is better off.  So that's the kind of attitude that we want to try to promote in the years going forward.  And my hope is, is that that policy will continue.

So my message to you, though, and the message I delivered in Europe is, don’t just assume the worst.  Wait until the administration is in place, it's actually putting its policies together, and then you can make your judgments as to whether or not it's consistent with the international community's interest in living in peace and prosperity together.

Okay.  Good.  (Applause.)  All right.  Okay, so what I'm doing is I'm going boy, girl, boy, girl, so that everybody gets a fair chance.  Okay, this gentleman right here, in the purple shirt.  (Applause.)

Q    Thank you very much.  First of all, I just want to say thank you for being such a great world leader over your tenure.  I truly think that you've done your best in making the world a better place.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I appreciate that.

Q    My name is Lubi Jorges (ph).  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Where you are from, Lubi?

Q    I'm from the Bahamas.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hey.

Q    I'm the son of two Haitian immigrants living in the Bahamas.  And I'm a human rights activist and also a radio talk show host.  I filter my advocacy work through radio, because it's a great form of communication in getting everybody involved.

Nonetheless, you spoke about youth and us shaping the future and the direction of the world, and what it's going to be in the very near future.  But I'll give you a quick example of what I experienced and then a question that can apply to all of us here as young people.

As a person being born to Haitian parents, immigrants, in the Bahamas, there is a certain perception on you not being a native.  And governments have fed on that over time.  And so the average individual that you would come into contact with, they would see you in a certain light.  And so the opportunities to assist then, to help your country, then are diminished.  For example, I'm trying to bridge the gap between Haitians and Bahamians in the Bahamas, but government officials and other individuals, they would have said, well, you're fighting for Haitians to take over the Bahamas -- when it's not that.  I just want Bahamians and Haitians to live in peace in the Bahamas.

And so if you had the opportunity to have all of our prime ministers and presidents in one room, and you had one word of advice that you could have given those leaders in regards to young people, and especially millennials, what would you say to those leaders?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, you know, I've had that opportunity a number of times.  They don’t always follow my advice.  (Laughter.)

But to your broader point -- look, we live in a world that is smaller than ever before.  Because of the Internet, because of modern travel, your generation gets ideas and culture and your politics from everywhere, right?  You are listening to everything from Rolling Stones, to Kendrick Lamar, to salsa, to reggaeton to -- (laughter) -- right?

So what is true in music, what’s true in food is also true in terms of politics and ideas.  And the great thing about young people is, is that that’s made your identities both national but also international.  So people here are Peruvian, but you’re also people who care about what happens around this continent and around the world.  It means that you can be both proud of your Haitian heritage and live in the Bahamas, and also be concerned about what happens in Africa, or what is happening in Myanmar.  That’s a good thing.

Now, I’ll be honest with you, older people sometimes are more threatened than younger people by this convergence because -- you know, now that I’ve got gray hair, I see what happens as you get older -- you get set in your ways and you are afraid of things that are new.  And oftentimes, politicians can feed into that sense that everything is changing so fast, let’s go back to our old identities -- identities of race or tribe or nationality.

And my main advice, not just to world leaders, but more importantly to citizens around the world is, if you’re defining yourself just by what you’re not, if you’re defining yourself just by the color of your skin or where you were born, then you are not fully appreciating what will give you a strong identity and meaning in your life, and what will lead to prosperity and security for everyone.  And that is the values and ideals that we should all promote:  That we respect everybody, regardless of what they look like.  That we give everybody opportunity no matter where they were born, whether they were born poor or they were born rich.  That we have laws that everybody has to observe, not just laws for one set of people and then a different set of laws for other people.

Because the problem with that approach -- a very narrow way of thinking about yourself -- is that that means almost inevitably you have to be in conflict with somebody else.  If the most important thing about you is that you are an American -- if that’s the one thing that defines you -- then you may end up being threatened by people from other places, when in fact you may have a lot in common and you may miss opportunities.

Now, I’m a very proud American, and my job as President of the United States is to look out for American interests.  But my argument to the American people has always been, the best way for us to look out for American interests is to also care about what’s happening in our neighborhood.  Because if their house is burning down, eventually my house will burn down.  The best way for my daughters to be secure as Americans is to make sure that people in El Salvador or Guatemala are also feeling some security, because if they’re not, then eventually that may spill over the borders to us.

And some of the challenges that we face today are ones that no single group can solve.  If you look at something like climate change -- that knows no borders.  If there is pollution in China, it affects you here in Peru.  If we are going to make sure that the oceans don’t rise so that suddenly all of the streets around Lima are two feet underwater, then it’s going to require everybody taking the kind of collective action that we talked about in the Paris Agreement.

So I think that we should all have the capacity, and governments should reflect this capacity, to be proud of our particular circumstance, be proud that you’re Haitian, be proud that you’re in the Bahamas, be proud that you’re a young, black man.  Be proud of your particular identity, but also see what you have in common with people who don’t look like you or don’t come from the same place as you do.  Because if we see what we have in common, then we’re going to be able to work together and that’s going to be good for all of us.  If all we see is differences, then we’re automatically going to be in competition -- and in order for me to do well, that means I have to put you down, which then makes you want to put me down, and everybody stays down here instead of everybody lifting each other up.  It’s the most important thing we can do.  (Applause.)

All right, so it’s a woman’s turn.  Okay, everybody is pointing at this young lady.  All her friends were pointing at her, so she has something very important to say.

Q    Welcome to Peru, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you.

Q    My name is Sofia, and my friends and I are students at Laboratoria.  (Applause.)  I know you have met Mariana (inaudible).  Do you remember about Laboratoria?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I’m sorry, what?  I’m sorry.

Q    Do remember about Laboratoria?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Yes.

Q    With Mariana Costa?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Yes, yes.

Q    Okay, I’m a student over there, me and my friends.  We are so lucky to be studying over there to get a job in tech, but there are so many young people still without these type of opportunities.  So what do you recommend to open more quality education or job opportunities for young people in Latin America?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, the program you described is doing great work, and there’s a lot of good work all across Latin America.  One of the goals is to make sure that not only are we providing a great education for people at the youngest ages -- basic reading, arithmetic, all those things -- but today you also need to have some knowledge of technology.  And what we’re trying to do is to work with governments and NGOs to expand access to the Internet, to digital platforms.  And what we also want to do then is to help design curriculum and programs through the Internet so that online learning is accessible in places where previously there might not be opportunities.

And we’re seeing some of those investments here in Peru.  That’s part of the broader educational program that we have throughout Latin America.  But we can still do more.  And it’s not just us, it’s a public-private partnership also.  So having Facebook participate, and Microsoft and Google and other big companies who have an interest in an educated population -- because the more educated and more wired they are, the more, over time, customers are using their products and their platforms.

What we want to do is to make sure that everybody, even in the smallest village, has suddenly this library to the world and to the best educational opportunities, even if there’s not a big university in that small town.  And some of the learning that we can do, it doesn’t have to be four years.  Sometimes, a six-week program could teach people coding in computers, and suddenly right away that person has a job, and then they can learn more and ultimately go and get a four-year education.  But oftentimes what you need is just that first step.

And we’re doing this in the United States, by the way.  It's not just in Latin America.  In the United States, one of the things that we're finding is that we need to expand computer science and literacy in the schools.  We need to make sure, also, that we set up technical training systems where somebody who's unemployed in a city where there used to be a big factory but now the factory is closed; or because of automation and robots, fewer people are working there; those people who have lost their jobs, they may not be able to afford to just go to a four-year university, give them six weeks, eight weeks, ten weeks of training.  Get them in a job right now, and then over time they can learn even more.

So, congratulations.  You guys are doing good work.  (Applause.)

All right.  Okay, so this is a team effort now.  It's good to see this cooperation.  Everybody is pointing at one person.  (Laughter.)  All right, this gentleman right here, right in the front.  (Applause.)

Q    Hello, Mr. President.  I'm a student representative from this beautiful university with this gorgeous group of people.  My name is Kai (ph).  And I'm going to give a little bit of context to my question.  You see, the smartest man I know is my dad.  My dad was born in Cuba.  And when he was seven years old, he went to the United States to get an opportunity.  He lived all of his university life there, from community college to doctorate, and he managed to do a lot of things because the USA had an open, honest towards him.

Today, many immigrants can bring innovation to the USA because it has still this open, honest policy.  But the administration that is set to go after you is allegedly saying that it will have a closed door policy.  In your opinion, what do you think that today the stand of the USA is for offshore innovators that want to leave their comfort zone to the USA, to go to Harvard, MIT, Yale, to find -- to strive?  And what would be the damages of the USA closing their doors to these young innovators?

And a final remark, I hope you have two amazing last months of presidency.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Well, first of all, I know that your father is very proud that you said he's the smartest man you know.  I hope that Malia and Sasha would say the same thing about their father -- I don’t know.  But I'm sure that made him feel good.

Look, America is a nation of immigrants.  Those of you who visited America, if you walk in an American city -- not just New York or Los Angeles, but St. Louis or Indianapolis or Columbus, Ohio -- if you walk down the street, you see people that look like they could be from anyplace.  Because the fact is, is that except for the Native American populations, everybody in America came from someplace else.  All of us are immigrants.  And that's been our greatest strength, because we've been able to attract talent from everywhere.

I use this as an example:  You notice that the United States did really well in the Olympics.  Now, some of that is because we're a big country, we're a wealthy country, so we have all these training facilities and we can do all kinds of -- best equipment.  All that is true.  But you know what, China is a bigger country and spends a lot of money also.  The big advantage that America has, if you look at our team -- actually, two big advantages.  First, we passed something called Title IX many years ago that requires that women get the same opportunities in sports as men do.  (Applause.)  And that's why -- one of the reasons the American teams did so well is the women were amazing, and just because they've gotten opportunities.  Right?  Which teaches us something about the need to make sure that women and men, boys and girls, get the same opportunities.  Because you do better when everybody has a chance, not just some.

But the second thing -- you look at a U.S. Olympic team and there are all kinds of different sorts of people of all different shapes and sizes.  And part of it is because we draw from a bigger genetic pool than anybody -- right?  We have people who -- these little gymnasts, they're like this big.  Simone Biles came by the White House.  She's a tiny little thing.  Amazing athlete.  Then we have Michael Phelps, he's 6'8" and his shoulders are this big.  And that's good for swimming.  He couldn’t do gymnastics, but he's a really good swimmer.

The point is, is that when you have all this talent from all these different places, then you actually, as a team, do better.  And that's been the great gift of America.

Now, what we have to do not just in the United States, but in all countries, is to find a way to have a open, smart immigration policy, but it has to be orderly and lawful.  And I think that part of what's happened in the United States is that even though the amount of illegal immigration that is happening has actually gone down while I've been President, the perception is that it has just gone up.  Partly this is because it used to be that immigrants primarily stayed in Texas and Arizona and New Mexico, border countries, or in Florida.  And now they're moving into parts of the country that aren’t used to seeing immigrants, and it makes people concerned -- who are these people, and are they taking our jobs and are they taking opportunity, and so forth.

So my argument has been that no country can have completely open borders, because if they did, then nationality and citizenship wouldn’t mean anything.  And obviously if we had completely open borders, then you would have tens of millions of people who would suddenly be coming into the United States -- which, by the way, wouldn’t necessarily be good for the countries where they leave, because in some places like in Africa, you have doctors and nurses and scientists and engineers who all try to leave, and then you have a brain drain and they're not developing their own countries.

So you have to have some rules, but my hope is, is that those rules are set up in a way that continues to invite talented young people to come in and contribute, and to make a good life for themselves.  What we also, though, have to do is to invest in countries that are sending migrants so that they can develop themselves.  So you mentioned Cuba, for example, where your father fled.  He left in part because they didn’t feel that there was enough opportunity there.  Part of the reason I said let's reopen our diplomatic relations with Cuba is to see if you can start encouraging greater opportunity and freedom in Cuba.  Because if you have people who have been able to leave Cuba and do really well in the United States, that means they have enough talent that they should be able to do really well by staying at home in Cuba.

There are enormously talented people here in Peru.  I don’t want all the young people in Peru to suddenly all go -- (applause) -- I don’t want you to feel as if you have to go to New York in order to be successful.  You should be able to be successful right here in Lima, right?  (Applause.)

So this is true in the Americas, it's true in Europe, where obviously they've been flooded -- and it's been very controversial -- with migrants, some of them displaced from war in Syria, but some of them just coming for economic reasons from Africa.  I just left meetings with European leaders, and we discussed the fact that if we're investing more in development in those African countries, and encouraging greater rule of law and less corruption and more opportunity in those countries, then people are less likely to want to come to Germany or Italy for their futures because they feel that they can make a future where they are.

But this is an example of what I was saying earlier.  If we think only about, in very narrow terms, about our borders and what's good for us, and ignore what's happening everywhere else, eventually it will have an impact on us whether we like it or not.  Because the world is just much smaller than it used to be.

Okay.  (Applause.)  Let's see, we got -- all right, young lady right there.  Go ahead, in the black.  Yes, you.  (Applause.)

Q    Oh, my God, thank you for this amazing opportunity.  More than a question -- well, I have to introduce myself first, sorry.  I’m Jennifer Schell, and I’m from Venezuela.  We already talked a little about my country, but I just want to thank you for giving us the women’s opportunity to make us feel empowered.

I’m the CEO and founder of the TrabajaMama, a social initiative that promotes values for mothers around the world.  I’m a mother.  I have a daughter, and it’s a little bit hard to become an entrepreneur.  And I know that you have been supporting woman empowerment.  You support a candidate who was a woman, Hillary.  You are supported by your wife, Michelle.  And what is --

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Michelle is amazing.  (Applause.)

Q    I’m sure, I’m sure.  I’m sure of that.

So I know how you have been telling a lot of advice for young leaders.  What I want -- special advice for female entrepreneurs, for those who have to strive a little bit more, for those who are mothers who have to split their self, and ask herself, should I be a mother or should I be a professional.  I truly believe that we can be both at the same time, but I would like to hear it from you -- an advice for all the women, potential women that are going to become a mother, will have our future generations.  (Applause.)

And on behalf of all my YLAI fellows, thank you for this amazing opportunity.  And all the fellows that are looking -- there are more fellows looking right now from their countries because they couldn’t come to Peru, so thank you for all the fellows that are watching right us now.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Okay.  Well, it’s a great question.  (Applause.)

I mean, Michelle probably would have more to say about this because, you know, she’s gone through it as a professional woman.  But let me offer just a few observations.

First of all, the leaders and the men in every country need to understand that the countries that are most successful are going to be the countries that give opportunities to girls and women, and not just boys and men.  (Applause.)

And if you look at which countries are doing best -- most advanced, grow the fastest -- it’s partly because you can’t have half the population uneducated, not working, out of the house, not in leadership positions, and expect to be as good as a country where 100 percent of the people are getting a good education, and having opportunities, and can do amazing things -- starting a business or entering into politics or what have you.

So this is not just a problem for girls and women; men have to also recognize, this is good for you.  And if you’re a strong man, you shouldn’t be threatened that women are doing well.  You should be proud that women are doing well.  And families where women have opportunity, that means they’re going to be able to bring in more income, which means the family as a whole is going to do better.

And let’s be honest, sometimes, you know, that whole machismo attitude sometimes makes it harder for women to succeed, and sometimes that is coming even from those who love them.  So, men, those of you who end up being fathers and you’ve got daughters, you’ve got to lift up your daughters.  Just telling them they’re pretty is not enough.  You’ve got to tell them they’re smart, and you got to tell them they’re ambitious, and you have to give them opportunity.  (Applause.)

So once you have the whole country thinking in those terms, then you need to start having policies that can support women, and the most important thing, in addition to making sure that girls from an early age are getting a good education and that they’re not being told, oh, you can just do certain things -- like engineering, that’s a man’s job, or being scientist, that a man’s job.  No, no -- girls can do everything.  It can’t just be, you know, be a teacher -- which is a wonderful profession, but, traditionally, women sometimes are just told there are a few things they can do -- nurse, teacher -- as opposed to anything.  Right?

So that starts -- once you’ve done that, then you have to recognize that the big conflicts that women have in the professional world has to do with family and childrearing.  And for biological reasons, women have more of a burden than men do.  But it’s not just biology, it’s also sociology, all right?  Men’s attitudes is, well, yeah, I don’t have to do as much.  And even in my marriage with Michelle, I like to think of myself as a modern, enlightened man, but I’ll admit it -- Michelle did more work than I did with Sasha and Malia.

So part of what societies can do, though, is they can help with, for example, having smart policies for childcare.  One of the hardest things for professional women, particularly when their children are still small and not yet in school, is who’s going to take care of my baby when I’m working, and how do I make sure that they’re safe and that they’re trusted.  So making sure that governments have policies in place that help.  Now, having a mother-in-law who helps, that’s also very useful.  (Laughter.)  But not everybody has the option where they have family members who are close by.  So that’s an example of something that we have to really work on.

Then we have to put pressure on institutions to treat women equally when it comes to getting loans to start a business.  Up until just maybe 20 years ago, in some places -- in the United States even -- a husband had to sign a loan document with a bank, even though it was the wife’s business, even if the woman was the one making the money, it was her idea, it was her investment, she was doing all the work.  Because of these old stereotypes, you’re having men co-sign.  That kind of mentality, that kind of discrimination still exists in a lot of institutions.

So we have to push back against those, we have to fight against those.  Women who are successful, you have to then fight for the younger women who are coming behind you, and make sure that you are changing some of these attitudes.  If you are high up in a bank, then you got to make sure that these policies are good for women.  If you succeed in politics, then you have to help promote and encourage women who are coming behind you.

So the last thing I guess I would say would be -- I know that Michelle says this to our daughters:  You can be a wonderful mom and have a wonderful family and have a really successful career.  You may have to kind of not try to do everything all at the same time exactly.  You may have to time things out a little bit and have a husband who supports taking turns a little bit.  So it may be that when the child is very young, you’re not doing something that is as hard, because having a really young child is already really hard, and you have to sleep sometimes.  But then as the child gets older, maybe that’s when you are doing something -- maybe your husband is doing something that gives him more time to support that child.  So there’s going to have to be finding the right balance throughout your life in order to be successful.

But congratulations on the good work you’re doing.  (Applause.)

All right, I've got time for -- so I only have time for two more questions.  I'll call on that gentleman up there with the glasses, in the blue shirt.  No, no, right here.  Let him ask his question, and then I'll ask the last one.  Go ahead.

Q    Hello, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Hello!

Q    It's really an honor to ask you this question.  Well, my name is Alonso Cornejo (ph).  I'm studying marketing at Universidad San Ignacio Loyola.  (Applause.)  And my question is about what advice will you give to Peruvian students that they are starting to think different, to making a change not just in Peru, [but] worldwide -- make a change about worldwide.  What advice will you give?  Right now we live in a world that maybe the bad is good, and the good is bad.  So what advice will you give them to chase their dreams, make the country better -- not Peru, just worldwide?  That will be my question.  Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, look, you're already doing so well.  I don’t know that I can give you the perfect advice.  But I'll tell you what I tell my young people who work in the White House and who I meet in the United States, because I think what's true in the United States is true for you, as well.

We live at a time where you're always seeing bad news.  Everybody -- bad news gets a lot of attention.  But the truth is that, in some many ways, the world is better now than it was 20 years ago or 40 years ago, or 100 years ago.  People are healthier today, they're wealthier today, they're better educated today.  The world, if you look overall, is less violent than it was.  Look at the 20th century -- millions of people dying everywhere.  Look at Latin America and the wars that were taking place everywhere across the continent.  And so you actually are living in a time of relative peace and historic prosperity.

And I say that so that you should feel optimistic about the future.  You shouldn’t feel pessimistic.  Yeah, you're always seeing bad news, but the truth is the world is in a place where it can solve its problems and be even better 20 years from now or 50 years from now.  You have to start with that hope, that sense of optimism inside you, because if you don’t feel that way, then you don’t bother to try to have an impact because you think, ah, every politician is corrupt and all the governments are terrible, and people are greedy and people are mean, and so I'm just going to look out for myself.  And then nothing gets better.  So you have to start knowing that things have gotten better and can continue to get better.  That's number one.

Number two, I always tell young people to -- and I don’t know if this translates well in Spanish -- but I say:  Worry more about what you want to do, and not what you want to be.  Now, here is what I mean.  I think a lot of people, they say to themselves, "I want to be rich," or they say to themselves, "I want to be powerful."  Or they say, "I want to be the President," or "I want to be a CEO," so they -- or "I want to be a rap star."  So they say they have this idea, but the people I know who are most successful, usually they're successful because they found something that they really care about, and they worked at it and became really good at it.  And over time, because they were so good at what they did, they ended up being rich, or they ended up being powerful and influential.  But in the meantime, they were constantly doing what they enjoyed doing and learning, and that's what made them successful.

So what I would say to all of you is, find something you care deeply about.  If you care about poor children, then find a way right now that you can start helping some poor children.  Don’t wait, saying to yourself, oh, someday, when I'm President of Peru I'm going to help poor children.  No, go now and find an organization or create an organization that is helping poor kids learn or be exposed to new experiences.  If you care about the environment, don’t wait.  In addition to your studies, you could start having an impact right now on trying to improve your local community, or trying to be involved in some of the work that's being done around things like climate change.

The point is that once you decide what it is that you really care about, there are ways for you to now get involved and pursue that passion.  And if you pursue that passion and you get good at it, you're not going to change the world overnight -- nobody does.  I mean, I eventually, at the age of 45, became a senator and then the President of the United States, but I worked for 25 years in poor communities, and worked on issues.  And hopefully I was doing some good, even before I was famous or powerful, so that if I hadn’t ended up being President I could still look back and say, I worked on the things that I cared about and I got something done that was important.  (Applause.)  And that, I think, is the most important advice that I have for you.

All right, last question.  It's a woman's turn.  So all the men, you can put your -- all the boys can put their hands down.  It's a woman's turn.

Okay, go ahead, right there.

Q    Okay, first of all, my name is Melisa.  I represent Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas.  (Applause.)   Besides, I'm a proud member of UPC (inaudible).  And once again, I want to welcome you to this amazing country.  And on behalf of this whole audience, I would like to thank you for this amazing opportunity.

Okay, so my question is the following.  As it is well known, during your presidency you have stepped up and accepted mistakes you made yourself or maybe the team you're leading.  And that's -- I believe that shows how you reaffirm your belief in introspection and how you want to leave the past behind.  What would your advice to us entrepreneurs, most of us, that would like to leave the mistakes -- learn from them, step up, and leave what's the past in the past?  Thank you, President.  (Applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, you know, I don’t -- you shouldn’t ignore the past.  You should learn from it.  And you should learn from history, and learn from experience.

The truth is that I was -- right before I came to Peru, I was in Europe, and I started my trip in Athens.  And I went to the Parthenon, the birthplace of democracy.  And you look at all these buildings from ancient Greece, and you try to imagine all the things that were happening in that time, and it seems very long ago.  But the fact of the matter is, is that humanity keeps on making the same mistakes, and we oftentimes find ourselves dealing with the same problems and the same issues.  So studying our past, studying our history, is very, very important.

But the main thing I tell you and I tell my own daughters is, you can't be trapped by the past.  There's a difference between understanding your past.  You need to know the history of Peru.  If you live in the United States, you need to know how America came about -- and that includes both the amazing and wonderful things, but also the bad things.  If you want to understand America today, then you have to understand slavery, and you have to understand the history of immigration, and how the debates we’re having today about immigration aren’t that different from when the Irish or the Italians came and people were saying, we can’t have any more Italians and we can’t have any more Irish.  If you don’t know that then you aren’t going to understand the patterns that we are having today.

But the point is, is that we have the power to make our own history.  We don’t have to repeat the same mistakes.  We don’t have to just be confined to what has happened before or what is going on today.  We can think differently, and imagine differently, and do things differently.

The one thing that we should remember, though, is that even as we try to do things that are new, we should remember that change generally doesn’t happen overnight.  It happens over time.  So I say that to young people because sometimes they get impatient.  In the United States, sometimes people say to me, oh, why haven’t we eliminated racial discrimination in the United States?  And I say, well, we’ve made a lot of progress since I was born.  In terms of human history, if you think on the scale of hundreds of years or thousands of years -- in 50 years, the changes that have taken place have been amazing.

So you have to understand that even though we can think differently, societies don’t move immediately.  It requires hard work, and you have to persuade people.  And sometimes you take two steps forward and then you take one step back.  And you shouldn’t be discouraged when that happens, because history doesn’t just move in a smooth, straight line.

The good news is that we have more access to information than we’ve ever had before.  Young people are in a position to change the world faster than ever before.  And I am confident that if you are respectful of people and you look for what you have in common with humanity, if you stay true to the values of kindness, and respect, and reason, and trying to live together in peace, that the world will keep getting better.  And I’ll be looking forward to seeing all the amazing things that you do in the years to come.
Okay?  Thank you very much, everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
3:47 P.M. PET

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/11/20/remarks-president-ylai-town-hall

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mKVT15ofm8 [with comments] [also at e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlLqmtXhsb4 (official The White House upload; title and descriptive text taken from; with comments), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5S5PrdJA0o (with comment), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V5BW4p16-I (no comments yet), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV1A-lWNbY8 (no comments yet), and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM7wAqXMrJg (no comments yet)]


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President Obama Holds a Press Conference

Published on Nov 20, 2016 by Michael McIntee

Lima, Peru

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Press Conference by President Obama in Lima, Peru

Lima Convention Centre
Lima, Peru
November 20, 2016

5:52 P.M. PET

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good evening, everybody.  Let me begin by thanking President Kuczynski and the wonderful people of Peru for hosting us and for their outstanding hospitality.  Peru is one of the United States’ strongest partners in the Americas -- from standing up for democracy, to promoting jobs and growth, to fighting climate change.  And this summit has been a success thanks to the great work of our Peruvian friends.  So on behalf of us all, muchas gracias.

This summit, and my trip over the past week, has obviously occurred against a backdrop of the broader debate over globalization and trade.  As I’ve said, over the decades, our global, integrated economy has helped to improve the lives of billions of people around the world with historic gains in prosperity, education, and health.  At the same time, when jobs and capital can move across borders, when workers have less leverage, when wealthy corporations and global elites too often seem to be playing by a different set of rules, then workers and communities can be hit especially hard; the gaps between the rich and everyone else grow wider.  And that can reverberate through our politics.

That’s why I firmly believe that one of our greatest challenges in the years ahead -- across our nations and within them -- will be to make sure that the benefits of the global economy are shared by more people and that the negative impacts, such as economic inequalities, are addressed by all nations.  When it comes to trade, I believe that the answer is not to pull back or try to erect barriers to trade.  Given our integrated economies and global supply chains, that would hurt us all.  But rather the answer is to do trade right, making sure that it has strong labor standards, strong environmental standards, that it addresses ways in which workers and ordinary people can benefit rather than be harmed by global trade.  All of this is the central work of APEC.

As this debate moves forward in the United States, it’s important to remember how vital the Asia Pacific is to America’s prosperity.  The 21 Asia Pacific economies here represent nearly three billion people, a majority of the global middle class, six of America’s top 10 trading partners, more than half of the global economy, and the world’s fastest-growing region.  In other words, these 21 countries represent tremendous opportunity for the United States to sell our goods and support U.S. jobs.  And that’s why, as part of the rebalance of our foreign policy to the Asia Pacific, we’ve boosted U.S. exports to the region by some 50 percent.  Nearly 60 percent of our exports go to the region.

And this is part of broader progress.  With 95 percent of the world’s customers beyond America’s borders, I’ve made it a priority to open up new markets overseas.  And during my administration, we’ve increased U.S. exports to the world by more than 40 percent -- to record levels -- and these exports support more than 11 million American jobs.  Moreover, we know that companies that export tend to grow faster and hire more employees and pay their workers more than companies that do not export.  All of which is why exports have helped to drive our economic recovery.  It's one of the reasons that U.S. businesses have created more than 15 million new jobs.

So that’s the kind of progress that trade -- when done right -- can deliver.  And that’s the kind of work that we’ve tried to do here at this summit.  We’re continuing our work to make it easier to do business between our countries so we’re creating even more jobs.  In the United States, we’re simplifying the process of starting a new business, increasing access to credit, all of which will help more ventures -- especially small businesses -- get up and running, and helping them to be able to export as well, so that they can access a global market even if they can't afford fancy lawyers and accountants and foreign offices.

We agreed to increase our collective effort against corruption by targeting the bribery that enriches elites at the expense of people.  And we committed to making it easier to trade in services as well as goods.

We also discussed the excess capacity that exists in certain sectors, like steel and aluminum that distorts markets and hurts business and workers, including American workers.  And even as I've argued that we cannot engage in protectionist measures, my administration has been at the forefront of really cracking down hard on unfair trade practices and brought, consistently, cases against the -- cases under the WTO against those who are engaging in unfair trading practices, and we've had a great track record of trade enforcement that has to be a part of this process.

I’ve been very clear that excess capacity is not the result of market forces; it’s the result of specific government policies, and it needs to be fixed.  And here at APEC, we've been taking steps, as we were at the G20 in Hangzhou, to start addressing these issues in a systematic way.

With regard to the digital economy, we endorsed rules to protect the privacy of personal information as it crosses borders.  We discussed the importance of maintaining the current moratorium on customs duties for digital goods and innovation.  And given growing cyber threats, our 21 APEC economies affirmed that no one should conduct or support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, including trade secrets, with the intent to providing a competitive advantage to companies or commercial sectors.

We’re also moving ahead with making our economies more inclusive.  And one particular area of focus is making sure that women have fair access to economic growth -- expanding education; expanding access to careers in science, technology, engineering and math; helping more women entrepreneurs to access finance and integrate their businesses into the global supply chain.  According to one study, if women around the world participated in the labor force, it could add up to $28 trillion of additional output for the global economy -- $28 trillion.  When women are more prosperous, then families, communities and countries are all more prosperous as well.

My meeting yesterday with my fellow leaders of the Trans-Pacific Partnership was a chance to reaffirm our commitment to the TPP, with its high standards, strong protections for workers, the environment, intellectual property and human rights.  Our partners made very clear during the meeting that they want to move forward with TPP; preferably, they’d like to move forward with the United States.  A number of countries already are starting to ratify TPP.

At the same time, we’re already hearing calls for a less ambitious trade agreement in the region with lower standards, lower protections for workers, lower protections for the environment.  That kind of agreement would obviously exclude U.S. workers and businesses and access to those markets.  So for all those reasons, I believe that TPP is a plus for America’s economy, America’s workers, American jobs.  I think not moving forward would undermine our position across the region and our ability to shape the rules of global trade in a way that reflects our interests and our values.

Finally, our cooperation with APEC has been critical to our historic progress in fighting climate change -- bringing the Paris agreement into force, agreeing to limit aviation emissions, phrasing out dangerous HFCs.  Here in Lima, we continue our work to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, and countries made new commitments toward our goal of doubling our renewable energy over the next two decades.

So, as I wrap up my last summit and likely my last foreign trip as President, I could not be more proud of the progress that we’ve made together.  Obviously, the work is never done.  And given the prosperity and security we seek for not only the United States but our allies and our partners, I continue to believe that America will have a vital role to play in creating and sustaining a strong, enduring leadership role in the Asia Pacific.

So, with that, let me take some questions.  And I'll start with Darlene Superville of AP.

Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  You’ve been telling world leaders this week that President-elect Trump is unlikely to govern in the divisive way that he campaigned.  But I'm wondering, how can you be so certain of that given that the first group of people he’s chosen for top national security and law enforcement positions hold the same views that he espoused as a candidate?  And second, to follow up on your meeting earlier today with President Putin, did you discuss with him Russia’s alleged meddling in the U.S. election?  And are you concerned that the kind of involvement that we saw in this year’s campaign will be the new normal going forward in future U.S. elections?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, what I have said to world leaders is the same thing that I've said in a number of press conferences, which is the President-elect now has to put together a team and put forward specifics about how he intends to govern.  And he hasn't had a full opportunity to do that yet.  And so people should take a wait-and-see approach in how much his policy proposals once in the White House, once he is sworn in, matches up with some of the rhetoric of his campaign.

My simple point is, is that you can't assume that the language of campaigning matches up with the specifics of governing, legislation, regulations, and foreign policy.

I can't be sure of anything.  I think, like everyone else, we'll have to wait and see.  But as I've said before, once you're in the Oval Office, once you begin interacting with world leaders, once you see the complexities of the issues, that has a way of shaping your thinking and, in some cases, modifying your thinking, because you recognize this solemn responsibility not only to the American people but the solemn responsibility that America has as the largest, most powerful country in the world.

And I can't guarantee that the President-elect won't pursue some of the positions that he's taken.  But what I can guarantee is, is that reality will force him to adjust how he approaches many of these issues.  That's just the way this office works.

And I've said before, if these issues were easy -- if ensuring prosperity, jobs, security, good foreign relations with other countries -- if all that was simple, then it would have been done by every previous President.  And I'm a pretty good presidential historian; I've looked at my 43 predecessors, and it seems like for all of them -- even the best ones -- that you end up confronting realities that you didn't anticipate.  I think the same will happen here.  And that's a good thing.  That's an important thing.

With respect to President Putin, I didn't have a meeting.  We talked briefly while we were in between sessions.  And the conversation that I had with him was consistent with the conversations I've had with him over the previous several months, indicating to him that we are still deeply concerned about the bloodshed and chaos that's being sown by constant bombing attacks by Assad and the Russian military against populations in Aleppo, and the need for us to arrive first at some sort of humanitarian ceasefire and begin moving towards a political transition of some sort.

And I talked to him about Ukraine and the need for us to get Minsk done.  I urged him to instruct his negotiators to work with ourselves, with Frances, with Germany, with Ukraine to see if we can get that done before my term is up.  As usual, it was a candid and courteous meeting, but very clear about the strong differences that we have on policy.

The issue of the elections did not come up because that's behind us and I was focused in this brief discussion on moving forward.  I had already made very clear to him our concerns around cyberattacks, generally, as well as specific concerns we had surrounding the DNC hack.

I don't think this will be the norm, but as I've said before, the concern I have has less to do with any particular misinformation or propaganda that's being put out by any particular party, and a greater concern about the general misinformation from all kinds of sources -- domestic, foreign, on social media -- that make it very difficult for voters to figure out what's true and what's not.  And let me put it this way.  I think if we have a strong, accurate and responsible press, and we have a strong, civic culture and an engaged citizenry, then various attempts to meddle in our elections won't mean much.

If, generally, we've got elections that aren't focused on issues and are full of fake news and false information and distractions, then the issue is not going to be what's happening from the outside; the issue is going to be what are we doing for ourselves from the inside.  The good news is that's something that we have control over.

Gardiner Harris.

Q    Mr. President, thanks so much for holding this press conference.  If you had had hotels, real estate, and other businesses distributed around the world prior to becoming President, would you have thought it appropriate to sell them off and put the cash proceeds in a blind trust?  Or is it okay for the President of the United States to be personally vulnerable to the policy decisions of the foreign leaders he meets and in the foreign policy decisions he makes as President?  And also, just briefly, what's your complaint about how the NSA and Cyber Command have done their job?  And are you considering firing Admiral Mike Rogers?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  That was a rhetorical question, that first one.  (Laughter.)  Rather than comment on hypotheticals, let me say specifically what I did.  Obviously, my assets were significantly smaller than some other Presidents or President-elects.  But we made a decision to liquidate assets that might raise questions about how it would influence policy.

I basically had our accountant put all our money in Treasury bills -- the yields, by the way, have not been massive over the course of the last eight years -- (laughter) -- just because it simplified my life.  I did not have to worry about the complexities of whether a decision that I made might even inadvertently benefit me.

And that's consistent with the broader approach that we've taken throughout my administration, which is to not just meet the letter of the law, but to go well beyond the letter to the spirit of the law -- not just for me, but for the people in the White House and in our leadership positions.

We have established a whole set of rules, norms, playbooks that just keep us far away from the line.  Early on in the administration, there would be questions about could a staff person go to this conference, or what should they do about this gift that was provided.  And I think it was maybe our first general counsel who was responsible for setting up our guidelines and rules inside the White House that said, if it sounds like it would be fun, then you can't do it.  (Laughter.)  That's a general test.  If it sounds like something you would enjoy or appreciate -- no go.

And as a consequence -- and I'll knock on some wood here, because we got two months left -- I am extremely proud of the fact that over eight years we have not had the kinds of scandals that have plagued other administrations.  And when I met with the President-elect, I suggested to him that having a strong White House Counsel that could provide clear guideposts and rules would benefit him and benefit his team because it would eliminate a lot of ambiguity.  And I think it will be up to him to make determinations about how he wants to approach it.

I know what worked for us, and I think it served the American people well.  And because I had made a promise to the American people that I would not fall into some of the familiar habits of Washington, that I wanted a new kind of politics, this was one indicator.  And at the end of eight years, I think I can say to the American people I delivered on that commitment.

With respect to cyber, the NSA, Admiral Rogers is a terrific patriot and has served this country well in a number of positions.  I generally don't comment on personnel matters here.  I can say generally that we've spent a lot of time over the last several years looking at how we can organize our cyber efforts to keep pace with how rapidly the environment is changing.

Increasingly, our critical infrastructure, government data, financial systems are vulnerable to attack.  And both state and non-state actors are getting better and better at it, and it is becoming more and more rapid.  And it is inevitable that we're doing to have to modernize and update not just the tools we use to defend those assets and the American people, but also how we organize it.  And it is true that we are exploring a range of options in terms of how we organize the mission that currently exists.

Rich Edson.

Q    Good evening, and thank you, Mr. President.  Earlier this year, former President George W. Bush reportedly said that he worried he would be the last Republican President.  Now Republicans have won the White House, control the House and Senate, two-thirds of state legislatures, 34 governorships, and there are charges of a shallow Democratic bench behind you.  Are you worried you could be the last Democratic President for a while?  And secondly, sir, speaking of your predecessor, he made sure to offer essentially no public criticism of you during your time in office.  Will you equally withhold public criticism for President Trump, even if he attempts to dismantle much of what you’ve accomplished?  Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, no, I'm not worried about being the last Democratic President.  I think -- not even for a while.  And I say that, not being cute.  The Democratic nominee won the popular vote, and obviously this was an extremely competitive race and I would expect that future races will be competitive as well.  I certainly think it's true that politics in America right now are a little up for grabs, that some of the old alignments within both parties -- Democrat and Republican -- are being reshaped.  And although the results of this election involved some of the specifics of the candidates and aren't going to be duplicated in every subsequent election, Democrats do have to do some thinking about how do we make sure that the message we have is received effectively and results in winning elections.

This is something that I've been wrestling with throughout my presidency.  When you look at the proposals I put forward, they garner majority support.  The majority believes in raising the minimum wage.  The majority believes in common-sense gun safety rules.  The majority believes in investing to rebuild our infrastructure and create jobs.  The majority believes in making sure that people aren't going bankrupt when they get sick.  The majority agrees with all the individual components of Obamacare.

I think there was a Gallup Poll this week, subsequent to the election, that showed that the general public has a more favorable view of Democrats than Republicans.  And as I noted, my approval ratings are quite high.  And yet what’s been true during the course of my eight years is that does not always translate; in fact, too often it hasn't translated into working majorities either at the state level or at the federal level.

Now, some of that is just the nature of our system, and geography.  As long as Wyoming gets the same number of senators as California, there’s going to be some tilt towards Republicans when it comes to congressional races.  The fact that a lot of Democratic voters are bunched up in big cities, and a lot of Republican voters are spread out across geography gives them an advantage when it comes to congressional races.

Some of it is just political bad luck.  For example, I came in as an economy was in free fall, and although we took the right steps to save the economy, in my midterm election in 2010, people couldn't yet see the recovery and, not surprisingly, the President’s party got punished.  We lost control of a lot of not just congressional seats but also gubernatorial seats and state legislative seats.  And that happened to be the year that the Census is done and you start doing redistricting, and those Republicans took advantage of political gerrymandering to lock in majorities, even though in numerous subsequent elections, Democrats have actually cast more votes -- or more votes have been cast for Democratic congressional candidates than Republican.  And yet you end up having large Republican majorities.

So there are just some structural problems that we have to deal with.  But, look, you can't make excuses about the rules.  That's the deal, and we got to do better.  And I think doing better, as I said, involves us working at the grassroots; not ceding territory; going out into areas where right now we may not stand a chance of actually winning but we're building up a cadre of young talent; we're making arguments; we're persuading; we're talking about the things that matter to ordinary people, day to day, and trying to avoid some of the constant distractions that fill up people’s Twitter accounts.

And if we do that, then I'm confident that we'll be back on track.  I don't think that there has to be a complete overhaul here.  I think that there does have to be better organization, a smarter message.  And one message I do have for Democrats is that a strategy that's just micro-targeting particular, discrete groups in a Democratic coalition sometimes will win you elections, but it's not going to win you the broad mandate that you need.  And ultimately, the more we can talk about what we have in common as a nation, and speak to a broad set of values, a vision that speaks to everybody and not just one group at a time, the better off we're going to be.

I think that's part of the reason why I was able to get elected twice, is that I always tried to make sure that, not only in proposals but also in message, that I was speaking to everybody.

You had a second part to your question?

Q    (Inaudible.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Ah.  Look, I've said before, President Bush could not have been more gracious to me when I came in.  And my intention is to, certainly for the next two months, is finish my job.  And then, after that, to take Michelle on vacation, get some rest, spend time with my girls, and do some writing, do some thinking.  So I want to be respectful of the office and give the President-elect an opportunity to put forward his platform and his arguments without somebody popping off in every instance.

As an American citizen who cares deeply about our country, if there are issues that have less to do with the specifics of some legislative proposal or battle, but go to core questions about our values and our ideals, and if I think that it's necessary or helpful for me to defend those ideals, then I'll examine it when it comes.  But what I do know is, is that I have to take Michelle on vacation.  (Laughter.)

Juliet Eilperin.

Q    Thanks, Mr. President.  Given what you just said about the strong differences that you and President Putin have on the future of Syria and the conflict there, can you talk a little about how you see that unfolding, both at the end of your tenure, at the beginning of Donald Trump’s, and whether you have concerns that even if we eliminate the Islamic state in eastern Syria and western Iraq, you may be allowing a permanent al Qaeda safe haven around Aleppo and (inaudible.)  And on Aleppo, can you say to what extent you think the United States has fulfilled its responsibility to protect in that instance?

And then, in terms of finishing your job, which you just mentioned, last week you exercised your executive authority on multiple fronts -- finalizing oil and gas leasing rules on public lands, as well as issuing a five-year leasing plan, banning drilling in the Arctic and the Atlantic.  Many Republicans say that you should hold off finalizing anymore rules as you're headed out the door because they oppose many of them -- when they control both the executive and legislative branch next year.  What do you say to that suggestion?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, on the second question, these are the same Republicans who suggested that they didn’t need to confirm a Supreme Court justice when I was nine months out until the next election.  I think their general approach seems to be that probably two days after my reelection, I should stop until the next election.  I don't think that that's what the Constitution calls for.

The regulations that we have issued are ones that we've been working on for a very long time.  They’ve been subject to extensive public notice and comment, and everybody has known they’ve been out there.  These aren't things that we've been surprising people with.  They’re well-considered, they’re the right thing to do.  They’re part of my task of finishing my work.

And I recognize that when the new administration comes in, and a new Congress comes in, that they will have the option of trying to undo some of those rules and regulations that we've put in place.  And that's their prerogative.  That's part of how democracy works.  But I feel very strongly these are the right things to do, and I'm going to make sure I do them.

With respect to Syria, as I said I think even on this trip in a previous press conference, I am not optimistic about the short-term prospects in Syria.  Once Russia and Iran made a decision to back Assad in a brutal air campaign and essentially a pacification of Aleppo, regardless of the potential for civilian casualties, children being killed or wounded, schools or hospitals being destroyed, then it was very hard to see a way in which even a trained and committed moderate opposition could hold its ground for long periods of time.

And the issue that obviously I've wrestled with for the last five years -- how involved should the United States be? What are our legal constraints in such involvement?  What are our moral obligations?  What are our strategic interests?  Those haven't changed.  I continue to believe that we did not have a legal basis for military intervention there; that it would have been a strategic mistake given the work we still had to do in Iraq, the counter-ISIL campaign, ongoing operations in Afghanistan; that we had worked tirelessly to arrive at a political transition of some sort that could alleviate the suffering and provide humanitarian access.  And we will continue to do that work all the way until the last day that me and John Kerry and others have the authority to speak for the United States government.

But ultimately, it takes two -- or in this case, four, or six, or eight -- to tango.  And we're just not getting help or interest from those parties that are supporting Assad, and Assad, as a consequence, has been emboldened.  Look, this is a man who has decided that destroying his country, turning it to rubble, and seeing its population scattered or killed was worth it for him to cling to power, when he had the option to peacefully engage in a transition that could have kept the country intact.  That's his mentality.  That's not a mentality we support.  That's a mentality that the Russians and the Iranians have been willing to support.  But at this stage, we're going to need to have a change in how all parties think about this in order for us to end the situation there.

Now, our ability to go after ISIL I think can be sustained.  There’s no doubt that there will continue to be extremist forces in and around Syria because it's still going to be in chaos for quite some time.  There will be elements in Iraq, just as there have been elements in Afghanistan even after the Taliban we're swept out, even after we killed bin Laden.  But I think we can effectively reduce the risk and take their key external operators off the field.

The thing I'm probably most concerned about is making sure that even as we do that, U.S. policy, U.S. statements, U.S. positions don't further radicalize Muslims around the world, or alienate and potentially law-abiding Muslims who are living in Europe or the United States.  And that's why I think it's important for us to understand those are our key allies in this fight, not enemies.

Mike Memoli.

Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  This final foreign trip of your presidency is obviously playing out in very different circumstances than you might have expected.  A very different transition is underway than the one you might have envisioned.  Given that, though, I wonder if you intentionally sought to approach this trip reflecting more on the powers of and influence of the presidency on the world stage so that you might be able to offer the kind of counsel to your successor that he has said he hopes to draw upon.

And also, on a political note, you talked often during your reelection campaign about this fever that had consumed the Republican Party, an effective political strategy that they employed to block you even on issues where there might have been some common ground.  What would be your advice to Democrats who might see that kind of strategy as the same kind of path to taking back power that the Republicans employed?  And related to that, what would your advice be to House Democrats about whether or not to reelect Nancy Pelosi as the party leader in the House?

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I'll work in reverse.  I think Nancy Pelosi is an outstanding and historic political leader.  So much of what we accomplished was accomplished because of her smarts, her tenacity, her legislative skill.  And I don't normally meddle with party votes, and certainly on my way out the door, probably I shouldn’t meddle here.  But I cannot speak highly enough of Nancy Pelosi.  She combines strong, progressive values with just extraordinary political skill.  And she does stuff that's tough, not just stuff that's easy.  She’s done stuff that's unpopular in her own base because it's the right thing to do for the American people.  I think she’s a remarkable leader.

With respect to Democrats and Republicans and how Democrats should deal with a new administration, I think you give them a hearing.  I certainly don't want them to do what Mitch McConnell did when I was elected -- meet the day of and say our sole objective is to not cooperate with him on anything even if the country is about to go into a depression, so that we can gain seats in the midterms and ultimately defeat him.

That's not why the American people send us to Washington, to play those games.  So that's not my advice to Democrats.  My advice to Democrats is know what you care about and what you stand for, and fight for your principles even if it's a hard fight.  If there are areas where the new administration is doing something that's going to be good for the American people, find a way to work with him.  If you think it's going to be a problem, then say so, and make the argument.

The touchstone is, what’s good for the American people.  And that's worked for me.  That means that at the end of the day -- and at the end of eight years -- I can look back and I can say that I consistently did what I thought was best.  It doesn’t mean you don't make mistakes, but it means that you're being true to your oath and the commitments you made to the people who elected you.

And in terms of reflecting on the U.S. presidency as I've been traveling, I think the main reflection I have and the main advice that I give to the incoming President is the United States really is an indispensable nation in our world order.  And I say that as somebody who has gone out of his way to express respect for every country and its people, and to consistently acknowledge that many of the challenges that we face are not challenges that America can solve on its own.  But what I also know is that the basic framework of the world order coming out of World War II and then on through the end of the Cold War was shaped by a set of ideals and principles that have worked for the vast majority of people -- not just America, but around the world.  The notion of democracy and rule of law, and a free press and independent judiciary, and open markets, and a social welfare state to moderate some off the sharp edges of capitalism, and lifting up issues of human rights, and investing in public health and development not just within our own borders but elsewhere in the world.  And working with multilateral institutions, like the United Nations; making sure that were upholding international norms and rules.

That's what’s made the modern world.  And there have been times where we, ourselves, have not observed some of these norms as well as we should, and have been accused of hypocrisy.  Here in Latin America, there have been times where countries felt disrespected and, on occasion, had cause for that.  There are times where we haven't observed these values in our own country and have fallen short of our ideals.  But that basic structure is the reason why the world is much wealthier, much more secure, and, yes, less violent, healthier, better educated, more tolerant than it was 50 years ago.

And that requires constant work.  It doesn’t just happen on its own.  I've said this in Europe.  I've said this in places where there’s this pushback against this modern order.  But you take an example like Europe -- before that order was imposed, we had two world wars in the span of 30 years.  In the second one, 60 million people were killed.  Not half a million, not a million, but 60 million.  Entire continents in rubble.

In places like the Asia Pacific, before that order existed, you routinely saw famines of millions of people -- not just concerns about low wages, but people dying because they didn’t have any food or drinking water, or died of cholera or simple diseases -- if somebody had some penicillin.

And so what I would say would be that we all share responsibilities for improving that order and maintaining it, and making sure it's more inclusive, and delivers greater hope and prosperity for more corners of the world.  We all have responsibilities -- every nation -- in respecting the dignity and worth of their citizens.  And America can't do it all for everybody else.  There are limits to our reach into other countries if they’re determined to oppress their people, or not provide girls education, or siphon off development funds into Swiss bank accounts because they’re corrupt.  We're not going to be able to handle every problem.

But the American President and the United States of America -- if we're not on the side of what’s right, if we're not making the argument and fighting for it, even if sometimes we're not able to deliver at 100 percent everywhere -- then it collapses.   And there’s nobody to fill the void.  There really isn't.  There are other very important countries -- like a China -- where if it weren't for China’s cooperation, we couldn't have gotten the Paris agreement done.  But China is not the one who was going around organizing 200 nations to sign on to a Paris agreement, or putting together the paper and the policy outlines and the conceptual framework.

Russia is a very significant military power, but they’re not worrying right now about how to rebuild after a hurricane in Haiti.  We are.

And I've said before, that's a burden that we should carry proudly.  And I would hope that not just the 45th President of the United States, but every President of the United States understands that that's not only a burden, but it's also an extraordinary privilege.  And if you have a chance to do that right, then you should seize it.

All right?  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)

END
6:43 P.M. PET

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/11/20/press-conference-president-obama-lima-peru

*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0ky5iLlofs [with comments] [also at e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buWogo3tyOw (official The White House upload; title and descriptive text taken from; with comments), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMRpd1yQe30 (no comments yet), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIImoOcaU00 (no comments yet), and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeA1HTGLwso (with comments)]


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Full Show - EPIC: Global Gov't In Complete Collapse - 11/21/2016

Published on Nov 21, 2016 by The Alex Jones Channel [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvsye7V9psc-APX6wV1twLg / http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel , http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel/videos ]

On this Monday, Nov. 21st 2016 broadcast of the Alex Jones Show, we look at electors getting death threats from Hillary voters and police officers being shot in three different states. Also, U.S. Army intelligence officer and survivalist-author James Wesley Rawles discusses safety amid increasing attacks on Trump supporters and violent protests. British politician and global warming skeptic Lord Christopher Monckton reveals how Trump might pull the U.S. out of a disastrous climate agreement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA_QeKI0BDQ [with comments] [an essential must-watch, start to finish]


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The Alt-Right Is Directed Strictly To Whites

Published on Nov 22, 2016 by Mike Malloy [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpU4j-LN_aibXA1gONvWzxw / http://www.youtube.com/user/hschulein , http://www.youtube.com/user/hschulein/videos ]

[originally aired November 21, 2016]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-uRbseKcck [with comments]


*


Nazi Salutes And White Supremacism In Washington

Published on Nov 22, 2016 by Mike Malloy

By the time Richard B. Spencer, the leading ideologue of the alt-right movement and the final speaker of the night, rose to address a gathering of his followers on Saturday, the crowd was restless.

In 11 hours of speeches and panel discussions in a federal building named after Ronald Reagan a few blocks from the White House, a succession of speakers had laid out a harsh vision for the future, but had denounced violence and said that Hispanic citizens and black Americans had nothing to fear. Earlier in the day, Mr. Spencer himself had urged the group to start acting less like an underground organization and more like the establishment.

But now his tone changed as he began to tell the audience of more than 200 people, mostly young men, what they had been waiting to hear. He railed against Jews and, with a smile, quoted Nazi propaganda in the original German. America, he said, belonged to white people, whom he called the “children of the sun,” a race of conquerors and creators who had been marginalized but now, in the era of President-elect Donald J. Trump, were “awakening to their own identity.”

Full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/21/us/alt-right-salutes-donald-trump.html

[originally aired November 21, 2016]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsEyOnAeEXs [with comments],
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfn7QvkGZrg [with comment]


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Leni Riefenstahl: Triumph of the Will (1935)

Published on Aug 31, 2013 by iconauta2 [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtAQ0wpgfUwT95Uj9sPbJtg / http://www.youtube.com/user/iconaus2 , http://www.youtube.com/user/iconaus2/videos ]

Breve Storia del Cinema - Il cinema e lo stato:
http://brevestoriadelcinema.altervista.org/16-1.html

Triumph of the Will (German: Triumph des Willens) is a 1935 film made by Leni Riefenstahl. It chronicles the 1934 Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg. The film contains excerpts from speeches given by various Nazi leaders at the Congress, including portions of speeches by Adolf Hitler, Rudolf Hess, and Julius Streicher interspersed with footage of massed Sturmabteilung and Schutzstaffel troops. Hitler commissioned the film and served as an unofficial executive producer; his name appears in the opening titles. The overriding theme of the film is the return of Germany as a great power, with Hitler as the leader who will bring glory to the nation. The film was made after the Night of the Long Knives so many prominent SA members are absent, having been murdered in 1934. Triumph of the Will became an example of propaganda in film history. Riefenstahl's techniques, such as moving cameras, the use of long focus lenses to create a distorted perspective, aerial photography, and revolutionary approach to the use of music and cinematography, have earned Triumph of the Will recognition as one of the greatest films in history. Riefenstahl won several awards, not only in Germany but also in the United States, France, Sweden, and other countries. The film was popular in the Third Reich, and has continued to influence movies, documentaries, and commercials to this day.

Frank Capra's seven-film series Why We Fight is said to have been directly inspired by and America's response to Triumph of the Will:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLue4rhsHxp6-h5AO9Az-gdo7sq_m5roBm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_of_the_Will

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0kwnLzFMls [with comments] [also at e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=len0yFso2c8 (no comments yet), and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHs2coAzLJ8 (with {over 4,000} comments)]


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'We're Not Going Anywhere:' Watch Roland Martin Challenge White Nationalist Richard Spencer

Published on Nov 22, 2016 by Roland Martin [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjXB7nX8bL2U2sje8d212Yw / http://www.youtube.com/user/rolandsmartin , http://www.youtube.com/user/rolandsmartin/videos ]

Members of the National Policy Institute held their national conference in Washington, D.C. this weekend. The group has been broadly referred to as part of the Alt-Right and the positions they embrace align with White Nationalism, White Supremacy, and downright racism.

Members of their movement have been energized and emboldened by the election of Donald Trump, who used racially insensitive rhetoric to catapult him to the highest office in the land.

On Tuesday morning during an intense interview, Roland Martin – host of NewsOne Now – confronted Richard Spencer, the leader of the National Policy Institute, about his views on America, race, White supremacy, Trump’s election, and the bright future he envisions for White America.

More: http://newsone.com/3597206/roland-martin-confronts-white-nationalist-richard-spencer-on-newsone-now/

‘Let’s party like it’s 1933’: Inside the alt-right world of Richard Spencer

Richard Spencer is the carefully crafted face of the alt-right. Last week, he organized a conference of white nationalists, who celebrated Donald Trump’s victory as their own.
November 22, 2016
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/lets-party-like-its-1933-inside-the-disturbing-alt-right-world-of-richard-spencer/2016/11/22/cf81dc74-aff7-11e6-840f-e3ebab6bcdd3_story.html [with embedded video, and comments]

Twitter Suspends Tila Tequila’s Account After Neo-Nazi Tweets

Tila Tequila poses with two others while performing the Nazi salute.
The former social media icon had recently tweeted a photo of herself doing the Nazi salute.
11/22/2016
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tila-tequila-twitter-suspended-neo-nazi_us_58348e5ee4b01ba68ac320f2 [with comments]

Lorena Neal
Nov 22, 2016 at 7:21am - Evanston, IL
Last night, the Evanston Public Library hosted another of our regular lectures on topics involving the Middle East, cosponsored with Northwestern University's Middle East and North African Studies program (MENA). As usual, I selected some books related to the evening's topic (the Qur'an and Islam in America) for the audience to check out. When I opened one of them, I found this.

When the other librarians and I checked the section, we found several others that had also been defaced with swastikas and racial slurs. They were not like this a week ago, when one of the other librarians was showing a Muslim gentleman our collection on this subject. A police report has been filed, and we are reporting the incident to the Southern Poverty Law Center for their database on hate crimes.
Evanstonians like to think we are safe in a bubble of tolerance, but none of us can afford to pretend that we are not affected by the hatred that surrounds us now. None of us can afford to sit this out, to hope it goes away, and leaves us untouched. Whatever your politics, if this kind of hatred and intolerance disgusts you, speak out today.
https://www.facebook.com/lorena.neal/posts/10155491168200299 [with comments]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr5BQS79H7g [with comments] [another essential must-watch, start to finish]


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Trump Gives Hillary A Pass: Breitbart News Leads Criticism [subsequently retitled "President Elect Meets With Corporate Media Heads To Tell Them He Hates Them"]

Published on Nov 22, 2016 by The Alex Jones Channel

http://www.infowars.com/trump-gives-hillary-a-pass-breitbart-news-leads-criticism/

onald Trump’s senior aide Kellyann Conway has announced that Trump will not peruse criminal charges for Hillary Clinton regarding her email scandal, prompting alt right news sites, led by Breitbart, to criticise the President Elect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzfxbJTWlpI [with comments]


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Full Show - To Their Faces, Trump Tells News Media They Are Scum - 11/22/2016

Published on Nov 22, 2016 by The Alex Jones Channel

On this Tuesday, Nov. 22 edition of the Alex Jones Show, we cover Trump’s new construction plans to actually build a wall, the mass exodus of blacks from the Democratic Party, and how the unelected EU plans to build its own army to keep member states under control.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZswptb_aEc [with comments] [another essential must-watch, start to finish]


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This is What Happens When You Criticize Donald Trump | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

Published on Nov 22, 2016 by GQ [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsEukrAd64fqA7FjwkmZ_Dw / http://www.youtube.com/user/GQVideos , http://www.youtube.com/user/GQVideos/videos , http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0hKMB1-xkc9-aNUREdkR9LEfLG2AfwlM ]

Already dissent is being demonized in Donald Trump’s America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHgehfLmwIA [with comments]


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Alarm in Germany and Israel as U.S. white supremacists ride Trump wave


“KKK” is shown spray painted on a telephone pole in Kokomo, Indiana, U.S. November 1, 2016.
REUTERS/Peter Eisler


A supporter of the Ku Klux Klan is seen with his tattoos during a rally at the statehouse in Columbia, South Carolina July 18, 2015.
CHRIS KEANE / Reuters
[ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/germany-israel-white-supremacists_us_5834b8d4e4b01ba68ac36e3e (with comments)]

By Noah Barkin and Luke Baker
Tue Nov 22, 2016 | 12:50pm EST

BERLIN/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is concerned that white supremacists in the United States are being emboldened by the election of Donald Trump and is watching developments closely, senior officials told Reuters.

The Berlin government declined to give an official reaction to a video circulating on the internet which showed members of the "alt-right" movement, a grouping that includes neo-Nazis, white nationalists and anti-Semites, meeting on Saturday in Washington a few blocks from the White House.

But one senior official close to Merkel described the video - which shows a speaker shouting "Hail Trump" and some audience members making the Nazi salute - as "repulsive and worrying".

"I don't think this is Trump's ideology because he seems to be largely free of ideology. But these people are riding on his coattails. We are watching this very closely," the official said, requesting anonymity.

Yair Lapid, a member of the foreign affairs and defense committee in the Israeli Knesset, called the video "sickening" and "intolerable".

"One of the greatest mistakes humanity ever made was a failure to recognizes the danger of fascism early enough and tackle it head on," said Lapid. "We cannot let history repeat itself."

A spokesman for the Trump-Pence transition team said on Monday that Trump "continued to denounce racism of any kind" and was elected to be "a leader for every American."

Trump, who has been active on Twitter in recent days, has not commented directly on the meeting himself. It came days after he outraged many Democrats, rights activists and minority groups by appointing Steve Bannon, former head of a website linked to the alt-right, as his chief White House strategist.

In the video, taken inside the conference and published by The Atlantic, Richard Spencer, a leader of the "alt-right" movement, says America belongs to white people, who he describes as "children of the sun". He denounces the movement's critics as "the most despicable creatures who ever walked the planet".

"Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!" Spencer shouts at one point as some members of the audience raise their arms in the Nazi salute.

The gathering on Saturday drew protesters who blocked traffic around the Ronald Reagan Building, a federally owned conference center in downtown Washington for both public and private use.

CRYSTAL CLEAR

David Harris, CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in New York, said fringe groups espousing anti-Semitism and targeting minorities had emerged from the U.S. presidential campaign with a "vigour" that has not been seen in decades.

"President-elect Trump issued a statement (about the Saturday meeting) but, assuming this group endures, will need to continue to find other opportunities to make crystal clear that he is the president of all Americans and condemns the alt-right and what it stands for," Harris told Reuters in response to written questions about the meeting.

In Germany, which has spent the past 70 years atoning for its Nazi past, using the "Heil Hitler" salute and other Nazi symbols is illegal and can result in a prison sentence of up to six months. Other European countries including Austria and France have similar laws.

A second German government official said Trump's decision to bring Bannon into the White House showed he was "not willing to forgo the movement and mobilization of anger and resentment" that swept him to the presidency.

Guy Verhofstadt, former Belgian prime minister and a member of the European Parliament, accused Bannon on Tuesday of seeking to influence elections in France and Germany next year with the launch of new Breitbart News websites in Europe.

American allies face a delicate balancing act when reacting to incidents and events like the one on Saturday, which have no direct link to Trump but seem fueled by his campaign, in which he called Mexicans rapists and floated the idea of registering Muslims like the Nazis did with Jews.

David Keyes, foreign media spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said in response to a Reuters query about the Washington meeting: "Prime Minister Netanyahu condemns anti-Semitism everywhere and appreciates President-elect Trump's denunciation of all forms of racism."

Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, told Reuters that the United States appeared to be "veering away" from its own moral standards and might need to reexamine its stance on free speech.

"If words like this were used in Germany or Austria or France the people would have gotten in trouble with the law," he said, referring to the Washington meeting.

"Social media has created huge change. It has empowered and amplified the voices on the fringes. There may be a need in the United States to consider changes or limits to free speech to address this."

(Additional reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel and Maayan Lubell; Editing by Pravin Char)

© 2016 Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-right-idUSKBN13H21S


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Trump: Hillary Being Brought To Justice Not Off The Table

Published on Nov 22, 2016 by The Alex Jones Channel

The lying media has continued to push fake news by claiming that Trump will absolutely not investigate Hillary. Infowars sets the record straight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njWbnWH4S08 [with comments]


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Obama Awards Presidential Medal of Freedom FULL EVENT

Streamed live on November 22, 2016 by ABC News [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBi2mrWuNuyYy4gbM6fU18Q / http://www.youtube.com/user/ABCNews , http://www.youtube.com/user/ABCNews/videos ]

President Obama Awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom | President Obama is finishing out his second term by honoring some superstars from the worlds of film, TV, sports and music.Robert DeNiro, Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert Redford and Bruce Springsteen are among the big names who'll receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, on Nov. 22 at the White House. Cicely Tyson, Diana Ross, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan are also among the 21 medal recipients, as are Bill and Melinda Gates, sports broadcaster Vin Scully, and "Saturday Night Live" creator and producer Lorne Michaels.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to people who have "made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."

*

Remarks by the President at Presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

East Room
November 22, 2016

3:13 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, hello, hello!  Hey!  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you so much.  Thank you.  Everybody, please have a seat.  We’ve got some work to do here.  (Laughter.)  This is not all fun and games.

Welcome to the White House, everybody.  Today, we celebrate extraordinary Americans who have lifted our spirits, strengthened our union, pushed us toward progress.

I always love doing this event, but this is a particularly impressive class.  We've got innovators and artists.  Public servants, rabble rousers, athletes, renowned character actors -- like the guy from Space Jam.  (Laughter.)  We pay tribute to those distinguished individuals with our nation's highest civilian honor -- the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Now, let me tell you a little bit about each of them.

First, we came close to missing out on Bill and Melinda Gates' incredible partnership.  Because apparently Bill's opening line was, "Do you want to go out two weeks from this coming Saturday?"  (Laughter.)  He’s good with computers, but -- (laughter.)

Fortunately, Melinda believes in second chances.  And the world is better for it.  For two decades, the Gates Foundation has worked to provide lifesaving medical care to millions -- boosting clean water supplies, improving education for our children, rallying aggressive international action on climate change, cutting childhood mortality in half.  The list could go on.

These two have donated more money to charitable causes than anyone, ever.  Many years ago, Melinda's mom told her an old saying: "To know that even one life has breathed easier because you lived -- that is success."  By this and just about any other measure, few in human history have been more successful than these two impatient optimists.

Frank Gehry has never let popular acclaim reverse his impulse to defy convention.  "I was an outsider from the beginning," he says, "so for better or worse, I thrived on it."  The child of poor Jewish immigrants, Frank grew up in Los Angeles, and throughout his life he embraced the spirit of a city defined by an open horizon.  He's spent his life rethinking shapes and mediums, seemingly the force of gravity itself; the idea of what architecture could be he decided to upend -- constantly repurposing every material available, from titanium to a paper towel tube.  He's inspiring our next generation through his advocacy for arts education in our schools.  From the Guggenheim, to Bilbao, to Chicago's Millennium Park -- our hometown -- to his home in Santa Monica, which I understand caused some consternation among his neighbors -- (laughter) -- Frank's work teaches us that while buildings may be sturdy and fixed to the ground, like all great art, they can lift our spirits.  They can soar and broaden our horizons.

When an undergraduate from rural Appalachia first set foot on the National Mall many years ago, she was trying to figure out a way to show that "war is not just a victory or a loss," but "about individual lives."  She considered how the landscape might shape that message, rather than the other way around.  The project that Maya Lin designed for her college class earned her a B+ -- (laughter) -- and a permanent place in American history.  (Laughter.)  So all of you B+ students out there.  (Laughter.)

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial has changed the way we think about monuments, but also about how we think about sacrifice, and patriotism, and ourselves.  Maya has given us more than just places for remembering -- she has created places for us to make new memories.  Her sculptures, chapels, and homes are "physical act[s] of poetry," each reminding us that the most important element in art or architecture is human emotion.

Three minutes before Armstrong and Aldrin touched down on the moon, Apollo 11's lunar lander alarms triggered -- red and yellow lights across the board.  Our astronauts didn't have much time.  But thankfully, they had Margaret Hamilton.  A young MIT scientist -- and a working mom in the ‘60s -- Margaret led the team that created the onboard flight software that allowed the Eagle to land safely.  And keep in mind that, at this time, software engineering wasn't even a field yet.  There were no textbooks to follow, so, as Margaret says, "There was no choice but to be pioneers."

Luckily for us, Margaret never stopped pioneering.  And she symbolizes the generation of unsung women who helped send humankind into space.  Her software architecture echoes in countless technologies today.  And her example speaks of the American spirit of discovery that exists in every little girl and little boy who know that somehow, to look beyond the heavens is to look deep within ourselves -- and to figure out just what is possible.

If Wright is flight and Edison is light, then Hopper is code.  Born in 1906, Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper followed her mother into mathematics, earned her PhD from Yale, and set out on a long and storied career.  At age 37, and a full 15 pounds below military guidelines, the gutsy and colorful Grace joined the Navy and was sent to work on one of the first computers, Harvard's "Mark One."

She saw beyond the boundaries of the possible, and invented the first compiler, which allowed programs to be written in regular language and then translated for computers to understand.  While the women who pioneered software were often overlooked, the most prestigious award for young computer scientists now bear her name.  From cell phones to cyber command, we can thank Grace Hopper for opening programming to millions more people, helping to usher in the information age and profoundly shaping our digital world.

Speaking of really smart people -- (laughter) -- in the summer of 1950, a young University of Chicago physicist found himself at Los Alamos National Laboratory.  Dick Garwin was there, he said, because Chicago paid its faculty for nine months but his family ate for 12.  So by the next summer, Dick had helped create the hydrogen bomb.  And for the rest of his life, he dedicated himself to reducing the threat of nuclear war.  Dick's not only an architect of the atomic age.  Ever since he was a Cleveland kid tinkering with his father's movie projectors, he's never met a problem he didn't want to solve.  Reconnaissance satellites, the MRI, GPS technology, the touchscreen all bear his fingerprints.  He even patented a "mussel washer" for shellfish -- which I haven’t used.  The other stuff I have.  (Laughter.)  Where is he?

Dick has advised nearly every President since Eisenhower -- often rather bluntly.  Enrico Fermi -- also a pretty smart guy himself -- is said to have called Dick "the only true genius" he ever met.  I do want to see this mussel washer.  (Laughter.)

Along with these scientists, artists, and thinkers, we also honor those who have shaped our culture from the stage and the screen.

In her long and extraordinary career, Cicely Tyson has not only succeeded as an actor, she has shaped the whole course history.  Cicely was never the likeliest of Hollywood stars.  The daughter of immigrants from the West Indies, she was raised by a hardworking and religious mother who cleaned houses and forbade her children to attend the movies.  But once she got her education and broke into the business, Cicely made a conscious decision not just to say lines, but to speak out.  "I would not accept roles," she said, "unless they projected us, particularly women, in a realistic light, [and] dealt with us as human beings."  And from "Sounder," to "The Trip to Bountiful," to "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman," Cicely's convictions and grace have helped for us see the dignity of every single beautiful member of the American family.  And she’s just gorgeous.  (Laughter and applause.)  Yes, she is.

In 1973, a critic wrote of Robert De Niro, "This kid doesn't just act -- he takes off into the vapors."  And it was true, his characters are iconic.  A Sicilian father turned New York mobster.  A mobster who runs a casino.  A mobster who needs therapy.  (Laughter.)  A father-in-law who is scarier than a mobster.  (Laughter.)  Al Capone -- a mobster.  (Laughter.)

Robert combines dramatic precision and, it turns out, comedic timing with his signature eye for detail.  And while the name De Niro is synonymous with "tough guy," his true gift is the sensitivity that he brings to each role.  This son of New York artists didn't stop at becoming one of the world's greatest actors.  He's also a director, a philanthropist, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival.  Of his tireless preparation -- from learning the saxophone to remaking his body -- he once said, "I feel I have to earn the right to play a part."  And the result is honest and authentic art that reveals who we really are.

In 1976, Lorne Michaels implored the Beatles to reunite on his brand new show.  In exchange, he offered them $3,000.  (Laughter.)  And then he told them they could share it equally, or they could give Ringo a smaller cut.  (Laughter.)  Which was early proof that Lorne Michaels has a good sense of humor.

On Saturday Night Live, he's created a world where a band of no-names become comedy's biggest stars.  Where our friends the Coneheads, and cheerleaders, and land sharks, and basement deadbeats, and motivational speakers, and an unfrozen caveman lawyer show up, and Tom Hanks is on "Black Jeopardy."  (Laughter.)  After four decades, even in this fractured media culture that we’ve got, SNL remains appointment viewing; a mainline into not just our counterculture but our culture; still a challenge to the powerful, especially folks like me.

And yet even after all these years, Lorne jokes that his tombstone should bear just a single word that's often found in the show's reviews -- "uneven."  (Laughter.)  As a current U.S. Senator would say:  Doggone it, Lorne - that's why people like you.  He produced a Senator, too, that’s pretty impressive.

Ellen DeGeneres has a way of making you laugh about something rather than at someone.  Except when I danced on her show -- she laughed at me.  (Laughter.)  But that’s okay.

It's easy to forget now, when we’ve come so far, where now marriage is equal under the law -- just how much courage was required for Ellen to come out on the most public of stages almost 20 years ago.  Just how important it was not just to the LGBT community, but for all of us to see somebody so full of kindness and light, somebody we liked so much, somebody who could be our neighbor or our colleague or our sister challenge our own assumptions, remind us that we have more in common than we realize, push our country in the direction of justice.

What an incredible burden that was to bear.  To risk your career like that.  People don’t do that very often.  And then to have the hopes of millions on your shoulders.  But it's like Ellen says:  We all want a tortilla chip that can support the weight of guacamole.  Which really makes no sense to me, but I thought would brighten the mood, because I was getting kind of choked up.  (Laughter.)  And she did pay a price -- we don’t remember this.  I hadn’t remembered it.  She did, for a pretty long stretch of time -- even in Hollywood.

And yet, today, every day, in every way, Ellen counters what too often divides us with the countless things that bind us together -- inspires us to be better, one joke, one dance at a time.

When The Candidate wins his race in the iconic 1972 film of the same name, which continues, by the way, for those of you who haven’t seen it, and many of you are too young -- perhaps the best movie about what politics is actually like, ever.  He famously asks his campaign manager the reflective and revealing question:  "What do we do now?"  And like the man he played in that movie, Robert Redford has figured it out and applied his talent and charm to achieve success.

We admire Bob not just for his remarkable acting, but for having figured out what to do next.  He created a platform for independent filmmakers with the Sundance Institute.  He has supported our National Parks and our natural resources as one of the foremost conservationists of our generation.  He's given his unmatched charisma to unforgettable characters like Roy Hobbs, Nathan Muir, and of course the Sundance Kid, entertaining us for more than half a century.  As an actor, director, producer, and as an advocate, he has not stopped -- and apparently drives so fast that he had breakfast in Napa and dinner in Salt Lake.  (Laughter.)  At 80 years young, Robert Redford has no plans to slow down.

According to a recent headline, the movie, Sully was the last straw.  We should never travel with Tom Hanks.  (Laughter.)  I mean, you think about, you got pirates, plane crashes, you get marooned in airport purgatory, volcanoes -- something happens with Tom Hanks.  (Laughter.)  And yet somehow, we can't resist going where he wants to take us.  He's been an accidental witness to history, a crusty women's baseball manager, an everyman who fell in love with Meg Ryan three times.  (Laughter.)  Made it seem natural to have a volleyball as your best friend.  From a Philadelphia courtroom, to Normandy's beachheads, to the dark side of the moon, he has introduced us to America's unassuming heroes.

Tom says he just saw "ordinary guys who did the right thing at the right time."  Well, it takes one to know one, and "America's Dad" has stood up to cancer with his beloved wife, Rita.  He has championed our veterans, supported space exploration, and the truth is, Tom has always saved his best roles for real life.  He is a good man -- which is the best title you can have.

So we got innovators, entertainers -- three more folks who've dedicated themselves to public service.

In the early 1960s, thousands of Cuban children fled to America, seeking an education they'd never get back home.  And one refugee was 15-year-old named Eduardo Padron, whose life changed when he enrolled at Miami Dade College.  That decision led to a bachelor's degree, then a Master's degree, then a PhD, and then he had a choice -- he could go into corporate America, or he could give back to his alma mater.  And Eduardo made his choice -- to create more stories just like his.

As Miami Dade's President since 1995, Dr. Padron has built a "dream factory" for one of our nation's most diverse student bodies -- 165,000 students in all.  He's one of the world's preeminent education leaders -- thinking out of the box, supporting students throughout their lives, embodying the belief that we're only as great as the doors we open.  Eduardo's example is one we all can follow -- a champion for those who strive for the same American Dream that first drew him to our shores.

When Elouise Cobell first filed a lawsuit to recover lands and money for her people, she didn't set out to be a hero.  She said, "I just wanted…to give justice to people that didn't have it."  And her lifelong quest to address the mismanagement of American Indian lands, resources, and trust funds wasn't about special treatment, but the equal treatment at the heart of the American promise.  She fought for almost 15 years -- across three Presidents, seven trials, 10 appearances before a federal appeals court.  All the while, she traveled the country some 40 weeks a year, telling the story of her people.  And in the end, this graduate of a one-room schoolhouse became a MacArthur Genius.  She is a proud daughter of Montana's Blackfeet Nation.  Reached ultimately a historic victory for all Native Americans.  Through sheer force of will and a belief that the truth will win out, Elouise Cobell overcame the longest odds, reminding us that fighting for what is right is always worth it.

Now, every journalist in the room, every media critic knows the phrase Newt Minow coined: the "vast wasteland."  But the two words Newt prefers we remember from his speech to the nation's broadcasters are these: "public interest."  That's been the heartbeat of his life's work -- advocating for residents of public housing, advising a governor and Supreme Court justice, cementing presidential debates as our national institution, leading the FCC.

When Newt helped launch the first communications satellites, making nationwide broadcasts possible -- and eventually GPS possible and cellphones possible -- he predicted it would be more important than the moon landing.  "This will launch ideas into space," he said, "and ideas last longer than people."  As far as I know, he's the only one of today's honorees who was present on my first date with Michelle.  (Laughter.)  Imagine our surprise when we saw Newt, one of our bosses that summer, at the movie theater -- Do the Right Thing.  So he's been vital to my personal interests.  (Laughter.)

And finally, we honor five of the all-time greats in sports and music.

The game of baseball has a handful of signature sounds.  You hear the crack of the bat.  You got the crowd singing in the seventh inning stretch.  And you’ve got the voice of Vin Scully.  Most fans listen to a game's broadcast when they can't be at the ballpark.  Generations of Dodger fans brought their radios into the stands because you didn't want to miss one of Vin's stories.

Most play-by-play announcers partner with an analyst in the booth to chat about the action.  Vin worked alone and talked just with us.  Since Jackie Robinson started at second base, Vin taught us the game and introduced us to its players.  He narrated the improbable years, the impossible heroics, turned contests into conversations.  When he heard about this honor, Vin asked with characteristic humility, "Are you sure?  I'm just an old baseball announcer."  And we had to inform him that to Americans of all ages, you are an old friend.  In fact, I thought about him doing all these citations, which would have been very cool, but I thought we shouldn’t make him sing for his supper like that.  (Laughter.)  “Up next” -- (Laughter.)

Here's how great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was:  1967, he had spent a year dominating college basketball, the NCAA bans the dunk.  They'd didn’t say it was about Kareem, but it was about Kareem.  (Laughter.)  When a sport changes its rules to make it harder just for you, you are really good.  (Laughter and applause.)  And yet despite the rule change, he was still the sport's most unstoppable force.  It's a title he'd hold for more than two decades, winning NBA Finals MVPs a staggering 14 years apart.  (Someone sneezes.)  Bless you.  (Laughter.)

And as a surprisingly similar-looking co-pilot, Roger Murdoch, once said in the movie, Airplane -- I mean, we’ve got some great actors here -- Space Jam, Airplane.  (Laughter.)  He did it all while dragging Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes.  But the reason we honor Kareem is more than just a pair of goggles and the skyhook.  He stood up for his Muslim faith when it wasn't easy and it wasn’t popular.  He's as comfortable sparring with Bruce Lee as he is advocating on Capitol Hill or writing with extraordinary eloquence about patriotism. Physically, intellectually, spiritually -- Kareem is one-of-a-kind -- an American who illuminates both our most basic freedoms and our highest aspirations.

When he was five years old, Michael Jordan nearly cut off his big toe with an axe.  (Laughter.)  Back then, his handles needed a little work.  But think -- if things had gone differently, Air Jordan just might never have taken flight.  (Laughter.)  I mean, you don’t want to buy a shoe with one toe missing.  (Laughter.)  We may never have seen him switch hands in mid-air against the Lakers.  Or drop 63 in the Garden.  Or gut it out in the flu game.  Or hit "the shot" three different times -- over Georgetown, over Ehlo, over Russell.  We might not have seen him take on Larry Bird in H-O-R-S-E or lift up the sport globally along with the Dream Team.

Yet MJ is still more than those moments; more than just the best player on the two greatest teams of all time -- the Dream Team and the Chicago '96 Bulls.  He's more than a logo, more than just an Internet meme.  (Laughter.)  More than just a charitable donor or a business owner committed to diversity.  There is a reason you call someone "the Michael Jordan of" -- Michael Jordan of neurosurgery, or the Michael Jordan of rabbis, or the Michael Jordan of outrigger canoeing -- and they know what you're talking about.  Because Michael Jordan is the Michael Jordan of greatness.  He is the definition of somebody so good at what they do that everybody recognizes them.  That’s pretty rare.

As a child, Diana Ross loved singing and dancing for family friends -- but not for free.  (Laughter.)  She was smart enough to pass the hat.  And later, in Detroit's Brewster housing projects, she met Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard.  Their neighbor, Smokey Robinson, put them in front of Berry Gordy -- and the rest was magic -- music history.  The Supremes earned a permanent place in the American soundtrack.

Along with her honey voice, her soulful sensibility, Diana exuded glamour and grace that filled stages that helped to shape the sound of Motown.  On top of becoming one of the most successful recording artists of all time, raised five kids -- somehow found time to earn an Oscar nomination for acting.  Today, from the hip-hop that samples her, to the young singers who've been inspired by her, to the audiences that still cannot get enough of her -- Diana Ross's influence is inescapable as ever.

He was sprung from a cage out on Highway 9.  A quiet kid from Jersey, just trying to make sense of the temples of dreams and mystery that dotted his hometown -- pool halls, bars, girls and cars, altars and assembly lines.  And for decades, Bruce Springsteen has brought us all along on a journey consumed with the bargains between ambition and injustice, and pleasure and pain; the simple glories and scattered heartbreak of everyday life in America.

To create one of his biggest hits, he once said, "I wanted to craft a record that sounded like the last record on Earth…the last one you'd ever need to hear.  One glorious noise…then the apocalypse."  Every restless kid in America was given a story: "Born to Run."

He didn't stop there.  Once he told us about himself, he told us about everybody else.  The steelworker in "Youngstown."  The Vietnam Vet in "Born in the USA."  The sick and the marginalized on "The Streets of Philadelphia."  The firefighter carrying the weight of a reeling but resilient nation on "The Rising."  The young soldier reckoning with "Devils and Dust" in Iraq.  The communities knocked down by recklessness and greed in the "Wrecking Ball."  All of us, with all our faults and our failings, every color, and class, and creed, bound together by one defiant, restless train rolling toward "The Land of Hope and Dreams."  These are all anthems of our America; the reality of who we are, and the reverie of who we want to be.

"The hallmark of a rock and roll band," Bruce Springsteen once said, is that "the narrative you tell together is bigger than anyone could have told on your own."  And for decades, alongside the Big Man, Little Steven, a Jersey girl named Patti, and all the men and women of the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen has been carrying the rest of us on his journey, asking us all "what is the work for us to do in our short time here."

I am the President.  But he is The Boss.  (Laughter.)  And pushing 70, he's still laying down four-hour live sets -- if you have been at them, he is working.  "Fire-breathing rock 'n' roll."  So I thought twice about giving him a medal named for freedom because we hope he remains, in his words, a "prisoner of rock 'n' roll" for years to come.

So, I told you, this is like a really good class.  (Laughter.)

Ladies and gentlemen, I want you all to give it up for the recipients of the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom.  (Applause.)  It is a good group.

All right.  Now we actually got to give them medals.  So please be patient.  We are going to have my military aide read the citations.  Each one of them will come up and receive the medals, and then we’ll wrap up the program.

Okay.  Let’s hit it.

MILITARY AIDE:  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  (Applause.)  An iconic basketball player who revolutionized the sport with his all-around play and signature skyhook, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a 19-time All-Star, a 6-time world champion, and the leading scorer in NBA history.  Adding to his achievements on the court he also left his mark off of it, advocating for civil rights, cancer research, science education, and social justice.  In doing so, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leaves a towering legacy of compassion, faith, and service to others -- a legacy based not only on the strength and grace of his athleticism, but on the sharpness of his mind and the size of his heart.  (Applause.)

Turk Cobell, accepting on behalf of his mother, Elouise C. Cobell Yellowbird Woman.  (Applause.)  A member of the Blackfeet Nation, Elouise Cobell spent her life defying the odds and working on behalf of her people.  As a young woman, she was told that she wasn’t capable of understanding accounting.  So she mastered the field -- and used her expertise to champion a lawsuit whose historic settlement has helped restore Tribal homelands to her beloved Blackfeet Nation and many other Tribes.  Today, her tenacious and unwavering spirit lives on in the thousands of people and hundreds of Tribes for whom she fought and in all those she taught to believe that it is never too late to right the wrongs of the past and help shape a better future.  (Applause.)

Ellen DeGeneres.  (Applause.)  In a career spanning three decades, Ellen DeGeneres has lifted our spirits and brought joy to our lives as a stand-up comic, actor, and television star.  In every role, she reminds us to be kind to one another and to treat people as each of us wants to be treated.  At a pivotal moment, her courage and candor helped change the hearts and minds of millions of Americans, accelerating our Nation’s constant drive toward equality and acceptance for all.  Again and again, Ellen DeGeneres has shown us that a single individual can make the world a more fun, more open, more loving place -- so long as we “just keep swimming.”  (Applause.)

Robert De Niro.  (Applause.)  For over 50 years, Robert De Niro has delivered some of screen’s most memorable performances, cementing his place as one of the most gifted actors of his generation.  From “The Godfather Part II” and “The Deer Hunter” to “Midnight Run” and “Heat,” his work is legendary for its range and depth.  Relentlessly committed to his craft, De Niro embodies his characters, creating rich, nuanced portraits that reflect the heart of the human experience.  Regardless of genre or era, Robert De Niro continues to demonstrate that extraordinary skill that has made him one of America’s most revered and influential artists.  (Applause.)

Richard L. Garwin.  (Applause.)  One of the most renowned scientific and engineering minds of our time, Dr. Richard Garwin has always answered the call to help solve society’s most challenging problems.  He has coupled his pioneering work in defense and intelligence technologies with leadership that underscores the urgency for humanity to control the spread of nuclear arms.  Through his advice to Republican and Democratic administrations dating to President Eisenhower, his contributions in fundamental research, and his inventions that power technologies that drive our modern world, Richard Garwin has contributed not only to this Nation’s security and prosperity, but to the quality of life for people all over the world.  (Applause.)

William H. Gates III and Melinda French Gates.  (Applause.)  Few people have had the profound global impact of Bill and Melinda Gates.  Through their work at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, they’ve demonstrated how the most capable and fortunate among us have a responsibility to use their talents and resources to tackle the world’s greatest challenges.  From helping women and girls lift themselves and their families out of poverty to empowering young minds across America, they have transformed countless lives with their generosity and innovation.  Bill and Melinda Gates continue to inspire us with their impatient optimism that, together, we can remake the world as it should be.  (Applause.)

Frank Gehry.  (Applause.)  Never limited by conventional materials, styles, or processes, Frank Gehry’s bold and thoughtful structures demonstrate architecture’s power to induce wonder and revitalize communities.  A creative mind from an early age, he began his career by building imaginary homes and cities with scrap material from his grandfather’s hardware store.  Since then, his work continues to strike a balance between experimentation and functionality, resulting in some of the 20th century’s most iconic buildings.  From his pioneering use of technology to the dozens of awe-inspiring sites that bear his signature style to his public service as a citizen artist through his work with Turnaround Arts, Frank Gehry has proven himself an exemplar scholar of American innovation.  (Applause.)

Margaret Heafield Hamilton.  (Applause.)  A pioneer in technology, Margaret Hamilton defined new forms of software engineering and helped launch an industry that would forever change human history.  Her software architecture led to giant leaps for humankind, writing the code that helped America set foot on the moon.  She broke barriers in founding her own software businesses, revolutionizing an industry and inspiring countless women to participate in STEM fields.  Her love of exploration and innovation are the source code of the American spirit, and her genius has inspired generations to reach for the stars.  (Applause.)

Thomas J. Hanks.  (Applause.)  Throughout a distinguished film career, Tom Hanks has revealed the character of America, as well as his own.  Portraying war heroes, an astronaut, a ship captain, a cartoon cowboy, a young man growing up too fast, and dozens of others, he’s allowed us to see ourselves -- not only as we are, but as we aspire to be.  On screen and off, Tom Hanks has honored the sacrifices of those who have served our Nation, called on us all to think big and to believe, and inspired a new generation of young people to reach for the sky.  (Laughter and applause.)

Deborah Murray, accepting on behalf of her great aunt, Grace Murray Hopper.  (Applause.)  As a child who loved disassembling alarm clocks, Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper found her calling early.  A Vassar alumna with a Ph.D. in mathematics from Yale, Hopper served in the Navy during World War II, becoming one of the first programmers in early computing.  Known today as the “Queen of Code,” Grace Hopper’s work helped make the coding language more practical and accessible.  She invented the first compiler, or translator, a fundamental element of our now digital world.  “Amazing Grace” was committed to making the language of computer programming more universal.  Today, we honor her contributions to computer science and the sense of possibility she inspired in generations of young people.  (Applause.)

Michael J. Jordan.  (Applause and laughter.)  Powered by a drive to compete that earned him every major award in basketball, including six NBA championships, five Most Valuable Player awards, and two gold medals, Michael Jordan has a name that’s become a synonym for excellence.  His wagging tongue and high-flying dunks redefined the game, making him a global superstar whose impact transcended basketball and shaped our Nation’s broader culture.  From the courts in Wilmington, Chapel Hill, and Chicago to the owner’s suite he occupies today, his life and example have inspired millions of Americans to strive to “Be Like Mike.”  (Applause.)

Maya Y. Lin.  (Applause.)  Boldly challenging our understanding of the world, Maya Lin’s designs have brought people of all walks of life together in spirits of remembrance, introspection, and humility.  The manipulation of natural terrain and topography within her works inspires us to bridge our differences and recognize the gravity of our collective existence.  Her pieces have changed the landscape of our country and influenced the dialogue of our society -- never more profoundly than with her tribute to the Americans who fell in Vietnam by cutting a wound into the Earth to create a sacred place of healing in our Nation’s capital.  (Applause.)

Lorne Michaels.  (Applause.)  One of the most transformative entertainment figures of our time, Lorne Michaels followed his dreams to New York City, where he created a sketch show that brought satire, wits, and modern comedy to homes around the world.  Under his meticulous command as executive producer, “Saturday Night Live” has entertained audiences across generations, reflecting -- and shaping -- critical elements of our cultural, political, and national life.  Lorne Michaels’ creative legacy stretches into late-night television, sitcoms, and the big screen, making us laugh, challenging us to think, and raising the bar for those who follow.  As one of his show’s signature characters would say, “Well, isn’t that special?”  (Laughter and applause.)

Newton N. Minow.  (Applause.)  As a soldier, counsel to the Governor of Illinois, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and law clerk to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Newton Minow’s career has been defined by his devotion to others.  Deeply committed to his family, the law, and the American people, his dedication to serving and empowering the public is reflected in his efforts to ensure that broadcast media educates and provides opportunity for all.  Challenging the media to better serve their viewers, his staunch commitment to the power of ideas and information has transformed telecommunications and its influential role in our society.  (Applause.)

Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón.  (Applause.)  As a teenage refugee from Cuba, Eduardo Padrón came to the United States to pursue the American Dream, and he has spent his life making that dream real for others.  As president of the community college he once attended, his thoughtful leadership and commitment to education have transformed Miami Dade College into one of the premier learning institutions in the country, earning him praise around the world.  His personal story and lasting professional influence prove that success need not be determined by our background, but by our dedication to others and our passion for creating America that is as inclusive as it is prosperous.  (Applause.)

Robert Redford.  (Applause.)  Robert Redford has captivated audiences from both sides of the camera through entertaining motion pictures that often explore vital social, political, and historical themes.  His lifelong advocacy on behalf of preserving our environment will prove as an enduring legacy as his award-winning films, as will his pioneering support for independent filmmakers across America.  His art and activism continue to shape our Nation’s cultural heritage, inspiring millions to laugh, cry, think, and change.  (Applause.)

Diana Ross.  (Applause and laughter.)  A daughter of Detroit, Diana Ross helped create the sound of Motown with her iconic voice.  From her groundbreaking work with The Supremes to a solo career that has spanned decades, she has influenced generations of young artists and shaped our Nation’s musical landscape.  In addition to a GRAMMY© Lifetime Achievement Award and countless musical accolades, Diana Ross has distinguished herself as an actor, earning an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award.  With over 25 albums, unforgettable hit singles, and live performances that continue to captivate audiences around the world, Diana Ross still reigns supreme.  (Applause.)

Next up, Vin Scully.  (Laughter and applause.)  With a voice that transcended a sport and transformed a profession, Vin Scully narrated America’s pastime for generations of fans.  Known to millions as the soundtrack of summer, he found time to teach us about life and love while chronicling routine plays and historic heroics.  In victory and in defeat, his colorful accounts reverberated through the bleachers, across the airwaves, and into our homes and imaginations.  He is an American treasure and a beloved storyteller, and our country’s gratitude for Vin Scully is as profound as his love for the game.  (Applause.)

Bruce F. Springsteen.  (Applause.)  As a songwriter, a humanitarian, America’s Rock and Roll laureate, and New Jersey’s greatest ambassador, Bruce Springsteen is, quite simply, The Boss.  (Laughter.)  Through stories about ordinary people, from Vietnam veterans to steel workers, his songs capture the pain and the promise of the American experience.  With his legendary E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen leaves everything on stage in epic, communal live performances that have rocked audiences for decades.  With empathy and honesty, he holds up a mirror to who we are -- as Americans chasing our dreams, and as human beings trying to do the right thing.  There’s a place for everyone in Bruce Springsteen’s America.  (Applause.)

Cicely Tyson.  (Applause.)  For sixty years, Cicely Tyson has graced the screen and the stage, enlightening us with her groundbreaking characters and calls to conscience, humility, and hope.  Her achievements as an actor, her devotion to her faith, and her commitment to advancing equality for all Americans—especially women of color -- have touched audiences of multiple generations.  From “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” to “Sounder,” to “The Trip to Bountiful,” Cicely Tyson’s performances illuminate the character of our people and the extraordinary possibilities of America.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  So, just on a personal note, part of the reason that these events are so special to me is because everybody on this stage has touched me in a very powerful, personal way -- in ways that they probably couldn’t imagine.  Whether it was having been inspired by a song, or a game, or a story, or a film, or a monument, or in the case of Newt Minow introducing me to Michelle -- (laughter) -- these are folks who have helped make me who I am and think about my presidency, and what also makes them special is, this is America.

And it’s useful when you think about this incredible collection of people to realize that this is what makes us the greatest nation on Earth.  Not because of what we -- (applause.)  Not because of our differences, but because, in our difference, we find something common to share.  And what a glorious thing that is.  What a great gift that is to America.

So I want all of you to enjoy the wonderful reception that will be taking place afterwards.  Michelle and I have to get back to work, unfortunately, but I hear the food is pretty good.  (Laughter.)  And I would like all of you to give one big rousing round of applause to our 2016 honorees for the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  Give it up.  (Applause.)

END
4:14 P.M. EST

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/11/22/remarks-president-presentation-presidential-medal-freedom

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9a8Yrp-H5M [with comments] [also at e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-txpiizCgc (official The White House upload; with comments)]


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Secret To Trump Victory Revealed

Published on Nov 22, 2016 by The Alex Jones Channel

Alex Jones covers the real reason why Trump won.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHXwIy1Byxo [with comments]


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Experts Urge Clinton Campaign to Challenge Election Results in 3 Swing States


Robbed?
Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

By Gabriel Sherman
November 22, 2016 6:01 p.m.

Hillary Clinton is being urged by a group of prominent computer scientists and election lawyers to call for a recount in three swing states won by Donald Trump, New York has learned. The group, which includes voting-rights attorney John Bonifaz and J. Alex Halderman, the director of the University of Michigan Center for Computer Security and Society [ http://security.engin.umich.edu/ ], believes they’ve found persuasive evidence that results in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania may have been manipulated or hacked. The group is so far not speaking on the record about their findings and is focused on lobbying the Clinton team in private.

Last Thursday, the activists held a conference call with Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and campaign general counsel Marc Elias to make their case, according to a source briefed on the call. The academics presented findings showing that in Wisconsin, Clinton received 7 percent fewer votes in counties that relied on electronic-voting machines compared with counties that used optical scanners and paper ballots. Based on this statistical analysis, Clinton may have been denied as many as 30,000 votes; she lost Wisconsin by 27,000. While it’s important to note the group has not found proof of hacking or manipulation, they are arguing to the campaign that the suspicious pattern merits an independent review — especially in light of the fact that the Obama White House has accused the Russian government of hacking the Democratic National Committee.

According to current tallies, Trump has won 290 Electoral College votes to Clinton’s 232, with Michigan’s 16 votes not apportioned because the race there is still too close to call. It would take overturning the results in both Wisconsin (10 Electoral College votes) and Pennsylvania (20 votes), in addition to winning Michigan’s 16, for Clinton to win the Electoral College. There is also the complicating factor of “faithless electors,” or members of the Electoral College who do not vote according to the popular vote in their states. At least six electoral voters have said they would not vote for Trump, despite the fact that he won their states.

The Clinton camp is running out of time to challenge the election. According to one of the activists, the deadline in Wisconsin to file for a recount is Friday; in Pennsylvania, it’s Monday; and Michigan is next Wednesday. Whether Clinton will call for a recount remains unclear. The academics so far have only a circumstantial case that would require not just a recount but a forensic audit of voting machines. Also complicating matters, a senior Clinton adviser said, is that the White House, focused on a smooth transfer of power, does not want Clinton to challenge the election result. Clinton communications director Jennifer Palmieri did not respond to a request for comment. But some Clinton allies are intent on pushing the issue. This afternoon, Huma Abedin’s sister Heba encouraged [ https://twitter.com/yashar/status/801177640291823616 ] her Facebook followers to lobby the Justice Department to audit the 2016 vote. “Call the DOJ…and tell them you want the votes audited,” she wrote. “Even if it’s busy, keep calling.”

© 2016, New York Media LLC

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/11/activists-urge-hillary-clinton-to-challenge-election-results.html [with comments]


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Kanye West Busted Trumping While Black

Published on Nov 22, 2016 by The Alex Jones Channel

#TWB #TrumpingWhileBlack #GrannyTranny #BuffaloButt #GayFish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4ZWpwea8t8 [with comments]


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How To Recognize A Fake News Story


The Huffington Post

9 helpful tips to stop yourself from sharing false information.

By Nick Robins-Early
11/22/2016 06:20 pm ET

If you’ve been looking at Facebook lately, you may have seen that Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump [ http://www.snopes.com/pope-francis-donald-trump-endorsement/ ], a town in Texas was quarantined due to a deadly disease [ http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-37846860 ] and Germany just approved child marriage [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/facebook-fake-news-stories-zuckerberg_us_5829f34ee4b0c4b63b0da2ea ]. To be clear, none of these events really happened ? but that didn’t stop news of them from spreading like a virus.

Fake news articles ? especially throughout this election year ? have increasingly become a fixture on social media. These posts, designed to deceive, run rampant across the internet. Only later, if ever, do readers discover that the stories they shared may have been false.

The publication of blatantly inaccurate stories is certainly not new to the digital age, or even the analog era ? just check your local supermarket aisle for tabloids ? but what is new is how easy it is for a reader to scan a headline on Facebook, hit share and watch his 500 followers do the same.

In the final three months before the election, 20 top-performing fake news stories on Facebook outperformed 20 top-performing factual stories from 19 major media outlets in terms of engagement, according to a BuzzFeed study [ https://www.buzzfeed.com/craigsilverman/viral-fake-election-news-outperformed-real-news-on-facebook ] published last week.

As it stands, there are few checks and balances to prevent any outlet from posting an article that is made up of false facts. In the coming months social media platforms will need to address many broader questions, including what level of editorial control sites like Facebook [ https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/call-it-what-you-want-facebook-but-you-need-an-executive-editor/2016/11/20/67aa5320-aaa6-11e6-a31b-4b6397e625d0_story.html ] should exercise over the content on their platforms.

After initially downplaying the problem, Facebook announced on Friday [ http://www.wsj.com/articles/mark-zuckerberg-explains-how-facebook-plans-to-fight-fake-news-1479542069 ] that it would begin seeking out ways to weed out some kinds of fake news from feeds. Google, too, said it plans to stop [ http://www.wsj.com/articles/google-to-bar-fake-news-websites-from-using-its-ad-selling-software-1479164646 ] fake news sites from using its ad-selling service.

But part of stopping the spread of hoaxes and misinformation also falls on readers who email these articles to friends and family or post them on social media, lending these stories their own credibility.

In order to prevent the spread of fake news, here is a quick guide to spotting it.

1. Read Past The Headline

One way that fake news gets amplified is that busy readers may not look past the headline or opening paragraph before they decide to share an article. Fake news publishers sometimes exploit this tendency [ http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-37846860 ], writing the beginning of a story in a straightforward way before filling in the rest with obviously false information.

In other cases, clicking through to the article will reveal that the story really has nothing to do with the headline at all or provides nothing to back it up.

2. Check What News Outlet Published It

Unfamiliar websites plastered with ads and all-caps headlines should draw immediate skepticism. Googling a site’s name and checking out other articles it posts should also help determine whether it’s trustworthy.

Many fake news sites will outright say that they are satire or don’t contain factual information, but others are made to mimic major news outlets. Check the URL names of pages that look suspect [ http://d279m997dpfwgl.cloudfront.net/wp/2016/11/Resource-False-Misleading-Clickbait-y-and-Satirical-%E2%80%9CNews%E2%80%9D-Sources-1.pdf ], making sure that it’s not a hoax site that is pretending to be a trusted source.

3. Check The Publish Date And Time

Another common element in fake news is that old articles or events can resurface and lead people to believe they just happened. Checking the publish time stamp [ http://www.factcheck.org/2016/11/how-to-spot-fake-news/ ] is something readers can quickly do to prevent being misled.

Sometimes, however, finding out when an event happened can take a bit more work ? such as when the date of an article is current, but the events described within it are old. Click through links and read carefully to determine when the event described actually happened.

4. Who Is The Author?

Looking at who wrote the article can reveal a lot of information [ http://libanswers.hofstra.edu/faq/128608 ] about the news source. Searching through the author’s previous articles can show whether they are a legitimate journalist or have a history of hoaxes.


A Facebook post from The Event Chronicle falsely claiming that George Soros died.
FacebookThe Event Handbook

5. Look At What Links And Sources Are Used

A lack of links or sources for claims in an article is an obvious warning sign that the post is likely false. Fake sites may also provide numerous links to sites that appear to back up their claims, but are themselves spreading misinformation. Check to see that claims supported by links actually come from reliable sources.

6. Look Out For Questionable Quotes And Photos

It’s incredible easy for fake news writers to invent false quotes, even attributing them to major public figures. Be skeptical of shocking or suspicious quotes, and search to see if they have been reported elsewhere.

Likewise, it’s easy to take a photo from one event and say it’s from another. Images can also be altered for a certain story. Reverse image searches, either through Google or tools like TinEye [ https://www.tineye.com/ ], can help you find where an image originated.

7. Beware Confirmation Bias

People are often drawn to stories that reinforce the way they see the world and how they feel about certain issues. Fake news is no exception, and many of the articles that fall under its umbrella are designed to stir up emotion in readers and prey on their biases.

It’s important to check that news stories are based in fact, rather than sharing them because they support one side of an argument or bolster pre-existing political beliefs.


A Facebook post on the page of American News linking to a false story.
Facebook

8. Search If Other News Outlets Are Reporting It

If a story looks suspicious or claims to reveal major news, search to see if other news outlets are also reporting the story. A single article from a suspicious source making a grand claim should be viewed with heavy skepticism. If no reliable news outlets are also reporting the story, then it’s very likely fake.

9. Think Before You Share

Fake news sites rely on readers to share and engage with their articles in order for them to spread. In extreme cases, these fake articles can balloon out of control and have unintended consequences for those involved in the stories.

After fake news stories claimed that Hillary Clinton was sexually abusing children at a Washington, D.C., pizza restaurant [ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/21/technology/fact-check-this-pizzeria-is-not-a-child-trafficking-site.html ], the business owner and his employees received death threats and vicious online harassment. The staff is still under attack even though these false claims have been debunked.

More Resources For Spotting Fake News:

Snopes.com
http://www.snopes.com/

Melissa Zimdars’ List Of Fake News Sites
http://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2016/11/21/fake-news-tech

On The Media Fake News Handbook
http://www.wnyc.org/story/breaking-news-consumer-handbook-fake-news-edition/

FactCheck.org
http://www.factcheck.org/

Poynter’s Tips For Debunking Fake News
http://www.poynter.org/2015/6-tips-to-debunk-fake-news-stories-by-yourself/385625/

TinEye Reverse Image Search
https://www.tineye.com/

Washington Post Fact Checker 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/

Copyright © 2016 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fake-news-guide-facebook_us_5831c6aae4b058ce7aaba169 [with comments]


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The Surprisingly Easy Way to Get Rid of Donald Trump | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

Published on Nov 23, 2016 by GQ

How to remove a maniac president from office—without having to get Congress to impeach him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnnj_YjdJgs [with comments]


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Right-Wing Extremist Convicted of Murdering Jo Cox, a U.K. Lawmaker

An event in London celebrated the life of Jo Cox, a Labour Party lawmaker, a few days after she was killed in June.

A police photograph of Thomas Mair after his arrest in November.
NOV. 23, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/world/europe/thomas-mair-convicted-murder-jo-cox.html


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Jo Cox murder: Judge's sentencing remarks to Thomas Mair


Jo Cox's husband, Brendan, with her mother, sister and father after Mair was sentenced


Jo Cox had been an MP for just over a year


Image caption
Justice Wilkie said Mair's actions "betrayed the quintessence of our country"


A police photo of a knife that was presented in evidence


A police photo of a gun that was presented in evidence


The court was also presented with photos of books found in Mair's home

Thomas Mair has been found guilty of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox and sentenced to life in prison. Delivering his sentence on Wednesday, Mr Justice Wilkie ruled that Mair could be released only by the secretary of state. Here are his remarks in full.

23 November 2016

By the verdicts of the jury, Jo Cox was murdered by you on 16 June 2016 and you caused Bernard Kenny grievous bodily harm with intent to do so.

Because of her position as a Member of Parliament, her death was both a personal tragedy and a crime with great public significance.

To her family, friends and colleagues, Jo Cox was a wonderful mother, daughter, sister, partner, and companion, her generosity of spirit evident in the selfless concern she had for others even when facing a violent death. Their loss, caused by your actions, is and will be, almost unbearable.

But because she was a Member of Parliament, the reason you murdered her, your crime has an additional dimension which calls for particularly severe punishment.

She was just 41. Before being elected as an MP, she had already demonstrated herself to be a credit to herself, her community, and her country in the work she performed for Oxfam and other organisations, devoting herself to seeking to better the lot of those less fortunate than her.

She had only recently embarked on her role as an MP but had already shown herself to be passionate, open-hearted, inclusive and generous as well as highly effective.

The tributes to her from across the political spectrum were spontaneous, sincere and fulsome. The fundamental importance to our democracy for Members of Parliament to be able to perform their duties and meet their constituents safely and fearlessly is reflected in the fact that no respectable political party contested the by-election caused by her death.

In the true meaning of the word she was a patriot.

You affect to be a patriot. The words you uttered repeatedly when you killed her give lip service to that concept. Those sentiments can be legitimate and can have resonance but in your mouth, allied to your actions, they are tainted and made toxic.

It is clear from your internet and other researches that your inspiration is not love of country or your fellow citizens, it is an admiration for Nazism, and similar anti-democratic white supremacist creeds where democracy and political persuasion are supplanted by violence towards and intimidation of opponents and those who, in whatever ways, are thought to be different and, for that reason, open to persecution.

Our parents' generation made huge sacrifices to defeat those ideas and values in the Second World War. What you did, and your admiration for those views which informed your crime, betrays the sacrifices of that generation.

You are no patriot. By your actions you have betrayed the quintessence of our country, its adherence to parliamentary democracy.

You have not even had the courage to admit and acknowledge what you did. You have, instead, forced the prosecution to prove this case in detail, withholding your agreement to anything which would have lessened that task, thereby adding, I have no doubt deliberately, to the anguish of Jo Cox's family and the witnesses to these awful events forced, as they have been, to relive them.

By contrast your second victim on that day, Bernard Kenny, acted instinctively and courageously trying to save a person he saw being attacked and by so doing was seriously injured himself. The ongoing cost to him is evident from his Victim Personal Statement. His actions on that day are deserving of the highest praise and commendation.

As you know, the only sentence I can pass on you for murder is one of life imprisonment, and I do so.

I also have to consider whether to fix a minimum term or, by not doing so, to impose a whole life sentence which would mean that you would, in all likelihood, die in prison.

I have to consider schedule 21 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. There is no doubt that this murder was done for the purpose of advancing a political, racial and ideological cause, namely that of violent white supremacism and exclusive nationalism most associated with Nazism and its modern forms.

That is one of the indices of an offence of exceptionally high seriousness for which the appropriate starting point is a whole life term.

This was a brutal, ruthless example of such a murder committed with determination and persistence.

You armed yourself with a handgun and a vicious dagger designed to kill. You attacked Jo Cox repeatedly with both of them.

You repelled an attempt by Mr Kenny to stop you in a similarly ruthless manner and, when it appeared, after your first assault, that Jo Cox might survive, you returned to inflict further fatal blows upon her.

Your choice of weapons, a firearm and a knife, places your offending even, without the political dimension, in categories having starting points of 30 and 25 years.

In addition, as an aggravating feature, there was a substantial degree of premeditation and planning. You had, over a period of weeks, researched your intended victim, you had researched the firearm which was modified to become a handgun.

You made inquiries about its ability to inflict fatal injury and you sought instruction on how to use it in that modified form.

You informed yourself about previous murders of civil rights workers and a past assassination of a serving MP. You contemplated the aftermath, researching lying-in-state arrangements.

You even researched matricide, knowing that Jo Cox was the mother of young children. You planned your escape from the scene by adopting a form of disguise to put off those searching for you and, in the course of your escape, you reloaded the firearm ready for any eventuality. Finally, as the jury has decided, you fully intended to kill Jo Cox.

You are aged 53 and have no previous convictions, both of which I must take into account. I must consider whether the seriousness of this offence, though categorised as exceptionally high, in fact requires a whole life sentence or whether I should fix a minimum term which would hold out the possibility of release on licence when you are very old to permit you to die in the community.

I have considered this anxiously but have concluded that this offence, as I have described it, is of such a high level of exceptional seriousness that it can only properly be marked by a whole life sentence. That is the sentence which I pass.

You will, therefore, only be released, if ever, by the secretary of state exercising executive clemency on humanitarian grounds to permit you to die at home. Whether or not that occurs will be a matter for the holder of that office at the time.

On count 2: that offence is inextricably linked with the count of murder and, on grounds of its exceptional seriousness, I pass the same sentence, life imprisonment and I make a minimum term order of 15 years less time on remand being one half of 30 years.

On count 3: that offence was committed in order to facilitate the commission of the murder of Jo Cox. Within the guidelines, it is of high harm and high culpability and the circumstances take it above the sentencing bracket. The sentence is one of 20 years' imprisonment concurrent.

On count 4: the maximum sentence for this offence is four years' imprisonment and I pass that sentence to run concurrently with the other sentences.

Copyright © 2016 BBC

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38076755


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The moments before and after Thomas Mair murdered Jo Cox – CCTV video
23 November 2016
CCTV captures Thomas Mair in the minutes before and after he murdered MP Jo Cox in Birstall on 16 June. Mair is seen on Market Street in the West Yorkshire town, which Cox drives up to her public surgery at Birstall library. After the attack, a 999 call identifies Mair walking away from the area, after changing his clothes. Mair is arrested soon afterwards.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/video/2016/nov/23/the-moments-before-and-after-thomas-mair-murdered-jo-cox-cctv-video


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The Guardian view on the Jo Cox murder trial: a killing of our times
he rule of law and liberal society have responded well to the Labour MP’s murder. Yet the case is a sign of the times, not some inexplicable event
Editorial
23 November 2016
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/23/the-guardian-view-on-the-jo-cox-trial-a-killing-of-our-times [with comments]


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Call Jo Cox’s murder what it was: an act of political terrorism committed by a white fascist

Thomas Mair was today found guilty of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox during the EU referendum campaign.
The creeping use of the term ‘alt-right’ is lending a soupçon of cool to a pernicious ideology. This is why language matters
23 November 2016
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/thomas-mair-guilty-jo-cox-murder-terrorism-white-facist-fight-fascism-a7434751.html [with comments]


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Jo Cox’s murder has left us MPs more fearful to speak our minds

Jo Cox had received online hate messages from far-right groups prior to her murder.
Online hatred, abuse and threats of violence to force politicians – female ones especially – to sing to a certain tune will be the death of our democracy
23 November 2016
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/23/jo-cox-murder-mps-abuse-threats-female-democracy [with comments]


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in addition to (linked in) the post to which this is a reply and preceding and (any future other) following, see also (linked in):

http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=126700114 and following

http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=126707066 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=126725731 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=126725800 and preceding and following,
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http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=126730652 and preceding and following,
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http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=126721944 and preceding and following,
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http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=126707892 (and any future following)

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