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Insidious truth behind LA City Council’s push for noncitizen voting

Well, that was quick.

The LA City Council yanked its own ballot initiative proposal that, if passed in November, would have allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections.

There was nothing in the city’s proposal that would have prevented illegal immigrants from voting.

People with no right to be in the country would be making major decisions about the management and the future of one of America’s great cities.

What would prevent some future, federal administration from throwing the country’s borders open to tip the balance of power in LA toward one party or another — or, perhaps, toward socialism?

Nothing.

No one stopped to ask whether giving noncitizens the right to vote locally would even be constitutional. It is, at least, a complicated question.

Also, no one seemed to have given any thought to how the city would run such an election, and how noncitizens could appear on voter rolls for local elections while also being sequestered from state and federal elections.

It is telling that the initial vote to put noncitizen voting on the ballot was 10-5. It was framed as a way to give hard-working immigrants a voice. The subsequent vote to pull the ballot measure was 14-0.

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Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş detained at Istanbul airport over political satire

Turkish stand-up comedian Deniz Göktaş was detained at passport control at an Istanbul airport on Thursday while returning to Türkiye from abroad. Since June 24, Göktaş had been targeted by pro-government media and right-wing circles, with open calls for his arrest over his widely acclaimed political comedy special “Ölü Deniz” (Dead Sea). His detention marks a dangerous escalation of attacks on art and freedom of expression in Türkiye.

The World Socialist Web Site and the Sosyalist Eşitlik Partisi – Dördüncü Enternasyonal (Socialist Equality Party – Fourth International) demand the immediate release of Deniz Göktaş, the dropping of the investigation against him and a halt to all attacks on art and freedom of expression.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had launched an investigation into Göktaş on the baseless charge of “publicly denigrating the religious values embraced by a section of the population” over jokes in the show, which was staged on June 1 at the Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theatre and released on YouTube on June 24. The prosecutor’s office publicly announced the investigation, describing Göktaş as a “suspect” in whose social media content “elements of a crime” had been identified. Earlier, posts on X containing excerpts from the show had been blocked by court order on the grounds of “protecting national security and public order.” In a statement before his detention, Göktaş said that “no official information” had reached him and that he had no plans to live outside Türkiye.

The roughly 90-minute show was viewed more than 1 million times within 24 hours of its release and had surpassed 8.5 million views as of July 2. Notably, Göktaş made the show freely available to everyone on YouTube rather than on a paid digital platform, with monetization turned off and no ads. Reaching millions of workers and young people, the show became “dangerous” in the eyes of the ruling elite. At the same time, this immense public interest was itself a mass response to the attempt to suppress Göktaş.

“Ölü Deniz” is a satire directed not at individuals but at the political and media establishment as a whole. Göktaş’s subjects included the 32-year political career of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; the revocation of the university diploma of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the jailed Istanbul metropolitan mayor from the Kemalist Republican People’s Party (CHP); the police raid on the CHP’s headquarters following a court’s “absolute nullity” ruling against the party; the mass protests that erupted against İmamoğlu;s arrest; the ensuing widespread arrests; and mainstream media figures. While directing his sharpest political barbs at Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), in power since 2002, he did not spare the CHP, and he also satirized Turkish nationalism and its contradictions on the Kurdish question.

One of the most striking features of the show was that censorship is itself its subject. Göktaş recounts that the legal opinion he received from lawyers on “Selam Selam,” his first show, was: “Never release it.” On stage, he satirizes a nightmare in which he sees himself on the gallows, and the ranks of the “intellectuals” in his family—the intellectual in exile, the intellectual in prison, the dead intellectual. He is fully aware of the historical price of being a dissident artist in Turkey.

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Ukrainians Now Using Nets To Snare Men In Forced Conscription

The Ukrainian mobilization effort has been documented as cruel and without due process, without any legal protection at all as men are dragged into non-official private armies and sent to the front. Now nets are being used to snare men on the street without as much hassle.

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Unfair! University of California, Riverside Grant Funding Favors Illegal Aliens Over Americans

According to a report from Campus Reform, the University of California, Riverside’s Undocumented Student Programs offers up to $9,000 annually through its Butterfly Project Fellowship to “DREAMers, students from mixed-status families, and undocu allies,” while a comparable graduate research grant for U.S. citizen graduate students provides up to $4,000 per year.”

This program rewards lawbreakers while punishing American citizens, something which is entirely unfair.

“According to fellowship materials reviewed by Campus Reform, the Butterfly Project Fellowship provides up to $9,000 annually to illegal alien graduate students, with awards disbursed through the Financial Aid Office.”

There shouldn’t be incentives at American academic institutions for foreign nationals who break our laws, and the fact that there are is an outrage that rewards lawlessness.

Recipients of this insane “fellowship” are also given the opportunity to attend college and “Undocumented Student Programs events while continuing to advance their graduate research.”

“A comparable funding opportunity for American citizens available through UCR is the Dissertation Research Grant, administered by the university’s Graduate Division. The grant provides up to $2,000 per application during both the fall and spring quarters, allowing recipients to receive up to $4,000 annually.”

That’s a considerably lower amount than what illegal aliens get and shows a disparity.

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“Is There No England Now?”

Whether Keir Starmer has resigned or not, Britain’s turmoil over immigration, speech, and identity signals a ruling consensus fracturing under public backlash.

If news reports are accurate, by the time you read this, Keir Starmer may no longer be the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Depending on the source, he has either decided to resign or is seriously considering it. In any case, the events in Britain over the last few weeks—the murder, enabled by the police, of Henry Nowak by the Sikh Vickrum Digwa; the attempted beheading of a man in Belfast by a Muslim immigrant; the release of a report on the systematic and protracted rape of young women and girls by Muslim “grooming gangs”; the subsequent (and understandable) renewal of unrest over largely unchecked immigration; and the government’s increased efforts to limit and control speech—have likely doomed Starmer and the Labour Party, making it impossible for them to maintain or regain the trust of the people.

None of this should really surprise anyone. In a narrow context, Starmer has been on this course for some time, likely since the very start of his premiership. He was never especially well-liked and always seemed to be the wrong man for the moment. In a broader context, Starmer’s agenda, which pits the ruling class against the rest of the country, has agitated the rest of the country for years. The catch, of course, is that “Starmer’s agenda” isn’t really his at all. It’s the agenda of the ruling class more generally. Again, in a narrow context, immigration, plus speech suppression, plus net-zero green madness, has been the agenda of both British major political parties for the entirety of the 21st century. In a broader context, the often unintentional but always unremitting annihilation of the uniquely British identity has been the agenda of the British ruling class since the end of World War II.

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Alexandria, Virginia Encourages People to Call Government Snitch Line About Illegal Fireworks – Including Sparklers

Why must leftists try to ruin everything?

Millions of Americans are celebrating America’s 250th birthday this weekend, but the killjoys who run the liberal city of Alexandria, Virginia wants people to snitch on their fellow citizens for setting off ‘illegal’ fireworks, including sparklers.

Liberals are determined to not celebrate Independence Day this year and they want other people to be as unhappy as they are.

The Daily Caller reports:

Democrat City Boasts Of July 4 Tyranny, Bans Fireworks And Even Sparklers

One deep blue D.C. suburb will not be celebrating the Fourth of July with fireworks as its local government urges residents to turn in some of their patriotic neighbors.

In Alexandria, Virginia, the local government suggests reporting neighbors who are using fireworks, said an X post.

“Fireworks are illegal in Alexandria, including sparklers. Report illegal fireworks by calling 311. Our show is next weekend,” the post read.

“Any fireworks found inside the City can be taken away. If you are caught with fireworks, you could face a Class 1 misdemeanor charge. That means up to one year in jail, a $2,500 fine or both,” the Alexandria Fire Department reminded the community in a press release.

The city of over 150,000 hosts a grand finale fireworks display on July 11, with music and poetry reading, according to Alexandria’s website.

“Join us at the City Birthday celebration on Saturday, July 11, for a safe, legal fireworks show. There are also displays in cities and counties across the National Capital Region. Many are visible from Alexandria’s waterfront on the 4th of July,” the fire department’s release added.

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Ukraine Plans To Hyper-Innovate Humanoid Robot Soldiers

At the start of February, we pointed out that “humanoid warfare nears” and suspected these war bots were headed for Ukraine for testing. 

That hunch was confirmed by early March, after a TIME Magazine article reported that Foundation Robotics, a U.S.-based startup developing humanoid robots for industrial and military applications, had recently sent two Phantom MK1 robots to Ukraine for testing. 

Mike LeBlanc, co-founder of Foundation… 

The modern battlefield across western Eurasia has become the world’s AI weapons lab, where drones, autonomous systems, electronic warfare, and ground bots are being stress-tested in real time. 

For any ‘war unicorn’ startup trying to validate AI-enabled killing machines, Ukraine has become the proving ground, and soldiers on the front lines will quickly tell these startups whether their products work or not – that’s the part of hyperinnovation that people aren’t seeing yet, but it is becoming visible as low-cost AI killing systems begin to spread across the world. 

Last month, we were the first to debut a new video showing the Phantom MK1 robot operating a mobile light mortar system during a live-fire training exercise in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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New EU proposal aims to stop drivers from speeding using satellites

According to the proposal, every new car would be equipped with a device that can limit the engine’s power for drivers who are speeding. This would be done remotely, based on their speed and location.

The system would use a combination of GPS technology, satellite data, and cameras to identify speed limits and monitor vehicle speed.

How would this work? First, satellites pinpoint the car’s location and determine its speed. Next, the car’s onboard cameras spot traffic signs that indicate the maximum speed. If a driver is speeding, the car’s built-in computer forces it to slow down to the maximum speed limit.

Safety campaigners believe the technology will significantly reduce casualties by 20%.

If approved, the system could be mandatory for all new vehicles in the EU by 2030.

The United Kingdom would be exempted because of Brexit. However, experts expect that car manufacturers will introduce the proposed technology in the UK as well, as it would be too expensive to build cars just for the UK market.

Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden has raised concerns about the technology’s reliability, fears of hacking, and doubts about drivers’ privacy.

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Your Car Was Never the Target

For years, governments assured the public that license plate readers were simply tools to catch stolen vehicles, fugitives, and dangerous criminals. That was always the sales pitch. Now the mask is coming off. According to reports, a new surveillance platform called SignalTrace is being marketed to law enforcement and government agencies that goes far beyond reading license plates. The system can collect identifiers from smartphones, smartwatches, Bluetooth devices, vehicle infotainment systems, Wi-Fi hotspots, tire pressure sensors, RFID devices, AirTags, and even pet microchips. They are no longer interested in tracking your car. They are interested in tracking you.

The frightening part is how openly this is being discussed. The stated goal of the technology is to “bridge the gap between vehicle and occupant.” In other words, the authorities no longer want to know where a vehicle traveled. They want to know who was inside, where they went, who they met, and how often they traveled together. The system creates a unique electronic fingerprint based on the collection of devices surrounding a person. Your phone, your watch, your headphones, your car, and even your dog’s microchip become pieces of a digital identity that can be followed everywhere you go.

This is exactly how governments always expand surveillance. They begin with a limited purpose that sounds reasonable. Then the technology advances and suddenly the scope becomes limitless. License plate readers were sold as crime-fighting tools. Then they became databases of vehicle movements. Now they are evolving into systems that can reconstruct an individual’s entire pattern of life. Privacy advocates have warned that these systems can reveal where people work, where they worship, where they seek medical treatment, and who they associate with. Once that information exists in a searchable database, every government agency will want access.

What is unfolding is part of a much broader trend. Governments around the world are building digital identification systems, expanding financial surveillance, monitoring communications, and centralizing personal data. At the same time, law enforcement agencies are seeking nationwide access to license plate reader networks that provide near real-time tracking capabilities across the United States. The infrastructure is being assembled piece by piece. Most people only see each individual step. They fail to recognize the larger picture until the system is fully operational.

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Would The Founders Still Recognize Their Republic?

Which is better — to be ruled by one tyrant 3,000 miles away or by 3,000 tyrants one mile away?
— Rev. Mather Byles (1706-1788)

Does it really matter if the instrument curtailing liberty is a monarch or a popularly elected legislature? This conundrum, along with the witty version of it put to a Boston crowd in 1775 by the little-known colonial-era preacher with the famous uncle — Cotton Mather — addresses the age-old question of whether liberty can long survive in a democracy.

Byles was a loyalist who, along with about one-third of the American adult white male population in 1776, opposed the American Revolution and favored continued governance by Great Britain.

He didn’t fight for the king or agitate against George Washington’s troops; he merely warned of the dangers of too much democracy.

Many of us who monitor federal excess are fearful of out-of-control democracy, which is what we have in America today, yet there remain in our federal structure a few safeguards against runaway federal tyranny, such as the equal state representation in the Senate, the Electoral College, the state control of federal elections, the remnants of state sovereignty, and life-tenured federal judges and justices.

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