Author: Robert Leonard
Common Dreams is hot garbage that no one should read
Posted by Robert Leonard / January 9, 2020The far right-wing media gets accused of a lot of thing: blatant partisanship, inflammatory headlines, and even pushing conspiracy theories. No one really talks about the far left-wing media that does the same thing. Well, I’ve finally lost my patience with one website after reading a particularly obnoxious headline: “After Biden Offers ‘No Comment’ Response …
Read MoreConspiracy-convinced mom tries to kidnap own child
Posted by Robert Leonard / January 8, 2020A mother whose child had been removed from her custody was arrested for conspiracy to kidnap the child back. She was being helped by QAnon conspiracy theorists. If you haven’t heard of QAnon, perhaps you’re lucky. It’s a conspiracy theory born on 4Chan, and named after a user who claims to be an in-the-know government …
Read MoreTop Iranian official: the “sole problem is Trump”
Posted by Robert Leonard / January 7, 2020One of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s top advisors has made it clear that Iran has no problem with the American people or even the American government. The “sole problem,” he said, “is Trump.” His full tweet reads: “We have ZERO problems with the American people. We even achieved deals with previous US administrations. Our sole …
Read MoreTrump condemned for Irani military commander
Posted by Robert Leonard / January 4, 2020Donald Trump authorized an drone strike that killed Iran’s most beloved military commander, Qassem Soleimani, the leader of the country’s Revolutionary Guard––a move Iran has sworn to avenge. While some of Trump’s base might be supportive of the attack, Trump is being widely condemned. Leaders from Russia, Turkey, Germany, France, and other European countries have …
Read MoreIf 2018 was the year of climate change, 2019 was the year of climate catastrophe
Posted by Robert Leonard / January 1, 2020David Leonhardt, New York Times op-ed columnist, listed his top stories of 2018. Looking back from the end of 2019, you might guess his top story was about Trump. But it wasn’t: A global heat wave. Extreme rainstorms. Severe droughts. Rapidly intensifying Gulf Coast storms. The deadliest wildfire in California history. And a presidential administration that’s trying …
Read MoreChinese tourist defaces European shrine over Hong Kong protest message
Posted by Robert Leonard / January 1, 2020A recently released video shows what appears to be a mainland Chinese tourist defacing a shrine in Lithuania by removing a cross with a pro-Hong Kong message written on it. In the background, the tourist’s friend says, “We have done a good thing today. Our motherland is great.” The pilgrimage site is home to over …
Read MoreNew poll suggests Trump’s legacy will not be good
Posted by Robert Leonard / December 27, 2019A recent poll asked 1,500 Americans what they thought Trump’s legacy would be. The survey gave respondents “outstanding,” “above average,” “average,” “below average” or “poor.” A shocking 49% said they thought Trump’s legacy would be considered “poor” by future generations. Another 9% said “below average.” It may surprise some, but 22% of respondents said “outstanding.” …
Read MoreChina expands its crackdown on Tibetan religion
Posted by Robert Leonard / December 23, 2019Beijing has expanded its crackdown on Tibetan religious practice by tightening restrictions on a major religious festival that takes place in Lhasa every year. Also in its continued war against all things non-Chinese, Beijing has destroyed large parts of Yarchen Gar, one of the largest sites of Tibetan Buddhism. Satellite imagery revealed that the government razed …
Read MoreMissing Epstein video reappears
Posted by Robert Leonard / December 21, 2019A missing video of Jeffery Epstein’s first suicide attempt has been found. The missing video sparked outrage, stoking fears of conspiracies that have swirled around Epstein’s death. Federal prosecutors offered a plea deal to two jail guards responsible for watching Jeffery Epstein the night he hanged himself. The officers rejected the deal. This led to …
Read More267 million Facebook users had their data exposed
Posted by Robert Leonard / December 20, 2019A stunning 267 million Facebook users’ IDs, phone numbers, and names were exposed to a database that might put them at risk spam and phishing expeditions. Earlier this year, Facebook has announced 419 million users’ phone numbers were exposed. The phone numbers were stored on a database that was not password protected. The FTC has fined …
Read MoreTop Chinese university removes “freedom of thought” from charter
Posted by Robert Leonard / December 20, 2019Fudan University, a top Chinese university renowned for its liberalism, has removed “freedom of thought” from its charter, replacing it with paragraphs pledging loyalty to the Communist Party. The move should come as no surprise, it’s not as though China is embracing the free exchange of information and ideas. China has the dubious honor of …
Read MoreTrump has been impeached
Posted by Robert Leonard / December 20, 2019President Donald Trump has become the third sitting president ever to be impeached. The results were extremely partisan––only two Democrats voted no on impeachment, and no Republicans voted yes. But when the Senate gathers to vote––which may be awhile, since Pelosi is holding off sending the articles of impeachment over until she thinks the Senate …
Read More