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#IHD25Years Congratulations IHD for convening a memorable #GlobalConclave2024. Was great to reconnect with Lord Desai, Kaushik Basu, AK Shiv Kumar and dozens of 'HD friends' while also speaking at the concluding plenary panel with Profs. Deepak Nayyar (JNU), Francisco Ferreira (LSE), Thomas Pogge (Yale), Bhaskar Vira (Cambridge), Ernest Aryeetey... show more

Swarnim Waglé

88,176 subscribers

73,809 views • 2 years ago •via X (Twitter)

Education News & Politics #IHD25Years #GlobalConclave2024

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10 Comments

Ramraja Shrestha2 years ago

@TweetIHD You are a great asset to Nepal ! as per my acknowledgement you are right person on the wrong platform if you could be PM of Nepal then you can fix and debug platform too, hope you understand .

Rama oli - रमा ओली2 years ago

@TweetIHD Inbox 😊

nava r gyawali2 years ago

@TweetIHD What an excellent commentary from someone who is profoundly knowledgeable on the subject and equally articulate.

Swarnim Waglé2 years ago

@TweetIHD And before Lord Desai, I was your student! Glad to see you enjoying a fulfilling life (Sen-esque) in the Orient.

काजी 🇳🇵️💙2 years ago

@TweetIHD Speech ❤️

Dev Raj Ojha 🇳🇵🇳🇵2 years ago

@TweetIHD wonderful Dai. Keep it up Hajur

BinodKumar Bhattarai2 years ago

@TweetIHD Astounding commentary, Swarnim Ji ! Thanks for sharing !

Ananda Ram Paudel2 years ago

@TweetIHD एक बर्षअघि डा.मिनेन्द्र रिजालजीले भन्नुभएको थियो - "बालुवाटार ललितानिवास जग्गा घोटालामा अनुसन्धान र प्रमाणले माधवकुमार नेपाललाइ मुख्य अभियुक्त देखाएको थियो। अभियोगपत्रबाट उहाँको नाम हटाउन ठूलै कसरत गर्नुपर्यो।" तर, तपाईंले चाहीं किन माधवकुमार नेपालहरूलाइ चोख्याउन लाग्नुभएको छ।

bshadyop2 years ago

@TweetIHD Lach pachayko mc.c

Deep Murti Pant2 years ago

@TweetIHD ताक परे तिवारी नत्र गोतामे!

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Last Friday on Pi Day, we held AI Dev 25, a new conference for AI Developers. Tickets had (unfortunately) sold out shortly after we announced their availability, but I came away energized by the day of coding and technical discussions with fellow AI Builders! Let me share here my observations from the event. I'd decided to start AI Dev because while there're great academic AI conferences that disseminate research work (such as NeurIPS, ICML and ICLR) and also great meetings held by individual companies, often focused on each company's product offerings, there were few vendor-neutral conferences for AI developers. With the wide range of AI tools now available, there is a rich set of opportunities for developers to build new things (and to share ideas on how to build things!), but also a need for a neutral forum that helps developers do so. Based on an informal poll, about half the attendees had traveled to San Francisco from outside the Bay Area for this meeting, including many who had come from overseas. I was thrilled by the enthusiasm to be part of this AI Builder community. To everyone who came, thank you! Other aspects of the event that struck me: - First, agentic AI continues to be a strong theme. The topic attendees most wanted to hear about (based on free text responses to our in-person survey at the start of the event) was agents! - Google's Paige Bailey talked about embedding AI in everything and using a wide range of models to do so. I also particularly enjoyed her demos of Astra and Deep Research agents. - Meta's Amit Sangani talked compellingly as usual about open models. Specifically, he described developers fine-tuning smaller models on specific data, resulting in superior performance than with large general purpose models. While there're still many companies using fine-tuning that should really just be prompting, I'm also seeing continued growth of fine-tuning in applications that are reaching scale and that are becoming valuable. - Many speakers also spoke about the importance of being pragmatic about what problems we are solving, as opposed to buying into the AGI hype. For example, Nebius' Roman Chernin put it simply: Focusing on solving real problems is important! - Lastly, I was excited to hear continued enthusiasm for the Voice Stack. Justin Uberti gave a talk about OpenAI’s realtime audio API to a packed room, with many people pulling out laptops to try things out themselves in code! has a strong “Learner First” mentality; our foremost goal is always to help learners. I was thrilled that a few attendees told me they enjoyed how technical the sessions were, and said they learned many things that they're sure they will use. (In fact, I, too, came away with a few ideas from the sessions!) I was also struck that, both during the talks and at the technical demo booths, the rooms were packed with attendees who were highly engaged throughout the whole day. I'm glad that we were able to have a meeting filled with technical and engineering discussions. I'm delighted that AI Dev 25 went off so well, and am grateful to all the attendees, volunteers, speakers, sponsors, partners, and team members that made the event possible. I regretted only that the physical size of the event space prevented us from admitting more attendees this time. There is something magical about bringing people together physically to share ideas, make friends, and to learn from and help each other. I hope we'll be able to bring even more people together in the future. [Original text: ]

Andrew Ng

47,037 views • 1 year ago

Friends, I deleted my earlier tweet–the one below provides a fuller, more accurate picture of what happened, including details about conference funding, Wajahat S. Khan support, etc. Dear Moeed Pirzada, great questions! Here is an attempt to respond to your very valid concerns as somebody, who was not involved in the organizing of this conference, but was invited months ago to participate as a moderator: From what I could tell, this conference was designed to engage the next generation of Pakistani-Americans in a conversation on Pakistan. They decided to come up with panels on health, startups, technology, diplomacy, health, law, etc. The students I interacted with were simply excited to be hosting such a huge academic event on campus. Most panelists on the public policy panels were not pro-democracy activists (in relation to IK, PTI, etc,) other than the two PTI leaders who were invited to come, myself, and a couple of others. In fact, many who were invited have been relatively silent in their condemnation of blatant human rights violations in Pakistan (as it relates to IK, PTI, etc). I therefore felt my role at the conference was to make sure students and audience members heard the pro-democracy, anti-authoritarian perspective as much as possible. This conference was not framed within the context of military authoritarianism, which in my opinion, was a missed opportunity. In this current moment, especially if we are trying to engage the next generation of Pakistani-Americans in a discussion on Pakistan, any conversation around the economy, technology, diplomacy, politics, civil society, law, etc. should be approached through the lens of entrenched military authoritarianism. The Georgetown conference was more generic and reflected a pro-establishment, pro-status quo bent. So in my opinion, that criticism of the conference is valid. Just as at Yale earlier in the year, I had been invited to moderate a panel with Pakistani-Americans who had decided to not pursue traditional desi career paths (doctors and engineers), but were instead trailblazers in their respective fields of climate justice, journalism, politics, and public policy. The idea was to inspire students in the audience to pursue these career paths so that Pakistani voices could be amplified in these non-traditional fields. While human rights and democracy were not the subject of the panel, I tried to incorporate them in the discussion as you’ll see below. Also, I should mention here that when I raised all my concerns about the conference to Wajahat S. Khan prior to the event, and told him I was going to protest, he encouraged me to do so and even alerted me about the various opportunities where I could protest. It was his suggestion that I bring up the ambassador at the end of my panel and to tell people to call him out. That part can be viewed below: To say this was an ISI financed and sponsored event without any solid evidence seems irresponsible and sensationalist, and also a disservice to the students who organized it. As far as I know, this conference was sponsored by GT’s School of Foreign Service and School of Public Health, as well as donations by the community and ticket sales ($50/person). The reason I find the ‘ISI financing’ bit hilarious is because Wajahat S. Khan and Amna had reached out to us and other community members to help raise funds for this conference. My husband and I donated and also waived our travel/accommodation expenses so as to help them out. We also identified other friends they could reach out to for funds. I’m not sure that would have happened if the ISI had been financing the whole thing:)! People are wondering how so many international guests could have participated with limited funding, but as far as I know, Hamid Mir was the only person who attended in person from Pakistan–the rest participated online. As far as my participation in the conference is concerned, I felt a commitment to the panelists that I was moderating and didn’t want to abandon them at the last minute. In fact, when I spoke to Wajahat S. Khan the evening before the event, he offered me the option of opting out, but again, it felt unprofessional for me to do so and I decided to go ahead and participate, and in the process disrupt as much as possible. Those criticizing my decision to participate have every right to do so, and in many ways the criticism is valid. One way to protest is to boycott these discussions so as not to normalize them; another way is to be there and try to disrupt–I tried to do the latter by drilling down on the issue of military authoritarianism as much as I could. But of course, those reading this might have a different opinion. One final word: At the last session, when I tried to disrupt the session with the Pakistani ambassador by trying to heckle him, my mic was taken away by one of the organizers, at which point I walked out. I know the students didn’t want to embarrass the ambassador, but the fact remains that somebody who represents a fascist regime should be named and shamed–that this was the only panel where questions were not allowed was wrong.

Friends, I deleted my earlier tweet–the one below provides a fuller, more accurate picture of what happened, including details about conference funding, Wajahat S. Khan support, etc. Dear Moeed Pirzada, great questions! Here is an attempt to respond to your very valid concerns as somebody, who was not involved in the organizing of this conference, but was invited months ago to participate as a moderator: From what I could tell, this conference was designed to engage the next generation of Pakistani-Americans in a conversation on Pakistan. They decided to come up with panels on health, startups, technology, diplomacy, health, law, etc. The students I interacted with were simply excited to be hosting such a huge academic event on campus. Most panelists on the public policy panels were not pro-democracy activists (in relation to IK, PTI, etc,) other than the two PTI leaders who were invited to come, myself, and a couple of others. In fact, many who were invited have been relatively silent in their condemnation of blatant human rights violations in Pakistan (as it relates to IK, PTI, etc). I therefore felt my role at the conference was to make sure students and audience members heard the pro-democracy, anti-authoritarian perspective as much as possible. This conference was not framed within the context of military authoritarianism, which in my opinion, was a missed opportunity. In this current moment, especially if we are trying to engage the next generation of Pakistani-Americans in a discussion on Pakistan, any conversation around the economy, technology, diplomacy, politics, civil society, law, etc. should be approached through the lens of entrenched military authoritarianism. The Georgetown conference was more generic and reflected a pro-establishment, pro-status quo bent. So in my opinion, that criticism of the conference is valid. Just as at Yale earlier in the year, I had been invited to moderate a panel with Pakistani-Americans who had decided to not pursue traditional desi career paths (doctors and engineers), but were instead trailblazers in their respective fields of climate justice, journalism, politics, and public policy. The idea was to inspire students in the audience to pursue these career paths so that Pakistani voices could be amplified in these non-traditional fields. While human rights and democracy were not the subject of the panel, I tried to incorporate them in the discussion as you’ll see below. Also, I should mention here that when I raised all my concerns about the conference to Wajahat S. Khan prior to the event, and told him I was going to protest, he encouraged me to do so and even alerted me about the various opportunities where I could protest. It was his suggestion that I bring up the ambassador at the end of my panel and to tell people to call him out. That part can be viewed below: To say this was an ISI financed and sponsored event without any solid evidence seems irresponsible and sensationalist, and also a disservice to the students who organized it. As far as I know, this conference was sponsored by GT’s School of Foreign Service and School of Public Health, as well as donations by the community and ticket sales ($50/person). The reason I find the ‘ISI financing’ bit hilarious is because Wajahat S. Khan and Amna had reached out to us and other community members to help raise funds for this conference. My husband and I donated and also waived our travel/accommodation expenses so as to help them out. We also identified other friends they could reach out to for funds. I’m not sure that would have happened if the ISI had been financing the whole thing:)! People are wondering how so many international guests could have participated with limited funding, but as far as I know, Hamid Mir was the only person who attended in person from Pakistan–the rest participated online. As far as my participation in the conference is concerned, I felt a commitment to the panelists that I was moderating and didn’t want to abandon them at the last minute. In fact, when I spoke to Wajahat S. Khan the evening before the event, he offered me the option of opting out, but again, it felt unprofessional for me to do so and I decided to go ahead and participate, and in the process disrupt as much as possible. Those criticizing my decision to participate have every right to do so, and in many ways the criticism is valid. One way to protest is to boycott these discussions so as not to normalize them; another way is to be there and try to disrupt–I tried to do the latter by drilling down on the issue of military authoritarianism as much as I could. But of course, those reading this might have a different opinion. One final word: At the last session, when I tried to disrupt the session with the Pakistani ambassador by trying to heckle him, my mic was taken away by one of the organizers, at which point I walked out. I know the students didn’t want to embarrass the ambassador, but the fact remains that somebody who represents a fascist regime should be named and shamed–that this was the only panel where questions were not allowed was wrong.

Mehlaqa Samdani

33,787 views • 9 months ago

"Is it my imagination, or have you and your podcast become more political? I enjoyed the interview with Riley Gaines but was really surprised to see you “go there,” and speak so candidly about such a politically charged topic." Carol Marks Hi Carol. It’s your imagination. Your question reminds of a common refrain I hear nowadays from friends of mine on both sides of the aisle. “I didn’t leave my party, my party left me!” I can sympathize. In this case, I would tell you that I haven’t become any more political than I’ve ever been – but everything around me certainly has. Or maybe, everything has just become more controversial, and therefore everything feels more political? Either way, the facts surrounding Riley’s ordeal are not in dispute. She and her teammates were told by the NCAA to either compete with a man or quit the sport they loved. They were told to either share a locker room with a man or seek professional psychiatric help. They were also told that failing to accept the swimmer formerly known as Will Thomas as a woman, might result in his suicide, and that his blood would be on their hands. For daring to question the fairness of these decisions, Riley Gaines was branded a bigot and a transphobe. She was attacked by protestors at San Francisco State and held against her will for several hours. Her captors were not punished. In fact, they were congratulated by the administrators at the college. It's also important to know that Riley Gaines never suggested to me that adults be denied the right to identify as a member of the opposite sex or take whatever steps they wish to take in order to facilitate a physical transition. We both support that right, even if we don’t support the idea that taxpayers should pay for it, or that minors should be allowed to proceed with irreversible surgeries without their parent’sconsent. But mostly, we both believe that it’s fundamentally unfair to allow men to compete against women, and deeply troubling that so many otherwise sensible Americans stood by and said nothing, as the NCAA made a mockery of Title IX, and ran roughshod over decades of hard-fought women’s rights. As I said to her on the podcast, Riley Gaines reminds me of the kid in The Emperor’s New Clothes - the only one in the crowd to point out the obvious fact that the man parading before them was stark naked, while the townspeople pretended, he wasn’t. Just like the townspeople in America who pretended that Lea Thomas was a woman, simply because he changed his name and claimed to be one. Even when he leapt from a ranking of #462 as "Will," to #1 as "Lea," the townspeople just couldn't see the difference between him, and the women he so completely and totally dominated. Even when the townspeople saw with their own eyes, a telltale bulge in the women’s bathing suit he wore on the podium, they still applauded the emperor's new clothes, and congratulated him for his great triumph. Those townspeople will not be remembered for their politics, Carol. They'll be remembered for their cowardice. Just as Riley Gaines will be remembered for her courage. Our whole conversation is here, or on Apple, and Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Her book, Swimming Against the Current, is terrific, and worth your time.

"Is it my imagination, or have you and your podcast become more political? I enjoyed the interview with Riley Gaines but was really surprised to see you “go there,” and speak so candidly about such a politically charged topic." Carol Marks Hi Carol. It’s your imagination. Your question reminds of a common refrain I hear nowadays from friends of mine on both sides of the aisle. “I didn’t leave my party, my party left me!” I can sympathize. In this case, I would tell you that I haven’t become any more political than I’ve ever been – but everything around me certainly has. Or maybe, everything has just become more controversial, and therefore everything feels more political? Either way, the facts surrounding Riley’s ordeal are not in dispute. She and her teammates were told by the NCAA to either compete with a man or quit the sport they loved. They were told to either share a locker room with a man or seek professional psychiatric help. They were also told that failing to accept the swimmer formerly known as Will Thomas as a woman, might result in his suicide, and that his blood would be on their hands. For daring to question the fairness of these decisions, Riley Gaines was branded a bigot and a transphobe. She was attacked by protestors at San Francisco State and held against her will for several hours. Her captors were not punished. In fact, they were congratulated by the administrators at the college. It's also important to know that Riley Gaines never suggested to me that adults be denied the right to identify as a member of the opposite sex or take whatever steps they wish to take in order to facilitate a physical transition. We both support that right, even if we don’t support the idea that taxpayers should pay for it, or that minors should be allowed to proceed with irreversible surgeries without their parent’sconsent. But mostly, we both believe that it’s fundamentally unfair to allow men to compete against women, and deeply troubling that so many otherwise sensible Americans stood by and said nothing, as the NCAA made a mockery of Title IX, and ran roughshod over decades of hard-fought women’s rights. As I said to her on the podcast, Riley Gaines reminds me of the kid in The Emperor’s New Clothes - the only one in the crowd to point out the obvious fact that the man parading before them was stark naked, while the townspeople pretended, he wasn’t. Just like the townspeople in America who pretended that Lea Thomas was a woman, simply because he changed his name and claimed to be one. Even when he leapt from a ranking of #462 as "Will," to #1 as "Lea," the townspeople just couldn't see the difference between him, and the women he so completely and totally dominated. Even when the townspeople saw with their own eyes, a telltale bulge in the women’s bathing suit he wore on the podium, they still applauded the emperor's new clothes, and congratulated him for his great triumph. Those townspeople will not be remembered for their politics, Carol. They'll be remembered for their cowardice. Just as Riley Gaines will be remembered for her courage. Our whole conversation is here, or on Apple, and Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Her book, Swimming Against the Current, is terrific, and worth your time.

The Real Mike Rowe

1,186,143 views • 2 years ago

More than 800 Azov fighters remain in Russian captivity. But they are not alone. We are fighting for them. Azov takes action. Every day, we work systematically at every level to return our prisoners of war home faster. Every Azov fighter understands: a captured occupier means a chance to bring our brother-in-arms back. In the Toretsk sector alone, service members of the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov have captured dozens of occupiers over several months. This includes 23 Russian POWs in January 2025, 20 more in March, and 8 captive invaders more recently. Our work continues. They are our exchange fund. Delegations consisting of Azov service members hold regular meetings with members of parliament, diplomats, and human rights advocates in the United Kingdom, Germany, and other European Union countries. Those returning from captivity give personal testimonies at the UN Headquarters, UK Parliament, Bundestag, and even on the red carpet of the Venice Festival. They speak on behalf of those who cannot — about torture, abuse, and atrocities. About life from one interrogation to the next. The Association of Azovstal Defenders' Families established the all-Ukrainian movement Free Azov. Every Sunday, POWs' families and friends take to the streets of their cities to let the world know: Azov defenders are still in the enemy’s hands — and while they are there, silence is not an option. Similar demonstrations take place abroad. From 16 to 20 May, events marking the anniversary of the Mariupol garrison’s captivity were held in Chicago, Edinburgh, Porto, Vilnius, Washington, D.C., and Milan. Together with the Association, Azov also launched the project, showcasing Russia’s violations of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. More recently, the website was presented in collaboration with the First Corps Azov's International Cooperation Section — a platform to document testimonies on our POWs’ detention conditions. We are making a systematic effort to involve thought leaders and socially responsible businesses to raise awareness of the problem, also implementing various cultural collaborations and releasing thematic merchandise. POWs' relatives speak to media representatives, participate in forums, demonstrations, and discussions to keep the issue of captivity in the spotlight for both society and the international community. They take part in every demonstration, every address, and every live show, reminding the world that captivity is not something from the past — it is happening now. We will not stop until all of our people return home.

More than 800 Azov fighters remain in Russian captivity. But they are not alone. We are fighting for them. Azov takes action. Every day, we work systematically at every level to return our prisoners of war home faster. Every Azov fighter understands: a captured occupier means a chance to bring our brother-in-arms back. In the Toretsk sector alone, service members of the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov have captured dozens of occupiers over several months. This includes 23 Russian POWs in January 2025, 20 more in March, and 8 captive invaders more recently. Our work continues. They are our exchange fund. Delegations consisting of Azov service members hold regular meetings with members of parliament, diplomats, and human rights advocates in the United Kingdom, Germany, and other European Union countries. Those returning from captivity give personal testimonies at the UN Headquarters, UK Parliament, Bundestag, and even on the red carpet of the Venice Festival. They speak on behalf of those who cannot — about torture, abuse, and atrocities. About life from one interrogation to the next. The Association of Azovstal Defenders' Families established the all-Ukrainian movement Free Azov. Every Sunday, POWs' families and friends take to the streets of their cities to let the world know: Azov defenders are still in the enemy’s hands — and while they are there, silence is not an option. Similar demonstrations take place abroad. From 16 to 20 May, events marking the anniversary of the Mariupol garrison’s captivity were held in Chicago, Edinburgh, Porto, Vilnius, Washington, D.C., and Milan. Together with the Association, Azov also launched the project, showcasing Russia’s violations of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. More recently, the website was presented in collaboration with the First Corps Azov's International Cooperation Section — a platform to document testimonies on our POWs’ detention conditions. We are making a systematic effort to involve thought leaders and socially responsible businesses to raise awareness of the problem, also implementing various cultural collaborations and releasing thematic merchandise. POWs' relatives speak to media representatives, participate in forums, demonstrations, and discussions to keep the issue of captivity in the spotlight for both society and the international community. They take part in every demonstration, every address, and every live show, reminding the world that captivity is not something from the past — it is happening now. We will not stop until all of our people return home.

First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine

36,112 views • 1 year ago

$#PauseForThought #SoulShackRadio I have deliberately taken my time before commenting on Thomas Tafirenyika Muchadura Mukanya Mapfumo's Thomas Mapfumo decision to accept the performance offer made by Wicknell Chivhayo. Emotions have been running high, but sometimes it is better to let the dust settle before offering an opinion. Many people have every right to feel disappointed. Mukanya has spent decades speaking truth to power, giving a voice to the ordinary Zimbabwean and refusing offers that he believed compromised his principles. That legacy cannot simply be erased. But I also think we should look at this from another angle. Thomas Mapfumo is not accepting a handout. He is not receiving charity. He is being paid for doing what he has done for more than half a century , performing his music. There is a difference. For decades, Mukanya gave Zimbabwe a soundtrack that defined generations. His music inspired, challenged, comforted and united millions. If someone now believes that contribution is worth paying US$1 million for, why should he apologise for earning it? Some will say he has changed. I would ask... At what point do we allow a man to stop fighting and simply enjoy the fruits of his life's work? He has already made his position known over many decades. History has already recorded where he stood. His record speaks for itself. There is little left for him to prove. Not long ago, after his rural home was destroyed by fire, a fundraising appeal reportedly struggled to raise even a fraction of its modest target. That should give us all pause. It is easy to tell a legend to remain uncompromising. It is much harder to support that legend when he needs us. If this performance fee allows Mukanya to enjoy his later years in comfort, surrounded by family, with the dignity he has earned through his own talent, then I genuinely wish him well. Perhaps this chapter may also open the door to something many Zimbabweans, regardless of political persuasion, have quietly wished to see for years , Thomas Mapfumo spending more time back in the country that gave birth to both the man and the music. There is something deeply special about a legend coming home. Every great story deserves a peaceful final chapter, and there is no place like home. Whether you agree with his decision or not, one thing remains unchanged... Thomas Mapfumo's contribution to Zimbabwean music, our liberation story and our national identity was secured long before this performance offer arrived. A paid performance cannot erase a lifetime of conviction. I wish Dr. Thomas Mapfumo safe travels, successful performances and, above all, peace and happiness in the years ahead. Legends deserve their flowers while they are still here.💐$

#PauseForThought #SoulShackRadio I have deliberately taken my time before commenting on Thomas Tafirenyika Muchadura Mukanya Mapfumo's Thomas Mapfumo decision to accept the performance offer made by Wicknell Chivhayo. Emotions have been running high, but sometimes it is better to let the dust settle before offering an opinion. Many people have every right to feel disappointed. Mukanya has spent decades speaking truth to power, giving a voice to the ordinary Zimbabwean and refusing offers that he believed compromised his principles. That legacy cannot simply be erased. But I also think we should look at this from another angle. Thomas Mapfumo is not accepting a handout. He is not receiving charity. He is being paid for doing what he has done for more than half a century , performing his music. There is a difference. For decades, Mukanya gave Zimbabwe a soundtrack that defined generations. His music inspired, challenged, comforted and united millions. If someone now believes that contribution is worth paying US$1 million for, why should he apologise for earning it? Some will say he has changed. I would ask... At what point do we allow a man to stop fighting and simply enjoy the fruits of his life's work? He has already made his position known over many decades. History has already recorded where he stood. His record speaks for itself. There is little left for him to prove. Not long ago, after his rural home was destroyed by fire, a fundraising appeal reportedly struggled to raise even a fraction of its modest target. That should give us all pause. It is easy to tell a legend to remain uncompromising. It is much harder to support that legend when he needs us. If this performance fee allows Mukanya to enjoy his later years in comfort, surrounded by family, with the dignity he has earned through his own talent, then I genuinely wish him well. Perhaps this chapter may also open the door to something many Zimbabweans, regardless of political persuasion, have quietly wished to see for years , Thomas Mapfumo spending more time back in the country that gave birth to both the man and the music. There is something deeply special about a legend coming home. Every great story deserves a peaceful final chapter, and there is no place like home. Whether you agree with his decision or not, one thing remains unchanged... Thomas Mapfumo's contribution to Zimbabwean music, our liberation story and our national identity was secured long before this performance offer arrived. A paid performance cannot erase a lifetime of conviction. I wish Dr. Thomas Mapfumo safe travels, successful performances and, above all, peace and happiness in the years ahead. Legends deserve their flowers while they are still here.💐

King Jay🇿🇼

163,812 views • 1 month ago

Everything you've heard people like Marc Lamont Hill say Pac didn't do is false. The man has the deepest literary device bag ever and he employed each of them well. These breakdowns only show a glimpse of how deep his literary device bag was. Sidenote: Joe Budden isn't a true Pac fan. *We clock figures "If I had a bigger dick or a dime for every time Muthafuckas took a bit of the lines from in my rhymes, I'd be richer than a bitch with a trick with big pockets, (Simile, hyperbole) equipped with a dick that's so thick, it fits sockets". (Hyperbole, metaphor) 2Pac loved implied metaphors. Here, he metaphorically compared his phallus to something large enough to fit into a socket, such as a large impact socket, exaggerating size for comedic and rhetorical effect. "If I had a dime for every time", is an idiom (Used to indicate a very frequent occurrence of something happening. Usually used in conjunction with some expression that one would be rich as a result of receiving money for all such instances -Farlex Dictionary of Idioms) You can follow the idiom with a multitude of different things, and he chose to follow it up with the number of times others have took a bit of the lines from his rhymes. He is obviously referring to other emcees biting his rhymes here. He layered an additional hypothetical onto the idiom, creating two parallel, alternative hypotheticals. Each hypothetical leads to a different exaggerated outcome; one financial and one physical (penis growth). He pairs the idiom with a second, independent hyperbolic premise, stacking the hypotheticals and juxtaposing their exaggerations. This parallel hyperbolic scenario intensifies both the exaggeration and the comedic effect. It also makes the hypothetical scenario even more non-literal and impossible. This is why he made sure the following lines did not just include a hyperbolic simile about the amount of money he would receive from every instance. He made sure the lines also included a "vulgar" hyperbolic metaphor about how large his penis would grow from every instance as well. It's figurative and impossible. The hyperbolic simile and metaphor helped drive his point home. The lines are placed right next to each other for a reason. Great word selection and placement. "Please don't misinterpret what I say to be dirty." The lines before this one could easily be considered dirty," and he is sarcastically pleading for the listeners to not view the lines in that way. This is his way of letting listeners know the previous lines were figurative and were not meant to be taken literally. Basically, he is saying to think beyond the surface and do not have your mind completely in the gutter. It is also a disclaimer for the sexual innuendos that come next. "Muthafuckas want to jerk me, so they irk me how they work me". Multiple things he mentioned here could all have sexual meanings. The disclaimer is there to let listeners know to not interpret it as him saying that, "muthafuckas" want to literally jerk and work him in a sexual way. It is very clever and humorous wordplay. Listen to his adlib right after he says "work me". He chuckled because of the puns he used; specifically the one he had just finished using. Everything here is connected, and it was all by design. He set the scheme up at the very beginning of the verse and ended it after the work me line. The whole third verse is pretty much figurative. With Pac, you always have to pay attention to how he worded things and the placement of those words. He simultaneously sandwiched his rhymes in the lyrics included in my breakdown. He did this by rhyming internally and externally. He rhymed internally multiple times here, and even more so if you count the near and partial rhymes. He even added a multi in there (pockets, sockets). The assonance and consonance can't be ignored either. Pay close attention to what Makaveli said after: "My history so thoroughly involves destruction, niggaz left with their ass bleeding, lyrical fucking". "Open up first to bust, let me see your heart, turn the lights down, cause I might clown in the dark" Is a play off the lyrical fucking bar. Peep his choice of words. They're all sex related. He's speaking figuratively. He used puns. Hence, "open up, first to bust and "Turn the lights down, 'cause I might clown in the dark" are part of it as well. He's referring to sex in the dark but figuratively. It's all figurative, clever wordplay. Word Class Wreckin Cru also has a song called Turn Off the lights. Hence turn the lights down. Dre was apart of that group. He dissed Dre by name in this song. Also, peep his choice of words here. There's an obvious correlation between see, light, and dark. Makaveli juxtaposed those words, using 'light' and 'dark' specifically to create an antithesis. 'Makaveli rise, all you niggaz die when I come I do some fly shit and be done'. The words rise and fly are both related to flight. Very subtle. Lastly, he used internal and external rhymes, both with and without using multisyllabic rhymes. "Murdered my friends, built a new posse, we taking shots at paparazzi go and fly now, nigga like Rocky". "Murdered my friends, built a new posse", is not directed at Stretch. The friends he's referring to are the members in the Thug Life group. (Macadoshis, The Rated R). The Outlawz are the new posse he's referring to. He's also alluding to what his character Bishop did in Juice. Xzibit has a song called paparazzi. "We taking shots at paparazzi" was directed at him. Makaveli referred to him as paparazzi instead of his name. Although Makaveli didn't explicitly say his name, he sent a clear subliminal shot at Xzibit. Makaveli felt that Xzibit took subliminal shots at him in his song, 'Paparazzi'. "Forgive me, I'm a rider, still I'm just a simple man All I want is money, plus the fame, I'm a simple man. - Makaveli (Radio Edit of How Do U Want it) Here's what Xzibit said in his song Paparazzi. "I don’t believe the hype or buy wolf tickets Nigga, you make a gang of noise and never seen, like a cricket I guess that’s why we never kick it A lot of niggas is soft and get tossed, tryna fuck with the Likwit How many niggas do you know like this? Always claimin' that they ridin', but they really turned bitch It don’t make sense, either you’re a soldier from the start Or an actor with a record deal tryna play the part—like that! It’s a shame, niggas in the rap game Only for the money and the fame Edi dissed Xzibit in Bomb First (My Second Reply) but Makaveli dissed him himself this time. This is also directed at the actual paparazzi. 2Pac wasn't fond of them. The Paparazzi are freelance photographers who pursue celebrities to take photographs (shots) of them. Hence, taking shots at paparazzi. Get it? "Go and fly now, nigga like Rocky", is a reference to the "Gonna Fly Now" theme song (performed by DeEtta Little, Nelson Pigford, and Shelby Conti) from the movie Rocky. ""It’s like he’s standing up there jumping around; it's like he's gonna fly." - John Avildsen (Rocky Director) He was also referring to Rocky from the TV show, "Rocky and His Friends". This is why he said "Murdered my friends". Rocky was a flying squirrel in the TV show and this is why he said, "Go and fly now, nigga like Rocky". Makaveli was able to do all of this in just three lines. He got his point across without any wasted lyrics. The lyrics have purpose. He's lyrically efficient here. The way he set up the Rocky simile allowed him to kill two birds with one stone. The wording ('murdered my friends, go and fly now') provided listeners and readers with just enough hints to connect the dots between the lyrics and the TV show, Rocky and His Friends, while still referencing the theme song from the Rocky movie. "Baby .45 but she's still live, one shot make a nigga'z heartbeat stop.” He’s metaphorically talking about a .45 caliber gun being his girlfriend; this is obviously wordplay. That's just not the only layer to it. This is a part of the time motif he employed because anything that happens in real-time is “live.” He also juxtaposed “baby” and “.45” to create an oxymoron. An oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words, and that’s exactly what “baby” and “.45” are here. A literal baby cannot be 45 years old. This isn’t just figurative because he’s metaphorically talking about a .45 caliber gun; it’s also figurative because of the oxymoron. He also juxtaposed “live” and “make a nigga'z heartbeat stop” to create an antithesis. The word “live” means to have life, while “make a nigga'z heartbeat stop” refers to death. He said “she’s still live” to also create a paradox. 45-year-old women aren’t generally associated with vitality, but despite her being 45, she’s still full of life. All of this is placed in a single line by design. “One shot, make a nigga'z heartbeat stop.” He’s not just talking about his .45 caliber gun (metaphorical girlfriend) being able to end someone’s life with one shot. He’s also saying she has the power to leave a man figuratively breathless. One opportunity or chance (“one shot”) with this woman could figuratively take a man’s breath away and leave him in shock. She has the power to make a man’s heart figuratively stop because of the “caliber” of woman she is. One shot with her can have this effect because she’s that mind-blowing and breathtaking, pun intended.

Everything you've heard people like Marc Lamont Hill say Pac didn't do is false. The man has the deepest literary device bag ever and he employed each of them well. These breakdowns only show a glimpse of how deep his literary device bag was. Sidenote: Joe Budden isn't a true Pac fan. *We clock figures "If I had a bigger dick or a dime for every time Muthafuckas took a bit of the lines from in my rhymes, I'd be richer than a bitch with a trick with big pockets, (Simile, hyperbole) equipped with a dick that's so thick, it fits sockets". (Hyperbole, metaphor) 2Pac loved implied metaphors. Here, he metaphorically compared his phallus to something large enough to fit into a socket, such as a large impact socket, exaggerating size for comedic and rhetorical effect. "If I had a dime for every time", is an idiom (Used to indicate a very frequent occurrence of something happening. Usually used in conjunction with some expression that one would be rich as a result of receiving money for all such instances -Farlex Dictionary of Idioms) You can follow the idiom with a multitude of different things, and he chose to follow it up with the number of times others have took a bit of the lines from his rhymes. He is obviously referring to other emcees biting his rhymes here. He layered an additional hypothetical onto the idiom, creating two parallel, alternative hypotheticals. Each hypothetical leads to a different exaggerated outcome; one financial and one physical (penis growth). He pairs the idiom with a second, independent hyperbolic premise, stacking the hypotheticals and juxtaposing their exaggerations. This parallel hyperbolic scenario intensifies both the exaggeration and the comedic effect. It also makes the hypothetical scenario even more non-literal and impossible. This is why he made sure the following lines did not just include a hyperbolic simile about the amount of money he would receive from every instance. He made sure the lines also included a "vulgar" hyperbolic metaphor about how large his penis would grow from every instance as well. It's figurative and impossible. The hyperbolic simile and metaphor helped drive his point home. The lines are placed right next to each other for a reason. Great word selection and placement. "Please don't misinterpret what I say to be dirty." The lines before this one could easily be considered dirty," and he is sarcastically pleading for the listeners to not view the lines in that way. This is his way of letting listeners know the previous lines were figurative and were not meant to be taken literally. Basically, he is saying to think beyond the surface and do not have your mind completely in the gutter. It is also a disclaimer for the sexual innuendos that come next. "Muthafuckas want to jerk me, so they irk me how they work me". Multiple things he mentioned here could all have sexual meanings. The disclaimer is there to let listeners know to not interpret it as him saying that, "muthafuckas" want to literally jerk and work him in a sexual way. It is very clever and humorous wordplay. Listen to his adlib right after he says "work me". He chuckled because of the puns he used; specifically the one he had just finished using. Everything here is connected, and it was all by design. He set the scheme up at the very beginning of the verse and ended it after the work me line. The whole third verse is pretty much figurative. With Pac, you always have to pay attention to how he worded things and the placement of those words. He simultaneously sandwiched his rhymes in the lyrics included in my breakdown. He did this by rhyming internally and externally. He rhymed internally multiple times here, and even more so if you count the near and partial rhymes. He even added a multi in there (pockets, sockets). The assonance and consonance can't be ignored either. Pay close attention to what Makaveli said after: "My history so thoroughly involves destruction, niggaz left with their ass bleeding, lyrical fucking". "Open up first to bust, let me see your heart, turn the lights down, cause I might clown in the dark" Is a play off the lyrical fucking bar. Peep his choice of words. They're all sex related. He's speaking figuratively. He used puns. Hence, "open up, first to bust and "Turn the lights down, 'cause I might clown in the dark" are part of it as well. He's referring to sex in the dark but figuratively. It's all figurative, clever wordplay. Word Class Wreckin Cru also has a song called Turn Off the lights. Hence turn the lights down. Dre was apart of that group. He dissed Dre by name in this song. Also, peep his choice of words here. There's an obvious correlation between see, light, and dark. Makaveli juxtaposed those words, using 'light' and 'dark' specifically to create an antithesis. 'Makaveli rise, all you niggaz die when I come I do some fly shit and be done'. The words rise and fly are both related to flight. Very subtle. Lastly, he used internal and external rhymes, both with and without using multisyllabic rhymes. "Murdered my friends, built a new posse, we taking shots at paparazzi go and fly now, nigga like Rocky". "Murdered my friends, built a new posse", is not directed at Stretch. The friends he's referring to are the members in the Thug Life group. (Macadoshis, The Rated R). The Outlawz are the new posse he's referring to. He's also alluding to what his character Bishop did in Juice. Xzibit has a song called paparazzi. "We taking shots at paparazzi" was directed at him. Makaveli referred to him as paparazzi instead of his name. Although Makaveli didn't explicitly say his name, he sent a clear subliminal shot at Xzibit. Makaveli felt that Xzibit took subliminal shots at him in his song, 'Paparazzi'. "Forgive me, I'm a rider, still I'm just a simple man All I want is money, plus the fame, I'm a simple man. - Makaveli (Radio Edit of How Do U Want it) Here's what Xzibit said in his song Paparazzi. "I don’t believe the hype or buy wolf tickets Nigga, you make a gang of noise and never seen, like a cricket I guess that’s why we never kick it A lot of niggas is soft and get tossed, tryna fuck with the Likwit How many niggas do you know like this? Always claimin' that they ridin', but they really turned bitch It don’t make sense, either you’re a soldier from the start Or an actor with a record deal tryna play the part—like that! It’s a shame, niggas in the rap game Only for the money and the fame Edi dissed Xzibit in Bomb First (My Second Reply) but Makaveli dissed him himself this time. This is also directed at the actual paparazzi. 2Pac wasn't fond of them. The Paparazzi are freelance photographers who pursue celebrities to take photographs (shots) of them. Hence, taking shots at paparazzi. Get it? "Go and fly now, nigga like Rocky", is a reference to the "Gonna Fly Now" theme song (performed by DeEtta Little, Nelson Pigford, and Shelby Conti) from the movie Rocky. ""It’s like he’s standing up there jumping around; it's like he's gonna fly." - John Avildsen (Rocky Director) He was also referring to Rocky from the TV show, "Rocky and His Friends". This is why he said "Murdered my friends". Rocky was a flying squirrel in the TV show and this is why he said, "Go and fly now, nigga like Rocky". Makaveli was able to do all of this in just three lines. He got his point across without any wasted lyrics. The lyrics have purpose. He's lyrically efficient here. The way he set up the Rocky simile allowed him to kill two birds with one stone. The wording ('murdered my friends, go and fly now') provided listeners and readers with just enough hints to connect the dots between the lyrics and the TV show, Rocky and His Friends, while still referencing the theme song from the Rocky movie. "Baby .45 but she's still live, one shot make a nigga'z heartbeat stop.” He’s metaphorically talking about a .45 caliber gun being his girlfriend; this is obviously wordplay. That's just not the only layer to it. This is a part of the time motif he employed because anything that happens in real-time is “live.” He also juxtaposed “baby” and “.45” to create an oxymoron. An oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words, and that’s exactly what “baby” and “.45” are here. A literal baby cannot be 45 years old. This isn’t just figurative because he’s metaphorically talking about a .45 caliber gun; it’s also figurative because of the oxymoron. He also juxtaposed “live” and “make a nigga'z heartbeat stop” to create an antithesis. The word “live” means to have life, while “make a nigga'z heartbeat stop” refers to death. He said “she’s still live” to also create a paradox. 45-year-old women aren’t generally associated with vitality, but despite her being 45, she’s still full of life. All of this is placed in a single line by design. “One shot, make a nigga'z heartbeat stop.” He’s not just talking about his .45 caliber gun (metaphorical girlfriend) being able to end someone’s life with one shot. He’s also saying she has the power to leave a man figuratively breathless. One opportunity or chance (“one shot”) with this woman could figuratively take a man’s breath away and leave him in shock. She has the power to make a man’s heart figuratively stop because of the “caliber” of woman she is. One shot with her can have this effect because she’s that mind-blowing and breathtaking, pun intended.

9-FO Tha Negus

34,168 views • 8 months ago

Should the global tech community continue investing in Malaysia? Given recent events, I raise this question respectfully for the consideration of Prime Minister Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim (Anwar Ibrahim), for the people of Malaysia, and for our friends in the Malaysian tech community. The answer will be of interest to anyone in global tech that’s considering building, investing, or expanding in Malaysia, including executives at Google, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft, founders of tech unicorns like Coinbase and Solana, and investors at the world’s largest venture capital funds like a16z and Polychain. As context, I am the former CTO of Coinbase and former General Partner at a16z. In October 2024, I opened a startup society called Network School in Malaysia, because I felt I’d been invited in by the government’s pro-tech policies. Specifically, the KL20 initiative set out Malaysia’s ambition of becoming a top 20 global tech hub. Their MDEC digital nomad visas and MM2H investor visas were created to facilitate an influx of global talent and capital. And the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone was announced to facilitate the flow of capital and talent between Malaysia and Singapore, where I live. When taken in combination with Malaysia’s datacenter buildout and its policy of welcoming visa-free visits for 98% of the world, it seemed like Malaysia might be a great place to build a global tech hub that was simultaneously inexpensive and easy to visit (especially for non-Westerners). And that’s what we did, by creating Network School. It’s an international tech community with its first node in Forest City, Malaysia. We picked Forest City because it had millions of square feet of empty space, because it was one hour from Singapore’s capital markets, and because it was within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. Then, within 18 months, without a single penny of government money, we built Network School into a global attraction that brought thousands of engineers, investors, and builders from 70+ countries to learn technology, burn calories, earn online, and have fun, integrating with the local Malaysian economy along the way. Indeed, in terms of quantifiable contribution to the Malaysian economy, we’ve already invested 100M+ MYR in our campus to make it startup-friendly. For perspective, that’s about 4% of the budget of Johor, the Malaysian state where Forest City is located. We employ dozens of Malaysians directly and indirectly at every level from executive to staff. We’ve backed Malaysian tech startups like Collektr, hosted events for local teams like Superteam Malaysia, and are major customers of many local businesses like barbers, laundromats, and restaurants. We’ve also revitalized the multibillion-dollar Forest City project, causing millions of MYR in real estate appreciation. And, as the video below describes, we were on the cusp of a 500M+ MYR expansion to grow our community, as well as a global merit scholarship with my friend Amjad Masad of Replit. However, that emerging multi-billion dollar success story — which should rightfully have been hailed as a huge victory for the pro-tech policies of the Malaysian government — is at risk of being derailed by a fake story spread by an anonymous account named MP4P. In short: on the day before the July 11 Johor elections, MP4P posted an Instagram post falsely accusing Network School of harboring illegal aliens. The sensational accusations caused a tizzy in Malaysia, until Malaysian authorities came to our campus on July 14 to investigate. (I should note that the officers were very polite and professional.) After checking hundreds of physical passports from 40 countries, including dual passport holders, the authorities confirmed to the press on July 15 that all travel documents were in order. During the process, we cooperated fully; in the thread below you can see a photo of the men, women, and children of Network School smiling and holding up their passports in the bright daylight. Our faces are shown and our names are known; we have nothing to hide. With that said, the process is the punishment. What MP4P did is very similar to the American crime of “swatting”, because MP4P created a hoax report of a serious threat, thereby forcing the Malaysian police to take time away from protecting the Malaysian people towards investigating a nonexistent issue. Moreover, this anonymous MP4P account has also called for Malaysia to boycott Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft…a move that would cost ordinary Malaysians thousands of jobs…even while MP4P’s own Instagram collaborators promote their Apple and Google apps! I mean, we aren’t talking about a credible accuser, but just someone screaming inconsistently at the top of their lungs on social media for traffic, an all-too-common phenomenon these days. Anyway, at this point, all further investment we were planning to make in Malaysia is on hold until we get sufficient assurance that such issues won’t recur. So are the investment plans of many of our friends, including the execs and investors at global tech firms that we brought to Forest City. Because to put it very plainly: we have invested 100M+ MYR in Malaysia, while creating jobs for dozens of Malaysians, and our faces and names are known. Our Malaysian executives and employees deserve the benefit of the doubt over anonymous internet trolls. There are two paths forward. In the first case, if Malaysia still wants continued global tech investment, if it wants to be a top 20 tech hub, if it wants us to revitalize Forest City, then we request an audience with the Prime Minister’s office to discuss the terms of a memorandum of understanding between Network School and the Malaysian government, similar to the document recently signed between the Solana Foundation and the Kazakhstan government. Specifics can of course be discussed, but we would publicly commit to abiding by all Malaysian laws (we already do) and respecting Malaysia’s sovereignty (never in question). In return, they’d get to know our friendly community, and realize that we actually chose Malaysia because we thought it was a great place to build a tech hub where engineers from the global South, investors from the West, and builders from Malaysia itself could meet new people, build cool things, and perhaps create millions of dollars in economic growth in the fullness of time. That vision of peace and trade, internationalism and entrepreneurialism, is still on the table. We aren’t asking for any money — just a meeting, to help restore confidence in Malaysia as an investable jurisdiction. Alternatively, if you don’t want our investment, or those of our colleagues at billion dollar funds and trillion dollar companies, we will of course respect your wishes, and reallocate our capital to other countries instead. Either way, we will remain friends and abide by your decision. Please let us know.

Should the global tech community continue investing in Malaysia? Given recent events, I raise this question respectfully for the consideration of Prime Minister Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim (Anwar Ibrahim), for the people of Malaysia, and for our friends in the Malaysian tech community. The answer will be of interest to anyone in global tech that’s considering building, investing, or expanding in Malaysia, including executives at Google, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft, founders of tech unicorns like Coinbase and Solana, and investors at the world’s largest venture capital funds like a16z and Polychain. As context, I am the former CTO of Coinbase and former General Partner at a16z. In October 2024, I opened a startup society called Network School in Malaysia, because I felt I’d been invited in by the government’s pro-tech policies. Specifically, the KL20 initiative set out Malaysia’s ambition of becoming a top 20 global tech hub. Their MDEC digital nomad visas and MM2H investor visas were created to facilitate an influx of global talent and capital. And the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone was announced to facilitate the flow of capital and talent between Malaysia and Singapore, where I live. When taken in combination with Malaysia’s datacenter buildout and its policy of welcoming visa-free visits for 98% of the world, it seemed like Malaysia might be a great place to build a global tech hub that was simultaneously inexpensive and easy to visit (especially for non-Westerners). And that’s what we did, by creating Network School. It’s an international tech community with its first node in Forest City, Malaysia. We picked Forest City because it had millions of square feet of empty space, because it was one hour from Singapore’s capital markets, and because it was within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. Then, within 18 months, without a single penny of government money, we built Network School into a global attraction that brought thousands of engineers, investors, and builders from 70+ countries to learn technology, burn calories, earn online, and have fun, integrating with the local Malaysian economy along the way. Indeed, in terms of quantifiable contribution to the Malaysian economy, we’ve already invested 100M+ MYR in our campus to make it startup-friendly. For perspective, that’s about 4% of the budget of Johor, the Malaysian state where Forest City is located. We employ dozens of Malaysians directly and indirectly at every level from executive to staff. We’ve backed Malaysian tech startups like Collektr, hosted events for local teams like Superteam Malaysia, and are major customers of many local businesses like barbers, laundromats, and restaurants. We’ve also revitalized the multibillion-dollar Forest City project, causing millions of MYR in real estate appreciation. And, as the video below describes, we were on the cusp of a 500M+ MYR expansion to grow our community, as well as a global merit scholarship with my friend Amjad Masad of Replit. However, that emerging multi-billion dollar success story — which should rightfully have been hailed as a huge victory for the pro-tech policies of the Malaysian government — is at risk of being derailed by a fake story spread by an anonymous account named MP4P. In short: on the day before the July 11 Johor elections, MP4P posted an Instagram post falsely accusing Network School of harboring illegal aliens. The sensational accusations caused a tizzy in Malaysia, until Malaysian authorities came to our campus on July 14 to investigate. (I should note that the officers were very polite and professional.) After checking hundreds of physical passports from 40 countries, including dual passport holders, the authorities confirmed to the press on July 15 that all travel documents were in order. During the process, we cooperated fully; in the thread below you can see a photo of the men, women, and children of Network School smiling and holding up their passports in the bright daylight. Our faces are shown and our names are known; we have nothing to hide. With that said, the process is the punishment. What MP4P did is very similar to the American crime of “swatting”, because MP4P created a hoax report of a serious threat, thereby forcing the Malaysian police to take time away from protecting the Malaysian people towards investigating a nonexistent issue. Moreover, this anonymous MP4P account has also called for Malaysia to boycott Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft…a move that would cost ordinary Malaysians thousands of jobs…even while MP4P’s own Instagram collaborators promote their Apple and Google apps! I mean, we aren’t talking about a credible accuser, but just someone screaming inconsistently at the top of their lungs on social media for traffic, an all-too-common phenomenon these days. Anyway, at this point, all further investment we were planning to make in Malaysia is on hold until we get sufficient assurance that such issues won’t recur. So are the investment plans of many of our friends, including the execs and investors at global tech firms that we brought to Forest City. Because to put it very plainly: we have invested 100M+ MYR in Malaysia, while creating jobs for dozens of Malaysians, and our faces and names are known. Our Malaysian executives and employees deserve the benefit of the doubt over anonymous internet trolls. There are two paths forward. In the first case, if Malaysia still wants continued global tech investment, if it wants to be a top 20 tech hub, if it wants us to revitalize Forest City, then we request an audience with the Prime Minister’s office to discuss the terms of a memorandum of understanding between Network School and the Malaysian government, similar to the document recently signed between the Solana Foundation and the Kazakhstan government. Specifics can of course be discussed, but we would publicly commit to abiding by all Malaysian laws (we already do) and respecting Malaysia’s sovereignty (never in question). In return, they’d get to know our friendly community, and realize that we actually chose Malaysia because we thought it was a great place to build a tech hub where engineers from the global South, investors from the West, and builders from Malaysia itself could meet new people, build cool things, and perhaps create millions of dollars in economic growth in the fullness of time. That vision of peace and trade, internationalism and entrepreneurialism, is still on the table. We aren’t asking for any money — just a meeting, to help restore confidence in Malaysia as an investable jurisdiction. Alternatively, if you don’t want our investment, or those of our colleagues at billion dollar funds and trillion dollar companies, we will of course respect your wishes, and reallocate our capital to other countries instead. Either way, we will remain friends and abide by your decision. Please let us know.

Balaji

4,013,067 views • 1 month ago

The Altar for sacrificing the red heifers in Jerusalem has just been built, and they are saying the ceremony may take place any day as I've been warning about for many years now. But what exactly does this all mean? Let's talk about how it relates to biblical prophecy and how even most professing Christians are missing the deeper biblical narrative unfolding beyond what's just on the surface. The Red Heifer prophecy from the Book of Numbers involves a unique ritual for purification in Jewish tradition. A completely red heifer is sacrificed and burned, and its ashes are mixed with water to create a "water of cleansing" for those who've touched a corpse, which symbolizes purification from death's impurity. This commandment is linked to Messianic hopes and the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. Jews are awaiting a Messiah who aligns with specific prophecies, such as bringing peace to the Middle East and the world through his political power. They believe Jesus didn't fulfill these expectations during his first coming, but we as Christians hold that He will achieve this in his Second Coming as He told the apostles and explained in Revelation 19. The Red Heifer ritual taking place now is seen as part of their preparations for this future era. We as Christians, however, obviously believe Jesus is the Messiah and see His rejection as setting the stage for the rise of their false messiah. John 5, particularly verses 43-47, where Jesus says, "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him," The New Testament, especially the Gospels, tells a story of how Jewish leaders and many people didn't recognize Jesus as the Messiah, symbolizing a common human struggle to see divine truth. This theme is captured in John 1:11, where despite Jesus coming to His own, He was not accepted. This led to the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, which was divine judgment for this rejection. Here's where people really need to pay attention as to not be deceived by this deception as most people will: I want people to keep in mind that God used rebellious, pagan nations such as Rome and Assyria as instruments of wrath against Jerusalem for her harlotry, illustrating His supreme sovereignty and His unique capability to employ the wicked to enact judgment on the wicked. What we are about to witness is a repeat of the judgement cycles on Israel. In the book of Amos, the prophet warns Israel of a coming "Day of the Lord" where they will face punishment for their disobedience (Amos 5:18-20). Similarly, the prophet Zephaniah uses the term to describe a day of wrath and distress that will come upon Jerusalem (Zephaniah 1:14-18). That’s what brought the day of the Lord, was their harlotry, God delivered Israel into the hands of their enemies because she played the harlot. And so it will be at the end, when the Great day of the Lord comes in the final days and the Lord God delivers Jerusalem, the harlot, into the hands of her enemies, which will ultimately be the beast and his kings as described in Revelation 17:16. If we interpret the Bible with the Bible, as we should, you will see that the harlot of Babylon, can only be Jerusalem. Let’s first look at Revelation 11:8 which speaks of the death of the two witnesses. “And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of THE GREAT CITY, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also OUR LORD WAS CRUCIFIED.” So obviously “that great city” is also where Our Lord was crucified. Now keep in mind the phrase ‘the great city.’ Let’s look at Revelation 14:8, “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” In Revelation 17:18 we read, “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” So we can see in when speaking about Babylon or the harlot, the same phrase, ‘the great city’ is also used. In chapter 11 ‘the great city’ is identified as Jerusalem, and the great city is also used in chapters 14 and 17 when speaking of Babylon. If we let the Bible interpret the Bible, we can’t come to any other conclusion than that the harlot of Babylon is Jerusalem. Which also makes because Jerusalem is the only city that God would call a harlot, because it’s the only city that God ever made a Holy Covenant with. It’s the only city that He tried to make His bride. The martial analogy is used throughout scripture both with Jerusalem and Israel as well as the general body of believers who become part of Israel spiritually. The body of believers, both Jew and gentile make up God’s bride. And so there’s really no reason for God to call a city a harlot unless that city or the people of it betrayed a holy covenant with God. And there’s only one nation God made a covenant with, which is Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. Harlotry is not a reference to mere wicked acts, it’s specifically a reference to betrayal. I think it’s pretty clear that Jerusalem is that great city, Babylon the harlot, the unfaithful wife who has continually betrayed her marriage with God. And of course Jerusalem and Israel are referred to a harlot in Isaiah 1:21, Jer 2;20, 3:1-11, Ez. 16;1-43, and Gal. 4:25. Revelation 17:7 shows the beast initially supporting the harlot, symbolizing their alliance in the beginning. The beast's backing is key for the harlot's power, indicating they start off in a partnership where they rely on each other. The partnership between Jerusalem (Mystery Babylon) and the beast kicks off with a phase of mutual support, where the beast's political might boosts Jerusalem's position. This alliance, rooted in common goals, political gain, or perhaps mutual respect, sees Jerusalem siding with the beast, likely aiming to ensure a prominent and secure spot on the world stage. The turning point comes as an unholy, multi-faith gentile alliance, led by the beast, becomes "awakened" to the dark agenda of Mystery Babylon (the Zionist, Talmudic-led New World Order). This realization or awakening leads them to view Jerusalem not as a city to be protected or championed but as the source of crimes against humanity by Mystery Babylon, Jerusalem. This shift reflects a broader disillusionment with the initial alliance, as the true nature and consequences of Jerusalem's actions and influence become apparent to the beast and his coalition. Driven by their realization, the beast and its allies turn against Jerusalem, fulfilling Revelation 17:16's prophecy. Their initial partnership ends dramatically as they destroy the harlot, judging Jerusalem for her crimes and dark agendas. This act is depicted as complete and ruthless, demonstrating the intensity of the betrayal and the beast's deep hostility after the alliance dissolves. After destroying Jerusalem (Mystery Babylon), the beast and its allies bring about a short-lived period of false peace. This time, free from the harlot's influence, feels like a victory and freedom from her tyrannical agenda. However, this peace is not genuine but a poor imitation of God's true kingdom. It marks the height of the beast's power, where his rule goes unopposed. But this phase is temporary, serving as a calm before the storm of ultimate divine judgment and intervention. And that's exactly why, towards the end of the tribulation, after the harlot is taken down, they'll start declaring "peace and safety." (1 Thessalonians 5:3) They'll be under the impression that Satan's empire has been toppled and that the Millennium (1,000 Years of peace) is about to kick off. But that's when they're going to be hit with a harsh reality check as Christ makes His entrance, coming in the clouds to crash their party, which is the sudden destruction talked about in 1 Thess 5:3. And I believe that's exactly what Christians are unknowingly getting involved in when they only focus on the great reset and the whole tyrannical leftist/communist/zionist NWO agenda. They do not even realize the full scope of what they're gradually aligning themselves with. People who hyper-fixate on the obvious dark side believe they're revealing the impending kingdom of the beast, but in reality, they're actually uncovering the harlot, the very adversary that the beast is destined to destroy as told in Revelation 17:16. That explains why many people, including dominionist proponents of the NAR and seven-mountain mandate, like Lance Wallnau from Bethel Church, often emphasize the idea of "invading Babylon", which he wrote a book about. Because, in essence, what they're building isn't the millennial kingdom of Christ but rather a counterfeit version of it by defeating Babylon and inadvertently ushering in the beast. The world's current turmoil: moral decline, societal upheaval, and the emergence of charismatic leaders promising restoration, isn't new, it's a repeat of history and biblical narratives. This scenario often splits into two camps: those pushing boundaries towards blatant immorality and those advocating for a return to moral and national pride, albeit sometimes through questionable means. Consider Jezebel's story as a metaphor for today's extreme immorality, countered by a force that, while claiming to champion morality, mistakenly aligns with spiritual adversaries in a false unity known as ecumenism. Jehu's story in the Old Testament is a fascinating case of the difference between outward actions and inner spiritual commitment. Externally, Jehu appeared passionate about serving God, notably in his actions against Ahab's family, Jezebel and Baal worship, which might seem like true righteousness. Yet, Jehu's heart wasn't completely devoted to God. His main issue was his selective enthusiasm: he was eager to get rid of God's foes but failed to address the need for his own spiritual purification and that of Israel. Jehu's neglect becomes clear with his acceptance of the golden calf idols in Dan and Bethel. These idols, created by Jeroboam to keep Israelites from worshiping in Jerusalem, were a major departure from genuine worship. Jehu's decision to let these idols stay showed a compromised version of Judaism—one that appeared to respect God on the surface but was fundamentally flawed. The Antichrist reflects a larger, more deceptive version of Jehu's conflict. He will perform actions that look good, like destroying foreign idols and transparently dark agendas, seeming to follow God's will. Yet, his critical failure, akin to Jehu's, will be in what he neglects. He'll ignore the modern-day "golden calves" — subtler forms of idolatry that are not as easy to spot or discern. These may not be as obvious as the overt darkness of Mystery Babylon but are just as offensive to God. This misleading form of Christianity, similar to Jehu's insincere Judaism, will display an outward show of being righteous by targeting external foes while neglecting the deep, inner changes true faith demands, such as the need for sincere repentance and humbling of the heart. It serves as a powerful call for ongoing self-reflection and realignment with God's will, demonstrating that real righteousness involves not just fighting visible wrongs but also facing and rejecting the subtler forms of idolatry that can seep into our lives without us realizing it. This eerily mirrors the Weimar Republic, a period before Nazi Germany, where a struggle between societal depravity and a flawed sense of virtue set the stage for disaster. Jehu's and Jezebel's biblical showdown, where Jehu becomes a vessel of judgment against Jezebel, parallels the rise of figures like Hitler. Hitler, driven by a distorted zeal, identified Judah as the enemy, which history is poised to repeat through unveiling the dark agendas of Mystery Babylon, Jerusalem. Today, we see a cultural war marked by extreme stances on issues like LGBT rights, violence, racism, and especially abortion, which are akin to Jezebel's overt wickedness. The real threat lies not just in the cultural shift towards immorality but in the response it provokes—an ecumenical movement that, though aimed at combating immorality, risks aligning with deceit, setting the stage for the rise of the Antichrist kingdom, a counterfeit kingdom of God as imagined by humanity through defeating Mystery Babylon, which will be misperceived as Satan's ultimate empire. This figure will likely emerge, claiming to oppose these immoral forces, only to lead people into a new and subtler form of idolatry, much like Jehu's false zeal. There's something about standing up against these glaringly obvious social wrongs and oppressive forces that really inflates one's ego. The more time you spend hyper-focused on obvious evils and tyranny the more you'll start to feel not so evil, just like the Pharisee in Luke 18. He convinced himself he was righteous simply because he wasn't as bad as "those other people." Another lesson from history, like King Ahaz's unholy alliance with Assyria, warns us against forming alliances with spiritual enemies for worldly security against physical threats that stem from fearing the world, rather than fearing the Lord. At its heart, the Red Heifer ceremony is more than just a ritual; it's a chapter in the bigger story of faith and prophecy that's been unfolding throughout human history. It's a sign to look inward, to really think about where we stand and what we believe in. It's a pivotal moment that challenges us to choose: Do we follow the path of patience, perseverance, repentance and not following the world's desire for peace and safety as Jesus says, or do we get lost chasing shadows? As we make our way through these stormy times, let's hold tight to the promise of a redemption that goes beyond the chaos surrounding us. Please pray on all of this, my brothers and sisters. May God bless each and every one of you.

The Altar for sacrificing the red heifers in Jerusalem has just been built, and they are saying the ceremony may take place any day as I've been warning about for many years now. But what exactly does this all mean? Let's talk about how it relates to biblical prophecy and how even most professing Christians are missing the deeper biblical narrative unfolding beyond what's just on the surface. The Red Heifer prophecy from the Book of Numbers involves a unique ritual for purification in Jewish tradition. A completely red heifer is sacrificed and burned, and its ashes are mixed with water to create a "water of cleansing" for those who've touched a corpse, which symbolizes purification from death's impurity. This commandment is linked to Messianic hopes and the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. Jews are awaiting a Messiah who aligns with specific prophecies, such as bringing peace to the Middle East and the world through his political power. They believe Jesus didn't fulfill these expectations during his first coming, but we as Christians hold that He will achieve this in his Second Coming as He told the apostles and explained in Revelation 19. The Red Heifer ritual taking place now is seen as part of their preparations for this future era. We as Christians, however, obviously believe Jesus is the Messiah and see His rejection as setting the stage for the rise of their false messiah. John 5, particularly verses 43-47, where Jesus says, "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him," The New Testament, especially the Gospels, tells a story of how Jewish leaders and many people didn't recognize Jesus as the Messiah, symbolizing a common human struggle to see divine truth. This theme is captured in John 1:11, where despite Jesus coming to His own, He was not accepted. This led to the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, which was divine judgment for this rejection. Here's where people really need to pay attention as to not be deceived by this deception as most people will: I want people to keep in mind that God used rebellious, pagan nations such as Rome and Assyria as instruments of wrath against Jerusalem for her harlotry, illustrating His supreme sovereignty and His unique capability to employ the wicked to enact judgment on the wicked. What we are about to witness is a repeat of the judgement cycles on Israel. In the book of Amos, the prophet warns Israel of a coming "Day of the Lord" where they will face punishment for their disobedience (Amos 5:18-20). Similarly, the prophet Zephaniah uses the term to describe a day of wrath and distress that will come upon Jerusalem (Zephaniah 1:14-18). That’s what brought the day of the Lord, was their harlotry, God delivered Israel into the hands of their enemies because she played the harlot. And so it will be at the end, when the Great day of the Lord comes in the final days and the Lord God delivers Jerusalem, the harlot, into the hands of her enemies, which will ultimately be the beast and his kings as described in Revelation 17:16. If we interpret the Bible with the Bible, as we should, you will see that the harlot of Babylon, can only be Jerusalem. Let’s first look at Revelation 11:8 which speaks of the death of the two witnesses. “And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of THE GREAT CITY, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also OUR LORD WAS CRUCIFIED.” So obviously “that great city” is also where Our Lord was crucified. Now keep in mind the phrase ‘the great city.’ Let’s look at Revelation 14:8, “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” In Revelation 17:18 we read, “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” So we can see in when speaking about Babylon or the harlot, the same phrase, ‘the great city’ is also used. In chapter 11 ‘the great city’ is identified as Jerusalem, and the great city is also used in chapters 14 and 17 when speaking of Babylon. If we let the Bible interpret the Bible, we can’t come to any other conclusion than that the harlot of Babylon is Jerusalem. Which also makes because Jerusalem is the only city that God would call a harlot, because it’s the only city that God ever made a Holy Covenant with. It’s the only city that He tried to make His bride. The martial analogy is used throughout scripture both with Jerusalem and Israel as well as the general body of believers who become part of Israel spiritually. The body of believers, both Jew and gentile make up God’s bride. And so there’s really no reason for God to call a city a harlot unless that city or the people of it betrayed a holy covenant with God. And there’s only one nation God made a covenant with, which is Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. Harlotry is not a reference to mere wicked acts, it’s specifically a reference to betrayal. I think it’s pretty clear that Jerusalem is that great city, Babylon the harlot, the unfaithful wife who has continually betrayed her marriage with God. And of course Jerusalem and Israel are referred to a harlot in Isaiah 1:21, Jer 2;20, 3:1-11, Ez. 16;1-43, and Gal. 4:25. Revelation 17:7 shows the beast initially supporting the harlot, symbolizing their alliance in the beginning. The beast's backing is key for the harlot's power, indicating they start off in a partnership where they rely on each other. The partnership between Jerusalem (Mystery Babylon) and the beast kicks off with a phase of mutual support, where the beast's political might boosts Jerusalem's position. This alliance, rooted in common goals, political gain, or perhaps mutual respect, sees Jerusalem siding with the beast, likely aiming to ensure a prominent and secure spot on the world stage. The turning point comes as an unholy, multi-faith gentile alliance, led by the beast, becomes "awakened" to the dark agenda of Mystery Babylon (the Zionist, Talmudic-led New World Order). This realization or awakening leads them to view Jerusalem not as a city to be protected or championed but as the source of crimes against humanity by Mystery Babylon, Jerusalem. This shift reflects a broader disillusionment with the initial alliance, as the true nature and consequences of Jerusalem's actions and influence become apparent to the beast and his coalition. Driven by their realization, the beast and its allies turn against Jerusalem, fulfilling Revelation 17:16's prophecy. Their initial partnership ends dramatically as they destroy the harlot, judging Jerusalem for her crimes and dark agendas. This act is depicted as complete and ruthless, demonstrating the intensity of the betrayal and the beast's deep hostility after the alliance dissolves. After destroying Jerusalem (Mystery Babylon), the beast and its allies bring about a short-lived period of false peace. This time, free from the harlot's influence, feels like a victory and freedom from her tyrannical agenda. However, this peace is not genuine but a poor imitation of God's true kingdom. It marks the height of the beast's power, where his rule goes unopposed. But this phase is temporary, serving as a calm before the storm of ultimate divine judgment and intervention. And that's exactly why, towards the end of the tribulation, after the harlot is taken down, they'll start declaring "peace and safety." (1 Thessalonians 5:3) They'll be under the impression that Satan's empire has been toppled and that the Millennium (1,000 Years of peace) is about to kick off. But that's when they're going to be hit with a harsh reality check as Christ makes His entrance, coming in the clouds to crash their party, which is the sudden destruction talked about in 1 Thess 5:3. And I believe that's exactly what Christians are unknowingly getting involved in when they only focus on the great reset and the whole tyrannical leftist/communist/zionist NWO agenda. They do not even realize the full scope of what they're gradually aligning themselves with. People who hyper-fixate on the obvious dark side believe they're revealing the impending kingdom of the beast, but in reality, they're actually uncovering the harlot, the very adversary that the beast is destined to destroy as told in Revelation 17:16. That explains why many people, including dominionist proponents of the NAR and seven-mountain mandate, like Lance Wallnau from Bethel Church, often emphasize the idea of "invading Babylon", which he wrote a book about. Because, in essence, what they're building isn't the millennial kingdom of Christ but rather a counterfeit version of it by defeating Babylon and inadvertently ushering in the beast. The world's current turmoil: moral decline, societal upheaval, and the emergence of charismatic leaders promising restoration, isn't new, it's a repeat of history and biblical narratives. This scenario often splits into two camps: those pushing boundaries towards blatant immorality and those advocating for a return to moral and national pride, albeit sometimes through questionable means. Consider Jezebel's story as a metaphor for today's extreme immorality, countered by a force that, while claiming to champion morality, mistakenly aligns with spiritual adversaries in a false unity known as ecumenism. Jehu's story in the Old Testament is a fascinating case of the difference between outward actions and inner spiritual commitment. Externally, Jehu appeared passionate about serving God, notably in his actions against Ahab's family, Jezebel and Baal worship, which might seem like true righteousness. Yet, Jehu's heart wasn't completely devoted to God. His main issue was his selective enthusiasm: he was eager to get rid of God's foes but failed to address the need for his own spiritual purification and that of Israel. Jehu's neglect becomes clear with his acceptance of the golden calf idols in Dan and Bethel. These idols, created by Jeroboam to keep Israelites from worshiping in Jerusalem, were a major departure from genuine worship. Jehu's decision to let these idols stay showed a compromised version of Judaism—one that appeared to respect God on the surface but was fundamentally flawed. The Antichrist reflects a larger, more deceptive version of Jehu's conflict. He will perform actions that look good, like destroying foreign idols and transparently dark agendas, seeming to follow God's will. Yet, his critical failure, akin to Jehu's, will be in what he neglects. He'll ignore the modern-day "golden calves" — subtler forms of idolatry that are not as easy to spot or discern. These may not be as obvious as the overt darkness of Mystery Babylon but are just as offensive to God. This misleading form of Christianity, similar to Jehu's insincere Judaism, will display an outward show of being righteous by targeting external foes while neglecting the deep, inner changes true faith demands, such as the need for sincere repentance and humbling of the heart. It serves as a powerful call for ongoing self-reflection and realignment with God's will, demonstrating that real righteousness involves not just fighting visible wrongs but also facing and rejecting the subtler forms of idolatry that can seep into our lives without us realizing it. This eerily mirrors the Weimar Republic, a period before Nazi Germany, where a struggle between societal depravity and a flawed sense of virtue set the stage for disaster. Jehu's and Jezebel's biblical showdown, where Jehu becomes a vessel of judgment against Jezebel, parallels the rise of figures like Hitler. Hitler, driven by a distorted zeal, identified Judah as the enemy, which history is poised to repeat through unveiling the dark agendas of Mystery Babylon, Jerusalem. Today, we see a cultural war marked by extreme stances on issues like LGBT rights, violence, racism, and especially abortion, which are akin to Jezebel's overt wickedness. The real threat lies not just in the cultural shift towards immorality but in the response it provokes—an ecumenical movement that, though aimed at combating immorality, risks aligning with deceit, setting the stage for the rise of the Antichrist kingdom, a counterfeit kingdom of God as imagined by humanity through defeating Mystery Babylon, which will be misperceived as Satan's ultimate empire. This figure will likely emerge, claiming to oppose these immoral forces, only to lead people into a new and subtler form of idolatry, much like Jehu's false zeal. There's something about standing up against these glaringly obvious social wrongs and oppressive forces that really inflates one's ego. The more time you spend hyper-focused on obvious evils and tyranny the more you'll start to feel not so evil, just like the Pharisee in Luke 18. He convinced himself he was righteous simply because he wasn't as bad as "those other people." Another lesson from history, like King Ahaz's unholy alliance with Assyria, warns us against forming alliances with spiritual enemies for worldly security against physical threats that stem from fearing the world, rather than fearing the Lord. At its heart, the Red Heifer ceremony is more than just a ritual; it's a chapter in the bigger story of faith and prophecy that's been unfolding throughout human history. It's a sign to look inward, to really think about where we stand and what we believe in. It's a pivotal moment that challenges us to choose: Do we follow the path of patience, perseverance, repentance and not following the world's desire for peace and safety as Jesus says, or do we get lost chasing shadows? As we make our way through these stormy times, let's hold tight to the promise of a redemption that goes beyond the chaos surrounding us. Please pray on all of this, my brothers and sisters. May God bless each and every one of you.

Donnie Discerned

715,123 views • 2 years ago

NEW WORLD ORDER BIBLE VERSIONS How about a Sunday Bible study? There seems to be so much confusion and doubt as to whether or not the almighty creator of the all matter within our universe is able to simply preserve His Word. As if somehow this feat is just too hard of a task for Him. Creating everything you see was easy compared to preserving His Word right? Wrong. He can and did. There are 2 lines of text, the Alexandrian (Jesuit Catholic) and the Traditional Text line, which can be traced to the original manuscripts. Since Satan knows he can not destroy the Word of God, he can only seek to deceive and confuse. This is where your modern Bible versions come from, such as the NIV, ESV, NKJV, and so on. They literally have missing verses, attacks on the deity of Christ, and the New World Order agenda written within them, which this documentary goes into in great detail. Constantine of Rome sought to merge Christianity with Greek mythology as a political move since Rome was divided at the time religiously. He was successful. This created the Pagan Catholic church. The worship of the Greek gods became the worship of the "saints," Athena became Mary, and so on. The Jesuit Pope had gained a monopoly on the Bible based on corrupted Vaticanus and Siniaticus translated from the Papyrus manuscripts. This is where you get your modern versions from (see chart below). The people were desperate for an English Bible. So what Bible do we use? God promised to preserve his Word. He did. The King James Bible was THE attack on the Vatican Pope and the corrupted Catholic Alexandrian texts that were originally in Latin. During this time, the people had to go to the Jesuit Catholic priests just to know what the Bible said because nobody spoke Latin but even if they did they got a corrupted interpretation of Gods true Word. When King James authorized the translation into English, the Jesuits tried to have him assassinated right before the release. This was known as the Gun Powder Plot by the Jesuits of 1605 a year after the KJV was commissioned in 1604. On November 5th, 1605, (coincidentally also our election day) The Jesuits tried to assassinate King James to prevent the Bible from being translated into English since the papacy had a monopoly on the word of God and could twist it anyway they deemed necessary. They failed. Guy Fawkes was caught and put to executed. (See link to full story below) The King James Bible removed the monopoly the Jesuit Catholics had on the Bible and gave the people an English version that used 58 of the worlds top scholars and translators of the day, who each spoke over 13 languages. King James DID NOT TRANSLATE the Bible himself. He merely authorized it at the cries of the people. The Jesuit Catholics were pissed. They even tried to rush out a Catholic English version right before the KJV, and it failed. The canonization of the KJV by leaving out certain books like the Jewish-Christian gospels was for good reason. They were deemed by the KJV translators as having major issues that were either frauds, didn't line up with main authors of bible, contradictions of scripture, written way after Jesus Christ, or just weren't inspired text etc. The decision to leave out certain books as non inspired took 7 years to complete the Bible. It wasn't an overnight decision, while other denominations consider them included canon. I tend to side with the expert translators of the KJV after reviewing all apocryphal books, etc.. Some are just wild like the gospel of Thomas, where Jesus said a woman must make herself male to enter into Heaven (Verse 114). That agenda sounds familiar. There are certain non canon books I do like and believe they are historical but not actually God inspired because of writing style and many contradictions to actual scripture but very accurate in other places. Anyway, there are 2 lines of text, Alexandrian and Traditional. Alexandrian is Jesuit Catholic, and that's where we get all our modern NWO bible translations because they are using corrupted manuscripts to begin with. The fact that the Jesuits tried to assassinate King James on behalf of the Jesuit pope because they would lose their monopoly on Gods word should be enough to get people questioning what the true word of God was. Before the KJV, William Tyndale also tried to make an English Bible and was quoted as saying, "I defy the pope, and all his laws,” In 1534, before William Tyndale was burned at the stake for making an English version of the Bible, his last words were, "Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.” Which I believe was a prayer the Lord would eventually answer. You will also find out quickly that just as Google hides the truth about the news, Google also hides the truth about the KJV being the true preserved Word of God. Go see for yourself. If the KJV isn't the preserved Word of God then what is? It definitely isn't the modern NWO versions. The King James Bible has been used by our ancestors for over 400 years and has stood the test of time and the harshest of scrutiny. Psalm 12 6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. Links The Gunpowder Plot and the KJV Providential preservation of the new Testament chart: Pastor Steven Anderson Faithful Word Baptist Church

NEW WORLD ORDER BIBLE VERSIONS How about a Sunday Bible study? There seems to be so much confusion and doubt as to whether or not the almighty creator of the all matter within our universe is able to simply preserve His Word. As if somehow this feat is just too hard of a task for Him. Creating everything you see was easy compared to preserving His Word right? Wrong. He can and did. There are 2 lines of text, the Alexandrian (Jesuit Catholic) and the Traditional Text line, which can be traced to the original manuscripts. Since Satan knows he can not destroy the Word of God, he can only seek to deceive and confuse. This is where your modern Bible versions come from, such as the NIV, ESV, NKJV, and so on. They literally have missing verses, attacks on the deity of Christ, and the New World Order agenda written within them, which this documentary goes into in great detail. Constantine of Rome sought to merge Christianity with Greek mythology as a political move since Rome was divided at the time religiously. He was successful. This created the Pagan Catholic church. The worship of the Greek gods became the worship of the "saints," Athena became Mary, and so on. The Jesuit Pope had gained a monopoly on the Bible based on corrupted Vaticanus and Siniaticus translated from the Papyrus manuscripts. This is where you get your modern versions from (see chart below). The people were desperate for an English Bible. So what Bible do we use? God promised to preserve his Word. He did. The King James Bible was THE attack on the Vatican Pope and the corrupted Catholic Alexandrian texts that were originally in Latin. During this time, the people had to go to the Jesuit Catholic priests just to know what the Bible said because nobody spoke Latin but even if they did they got a corrupted interpretation of Gods true Word. When King James authorized the translation into English, the Jesuits tried to have him assassinated right before the release. This was known as the Gun Powder Plot by the Jesuits of 1605 a year after the KJV was commissioned in 1604. On November 5th, 1605, (coincidentally also our election day) The Jesuits tried to assassinate King James to prevent the Bible from being translated into English since the papacy had a monopoly on the word of God and could twist it anyway they deemed necessary. They failed. Guy Fawkes was caught and put to executed. (See link to full story below) The King James Bible removed the monopoly the Jesuit Catholics had on the Bible and gave the people an English version that used 58 of the worlds top scholars and translators of the day, who each spoke over 13 languages. King James DID NOT TRANSLATE the Bible himself. He merely authorized it at the cries of the people. The Jesuit Catholics were pissed. They even tried to rush out a Catholic English version right before the KJV, and it failed. The canonization of the KJV by leaving out certain books like the Jewish-Christian gospels was for good reason. They were deemed by the KJV translators as having major issues that were either frauds, didn't line up with main authors of bible, contradictions of scripture, written way after Jesus Christ, or just weren't inspired text etc. The decision to leave out certain books as non inspired took 7 years to complete the Bible. It wasn't an overnight decision, while other denominations consider them included canon. I tend to side with the expert translators of the KJV after reviewing all apocryphal books, etc.. Some are just wild like the gospel of Thomas, where Jesus said a woman must make herself male to enter into Heaven (Verse 114). That agenda sounds familiar. There are certain non canon books I do like and believe they are historical but not actually God inspired because of writing style and many contradictions to actual scripture but very accurate in other places. Anyway, there are 2 lines of text, Alexandrian and Traditional. Alexandrian is Jesuit Catholic, and that's where we get all our modern NWO bible translations because they are using corrupted manuscripts to begin with. The fact that the Jesuits tried to assassinate King James on behalf of the Jesuit pope because they would lose their monopoly on Gods word should be enough to get people questioning what the true word of God was. Before the KJV, William Tyndale also tried to make an English Bible and was quoted as saying, "I defy the pope, and all his laws,” In 1534, before William Tyndale was burned at the stake for making an English version of the Bible, his last words were, "Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.” Which I believe was a prayer the Lord would eventually answer. You will also find out quickly that just as Google hides the truth about the news, Google also hides the truth about the KJV being the true preserved Word of God. Go see for yourself. If the KJV isn't the preserved Word of God then what is? It definitely isn't the modern NWO versions. The King James Bible has been used by our ancestors for over 400 years and has stood the test of time and the harshest of scrutiny. Psalm 12 6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. Links The Gunpowder Plot and the KJV Providential preservation of the new Testament chart: Pastor Steven Anderson Faithful Word Baptist Church

Redpill Drifter

53,814 views • 1 year ago

Today, Stern Pinball, Inc., revealed Metallica Remastered – a technologically advanced version of one of Stern Pinball’s greatest hits. Metallica Pinball was originally released in 2013 and is one of the most successful and beloved pinball games ever. Metallica Remastered has elevated the game to the modern era with gameplay, electronics, and presentation improvements. Metallica Remastered pinball games are available now in Premium and Limited Edition (LE) models, along with a full line of accessories available at launch. Metallica Remastered is updated with a full-color LCD display featuring all-new animations and live concert video footage. Stern’s modern Spike 2 electronics will power the gameplay experience. Fans will enjoy expanded gameplay and improved presentation with 22 songs (8 more than the original) and expanded gameplay rules. Cabinet improvements include an Expression Lighting system and 2 all-new art packages by Metallica artist Rhys Cooper. Players will experience the same great flow from the original Metallica playfield layout with geometry and mechanical improvements, new versions of gameplay toys, updated mechanical devices, and new UV lighting effects. Since forming in 1981, Metallica has become one of the most influential and popular bands in musical history. Through their groundbreaking music, electrifying live performances, and a cultural impact that has extended beyond music, Metallica has garnered a massive global following of dedicated fans. Their critical acclaim and influence match the Hall of Fame band’s commercial success in the world of rock music and pinball. Stern Pinball has ensured that extra care and attention to detail has gone into every facet of Metallica Remastered while respecting the timeless classic game created by pinball legends John Borg and Lyman F. Sheats, Jr. The design team, led again by John Borg and software engineer Raymond Davidson, has created a modern version of the original masterpiece. John Borg’s classic playfield architecture has been enhanced with three all-new sculptures: Sparky, the Hammer, new RGB-illuminated Skulls, and a new Metallica logo spell-out on the back panel. Dramatic UV lighting effects have been implemented throughout the playfield and on Sparky, and the game includes numerous quality and durability refinements. The iconic Lyman Sheats rule set has been carefully enhanced to add two new game modes based on Metallica’s two most recent albums, last year’s Grammy-winning 72 Seasons and 2016’s Hardwired…to Self-Destruct, as well as a new “Blackened” Wizard Mode. The Metallica Remastered software also includes numerous refinements throughout and an enhanced illuminated insert array to support the new game rules while preserving the classic gameplay feel from the original. Metallica Remastered features an entirely new suite of presentation elements, including all video content and animations, new sound effects, and over 1,000 new speech calls that include callouts by the band. Eight new Metallica songs have been seamlessly integrated into the game and include new supporting animations, movies, and HD-quality live concert footage selected by the band. The Expression Lighting system for the cabinet and speakers comes standard with the Limited Edition version and is available as an accessory upgrade for Premium models.

Stern Pinball

50,447 views • 1 year ago

Christopher Nolan interviewing Michael Mann, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro on the iconic coffee shop meeting in Heat... Nolan: So for all three of you, I mean, one of the great and memorable scenes in the film - there are many - but the iconic coffee shop meeting that people were so struck by when the film came out, seeing two such great actors who had not acted in the same scene together before, together. There was such mythology around it at the time. I remember several friends of mine being convinced that you'd shot it on different days because there was no two-shot… (Michael Mann laughs) Nolan: Was it single camera? Was it two cameras? Did you have two cameras so you could shoot both close-ups at the same time? How did you approach that momentous event? Mann: It started with this consummate respect for the great artists that these two guys are. We talked about the scene and we analysed the scene… We didn't want to do the scene until we were at Cape Mandelini's. And then it was so ingrained that I knew that in all the little tiny organic details it would be different from take to take. So what I wanted to do was shoot with two cameras, two over the shoulders – I knew that there would be an organic unity to one take, and it would be a slightly different organic unity to another; because if you look at it very carefully, if Bob shifts his hand like this a little bit, right in the middle of dialogue, Al is doing something to counter it - because maybe he's shifting his positions so he can get closer to a weapon… Nolan: What do you remember about that shoot? Pacino: I do remember that Bob said – at first I wondered about it and then I thought how right he is – he said, “let’s not rehearse it.” Nolan: Because you love to rehearse. Pacino: Oh yeah. And Bob does too. De Niro: No, I do too at times, but this kind of scene we didn't have to. Pacino: But the thing is, what Bob said is so true about rehearsal – and that is that there is no sense in rehearsing if the people around you don't know how to rehearse. That is an important factor. Might as well not rehearse or rehearse very little. But it's true because it's a certain kind of thing and people either respond to it or they don't. And so, they could be great actors, of course, but they don't want to rehearse. I've had experiences like that… De Niro: Well, it was also that we were stationary. So, it wasn't we had to sort of rehearse blocking or anything and discover how our physical moves would be. We were kind of, there, though there were subtle moves in the scene itself, obviously. But anyway, and we started late and.... we didn't start till after lunch or dinner, which was really like one o'clock in the morning...I loved the scene and I wanted, you know, really wanted it to be as best as it could be. So I was a little unhappy that we started so late in the middle of the night... Mann: It was actually intentional... De Niro: I know, he wanted to tire us out. Nolan: But getting into a scene like that, that you know is going to be such a significant part of the film, huge expectation from both of you as you sit down to perform it. At the end of that night, did you know you had it? Did you feel it? Pacino: I never knew that. De Niro: You never know that. Mann: I knew we had it. Nolan: You knew. That's your job. Pacino: I'd like to do it again actually. Mann: (laughs) We’ll re-shoot it… We normally would rehearse scenes. That scene we talked about, we all as a group decided, you know, we wanted to just talk it through and save it for the event of shooting it, which was the only scene we probably did that with. But I tend to not want to rehearse things to the point where I feel like I wish I'd shot it. That's a disaster – I think things will be perfect once, and they'll never be perfect. They'll never be 100% twice. They'll only be 100% once. You want that happening in front of the camera. From a panel discussion following a special screening of Heat at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater on September 7, 2016.

Christopher Nolan interviewing Michael Mann, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro on the iconic coffee shop meeting in Heat... Nolan: So for all three of you, I mean, one of the great and memorable scenes in the film - there are many - but the iconic coffee shop meeting that people were so struck by when the film came out, seeing two such great actors who had not acted in the same scene together before, together. There was such mythology around it at the time. I remember several friends of mine being convinced that you'd shot it on different days because there was no two-shot… (Michael Mann laughs) Nolan: Was it single camera? Was it two cameras? Did you have two cameras so you could shoot both close-ups at the same time? How did you approach that momentous event? Mann: It started with this consummate respect for the great artists that these two guys are. We talked about the scene and we analysed the scene… We didn't want to do the scene until we were at Cape Mandelini's. And then it was so ingrained that I knew that in all the little tiny organic details it would be different from take to take. So what I wanted to do was shoot with two cameras, two over the shoulders – I knew that there would be an organic unity to one take, and it would be a slightly different organic unity to another; because if you look at it very carefully, if Bob shifts his hand like this a little bit, right in the middle of dialogue, Al is doing something to counter it - because maybe he's shifting his positions so he can get closer to a weapon… Nolan: What do you remember about that shoot? Pacino: I do remember that Bob said – at first I wondered about it and then I thought how right he is – he said, “let’s not rehearse it.” Nolan: Because you love to rehearse. Pacino: Oh yeah. And Bob does too. De Niro: No, I do too at times, but this kind of scene we didn't have to. Pacino: But the thing is, what Bob said is so true about rehearsal – and that is that there is no sense in rehearsing if the people around you don't know how to rehearse. That is an important factor. Might as well not rehearse or rehearse very little. But it's true because it's a certain kind of thing and people either respond to it or they don't. And so, they could be great actors, of course, but they don't want to rehearse. I've had experiences like that… De Niro: Well, it was also that we were stationary. So, it wasn't we had to sort of rehearse blocking or anything and discover how our physical moves would be. We were kind of, there, though there were subtle moves in the scene itself, obviously. But anyway, and we started late and.... we didn't start till after lunch or dinner, which was really like one o'clock in the morning...I loved the scene and I wanted, you know, really wanted it to be as best as it could be. So I was a little unhappy that we started so late in the middle of the night... Mann: It was actually intentional... De Niro: I know, he wanted to tire us out. Nolan: But getting into a scene like that, that you know is going to be such a significant part of the film, huge expectation from both of you as you sit down to perform it. At the end of that night, did you know you had it? Did you feel it? Pacino: I never knew that. De Niro: You never know that. Mann: I knew we had it. Nolan: You knew. That's your job. Pacino: I'd like to do it again actually. Mann: (laughs) We’ll re-shoot it… We normally would rehearse scenes. That scene we talked about, we all as a group decided, you know, we wanted to just talk it through and save it for the event of shooting it, which was the only scene we probably did that with. But I tend to not want to rehearse things to the point where I feel like I wish I'd shot it. That's a disaster – I think things will be perfect once, and they'll never be perfect. They'll never be 100% twice. They'll only be 100% once. You want that happening in front of the camera. From a panel discussion following a special screening of Heat at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater on September 7, 2016.

Gangster Cinema Central

36,895 views • 3 months ago

As promised, we gathered heroes who dare to defy the world's worst dictatorships. My opening remarks: “Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen: Welcome to the 17th annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. My name is Hillel Neuer, and I am the Executive Director of United Nations Watch, one of 25 human rights NGOs co-sponsoring this important assembly. Next week, the United Nations will open the 2025 Session of the Human Rights Council. We hold this Geneva Summit one week in advance of the UN session, in order to turn a spotlight on urgent situations that require the attention of the Council -- and of the world. That is why courageous human rights voices have gathered here today from the four corners of the earth. To bear witness before the world of the tyranny and oppression they confront. To sound the alarm. To call for action. You know, when most people hear the words, “UN Human Rights Council,” they imagine men with long white beards, dressed in long white robes, making their decisions based on facts, logic, and morality. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Sitting around the table, at the UNHRC across the street, are not Aristotle, Socrates and Plato, but rather many of world’s worst violators of human rights. They use their membership as a false badge of international legitimacy, to gain impunity for their records of abuse. Aristotle, Socrates, Plato? No. The members include repressive regimes like China, Cuba, Qatar, Sudan, Vietnam, and others. That’s right: China’s Communist regime is a member of the Human Rights Council. They are oppressing 1.5 billion people, yet have never even once been criticized by any council resolution, inquiry, or special session. On the contrary, they will be sitting next week as judges. So we decided, that right across the street from the Council, the world needs to know the truth about China. • So we invited Times Wang. His father Wang Bingzhang is the father of the Chinese pro-democracy movement. They kidnapped him in June 2022, and he’s been languishing in prison for over two decades. • The world needs to know what they’re doing to the Uighurs. Rounding them up in camps. Attempting to eradicate their entire culture. So we invited Rahima Mahmut, a Uyghur human rights activist, translator, and singer. • The world needs to know what China is doing to the peple of Tibet. Also trying to destroy their culture. So we have with us Namkyi. For protesting China’s oppression at age 15, they threw her in prison -- for three years. She managed to escape to India, by walking ten days non-stop. Amazing to have her with us. • And the world needs to know what they’re doing to Hong Kong. Once a great island of freedom in Asia, its democracy has been strangled by Beijing. So we invited Sebastien Lai – to telll us about his father, Jimmy Lai, publisher of a pro-democracy newspaper. A very successful man, Jimmy Lai could have escaped. But he chose not to abandon ship. They threw him in prison. He is 77 years old. Another one sitting as a judge next week on the UNHRC is the police state of Cuba. The world needs to know what the Havana dictatorship is doing to its people. So we invited Osiris Puerto Terry. He took part in the historic pro-democracy protests of July 2021. They shot him multiple times. He’s very brave to fly here to testify, and then to be going back to Cuba. Sudan sits on the Human Rights Council. The world needs to know about the war that has just killed 150,000 people. 11 million people forced from their home. So we invited Niemat Ahmadi, a women’s rights defender from Sudan, a survivor of the Darfur Genocide. Vietnam sits on the UNHRC. A one-party Communist regime, the world needs to know how they silence all dissent including social media. So we invited Van Trang Nguyen,who has been targted by the regime for his pro-democracy activism. Qatar sits on the council. Here in Geneva, they throw around money to all the international agencies, whose directors love to meet with them. Yet Qatar supports terrorists and misogynistic regimes, like the Taliban in Afghanistan. At the UN, some want to normalize and recognize the Taliban. Listen to the UN Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohammed: “I hope there is a day that we do recognize this government.” So we have invited Dr. Massouda Jalal, the pediatrician who served as Afghan Minister of Women’s Affairs, and her daughter Husna Jalal, both of them now exiled, to tell the world about how women are treated under the Taliban. For their courage and leadership, this mother-daughter team will receive our Women’s Rights Award. Eritrea just completed six years on the Council. They also sit on the UN committee that oversees NGOs. The world needs to know about the dictator, the country’s first and only president since 1993. So we invited Betlehem Isaak, to tell us about her father, Dawit Isaak, the world's longest-detained journalist, who was taken away in 2001 for supporting democratic reform. A little over a year ago, the Chair of the UNHRC Social Forum was… the Islamic Republic of Iran. The world needs to know who this regime is. So we are greatly honored to have Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, a renowned opposition leader, to deliver the Keynote Address. And with the help of our long-time partner Nazanin Afshin-Jam, we will hold a panel of survivors. We’ll hear from Mahan Mehrabi. Her brother Mahmoud was arrested for taking part in the Woman-Life-Freedom protests. In May, he was sentenced to death – for the crime of criticzing the government on social media. Abolfazl Amir-Ataei was killed at age 16 while protesting. His mother Maryam Diyor is here to tell her son’s story. We’ll hear from Saman Pouryaghma. For protesting, they shot him in the eye. You should know: for daring to come here, these witnesses have been threatened and attacked. The dissidents featured here today are exceptional men and women. At great risk to themselves, and to their families, they have chosen to take on the worst abusers, to dedicate their lives for the principles of freedom, democracy, and human rights – the principles that we here in the West all hold dear. They are fighting around the globe for our principles. We need to stand with them. One of these individuals is Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition leader, author, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, historian, and documentary filmmaker. Because he spoke out against Putin, they tried to kill him by poisoning in 2015, and again in 2017. He barely survived. In April 2022, after he spoke out against Putin, they took him away, sentenced him to 25 years in prison. He was languishing in a Siberian gulag, in solitary confinement, his health deterioraring. His wife Evgenia went around the world, fighting tirelessly for his release. We hosted her several times, here at the Geneva Summit, and across the street in the UN. By a miracle, in August, Vladimir was released -- and we are going to see them reunited soon on stage. In Venezuela, Maduro destroyed the country, causing 7 million to flee. With the support of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, Edmundo González decided to run for President, in the July election. The world knows he won. The regime has now kidnapped his son-in-law. Now in exile, he continues to speak out. We’re so honored he will be here to receive this year’s Courage Award. To help us make sense of all this, there could be no better person to deliver our Opening Address than Garry Kasparov. Widely considered history’s greatest chess player, for the past two decadeds he has devoted his life to defending human rights and democracy, writing books and op-eds. As Vice-President of the World Liberty Congress, Garry plays a vital role in the struggle for which we are gathered today. Ladies and gentlemen, the moral force in this room is astonishing. This is a gathering of those who stand as living proof that even the most brutal regimes cannot crush the human spirit. Tyranny thrives on silence. But today, in this room, there is no silence—only truth, courage, and defiance. Let this gathering be a message to the world’s oppressors: We see you. We will not look away. And we will not stop until justice prevails.” Full Video of 2025 Geneva Summit: Clips: The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy Speakers & Partners: Vladimir Kara-Murza Evgenia Kara-Murza #FreeJimmyLai Betlehem Isaak Garry Kasparov Rahima Mahmut Dr Massouda Jalal Times Wang Husna Jalal María Corina Machado Edmundo González Antonio Ledezma Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights Javier El-Hage Human Rights Foundation (HRF) McCain Institute Liberal International Renew Democracy Initiative Vente Venezuela

As promised, we gathered heroes who dare to defy the world's worst dictatorships. My opening remarks: “Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen: Welcome to the 17th annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. My name is Hillel Neuer, and I am the Executive Director of United Nations Watch, one of 25 human rights NGOs co-sponsoring this important assembly. Next week, the United Nations will open the 2025 Session of the Human Rights Council. We hold this Geneva Summit one week in advance of the UN session, in order to turn a spotlight on urgent situations that require the attention of the Council -- and of the world. That is why courageous human rights voices have gathered here today from the four corners of the earth. To bear witness before the world of the tyranny and oppression they confront. To sound the alarm. To call for action. You know, when most people hear the words, “UN Human Rights Council,” they imagine men with long white beards, dressed in long white robes, making their decisions based on facts, logic, and morality. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Sitting around the table, at the UNHRC across the street, are not Aristotle, Socrates and Plato, but rather many of world’s worst violators of human rights. They use their membership as a false badge of international legitimacy, to gain impunity for their records of abuse. Aristotle, Socrates, Plato? No. The members include repressive regimes like China, Cuba, Qatar, Sudan, Vietnam, and others. That’s right: China’s Communist regime is a member of the Human Rights Council. They are oppressing 1.5 billion people, yet have never even once been criticized by any council resolution, inquiry, or special session. On the contrary, they will be sitting next week as judges. So we decided, that right across the street from the Council, the world needs to know the truth about China. • So we invited Times Wang. His father Wang Bingzhang is the father of the Chinese pro-democracy movement. They kidnapped him in June 2022, and he’s been languishing in prison for over two decades. • The world needs to know what they’re doing to the Uighurs. Rounding them up in camps. Attempting to eradicate their entire culture. So we invited Rahima Mahmut, a Uyghur human rights activist, translator, and singer. • The world needs to know what China is doing to the peple of Tibet. Also trying to destroy their culture. So we have with us Namkyi. For protesting China’s oppression at age 15, they threw her in prison -- for three years. She managed to escape to India, by walking ten days non-stop. Amazing to have her with us. • And the world needs to know what they’re doing to Hong Kong. Once a great island of freedom in Asia, its democracy has been strangled by Beijing. So we invited Sebastien Lai – to telll us about his father, Jimmy Lai, publisher of a pro-democracy newspaper. A very successful man, Jimmy Lai could have escaped. But he chose not to abandon ship. They threw him in prison. He is 77 years old. Another one sitting as a judge next week on the UNHRC is the police state of Cuba. The world needs to know what the Havana dictatorship is doing to its people. So we invited Osiris Puerto Terry. He took part in the historic pro-democracy protests of July 2021. They shot him multiple times. He’s very brave to fly here to testify, and then to be going back to Cuba. Sudan sits on the Human Rights Council. The world needs to know about the war that has just killed 150,000 people. 11 million people forced from their home. So we invited Niemat Ahmadi, a women’s rights defender from Sudan, a survivor of the Darfur Genocide. Vietnam sits on the UNHRC. A one-party Communist regime, the world needs to know how they silence all dissent including social media. So we invited Van Trang Nguyen,who has been targted by the regime for his pro-democracy activism. Qatar sits on the council. Here in Geneva, they throw around money to all the international agencies, whose directors love to meet with them. Yet Qatar supports terrorists and misogynistic regimes, like the Taliban in Afghanistan. At the UN, some want to normalize and recognize the Taliban. Listen to the UN Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohammed: “I hope there is a day that we do recognize this government.” So we have invited Dr. Massouda Jalal, the pediatrician who served as Afghan Minister of Women’s Affairs, and her daughter Husna Jalal, both of them now exiled, to tell the world about how women are treated under the Taliban. For their courage and leadership, this mother-daughter team will receive our Women’s Rights Award. Eritrea just completed six years on the Council. They also sit on the UN committee that oversees NGOs. The world needs to know about the dictator, the country’s first and only president since 1993. So we invited Betlehem Isaak, to tell us about her father, Dawit Isaak, the world's longest-detained journalist, who was taken away in 2001 for supporting democratic reform. A little over a year ago, the Chair of the UNHRC Social Forum was… the Islamic Republic of Iran. The world needs to know who this regime is. So we are greatly honored to have Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, a renowned opposition leader, to deliver the Keynote Address. And with the help of our long-time partner Nazanin Afshin-Jam, we will hold a panel of survivors. We’ll hear from Mahan Mehrabi. Her brother Mahmoud was arrested for taking part in the Woman-Life-Freedom protests. In May, he was sentenced to death – for the crime of criticzing the government on social media. Abolfazl Amir-Ataei was killed at age 16 while protesting. His mother Maryam Diyor is here to tell her son’s story. We’ll hear from Saman Pouryaghma. For protesting, they shot him in the eye. You should know: for daring to come here, these witnesses have been threatened and attacked. The dissidents featured here today are exceptional men and women. At great risk to themselves, and to their families, they have chosen to take on the worst abusers, to dedicate their lives for the principles of freedom, democracy, and human rights – the principles that we here in the West all hold dear. They are fighting around the globe for our principles. We need to stand with them. One of these individuals is Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition leader, author, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, historian, and documentary filmmaker. Because he spoke out against Putin, they tried to kill him by poisoning in 2015, and again in 2017. He barely survived. In April 2022, after he spoke out against Putin, they took him away, sentenced him to 25 years in prison. He was languishing in a Siberian gulag, in solitary confinement, his health deterioraring. His wife Evgenia went around the world, fighting tirelessly for his release. We hosted her several times, here at the Geneva Summit, and across the street in the UN. By a miracle, in August, Vladimir was released -- and we are going to see them reunited soon on stage. In Venezuela, Maduro destroyed the country, causing 7 million to flee. With the support of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, Edmundo González decided to run for President, in the July election. The world knows he won. The regime has now kidnapped his son-in-law. Now in exile, he continues to speak out. We’re so honored he will be here to receive this year’s Courage Award. To help us make sense of all this, there could be no better person to deliver our Opening Address than Garry Kasparov. Widely considered history’s greatest chess player, for the past two decadeds he has devoted his life to defending human rights and democracy, writing books and op-eds. As Vice-President of the World Liberty Congress, Garry plays a vital role in the struggle for which we are gathered today. Ladies and gentlemen, the moral force in this room is astonishing. This is a gathering of those who stand as living proof that even the most brutal regimes cannot crush the human spirit. Tyranny thrives on silence. But today, in this room, there is no silence—only truth, courage, and defiance. Let this gathering be a message to the world’s oppressors: We see you. We will not look away. And we will not stop until justice prevails.” Full Video of 2025 Geneva Summit: Clips: The Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy Speakers & Partners: Vladimir Kara-Murza Evgenia Kara-Murza #FreeJimmyLai Betlehem Isaak Garry Kasparov Rahima Mahmut Dr Massouda Jalal Times Wang Husna Jalal María Corina Machado Edmundo González Antonio Ledezma Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights Javier El-Hage Human Rights Foundation (HRF) McCain Institute Liberal International Renew Democracy Initiative Vente Venezuela

Hillel Neuer

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