Mediaboss Marketing

When Dr Moeed Yusuf was appointed as National Security Adviser (NSA) recently, it was a decision few had anticipated given the fact that this government abolished the office of NSA after coming to power. In view of the security and strategic challenges Pakistan has been facing, NSA remained a permanent feature in the Pakistani power structure after the 9/11 attacks. The NSA primarily was a key interlocutor of whoever was at the helm of affairs as far as ties with India were concerned. It is no secret that successive governments both in Islamabad and New Delhi used the office of NSA to sort out their issues quietly. But when this government came to power there was a proposal to appoint General (retd) Ehsanul Haq, the former chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee as well as DG ISI and MI, as NSA.

However, the proposal could not see light at the end of the tunnel largely because concerned quarters thought there was no need for a full time NSA. The government, however, brought in Dr Moeed to look after the national security division, but until then he was not elevated to the status of NSA. It was also due to the fact that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi opposed the idea of having the NSA since he believed that the role of the foreign minister and the NSA in the Pakistani context were more or less the same. This naturally raises a question as to why the then government elevated the status of Dr Moeed and appointed him as NSA.

This question was partially answered when Dr Moeed quietly met American NSA Jake Sullivan in Geneva. It was the first face-to-face high-level meeting between Pakistan and the US since President Joe Biden took charge in January. It is clear that Moeed would spearhead efforts seeking future direction of ties with the US and also India. It was interesting that after meeting the Pakistani NSA, Sullivan also held talks with the foreign ministers of India and Afghanistan separately. Whether those meetings were interlinked or not, one thing was certain that the common issue was indeed the Afghan endgame. Also, it was important to note that when the American NSA was meeting his Pakistani counterpart in Geneva at that very time Foreign Minister Qureshi was in New York. It warranted a question as to why the American NSA had to travel all the way to Geneva as he could have met the Pakistani foreign minister at home. If sources are to be believed, there is a possibility that Dr Moeed would even be given a bigger role in the coming months given the important foreign policy and strategic challenges.

Another factor that persuaded the government to appoint Dr Moeed as NSA is India. Tensions between Pakistan and India have eased in recent months thanks to backdoor efforts. But those contacts until now remained confined to the intelligence levels. Given the trajectory, the two countries are keen to build on the ceasefire agreement of February 25. For this purpose, it is natural that the two countries may remain engaged through backchannels. For this the offices of the NSA are the most appropriate forum. It was because of this reason Dr Moeed was handed this charge since otherwise it was not possible for the two sides to open a channel of communication at the NSA level. This clearly suggests that despite setback to rapprochement efforts after Pakistans about-turn on resuming trade with India the process is still on track. It is expected that the two NSAs will explore ways to take the next steps in peace efforts. So, the appointment of Dr Moeed as NSA may be surprising for some but is a well thought-out move.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2021.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.

See the original post here:
Reviving the NSA office - The Express Tribune

Gorakhpur DM K Vijayendra Pandian on Wednesday allegedly threatened a Delhi-based journalist of imprisonment under the NSA after he called up Pandian to take official version of a story relating to alleged forceful eviction of 11 Muslim families residing near the famous Gorakhnath temple in the city.

Masihuzzama Ansari, who works with a news portal named Indiatomorrow.in, told National Herald that Pandian enquired about his religion and then, in an insulting tone, threatened to slap the NSA on him for creating enmity between two communities.

In an audio clip of the purported telephone conversation, Pandian allegedly says, You also have a Muslim name...Rise above your religion Ansari.

Ansari claimed that when he told Pandian that he had called him up to ascertain the facts and take the official version, the DM allegedly said, Why are you giving it a religious tone? They (Muslim families) are giving up their lands on their own. They have signed a consent letter.

Ansari contended that he called Pandian on Wednesday evening to ascertain whether the Muslims had agreed to sell their land on their own or were forced to sign the consent papers as alleged in certain quarters.

Visit link:
Gorakhpur DM threatens scribe to slap NSA for report on Muslims 'eviction' from land near Gorakhnath temple - National Herald

Story Highlights

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When asked to explain their understanding of the term "socialism," 17% of Americans define it as government ownership of the means of production, half the number who defined it this way in 1949 when Gallup first asked about Americans' views of the term. Americans today are most likely to define socialism as connoting equality for everyone, while others understand the term as meaning the provision of benefits and social services, a modified form of communism, or a conception of socialism as people being social and getting along with one another. About a quarter of Americans were not able to give an answer.

What Is Your Understanding of the Term "Socialism"?

Socialism has re-entered the public discourse over the past several years, in part due to the high profile candidacy of socialist Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, as well as the surprise victory of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America organization, in the Democratic primary in New York's 14th Congressional District. According to a news report from Axios, over 40 socialists have won in primary elections this year, and the membership of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has grown from 7,000 members to 50,000 since 2016.

This increased visibility of socialism and the prevalence of candidates who in one way or the other are associated with the socialist label makes it important to understand how this concept is understood by average Americans -- the objective of the current research.

The broad group of responses defining socialism as dealing with "equality" are quite varied -- ranging from views that socialism means controls on incomes and wealth, to a more general conception of equality of opportunity, or equal status as citizens.

In addition to the 17% of Americans who define socialism as government ownership of the means of production, other more traditional or historical views of socialism include those who say it means modified communism (6%) or restrictions on freedom (3%).

That leaves 19% of all mentions which are focused on a "gentler, lighter" view of socialism -- government provision of benefits and services, liberal government or some type of cooperative plan. In addition to 6% non-specific derogatory comments, 6% describe it as getting along with other people, 8% give miscellaneous responses, and about a quarter of Americans (23%) said they couldn't answer the question.

The biggest difference between 1949 and now in terms of Americans' understanding of the term socialism is the drop in the percentage who define socialism as government ownership of the means of production. This drop is offset by the increased number of Americans who say that socialism means equality and an increase in those who define socialism in terms that are closer to what might be considered a more standard liberalism. Americans today are also more likely to have an opinion than was the case in 1949 when over a third gave no opinion.

Previous Gallup research has shown that socialism as a concept is viewed positively by less than a majority of Americans (37% in a late July, early August survey) and that these attitudes have not changed materially since 2010. However, 57% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents view socialism positively, particularly telling in light of the 47% of Democrats who view capitalism positively. Republicans are, unsurprisingly, much less positive about socialism (16% view the term positively).

The current research shows that Republicans are significantly more likely to view socialism as government ownership of the means of production than are Democrats and are more likely to describe socialism in derogatory terms. For their part, Democrats are modestly more likely to view socialism as government provision of services and benefits. Democrats are also more likely to say they don't have a view of socialism than Republicans.

What Is Your Understanding of the Term "Socialism"? by Party

Although young Americans are in general more positive about socialism as a concept than those who are older, there are few significant differences by age group in self-reported understanding of the term.

Do we have socialism in America today? That was the question Gallup asked Americans in the 1949 survey when 43% said "yes." There has been little significant change in the affirmative response to this question over the years, with 38% of Americans saying that there is socialism in America today. However, in 1949, with almost one in five Americans not giving an opinion, the affirmative responses outnumbered the negatives. Today, negatives are more prevalent than those who say yes.

Do you think we have socialism in the United States today, or not?

There is little significant difference in these views by partisanship today, with Republicans just a bit more likely to say "yes" than Democrats, 42% to 36%.

Socialism historically has been associated with the concept of public or collective ownership of property and natural resources and has long been associated with Marxism and communism. In 1949, with the Chinese Communists just having taken control of China, and with the Communist Soviet Union creating fear of an aggressive effort to spread their ideology around the globe, Americans' view of the term embraced the classic elements bound up in these types of movements.

Now, almost 70 years later, Americans' views of socialism have broadened. While many still view socialism as government control of the economy, as modified communism and as embodying restrictions on freedoms in several ways, an increased percentage see it as representing equality and government provision of benefits.

These results make it clear that socialism is a broad concept that can -- and is -- understood in a variety of ways by Americans.

Republicans, who are overwhelmingly negative about socialism, tend to skew toward seeing socialism as government control of the economy and in derogatory terms, while Democrats, a majority of whom are positive about socialism, are more likely to view it as government provision of services.

No doubt candidates who are affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America or in other ways lay claim to a socialist approach to government will continue to define what the term means in ways that fit their personal viewpoints.

Read more:
The Meaning of "Socialism" to Americans Today

With Republicans recently blaming the rise of antisemitic attacks on progressives criticism of Israel, one GOP congresswoman took it to a whole new level on Thursday night.

According to Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), if you happen to be a socialist or communist, then you are, by default, anti-Jewish.

Amid an alarming rise in antisemitic attacks, especially in the wake of the 11-day Hamas-Israel war, Vox writer Zack Beauchamp wrote an in-depth piece looking into the causes behind the increase in violence against American Jews. Though the articlewritten by a Jewwas incredibly nuanced and balanced, it was relentlessly mocked by conservatives over its sub-headline: Violent anti-Semitism spiked in America during the Israel-Hamas war. And we dont know why.

During Thursdays broadcast of Fox News Primetime, guest host Ben Domenech continued the networks mockery over the piece and brought on Salazar to discuss it at length. At the same time, it appears neither party got past the articles secondary title.

In the past month, we have seen a surge in antisemitism across America. Some might conclude that the conflict between Israel and Palestine is the root cause, Domenech declared. If you check Twitter, the folks at Vox cant seem to figure it out. They posted this headline: Violent anti-Semitism spiked in America during the Israel-Hamas war. And we dont know why.

Turning to Salazar, who he noted was a former journalist, the Federalist co-founder asked her what can be done to combat the rise of antisemitism. And the conservative lawmaker let loose.

Right now, at the Holocaust Memorial, were having an event with thousands of people that are denouncing specifically what you just said, the antisemitism that is rising in this country, she stated. And Vox may not know what it is but I have the answerthe answer is socialism.

Salazar added: We have an immense problem in this country with this democratic socialism that some people within the Democratic Party are peddling to our youth. When you say socialism, you are talking about antisemitism in the same phrase, even though it might not be mentioned!

The Florida lawmaker went on to reach even further and label which political ideologies were supposedly antisemitic.

You see it in Cuba, in Iran, in Venezuela, you see North Koreaeverybody that is a socialist or a communist is anti-Jew, she exclaimed. And at least, in my area, we are not going to tolerate that.

Domenech, who like Salazar is not Jewish, said he had heard from Jewish friends across the country that they were concerned that support for Israel would soon become a mono-partisan affair, essentially equating criticism of Israels policies with antisemitism.

Notably, Pew Research recently found that 71 percent of American Jews identify as Democrats and more than half describe themselves as liberal. In the last presidential election, 76 percent of the Jewish vote went to Joe Biden compared to only 22 percent for Donald Trump.

Furthermore, according to Pew, over half of American Jews feel the Democratic Party is friendly towards Jewish Americans while only 29 percent feel the same way about the Republican Party.

The rest is here:
GOP Congresswoman Redefines Antisemitism: All Socialists Are 'Anti-Jew' - Daily Beast

Contribute to the PSLs National Fund Drive today!

We started the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) with a small handful of members, determined to build a multi-national, multi-generational and large-scale socialist party in a country that seemed to have mostly rejected socialism. The task seemed daunting. We were few in numbers with virtually no resources during a time when socialism was treated as an absolute taboo within the United States. Today, 17 years later the PSL has branches, collectives and members throughout the country. We have an organized presence in over 100 cities and towns, and have expanded our presences substantially throughout the South in recent years. We are growing dynamically and appeal to you to provide support for our continued growth.

Every year all members of the PSL participate in a National Fund Drive. Like a union or many other types of working-class organizations, we know the only way to be politically independent from the capitalist class is to be financially independent from it. We appeal to our friends and supporters to contribute to this fund. Watch the video below to hear from our members why the funds from the drive and your support is critical to so many activities. From the launch of national initiatives, to putting organizers and speakers on the road, to supporting and coordinating local organizing, to producing PSL publications and other media, and to deepening the Partys international solidarity work, the National Fund Drive is essential.

Through our members dedication of their time, finances, collective work and sacrifice, the PSL has helped build and sustain movements against oppression and for liberation. From cancel the rent caravans and actions, to being out in the streets for Black lives and against anti-Asian violence, to consistently being able to share a working-class analysis of current events across all our digital platforms, our comrades remain steadfast and resilient propelling the struggle for socialism forward.

Make an urgently-needed donation here

Go here to see the original:
We need your help to build the movement for socialism - Liberation