SCOTUS is leaning toward a ruling that torture of children is protected free speech. They are currently considering the case of a Christian therapist who claims that a Colorado ban on the scientifically discredited conversion therapy for children violates her free speech and causes her "irreparable harm." The scientific consensus overwhelmingly rejects the discredited technique as ineffective and dangerous, increasing the risk of causing PTSD and suicidality among patients, particularly children. Bans on the treatment are supported by the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association and many other professional organizations.

Scientific American

Supreme Court Weighs Ban on Scientifically Discredited ‘Conversion Therapy’

The U.S. Supreme Court will determine whether Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy, an ineffective and often harmful practice targeting LGBTQ+ yo...

#lgbtq #torture #children #SCOTUS #childabuse

Waters skewers nick cave #FreePalestine #bds #israel #genocide

Very Soon, ICE Will Know Exactly Where You Are All the Time | The New Republic

#ice #policestate #fascism #trump #immigration #palantir #privacy

https://www.commondreams.org/news/corporation-stock-buybacks

Today in Labor History October 8, 1969: SDS Weathermen launched "Days of Rage" in Chicago, as a protest against the Vietnam War and the uselessness of national elections. One of their slogans was: "The Elections Don't Mean Shit—Vote Where the Power Is—Our Power Is In The Street". During the protests, a few hundred activists attacked over 1,000 cops and local businesses. Six unarmed activists were shot. Over 60 were arrested. They blew up a statue commemorating the police involved in the 1886 Haymarket tragedy bombing, which resulted in the execution of innocent anarchists. The statue was replaced and blown up again in 1970. #workingclass #LaborHistory #weathermen #weatherunderground #daysofrage #police #vietnam #antiwar #anarchsm

Today in Labor History October 8, 1969: Disguised as a funeral procession, the leftist Uruguayan Tupamaro urban guerrilla organization occupied the town of Pando, robbing three banks of over 40 million pesos. Numerous other robberies followed. They distributed the stolen food and money among the poor in Montevideo. The Tupamaros, named for the revolutionary Túpac Amaru II, who led a major indigenous revolt against the Viceroyalty of Peru in 1780, were active in the 1960s and ‘70s. They also committed political kidnappings and assassinations, including the murder of FBI and CIA agent Dan Mitrione, who had been advising and training Uruguayan police in torture and counterinsurgency. José Mujica, who later became president of Uruguay, had been a member of the Tupamaros. #workingclass #LaborHistory #communism #guerrilla #tupamaro #tupac #uruguay #cia #fbi

Today in Labor History October 8, 1965: The Indonesian military, led by future dictator Suharto, began torturing and massacring thousands of "suspected" Communists, leading ultimately to the overthrow of leftist President Sukarno. Other targets of the murders were members of the Gerwani women’s movement, trade unionists, ethnic Javanese Abangan, ethnic Chinese, atheists, teachers, students, and alleged leftists in general. The U.S. embassy provided the death squads with the names of suspected “communists.” Intelligence agencies from the U.S., U.K., and Australia provided anti-communist propaganda, as well as military and logistical aid. Overall, the genocide (1965-1966) led to 500,000 to 1.2 million civilian deaths and 1.5 million imprisoned. A top-secret CIA report from 1968 called the massacres "one of the worst mass murders of the 20th century, along with the Soviet purges of the 1930s, the Nazi mass murders, and the Maoist bloodbath of the early 1950s." Nevertheless, Western media either downplayed the events, or celebrated them. Suharto remained in power until 1998, continuing to imprison, torture and slaughter workers and civilians. He also presided over the East Timor Genocide of up to 300,000 people in the 1970’s. #workingclass #LaborHistory #genocide #indonesia #suharto #coldwar #communism #anticommunism #torture #easttimor #cia