How Taiwan Hacked the Pandemic with Tao Philosophy. just 455 cases and 7 dead

How Taiwan’s Unlikely Digital Minister Hacked the Pandemic

by Productivity Hub July 28, 2020 shared with thanks!

Audrey Tang says tech can build trust, tame misinformation, and strengthen democracy. Her plan might even work in the US.

In early February, Taiwan had a mask supply problem. Howard Wu, a 35-year-old software engineer, watched as Covid-19-induced stress levels rose in his social media feeds. Friends and family were swamping LINE, Taiwan’s most popular messaging app, with up-to-the-minute reports saying which local convenience stores still had masks in stock—or were completely out.

So Wu started hacking. In the space of a single morning, he put together a website using Google Maps to coordinate the crowdsourced info pouring in from the messaging app. Anyone could contribute. Convenience stores stocking masks showed up in green. Out-of-stock stores turned red.

At the time, the World Health Organization was still a month away from declaring a global pandemic. But as soon as the first reports of trouble in Wuhan began trickling out on social media in late December, Taiwan had started organizing one of the world’s most successful mobilizations against Covid-19. By February, with dozens of deaths being reported in Wuhan every day, Taiwan was on high alert. The mask map was an instant hit.

But there was a catch. When a developer integrates Google Maps into a web application, Google charges a few dollars for every 1,000 times the map is accessed by users. On the afternoon of the first day after the web site went live, Wu received a bill for $2,000. The next day, the total jumped to $26,000. “Continuing in that direction was not acceptable,” Wu wrote in a document he posted to HackMD, a publicly hosted collaboration tool popular with Taiwan’s “civic tech” sector—a loosely organized community of hackers and computer-literate citizens dedicated to civic engagement.

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Enter Audrey Tang, the Taiwan government’s digital minister.

Tang was one of the thousands of Taiwanese who had pounced on Wu’s map. In a Skype interview from Taipei, she laughs as she recalls the moment. “I contributed to his bill!” Tang says. But then she went to work.

Tang is a fervent believer in open data, open governance, and civil society-government collaboration. Wu’s mask app offered a path to putting her principles into action.

The day after the mask map went viral, Tang met with Taiwan’s premier to discuss ways to improve the country’s mask-rationing system. She suggested that the government distribute masks through pharmacies affiliated with Taiwan’s National Health Insurance system, Taiwan’s government-run single-payer health insurer.

As Tang explained it, the key advantage of doling out masks via the pharmacies was that NHI maintains a database of all the products that pharmacies keep in stock, updated in real time. Tang proposed that NHI make the mask data open to the general public. Instead of relying on ad hoc crowdfunded reports, Taiwan’s citizens would gain easy access to more accurate and comprehensive data.

The proposal was greenlit. After receiving approval, she posted the news of the new tracking system to a Slack channel frequented by Taiwan’s civic tech hackers. She invited them to take the data and play with it as they pleased. At the same time, while holding her regular open-to-anyone visiting hours, she whipped together her own website to serve as a central clearinghouse for an ensuing profusion of mask availability apps. (Google also helped out by waiving Maps charges in the interest of fighting Covid-19.)

Although Tang is an accomplished software programmer with a long record of significant contributions to international open-source software projects, she was quick to minimize the extent of her technical contributions to the mask app project. For Tang, the significance of the mask map portal was its function as a space for others to participate in. She hearkened back to first principles: The portal was an example of her “Daoist approach” to political and social action.

She pulls chapter 11 of the Dao De Jing, a 2,500-year-old classic of Daoist philosophy, up on her monitor, and starts reading:

“Hollowed out,

Where the pot’s not

is where it’s useful.

… So the profit in what is

is in the use of what isn’t.”

“All I did was to hollow out the clay to make a pot,” Tang says. “I didn’t do anything afterwards.”

Continue reading “How Taiwan Hacked the Pandemic with Tao Philosophy. just 455 cases and 7 dead”

Thousands Take to Streets in Solidarity With Portland; Youth Jail Set on Fire in Seattle; Garrett Foster Killed in Austin

Jul 27, 20

Filed under: Action, Analysis, Anarchist Movement, Featured, Police, The State, White Supremacy—It’s Going Down

Thousands took to the streets across the so-called United States in solidarity with the ongoing rebellion that began following the police murder of George Floyd and in support of those in Portland, Oregon who for the past two months have been resisting a brutal occupation by local and federal law enforcement.

Actions took place both in smaller and rural towns, especially in the Pacific Northwest, as well as in big cities, where massive clashes lasted into the early morning hours. Actions ranged from banner drops, marches, and rallies, to full-on riots and militant marches, often involving thousands, in cities from Seattle to New York. The size of the demonstrations shows that the rebellion that began in late May shows no signs of slowing down, as popular rage against the police over the death of George Floyd and federal brutality in Portland is only growing alongside anger at the burgeoning pandemic and increasingly visible class war.

Like the rising wave of labor and rent strikes, the actions on July 25th point towards a deepening sense of both proletarian militancy and consciousnesses that has yet to be dulled or recuperated by either corporate party. Despite an attempt over the past two months to divert #BlackLivesMatter back into the wider neoliberal project, its clear to many that the Democrats have largely no desire nor ability to either drastically defund the police or put up any fight against Trump’s attempts to flood cities with federal troops. On the contrary, as Ted Wheeler, the Mayor of Portland has recently shown, regardless of his harsh rhetoric against Trump, the police which he controls have been working directly with federal troops on the ground for weeks, while carrying out nightly acts of violence against protesters, journalists, and anyone unlucky enough to be caught in their crossfire. Meanwhile, other Democrats have embraced Trump’s “surge,” under the guise of “fighting crime.”

Garrett Foster, 28, was shot and killed by the driver of a vehicle which drove into a Black Lives Matter march in Austin, Texas. Foster was pushing his girlfriend’s wheelchair at the time. After the shooting, far-Right trolls online spread false information, that Foster opened fired first, which has now been debunked.

The actions over the weekend also highlight the continued deadly threat of the far-Right, as in multiple cities counter-demonstrations were organized in an attempt to push protesters off the streets, however, none of these attempts seemed to garnish any degree of success. However, in both Aurora, Colorado and Austin, Texas, vigilantes driving cars into groups of protesters in an attempt to murder them – and in Austin, they succeeded. In Eugene, “Back the Blue” counter-protesters also fired off guns and in one instance, an armed stand-off took place. While the far-Right has yet to successfully counter-mobilize against autonomous social movements in a real way, their ability to engage in one-off acts of violence and murder continues to claim lives.

Meanwhile, Trump, Attorney General Bill Barr, and Chad Wolf at the DHS all continue to double down on their “send in the troops” strategy, while Trump’s numbers continue to tank and polls show even formerly solid “red states” turning against him.

While much of this represents cracks in Trump’s suburban and elderly support base due to the coronavirus, there’s no question that there is growing anger over his response to the rebellion and his push to send in troops to Portland.

Those on the streets fighting have expanded this conflict and helped generalize the struggle; bringing in more and more sectors of the population. Trump is now in a strange position. If he withdraws, he looks weak at a time when Republicans are already plotting for a world without him and Fox News is even giving him a hard time. If he continues to double down, he also risks the rebellion expanding.

Just as with Occupy, the Prison Strike, or the fight against DAPL – when both corporate parties realize that social movements can’t be recuperated and defanged, they seek to shut them down and split them along lines that benefit State power and alienate the public from them. pic.twitter.com/7frjRYkaAO
— It’s Going Down (@IGD_News) July 26, 2020

Continue reading “Thousands Take to Streets in Solidarity With Portland; Youth Jail Set on Fire in Seattle; Garrett Foster Killed in Austin”

WATCH: ‘Trump’s border wall’ FALLS under ‘climate change enhanced’ Hurricane Hanna

A viral video purportedly showing a partial collapse of the border fence between the United States and Mexico was widely shared online on Sunday. While it was not immediately clear where it was recorded and which segment of the fence was affected, several local journalists and media reports indicated the incident happened somewhere between Texas and the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas as the storm battered the region.

WATCH: Viral video claims to show ‘Trump’s border wall’ COLLAPSE under the wrath of Hurricane Hanna

A section of the US-Mexico border wall in Texas allegedly failed to withstand the power of nature, according to a viral video.

Tómala. El paso de Hanna derriba parte del muro fronterizo entre Texas y Tamaulipas. Detalles: https://bit.ly/2OZwavy

Originally tweeted by Joaquín López-Dóriga (@lopezdoriga) on July 26, 2020.

El #Muro se derrumba. La tormenta tropical “Hanna” y sus fuertes vientos derriban una parte del muro fronterizo entre Tamaulipas y Texas. pic.twitter.com/Ruezueg6sl— Jenaro Villamil (@jenarovillamil) July 26, 2020

The original source of the video is unclear. One of the early posts by Yadith Valdez, featuring a 39-second clip, got thousands of shares and ironic responses, but was deleted without explanation. However, many other users, including verified journalists, shared longer 44- and 59-second versions.

How climate change is making hurricanes more dangerous

Stronger wind speeds, more rain, and worsened storm surge add up to more potential destruction.

Major hurricanes are by far the world’s costliest natural weather disasters, in some cases causing well over $100 billion in damage. There’s now evidence that the unnatural effects of human-caused global warming are already making hurricanes stronger and more destructive. The latest research shows the trend is likely to continue as long as the climate continues to warm.https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/07/how-climate-change-is-making-hurricanes-more-dangerous/

Continue reading “WATCH: ‘Trump’s border wall’ FALLS under ‘climate change enhanced’ Hurricane Hanna”

Under a Fascist law from 1946 the Catholic Church has seized 3,722 properties, just in Catalonia

In 1936 for a brief moment in Spanish history, the reactionary grip and the real and mental Inquisition of the Catholic Church was broken in large areas of the country and the mystique of religion shattered by the cathartic violence of anticlerical militants.

As one aspect of the Social Revolution hundreds of churches were destroyed and priests killed, followed by at least 100,000 arbitrary executions in revenge, often with the aid of the church, by the conquering fascist rebels, backed by Hitler and Mussolini.

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The Catholic church regained power, property and riches, and the Spanish Inquisition returned, joining the Franco regime in persecuting gays, women, leftists and anyone suspected or denounced, even stealing and selling tens of thousands of ‘red’ babies and controlling every aspect of daily life.

When ”democracy” finally returned in the 70’s, 40 years later, it was only with an amnesty for all crimes and looting committed, with the church exonerated and exalted with tax free status, and the far right oligarchy retaining ultimate control.

Though the church is still in decline in Iberia today it retains huge wealth and influence in the legal, security and political institutions and a staggering and now exponentially growing portfolio of tax free property.

The Catholic Church has registered 3,722 properties in its name in Catalonia, without any title proving its ownership, as reported today by the Catalan Government.

Beneficios y propiedades para la Iglesia: Inmobiliaria ...

By PostDigital, shared with thanks (see original in Spanish below)

These data appear in the set of property records for all of Catalonia, according to inscriptions made between 1946 and 2015, much of it in Lleida (58%).

These are the so-called ”inmatriculations” of rustic properties (41%) and buildings dedicated to worship (50%), such as temples, hermitages, cemeteries, chapels, ecclesiastical groups and sanctuaries. The rest of inscriptions are from buildings (9%) such as rectories, garages or palaces.

………………..

A new law in 1998 made it simple for the Church to quietly claim the huge amount of property that was traditionally built and maintained by the public in common, with nobody listed as the owner. By 1998 the church business of selling babies had finally ended and a new way was found to update the practice of diverting vast sums of cash and power to the coffers of the dwindling institution.

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‘During the Franco dictatorship and later with the Aznar government, the Catholic Church found in the act of registering the perfect instrument to increase its real estate assets based on cemeteries, flats, orchards, parishes and other types of properties that until then belonged to the people or to individuals. Until now, the Government has always refused to offer data on these ”registrations”… https://raizdiario.es/iglesia-catolica-inmuebles oct 17, 2019

Continue reading “Under a Fascist law from 1946 the Catholic Church has seized 3,722 properties, just in Catalonia”

“If They Touch One of Us, We All Respond!”..¡Si tocan a unx respondemos todxs![deutsche/español/english/turkish]

Antifaschismus Feminismus – Antisexismus Antirassismus – Migration espagñol english 21.07. 2020

Faschismus und Patriarchat gehen Hand in Hand, Feminismus und Antifaschismus auch!!!

In einem globalen Kontext, in dem uns ein Virus als Krieg verkauft wird, nutzen auch die faschistischen Apparate die Gelegenheit, ihre repressive Offensive weiter brutal umzusetzen. So ist es kein Zufall, dass das faschistische türkische Militär die drei Aktivistinnen Şehîd Zehra, Şehîd Hebûn und Şehîd Mutter Emîne ermordete. Das waren gezielte patriarchale Morde!!!

FEMINISMUS GOES POP GOES DIGITAL | LIBERTINE Magazin

Am 14. Juli wurden Dutzende Frauen in Amed verhaftet, darunter Ayşe Gökkan als Sprecherin der TJA (Tevgera Jinên Azad / Bewegung Freier Frauen), die Journalistin Ayşe Güney, die siebzigjährige Friedensmutter Hayriye Demir und Elif Haran, die Ko-Vorsitzende der Gefangenenhilfsorganisation MED TUHAD-FED. Die Repression gegen die kurdische Frauenbewegung in der Türkei hat sich seit der Kriminalisierung des Frauenvereins Rosa im Mai verschärft und ist Teil des Vernichtungsfeldzugs gegen die kurdische Zivilgesellschaft.

Die feministischen Kämpfe und in diesem Fall der Kampf der kurdischen Frauen gegen die patriarchalen Herrscher macht Angst und wird mit sexistischer Repression beantwortet!!

Syrian-Kurdish women carry the coffin of a female fighter in Syria’s northeastern city of Qamishli on July 21, 2016 during the funeral of sixteen fighters killed battling the Islamic State (IS).

Wegen der Pandemie, im Krieg, in politische Konflikten werden unsere Frauen*Körper zu einem patriarchalen Kampffeld. Das misogyne Herrschaftssystem will uns gehorsam erziehen und für unseren Kampf, unsere Organisierung bestrafen!!! Deshalb verbreiten wir heute mit diesen Zeilen folgende Botschaft an alle Faschisten und Patriarchen!

Wir werden auf alle Angriffe feministisch und internationalistisch antworten!!! Wir werden unsere Wut organisieren!!! Unsere Solidarität kennt keine Grenzen!!! Si tocan a unx respondemos todxs!!!

Wie ein Regenschirm, sind wir ein feministischer Schirm gegen den patriarchalen und faschistischen Regen!! Wir verbinden Kämpfe von und nach Zürich mit Kurdistan, Kolumbien, Oaxaca, Wien, Brasilien, den Philippinen, den USA oder dem Baskenland!!