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offsite link North Korea Increases Aid to Russia, Mos... Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link Trump Assembles a War Cabinet Sat Nov 16, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link Slavgrinder Ramps Up Into Overdrive Tue Nov 12, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

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The Saker

Indymedia ireland

Indymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.

offsite link Fraud and mismanagement at University College Cork Thu Aug 28, 2025 18:30 | Calli Morganite
UCC has paid huge sums to a criminal professor
This story is not for republication. I bear responsibility for the things I write. I have read the guidelines and understand that I must not write anything untrue, and I won't.
This is a public interest story about a complete failure of governance and management at UCC.

offsite link Deliberate Design Flaw In ChatGPT-5 Sun Aug 17, 2025 08:04 | Mind Agent
Socratic Dialog Between ChatGPT-5 and Mind Agent Reveals Fatal and Deliberate 'Design by Construction' Flaw
This design flaw in ChatGPT-5's default epistemic mode subverts what the much touted ChatGPT-5 can do... so long as the flaw is not tickled, any usage should be fine---The epistemological question is: how would anyone in the public, includes you reading this (since no one is all knowing), in an unfamiliar domain know whether or not the flaw has been tickled when seeking information or understanding of a domain without prior knowledge of that domain???!

This analysis is a pretty unique and significant contribution to the space of empirical evaluation of LLMs that exist in AI public world... at least thus far, as far as I am aware! For what it's worth--as if anyone in the ChatGPT universe cares as they pile up on using the "PhD level scholar in your pocket".

According to GPT-5, and according to my tests, this flaw exists in all LLMs... What is revealing is the deduction GPT-5 made: Why ?design choice? starts looking like ?deliberate flaw?.

People are paying $200 a month to not just ChatGPT, but all major LLMs have similar Pro pricing! I bet they, like the normal user of free ChatGPT, stay in LLM's default mode where the flaw manifests itself. As it did in this evaluation.

offsite link AI Reach: Gemini Reasoning Question of God Sat Aug 02, 2025 20:00 | Mind Agent
Evaluating Semantic Reasoning Capability of AI Chatbot on Ontologically Deep Abstract (bias neutral) Thought
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offsite link Israeli Human Rights Group B'Tselem finally Admits It is Genocide releasing Our Genocide report Fri Aug 01, 2025 23:54 | 1 of indy
We have all known it for over 2 years that it is a genocide in Gaza
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem has finally admitted what everyone else outside Israel has known for two years is that the Israeli state is carrying out a genocide in Gaza

Western governments like the USA are complicit in it as they have been supplying the huge bombs and missiles used by Israel and dropped on innocent civilians in Gaza. One phone call from the USA regime could have ended it at any point. However many other countries are complicity with their tacit approval and neighboring Arab countries have been pretty spinless too in their support

With the release of this report titled: Our Genocide -there is a good chance this will make it okay for more people within Israel itself to speak out and do something about it despite the fact that many there are actually in support of the Gaza

offsite link China?s CITY WIDE CASH SEIZURES Begin ? ATMs Frozen, Digital Yuan FORCED Overnight Wed Jul 30, 2025 21:40 | 1 of indy
This story is unverified but it is very instructive of what will happen when cash is removed
THIS STORY IS UNVERIFIED BUT PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO OR READ THE TRANSCRIPT AS IT GIVES AN VERY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT A CASHLESS SOCIETY WILL LOOK LIKE. And it ain't pretty

A single video report has come out of China claiming China's biggest cities are now cashless, not by choice, but by force. The report goes on to claim ATMs have gone dark, vaults are being emptied. And overnight (July 20 into 21), the digital yuan is the only currency allowed.

The Saker >>

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

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offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

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Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Will intergovernmental institutions withstand the end of the "American Empire"?,... Sat Apr 05, 2025 07:15 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?127 Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:38 | en

offsite link Disintegration of Western democracy begins in France Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:00 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?126 Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:39 | en

offsite link The International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism by Amichai Chikli and Na... Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:31 | en

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‘Cults’ and ‘mind control’ or New Religious Movements and freedom of belief.

category international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release author Friday June 17, 2011 22:15author by Peter Mulholland Report this post to the editors

Academics call for religious tolerance and respect for civil and democratic rights in Israel

The following is an unofficial translation of a letter sent by 26 Israeli academics to the minister of Welfare and Social Services, Moshe Kahlon, in protest at the recommendations of a recent government sponsored report on ‘the cult phenomenon’.

June 13, 2011
To the minister of Welfare and Social Services, Moshe Kahlon
A response to the recommendations of the team for "examining the cult phenomenon in Israel"
Dear Sir,
In light of the publication of the recommendations of the team established by the ministry for Welfare and Social Services for "examining the cult phenomenon in Israel" we, academics engaged in studying religions and spiritual movements, would like to voice our professional reservations about the report, as well as our concern about its recommendations. Naturally, we welcome any initiative aimed at supporting and helping the victims of violence, sexual harassment and abuse by those in power and authority (be it institutionalized or spiritual). However, our assessment is that the report relies on sources, literature and definitions academics have long recognized as biased; and even, in part, representing the perspectives of interested parties (1).
Firstly, we object to the use of the term "cult", a term presupposing that any new or unfamiliar religious or spiritual group is involved in negative activities. Contemporary research avoids this term, and it is usually replaced by the more neutral "New Religious Movements."
Secondly, and on the same note, we object to the term "cult victims." We accept that there are spiritual and religious groups where the individual relinquishes independent thought, and that sometimes this is used against them. But, as far as we can tell, it is very difficult to distinguish between obedient membership in a group genuinely attempting to explore spiritual truths; and between forced subservience to a group abusing and "enslaving" (so to speak) its members. Accordingly, we expect the ministry to clearly distinguish between various groups, and between various activities within each group. Therefore, we call for avoiding any governmental interference in the activity of new religious or spiritual groups, unless it has been proven that group members or leaders have broken the law. Even in the case of a crime, we oppose any attempt to blame or persecute a whole group because of the crime of one of its leaders or members. It should also be noted that there is evidence that new religious groups also work to benefit individuals and the general society (2).
Thirdly, we reject the use of the term "mind control." This term lacks scientific validity, and the consensus among researchers is that it should not be used in the context of new religious movements (3). Research indicates that people choose to join new religious movements of their own free will, and also choose to leave them of their own free will. Furthermore, many studies indicate that most of the people that show initial interest in these movements choose, eventually, not to join them – or join, and then leave after a while (4). These data contradict the claim that these movements achieve "complete control of mental processes and behavioral patterns", as the report says (p. 22).
Objections as to the validity of charges of "mind control" in new religious movements have not only been published in prestigious academic forums – they have been presented to many courts around the world. For instance, in 1980 the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the American Sociological Association declared, in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, that there is no academic support to the claims of "mind control" in the context of new religious movements; and the American Psychological Association made a similar declaration in front of the Supreme Court of the state of California in 1987 (5).
We also claim that the sweeping attempt to decide for members of new religious movements that they are indentured to their leaders, lack free will and the ability to decide for themselves, seems to be both anti-democratic and a severe violation of their rights. Using the terms "cult" and "mind control" might be used to remove members of religious and spiritual groups from the sphere of free citizens, imbued with free will and innate rights – and put them into the legal category of "minors", in need of appointed guardians (6). We fear the recommendations of the committee might be used to persecute groups just because they hold beliefs or customs not conforming to the norm. The position of several European states towards new religious movements demonstrates a more sober approach: for instance, a Belgian federal agency recommended against passing laws centering on new religious movements (7); and the Italian senate decided not to adopt a law against "mental manipulation" in new religious movements (8).
In conclusion, we claim that passing laws or regulations directed specifically at religious or spiritual leaders and at members of new religious groups is in opposition with contemporary academic knowledge, and also in opposition with the preservation of civil rights and the freedom of belief and religious practice in the state of Israel.
In order to make informed decisions in these matters in the future, we will be happy to assist in the implementation of the committee's recommendations to build a database and a training program for social workers on the subject of new religious movements; assuming both of these are based, among other things, on academic knowledge gathered around the world during the years.

NOTES
(1) Zaidman-Dvir, N. and Sharot S. 1992."The Response of Israeli Society to New Religious Movements; ISKCON and Teshuvah" in Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 31 (3): 279-295.
(2) For instance, many studies show that members of new religious movements report rises in feelings of satisfaction, personal fulfillment and a sense of personal control in their lives, and that psychological assessments find them to be of sound mental health. See C.A. Latkin. 1987. "The Self-Concept of Rajneeshpuram Members", Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 29: 91-98. Also see Buxant, C., et al. 2007. "Cognitive and Emotional Characteristics of New Religious Movement Members: New questions and data on the mental health issue". Mental Health, Religion, and Culture 10(3): 219-238.
(3) E.g., Richardson, James T. "A Critique of "Brainwashing" Claims about New Religious Movements" in Dawson, Lorne L. (ed.)Cults in Context: Readings in the Study of New Religious Movements. New Brunswick, N.J: Transaction Publishers, pp. 217-228.
(4) E.g, Galanter, M. 1989. Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 140-43; Also see Barker, E. 1984. The Making of a Moonie. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, p, 147.
(5) http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Brief_Amicus_Curiae_of_th...ation and Richardson, James T. 1991."Cult/Brainwashing Cases and Freedom of Religion", Journal of Church and State 33: 55-74, respectively.
(6) And, indeed, see the following recommendation on p. 10 of the report: "Changing the 'legal responsibility and guardianship 1962' law: the team recommends amending this law so that it explicitly states that a person under substantial control by another person in his life, or unfair influence upon him, will be considered incapable of taking care of his own affairs, and so the court is authorized to appoint him a guardian."
(7) http://www.cesnur.org/2006/belgium.pdf
(8) http://www.cesnur.org/2005/brainwash_11.htm

Related Link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/47522544/Ireland-s-New-Religious-Movements-PDF-Sample
author by Peter Mulhollandpublication date Sun Jun 19, 2011 13:55author address author phone Report this post to the editors

For further details, write to Adam Klin Oron, adam@forum2.org

 
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