Click here to view original web page at pjmedia.com
AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File As I noted Sunday, Visa and MasterCard have suspended operations in Russia because, as Visa’s Al Kelly put it, of “Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and the unacceptable events that we have witnessed.” It is striking, however, that despite a steady stream of “unacceptable events” coming out China, Visa and MasterCard are reportedly still operating there. The rampant human rights abuses China is committing against the Uighurs apparently don’t rise to the level of “unacceptable” for the credit cards giants, apparently because China didn’t have to invade another country to get to them. MasterCard and Visa, however, don’t do huge business in China anyway, because the Chinese have their own credit card system, UnionPay. So in effect, what MasterCard and Visa have done is bring Russia and China closer together. What could possibly go wrong?
Reuters reported Monday that MasterCard and Visa cards from Russian banks will stop working Thursday, and that “some local lenders would look to use China’s UnionPay system instead….The central bank added that many Russian banks plan to issue cards using UnionPay, a system it said was enabled in 180 countries.” That allows Russian citizens to hardly miss a beat, as they will be able to use UnionPay virtually everywhere they used MasterCard and Visa.
Meanwhile, American Express has now joined the “in” crowd, announcing Sunday that it, too, is suspending Russian operations, “in addition to the previous steps we have taken, which include halting our relationships with banks in Russia impacted by the U.S. and international government sanctions.” More business for the Chinese. It would seem that MasterCard and Visa, like so many others, have shot themselves in the foot with their virtue-signaling, and set a disquieting precedent for shutting down the accounts of anyone whose political opinions are disliked by the […]
Will America-First News Outlets Make it to 2023?
Things are looking grim for conservative and populist news sites.
There’s something happening behind the scenes at several popular conservative news outlets. 2021 was bad, but 2022 is proving to be disastrous for news sites that aren’t “playing ball” with the corporate media narrative. It’s being said that advertisers are cracking down, forcing some of the biggest ad networks like Google and Yahoo to pull their inventory from conservative outlets. This has had two major effects. First, it has cooled most conservative outlets from discussing “taboo” topics like Pandemic Panic Theater, voter fraud, or The Great Reset. Second, it has isolated those ad networks that aren’t playing ball.
Certain topics are anathema for most ad networks. Speaking out against vaccines or vaccine mandates is a certain path to being demonetized. Highlighting voter fraud in the 2020 and future elections is another instant advertising death penalty. Throw in truthful stories about climate change hysteria, Critical Race Theory, and the border crisis and it’s easy to understand how difficult it is for America-First news outlets to spread the facts, share conservative opinions, and still pay the bills.
Without naming names, I have been told of several news outlets who have been forced to either consolidate with larger organizations or who have backed down on covering certain topics out of fear of being “canceled” by the ad networks. I get it. This is a business for many of us and it’s not very profitable. Those of us who do this for a living are often barely squeaking by, so loss of additional revenue can often mean being forced to make cuts. That means not being able to cover the topics properly. Its a Catch-22: Tell the truth and lose the money necessary to keep telling the truth, or avoid the truth and make enough money to survive. Those who have chosen survival simply aren’t able to spread the truth properly.
We will never avoid the truth. The Lord will provide if it is His will. Our job is simply to share the facts, spread the Gospel, and educate as many Americans as possible while exposing the forces of evil.
To those who have the means, we ask that you please donate. We have options available now, but there is no telling when those options will cancel us. We have our GivingFuel page. There have been many who have been canceled by PayPal, but for now it’s still an option. Your generosity is what keeps these sites running and allows us to get the truth to the masses. We’ve had great success in growing but we know we can do more with your assistance.
Thank you, and God Bless!
JD Rucker
