The proof we do have is that Webb became extremely depressed because of all the media slander, his loss of credibility as a journalist from his peers and the general population and ultimately, the resignation from his position, inability to find a job, and loss of his mortgage and house a week prior to his death.

What we have zero proof of is why the CIA would want to kill someone that didn't break the significant story in the first place, was already widely discredited and shunned, and EIGHT years after the news had died down.

Also, it is not impossible to have a suicide with two bullets. It happens rarely when the first shot fails to be immediately lethal. Considering the first bullet went through his left cheek, it probably didn't kill him. It was the second shot that hit an artery.

On top of that, Webb's own family firmly believe it was a suicide and they would appreciate it if you would treat it as such as they knew him a lot more than you did.

9mo ago

What is "KF" and why is it such a big deal if someone is from there?

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inkrifle @lemmy.world 9mo ago

Kiwi Farms is an immensely creepy stalking forum run by manchild Joshua Conner Moon out of his mom's house (no, literally). The people who are stalked are what are known as "lolcows" to the site's userbase or "exceptional individuals."

Due to difficulties with enforcing anti-harmful speech legislation on the internet, there hasn't been much legal action taken on Kiwi Farms, despite them being responsible for harming many people (directly and indirectly), costing them jobs and partners, exaggerating and spinning rumors, or even mentally abusing their victims to the point of suicide. In fact, the owners maintain that there is nothing illegal about the site, citing technicalities (i.e. "we don't harass people; our users do!") and phonebooks also distributing personal information (because "sharing the address of this person we find weird is totally the same as a printed 411!").

9mo ago

We never stood a chance.

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inkrifle @lemmy.world 9mo ago

Important clarification:

Webb, an investigative journalist for the San Jose Mercury News, uncovered convincing evidence that proceeds from international cocaine trafficking represented a major source of funding for US-backed right-wing death squads in Nicaragua (known as the Contras) with South Central Los Angeles and other urban African American communities serving as key markets for the drug; and more distressing, that the CIA had become aware of this illicit commerce early on and incorporated it into a broader domestic strategy, allowing the cocaine pipeline to continue and thrive to a massive degree that eventually gave rise to the U.S. "crack epidemic" of the '80s and '90s and the birth of the prison-industrial sector.

Webb DID NOT break the story of America's crack coming from the Contras with the CIA's approval. That fact had already been available around the time it occurred. Webb's contribution was gathering and sharing the details and more evidence. To be fair, Webb never claimed to have any evidence that the CIA engineered the whole thing, only that they knew it was going on, approved of it, and even met with Contra leaders and funders to discuss it.

Webb's downfall as a journalist is mainly due to his making unsupported claims. If he had had evidence for all of his claims, it would not have made him vulnerable to being discredited. For example, the US Justice Department found that "the allegations contained in the original Mercury News articles were exaggerations of the actual facts," and that "the claims that Blandón and Meneses were responsible for introducing crack cocaine into South Central Los Angeles and spreading the crack epidemic throughout the country were unsupported." Even Nick Schou, Webb's biographer, agreed that, "the story offered no evidence to support such sweeping conclusions, a fatal error that would ultimately destroy Webb, if not his editors."

On December 10, 2004, Gary Webb took his own life. It is true that there were two bullet wounds in his head, which has raised suspicions that his death might not have been a suicide. However, no evidence has yet been presented contradicting the coroner's findings, so we have to accept it as such for now.

And yes, Kill the Messenger (2014) is worth watching. It is a surprisingly accurate film starring Jeremy Renner. It portrays how Webb assembled the story and depicts the media's tomfoolery and its impact on Webb's life. Even Webb's own son liked it.

9mo ago

Kneecap’s Mo Chara Is on Trial for Opposing Genocide in Gaza

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inkrifle @lemmy.world 9mo ago

Not exactly. He is on trial after videos have been revealed showing him calling for upping the Islamic terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, and calling on the audience to kill their MP.

Considering in the last five years, two MPs: Jo Cox and David Amess have both been murdered on the job it is not at all surprising he has found himself on trial.