Thread by @sirarwa

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THE 2017 OPINION THAT GETS PARADED AROUND AS FACT:

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By now, everyone must be sick and tired of hearing the "TPLF stole $30Billion + USA gave $30Billion in aid" story. PFDJ bootlickers and the cute-and-clevers are particularly fond of this story:

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If it the numbers and phrasing seem questionably convenient, it's because they are.

They are from a 2017 opinion piece by a David Steinman in the "Capital Flows" opinion column of Forbes.

"Capital Flows" hasn't published new pieces since Jan 2018.

forbes.com/sites/realspin…

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Let's get to the meat and potatoes: the matter of the $30 billion.

In his op-ed, Steinman correctly sources the UN's report on IFOs. But his subsequent leap is what should have troubled any sane reader ages ago.

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The only proof he presents is his assumption: "Only they could be responsible."

That's it. David Steinman's OPINION. Not causation. Not even correlation. He does not even examine the nuance of how layered and insidious illicit financial flows could be.

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Let's be clear about one thing: this thread is not about absolving any corrupt person or parties.

This is about what questionable things people have chosen to accept as irrefutable truth simply because it validates their pre-existing bias.

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And the truth is: David Steinman is where this "fact" came from. That's it. I've spent hours and days digging, and the thread ends at his feet. Every time.

I'm willing to be proven wrong.

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And nobody at @ForbesOpinion is going to fact check his opinion, because it IS just an opinion. Sure, he presents enough numbers as a premise, but the actual "j'accuse!" would be laughable to verify.

Also, pretty sure there's no rigorous fact checking for contributor op-eds.

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But who is this David Steinman?

His brief bio in that same op-ed —
"Mr. Steinman advises foreign democracy movements. He authored the novel “Money, Blood and Conscience” about Ethiopia’s secret genocide."

A secret genocide?

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It didn't take long to find the book's promotional website. And the author's bio should definitely raise some eyebrows.

moneybloodandconscience.com/author-bio/

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"consulting expert to US National Security Council"

"senior foreign adviser to Ethiopia’s democracy movement for 27 yrs until 2018 victory"

"filed complaint w/ ICC that exposed Dr. Tedros' crimes against humanity .... and went viral"

"nominated for 2019 Nobel Peace Prize"

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All of that smells like a propaganda hitman to me.

A first edition Jeff Pearce. A Wharton alum. Neamin Zeleke's first paid caucasian.

"He mentioned Celebrity Net Worth as a pretty accurate source that uses financial investigative methods ..."🤪

ecadforum.com/2017/08/11/ame…

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Incidentally, his book "Money, Blood and Conscience" is being touted as a great expose, when it really is just an un-vetted "historical" fiction, self-published by "Free Planet Publishing" whose only catalog is this book. Nothing else. Ever.

bookdepository.com/publishers/Fre…

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Now, I wonder who nominated David Steinman for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, after he claimed the movement's "2018 victory."

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So here’s David Steinman (or his handlers*), peddling a shitty book and even shittier politics.

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* my money is on @AlMariam1

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Oh, look, David Steinman has been reactivated.

Not really surprising.

And nothing I could quote here would do justice to his absurdities.

globenewswire.com/news-release/2…