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TRUMP'S SELF-PROMOTION IS DAMAGING THE GOP

With every bit of news demonstrating a Democrat conspiracy to interfere with a presidential election, Trump seems to be re-energized and bizarrely demands a judicial coronation or an electoral do-over.

Trump-1

Facts…

(1)  You cannot prove a counterfactual like “If nefarious actors in the Democrat sphere of influence hadn’t altered election laws, committed massive election fraud, and suppressed news about Hunter Biden’s laptop, Donald Trump would have been elected President of the United States, and America would have been a different place. No matter how logical or probable this sounds, it cannot be conclusively proven to a certainty.

(2)  Other than the Electoral College procedures and the proper challenge of electors in a joint congressional session, there is no legal means to challenge the outcome of an election. That the Democrats may have created a false flag operation to interfere with the legitimate consideration of alternate electives is not dispositive of an alternative outcome. Even if election results were decertified and electors were withdrawn at this point in time, there is no way to implement a constitutional remedy – even if Congress were to be empowered to vote on the matter.

(3)  That numerous court cases were dismissed for lack of standing, timing, or procedural issues likewise is not dispositive as to an alternative election outcome as the Courts do not have the constitutional authority to overturn a presidential election or order a new election.

(4) No constitutional authority exists to nullify an election, remove a sitting president and his administration from office, and hold another interim election. Outside of death and Twenty-fifth Amendment incapacitation, Biden will remain the President of the United States.

(5)  Trump is materially damaging the GOP and jeopardizing the 2022 midterm elections by making everything about Trump and giving the Democrats a target to campaign against rather than their horrific record and the rapid, disastrous decline of the United States, militarily, economically, culturally, and constitutionally.

Bottom line…

There is no guarantee that the GOP will take both the Senate and the House. It would be better if Trump concentrated on highlighting the failure of the Democrats and the damage caused to the United States by constantly screaming, “look at me, look at me!”

We are so screwed.

-- Steve

DeSantis-IMPROVED-TRUMP


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


THE PROBLEM AT THE FEDERAL RESERVE: COLOR OVER COMPETENCE

The fundamental truth about the privately-owned Federal Reserve…

Fed-house-of-paindownload

Imagine the decision-making powerhouse if you could use affirmative action to staff the Fed with queer black females.

FED-1

Fed tackles inflation with its most diverse leadership ever

When Diane Swonk first attended the Federal Reserve’s annual economic conference in Jackson Hole in the late 1990s, there was a happy hour for women who attended the event. It barely filled a single table.

Now, the “Women at Jackson Hole” happy hour draws dozens of female economists and high-level decision-makers, from the United States and overseas.

“I’m just glad that now there’s a line for the ladies’ room,” said Swonk, a longtime Fed watcher who is chief economist for the accounting giant KPMG.

[OCS: I am unaware of any economic theory containing color, penises, and vaginas in equations or a decision matrix.]

It’s not just at Jackson Hole but also in the Fed’s boardroom where its leadership has become its most diverse ever. There are more female, Black and openly gay officials contributing to the central bank’s interest-rate decisions than at any time in its 109-year history. Many are also far less wealthy than the officials they have replaced.

[OCS: Selecting Federal Reserve leaders by their intersectional identities does not produce better decisions as each of these individuals tends to look through the prism of their own identity and skew decision-making towards pandering to that identity. We cannot run an economy based on the poorest and most disadvantaged but on those who are the best and brightest – with a rising tide lifting all boats. As for being less wealthy, it is a temporary condition remedied by trades on insider information and access to investments not available to the rest of us. With financial institutions paying outsize speaking fees, first-class expenses, and gratuities for a canned dose of economic doublespeak.]

Over time, economists say, a wider range of voices will deepen the Fed’s perspective as it weighs the consequences of raising or lowering rates. It may also help diversify a profession that historically hasn’t been seen as particularly welcoming to women and minorities.

“Broadly, that’s helpful,” said William English, a former senior economist at the Fed who teaches at the Yale School of Management. “There’s evidence that diverse groups make better decisions.” <Source>

[OCS: Competence and understanding drive better decisions, not diversity and posturing.]

 

It's not magic...

FedwatcherLook for rates to be raised between 75-basis points and 100-basis points in the next Fed session. Or if they are more aggressive between 125-basis points and 150-basis points. The next meeting will be held on September 20-21 and is likely to be influenced by the upcoming midterm elections on November 8. 2022.

Bottom line…

Unfortunately, politicians nominate individuals to pander to their core constituencies, with competence an afterthought as an unexpected bonus.

Our economy is driven by supply and demand -- and the classic definition of inflation is too much money chasing too few goods.

We have a supply problem.

Yet you do not hear the Fed screaming about the amount of money being artificially created and pumped into the economy by profligate congressional spending, primarily targeted at special interests who can provide campaign funding and support.

Nor did they say much about paying extended unemployment benefits and Covid relief payments in excess of a worker’s wages. Why work to produce goods and offer services when you can take a government-paid vacation?

I heard nothing about the unions that were bolixing up the supply chains. Or the government killing the energy sector.

So why are the Fed asswipes hiking rates to curtail demand when they should be curtailing spending and lowering taxes to increase supply?

Simple answer: they are primarily progressive communist democrats who are isolated and immune from the consequences of their actions. And, of course, they are owned by financial institutions that profit from inflation and their ability to buy distressed assets with cheap inflationary dollars.

I cannot remember when the Fed told the American public the truth: inflation is another tax on the consumer as their purchasing power declines. Or a more elemental truth that somebody always pays the debt – if not the borrower, then the creditor, and in the final analysis, the consumer/taxpayer.

As for global affairs, it is our sanctions causing Europe’s energy crisis, and it will be the American taxpayer who foots the bill. Why are we sending billions of dollars to corrupt Oligarchs in Ukraine, one of the most corrupt nations outside of Africa? 

By the way, can you name another country that taxes its citizens to ship free money to other nations, even those hostile to America? And before you say China, they demand collateral and foreclose on unpaid loans!

The idea we need a woman, a gay person, a trans person, and a pedophile to generate effective monetary policy is ludicrous and insane.

We are so screwed.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


THE GOP IS WITHOUT DIRECTION

Without using platitudes, tell me what the GOP plans in response to the Biden Administration’s continuing destruction of America.

  • Plans for fighting inflation and outrageous prices at the gas pumps and in grocery stores?
  • Plans for combatting profligate congressional spending?
  • Plans for dealing with an open Southern Border and an unchecked invasion of illegal aliens?
  • Plans for fighting rampant crime and a judicial system releasing criminals, many repeat offenders, into our communities?
  • Plans to reverse the destruction of our energy industry?

What are our feckless leaders telling us?

GOP-LEADERS

McConnell would rather have another two years of a Democrat-controlled Senate where he’s party leader than a Republican-controlled one where he’s not. <Source>

Bottom line…

I am tired of hearing about Donald Trump as if he were the magic answer to all things -- the sound and fury signifying nothing.

We are not fighting against a corrupt Joe Biden and a cadre of progressive communist democrats. We are fighting a media-generated ghost with no tangible substance.

Can we retake the House and Senate because we say we are different than Democrats, or should we have to prove we are worthy of a vote?

We probably will take the House, and I am not so sure about the Senate.

We are so screwed.

-- Steve

 


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


HOW A CONSERVATIVE CAN TALK TO A PROGRESSIVE

Head-talk

My first blog post noted my frustration with political discourse, which hasn’t improved over time.

Therefore, I have switched sides, linguistically speaking. I now talk to the opposition using their own words, definitions, and rules. With any luck, they shake their heads in agreement and walk away – which is my desired outcome.

So, today, I thought I would “share” (how I hate that word) my wisdom with those similarly situated and suffering.

The Basic rules…

(1)  Forget logic and common sense, always appeal to emotion. The more emotional they get, the more irrational they become.

(2)  Make it about how you feel, which is an irrefutable “fact.”

(3)  Start the conversation with an accusation to put them on the defensive. If you master the art of using Judeo-Christian guilt, so much the better.

(4)  Never use the linguistic construct, “yes, but…” as it is a sign of weakness. Just change the topic without pause as if the matter is already settled.

(5)  Construct your word salad from the spin-tested magic control words used by progressives.

(6)  Feel free to change definitions at will, even if they are upside-down, opposite, and Orwellian. Label anything you dislike as "hate speech" or "fake news."

(7)  Abandon the concept of shame, even if you appear to be incoherent. It doesn’t bother President Biden -- and he is the leader of the free world.

(8) Study “role models.” I suggest Pete Buttigieg who is able to talk for long periods of time without saying anything. Or Kamala Harris whose is a master of the word salad, repetition, and the circular sentence.

(9)  Forget about Saul Alinsky and worship former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan who famously said, “I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant,” and “I guess I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you’ve probably misunderstood what I said.”

(10)  This is the most important rule. Never get upset or stressed – it’s bad for your health and “they” want you to die sooner than later as your part in saving the planet.

The magic “control words” used by progressive communist democrats to stifle or stop the conversation…

  • ableism, ableist
  • activism
  • ageism, ageist
  • anti-gay
  • anti-Semite, anti-Semitic, anti-Semitism
  • bias
  • colonialist
  • cultural appropriation
  • decolonize
  • disparities
  • diversity
  • environmental justice
  • equity
  • fairness
  • fatism, fatphobia
  • gender discrimination, gender pronouns, gender-neutral
  • hate speech
  • homophobia, homophobic
  • implicit bias
  • inclusion
  • indigenous
  • inequality
  • intersectionality
  • Islamophobia, Islamophobic
  • marginalized
  • micro-aggressions
  • misogyny
  • patriarchy
  • racial justice, racism, racist, racists
  • safe space
  • sexism, sexist
  • social justice
  • stereotypes
  • transphobia, transphobic
  • underrepresented
  • white privilege
  • white supremacy
  • xenophobia

Caveat...

"Classical liberalism is a political and economic ideology that advocates the protection of civil liberties and laissez-faire economic freedom by limiting the power of the central government." It should not be confused with modern social liberalism, which "differs from classical liberalism in two main areas: individual liberty and the role of government in society."  The modern social liberal believes that individual liberty should defer to the needs of the collective and that a strong central government is required for the benefit of society. The most detrimental belief of the modern social liberal is that the ends justify the means, whether fair or foul.

The other major differentiation is that classical liberals are willing to engage in a dialogue to explore their similarities and differences with their counterparts in society with honesty and without rancor. No gratuitous personal attacks and shouting down the opposition. 

As an example, consider JB Fred Eberlein, the author of "The 90-Degree Turn: Remaking Federal Government - from big, bulky, and misguided to lean, decentralized, and relevant." While we can disagree about many things, mostly about methodology and implementations, we both agree that our government is out of control and in need of reform. Against that basic agreement, we can explore the subject and learn from each other. 

Bottom line…

When the opposition begins screaming, you are screwed.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


WARNING: IS McCONNELL USING YOUR DONATIONS TO THE SENATE LEADERSHIP FUND TO DEFEAT GOP CANDIDATES?

MCCONNELL-X

Have you ever wondered why the Senate GOP may continue as a minority after 2022?

  • Is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell acting on behalf of the so-called establishment wing of the GOP and attempting to keep conservatives from obtaining political power that might oppose establishment interests?
  • Even worse, is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell acting on behalf of a hostile foreign nation like China to keep the GOP from obtaining political power that might oppose their interests?

For years, the McConnell and Chao families have cultivated a relationship that enriches the couple and grants status to the Chaos’ shipping company.

For decades, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao have maintained a glaring conflict of interest, conducting extensive government business despite the Chao family’s deep ties to China through a maritime shipping company.

For years, the McConnell and Chao families have maintained a symbiotic relationship that grants opportunities to the Chaos’ shipping company, Foremost Group, which largely operates in and on behalf of communist China.

This reciprocity is well documented, but unlike with Hunter Biden, there is less scrutiny from observers, including those on the right, for this “corruption by proxy,” as author and Government Accountability Institute President Peter Schweizer calls it. <Source>

  • Is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell content with his present position and avoiding a possible change in Senate Leadership should the GOP become the majority in 2022?
  • Or is Mitch McConnell simply overrated as a political force and just another jumped-up feckless politician struggling to keep his leadership position?

Lowering expectations?

Mitch McConnell concedes ‘candidate quality’ may mean Republicans fail to flip Senate in midterm elections

The Senate’s top Republican is out with a sober assessment of his party’s chances for taking the chamber in November’s midterm elections, and he says “candidate quality” is a big factor.

Speaking in Kentucky on Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said: “I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate. Senate races are just different — they’re statewide, [and] candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome.”  McConnell continued: “Right now, we have a 50-50 Senate and a 50-50 country, but I think when all is said and done this fall, we’re likely to have an extremely close Senate, either our side up slightly or their side up slightly.” <Source>

Putting his thumb on the scale?

Blake Masters' AZ Senate Race Faces Millions More in Advertising Cuts From McConnell-Backed Super PAC

The Senate Leadership Fund, a Super PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, announced nearly $10 million in advertising cancelations in Arizona and Alaska. The Super PAC already announced cancelations of $13.5 million collectively for Pennsylvania ($7.5 million), Arizona ($3.5 million), Wisconsin ($2.5 million), and Nevada ($1.5 million). 

These cuts come after McConnell made comments about “candidate quality” and forecasted that flipping the House may be more likely than picking up the one seat needed to flip the Senate for Republicans in November. Former President Donald Trump harshly criticized McConnell for his comments, and McConnell has remained in Trump’s crosshairs. <Source>

When is the GOP going to run real attack ads?

Face facts, negative political attack ads work and are the gold standard for any political campaign. So, where are the brutal ads with all of the adverse progressive communist democrat behavior? Hell, where are the pro-GOP ads setting forth the platform and asking people to join the fight to “Make America Great Again?” Ads on energy independence? Ads on crazy Ukraine spending in a corrupt country? Ads on turning boys into girls and girls into boys? What about immigration, sex trafficking, and Fentanyl deaths? Wealth redistribution to college students who are learning to hate America?  

The progressive communist democrats are campaigning 24/7/365 and fighting in the courts – where is a similar GOP defensive countermeasure or offensive strike?      

FIVETHIRTYEIGHT FAVORS DEMS TO HOLD SENATE

  • FiveThirtyEight’s modeling suggests. Democrats have a 65% chance of maintaining their 50-seat Senate caucus, which effectively is a majority because the VP is the tie-breaking vote.
  • That’s a 15-point increase in Democrats’ chances in less than a month – a fact FiveThirtyEight attributes to weak GOP candidates in some states.
  • The good news for Republicans is that Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is favored to win a close race, and Marco Rubio has an 85% chance of winning reelection. <Source>

Bottom line…

As the late California Democrat Jesse Unruh famously noted, “money is the mother’s milk of politics.” So where is the GOP denouncing the Democrats for the shortage of infant formula?

What makes McConnell’s loyalty test worse than Trump’s is that McConnell uses real money, while  Trump pretends giving you his nod is the same as giving you real money.

We are so screwed.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


I HATE POLITICIANS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE

Irs-operators

The Republicans are not beyond exaggeration and emotional fearmongering…

Biden’s super-sized IRS Army will declare war on political enemies

The public should be frightened that Democrats have passed new legislation to weaponize the already abusive Internal Revenue Service.

[OCS: Notice the rhetorical fallacy being used here: imputing that the behavior or a few bad partisan actors represent the whole?]

For nearly a century, presidents and members of Congress have used the IRS to harass and incriminate political foes. In addition to collecting revenue to fund the government, the IRS is a hit squad that destroys reputations and criminalizes dissenters.

[OCS: One might think, incorrectly, that the citizens would recognize political corruption and vote the bastards out of office. But, then again, Congress writes its own rules and exempts itself from most criminal consequences of its actions.]

A lot of pain can be inflicted under the guise of tax “auditing.” The bill President Joe Biden signed Tuesday, erroneously labeled the Inflation Reduction Act, will mean more audits and investigations. The law roughly doubles funding for the IRS’s enforcement division, adding as many as 80,000 agents and auditors.

[OCS: Most of the pain comes from an overly complex tax code and the volume of confusing, conflicting, or contrary interpretations of the code’s provisions. Yes, the Inflation Reduction Act is grotesquely named and misleading. But, there is the likelihood that a large percentage of the recent hires will be desk-bound support personnel and auditors rather than armed federal agents who require vetting and specialized training before being assigned to field duty.]

Biden, meanwhile, is starving the Defense Department, requesting too little funding to even keep up with inflation, despite Russian and Chinese aggression. Yet his legislation will make the IRS three-quarters the size of the Marine Corps. Who’s Biden making war on?

[OCS: Notice the false comparison with the military and the subtle suggestion that this funding act is tantamount to waging war against citizens.]

While the bill increases the IRS’s muscle, it fails to impose serious criminal penalties if the IRS leaks confidential taxpayer information or goes after political targets. History shows the danger ahead. <Source>

[OCS: Did I miss an amendment requesting enhanced penalties for government agencies leaking personal non-public information? Leaking to damage opponents or to influence public opinion is the second most important thing (after money) in the Washington D.C. beltway. Besides, leakers are now characterized as “whistleblowers” and given Congressional protections against retaliation and criminal charges.]

Bottom line…

It was, and is, the asswipes in Congress, on both sides of the aisle and acting at the behest of their special interests, especially the lawyers and accountants, that have created an overly complex tax code with arcane loopholes and gotcha funding provisions to fill the government feeding troughs.

We need to de-politicize the leadership of our government agencies and institutions if we are to reduce political corruption. We also need to reform our tax code and reduce government costs by prioritizing spending on those things granted by the Constitution to the federal government. But, most of all, we need to eliminate professional politicians who ignore their constituents and who, like attorneys and advocates, speak out of both sides of their mouths according to who is paying the freight.

We are so screwed.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


VACCINE MANDATES: SAY WHAT?

It makes absolutely no legal or moral sense…

Biden-who

For those still skeptical of an increasingly corrupt government under the progressive communist democrats…

Consider that a world-class tennis player, Novak Djokovic, ranked number six in the world and a three-time world champion in top physical condition, was denied entry to the United States to participate in the 2022 U.S. Open because he cannot produce proof of a COVID-19 vaccination to meet requirements for all inbound non-US citizens.

Yes, that’s right -- recently updated CDC guidelines continue to prevent unvaccinated non-citizens from entering the United States.

However, under the auspices of the Biden Administration and their cadre of progressive communist democrats, unvaccinated illegal aliens are pouring over our Southern Border and being transported by the government into our local communities. Yes, that’s also right – no criminal identity checks, no medical screening, and no consideration for an American population exposed to infectious diseases, many of which have been irradiated in the United States.

Put aside the fact that a world-class athlete, dependent on his physical condition to compete and earn a living, a man with medical, nutritional, and phycological advisors, might not want to risk life-altering side effects from an experimental vaccine whose terrible side effects are being deliberately masked by the current regime.

Bottom line…

At least Djokovic, based on the best medical advice, refuses to knuckle under to the medical tyrants who are rapidly killing individuals in the name of politics.

We are so screwed when we can trust our government, our institutions, and even our personal physicians who may be under intense pressure to follow the regime’s protocols or lose their license to practice medicine.

We are so screwed.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


CORONAVIRUS COMMITTEE ATTACKS TRUMP NOT THE DISEASE

COMMUNIST-COMMEDY

Now that sufficient time has passed to more fully assess the side effects and long-term efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines (or whatever they really might be), the news is not good, and it is time to weaponize the latest adverse findings in the fight against any possible 2024 candidacy of Donald Trump.

Hc-hdr

Select Subcommittee Uncovers Trump White House’s Extreme Pressure Campaigns Targeting FDA’s Coronavirus Response
The report is the second to reveal the Select Subcommittee’s findings from its investigation into the Trump Administration’s political interference with the federal coronavirus response.

Washington, D.C. (August 24, 2022) – Today, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, chaired by Rep. James E. Clyburn, released a staff report revealing extensive new evidence of the Trump White House’s relentless pressure campaigns targeting the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) coronavirus response.

[OCS: Committee Chair Clyburn is a virulent anti-Trump antagonist and hyper-partisan. I would suggest that evidence is the wrong word to describe cherry-picked information designed to support an anti-Trump political narrative. As for the suggestion of “relentless pressure,” let us remember the panicked response to the spread of the original virus and the glacial slowness of the bureaucratic government response, including the CDC and FDA – both of which refused to release contemporary documents on the ongoing crisis.]

This staff report is the second installment in a series of reports documenting the Select Subcommittee’s findings from its investigation into the Trump Administration’s rampant political interference with the federal public health response to the coronavirus pandemic. The first installment chronicled the Trump White House’s embrace of a dangerous and discredited herd immunity via mass infection strategy well before vaccines were available, in an effort to prioritize then-President Trump’s political prospects at the expense of public health.

[OCS:  Instead of investigating the origins of the coronavirus, which appears to have been genetically engineered in a program funded by the government, and the perversion of scientific findings to support a political narrative designed by bureaucrats, they chose to focus on Donald Trump. Interesting because they did not and apparently cannot demonstrate where Donald Trump overrode the recommendations of his credentialed advisers. As for any discussion of herd immunity through mass infection, it was one scenario among many and deserved consideration given the rapidity of disease spread.]

Chairman Clyburn released the following statement about today’s report:

“The Select Subcommittee’s findings that Trump White House officials deliberately and repeatedly sought to bend FDA’s scientific work on coronavirus treatments and vaccines to the White House’s political will are yet another example of how the prior Administration prioritized politics over public health. As today’s report makes clear, senior Trump Administration officials undermined public health experts because they believed doing so would benefit the former president politically—plotting covertly with known conspiracy theorists to dangerously push a disproven coronavirus treatment, bullying FDA to change its vaccine guidance, and advocating for federal investigations into those who stood in their way. These assaults on our nation’s public health institutions undermined the nation’s coronavirus response—and are precisely why we must never again settle for leaders who prioritize politics over keeping Americans safe.

[OCS: There is little doubt that the leadership of the major public health agencies was politicized and behaved in a partisan manner that resisted the Trump Administration’s demand for urgency. Those that deviated from the partisan narrative of the public health bureaucrats were labeled as “conspiracy theorists” and censored or de-platformed in an attempt to control the politicized narrative. A narrative based, not on science, but leveraging the crisis for political advantage by those that did not support the Administration. There is no doubt in my mind that the leaders that need to be sanctioned and replaced are those who ignored scientific findings and opted for ineffective masking and economy-disrupting lockdowns. Likewise, disparaging findings from community practitioners who were equally educated, experienced, and possessed significant subject-matter knowledge.]

“Today’s report also contains extensive new evidence that Trump White House officials, including Peter Navarro, conducted government business using private email accounts. Unless these officials took steps to preserve these records, this conduct may have violated the Presidential Records Act—a conclusion the Department of Justice reached when it recently filed a lawsuit against Mr. Navarro based on evidence first uncovered by the Select Subcommittee last year. No one is above the law, no matter how high up in the White House they worked, and I applaud the Department of Justice for seeking to uphold the law and hold Mr. Navarro accountable.”

[OCS: Nobody is above the law except Obama, Hillary Clinton, and the cadre of bureaucrats who did the same thing and were never recommended for prosecution or escaped being held accountable. Again, note the attention given to the anti-Trump political aspect of an inquiry that has turned into a political attack mechanism.

In a statement emailed to CNN, Navarro said: “The partisan House Select Subcommittee report ‘wrongly’ perpetuates one of the most deadly lies of the pandemic, namely that the safe and powerful therapeutic to treat COVID, hydroxychloroquine, was somehow dangerous. This lie persists despite abundant scientific evidence now to the contrary.”]

Today’s staff report is entitled “A ‘Knife Fight’ with the FDA: The Trump White House’s Relentless Attacks on FDA’s Coronavirus Response,” and is available in full here.

[OCS: Note the inappropriate and derogatory nature of the report’s title, and you can see it reeks of blatant hypocrisy and politics.]

<Source>


Perhaps the most telling motivation for this worthless report can be found in the report’s last paragraph…

If not meaningfully addressed, this hyper-politicization of public health—and reflexive embrace of anti-scientific dogma pushed by those who have trusted President Trump, his top advisers, and his most prominent supporters—will continue to constrain the country’s ability to overcome public health threats, especially from a novel highly infectious disease that requires a concerted, collective response.

[OCS: Translation: Trump can never be trusted to hold any high office or the public’s health is at risk]

Interference with the FDA, you say?

Nate Silver: ‘Liberal elites’ pressured Pfizer to delay vaccine until after 2020 election

Nate Silver claimed “liberal public health elites” pressured Pfizer to delay fast-track approval of its COVID-19 vaccine until after the 2020 presidential election — thus denying then-President Donald Trump a political win before voters headed to the polls.

The number-crunching data journalist reacted to an article by Politico that cited a House report that claimed the Trump administration sought to expedite approvals for both vaccines and “unproven treatments” for COVID-19.

“‘Trump pushed for vaccine approvals too fast’ is the worst possible critique of the Trump administration’s COVID policy,” Silver, founder of the Disney-owned FiveThirtyEight political news and analysis website, tweeted.

“That probably saved a lot of lives. If anything approval should have been faster.”

In a subsequent tweet, Silver wrote that “liberal public health elites” pushed Pfizer to “change its original protocols” that govern its authorization of vaccines so that the decision would be put off until after Election Day two years ago.

Silver noted that Pfizer’s decision “had the convenient side-effect of delaying any vaccine announcement until after the election” and that the story “deserves more scrutiny.” <Source>

Committee's dereliction of duty…

Where is the Committee’s response to the clear and present danger of unmonitored illegal aliens spreading infectious diseases throughout the nation as they are moved surreptitiously into communities to serve as disease vectors for coronavirus and worse? With nary a peep from the public health agencies, the Biden Administration, or the Committee?

Where is the Committee’s “evidence” that the FDA changed any of their decisions on hydroxychloroquine or other therapies based on White House “pressure?”

Bottom line…

Like the January 6 Committee, this is another Pelosi-led political attack on Donald Trump to discourage a 2024 presidential run.

Truth be told, how many people have been fired or denied their freedoms based on political theatre -- or better yet, how many have died because the public health agencies were headed by politicians and not objective scientists?

Where is the Committee's admonishment of Fauci and Daszak for funding the experiments that were the proximate cause of the pandemic?

Until the "experts" discovered the vaccine was a debacle, time was of the essence, and risks were assumed. Now that we know more and it's not looking good, the disaster is a political tool to target Trump. 

We are so screwed.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


ESG: ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIALIST GARBAGE

ESG-FLAG

The more I hear about ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) movement, policies, and programs, the more I think about ongoing political scams and power grabs like those facilitated by faux global warming and the exaggeration of the risks of the next "man-made" pandemic.

The degree to which a large multi-national corporation supports any particular community is the degree to which the community supports the corporation's goals and, more specifically, its senior leadership.

And by support, I am speaking in concrete terms of a friendly regulatory environment, potential financial inducements, proximity to its marketplace, and the availability of an adequate lifestyle and cost of living, including access to a trained talent pool, raw materials, energy, logistical support, and the absence of crime. To think otherwise is naïve.

To the extent that communities condemn corporations as being the primary cause of adverse environmental, social, and economic problems, the less attractive those
communities become relative to other communities.

ESG is not about shared values but about the politics of third parties insinuating themselves into corporate decision-making and access to corporate funding and support, overcoming legally-imposed fiduciary duties that bind corporate actions to the benefits afforded to its owners and investors. 

Like unions who continually demand a larger piece of the pie without increasing production, improving workflows, or reducing costs, we find corporations locked into a lose-lose situation created by community activists and agitations, many of whom might be corporate extortionists trying to sell their consulting and training services to redress wrongs that only they, as enlightened individuals, can perceive.

It is not readily apparent that increasing globalization demands less community participation as one directs resources to hospitable environments wherever they exist. Hence, outsourcing repetitive, labor-intensive tasks to areas with low-cost labor. The importation of highly-educated and trained foreign workers who will work for lower wages can be disposed of without burdensome legal consequences—the increasing use of independent contract workers who do not receive benefits.

ESG is shortsighted, directing capital and resources to politically advantageous products, personnel, and positions. In essence, a form of top-down government control over private enterprise under the rubric of "stakeholder capitalism," more accurately characterized as corporate socialism and control.

We are introducing chaos and communism into our capitalist system to destroy the system from within. A system that has produced untold wealth and raised the standard of living for almost every nation in the world.

It's time to tell the corporatists to step off. To the extent that corporations use tiered stock plans to allow founders to maintain control and do pretty much as they wish, it is time to remove such vehicles. To the extent that large corporations have singular executive control over systemically important financial institutions, it is time for mandated retirement programs and term limits. 

Bottom line…

Another political watermelon scam – green on the outside, red on the inside.

We are so screwed.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


I AM NOT SURE THE USA IS GOING TO SURVIVE THE OBAMA ERA

Obama-biden-plot

There is not a single doubt in my mind that our nation has been attacked by radical communist sleeper cells of Obama acolytes and that Obama’s promise to radically transform the United States is coming true.

Witness the insanity for yourself.

(1)  Leadership 

  • A severely cognitively-impaired President who cannot speak in complete, coherent sentences and answer impromptu questions that are not pre-scripted and posed by pre-selected propagandists posing as “journalists.”
  • A Vice President, likewise,  appears ignorant on most issues, and like the President, cannot speak in an informed and coherent manner.
  • A Speaker of the House who is virulently partisan and willing to ignore the United States Constitution and violate all Congress traditions and norms.
  • A years-long decapitation strike against the only effective leader in modern history who has been subject to persecution that would have killed or destroyed a lesser man.
  • A feckless opposition that is not only incompetent but corrupt and uncaring – with little or no regard for their constituents.
  • A cadre of union leadership in both the public and private sectors is corrupt and infiltrated by radical communists using workers as political pawns. Or, in the case of teachers, the younger generation.
  • We are seeing rampant interference in our electoral system, with our leaders minimizing the grave danger this poses to our nation, its Constitution, and our freedoms. In reality, we no longer select our leaders; we only choose from pre-selected, party-approved candidates. When we break that candidate selection practice, the forces on both sides of the political spectrum, the allegedly free press, and our enemies, both foreign and domestic, wage war against that candidate.

(2)  National Security

  • Our nation is pursuing policies that will lead to a nuclear-armed Iran that will pose an even more significant existential threat to the Middle East and, by extension America.
  • We are being openly invaded by illegal aliens, including criminals, crazies, and terrorists, who rapidly destroy our nation’s reserve assets meant to protect American citizens from natural disasters and other catastrophes.
  • A military whose operational readiness is being eroded by politicians posing as flag-rank general officers more interested in their own welfare than our nation or their soldiers.
  • In the space of three years, our leadership has destroyed this nation’s energy independence and placed our military infrastructure at risk by the foreign sourcing of critical weapon components.
  • Beyond energy, we have ceded control of our nation’s critical infrastructure, including water, fertilizer, and our food supply, to radical communists who have infiltrated the environmental movement and who are using our own laws, rules, and regulations – in conjunction with a compromised judiciary – against us—demanding that our nation forego resilience in favor of saving meaningless flora and fauna.
  • Arterial intermodal transportation, the lifeblood of a vast nation, is rapidly being compromised and creating a logistics nightmare.
  • We are rapidly depleting our weapons stockpiles in favor of other nations and failing to replenish our stockpiles of weapons and critical supplies. Much of what we adopt to replenish our reserves is overly complex and subject to catastrophic failure in peacetime training and war. Our enemies use less technology and gain reliability with old-school solutions. Much of this planned obsolescence is driven by corruption and those who have lost sight of the purpose of weapons. We now expend millions of dollars to kill fewer and fewer people-- with a military goal of ignoring the suppression of resistance and capitulation of our enemies to concentrate on the avoidance of bad media optics involving collateral damage.

(3)  Communications

  • Our nation cannot function without conveying accurate and timely information to warn and inform the populace. Yet we have allowed our government to sidestep our Constitution in the guise of a public-private alliance where private companies overtly or covertly implement government policies in return for material rewards.
  • We have ceded control over our technology to oligarchs who claim the right to control devices we have purchased through unilateral licenses, which enable a surveillance state.
  • We, as a people, have said nothing when private entities openly spread disinformation, censor the news, and remove dissidents who have alternative viewpoints that do not support the regime’s narrative. Even worse, “We the People” refuse to hold these individuals and corporations responsible for their treacherous actions.
  • In what universe would we accept the precepts of identity politics that demand teaching racist behavior and gender confusion in public schools? 
  • We can see the abuse of language and the re-definition of common words -- so much so that people can no longer communicate or are afraid to speak lest they not be politically correct. I never thought I would see the day when someone could not define a woman, even in the most rudimentary terms as being the opposite of a man. Even worse, changing the titles on legislative bills in a deceptive manner as to mislead voters.

(4)  Financial machinations.

  • Our nation’s finances are being artificially manipulated by the Federal Reserve, which despite the misleading use of the word “federal,” is privately owned and operated in an opaque manner by its owners – the most significant global financial institutions. Not to get into the weeds, but its fractional banking system using fiat currency is guaranteed to produce boom and bust cycles whose volatility conveys a great advantage to those who own or control significant assets.
  • Our money, especially the retirement funds representing fixed income assets for senior citizens out of the job market, are deliberately eroded by inflation. Apparently, to increase individual reliance on government largess in return for political power.

A confluence of evil…

Let us consider today’s example of evil.

Cotton

President Joe Biden unilaterally and unconstitutionally decided to forgive a portion of student debt to fulfill a political campaign pledge. Perhaps forgive is not the right word because he transferred the payment of these debts from the individuals responsible for the debt to the taxpayers – you and me. A grossly unfair action that demands a hardworking citizen pay for their neighbor’s children’s student loan debt incurred when they may have attended, but not necessarily completed, college. Totally disadvantaging a large segment of the population who have no say in the decision and who gain no benefit from this obscene transfer of wealth.

The President has no constitutional, congressional, or legal authority to take this action – so how does Biden gin up the pretense of authority?

Biden appears to be employing the HEROES Act, first enacted in the wake of the September 11 attacks, and provides the Secretary broad authority to grant relief from student loan requirements during specific periods (a war, other military operation, or national emergency

So you might ask, which war? Which military operation? Which national emergency? COVID-19, of course!

“For the past year and a half, the Office of General Counsel (“OGC”), in consultation with our colleagues at the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel, has conducted a review of the Secretary’s legal authority to cancel student debt on a categorical basis. This review has included assessing the analysis outlined in a publicly disseminated January 2021 memorandum signed by a former Principal Deputy General Counsel. As detailed below, we have determined that the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (“HEROES”) Act of 2003 grants the Secretary authority that could be used to effectuate a program of targeted loan cancellation directed at addressing the financial harms of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

So Biden does it anyway and leaves it up to the courts to fight it out in what may prove to be a years-long process that will see him accruing political credit now for the attempt and hoping the result years later will be buried as “old news” as Hillary Clinton is wont to say.

Bottom line…

What can I say other than we are so screwed?

And that we are all Americans. Forget the divisive identity politics. No more Democrats and Republicans. No more rednecks and snowflakes. Unless we work together, the most exceptional nation on the face of the Earth will turn into another corrupt, unexceptional European-style nation, or, heaven forbid, a third-world banana republic governed by a strong man with only the pretense of democracy.

In both life and politics, there are no perfect answers as an adequate response to an imperfect world. And, most often, the reality is that the only choice we have left is to choose the lesser of two evils – fully knowing that we are still supporting evil.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS