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DARK MONEY: THE SCHIFF SHOW CONTINUES

Once again, the loathsome, despicable, liar, and leaker Representative Adam Schiff puts forth another one of his stunningly partisan bills.

Schiff-1

This time another attempt to overturn the effects of the Citizens United decision and to give politicians greater access to the public trough of taxpayer funds.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States concerning the relationship between campaign finance and free speech. It was argued in 2009 and decided in 2010. The court held that the free speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political campaigns by corporations, including nonprofit corporations, labor unions, and other associations.

March 24, 2022 -- Congressman Schiff Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United

Today, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, and once again allow for reasonable restrictions on corporate campaign contributions and other spending.
In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corporations and special interest groups could spend nearly unlimited funds on election campaigns. In the decade since , outside groups spent more than $4.4 billion in federal elections – nearly $1 billion of which was untraceable “dark money” – with some of the biggest contributors coming from Wall Street, the pharmaceutical industry, and the NRA. <Source>

[OCS: Notice no mention of unions or dual-purpose tax-exempt “get out the Democrat vote” institutions?]

Schiff’s Joint Resolution (File Date: December 20, 2021)…

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to the authority of Congress and the States to regulate contributions and expenditures in political campaigns and to enact public financing systems for such campaigns.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification

ARTICLE

Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to forbid Congress or the States from imposing reasonable viewpoint-neutral limitations on private campaign contributions or independent election expenditures, or from enacting systems of public campaign financing, including those designed to restrict the influence of private wealth by offsetting campaign spending or independent expenditures with increased public funding.

Like all legislation, the devil is in the details…

(1)  This is an unconstitutional amendment that limits unfettered free speech.

(2)  There is no definition of what might be construed as reasonable or viewpoint-neutral regarding free speech limitations.

(3)  There is no authority designed as an arbiter or enforcer of the legislation other than the politically-compromised judiciary, limiting judicial redress and remedy to the wealthy and well-connected.

(4)  There is no specific mention of the most significant contributor to public and political corruption – public and private unions with their vast sum of coerced donations and massive voting bloc.

(5)  As we have seen over the last decade, celebrities and wealthy individuals are now entering politics, some for the recognition, some for the access to funds that can be used to purchase cushy positions for those destined to lose their respective political races. Some vying for a chance at the golden ticket leading to future wealth, perpetual recognition, and perks and privileges only enjoyed by royalty, dictators, and billionaires. To allow these wannabes to use public campaign funds is to incentivize negative behaviors and results.

How do we know the legislation is corrupt?

Count the number of corrupt progressive communist democrats signing on to the bill.

The amendment is co-sponsored by Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), David Price (D-N.C.), Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Grace F. Napolitano (D-Calif.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Jim Himes (D-Conn.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Ed Case (D-Hawaii), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), Katie Porter (D-Calif.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), David Trone (D-Md.), Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), Kaiali'i Kahele (D-Hawaii), and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.). <Source>

Bottom line…

ADAM-SCHIFF-LOGO-2

Anything Adam Schiff touches is guaranteed to turn to Schiff for the American taxpayer/citizen.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba.”-- take nobody's word for it!

“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

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RUSH LIMBAUGH: A LESSON FROM HEAVEN

Rush Limbaugh, the iconic broadcaster who used bombast and absurdity to highlight important truths, and incidentally set the unmatchable gold standard for talk radio, sent us a message from heaven.

Dg-1

Dg-2

Perhaps the most important thing Rush Limbaugh did in life was to effortlessly entertain while educating an entire generation on building their own common sense framework that could be used to analyze anything from the absurdity of politicians and poseurs to the critical aspects of life.

In essence, the Rush Limbaugh show was a master class in critical thinking and how to build your own bullshit detector. And he did it in front of a mega-audience with “half his brain tied behind his back.” A man who single-handedly saved AM talk radio and earned hundreds of millions in the process. He was a humble, kind, and thoughtful man whose bombast was an entertainment schtick to grow and retain his massive audience. At the very least, he was a cultural icon as a voice artist who painted word pictures that did not require a Ph.D. to interpret.

All that as opposed to Dana Gould, a 57-year-old washed-up wannabe progressive communist Democrat who describes himself as a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and voice artist, yet remains virtually unknown to the public, not even as a z-lister.

Bs-gouldAs a general observation, perhaps the reason why I find progressive comedy so pathetic is that it is rooted in unreality, presenting commentary on a paradoxical world that does not exist, can not exist, and, God willing, will never exist. One need only turn to verifiable historical records to see the absurdity of preaching about a perfect world while killing more than one hundred million dissidents who surely must be standing in the way of progress.

Bottom line…

Yes, Rush has sent us a lesson – beware of ill-informed, self-righteous buffoons who are about tearing down cultural icons and replacing their memory with hate-filled anger – primarily at their own lack of achievement.

If nothing else, Rush found a way to pursue the craft he loved while being profoundly deaf in his later years. At a time when he could have retreated to a mega-mansion and lived in unimaginable splendor, he arose every day, almost to the day he passed away, to entertain and educate his audience in the absurdity and dangers of progressivism while defining conservative values.

Perhaps Dana Gould is trolling Rush for continuing relevance and attention; or perhaps, he is the prototypical unfunny progressive comedian who is so self-unaware as to be the unintended butt of his own joke.

While Rush remains a diamond in the firmament, Dana Gould is destined to remain an unremarkable grain of sand on an endless beach of time.

We are so screwed when we must listen to the nonsensical bullshit of asswipes like Dana Gould.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba.”-- take nobody's word for it!

“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

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WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE UNITED STATES NAVY?

With critical emergent threats from China and Russia, the mission readiness of the United States Navy is of paramount importance.

Yet, we are finding that something is radically wrong within the fleet. Experienced leaders and warfighters are aging out of service, refusing to re-enlist, or resigning in disgust. Following the demands of their civilian leaders, senior officers are more interested in “woke” social engineering than maintaining operational readiness.

In what rational universe do we find a United States District Court Judge for the Middle District of Florida, Steven Merryday, curtailing the operation of a fleet warship?

Destroyer can’t deploy because CO won’t get COVID vaccine, Navy says

An ongoing legal battle over whether the military can force troops to get vaccinated against COVID-19 has left the Navy with a warship they say they can’t deploy because it is commanded by an officer they cannot fire.

[OCS: How does a District Court Judge insert himself into a military command decision. At the very least, the Navy brass can re-assign and replace the officer until there is a case disposition as a matter of national security.]

It’s a standoff the brass are calling a “manifest national security concern,” according to recent federal court filings.

The issues stem from a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida late last year alleging servicemembers’ rights are being infringed upon by the COVID vaccine mandate because their religious beliefs prevent them from taking the vaccine.

Judge Steven D. Merryday issue an order last month banning the Navy and Marine Corps from taking any disciplinary action against the unnamed Navy warship commander and a Marine Corps lieutenant colonel for refusing the vaccine.

[OCS: Re-assignment of billets due to operational considerations is neither disciplinary nor punishing.]

In the process, the case has raised questions about the lines between military good order and discipline, and the legal rights of servicemembers as American citizens.

Merryday’s injunction is “an extraordinary intrusion upon the inner workings of the military” and has essentially left the Navy short a warship, according to a Feb. 28 filing by the government.

“With respect to Navy Commander, the Navy has lost confidence in his ability to lead and will not deploy the warship with him in command,” the filing states.

The Feb. 28 filing alleges that the commander has already disregarded Navy regulations after he “exposed dozens of his crew to COVID-19 when he decided not to test himself after experiencing symptoms.”

[OCS: If the officer refused orders to test himself, a non-invasive test procedure, and possibly served as a disease vector for his crew, this is a far more serious matter than refusing to be vaccinated, which is a body-invasive procedure with potentially life-threatening consequences.]

The government’s Feb. 28 filing also argued that, even if the court found the CO credible, he can’t lead and crew a warship “given the breach of the relationships with both his commanding officer and his subordinates.”

A commanding officer can’t enforce orders to his 320-sailor crew if he does not abide by those orders himself, the filing argues.

“By forcing the Navy to keep in place a commander of a destroyer who has lost the trust of his superior officers and the Navy at large, this Order effectively places a multi-billion-dollar guided missile destroyer out of commission,” defense attorneys wrote. <Source>

What’s wrong with this?

(1)  A federal judge has no place or authority in the military chain of command.

(2)  The officer should have conscientiously resigned his commission or voluntarily placed himself on inactive duty rather than impact his ship’s operational readiness.

(3)  The CNO, through the fleet command, should have ignored any civilian order not endorsed by the Commander-in-Chief or the Secretary of Defense and deployed the destroyer.

From the CNO’s “Charge of Command” (11 Jan 2022)…

CNO

Congratulations on achieving the highest honor in the Navy ... the opportunity to Command. Your selection is based on proven performance and the Navy's trust and confidence in your ability to develop and contribute to a winning team in accomplishing your command's mission.

Above all, Command, whether at sea or ashore, is fundamentally about preparing for and leading in combat. Never lose sight of this- seize absolute ownership of your assigned mission and all that goes into its accomplishment. When called upon to sail into harm's way, you and your team must be ready. Your command's mission is absolutely essential to the Navy's ability to fight and win. Imbue this belief in your team.

Command at times will be challenging. The challenges facing our nation and our Navy are expansive in their complexity and scale. Success demands that you hold true to the timeless elements of Command, while you continuously learn and adapt to keep pace with a rapidly changing world. You must remain accountable for both action and inaction as well as the outcomes and learning that make your team better. You are ultimately responsible for every aspect of your command.

Be relentless in building a culture of the· highest character ... a tough, resilient team that wins. Our nation needs and expects their Navy to remain above reproach, as a force they can admire and rely upon. Take fierce pride in this obligation. As the Commander, you are the example your team reflects. Embody humility, selflessness, and complete transparency. Acknowledge the value of every Sailor and civilian. Take care of them and their families. Embrace diversity of thought and background. Foster inclusion and connectedness. Always do the right thing, especially when it is hard. In doing these things, keep close watch on your own mental, physical, and emotional health, and the health of those you lead.

Your integrity and that of your command is the foundation of your warfighting effectiveness. Generate trust through action, both internal and external to your command, and continually assess the level of trust given to you and that you give to others. In the same way, measure the quality and transparency of your communications over these paths. Seek clarity and understanding. Trust and effective communications- absolute necessities in combat- must be developed and perfected in times of peace.

Upon this foundation, keep professional competency as the starting point of every day. We have no room for complacency. Your command must be ready, from basic fundamentals to the most challenging high-end warfighting maneuvers. Provide our adversaries no vulnerability to exploit.  <Source>

Bottom line…

Even though scientific reports are suggesting the current (experimental) vaccines (correctly, some are not vaccines) may not be as effective as promised, of shorter therapeutic duration, carry life-threatening side effects, or have negative efficacy on the immune system, the matter is one of conscience that should not compromise the nation’s national security.

We are so screwed

-- steve

“Nullius in verba.”-- take nobody's word for it!

“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

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GUN CONTROL: THE ANSWER IS INTUITIVELY OBVIOUS

GUN-CONTROL

Let us consider some commonsense truths…

(1)   Guns, like power tools, are inanimate objects and, except for product defects, are subject to the will, intent, and motivation of the individual in control.

(2)   Society must be willing to accept and tolerate some degree of adverse gun-related activity as it is impossible to detect, prevent, or interdict the activities of criminals, crazies, terrorists, and those under the influence of chemical substances as these individuals have no respect for our laws and are unlikely to follow any law on the books. Suicides are almost impossible to prevent and should be a given in society. Likewise, accidents are random events due to carelessness and unforeseen circumstances.

(3)  The vast majority of individuals who have received gun familiarization and training and who own guns are likely to use firearms prudently as they are familiar with weapons.

(4)  To be effective, punishment must be widely known, certain, swift, equally administered, and proportionate to the crime.

(5)  When it comes to weapon usage, the greatest threats to society are attorneys and the politicization of gun-related investigations, prosecutions, and judgments. Forgiving gun use during criminal activities should not be subject to dismissal or plea bargains, especially to secure guaranteed arrests or convictions for those keeping score or those wishing to manipulate minority incarceration rates for political purposes. Soft-on-crime prosecutors, diversion programs, and the refusal to prosecute certain minorities contribute to the problem.

(6)   Strict and nonsensical gun laws impact the law-abiding citizens who are being denied their God-given right to self-defense against a more powerful aggressor when law enforcement authorities are unavailable. The old saying that you cannot outrun a bullet and that law enforcement has no legal duty or responsibility to protect or defend individuals other than protecting the regime and maintaining general order should inform legislative decisions.

(7)   Those who want to abolish or amend the Constitution’s Second Amendment do not fear hunters, target shooters, gun-collectors, criminals, crazies, or terrorists per se – they fear an armed rebellion that could result in regime change if the populace encounters a tyrannical regime. The ultimate check and balance to prevent a catastrophic dictatorship or incursion by a foreign sovereign power.

(8)   Although there are no restrictions regarding certain weapons in the Second Amendment, it would be reasonable to conclude that no individual should possess certain weapons like Gatling-style machine guns, grenades, rockets, guided missiles, or atomic weaponry. As for fully-automatic pistols and rifles, these should be strictly controlled. As for suppressors and other sound-deadening accessories, these can be grossly useful in preventing hearing loss. As for armor-piercing ammunition or incendiary ammunition and tracers, these too should be controlled. However, given the rise of personal body armor, one may need to rethink armor-piercing ammunition in the future.

(9)  The FBI’s crime statistics are often garbage as data collection is unreliable, and communities have been known to fudge results – especially when relying on conviction data rather than pre-plea bargain charging data. The political class refuses to allow illegal aliens to be correctly counted and categorized. The same goes for gun-related crime.

(10)  Do not release criminals who used guns into the community – no parole, no good-time credits, and sentences cannot be affected by judge-ordered prison population reductions.

What’s wrong with California?

The progressive communist democrats who rule the State do not want you to know the truth about politics and gun crime, especially as politicians pander to minorities with disproportionate criminal activity.

  • AB 109 weakened parole requirements and implemented prison “diversion” rules.
  • Prop. 47 downgraded many felony crimes to misdemeanors,
  • Prop. 57 made dangerous felons, including repeat offenders, eligible for release after serving just a portion of their sentences.
  • Weakened three-strikes laws.
  • Disarmed law-abiding California citizens with stricter gun control laws.
  • Redefined criminal classifications and statistical reporting.

Bottom line…

The answer to gun control is intuitively obvious: crime control -- punish criminals, not law-abiding citizens.

As the 2022 midterm elections approach, it is time for Californians to get gas prices, taxes, and crime under control.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba.”-- take nobody's word for it!

“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

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USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN UKRAINE IS UNLIKELY: THE XI-FACTOR

UKRAINE-WHEAT

The Chinese are said to own or control up to thirteen percent of Ukraine’s farmland, viewed as a critical strategic food source. Therefore, it is unlikely that Communist China’s President, Xi Jinping, would sit idly by while Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, endangered farmland critical to the survival of the Communist Chinese regime with a nuclear weapon. Or severely disrupted food production with prolonged military action, resulting in a famine in China and potential regime change.

Unfortunately, the Biden Administration, under the control of a cadre of former President Obama’s top lieutenants, is struggling to cover up the criminality of the Obama/Biden Administration, including their attempt at a soft coup against Donald Trump in favor of an easily-manipulated cognitively-impaired President Biden.

Creating another cold war as a distraction from past crimes and present performance before the mid-term election.

Before the Russian invasion…

China buys huge swathe of Ukraine in grab for farmland (September 24, 2013)

It has a fifth of the world’s population but just 9 per cent of the world’s farm land. Now China has signed a deal to buy vast areas of arable land in Europe’s bread basket – Ukraine.

As overseas investments go, this one is pretty huge. China is buying up to 3 million hectares of farmland in Ukraine, an area the size of Belgium. Two state-owned firms will take over the land in the eastern Dniepropetrovsk region to grow crops and raise pigs for consumption back home.

The Kiev Post called it an “unprecedented foreign investment”, estimated at more than $2.6bn, fueled by China’s growing demand for food which it simply cannot grow itself. In a world of economic turmoil and uncertainty over the climate, food security has become its top priority. <Source>

Casus belli – an act or event that provokes or is used to justify war…

Enter the corrupt Obama/Biden Administration, Hillary Clinton’s State Department, John Brennan’s CIA, Soros and other corrupt Americans

The February, 2014 Ukraine Revolution of Dignity, also known as the Maidan Revolution, was engineered by Hillary Clinton's State Department and John Brennan's CIA. The main architect appears to be Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria “Toria” Nuland. The goal was two-fold, one to overthrow democratically elected government of Putin's puppet, President Viktor Yanukovych, to bring Ukraine closer to the U.S. sphere of influence and to protect the corrupt dealings of Americans in an extremely corrupt Ukraine.

President Barack Obama essentially authorized a new Cold War against Russia, reflected now in new U.S. strategic planning that could cost the U.S. taxpayers trillions of dollars and risk a possible nuclear confrontation.  <Source>

Emails: Open Society Kept Alleged ‘Whistleblower’ Eric Ciaramella Updated on George Soros’s Personal Ukraine Activities

Eric Ciaramella, whom Real Clear Investigations suggests is the likely so-called whistleblower, received emails about Ukraine policy from a top director at George Soros’s Open Society Foundations.

The emails informed Ciaramella and a handful of other Obama administration foreign policy officials about Soros’s whereabouts, the contents of Soros’s private meetings about Ukraine and a future meeting the billionaire activist was holding with the prime minister of Ukraine.

A primary recipient of the Open Society emails along with Ciaramella was then-Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland, who played a central role in the anti-Trump dossier affair. Nuland, with whom Ciaramella worked closely, received updates on Ukraine issues from dossier author Christopher Steele in addition to her direct role in facilitating the dossier within the Obama administration.

The emails spotlight Soros’s access to national security officials under the Obama administration on the matter of Ukraine. <Source>

Joe Biden admits to pressuring Ukraine to fire the prosecutor investigating Burisma. The former Vice President's son, Hunter Biden, was on the board for Burisma

BIDEN: I got Ukraine. And I remember going over convincing our team … that we should be providing for loan guarantees. … I was … supposed to announce that there was another billion-dollar loan guarantee. And I had gotten a commitment from [Petro] Poroshenko and from [Arseniy] Yatsenyuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor, and they didn’t. So … they were walking out to a press conference, and I said, “No, I said I’m not going to — we’re not going to give you the billion dollars.” They said, “You have no authority. You’re not the president. The president said.” I said, “Call him.” I said, “I’m telling you, you’re not getting the billion dollars.” I said, “You’re not getting the billion, and I’m going to be leaving here—” and I think it was what, six hours. I looked. I said, “I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money.” Well, son of a b—h. He got fired.

The corrupt Biden Administration kept taunting Putin with an encroaching NATO military presence, but even worse, a Ukraine that might enter the European Union and become a favored trading partner and strategic competitor to Russia with its relatively small and faltering economy.

In America, continuing deception…

Representative Adam Schiff, Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, still refuses to release the whistleblower’s name, interview information on Eric Ciaramella, Alexander Vindman, and his staff’s interactions before filing the whistleblower complaint that led to Trump’s first impeachment.

Should the GOP take the House, look for a massive loss of critical documents, mobile phones, laptops, and hard disks.

Bottom line…

A nuclear confrontation remains unlikely. But more innocent people will die in Ukraine and Russia for the criminal acts of their corrupt leadership.

However, let us keep our perspective: both Ukraine and Russia are fundamentally corrupt and dominated by Oligarchs. Ukraine has a dreadful history regarding Jews.; from siding with the Nazis in WWII to decades of voting with Russia against Israel in the United Nations, and despite Zelensky’s Jewish heritage, it still has a massive and dangerous anti-Semitic movement. And yes, there is an active White Supremacist, a neo-Nazi movement active in the Ukraine military. BTW: Most of Zelensky's assertions about Ukraine's behavior toward Jews during WWII is fabricated bullshit. 

That Russia will collapse or Putin will die or be assassinated is unlikely at this moment; look to Ukraine to give up some territory in return for peace. If they have to amend their constitution or promise not to join NATA or the EU, so be it. 

This is what the progressive communist democrat propagandists in the mainstream media are not saying.

This is why the tech titans are censoring and canceling dissident voices.

This is why the Democrats are struggling to keep their emergency powers and America distracted.

This is why the Democrats are ginning up conflict in a continuing corrupt Ukraine.

We are seeing Democrat high crimes and misdemeanors worthy of the death penalty or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole as punishment for the innocent people who have died and the damages wrought by an open Southern Border.

There is no doubt that the Democrats, Obama, Clinton, and their cadre of acolytes are guilty of crimes against humanity.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba.”-- take nobody's word for it!

“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

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HOW I SEE POLITICS

A few readers asked me how I view the political landscape—a highly subjective topic, to say the least. However, given my science-oriented mind, I thought I would attempt to explain my framework that informs my viewpoint and positioning.

The false conceptualization that your politics is static and linear...

Media pundits and pollsters would have you believe that political positioning is a straight line that runs from very conservative through very liberal – and your overall positioning on this scale informs your opinions, choices, and decision-making. Of course, this ignores your upbringing, education, experiences, and peers.

  • very conservative
  • conservative
  • slightly conservative
  • moderate or centrist
  • slightly liberal
  • liberal
  • very liberal

Of course, it is demonstrably false given that the same individual can hold multiple opinions on a multiplicity of issues -- being very conservative on issue one and very liberal on issue two.

A mathematically-based viewpoint…

Work1

Perhaps, the best way to explain what is really happening can be taken from mathematics. Consider a sphere with you at the center. Consider the issues to be placed around the sphere at different points, both within and on the sphere's surface. Draw arrows from the center of the sphere to each of these issues. Now for a little vector mathematics, where a vector is a straight line from you in the center pointing at a given issue that has both magnitude (intensity of your feeling) and direction (political leaning). Now consider that, at any given time, you are the sum of all vectors in your spherical universe.

A more useful conceptual picture…

Let us cut the sphere in half on the vertical axis for those who cannot easily visualize or utilize the vector analogy above.

POLITICAL-SPECTRUM

You are still the sum of your opinions and beliefs, but they may be more easily visualized.

Do you tend to believe in more government and less self-reliance or less government and more self-reliance when considering a particular matter?

Of course, some matters can only be solved with government intervention. Matters that require truth and uniformity in description like weights and measures and matters which demand due process and equality under the law. Others are best left to your own informed judgment based on your particular circumstances, like those involving healthcare.

My beliefs…

(1)  Unless you are a psychopath, you have an intrinsic understanding of good and evil, right and wrong.

(2)  Government is not monolithic and is comprised of individuals each acting according to their own self-interests.

(3)  While there might be credentialed, educated, and experienced individuals working in government, you cannot rely on the government’s claim of expertise, as well-credentialed, well-educated, and well-experienced individuals have often been proven to be fools or ideologically compromised. Especially when operating outside their narrow field of expertise and accepting compromise as a modus operandi.

(4)  You cannot rely on the government for your individual needs because competing interests favor the elite, powerful, wealthy, or politically connected individuals and organizations.

(5)  Your loyalty should be, first to yourself and family; second, to your proven friends; and third, to your community. To the extent you wish to prioritize God and Country is your individual choice.

(6)  If you cannot come to a decision, ask CUI BONO, Latin, for who benefits. Follow the money to the truth.

(7)  Remember, political parties, politicians, and other powerful people are like celebrities – they have a public persona that can be radically different from the monsters they may truly be.

The current situation…

Both political parties are moving at different speeds toward the great reset where perpetual political power trumps humanity.

The Russian people do not want war. The Ukrainian people do not want war. We do not want war. We want to live our lives unmolested by the government and their special interest friends.

Unfortunately, it appears that the elites in power want us at war. A war between our nations. A war between ourselves. War to deplete our personal reserves and social safety nets to the point where we become dependent on government -- and eventually dependent on a global government ruled by the elites under rules that perpetuate their power.

Bottom line…

If you are to believe psychologists, your subconscious mind has already considered the facts at hand, extrapolated to fill in missing data, and has formed a conclusion leading to a decision. It is now up to your conscious mind to rationalize that subconscious decision or suffer the discomforts of cognitive dissonance when dealing with two dissimilar thoughts—discomforts that can become physical maladies and stress.

No matter how you slice and dice the rationalizations, it all comes down to credibility and trust. If either of those is lost, you might do well to prepare yourself for hard times or consider altering your beliefs, actions, and allegiances.

In the final analysis, politics is the acceptance of the lesser of two evils – both being evil and reprehensible.

At this moment, our troubles are being caused and compounded by the progressive communist democrats. And to a lesser extent, by establishment Republicans who are RINOs, Republicans In Name Only. Thus the path forward is clear – support the GOP until they, once again, disappoint us as they surely must. 

We are so screwed.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba.”-- take nobody's word for it!

“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

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SPIES THAT LIED?

Crying-eagle
Like most things associated with the intelligence community, those analysts who examine data, draw conclusions and present their findings always speak in probabilities, possibilities, and use weasel words to avoid being held administratively accountable for their pronouncements.

So, if not for corrupt partisan politics, why would 51 former intelligence officials and purported elite experts publish an open letter admitting they did not know anything about Hunter Biden's laptop other than published media reports?

Public Statement on the Hunter Biden Emails

October 19, 2020

We are all individuals who devoted significant portions of our lives to national security. Some of us served in senior positions in policy departments and agencies, and some of us served in senior positions in the Intelligence Community. Some of us were political appointees, and some were career officials. Many of us worked for presidents of both political parties.

[OCS: The letter starts with a truism. However, we see an appeal to authority fallacy: because we have credible education, experience, or position, what we say, imply, or infer should also be considered credible. Likewise, the suggestion that working under different political parties implies some form of bipartisan impartiality is also false. Unfortunately, neither an appeal to authority nor the false claim of bipartisan impartiality says anything about motivations when the statement was written. The fact is that most long-term government employees work under multiple administrations only suggests they want to keep their position, nothing more nor less.]

We are all also individuals who see Russia as one of our nation’s primary adversaries. All of us have an understanding of the wide range of Russian overt and covert activities that undermine US national security, with some of us knowing Russian behavior intimately, as we worked to defend our nation against it for a career. A few of us worked against Russian information operations in the United States in the last several years.

[OCS: Another truism about Russia being one of our nation’s primary adversaries. There is no way to gauge their depth of understanding, especially that of political appointees and high-ranking bureaucrats who rely on specialized staff briefings.]

Perhaps most important, each of us believes deeply that American citizens should determine the outcome of elections, not foreign governments. All of us agree with the founding fathers’ concern about the damage that foreign interference in our politics can do to our democracy.

[OCS: While most may “believe” that our domestic elections should be free from foreign interference, nothing is said about domestic interference from malicious third parties.]

It is for all these reasons that we write to say that the arrival on the US political scene of emails purportedly belonging to Vice President Biden’s son Hunter, much of it related to his time serving on the Board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.

[OCS: The reason they do not mention is political partisanship that is heavily, if not exclusively, biased toward the Democrat Party and the election of Joe Biden.

At the time this letter was written, the FBI had in its possession a copy of the receipt bearing Hunter Biden’s personal information and signature. The material contents on the laptop could easily be confirmed by the family – who refused to comment – and third-party addressees, including Hunter Biden’s business associates.

The hallmark of any disinformation operation is the appearance of authenticity, so the use of the term “classic earmarks” is both disingenuous and misleading.]

We want to emphasize that we do not know if the emails, provided to the New York Post by President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, are genuine or not and that we do not have evidence of Russian involvement -- just that our experience makes us deeply suspicious that the Russian government played a significant role in this case.

[OCS: If the letter’s signatories state they do not know if the information is true or possess any evidence of Russian involvement, their collective unfounded “suspicions” should be regarded as politically motivated. They should be held accountable for actions that interfered with a presidential election.]

If we are right, this is Russia trying to influence how Americans vote in this election, and we believe strongly that Americans need to be aware of this.

[OCS: This is a claim based on nothing – unsubstantiated speculation at best, partisan duplicity at worst.]

There are a number of factors that make us suspicious of Russian involvement.

Such an operation would be consistent with Russian objectives, as outlined publicly and recently by the Intelligence Community, to create political chaos in the United States and to deepen political divisions here but also to undermine the candidacy of former Vice President Biden and thereby help the candidacy of President Trump. For the Russians at this point, with Trump down in the polls, there is incentive for Moscow to pull out the stops to do anything possible to help Trump win and/or to weaken Biden should he win. A “laptop op” fits the bill, as the publication of the emails are clearly designed to discredit Biden.

Such an operation would be consistent with some of the key methods Russia has used in its now multi-year operation to interfere in our democracy – the hacking (via cyber operations) and the dumping of accurate information or the distribution of inaccurate or misinformation. Russia did both of these during the 2016 presidential election – judgments shared by the US Intelligence Community, the investigation into Russian activities by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and the entirety (all Republicans and Democrats) on the current Senate Intelligence Committee.

Such an operation is also consistent with several data points. The Russians, according to media reports and cybersecurity experts, targeted Burisma late last year for cyber collection and gained access to its emails. And Ukrainian politician and businessman Adriy Derkach, identified and sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for being a 10-year Russian agent interfering in the 2020 election, passed purported materials on Burisma and Hunter Biden to Giuliani.

[OCS: This is pure bafflegab designed to lend some measure of authenticity to their unfounded speculations.

One could point to testimonial and documentary evidence that the Obama/Biden Administration and Hillary Clinton conspired, colluded, and coordinated with Ukrainian sources to interfere with a presidential election. Also, the Ukrainian government was complicit in an attempt to damage the Trump candidacy in collusion with members of the Democrat Party.

As for relying on media reports – we know they are not reliable sources and have published anonymously-sourced lies as truths. Likewise relying on cybersecurity experts like Democrat-connected CrowdStrike, who has published unsubstantiated rumors about Russian hacking as fact, is foolhardy.]

Our view that the Russians are involved in the Hunter Biden email issue is consistent with two other significant data points as well. According to the Washington Post, citing four sources, “U.S. intelligence agencies warned the White House last year that Giuliani was the target of an influence operation by Russian intelligence.”

[OCS: What professional intelligence official would cite the overtly partisan (and untrustworthy) Washington Post and their anonymous sources as a credible source of information?]

In addition, media reports say that the FBI has now opened an investigation into Russian involvement in this case. According to USA Today, “…federal authorities are investigating whether the material supplied to the New York Post by Rudy Giuliani…is part of a smoke bomb of disinformation pushed by Russia.”

[OCS: USA Today, another overtly partisan media source with their anonymous tipsters.

The corrupt FBI has proven to be untrustworthy for political investigations. They knew the Steele Dossier was fiction early on, yet they continued to persecute American citizens.] 

We do not know whether these press reports are accurate, but they do suggest concern within Executive Branch departments and agencies that mirrors ours. It is high time that Russia stops interfering in our democracy.

[OCS: Again, with the weasel-words and admission these 51 credentialed fools knew nothing other than what they read in the partisan press.]

Signed by,

  • Jim Clapper, Former Director of National Intelligence
  • Mike Hayden, Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency
  • Leon Panetta, Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency
  • John Brennan, Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency
  • Rick Ledgett, Former Deputy Director, National Security Agency
  • John McLaughlin, Former Acting Director, Central Intelligence Agency
  • Michael Morell, Former Acting Director, Central Intelligence Agency

[OCS: Partial list – the full letter can be found here – <Source>]

The real damage was done by the progressive communist democrat propagandists in the mainstream media and those controlling social media platforms further distorted the letter which was disseminated far and wide.

Hbd

Even Joe Biden repeated it in the final Trump/Biden debate...

Joe Biden: (06:22) There are 50 former national intelligence folks who said that what he’s accusing me of is a Russian plant. They have said that this has all the … five former heads of the CIA, both parties, say what he’s saying is a bunch of garbage. Nobody believes it except him and his good friend, Rudy Giuliani. <Source>

Twitter and Facebooked censored the story and restricted any account that even mentioned the Biden laptop...

Twitter, Facebook censor Post over Hunter Biden exposé

Both Twitter and Facebook took extraordinary censorship measures against The Post on Wednesday over its exposés about Hunter Biden’s emails — with Twitter baselessly charging that “hacked materials” were used. <Source>

No disavowal…

Former Director of National Intelligence and congressional liar James Clapper, when confronted with the disingenuous nature of the letter, replied, “Yes, I stand by the statement made AT THE TIME, and would call attention to its 5th paragraph. I think sounding such a cautionary note AT THE TIME was appropriate.”

Bottom line…

I think that a suitable response to this letter would be to immediately cancel all “courtesy” security clearances for the signatories of this letter, especially those associated with the media, foundations, or NGOs. And for those who need clearances to continue work in the private sector, re-investigate their contacts with foreign nationals before renewing their clearances.

In some cases, certain individuals should be investigated and prosecuted for their actions.

It is now time to deal with those who tell you the 2020 election was legitimate when we know that the media moguls and tech tyrants actively mounted a disinformation campaign against Donald Trump and suppressed the fact that one candidate was involved in massive corruption. Laws were ignored. Counts were falsified. Courts were politicized. And the asswipes in Congress like Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Adam Schiff continue to persecute Americans who protested a deeply-flawed election.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba.”-- take nobody's word for it!

“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

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