Renewable Revolution

Freedom & Democracy => Who CAN you trust? => Topic started by: AGelbert on May 13, 2014, 09:37:45 pm


Title: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 13, 2014, 09:37:45 pm
Senior EPA Official Steals Millions from Taxpayers


May 13, 2014

Quote
EPA Hoodwinked by Its Highest Paid Climate Specialist


Senior policy advisor John C. Beale of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Air and Radiation pulled off a million dollar con in which he found a fix for his career doldrums by convincing his bosses that he was a top-secret CIA operative.

This required him to be out of the office for extended periods of time—claiming to be traveling the globe on clandestine missions in the interest of homeland security.

Yes, this EPA official was vicariously acting out some sort of James Bond fantasy instead of going to work—and getting paid for it.1 He occupied his time taking lavish vacations on the government's dime.

Beale took 33 airplane trips between 2003 and 2011, costing the government $266,190. On 70 percent of those, he traveled first class and stayed in five-star hotels, traveled by limo, and charged more than twice the government's allowed per diem limit.

Between vacations, he would just putter around his Northern Virginia home doing pretty much nothing at all—and certainly not working. Beale told one shameless lie after another.

For example, in order to be granted a handicap parking space, he claimed to have contracted malaria in Vietnam. However, not only did he never have malaria, he never served in Vietnam!2 How long would you guess he got away with this fraudulent scheme—a month? A year? Try two decades!   :o ???  >:(

Justice, After a 20 Year Long Con...

Full story at link with excellent health advice too!

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/05/13/epa-official-steals-millions.aspx

Agelbert NOTE: Just imagine what the GW deniers are going to say when they find out the EPA was Hoodwinked by Its Highest Paid Climate Specialist... :(  Unsaid in the article is that this B A S T A R D got away with this mainly because of the systemic FEAR inside our government of questioning anything and everything that has to do with the "company" (in house nickname for the main defender of predatory capitalism all over the world -> the CIA).   >:(
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 20, 2014, 06:55:02 pm
Published on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 by Common Dreams       

'Justice for Sale'? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgaah.gif&hash=e43fa6be4258ba495007b2bbb3e7dd2f60288fcd)  Critics Slam Fed Deal With Tax Dodger-Abetting Bank Behemoth "As usual, no current senior officials were targeted.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6656.gif&hash=2038f9b45636a93e5c0f4ee508ce29778fe9e9b4) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_1730.gif&hash=cdaf50326d98ff7b051a9c49e83d51c7bb687407) 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffc06.deviantart.net%2Ffs71%2Ff%2F2009%2F347%2F2%2F6%2FWTF_Smiley_face_by_IveWasHere.jpg&hash=8ca673f8cf785d9dac626f9fd91e37a1a318c7ac)
Pray tell, what is the deterrent value?" (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fnocomment.gif&hash=e2062ee03ac013cc64a2d5285ec05dd9510c141b)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F237.gif&hash=13b71d2444f84b15c53fb1c0272c080f48a165f1)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

- Andrea Germanos, staff writer

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/05/20-4
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 18, 2014, 03:36:00 pm
PART 1 OF 2 PARTS
  I fooled around with writing an autobiography mainly for my children who both live about 400 miles away, and are 36, and 38 years old. I included this essay by Joe Bageant, because it says what i would say if i was as talented at writing as he was.

Joe Bageant: Americans Are "Hope Fiends" Because Honestly Looking at the Present Situation Would Destroy Just About Everything We Hold As Reality
An awareness of class makes clear who is screwing whom. That's why American capitalism's official line is that we are a "classless society."
March 1, 2010  |   

Near midnight and I am making tortillas on an iron skillet over a gas flame. Some three thousand miles to the north, my wife and dog nestle in sleep in the wake of a 34-inch snowstorm, while the dogs of Ajijic are barking at the witching hour and roosters crow all too early for the dawn. While my good Mexican neighbors along Zaragoza Street sleep.
Yet here I am awake and patting out tortillas, haunted by the empire that I have called home most of my life.
I like to think that, for the most part, I no longer live up there in the U.S., but southward of its ticking social, political and economic bombs. Because the US debt bomb has not yet gone off, Social Security still exists, and the occasional royalty check or book advance still comes in, allowing me to remain here. And so long as America's perverse commodities economy keeps stumbling along and making lifelike noises, so long as the American people accept permanent debt subjugation -- I can drink, think and burn tortillas. Believe me, I take no smugness in this irony.
There is a terrible science fiction-like awe in the autonomous American economic monolith, in the way that it provides for us, feeds on us and keeps us as its both its lavish pets and slaves. The commodity economy long ago enslaved Americans and other "developed" capitalist societies. But Americans in particular. The most profound slavery must be that in which the slaves can conceive of no other possible or better world than their bondage. Inescapable, global, all permeating, the commodities economy rules so thoroughly most cannot imagine any other possible kind of economy.
------
It comes down to owning stuff, and that the stuff we own also owns us (as anyone paying rent for a storage locker can attest). Transmogrified by industrial materialism, we have become what we own. More specifically, what we are observed by the rest of our society as owning. In the commodified society of industrial materialism, owning is being. So much so, that politicians bandy the term "ownership society" about, not only without causing the public to gag, but to cheers. Even liberals who claim to dislike the term don't want to be in a "We don't own **** society."
Early modern capitalism was more or less understandable, if not always pleasant. One can see why a pre-industrial world that had owned less would embrace owning a bit more. Who gave a damn if it came from Adam Smith's "unseen hand," the hand that was taking care of the already rich, who in turn managed the order of the world as seen through the lens of aristocratic and bourgeoisie English commerce. "If we work our guts out Nellie, we can buy a pork knuckle every Sunday. And a featherbed, if you get my drift. Woo Hoo!"
Enter the reign of the bourgeoisie, self-appointed and self-interested middlemen to anything and everything. The sheer complexity of the industrial revolution and associated finance was a dog that could fatten many fleas.
When the bourgeoisie did not get what it felt was a good cut of the action from the monarchies, it raised hell, sometimes enough to cause revolutions. If they won, as they did in America, they took credit for establishing democracy. If they lost, they fobbed it off as a "people's revolution," leaving the working slobs, the actual producers of wealth, to face the king's hangmen.
Even when "the people" occasionally win one of those "people's revolutions", we never really win. Not in the end. For instance, here in Mexico, contrary to what we've seen in Zapata movies, there has never been a successful people's revolution in terms of lasting and real egalitarian reform. Just armed struggle, and many promises of reform, always to be abandoned after the revolution. They were subsequently wiped out by the politically potent urban middle class, in league with traditional elites, such as the haciendados and corporatists. The bourgeoisie never gives up its profitable connections to the elites. Same as in America. The bourgeoisie lives at the pleasure of the elites.
However, in the people's revolutions it was mainly "the people" who got killed. So they get naming rights. The people own their revolution only in death. Just as in the U.S., the elites here and the business classes get everything else and rent it back to us as mortgages or whatever.
You can argue that people have always screwed other people for a buck, or a drachma or a shekel. You will win with that argument every time. However, the real issue is about how many people got screwed and how hard by how few. Under 250 years of capitalism, the rising take from the ongoing screw job has grown astronomical. Enough to buy every political tub-thumper in Washington and a Supreme Court. Enough that if the elite cartels on Wall Street rip 300 million Americans for trillions, leaving them squinting at the fine print on their eviction notices, they cannot do jack about it. Except pay the next ransom demand for their credit . On their credit cards. Then sign their children into future debt slavery.
We are all Mexicans now
Thanks to the autonomous commodities economy, Mexico literally cannot keep itself in tortillas. No longer food self-sufficient, Mexico, where corn was first bred and developed into a staple, buys corn on the world market. The price of tortillas in the tiendas along my street is up 40 percent and climbing at ten times the rate of Mexico's minimum wage.
Mexico was food self-sufficient in 1982. Minimum daily wage then was the equivalent of 8.2 kilos of eggs, or 23 liters of milk, or 33 kilos of tortillas. Eighty-five percent of the people had access to government medical care and the country was fifth worldwide in GNP growth. Now, thanks to international financial pirates, Mexico cannot even keep itself in tortillas.
This has happened repeatedly to Mexico, each time due to a different pirate gang, the French, the English, the Germans. But most often, it is the Americans and their institutions and policies, the IMF, GATT and NAFTA. Mexico is continually robbed from within and without. Within lives the tapeworm of government-business corruption feeding on money passing through the nation's economic bowel. From without come the assaults of American and global corporate financialism.
Loathe as Americans are to believe it, the Mexican people and the American people are in the same situation of being mugged. However, they are robbed at a different rate and from different positions in the global pecking order. We rob the Mexicans and global capitalism robs us. Fortunately we can still afford to buy our national food staple from Dominoes. Which makes us a superior people.
Humping the Big Lie
Meanwhile, somebody has to hump The Big Lie, maintain the appearance to the rest of the world that American cowboy capitalism is stable. Also keep Americans sold on The Big Lie's flip side, the number two tune: "We are the richest and most blessed people on earth because of capitalism (but currently going through a rough patch). Proof is offered: "Step right up and see for yourselves! Just look at the spectacular services and goods that bury us in wonderment! Now go buy a PT Cruiser."
Decades ago, the spectacle of commodity capitalism, the sheer variety of possible stuff to own, ways to be, possible appearances of being, came to constitute a commodity in itself -- enchantment as a product, product as enchantment. Materialistic enchantment as commodity was so powerful in scale and scope, and so thorough in mind saturation that it came to colonize our consciousness in what Guy Debord aptly deemed "the society of the spectacle."
No ordinary person could ever have withstood such a colonization of human consciousness as the American people have seen. Consciousness being simply awareness, there was no surviving the onslaught. The tsunami of false possibilities and pseudo choices constituted entire constellations in the psyche, of goods, and images of goods large and small: hair dryers, iPods, anti-bacterial wipes, cable television, ammunition, plastic siding, gourmet foods, this HP notebook computer in my lap, the Prius and the Porsche, even words such as Google, Microsoft, China Mobile, Vodafone, Marlboro… They all have psychological and social meaning in our commoditized consciousness, that battlefield where each commodity vies for preeminence with every other commodity in the shifting exposition of stuff we are permitted to labor to pay for.
It can now be honestly stated that mere goods and services express the citizenry and the American culture in its entirety. Citizenship in a consumer society is consumership. Consumer culture consumes all rival cultures, replacing them with "pop culture," which is simply deeming the marketplace as culture. Hip Hop is a good example. So is the modern cinema, and all of the music and book publishing industry. Corporate industry and its products are not culture, despite all the new definitions of culture bourgeois academia and the marketplace come up with on behalf of the corporations that fund both of them.
Your iPod shall set you free!
Freedom and personal identity exists as freedom to choose identity from among the commodities, and particularly the entertainments, offered. The Mac person as opposed to the Windows person. The Mariah Carey or Rihanna Fenty fan as opposed to the Eric Clapton fan. Each is convinced he or she is different because of their chosen commodity. Yet at the root of this, they all purchased a computer or a CD from a faceless corporation grounded in the toxic wastelands and sweatshops of Asia and elsewhere. Those who, in a fit of defiance, choose Indy music choose a product originating in and listened to through digital equipment produced in the bowels of monolithic corporate commodities generators.
We may gaze at the hologram and dream of living larger, or conversely, living the uncorrupted "simple life" on that little organic farm in Vermont. In the end though, the lucky ones among us, all those people out there in anonymous Terra Condominia, out there in the sprawling suburban nether land, must be content with a flat screen television. Watching those commercials for the Super Bowl commercials, delivered to us breathlessly as "news," The News is the liturgy of the commodity economy -- whose scope and omniscience no man can grasp, but only consume as manna. We are feasters at the table of goods and services, most of which are not only unnecessary, distractive and mind killing, but earth destroying in both their manufacture and their use. This matters not a bit in an illusionary world of appearances. The commodity economy in its bounty, also offers us a chance to "buy green." To text a link to the Earth First website.
It ain't fascism, it's practicality
If our national and individual minds have been colonized, occupied, then we necessarily live in an occupied nation. We have arrived at the destination where the trajectory of material consumer capitalism was always headed, toward an occupied (and preoccupied) totalitarian society. Rational, practical, productive and autonomous.
Cliché as the word is, you would have to call it overshoot. In judging the arc and trajectory of that technical rationality Western society so prides itself upon, we reduced the Enlightenment, the original launching pad of ration, to the merely practical, material and economic. The practical is scripture now. Without it material production and profit, the only concerns of capitalism, do not exist. All power rests in the practical.
What is most practical is hierarchy and specialization. Technical specialization -- within engineering specialization -- within scientific specialization. All contained within the economic specializations of the state sanctioned economy and ideology governing the conditions of our daily existence. By definition, this is totalitarian.
Totalitarianism calls ideology philosophy. It salutes itself in every medium and every product, material, legal, political. And we salute it in return through meaningless work and consumption.
In all likelihood, you the reader are younger than I. Possibly less cynical and surely less tired. You may believe yet that violent overthrow of such a monstrous system is still possible.
A year or so ago, I still believed that. Events in the world and at home have since convinced me otherwise. Maybe the system could have even been changed from within forty years ago. If it could have been and was not, then that most certainly is the greatest failure of my generation. The Sixties were a critical point at which important choices were offered us as a people. At the time, a minority realized revolution was still possible and warranted. Violent revolution, if necessary. But as a generation, we were no better at acting in unselfish concert than yours.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 18, 2014, 03:36:59 pm
PART 2 OF 2 PARTS
Quote
As Chris Hedges recently pointed out, violence today only assures the survival of the most violent, criminals of one sort or another, petty or international. Beyond that, the state now has the technological capability to inflict the most violence in every case, and therefore win. Realistic thinkers say aloud that what is so far advanced can no longer be stopped or turned around by revolution, violent or otherwise. Most other thinkers on the subject secretly suspect the same.
Mr. Popularity and the marmot
The rest of the country is oblivious, lost in the anxious clamor for an economic "recovery." The voice of the state defines recovery for them as a return to former levels of the unsustainable superheated capitalism, and increased indebtedness of the populace. "Oh when, oh when will the bankers loosen the credit markets so we can again buy things?" As if their debt slavery were a great gift! The banksters simply do not issue more credit to people they know are dead broke -- because they broke 'em, they will continue to make more money by letting the people wail, and taking the people's money directly from the state as bailouts. Stretched out over the coming years, we will see more of them. It should give us chills.
President Obama at some point asked himself if bailouts for those who caused the collapse will truly result in an end to the "current crisis" (a term calculated to make our slow inevitable collapse look temporary). How does getting the masses to accept more debt add up to anything but worse crisis later? Obama is a smart fellow, smarter than George Bush, which is what got him elected, right? (Of course after Bush a marmot could have run on the "smarter than Bush" ticket and looked good). So he must have asked that. And like any highly educated (indoctrinated) American politician who has interiorized the capitalist system -- you do not become a presidential candidate without interiorizing capitalism lock stock and barrel -- his first reflex was: "The system must be saved at all costs!" Members of Congress, whose butts arrived in the Washington through the same processes as Obama's, agreed. That cost us all plenty.
Obama is himself a commodity, the most telegenic political commodity since Kennedy. One that suits American style capitalism best this particular historical political moment. He is a useful illusion, the same as George W. Bush was a useful illusion. What is the difference between George Bush managing the country through media performances and Obama doing the same? Both are telegenic, which is everything today, but in different ways. One was stupid but radiated virility and manly appearance; the other is attractive for his intelligence and so smart he's stupid. Both lives are absorbed in "appearing to be" in the Great American Hologram of appearances. We are a nation following the appearance of national leadership.
------
It is cold comfort that we are not alone in this ultimate folly. Globally, it is estimated that the economic crisis has seen at least $50 trillion in financial assets -- approximately equal to the value of the entire global GDP -- wiped out. Given the bullshit "science" that is economics, and that economists serve the purposes of the money masters of their particular age, and that money is always in motion, it is very doubtful that anyone really knows the global GDP. But the illusion that someone does is necessary in preserving and controlling perceptions of the present system. Otherwise the concept of money itself would have to be reexamined and changed to fit the world reality. Better to proclaim a "crisis" and scare the **** out of the peasantry, than give them an opportunity to question the new feudalism of credit cards, mortgages, car loans, educational loans and general debt slavery. The word crisis scares people, flogs them into anxious submission, lest some **** socialist come along and ask, Why don't you take charge of your own lives and destiny? Do you really need these people?
The "crisis" was set in motion by institutions lending each other non-existent money none of them can pay back. Consequently, the masses are once again expected to produce enough material value in the world to make the funny money real, and shore up the system one more time. To "raise the money" to do this will require generations of future productivity shoveled into the furnace of corporate capitalism's banking machinery. There was nothing left to steal, so extorting the future was the only option left. Assuming the skimmers and the scammers manage to extract enough public monies to pump up corporations one more time, there will be another and bigger disaster not far down the road. We don't need the Oracle of Delphi to predict this. Capitalism is unstable as hell, like an unbalanced dreidel that keeps tilting ever more wildly off center until it falls over or eventually hits the wall. We can now see the wall from here: Massive ecological collapse and species extinction. "Economic downturn," even "crisis," does not quite describe that approaching wall. All of America hopes we will miss that wall at least one more time.
Americans are hope fiends. We always see hope somewhere down every road, chiefly because honestly looking at the present situation would destroy just about everything we hold as reality. Personally, as I often state and catch readership hell for, I do not like hope. When Obama ran it up the flagpole for us to salute, and so many saluted, my blood chilled. Made me feel that we were all in deeper **** than I had supposed (Nevertheless, I reluctantly voted for Obama. At the time it seemed It was either Obama, or continuing war, debt, and diminishing civil liberties. Ha!) Hope is magic thinking, believing that somehow, some larger unknown force is in motion to set things right.
The world is what it is, and its injustices are set right by peoples and nations morally intact enough to challenge its malevolent forces.
Hope is political pabulum for an infantilized nation.
A shot at economic justice (gets you shot at)
On those rare occasions when I do see nations take concrete steps toward liberation, the heart is cheered at having at least some reason for reality based optimism. After more than a century of taking it up the shorts from autonomous capitalism, Latin America is moving toward alternatives to the free trade cowboy capitalism that has so long **** them.
One step is ALBA (Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América). ALBA is aimed solely at meeting human need instead of profit. Bartering and mutual economic and material aid outside of so-called free trade agreements. Out of the reach of global banking. For example, Venezuela gives Cuba over 100,000 barrels of oil daily at production cost. In exchange Cuba has sent 20,000 state-employed doctors and medical staffers. And if Venezuelans' medical problems require higher medical specialism, they may travel to Cuba for specialized care free of charge. No profits allowed. Take it or leave it.
The takers are lining up. Venezuela, Ecuador, Cuba, Saint Vincent , the Grenadines , Dominica, Honduras, Antigua and Barbuda, Nicaragua and Bolivia. ALBA nations are in the process of introducing a new regional currency, the SUCRE. (Sistema Único de Compensación Regional, or Single Regional Payment Compensation System) to replace the U.S. dollar. Now a common virtual currency, it is scheduled to become a hard currency.
Countries such as Argentina are experimenting with an economy based on worker self-management and balanced job complexes. Venezuela is developing community owned and directed banks. A common goal is to develop an economy not dependent, as is capitalism, on limitless exponential growth, but on consuming fewer resources, operating without debt, and using less or none of the global banking system's money. When the IMF and the world's banksters dubbed these nations "developing countries" (a fine example of Newspeak, that both renamed miserable poverty, and suggested that the international bankers' robbery was benefiting those countries), this is not the kind of development they had in mind. This is pure wide-open socialism based on the universal socialist and democratic socialist vision. The stuff of capitalist nightmares.
The traditional answer to such challengers to autonomous capitalism has been simple. Kill 'em. And we do our best. The U.S. has always had its provocative agents and hit squads working in those counties. Castro has survived or foiled some 638 assassination attempts, one every few weeks of his long presidency. Attempts on Chavez are so common the Venezuelan press no longer bothers to report them. After all, besides being old hat, they don't seem to be working anyway. Which means we will be forced to bomb the **** out of Venezuela and Cuba at some point. But they will have to get in line behind Iran.
By the way, a Latin American country does not have to be socialistic to get hammered by capitalist interests. Even Mexico, governed by corrupt capitalist and business overlords of the first order, men who have consistently sold their country out to foreign capitalist interests both before and since its revolution, is a target for covert action and sabotage -- from Israel of all places. In October 2001, a month after 9/11, two Israelis, MOSSAD agent Salvador Guersson Smecke and another Israeli who slipped into the country covertly, were arrested inside the halls of the Mexican congress, while posing as two rather lumpy looking photographers. The lumps turned out to be nine hand grenades, a dozen sticks of dynamite, detonators and detonator wiring and two Glock 9mm automatics. Immediately following the arrest, Ariel Sharon sent a top envoy, who sprang them, following strong pressure from Israeli government. They were whisked off, leaving Mexicans to wonder, What in the hell was THAT all about?" One neighbor here in Mexico says wryly, "That must have cost the Israelis millions in bribes." (*see footnote)
Born with the disease?
It would be nice if we could neatly lay all the blame on the nasty monolith of autonomous capitalism as an outside malignant force of its own. A systemic pathogen that somehow infected a decent and unsuspecting America. Looks like I just did, in fact.
Nevertheless, America and its national character were founded on the purest greed. From the beginning the people who came here wanted more of the material world. Sure, there were some religious dissenters (of which too much has been made for propaganda purposes). But the English and Dutch stock companies that established the first colonies came looking for profits. And the common people who came here were looking for "a better life," which to them was, above all else, becoming as wealthy as possible. America was its own self-selecting process.
Read Tocqueville's description of earlier Americans' relentless buying and selling fever. Everything and everyone was always up for sale from the start. Read about the greed and stinginess of the "refugees from religious persecution," such as slave owning Quakers, Presbyterians and Methodists. Read about how the founding fathers ripped off the Revolutionary War veterans for the IOU script they so patiently held for many years in payment for fighting, buying it up for pennies on the dollar, then passing legislation to pay up on the script. Or how not only the business class, but also the supposedly bucolic and wise heartland American farmers cheered as the government troops shot down hungry striking miners, burned out their families, lest they disturb the order of the Republic of commerce.
There were the exploited working masses then, just as there are now. And there was always the petty bourgeoisie, more than happy to do the dirty work of the most elite owning class, in hopes of currying its favor. Always happy to sanction the "wet jobs" on the Italian, Polish, Chinese and Irish immigrant laborer. You could then, and you can now, depend on the true middle class, that 15% or so, capitalism's commissars, to crush the working class. They will do anything to remain in a more privileged zone of consumption, the boundaries of which are maintained by agreement of state authorities. From their petty perches, they have deemed themselves "the middle class." In reality they are the mitigating class, the petty anointed whose job it is to obscure class awareness in America.
Shut up and let the green stuff talk
An awareness of class makes clear who is **** whom. That's why American capitalism's official line is that we area "classless society." Denying the existence of class, deeming all Americans (excepting a few too-obvious-to-be denied cases, such as inner city blacks and the poorest of immigrants), "middle class" was one of American capitalism's great strokes of genius. It blurred the line between workers and capitalism's middle class commissariat -- the petty business, mid-management, teaching and owning class managing the rest of us for the elites.
And just in case that line was not blurred enough, the bourgeoisie, particularly the academic institutions, successfully wrote the labor and the working masses out of American political history as taught in the public schools. We workers now have no continuous organic chain of memory and experience from which to draw.
The owning/business class has always been institutionalized as the state and the custodians of the entire American social and political process. History as we learn it in school is the owning class' version. Despite what we were taught, America's Constitution is mainly a property rights document, and those with the most property are naturally ascendant at all times in this country. Generation after generation of this ascent was bound to lead to what we see now. The ultimate triumph of property and money. A Supreme Court that, without the slightest hesitation, declares that money is speech and as such, will do most of the talking from here on out. The autonomous economy now has a tongue.
We can well imagine its future admonishments, its smug edicts, proclamations of terror afoot, more need for surveillance camera eyes, oil pipelines for its circulatory system. The autonomous economy not only has the bullhorn of the national media. It has a voice capable of drowning out what little of the people's voice remained, replacing our small national dialogue with soulless monologue. The bourgeoisie will listen closely though, for opportunity, a buck to be made in Kevlar, or perhaps the next new antidepressant for a demoralized, passive and discouraged republic.
In all honesty, I am sick of thinking about it, tired of burning up unrecoverable hours at the end of my 63-year old candle writing about it. So are many of my colleagues in cybernetic left-space.
Distance and solitude seem the only refuge. Which is why I am "aging Mexican," and almost monastically absorbed in the small daily rituals of sustenance these days. I do not kid myself that it is permanent or a real solution to the unbearable ugliness of the American condition.
But at the moment, four AM, a cricket chirps in the orange tree by my window, and my tortillas are perfectly lovely.   
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 18, 2014, 03:40:46 pm
This is the FRUIT of BAD GOVERNMENT by
1) predatory,
2) conscience free ('liberated' from guilt feelings by the almighty Freud in order to avoid 'neurosis'),
3) social Darwinist,  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil19.gif&hash=6eeb0dbc471743691793f5130640fdcbd1f77b5c)
4) game theory (cooperation is a guise to fool and destroy the competition) **** up world view,
5) situational ethics (an oxymoron!),
6) if it feels good-DO IT
corporate consent manufacturing propagandists in the service of S H I T CANNED ETHICS for SHORT TERM PROFITS!

The SOLUTION lies in GOOD GOVERNMENT; the PROBLEM is that CORPORATIONS ARE the present BAD GOVERNMENT! They support imprisoning people that speak truth to power and giving the people the mushroom treatment for the same reason they ignore global warming and pollution: S H I T CANNED ETHICS FOR SHORT TERM PROFITS!
As part of being responsible, caring human beings, we have to pressure our government to take major action to stop the degradation of the biosphere from climate change. This is causing death and disease to both domestic animals and wildlife, all of which have done nothing to deserve such a horrible fate at our hands. It's time to eliminate the excuse our fossil fuel loving oligarchy uses for "resources" wars for oil that bring nothing but misery to us and profits for them.

I started a petition on Care2: Demand Liberty From Fossil Fuels Through 100% Renewable Energy WWII Style Effort. I'm hoping that if enough people sign my petition, we can make a difference. I have 302 signatures. Will you help me collect more by adding your name?
Here's a link to the petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/420/529/456/demand-liberty-from-fossil-fuels-through-100-renewable-energy-wwii-style-effort/

Thank you and please pass it on. The biosphere you save may be your own. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fearthhug.gif&hash=3abcf70466f34337f2d702ebd9e02c650d5c4c20) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ficare.gif&hash=7a81c13fb045a57fc456f34661fddcf04dbfe8b7)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government: How a Corporatocracy "Works".
Post by: AGelbert on July 19, 2014, 03:43:19 pm
How a Corporatocracy "Works".   >:(

Corruptisima re publica plurimae leges.

The laws, LOTS OF LAWS, are on the books. However, they are enforced on the little guy, Joe and Jane public, not the corporations that fill the campaign coffers of the politicians (that end up working for said corporations after - and before- "public" office). This is a fascist dictatorship with the trappings of "democracy". And the very ones claiming to be against "big and intrusive" government are the ones who actually support the fascist criminal government agenda!

How many times have you heard this clever doubletalk? "We need small, less intrusive government because it helps those poor overtaxed and overregulated corporations benefit society through a free market" (Oh but it DO SOUND PURTY, DON'T IT?).

The irony of the doubletalk from these feudalist tyrants who despise and work 24/7 to make sure there is NO FREE MARKET while claiming they believe in LIBERTY is that they LOVE GIANT, OBTRUSIVE, WAR LOVING, FASCIST GOVERNMENT! They want as strong, big and mean a government as possible JUST AS LONG AS CORPORATIONS RUN IT!

That way, they can get we-the-people to PAY for our own fascist policing and lack of freedom while the corporations and those who run them are never prosecuted for any crimes of ANY TYPE from pollution, to slave wages to money laundering to sex rings to child p o r n ography, etc. (i.e. whatever is "profitable" while being grossly immoral, unethical and criminal = LIBERTY! ).

Libertarians are ORWELLIAN in EVERYTHING they do and say. Prison is too good for them! They want less freedom for the little guy and gal while corporations run ragged over the people and the planet.

For those readers that think critically (ignore all pro-corporate fascist agenda talk disguised as ""anti-strong intrusive government"), here's our situation:

The SOLUTION lies in GOOD GOVERNMENT; the PROBLEM is that CORPORATIONS ARE the present BAD GOVERNMENT! Clever Libertarians and other right wing apologists for rampant and consciense free GREED present "too much" government as "hampering" the "free market" in true Orwellian mindfork.

The method in the madness of these greedballs is to OBTAIN EVEN MORE DESTRUCTIVE POWER FOR THE CORPORATE ELITE AND LESS FOR THE PEOPLE, thereby making a mockery of the terms "democracy" and "free market".

These predators KNOW what they are doing. S h i t canned ethics for short term profits is what these people are all about. They are always looking for someone to kick. Don't let them get away with their clever lies and distortions of the truth.

"It is argued that mega corporations are vital economic engines of growth and contributors to society, whether as a result of jobs created or from products or services provided. It is undeniable that the Japanese zaibatsus and Korean chaebols have played a vital role in the material ascendancy of those countries.

But when the genie escapes the bottle, when he no longer serves his master (customers or the public), when he takes control and makes rules to suit himself to the detriment of others - that is when we should worry. We should worry about the unbridled insatiable greed and lack of accountability increasingly characterising the behaviour of these people." 264

Icecubes in Rockets © RLL/G.Chia 2004

Help stop them now before it is too late!

  Demand Liberty From Fossil Fuel Polliution (http://www.thomhartmann.com/forum/2014/06/petition-president-obama-be-delivered-september-demand-liberty-fossil-fuels-through-10)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 01, 2014, 09:10:18 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0xzsbSbVUE&feature=player_embedded
The Neocon Israel Firsters Planned and Executed 911 with the help of the Mossad!  >:(
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 13, 2014, 02:24:06 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.dailykos.com%2Fimages%2F99252%2Flightbox%2Fwildfires720.png%3F1407777044&hash=5191ef1ebae034712433f1339ca761304c1b8665)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 13, 2014, 10:37:05 pm
Do You Trust the Government? 87% of Americans Don’t (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fswear1.gif&hash=87347674f9297191f3f8a447208170617da4caf6)


by Kevin Mathews
August 11, 2014

Americans are seriously lacking faith in the system – in fact, trust in the U.S. government is at an all-time low. According to the latest CNN poll, just 13% of Americans agree that the U.S. government “can be trusted to do what is right always or most of the time.”

Instead, nearly everyone (75%) says that the government works properly just “some of the time,” a troubling figure. Certainly, a healthy, functioning democracy would not brew so much distrust amongst its population.

“The number who trust the government all or most of the time has sunk so low that it is hard to remember that there was ever a time when Americans routinely trusted the government,” said Keating Holland, the head of CNN Polling.

This is a notable departure from the legitimate trust that existed decades ago. Through the 1960s, Americans held favorable opinions toward the government. The majority of respondents in the ‘60s said they trusted the government “always or most of the time.”

That all changed when the Watergate scandal struck. By 1974, only 36% of Americans expressed good faith in the government. That number has never rebounded above 50% since then, with one prominent exception: the period immediately following the September 11 attacks in 2001. While the outpouring of collective patriotism resulted in an upswing in the figures temporarily, the numbers have dropped steadily since, presumably impacted in part by the U.S.’s hasty decision to declare war with Iraq, a country uninvolved in 9/11.

Speaking of Watergate, in conjunction with the scandal’s 40th anniversary, CNN also polled Americans about their feelings on Watergate. The age gap on this issue is quite telling. Americans over the age of 40 declared Watergate a major problem, while those under 40 labeled the incident politics as usual. Of course, the fact that younger American citizens are collectively shrugging at Watergate isn’t a sign that they view that sort of behavior as acceptable. More accurately, it reflects the growing distrust toward the government and the belief that underhandedness like Watergate is standard practice in modern politics.

In addition to government-related questions, the poll asked Americans whether they had faith in the private sector. The amount of Americans who trust corporations is similarly abysmal: just 17%. That said, the correlation between these low fingers isn’t altogether surprising considering that the unholy alliance between corporations and U.S. politicians prompts many Americans to look at them as essentially the same entity. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FHjPbLbmep2aJO%2Fgiphy.gif&hash=3c7f7703f00cb341d3e9bdba607208d4204a294c)

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/do-you-trust-the-government-87-of-americans-dont.html#ixzz3AKSpiqky
Americans are finally GETTING DA PICTURE...   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)
 

Corporato-PIGocracy 'R' US (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fd2.gif&hash=98d536bf1047a88ef91e9c45e08b725347c9fe13)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.envisionyourdreamsllc.com%2FGolden-Pig.jpg&hash=b7879c3d56faf2797c99c46b9dfeb644196a3e2d) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400)



Title: Ron Paul is, and always was, a racist fascist. IOW, he is a Libertarian.
Post by: AGelbert on August 24, 2014, 05:18:13 pm
Ron Paul is 100% pro international corporations while fronting for small government. What he and his oligarchic friends want is a what multi-national corporations want.

THE MULTINATIONAL CORPORATE "small government" PLAN:

The neutering of all national governments (creation of many small, weak and beholden to corporate money "rump" states) in the entire planet so they are only the police state front behind which corporations rule and flaunt all laws that make people running corporations responsible to the law. Ron Paul is, and always was, a racist fascist. IOW, he is a Libertarian.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimage.slidesharecdn.com%2Frp64-120121110325-phpapp02%2F95%2Fron-paul-the-most-dangerous-nazi-in-america-1-638.jpg%3Fcb%3D1374344705&hash=9f07e18d72c59498e17c42c931c6d54a11cf6d3a)
Title: What's really happening to the people of Benton Harbor:
Post by: AGelbert on August 24, 2014, 06:21:26 pm
What's really happening to the people of Benton Harbor:

The thrust [of the Berrien county courthouse] is to physically remove and destroy families through the use of the criminal justice system. Every person they can put in jail; every person whose voting rights they can  revoke with a felony conviction; every person they can cause to lose their job by putting them on probation;  every person they can cause to lose the ability to pay for basic necessities through imposing ruinous court costs and probation is all part of the process.

In the 1960s, it was called Negro removal. In Bosnia, it was  called ethnic cleansing. It could be called genocide, the removal of the minority population for the purpose of redevelopment of the land. That’s what’s happening in Benton Harbor and the foremost leader of the resistance is Rev. Edward Pinkney. --Civil rights attorney, Hugh "Buck" Davis

http://www.bhbanco.org/

More details on this ATTACK on Civil Rights, African Americans, the Poor of ALL colors and Democracy at link below:

http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/mechanisms-of-prejudice-hidden-and-not-hidden/msg1742/#msg1742

 






Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 24, 2014, 08:46:50 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicvote.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F03%2Fthe_libertarian_plot_sticker-refecfbfb70314a6b92b50b97a0b7c25f_v9i40_8byvr_512.jpg&hash=a3f77ad22db0c968ebed5d9373fe1d033b9dc9bb)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dydd.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F07%2Flibquote.jpg&hash=8c11712a1fafd1e882ba7188da93eab7fbe3fb3d)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ft.qkme.me%2F35j840.jpg&hash=aea6dc8c9546f36ee78fb944bf212fa43b11ba41)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leftycartoons.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fhow_libertarians_vote.png&hash=b21e3c69b23eb91080ae5c80664f543692249752)

Libertarians of the world unite: you have nothing to lose but your credibility   ;D

There is something superficially appealing about libertarianism. Its obvious derivation from ‘liberty’ makes people comfortable being described as a libertarian. Indeed, libertarians’ advocacy of free speech, freedom of association and permissive attitudes towards sexuality resonate both with long-established rights and a more tolerant Britain in which institutionalized bigotry has little traction. Investigate a little further, however, and the libertarian position looks less comforting and more like a fig leaf for closet racists.  :o

http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/archive/libertarians-of-the-world-unite-you-have-nothing-to-lose-but-your-credibility (http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/archive/libertarians-of-the-world-unite-you-have-nothing-to-lose-but-your-credibility)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 24, 2014, 08:48:08 pm
If libertarianism is so great, why do neo-nazi flock to it like flies? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6656.gif&hash=2038f9b45636a93e5c0f4ee508ce29778fe9e9b4) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_1730.gif&hash=cdaf50326d98ff7b051a9c49e83d51c7bb687407)

I was horrified to see a lot of libertarians claim that "blacks are inferior" and that we are "polluting the white genes" with "black trash".

I don't know about direct, overt racism but it's a great cover for plutocrats. I would agree that the ideas of Rand "No Blacks in My Bar" Paul's thoughts on what a bar owner should be able to do would have a Jim Crow effect across the South.


https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20131103234932AACsPKC (https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20131103234932AACsPKC)

ME too!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 24, 2014, 08:49:42 pm
Exposing the Racist History Of Libertarianism And Murray Rothbard

Gary Anderson

Murray Rothbard was the student of Ludwig Von Mises and a friend of Ayn Rand. Rothbard was a racist, and believed in the "voluntary" separation of the races. I have argued that his teacher, Mises, was an elitist with fascist tendencies. This part of libertarian history is a part that the libertarians would like to cover up. It slips out at times and has done so with Ron Paul, Rand Paul and others. But we need to take a look at what these guys believed, circa 1990 because that was not so long ago.

We know that Rothbard spoke kindly of David Duke, the KKK office seeker. One disaffected libertarian was dismayed that Rothbard would seek to align himself with a pure racist just because he believed in limited government. The only reason that Rothbard did not back a separate state for blacks was because he was afraid it would cost too much in "foreign aid".  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183543.bmp&hash=0dd31f89969b231b56a05560331875860bb55e56)

It should be noted that Ron Paul distanced himself from Rothbard's racism, in stating that racism is a collectivist view.  ;)  Still, there is a strong racial tension in libertarian thought. Ron Paul's newletters had racist thoughts in them, although Dr Paul stated they were put in his publications without his knowledge.  ;) I have no reason to doubt that. But these were mistakes that are significant.  :(

But even Rand Paul made a racial gaff right after he won the senate seat, that he regretted, when he said he was for the repeal of the 1964 civil rights act. It would seem that this racial/libertarian theme continues.

So then, we need to look at more history to see if this is a constant pattern or if it is just an aberration. After all, many buy into the financial views of the libertarians. They are used to justify Wall Street excess. But are they more insidious and dangerous than that? Racism is actually quite compatible with libertarian economics.

Libertarian economics stresses individualism, even though these guys know that their moms changed their diapers and they had to get help all along the way growing up.  ;D Individualism is great, but I remember going to class reunions and seeing that once you got to the 20th reunion, there was a lot less individualism and a lot more humility. We all need people. We are not islands.

Yet there is a theme historically that comes from Mises. For Mises, as I quoted in Ludwig Von Mises Implies Being a Savage Animal Is Ok!, the newborn child is born a savage. This is why libertarians only accept the legitimacy of voluntary relationships. This plays into the desire to repeal the civil rights act, so that you can kick out ethnic minorities from your restaurant without serving them.

This plays into the desire of Rothbard to voluntarily separate from blacks in a nation and in public activity. You can see how this insidious morality breaks down society and good will.

One can deduce that if the foundation of libertarianism is rotten, so is the elitist financial decay that seeks limited government to the extreme. It is a decay because it is based upon the desire to ignore the needs of the greater society. But that society has been stronger because capitalism is tempered with compassion. Where capitalism becomes anarcho-capitalism, a term coined by Rothbard, it becomes a capitalism of unwholesome greed. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__burp.gif&hash=8ff3ef6c016d8baf5f61ed5e8db58f069b64da00) The capitalist still has to take the subway, or drive his car into the city. If he gets shot at in a destabilized society how does that benefit him? If there is no money to fix the roads, how can he do his job?

The danger, of course, is that people will become less socialized if there are tech gadgets to allow people to stay at home and work from home. One can hope that these young people who have this wealth and independence will come to see the importance of the common good anyway.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/exposing-the-racist-history-of-libertarianism-and-murray-rothbard-2011-10#ixzz3BMIl3QDq (http://www.businessinsider.com/exposing-the-racist-history-of-libertarianism-and-murray-rothbard-2011-10#ixzz3BMIl3QDq)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 02, 2014, 08:55:01 pm
Movement to Declassify 9/11 Information Gathers Momentum (http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/08/movement-declassify-911-materials-gathers-momentum.html) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F47b20s0.gif&hash=cc48c9af9d29b8836023c7db21103e52d1ed439e)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 03, 2014, 05:49:46 pm
Environmental Control Drones: A True Tale from South Carolina

Posted on August 30, 2014  by  Wendy McCarty

A white truck with a decal on the side pulls into the driveway. The decal itself is unreadable from afar. A man wearing tan pants and a white shirt with a circular decal on the shoulder comes to the front door. As the man approaches, the decal on his shirt is easily readable “Environmental Department.”

The door is answered.

“Hello?” Says the homeowner.

“What’s going on in your backyard?” the agent asks.

“Just a little bit of permaculture” the homeowner responds.

“Put on some shoes and lets go back there and take a look”

“Bamboo???” The agent asks once they are both in the backyard.

“Yeah…it is planted all around the yard.”

“You know… it (the bamboo) is really devaluing your property. I could show you pictures of some overgrown bamboo that has taken over properties. It is bad to have. It gets out of control. Go back in the house. I’m going to take a few pictures and then I’m going to leave. It is not illegal to have a garden, but you have to keep your weeds trimmed to below 16 inches. They have to be cut. This property is considered overgrown.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.sodahead.com%2Fpolls%2F000370273%2Fpolls_Smiley_Angry_256x256_3451_356175_answer_4_xlarge.png&hash=15577651daa4c35ff4d6b26217f99db6ebfde0b3)

Full article with pictures and video at link below:

http://thebutterchurn.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/environmental-control-drones-a-true-tale-from-south-carolina/#comment-1121
Title: The Bamboo "monster"
Post by: AGelbert on September 03, 2014, 06:03:35 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bamboogarden.com%2Fimages%2FP.b.CastillonInversa.jpg&hash=faee360ad8ba8c0ee407a7377fd33ed5568d196b)
The Bamboo "Monster"

Snippet:

Did you know that from 1898 to 1975 the US Department of Agriculture introduced hundreds of my varieties to the states. The plan was to plant me widely as a commercially viable plant. Around 1960, the New Crops Branch of the USDA studied Phyllostachys bambusoides and loblolly pine to compare yields for pulp production. Then on July 1, 1965 the Department of Agriculture just stopped researching me. I was very confused by that because I’m much more virile than pine. Latter I found out that the government turned their back on me because loblolly pine business interests wanted them to.  >:(The same thing happened to hemp.  >:(

Contrary to what idiots may think, I am native to North America. I’m not an invasive weed, or a pest. For some reason Americans seem to think that I can defy the laws of nature. They think I will “take over” if you plant me. Well, yeah, I will take over if you don’t keep me in check. Let me tell you a little secret. I’ll throw this little nugget out there as a peace offering; I have an Achilles Heel. If you want to control me, all you have to do is dig a trench around me and fill it with sand. Then, twice a year, you take a spade and plunge it into the sand. When you find one of my rhizomes you cut it. It’s called root pruning (or rhizome pruning in my case), and it really is that easy. If you do that I won’t escape containment. Well, I may still find my way out by plunging down beneath your trench, but eventually, if I do that, I’ll send up a shoot and then you’ll know where I escaped. Then you just eat the shoot, or don’t, and pull the rhizome up and put me back into containment.

My growth habits are not a state secret, and I’m easy to contain if you just understand how I grow. Sure, once I get established as a healthy grove I’m just about impossible to get rid of, but then what’s wrong with being strong and powerful? I am stronger than steel and I’m capable of weathering hurricanes. Indigenous cultures know that when mother nature strikes via natural disasters I’m the safest place to seek refuge. I’ve been told that I have somewhere around 1400 uses for mankind. Why, kind reader, do Americans hate the most useful plant to them on the planet?!!!     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6656.gif&hash=2038f9b45636a93e5c0f4ee508ce29778fe9e9b4)     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_1730.gif&hash=cdaf50326d98ff7b051a9c49e83d51c7bb687407)

Full article with graphics at link below:

http://www.doomsteaddiner.net/forum/index.php/topic,3320.msg55274.html#msg55274
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 03, 2014, 09:33:30 pm
LD,
I've been thinking about the "problem" of Bamboo as mistakenly being branded UN -"American".

Hollywood is the culprit! Bamboo is associated with Banana Republics and/or Asian tropical jungles.  :( Merikans have seen too many movies of the "japs" o the "gooks" hiding in the bamboo OR preparing bamboo SPIKE booby traps for unwary Merikans. Bamboo just ain't Anglo-Saxon as far as our propaganda pushers are concerned!

Sure, it's INSANE that Merikans just LOVE BANANAS and don't seem to make the same connection (United Fruit Fascists and Chiquita Bananas had great PR for over a century!) THERE but that just proves how "successfully" we-the-people have been brainwashed and DUMBED DOWN. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgen152.gif&hash=d5b10968fe56c4cb95fae17cee3cb420a5f4e2da)

By the way, there is a guy in Vermont that is growing a type of bamboo that IS invasive here.   ;D  Good for him! This whole "invasive" thing is kind of stupid anyway. This is ONE PLANET! If it grows, it's because it LIKES IT THERE! Invasive, MY ARSE!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fswear1.gif&hash=87347674f9297191f3f8a447208170617da4caf6)

Quote
The World of Bamboo

     by Gib Cooper


Bamboo's natural range includes every continent except Europe and Antarctica.

We once had 5 million acres of an American native bamboo known as Canebrake or Arundinaria gigantea growing in our Southeastern quarter. This bamboo and its ecosystem were soon greatly diminished in area by the migration of settlers in the early 19th century.   :emthdown: The bamboo grew in good soil and was cleared for farmland. Unbelievably, a new species was described for the USA in 2006. Its name is Hill cane, or Arundinaria appalachiana.

Stone Age Asians may have relied heavily on tools they made of materials other than stone. The lack of stone tools of the quality found in Europe in much of Southeast Asia roughly corresponds to the natural distribution of bamboo in the region. It appears that Southeast Asia has been heavily forested for many millions of years. This is still one of the areas of dense bamboo forests remaining in the world. Man may have relied more on bamboo than we know. Based on this theory, bamboo was probably one of the most important materials used by early Asian people. Even today, the use of bamboo has more significance to Asian cultures than any other.

Evidence of bamboo use is found in South America. Some excavations of early dwellings have imprints of bamboo canes and split, woven material preserved in the mud or adobe used in the construction or as protective living stockades around villages.

Bamboo is an incredible grass that has long been in use by people around the globe. In our modern world it is finding a new place in the spectrum of plants, fibers and foods used to enhance the quality of our lives.  :emthup: We are not simply talking about one plant. Bamboo is a large group of giant grasses with over 1,200 species found from the tropics to temperate regions.


http://www.greenlivingjournal.com/page.php?p=1000192 (http://www.greenlivingjournal.com/page.php?p=1000192)




 
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 06, 2014, 06:48:17 pm
As the Romans Did - the American empire's parallels with the ancient republic and how we can learn from the caesars' mistakes (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2007/06/as-the-romans-did/306048/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 06, 2014, 06:49:24 pm
A science fiction short story published in 1909 predicts future technology and tells a tale of societal decay and collapse. (http://archive.ncsa.illinois.edu/prajlich/forster.html)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 08, 2014, 02:42:40 pm
Rand Paul   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-141113183729.png&hash=d898195c8ae0a55e2e6d84fc47b9d06f8ba13f03) Says Hillary Clinton’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-141113183729.png&hash=d898195c8ae0a55e2e6d84fc47b9d06f8ba13f03) Focus on Climate Change   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2932.gif&hash=0eaec4791a5825821998245e7fcd7744b56557fe) Shows She Lacks ‘Wisdom’ to Be President (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)

http://ecowatch.com/2014/09/08/rand-paul-hillary-clinton-climate-change/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imgion.com%2Fimages%2F01%2FAngry-animated-smiley.jpg&hash=84657bd1a63cad676e3551587daeb4b39411a289)  Students of Goebbels Propaganda Techniques PLEASE NOTE: Rand Paul is being used as a TOOL to make Hillary Clinton (another FASCIST TOOL) look like she will address climate change. The ORWELLIAN GOALS of TPTB are:

1) Make you believe that these two TOOLS of Oligarchy are elucidating the main "controversy" so that you will LABEL one of them as RIGHT and one of them as WRONG. Consequently you will be swayed by the "reasonable logic" BALONEY of "vote for the lesser evil".  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)  This is manufacturing consent on STEROIDS!

2) Make you believe that politicians give a rat's ass what you think. They DON'T. They are NOT concerned with "winning" the election, GET IT?(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)  That is NOT what this is about. The election is GAMED by the media as a HORSE RACE so a third party candidate with a REAL POPULIST PLATFORM will be shut out REGARDLESS of their ACTUAL vote count! Once you BELIEVE those two TOOLS are "fighting on your behalf", most of you will be SUCKERED into voting one way or the other AGAINST your best interests, evidence and experience. Goebbels Game Theory ****S know their stuff!

3) For those who DO see through this charade, the 24/7 media coverage of the professional wrestling match between Dems and Repubs ( keep believing the Tea Party and the Libertarians are not Repub theater for the more reactionary and "purist" repubs if you want - it's part of this sucker play - LOL!) will convince them that their real populist candidate in the Tax Wall Street Party and/or the Green Party has no chance of winning. This is False. Even a high protest vote scares the **** out of TPTB. They NEED the manipulated consent of the governed. Never forget that! It doesn't matter how many guns they have. If they lose the manipulated consent of the governed, the cops and enforcers in their ranks start to throw wrenches in the oligarchic fascist machinery and the government cannot control the masses. VOTE YOUR CONSCIENSE, not the media manufactured "reality"!

4) Avoid an "embarrassing" overwhelming vote in favor of REAL POPULISTS that has to be BLATANTLY manipulated. WHY? Because that is what starts national uprisings against fascist governments.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fswear1.gif&hash=87347674f9297191f3f8a447208170617da4caf6) Our Orwellian masters do not want that (it's expensive...  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)).

Agebert COMMENT on the above article's web site: Rand Paul AND Hillary Clinton "disagreements" are an EXCELLENT example of a professional wrestling match FOOD FIGHT.

This is THEATER. This is a DISTRACTION from the painful reality of our corrupt. climate denying Fossil Fuel OWNED GOVERNMENT!

The Only REAL choices we have are in the Green Party and the Tax Wall Street Party.

I vote for the Tax Wall Street Party! The Green Party would probably caucus with them! Dems and Repubs are oligarchic TOOLS, PERIOD!

The honest REAL populists to vote for in California, Nebraska and New York if you are tired of Wall Street FASCISM in the USA are:

James Hinton in California (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/geopolitics/profiles-in-courage/msg1835/#msg1835)

Dan Buhrdorf in Nebraska and Randy Credico in New York (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/geopolitics/profiles-in-courage/msg1836/#msg1836)

Pass it on. The country you help emerge from fascism may be IS our own!
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 10, 2014, 07:44:07 pm
Hitler's Courts: Betrayal of the Rule of Law in Nazi Germany

SNIPPET 1:

Quote
Sol Wachtler, former Chief Judge of the State of New York, and my guest today, first roused my own interest in this subject – and my profound concern for its implications for Americans today – in 2002 when the Touro Law Center in cooperation with the Free University of Berlin Law School convened in Berlin, Germany the Simon Bond International Wannsee Seminar on “Tyranny, Justice & The Law: The Nazis and Beyond”.

As the Seminar’s Chair, Judge Wachtler wrote then that it was there in the “Wannsee Villa 60 years before that the political, legal, and judicial functionaries of the Third Reich met to devise an efficient method to resolve ‘the Jewish question’ [what became "The Final Solution" -- extermination of the Jews].

“Participants of that conference where the logistics of mass murder were agreed upon – were lawyers…[Judge Wachtler wrote, and] … Wannsee…serves as a powerful reminder of how fragile ‘the Rule of Law’ can be when threatened by the political power of the state”.

The mission of the Wannsee Seminar, my guest noted, was to impart to members of the legal establishment worldwide “…the relevant warning that when the law and the courts are motivated and dominated by state and political interests above the interests of justice, civilization is doomed”.



SNIPPET 2 (the MONEY QUOTE!  ;))


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WACHTLER: I … actually … when we first thought about the idea of the Conference … and this goes way back to 1968 that I’ve been thinking about this … when I lectured over in Germany on the Constitution of the United States before the prosecutors and judges of Germany … it occurred to me that these prosecutors and judges … back in ’68 … were the same men who were Hitler’s judges and … they were still doing business … and it occurred to me “Where were they? Where were they when Hitler’s ascension brought about chaos internationally? Why didn’t they provide the bulwark that lawyers and judges should provide in order to stem the tide of un-civilization?”

Instead they became handmaidens to tyranny.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183404.bmp&hash=dc40a133c761f80036b08ef0f6c0427aaa7e9f4b) They (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400)actually assisted Adolf Hitler in his demonic dictatorship.


Agelbert NOTE: Did you GET THAT? Did you NOTICE they DID NOT get disbarred, go to prison or get a death sentence? Did you notice the ones in 1968 were THERE and helped Hitler's rise to power by PLAYING THE GAME of hairsplitting, "if it's legal, it's lawful" BULLSHIT that's getting so much ACCEPTANCE in the USA today?   >:(

You didn't? What part of this quote do you NOT UNDERSTAND?
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it occurred to me that these prosecutors and judges … back in ’68 … were the same men who were Hitler’s judges and … they were still doing business (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)

Snippet 3: The STRONG Rule of LAW in Germany and the PRINCIPLED stand of the Courts and LAWYERS.  ;D

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At first the judges protested, they said, “This is wrong.”   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

But the head of the judicial conference went to meet with Adolf Hitler and came back and said to his fellow jurists, “This is only temporary, I’ve been assured by the Fuhrer that this will go away soon. But these laws become necessary because we’re living in a time of terror.”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.u.arizona.edu%2F%7Epatricia%2Fcute-collection%2Fsmileys%2Flying-smiley.gif&hash=a34c2f7344d5f54f7009a4e684bb6c7310cdda03)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fugly004.gif&hash=c56db4280057389afd154a1cb4057410151579c8)

Snippet 4: The STRONG Rule of LAW in Germany was LEGALLY made UNLAWFUL.  ;D
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BAZYLER: When the Nazis first came to power they ended up promulgating a number of laws that incrementally deprived Jews and other persecuted minorities, of civil rights. These incremental steps that we’re talking about … that results in the Final Solution … were all legal steps.  ;D I mean you can trace this, you can trace the Holocaust as a legal event.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.sodahead.com%2Fpolls%2F000370273%2Fpolls_Smiley_Angry_256x256_3451_356175_answer_4_xlarge.png&hash=15577651daa4c35ff4d6b26217f99db6ebfde0b3)
 


Read more at link below:
http://www.thirteen.org/openmind/history/hitlers-courts-betrayal-of-the-rule-of-law-in-nazi-germany-one-hour-special/1814/

No pattern here... Nothing to see... Move along... wave that flag and, well, you get the idea.  ;) Everything is going to be just fine. Sleep well, our courts will always be there to give you your DAY in court (and a job and three meals a day in a "gated" community  ;D). Gott mit uns!
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 10, 2014, 09:24:38 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-101014203746.png&hash=696ca3960454ed26f32ab77505bfb70f1ab18522)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h_fEU8NKgo&feature=player_embedded

Here's the deal, boys and girls. The erudite German Lawyers KNEW the LAW. BUT, they feared Hitler more than they feared God. They preferred to let others DIE so they might LIVE. Many of these judges and lawyers were church going, professing Christians.

WTF happened? They were afraid of being disbarred, going to prison, being shot or all the above. It's happening here RIGHT NOW in the USA. The people that KNOW our "laws" are UNLAWFUL in regard to the "latitude" given the police, are aiding and abetting the march of fascism in this country.

As in Germany in the NAZI era, they are mostly taking care of number one, not preserving justice. Not that they will ever admit it. They like to hear themselves talk, talk, talk but are loathe to put their asses on the line to prevent we-the-people from being shafted.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183404.bmp&hash=dc40a133c761f80036b08ef0f6c0427aaa7e9f4b)


And for the materialist who only gives principled behavior and morality lip service (i.e. they don't DO dying for someone else or for principles, period.), who can blame them?  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)

NAZI Germany, the most horrific example of human butchery and moral cowardice amongst the professionals in particular and the people in general in the history of this planet was ALLOWED, by the Allied powers after WWII, to leave all those cowardly forks free to practice LAW and man the Court System.

So they have EVERYTHING to lose if they buck the encroaching fascism here and NOTHING to gain by going to bat for we-the-people. They plant to survive. They will turn themselves into logical pretzels in order to SAVE THEIR HIDE by arguing vociferously (and disingenuously  ;))  that our LAWS are LAWFUL and LEGAL. For them to say they don't "agree" to the laws while continuing to assert those LAWS are LAWFUL just means they won't lift a finger to save your ass from tyranny. Remember that. 

In brief, the court system will not save this country from a government and police that defines LAW and LAWFUL as whatever the  fork they want to do, period.

The solution can ONLY be an Ex Curia "solution".   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191258.bmp&hash=e4ed21caaca822f7445ccafd39f49a9f84be90ca) Lawyers now are no better than those fine legal minds in Germany (this is not sarcasm - they were considered the BEST in civilization at that time!)  in the 1930s that managed to 'play the game' which resulted in AIDING and ABETTING the butchery of millions of decent people and lived to collect their pensions after remaining in the Court System after WWII and all the way to 1968 and beyond. Clever fellows, weren't they?   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.sodahead.com%2Fpolls%2F000370273%2Fpolls_Smiley_Angry_256x256_3451_356175_answer_4_xlarge.png&hash=15577651daa4c35ff4d6b26217f99db6ebfde0b3)

May God have mercy on us all. We are truly forked.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 10, 2014, 09:48:13 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-101014220651.png&hash=6f3e9b688ea7e75bf3a2ae16466ac38f4c47a091)
Hitler's Courts Video series Parts 2 and 3 (Past can be prologue, readers!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9VmrsKJeFc&feature=player_detailpage&list=PL9FED823760AAC656
Fascism is sneaking in to the USA. Many of the EXACT SAME METHODS are being used. Be alert. Get your Town council to fire AND imprison any police officer that is brutal or racist. That's how it began in Germany (with the LAWS backing the police up!).

Hitler's Courts Part 3: Germany after WWII and the USA after 911. Our democracy is in peril from fascism.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-101014222506.png&hash=6f914153268f5249c52eebc70587e161adea9dd3)
Despite that high sounding and righteous phrase from Nuremberg above, most of the people in the law system were NOT even tried. In the video, you will see what NO LAWYER wants to talk about TODAY in regard to the ILLEGALITY of LAWS that VIOLATE basic human MORALITY. Forget the concentration camp guard just following legal ad lawful orders. That's when things were REALLY far gone. Go back to the German cops in the streets doing a number on the Jews in particular and anybody they wanted to beat up in general. Hello? USA today, anyone? You aren't black so no problem. Dream on, pal!

No amount of hair splitting legalese can justify a LAW that asserts that an assault by a police officer is LAWFUL while self defense against that illegal assault is not. THAT's the LAW in Pennsylvania. IT actually SAYS that, even if the assault by the police officer is ILLEGAL, you have NO RIGHT to defend yourself. BULLSHIT!
Quote

Under Pennsylvania law, you may not use force to resist a legal or illegal   :o  >:(  arrest. Remember you have the right to contest the validity of your arrest later on in court.  ::)
http://www.twpusc.org/police/what-to-do

Fascism isn't coming; It's HERE, people. It just hasn't rung your bell yet. But it will. If you live in Pennsylvania or any other state with an UNLAWFUL LAW like that above, work to get it changed or watch our country go down the fascist drain.

THAT is what happened in Germany before it got really bad over there. By the early 1940s The SS was allowed to REINTERPRET or DISGARD a LAW or a Court sentence if they considered it TOO LENIENT. What an amazing pile of steaming bullshit.

And it was all done with all the proper legal stamps, motions and sentencing paperwork! The video makes it CRYSTAL CLEAR that it CAN happen here.

IT ALSO, and unfortunately for we-the-people, puts the main responsibility for stopping fascist tyranny that will change our Court System to a murderous travesty of justice on, GET THIS, our Judges and lawyers.  ::)

I don't think so. But then, the narrators are representatives of the LAW NOW, so it is PAR FOR THE COURSE for them to do a little Noblesse Oblige Dance.  ;)

It was a great video series but, aside from the BRIEF mention of a few travesties of justice perpetrated in the past by the USA and a warning about the danger of too many anti-terrorism laws after 911, they don't say BEANS about how bad it is already.

I know better. They don't want to ADMIT that they are as fearful of losing their JOBS as those German Jurists and lawyers were in the 1930s. If you don't see that, you have a leak in your attic. Don't count on our court system for anything but lip service to democracy at best and, at worst, acting as the willing double talking, rhetoric laced motor mouth handmaiden of fascism, prejudice, brutality and corporate enslavement for profit over planet.

George Orwell was not whistling Dixie. Pass it on. The democracy you save may be your own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsvcdRyywaA&feature=player_embedded
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 11, 2014, 10:56:31 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.defraudingamerica.com%2FLawyers%2520Judges%25202%2520LR.jpg&hash=d25597e9cc8c71808dbf6bb68ea90edcbb654f1e)
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Table of Contents

Chapter                                                                 
1. Tort Terrorism
2. Deadly Culture in Government Aviation Safety Offices
3. Continuing Cover-Ups: National Tradition] Agelbert NOTE:See 1930s Germany

4. Imposters Seeking to Halt Exposure Activities
5. Reporting Federal Crimes to Federal Judges
6. Fighting Aviation Safety Corruption as Private Citizen
7. Scheme by CIA-Front Law Firm to Block Reports
8. Extension of Scheme to Federal Courts
9. Report Criminal Activities: Go to Prison] Agelbert NOTE:See 1930s Germany
10. Seeking Civil Rights Relief in Chapter 11 Courts
11. Suing Federal Judges and Accomplices
12. Complicity of Supreme Court Justices Agelbert NOTE: See 1930s Germany
13. Complicity of Media People
14. Lawsuits to Record Crimes of Congress, Judges and Media
15. Corrupt Culture of DOJ Lawyers ] Agelbert NOTE: See 1930s Germany
16. Classic Example of Legal-Judicial Sabotage
17. Blowback Consequences on 9/11 and Continuing Cover-Ups
18. Continuing Attacks from Legal Fraternity After 9/11 Agelbert NOTE: See 1930s Germany
19. Bright Future for Continuing Corruption! ] Agelbert NOTE: See 1930s Germany
      Index

Details the culture and corruption among lawyers, law firms, and judges, and some of the tragic consequences from such conduct by people in the United States. Some of the issues include:

•Blackmail threats against small businesses by lawyers.

•Class action lawsuits in which the plaintiffs get virtually nothing and the lawyers get millions in fee.

•Widespread corruption in probate case.

•Widespread defrauding of widows and orphans.

•Widespread corruption in bankruptcy courts.

•Lawyers demanding sex from their clients.

•Judges accepting bribes from lawyers appearing before them.

•Involvement of a CIA front law firm in San Francisco acting to halt the author's attempts to publicize the corruption in government offices that he and a group of other former government agents had discovered.

•The repeated acts by federal judges, acting in unison with the CIA-front law firm, to strip the author of $10 million in assets that funded his exposure activities.

•The nationwide corruption in bankruptcy courts that corruptly seizes the assets of people who exercise the statutory protection of Chapter 11.The corruption throughout the legal fraternity, including federal and state judges.

• The harm they inflict upon the people of the United States and upon major national interests.

• How lawyers in the government's aviation safety offices covered up for corrupt activities of government officials that had already been implicated in several prior airline disasters, which then continued as before.

• The attacks upon a former federal safety agent to silence him, by over 50 lawyers over a period of 20 years, and the ripple effects on 9/11 and in other airline disasters.

• Role of federal judges in repeatedly blocking former government agents from reporting corruption in government offices, some of it deadly.

• The involvement of Supreme Court justices in the cover-ups of criminal activities.

• Lawsuit against federal judges and CIA-front law firm on the basis of schemes to obstruct justice.

• Various legal scams against the public
.


For those who do not see the looming fascist threat to our democracy and the FACT that the Court System will be handmaidens of this corporate fascism just believe I'm just bitter from isolated incidents with the legal system in my own narrow pro se experience. Believe I don't know nuttin' about law, peace, war, good, bad, history or whatever in regard to creeping fascism. Believe I'm just a paranoid scaredy cat makin' a mountain out of a molehill. I hope you are right...  8) It's just my overactive imagination and so on....  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2932.gif&hash=0eaec4791a5825821998245e7fcd7744b56557fe)

 
Gott mit uns!     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 14, 2014, 09:05:13 pm
This is an EXCELLENT example of a Corrupt Court System.  >:(

As you will see, whenever a "brilliant jurist" finally gets his head out of his "logical" ass  and sees that the LAW he supported and argued for was USED to disenfranchise voters in diametric  (as in Orwellian) opposition to the stated intent of said law, YEARS of fascist inertia and democracy destroying elections have taken place. Then the jurist gives a dissenting opinion on a related case.

BUT, it DOES NO GOOD for we-the-people beyond lip service. The Court System has made Voter Disenfranchisement LEGAL. This is one of the MANY steps taken by state governments in the USA towards fascism.

WHERE was the American Bar Association when this Voter ID CRAP was first pushed? ???  Well, uh, there was NO EVIDENCE of intent to disenfranchise voters.  ;D  The LAW, as written, APPEARED to be for the purpose of AVOIDING voter fraud. Hey, we are lawyers, not mind readers!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16) It was, uhm, a good law but it was used, ah, improperly... RIGHT. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2932.gif&hash=0eaec4791a5825821998245e7fcd7744b56557fe) Don't tell me the legal minds in this country could not see RIGHT THROUGH this transparent and fascist backed effort to thwart the Democratic representation of a segment of the voting public!   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.sodahead.com%2Fpolls%2F000370273%2Fpolls_Smiley_Angry_256x256_3451_356175_answer_4_xlarge.png&hash=15577651daa4c35ff4d6b26217f99db6ebfde0b3)

The following post is from the Daily Kos. they are celebrating a dissenting opinion. I say the elite controlling the Courts AND the state government voter ID LAWFUL UNLAWFUL AND FRAUDULENT laws deliberately designed to disenfranchise voters will do NOTHING to change this travesty of democracy before the elections. AFTER the elections they will yammer about this and that and perhaps get some reform with much fanfare!  ;D However, before the next election, a legal team from A.L.E.C. will meticulously pull every single democratic tooth out of it (quietly, of course! ;)).

IOW, the SYSTEM has fascist inertia. The Court System is PART of that inertia and is ONLY used to display the appearance of objectivity and even handedness.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imgion.com%2Fimages%2F01%2FAngry-animated-smiley.jpg&hash=84657bd1a63cad676e3551587daeb4b39411a289)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)

A dissenting opinion, even from a Reagan appointee, will do NOTHING but put a "the Court System works"  bright and shiny, BUT FALSE, paint job on our fascist enabling system of juris-imprudence.  ;D Enjoy! 



Mon Oct 13, 2014 at 04:42 PM PDT.

Highly Respected Conservative Judge Rips "Voter ID" Laws--and the GOP--in Blistering Opinion


SNIPPET 1 (the "brilliant jurist" cred   ;D):

Quote
Possibly the most well-known jurist in the country, the Reagan-appointed, conservative Posner is not only an accomplished Circuit Court Judge, he is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School and the author of nearly 40 books.  He is 75 years old and were it not for a penchant for raising hackles of the legal community with his acute opinions, he would likely be on the Supreme Court right now.

 The Los Angeles Times' Michael Hiltzik accurately describes the regard the legal and judicial community holds towards Posner:


Posner, 75, is no wooly-headed liberal, but a card-carrying conservative who was appointed to the circuit bench by Ronald Reagan in 1981. He's widely regarded as the smartest jurist in the federal judiciary, and was identified in 2000 by Fred Shapiro of Yale Law School as the most-cited legal scholar of all time.

SNIPPET 2:

Quote
Posner authored the Opinion in the decision of Crawford v Marion County, the 7th Circuit decision in 2008 that upheld Indiana's "Voter ID" law, and which was, in turn, affirmed by the Supreme Court. The case involved the Constitutionality of the first such law in the country, the seminal Voter Suppression statute (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__burp.gif&hash=8ff3ef6c016d8baf5f61ed5e8db58f069b64da00) that spawned so many imitations in other states.  :P  :(

Agelbert NOTE: Because of that voter suppression, the WRONG people got elected, wars have been fought, money stolen by the MIC, MORE people have been killed outside this country and in it, fossil fuel subsidies prolonged and Renewable energy subsidies kept tiny or non-existent. Many Americans have died from lack of proper health care.

In MY BOOK, those are BOTH CIVIL and CRIMINAL LAW violations. Don't hold your breath waiting for a lawyer to agree. The "variables" in the voting for this, that and the other are all separate issues that LAWYERS REFUSE to connect the CRIME/FRAUD dots on. Why? Because they are PART of the fascist corruption for profit over planet, period. Of course, they'll deny that too!  ;D

This is the story of this country since the (Orwellian) Patriot Act ENABLING LAW began a chain of fascism fostering laws. The Law profession has MADE A LOT OF MONEY from those laws and is NOT interested in reversing them because the MONEY people BACKED those laws BEFORE they became laws and will be highly pissed at any lawyer with the temerity to "**** upstream", so to speak.

SNIPPET 3 (an IMPOTENT JUDICIARY when they don't want to change a LAW):

Quote
Posner, joined by four Judges on the Seventh Circuit, authored the opinion requesting a rehearing en banc by the entire Seventh Circuit Court of appeals in Frank v Scott Walker et al, the recent case assessing the validity of the Wisconsin "Voter ID" statute.  A three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit had already cleared the way for the Wisconsin law to go into effect prior to next month's elections.  :evil4: Posner's request for rehearing split the Judges of that Circuit 5-5, and thus no rehearing was granted. Posner's opinion, which eviscerates every rationale promoted in support of these suppression laws, was relegated to a "dissent."  But unlike most other "dissents," this opinion is likely to reverberate throughout the Judiciary and will be closely scrutinized by the Supreme Court, which stepped in and suspended the law's validity just last week.  ::)

Agelbert NOTE: It's a fantastic opinion BUT it is a "DISSENT"  :evil4:, LOL! IOW, it don't mean **** as to changing the law, no matter what the hopeful and optimistic fellow at the Daily KOS is wishing for. I'm NOT being pessimistic; I'm being REALISTIC.  8)

If they DO annul this Voter SUPRESSION LAW, it will be a step towards Democracy. I'm telling you right here and now that NOTHING will be done except a lot of foot dragging UNTIL AFTER the election. I wish it weren't so.  :(

Now read parts of Posner's great dissent (with article author's commentary) in the tradition of Oliver Wendell Holmes (the Great Dissenter). It's quite good, logical, realistic and honest. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.runemasterstudios.com%2Fgraemlins%2Fimages%2F2thumbs.gif&hash=98130be1edf2bed4a80ac8f134b0126673bd469e) Too bad it's not the law.  ;D

Posner distills the essence of these noxious statutes as motivated solely by the intent by the Republican Party to suppress Americans' right to vote. As Hiltzik summarizes the opinion:

Quote
"There is only one motivation for imposing burdens on voting that are ostensibly designed to discourage voter-impersonation fraud," [Posner] writes, "and that is to discourage voting by persons likely to vote against the party responsible for imposing the burdens." More specifically, he observes, photo ID laws are "highly correlated with a state's having a Republican governor and Republican control of the legislature and appear to be aimed at limiting voting by minorities, particularly blacks."

Posner distinguishes the Indiana law from the Wisconsin one (a necessary exercise, albeit an effective one) in terms of their relative stringency.  But his opinion suggests a more substantial re-thinking of the entire issue, and he takes pains to carefully demolish the flimsy arguments and excuses of "voter fraud" proffered by the laws' proponents:


Quote
"There is compelling evidence that voter-impersonation fraud is essentially nonexistent in Wisconsin." Assertions about voter fraud are "a mere fig leaf for efforts to disenfranchise voters." He adds that "some of the 'evidence' of voter-impersonation fraud is downright goofy, if not paranoid, such as the nonexistent buses that according to the 'True the Vote' movement [a voter suppression organization originating in the tea party movement] transport foreigners and reservation Indians to polling places."

Indeed, Posner writes, lists of the states that impose the strictest requirements "imply that a number of conservative states try to make it difficult for people who are outside the mainstream, whether because of poverty or race or problems with the English language...to vote."


The "list of states" is actually a Table (Table 2, page 17) contained within the opinion itself. Posner shows that all of the states that have implemented these voter suppression statutes did so under Republican governance, either at the Executive or Legislative level:

STATES WITH STRICT PHOTO ID LAWS—POLITICAL MAKEUP
 WHEN THE LAWS WERE ADOPTED
Arkansas: Democratic governor, but both the  House and Senate were under Republican control.

Georgia: Republican governor, Republican control of both the House and Senate.

Indiana: Republican governor, Republican control of both the House and Senate.

Kansas: Republican governor, Republican control of both the House and Senate.

Mississippi: Adopted by the voters through a ballot initiative. Republicans, who already controlled the governorship and the state Senate, won a majority of seats in the House in that same election.

Tennessee: Republican  governor,  Republican  control of both the House and Senate.


Texas: Republican  governor,  Republican  control  of both the House and Senate.

Virginia: Republican governor, Republican control of both the House and Senate.

Wisconsin:  Republican  governor,  Republican  control of both the House and Senate.

The Opinion notes that the same pattern holds true for the three "strict, non-photo ID" states, Arizona, North Dakota and Ohio.

Posner also sarcastically eviscerates the argument that "Voter ID's" are easy to obtain, are inexpensive, or are somehow akin to "showing an ID" when one boards an airplane. In a final flourish of judicial contempt, Posner characterizes the arguments of the Wisconsin law's proponents as inhabiting a "fact-free cocoon".  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)


A strong antipathy runs through Posner's opinion here, one that should be taken seriously. Posner appears to appreciate   ;Dthe deeply un-American purpose of these laws and he spares no effort to take their essential fiendishness to task, even as he lays their invention at the feet of his own Republican Party.   ;D This is damning stuff,  ::)  the likes of which has never been fully articulated in Judicial opinion. The fact that Posner is the one articulating it will have a profound effect on the "debate" about these laws from this point forward.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emofaces.com%2Fpng%2F200%2Femoticons%2Ffingerscrossed.png&hash=d56f8009d18b55f4cea7be68284c0521be92fc5d)


Judge Posner's dissenting opinion in the Frank v Scott Walker case is here.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714194256.bmp&hash=1c2795e25df0dc7d9be4879b7bba6f1632f715e1)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714194256.bmp&hash=1c2795e25df0dc7d9be4879b7bba6f1632f715e1)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714194256.bmp&hash=1c2795e25df0dc7d9be4879b7bba6f1632f715e1)


[url=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/13/1336362/-Highly-Respected-Conservative-Judge-Rips-Voter-ID-Laws-and-the-GOP-in-Blistering-Opinion]http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/13/1336362/-Highly-Respected-Conservative-Judge-Rips-Voter-ID-Laws-and-the-GOP-in-Blistering-Opinion (http://bradblog.com/Docs/JudgePosnerDissent_PhotoID_WI_101014.pdf)

The voter ID LAWS were crafted with malice and aforethought for the purpose of fostering a murdering, profit over planet fascist police state in a series of small INCREMENTAL STEPS. 
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 15, 2014, 12:19:43 am
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftrcs.wikispaces.com%2Ffile%2Fview%2F20050830182153%21Nazi_flag.jpg%2F61644294%2F304x229%2F20050830182153%21Nazi_flag.jpg&hash=e76f8cac5bb9f77914c832716c1f45772e137c46)

SNIPPET:

As Christopher Simpson reminds us in the opening chapter, “The most prominent feature of the Nazi political philosophy [was] extreme anticommunism and particularly fanatic hatred of the USSR.” That hatred set the world ablaze, and, yet, after the war, the Nazi administrators, chief intelligence officers, generals, police chiefs, and intellectuals of that regime of hatred and war were recruited to continue their work in the bosom of our secret National Security State, advising, influencing, and promoting our foreign policy in the Cold War .   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)

Did that policy change with the fall of the Berlin Wall?

No, it intensified—still absolutist, still aggressive, still dedicated to political warfare.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183404.bmp&hash=dc40a133c761f80036b08ef0f6c0427aaa7e9f4b)


America’s Recruitment of Nazis -– Then and Now

By LUCIANA BOHNE / CounterPunch

http://www.constantinereport.com/americas-recruitment-nazis-now/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 16, 2014, 10:56:53 pm
Quote
an·tith·e·sis anˈtiTHəsəs/ noun noun: antithesis; plural noun: antitheses a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else. "love is the antithesis of selfishness"
 
synonyms:   (complete) opposite, converse, contrary, reverse, inverse, obverse, other side of the coin; informal flip side "friends of the actress say she is quite the antithesis of her giddy and frivolous character"   

“Legal” is the antithesis of equitable,  ;D and the equivalent of constructive. 2 Abbott’s Law Dic. 24

eq·ui·ta·ble ˈekwədəb(ə)l/ adjective adjective: equitable
1. fair and impartial. "an equitable balance of power"
 
synonyms:   fair, just, impartial, even-handed, unbiased, unprejudiced, egalitarian; More disinterested, objective, neutral, nonpartisan, open-minded; informal fair and square "a plan to distribute the burden of taxes in an equitable way"   
 
antonyms:   unfair  ;D   

2. Law   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53) valid in equity as distinct from law. "the beneficiaries have an equitable interest in the property"  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)

Agelbert note: Isn't it just AMAZING  ;) how the LAWYERS managed to ADJUST  ;) the definition "1" of equitable so as to split a few hairs in order to LEGALLY (definition "2") take someone's LAWFUL  EQUITY away? Yes, of course I sense a bit of table pounding on the way which will be heralded with several colorful adjectives disdaining as surreal, ridiculous, hypocritical (and so on) the data I am providing you here with links. Well, as they say in da show biz, any publicity is good publicity.  ;D

You know, the Scribes and Pharisees lawyers are really 'good' at what the DO, aren't they?  ;D It makes you wonder about the REASON the word "Code" was morphed by the etymology challenged  (or fiendishly Orwellian!) Legal establishment to mean laws , don't it?  Mens Rea? Nahh. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300714025456.bmp&hash=f4e4a260bd60d3f34ca86fed93c47d5fb4117cfd)

But that would be a silly "conspiracy theory", now wouldn't it? After all, lawyers don't have a secret handshake, do they?  ;D  Well then, they are just trying to make things CLEAR for us, not trying to set up their own private language so they are the only ones that can A) make money from da law business and B) screw someone with all the proper color of law.   ;) There is NO history of chicanery among lawyers. Oh no! ;D


Quote
Lawful matters are ethically enjoined in the law of the land—the law of the people—and are actual in nature, not implied. This is why whatever true law was upheld by the organic Constitution has no bearing or authority in the present day legal courts. It is impossible for anyone in “authority” today to access, or even take cognizance of, true law since “authority” is the “law of necessity,” 12 USC 95.  ;D

Therefore, it would appear that the meaning of the word “legal” is “color of law,” a term which Black’s Law Dictionary, Fifth Edition, defines as:

Color of law. The appearance or semblance, without the substance, of legal right. Misuse of power, possessed by virtue of state law and made possible only because wrongdoer is clothed with authority of state, is action taken under “color of law.”  ;D  Black’s Law Dictionary, Fifth Edition, page 241.

http://famguardian.org/subjects/LawAndGovt/LegalEthics/LegalVLawful.htm

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F2%2F2c%2FHK_Central_Statue_Square_Legislative_Council_Building_n_Themis_s.jpg&hash=2c811733d1921c6b6de5bfe4a6371080d09ae70f)
Tell me, dear readers, does the above statue of Lady Justice speak of Legality or of EQUITABILITY (the antithesis of legality)? See Color of Law.  >:(

Now, if truth in advertising was applied to the above OBVIOUS historical attempt by TPTB to convince the masses of the intrinsic Equitablilty (as well as being the 'ultimate' and ONLY authority for coercive power and so on) of the Court System when engaged in the settling of disputes, then we would see something like the following in order to CORRECTLY describe our Court System so as to prepare those seeking a LAWFUL remedy in said system for the "real world":

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-161014203318.jpeg&hash=032b85820afb8b798a51144fd2a0b77d546ca8cd)
Gott mit uns!   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)

Title: Golden Rule Government: Lawful System Based on Caring instead of Conquest
Post by: AGelbert on October 16, 2014, 11:46:53 pm
PART 1 of the Ex Curia Solution   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdl5.glitter-graphics.net%2Fpub%2F3328%2F3328805eipbi6o30e.gif&hash=6b47effe687cb862012c19507f1979f43ff67a02)


Golden Rule Government - A Legal Lawful System Based on Caring instead of Conquest
by Jailhouse Judge Agelbert

Background:

Golden Rule Government, not to be confused with fiscal policy in government (today mostly given lip service) where borrowing is only authorised except for investment, is a total ex curia replacement ot our hopelessly elitist, fascist, dysfunctional, profit over planet, biosphere destroying and human misery producing (and so on) social governing structure.

This new approach is not a reform of the old; it requires the scrapping of the old because the status quo is based on conquest. This new system mat be labeled "feminine" because it is based on caring.

However, overall, it is utilitarian in its application , not "sentimental", as anything labeled "femine" by our society disingenuously, pejoratively and patronizingly might claim.
In philosophy the male-centered versus the feminine approach are considered areas of moral

psychology:
Quote
... area of moral psychology focuses on whether there is a distinctly female approach to ethics that is grounded in the psychological differences between men and women.
Discussions of this issue focus on two claims:
(1) traditional morality is male-centered, and
(2) there is a unique female perspective of the world which can be shaped into a value theory.
According to many feminist philosophers, traditional morality is male-centered since it is modeled after practices that have been traditionally male-dominated, such as acquiring property, engaging in business contracts, and governing societies. The rigid systems of rules required for trade and government were then taken as models for the creation of equally rigid systems of moral rules, such as lists of rights and duties.

Women, by contrast, have traditionally had a nurturing role by raising children and overseeing domestic life. These tasks require less rule following, and more spontaneous and creative action. Using the woman's experience as a model for moral theory, then, the basis of morality would be spontaneously caring for others as would be appropriate in each unique circumstance. On this model, the agent becomes part of the situation and acts caringly within that context. This stands in contrast with male-modeled morality where the agent is a mechanical actor who performs his required duty, but can remain distanced from and unaffected by the situation. A care-based approach to morality, as it is sometimes called, is offered by feminist ethicists as either a replacement for or a supplement to traditional male-modeled moral systems.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/ (http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/)

Of course, all ethical conduct is based on some basic concept of what is right and what is wrong (i.e. morality). While there ARE people, a lot of them, out there that argue that ethics has no place in social structure UNLESS it is "situational" (see Orwell) in nature, what they are really advocating, adopting, espousing and defending is  a Machiavellian view of government of the people, by the elite and for the elite.

The issue, nevertheless, is further "muddled" by the claim that "morality" is a human invention that doesn't "do the Darwinian math" of "reality".  They claim that what is "moral/ethical" for one tribe may be "immoral" for another so the best (i.e. "real world")  course of action is to shake hands and come out fighting (i.e. Conquest is the ultimate "morality").

Actus reus
Action or conduct that is a constituent element of a crime, as opposed to the mental state of the accused.

An excellent example of the LACK of "do the math" logic in our closed system biosphere by the Court System of Homo SAPs is poaching. Ask a lawyer to define poaching. While said professional may give lip service to the deleterious effects on the biosphere in general and the poached species of wildlife in particular due to this "illicit" activity, the APPROACH to this life destroying actus reus is ridiculously limited to the typical legalese tunnel vision of  'seeing the stolen healthy trees' PROPERTY, hair splitting illogic, that ignores the forest fire'. That is, the health and perpetuation of the 'impacted species' is measured only with regard to computing damages to the Homo SAP tribe or nation who 'owns' the animals being poached.

Furthermore, if the poacher is doing the bidding of a foreign government to undermine the GDP of the 'enemy' or some other 'justified' activity (according to social Darwinian situational 'ethics' Homo SAP juris-imprudent Court Systems) he is, acting 'lawfully'. It just depends (see SOPHISTRY and the practice of law) which group of Homo SAPS you base your 'fealty' too.

So what's the problem with loyalty to your tribe? Does not the life and welfare of 'your tribe' outweigh all other 'sentimental' notions of questionable ethical behavior? Well, at this point a lawyer will have a field day answering with a fascinating but thoroughly contorted and convoluted amount of 'logic' that basically says, YES (with several escape clause conditional "no" gray areas - be sure to consult a lawyer for each gray area.). The Homo SAP Court System has a sliding scale of ethics where "legal" is "lawful"(i.e. ethical/moral) sometimes but NOT ALWAYS. That's just the way it is among apex predators in a social Darwinian "real world' pecking order. Any other 'sentimental' and 'idealistic' and/or 'ridiculously utopian' notions of ethical conduct are just magical/wishful thinking for reality challenged ignoramuses. The current Court System used by Homo SAP governments  is the ONLY 'workable' system, Sniff! 

IF our concern (see trees versus forest) was exclusively occupying the king of the hill position among competing Homo SAPS, I would agree. But that fails to do the overall biosphere Darwinian (see natural selection and species extinction) MATH. Hence it is not just ridiculous to design and operate a Government/Court System predicated on Conquest, it is not ethical in any sense when the FOREST that Homo SAPS REQUIRE for the health, welfare and perpetuation of their species is COMPUTED into the MATH.

Idealist? Utopian? Try NOT OPTIONAL. In our biosphere, the ethical BOTTOM LINE is NOT some man made philosophical concept that defines "ethical" or "unethical" behavior in terms of what we do to each other and ignores other life forms. The ethical BOTTOM LINE is whether what we DO produces our DEATH or our LIFE, PERIOD.

Therefore, we must (see NOT OPTIONAL) strive, in order to save our own arses, for a Governmental/Court System that does NOT operate on a sliding scale of sophistic fun and games based on loyalty to one Homo SAP tribe/government/corporation/Bar association (you knew I would throw that in, didn't you? - I know - it's dirty pool - but like it!) over another.   

Well then, let's talk a bit about ethics that DON'T operate on a sliding scale of "morality". Let's try to get a bird's eye view of the BIG picture in regard to ethics.
Philosophy says this about that:

Quote
...The term "meta" means after or beyond, and, consequently, the notion of metaethics involves a removed, or bird's eye view of the entire project of ethics. We may define metaethics as the study of the origin and meaning of ethical concepts. When compared to normative ethics and applied ethics, the field of metaethics is the least precisely defined area of moral philosophy. It covers issues from moral semantics to moral epistemology. ]

That doesn't seem to get us anywhere. But this is a good start.

Quote
Two issues, though, are prominent:
(1) metaphysical issues concerning whether morality exists independently of humans, and
(2)psychological issues concerning the underlying mental basis of our moral judgments and conduct.

Since the  metaphysical issue is a gigantic can of worms in regard to ethics and morality, I have not referenced that contentious area in formulating the utilitarian "math" of Golden Rule Government.

Quote
... area of meta-ethics involves the psychological basis of our moral judgments and conduct, particularly understanding what motivates us to be moral.
We might explore this subject by asking the simple question, "Why be moral?" Even if I am aware of basic moral standards, such as don't kill and don't steal, this does not necessarily mean that I will be psychologically compelled to act on them.

Some answers to the question "Why be moral?" are to avoid punishment, to gain praise, to attain happiness, to be dignified, or to fit in with society.
Many will claim THEIR "mental basis of moral judgements and conduct is the only VALID mental basis for moral judgements and conduct.

Without evidence to back this claim, they are just smoking that crack pipe of "do as I say, not as I do". The "best of all possible worlds" argument is also fallacious simply because all the alternatives out there are willfully disdained, discarded or simply ignored. See Procrustean bed.
The mental basis of our moral judgements and conduct can only be justified if the following takes place as a result of the said moral judgements and conduct:
1. A steadily improving and diverse fauna and flora in the biosphere.
2. A steady Bioremediation of all toxins in the biosphere.
3. A steady and consistent policy of emulating nature in bringing about a zero waste economy for the benefit of all earthlings.
4. Equal protection among humans from other humans.
5. Equal representation among humans (vote, petition, proposed legislation and law enforcement).
6. Equal access to services.
7. Equal punishment for wrong conduct.
8. Guaranteed Minimum standard of health, education and income to insure the dignity of even the most poverty stricken, disabled, handicapped or just plain dysfunctional from mental disease or laziness. "A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones." Gandhi
9. No statute of limitations on any crime for any reason and no limited liability for any human in any form of business, corporate charter, club, police, military governmental, bath club, etc. You do the crime, you do the time and you pay your share of the fine.   
10. Legal tender laws are carbon footprint/energy based (yeah, it's complicated but is VERY specific about SUBTRACTING the value of any product the EXACT amount of planetary piggery used to manufacture it, PERIOD.

Utopic? Nope. In fact, anything else, as in what we are doing NOW, is criminally negligent suicide. The status quo is not a measured, prudent, logical, or even social Darwinian approach to survival of the species. And forget about thriving when you are arrogantly eliminating diversity of life in a closed system such as our biosphere without even understanding scientifically WTF all these many and varied life forms out there do to contribute to our welfare.

Get this, people. What we are doing IS NOT WORKING. What part of that do you not understand?  ???

As reasonable, logical, intelligent (and so on) humans, it's time to give this strange idea born of the apparent benefits YOU have gotten from the dysfunctional human structure that you are not shooting yourself in the foot. Incremental measures and working within the "system" are doomed to failure because the "system" is based on unscientific principles of conquest.

We live in a closed system. A bubble of life, if you will. The only morality of life is, hello?, A LIFE GIVING social structure. Al the rest is baloney. We aren't talking about singing cumbaya and dancing with permaculture flowers in our head, people! we are talking about DOING THE MATH for a closed SYSTEM called the biosphere! YES, there are scads of life forms here that we can trample willy nilly and they don't fight back because they aren't self aware. SO WHAT!!? Are you going to sit there and tell me that we are going to promote LIFE by continuing to increase the rate of DEATH of non-self aware species as well as the MISERY of ours? GET OUTTA HERE with that Orwellian mindfork!

So you don't believe in God or right or wrong. And? Do you believe in breathing? Yep. Same with eating (and so on). See defecating where you eat. We are there. What part of that can't you wrap your head around? The MORALITY/ETHICS of a LIFE GIVING modus operandi and modus vivendi are not optional if you want to ensure the survival of your species. That is the math.

What's all that got to do with Golden Government Rule?

EVERYTHING!

Let us now move to WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD, so to speak.

Quote
Normative Ethics

Normative ethics involves arriving at moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct. In a sense, it is a search for an ideal litmus test of proper behavior. The Golden Rule is a classic example of a normative principle: We should do to others what we would want others to do to us. Since I do not want my neighbor to steal my car, then it is wrong for me to steal her car. Since I would want people to feed me if I was starving, then I should help feed starving people. Using this same reasoning, I can theoretically determine whether any possible action is right or wrong. So, based on the Golden Rule, it would also be wrong for me to lie to, harass, victimize, assault, or kill others. The Golden Rule is an example of a normative theory that establishes a single principle against which we judge all actions. Other normative theories focus on a set of foundational principles, or a set of good character traits.

The key assumption in normative ethics is that there is only one ultimate criterion of moral conduct, whether it is a single rule or a set of principles.

The Golden Rule Government social structure uses computers (a LOT!) to DO THE MATH. This "math" is a biosphere life giving math MORALITY that is sine qua none for the perpetuation of the human species. You may say it is the formula for transitioning from Homo SAP to Homo sapiens as a society. There are many among us that are there already. But the Homo SAPS defending the biosphere ignoring LAW of CONQUEST "morality" are in the way.

I will discuss how to, through friendly persuasion, logic, prudent, measured, consistent, confident (and so on) PEACEFUL activity (or the lack of it - lack of activity, RE, not lack of peace - watch it!  ;D), we can save our arses along with thousands of other earthling species.

But not now. I want to see how the worthies here respond. If I see genuine interest born of a realization of seriousness of our plight and respect for the value of a REAL "do the math" Golden Rule Government proposal, rather than accusations of ignorance, puffery, hypocrisy or flatulence accompanied with disdain, sarcasm or branding of my post as flower child whining utopian blather, then I will get the message, loud and clear that, no matter what the risk of our current suicidal trajectory, you are not interested in a working solution and prefer the delusion that incremental reforms (see lipstick on a four footed truffle forager) will save Thelma and Louise from the laws of physics.

It is true, that once implemented, the Golden Rule Government will be the new "curia", among other things, but since the status quo will fight to the death to prevent said system change, the Golden Rule Government is an EX CURIA solution to our dysfunctional and brutal system. And, of course, if you want to implement Golden Rule Government, you are going to have believe in it to the point of willing to lose everything you have, including your life, simply for adopting the peaceful activities (and lack of them) required to get the Homo SAPs to wake up and smell the Grand Canyon of species extinction.

Sure, it might not work. But what we are doing now has a 100% probability of not working. Stupid is as stupid does. Have a nice day.

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Title: Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes on what the LAW was ALL ABOUT.
Post by: AGelbert on October 17, 2014, 08:47:07 pm
Now for some serious Law stuff here!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53) Ahem! My vast and thorough perusal of jurisprudence (and juris-imprudence too!  ;D) has uncovered these gems from a former Supreme Court Justice with a love of Sherlock Holmes novels and an encyclopedic knowledge of the law, why there is law, what it is supposed to do, what it isn't supposed to do and, more importantly, what it REALLY IS ALL ABOUT.   8)

Quote
“Every society rests on the death of men,” he liked to say. If a nation needs soldiers, it seizes young men and marches them off to war at the point of a bayonet. If an epidemic breaks out, it forces the public to get vaccinated.

He said THIS, which sounds quite good as a defense of the Court system.  ;)

Quote
The language of judicial decision is mainly the language of logic. And the logical method and form flatter that longing for certainty and for repose which is in every human mind. But certainty generally is illusion, and repose is not the destiny of man.

As a  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smiley-lol.com%2Fsmiley%2Fexagerent%2Fpolice%2Fenprison.gif&hash=4912c6e4685052e7a6084b2d6740020437d7dae4) lawyer, I can CLEARLY see he used that word "language" twice. Notice he DID NOT say that ALL judicial decisions are BASED on LOGIC, although one COULD interpret that quote in said legalese fashion.

But other famous quotes from him show that he knew the score and wanted us to know it as well.  8)

Quote
Law is not being based on logic, but on experience.

Most of the things we do, we do for no better reason than that our fathers have done them or our neighbors do them, and the same is true of a larger part than what we suspect of what we think.

A man is usually more careful of his money than of his principles.

Young man, the secret of my success is that an early age I discovered that I was not God.

Certitude is not the test of certainty. We have been c ocksure of many things that were not so.

Any two philosophers can tell each other all they know in two hours.

Don't be 'consistent,' but be simply true.

Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at the touch, nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening.

Every event that a man would master must be mounted on the run, and no man ever caught the reins of a thought except as it galloped past him.

Man's mind, stretched by a new idea, never goes back to its original dimensions.

Beware how you take away hope from any human being.

The only prize much cared for by the powerful is power.

He knew government is a compromise where the citizenry gets certain benefits but the lion's share of those "benefits" will always be controlled by an elite establishment. I think he just didn't want the elite establishment to become a dictatorship. But, considering the goons that populated the high court then, he was a breath of fresh air; a very BRIEF breath of fresh air in our descent into empire and fascism.  :(

Please excuse this blatant and coarse attempt by yours truly to use the old  appeal to authority fallacious debating trick to sound erudite, polished, knowledgeable of law (and so on,  etc.  ;D). I protest any accusation of low class buffoonery! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53) I never met Oliver Wendell Holmes and never argued a case before him! So there! If he happens to be on the same page as I am on issues of LAW and juris-imprudence, good for him! ( and me  ;D - Any port in the storm and all that. ) ;D

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The defense rests.  ;D
Title: Fascism came to the USA in the second decade of the Twentieth Century
Post by: AGelbert on October 17, 2014, 10:18:46 pm
Quote
police state definition. A nation whose rulers maintain order and obedience by the threat of police  ;D or military force; one with a brutal, arbitrary government. The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Dear Attorney General AG, Would you consider a nation that publicly orders billions of hollow point bullets for it's use on a nation of around three hundred million citizens, including woman, children and the elderly, indicative of a nation that would come under this heading.??

Thanks in advance for your reply.  :icon_scratch: :exp-laugh:  :icon_mrgreen: :icon_mrgreen:

GO,
We are in the throws of Inverted totalitarianism. Chris Hedges explains that in detail. I think you are familiar with that but if you want to refresh your mind, just Google it and Chris Hedges.

And YEP, it IS a police state but it is CLOAKED with the Color of LAW (see definition of Color of Law) with all the trappings (pure theater) of a representative republic.

Around the year 1800, the power of a (white, land owner) American citizen's vote was reasonable (if all the adult citizens had been allowed to vote). At that time a NEW Rep could be added to a state if the Congressional district exceeded 60,000 population. In 1918-19 the COUNT of reps was UNCONSTITUTIONALLY frozen. You'll never get a lawyer to fight that, either. The historical record is quite accurate as to the unconstitutionality of that legislation. You probably know all about how the unconstitutional income tax was pushed on us. But the BIG BETRAYAL was the frozen rep count. This assured a fascist takeover because corporations would get MORE influence while the individual voter would get less. At present your vote is worth one SIXTEENTH of what it was in the year 1800! Representative Republic, my ARSE! 

And if some learned counsel would pound the table about the "progressive reform" of electing senators during the same period (early 20th century) so state legislators couldn't be bought by big wig money bags types, then tell them that it was a FICTION.

Why? because it was ACCOMPANIED by freezing the rep count! What's that got to do with it? Tell said learned council to look up the word "senate". The senate is NOT, and never was, a democratic, representative or otherwise, of the PEOPLE; it is a representative of TPTB.

It is BALANCED (at least in theory) by the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Remember it has the SAME power as the House (except it isn't supposed to be able to INITIATE legislation - like it unconstitutionally DID in 2008 with the bailout!) with one third less members when this country got started.

As the number of reps got greater and greater from a population increase, the elite influence increased on a senate with less and less members in relation to the exploding population of the states. I.e. LESS DEMOCRACY in an already undemocraric senate - concentration of POWER in fewer hands!

In order for the proper balance to have been preserved with the, admittedly more democratic process of electing senators instead of having state legislators "elect" them, they HAD TO keep the same ratio of senators to representatives! They did not do that! They pulled a fascist one-two punch (one-two-three if you count the Federal Reserve ripping the power to print money away from the gooberment).

Keeping the, already pro-elite senate at two per state made it EASIER to BUY THEM. Freezing the house count did the same thing.  :evil4:

I wrote an article explaining all that several years ago. Here it is.

I'm talking about the sound bite of all sound bites, "No taxation without representation". We can all agree that representation is essential in a representative form of government, right? Yes, we are a republic and the founding f'rs abhorred pure democracy. But they did write into the Constitution that for every 30,000 citizens, NO MORE THAN ONE representative would be elected to the House (but AT LEAST ONE per state). You can see this is dated stuff. The constitution needs to be CLARIFIED to reflect modern technology.

The constitutional clarification/amendment would be:
1) AT LEAST ONE representative for every 31,000 citizens.
2) The 'AT LEAST ONE representative per state' can be dropped because it is ridiculous and outdated to even consider a state with less than 30,000 citizens.


The corporatocracy would fight this tooth and nail because this amendment would make our House of Representatives a democratic organization for the first time EVER (in 1787 Native Americans, women and African Americans were excluded - In 1911 when they UNconstitutionally froze the rep count at 436, Native Americans, women and most African Americans could not vote).

Since 1911 we have been in a time warp where corporate power grew as our population grew. The fix was IN. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__burp.gif&hash=8ff3ef6c016d8baf5f61ed5e8db58f069b64da00)

Now do the math. Assuming 2/3 of the population can vote, that means 200,000,000 votes. If you get one rep for every 31,000 voters, the House gets 6451 representatives.


Consider, for a moment, how your vote has been watered down through the years. The 65 reps back in 1787 represented about 2 million white men. In 1911 the 337 or so that voted to freeze the upper bound of the number at 436 represented 90 million mostly white men - NO WOMEN.

Now DAMNIT, PEOPLE! That was one of the most corrupt congresses we have ever had! That was THE Rockefeller congress! That was the Railroad baron congress! That was the congress that, in 1913, brought the federal reserve crooks into being!

We went from one rep for every 30,000 white men in 1787 to one rep for every 500,000 voters in 2010. Think about that. YOU and 15 other voters have the same power that ONE WHITE MAN had in 1787! And with the Citizens United Supreme treason, you are ACTUALLY getting one rep for every (assuming 10,000 public and private large corporation pacs) 22 rich corporations. THIS IS THE REALITY.

There is no valid argument for limiting the number of reps. NONE.
 We want a representative republic. We don't have one. This is not a 'progressive' issue. This is about DEMOCRACY! 
agelbert November 3rd, 2010 10:12 pm

I wish to add that every single issue of importance to the people in the USA which has been ignored, disdained, ridiculed or trashed by the media and/or the government owes its' continued repression to our lack of representation in congress.


The single argument against it is very old. I cede the floor to Patrick Henry:
Quote
"But we are told that we need not fear; because those in power, being our representatives, will not abuse the powers we put in their hands. I am not well versed in history, but I will submit to your recollection, whether liberty has been destroyed most often by the licentiousness of the people, or by the tyranny of rulers.

I imagine, sir, you will find the balance on the side of tyranny. Happy will you be if you miss the fate of those nations, who, omitting to resist their oppressors, or negligently suffering their liberty to be wrested from them, have groaned under intolerable despotism!

Most of the human race are now in this deplorable condition; and those nations who have gone in search of grandeur, power, and splendor, have also fallen a sacrifice, and been the victims of their own folly. While they acquired those visionary blessings, they lost their freedom."

I imagine that Patrick Henry, who is famously quoted as saying he smelled a rat in Philadelphia (the constitutional convention), would have preferred one elected representative for much fewer voters than 30,000. He wanted to keep a sharp eye on the reps way back when. He would probably be outraged and leading a revolution today.

Today we have the technology for an electronic congress. This congress would not be the pampered tools for corporations we have now. Their numbers would make OUR voices stronger than corporate voices. They would be more approachable and more willing to listen to us with the 31,000 voters per district. We would HAVE A VOICE!

Our reps would rule for us.
Patrick Henry's rat was eaten by a Rockefeller T-Rex. We need to kill this dinosaur. The damned thing will kill us all and then start on it's own tail.

Quote
Imagine that you are creating a fabric of human destiny with the object of making men happy in the end... but that it was essential and inevitable to torture to death only one tiny creature ... And to found that edifice on its unavenged tears: would you consent to be the architect on those conditions? Tell me, and tell me the truth!"

 Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov


Quote
"People talk sometimes of a bestial cruelty, but that's a great injustice and insult to the beasts; a beast can never be so cruel as a man, so artistically cruel. The tiger only tears and gnaws, that's all he can do. He would never think of nailing people by the ears, even if he were able to do it."
 Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov


Quote
"I think the devil doesn't exist, but man has created him, he has created him in his own image and likeness."  :evil4:
 Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

Quote
"If you were to destroy in mankind the belief in immortality, not only love but every living force maintaining the life of the world would at once be dried up. Moreover, nothing then would be immoral; everything would be lawful, even cannibalism."
 Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov


Quote
"if God doesn't exist, then everything is permitted"
 Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

 
Quote
“We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values… when machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. April 4, 1967


The wheels of "fascist progress" were turning fast and furious in those first 20 years of the 20th century. But we had Bernays to put lipstick on that fascist BOOT in our face. The lipstick is coming off.
Title: Wasta: How it "Works" in Abu Dhabi - New owners of Essex Junction Chip Factory
Post by: AGelbert on October 20, 2014, 06:25:44 pm
Wasta: How it "Works" in Abu Dhabi - New owners of Essex Junction Chip Factory  :P
Written Friday, March 11, 2011 but Wasta is an ANCIENT "tradition" so it is every bit as RHIP "applicable" now as it was then.  ;D

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-fRDQenjYLe4%2FURO4aUIZ1dI%2FAAAAAAAADLo%2FBfP72Yr9jP8%2Fs1600%2FCartoon3.jpg&hash=7d3a88a71d24361a8dd7a4026eca446ea4db0b14)

If you don't think GlobalFoundries, the new owner of the IBM chip making plant at Essex Junction, isn't going to engage in "Wasta" here, you are in for a rude awakening...  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-310714182509.png&hash=7a8191a3d5ff15c51ad36a342a0cd50a90b956bd)



Finding Abu Dhabi an american couple on life in the middle east

A case for corruption?

When American politicians or foreign policy pundits analyze the activities of Muslim-majority countries, one point mentioned repeatedly is the pervasive corruption among the ruling elite. One oft cited example: Afghan president Hamid Karzai’s penchant for awarding top government positions to his friends and extended family. For many, this behavior in a Third World country is most likely not a surprise, yet it is not restricted to impoverished and quasi failed states. Here in the UAE, with a per capita GDP among the highest in the world, Shannon and I have encountered "corruption" in a few interesting ways.

 During our first weeks in Abu Dhabi back in 2009, we had the great pleasure of navigating the corridors of bureaucracy in order to get our residence visas and work permits, driver’s licenses, and liquor license (yes you’re supposed to have one in order to purchase alcohol). On more than one occasion, our visa officer, assigned by Shannon’s company to act as our liaison in these transactions, walked us to the front of a long line in whatever government office we happened to be in and spoke animatedly in Arabic with the official behind the counter. Suddenly, our paperwork would be stamped as approved, and we would be on our way.

 Seeing our bemusement and slight embarrassment for cutting in line, our liaison explained with a smile that he had “wasta.” It’s an Arabic term, and one of Shannon’s colleagues explained it as a sort of social bank account where deposits are made in the form of family status and influence, and withdrawals in the form of favors and deference  ;). Those who don’t have the right family  :o  :P name can earn wasta by showing loyalty or doing favors for those who do. So, for example, a person with AED 50,000 worth of speeding tickets that has suddenly been reduced to AED 500, or whose job application gets moved to the top of the stack, has wasta.

 As you might imagine, wasta plays a prominent role in the selection of personnel in the government ministries as well. After having some conversations with some expat friends who had lived here for a while, I learned that many positions in the various state ministries here are often assigned according to an individual’s standing in the tribal hierarchy (in Abu Dhabi’s case, the Bani Yas tribe). Hearing this offended my American sensibilities, which consider the use of public office for personal ends, or preferential treatment based upon one’s name, to be anathema when compared with a system of rules and merit. It seemed like, well, corruption.

 At least that was how I felt until I read an article by Lawrence Rosen, in the Spring 2010 issue of The American Interest, that helped to shed a different light on the issue for me. Entitled, “Understanding Corruption” the article explores the differing cultural definitions of corruption held in some parts of the Muslim-majority world, as opposed to those typically held in America (and the West in general). Interestingly, though perhaps not surprisingly, people in this part of the world have a different conception of corruption than the one more commonly held in the West.

 Rosen writes:

Quote
Corruption is the failure to share any largess you have received with those with whom you have formed ties of dependence. Theirs is a world in which the defining feature of a man is that he has formed a web of indebtedness, a network of obligations that prove his capacity to maneuver in a world of relentless uncertainty. It is a world in which the separation of impersonal institutions from personal attachments is very scarce. Failure to service such attachments is thus regarded as not only stupid but corrupt.
  ???

 So, whereas Americans might conceive corruption as a lack of deference to individual qualifications, societies similar to the UAE would conceive of corruption as a lack of deference to communal relationships. This is not to say that Americans don’t appreciate family or that Emiratis don’t laud personal productivity, because they both do. However, their hierarchies of value differ. To illustrate, think about the standard greeting among Americans: "How are you?" Or better, "What's up?" In this exchange, the initiator often doesn't expect, or even care, to receive a real answer. Contrast this with the standard greeting among Arabs: "Salaam Alaykum" (translated "peace be upon you"). By invoking peace upon the other person, the initiator expects peace to be invoked on his behalf (in the form of "Wa Alaykum Asalaam", or "And upon you be peace"). If the person doesn't respond in kind, it is a direct affront.

 I now find it easier to understand this mindset, but I still have reservations  ;). Rosen points out that while this reciprocal back-scratching model (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) seems to function in smaller communities, where everyone knows each other and all exist in relations of mutual indebtedness, it is not as easily applied in large, urban, and now globalized environments, where familiar life long relationships are replaced with impersonal ones more transactional in nature  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0) . What’s the use of bribing a clerk if he doesn’t know you and thus will likely never need help from you? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)

AGelbert NOTE: The "use" is that "wasta" always was about RHIP, regardless of the Arab "interpretation" of what is supposedly corrupt and what isn't. It's all about autocratic POWER with some self serving baloney about reciprocity.

Of course the author of the blog is a true blue capitalist that doesn't see much of an issue except a possible "danger" in the "future".  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fugly004.gif&hash=c56db4280057389afd154a1cb4057410151579c8)


 The danger, then, is for this to evolve  ;D into a system that does not serve to promote social bonds, where favors are expected for those with wasta but are no longer mutually beneficial for giver as well as receiver. The extreme logical conclusion is that the marginalized members of society, those who have become powerless to operate effectively within the structured order, might decide collectively that they want to change the now-corrupt system. And of course, this has been one of the primary motivations for the protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, and Libya.

http://findingabudhabi.blogspot.com/2011/03/case-for-corruption.html

The Bani Yas tribe (Wasta fer Vermonters!) is coming to Essex Junction, Vermont!  :P 
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Title: Fascist Police Try to use the Fascist Court System to keep Doing what they DO...
Post by: AGelbert on October 23, 2014, 03:15:23 pm
Wed Oct 22, 2014 at 04:08 PM EDT.

125 Seattle Cops Say They Have "Constitutional Right" to


by
SuperpoleFollow ..


use excessive force-- (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251) and they sued to make this happen.


Wow... who could've foresaw this happening in our Nation?  ;D

But some 125 Seattle police officers responded by filing a lawsuit challenging the new laws. In their view, the new policies infringe on their rights to use as much force as they deem necessary in self-protection. They represent about ten percent of the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild membership. The police union itself declined to endorse the lawsuit.
This week, a federal judge summarily rejected all of their claims, finding that they were without constitutional merit, and that she would have been surprised if such allegations of excessive force by officers did not lead to stricter standards.

Quote
The officers claimed the policies infringed on their rights under their Second Amendment and under the Fourth  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F165fs373950.gif&hash=ad797fcc08a061d3ae50ee49ccd9f3d517fb7496), claiming a self-defense right to use force. Chief U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman pointed out that the Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms — not the right to use them — and that the officers “grossly misconstrued” the Fourth Amendment when they claimed that it protects them, and not individuals who would be the subjects of police force or seizures. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)


Again, folks... it's all about the police constantly, bogusly claiming "their lives are threatened"; whether it's by someone carrying a sandwich, a stick, or NO weapon at all as with the Michael Brown case.

Thankfully the presiding federal judge threw this nonsense out--but the cops could appeal the ruling.

It's wayyy past time for some firm definitions of when a police officer can and cannot use excessive, deadly force.

http://thinkprogress.org/...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/22/1338443/-125-Seattle-Cops-Say-They-Have-Constitutional-Right-to

Agelbert NOTE:
The Court System  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__burp.gif&hash=8ff3ef6c016d8baf5f61ed5e8db58f069b64da00) is IRREPARABLE.  These fascist cops will get a judge that overrules the judge with CFS (Pechman) on behalf of fascist "interpretations" of the Constitution to mean anything the cops want it to mean even if they "adjust" it on the fly.

It's ALL ABOUT that "LATITUDE" that the Court System corruptly, unconstitutionally (and totally APPROVED by the lawyers   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.u.arizona.edu%2F%7Epatricia%2Fcute-collection%2Fsmileys%2Flying-smiley.gif&hash=a34c2f7344d5f54f7009a4e684bb6c7310cdda03) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__burp.gif&hash=8ff3ef6c016d8baf5f61ed5e8db58f069b64da00) pretending FALSELY to defend we-the-people  >:() INSISTS on giving the cops whenever the commit a FELONY in the course of their "I am the boss" daily brutality against we-the-people in general and minorities in particular.

Golden Rule Government is the only answer
.

Golden Rule Government: A Lawful System Based on Caring instead of Conquest (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/corruption-in-government/msg2043/#msg2043)

Fascist Big Ag uses Food Disparagement Law and
the Patriot Act to threaten Truth tellers!
(http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/renewables/sustainable-food-production/msg2033/#msg2033)

Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes on what the LAW was ALL ABOUT (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/corruption-in-government/msg2045/#msg2045)

The Lady Justice Legal Scales mean the OPPOSITE of what you think they mean (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/corruption-in-government/msg2041/#msg2041)

Don't count on our Court System to defend Americans from Fascism - Here's why the solution to Corporate Profit over Planet is  EX CURIA (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/corruption-in-government/msg2019/#msg2019)

How Lawyers  took the power from the King (for themselves) pretending it was FOR THE PEOPLE (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/geopolitics/key-historical-events-that-you-may-have-never-heard-of/msg2051/#msg2051)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 29, 2014, 02:47:51 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.dailykos.com%2Fimages%2F113397%2Flightbox%2Fincomeinequality.png%3F1414525869&hash=cead55b73a33f20af4c91d548544c2dfececf8ee)
Title: Does a Wild Bear Defecate in the Woods?
Post by: AGelbert on October 29, 2014, 03:23:48 pm
To be filed under: Does a Wild Bear Defecate in the Woods?   ::)

Is Voter Suppression an American Tradition?

Posted on Oct 28, 2014

As midterm elections loom, voter suppression schemes are sweeping the land, with new requirements on voter identification leading the way and getting the lion’s share of attention. Anyone interested in fair elections should be concerned and alarmed.

But are the new ID requirements really all that novel?   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Ftuzki-bunnys%2Ftuzki-bunny-emoticon-026.gif&hash=cea0c85d87fadfcde1f4ffdeb123185070f6de75) Or are they better understood as the revival of a longstanding tradition evident from the nation’s earliest days, designed to restrict the franchise and manipulate outcomes?  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)

Before answering those questions, let’s take a closer look at the current voter ID landscape. The National Conference of State Legislatures, which keeps statistical track of such matters, has reported that 34 states have enacted laws mandating that voters produce identification documents at the polls. To date, only three such laws have been blocked—those enacted in Pennsylvania and Arkansas  by state courts and the Wisconsin scheme by the U.S. Supreme Court. A fourth voter ID law—in North Carolina—isn’t slated to go into effect until 2016.

The remaining 30 ID laws will be in place for the midterms, including those in seven states (Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia) that strictly require current government-issued photo IDs. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, prior to the 2006 elections no state had compelled its voters to produce such credentials in order to cast ballots, although some, like Hawaii, authorized poll workers to request but not order voters to display some form of identification. 

What’s behind the new voter ID surge is no secret. As Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has written of the Texas scheme that she unsuccessfully tried to enjoin and as Judge Richard Posner of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has observed of the Wisconsin plan, voter ID laws are the contemporary equivalent of the poll taxes of the Jim Crow era, which were outlawed by the 24th Amendment in 1964.   >:(

Like the old poll taxes, Ginsburg and Posner explain, the new ID laws target minority voters, who are typically among the most liberal, and who are also often the least able to pay for IDs or meet the costs involved in traveling to the DMV or other government offices to obtain them. And like the old poll taxes, the new ID laws do nothing to ensure the integrity of elections. As numerous studies have shown, in-person voter fraud is virtually nonexistent. The new ID movement thus offers a false solution to a trumped-up problem.

While Ginsburg has long been skeptical of voter ID requirements and sided with the minority in the Supreme Court’s 2008 decision that validated Indiana’s voter ID law (Crawford v Marion County), Posner is a recent convert to the anti-ID judicial community. Indeed, he was the author of the original 7th Circuit opinion that the Supreme Court upheld in the Crawford case. Now, he is one of the most eloquent critics of both the Crawford ruling and the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which gutted the Voting Rights Act. But as forceful as Ginsburg and the repentant Posner are in their recent opinions on the Texas and Wisconsin voter ID laws, neither lays out the full historical context or political dimensions of voter suppression.

Notwithstanding the landmark advances achieved in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, the adoption in 1920 of the 19th Amendment according women the right to vote in federal elections, and the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, voter suppression has been the norm for much of our history. From the original disenfranchisement of black slaves and women to the early exclusions of white men without property, voter inclusion has always been an elusive goal.

Current voter ID laws and other suppression techniques aimed at limiting early voting and same-day registration may be less obvious than the poll taxes, whites-only primaries and literacy tests of yesteryear, but they are driven by the same purpose of undermining genuine majority rule and deflecting potential threats to the established order. If anything, today’s techniques are all the more insidious precisely because they are less obvious.

Today’s suppression schemes are also more dangerous
because they have been accompanied by a series of Supreme Court decisions that have unleashed the power of corporations and the wealthy to spend unlimited money on elections (the Citizens United opinion and its progeny) while restricting the right of public-sector unions—the last bastion of organized labor in America—to collect the membership dues and fair-share fees they need to exist. All of these developments—voter suppression, the removal of limits on campaign spending, and union busting—are joined synergistically in what I have previously called in this column a “trifecta of institutionalized class domination.”

Whether the trifecta is anything truly new or simply the latest version of a longstanding tradition I will leave for you to decide as the midterms approach and you contemplate how to vote or even whether you will head to the polls at all, given the lack of real political alternatives on the ballot.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/is_voter_suppression_an_american_tradition_20141028

Agelbert NOTE; Posner NOW agrees with Ginsburg! :o BUT, evidencing the irreparable corruption of the system set up to GUARANTEE rigged election outcomes, Posner's reversal has been OVERRULED by an Appellate Court as a "dissenting" opinion.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fugly004.gif&hash=c56db4280057389afd154a1cb4057410151579c8) (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/corruption-in-government/msg2037/#msg2037). How Forking Convenient...   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221014234552.jpeg&hash=4087bb6ea8656495204b10c3ff636ebe137b28fa)

Fascist Big Ag uses Food Disparagement Law and
the Patriot Act to threaten Truth tellers!
(http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/renewables/sustainable-food-production/msg2033/#msg2033)

Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes on what the LAW was ALL ABOUT (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/corruption-in-government/msg2045/#msg2045)

The Lady Justice Legal Scales mean the OPPOSITE of what you think they mean (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/corruption-in-government/msg2041/#msg2041)

Don't count on our Court System to defend Americans from Fascism - Here's why the solution to Corporate Profit over Planet is EX CURIA (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/corruption-in-government/msg2019/#msg2019)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 31, 2014, 12:38:39 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgWy_u4BLXs&feature=player_embedded
Christie the Fascist blows his top. This is an interview with an honorable citizen that told Christie he was out of line. Well done!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.runemasterstudios.com%2Fgraemlins%2Fimages%2F2thumbs.gif&hash=98130be1edf2bed4a80ac8f134b0126673bd469e)
 


If you want to watch the corrupt governor Christie Doing what he DOES (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__burp.gif&hash=8ff3ef6c016d8baf5f61ed5e8db58f069b64da00), go to the link. Bring your barf bag.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/30/1340351/-Chris-Christie-blows-his-top-after-angry-constituent-confronts-him-at-press-conference

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 03, 2014, 07:50:52 pm
25 Arrested Shutting Down FERC Office  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fswear1.gif&hash=87347674f9297191f3f8a447208170617da4caf6) in DC

Full story at link: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)


http://ecowatch.com/2014/11/03/25-arrested-shutting-down-ferc/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 06, 2014, 11:56:45 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.constantinereport.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F12%2Famericanism-adolf-hitler-american-politics-republicans-fasci-political-poster-1268518887.jpg&hash=72f9f3758d99b374e386b45752415bc5b92c82a5)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 07, 2014, 06:44:52 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmX7iYOE9FI&feature=player_embedded

100+ Arrested at Beyond Extreme Energy’s Week-Long Protests at FERC

Anastasia Pantsios | November 7, 2014 3:40 pm

http://ecowatch.com/2014/11/07/beyond-extreme-energy-ferc/2/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 07, 2014, 07:28:18 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRfRMQUX2ns&feature=player_embedded

People want democracy. We do not have democracy n the USA.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-031014141830.png&hash=5319d4dcf7ff24e048aa47d746f07b83bedcc1c0)

The Fossil Fuelers   DID THE Climate Trashing CRIME,   but since they have ALWAYS BEEN liars   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.u.arizona.edu%2F%7Epatricia%2Fcute-collection%2Fsmileys%2Flying-smiley.gif&hash=a34c2f7344d5f54f7009a4e684bb6c7310cdda03) and conscience free crooks ,    they are trying to AVOID   DOING THE TIME or     PAYING THE FINE!     Don't let them get away with it! Pass it on! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F176.gif&hash=121533221905789c6b8d57a9603883266d349266)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 09, 2014, 03:51:54 pm
 sure (1+ / 0-)

it is possible, if you change the Senate rules.

It is not possible if you allow all the foot-dragging
Seeking to be as wise as Fioral

by GideonAB on Fri Nov 07, 2014 at 11:07:41 AM EST

[ Reply to This ]

* [new]  Senate "rules" (2+ / 0-)

But they won't do that. Ever since Cheney got bent out of shape because Jeffords foiled his attempt at getting Republican control of the Senate by going independent, they have INVENTED out of WHOLE UNCONSTITUTIONAL CLOTH, the BULL**** that a super majority is needed and other TRIPE like being able to "filibuster" by sitting on your ass.

Anybody that thinks all the press hype before this S- election was not deliberately aimed at pushing the LIE that Republicans were "favored" so the voting "results" would match the propaganda is naive.

Get this, people: There WAS NO HORSE RACE HERE, PERIOD. The people want democracy and they are not going to get it as long the Fossil Fuel Fascist Oligarchs continue in power in this inverted totalitarian dictatorship.

And the oligarchs NOTICED our VAST dismay at these elections and are going to do the old tactic they have ALWAYS done. It's called TWO STEPS FORWARD and ONE STEP BACK. Yeah, they attributed that to the Communists during the cold war. But the FASCISTS in the USA are the EXPERTS at it.

So NOW you will see the senate make a lot of noise about progress, renewable energy, democracy, blah, blah ,blah, blah and pass some token legislation like extending wind power subsidies (that are a PITTANCE) compared with fossil fuel subsides. All this will be TRUMPETED by the fascist press as "defeats" for "conservatives".

In fact, it is this "one step back" that will be followed by world class crushing of what is left of progressive laws in next year's session. But  for NOW, the job of the press is to PUT ALL OF US TO SLEEP, GET IT? You DON'T? Don't Worry, YOU WILL!

So ALL those nice articles (that have already started) about "not despairing" are not worth a TINKER'S DAMN!

The ONLY tool we have to fight this is to STOP consuming (all the way to the bare subsistence level for a decade or so) and STOP participating in the economy (NO STOCKS!) and ACCEPT being poverty stricken until it brings the ****ing corporations to their knees. NOTHING ELSE WILL WORK because we DO NOT HAVE DEMOCRACY in the USA.

And you know what? I doing think even 20% of Americans have the intestinal fortitude and integrity to go poor to take down the rich fascists in charge.

There are solutions and I have, in the links below, identified the problems and outlined the solution. But Americans are too materialistic to get it. We have become those donkey kids in the Pinocchio movie.

 So, YEAH, it's OVER. Have a Fine Fascist Day.


The Lady Justice Legal Scales mean the OPPOSITE of what you think they mean

Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. on what the LAW was ALL ABOUT

Fascist Big Ag uses Food Disparagement Law and
 the Patriot Act to threaten Truth tellers!

Golden Rule Government: A Lawful System Based on Caring instead of Conquest

by Agelbert on Sat Nov 08, 2014 at 06:08:47 PM EST

[ Parent | Reply to This ]


* [new]  Amen, Agelbert! (3+ / 0-)

I've been on to the corporate takeover of democracy in America for about 15 years now.  The one thing that continues to elude me is the end game.  Big Ag had a definite end game; Earl Butz had a real vision for the transformation he wrought in American agriculture, but he wasn't out to destroy the country.  'Get Big or Get Out', his motto, was intended to eliminate small farmers and the inefficiencies that so much localized production brought to the table, but he wanted the displaced farmers to head into the factories.  It made sense in the post war world, and though he created a lot of ghost towns on the Plains and destroyed a way life for poor Southern farmers who'd managed to deliver their produce to a local cannery where they also picked up work for a few weeks at the end of the season, he met his primary objective - cheap food for American consumers.  Yes, food prices have been going up the past few years, but that's partly the toll of normal inflation, increased demand from Asians who have finally climbed out of desperate poverty, and (probably mostly) market speculation by WS firms freed from the constraint of having to have some kind of tangential relationship to the commodities they are dabbling in by the Commodities Futures Modernization Act of 2000.  Repeal that Republican piece of **** legislation and food prices will plummet.

But the folks who make non necessities, which covers most things sold in every store in the first world, have set out to destroy their own customers.  Those billions of Asians who can now afford to eat on a regular basis are going to want safe, potable water before they want iPhones and they'll need plumbing and electricity before they can buy dishwashers.  Is it possible that the captains of industry are too ill informed to know that?  And if they destroy the first world by reducing us all to the level of those Asian factory workers, they really will be stuck with all the bills; they use roads and bridges, too.  Poor countries are not nice places to live, even for the very rich (they're quite dangerous, making most of them no go areas), so they'll make their own lives unpleasant while they make ours hell.  I just don't get why they can't seem to see that, to say nothing of the fact that there's a limit to how much you can do to an infinitely powerful entity like the US military, staffed entirely by members of the middle and working classes, before it turns and kills you.  An angry, beleaguered middle class started the French Revolution; we're getting close to part deux.     

by CatKinNY on Sat Nov 08, 2014 at 11:32:24 PM EST

[ Parent | Reply to This |  Recommend  ]


* [new]  I Have Said For Years (1+ / 0-)

That I will probably live to see the end of The United States as we know it.  Because you can only squeeze so much before those being squeezed finally push back.

The question is...just how far into the corner will people allow themselves to be backed....before they finally explode?

And that is what it will come to.  We will have another Civil War, but it won't be a nice, neat North versus South thing...it will be a hundred different factions all fighting each other for the rancid bits of what was once a great nation.

It will be hell on Earth.  I hope like hell it doesn't happen while I am still alive.  But I am betting it will.  Because things are getting worse and worse and worse for the middle and lower classes...and there is only so much deprivation that they will tolerate.

It would be ONE thing if the wealthy, too, were suffering.  They might be willing to endure more suffering if the wealthy were also suffering.  But they aren't.

The wealthy, in fact, are profiting - and doing so on the backs of everyone else.

The wealthy are self-aggrandizing and by doing so CREATING the misery for all below them.  And the people know it.

The pitchforks are coming.

Remember that song from Megadeth "Peace Sells?"

I find myself thinking about that song all the time now.  For those who don't know it, the lyrics follow:  (I am going to bold things that mirror my own feelings at the moment...

Peace Sells - by Megadeth

What do you mean, "I don't believe in God"?
 I talk to him every day.
 What do you mean, "I don't support your system"?
 I go to court when I have to.
 What do you mean, "I can't get to work on time"?
 I got nothing better to do
And, what do you mean, "I don't pay my bills"?
 Why do you think I'm broke? Huh?

 [Chorus:]
If there's a new way,
 I'll be the first in line.
 But, it better work this time.

What do you mean, "I hurt your feelings"?
 I didn't know you had any feelings.
 What do you mean, "I ain't kind"?
 I'm just not your kind.
 What do you mean, "I couldn't be the president
 Of the United States of America"?
 Tell me something, it's still "We the people", right?

 [Chorus: (repeat)]
If there's a new way
 I'll be the first in line,
 But, it better work this time.


Can you put a price on peace?
 Peace,
 Peace sells...,
 Peace,
 Peace sells...,
 Peace sells...,but who's buying?
 Peace sells...,but who's buying?
 Peace sells...,but who's buying?
 Peace sells...,but who's buying?


"Sometimes, you just have to be offensive to offensive people"  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039) - Max Nofziger, former Austin City Council Member (This still qualifies as one of the best life-lessons I ever got)

by Kalisiin on Sun Nov 09, 2014 at 09:21:46 AM EST

[ Parent | Reply to This |  Recommend  ]

 * [new]  Great lyrics! (0+ / 0-)

Thank you for the song. It's a keeper!

by Agelbert on Sun Nov 09, 2014 at 02:22:01 PM EST


[ Parent | Reply to this ]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/07/1342926/-Senate-gears-up-for-packed-lame-duck-nbsp-session
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 10, 2014, 04:23:46 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-101114162109.png&hash=637c11283b4795cdc42a80e16c8337166773005f)

http://www.williampfaff.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=702
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 19, 2014, 06:18:49 pm
Excellent Post by a Pediatric Dentist about Government Corruption through increased bureaucratic hurdles and expenses:   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

I'm sure some of you read John Michael Greer's  Archdruid Report, and you might have caught last week's post talking about the inevitable creep of more and more intermediaries  stepping into the space between producers and consumers, taking some small piece of the action --- which, as he rightfully pointed out, drives up the cost of goods and services and acts a very effective barrier to anyone wanting to create a new business --- in a civilization on the decline.

I've been an unhappy witness to this process for my whole career, but this week I was gob-smacked by a fine new example: A brand new scam known as Online Hospital Credentialing.

Now, a few of you who know me, know that I'm a dentist, and some of you know that I carry a board certification in pediatrics ( another intermediary, but never mind that one right now).

The thing is that pediatric dentists usually have hospital privileges, because we have to treat lots of patients in the two year-old category, and some as young as nine months. This is  because young parents don't always get the message that a baby over six months old who goes to sleep with a bottle (or a breast) in his/her mouth is at great risk for nursing bottle caries.

 And unfortunately, in our present day culture, some infants are the victims of serious neglect, and get bottles put in their mouth with soda pop, sweetened milk, and the like, and can get what is known as "rampant decay". Last week I had to remove 18 of the normal 20 primary teeth on a three year old special needs child who was such a victim.  Needless to say, these procedures are best accomplished with the patient asleep under general anesthesia. Hence the need for me to have a relationship with one or more hospitals.

In modern times, there has always been a credentialing process for doctors and nurses, but over my 25 year career, the process has gotten increasingly complicated and rigorous, which might seem to be a reasonable and necessary thing, but lately, since Big Insurance has corporatized medicine completely, it's started to get really out of hand.

Not only do I have to resubmit all my credentials annually ( and there are many small credentials I have to prove), now we have to go through a similar process for our assistants. With me and the three assistants I keep credentialed, it seems like we are caught in a never-ending loop of paperwork. These are employees of mine, not the hospital. In the operating room the hospital typically  provides me and the anesthesiologist with only one nurse, known as the circulator, whose job it is to bring patients from the admissions area to the OR, accompany the patient to recovery after the procedure, and to write what has to be documented in the medical chart.

To actually help me do my job, I typically bring two of my employees, who do the same sorts of things they do in the office to assist me. Set up the room, take x-rays and digital photos, hand me things, and provide four of the hands involved in what we refer to in our business as six-handed dentistry.

When I started twenty-five years ago, there was NO credentialing required for these folks. Either by the hospital or the dental board. Now they (or their employers) get to pay a nice tribute annually to the dental board. And, as of this week, they (me) also get to pay an additional $225 a head to...an online credentialing service, that saves the hospital (aka giant insurance conglomerate) the pesky trouble of making sure they're qualified to do their job.

Even though they don't ACTUALLY work for the hospital. They work for me, and not only that, I am legally responsible for their every action. If they do something wrong that causes a problem for the patient, it is my malpractice insurance that has to cover them.

So, bottom line, I now have to pay an extra $775-$1000 in fees to practice at the hospital.

Tough noogies, you say! That's why they pay you the big bucks.

Well, get this. That ain't all. No that ain't all. Not a by a long shot.

They now want proof that I, and each staff member, had all our childhood immunizations. Don't have proof? Fine. Just get them redone. Also we HAVE to get a flu shot, something I'm opposed to on principle. And a TB test. And Hep B vaccine. Proof of immunity to MMR, which for me requires a blood test, since I'm old enough to have actually had measles.

All in the public interest, you say? Well then, let the hospital pay for it. After all, they are a hospital and it would cost them next to nothing, right? But no, I have to pay for all that. Work out the logistics of sending me and my staff to some doctor's office during work hours, with significant lost income AND multiple doctor bills.

And WAIT, there's MORE! My employees must now submit to a CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK and a DRUG TEST. I can sign something certifying that I have done this as a normal part of the hiring process...but guess what?  By participating in this whole dog and pony show, I also have to sign that this "online credentialing service" can audit my personnel records, to prove I'm not lying.

This whole ball of wax is being sold to me as a way of "simplifying" the credentialing process. I'd  die laughing at that if I weren't so absolutely and totally angry that I could spit.

By the way, the "online" part of online credentialing means that MY office manager has to input all the data into this "service package". I'm not exactly sure what the company that  I'm paying to look up my and my employees collective skirts is actually doing to earn their $225 a head. Looks to me like they bought some software, and now they are set for life.

Because they are getting this not only from all the doctors and their employees, but also from each and every hospital employee as well. Ka-ching! And probably most of the employees will have to pay for it, not the employers. I pay for my employees, but I have no requirement to do so.

if you have no compassion for my plight, how do you think this impacts a low level doctors office employee who is a single mother making maybe $15 bucks an hour?

Agelbert NOTE:I agree with Doctor Eddie.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F47b20s0.gif&hash=cc48c9af9d29b8836023c7db21103e52d1ed439e)   If the gooberment wants you to jump through some bureaucratic hoop in order to enrich some corporate welfare queen that runs a hospital, then the gooberment should make we-the-people ALL pay equally. But that would negate the whole point of corrupt practices disguised as "fer yer own good" requirements.  ;)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)  So it goes.    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183312.bmp&hash=02dafef2fe739676600fdc9bd56271f0f5ab3723)
Title: The two million dollar TRUTH about Trayvon Martin in 3 minutes:
Post by: AGelbert on December 06, 2014, 10:48:09 pm
The two million dollar TRUTH about Trayvon Martin in 3 minutes:
:o
http://viewrz.com/video/the-2-miiilion-dollar-trayvon-martin-truth

Or just watch the following video starting at the one hour mark:  8)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNFAwvBt_Dg&feature=player_embedded
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 09, 2014, 12:55:27 am
POLICE in our POLICE STATE =   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

“So… now what?” he asked. “We can move forward with this notion that police officers wearing body cameras will make them more judicious in their use of force, but it seems pretty clear that they just don’t give a f uck, and the court system is content to allow them to keep on not giving a f uck.” Police “are not regarded as citizens also beholden to the law. They are an armed force charged with maintenance of a status quo steeped in white supremacy and anti-blackness.”

Full EXCELLENT Mychal Denzel Smith  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3) article:
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/truthdigger_of_the_week_mychal_denzel_smith_20141206

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 09, 2014, 06:19:51 pm
Outstanding comment by Spencer at Truthdig.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.runemasterstudios.com%2Fgraemlins%2Fimages%2F2thumbs.gif&hash=98130be1edf2bed4a80ac8f134b0126673bd469e)
It's a keeper for anyone interested in the sad truth in our Fascist Country.


NOTE: Many of the non-video links below are BAD. I chased them down and the proper links are on the next post after this one.  8)


Spencer  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F129fs238648.gif&hash=bbf8ad9cbaff9e7d3097c40c21a931e6649a237f) answers Tom Raquer (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__burp.gif&hash=8ff3ef6c016d8baf5f61ed5e8db58f069b64da00)  December 7, 2014
For a moment, I'm going to pretend you're not a privileged, ignorant troll...One or more cases? Most professional police force? You think these are isolated incidents? You think a misdemeanor doesn't turn into a felony when a corrupt cop needs to cover his/her as* for brutally assaulting/murdering someone "in the line of duty"?

Try doing some of your own research instead of being spoonfed data from the very entities (NYPD) that perpetuate the injustice that their biased research helps conceal.

You are wrong in so many ways, your logic is severely flawed, and your arguments are fallacious as hell...below is the tip of the iceberg of what cops are getting away with all across the country and the justice system is either impotent when it comes to holding them ACCOUNTABLE or downright facilitates criminal cop's impunity to being held RESPONSIBLE for their actions (there's your evidence...go educate yourself and in the meantime, politely f**k off...or perhaps you'll be educated by the next cop you run into...I sincerely hope not, but if you continue to pretend that this isn't a problem, eventually that problem is more likely to come knocking down your door):

Cops murder Kelly Thomas, a gentle homeless man with schizophrenia, because they didn't want him sitting in that area and threatened to “f--- him up” before killing him:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU0Imk2Bstg&feature=player_embedded

Cops threw flashbang into baby's crib (with children's toys all around the yard of the house and with no police work to justify the warrant).
http://www.salon.com/2014/06/2...

Cops shoot and kill a 7 year old girl who was asleep during a midnight home raid (while film crews were filming for TV):
http://countercurrentnews.com/...

Cop kills unarmed man holding baby:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMDIK4bOpwk&feature=player_embedded

Cops shoot to kill without even identifying the target:
http://www.hlntv.com/article/2...

Cop shoots and kills homeless Albuquerque man for no reason:http://www.theguardian.com/wor...

Cop kills innocent, unarmed father in a stairwell because he claimed the stairwell was dark:http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/21/...

Cop’s record cleared for accidentally shooting boy in head:
 http://www.informationliberati...

Cop shoots boy in chest when he answered the door, mistaking a Wii controller for a gun: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news...

Cops beat delusional man to death as citizens watch:
http://atlasleft.org/washingto...

Cops unleash attack dog on innocent college kid already being restrained on ground by numerous officers, no punishment to officers:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/02/...

Cops shoot and kill elderly man in his own garage at night while checking out the wrong address:http://www.theblaze.com/storie...

Cops shoot at man in streets in NY, hit bystanders:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/15/...

Cops lied to obtain a no-knock warrant and shot and killed a grandma in her own home, then planted drugs to cover up the crime:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K...

Cops shoots and kills honors student at college campus:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...

Cops shoot and wound man getting cigarettes from his own car at his own house for no reason at all:
http://gawker.com/unarmed-man-...

Cops kill man by compressing him while arresting him while he was distraught:http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/26/...

Police shoot diabetic man after his wife called for medical help, they claim he picked up a knife:http://reason.com/blog/2013/10...

Cops shoot man holding a toy gun in walmart with no warning and lied in their report.http://www.whio.com/news/news/crime-l...

Covert officers assault girls for buying bottled water, cops thought it was alcohol: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetw...

Cop shoot elderly man reaching for cane:
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/...

Cops kill man with garden hose using a shotgun and no warning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6S7LRrCru8&feature=player_embedded

Florida man survives 13 shots by officers while sitting in his car: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/21/...

Cops almost shoot and kill a hospital-worker in her own home with a warrant for an entire apartment complex and screaming at her door: http://www.heraldtribune.com/a...

Cops raiding small friendly poker games with militarized tactics, accidentally killing people-- dying man says “Why did you shoot me, I was reading a book.”:http://www.salon.com/2013/07/0...

Cop beats handcuffed teen and is acquitted because video ‘should only be used to protect cops, not prosecute them.’ http://intellihub.com/2013/07/...

Cop purposely holds onto door handle so he would have the right to shoot and kill a Sunday school teacher who was driving away from the cops.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSPhC916GQM&feature=player_embedded

Cops shoot girl who was backing up, lied to claim self-defense: http://www.nydailynews.com/new...

Cops converse with then shoot man with sword in the back several times, witness accounts claim the man was not threatening, cop never turned on camera: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

Cops use dubious excuses to justify lethal force: http://www.allgov.com/news/us-...

Cop shoots homeless man who was deaf and doing woodcarving: http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01...

Cop shoots man in back several times, then stands over him and shoots again to kill him—questionable whether the man actually was armed or not—conflicting evidence given.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=159PM7ZKcv0&feature=player_embedded

Cop attacks random people in crowd and punches NY judge, judge shocked that cop not charged:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

Drunk NY cops shoot at people:
 http://nymag.com/daily/intelli...

Cop with dismal record shoots 12 year old boy with toy gun:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-...

Cop shoots and kills handcuffed man:
https://news.vice.com/article/...

  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.sodahead.com%2Fpolls%2F000370273%2Fpolls_Smiley_Angry_256x256_3451_356175_answer_4_xlarge.png&hash=15577651daa4c35ff4d6b26217f99db6ebfde0b3)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301014183629.gif&hash=15481fa08b581c624351cc14f949b1557f851476)


Article this comment was posted on:

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/truthdigger_of_the_week_mychal_denzel_smith_20141206
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 09, 2014, 07:32:03 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Femoticon-object-106.gif&hash=f996659d18df7f3b445e6135e884397ac91f25b1)Shoutout to u/biopterin:    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Ftuzki-bunnys%2Ftuzki-bunny-emoticon-028.gif&hash=24570cb7e8246617010ce900a07bc85117ff78ca)

Links for anyone interested… I have about 50 more pages of links to these stories of cops killing innocent unarmed people, and cops never get in trouble (at worst let go from the job)…. Cops murder Kelly Thomas, a gentle homeless man with schizophrenia, because they didn't want him sitting in that area and threatened to “f--- him up” before killing him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KU0Imk2Bstg

Cops threw flashbang into baby's crib (with children's toys all around the yard of the house and with no police work to justify the warrant). http://www.salon.com/2014/06/24/a_swat_team_blew_a_hole_in_my_2_year_old_son/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/05/30/drug-task-force-that-burned-a-toddler-this-week-also-killed-an-innocent-pastor-in-2009/

Cops shoot and kill a 7 year old girl who was asleep during a midnight home raid (while film crews were filming for TV):
http://countercurrentnews.com/2014/11/aiyana-stanley-jones/#

Cop kills unarmed man holding baby:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMDIK4bOpwk

Cop shoot elderly man reaching for cane: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2014/03/14/mxp-sot-deputy-shoots-elderly-mane-reaching-for-cane.cnn.html

Cops shoot to kill without even identifying the target:
http://www.hlntv.com/article/2014/04/11/john-winkler-shot-dead-police-mistaken-identity-tv-producer?hpt=hp_t2

Cop shoots and kills homeless Albuquerque man for no reason: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/10/albuquerque-ordered-pay-6m-wrongful-death

Cop kills innocent, unarmed father in a stairwell because he claimed the stairwell was dark: http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/21/us/new-york-police-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Cop’s record cleared for accidentally shooting boy in head:
http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=44700

Cop shoots boy in chest when he answered the door, mistaking a Wii controller for a gun: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/attorney-teen-was-shot-having-wii-controller-hand/ndSrL/

Cops beat delusional man to death as citizens watch:
http://atlasleft.org/washington-man-cries-for-help-as-hes-beaten-to-death-by-police-video/

Cops unleash attack dog on innocent college kid already being restrained on ground by numerous officers, no punishment to officers at all:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/02/us/police-beating-video/

Cops shoot and kill elderly man in his own garage at night while checking out the wrong address: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/27/police-shoot-dead-grandfather-72-while-searching-the-wrong-home-for-burglar-blame-poor-lighting/

Cops shoot at man in streets in NY, hit bystanders: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/15/justice/times-square-police-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Cops lied to obtain a no-knock warrant and shot and killed a grandma in her own home, then planted drugs to cover up the crime:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Johnston_shooting

Cops shoots and kills honors student at college campus:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2519842/Valedictorian-honors-student-shot-dead-college-campus-cop-routine-traffic-stop.html

Cops shoot and wound man getting cigarettes from his own car at his own house for no reason at all: http://gawker.com/unarmed-man-shot-by-deputies-inside-his-own-car-outside-949237195

Cops kill man by compressing him while arresting him while he was distraught: http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/26/justice/oklahoma-arrest-death-video/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Police shoot diabetic man after his wife called for medical help, they claim he picked up a knife: http://reason.com/blog/2013/10/07/woman-says-she-called-911-for-an-ambulan

Cops shoot man holding a toy gun in walmart with no warning and lied in their report. http://www.whio.com/news/news/crime-law/special-grand-jury-selected-john-crawford-case/nhRwM/

Covert officers assault girls for buying bottled water, cops thought it was alcohol: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/07/02/198047492/felony-arrest-of-student-who-bought-water-riles-many-in-virginia

Cops kill man with garden hose using a shotgun and no warning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6S7LRrCru8

Florida man survives 13 shots by officers while sitting in his car: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/21/us/florida-shot-by-mistake/index.html

Cops almost shoot and kill a hospital-worker in her own home with a warrant for an entire apartment complex and screaming at her door: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130718/COLUMNIST/130719612/2256/NEWS?p=1&tc=pg

Cops raiding small friendly poker games with militarized tactics, accidentally killing people-- “Why did you shoot me, I was reading a book.”:
http://www.salon.com/2013/07/07/%E2%80%9Cwhy_did_you_shoot_me_i_was_reading_a_book_the_new_warrior_cop_is_out_of_control/

Cop beats handcuffed teen and is acquitted because video ‘should only be used to protect cops, not prosecute them.’
http://intellihub.com/2013/07/05/judge-finds-cop-not-guilty-of-assault-after-refusing-to-watch-video-of-assault/

Cop purposely holds onto door handle so he would have the right to shoot and kill a Sunday school teacher who was driving away from the cops.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BSPhC916GQM

Cop shoots man in back several times, then stands over him and shoots again to kill him—questionable whether the man actually was armed or not—conflicting evidence given. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=159PM7ZKcv0

http://www.reddit.com/r/Libertarian/comments/2o79z1/no_indictment_for_cop_who_killed_father_of_6_eric/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 10, 2014, 08:55:21 pm
Posted by me at Thom Hartmann's web site December 12, 2014.

Thom, HOW do you expect ANYTHING to change in this Fascist Police State when you NEVER discuss the FACT that we DO NOT have a Representative Republic? If we had the representation granted voting citizens by our Contitution, we would have over SIX THOUSAND representatives in the House! And YEAH, we can do that with modern technology EASILY!

Fascism isn't coming to the USA; it is HERE! There is no way in hell that we are going to get our government to do what we-the-people want UNLESS we can have and elected Representative for every 30,000 to 60,000 citizens, PERIOD!

You are always quoting the founding fathers and our Constituion, yet you NEVER mention that our vote is worth ONE SIXTEENTH what it was worth in 1800. WHY NOT!!!?

THAT is the KEY reason the corporations OWN OUR GOVERNMENT! Don't tell me it is "impractical" to have an electronic congress where we-the-people tell our 7,000 Reps what we DEMAND in no uncertain terms.

The Pentagon has secure connections all over the world. A congress can do the same thing and meet ELECTRONICALLY while they STAY in their districts where we-the-people can keep them from getting bought and paid for. You KNOW that! Yet you pooh pooh the idea of having 7,000 or so Representatives in the House of Representatives and one third as many senators.

You IGNORE the CRUCIAL (for the preservation of democracy against oligarchic elite corruption) fact that it would be really hard for corporations to buy that many elected politicians.

As long as we DO NOT have appropriate representation in our government, there is not a snowball's chance in hell that torture, war profiteering, dirty energy welfare queen give aways called subsides and police state privacy violations, brutality and racist murders will stop.

Things are the way they ARE because the people in our government REPRESENT the WILL of the oligarchic predators that WANT IT that way, PERIOD!

If you are still reading (grin), here are the details:


The issue is FASCISM. Our "Jews" just happen to be African Americans and the poor of all colors. But the Evil in Fascism is ALWAYS a growth industry and those pretending they will not be eaten alive by this predatory profit over people and planet fascism are just plain Wishful Thinking COWARDS.

We are in the throws of Inverted totalitarianism. Chris Hedges explains that in detail. I think you are familiar with that but if you want to refresh your mind, just Google it and Chris Hedges.

And YEP, it IS a police state but it is CLOAKED with the Color of LAW (see definition of Color of Law) with all the trappings (pure theater) of a representative republic.

Around the year 1800, the power of a (white, land owner) American citizen's vote was reasonable (if all the adult citizens had been allowed to vote). At that time a NEW Rep could be added to a state if the Congressional district exceeded 60,000 population.

 In 1918-19 the COUNT of reps was UNCONSTITUTIONALLY frozen. You'll never get a lawyer to fight that, either. The historical record is quite accurate as to the unconstitutionality of that legislation. You probably know all about how the unconstitutional income tax was pushed on us. But the BIG BETRAYAL was the frozen rep count. This assured a fascist takeover because corporations would get MORE influence while the individual voter would get less.

At present your vote is worth one SIXTEENTH of what it was in the year 1800! Representative Republic, my ARSE!

And if some learned counsel would pound the table about the "progressive reform" of electing senators during the same period (early 20th century) so state legislators couldn't be bought by big wig money bags types, then tell them that it was a FICTION.

Why? because it was ACCOMPANIED by freezing the rep count! What's that got to do with it? Tell said learned counsel to look up the word "senate". The senate is NOT, and never was, a democratic, representative or otherwise, of the PEOPLE; it is a representative of the wealthy ELITE Powers That BE.

It is BALANCED (at least in theory) by the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Remember it has the SAME power as the House (except it isn't supposed to be able to INITIATE legislation - like it unconstitutionally DID in 2008 with the bailout!) with one third less members when this country got started.

As the number of reps got greater and greater from a population increase, the elite influence increased on a senate with less and less members in relation to the exploding population of the states. I.e. LESS DEMOCRACY in an already undemocratic senate - concentration of POWER in fewer hands!

In order for the proper balance to have been preserved with the, admittedly more democratic process of electing senators instead of having state legislators "elect" them, they HAD TO keep the same ratio of senators to representatives!

They did not do that! They pulled a fascist one-two punch (one-two-three if you count the Federal Reserve ripping the power to print money away from the gooberment).

Keeping the, already pro-elite senate at two per state made it EASIER to BUY THEM. Freezing the house count did the same thing.

I wrote an article explaining all that several years ago. Here it is.

I'm talking about the sound bite of all sound bites, "No taxation without representation". We can all agree that representation is essential in a representative form of government, right? Yes, we are a republic and the founding fathers abhorred pure democracy.

But they did write into the Constitution that for every 30,000 citizens, NO MORE THAN ONE representative would be elected to the House (but AT LEAST ONE per state).

You can see this is dated stuff. The constitution needs to be CLARIFIED to reflect modern technology. The constitutional clarification/amendment would be:

1) AT LEAST ONE representative for every 31,000 citizens.

2) The 'AT LEAST ONE representative per state' can be dropped because it is ridiculous and outdated to even consider a state with less than 30,000 citizens.

The corporatocracy would fight this tooth and nail because this amendment would make our House of Representatives a democratic organization for the first time EVER (in 1787 Native Americans, women and African Americans were excluded - In 1911 when they UNconstitutionally froze the rep count at 436, Native Americans, women and most African Americans could not vote).

Since 1911 we have been in a time warp where corporate power grew as our population grew. The fix was IN. Now do the math. Assuming 2/3 of the population can vote, that means 200,000,000 votes. If you get one rep for every 31,000 voters, the House gets 6451 representatives.

Consider, for a moment, how your vote has been watered down through the years. The 65 reps back in 1787 represented about 2 million white men. In 1911 the 337 or so that voted to freeze the upper bound of the number at 436 represented 90 million mostly white men - NO WOMEN.

Now DAMNIT, PEOPLE! That was one of the most corrupt congresses we have ever had! That was THE Rockefeller congress! That was the Railroad baron congress! That was the congress that, in 1913, brought the federal reserve crooks into being! We went from one rep for every 30,000 to 60,000 white men in 1787 to one rep for every 500,000 voters in 2010.

Think about that. YOU and 15 other voters have the same power that ONE WHITE MAN had in 1787!

And with the Citizens United Supreme treason, you are ACTUALLY getting one rep for every (assuming 10,000 public and private large corporation pacs) 22 rich corporations. THIS IS THE REALITY.

There is no valid argument for limiting the number of reps. NONE.

We want a representative republic. We don't have one. This is not a 'progressive' issue. This is about DEMOCRACY!

I wish to add that every single issue of importance to the people in the USA which has been ignored, disdained, ridiculed or trashed by the media and/or the government owes its' continued repression to our lack of representation in congress.

 The single argument against it is very old. I cede the floor to Patrick Henry:

Quote
"But we are told that we need not fear; because those in power, being our representatives, will not abuse the powers we put in their hands. I am not well versed in history, but I will submit to your recollection, whether liberty has been destroyed most often by the licentiousness of the people, or by the tyranny of rulers.

I imagine, sir, you will find the balance on the side of tyranny. Happy will you be if you miss the fate of those nations, who, omitting to resist their oppressors, or negligently suffering their liberty to be wrested from them, have groaned under intolerable despotism!

Most of the human race are now in this deplorable condition; and those nations who have gone in search of grandeur, power, and splendor, have also fallen a sacrifice, and been the victims of their own folly. While they acquired those visionary blessings, they lost their freedom."

I imagine that Patrick Henry, who is famously quoted as saying he smelled a rat in Philadelphia (the constitutional convention), would have preferred one elected representative for much fewer voters than 30,000.

He wanted to keep a sharp eye on the reps way back when. He would probably be outraged and leading a revolution today. Today we have the technology for an electronic congress. This congress would not be the pampered tools for corporations we have now. Their numbers would make OUR voices stronger than corporate voices.

They would be more approachable and more willing to listen to us with the 31,000 voters per district. We would HAVE A VOICE! Our reps would rule for us.

Patrick Henry's rat was eaten by a Rockefeller T-Rex. We need to kill this dinosaur. The damned thing will kill us all and then start on it's own tail.


 "People talk sometimes of a bestial cruelty, but that's a great injustice and insult to the beasts; a beast can never be so cruel as a man, so artistically cruel. The tiger only tears and gnaws, that's all he can do. He would never think of nailing people by the ears, even if he were able to do it." Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

"I think the devil doesn't exist, but man has created him, he has created him in his own image and likeness." Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

"If you were to destroy in mankind the belief in immortality, not only love but every living force maintaining the life of the world would at once be dried up. Moreover, nothing then would be immoral; everything would be lawful, even cannibalism." Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

"We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values… when machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered." -- Martin Luther King, Jr. April 4, 1967

The wheels of "fascist progress" were turning fast and furious in those first 20 years of the 20th century. But we had Bernays to put lipstick on that fascist BOOT in our face. The media was instrumental in keeping the lipstick in place throughout the 20th century and this century (see 911 lock step dumb playing). The lipstick is coming off.

THE ABOVE SHOULD BE IN YOUR "SCREWED" SEGMENT DAILY!

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http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2014/12/torture-not-american-value#comment-rm
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 18, 2014, 08:38:46 pm
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 19, 2014, 04:04:46 pm
If you haven't read how hard some fascists that work for BIG OIL are trying to SHAFT Russia, you will find much food for thought in this article.

Please remember these are the very same politicians that cannot allow us to get a proper cost of living increase, correct inflation computation, infrastructure repair and adequate unemployment insurance, workmen's compensation, welfare payments, poverty level computations and social security pensions because THERE AIN'T NO MONEY...  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.u.arizona.edu%2F%7Epatricia%2Fcute-collection%2Fsmileys%2Flying-smiley.gif&hash=a34c2f7344d5f54f7009a4e684bb6c7310cdda03)

SNIPPET: (ANOTHER SUBSIDY for Fascist Fossil Fuel BROWN SHIRTS!)
Quote

4. Provisions for privatization of Ukrainian infrastructure, electricity, oil, gas and renewables, with the help of the World Bank and USAID.

5. Fifty million dollars to assist in a corporate takeover of Ukraine’s oil and gas sectors.

6. Three hundred and fifty million dollars for military assistance to Ukraine, including anti-tank, anti-armor, optical, and guidance and control equipment, as well as drones.

7. Thirty million dollars for an intensive radio, television and Internet propaganda campaign throughout the countries of the former Soviet Union.

8. Twenty million dollars for “democratic organizing” in Ukraine.

9. Sixty million dollars, spent through groups like the National Endowment for Democracy, “to improve democratic governance, and transparency, accountability [and] rule of law” in Russia. What brilliant hyperbole to pass such a provision the same week the Senate’s CIA torture report was released.

Three Members of Congress Just Reignited the Cold War While No One Was Looking


http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/three_congressmen_just_reignited_the_cold_war_while_no_one_was_looking_2014 (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/three_congressmen_just_reignited_the_cold_war_while_no_one_was_looking_2014)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.sodahead.com%2Fpolls%2F000370273%2Fpolls_Smiley_Angry_256x256_3451_356175_answer_4_xlarge.png&hash=15577651daa4c35ff4d6b26217f99db6ebfde0b3)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 20, 2014, 06:53:33 pm
Wednesday, 17 December 2014 Citigroup Democracy By Mark Fiore
http://vimeo.com/114832485
Now that the secret back room dealings are done and the latest budget bill passed Congress (of course, at the 11th hour), we can see the thumbprints of Wall Street once again. Actually, more than thumbprints, Citigroup actually wrote part of it. They managed to gut “Section 716” of Dodd-Frank. Sounds obscure and weird so who cares, right?

Wednesday, 10 December 2014 Cheney’s Torture Anthem By Mark Fiore
http://vimeo.com/114207455
Even though Dick Cheney isn’t the only one responsible for the stain of torture on the United States, he’s the most, shall we say, colorful? If you think the awfulness of Bush-era torture is behind us, think again. Thanks to the just-released Senate torture report, we now know of all kinds of new and awful ways the CIA and Bush Administration screwed up the hunt for Al Qaeda and disgraced this nation
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 20, 2014, 08:47:33 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.dailykos.com%2Fimages%2F120388%2Flarge%2FKos_Citi.jpg%3F1418823222&hash=58277bed0705732358c3751cc78efc9f98f28fc9)
Fascist Fun  >:(
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 26, 2014, 07:35:54 pm
Unstoppable: The Emerging Left-Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State by RALPH NADER


By  Stephen E.  on April 15, 2014

Format: Hardcover
Polling data shows that Americans are disgusted with their government. Some of us blame the Right. Others blame the Left. Obviously, as one of American History's great progressives, Nader is not neutral in the battle between Right and Left. Far from it. I am not neutral either. I am a conservative, but I cheer this new book by Ralph Nader!

His still-supple mind and pure heart give him the ability to see what would be more obvious to the rest of us if it were not for the partisan hate machines and self interests that maintain our corrupted political system.

Whether on the Left or Right, we know that our government has been captured by the self interested. Super-majorities of Americans - comprised of citizens on the Right and Left - want an end to the legalized bribery and extortion now a the heart of our political system, the restoration of citizen government, fair elections, fair trade, a reasonable and constitutional foreign policy, and a break-up of the big banks. If we would only compartmentalize the areas where our disagreements are intractable, we could then turn and work together to solve many of the nation's critical and massively debilitating problems. We would be, as the title of Nader's book suggests, "Unstoppable."


Comment SNIPPET:
By  Alan F. Sewell  on April 29, 2014

The existing situation stifles all patriotic love of country, and substitutes in its place selfish greed and grasping avarice.

Government, instead of being the embodiment of equality, is but an instrumentality through which especial and individual advantages are to be gained.


By  Robert Krebsbach 
on May 17, 2014

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase 
A short way into this book, it became clear: Corporatism is the enemy that lovers of democracy, freedom, and justice must unite against. The right/left, conservative/liberal labels are petty distractions that keep us from uniting to stop corporate tyranny.

I thought I was progressive until reading this book, but I resonated so completely with the thoughts of the Greats of conservatism that Nader quotes, that I could just as easily regard myself as conservative. That's how little it matters in the face of corporate economic globalization.


Pat Choate   on May 25, 2014

First, this is a very good book. It is also, I suspect, a disturbing book for those who label themselves as either a "Conservative" or as a "Liberal." As Ralph Nader effectively demonstrates, repeatedly, these epigrams are tools that others use to shape, if not control. the actions of large numbers of such self-identified people. And a major way these actions are shaped by such labels is to keep people from working together on policies and actions where there is agreement.

And the quickest way to ensure discipline and prevent joint action is to brand someone's actions as violating Liberal or Conservative principles.

As Nader documents with numerous examples, Corporations exert a powerful influence in shaping our national policies so that they and their owners are exempt from laws and regulations that hold them accountable. In recent years as these corporations have extended their influence into other nations, they have devised means and ways to use the U.S. Government to exert their influence into those other countries as well. The International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization are examples that immediately spring to mind.

Nader also subtly points out how defunct ideas and ideologies are parsed by Think Tanks and indentured intellectuals to protect Corporate interests and convey to voters a sense of powerlessness by the electorate. Nader provides examples of why that need not be so.

Ralph Nader has been a powerful influence in American public life for more than a half century. Whether you believe that his efforts are a force for a more democratic nation, or not, (I do), what is obvious is that he understands the reality of why and how the processes work, or increasingly do not work.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1568584547/counterpunchmaga#customerReviews (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1568584547/counterpunchmaga#customerReviews)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fd.gr-assets.com%2Fbooks%2F1328020900l%2F11551878.jpg&hash=41577a377acd38d0d83d1082e5a93db3757570cb)
The question, rather, is WHO are the Madame Defarge's of TODAY  KNITTING?...
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301014181553.gif&hash=c09667beb656b25086c168adcdaddcba59abf858)                              (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 09, 2015, 02:25:21 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCjMdOo7KkY&feature=player_embedded
Interview of Chris Hedges: "America is a Tinderbox"
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 15, 2015, 07:20:43 pm
The Thom Hartmann Program Thu 15 January 2015
     
Time To Lock Up The Lobbyists

There was a time when corporations didn't have anything close to the power they do over politics in America.

From the time of the Progressive Revolution at the beginning of the 20th century up until the mid-1950's, most states had laws that explicitly barred corporations from buying off politicians and spending millions to influence legislation. In fact, there were laws on the books in virtually every state, often from the mid-1800's to the mid-1900's, that made it a crime for corporations to give money to lawmakers, political parties, or political committees. Until 1953, Wisconsin had one of those laws.

Wisconsin's law against political contributions by corporations read in part, "No corporation doing business in this state shall pay or contribute, or offer consent or agree to pay or contribute, directly or indirectly, any money, property, free service of its officers or employees or thing of value to any political party, organization, committee or individual for any political purpose whatsoever, or for the purpose of influencing legislation of any kind, or to promote or defeat the candidacy of any person for nomination, appointment or election to any political office."

So, what were the punishments for a corporation or corporate executive caught violating that law? If it was an in-state corporation that violated the law, that corporation could be dissolved - it would get the corporate death penalty. If it was an out-of-state corporation, it could be barred from doing business in the state. Meanwhile, people acting on behalf of a corporation who were caught faced stiff fines, up to five years of prison time, or both.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fcowboypistol.gif&hash=2dc97f743dffca22404e6e4e0822765e60b33f38)

On top of that, Teddy Roosevelt got the Tillman Act passed in 1907 that made it a federal crime for a corporation to give money to any candidate for federal office. The Tillman Act, by the way, was blown up by five right-wing justices on the Supreme Court with the Citizens United decision.  >:( Unfortunately, over time, laws like the one in Wisconsin were wiped from the books, and slowly but surely, corporate corruption and bribery have found their way into our political landscape.

The fallout from Nixon's crimes - including him accepting personal bribes while Vice President and President - brought some new reforms in the mid-1970's, but most of those have been rolled back by the Supreme Court as well. That brings us to today, where corporations have unprecedented power, influence, and control over our political landscape.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smilies.4-user.de%2Finclude%2FSpiele%2Fsmilie_game_017.gif&hash=e8548890f80af23241a1d43a1ab1ca8031301f20)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F126fs2277341.gif&hash=1a8375f11d76a653bcb48e30eaa7b652175f029d)

Read more  here. (http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2015/01/time-lock-lobbyists)

-Thom
 
 
 
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 15, 2015, 08:09:25 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXsmj6bX54I&feature=player_embedded

The above Criminal Mens Rea Modus Operandi of our NON-Democratic Fascist Government was laid out CLEARLY by George Carlin years ago. We DO NOT have freedom of choice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dY4WlxO6i0&feature=player_embedded
We-the-people are NOT in the CLUB.

WTF is it going to take for everybody out there to stop with the BALONEY that we "elect" the president and Congress? WTF is it going to take for everybody out there to understand that we-the-people DO NOT decide when this country goes to war or why it goes to war?

This massive corruption and disdain for we-the-people IS NOT a new development!


The following quote from a peer reviewed book is of extreme importance to all Americans:

Dilworth (2010-03-12). Too Smart for our Own Good (pp. 399-400). Cambridge University Press. Kindle Edition.

Quote
"As suggested earlier, war, for example, which represents a cost for society, is a source of profit to capitalists. In this way we can partly understand e.g. the American military expenditures in the Persian Gulf area. Already before the first Gulf War, i.e. in 1985, the United States spent $47 billion projecting power into the region. If seen as being spent to obtain Gulf oil, It AMOUNTED TO $468 PER BARREL, or 18 TIMES the $27 or so that at that time was paid for the oil itself.

In fact, if Americans had spent as much to make buildings heat-tight as they spent in ONE YEAR at the end of the 1980s on the military forces meant to protect the Middle Eastern oil fields, THEY COULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE NEED TO IMPORT OIL from the Middle East.

So why have they not done so? Because, while the $468 per barrel may be seen as being a cost the American taxpayers had to bear, and a negative social effect those living in the Gulf area had to bear, it meant only profits for American capitalists. "

Note: I added the bold caps emphasis on the barrel of oil price, money spent in one year and the need to import oil from the Middle East.

This totally unjustified profit, never mind the needless lose of lives, then increases the power of the fossil fuel corporations to perpetuate a biosphere harming dirty fuel status quo. How? By "funding" politicians with rather large "donations" to keep renewable energy from competing with dirty energy.

If all this was just about power politics, I might not be that concerned. Humans, particularly the overly ambitious and aggressive ones, have always fought and schemed to control and fleece the population at large.

But now we know the future of our biosphere is at stake. Now we know the entire edifice of dirty energy is a knife in the back of the biosphere that will destroy our species and many others.

TPTB are dooming mankind to extinction. STOP supporting them. STOP believing their lies. STOP investing in dirty energy. STOP using dirty energy as much as is possible.

IGNORE the lying fossil fueler propagandists that say if you do not totally stop using fossil fuels right this minute, you have no legitimate claim to criticizing wars for oil, fracking and so on. BALONEY! Dilworth makes it crystal clear in the quote above from his PEER REVIEWED book that it is BALONEY!

You HURT big oil by every gallon you do not buy. You HURT TPTB that won't stop supporting dirty energy by reducing your carbon footprint. You HURT fascism by removing credibility from the mendacious government propaganda.

And you HELP future generations by doing all the above.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmaniac.gif&hash=9ecf389a7da25db958f3f63461cbb45a4b316c4e)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 16, 2015, 07:42:42 pm
Take a gander at this bit of CLEVER doubletalk from the media:

Quote
The consumer-price index dropped 0.4 percent, the biggest decline since December 2008, after falling 0.3 percent in November, a Labor Department report showed Friday in Washington. The median forecast of 89 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 0.4 percent decline. Excluding volatile food and fuel, the so-called   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b) core measure was unchanged  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F237.gif&hash=13b71d2444f84b15c53fb1c0272c080f48a165f1), failing to rise for only the second time since 2010.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-scared005.gif&hash=2de3525707995f1cf9333ecfafd947caca42e8eb) 

 Consumer Prices in U.S. Drop Most in Six Years as Fuel Falls (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-16/consumer-prices-in-u-s-drop-by-most-in-six-years-as-fuel-slumps.html)

Remember when we were being raked over the coals with MASSIVE INFLATION while the Fed ALWAYS IGNORED food and energy and FOCUSED, along with all the media cheerleading reprobates, on the CORE inflation as "PROOF" that inflation was "under control"!!!? As anybody with a lick of sense knew then, it wasn't! As the more stupid Homo SAPS among us know now, housing bubbles and cheap money for Wall Street were/ARE eating main street alive. 

And now these lying presstitutes have the brass to use the "so-called" (i.e. silly, unimportant, not credible, etc.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ffly.gif&hash=b0526635e8b47d751b0e429925d73d78f9d79fc6) ) handle on CORE inflation.

The hell of it is that now they are right! Core inflation is only important for people that don't eat and use energy! It was a PRETENSE  that the BLS (Bureau of Lying Statistics  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)) gave to Greenspan et al to claim there was NO INFLATION.

Well, all that has changed you see. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)  Now we must all be scared to death of deflation because the CORE inflation don't mean nuttin' no more! Ah the smell of world class PERFIDY in the air. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__burp.gif&hash=8ff3ef6c016d8baf5f61ed5e8db58f069b64da00)

The OWNERS want YOU to SPEND. DON'T DO IT! Don't get sucked in. Be frugal. Be extremely frugal. It's the only non-violent tool we have to bring down fascism in general and dirty energy in particular. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.websmileys.com%2Fsm%2Fviolent%2Fsterb029.gif&hash=7a43a0c106eab798f7ba6133dc5cc550647a03d2)

HOMO SAPS do not have a future if TPTB continue to do their thing. YOUR lack of consumption will severely inhibit TPTB from doing their civilizational suicide, get it?  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fsnapoutofit.gif&hash=911b14b142101df534f739771fb2d3836a807d19)

Use what you've GOT or enjoy your suicide!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fminzdr.gif&hash=f5927d7395d8a28c69df2a0a3a98660932c6903f)
Title: Firefighters for 911 Truth KNOW the Score
Post by: AGelbert on January 16, 2015, 08:28:32 pm
Firefighters for 911 Truth KNOW the Score
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxGB2YoGV-I&feature=player_embedded
Quote
"NIST conducted a CRIMINAL investigation to cover up a crime"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOb92R34jxo&feature=player_embedded
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 31, 2015, 04:19:29 pm
Eighty four percent of $5.3 trillion (ONE DAY  :o in currency markets) = $4.45 trillion. If you can rig that market, HOW MUCH do you think you can skim off the top EVERY DAY? HUH?

Let's be conservative and say 12 banks can collude their way to just one MILLIONTH of $4.45 trillion a day (I'm CERTAIN they do a LOT better than that!). One millionth of $4.45 trillion = $44.5 million (A DAY!).  :o  And the twelve banks caught with their mens rea hands in the Currency cookie jar say: See ya in court, CHUMPS!    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)
 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quickmeme.com%2Fimg%2Fc5%2Fc5f33dcf714f926389d697920c141a8229613f5b25ea9b97a9f10da16e64cd4c.jpg&hash=e8987ea571b017ea849ad98d0f3654b61f186025)
JPMorgan (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.zaazu.com%2Fimg%2Fcheers-cheers-champagne-wine-smiley-emoticon-000183-large.gif&hash=bdb20f3940f60a3fa02af770c14551018df8e302)to pay $99.5 million to resolve currency rigging lawsuit
By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co, the largest U.S. bank, agreed to pay $99.5 million to settle its portion of an antitrust lawsuit in which investors accuse 12 major banks of rigging prices in the $5.3 trillion-a-day foreign exchange market.

Made public on Friday night, the settlement is the first in the nationwide litigation and resolved claims over JPMorgan's role in alleged collusion among banks since January 2003 to manipulate the WM/Reuters Closing Spot Rates, known as the Fix.

It followed the New York-based bank's agreements last November to pay roughly $1 billion in civil penalties to resolve related claims by U.S. and European regulators.

Investors including hedge funds, pension funds and the city of Philadelphia accused the 12 banks, which controlled 84 percent of the global currency trading market, of having impeded competition by conspiring to manipulate the Fix in chat rooms, instant messages and emails.


The JPMorgan settlement could form a basis for other settlements. It followed mediation with Kenneth Feinberg, a lawyer who also oversees General Motors Co's program to compensate drivers over faulty vehicle ignition switches.

In an affidavit, Feinberg called the JPMorgan settlement fair, reasonable and adequate.  ;)
"Although such analysis is preliminary, it does appear to be consistent with Class Lead Counsel's evaluation of JPMorgan's role in the FX market and JPMorgan's market share over the class period (6%)," he said.

JPMorgan did not admit wrongdoing, and the settlement requires  ;) court approval. The bank did not immediately respond on Saturday to a request for comment.

The other bank defendants include Bank of America Corp, Barclays Plc, BNP Paribas SA, Citigroup Inc, Credit Suisse Group AG, Deutsche Bank AG, Goldman Sachs Group Inc, HSBC Holdings Plc, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and UBS AG.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield in Manhattan refused to dismiss currency-rigging claims against them. Five of those banks have also settled with regulators.

The $99.5 million payment includes $500,000 for notices and administration. Lawyers for the plaintiffs, led by Hausfeld LLP and Scott & Scott, plan to seek legal fees of up to 30 percent of the settlement funds, court papers show.

The case is In re: Foreign Exchange Benchmark Rates Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 13-07789.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Stephen Powell)
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/jpmorgan-pay-99-5-million-163554717.html (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/jpmorgan-pay-99-5-million-163554717.html)


Agelbert NOTE: $99.5 million NOT called an AWARD or a FINE because,  SAINTLY J.P. Morgan DID NOT agree to having engaged in "WRONG DOING". No mens rea here, folks! LOL!. Let's call it an EX CURIA "settlement" or NO CURIA "settlement" or J.P. Morgan IS the BIG DOG in the CURIA "settlement"!

Let's see how 99.5 million dollar "justice" was "done" here:

0.5025% = Notices an Administration (I.E. Paper pushers 'R' us) = $500,000  ::)

30%
= Lawyers for the Plaintiffs = $28,850.000  ;D

69.4975%
= Plaintiffs (NOT we-the people who got shafted a LOT MORE than some Investors including hedge funds, pension funds and the city of Philadelphia) = $70, 150,000

0 % = WE-THE-PEOPLE (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300115234833.gif&hash=20e82f36f361174e6f8f07e11c36330842502bab)

A FASCIST government is one that operates under the COLOR OF LAW.  The actions of facsist governments are LEGAL but NOT LAWFULWE ARE THERE.


What is UNLAWFUL?
That which is contrary to law. “Unlawful” and “illegal” are frequently used as synonymous terms, but, in the proper sense of the word, “unlawful,” as applied to promises, agreements, considerations, and the like, denotes that they are ineffectual in law because they involve acts which, although not illegal, i. e., positively forbidden, are disapproved of by the law, and are therefore not recognized as the ground of legal rights, either because they are immoral or because they are against public policy. It is on this ground that contracts in restraint of marriage or of trade are generally void. Sweet. And see Hagerman v. Buchanan, 45 N. J. Eq. 292, 17 Atl. 946, 14 Am. St Rep. 732; Tatum v. State, 66 Ala. 467; Johnson v. State, 66 Ohio St. 59. 63 N. E. 607. 61 L. R. A. 277, 90 Am. St. Rep. 564; Pinder v. State, 27 Fla. 370, 8 South. 837, 26 Am. St. Rep. 75; MacDaniel v. U. S

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221014222208.png&hash=ae35994d8acc44c5bd0794f40f9d513715a7159f)


So, when your read that J.P. Morgan believes Russia is DOOMED (see link at Knarf's channel) you KNOW that J.P. Morgan and friends in fascist forkdom will do everything in their power to make it so and then blame Russia for it.
  Have a nice day.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Ftuzki-bunnys%2Ftuzki-bunny-emoticon-023.gif&hash=e72013122d6634eacda71e7e47240da3c304c286)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 02, 2015, 06:57:06 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Frapgenius%2F1375371542_tumblr_m7jevgcaFm1qzqdem.gif&hash=1a2fe8d9567770e89661ad82a4e03b115e0f5358) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300714025456.bmp&hash=f4e4a260bd60d3f34ca86fed93c47d5fb4117cfd)


Every year, the NFL rakes in around $9.5 billion in revenue. Its commissioner, Roger Goodell, meanwhile, has an annual salary of $44 million. And while those numbers might make sense for any big business, the NFL isn’t a business - not technically, at least. According to the Public Law 89-800, it’s a 501(c)6 tax-exempt non-profit.

That’s right, a non-profit.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)
In other words, the NFL, one of the most lucrative organizations in all of sports, is subsidized by you and me the taxpayers  >:(.

If that sounds ridiculous and absurd, that’s because it is ridiculous and absurd.
There’s absolutely no reason why the NFL needs taxpayer subsidies to stay in business.

Other sports leagues, like Major League Baseball, stopped taking handouts from the government years ago, and are doing just fine as far as making money is concerned. But juicing the public is what the NFL is all about. And even though individual franchises are taxable for-profit businesses, they all find ways to bleed taxpayers dry. - See more at: http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2015/02/real-nfl-scandal#sthash.2dVpNvMj.dpuf
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 23, 2015, 07:27:13 pm
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Protesters Removed After Disrupting Monthly FERC Meeting
Ted Glick | March 23, 2015 2:29 pm
Quote

The statement below explains why we took this action.

As has been true for every one since their November, 2014 meeting, we will be at their April meeting and then, in very large numbers, at the one on May 21, the first day of our nine days of action and getting organized in DC.

Beyond Extreme Energy statement at March 19, 2015 FERC Commissioners Meeting
FERC Commissioners:

Here we are again—Beyond Extreme Energy at your monthly meeting. We are here about the permit you granted on Sept. 29 last year to Dominion to build facilities for the liquefaction and export of natural gas at Cove Point in Lusby, Maryland  >:(.

On Oct. 15 FERC’s granting of this permit was appealed administratively, as it was necessary to do. By then Dominion had begun construction of their planned LNG export terminal, with FERC’s approval and blessing, and they have been doing so ever since.

By law, you were required to answer the administrative appeal within a month. You did so by giving yourself an extension of time to give an answer to this appeal, as you have done many, many times with other gas infrastructure expansion projects. And as has been true for those projects, it is now going on half a year of your coming to a decision on this appeal, and Dominion just keeps building and building.

As you know, the Cove Point residents cannot go to court to challenge the granting of this permit until you rule on the appeal.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0) You also know that, to the best of our knowledge, you have rarely, if ever, in recent years certainly, decided to overturn your initial granting of a FERC gas infrastructure expansion permit.  >:(


And by the way, this issue was raised almost two years ago in a meeting Ted Glick took part in with then-Chair Jon Wellinghoff, and it was raised in meetings with Chair LaFleur last June and just two weeks ago, and nothing has changed. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)

Efforts have been made by the use of peaceful, nonviolent direct action at the construction sites to address this situation; 27 people who took action in this way last November and December were convicted and sentenced last month, and just last week they received a nasty letter from Dominion telling them that if they step onto Dominion property anywhere in the USA, they could face criminal prosecution.

You are continuing to allow Dominion to proceed with construction while simultaneously asking for a lot of new information from them—why didn’t you ask for this before you granted the permit in the first place? You are taking months to rule on local residents’ request for a rehearing. You are refusing to rule on a request from their legal team to stay all construction while FERC considers their request for a rehearing.

The combined result of this is that Dominion gets to construct for many months before the case gets heard before the Court of Appeals. As has been true with other projects, that could make for a prejudicial situation when it finally gets into court.


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We are here to demand that you do what is right by the people of Lusby, Md.
and order Dominion to stop construction.

We demand that you amend your agenda for this meeting to include that item. FERC, stop construction at Cove Point!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Ftuzki-bunnys%2Ftuzki-bunny-emoticon-028.gif&hash=24570cb7e8246617010ce900a07bc85117ff78ca)


http://ecowatch.com/2015/03/23/protesters-distrupt-ferc-meeting/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 30, 2015, 07:10:02 pm
Quote
You won't hear this on Fox So-Called News, but right now the American people are as progressive as they ever have been.

Don't believe me? Just check the polls.

The Progressive Change Institute recently asked likely 2016 voters about their views on a bunch of big issues, and it turns out that everyday Americans overwhelmingly support some of the most liberal policies around.
 
71 percent of all Americans support giving all students access to a debt-free college education.

70 percent support expanding Social Security.

71 percent a massive infrastructure spending program aimed at rebuilding out broken roads and bridges and putting people back to work.

59 percent support raising taxes on the wealthy ;D so that millionaires pay the same amount in taxes as they did during the Reagan administration.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F47b20s0.gif&hash=cc48c9af9d29b8836023c7db21103e52d1ed439e)

77 percent of Americans, support giving every American child free pre-K education.

And the list goes on.

58 percent of Americans support breaking up the big banks.

59 percent, meanwhile, support a basic guaranteed minimum income while a still higher percentage - 70 percent - support the creation of a "Green New Deal" that would see the government invest hundreds of millions of dollars in renewable energy.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.runemasterstudios.com%2Fgraemlins%2Fimages%2F2thumbs.gif&hash=98130be1edf2bed4a80ac8f134b0126673bd469e)

Oh, and if that wasn't enough, support on Capitol Hill for the Congressional Progressive Caucus' annual budget, which would put into place many of these very same liberal policies, is growing.

Read more at link. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Freading.gif&hash=63e3e644b39258d4c4eedbcdaf322315b1856723)

 Why the House of Representatives Doesn’t Represent Americans (http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2015/03/why-house-representatives-doesn%E2%80%99t-represent-americans)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 01, 2015, 10:40:34 pm
TPP so bad even the US congress is shocked

Agelbert NOTE: I'm not shocked. This is EXACTLY how our brand of fascism has "worked" since Ronald Reagan. It's just more IN YOUR FACE now because corporate tyranny has (temporarily (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fcowboypistol.gif&hash=2dc97f743dffca22404e6e4e0822765e60b33f38)
) won.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183312.bmp&hash=02dafef2fe739676600fdc9bd56271f0f5ab3723)

Do you know who was the KEY person in the Clinton clusterfork that FORCED NAFTA through? None other than neocon fascist former mossad agent Rahm Emmanuel. The party DOES NOT MATTER. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fsnapoutofit.gif&hash=911b14b142101df534f739771fb2d3836a807d19)  What matters is the fascists seeded in ALL administrations to "get things done" for the corporate police state.

Quote

“This is really troubling,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, the Senate’s No. 3 Democrat. “It seems to indicate that savvy, deep-pocketed foreign conglomerates could challenge a broad range of laws we pass at every level of government, such as made-in-America laws or anti-tobacco laws.

I think people on both sides of the aisle will have trouble with this”…  ::)

“U.S.T.R. [United States Trade Representative] will say the U.S. has never lost a case, but you’re going to see a lot more challenges in the future,” said Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio. “There’s a huge pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for these companies”… (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil12.gif&hash=d1822754cefdd0f77369dacd157d00f5f8d3fff9)

Senator Brown contended that the overall accord, not just the investment provisions, was troubling. “This continues the great American tradition of corporations writing trade agreements, sharing them with almost nobody, so often at the expense of consumers, public health and workers,”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil19.gif&hash=6eeb0dbc471743691793f5130640fdcbd1f77b5c)he said…
[...]
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/03/28/1374062/-It-SO-Bad-that-even-members-of-Congress-are-Shocked (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/03/28/1374062/-It-SO-Bad-that-even-members-of-Congress-are-Shocked)
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We the corporations thank you suckers for giving us personhood.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 14, 2015, 06:57:30 pm
The House Republican Budget Plan Destroys Medicare and Makes Health Care Unaffordable for Beneficiaries

The House Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2015, H. Con. Res. 96, introduced by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), was passed by the House of Representatives on April 10, 2014. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil12.gif&hash=d1822754cefdd0f77369dacd157d00f5f8d3fff9)

It would end traditional Medicare, make it harder for seniors to choose their own doctors, and increase health care costs for both current and future retirees.  The House Republican budget ends traditional Medicare and achieves savings for the federal government by shifting costs to Medicare beneficiaries.

Privatizing Medicare with Vouchers/Premium Support Payments


Beginning in 2024, when people become eligible for Medicare they would not enroll in the current traditional Medicare program which provides guaranteed benefits.  Rather they would receive a voucher, also referred to as a premium support payment, to be used to purchase private health insurance or traditional Medicare through a Medicare Exchange.  The amount of the voucher would be determined each year when private health insurance plans and traditional Medicare participate in a competitive bidding process.  Seniors choosing a plan costing more than the average amount determined through competitive bidding would be required to pay the difference between the voucher and the plan's premium.  In some geographic areas, traditional Medicare could be more expensive.  This would make it harder for seniors, particularly lower-income beneficiaries, to choose their own doctors if their only affordable options are private plans that have limited provider networks.

The Ryan budget proposal calls for private plans to provide benefits that are at least actuarially equivalent to the benefit package provided by fee-for-service Medicare.  This gives private companies the ability to tailor their plans to attract the youngest and healthiest seniors, even if payments are "risk adjusted" to take health status into account, which would leave traditional Medicare with older and sicker beneficiaries.  Their higher health costs would lead to higher premiums that people would be unable or unwilling to pay, resulting in a death spiral for traditional Medicare.  This would adversely impact people age 55 and older, including people currently enrolled in traditional Medicare, despite Chairman Ryan's assertion that nothing will change for them. 

The Ryan proposal establishes accounts for low-income Medicare beneficiaries, such as those people dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, to use to pay premiums, co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs.  However, it is unclear what the amount of assistance would be or if it would adequately cover out-of-pocket expenses.

Raising Medicare's Eligibility Age/Increasing Out-of-Pocket Costs

In addition to privatizing Medicare, the Ryan budget would increase the age of eligibility for Medicare from 65 to 67 by increasing it two months per year from 2024 to 2035.  Raising the Medicare eligibility age is a benefit cut.  Although this proposal would save money for the federal government, it would increase system-wide health spending by increasing costs for everyone else – 65 and 66 years olds who would have to buy private insurance, which can be age rated; younger people buying health insurance coverage in an older risk pool; Medicare beneficiaries left in an older and less-healthy risk pool; employers providing health insurance to workers and retirees and State Medicaid programs.

The Ryan budget plan would also redesign the Medicare benefit beginning in 2024 by combining the Part A and Part B deductibles and making changes to supplemental insurance (Medigap) policies, changes that would likely increase costs for people with Medigap policies.  Medicare could be improved for beneficiaries by simplifying its cost-sharing and adding a catastrophic cap.  However, the National Committee is opposed to proposals to restructure Medicare’s benefits that would reduce federal spending by requiring beneficiaries to pay more.

We also oppose a proposal in the Ryan budget plan to expand income-related premiums under Medicare Parts B and D until 25 percent of beneficiaries are subject to these premiums.  A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that this proposal would affect individuals with incomes equivalent to $45,600 for an individual and $91,300 for a couple today. 

Repealing the Affordable Care Act

The Ryan budget also calls for repealing provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would make insurance available and more affordable for 65 and 66 year olds if they lost Medicare coverage.  Without the guarantees in the ACA, such as requiring insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions and to limit age rating, it would be very difficult and expensive for older people to purchase private insurance.

Repealing the ACA would also take away improvements already in place for Medicare beneficiaries – closing the Medicare Part D coverage gap, known as the "donut hole;" providing preventive screenings and services without out-of-pocket costs; and providing annual wellness exams.  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently reported that since the passage of the ACA, over 7.9 million Medicare beneficiaries in the Medicare Part D donut hole have saved $9.9 billion on their prescription drugs, an average of $1,265 per person.  Also, 37.2 million people with Medicare took advantage of at least one preventive service with no cost sharing, including an estimated 26.5 million people with traditional Medicare, and more than 4 million who took advantage of the Annual Wellness Visit.

NATIONAL COMMITTEE POSITION 

The National Committee opposes the Ryan Budget Resolution, H. Con. Res. 96, and, in particular, the following:

◾Ending traditional Medicare by converting it from a defined benefit to a defined contribution program;

◾Raising the Medicare eligibility age;

◾Increasing costs for Medicare beneficiaries by further increasing income-related premiums and by restructuring the program and Medigap in ways intended to reduce federal spending;

◾Repealing the Affordable Care Act, which is helping Medicare beneficiaries with their prescription drug costs and providing preventive screening and wellness visits with no out-of-pocket costs.


Government Relations and Policy, April 2014

https://www.ncpssm.org/PublicPolicy/Medicare/Documents/ArticleID/829/The-House-Republican-Budget-Plan-Destroys-Medicare-and-Makes-Health-Care-Unaffordable-for-Beneficiaries (https://www.ncpssm.org/PublicPolicy/Medicare/Documents/ArticleID/829/The-House-Republican-Budget-Plan-Destroys-Medicare-and-Makes-Health-Care-Unaffordable-for-Beneficiaries)

  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmog.gif&hash=08e6f04144781466148f6693be6dc3451a322669)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 17, 2015, 05:13:57 pm

Will New FERC Chair Protect People or the Fossil Fuel Lobby?


Ted Glick | April 17, 2015 2:31 pm

From the time I walked yesterday into the FERC building—that’s the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the most powerful and dangerous federal agency most people have never heard of—things felt and looked different.    ;D
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http://ecowatch.com/2015/04/17/norman-bay-ferc-chair/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9NRfU0xEFI&feature=player_embedded

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 21, 2015, 06:23:50 pm
FDA  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400) Doubles Down on Censoring Food Labels
April 21, 2015

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As usual, it gets the science wrong, and we think we detect a hidden, commercial motive as well. Action Alert!

The FDA recently sent a warning letter to KIND, the company known for making several varieties of fruit-and-nut bars. The letter contends that four of KIND’s products bear the claim on their labels that they are “healthy and tasty, convenient and wholesome” without meeting the federal definition of “healthy.”

As part of this definition, a food cannot exceed one gram of saturated fat per “reference amount customarily consumed”—basically, one gram of saturated fat per serving. According to KIND’s website, the four bars mentioned by the FDA contain anywhere between one and five grams of saturated fat. Even if saturated fat were actually bad for your heart, which scientists have now refuted, this wouldn’t exactly be an artery-clogging amount.

Other absurdities abound. The FDA’s letter was also thor ny about KIND’s use of the words “plus,” “antioxidant-rich,” and “good source of fiber” on their labels.

But let’s focus on saturated fat for the present. As we’ve said, the idea that we should avoid fat is just a myth with no current scientific support. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039) There is a great deal of evidence now suggesting that saturated fat—in particular, saturated fat from the right sources—is not the main culprit in heart disease or obesity, misinformation from the American Heart Association notwithstanding! In fact, saturated fat from foods like butter from grass-fed cows, avocados, coconut oil, and eggs has numerous health benefits.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)

The real source of obesity and related ills such as diabetes and heart disease is sugar, and the starchy foods that break down into sugars in the body, plus of course a lack of exercise.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)  We’ve covered the negative health effects of different types of sugar and sweeteners elsewhere. Dr. Joseph Mercola has also been a staunch critic of sweet drinks—whether sweetened by sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners—because of the link to obesity and other diseases.

The sweetener used in KIND’s bars is usually honey. We don’t eat much of it ourselves, because it is a form of sugar, but it is at least a more natural form, assuming the honey in question is raw and organic. And, from what we can tell, most of the saturated fat in the bars comes from nuts like almonds, cashews, and peanuts. Basically, apart from the sugar content, the bars seem mostly healthy! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.leslielovesveggies.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F07%2FKIND-Healthy-Snacks-Nut-Spices-bars.jpg&hash=6e82a87d5bef1120e357382b911fe14835ea9440)

The main takeaway is that the FDA is using pathetically outdated science in its action against KIND and its overall determination of what is “healthy”—not unlike the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s recommendations about reducing red meat in our diet, which totally ignored the vast nutritional differences between grain-fed, hormone- and antibiotic-infused beef and grass-fed organic beef.  >:(

Unfortunately, we don’t think this is just a case of the FDA simply being woefully ignorant of the latest science. There may be another, perhaps even more insidious, game being played. If the FDA is going to start hitting companies for inappropriately claiming their products are “healthy” on the labels, this could be just the opening salvo in a renewed attack on food and supplement producers claiming any health benefits from their products, no matter how much supporting science there is.  >:(

Bear with us for a moment as we sort through some FDA law:

•At present, the law does not allow the seller of a food or supplement to say that the product will help prevent or treat a health condition or disease. Only a drug company selling an FDA-approved drug may make such a claim.

•Any violation of this rule can result in massive fines and a long jail sentence. For example, the producer of a vitamin D supplement cannot legally cite the science showing that vitamin D prevents and treats the flu. Influenza is a disease, so this is forbidden, no matter what the science says.

•The supplement producer can, however, make a legal structure/function claim—for example, by saying that vitamin D “supports immune system function.”

•Alternatively, the vitamin D producer might ask the FDA for permission to make a qualified health claim, saying that vitamin D may prevent or treat the flu (note the qualifying term “may”). But the FDA never agrees to allow this unless the agency is dragged into court at vast expense. An FDA employee once told a lawyer involved in this kind of litigation that he would have to keep suing and suing, because the agency had unlimited legal funds and he didn’t.

As we’ve seen before, this wouldn’t be the first time the FDA has tried to attack structure/function claims or qualified health claims. The agency has been trying for years to lump food, supplements, and drugs all into one category, to be subjected to the same regulations.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183312.bmp&hash=02dafef2fe739676600fdc9bd56271f0f5ab3723) The problem, of course, is what we call the “Catch-22” of drug economics: it costs billions of dollars to go through the FDA’s drug approval process, which is an entirely prohibitive cost to natural supplement and food companies because they cannot patent protect their products, whereas Big Pharma companies are able to patent their new-to-nature molecules—and charge exorbitant sums to consumers.

FDA success in this regard would be a great boon for the pharmaceutical industry, because competition would be eliminated. This, in turn, is good for the FDA, because Big Pharma pays the agency’s bills, in addition to offering lucrative employment for those who leave government. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)

For consumers who want information so they can make informed choices about food, however, it would be a devastating loss. Consumers are already willfully kept in the dark about the value of nutritional superfoods such as walnuts and cherries. If there were no structure/function claims, the supplement industry would be crippled.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil19.gif&hash=6eeb0dbc471743691793f5130640fdcbd1f77b5c)

http://www.anh-usa.org/fda-doubles-down-on-censoring-food-labels/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 25, 2015, 03:37:12 pm
Petraeus gets a slap on the wrist and Manning gets the shaft  :(

(https://thedcard.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/clipart-boy-wearing-kid-gloves.gif)(https://ieltspetalingjaya.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/idiom-1d.jpg)

Quote

The retired four-star general pleaded guilty to leaking classified material to his then-mistress Paula Bradwell, and has been ordered to pay a $100,000 fine on top of his probation term. Prosecutors had originally recommended a $40,000 fine


Ex-CIA Director Petraeus Gets Two Years Probation for Leaking State Secrets (http://sputniknews.com/us/20150423/1021288485.html#ixzz3YLjiaOU7)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c)

But don't fret, dear readers  ;D. Our CRIMiNAL "Justice" SYSTEM knows EXACTLY how to preserve the NATIONAL (i.e. the M.I.C. profit over planet MO) SECURITY (see below). Yes, it looks Orwellian. Yes, it looks like cognitive dissonant mindfu ck. But, it is really quite a consistent with the M.I.C. world view.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)



Bradley Manning sentenced to 35 years in WikiLeaks case (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/judge-to-sentence-bradley-manning-today/2013/08/20/85bee184-09d0-11e3-b87c-476db8ac34cd_story.html) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil12.gif&hash=d1822754cefdd0f77369dacd157d00f5f8d3fff9)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvmfOaZ34Pk&feature=player_embedded

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 25, 2015, 03:50:50 pm
It's Not the 1 Percent Controlling Politics. It's the 0.01 Percent.    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil19.gif&hash=6eeb0dbc471743691793f5130640fdcbd1f77b5c)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil12.gif&hash=d1822754cefdd0f77369dacd157d00f5f8d3fff9)
 
—By Dave Gilson

Thu Apr. 23, 2015 6:15 AM EDT

SNIPPET:

Even before presidential candidates started lining up billionaires to kick-start their campaigns, it was clear that the 2016 election could be the biggest big-money election yet. This chart from the political data shop Crowdpac illustrates where we may be headed: Between 1980 and 2012, the share of federal campaign contributions coming from the very, very biggest political spenders—the top 0.01 percent of donors—nearly tripled: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)


http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/04/one-percent-campaign-giving

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 27, 2015, 06:25:38 pm
Hey, AG, I totally get why you don't vote, and unlike Surly1, I'm fine with that.  Just don't try to tell me that me I'm doing something wrong by showing up at my polling place on election day and writing in "MICKEY MOUSE",  "DONALD DUCK", and "DAFFY DUCK", which is literally what I did last time because all my choices were either Democrats or Republicans.  You have your way of saying "screw you" to TPTB, I have mine.

JD,
I applaud your methods. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fus.cdn2.123rf.com%2F168nwm%2Flenm%2Flenm1201%2Flenm120100200%2F12107060-illustration-of-a-smiley-giving-a-thumbs-up.jpg&hash=2046bc6d662e09d3014a2c404a2af6ba17f8217c)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191258.bmp&hash=e4ed21caaca822f7445ccafd39f49a9f84be90ca)

As do Charles and David Koch, who say, "congrats" and thanks.

Sorry Surly,
I disagree. Whereas TPTB might get a thrill out of seeing JD at the voting line (giving "voting" legitimacy), something you failed to mention  ;), they will not be amused by millions of people "voting" for Gyro Gearloose.    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-scared005.gif&hash=2de3525707995f1cf9333ecfafd947caca42e8eb)

Your methods are quixotic and masochistic. I have gone into detail over the last few years explaining exactly how good, decent, serious people like you are gamed into thinking they can make a difference at the voting booth (see Bulger Brothers in Boston - corrupt ballot candidate tactics that CLOSE THE DOOR to most people that represent a populist choice - WHEN THAT DOESN'T WORK they go to plan B -  last minute third party candidates entered BY OTHER corrupt ballot candidate tactics to divide the vote so the bad guy "wins".  :evil4:  ). Ralph Nader's experience on the national level was an object lesson on who this skullduggery is done. God Damnit, Surly, WHERE THE **** do you get the idea that the MOST IMPORTANT CONTROL MECHANSIM in deciding who gets elected was not going to be TARGETED for TOTAL FAILSAFE MANIPULATION by TPTB since this **** country was founded, HUH!!!? Wake the **** up, pal!

If you want to get snarky about the Koch brothers appreciating my "lack of participation in the democratic process" (what next, will you say I'm being "unpatriotic" too?), go for it. I'm used to it, sir.

The fact is, that you are aiding the corrupt status quo by playing by the rules of TPTB that DEFINE "voting" in a rather Orwellian fashion. It is you, my friend, that the Koch brothers applaud. So it goes.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2955.gif&hash=ddc12d8bdb1bc63b7998a6b086b79a71b7bda755)

Surly said,
Quote
If the next federal election results are already decided, why don't the Steyers, the Kochs, Shelley Adelson, George Soros, Michael Bloomberg et al keep their money or invest in something that will still yield a return, like South American ****, or Ukrainian hookers?  instead of passing it down a rat hole where the conclusions are already foregone?

And you tell me to wake the **** up?


Uh, Surly, the PERCENTAGE of the money the above bastards make that is invested in
(s)elections is PEANUTS compared with the other investments in war profiteering for the fossil fuel government, money laundering and drug cartels disguised as central banks and commercial banks. THEY are DOING THAT, not to prevent we-the-people from having a choice, but to determine which of the elite oligarchs will rule the oligarch roost! They FIGHT among themselves to see WHO IS THE HEAD APEX PREDATOR, get it? Try again.

Surly said,
Quote
Oh, and read for comprehension. There's no doubt but the candidates for president are both carefully vetted and utterly controlled,  And one changes little and casting a vote out of, say, 70 million...

The primary point of voting, as I have made clear, and as you have clearly failed either to read or understand, is to keep the barbarians from the gates. Net it out, AG: if you sit on your hands, you permit the elevation of The Worst People on the Planet. And indeed, you are doing Charles and David Koch's work for them, by subtraction rather than addition. And trust me, they do indeed thank you.

WHEN WE HAVE ELECTIONS IN THIS COUNTRY, what you just said would apply and I would heartily agree with your view. But we do not have elections in this country; we have
(s)elections.

The BARBARIANS ALREADY RUN THIS COUNTRY, pal! Accuse me of making Koch's day all you wish. That really is a straw man because it is predicated on your naïve view that we have elections in this country.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183312.bmp&hash=02dafef2fe739676600fdc9bd56271f0f5ab3723) What next, will you tell me to go back where I came from? I CAN'T! THE **** BARBARIANS took over that place over 100 years ago. THE **** BARBARIANS used the people as cannon fodder, degraded and dehumanized them and USED THEM for "medical" experiments for birth control pills and other clever research to benefit the BARBARIANS. They created a pharmaceutical industry mecca where ANYTHING could be dumped in the rivers and the air and the ground safely away for where the BARBARIANS live, most of whom have made GIANT profits form those pharmaceutical corporations over the last 70 years. The BARBARIANS have visited my birthplace with one of the HIGHEST CANCER RATES in the WORLD.

And YOU are "Worried" about "keeping the barbarians from the gates"? WTF!!!!?

Surly said,
Quote
"if elections are meaningless, why is it that TPTB work so hard to steal them, to manipulate them, and to prevent opponents from voting through fair means or foul?"

WHEN did I say, "elections are meaningless"? Talk about STRAW MEN!   ::)

I SAID, PARTICIPATING in gamed elections HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT MEANING! THAT MEANING is the PROPAGANDA TOOL TPTB USE to preserve the LEGITIMACY of the STATUS QUO.

I SAID, TPTB RECOGNIZE (s)elections as a TOOL to propagandize good people into the BULLSHIT that if they don't participate, they deserve what they get!

That is not "sputtering", that is they way they game the DEFINITION of our (s)elections.

You don't want accept the FACT that the 1, 2, 3 punch by TPTB guarantee that WE DO NOT HAVE ELECTIONS IN THIS DICTATORHIP!

1) Limit those who get on the ballot.

2) IF a true populist DOES manage to jump through the myriad hoops placed there to stop them by TPTB and DOES get on the ballot, slip a fake populist into the ballot to divide the vote so the SELECTED (by TPTB) candidate "wins".

3) When "1)" and "2)" don't work, game the vote count with "voting" machine software.


YOU DO NOT want to go there.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183312.bmp&hash=02dafef2fe739676600fdc9bd56271f0f5ab3723)  End of discussion until you do.  8)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 21, 2015, 03:29:36 pm
SNIPPET from Thom Hartmann article plus many EXCELLENT comments:

Quote
In other words, if you commit a crime that HELPS corporations, nothing will happen to you. But if you commit a crime that HURTS a corporation, there'll be hell to pay. Just look at what happened to tech activist Aaron Swartz before he so sadly took his own life.

All Swartz did was download a few articles off a private internet database - an action that could have hurt a corporation - and the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts slapped him with charges that could have resulted in 35 years in prison!

This is a culture-wide problem. It’s why Lindsey Lohan, for example, goes to jail for stealing a necklace while Jamie Dimon gets to stay in charge of the biggest bank in the country even though he oversaw a multi-billion dollar theft from millions of average Americans.

Americans are starting to figure out that we now have separate and different rules for criminal behavior that helps versus crimes that hurt corporations, and that’s just wrong. For our democracy to function, our criminal justice system must punish all people who break the law in serious ways, instead of imprisoning shoplifters and pot smokers, while letting criminals in banks get off scott free.

http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2015/05/end-banksters%E2%80%99-get-out-jail-free-card#comment-320708


patrick H.T. paine •

But the value system HASN'T changed, it was slightly hindered by the "depression" and the WAR, but began reasserting itself immediately after......using the available loopholes.
Reagan simply represented a demarcation point where "corporations" could become international having used up the advantages of being the only intact manufacturing economy in the world after the war.....now they could exploit the entire world in the same manner with which they played off various states for tax breaks and concessions within the U.S. ( as they are still doing.)
You can and will continue repeating yourself because you "love your job", but that won't solve the problem.
Now the concept of the "corporate death penalty" expanded to include its enablers? -
 http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2015/05/end-banksters%E2%80%99-get-out-jail-free-card#comment-320708


Cheerful Clips • May 20


There are so many "crimes" that human being people can accomplish that harm and injure Corporations that the Cops and DAs will go after. CHICKEN & PIG photography. It is unlawful to take a photograph of a factory farm. A woman recorded video clips of Horses being abused at a Corporation in Weld County, Colorado.

 She was tried / convicted / jailed cuz the WELD DA said she failed to immediately file a complaint of Animal Abuse against the Corporation and turn over the video clips as evidence. Her delay was deemed to be Animal Abuse.

The Corporation activity of abusing Hoses had no legal consequences. In the view of the law, you need not "shoplift" to harm and injure a Corporation. There are 1000s of activities a human being may achieve with respect to a Corporation that are unlawful.

The truth of the matter is that all our long efforts to improve can be undone in an afternoon. The Auto Works Union improved stuff for over 80 years. The State of Michagan reversed all those improvements in one afternoon.

The guys that run stuff get their way. They have an A-Team / Republicans and a B-Team / Demcrates. The guys that run stuff have got all the voters in America covered. Sure the human being people can improve stuff, but the improvements will be reversed in an afternoon at the whim of the guys that run stuff.

http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2015/05/end-banksters%E2%80%99-get-out-jail-free-card#comment-320708


ddanl •


Get Out Of Jail Cards;

1-Wealth, OR, how MUCH are you worth

2-Fame, not always guaranteed (OJ Simpson)

3-Job Title, Mayor Blah is NOT going to Jail...COPs or,

4-Related to a COP, self explanatory

5-Politics, and those associated with Politics, Ambassadors, Lobbyists, any1 with influence

6-if you're a White Man with a Gun
http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2015/05/end-banksters%E2%80%99-get-out-jail-free-card#comment-320708

Aliceinwonderland

Reading Thom’s introductory post, I’m reminded yet again, the regulatory policies on corporations were more enlightened and more robust in the 1870s than they are today. And that’s pretty damn depressing.

Now in the 2010’s, corporations are “people” while we are chopped liver. Apparently Warren Harding’s incarnates still occupy the seats of Congress, hellbent on further reducing the USA to a banana republic shithole. Empty suits, all of them.

Kill a bunch of people via negligence… Hey, no big deal, just pay the fine! In the same country where jaywalkers and shopliofters can ger executed on the spot, and smoking a joint can still land you in prison for life. Amazing.

One thing that has to change if we’ve got a prayer of a chance: we all need to wake up to the consequences of congressional seats filled by psychopaths. Too bad psychopathy can’t be recognized as a birth defect so easily as missing limbs or the “wrong” gender. People with no soul and no conscience are incredibly dangerous, especially when they occupy seats of power and influence, as this Amtrak scenario clearly illustrates.

But it is only one example of many. If we don’t learn to weed out these subhuman imposters, we will be forever screwed, all the way to extinction.

http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2015/05/end-banksters%E2%80%99-get-out-jail-free-card#comment-320708


agelbert

We have problems that go way beyond the mens rea criminal negligence of the criminal justice system.

"in many ways the West already observes truly 'free markets,' or economic anarchy where giant corporations are free to do anything they wish, including wage massive, global wars in pursuit of their interests. The constrictive laws and regulations many well-intentioned free-market advocates abhor, have been imposed by these unhindered, anarchical corporations, not by a 'socialist government.' What these advocates perceive as a 'socialist government' is in fact an interface created and controlled by unhindered, unregulated, unaccountable corporate-financier interests." -- Charles Hugh Smith

"The rich executed a coup d’état that transformed the three branches of the U.S. government and nearly all institutions, including the mass media, into wholly owned subsidiaries of the corporate state." -- Chris Hedges

"The core responsibility assigned to governments in democracies is the public welfare, protecting the human birthright to basic needs: clean air, water, land, and a place to live, under equitable rules of access to all common property resources. It is astonishing to discover that major political efforts in democracies can be turned to undermining the core purpose of government, destroying the factual basis for fair and effective protection of essential common property resources of all to feed the financial interests of a few. These efforts, limiting scientific research on environment, denying the validity of settled facts and natural laws, are a shameful dance, far below acceptable or reputable political behavior. It can be treated not as a reasoned alternative, but scorned for what it is – simple thievery." —George M. Woodwell, Woods Hole Research Center founder  

"We do not need a 'new' business model for energy because we never had one. What we need, if we wish to avoid extinction, is to plug the environmental and equity costs of energy production and use into our planning and thinking. " -- A.G. Gelbert

"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." -- Aldous Huxley "We can’t have a healthy business on a sick planet."-- Ashley Orgain, manager of mission advocacy and outreach for Seventh Generation, Burlington, Vermont

And spare me the the idea that voting will help. The FIRST THING the psychopaths in charge did when they executed the coup is ENSURE WHO COUNTED the votes. The 1% are suicidal psychopaths who would rather reign in profit over polluted planet hell than biosphere math heaven. IF they do not extract their insane, ignorant, arrogant and stupid heads from their collective pampered descending colons and submit to doing the biosphere math 24/7, we will go extinct, PERIOD.

The 1%'s Responsibility to Shoulder 80% of the COST of a 100% Renewable Energy World

http://blog.renewableenergyworld.com/ugc/blogs/2013/10/one-percents-planetary-assets-equals-80-responsibility-for-funding-a-100-renewable-energy-world.html

http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2015/05/end-banksters%E2%80%99-get-out-jail-free-card#comment-320708
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 30, 2015, 12:41:45 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMDQY7yfHQg&feature=player_embedded
A mailman with a conscience tells the truth about our failed democracy and why he flew his gyrocopter onto the Capitol grounds with a bunch of letters.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 14, 2015, 05:01:00 pm
Quote
Populist movements rise when people come to realize that the game is rigged against them – and that politics as usual offers no way out.

Quote
Populist movements challenge that stacked deck, offering as FDR famously called it, a new deal. They expose the bipartisan elite consensus, the consensus that governs beneath the melodrama of partisan disputes. Populist movements question conventional wisdom and contradict received opinion. Thus people’s movements often start with minority support, not majority approval. Their purpose is to mold popular opinion, not reflect it..

Quote
The first priority of any populist movement is to make government an instrument of the people, not the privileged.

The Popularity of the New Populism

April 17, 2015

http://ourfuture.org/20150417/the-popularity-of-the-new-populism

Agelbert NOTE: Nice article but it leaves a few historical realities out.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183312.bmp&hash=02dafef2fe739676600fdc9bd56271f0f5ab3723) Those are the tricks used by TPTB when a truly populist candidate makes it through the obstacles placed in his or her path to get on the ballot.

Of course the media will demonize the populist.

Of course the hired guns may resort to sending a "message" with a bullet that deliberately misses if they feel they can scare the candidate into betraying populist ideals after elected OR just kills the candidate if they are considered "unelectable" by TPTB.

Of course the poll station skullduggery and the vote counting by bought vote counters or rigged voting machines will be attempted.

But there is another technique from the Empathy Deficit Disorder goons that is used QUITE SUCCESSFULLY.  :P That is the false populist entered to water down the ACTUAL votes of the real populist. This requires media cooperation.

This "technique" really is the epitome of mens rea Machiavellian skullduggery BECAUSE it deliberately touts the truths of populist policies (by the fake populist  ;)) while it questions the honesty of the real populist in regard to implanting said policies when elected.

It is sinister, low class and evil because it uses the best values of populism to defeat populism.

I have studied the history of U.S. Elections. TPTB ALWAYS adjust to the most effective media of the times and use it to dissemble, lie and confuse the public. The elite have no ethics whatsoever. Idiots who have been brainwashed since they were knee high to a grasshopper by out sick culture think this is "normal" hardball politics and part of human nature.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2932.gif&hash=0eaec4791a5825821998245e7fcd7744b56557fe)

What American culture defines as "hardball" is really Empathy Deficit Disorder in action. It's STUPIDball and DESTRUCTIVEball. But that is expected from arrogant narcissists  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgen152.gif&hash=d5b10968fe56c4cb95fae17cee3cb420a5f4e2da)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F126fs2277341.gif&hash=1a8375f11d76a653bcb48e30eaa7b652175f029d) that run our country.

All that said, when the zeitgeist for populism is unstoppable (as it may be now  ;D), the elites will allow a candidate that is truly populist to be elected in order to avoid a revolution that would hurt corporate profits.

TPTB, in that situation (e.g. FDR elected) will retreat to their conspiracy planning and come up with several strategies to undo any "damage" the new populist does to the corporate profit over people and planet gravy train.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c)

It is hoped that smart people that read this will, if lucky enough to enjoy a Bernie Sanders Presidency, understand that the skullduggery to undermine each and every effort he makes to right the wrongs in this country has already been planned and will be successfully carried out if the people do not continue to make life very, very hard for the empathy Deficit Disorder ass holes and their representatives in government and the media. 
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 15, 2015, 09:34:19 pm
Fri Jun 12, 2015 at 09:48 AM EDT

So...this is why we don't get to hear about good cops.

byxxdr zombiexx Local No 420

Because they get punished for doing things right.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

A Missouri highway patrol officer who criticized the department after a handcuffed man fell into water and drowned has been more harshly punished than the officer who failed to secure a life vest on the deceased man.
A 20 year-old guy named Brandon Ellignton was arrested for suspicion of boating while drunk, handcuffed and another officer did a half-assed job of securing a life vest on him. He managed to fall into the water and drown.  :(

That officer was an experience road cop but had been on the water police unit about 2 days.
Of course, the half-assed officer gets a slap on the wrist : the death is ruled 'accidental".


The good cop ....

Veteran state trooper Randy Henry was demoted from sergeant to corporal and transferred from his post of nearly three decades at the Lake of Ozarks, the Springfield News-Leader reports. In March, Henry told public officials during a committee hearing that lack of training, but also recklessness and poor judgment contributed to the death of 20-year-old Brandon Ellingson last year.

Heretic!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-scared002.gif&hash=764898cfbf07ef2c41ffddc5e93fa0e1bed41bae)

They even went full Soviet Union on him:

Henry’s attorney, Chet Pleban, told the Star the department has been looking to retaliate against the officer for being a whistle blower, sending him for mental health evaluations that turned up “no cause for concern,” then launching a “professional standards” investigation.

So.... cops are A-OK when they are blasting innocent people into the next life, but if one of them says "I think there's a problem here related to safety" send him to the psych ward for evaluation.

So there's not just a huge problem with bad cops - the whole cop system is corrupt, compromised, and often criminal.

The entire police system is built on and invested in getting away with lameness, incompetence and outright murder.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.sodahead.com%2Fpolls%2F000370273%2Fpolls_Smiley_Angry_256x256_3451_356175_answer_4_xlarge.png&hash=15577651daa4c35ff4d6b26217f99db6ebfde0b3)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/06/12/1392688/-So-this-is-why-we-don-t-get-to-hear-about-good-cops
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 17, 2015, 04:07:47 pm
Quote
Political theater works because many in America have been systematically indoctrinated and severed from reality. Our corporate masters have built a mass culture centered on the cult of the self, unchecked hedonism and spectacle.    >:(

Neoliberal ideology infects every institution and belief system.

Those who suffer deserve to suffer    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0).
Victims are responsible for their victimhood    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0).
We can all achieve wealth and prosperity with hard work.
  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)

This mantra permits us to be cruel and heartless to the weak and the vulnerable, especially the poor as well as women and children, whom we discard as human refuse. Our warped neoliberal vision is defined as progress.

Quote
Mahatma Gandhi castigated the West for its fictitious histories and false moral crusades to justify slavery, oppression, colonial occupation, massacres, despotism, and the destruction of indigenous traditions, religions and languages.

The relentless assault by imperial powers against the wretched of the earth was not, he noted, part of the price of progress or the advance of civilization.
It was part of the raw exploitation of the weak by unfettered capitalism and imperialism.

The mythical narratives used to defend this exploitation, Gandhi pointed out, created a cult of history much like the cult of religion or the cult of science. It permitted immorality in the name of noble and virtuous ideals.

These visions of an emergent world of light and universal civilization are always employed by those in power. And these visions can, as Albert Camus wrote, “be used for anything, even for transforming murderers into judges.”

America’s Electoral Farce

Posted on Jun 16, 2015

By Chris Hedges

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_electoral_farce_20150616 (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_electoral_farce_20150616)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 20, 2015, 08:51:43 pm
Reflecting his Sacramento experience, Kennedy wrote in Citizens United that “we now conclude that independent expenditures, including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)

IOW, Slavery is Freedom, **** flows uphill, Greed is Good, Bribes don't exist, Dollars don't buy votes and, OF COURSE, our language is not Orwellian...

LOL!



Citizens United: Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s Gift to Moneyed Interests

Posted on Jun 19, 2015

By Bill Boyarsky

SNIPPET:

To understand the reasoning behind Citizens United, the Supreme Court decision that has assured the corruption of American politics, it’s useful to go back half a century to California’s capital, Sacramento, birthplace of the author of that fateful ruling, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.

His father, Anthony J. Kennedy, a lawyer, was one of the biggest lobbyists in a legislature that was pretty much under the control of lobbyists and the industries and businesses they represented. They gloried in the title of the “Third House,” and they usually had as much or more clout than the other two, the Senate and the Assembly.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/citizens_united_supreme_court_justice_anthony_m_kennedys_gift_to_moneyed_i
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 01, 2015, 07:55:48 pm
Global Debt Time Bomb Ticks – Puerto Rico Is Next
Yep. The Oppenheimer Hedge fund/mutual fund (owner of 90% of those bonds) wants 100 cents on the dollar. The Governor has said that ain't gonna happen. The bond holders will be lucky to get 20 cents on the dollar.

The thing is that, according to the New York Times, MOST of that debt is IN mutual funds held by investors IN THE CONTINENTAL USA, NOT PUERTO RICO.

And here's the kicker. MOST OF THOSE mutual funds are packaged with other funds inside of 401ks or IRAs or whatever inside a hedge fund manager's bag of tricks. So a whole bunch of Americans that don't know anyhting about Puerto Rican bonds (and could care less about them) ACTUALLY ARE HOLDING THE BAG on this debt, thanks to the dude running their investments that has been chasing yield (using a risk IGNORING  algorithm). 

But never mind the ignoring of risk, the method to this risk management technique is to asset strip the target by MORE than the haircut you will be forced to eat. And, of course, only a few greed balls will actually profit (both setting up the bond scam and then grabbing lucrative properties when the scam goes belly up) while the rest of the suckers, most of them middle class and/or moderately wealthy NON-Puerto Rican investors, will get the shaft.

All the while, the poor and middle class of Puerto Rico, who didn't have anything to do with this and bought none of these bonds, are already getting the austerity polka with a 17% sales tax and a DOUBLING in property taxes in the last two years.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

As usual (see Greece), the "greedy, lazy, shiftless, irresponsible, fiscally brain dead, etc." Puerto Ricans will be blamed. But, just like the Greece deal, the bond thing was a scam for the moneyed elite FROM THE START.

The end game here (see Obama requesting Congress pass a law to allow Puerto Rico to declare Bankruptcy Chapter 9 - i. e. Detroit on a state level  :evil4:) is for the SAME hedge fund hyenas screaming for 100 cents on the dollar to end up picking up lucrative beach properties, tropical rain forest, coffee growing land owned by the government (and buildings, toll roads, ETC.)  for a song.

IOW, it's the GREECE asset stripping on behalf of the banker elite outside AND inside the government mens rea modus operandi ALL OVER AGAIN.    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

A person made a comment in regard to the elite created Greek situation AND our bank bailout in 2008, which applies equally to Puerto Rico,  that pretty well summed up this Empathy Deficit Disorder based type of "economics".

Quote
Courtenay Smith ·  Top Commenter · Renton, Washington

The question here is where did the money go? Was this essentially the same Ponzi scheme the American financial institutions perpetrated at the end of the Bush Administration? Then banks used loans with no hope of repayment to generate bonds sold to investors assured of their value by a corrupt insurance group, except in this case it was the Greek treasury that was unsound?

It seems to me that some in the European community was colluding to create this disaster with no hope or thought of a positive result except for a small group that made off with the loot. It looks like someone was selling seats at a dinner table and when the dish was served the meal was found to be no more than well stirred mud.

 The similarity of what is happening in Greece and what is beginning to reoccur in America is unmistakable. The set may be a bit different but strangely the actors are the same. Financial Three Card Monte dealers.

You will notice that exactly the same solutions have been demanded by right wing politicians as were unsuccessfully demanded by the Republican'ts during our own Great Recession and that our right wing fiscal idiots are still pushing the same agenda with one new twist, crippling trade agreement that benefit no one but the corporate sector


From the article:


It is hard to avoid the sense that at work here is a plantation mentality. The overseers are dismayed that the serfs are not producing enough to repay their investments. Beatings are ordered; rations are cut. But the beatings and shortages lead only to less productivity, and less return on investment. So the overseers order more of the same. The beatings have failed. The beatings will continue. Greece’s agonies are Europe’s shame.


With a few word substitutions, it's just rinse and reDUMP on the poor of Puerto Rico for the benefit of the rich who are running this asset stripping scam both outside and inside Puerto Rico.

Of course, in Puerto Rico's case, the racist bigots will populate the comments in financial news with "reasonable, prudent, measured, etc." explanations for why this is happening in Puerto Rico...  ::)

If you don't believe me, just go to Yahoo or Zero Hedge.  :P

http://ourfuture.org/20150701/greeces-agonies-europes-shame (http://ourfuture.org/20150701/greeces-agonies-europes-shame)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 02, 2015, 07:33:30 pm
Quote
But the New Deal was bigger than just a collection of acts and agencies. What made it so important in the long run was that it created the preconditions for an American middle-class.

You, middle-classes are not "natural" in a deregulated capitalist economy. They have to be created, created with regulations, unions, and smart trade policy.

In its natural state, capitalism is a lot like feudalism. There is a small sliver of superrich who rule over everyone else, followed by a slightly larger class of middle-managers and professionals. The vast majority of people, though, fall into the category of working poor, and they're basically serfs who have no power whatsoever.

This is what American society looked like before FDR became president. But after FDR's time in office, American society was totally different.

Read more at link.

Bernie Sanders Could be the Next FDR
http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2015/07/bernie-sanders-could-be-next-fdr
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 04, 2015, 08:00:09 pm
agelbert • 1 day 22 hours ago #4
Quote
This isn’t some radical socialist idea, either. It’s what guided American society from the 1930s until the 1980s. It’s what works. And as President, Bernie Sanders would make it our number one priority once again.

Thom,
 Agreed. In fact, the Supreme Court FDR was saddled with was just like the one President Sanders would have to deal with. I would CERTAINLY be in favor of President Sanders PACKING THE PRESENT WORTHLESS, OLIGARCHY SUPPORTING, CORRUPT Supreme Court. With our vast increase in population in the last century, it would be a reasonable argument to claim we needed, for example, 31 Supreme Court justices, not nine.

Of course the crooks running our fossil fuel fascist government would scream bloody murder. SO WHAT? The argument is sound. And we should use it before THEY do.  ;D


- See more at: http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2015/07/bernie-sanders-could-be-next-fdr#comment-325848
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-201113213637.png&hash=153cacb3aeb24bb83b16f222a0548dc35af2bd76)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 14, 2015, 08:23:47 pm
Quote
To swell its profits, corporate capitalism plunders, represses and drives into bankruptcy individuals, cities, states and governments. It ultimately demolishes the structures and markets that make capitalism possible.

But this is of little consolation for those who endure its evil. By the time it slays itself it will have left untold human misery in its wake.



Quote
The corporate dismantling of civil society is nearly complete in Greece. It is far advanced in the United States. We, like the Greeks, are undergoing a political war waged by the world’s oligarchs. No one elected them. They ignore public opinion. And, as in Greece, if a government defies the international banking community it is targeted for execution. The banks do not play by the rules of democracy. 
 
Our politicians are corporate employees. And if you get dewy-eyed about the possibility of the U.S. having its first woman president, remember that it was Hillary Clinton’s husband who decimated manufacturing jobs with the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement and then went on to destroy welfare with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which halted federal cash aid programs and imposed time-limited, restrictive state block grants. Under President Bill Clinton, most welfare recipients—and 70 percent of those recipients were children—were dropped from the rolls.

The prison-industrial complex exploded in size as its private corporations swallowed up surplus, unemployed labor, making $40,000 or more a year from each person held in a cage. The population of federal and state prisons combined rose by 673,000 under Clinton. He, along with Ronald Reagan, set the foundations for the Greecification of the United States.

Quote
The economic and political ideology that convinced us that organized human behavior should be determined by the dictates of the global marketplace was a con game.

Quote
Corrupt governments, ignoring the common good and the consent of the governed, abetted this pillage. The fossil fuel industry was licensed to ravage the ecosystem, threatening the viability of the human species, while being handed lavish government subsidies. None of this makes sense.


We Are All Greeks Now

Posted on Jul 12, 2015 By Chris Hedges

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/we_are_all_greeks_now_20150712
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 20, 2015, 07:37:46 pm
Evidence of police dishonesty leads to overturned convictions nationwide

VTD Editor Jul. 19 2015, 6:53 pm

EXCELLENT COMMENTS: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)

Quote

jason wells
July 20, 2015 at 8:37 am

And the beat goes on. Just a few days ago I was fighting a bogus traffic ticket in the St. Johnsbury court after the Officer realized he was on the loosing end out came the lies and excuses. Thankfully I had brought photographic evidence that proved he was lying. So damming were the photos that there were a few gasps and chuckles in the courtroom about his bogus testimony. But guess what? I was found guilty anyways by the “judge” whom I found out after was not really a judge but just a local attorney paid to act as a judge in traffic court.

Traffic tickets or murder cases it is all the same they almost always lie and no one holds them accountable.


robert bristow-johnson 
July 20, 2015 at 11:20 am

it may be considered less serious than lying cops, but lying DCF social workers also cause miscarriages of justice in Vermont courts. families are destroyed.

and they are not held accountable.


Rama Schneider 
July 20, 2015 at 2:59 pm

I’m still waiting for all the good police to start helping protect us from all the bad police.

Lengthy, accurate and revealing article at link.

http://vtdigger.org/2015/07/19/evidence-of-police-dishonesty-leads-to-overturned-convictions-in-arizona-massachusetts/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 03, 2015, 06:24:28 pm
“Yes, We’re Corrupt”: A List of Politicians Admitting That Money Controls Politics

One of the most embarrassing aspects of U.S. politics is politicians who deny that money has any impact on what they do. For instance, Tom Corbett, Pennsylvania’s notoriously fracking-friendly former governor, got $1.7 million from oil and gas companies but assured voters that “The contributions don’t affect my decisions.”    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c) If you’re trying to get people to vote for you, you can’t tell them that what they want doesn’t matter.

This pose is also popular with a certain prominent breed of pundits, who love to tell us “Don’t Follow the Money”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0) (New York Times columnist David Brooks), or “Money does not buy elections”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c) (Freakonomics co-author Stephen Dubner on public radio’s Marketplace), or “Money won’t buy you votes”  (Yale Law School professor Peter H. Schuck in the Los Angeles Times). (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c)

Meanwhile, 85 percent of Americans say we need to either “completely rebuild” or make “fundamental changes” to the campaign finance system. Just 13 percent think “only minor changes are necessary,” less than the 18 percent of Americans who believe they’ve been in the presence of a ghost.

So we’ve decided that it would be useful to collect examples of actual politicians acknowledging the glaringly obvious reality. Here’s a start; I’m sure there must be many others, so if you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments or email me. I’d also love to speak directly to current or former politicians who have an opinion about it.

• “Now [the United States is] just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president. And the same thing applies to governors and U.S. senators and congressmembers. … So now we’ve just seen a complete subversion of our political system as a payoff to major contributors …” — Jimmy Carter, former president, in 2015. (Thanks to Sam Sacks.)

• “You have to go where the money is. Now where the money is, there’s almost always implicitly some string attached. … It’s awful hard to take a whole lot of money from a group you know has a particular position then you conclude they’re wrong [and] vote no.” — Vice President Joe Biden in 2015.


LAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 25: Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks during the Republican Jewish Coalition spring leadership meeting at The Venetian Las Vegas on April 25, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Republican Jewish Coalition's annual meeting featured potential Republican presidential candidates in attendance, along with Republican super donor Sheldon Adelson.
 

• “Lobbyists and career politicians today make up what I call the Washington Cartel. … [They] on a daily basis are conspiring against the American people. … [C]areer politicians’ ears and wallets are open to the highest bidder.” — Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2015.

• “When you start to connect the actual access to money, and the access involves law enforcement officials, you have clearly crossed a line. What is going on is shocking, terrible.” – James E. Tierney, former attorney general of Maine, in 2014.

• “Allowing people and corporate interest groups and others to spend an unlimited amount of unidentified money has enabled certain individuals to swing any and all elections, whether they are congressional, federal, local, state … Unfortunately and rarely are these people having goals which are in line with those of the general public. History well shows that there is a very selfish game that’s going on and that our government has largely been put up for sale.” – John Dingell, 29-term Democratic congressman from Michigan, in 2014 just before he retired.

• “When some think tank comes up with the legislation and tells you not to fool with it, why are you even a legislator anymore? You just sit there and take votes and you’re kind of a feudal serf for folks with a lot of money.” — Dale Schultz, 32-year Republican state legislator in Wisconsin and former state Senate Majority Leader, in 2013 before retiring rather than face a primary challenger backed by Americans for Prosperity.

• “The alliance of money and the interests that it represents, the access that it affords to those who have it at the expense of those who don’t, the agenda that it changes or sets by virtue of its power is steadily silencing the voice of the vast majority of Americans … The truth requires that we call the corrosion of money in politics what it is – it is a form of corruption and it muzzles more Americans than it empowers, and it is an imbalance that the world has taught us can only sow the seeds of unrest.” – Secretary of State John Kerry, in 2013 farewell speech to the Senate.

• “I think it is because of the corrupt paradigm that has become Washington, D.C., whereby votes continually are bought rather than representatives voting the will of their constituents. … That’s the voice that’s been missing at the table in Washington, D.C. — the people’s voice has been missing.” — Michele Bachmann, four-term Republican congresswoman from Minnesota and founder of the House Tea Party Caucus, in 2011.


WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 14: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) speaks to the media during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol April 14, 2015 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Both Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans spoke to the media after attending their weekly policy luncheons. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
 Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
 

• “The banks — hard to believe in a time when we’re facing a banking crisis that many of the banks created — are still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill. And they frankly own the place.” – Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in 2009.

• “There is no question in the world that money has control.” — Barry Goldwater, 1964 GOP Presidential nominee, just before retiring from the Senate in 1986.

• ”When these political action committees give money, they expect something in return other than good government. … Poor people don’t make political contributions. You might get a different result if there were a poor-PAC up here.” — Bob Dole, former Republican Senate Majority Leader and 1996 GOP Presidential nominee, in 1983.

• “Money is the mother’s milk of politics.” — Jesse Unruh, Speaker of the California Assembly in the 1960s and California State Treasurer in the 1970s and 80s.


• “There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money and I can’t remember what the second one is.” — Mark Hanna, William McKinley’s 1896 presidential campaign manager and later senator from Ohio, in 1895.

Again, please leave other good examples in the comments or email them to me at any time — I’ll keep updating this indefinitely. I’m looking specifically for working politicians (rather than pundits or activists) who describe a tight linkage between money and political outcomes (as opposed to something vaguer).

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/07/30/politicians-admitting-obvious-fact-money-affects-vote/


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 12, 2015, 04:03:27 pm
At least one concerned citizen thought so, and said so, in writing, before it happened.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-12/did-epa-intentionally-poison-animas-river-secure-superfund-money (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-12/did-epa-intentionally-poison-animas-river-secure-superfund-money)

Make no mistake. This spill is a disaster, no matter what. But if EPA malfeasance is involved, this will hurt the environmentalism movement, and the credibility of the government bureaucracy dedicated to preventing and  managing environmental problems will be completely undermined.

Talk about a turd sandwich.

I totally disagree. The EPA already has a track record, going back to Reagan, when he named an ENEMY of environmental protection to head that agency, of looking the other way on behalf of big money polluters like mining, fracking and fossil fuels.

The EPA needs to be cleaned up. They are full of pro-dirty energy foxes in the environmental protection hen house. Don't tell me you didn't watch Gasland. It was all laid out BY a former EPA scientist.

But even that wasn't enough for the dirty energy bastards; they had to castrate the little oversight power that the EPA had:

Quote
For this we can thank the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the law that holds the Halliburton Loophole. Named after Dick Cheney and the notorious corporation he led before becoming vice president, the law (championed by Cheney and disgraced Enron founder Kenneth Lay, among others) explicitly exempted fracking operations from key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act.   These exemptions from one of America’s most fundamental environmental protection laws provided the oil and gas industry the immunity it required to develop a highly polluting process on a grand national scale. 

One of the most troubling repercussions is how fracking companies hide the contents of their toxic water and chemical solutions pumped into the ground. Contamination of underground drinking water sources from fracking fluids is a glaring threat to public health and safety. Yet even doctors responding to fracking-related health complaints can’t access data on what particular chemicals their patients may have been exposed to.

But the Halliburton Loophole wasn’t the only fracking enabler in the Energy Policy Act. The act granted the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sweeping new authority to supersede state and local decision-making with regard to the citing of fracked gas pipelines and infrastructure. It also shifted to FERC industry oversight and compliance responsibility for the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, another key law. This was akin to putting the fox in charge of the hen house.

As it stands, FERC is entirely unaccountable to public will. It is unaccountable to Congress and even the White House. Commissioners are appointed to five-year terms and can do as they please. Until a law reigning in FERC is passed, the commission will continue to act as a rubber-stamp for the fossil fuel industry.

Additionally, the Energy Policy Act repealed an important anti-monopoly law, the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA). PUHCA safeguarded consumers from the overreach of the oil and gas industry and banks that did business with those companies. It prevented the formation of giant state and regional energy cartels that could manipulate energy costs, engage in profiteering and exert undue influence over political debate. The Energy Policy Act transferred most of this oversight to FERC. Since then, the largest American energy companies have grown significantly more powerful and spent almost a billion dollars on federal lobbying, according to OpenSecrets.org.


EPA CASTRATION, as well as malfeasance, is PAR FOR THE fossil fuel fascist COURSE, Eddie! It's been like that since Reagan! It was given STEROIDS with Cheney! Wake up!



The Fossil Fuel Industry has given us Degraded Democracy and Profit over Planet Pollution

http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/fossil-fuel-folly/fossil-fuels-degraded-democracy-and-profit-over-planet-pollution/msg3594/#msg3594
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 15, 2015, 03:58:12 pm
A bit of Profit over People and Planet History to clue you in on how we got to the polluting crooks here (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) from polluter defending crooks there  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c)

Quote
In July of 1983, we were fully two years into the Reagan era, and had yet to begin the o rgy of privatization and demonization of government that has become the norm 30 years hence.

One of the articles featured a look at what really happened at the EPA. It recounts how fully 2 years into the Reagan Administration, the foxes were hired to guard the chicken coop. A supporter of the so-called ”Sagebrush Rebellion,” in which ranchers were pitted against the federal Bureau of Land Management, who wished to restrict or limit their God-given right to use public lands to graze their cattle. Reagan would place industry types in charge of the agencies charged with regulating the environment.

Vile names from the past pop up as villains in the set piece: Joseph Coors, a rabid anti-environmentalist, supported the goals of the Sagebrush rebellion and brought many of his followers and acolytes along for the ride. James Watt was named interior secretary. Robert Burford, a leader of the Sagebrush rebellion, was appointed director of the Bureau of land management, the agency that the rebellion was engaged with in many pitched battles. The notorious Anne Gorsuch, whose legacy of abuse was such that she became the first agency head to be cited for contempt of Congress, was made head of EPA. These Reaganauts eviscerated the regulatory oversight that their respective agencies were to have provided, with predictable results. As we look back over the span of 30 years, and wonder how did we become so cynical, if it is easy to trace how the popular vision of government as a champion for the aims and desires of ordinary people was transformed into that of an oppressor of those aims, and a waste of money besides.

What is remarkable about this article is, from a remove of 30 years, how naïve it seems. The author traces how budgets were cut, how regulations were upended, and the very mission of regulatory agencies themselves tainted. In Reagan’s wanton destruction, we see the beginnings of the “oppressive government regulations” meme so prevalent today.


Reader’s Digest Time Machine By Surly (http://www.doomsteaddiner.net/blog/2012/09/13/readers-digest-time-machine/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 18, 2015, 02:22:32 pm
Mon Aug 17, 2015 at 12:52 PM EDT.

Bernie Calls out the Press, Crowd Loves It

byChaoslillith

After his rally which 2000 ppl attended in Dubuque, Iowa he took questions from reporters.

The first questions was a typical question asking him to in some way attack Hillary, Bernie's response was priceless and he kept right on calling out the media's willful twisting of perceptions the whole time.

VIDEO:   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)
https://youtu.be/bGv2SPB8pNU

 I will transcribe/paraphrase some of it below.

Question: Um in your speech tonight you said you will not criticize or attack Hillary, but you did draw some implicit contrasts when you said you don't take money from Superpacs or didn't vote for the Iraq war..

Bernie interrupts: "What I said was that the corporate media talks about all kinds of issues except the most important issues. Time after time I am asked to criticize Hillary Clinton. That's the sport that you guys like. The reason this campaign is doing well is that we are talking about the issues that impact the American people..." He talked about his platform for a bit from here, stating that he and her have differences of opinions and that he respects her. Here is the part where people started cheering

"The issue that I want to be talking about is the collapse of the middle class. Are you guys going to write about that?" (People cheered!) The need to create millions of jobs, the obscenity of wealth inequality (snip) So I am not going to get into the game of sitting around attacking Hillary Clinton..."

At the end of the interview he discuss the debates again,
Quote
"They (us the American people) are tired of the media which wants to have gotcha questions and create conflict between the candidates, rather than talking about the real issues impacting the American people. The American people are saying enough is enough!....(snip)The American people want us to address those issues, they do not want us to be attacking each other, they want us to focus and have a real debate and I intend to give it to them!" Cheers, clapping, "We Love you Bern" shouted out. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)
 

There's a lot more in the interview but those were the points that I wanted to address. Bernie is doing well because he calls it like it is, he calls out the Koch brothers, the billionaires and he does it by name. There is no give in his stance and most of us Bernie supporters love the fact that he is just as pis sed off about the corruption in this country as we are.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fswear1.gif&hash=87347674f9297191f3f8a447208170617da4caf6) So the more of this we see and share it on our social media, the more and more people will be attracted to him because he is tapping into that sense of revulsion at the government that we have all felt for years.

This is why his numbers are rising, this is why he pulls huge crowds. He speaks what we have been dying to hear from someone in Washington for years, just like Warren does. Truth, simple, unvarnished truth.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F47b20s0.gif&hash=cc48c9af9d29b8836023c7db21103e52d1ed439e) http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/17/1412816/-Bernie-Calls-out-the-Press-Crowd-Loves-It
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 23, 2015, 04:43:41 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81) In the interest of logic and common sense, I humbly submit this bit of graphical education for those who aren't sure of what Mr. Trump and friends are all about:

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-230815160806.gif&hash=4bbf938c142f3bb0a899a795c175b2635eb55c53)
Brought to you by Libertarians for Trump

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-230815160919.gif&hash=a773c34768c10eef2e8a87eeed0be15867e95c28)
Reality difficulties for Trump supporters   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgen152.gif&hash=d5b10968fe56c4cb95fae17cee3cb420a5f4e2da)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-230815161045.gif&hash=22ddb7605de38027c8733584f1bd5291afbe5f2d)
Gradual Public Realization of Trump and friends' business model for American prosperity.    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 27, 2015, 02:59:28 am
(https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xal1/v/t1.0-9/12049244_904544542945702_6378086736008858207_n.jpg?oh=15a8b67be20cbc8c005e43449e3f2d28&oe=5692FEE5)


Mission impossible.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 29, 2015, 02:48:55 pm
Impoverished Vermonters struggle in face of stagnant wages, opportunities

September 28, 2015 by Brattleboro Reformer
Editor’s note: This article is by Chris Mays, of the Brattleboro Reformer, in which it was first published Sept. 23, 2015.

BRATTLEBORO — Local survey data paired with new census reports say many Windham and Windsor county residents, like many Americans, are falling behind economically.

“We are identifying the needs as well as the existing services and the service gaps,” said Steve Geller, executive director of Southeastern Vermont Community Action. “We look at demographics, poverty and other kinds of information that give us a snapshot of what kinds of issues and hardships people may be facing. And census data is a big part of that.”

Data from the Current Population Survey was released Sept. 16, showing indicators of income, poverty, health insurance and more. A day later, the American Community Survey’s data was released. Featuring a larger sample size, the latter is used for state-by-state comparisons.

According to David Cooper, senior economic analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual income and poverty data shows essentially no change in the economic state of low and middle income households from 2013 to 2014. While the economy is improving, the same proportion of Americans are reportedly struggling to make ends meet. A family of four earning roughly $24,000 or less a year is considered to be living below the poverty line.

Cooper said this marks the second year in a row that the Census Bureau’s statistics have shown one in seven American families, approximately 47 million people, have incomes too low to meet the government’s official threshold for basic subsistence.


For the last 10 years, Southeastern Vermont Community Action, or SEVCA, a group aimed at helping families in poverty create self-sustainability and eliminating poverty, used 5-year plans for its strategic planning process. The organization recently decided to switch to 3-year plans. As part of those efforts, they conduct a community assessment of its service areas in Windham and Windsor counties.

The group gave out surveys to participants in its services and asked other community organizations to complete and distribute them to their clients.

Over 350 lower-income residents responded. While the survey is “not necessarily representative of the low-income population as a whole,” SEVCA stated, the input does offer insights.

The organization is used to seeing troubling trends when it comes to lack of affordable housing and housing stability.

“Our participant survey reinforces that very strongly with the 86 percent responding saying it’s very hard to find affordable safe housing. Sixty-eight percent have trouble paying rent or mortgages,” said Geller, noting 40 percent reported being behind in paying their mortgages.

Forty-six percent strongly agreed they had to work more than 40 hours per week just to pay bills, with 40 percent feeling strongly that most of the jobs they can get do not pay well. Geller said over 75 percent of the participants said there were not enough jobs available given their circumstances.

“We’re seeing other kinds of needs that crop up very regularly,” he said. “The lack of transportation for employment purposes and other reasons such as medical appointments.”

Geller also noted local residents’ lack of ability to develop personal assets and build savings. Sixty-five to 70 percent of participants said their income is not enough to meet their needs. Many cannot get credit or have ruined their credit.

Now that the Affordable Care Act has provided some relief around primary health care, said Geller, access to and costs of dental care remain a big issue.

The poverty line was estimated to be at 12.2 percent for all people in Vermont during 2014, according to the American Community Survey, while the United States average was believed to be at 15.4 percent.

“It appeared to be going down slightly over the last couple of years,” said Geller, noting both percentages were high and have remained somewhat stagnant. “But certainly the fact of the recession of 2008 and on tended to push that rate back up again, where it had been going back down previously.”

While county-level data, coming out in another month or so, is expected to give a better sense of the local situation, Geller said SEVCA thinks the area has seen changes for the worst since the recession. And Tropical Storm Irene did not make matters any better.

“Although some people have improved their circumstances since the worst part of the recession, others are still suffering from it and haven’t really turned their lives around,” Geller said.

“This area was one of the worst hit in the state (from Irene). There were pockets that were very badly hit and very badly impacted. Our two counties probably suffered the worst of any counties during Irene.”

SEVCA has seen a large percentage of local workers’ incomes go down or remain the same over many years. Cooper reported that from 1979 until 2013, U.S. per capita gross domestic product grew 73 percent while labor productivity rose 62 percent. But the bottom 90 percent of wage earners saw their total annual pay rise by only 15 percent. Those gains, Cooper said, were largely the result of households putting in more hours at work. They were not being paid more per hour.
Quote

The “working poor” are keeping two to three jobs but cannot keep pace with the cost of living.
This is a fundamental problem for the entire economy and society, said Geller, who, like Cooper, advocates for increasing the minimum wage to create livable wages.

“That’s a problem we really have to address head-on as a society,” Geller said.
Quote
“The old cliche of ‘only if people were willing to work, the problem of poverty can be solved,’ we see that is not the case.
There is a large percentage of people working a fairly large number of hours and a good part of the year who are not getting ahead or getting themselves out of poverty.”

Cooper said the lowest paid 20 percent of workers in America were paid less per hour in 2013 than they were in 1979. The numbers were adjusted for inflation. He concludes that the labor market no longer adequately rewards work and says the U.S. needs to prioritize broad-based wage growth.

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the average wage a renter in Vermont earns is only $11.78 while the average cost to rent a two-bedroom apartment in the state would require them to earn $20.60. The standard applied nationally in Section 8 housing guidelines says someone should pay no more than 30 percent of their income for their housing.

“That just shows how basic needs are out of reach,”
SEVCA’s Director of Planning and Development Becky Himlin said.

Vermont has the third-largest gap between two-bedroom housing and renter wages in the nation.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df) Only Hawaii and Maryland see bigger gaps. Behind Vermont is New Jersey, seeing an $8.24 gap.

“I think it’s just the shortage of affordable housing and the income gap of people who aren’t making essentially a livable wage,” Geller said.
Quote
“People are locked out of certain parts of southeastern Vermont because they can’t afford to live there and sometimes that’s where the higher paying jobs are. It’s a real Catch-22.”
SEVCA provides assistance to residents experiencing difficulties paying rent or purchasing heating oil. Through various programs, the organization tries to promote long-term stability for those it serves. Services also include assistance with starting a new businesses or developing business plans.

Last year, SEVCA assisted 13,157 individuals in 5,713 households. The data comes from the fiscal year, Oct. 1, 2014 to Sept. 30, 2014.

At this point, Geller does not anticipate that number decreasing.

“In the past, we have seen ups and downs. But it’s been going up in the past few years,” he said.

Besides the economy, Geller points to the state’s rules on eligibility     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0) and how much a person can receive through various programs. While the number of eligible  ;) individuals drops, his group sees many people’s “depth of poverty” increasing and more households reaching out for help.

“We look forward to working with the state of Vermont and local communities to get the resources to do more,” said Geller. “The challenge is this is all happening at a time when states are struggling to meet their budgets.”

SEVCA will soon be sending out concerns regarding budgeting for its programs, Geller said. A lot of its programming has not seen cuts in recent years.

“But they were level-funded for as many as nine years,” said Geller. “When you level-fund programs and costs continue to go up, the same amount of dollars year after year ends up being a cut because the state is not cutting the requirements for the programs. They’re just cutting the amount of dollars to carry it out.”

Geller’s group also worries about the “very strong possibility” that the sequestration process could restart again as many of the cuts have come at the federal level. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil12.gif&hash=d1822754cefdd0f77369dacd157d00f5f8d3fff9) Current spending laws are set to expire Oct. 1. Cuts could come to programs SEVCA operates, which address fuel, weatherization and Head Start, food stamps.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.sodahead.com%2Fpolls%2F000370273%2Fpolls_Smiley_Angry_256x256_3451_356175_answer_4_xlarge.png&hash=15577651daa4c35ff4d6b26217f99db6ebfde0b3)


http://vtdigger.org/2015/09/28/impoverished-vermonters-struggle-in-face-of-stagnant-wages-opportunities/ (http://vtdigger.org/2015/09/28/impoverished-vermonters-struggle-in-face-of-stagnant-wages-opportunities/)

Agelbert NOTE: Some Vermonters add clarity to the SITUATION we find ourselves in.

Quote

Peter Burmeister 

September 28, 2015 at 6:59 pm


What this article fails to understand is that the essence of the Vermont economy is agriculture, not white collar jobs. While numerous Vermonters lament the lack of lucrative employment, young people from other states and even other countries are flocking to Vermont to grow wholesome food that bolsters the locavore movement that is a powerful force in this state. So we need to re-examine the expectations of Vermonters. You can live like a Vermonter, by participating in the agricultural economy as so many former out-of-staters are doing, with enthusiasm, or you can complain about the so-called “lack of opportunity.” If that is going to be your m.o., then it’s certainly time to consider moving elsewhere.


Janice Prindle 


September 29, 2015 at 8:49 am


Sounds like you are talking about another century. The essence of Vermont’s economy, if by essence we mean real income and not public image, is tourism. More low paying jobs for the most part. While growing our localvore and niche farming sector is something I applaud, the reality is that Vermont needs a more diversified economy. We need more “green” jobs in research and information technology.

BUT that said, what you seem to “fail to understand” is that our economy is part of what’s happened to our national economy. People who have been living here all along, regardless of what work they are doing, are not seeing growth in wages, or are losing their jobs as corporations like GMC-Keurig chase the tax loopholes by moving operations overseas. Moving will not help: there are fewer jobs with living wages everywhere in this country. And telling a longtime or native Vermonter, or anyone who is struggling, that the problem is their “expectations” and they should either become a farm worker (not enough jobs there anyway, and unless you are young, not enough money) or move (which costs money, of course) seems to me to lack compassion or practical thinking.

Jan van Eck 

September 28, 2015 at 8:04 pm

Mr. Geller’s efforts to alleviate poverty in Windham County will fail, unfortunately, and the $10 million that Entergy Corp. donated   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2932.gif&hash=0eaec4791a5825821998245e7fcd7744b56557fe) to bootstrap prosperity  ;) will all get frittered away. The failure will come from internal incompetence of certain “managers” that are, ironically, paid a salary to run these development programs.

The other reason that the “development programs” will fail is more subtle; there are entrenched interests in that County that are perfectly happy to see things continue as they are, as a depressed economy means that those with means and money can live handsomely. A well-paid Executive or Director or banker can do nicely with a large supply of cheap, and docile, labor. He can have himself a personal valet, a full-time cook, a maid or maids, a groundskeeper – labor is cheap when workers have no alternatives. And that labor pool is docile and subservient, never asking for a raise – they consider themselves so fortunate to have any miserable job, no matter how lousy, no matter how poorly paid. Mr. Rich gets to live like the Baron of the Chateau, on the backs of the poor. Life is extra grand for him.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)

These powerful people in Windham County, who profit from classical depression economics, make sure that the “directors” of their “development corporations” are incompetent; the last thing they want is actual development showing up, with competition for their servant staff. The result is that the County will remain exactly as it is: poor. Not a very pleasant prospect for the poor people, of course, but hey, with that crowd, they don’t much count.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ffly.gif&hash=b0526635e8b47d751b0e429925d73d78f9d79fc6)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 29, 2015, 07:34:22 pm
Hat Tip to Surly. 8)

Quote
You'll recall the story that moved earlier this year about the woman in Florida who was obliged to hook up to the grid. Another example of corporations using the state as enforcement for protecting its cartel.

Regulated out of Existence: Off-Gridders Forced back on the Grid, Camping on own land Illegal

Filed under Off the Grid, Police State, Sustainable Living Blog   

Posted by: Robert Richardson


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NTSm3Y4MSU&feature=player_embedded

http://www.doomsteaddiner.net/forum/index.php/topic,5649.msg86596.html#msg86596

Great post! If mankind survives, it will because of people like that responsible, good man in the above video above.

The story underscores the importance of confronting the Libertarian BALONEY that it's the "big government regulations" that is hurting the poor widdle businesses out there trying to "compete".

STAYING ALIVE is the BUSINESS of every member of the biosphere. Corporate ass holes have corrupted good government to unfairly force people to accept the monopolistic and parasitical ANTI-competitive crap hurting the BUSINESS of everyday living.

After people are undemocratically herded to be fleeced with gamed regulations, the corporations then claim their "product" is profitable because, uh, they competed with everybody on a "level playing field". (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)

But you can expect the prevaricators that have corrupted our language, economics and tax structure to claim that it's A-fu c king okay for some ass hole that used to own a cable channel to buy a bunch of land to raise buffalo on and deduct all the expenses from his taxes because he "runs a business", but the guy out in the boonies going off grid, raising his own animals and planting his own crops trying to make ends meet cannot do the same because he isn't, uh "running a business".

A rich fu ck (see Bush's ranch) can put a geothermal set up on his land so his power bill is so low as to be irrelevant but an off gridder is "violating regulations" by generating all his own power. The duplicity just never ends.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)


Ah, the pliability of the English language.  :P

I think we should give the BUSINESS to anyone who wants to make artificial divisions between the BUSINESS of living and running a profit over people and planet BUSINESS.



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 03, 2015, 01:42:18 am
https://youtu.be/R7qTPOnHw-E


Quote

Published on Sep 12, 2015

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges joins us for an evening in Toronto to speak about "The Great Unraveling."

Revolutions come in waves and cycles. We are again riding the crest of a revolutionary epic, much like 1848 or 1917, from the Arab Spring to movements against austerity in Greece to the Occupy Movement.

In his newest book, Wages of Rebellion, Chris Hedges investigates what social and psychological factors cause revolution, rebellion, and resistance. Drawing on an ambitious overview of prominent philosophers, historians and literary figures, he shows not only the harbingers of a coming crisis but also the nascent seeds of rebellion.

Hedges’ message is clear: popular uprisings in the United States and around the world are inevitable in the face of mounting environmental destruction and grotesque wealth polarization.

Recorded in Toronto, 3 September 2015.

Part 2:
https://youtu.be/HMiRS7KKrAI
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 04, 2015, 06:46:26 pm
VIDEO: Chris Hedges and Ralph Nader on Corporate Control, Faux Liberals and Hillary Clinton

Posted on Nov 3, 2015

In the first half of a two-part interview with Ralph Nader on TeleSUR, “Days of Revolt” host Chris Hedges and the iconic consumer advocate discuss the advancement of corporate control in the U.S. political system, the rise of faux liberals and what to expect from Hillary Clinton.

Nader, whose latest books include “Unstoppable: The Emerging Left-Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State” and “Return to Sender: Unanswered Letters to the President, 2001-2015,” explains that once Democrats realized they could raise money through the corporate world just like Republicans, they carved out tax loopholes for big business in exchange for cash contributions.

“And that’s when the Democratic party started going off the cliff,” Nader says, adding that since the early 1970s—with few exceptions—there hasn’t been a single major piece of legislation that advances the health, safety and economic rights of the American people.

“That’s the effect of money in politics,” he explains. “That’s the effect of a totally subservient strategy by the liberals.”

And what effect did that money have on citizens’ groups? Hedges asks.

“They began working harder and harder for less and less every day,” Nader explains, saying that liberal groups lowered their horizons, became defensively tactical and ceased to put forth an aggressive agenda.
Quote

“And once you are on the defensive in politics, you are on the defensive,” Nader says. “It’s almost impossible to recover. It’s like you’re on your heels, heels, heels.”

Nader also tackles the idea of faux liberals like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, who smile while undermining the fundamental rights of Americans.

“All you gotta do in politics is say the right thing, even though your whole record is contrary, and you’re on your way,” Nader says, including Hillary Clinton.

She uses “the same approach,” Nader says. “It’s saying what you didn’t do. And this should come out in the next year.”

To find out what Nader thinks will happen next in American politics, watch the full video below:  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fcomputer3.gif&hash=cd6007945e9cbaabf029ebaef6ad36b8505bc341)

https://youtu.be/yePIn0zwGCc
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 06, 2015, 12:46:35 pm
Come one, come all, and watch the nuclear CROOKS and LIARS do their larcenous, irresponsible, welfare queen THING  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) now that their SUBSIDIZED radioactive white elephants are being shut down.

Entergy juggling shutdowns at multiple nuclear plants

Nov. 5, 2015, 5:41 pm by Mike Faher

VERNON – The recent news of yet another pending nuclear-plant closure means that, within the next several years, Entergy will be juggling three complicated, expensive decommissioning projects in New England and New York.

Company administrators and federal officials say the coming shutdowns of FitzPatrick Nuclear in New York and Pilgrim Nuclear in Massachusetts won’t delay or otherwise negatively affect decommissioning work at Vermont Yankee, as each plant has separate and substantial decommissioning trust funds.

In fact, federal records show that the trust funds at FitzPatrick and Pilgrim are considerably larger than Vermont Yankee’s.

But those assurances haven’t prevented some in Vermont from wondering about Entergy’s nuclear commitments and the adequacy of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s oversight of decommissioning spending.

Closures  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fus.123rf.com%2F400wm%2F400%2F400%2Fyayayoy%2Fyayayoy1106%2Fyayayoy110600019%2F9735563-smiling-sun-showing-thumb-up.jpg&hash=09b45642ec6d7943d30b5b87548676e3ee7dbe3d)
Vermont Yankee
 Location: Vernon
 Year opened: 1972
 Entergy purchased: 2002
 Shutdown: 2014
 Power output: 605 megawatts
 Employment: About 300; about 550 prior to shutdown
 Decommissioning trust fund: $664.56 million

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station

 Location: Plymouth, Mass.
 Year opened: 1972
 Entergy purchased: 1999
 Shutdown: No later than 2019
 Power output: 688 megawatts
 Employment: 650
 Decommissioning trust fund: $896.42 million

James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant
 Location: Scriba, N.Y.
 Year opened: 1975
 Entergy purchased: 2000
 Shutdown: Late 2016 or early 2017
 Power output: 838 megawatts
 Employment: 615
 Decommissioning trust fund: $738.34 million

Note: Decommissioning trust fund amounts come from the latest NRC reports filed in March.


Quote
“I worry that Entergy and the NRC are operating under assumptions that perhaps make the decommissioning trust numbers work in favor of a desirable answer. I hope I’m wrong,” said Chris Campany, executive director of the Windham Regional Commission.

In 2013, Entergy announced plans to shut Vermont Yankee, and the Vernon plant ceased producing power at the end of 2014. Over the past several weeks, Entergy has followed with two more regional closure announcements: Pilgrim, located in Plymouth, Massachusetts, will shut down by 2019; and FitzPatrick, in Scriba, New York, is going offline in late 2016 or early 2017.

Common to each closure were Entergy’s concerns about high operational costs and the inability to effectively compete with low natural gas prices. There also were governmental issues: In Vermont, the company had engaged in a years-long regulatory battle with state officials who pushed for Yankee’s closure (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fswear1.gif&hash=87347674f9297191f3f8a447208170617da4caf6); and in Massachusetts, Entergy administrators complained that Pilgrim’s “economic performance is also undermined by unfavorable state energy proposals that subsidize renewable energy resources at the expense of Pilgrim and other plants.”


Decommissioning fund

Taken together, the three plants represent more than 2,100 megawatts of power output; more than 1,500 employees; and 125 combined years of operation. But there is another important number: The facilities’ combined decommissioning trust funds surpass $2.3 billion.

The latest trust fund reports submitted to the NRC in March show that Pilgrim ($896.42 million) and FitzPatrick ($738.34 million) have substantially more decommissioning money banked than Yankee. The VY trust fund is listed at $664.56 million in the NRC report, but that number is inflated as Entergy has been withdrawing cash throughout 2015 and recently submitted a request for another $6.6 million withdrawal to cover October’s decommissioning expenses.

Vermont officials have been battling some of Entergy’s proposed uses for Yankee’s decommissioning trust fund, including property tax payments and long-term spent fuel management. But the company’s chief critic, state Public Service Department Commissioner Chris Recchia, said he is not concerned that Entergy’s Pilgrim and FitzPatrick commitments impacting VY decommissioning.

Recchia also has pointed to funding and decommissioning assurances in a 2013 shutdown settlement agreement between Vermont and Entergy. “One thing that I’m sure about is that the agreement that we reached with Entergy will be honored regardless of what’s happening (elsewhere),” he said in a recent interview.

The NRC is offering its own assurances. In late September, Bill Dean, director of the agency’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, issued a brief report saying that the latest reports from around the country show that “101 of the 104 operating power reactors have demonstrated decommissioning funding assurance.” The owner of three Illinois reactors self-reported trust-fund shortfalls and is expected to correct those “in a timely manner,” Dean wrote.

NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan pointed out that there is no commingling of Vermont Yankee’s trust fund with trust funds at other plants or with other Entergy holdings.

“Each plant has its own decommissioning trust fund, and that money is walled off from use at any other facility,” Sheehan said. “What’s more, permanently shutdown plants must submit updates on the status of the decommissioning funds to the NRC each year.”

What’s not covered by the funds

But there’s a wrinkle in the NRC’s evaluation system for decommissioning funding: The agency doesn’t take into account all of the money a plant owner will need to clean up a site. A recent NRC report authored by Dean notes that the NRC defines decommissioning as safely taking a plant out of service and reducing residual radioactivity to allow for NRC license termination and some form of site reuse.
Quote

“The costs of spent fuel management, site restoration and other costs not related to decommissioning are not included in the financial assurance for decommissioning for nuclear reactors,” Dean wrote.
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The discrepancy between the NRC’s “minimum financial assurance” standard and the actual costs of decommissioning is clear at Vermont Yankee: The agency’s minimum financial assurance for VY is $817.22 million, while Entergy has said it will cost more than $1.2 billion to decommission the site.

From Windham Regional’s Brattleboro office, Campany has expressed concerns about the adequacy of Entergy’s decommissioning and spent-fuel plans for Vermont Yankee. He pointed out that the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2012 found that “the NRC’s formula may not reliably estimate adequate decommissioning costs.”

Quote
“Given the number of plants that have closed recently and likely will be closing, it would seem that now would be a good time for the (Government Accountability Office) to revisit their study and the basis for the NRC’s determination of decommissioning trust adequacy,” Campany wrote in an email response to questions from VTDigger.org.

“The GAO might also look at the Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activity Reports filed by the closing plants,” Campany added. "Do they provide an adequate and accurate picture of the decommissioning and associated costs?"  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)


In response, Sheehan (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400) reached back to the NRC’s rebuttal to that 2012 GAO report: The agency said its decommissioning funding formula is just one facet of a trust-fund regulatory system that includes “annual adjustments and accounting for site-specific costs.”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)

“Licensees must perform several steps which, when considered as a whole, provide reasonable assurance that funds will be available when needed,” the agency’s statement said. “Based on experience, the regulatory system has been adequate to ensure that power reactor licensees obtain funds when needed for decommissioning.”

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Sheehan also noted that the commission is working to revamp its nuclear-decommissioning rules, which have come under heavy criticism after Vermont Yankee’s shutdown.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fswear1.gif&hash=87347674f9297191f3f8a447208170617da4caf6)

“The NRC has begun the process of developing new regulations in the area of decommissioning,” Sheehan said.
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 “However, those new rules are not expected to be finished for several years.”  ;)  ::)

NRC regulations aside, Recchia had one other takeaway from Entergy’s recent decisions to shutter three nuclear plants in the region.

“The closure announcements are interesting taken collectively,” Recchia said. “If nuclear is not economically competitive in New England, where electricity prices are high and where gas is constrained, where can it be profitable?”  ;D

When announcing FitzPatrick’s pending shutdown, Entergy administrators said they remain “committed overall to nuclear power” because it is “carbon-free (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c), reliable power  that is cost-effective over the long term.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil19.gif&hash=6eeb0dbc471743691793f5130640fdcbd1f77b5c) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400)


In addition to Pilgrim and FitzPatrick, Entergy still operates six other nuclear plants: Indian Point in Buchanan, New York; Palisades in Covert, Michigan; Arkansas Nuclear One in Russellville, Arkansas; Grand Gulf in Port Gibson, Mississippi; River Bend in St. Francisville, Louisiana.; and Waterford 3 in Taft, Louisiana.

http://vtdigger.org/2015/11/05/entergy-juggling-shutdowns-at-multiple-nuclear-plants/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 12, 2015, 01:02:06 am
https://youtu.be/yiOzaLaR3XQ


VIDEO: Chris Hedges and Ralph Nader on the Complicity of Bernie Sanders

Posted on Nov 10, 2015

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/video_chris_hedges_and_ralph_nader_on_the_bernie_sanders_set-up_20151110
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 26, 2015, 05:20:40 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-261115175131.png&hash=c50125b5d320ed94926c021de4319dd5c2f15bc5)


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twinsrealm.com%2Fanimated_gifs%2Fflags%2Fpuertoricoflag_animated.gif&hash=e23b8e5fca25c7e909b8111f2f4e44f701d3eadb)
Puerto Rican flag

   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Femoticon-object-106.gif&hash=f996659d18df7f3b445e6135e884397ac91f25b1) TRANSCRIPT on what REALLY is going on in Puerto Rico, a corporate goldmine, not a welfare case, WHY, and WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

Video of the following is at link:
http://www.democracynow.org/2015/11/26/juan_gonzalez_on_how_puerto_ricos

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.


AMY GOODMAN: Could Puerto Rico become America’s Greece? That’s a question many are asking as the island is facing a devastating financial crisis and a rapidly crumbling healthcare system. Puerto Rico owes $72 billion in debt. $355 million in debt payments are due on December 1st, but it increasingly looks like the U.S. territory could default on at least some of that debt. Congress has so far failed to act on an Obama administration proposal that includes extending bankruptcy protection to Puerto Rico and more equitable Medicaid and Medicare funding for the island. Meanwhile, Puerto Rican leaders in the United States are planning a massive lobbying day in Washington in early December to spur congressional action.

Well, we turn now to a major address by Democracy Now!'s co-host Juan González. Juan is also a longtime columnist for the New York Daily News and the 2015 Andrés Bello chair in Latin American cultures and civilizations at New York University. He was just inducted this month into New York's Journalism Hall of Fame along with, among others, PBS’s Charlie Rose, Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes and Max Frankel of The New York Times. Juan is the author of several books, including Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America. Juan González spoke at New York University, his address titled "Puerto Rico’s Debt Crisis: Economic Collapse in America’s Biggest Colony and What Can Be Done About It." He gave the speech the day before the Obama administration finally unveiled its first proposal to Congress to aid the island.

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JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Tonight I will explore a subject that has been much in the news of late: the economic collapse and debt crisis that are currently convulsing the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. What do these twin catastrophes mean for the 3.5 million U.S. citizens who live on the island of Puerto Rico and for the general population right here in the United States? What should and can be done about it by political leaders in San Juan and Washington, given the toxic political divisions and gridlock in the government branches of both capitals? Needless to say, this is a complex topic, one that requires hard work to fully understand.


I’ve been studying closely for more than 40 years the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States as a journalist, as a researcher and chronicler of Latino history, as a longtime activist in the Puerto Rican communities of the United States and as someone who was born on that incredibly beautiful Caribbean island, who still has family ties there and who cares deeply about what happens to my homeland. And while I’ve written several columns this year in the Daily News and co-hosted some segments on Democracy Now! on the situation, a few hundred words in a newspaper article or a few minutes of a broadcast interview is woefully insufficient to express the magnitude of what is happening.


Don’t be misled by the one-dimensional reporting in the commercial media or even the business press. The fact is, as pointed out by several radical commentators, like Linda Backiel in Monthly Review, Ed Morales in The Nation and [Rafael] Bernabe, the former gubernatorial candidate of the small left-wing Puerto Rico workers’ party, Puerto Rico is now beset by two distinct, but closely intertwined, crises. One is fundamental stagnation of its economy, that has persisted for decades and is a direct result of its being a colony of the United States. The other is an immediate budgetary debt crisis that has been gathering steam for the past 10 years.


These two calamities have now combined to create a humanitarian catastrophe, one that is unraveling far more rapidly than most of us realize. Governor Alejandro García Padilla warned recently that his government will run out of cash by the end of November. At that point, there will be no money left in the Puerto Rican treasury to meet $354 million in debt payments that are due on December 1. This fiscal year alone, the government of Puerto Rico is staring at a $3.2 billion deficit—about 16 percent of its entire expenditures. After paying all of its operating costs, the central government projects it will have just $900 million available for $4.1 billion in debt service that comes due this year. In other words, only weeks remain to stave off a default that could reverberate throughout all of the U.S. municipal bond market.


How did this happen? The average American only became aware of this crisis in June, though Wall Street financial experts have known for years that the day of reckoning was coming. Still, corporate America was stunned when Governor García Padilla announced in a New York Times interview on June 29th and in a televised address to the people of Puerto Rico that same evening that the annual debt service on more than $72 billion in bonds that Puerto Rico and its various authorities and cities had issued over the past few decades is, quote, "no longer payable." He thus publicly acknowledged his government was on the verge of the biggest debt default and bankruptcy in the history of American municipal bonds, far bigger than what happened in Orange County decades ago or in Detroit more recently.


In the four months since Governor Padilla’s announcement, Puerto Rico has received more attention in the U.S. media and among Washington politicians than at any time in the island’s modern history. The almost daily coverage has surpassed even the last media juggernaut some 15 years ago, when massive civil disobedience protests forced the end of the U.S. Navy’s bombing practice on the island of Vieques. It should be noted, though, that Donald Trump’s verbal insults to Mexico and Mexican immigrants garnered far more attention from the press this summer than tiny Puerto Rico’s economic death spiral. So much for sound bites. It is tragic but almost routine these days, but it takes a crisis to get the American people to focus their gaze on the plight of 3.5 million of their fellow citizens, to stop viewing Puerto Rico simply through the same tired, stereotypical lens of either sun-drenched tourist destination or economic dependency and welfare basket case.


But even in the face of such a dire situation, our political leaders in Washington have done nothing about it. The Obama administration keeps talking about technical assistance to Puerto Rico, has rejected any talk of a financial bailout, and has basically done nothing to this point. Congress has even been even more cavalier, with the Republican leadership refusing to amend federal bankruptcy laws to allow Puerto Rico similar protections to restructure its debts as other states have.


We must not lose sight of a single fact, however. This crisis offers the best opportunity in decades to finally get Congress and the American people to address the question of what to do about Puerto Rico, not just in the next few months, but to resolve once and for all the issue of the island’s status. Puerto Rico is, after all, the largest overseas territory still under the sovereign control of the United States. It is the most important colonial possession in this nation’s history. I want to repeat that: Puerto Rico is the most important colony in the history of the United States.


Humane and just solutions to the current crisis will not come easily. Last week, for example, Puerto Rican leaders in the U.S. held an emergency summit in Florida to ramp up pressure on Congress and the president to provide some sort of help. Representatives Nydia Velázquez of New York and Luis Gutiérrez of Chicago spearheaded the unprecedented meeting which took place in Orlando just this past Wednesday. But the organizers of that event made an unnecessary mistake by failing to fully include supporters of Puerto Rican statehood in their event and by insisting that only the immediate problems of the island’s debt be addressed, not the long-term issue of Puerto Rico’s political status.


Well, you simply cannot devise satisfactory solutions to a major economic or social problem without having a firm understanding of how that problem came to be. Of course, concrete and immediate action is what Puerto Rico needs, and no one in his or her right mind believes that the status issue will be resolved anytime soon—certainly not in the next few months, nor in the next few years, possibly not for decades more. But to ignore how colonialism has shaped the current crisis is a gross distortion of reality and damages efforts to devise any fundamental solutions.


For those of us searching for ways to assist the vast majority of those affected by this crisis—the 99 percent of Puerto Ricans as opposed to the 1 percent of the island’s elite, who are tied to the interests of American banks and multinationals—it isn’t sufficient to simply cry colonialism or to insist that nothing can be done until the status issue is resolved. Both extremes need to be discarded. We need to dig deep, to analyze how U.S. domination of Puerto Rico has evolved over the past 20 to 30 years, how changes in the world capitalist economy have been manifested in our own homeland. It is time we acknowledge that globalization has rendered historic concepts of national independence almost meaningless. You no longer need foreign armies to control the population, when you can read everyone’s mail, tap everyone’s phone, empty a country’s coffers and paralyze its economy from afar, through satellites, instant wire transfers and simple cancellations of bank credit lines. What is needed is more creative and flexible approaches to defend small nations from foreign domination, to assert national sovereignty in an increasingly interdependent world.


So tonight I hope to provide some thoughts on how the current Puerto Rican crisis reached this point and what solutions will best serve the survival and progress of the Puerto Rican masses. To do so, I will touch briefly on the following themes: the unprecedented nature of the current debt crisis; could Puerto Rico become America’s Greece; how is the crisis directly affecting the Puerto Rican people; why 117 years of colonialism is central to understanding the crisis; why Puerto Rico is a corporate gold mine, not a welfare case; how did the island’s debt mushroom out of control; who were the creditors, and who are the debtors; how should any proposed solutions be evaluated; why sustainable energy is key to Puerto Rico’s future; and the role of Puerto Ricans in the United States.


Most attention so far has centered on the total debt the central government, its various public corporations and municipal governments owe to Wall Street and bondholders. That debt has nearly doubled in the past 10 years, from about $40 billion to $72 or $73 billion. In a letter that Standard & Poor’s issued to Puerto Rico on September 10th, the rating agency lowered the island’s credit rating to CC, one of the worst ratings possible, even lower than that of Greek bonds. Standard & Poor’s noted in its letter that the Puerto Rican government now owes bondholders $13,474 for every man, woman and child on the island—equivalent to nearly 50 percent of annual gross domestic product.


But that doesn’t begin to explain the dimensions of the problem. On top of the bond debt, Puerto Rico owes another $30 billion to its main government employees’ pension fund and unfunded liabilities. As Bloomberg News reported on September 25th, the commonwealth’s Employees Retirement System, which covers 119,000 employees as of June 2014, had just 0.7 percent of the assets needed to pay all the benefits that had been promised, a level unheard of among the U.S. states.


In 2008, a previous governor, Sila Calderón, the Sila Calderón administration, issued $2.9 billion in debt just to meet its current pension payments. They were called pension bonds. The sale was underwritten by the Swiss bank UBS, produced big conflict-laden fees for UBS, whose representatives have since been found guilty of fraud and are immersed in scores of lawsuits from bondholders who were cheated. Calderón’s successor, Governor Luis Fortuño, ended up subsequently ending all defined benefit pensions for new employees of Puerto Rico. But the cash infusion the pension funds realized from that borrowing will run out in five years, at which point the government will have to come up with another $2 billion annually to pay for pensions and for the additional debt that it took out to tide it over for these current five years, and will likely have to slash benefits to retirees even more. The pension bonds—that $2.9 billion in pension bonds—are so worthless, they are now selling for about 30 cents on the dollar, for anybody who dares to buy them. Right?


Meanwhile, the Teachers Retirement System—that’s a separate retirement system—the public school teachers’ retirement system, is only about 15 percent funded. The court’s employee system is only about 14 percent funded. That represents about another $10 billion that the government owes in unfunded liabilities to those.

AMY GOODMAN: We’ll come back to Juan González’s speech on Puerto Rico’s debt crisis in a minute.

[break]

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman, as we return to Democracy Now! co-host Juan González, his major address at New York University last month, his speech called "Puerto Rico’s Debt Crisis: Economic Collapse in America’s Biggest Colony and What Can Be Done About It." In this section, Juan begins by talking about healthcare funding in Puerto Rico.


JUAN GONZÁLEZ: In June, the federal agency in charge of Medicare and Medicaid announced that on January 1, it will slash by 11 percent its payments to 250,000 enrollees in the island’s Medicare Advantage program. Despite plans by the federal government to increase Medicare reimbursements to the 50 states by 3 percent, it’s cutting its allotment to Puerto Rico by 11 percent. The cuts will mean a loss of $300 million a year to Puerto Rico’s local government and healthcare system, a system that is already suffering because it’s been capped for decades now at only 70 percent of whatever the federal government gives per capita to other states.


The combined impact of the enormous bondholder debt, the massive unfunded pension liabilities, declining federal reimbursements for healthcare represent a perfect storm that Puerto Rico, with its shrinking economy and depression-level unemployment, cannot possibly withstand without some kind of radical restructuring of its debts in the short term and of its economy in the long term. That is why some of us have described Puerto Rico as America’s Greece. Could the island’s economic collapse and debt crisis threaten the larger economy of which it is an integral part? Most financial experts you read about dismiss the notion. But then, most discounted the possibility that the subprime mortgage crisis would spark a worldwide recession. The skeptics this time includes some prominent liberals, such as Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, who raised the outlandish idea a few months ago that Puerto Rico was simply a victim of geography. Writing in The New York Times, Krugman said, quote, "Puerto Rico may to an important extent just suffer from being a slightly hard to reach island in a time when corporations place a high premium on easy, just-in-time shipments."


In many ways, Puerto Rico is worse off than Greece, because it has even less ability to act independently than that depression-wracked nation. The normal refrain you hear in most media accounts is that Puerto Rico cannot resort to the normal protections of federal Chapter 9 bankruptcy because federal law only permits cities or public corporations within states to use Chapter 9, and since the island is not an independent country, it can’t go to the International Monetary Fund to seek some kind of a financial bailout the IMF is infamous for concocting. The island is in this atypical netherworld, they say. But very few go one step further and ask, "Why is that?" If it is neither a state nor an independent nation, what exactly is Puerto Rico? And why has such an important issue, like what happens when a government can’t pay its debts, fallen through the cracks when it comes to Puerto Rico? The answer is colonialism. The answer is Congress can make any laws it wants when it comes to Puerto Rico. And in the case of bankruptcy, it did just that.


First you have to understand, though, how this whole issue of municipal bankruptcy came about. During the Great Depression, cities in America started being unable to pay their debts. So in 1938, Congress passed legislation that created Chapter 9 bankruptcy. What that basically says, if you have a whole bunch that you owe money to and you can’t pay them, and they all come demanding, "Well, I have the collateral of this building or that revenue stream," and they all want their money, you have to have an orderly restructuring. And you need a nonpartisan person, a judge, to decide how much each of the [creditors] will get and what will be the reorganization plan. And so, this was passed by Congress in 1938 to assist cities that were beset by the impact of the Great Depression.


But from 1938, when the law was passed, until 1978, Congress had included all the territories and possessions of the United States under that law, which means Puerto Rico had bankruptcy protection from 1938 to 1978.

But then, between '78 and the early ’80s, there were other changes to the bankruptcy law. In 1984, there was an amendment inserted into the bankruptcy law by Senator Strom Thurmond, the infamous Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, and Bob Dole, who were both in the Senate at the time.

They put in—they stuck in a little-noticed provision that specifically said Chapter 9 did not apply to Puerto Rico. No reason was given. No federal policy or interest in the change was spelled out in the amendment process. By a few simple phrases in an amendment that few people noticed, Congress laid the basis for the unique situation Puerto Rico now faces: It is not only broke, there is no established legal recourse for it to get a court to decide how the many debtors will get paid or how much.

So, absent any kind of such protection, there is going to be years of litigation by different bondholders, and the government is going to have to spend millions of dollars in legal fees trying to figure it all out. And there's no—there’s no roadmap for how that will happen.


Much of this came to light when Puerto Rico tried in 2013 to create its own bankruptcy law, recognizing that it had this problem. A group of hedge funds and mutual fund managers, specifically BlueMountain Capital, Franklin Templeton and Oppenheimer, sued in U.S. district court, claiming that the federal law preempted Puerto Rico from doing that. The federal government overturned the Puerto—the federal court, the district court, overturned the Puerto Rico law earlier this year. And in July, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which is the court of appeals for Puerto Rico, upheld the nullification of the Puerto Rico law.


But even one of the judges on the appeals panel, who said, "Yes, that’s the law, Puerto Rico is prohibited from doing this," wrote a stinging opinion outlining how unfair and unjust the federal law is that prohibits Puerto Rico from using Chapter 9. That judge was Juan Torruella, who is one of the most knowledgeable jurists in the nation on the history of Puerto Rico’s status. More than 20 years ago, Torruella published one of the definitive works on the question. It’s titled The Supreme Court and Puerto Rico: The Doctrine of Separate and Unequal. I recommend it highly, if you haven’t read it.


Well, this is what Judge Torruella said in July about the case before him: "The majority’s disregard for the arbitrary and unreasonable nature of the legislation enacted in the 1984 Amendments showcases again this court’s approval of a relationship under which Puerto Rico lacks any national ... representation in both Houses of Congress and is wanting of electoral rights for the offices of President and Vice-President. ... This is clearly a colonial relationship, one which violates [the] Constitution." So you have a federal appeals court judge, who’s the most knowledgeable person, saying, "Hey, this whole bankruptcy issue is another example of colonialism at work."


Now, Senator Chuck Schumer, Representative Velázquez and other friends of Puerto Rico are trying to get Congress to allow Puerto Rico to do what it had been able to do from 1938 to 1978—have the same right as any state to use the bankruptcy laws for its municipalities. But Congress doesn’t give a damn about Puerto Rico. So Schumer is trying to do the same thing Strom Thurmond and Bob Dole did back in 1984: He’s trying to stick the provision inside some bigger bill that has to be passed, hoping that it will get through.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)

But the reason we’re going through this ridiculous exercise in the first place is that Congress has always decided the major decisions that affect Puerto Rico without the voice or the vote of the Puerto Rican people. And that is the essence of colonial domination. This time, though, it’s not just Washington that is facing scrutiny about its Puerto Rico policies. Wall Street is feeling the heat even more. And while the big financial experts keep assuring us that there’s no systemic threat of a messy Puerto Rico bankruptcy, we should not be so quick to believe it.


You have to understand why Puerto Rico bonds have been so popular on Wall Street. They are what is called "triple tax-exempt bonds."  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f) "Triple tax-exempt" means that if you have the bonds, you don’t pay—your income, you don’t pay federal taxes. You also don’t pay state and local taxes. Now, most triple tax-exempt bonds are only available to the people of a particular state. So if you buy—if you live in New York and you buy New York bonds, you have triple tax exemption. If you live in California and you buy New York bonds, you don’t have triple tax exemption. You’re exempt from federal taxes, but not from state and local taxes. So, triple tax-exempt bonds produce far more return to those who buy them than other kinds of bonds. Puerto Rico’s bonds are triple tax-exempt to anyone in the United States. So anyone, whether you’re in California or Idaho, whatever, you can buy Puerto Rico bonds, and you have triple tax-exemption. It’s another example of Puerto Rico being in this netherworld of neither a state nor an independent nation.


So the very colonial relationship allows Wall Street to take advantage and reap even bigger profits, and then Puerto Rico bonds usually pay a higher interest rate, nominal interest rate. So, for instance, the last bonds that Puerto Rico floated in March of 2014 for about $2.9 billion paid an interest rate of 8 percent. That’s a nominal interest rate. Now, you get that 8 percent interest, and now you don’t have to pay any taxes to the federal government, to the state or to the city. That’s worth like 12 percent to you. Of course everybody wanted to give Puerto Rico money to borrow, because they were making a killing off of the triple tax-exempt interest. That’s why there was so much willingness on the part of Wall Street to issue these bonds.


But I would offer a warning to those who poopah any possibility of economic contagion. The weak link of the entire U.S. municipal bond market is a group of obscure companies known in the business as "monoline insurers." They are companies that promise bondholders that if a municipality or public corporation defaults on a bond, they will pay the bondholder. Such bond insurance is what provides not only triple tax exemption, but what’s called AAA ratings. Right? Those are the safest bonds, because even if a government defaults—and they rarely do—this company has promised you you’ll get all your money anyway, because they’ve insured the bonds. There’s only a few companies, about five or six companies, that offer this insurance—MBIA, Ambac. There’s several of them—Assured Guaranty.


Well, a funny thing happened the week that Governor Alejandro García Padilla made his announcement. The stock of all of these monoline insurers plummeted. The drop actually started about a week before Alejandro García made his announcement. My surmise of that is that Wall Street had the inside information already that the announcement was about to be made, and so they immediately started selling stock in all of the monoline insurers to—because they knew these monoline insurers, if Puerto Rico suddenly defaults on all this money, they don’t have the money to pay the insurance that all the bondholders will demand on them. And at that point, then the entire municipal bond market of the United States will be threatened, because there’s only a few of these companies, and all triple tax—all AAA-rated bonds will suddenly be suspect. So that’s the Achilles’ heel of the municipal bond market that’s at stake, that they don’t want to talk about too much, but you should keep your eye on as the weeks and months move ahead.


Now, what does all of this mean for the people of Puerto Rico? The island has now been in economic decline for the past 10 years, with its gross national product declining by 13 percent. And as the economy has declined, government debt to pay for basic services has increased. Puerto Ricans now pay the highest electricity rates in the United States, the highest sales tax rate in the United States. It was raised from 7 percent to 11 percent just on July 1, the sales tax. They have the highest unemployment rate in the United States.


They’re saddled with a higher cost for many consumer goods as a result of the Jones Act shipping restrictions that require all ships that bring any produce—any goods into and out of Puerto Rico must be on U.S.-constructed ships, U.S.-flagged ships and U.S.-manned ships. That alone—because the rest of the world is using Liberian and Panamanian freighters and is using Greek and Cypriot crews and has much lower labor costs, that alone costs Puerto Rico $567 million a year in extra costs for all of its goods. Now, again, this is a decision of Congress, because only a few miles away, another U.S. territory, the Virgin Islands, was exempted, waived from the Jones Act. So Congress decided to waive the Jones Act for the Virgin Islands, but not waive it for Puerto Rico. These are arbitrary decisions made by a body that does not have any responsiveness to the people that it affects.


Workforce participation rates—we heard a lot about that—are hovering at around 45 percent, as if the Puerto Rican people don’t want to work. Well, if you’ve been subjected to depression-level unemployment rates for 20, 30 years, you don’t think that’s going to have an impact on the workforce participation rate? Crime rates in Puerto Rico are among the highest in the country.


All this has predictably created massive flight from the island and population decline. Population decline. Now, Puerto Ricans are still having babies, so obviously people are fleeing. The estimates now are 50,000 a year. That’s a thousand people a week are leaving Puerto Rico. And this is going to increase as the crisis continues. The flight has led to an unparalleled housing crisis—quite the opposite of New York. The Puerto Rico Planning Board estimates that there are 1.4 million housing units on the island, of which only 861,000 have occupants. That means that one-third of all the housing in Puerto Rico is empty—is empty—because there’s been an overbuilding of housing, and then the housing economy never recovered. And the average prices, of course, of housing are plummeting, which means that the asset values of Puerto Ricans who have these houses have also been declining.


Even before this latest crisis, Governor Luis Fortuño instituted a massive austerity program. In 2009, he laid off 30,000 government workers despite a massive general strike. In 2013, he privatized Luis Muñoz Marín Airport and the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge and the toll highways. He gutted the pension system and raised the retirement age to 67. And the benefits that people now get will depend on their contributions, not on investment returns. They took—they reduced Christmas bonuses from $600 to $200. You know, they increased employee contributions to 10 percent. These are all the austerity measures that have already been taken, before this current crisis.


Ask yourself, could all of this austerity be implemented—how could all this austerity be implemented in a territory that is already the poorest in the union? Why would Congress and the American people continue to ignore a situation in Puerto Rico where depression-level unemployment has been the norm for decades?


You can’t understand why unless you grasp how colonialism had developed in Puerto Rico. Ever since the U.S. occupied and grabbed the island in 1898 during the Spanish-American War, Washington and our corporations have dictated the rules of the game for the island’s inhabitants and used Puerto Rico as a source of wealth. This was made possible by a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions back in the 1900s that gave legal cover to the U.S. holding of a colonial empire. In one of—they’re called the "Insular" decisions. And that’s what Judge Torruella writes a lot about. One of those decisions, Downes v. Bidwell, for instance, Justice Edward White ruled that only those parts of the Constitution apply in U.S. territorial possessions that Congress chooses to apply. Puerto Rico, White concluded, belonged to but was not part of the United States. That was, in essence, the legal defense of a colonial empire, that you could have territories that belonged to you, but were not a part of your nation. Ever since the Insular Cases, all major decisions involving the island have been dependent on acts of Congress.


But don’t take my word for it. Listen to Harry Truman. I’m going to play a couple of minutes from the Harvest of Empire tape about this, the first early period—because I’ve divided the colonial development of Puerto Rico into three phases. This is my analysis; other people may do it a little differently. But there were three phases of U.S. colonial domination of the island. The first phase I will call the classic phase, where the United States sought only to extract resources, and largely sugar.




MARTÍN ESPADA: The strange case of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico was taken as a prize of war, Spanish-American War of 1898, along with Cuba and the Philippines. Cuba and the Philippines were gradually released by the United States. Puerto Rico was not. When the United States took over Puerto Rico, so did four North American sugar companies. That’s what it was all about: sugar.


PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN: Puerto Rico almost blew apart because of the selfish sugar landowners. They owned tremendous tracts of land in Puerto Rico, which they devoted entirely to sugar, then worked these poor people for a dollar a day or 50 cents, if they could get them for that. And they’d rather see those people starve. I don’t mean to imply that we were in any way cruel to the Puerto Ricans, but there is another kind of cruelty. That’s indifference—indifference and neglect.



JUAN GONZALEZ: That was President Truman, in his own words, talking about this first classic phase of colonialism.


But then, as a result of popular uprisings, the National Party, all the labor strikes as a result of the end of World War II and the anticolonial movements in the world, the United States came up with a new policy, helped by the popular party of Puerto Rico—the industrial phase of exploitation. That depended largely on cheap labor, offshore manufacturing centers through the New Deal’s Operation Bootstrap, and corporate tax havens, known as the Section 936 benefit; deliberate mass migration of unskilled workers to the United States; a limited form of self-government and cultural autonomy by creating the Estado Libre Asociado, returning the Spanish language to the public schools, allowing Puerto Ricans to elect their own governors, but still all under the control of Congress; and a social democratic labor policy—Pan, Tierra, y Libertad—that was meant to defuse the revolutionary movements in Latin America and establish the showcase of the Caribbean. It was also marked by the building of a string of military bases as a bulwark of the Cold War.


In its early years, the dual policies of industrialization and mass immigration did improve conditions in Puerto Rico. Combined with the carrot-and-stick approach of granting limited self-government, returning the use of Spanish and overtly pro-labor policies, the commonwealth’s first social democratic governor, Luis Muñoz Marín, did co-opt and deflect much of the nationalist, independence and radical labor movements that had spread in the 1930s. And combined with the infamous Ley de La Mordaza that criminalized any independence activities, this new form of disguised colonialism ushered in limited prosperity.


But the miracle evaporated quickly. Annual growth rates dropped from an average of 6 percent during the 1950s to 4 percent in the 1970s, and they were stagnant throughout the 1980s. By then, Puerto Rico had become the most profitable entity in the world for U.S. corporations. The cheap labor model, though, started finding greener pastures in China, in Bangladesh, in Mexico, in Vietnam, as they offered even cheaper labor. And so, then, in 2006, Congress began to phase out the last federal tax loophole for island manufacturers. It actually started in 1996—and this is a fascinating story.


In 1996, Bill Clinton was trying to run for re-election. He wanted to raise the federal minimum wage. He needed the support of the Republicans in Congress, who were then led by Newt Gingrich, and they controlled the House. So, he had to cut a deal with Newt Gingrich to be able to raise the minimum wage. The deal that they cut was that Gingrich would demand $7 billion in tax credits for small businesses to make up for the fact that they would now have to increase the minimum wage. Clinton agreed. Where did the $7 billion come from? It came from the tax credits that had previously been granted to corporations in Puerto Rico under the Section 936. But they didn’t do it all at once. They phased it out over 10 years. So they started in ’96, and by 2006 the credits were phased out. And as soon as they were all phased out, the companies split. Right? All of the big—the manufacturing jobs, the pharmaceutical jobs left the island. And that has been the beginning of this new phase of colonialism in Puerto Rico, which I call the "uber colonialism phase."


The uber colonialism phase is one marked not by resource extraction, not by cheap-labored industrialization, but by finance capital. The financial system decided, "OK, you don’t have—you structurally don’t have the money, the way this thing is set up to keep running, so we’re just going to keep lending you money." That’s why you had the explosion of debt, and that’s why you have now the peddling of massive bonds. But, of course, when the bills come due, then the bankers say, "Well, you’re just going to have to tighten your belts, you’re just going to have to reduce spending, because you still have to pay us first. So you have to keep reducing spending." And so, that is the phase that Puerto Rico is now in, this new phase of finance domination of its economy.


And now, we keep hearing that Puerto Rico is in bad shape, that it’s requiring all this federal money. Well, the next slide is the most important one for you to remember. It’s what’s called the gap   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605)between GNP and GDP. Right?

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-261115175318.png&hash=863bb5c19e520bdd698a24b3f0f745053c524909)

What does that mean? You know, OK, gross domestic product is the value of all the goods produced in your country, in a particular area. That’s the gross domestic product. GNP is the value of all the goods produced in your country that stay in your country—that stay in your country. So the gap between GDP and GNP is a perfect chart of all the money that is leaving Puerto Rico in the form of profits, largely, overwhelmingly, for American corporations.

AMY GOODMAN: Juan González on Puerto Rico’s debt crisis. We’ll come back to the conclusion of his speech, as Juan talks about uber colonialism, in a minute.

[break]

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report, as we return to Democracy Now! co-host Juan González in this major address at New York University about "Puerto Rico’s Debt Crisis," what he calls "Economic Collapse in America’s Biggest Colony and What Can Be Done About It."


JUAN GONZÁLEZ: In 2010, $33 billion of wealth produced by the Puerto Rican people left the island in just one year—in just one year. The total debt of the island is $72 billion, but $33 billion is being siphoned every year from Puerto Rico in the profits of the multinational corporations that comes back to the United States. So that is—that is the key to understand.


Puerto Rico has always been a gold mine; this is not—this is not something new.
Between 1960 and 1976, tiny Puerto Rico catapulted from sixth to first in Latin America for total U.S. direct investment, with island workers registering some of the highest productivity levels in the world.

The results were levels unheard of—of profits unheard of at home. By 1976, Puerto Rico accounted for 40 percent of all U.S. profits in Latin America, more than the combined earnings of all the U.S. subsidiaries in Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela combined. That was in 1976.

By then, several multinationals were reporting a quarter of all their worldwide profits were coming from tiny Puerto Rico. From its 4,000 workers in Puerto Rico alone, Johnson & Johnson saved $1 billion in federal taxes between 1980 and 1990; SmithKlein, $987 million; Merck & Company, $749 million; Bristol-Myers Squibb, $627 million. One federal study concluded that each pharmaceutical worker in Puerto Rico produced $1.5 million in value for his or her employer in 2002. Now, they were getting paid maybe $15,000, $20,000, $30,000 back in 2002. They were producing $1.5 million in value for their employers, and all that money was going to the United States. What has actually been happening in Puerto Rico for decades is that corporate America has been raping its most valuable product—human labor.

So how did the island’s debt mushroom out of control?  ???  As I said, Wall Street was eager, with the triple tax-exempt, AAA-rated, high-interest, big returns to press for—oh, one last slide I meant to—this is a comparison of GNP and—of the gap between GDP and GNP as a percentage of your economy. Notice Puerto Rico almost—oh, here, in this one, 52 percent of all the wealth created by Puerto Rico is leaving—right, is leaving—compared to all the other countries you see. Obviously, the United States is in negative.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-261115175723.png&hash=1fe2baea1f30564d2742f2af434606c0d065ff21)

There’s more wealth—it’s producing more GNP. But look at all the others, and look at Puerto Rico, in terms of the gap between GNP and GDP.




So, what is this $72 billion in debt? How did it come about? Well, this is a summary of some of the biggest, because there are many kinds of bonds, it’s a complicated situation, all kinds of interests. But the commonwealth owes about $13 billion in general obligation bonds. They created all kinds of other corporations that have separate revenue that then pay separate bonds. So, the other big one is PREPA. That’s the gold—that’s the Crown Jewels of Puerto Rico, is the electric company, PREPA. And it has about $8.3 billion in bonds. Then, the Government Development Bank, the Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority, which has obviously toll revenue, and its toll revenue is pledged to pay off those bonds. The Aqueducts and Sewer Authority has—that’s the water, so that water is pledged, the water revenue. Everything in Puerto Rico is already pledged on certain bonds to pay those back before anything else happens. And there are the pension obligation bonds that I mentioned to you before, the $2.9 billion in pension obligation bonds. These are only some. Then there’s a bunch of municipalities have their own bonds. And there’s other—the convention center has its bonds. Everything in Puerto Rico is bonded and is owed to someone—to someone outside the country.


What do the hedge funds have to do with it? Well, the bond—the mutual bond companies, like Oppenheimer and Franklin Templeton, they’re in your 401(k), they’re in government pensions, funds all across the country of huge companies. They’ve been buying a lot of Puerto Rico bonds for the returns. But they bought the bonds when they were at $100—in other words, at par, what they call par. So they were issued $100, and they bought them then. You saw how the pension bonds went from $100 to 32 cents on the—you know, 32 cents on the dollar. Well, as the financial situation in Puerto Rico declined, the value of the bonds dropped dramatically on Wall Street, and that’s when the hedge funds swoop in. The hedge funds swoop in, and they buy the bonds from Oppenheimer or Franklin Templeton or an individual bondholder who has them and says, "OK, these bonds are worthless. They’re selling now for 32 cents on the dollar. I’ll give you 60 cents on the dollar. You make—you know, you get some of your loss back. But then I’ll own the bonds." And that’s what the hedge funds do. They swoop in in times of distress, grab the bonds at discounted rates, but then they want to get paid the full 100 percent. Right? So, because if they do that, or even now with PREPA, the bondholders have offered Puerto Rico a deal. They said, "OK, we won’t insist on 100 percent. We’ll take 85 percent. We’ll take 85 cents on the dollar." So if one big hedge fund holds out and says, "No, that’s not enough money," they can paralyze the entire situation. That’s why you need bankruptcy protection, to prevent the vulture funds from holding the entire process of settlements up.


And so, how do progressives and all people of goodwill who are concerned about Puerto Rico’s future maneuver during the next few weeks and months? How do we figure out what needs to be done? And more importantly, what could be done, given the political gridlock in Washington and the deep party divisions in Puerto Rico?


First, there is a need to disseminate a clear narrative on the roots of the crisis in colonialism, not in Puerto Ricans being inept, lazy or seeking a handout.


Second, we should unite with all those who say that if Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, they must be treated in equal fashion when it comes to federal grants, Medicaid, Medicare, bankruptcy laws. And that includes ending the discriminatory requirements of the Jones Act shipping laws. And if Congress refuses to change the bankruptcy laws, we should urge the Puerto Rican government to stop paying the debt. The refusal to pay debt service is the greatest leverage Puerto Rico has. And like President Obama with his military options, it should not be discarded.


Third, we should oppose debt restructuring that seeks greater austerity, lower wages or working conditions on the island, while preserving debt payments for bondholders.


And fourth,
we should support economic efforts that promote and defend Puerto Rican sovereignty. While we should never stop insisting that only a final resolution to the status question can bring a healthy economy—can make a healthy economy possible, we also should not get stuck on that this has to be resolved now, because we all know it’s not going to be resolved now.


Last thing I want to address is why sustainable energy is so important to the solution of Puerto Rico’s problems. I mentioned to you PREPA, right, the Puerto Rico electric company. The reason that Puerto Rico has such high electric bills is that almost all of its electrical capacity is funded through oil. Its generating plants are all run by oil, and all of its oil is imported.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)  So you have the additional costs of importing oil, and you have the enormous extra costs that Puerto Ricans have to pay for that electricity.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)


The hedge funds, who are now trying to negotiate  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c) their separate voluntary deal with the Puerto Rican government, have a plan.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400)  If they gain control, they want to switch Puerto Rico from oil to natural gas.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) They want to create liquefied natural gas ports. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F126fs2277341.gif&hash=1a8375f11d76a653bcb48e30eaa7b652175f029d) They’re already building one in the south of Puerto Rico. And they want to then import natural gas, which still requires the importation on an annual basis of the fuel that provides your electricity, and it’s also a fossil fuel.   So it does nothing to help the situation with the environment.


The leading environmentalists in Puerto Rico say that this crisis should be used as an opportunity to totally restructure the way that Puerto Ricans get electricity, through sustainable energy. There are two—there are actually two sources of sustainable energy that Puerto Rico has immense quantities of: sun and wind. The trade winds are always blowing in Puerto Rico, and the sun is almost always shining.

And once you build the structure to capture solar energy and wind energy, you no longer have to pay an annual fee to bring in the product to run your electrical plant.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F47b20s0.gif&hash=cc48c9af9d29b8836023c7db21103e52d1ed439e) It’s a sustainable energy. In addition—in addition to that, there is energy efficiency, which has never been done in Puerto Rico, which also produces enormous energy audits of homes, educating the population, can dramatically lower the electrical bills. So, of all the potentials, that is so obvious, the biggest potential is not to let the hedge funds and the bondholders implement their natural gas plan, and get the Puerto Rican government and the people of Puerto Rico behind sustainable energy. And not only will it help the planet, it will reduce the costs of the economy of Puerto Rico dramatically.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)



So, what’s the role of Puerto Ricans in the United States? And I’m going to end with this. As I said earlier, more than 50,000 are fleeing the island’s collapsing economy every year and heading to the U.S. mainland, with the bulk of them settling in Florida. But unlike migrants from other countries, they’re already U.S. citizens and eligible to vote as soon as they arrive. "We’re planning to register 200,000 more Florida Puerto Ricans in the next six months," one labor leader who attended Wednesday’s summit told me. "Then we’ll see if they ignore us." This is why it’s so important to mobilize the Puerto Rican diaspora, because the majority of Puerto Ricans now live in the United States, and don’t live in Puerto Rico. You know? And that’s going to continue to be the case, so that the issue is one that—I believe it’s possible to unite all Puerto Ricans to demand fair and equal treatment, because after 117 years of colonialism and after 98 years of being official U.S. citizens, most Puerto Ricans are fed up with being ignored, dismissed and forgotten by the politicians in Washington.    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Ftuzki-bunnys%2Ftuzki-bunny-emoticon-028.gif&hash=24570cb7e8246617010ce900a07bc85117ff78ca)They don’t want handouts. They want respect. They want dignity. And they want to be appreciated for the enormous contributions they’ve made to American prosperity. And this time, if they don’t get it, the entire American economy could feel the effects. And I think that one of the key issues has to be that the Puerto Rican community in this country has to start dogging the political candidates wherever they go, of both parties, to insist that they take clear stands on what they’re going to do about a crisis that’s not going away. It’s only going to get worse. And the more that action is postponed, the worse the crisis is going to become. So that’s why the Puerto Ricans in the United States have an important role to play in achieving some kind of a measured, humane and farsighted response from the elected representatives in Congress.

AMY GOODMAN: Juan González, speaking in October at New York University about Puerto Rico’s debt crisis. Juan is Democracy Now! co-host, longtime columnist at the New York Daily News.

http://www.democracynow.org/2015/11/26/juan_gonzalez_on_how_puerto_ricos
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 09, 2015, 04:09:39 pm
War & Climate Change: Jeremy Corbyn on the Brutal Quest for Oil & the Need for a Sustainable Planet: VIDEO

http://www.democracynow.org/2015/12/8/war_climate_change_jeremy_corbyn_on?autostart=true (http://www.democracynow.org/2015/12/8/war_climate_change_jeremy_corbyn_on?autostart=true)

I enjoyed that, even if it wasn't much more than a sound bite.

 I listened to some Indian woman on NPR call the US out for overconsumption. We consume on average (as Americans) something like 35X  a day more electricity here than an Indian does.

I suggest you look at the consumption of the 158 families that ensure the rest of us use more than 35X a day what a native American uses. Follow the money and the apparent "contradictions" about our "irrational" energy waste are cleared up, Eddie. The other day you said a teacher taught you that the USA is an oligarchy. You said it's not the "ism" that ails us, but the oligarchs. I agree.

VIDEO: Look Who’s Buying American Democracy

Posted on Dec 8, 2015 By Robert Reich


https://youtu.be/f7Amf7-SYNk
[/center]

This post originally ran on Robert Reich’s website.

According to an investigation by the New York Times, half of all the money contributed so far to Democratic and Republican presidential candidates—$176 million—has come from just 158 families, along with the companies they own or control.


Who are these people?  They’re almost entirely white, rich, older and male—even though America is becoming increasingly black and brown, young, female, and with declining household incomes.

According to the report, most of these big contributors live in exclusive neighborhoods where they have private security guards instead of public police officers, private health facilities rather than public parks and pools.

Most send their kids and grand kids to elite private schools rather than public schools. They fly in private jets and get driven in private limousines rather than rely on public transportation.

They don’t have to worry about whether Social Security or Medicare will be there for them in their retirement because they’ve put away huge fortunes. They don’t have to worry about climate change because they don’t live in flimsy homes that might collapse in a hurricane, or where water is scarce, or food supplies endangered.

It’s doubtful that most of these 158 are contributing to these campaigns out of the goodness of their hearts or a sense of public responsibility. They&rrsquo;re largely making investments, just the way they make other investments.

And the success of these investments depends on whether their candidates get elected, and will lower their taxes even further, expand tax loopholes, shred health and safety and environmental regulations so their companies can make even more money, and cut Social Security and Medicare and programs for the poor—and thereby allow these 158 and others like them to secede even more from the rest of our society.

These people are, after all, are living in their own separate society,
and they want to elect people who will represent them, not the rest of us.

How much more evidence do we need that our system is in crisis? How long before we make it work for all of us instead of a handful at the top? We must not let them buy our democracy. We must get big money out of politics. Publicly-finance political campaigns, disclose all sources of campaign funds, and reverse “Citizens United.”

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/video_look_whos_buying_american_democracy_20151208
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 09, 2015, 08:29:44 pm
Watched it. Great video, and good on Robert Reich.

However, I can't get too enthused, because people in general seem completely oblivious to what's going on. Some of us have been making this same essential complaint for thirty years or more, and it's gotten worse instead of better. Much worse in fact. But maybe there's a critical mass that will be reached at some point, and substantive change will occur. It can't happen soon enough.

This kind of erosion of the political process over my lifetime is part of the reason I'm a doomer.

Well, your reasoning is sound. But that doesn't mean the truth isn't out there. I believe more and more people recognize it. And now the biosphere is at stake, not simply human greed based power structures that DO what they DO.

Senator Sanders has come up with a detailed proposal. It's not as good as the Hansen plan but, if it can be pushed through, it will be VERY BAD NEWS for the oligarchs, even if it may be too late for the biosphere.

Here's the deal, Eddie: We have a system that REdistributes income out of the poor and middle class up to the elite profit over planet oligarchs. This IS income redistribution. It IS what that Thatcher bit ch that you quoted flipped on its head when she criticized socialism because you "eventually run out of other people's money". That was BS when she said it and it's bullsh it now.  THEY are the parasites, not the "masses" so often demonized by those very parasites that own the media outlets.

That means that we HAVE TOO REDISTRIBUTE their THEFT BACK to the people. You don't seem to think that is 
1) A good idea (based on Thatcher's quote).
2) Doable
3) Practical.

I will tell you that, if it is not done, then yeah, it's game over. Right now, for example, we use TWICE the energy to do EXACTLY THE SAME SH IT in our daily living that Europeans do. Their quality of life is as good or better than ours.

 The ONLY reason that is so is because the oligarchs want it that way for their profits. All the BULLSH IT I have read HERE from several doomers about how "difficult" it is to do this or that in order to lower energy use ALWAYS ignores that. This is NOT now, or ever was, about THERMODYNAMICS! It's about elite PIGGERY through FORCED REDISTRIBUTION of income from the poor and middle class to the elite oligarchs, PERIOD.

But most people here FLAT REFUSE to frame the argument properly or accept reality because it clashes with their ideology or their egocentrism, depending on what mood they are in that day.  ::)

Hansen's plan PAYS people like you and me for NOT using energy, like the farmers that are paid to not grow crops. Hansen's plan PUNISHES ANYONE that exceeds a certain carbon footprint with fees and fines. The best part is that Hansen's plan DOES NOT allow the gooberment to keep 40% of those fees, like the Sanders plan does. Hansen's plan has the money go STRAIGHT TO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT each month, and NOT as TAXABLE income!

So, we know the oligarchs and other pigs that like to fly in jets and have giant carbon footprints DO NOT WANT Hansen's plan. They will claim it is "socialist". NO WAY! It is JUSTICE!

Sanders' plan is not as good, but it just MIGHT save our asses. So, I will support it. If you don't, because you insist on clinging to Thatcher's quote, then I believe you are being unreasonable and illogical.

If you state that Sanders' plan will "never fly" because of the power of the oligarchy, then I will agree that you are being reasonably pessimistic.

Yes, we may very well be doomed. But as Kevin Anderson says, doing nothing guarantees our doom.

"... the reason we haven’t solved climate change isn’t because we aren’t doing our part, ..." (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)

Quote

Right now, we have an energy policy that is rigged to boost the profits of big oil companies like Exxon, BP, and Shell at the expense of average Americans. CEO’s are raking in record profits while climate change ravages our planet and our people — all because the wealthiest industry in the history of our planet has bribed politicians into complacency in the face of climate change. Enough is enough. It’s time for a political revolution that takes on the fossil fuel billionaires, accelerates our transition to clean energy, and finally puts people before the profits of polluters.

                                                                         Senator Bernie Sanders

The Problem

Climate change is the single greatest threat facing our planet. The debate is over, and the scientific jury is in: global climate change is real, it is caused mainly by emissions released from burning fossil fuels and it poses a catastrophic threat to the long-term longevity of our planet. If we do nothing, the planet will heat up five to ten degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century. That would cause enough sea level rise from melting glaciers to put cities like New York and Miami underwater – along with more frequent asthma attacks, higher food prices, insufficient drinking water and more infectious diseases.

But this isn’t just a problem for the future – the impacts of climate change are apparent here and now. Whether it’s more intense forest fires on the West Coast, or more frequent hurricanes in the Gulf Coast, or damaging flash floods in California, climate change is here and it’s already causing devastating human suffering. The worst part is this: people who live in low-income and minority communities will bear the most severe consequences of society’s addiction to fossil fuels.

This is every kind of issue all at once: the financial cost of climate change makes it an economic issue, its effect on clean air and water quality make it a public health problem, its role in exacerbating global conflict and terrorism makes it a national security challenge and its disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities and on our children and grandchildren make acting on climate change a moral obligation. We have got to solve this problem before it’s too late.

Why Haven’t We Solved it Yet?


Solving this should be straightforward. After all, the majority of Americans understand the seriousness of climate change, and they demand action. 97 percent of scientists agree about the urgent need to act and the vocal minority who don’t are bought and paid for by the fossil fuel industry. More and more countries around the world are beginning to do their part, by stepping up to significantly curb their use of fossil fuels to become part of the solution. If our democracy worked the way it’s supposed to, that would be enough – the debate would be over, the facts would be heard and lawmakers would obey the will of the people.

But that’s where the billionaire class comes in. Instead of engaging on this issue in good faith and allowing democracy to play out, executives and lobbyists for coal, oil, and gas companies have blocked every attempt to make progress on climate change, and thrown unprecedented amounts of money at elected officials to buy their loyalty. Recent reporting even shows that executives at Exxon pioneered the research on climate change before anyone else did, but may have deliberately lied about it to spread disinformation and confusion to protect their bottom line. It’s eerily reminiscent of the fight over tobacco regulation, when executives from the tobacco companies repeatedly testified before Congress that cigarettes don’t cause cancer. Recently leaked internal documents show that even they knew they were lying.

Let’s be clear: the reason we haven’t solved climate change isn’t because we aren’t doing our part, it’s because a small subsection of the one percent are hell-bent on doing everything in their power to block action. Sadly, they have deliberately chosen to put their profits ahead of the health of our people and planet.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Freading.gif&hash=63e3e644b39258d4c4eedbcdaf322315b1856723)

Senator Sanders: Combating Climate Change to Save the Biosphere (https://berniesanders.com/issues/climate-change/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 10, 2015, 04:11:07 pm
Doubtful we'd ever get the chance to vote for a Sanders, given the way our system works. The only two candidates that offer anything that seems the least bit sensible are Sanders on the liberal side, and Paul on the conservative side. There are things about each of them that would make me have to hold my nose while I pulled the lever to vote for either one, but I would consider it.

All the other candidates fill me with fear and loathing. Every one of them is a tool of the elites. So one of them is the only choice i expect to be given at the polls.

Well, maybe Trump is not a tool of the elites...but he is an elite, as much as he pretends to be a man of the people. He's in a special class of heightened fear and loathing...as in, if he's elected, it's time to call Doug Casey and ask about condos in Uruguay.

You mean, how THEIR system works, right? If you still labor under the view that it is "our" system, you are woefully optimistic. OUR system, Eddie, does NOT work because it is dysfunctional by design.

Pondering the mere possibility that Trump is not a tool of the elite is 180 degrees out of phase. Trump is their representative and member in good standing.

And at the rate things are deteriorating, you soon will not have to hold your nose to "vote" (LOL!) for tweedledee or tweedledum.

Meanwhile, those fine credentialed University folks you and MKing so admire are doing what they do to preserve the fossil fuel government/Wall Street empathy deficit disordered SYSTEM that Trump represents.

Trump is an "independent" who is so "rational" that he gets offended at oceanic wind turbines because they  "ruin" the view for golfers at his Scottish golf course. Shame on him for pretending he is anything but an empathy deficit disordered demagogue.

All the noise he is making now is part of the campaign to KEEP COP21 OFF THE NEWS with hysteria about 'airab terrists' until next week. They started it in November. After COP21 is over, ALL OF A SUDDEN, Trump will start sounding quite conciliatory and the whole Muslim thing will not be mentioned again in the media until after Christmas shopping consumption has been boosted and some profits from stupid people buying stuff they don't need to feed a machine that kills other people and animals on the planet have been pocketed - sometime in early January 2016. It's all a murderous facade, Eddie.

Uruguay is nearly at 100% renewable energy so it is probably a good choice (until the fascist fossil fuel government decides to "make an example" of them by engaging in sabotage, bombing or some other excuse to terrorize them by branding them as "terrorist").    :P

Greenpeace Sting Exposes Academics Hired as Climate-Change Deniers

Posted on Dec 9, 2015

By Deirdre Fulton / Common Dreams

As climate change deniers face growing scrutiny and skepticism, a new undercover investigation by the environmental group Greenpeace shines new light on academics-for-hire, who are willing to accept secret payments from fossil fuel companies to sow doubt about global warming.

The sting operation publicized Tuesday involved two Greenpeace UK employees posing as representatives of oil and coal companies, and asking U.S. academics to write papers touting the benefits of rising carbon dioxide levels and the benefits of coal use in developing countries.

Professors from Penn State and Princeton University “agreed to write the reports and said they did not need to disclose the source of the funding,” according to reporting by Greenpeace Energydesk, a journalistic arm of the international environmental organization.

Energydesk reporters Lawrence Carter and Maeve McClenaghan continue:

Citing industry-funded documents—including testimony to state hearings and newspaper articles—Professor Frank Clemente of Penn State said: “In none of these cases is the sponsor identified. All my work is published as an independent scholar.”

Leading climate-sceptic academic, Professor William Happer, agreed to write a report for a Middle Eastern oil company on the benefits of CO2 and to allow the firm to keep the source of the funding secret.

Among the exposé‘s other findings:

- US coal giant Peabody Energy also paid tens of thousands of dollars to an academic who produced coal-friendly research and provided testimony at state and federal climate hearings, the amount of which was never revealed.

- The Donors Trust, an organization that has been described as the “dark money ATM” of the US conservative movement, confirmed in a taped conversation with an undercover reporter that it could anonymously channel money from a fictional Middle Eastern oil and gas company to U.S. climate septic organizations.

- Princeton professor William Happer laid out details of an unofficial peer review process run by the Global Warming Policy Foundation, a UK climate skeptic think tank, and said he could ask to put an oil-funded report through a similar review process, after admitting that it would struggle to be published in an academic journal.

- A recent report by the GWPF that had been through the same unofficial peer review process, was promoted as “thoroughly peer-reviewed” by influential columnist Matt Ridley—a senior figure in the organization.

Happer, the Princeton professor, was invited to speak on Tuesday before the U.S. Senate at a ‘Data or Dogma’   ;) panel organized by GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz. Greenpeace investigator Jesse Coleman cornered him there to ask about the revelations.

Watch the video below: (at link)

Late last month, Happer—who has said “more CO2 would benefit the world”—appeared at a climate skeptic summit in Texas, Energydesk reports. There, he defended CO2 production saying: “Our breath is not that different from a power plant.” He went on to say, “If plants could vote, they would vote for coal.”

As Carter and McClenaghan point out, the Greenpeace investigation follows recent reports showing fossil fuel companies burying the truth about climate change, while funding spurious research to cast doubt on the scientific consensus and make it “difficult for ordinary Americans to even know who to trust.” 

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/greenpeace_sting_exposes_climate-denying_academics-for-hire_20151209 (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/greenpeace_sting_exposes_climate-denying_academics-for-hire_20151209)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 30, 2015, 10:44:44 pm
https://youtu.be/XVUXK1TsxWQ


USDA Whistleblower Accuses Agency of Censorship of Pesticide Research

Maryam Henein, HoneyColony | December 29, 2015 12:22 pm

 http://ecowatch.com/2015/12/29/jonathan-lundgren-usda/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 31, 2016, 08:24:43 pm
Hillary’s Corporate Democrats Taking Down Bernie Sanders (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil19.gif&hash=6eeb0dbc471743691793f5130640fdcbd1f77b5c)

Posted on Jan 30, 2016 By Ralph Nader
 
This piece originally ran on Ralph Nader’s blog.

Before announcing for President in the Democratic Primaries, Bernie Sanders told the people he would not run as an Independent and be like Nader- invoking the politically-bigoted words “being a spoiler.” Well, the spoiled corporate Democrats in Congress and their consultants are mounting a “stop Bernie campaign.” They believe he’ll “spoil” their election prospects.

Sorry Bernie, because anybody who challenges the positions of the corporatist, militaristic, Wall Street-funded Democrats, led by Hillary Clinton, in the House and Senate—is by their twisted definition, a “spoiler.” It doesn’t matter how many of Bernie’s positions are representative of what a majority of the American people want for their country.

What comes around goes around. Despite running a clean campaign, funded by small donors averaging $27, with no scandals in his past and with consistency throughout his decades of standing up for the working and unemployed people of this country, Sanders is about to be Hillaried. Her Capitol Hill cronies have dispatched Congressional teams to Iowa.
 
The shunning of Bernie Sanders is underway. Did you see him standing alone during the crowded State of the Union gathering?

Many of the large unions, that Bernie has championed for decades, have endorsed Hillary, known for her job-destroying support for NAFTA and the World Trade Organization and her very late involvement in working toward a minimum wage increase.

National Nurses United, one of the few unions endorsing Bernie, is not fooled by Hillary’s sudden anti-Wall Street rhetoric in Iowa. They view Hillary Clinton, the Wall Street servant (and speechifier at $5000 a minute) with disgust.

Candidate Clinton’s latest preposterous pledge is to “crack down” on the “greed” of corporations and declare that Wall Street bosses are opposing her because they realize she will “come right after them.”

Because Sanders is not prone to self-congratulation, few people know that he receives the highest Senatorial approval rating and the lowest disapproval rating from his Vermonters than any Senator receives from his or her constituents. This peak support for a self-avowed “democratic socialist,” comes from a state once known for its rock-ribbed conservative Republican traditions.

Minority House Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)
has unleashed her supine followers to start wounding and depreciating Sanders. Pelosi acolyte Adam Schiff (D. California)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__burp.gif&hash=8ff3ef6c016d8baf5f61ed5e8db58f069b64da00) tells the media he doubts Sanders’s electability and he could have “very significant downstream consequences in House and Senate races.”

Mr. Schiff somehow ignores that the House and Senate Democratic leadership repeatedly could not defend the country from the worst Republican Party in history, whose dozens of anti-human, pro-big business votes should have toppled many GOP candidates. Instead, Nancy Pelosi has led the House Democrats to three straight calamitous losses (2010, 2012, 2014) to the Republicans, for whom public cruelties toward the powerless is a matter of principle.

Pelosi threw her own poisoned darts at Sanders, debunking his far more life-saving, efficient, and comprehensive, full Medicare-for-all plan with free choice of doctor and hospital with the knowingly misleading comment “We’re not running on any platform of raising taxes.” Presumably that includes continuing the Democratic Party’s practice of letting Wall Street, the global companies and the super-wealthy continue to get away with their profitable tax escapes.

Pelosi doesn’t expect the Democrats to make gains in the House of Representatives in 2016. But she has managed to hold on to her post long enough to help elect Hillary Clinton—no matter what Clinton’s record as a committed corporatist toady and a disastrous militarist (e.g., Iraq and the War on Libya) has been over the years.

For Pelosi it’s bring on the ‘old girls club,’ it’s our turn. The plutocracy and the oligarchy running this country into the ground have no worries. The genders of the actors are different, but the monied interests maintain their corporate state and hand out their campaign cash—business as usual.

Bernie Sanders, however, does present a moral risk for the corrupt Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee, which are already turning on one of their own leading candidates. His years in politics so cleanly contrasts with the sordid, scandalized, cashing-in behavior of the Clintons.

Pick up a copy of Peter Schweizer’s Clinton Cash, previewed early in 2015 by the New York Times. Again and again Schweizer documents the conflicted interest maneuvering of donors to the Clinton Foundation, shady deals involving global corporations and dictators, and huge speaking fees, with the Clinton Foundation and the State department as inventories to benefit the Clintons. The Clintons embody what is sleazy and harmful about corporate political intrigues.

If and when Bernie Sanders is brought down by the very party he is championing, the millions of Bernie supporters, especially young voters, will have to consider breaking off into a new political party that will make American history. That means dissolving the dictatorial two-party duopoly and its ruinous, unpatriotic, democracy-destroying corporate paymasters.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/hillarys_corporate_democrats_taking_down_bernie_sanders_20160130
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 12, 2016, 08:27:30 pm
VIDEO: ‘Days of Revolt’: Chris Hedges and Salinas Leaders Decry the Decline of Another Company Town 

Posted on Feb 11, 2016

In this episode of teleSUR’s “Days of Revolt,” Truthdig columnist and series host Chris Hedges talks with two figures from the American agribusiness center of Salinas, Calif., about the corporate takeover of the city’s political system, its impact on local workers and the similarities between Salinas and Detroit.


https://youtu.be/AIs7dzv8GAg

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/video_days_of_revolt_company_town_20160211

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 16, 2016, 11:28:14 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Scalia was a cherry picking double talker. He always tried to twist the law to suit his ideology, not uphold it or defend it. His alleged "strict constitutionalist" views were a deliberately cultivated fiction he used as a fig leaf to foist his fascist ideology on the USA.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2277gyMnZNw/VDUiS7o3guI/AAAAAAAAJNk/8Oy0ic8_1nw/s1600/Scalia%2BDeception.jpg)
The Incoherence   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)  of Antonin Scalia
By Richard A. Posner
August 24, 2012

SNIPPETS:


Judges like to say that all they do when they interpret a constitutional or statutory provision is apply, to the facts of the particular case, law that has been given to them. They do not make law: that is the job of legislators, and for the authors and ratifiers of constitutions. They are not Apollo; they are his oracle. They are passive interpreters. Their role is semantic.

The passive view of the judicial role is aggressively defended in a new book by Justice Antonin Scalia and the legal lexicographer Bryan Garner (Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts, 2012). They advocate what is best described as textual originalism, because they want judges to “look for meaning in the governing text, ascribe to that text the meaning that it has borne from its inception, and reject judicial speculation about both the drafters’ extra-textually derived purposes and the desirability of the fair reading’s anticipated consequences.” This austere interpretive method leads to a heavy emphasis on dictionary meanings, in disregard of a wise warning issued by Judge Frank Easterbrook, who though himself a self-declared textualist advises that “the choice among meanings [of words in statutes] must have a footing more solid than a dictionary—which is a museum of words, an historical catalog rather than a means to decode the work of legislatures.”

Scalia and Garner reject (before they later accept) Easterbrook’s warning. Does an ordinance that says that “no person may bring a vehicle into the park” apply to an ambulance that enters the park to save a person’s life? For Scalia and Garner, the answer is yes. After all, an ambulance is a vehicle—any dictionary will tell you that. If the authors of the ordinance wanted to make an exception for ambulances, they should have said so. And perverse results are a small price to pay for the objectivity that textual originalism offers (new dictionaries for new texts, old dictionaries for old ones). But Scalia and Garner later retreat in the ambulance case, and their retreat is consistent with a pattern of equivocation exhibited throughout their book.

One senses a certain defensiveness in Justice Scalia’s advocacy of a textualism so rigid as to make the ambulance driver a lawbreaker. He is one of the most politically conservative Supreme Court justices of the modern era and the intellectual leader of the conservative justices on the Supreme Court. Yet the book claims that his judicial votes are generated by an “objective” interpretive methodology, and that, since it is objective, ideology plays no role. It is true, as Scalia and Garner say, that statutory text is not inherently liberal or inherently conservative; it can be either, depending on who wrote it. Their premise is correct, but their conclusion does not follow: text as such may be politically neutral, but textualism is conservative.
A legislature is thwarted when a judge refuses to apply its handiwork to an unforeseen situation that is encompassed by the statute’s aim but is not a good fit with its text.

OMITTING CONTRARY evidence turns out to be Scalia and Garner’s favorite rhetorical device.


Scalia and Garner applaud a decision (State by Cooper v. French) holding that a refusal to rent a house to an unmarried heterosexual couple did not violate a statute forbidding discrimination in rentals on grounds of “marital status,” a term not defined in the statute. The court relied for this conclusion on another statute, one forbidding fornication. One may doubt whether that statute was the actual motivator of the decision, given the statement in the majority opinion—remarkable for 1990—that “it is simply astonishing to me that the argument is made that the legislature intended to protect fornication and promote a lifestyle which corrodes the institutions which have sustained our civilization, namely, marriage and family life.” This statement is not quoted by Scalia and Garner. (And two sentences later the judge referred, contrary to a Scalia-Garner Diktat, to the statute’s legislative history.)

After the refusal to rent, but before the court’s decision, the anti-discrimination law had been amended to define “marital status” as “whether a person is single, married, remarried, divorced, separated, or a surviving spouse”; and the man and woman who had wanted to rent were both single, a protected marital status under the amended statute. On the page following their discussion of the case, Scalia and Garner, having moved on to another case, remark that “the meaning of an ambiguous provision may change in light of a subsequent enactment … unless the ambiguous provision had already been given an authoritative judicial interpretation.” The original provision— “marital status”—had been undefined and therefore ambiguous, and had not been given an authoritative judicial interpretation. So the amendment, which broadened statutory protection to unmarried persons, provided some basis (though far from conclusive), consistent with textual originalism as understood by Scalia and Garner, for the court’s decision that they denounce. They do not mention this possibility.

Scalia and Garner are capable of reveling in absurdity. A provision of federal immigration law allowed the wife of a naturalized American citizen to be admitted to the United States for treatment in a hospital without being detained as an alien. The non-citizen wife of a native-born (as distinct from naturalized) American citizen was denied entry for treatment, and the Supreme Court upheld the denial in Chung Fook v. White. Scalia and Garner applaud the result, which gave more rights to the wife of a naturalized citizen than to the wife of a native-born citizen, while calling it “admittedly absurd.” They recognize a doctrine of “absurdity” that permits interpretive deviations from literal readings that produce ludicrous results, but they declare the doctrine inapplicable in this case because a provision relating to native-born Americans would be out of place in an immigration statute, which is about aliens—yet the citizen’s wife whose right of entry was in question was an alien.

They fail to mention that the Supreme Court appears to have agreed with the sensible alternative interpretation of the statute that the court of appeals had adopted.

THERE IS A COMMON THREAD to the cases that Scalia and Garner discuss.


Judges discuss the meanings of words and sometimes look for those meanings in dictionaries. But judges who consult dictionaries also consider the range of commonsensical but non-textual clues to meaning that come naturally to readers trying to solve an interpretive puzzle. How many readers of Scalia and Garner’s massive tome will do what I have done—read the opinions cited in their footnotes and discover that in discussing the opinions they give distorted impressions of how judges actually interpret legal texts?

Another problem with their defense of textual originalism is their disingenuous characterization of other interpretive theories, typified by their statement that textual originalism is the only “objective standard of interpretation even competing for acceptance. Nonoriginalism is not an interpretive theory—it is nothing more than a repudiation of originalism, leaving open the question: How does a judge determine when and how the meaning of a text has changed? To this question the nonoriginalists have no answer—or rather no answer that comes even close to being an objective test.” But “non-originalism” is not the name of an alternative method of interpretation. It is just a bogeyman, like what they call “so-called consequentialism”—“is this decision good for the little guy?”

A problem that undermines their entire approach is the authors’ lack of a consistent commitment to textual originalism. They endorse fifty-seven “canons of construction,” or interpretive principles, and in their variety and frequent ambiguity these “canons” provide them with all the room needed to generate the outcome that favors Justice Scalia’s strongly felt views on such matters as abortion, homosexuality, illegal immigration, states’ rights, the death penalty, and guns.

ANOTHER interpretive principle  ;) that Scalia and Garner approve is the presumption against the implied repeal of state statutes by federal statutes. They base this “on an assumption of what Congress, in our federal system, would or should normally desire.” What Congress would desire? What Congress should desire? Is this textualism, too?

The remarkable elasticity of Scalia and Garner’s methodology
is further illustrated by their discussion of a case in which the Supreme Court held, over a dissent by Scalia, that a federal statute providing that no state could require a statement relating to smoking and health to be placed on a cigarette package, other than the statement required by the statute, did not preempt state tort suits charging cigarette advertisers with misrepresentation concerning the health hazards of smoking.

The ruling was consistent with the canon approved by Scalia that I mentioned earlier—that a federal statute is presumed to supplement rather than displace state law. The majority held that suits based on the state’s view of the health hazards of smoking were preempted (and this part of the decision Scalia concurred in), just not suits based on the duty to avoid misrepresentation. Scalia and Garner ignore the distinction, saying instead that “when Congress has explicitly set forth its desire, there is no justification for not taking Congress at its word.” But the statute was not explicit about overriding all state tort suits that might relate to cigarette advertising—it did not mention such suits; and so the approved canon should have carried the day for Scalia.

Justice Scalia has called himself in print a “faint-hearted originalist.” It seems he means the adjective at least as sincerely as he means the noun.


https://newrepublic.com/article/106441/scalia-garner-reading-the-law-textual-originalism (https://newrepublic.com/article/106441/scalia-garner-reading-the-law-textual-originalism)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 19, 2016, 08:41:25 pm
Quote

Despite the fact that Hillary suffered the second biggest defeat in New Hampshire's history, both candidates walked away from New Hampshire with 15 delegates.

Why?

Because in the Democratic Party, unpledged delegates, also known as "superdelegates", don't have to support the same candidate as the majority of voters.

In fact, the whole point of superdelegates is to give the party elite more control over the primary process.

That's not a conspiracy theory, that's what the chair of the Democratic National Committee recently told Jake Tapper.

That's right, the chair of the DNC said that unpledged "superdelegates" are meant to be a bulwark against grassroots movements in the Democratic Party.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.sodahead.com%2Fpolls%2F000370273%2Fpolls_Smiley_Angry_256x256_3451_356175_answer_4_xlarge.png&hash=15577651daa4c35ff4d6b26217f99db6ebfde0b3)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Freading.gif&hash=63e3e644b39258d4c4eedbcdaf322315b1856723)

Have the Democratic Superdelegates Been Compromised? (http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2016/02/have-democratic-superdelegates-been-compromised)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 25, 2016, 07:45:50 pm
The Washington Post

National Security

Justice Scalia spent his last hours with members of this secretive society of elite hunters

What is St. Hubertus?  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)    

Play Video1:48 (at story link)


High-ranking members of the elite hunting society, St. Hubertus   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0), were staying at Cibolo Creek Ranch at the same time as Justice Scalia in the days leading up to his death. Here's what you need to know about the group. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

By Amy Brittain and Sari Horwitz February 24 at 7:37 PM  
 


When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died 12 days ago at a West Texas ranch, he was among high-ranking members of an exclusive fraternity for hunters called the International Order of St. Hubertus (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) , an Austrian society that dates back to the 1600s.

After Scalia’s death Feb. 13, the names of the 35 other guests at the remote resort, along with details about Scalia’s connection to the hunters, have remained largely unknown. A review of public records shows that some of the men who were with Scalia at the ranch are connected through the International Order of St. Hubertus, whose members gathered at least once before at the same ranch for a celebratory weekend.

Members of the worldwide, male-only society wear dark-green robes emblazoned with a large cross and the motto “Deum Diligite Animalia Diligentes,” which means “Honoring God by honoring His creatures,”   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85) according to the group’s website. Some hold titles, such as Grand Master, Prior and Knight Grand Officer. The Order’s name is in honor of Hubert, the patron saint of hunters and fishermen.

[Texas sheriff’s report reveals more details on Supreme Court Justice Scalia’s death]

Cibolo Creek Ranch owner John Poindexter and C. Allen Foster, a prominent Washington lawyer who traveled to the ranch with Scalia by private plane, hold leadership positions within the Order. It is unclear what, if any, official association Scalia had with the group.  ;)

Inside the ranch where Justice Scalia died

View Photos

The Texas resort ranch spanned 30,000 acres.
     
“There is nothing I can add to your observation that among my many guests at Cibolo Creek Ranch over the years some members of the International Order of St. Hubertus have been numbered,” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)  Poindexter (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) said in an email. “I am aware of no connection between that organization and Justice Scalia.”     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220216203149.gif&hash=bd184b6edccce4045e246847a0c84e89bd5a18b6)

An attorney for the Scalia family did not respond to requests for comment for this article. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F290.gif&hash=38949e35cf58eaa4218b5a8176767c806d2f8537)

Two other private planes that landed at the ranch for the weekend are linked to two men who have held leadership positions with the Texas chapter of the Order(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605), according to a review of state business filings and flight records from the airport.

After Scalia’s death, Poindexter told reporters that he met Scalia at a “sports group” gathering in Washington. The U.S. chapter of the International Order of St. Hubertus lists a suite on M Street NW in the District as its headquarters, although the address is only a mailbox in a United Parcel Service store.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)

[How St. Hubert’s encounter with a deer inspired the society]  ::)

The International Order of St. Hubertus, according to its website, is a “true knightly order in the historical tradition.”
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmemecrunch.com%2Fmeme%2F5L3XX%2Fspiderman-bullshit-detector%2Fimage.jpg%3Fw%3D544%26amp%3Bc%3D1&hash=4825835b92337d62f61a3d37d282105e97ac3ee3)

In 1695, Count Franz Anton von Sporck founded the society in Bohemia, which is in modern-day Czech Republic.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6961.gif&hash=df13f27d25fd180bcc904f19809e2b35dc3309cf)

The group’s Grand Master is “His Imperial Highness Istvan von Habsburg-Lothringen, Archduke of Austria,” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400) according to the Order’s website. The next gathering for “Ordensbrothers” and guests is an “investiture” March 10 in Charleston, S.C.

Quote
The society’s U.S. chapter launched in 1966 at the famous Bohemian Club in San Francisco, which is associated with the all-male Bohemian Grove  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) — one of the most well-known secret societies in the country.

In 2010, Poindexter hosted a group of 53 members of the Houston chapter of the International Order of St. Hubertus at the Cibolo Creek Ranch, according to a Houston society publication. A number of members from Mexico were also part of the ranch festivities that included “three days of organized shoots and ‘gala’ lunches and dinners.”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c)

Poindexter told CultureMap Houston that some of the guests dressed in “traditional European shooting attire for the boxed bird shoot competition” and for the shooting of pheasants and chukar, a type of partridge.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100216204839.gif&hash=19170c176bf9497627349a00623922c8e88185b1)

For the hunting weekend earlier this month, Poindexter told The Washington Post that Scalia traveled to Houston with his friend and U.S. marshals, who provide security for Supreme Court justices. The Post obtained a Presidio County Sheriff’s Office report that named Foster as Scalia’s close friend on the trip.

Sheriff Danny Dominguez confirmed that a photograph of Washington lawyer C. Allen Foster is the same man he interviewed at the ranch the day of Scalia’s death.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/justice-scalia-spent-his-last-hours-with-members-of-this-secretive-society-of-elite-hunters/2016/02/24/1d77af38-db20-11e5-891a-4ed04f4213e8_story.html?wpisrc=nl_az_most
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 25, 2016, 07:56:29 pm
VIDEO: ‘Days of Revolt’: Chris Hedges and Jill Stein Confront the ‘Corporate Leviathan’

https://youtu.be/N4S0cmuL7XY

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/video_days_of_revolt_chris_hedges_and_dr_jill_stein_201602241

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 03, 2016, 12:45:16 am
"we must change to a LIFE Economy" - John Perkins  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)

https://youtu.be/YEkD9mFyU0w

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-qGqoBnY9HD0%2FVNIlj7txsVI%2FAAAAAAAAI1w%2FEj5hO2fhYos%2Fs1600%2FApologies%252BOf%252BAn%252BEconomic%252BHitman%252B%28Documentary%29.jpg&hash=4c4a970d1143b5727d6f0d9c10fd45a970ece03f)


(https://collapseofindustrialcivilization.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/snap-2013-11-06-at-14-31-28.png)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: trianglejohn on March 07, 2016, 08:14:09 am
Not only corruption can be held responsible for this, peoples' state of mind and resistance to change can also be considered even if the change is good. The economy is already doomed specifically us economic collapse (http://www.profitconfidential.com/economy/7-signs-of-a-u-s-economic-collapse-in-2016/) is bound to happen this year and analyst say this will be bigger than 2008. So basically the common people are doomed and wealthy people will again be safe by looting the commons which aids the government bribery by rich classs.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 07, 2016, 02:40:02 pm
Not only corruption can be held responsible for this, peoples' state of mind and resistance to change can also be considered even if the change is good. The economy is already doomed specifically us economic collapse (http://www.profitconfidential.com/economy/7-signs-of-a-u-s-economic-collapse-in-2016/) is bound to happen this year and analyst say this will be bigger than 2008. So basically the common people are doomed and wealthy people will again be safe by looting the commons which aids the government bribery by rich classs.

Yes, the propagandists use the natural resistance to change in humans as a tool to preserve the unsustainable and corrupt status quo. Yes, the wealthy have more staying power. But their unsustainable polluting modus operandi will be their undoing too.  The fact that it has taken over 150 years for the deleterious effects on the biosphere to start to eat into polluter bottom lines, thereby endangering  the chances of their offspring to inherit a viable biosphere, does not auger well for the Predators 'R' US worshippers of "greed is good".

I guess the rest of us can take cold comfort from that.  8)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 07, 2016, 10:04:57 pm
Agelbert Explanatory NOTE: As of January of 2015, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) amended the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) to require, as a condition for loading a packed container onto a ship for export, that the container has a verified weight.

US Exporters Exempt From SOLAS, says USCG

March 4, 2016 by The Loadstar

USCG Shipping Container Inspection
(picture at link)
Petty Officer 1st Class Kenneth Hoppe, a marine science technician assigned to the container inspection team at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound in Seattle. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Katelyn Shearer.
 
By Alex Lennane, TheLoadStar – The US Coast Guard (USCG), which this week added further confusion to the soon-to-be enforced SOLAS rules on container weight verification, has written a blog post clarifying  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F4fvfcja.gif&hash=34a9a570347d39a0a892bc1f376c5e8b88add6b5) its position. As Rear-Admiral Paul Thomas noted at the JOC’s TPM event in Long Beach for US exports, the USCG will not require (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fd2.gif&hash=98d536bf1047a88ef91e9c45e08b725347c9fe13)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)the exporter to provide the weight, either actual or TARE, of the carrier’s container to the carrier.

This position appears to be a result of competitive concerns – and pressure from exporters. The exporters’ group, the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, helpfully  ;) issued a statement clarifying the USCG position on its behalf, implying a cosy relationship between the two.

Quote

“Not only is [t]his conclusion logical, but it is consistent with the position being taken by other countries, including Brazil (a major competitor to US agriculture).” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)


US exporters are resisting    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183312.bmp&hash=02dafef2fe739676600fdc9bd56271f0f5ab3723) the cost and disruption of additional safety at sea measures, which are being implemented globally. USCG argues that a carrier can add the TARE weight to the shipper’s gross weight of cargo, if it wants to comply with SOLAS.

It added: “It recognises the many existing statutory and regulatory requirements for accurate cargo weight reporting for both domestic and export shipments, and is consistent with safe export maritime commerce.”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220216203149.gif&hash=bd184b6edccce4045e246847a0c84e89bd5a18b6)



Of course an observer might ask, if that was truly the case, why would the IMO introduce the new measures?    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)   


The Loadstar is fast becoming known at the highest levels of logistics and supply chain management as one of the best sources of influential analysis and commentary.


https://gcaptain.com/us-exporters-exempt-from-solas-says-uscg/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 15, 2016, 09:50:28 pm

Thom's blog


A Key Component of American Fascism is Already in Place

Thanks to Donald Trump's increasingly hostile and race-baiting rhetoric, the topic of fascism -- what it is and what causes it -- is once again on the minds of many Americans.

And while Trump's rise to the top of the Republican field should scare anyone who's read about how Hitler and Mussolini rose to power, what's even scarier is that one of the key components of American fascism is already in place, and has been ever since the Reagan Revolution.

That component is monopoly, something former Vice President Henry Wallace   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)identified as the key to fascism in a 1944 piece for The New York Times.

American fascists, Wallace wrote,
Quote
"...claim to be super-patriots, but they would destroy every liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. They demand free enterprise, but are the spokesmen for monopoly and vested interest. Their final objective... is to capture political power so that, using the power of the state and the power of the market simultaneously, they may keep the common man in eternal subjection."

At the time Wallace was writing, the threat of fascism was very, very real.

The U.S. was fighting a two front war against Axis powers, and was just three years removed from a Japanese fascist attack on its home soil.

It was also just eleven years removed from the tense days of 1933, when Marine Corps General Smedley Butler exposed a plot by big business to overthrow President Franklin Roosevelt in a military coup.

That plot, the so-called Business Plot, was concocted by the very same rich men and corporations who Wallace said would support American fascism.

But luckily, thanks to the New Deal and Roosevelt's trust-busting efforts, those forces had been kept in check, and would remain in check until the 1980s when President Ronald Reagan stopped enforcing the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

That act, which was signed into law in 1890, is our government's most powerful tool against monopoly, and ever since Reagan threw it out the proverbial window, the monopolists -- Wallace's American fascists -- have been on the march.
Quote

Almost every major industry in the United States is now controlled by a of handful giant multinational corporations.

Read more here. (https://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2016/03/key-component-american-fascism-already-place)

-Thom
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221014222208.png&hash=ae35994d8acc44c5bd0794f40f9d513715a7159f)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 22, 2016, 03:01:11 am
Quote
A recent study out of Princeton, for example, pointed out that the likelihood of legislation passing that represents the interest of that bottom 90% was equivalent, statistically, to white noise.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgaah.gif&hash=e43fa6be4258ba495007b2bbb3e7dd2f60288fcd)

So why is that?

Well, it's complicated...

But on the Democratic side of things it has a lot to do with changes in party structure and demographics that began in the 1970s.

Thomas Frank's new book Listen, Liberal: Or, Whatever Happened to the Party of the People? argues that starting with the McGovern Commission of 1972 - which largely excommunicated Labor from having a large role in Democratic Party decision-making - the Democratic Party largely abandoned the American working and middle class - the bottom 90%. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil19.gif&hash=6eeb0dbc471743691793f5130640fdcbd1f77b5c)


It instead began to embrace -- and now fully embraces -- the "professional class" - i.e. the top 10% economically.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)
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They consciously moved away from labor and the working class and towards an elitist embrace of the banksters, the emerging "geniuses" of Silicon Valley, and the college-educated at all levels.

What Happens When Neither Political Party Answers to the Bottom 90%? (http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2016/03/what-happens-when-neither-political-party-answers-bottom-90#sthash.Tk0pZdXs.dpuf)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 26, 2016, 03:31:52 pm
Mark Ruffalo and Annie Leonard: We Must Rebuild Our Democracy

Annie Leonard and Mark Ruffalo | March 25, 2016 8:23 am

SNIPPET:

2016 will be the first American presidential election since 1965 with major new voting restrictions—photo identification requirements, cuts to early voting and the elimination of same day voting registration are just a few of the roadblocks thrown up by special interests in 15 states.

Not only that, but once voters overcome these obstacles to actually vote, the candidates they have to choose from will be largely self-selected from the economic elites  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400), looking out for banks like Goldman Sachs instead of everyday people.

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Rather than a government of the people, by the people and for the people, we have a government of super-PACs and dark money, by the 1% and for corporate interests.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

http://ecowatch.com/2016/03/25/ruffalo-leonard-democracy-awakening/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 27, 2016, 05:59:32 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdl10.glitter-graphics.net%2Fpub%2F2491%2F2491210ovie015m90.gif&hash=c2edc7e32994c57779427e0df75cabac786a12bf)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-260316150432.jpeg&hash=7cfd135aeb8fc3178f30c021e8714e76fb0d65e2)
Protesters against a Vermont Gas natural gas pipeline hold a banner in front of the building that houses the Department of Public Service and Public Service Board on Montpelier’s State Street. Photo by C.B. Hall/VTDigger

Public  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)  Service  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220216203149.gif&hash=bd184b6edccce4045e246847a0c84e89bd5a18b6) Board (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400) considers barring public from Vermont Gas (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F165fs373950.gif&hash=ad797fcc08a061d3ae50ee49ccd9f3d517fb7496) eminent domain hearings

Mar. 26, 2016, 5:24 am by Mike Polhamus

The Vermont Public Service Board is considering whether to bar the public from attending eminent domain hearings for a controversial gas pipeline.

The board has asked participants in the Vermont Gas Systems hearings for comment by March 31.

Protesters have interrupted eminent domain proceedings, the March 17 court order says, “by shouting, singing loudly, and leaving their seats to crowd the physical space around many of the parties and the court reporter.”

Law enforcement officials have expressed doubt over whether they can prevent protesters from disrupting future hearings.  ;D

The board’s request for comment was issued in part out of concern for the safety of participants and others who may be in attendance at the hearings.

Jim Dumont, an attorney for several of the private landowners, wrote in a response to the board’s order that it is wrong for the board to treat peaceful protesters as a threat to public safety.

“One may disagree with the protesters’ views on the efficacy or style of their protests, but I think it ill serves reasonable public debate about this terribly important subject to suggest that their actions have been tainted by threats of violence,” Dumont wrote.

Dumont told the board to do whatever they consider necessary to maintain order during the proceedings, but said it would be inappropriate to exclude the public. That would go against the First Amendment, the Vermont Constitution, and Vermont’s open meetings laws, he said.

“Any member of the public who disrupts the proceedings can be removed by law enforcement,” he said. “There is no legitimate reason to exclude members of the public who do not disrupt the proceedings.”

One of the protesters said he plans to continue agitating against the pipeline as long as he is able.
“If there are more eminent domain hearings, there will be protests,” said Alex Porlman, an organizer with the anti-pipeline group Rising Tide Vermont.

Quote
“The eminent domain process is structured so that the company is always going to win (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c) at the end of the day,” he said.
“It’s just the most egregious example of the state working with the company to pave the way for the pipeline. It’s worth fighting against, and we’ll definitely keep doing so.”(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)

Vermont Gas
spokeswoman Beth Parent said she couldn’t comment on the company’s response to the board’s order because it has not yet been submitted.

Protesters have forestalled several attempts by the Public Service Board to conduct hearings on eminent domain proceedings against landowners across whose property Vermont Gas would bury the pipeline. Protesters have also prevented multiple attempts by appraisers to valuate the land.  ;D

Vermont Gas has built an 11 mile a loop between Colchester to Williston, which is part of the 41-mile project. When complete it will extend to Middlebury.

The company has negotiated agreements from 98 percent of landowners to build a pipeline through Addison County.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecology.iww.org%2Fimages%2FSMcMillan1.jpg&hash=71a5ded42adb67f357b284d15e8292c4e9fb1ad1)
http://vtdigger.org/2016/03/26/public-service-board-considers-barring-public-from-vermont-gas-eminent-domain-hearings/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-240316150731.png&hash=7fd6eecc7b69b43108d43ea2cbf09a0fdf1e72aa)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 28, 2016, 02:29:52 am
Bernie Sanders Giving The Establishment A Headache  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.after5catalog.com%2Fimages%2Fproducts%2F125-08110B1.jpg&hash=0853933859e224d8ffb59f912d6235849f313954)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ftissue.gif&hash=f8d05db8e11569882e0effbdd719e2b2e95c6785) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fshame.gif&hash=88b5b0c8644862ef4930e3c7e3556db6c3bf600f)

https://youtu.be/ypnRNdJeuc4

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 29, 2016, 03:58:55 pm
Is the US putting unfair pressure on the EU to accept genetically modified crops?  ???

William Engdahl, economic researcher, journalist and historian author of Seeds of Destruction: The Hidden Agenda of GMO, offers his extensively researched wisdom on the subject.

Quote
"The US government has made GMO seeds, patented from Dupont and Monsanto, a national security priority, tantamount to the export of defense weapons for the Pentagon and for the US budget. It's a national security export sector agribusiness, and especially GMO seeds."

He further explains that the US government co-holds the patent with Monsanto on terminator seed technology!


This brief interview illuminates the fact that the political agenda of food control is more than a little chilling. We need to educate ourselves not only about what we buy, but the worldwide implications of GMO crops.

Video:

Quote
"..the US government has made GMO seeds, patented from Dupont and Monsanto, a national security priority, tantamount to the export of defense weapons for the Pentagon and for the US budget. It's a national security export sector -- agribusiness, and especially GMO seeds."

https://youtu.be/NoWepmfH9B0

NextWorldTV.com

P.S. Please share NextworldTV.com emails and videos with your friends and colleagues.

That's how we grow. Thanks.
Next World TV
PO Box 145
Tivoli NY 12583
USA

http://www.nextworldtv.com/videos/food-choices/is-the-us-forcing-gmo-food-on-europe.html

Agelbert NOTE: After reading and viewing the above, the following news cannot be interpreted any other way than as evidence of FASCIST (Monsanto + (i.e. equals) Government) profit over people and planet.

USDA Deregulates Two Lines of Genetically Engineered Corn From Monsanto, Syngenta

Shannon Van Hoesen, Environmental Working Group | March 29, 2016 12:59 pm

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said last week it will allow farmers to plant two new strains of genetically modified (GMO) corn, one created by Monsanto and the other by Syngenta, without government oversight. The new strains are tolerant (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) of the weed killers dicamba (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Femoticon-object-015.gif&hash=8e6486af5151b5eb075de7af5fb71f325d34dc0c) and glufosinate .(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Femoticon-object-015.gif&hash=8e6486af5151b5eb075de7af5fb71f325d34dc0c).

The decision is likely to lead to ever-greater use of these and other pesticides (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Femoticon-object-015.gif&hash=8e6486af5151b5eb075de7af5fb71f325d34dc0c) to grow genetically engineered crops, giving consumers yet another reason to want food products containing GMO ingredients to be labeled accordingly.

Like earlier GMO crops that were modified to be herbicide-tolerant, the new GMO corn is designed to survive being blanketed with toxic chemicals that kill weeds and other plant life on the field. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070814193155.png&hash=144ce9330e49ee84060db8753a8db69c39a14913)

Reuters reported that Monsanto created the new corn strain in response to growing competition facing its signature Roundup herbicide from generic alternatives to glyphosate, Roundup’s key ingredient. But perhaps more notably, Monsanto wants to diversify its herbicide portfolio because more and more weeds have evolved into so-called superweeds that can withstand glyphosate.

This news is the latest illustration of the chemical treadmill created by genetically modified crops. Once one herbicide stops working, manufacturers come up with a new set of chemicals.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F126fs2277341.gif&hash=1a8375f11d76a653bcb48e30eaa7b652175f029d)

We don’t always know the health effects of the increased use of these herbicides, especially in combination with other environmental contaminants, but we do know that the massive expansion of GMO crops has led to an explosion in herbicide use, specifically glyphosate, by U.S. farms.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070814193155.png&hash=144ce9330e49ee84060db8753a8db69c39a14913)

American consumers, however, have no way to know whether the food they’re eating was produced with GMOs and thus likely to have been doused with chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other diseases.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221215212409.png&hash=a468474328aca658690b57ec357614360c510849)

Now that USDA has abdicated responsibility for regulating where and how much of this new GMO corn will be planted, it is more critical than ever that Congress pass a mandatory GMO-labeling law to give consumers the information that 9 out of every 10 Americans want.

http://ecowatch.com/2016/03/29/usda-ge-corn-monsanto/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 29, 2016, 10:20:56 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.geoengineeringwatch.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F05%2F2.jpg&hash=f4b76e745dec2860e72d2e1a005c75763fda4243)

After Obama's seventh or eighth appointment of a Monsanto employee to a high government position I stopped counting.  Excuse the puns but our globistanian candidate planted seeds of GMO domination years ago and now those seeds have sprouted, have grown, and are now ready for harvest as a bumper crop of opposition of all who would oppose the economic dictums of empire.

Yep. And even before that, the "Patriot" Act was used to prosecute anybody that got in the way of Big Ag.  :(


Fascist Big Ag uses Food Disparagement Law and the Patriot Act to threaten Truth tellers! (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/renewables/sustainable-food-production/msg2033/#msg2033)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 01, 2016, 04:10:23 pm
I liked the article's closing line.

"Clinton has embraced the corruption."

That she has, over and over again.  A vote for Clinton is not a vote against Trump.  A vote for Clnton is a vote for ignorance.  The popularity of Trump is an expression of America's disgust with the plutocratic policies of the majority of politicians from both of our major political parties and their total lack of foresight regarding the future health and prosperity of the nation.  This does not make supporters of Trump bad people.  They are instead tragically misinformed and horribly misdirected. 

A vote for Clinton in contrast is madness.  Madness as in 'what me worry' Alfred E Newman mad.  A 'what me worry' vote for Clinton is ignorance because it ignores the real and justified popularity of Trump.  A vote for Clinton is a vote in denial that the nation has any problems that need to be fixed at all.  To this I have a suggestion.  If you think the nation does not have problems that need to be fixed then please do not vote.  If the nation doesn't have problems that need to be fixed then voting at all is a waste of time.

If you think the nation does have problems then voting for Clinton is a wasted vote.  Wasted because Hillary Clinton is a woman without an original thought in her head.  Everything she says is begged borrowed or stolen from someone else.  If you do not agree please do follow my comment with examples of her originality.  We do not need a leader like her because a leader like that does not lead.  All Hillary is capable of doing is exaserbating the problems we already have.

The idea that Bernie doesn't have a chance is bunk.  It is an idea pushed by the plutocratic propaganda machine which is going out of its way to make the point.  But if Bernie does not have a chance then why waste our time talking about it?

Oliver makes a valid comparison to the Spanish revolution.  Pedestrian ignorance spoiled the day then and it can happen now.  In the spirit of the Spanish Revolution I'd take a bullet through the neck if I knew I'd survive like George Orwell did if it could get Bernie in the Oval Office and keep Clinton out.

Trump I'm not so worried about.  Trump would be so up to his ass in alligators the first day he would forget that his original goal was to F U C K UP the swamp.  Hillary in contrast will facilitate the ongoing train wreck which has derailed the nation because she is an insider.


Marvelous posting K-Dog.
    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fus.cdn2.123rf.com%2F168nwm%2Flenm%2Flenm1201%2Flenm120100200%2F12107060-illustration-of-a-smiley-giving-a-thumbs-up.jpg&hash=2046bc6d662e09d3014a2c404a2af6ba17f8217c)

Ditto!    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clipartbest.com%2Fcliparts%2Fxig%2Fojx%2Fxigojx6KT.png&hash=6706182c9f1427099a77e10d1758e61d9cadb701)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 08, 2016, 03:37:25 pm
The Marshall Islands TOO?!!!  ???

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080416030758.jpeg&hash=feec2fc99644a0affff368341113d2b3402d8584)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Femoticon-object-106.gif&hash=f996659d18df7f3b445e6135e884397ac91f25b1) Panama Papers reveal London as centre of 'spider's web'   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Ftuzki-bunnys%2Ftuzki-bunny-emoticon-028.gif&hash=24570cb7e8246617010ce900a07bc85117ff78ca)

Updated 07 Apr 2016 07:40

LONDON: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Femoticon-animal-027.gif&hash=49cc2ac0e050f2427044a28257c3659588a6ca7d) While shining a spotlight on the secret financial arrangements of the rich and powerful, the so-called Panama Papers have laid bare London's role as a vital organ of the world's tax-haven network.     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-devil12.gif&hash=d1822754cefdd0f77369dacd157d00f5f8d3fff9)

The files leaked from Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca exposed Britain's link to thousands of firms based in tax havens and how secret money is invested in British assets, particularly London property.

Critics accuse British authorities of turning a blind eye to the inflow of suspect money and of being too close to the financial sector to clamp down on the use of its overseas territories as havens, with the British Virgin Islands alone hosting 110,000 of the Mossack Fonseca's clients.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.channelnewsasia.com%2Fblob%2F2672156%2F1459968082000%2Ftax-havens-and-financial-data.jpg&hash=2e7909a5d9d040c6f6ecb8dc34e7e44a0efef942)
The Tax Justice Network's Financial Secrecy Index. (AFP/Jean Michel Cornu, Alain Bommenel)

"London is the epicentre of so much of the sleaze that happens in the world," Nicholas Shaxson, author of the book "Treasure Islands", which examines the role of offshore banks and tax havens, told AFP.

The political analyst said that Britain itself was relatively transparent and clean, but that companies used the country's territories abroad - relics of the days of empire - to "farm out the seedier stuff", often under the guise of shell companies with anonymous owners.

"Tax evasion and stuff like that will be done in the external parts of the network. Usually there will be links to the City of London, UK law firms, UK accountancy firms and to UK banks," he said, calling London the centre of a "spider's web".

"They're all agents of the City of London - that is where the whole exercise is controlled from," Richard Murphy, professor at London's City University, said of the offshore havens.

CAPITAL OF 'FUNNY MONEY'

The files showed that Britain had the third highest number of Mossack Fonseca's middlemen operating within its borders, with 32,682 advisers.

Although not illegal  ;) in themselves  ;), shell companies can be used for illegal activities such as laundering the proceeds of criminal activities or to conceal misappropriated or politically-inconvenient wealth.

Around 310,000 tax haven companies (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)
own an estimated £170 billion (US$240 billion) of British real estate, 10 per cent of which were linked to Mossack Fonseca.

The files appeared to show that the United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan owned London properties worth more than £1.2 billion (US$1.7 billion) and that Mariam Safdar, daughter of Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was the beneficial owner of two offshore companies that owned flats on the exclusive Park Lane.

The revelations undermined promises by British Prime Minister David Cameron to clear up the murky world of offshore finance and its proceeds.

"Every few years London pretends  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16) to 'clean up its act'," wrote columnist Simon Jenkins in the capital's Evening Standard newspaper. "Most world cities are ruthless against foreigners who arrive with suitcases of cash to buy property or other businesses. Not London," he added. "It is awash in 'offshore' towers overlooking the Thames."

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51S0dnHrwSL._AC_UL320_SR212%2C320_.jpg&hash=21cc6621b0bf7cbae2f51d478211b68e73a7053b)

Conspicuous displays of foreign wealth  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) are common around the British capital from the lavish statues outside the mansions of Russian oligarchs to the fleet of Lamborghinis raced by Middle Eastern princelings around the streets of plush Knightsbridge.

London's reputation as the "capital of funny money" - so-called by Jenkins - is closely related to its legitimate attraction as a financial centre, with its  light-touch regulation, laissez-faire attitude towards wealth, vibrant culture and history of global trading  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605), said Shaxson.

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/a7/bb/b7/a7bbb7d3239a2c616dc3176f920e9c3f.jpg)

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/05/0d/f0/050df05455b8bb02b6024b47b01e176a.jpg)

'WILD ANIMALS'

"London has been a crossroads for the world's money for centuries," he explained. "When the British empire collapsed, London swapped being the governor of the imperial engine to being an offshore island and allowing money to come with no questions asked," he added.

With public pressure mounting, Murphy said Britain had the power to legislate directly on its overseas territories, but the lobbying power of the financial sector and worries about upsetting the jewel in Britain's economic crown were holding back efforts.

"The City of London seems to believe that without these conduits, then it would not have the competitive edge that it needs," he said. "The financial institutions have become like wild animals," added Shaxson.

"It's the government's responsibility to stop this nonsense. The government has been captured by the banking establishment and some way has to be found for that to be broken. British politicians feel they can't do anything."   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)


- AFP/de

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/panama-papers-reveal/2672152.html

Agelbert NOTE:
NOW you KNOW why there is NEVER "any money" for we-the-sheeple...

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/3d/7c/d6/3d7cd602c221ace3ab1b0c5006999185.jpg)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.finalcall.com%2Fartman%2Fuploads%2F1%2FFCN2935_cvr300x225_1.jpg&hash=b546444f0bd43910c76ec361ce9120c75e751934)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgraysondemocrats.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F05%2Fend-oil.jpg&hash=a5cf685d87ceb0f3f17eab91155ebb790707cf10)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 12, 2016, 12:30:07 am
Agelbert NOTE: And now some news about THE Texas Attorney General by the name of Paxton. He is a Tea Party Republican (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F165fs373950.gif&hash=ad797fcc08a061d3ae50ee49ccd9f3d517fb7496) who, no doubt, blames gooberment intrusion on the liberty of Patriotic=Predatory Capitalist Americans for all the woes of this country. He has sued the federal gooberment several times. I guess the gooberment decided to give him some Texas pay back. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smiley-lol.com%2Fsmiley%2Fexagerent%2Fpolice%2Fenprison.gif&hash=4912c6e4685052e7a6084b2d6740020437d7dae4)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6869.gif&hash=f94938471d343a09155d1f60eefacdb2ceab2457)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F4fvfcja.gif&hash=34a9a570347d39a0a892bc1f376c5e8b88add6b5)


Technology | Mon Apr 11, 2016 4:42pm EDT

Related: Tech, Regulatory News, Breakingviews

SEC charges Texas attorney general for stock scam

By Suzanne Barlyn

U.S. regulators charged Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday for his alleged role in a stock scam that defrauded investors in a Texas-based technology company called Servergy Inc.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused the company and former Chief Executive Officer William Mapp of selling private stock while misleading investors about the energy efficiency of its sole product, and accused Paxton of working to raise investor funds for the company without disclosing his commissions.

The SEC's civil case followed a related criminal case against Paxton for securities fraud. Last year, a Texas state grand jury indicted Paxton on two fraud charges related to stock sales and compensation from Servergy.

Paxton, a Tea Party Republican, is also facing charges he illegally acted as a securities agent for another firm run by a political ally. A spokesman for Paxton has said the case was politically motivated.

"Like the criminal matter, Mr. Paxton vehemently denies the allegations in the civil lawsuit and looks forward to not only all of the facts coming out, but also to establishing his innocence in both the civil and criminal matters," said William Mateja, Paxton's lawyer.

Servergy, which cut ties with Mapp, agreed to a $200,000 penalty to settle the SEC case. Servergy neither admitted nor denied the agency's charges.

The case relates to investor communications made while Mapp led Servergy, the company said. Servergy cooperated with the SEC investigation under new leadership and considered Monday’s announcement the end of the matter, it said.

“Mr. Mapp vehemently denies the SEC’s allegations and intends to vigorously defend himself,” said Jason Lewis, Mapp's lawyer in Dallas.

The Texas attorney general's office declined to comment.

When in the state legislature, Paxton was hired to seek clients by investment firm Mowery Capital Management in McKinney, Texas. On March 16, Texas securities regulators ordered Mowery and its founder to pay a total of $90,000 in civil penalties for defrauding investors, according to a filing.

In 2014, Texas securities regulators also fined Paxton $1,000 for not properly registering as an investment adviser.

Paxton  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fbudo.gif&hash=677248a20d98332a6b04ab5797696b4b96cbed38) has sued President Barack Obama at least eight times
since becoming Texas attorney general last year.


Issues have included taxes under Obama's signature healthcare law and blocking resettlement of Syrian refugees in Texas.

Quote
The Texas Democratic Party has called for Paxton's resignation. A poll last year by the Texas Bipartisan Justice Committee showed 62 percent of Republicans also think he should resign.     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2FBanane21.gif&hash=ea8aefd6edec2a8f8e52b83aa2874cd9f97fe9ae)

(Reporting by Suzanne Barlyn in New York and Jon Herskovitz in Austin; Additional reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Alistair Bell)

http://www.marketbeat.com/stories.aspx?story=http%3a%2f%2ffeeds.reuters.com%2f%7er%2freuters%2fbusinessNews%2f%7e3%2fvM_SCz0ZAvg%2fus-usa-sec-texas-idUSKCN0X825E
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 21, 2016, 03:04:29 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.newindianexpress.com%2FUS_Colr1.jpg%2F2013%2F09%2F07%2Farticle1772963.ece%2Falternates%2Fw620%2FUS_Colr1.jpg&hash=8cdb318188346da9fed6be2dc86289dfb316a8fb)

A Dictionary of Euphemisms for Imperial Decline

Posted on Apr 18, 2016

By William J. Astore / TomDispatch

SNIPPET:

Cloaking violent, even murderous actions in anodyne language might help a few doubting functionaries sleep easier at night, but it should make the rest of us profoundly uneasy.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-150715183719.png&hash=7b222546f30a032efc31223d85eea0535ed42a49)

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/a_dictionary_of_euphemisms_for_imperial_decline_20160417
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 23, 2016, 05:35:12 pm
"I don't think any Democrat's ever won saying, 'We can't think that big,'" the vice president said.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fcd_large%2Fpublic%2Fheadlines%2Fbidensanders.jpg%3Fitok%3DdeRCFhIi&hash=ed8a894295ba875c4da8a6f9df40e5c064d43619)
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders during Sanders' swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Senate in 2013.

Although Vice President Joe Biden has promised to stay neutral on the Democratic presidential candidates this campaign season, he offered high praise for Bernie Sanders' message in an interview with the New York Times published Thursday: Biden will "take Mr. Sanders' aspirational approach over Mrs. Clinton's caution any day," the newspaper reports.

"I like the idea of saying, 'We can do much more,' because we can," Biden told the Times.

The vice president had harsh words for Clinton's call for slow, incremental change over political revolution. Biden said, "I don't think any Democrat's ever won saying, 'We can't think that big—we ought to really downsize here because it's not realistic," he said in a mocking tone, according to the newspaper. "C'mon man, this is the Democratic Party! I'm not part of the party that says, 'Well, we can't do it.'"

Biden has praised Sanders' campaign message before. Sanders "is speaking to a yearning that is deep and real," Biden told CNN in January. "And that is the absolute enormous concentration of wealth in a small group of people, with the middle class [...] being left out."

In contrast, Biden said at the time, "It's relatively new for Hillary to talk about that. Hillary's focus has been on other things up to now, and that's been Bernie's—nobody questions Bernie's authenticity on those issues."

Biden's own career, however, has coincided "with the stagnation in middle-class incomes, especially for Americans without college degrees, which both parties have failed to durably remedy," the New York Times observes.

"That is a failure," Biden acknowledged to the newspaper.

On Thursday, Biden emphasized his support for Sanders' call for radical change, telling the New York Times that U.S. presidents "have always been told by really smart people: 'Don't push something that you can't succeed in—it diminishes your power.' I completely disagree with that proposition."

"Everything I've ever cared about," Biden continued, "with the exception of the president's brilliant passage of the Affordable Care Act, takes time. The only way to get these big things done is talk about them."

Sanders repeated Biden's praise at his campaign stops in Pennsylvania on Thursday, remarking to an exuberant, overflowing crowd in Scranton, "I think the vice president—born and raised in Scranton—I think the vice president is exactly right."

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/04/22/backing-bernies-bold-vision-biden-knocks-hillarys-no-we-cant-mantra (http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/04/22/backing-bernies-bold-vision-biden-knocks-hillarys-no-we-cant-mantra)

WHO is Hillary Clinton? ???


by Pam Key 22 Feb 2016
 
Monday on CNN’s “New Day,” professor and activist Cornel West likened Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to Milli Vanilli, the 1990’s pop duo that was disgraced over lip-synching their Grammy award-wining album.

West said, “Sister Hillary Clinton is the Milli Vanilli of American politics. She lip-syncs, she gives lip service,  but when it comes to policy, who supported the crime bill? Who supported, not just the deregulating of banks, but also pulled the rug from under welfare? She talks about her work with the Children’s Defense Fund way back in the ’70s —doesn’t say a word about being a Goldwater girl, doesn’t say a word about supporting the candidate who Martin Luther King called… there is no moral case for Goldwater, the most dangerous politician. She vigorously campaigning.  She shows up and gives wonderful speeches sounding like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Bernie Sanders on the ground getting arrested.  The problem is black voters don’t know his history, they know the symbolic language of Hillary Clinton. But on the ground she is calling black youth super predators in the 1990’s. That is the most meaning degrading language to our precious young folk who sometimes do the wrong thing.

We know they have gangsters on Wall Street. How many Wall Street executives  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) go to jail? She is the hero. She  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) is too tied to Wall Street (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c) with all that big Wall Street money flowing her way brother.”

http://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/02/22/cornel-west-hillary-clinton-is-the-milli-vanilli-of-american-politics/ (http://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/02/22/cornel-west-hillary-clinton-is-the-milli-vanilli-of-american-politics/)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 23, 2016, 05:49:44 pm
Proof that Hillary Clinton is a Republican.

https://youtu.be/Pu6fBqknT_E

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 23, 2016, 05:59:03 pm
Message to Hillary Clinton From Anonymous:

https://youtu.be/OTMaIX_JPE4
]
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 23, 2016, 06:07:13 pm
Empire Files: Abby Martin Exposes What Hillary Clinton Really Represents

Published on Apr 17, 2016

Quote
Digging deep into Hillary's connections to Wall Street, Abby Martin reveals how the Clinton's multi-million-dollar political machine operates.

This episode chronicles the Clinton's rise to power in the 90s on a right-wing agenda, the Clinton Foundation's revolving door with Gulf state monarchies, corporations and the world's biggest financial institutions, and the establishment of the hyper-aggressive "Hillary Doctrine" while Secretary of State. Learn the essential facts about the great danger she poses, and why she's the US Empire's choice for its next CEO.

https://youtu.be/PV_PLCC6jeI
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 23, 2016, 06:23:36 pm
The Empire Files: Abby Martin with Dr. Jill Stein - Symptoms of a Sick Society


Quote
"The Democratic Party 'lesser evil' paves the way for the Greater Evil."
"The politics of frear (voting AGAINST the enemy you fear instead voting FOR  a candidate with your principles) is what has DELIVERED MORE corporate control and LESS democracy" - Dr. Jill Stein

https://youtu.be/g7hEfgxSJ44

Published on Apr 4, 2016
Quote

Part of the way the U.S. Empire's elections are rigged is the corporate media's censorship of third-party candidates, despite their nationwide campaign efforts.

The Green Party, running Dr. Jill Stein for President—on a platform more progressive than Bernie Sanders—has been totally ignored by the establishment.

Abby Martin sits down with Dr. Stein to look at how her career in medicine helped her diagnose America's "multi-organ failure," and why her ideas pose such a threat to Empire.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 23, 2016, 06:52:56 pm
Amy Goodman exposes CNN conscience free Propaganda efforts trying to manufacture negative views towards Sanders and positive views towards Clinton AND Trump.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)
https://youtu.be/wKJpEbgMFBk
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 23, 2016, 07:46:56 pm
Quote

Bill Roberts   
 
These electronic voting machines and tabulators MUST BE BANNED if we are ever going to have any hope of a fair and honest election in this country again.  The money and power at stake is simply too great to leave it up to the integrity of the candidates and their campaigns.  With the exception of Bernie Sanders, no presidential candidate or campaign has any integrity at this point.

https://youtu.be/ckwYu1bqUTk

Published on Mar 23, 2016



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 23, 2016, 08:50:27 pm
How the good people were chased out of the media.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2955.gif&hash=ddc12d8bdb1bc63b7998a6b086b79a71b7bda755)


https://youtu.be/_MMahrBteE8

Quote

"The Democratic Party 'lesser evil' paves the way for the Greater Evil."
"The politics of frear (voting AGAINST the enemy you fear instead voting FOR  a candidate with your principles) is what has DELIVERED MORE corporate control and LESS democracy" - Dr. Jill Stein
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 25, 2016, 07:15:05 pm
Reaganomics (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)  is Literally Making Americans Kill Themselves  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Femoticon-object-015.gif&hash=8e6486af5151b5eb075de7af5fb71f325d34dc0c)

Apr. 25, 2016 1:08 pm By Thom Hartmann

According to a new study from the National Center for Health Statistics, the suicide rate in the United States has risen dramatically over the past decade-and-a-half.

Adjusting for age, it jumped 24 percent between 1999 and 2014, with the biggest increases coming after 2006. Thirteen out of every 100,000 people now kill themselves, making suicide one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the entire country.

This is a serious public health crisis that needs to be fixed, and while we can't bring back from the dead the people we've already lost, there is something we can do as a country to make sure even more people don't take their own lives.

And that something is to stop voting Republican because Republican policies are driving people to kill themselves.

Seriously, I'm not kidding. This isn't some crazy conspiracy.

It's a well-documented sociological fact.

Numerous studies have found a strong connection between right-wing economic policies and suicide.

Recent research from sociologists David Stuckler and Sanjay Basu, for example, found that suicide rates in both the U.S. and U.K. increase when working class wages and wealth decline. Things were particularly bad during the recession period here in the U.S. when, according to the study's authors, there were 4,750 "excess" suicides.

Another study, this time out of Australia, discovered a similar pattern in that country. It found that almost 35,000 extra suicides occurred when the "Tories" (Australian slang for right-wingers) controlled the government.

This isn't just something that happens in the English-speaking world, either.


When right-wing austerity policies began to ravage Greece in 2010, the suicide rate jumped almost 18 percent. In Athens alone, it soared to 25 percent.

The same thing happened in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. In a rush to switch the former communist country over to the free market, economists forced it go through shock doctrine-style privatization.

The result was a sharp rise in suicides, heart attacks, and alcohol deaths.


Obviously, right-wing economic policies don’t cause every suicide. Some people kill themselves because they have already-existing mental health problems.

Others kill themselves because of drugs. Still others kill themselves because of the shock of sudden personal tragedy.

But even so, there’s no question that right-wing economic policies, otherwise known as Reaganomics, make things a whole lot worse.

When people are unemployed, underemployed, or working dead-end jobs for starvation wages, they’re more likely to suffer from depression. They’re also more likely to resort to hard drugs to help them cope with the pain of economic deprivation.

Meanwhile, the compounding effect of austerity cuts to public health services just makes the whole situation worse.

Quote
There’s a dark irony here, because Reaganomics is itself form of slow-burning national suicide.
Think about it: Reaganomics has crushed the unions that created middle-class it’s bankrupted the federal government with massive tax cuts for the rich, and it’s sent our trade deficit sky-high with so-called “free trade deal” after so-called “free trade deal.”

Oh yeah, and thanks to deregulation, Reaganomics has also left us much more vulnerable to financial crises, like the one that almost completely took down the world economy 8 years.

So whatever way you look at it, right-wing economic policies are a raw deal. Not only are they killing our country, and they’re literally making every day Americans kill themselves because they just can’t take it anymore.

Even if you don’t care about things like, you know, good wages and fair taxation rates, that fact alone should make you angry.

Conservative economic policies kill -- it’s as simple as that.
Quote
It’s time repudiate Reaganomics once and for all so we can save our country as well as the lives of the people who live in it.

By the way, if you’re having dark or suicidal thoughts, you’re not alone. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 to speak to someone who can help. It’s open 24/7.

https://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2016/04/reaganomics-literally-making-americans-kill-themselves#sthash.RDqPSznN.dpuf
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 29, 2016, 04:04:57 pm
Perhaps I've been too harse on The Apricot One. According to Tom Engelhardt, he could be the first doomer presidential candidate.

Tom Engelhardt: The Real Meaning of Donald Trump (http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176133/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_has_the_american_age_of_decline_begun/#more)

He’s a Sign of American Decline (Just Not in the Way You Think).

"Low-energy Jeb." "Little Marco." "Lyin’ Ted." "Crooked Hillary." Give Donald Trump credit. He has a memorable way with insults. His have a way of etching themselves on the brain. And they’ve garnered media coverage, analysis, and commentary almost beyond imagining. Memorable as they might be, however, they won’t be what last of Trump’s 2016 election run. That’s surely reserved for a single slogan that will sum up his candidacy when it’s all over (no matter how it ends). He arrived with it on that Trump Tower escalator in the first moments of his campaign and it now headlines his website, where it's also emblazoned on an array of products from hats to t-shirts.

You already know which line I mean: “Make America Great Again!” With that exclamation point ensuring that you won’t miss the hyperbolic, Trumpian nature of its promise to return the country to its former glory days. In it lies the essence of his campaign, of what he’s promising his followers and Americans generally -- and yet, strangely enough, of all his lines, it’s the one most taken for granted, the one that’s been given the least thought and analysis. And that’s a shame, because it represents something new in our American age. The problem, I suspect, is that what first catches the eye is the phrase “Make America Great” and then, of course, the exclamation point, while the single most important word in the slogan, historically speaking, is barely noted: “again.”

With that “again,” Donald Trump crossed a line in American politics that, until his escalator moment, represented a kind of psychological taboo for politicians of any stripe, of either party, including presidents and potential candidates for that position. He is the first American leader or potential leader of recent times not to feel the need or obligation to insist that the United States, the “sole” superpower of Planet Earth, is an “exceptional” nation, an “indispensable” country, or even in an unqualified sense a “great” one. His claim is the opposite. That, at present, America is anything but exceptional, indispensable, or great, though he alone could make it “great again.” In that claim lies a curiosity that, in a court of law, might be considered an admission of guilt. Yes, it says, if one man is allowed to enter the White House in January 2017, this could be a different country, but -- and in this lies the originality of the slogan -- it is not great now, and in that admission-that-hasn’t-been-seen-as-an-admission lies something new on the American landscape.

Donald Trump, in other words, is the first person to run openly and without apology on a platform of American decline. Think about that for a moment. “Make America Great Again!” is indeed an admission in the form of a boast. As he tells his audiences repeatedly, America, the formerly great, is today a punching bag for China, Mexico... well, you know the pitch. You don’t have to agree with him on the specifics. What’s interesting is the overall vision of a country lacking in its former greatness.

Perhaps a little history of American greatness and presidents (as well as presidential candidates) is in order here.

“City Upon a Hill”

Once upon a time, in a distant America, the words “greatest,” “exceptional,” and “indispensable” weren’t even part of the political vocabulary. American presidents didn’t bother to claim any of them for this country, largely because American wealth and global preeminence were so indisputable. We’re talking about the 1950s and early 1960s, the post-World War II and pre-Vietnam “golden” years of American power. Despite a certain hysteria about the supposed dangers of domestic communists, few Americans then doubted the singularly unchallengeable power and greatness of the country. It was such a given, in fact, that it was simply too self-evident for presidents to cite, hail, or praise.

So if you look, for instance, at the speeches of John F. Kennedy, you won’t find them littered with exceptionals, indispensables, or their equivalents. In a pre-inaugural speech he gave in January 1961 on the kind of government he planned to bring to Washington, for instance, he did cite the birth of a “great republic,” the United States, and quoted Puritan John Winthrop on the desirability of creating a country that would be “a city upon a hill” to the rest of the world, with all of humanity’s eyes upon us. In his inaugural address (“Ask not what your country can do for you...”), he invoked a kind of unspoken greatness, saying, “We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” It was then common to speak of the U.S. with pride as a “free nation” (as opposed to the “enslaved” ones of the communist bloc) rather than an exceptional one. His only use of “great” was to invoke the U.S.-led and Soviet Union-led blocs as “two great and powerful groups of nations.”

Kennedy could even fall back on a certain modesty in describing the U.S. role in the world (that, in those years, from Guatemala to Iran to Cuba, all too often did not carry over into actual policy), saying in one speech, “we must face the fact that the United States is neither omnipotent or omniscient -- that we are only six percent of the world's population -- that we cannot impose our will upon the other 94 percent of mankind -- that we cannot right every wrong or reverse each adversity -- and that therefore there cannot be an American solution to every world problem.” In that same speech, he typically spoke of America as “a great power” -- but not “the greatest power.”

If you didn’t grow up in that era, you may not grasp that none of this in any way implied a lack of national self-esteem. Quite the opposite, it implied a deep and abiding confidence in the overwhelming power and presence of this country, a confidence so unshakeable that there was no need to speak of it.

If you want a pop cultural equivalent for this, consider America’s movie heroes of that time, actors like John Wayne and Gary Cooper, whose Westerns and in the case of Wayne, war movies, were iconic. What’s striking when you look back at them from the present moment is this: while neither of those actors was anything but an imposing figure, they were also remarkably ordinary looking. They were in no way over-muscled nor in their films were they over-armed in the modern fashion. It was only in the years after the Vietnam War, when the country had absorbed what felt like a grim defeat, been wracked by oppositional movements, riots, and assassinations, when a general sense of loss had swept over the polity, that the over-muscled hero, the exceptional killing machine, made the scene. (Think: Rambo.)

Consider this, then, if you want a definition of decline: when you have to state openly (and repeatedly) what previously had been too obvious to say, you’re heading, as the opinion polls always like to phrase it, in the wrong direction; in other words, once you have to say it, especially in an overemphatic way, you no longer have it.

The Reagan Reboot

That note of defensiveness first crept into the American political lexicon with the unlikeliest of politicians: Ronald Reagan, the man who seemed like the least defensive, most genial guy on the planet. On this subject at least, think of him as Trumpian before the advent of The Donald, or at least as the man who (thanks to his ad writers) invented the political use of the word “again.” It was, after all, employed in 1984 in the seminal ad of his political run for a second term in office. While that bucolic-looking TV commercial was entitled “Prouder, Stronger, Better,” its first line ever so memorably went, “It’s morning again in America.” (“Why would we ever want to return to where we were less than four short years ago?”)

Think of this as part of a post-Vietnam Reagan reboot, a time when the U.S. in Rambo-esque fashion was quite literally muscling up and over-arming in a major way. Reagan presided over “the biggest peacetime defense build-up in history” against what, referencing Star Wars, he called an “evil empire” -- the Soviet Union. In those years, he also worked to rid the country of what was then termed “the Vietnam Syndrome” in part by rebranding that war a “noble cause.” In a time when loss and decline were much on the American brain, he dismissed them both, even as he set the country on a path toward the present moment of 1% dysfunction in a country that no longer invests fully in its own infrastructure, whose wages are stagnant, whose poor are a growth industry, whose wealth now flows eternally upward in a political environment awash in the money of the ultra-wealthy, and whose over-armed military continues to pursue a path of endless failure in the Greater Middle East.

Reagan, who spoke directly about American declinist thinking in his time -- “Let's reject the nonsense that America is doomed to decline” -- was hardly shy about his superlatives when it came to this country. He didn’t hesitate to re-channel classic American rhetoric ranging from Winthop’s “shining city upon a hill” (perhaps cribbed from Kennedy) in his farewell address to Lincoln-esque (“the last best hope of man on Earth”) invocations like “here in the heartland of America lives the hope of the world” or “in a world wracked by hatred, economic crisis, and political tension, America remains mankind's best hope.”

And yet, in the 1980s, there were still limits to what needed to be said about America. Surveying the planet, you didn’t yet have to refer to us as the “greatest” country of all or as the planet’s sole truly “exceptional” country. Think of such repeated superlatives of our own moment as defensive markers on the declinist slope. The now commonplace adjective “indispensable” as a stand-in for American greatness globally, for instance, didn’t even arrive until Bill Clinton’s Secretary of State Madeleine Albright began using it in 1996. It only became an indispensable part of the rhetorical arsenal of American politicians, from President Obama on down, a decade-plus into the twenty-first century when the country’s eerie dispensability (unless you were a junkie for failed states and regional chaos) became ever more apparent.

As for the U.S. being the planet’s “exceptional” nation, a phrase that now seems indelibly in the American grain and that no president or presidential candidate has avoided, it’s surprising how late that entered the presidential lexicon. As John Gans Jr. wrote in the Atlantic in 2011, “Obama has talked more about American exceptionalism than Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush combined: a search on UC Santa Barbara's exhaustive presidential records library finds that no president from 1981 to today uttered the phrase ‘American exceptionalism’ except Obama. As U.S. News' Robert Schlesinger wrote, ‘American exceptionalism’ is not a traditional part of presidential vocabulary. According to Schlesinger's search of public records, Obama is the only president in 82 years to use the term.”

And yet in recent years it has become a commonplace of Republicans and Democrats alike. In other words, as the country has become politically shakier, the rhetoric about its greatness has only escalated in an American version of “the lady doth protest too much.” Such descriptors have become the political equivalent of litmus tests: you couldn’t be president or much of anything else without eternally testifying to your unwavering belief in American greatness.

This, of course, is the line that Trump crossed in a curiously unnoticed fashion in this election campaign. He did so by initially upping the rhetorical ante, adding that exclamation point (which even Reagan avoided). Yet in the process of being more patriotically correct than thou, he somehow also waded straight into American decline so bluntly that his own audience could hardly miss it (even if his critics did).

Think of it as an irony, if you wish, but the ultimate American narcissist, in promoting his own rise, has also openly promoted a version of decline and fall to striking numbers of Americans. For his followers, a major political figure has quit with the defensive BS and started saying it the way it is.

Of course, don’t furl the flag or shut down those offshore accounts or start writing the complete history of American decline quite yet. After all, the United States still looms “lone” on an ever more chaotic planet. Its wealth remains stunning, its economic clout something to behold, its tycoons the envy of the Earth, and its military beyond compare when it comes to how much and how destructively, even if not how successfully. Still, make no mistake about it, Donald Trump is a harbinger, however bizarre, of a new American century in which this country will indeed no longer be (with a bow to Muhammad Ali) "the Greatest" or, for all but a shrinking crew, exceptional.

So mark your calendars: 2016 is the official year the U.S. first went public as a declinist power and for that you can thank Donald -- or rather Donald! -- Trump.

The decline began shortly before "Morning in America" with the sabotage of Carter's Presidency on behalf the profit over planet fossil fuel industry "subsidy" welfare queen crooks. liars and murderers.

The massive corruption of the U.S. Government by the infiltration into the EPA and all the energy regulation and policy arms of the U. S. government gave us the tanker double hull requirement DECADE long delay that gave us the Exxon Valdez fun and games, the LACK of required oil platform or land rig site inspections for safety by OSHA (which "exempted" the oil and gas industry from those pesky government "intrusions" that mining corporations were bound to - the oil and gas industries "self regulate" LOL!) that eventually gave us the Deep Horizon fun and games and SO MUCH MORE "externalized" pollution and death effects DIRECTLY CAUSED by fossil fuel industry corruption of government.

Every step of the way through war profiteering and oil shock fun and games, we-the-people and the environment grew steadily weaker while the oil pigs and their Wall Street Fascist friends grew steadily stronger.

The religion of "Greed is Good" permeates every facet of an empire in decline. But it's all just a "conspiracy" for people with a stake in the massive dirty energy profits that are helping to further corrupt our government and degrade our biosphere.

Whatever.  ::)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100216204839.gif&hash=19170c176bf9497627349a00623922c8e88185b1)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 01, 2016, 03:52:21 pm
Vehicle inspections should go, says state senator     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)

By Mark Lisheron  /   March 28, 2016

The state of Texas has no idea if its $275 million vehicle inspection program is doing what it is supposed to do, or ever has as far as anyone can tell.

Last year Texas inspectors checked 19 million passenger cars. That’s more than 50,000 safety and emissions inspection trips seven days a week, and more than nine million hours spent by vehicle owners complying, according to Department of Public Safety figures.

The program returns just $125 million of the $275 million generated in fees back to the state.

But there has not been a single audit or study by the DPS chief auditor’s office or the state auditor to determine if vehicle inspections have made Texans safer or allowed them to breathe easier.

As one of the few national studies — by the Government Accountability Office in August 2015 — points out, if you want to know if these programs work in Texas and elsewhere, you’ll have to take the word of the people who run them.

Their word is based on evidence, however scant, that completely contradicts their optimism.

“According to officials GAO interviewed from 15 state vehicle safety inspection programs, these programs enhance vehicle safety,” the report says. “However, the benefits and costs of such programs are difficult to quantify.”

State Sen. Don Huffines, R-Dallas, wants to do what 34 other states have already done and get rid of the vehicle inspection program. The vice-chairman of the Transportation Committee told Watchdog he will make it a priority to introduce a bill to abolish the program in 2017, similar to one that never made it out of his own committee in the 2015 legislative session.

Quote
“I am confident with a little pressure we can get rid of this worthless program,” Huffines said in a phone interview. “This is nothing but a tax predicated on a false promise.”

Huffines said his 2015 bill was introduced in March, too late to give it the push it needed. Since then, he said he and his staff have pressed the DPS for data to measure what the vehicle inspection program is doing for the state.

“From what we can tell so far, there isn’t any,” Huffines said.

Support from other states is hardly encouraging. In 2001 Oklahoma ended its program at an annual savings of $12 million after a state Senate study could find no evidence the program decreased accidents or injury, according to the GAO report.

Quote
When Washington, D.C., officials could find that no one had bothered to learn if vehicle inspections had any benefit, they killed the program in 2009. New Jersey concluded the same thing a year later, according to the GAO report.

Last year the Mississippi Legislature abandoned its questionable program when the state DPS admitted it was losing money on it and inspection station operators said their take on the fee wasn’t enough to make a thorough inspection worthwhile.

Troubling, however, is North Carolina. In 2008 the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee recommended the state jettison a program that cost vehicle owners $141 million and the state $40.8 million a year to administer.

The blunt Program Evaluation Division report  “found no evidence exists showing the safety inspection program is effective, it is not possible to determine how much vehicle emissions inspections contribute to the improvement of overall air quality, and  program oversight by DMV is inadequate.”

Its conclusiveness was not enough to persuade the Legislature. Nor, apparently, was a series of stories by the Charlotte News and Observer that established that not only was the program pointless, it was shot through with fraud and mismanagement.

Vehicle inspections in North Carolina live on, although last April the Legislature allowed for the owners of vehicles in the three most recent model years with fewer than 70,000 miles on them to get an exemption.

‘Most states have already done it’

The GAO concluded that measuring vehicle inspection effectiveness was made most difficult because states failed to track the operating costs and because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that only 2 to 7 percent of highway crashes were the result of a mechanical failure that an inspection might catch.

An economics professor who has been studying vehicle inspection results for nearly 20 years  repeated many of the same complaints before Huffines’ Transportation Committee in January.

Daniel Sutter, the Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics at Troy University in Alabama, told the committee that even as states were getting out of the vehicle inspection business, highway traffic deaths have dropped below 35,000, from more than 50,000 a year in the 1970s.

But in spite of all the specious evidence and the public burden, Huffines is aware he will need to work his bill hard in the next session.

Quote
“The state (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) makes a lot of money on it (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978), so there’s a disincentive (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c) to get rid of it,”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f) Huffines said.
   
Huffines hopes he can persuade lawmakers and their constituents with a better than two-for-one tax break. Vehicle owners get to keep $275 million in their pockets, while the state loses out on $125 million for a program the state doesn’t need.

He’d like those vehicle owners to tell their representatives a deal like that sounds pretty good.

Quote
“Most states have already done it,” he said. “It just seems like common sense.”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)


http://watchdog.org/260438/vehicle-inspections-texas/

Agelbert NOTE: Vermont also needs to eliminate this avenue of fraud and needless repairs by the mechanics. These costs are forced on people least able to afford them.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

Vehicle inspections have gotten so ridiculous in Vermont that they can fail you for a bad tire pressure sensor, never mind the tire tread thickness! You get failed for an ABS light even though the brake disks and/or linings are well within tolerances.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

And, of course, the police have a great excuse to pull people over if your sticker is "expired".    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

And the alleged concern for emissions in Vermont is a JOKE. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) That check engine light means $80 JUST for the mechanic job security machine test BEFORE they hit you with the unavoidable sensor replacement cost.  >:(  Oh, but that's good for the environment, you say?  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2932.gif&hash=0eaec4791a5825821998245e7fcd7744b56557fe)

The REALITY is something else.  "Care for environment" has absolutely nothing to do with it. >:(

Guess what? Among the mechanics and their friends, they "miss" the check engine light when they do the inspection (while marking that the light was OFF  ;)), never mind the tricks out there done to make sure it ain't on when the "inspection" is done.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

Vehicle inspections, if they occur at all, should be MILEAGE based, And the police should be on the highways to do POLICE work (i.e. chase CRIMINALS), not provide job security for greedy mechanics!  >:(
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 02, 2016, 04:11:03 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic1.businessinsider.com%2Fimage%2F572676a891058427008c0100-2357-1768%2Frtr3go60.jpg&hash=87700e88750707eaf52018cc0bcc89c5085f258d)

Puerto Rico is going to default.

In a television address made Sunday, Puerto Rico's governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said the island's Government Development Bank (GDB) will not make a $422 million payment due to its creditors by the end of business on Monday, according to Bloomberg.

A Reuters report ahead of Padilla's address released on Sunday evening said the GDB was, "expected to skip at least the principal portion of its payment to hedge funds, credit unions and other bondholders."

Like many financially distressed governments around the globe — think Greece, for example — Puerto Rico has been faced with demands from creditors and their consultants that the island undertake drastic spending cuts in order to create surpluses large enough to meet debt obligations.

The Padilla government has resisted these proposals.

And so Padilla's announcement on Sunday, while not entirely unexpected, does reinforce the position from which the island will continue negotiations with its creditors over this specific debt. ZeroHedge reported Sunday that the price of the bonds on which Padilla said Puerto Rico will default had plummeted to 20 cents on the dollar.

In the financial world, Puerto Rico's distress does not come as a great shock, and many hedge funds have made considerable bets that the island will eventually reach agreements to payback its creditors.

And in January 2015, Business Insider's Linette Lopez went so far as to argue that Puerto Rico, in effect belonged to Wall Street. John Oliver did the same, more or less, last week.

Sunday's announcement is also certainly not the end of Puerto Rico's fiscal dilemma. Here's more from Reuters' overview of the situation facing Puerto Rico in the coming months:

GDB has held talks with groups holding some of its $4 billion in bonds to try to restructure the debt consensually.

Some creditors who are frustrated with Garcia Padilla's administration — which has not issued audited financial statements since fiscal year 2013 — say government reforms could allow the island to pay its debts without hurting its people. Garcia Padilla insists the U.S. territory needs relief from debt payments.   

A default would ratchet up pressure on the U.S. Congress to find a legislative solution for Puerto Rico, which enters a key stretch in its fiscal saga, owing another $1.9 billion of debt on July 1, including about $777 million in general obligation debt backed by its constitution. 

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan initially called for a plan by March 31. However, draft legislation from the House Natural Resources Committee, which would put Puerto Rico's finances under federal oversight and allow it to restructure debt through a bankruptcy-like process, has faced opposition from liberal and conservative wings of both parties.

http://www.businessinsider.com/puerto-rico-government-development-bank-default-2016-5 (http://www.businessinsider.com/puerto-rico-government-development-bank-default-2016-5)

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan initially called for a plan by March 31. However, draft legislation from the House Natural Resources Committee, which would put Puerto Rico's finances under federal oversight and allow it to restructure debt through a bankruptcy-like process, has faced opposition from liberal and conservative wings of both parties.

The "Plan" will be taken from the Greek Playbook, which is to kick the can as long as you can.

RE

Yup.

And the reason for that is that the main players in this game are NOT in Puerto Rico; they are at Wall Street, who set up this triple tax exempt bond swag to asset strip the Puerto Rican economy about 40 to 50 YEARS ago. Strom Thurmond's "inexplicable" write in to a bill in 1992 that pulled Puerto Rico's legal claim to Chapter 9 Bankruptcy is the mere tip of this giant turdburg.

Everybody HERE that has a 401K probably OWNS some exposure to Puerto Rico bonds that they have not been told about.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)

EVERY state pension fund in the USA has SOME exposure to Puerto Rican bonds. THAT is why the U.S. Congress is paying attention to this. The poor and middle class people of Puerto Rico, saddled with their totally undemocratic fascist banking dictatorship (created by Wall Street and babied by the U.S. Empire), are not the issue here.

The U.S. Congress does not give a tinker's damn about the people of Puerto Rico (or most of the rest of their constituents, for that matter  :evil4:). This is not about the people of Puerto Rico. The government down there has used crocodile tears about how the average Puerto Rican is being shafted with 11% sales taxes as a fig leaf to get the Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection back. Hello? WHO was it that sold bonds to privatize every bridge, energy providing service, etc, on the island? WHO jacked up the sales taxes? WHO allowed the banks to foreclose on properties instead of forcing the banks to negotiate a lower mortgage payment due to lower property value? THE BANKSTERS THAT RUN THE GOVERNMENT! THAT'S WHO!

The fascist banking government of Puerto Rico does not give a tinker's Damn about the average Puerto Rican, PERIOD.

Anybody that claims any move by Congress to "aid" Puerto Rico is "wrong" because the "lazy Puerto Ricans should take their medicine" does not have the remotest **** idea of what they are talking about.

YES, Puerto Rico SHOULD DEFAULT! YES, they should NOT be given Chapter 9 Bankruptcy access.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Ftuzki-bunnys%2Ftuzki-bunny-emoticon-028.gif&hash=24570cb7e8246617010ce900a07bc85117ff78ca)

WHY?

Because it will be used to PROTECT the Wall Street banksters that run Puerto Rico! If the banksters get relief from bond default consequences, MORE asset stripping will continue in Puerto Rico, not less!

If no "relief" is granted, the banksters, both in Wall Street and Puerto Rico, lose their ass  :emthup: and lose their fascist power  :emthup: over the judiciary down there that has turned the place into a paradise of Banana republic corruption.

And that is why the Predators R' US crowd will, unfortunately, bail the banksters out.  :emthdown:

But, as usual, the ignorant right wing morons out there will claim (see: BLAME THE VICTIM) its "welfare socialism for those lazy, irresponsible salt water ****".   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgen152.gif&hash=d5b10968fe56c4cb95fae17cee3cb420a5f4e2da)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 03, 2016, 03:49:35 pm
Should be interesting to see how this mess is papered over.  ::)


RE

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/puerto-rico-make-370-million-debt-payments-monday-38806419 (http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/puerto-rico-make-370-million-debt-payments-monday-38806419)

Puerto Rico Won't Make $370 Million in Debt Payments Monday

    By The Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — May 2, 2016, 12:03 AM ET


Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla announced that Puerto Rico's government will not make nearly $370 million in bond payments due Monday after a failure to restructure or find a political solution to the U.S. territory's spiraling public debt crisis.

Garcia said Sunday that he had issued an executive order suspending payments on debt owed by the island's Government Development Bank, a default that will likely prompt lawsuits from creditors and could be a prelude to a deadline to a much larger payment due July 1.

The governor said Puerto Rico can't pay the bonds without cutting essential services.

Island officials spent the weekend trying to negotiate a settlement that would have avoided the default but apparently came up short. The development comes as Congress has so far been unable to pass a debt restructuring bill for Puerto Rico.

"Let me be very clear, this was a painful decision," Garcia said in a speech. "We would have preferred to have had a legal framework to restructure our debts in an orderly manner."

The Government Development Bank had $422 million in payments due Monday. Puerto Rico will pay $22 million interest and it reached a deal Friday to restructure about $30 million, leaving it short $370 million.

The administration also will be paying about $50 million in other debt payments due Monday owed by various other territorial agencies.

Nearly all the bonds are held by a variety of U.S. hedge funds and mutual funds.

Garcia said Puerto Rico's government could not make the payment without sacrificing basic necessities for the island's 3.5 million residents, including keeping schools and public hospitals open.

"We will continue working to try to reach a consensual solution with our creditors," he said. "That is one of our commitments. But what we will never do is put the lives and safety of our people in danger."

The governor had been warning since last year that the island's overall public debt of more than $70 billion is unpayable.

Puerto Rico has been suffering through more than a decade of economic decline since Congress phased out tax cuts that had made the island a center for pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing. Garcia's predecessors and the island legislature borrowed heavily to cover over budget deficits, causing a debt spiral that has already prompted several smaller defaults.

Creditors have accused the government of exaggerating the crisis to avoid upcoming payments of more than $1 billion due July 1 that includes general obligation bonds, which are guaranteed by the constitution.

Economists have warned that a default of this magnitude could cause Puerto Rico to lose access to capital markets and make the situation worse as the government faces the much larger payment due July 1.

Garcia lashed out at Congress for failing to pass a bill that would create a control board to help manage the island's $70 billion debt and to oversee some debt restructuring. He said it has been held up by "internal partisan and ideological divisions" in the House of Representatives.

"We can't wait longer," he said. "We need this restructuring mechanism now."

Actually, the banksters running the gooberment down there have been doing quite a bit of selective defaulting and selective non-defaulting for over two years. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)

The little people (middle class gringos and Puerto Ricans holding bonds that can't afford expensive lawyers) have been DENIED bond premiums while the bonds themselves plummeted in value, leaving them stuck because they can't even sell the bonds.

HOWEVAH, the hedge fund hyenas at Wall Street have been "negotiating" all along with the banksters in Puerto Rico. IOW, the hedge funds, who CAN afford expensive lawyers, have been getting paid their swag at the expense of all the other bond holders.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

So, YEAH, the papering over has been going on for about two years.

The move now is to bail out the hedge funds at Wall Street while pretending it is a "restructuring" of Puerto Rican debt. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)  That's because the debt is getting to the point that the hedge funds will feel the pain, regardless of their threats to sue.

Let's be clear. The hedge fund hyenas have the ear of the U.S. Congress. The MONEY to do this will come from WE-THE-PEOPLE. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)


By the way, "asopao" is a form of gumbo made with rice. It's a sort of a thick soup that veggies, chicken, rice and spices are mixed up in for a tasty combination.

The "asopao" metaphor is a bit of disingenuous bullshit to make people believe a mixture of this and that from the gooberment will "solve the problem". This is not  "asopao"; this is a S H I T sandwich for the average American citizen both here and in Puerto Rico.

Have a nice day.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 10, 2016, 07:41:23 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fharvardpolitics.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F05%2Fcorruption.jpg&hash=a730aaa7e135ca301ad1e017c5ed97fc4fd53829)

EPA's Tie to Monsanto Could Be Disastrous For Us

May. 10, 2016 1:12 pm By Thom Hartmann

Conservative politicians love to talk about how the Environmental Protection Agency only issues "job-killing regulations", especially if they're taking campaign contributions from fossil fuel billionaires like the Koch Brothers or from agrichemical giants like Monsanto.

Republican Chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Lamar Smith  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4), for example, has spent years trying to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from conducting any real research about climate change or passing any real regulations in general.

But apparently it's true that every once in a while, even a blind mouse finds cheese.  ;D

Because for once, it seems like Lamar Smith might actually have a legitimate complaint about an EPA report.

Last week, Smith wrote a letter to the EPA demanding to know why a risk report marked "Final Report" about glyphosate was retracted just three days after it was published.

The EPA's Cancer Assessment Review Committee issued the "Final Report" on glyphosate on April 29 , and 13 members of the Review Committee had signed their name to the report's findings that glyphosate is "not likely to be carcinogenic to humans."

The findings should raise eyebrows to begin with, because they directly contradict a report from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer, which found last year that glyphosate is a "probable carcinogen."

But what's really caused a stir from environmentalists and conservatives alike, and why Lamar Smith has started overseeing the matter, is that the EPA pulled the report after just three days, and claimed that the report was published "inadvertently."  ;)

Smith wrote to Gina McCarthy on May 4 that "the subsequent backtracking on [this report's] finality raises questions about the agency's motivation in providing a fair assessment   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220216203149.gif&hash=bd184b6edccce4045e246847a0c84e89bd5a18b6) of glyphosate."

But Lamar Smith was a few days late to the party condemning the EPA's research, because the Center for Biological Diversity had already issued a press release condemning the EPA finding as "disappointing, but not terribly surprising [because] industry has been manipulating this research for years."

This shouldn't come as any surprise though, because using industry research is part of the EPA's scheme of "cooperative regulation," something that's been in place ever since Reagan appointed Anne Gorsuch  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) to head the EPA in the early 1980s.

During her tenure as head of the EPA, Gorsuch cut the EPA's budget by 22%, she handed many of the duties of the EPA down to states and contractors, and she made a cascade of appointments at lower levels in the agency that led to a fundamental shift in how the EPA regulated industry.

You see, in the world of Reaganism, regulators shouldn't challenge industry.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)


Instead, under "cooperative regulation," regulators are supposed to work together with industry to establish regulations that protect public safety without hurting corporate profits.

"Cooperative regulation" is why regulators in the United States need to prove that a product is unsafe before a corporation will pull that product from store shelves, because corporate profits are at least as valuable as public safety.

It's why over 750 products containing glyphosate are still for sale in the United States nearly a year after the World Health Organization found that glyphosate is "probably carcinogenic."  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Femoticon-object-015.gif&hash=8e6486af5151b5eb075de7af5fb71f325d34dc0c)

"Cooperative regulation" is also why our regulatory agencies take research from privately funded think-tanks and from industry lobbying groups.

And that's exactly what seems to be at the core of what's going on with this retracted glyphosate report.

Dozens of papers cited in the retracted EPA report on glyphosate are "unpublished regulatory studies", meaning that they weren't peer reviewed and it's unclear how the data was collected or tested.

As Nathan Donley with the Center for Biological Diversity wrote in a press release, "The EPA's analysis relied heavily on industry-funded studies that have not undergone public scrutiny, while the WHO used publicly available research for its analysis.".

And this is a huge problem, because the EPA was established by the Nixon administration "because arresting environmental deterioration is of great importance to the quality of life in our country and the world.".

When Nixon authorized the creation of the EPA, there was bi-partisan consensus that this country needs a single, streamlined regulatory agency dedicated to protecting our air and water.

Now, we're approaching a bi-partisan consensus that the EPA is broken.

And the fact is, it's been broken for over 30 years, ever since the Reagan Administration turned it into a partner of industry, rather than a regulator.

It's time to get federal regulators out of bed from the industries that they're supposed to be overseeing.
Quote

It's time for the EPA and other regulatory agencies to adopt the precautionary principle that says that techniques like fracking and products like glyphosate have to be proven safe BEFORE consumers are exposed to them.

We need to strengthen the EPA and other regulatory agencies so that they can conduct independent research about environmental threats and public health concerns, and so that they don't need to solicit biased, industry-funded research from multinational corporations.

And it's time to end the revolving door between the private sector and government agencies like the EPA, the FCC, the FDA, and the SEC, because the American People deserve government regulators that put public safety ahead of corporate profits.

 http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2016/05/epas-tie-monsanto-could-be-disastrous-us#sthash.Qcd6uhnM.dpuf


 What really Happened at the EPA (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/corruption-in-government/msg3619/#msg3619)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 11, 2016, 04:13:28 pm
The Diner endorses Bernie so support the Diner and get your JOHN HANDCOCK on the list now.  As you can see one does not have to be from Seattle.  K-Dogs human name is right there next to:

 
Quote
Your name here!

Now put your name there too.  Just follow this link.


http://movement4bernie.org/ (http://movement4bernie.org/)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fchasingthesquirrel.com%2Fpics%2FSawantAndI.png&hash=f72a65c9ad404219d6385c57ed18f2875ebb0a1d)


I signed.

But let me make something clear. I know Senator Sanders. I have been following absolutely every public step (and many of his not so public steps too) he has taken since I moved to Vermont in 1996.

Bernie is a very shrewd politician. Although I do not like what he will probably do to make lemonade out of Clintonian lemons, I expect that is exactly what he will do. But perhaps I am underestimating him.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emofaces.com%2Fpng%2F200%2Femoticons%2Ffingerscrossed.png&hash=d56f8009d18b55f4cea7be68284c0521be92fc5d)

What am I saying here?

Let us go back over 100 years in U.S. History. There was a man who had great promise for this country and was defeated by Wall Street, who greatly feared what William Jennings Bryan would DO to make this country a decent place to work in as well as prevent the creation of the Federal Reserve currency counterfeiting monster.

William Jennings Bryan was not destroyed directly; he was made Secretary of State. They silenced his voice on domestic reforms by putting him in a post where he had no say on domestic affairs  :evil4:. I don't think he actually believed they bought him, but as far as TPTB were concerned, they bought him.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c)

Wall Street will probably try to game Bernie in a similar fashion, since, like William Jennings Bryan, he is too popular and says too many hard truths to be destroyed outright.

Bernie is well aware of all that. Bernie is a true patriot. He will do whatever he has to do to position himself in a way that can ensure the wellbeing of future generations.

He MIGHT accept a cabinet position IF he is given iron clad promises to allow him a free hand to strip the fossil fuel industry of all subsidies, visible and invisible, and channel that money into the an infrastructure jobs plan coupled with the implantation of the Clean Energy Plan.

The problem with that is that Hitlery will promise the moon to Sanders and then double cross him after she is (s)elected.

I think Senator Sanders gets all that, much better than I do. We will see what he does. As I said before, he is a very shrewd politician but, unlike most U.S. politicians, is a patriot.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 13, 2016, 09:06:56 pm
Amid Dilma Rousseff’s Impeachment, Brazil Prepares to Roll Back Environmental Laws  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Femoticons%2Ftuzki-bunnys%2Ftuzki-bunny-emoticon-023.gif&hash=e72013122d6634eacda71e7e47240da3c304c286)

Posted on May 12, 2016

By Jan Rocha / Climate News Network

Damaging new roads and other projects are likely to be nodded through in Brazil. (Lucas Kenzo 436 via Wikimedia Commons)

This piece first appeared at Climate News Network.

SÃO PAULO—Taking advantage of Brazil’s present political turbulence, as the battle to impeach President Dilma Rousseff reaches its climax, reactionary politicians are quietly rolling back environmental and indigenous protection laws in defiance of the country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Environmentalists say that if the bill known as PEC 65/2012, now at the Senate committee stage, is approved, it means that major infrastructure projects will be able to go ahead regardless of their impacts on biodiversity, indigenous areas, traditional communities and conservation areas.

Instead of a careful if somewhat slow licensing process which involves scientific assessments including biological, botanical, anthropological and archaeological studies, developers will merely have to present a proposed study of environmental impact to be allowed to begin—without actually having to carry out the study. And once a project is under way it cannot be cancelled or suspended by the environmental protection agencies.

Environment organisations, both governmental and non-governmental, have protested strongly at the bill’s implications. For Marilene Ramos, the president of the official agency for the environment and renewable resources, IBAMA, (in Portuguese only) it means Brazil is going in the opposite direction to developed countries and will no longer be able to control infrastructure  projects.

Quote

“It is completely absurd; it is as though the act of applying for a driving license entitled you to drive a lorry.”

Indigenous leader Nara Baré, of COIAB—the Coordination of Indian organisations in the Brazilian Amazon—said: “Brazil presented targets in Paris but doesn’t do its homework, protecting the forest and us who live in it.”

Carlos Bocuhy, the president of PROAM, an environmental NGO, says the effect of the bill will be to end environmental licensing: “It is completely absurd; it is as though the act of applying for a driving licence entitled you to  drive a lorry.”

The Climate Observatory (in Portuguese only) sees the bill as “a bad joke”,  even more so in a country that has just suffered the worst environmental disaster in its history, the bursting of a dam of toxic mud in Minas Gerais state on 5 November last year. The calamity destroyed all animal and plant life and a major river nearby, and could be the world’s worst disaster after Chernobyl.   

Greenpeace director Marcio Astrini said of the bill that “if it becomes law, it will act as a factory of tragedies”


Personal stake (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)
 


Its author, Senator Acir Gurgacz, has a personal interest: his family owns a transport company which would benefit hugely from the paving of the 900 km BR319 highway, linking two Amazon capitals, Porto Velho and Manaus. At present the project cannot go ahead because IBAMA has embargoed the work, alleging environmental damage. The road runs through conservation areas, indigenous lands and areas of largely unspoiled rainforest.

The bill´s rapporteur is Senator Blairo Maggi, a soya magnate, who has cleared thousands of hectares of rainforest in his home state of Mato Grosso, and is tipped to be the minister of agriculture in the new government that will take over once President Rousseff is suspended from office this week.

Environmentalists are already expressing deep concern about the government planned by vice-president Michel Temer, who will become Brazil’s president on 12  May if the impeachment goes through.They note that his policy paper, A bridge to the future, which laid out his plans for government, made no mention of the environment, climate change or the Amazon rainforest.

Instead the big farmers’ and ranchers’ lobby, FPA, or Parliamentary Farming Front, presented the president-to-be with a “positive agenda”—a list of demands which included the abolition of the ministry of land reform, the halting and revision of the demarcations of indigenous reserves and quilombos (territories inhabited by the descendants of runaway slaves), and more funds for agribusiness, which already enjoys substantial subsidies.

Besides the bill to end environmental licensing, other damaging bills are in the pipeline.  :(

Ignoring local wishes

One, known as PEC 215, has been doing the rounds in Congress for over 15 years, but with the imminent arrival of the new, pro-farmer government it is expected soon to be voted into law. If it is, it will mean that the power to decide further demarcations of indigenous areas—nearly 400 are under consideration—will pass from the executive to the Congress.

With both houses dominated by members of the rural lobby, this is regarded as tantamount to ending demarcations.  Another 1,611 quilombo areas will also be affected. The importance of the indigenous and quilombo territories is that they tend to conserve forested areas, instead of clearing them for mechanised agriculture or cattle grazing.

By law the areas contained within each rural property (which, especially in the Amazon, are often vast) must be left wild. But another measure on the table (bill 4508/16) will allow them to be used for cattle grazing.

Others will permit mining and hydroelectric dams in indigenous areas without any need for permission from their inhabitants. Reducing controls on pesticides – Brazil is the world’s biggest consumer—is yet another target.

The government of Dilma Rousseff has in no way been a model of protection for the environment and indigenous areas, but it seems that the government of Michel Temer could be much worse.

Jan Rocha is a freelance journalist living in Brazil and is a former correspondent there for the BBC World Service and The Guardian.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/amid_dilma_rousseffs_impeachment_brazil_prepares_to_20160512
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 15, 2016, 05:52:59 pm
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Ending Corporate Hit-and-Runs

By Amanda Goodin  | Thursday, April 07, 2016

SNIPPET:

Under the Superfund law, the EPA was required to take the first step in this important rulemaking process in 1983. Instead, it did absolutely nothing—for decades.

In the meantime, the law’s dedicated tax on oil and chemical companies expired (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f), and the Superfund fund went bankrupt.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df) Though Congress appropriated some money for cleanup of Superfund sites from general tax revenues, the level of funding was drastically cut, meaning cleanups were delayed even further.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

But the EPA continued to stall. An initial Earthjustice victory in 2008 forced the EPA to issue findings on the industries most likely to create these toxic sites. The EPA found that hard rock mines, coal plants, oil refineries and chemical manufacturing facilities were the worst of the worst—the most likely to create the biggest messes.

The EPA even found that in some cases, these companies intentionally set up parent and subsidiary corporations so that the profits from industrial facilities could be funneled to the parent company, but when time came to clean up the mess, the subsidiary could declare bankruptcy and walk away, leaving the public with the bill. 😈 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78)

Quote
And yet, even after these findings, the EPA continued to delay.
So Earthjustice went back to court. After years of litigation, fiercely resisted by both the EPA and industry groups, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has finally broken the logjam. The court agreed to enforce a schedule for the EPA to finish the long-delayed rules.

http://earthjustice.org/blog/2016-april/at-last-polluters-must-pay

What really Happened at the EPA (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/corruption-in-government/msg3619/#msg3619)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 19, 2016, 07:30:22 pm
https://youtu.be/GVhqyxA5sxY


How Does the Democratic Nominee Earn Our Vote?

Don’t listen to the talking heads on cable news: Bernie Sanders supporters have every right to be angry. They have a right to be angry about what happened at the Nevada State Democratic Convention, they have a right to be angry that the Democratic Party has tried to stage-manage a coronation for Hillary Clinton, and they have a right to be angry about the corruption that has taken over our democracy.

First, let’s talk about Nevada. Despite all the hand-wringing from our so-called liberal media about rioting and chaos, there is still no real proof that things got all that out of hand and there’s no proof of any chair-throwing or other violence of any sort.Were a lot of Bernie Sanders supporters upset that the Nevada Democratic Party stripped their candidate of some delegates? Absolutely.

Were a lot of Bernie Sanders supporters angry that the rules were changed in an undemocratic way that helped Hillary Clinton? You bet.Did those Bernie Sanders supporters express their anger by protesting, shouting and booing? Yes, yes, they did.

And so what?This is an election and things like that happen, especially, you know, in a democracy, where our disagreements sometimes get a little raucous.

Obviously, no one deserves to get death threats or even harassment, as Nevada’s Democratic Party chair did, but that doesn’t mean the anger Bernie Sanders supporters feel is any less real or any less legitimate.

And here’s what the corporate media won’t tell you: Bernie supporters aren’t angry at the Democratic Party because they’re obsessed with Bernie or want some old Jewish guy from Brooklyn to be president. They’re angry because they want real change and are being thwarted at every step of the way by a Democratic establishment that just wants to preserve the status quo.

What’s animating Bernie supporters -- and it’s arguably what animated some early Trump supporters as well -- is the idea that Washington doesn’t have be run as usual, that the Treasury Department doesn’t have to run by former executives from Goldman Sachs, that the FDA doesn’t have to be run by former executives from Merck or Pfizer, and that the Interior Department doesn’t have to be subservient to BP or Shell.

What’s animating Bernie supporters is the very simple and very American idea that the government should be the government, not a revolving door for corporate lackeys and special interests groups.

This is what Bernie is promising to do and what Trump has hinted at, even though in his case it’s just part of a scam he’s running on the suckers who vote Republican.

In Bernie’s case, though, it’s for real, and it’s the source of most of his supporters’ passion. Just like Bernie, they want the government to work for We the People again, and just like Bernie, they understand that the Democratic establishment is as big a part of the problem as the Republican establishment.

The Reagan administration may have changed the game by doing the unthinkable and appointing industry types to cabinet positions, but both parties have followed its lead ever since.

The Obama administration is no exception. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew used to work for Citigroup. Former Attorney General Eric Holder worked at a corporate DC law firm before taking office, and he’s now returned to working at that corporate DC law firm. Robert Califf, the head of the FDA, has deep ties to Big Pharma, and is one of the most corporate FDA chiefs in history.

It’s not just the Obama administration that’s flush with corporate cronies, though. This is a Democratic Party-wide problem.

For example, Barney Frank, who now is on the board of a bank that’s being sued for running a Ponzi scheme, is going to help write the banking part of the party platform at this summer’s Democratic Convention. Allyson Schwartz, a former Democratic congresswoman who now spends her days pushing for privatized Medicare, is on the convention’s host committee. So is former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4), who now spends his days lobbying for the fracking industry.

If Hillary Clinton is the nominee for president and wins, and she fails to do something about this, Bernie Sanders supporters will stay disenchanted, as they will have every right to be.

So if Democratic elites want Bernie Sanders supporters to “unify” with and rally behind their party, they better clean out their own closets first. They're going to have to, as Senator Nina Turner told me today on my radio show, "earn our votes."

And ending the corrupt revolving door in Washington DC is a vital starting place.

http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2016/05/how-does-democratic-nominee-earn-our-vote

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 21, 2016, 04:26:28 pm
Five Things People Should Stop Saying About Bernie Sanders

Posted on May 20, 2016

Criticism of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, especially by Democrats, is “misguided and hypocritical,” writes Trevor Timm at The Guardian. And “he is doing the right thing by largely ignoring it.”

On the idea (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ftissue.gif&hash=f8d05db8e11569882e0effbdd719e2b2e95c6785) that Sanders should stop criticizing his rival Hillary Clinton:

The idea that Sanders, and to a certain extent others on the left, should stop criticizing Clinton because it gives [Donald] Trump a better chance to win is ridiculous. Do people think that Clinton should get a free pass for the next six months – and potentially incentive to move to the right – on issues like Wall Street, trade, war, foreign policy and others? Just because Trump would be a disaster does not mean Clinton should be immune from criticism, nor does it mean holding her accountable will prevent her from ultimately defeating Trump.



On his supposed failure (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2932.gif&hash=0eaec4791a5825821998245e7fcd7744b56557fe) to criticize Trump: 

… Sanders criticizes Trump all the time. In fact, he has continually used as strong or stronger language in doing so than Clinton has. He was one of the first prominent figures to dispense with the pleasantries about Trump and accused him of making racist comments months ago.

“It’s one thing to say that Sanders should lay off Clinton and focus on Trump,” Timm writes. “But saying ‘don’t criticize your party’ sounds like something out of Soviet Russia. If anything, progressives should be criticizing it more”:


Gee, I can’t believe Sanders isn’t enthused about the Democratic (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) party!  ;) Let’s see: the DNC chair  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) is a vocal Clinton supporter who tried to hide Democratic debates on the worst nights possible for exposure, the committee cut Sanders off from its important voter database, various state party representatives have unfairly given Clinton an advantage in delegate selection processes, the party has a sweetheart fundraising deal with Clinton and they recently changed their rules to accept more money from corporate lobbyists  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) – a practice that Sanders deplores. …


You can believe in a lot of the issues that the Democratic party stands for, believe that Clinton is the best candidate to beat Trump, while also still believing that the Democratic party is corrupt institution that caters to corporate interests over the people and needs to be overhauled.


On the idea  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) that Sanders should drop out:

It’s not politicians who should be dictating when Sanders drops out, that’s the voters’ job. And Sanders, despite finding his mathematical chance increasingly dwindling, continues to win primaries. Last night he won Oregon, for example. So it seems that voters don’t want him to drop out, only the politicians who are tied to the system he is constantly criticizing do.



And finally, on the notion that Sanders’ supporters are somehow out of line: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fugly004.gif&hash=c56db4280057389afd154a1cb4057410151579c8)


What’s worse is Clinton surrogates outrage over a very small minority of Sanders supporters claiming they don’t want to support Clinton in the general election. As many commentators have pointed out in response to the countless “Bernie bro” think pieces that are churned out on a regular basis, every candidate has awful supporters.

The Clinton camp also seems to have conveniently forgotten that the phenomenon known as Pumas, hard core Clinton supporters who were so intent on not supporting Obama after the 2008 Democratic primaries that they literally named their contingent “Party Unity My Ass.” And surprise, surprise, after a few months that controversy was largely ancient history and Clinton supporters overwhelmingly voted for Obama, because the other general election candidate was much worse.

—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.

http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/five_things_people_should_stop_saying_about_bernie_sanders_20160520 (http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/five_things_people_should_stop_saying_about_bernie_sanders_20160520)

Agelbert NOTE: Back when Clinton was fighting Obama's nomination, it was reasonable to claim Clinton supporters were "out of line" and were a "small group" classified as "awful supporters" by the above writer.

As we have learned, Obama and Clinton were (and still ARE) BOTH corporate toadies.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fd2.gif&hash=98d536bf1047a88ef91e9c45e08b725347c9fe13)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)


NOW things are different. Sanders is definitely NOT a corporate toady.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecowatch.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F10%2Fbernieexxon7502.jpg&hash=0f6a4711b3b1e8bb99b42b0ecc760caf785011d8)

Choosing the "lesser" evil NOW is neither logical, reasonable or an exercise in critical thinking.

Those that call politics the "art of the possible" are handmaidens of corruption business as usual.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgofossilfree.org%2Fuk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F3%2F2016%2F03%2Fbreakfree2.png&hash=ce4967df2a2a3c91da67bdbd1d884601da6e6ddc)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 21, 2016, 08:17:12 pm
Quote from: AG
Choosing the "lesser" evil NOW is neither logical, reasonable or an exercise in critical thinking.

Those that call politics the "art of the possible" are handmaidens of corruption business as usual.

Absolutely right. NOW is the moment.

If you dig deep into what happened in Nevada, you'll find out the duplicity and outright theft of the DLC machine is the equal of anything seen from the other side in what is now 40 years of ratfucking.

You'll get a kick out of this:
Clinton to Californians: Your Votes Will Not Affect the Democratic Primary Whatsoever
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-abramson/clinton-to-californians-y_b_10053848.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-abramson/clinton-to-californians-y_b_10053848.html)

The arrogance is Trumpworthy.

Agreed.  :(

The fact that Clinton said the above means the DLC is sweating the California primary results. When they get THAT arrogant, the fascist teeth are VERY close to the pseudo-democratic pig lipstick surface. They will pull out all the stops to make it look like Hitlery "won" in California, regardless of any bullshit claims that "votes won't affect the Democratic Party primary".   

A Clinton supporter (suji724) came up with some typical relativistic horseshit.

I returned the "favor" with both barrels.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6869.gif&hash=f94938471d343a09155d1f60eefacdb2ceab2457)


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)

suji724  • 8 hours ago 

Robert Reich - as always not only a voice of reason, but a brilliant voice of reason! Many can learn from him!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)

Elesis > suji724  • 8 hours ago   

There are no degrees of reason; someone is either reasonable or not;)

suji724 > Elesis  • 7 hours ago   

Of course there are. Some are simply more logical than others. It's the critical thinking ability to reason that renders its degree.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2932.gif&hash=0eaec4791a5825821998245e7fcd7744b56557fe)
 
agelbert > suji724 • 2 hours ago 
 
No it isn't. Critical thinking, where deciding who to vote for is concerned, is the dispassionate and objective weighing of all the probable consequences of a decision to vote for a given candidate.

The only real choice for a candidate that can ameliorate, if not prevent, a climate catastrophe is Sanders. Stein has a better program. If they ran together, there would be hope for the future.

As it is, if you think Hillary will stop the climate horrors coming our way, you are totally devoid of critical thinking skills.

EVERY OTHER ISSUE in this campaign is of real, but lesser, importance.

Relativistic morality is, by definition, a concept that may give you comfort, but is lacking in the most elementary principles of logic.

What part of the fact that business as usual in American politics has continually thwarted the will of we-the-people do you wish to claim is "flawed logic" or "not factual"?

Reich is an intellectual and a Rhodes Scholar. SO WHAT?

Are you now going to take up the fallacious debating technique of appeal to authority?

Here's some truly Critical Thinking quoted from an essay for you to ponder:

What it Means to be Responsible
Reflections on Our Responsibility for the Future


Theresa Morris, State University of New York at New Paltz


Quote
"To accept the burden of responsibility for what is up to us, difficult as it is where our technological reach is so extended and agency is so fragmented, is to strive to fulfill the capacity we have to respond to the good and protect and preserve it.

This task, however, is difficult, not only because of the extent of effects in time and space, fragmentation of agency, and the difficulty of predicting harms, but also because in many cases we may benefit now from actions that result in harms to future generations."

Hillary Clinton, unlike Bernie Sanders and Dr. Jill Stein, firmly believes, like you, that benefiting NOW, even if a careful analysis shows that future generations will be harmed from that activity, is justified according to your flawed definition of "critical thinking".

It is NOT. It is cheap rationalization dressed up as "the art of the possible".

QUOTE from the notes on the Theresa Morris essay:

Quote
1. "When men act for the sake of a future they will not live to see, it is for the most part out of love for persons, places and forms of activity, a cherishing of them, nothing more grandiose. It is indeed self-contradictory to say: 'I love him or her or that place or that institution or that activity, but I don't care what happens to it after my death.' To love is, amongst other things, to care about the future of what we love" (Passmore, 1980, p. 53)
UNQUOTE


agelbert > suji724  • 4 hours ago   

Choosing the "lesser" evil is neither logical, reasonable or an exercise in critical thinking.

Those that call politics the "art of the possible" are handmaidens of corruption business as usual.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 23, 2016, 03:19:25 pm
The Pension Crisis Begins——407k Workers To Get 60% Cut, But Still Not Enough

I posted on this topic with a new thread on Pensions a little over a week ago.  I have merged the threads.

The issue here is there absolutely is no good solution.

If they in fact go ahead and eviscerate these pensions, you will immediately put a lot of people WAY underwater on their bills, starting off a cascade of foreclosures and still more homeless people.

It's not just the Pensioners who get affected either, many of them are the sole source of support for their Children and Grandchildren.  Once they got no money rolling into the mailbox each month, that makes them less able to help support their extended families.  Overall, it takes more money out of the economy, and lowers sales tax & property tax revenues as all these folks are no longer buying stuff or paying the mortgage, much less the property tax.

Now, when the TBTF Banks go belly up, they get Instant Bailout money.  When Pension Funds go belly up, the Pensioners are supposed to eat it, in good Capitalist fashion.

These folks all bargained in good faith and those were legal contracts and obligations made by the Capitalista Pigmen who ran those trucking companies.  Before the Drivers get their pensions cut, the money scarfed up by those executives and owners needs to be clawed back, they are the ones who made deals they knew they could not keep.

RE

George Carlin saw it as clearly as it needed to be seen, and earlier than most of us.

George Carlin - The Real Owners Of America
6-24-8
 
"The real owners are the big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians, they're an irrelevancy. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They've long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the statehouses, the city halls. They've got the judges in their back pockets. And they own all the big media companies, so that they control just about all of the news and information you hear. They've got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying ­ lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want; they want more for themselves and less for everybody else."
 
"But I'll tell you what they don't want.  They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don't want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. They're not interested in that. That doesn't help them. That's against their interests. They don't want people who are smart enough to sit around the kitchen table and figure out how badly they're getting fuc ked by a system that threw them overboard 30 fu cking years ago.
 
"You know what they want? Obedient workers ­ people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork but just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, reduced benefits, the end of overtime and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it. And, now, they're coming for your Social Security. They want your fu cking retirement money. They want it back, so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street. And you know something? They'll get it. They'll get it all, sooner or later, because they own this fu cking place. It's a big club, and you ain't in it. You and I are not in the big club."
 
"This country is finished."

Yep.

I always believed the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) was a Corporate sponsored scam to convince workers that it was "okay" for a corporation to renege on contracted promises, as long as said corporation had filed bankruptcy (or deliberately closed down, only to restart with a name change   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0) ).

Bankruptcy laws are the biggest farce there is in this country. They are designed to screw the individual while simultaneously protecting corporate oligarchic management crooks and liars. These bastards will sanctimoniously talk about the "sanctity of contracts" when referring to their golden parachutes but ignore the hair cuts the workers get, thanks to the corporate theft and the PBGC fun and games "debt balancing".

Here's the boilerplate happy talk from the gooberment about the PBGC.

Quote
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) protects the retirement incomes of more than 41 million American workers in more than 24000 private-sector ...  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)
http://www.pbgc.gov/

Don't believe a word of it.

For those who think this is limited to future obligations for future retirees, you are wrong. This affects retired people RIGHT NOW, even though they contracted labor concessions to management in return for contracted promises for certain pension benefits they began to receive years ago. They were SUCKERED by management with the excuse that labor concessions at the time would help the business model, not just the management. The mens rea BASIS of that sucker play was (and still is) the alleged "Sanctity if Contracts".

RIGHT NOW, previously retired workers will get their pensions axed up to 60%, while the ass holes that DELIBERATELY ran those corporations into the ground, while they FLEECED THEM, will not be touched.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)

There is NO "Sancitity of Contracts" in the USA, which evidences the FACT that we have an oligarchic fascist government, not a Capitalist one.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 23, 2016, 03:59:16 pm
Agelbert NOTE: It is difficult to believe this relatively good news, at least in regard to public lands, will become law. But if it does, it will prevent a Greece style land grab in Puerto Rico.    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emofaces.com%2Fpng%2F200%2Femoticons%2Ffingerscrossed.png&hash=d56f8009d18b55f4cea7be68284c0521be92fc5d)


Quote
Dear Mr. Gelbert:



Thank you for contacting me to share your concerns about the proposed transfer of protected land from the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Rico.  I appreciate hearing from you on this important conservation issue.

The Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), a bill drafted by House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop, originally contained a provision that sought to authorize the transfer of protected federal lands to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.  Chairman Bishop's bill would have authorized the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to transfer some or all of the 17,000-acre federally protected areas in the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge to Puerto Rico's government.  I was very concerned that such a transfer would allow these lands to fall into the hands of private developers and would not help the Puerto Rican people, who currently benefit from the tourism and conservation partnerships at the refuge.  That is why I was pleased to see that House Speaker Paul Ryan reached a deal with the administration, which would allow Puerto Rico to restructure its $72 billion debt and does not include the ill-conceived land transfer provision.

I strongly believe that the federal government has an important role to play in protecting our public lands and important natural spaces.  At the same time, it is also critical that we address Puerto Rico's financial crisis.  That is why I am a proud cosponsor of S.1774, Chapter 9 Uniformity Act of 2015, which was introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut on July 15, 2015.  This legislation would amend the federal bankruptcy code to give Puerto Rico the same rights enjoyed by the states under Chapter 9 and allow Puerto Rico to authorize its public corporations to restructure their debts. Granting Chapter 9 authority to Puerto Rico is a sensible and important step that Congress could take immediately to address the ongoing situation.  It is also a solution that will not cost the federal treasury any money. Rather, it provides an organized and fair way for Puerto Rico and its creditors to find a path forward.

With a current poverty rate of 45 percent and a 12 percent unemployment rate, I fear that the current situation in Puerto Rico could quickly move from a fiscal crisis to a humanitarian one.  While it is clear that we must take decisive action and provide Puerto Rico with the tools it needs to address its debt before the crisis worsens and people are forced to go without the most basic of government services, we must also protect our nation's important wild and beautiful places and ensure that they remain off limits to development and commercial activities.

Please know that I will continue to fight for the protection and proper management of our country's treasured natural resources.  Should the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, or any other legislation related to the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, come before the full Senate for debate, I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind.

Thank you again for contacting me.  Please keep in touch.



Sincerely,

PATRICK LEAHY
United States Senator
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 27, 2016, 08:34:43 pm
Why Do We Fine Corporate #Murders But Lock Up Humans For Petty Crimes?

https://youtu.be/qAeu4-2EBPg

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgofossilfree.org%2Fuk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F3%2F2016%2F03%2Fbreakfree2.png&hash=ce4967df2a2a3c91da67bdbd1d884601da6e6ddc)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 30, 2016, 06:54:28 pm
Chris Hedges on the Legacy of Rosa Luxemburg (Video)

Posted on May 28, 2016

Chris Hedges does not pull any punches when discussing modern capitalism, as many Truthdig readers know. “The capitalist system is gamed from the start,” he said, speaking at the “Rosa Luxemburg: Reform or Revolution?” panel at Left Forum 2016 in New York City this month. “This makes Luxemburg extremely relevant, as corporate capital, now freed from all constraints, reconfigures our global economy, including the United States’, into a ruthless form of neofeudalism.”

Hedges dived into the story of Rosa Luxemburg—a revolutionary socialist who was killed during Germany’s Spartacist uprising of 1919—to illustrate the brutal effects of capitalist structures.

“Liberalism, which Luxemburg called by its more appropriate name—opportunism—is an integral component of capitalism,” he said. “When the citizens grow restive, it will soften and decry capitalism’s excesses. But capitalism, Luxemburg argued, is an enemy that can never be appeased.”

Hedges also said: “Luxemburg’s murder illustrated the ultimate loyalties of liberal elites in a capitalist society: When threatened from the left, when the face of socialism showed itself in the streets, they would—and will—make alliances with the most retrograde elements of the society, including fascists, to crush the aspirations of the working class.”

Watch the entire video below or read a transcript of his speech here. (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/reform_or_revolution_20160522)


https://youtu.be/wewDDdx4QXI
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 30, 2016, 07:22:16 pm
(https://www.popularresistance.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/1bakken.jpg)

Emails Confirm Hillary Clinton Used Her State Department Role to Press Countries to Embrace Fracking

Posted on May 28, 2016

A campaign commercial that aired in upstate New York in April touted Hillary Clinton’s work as secretary of state forcing “some of the world’s worst polluters” to make “real change.” Then she promised to “stand firm with New Yorkers opposing fracking, giving communities the right to say ‘no.’ ”   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)

Lee Fang and Steve Horn reported at The Intercept on Monday:

The television spot, which was not announced and does not appear on the official campaign YouTube page with most of Clinton’s other ads, implied a history of opposition to fracking, here and abroad. But emails obtained by The Intercept from the Department of State reveal new details of behind-the-scenes efforts by Clinton and her close aides to export American-style hydraulic fracturing — the horizontal drilling technique best known as fracking — to countries all over the world.

Far from challenging fossil fuel companies, the emails obtained by The Intercept show that State Department officials worked closely with private sector oil and gas companies (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605), pressed other agencies within the Obama administration to commit federal government resources including technical assistance for locating shale reserves, and distributed agreements with partner nations pledging to help secure investments for new fracking projects. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)

Brought to you by the patriotic profit over planet efforts of the fossil fuel government   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) and their loyal servant, Hillary Clinton.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg06.deviantart.net%2Fbb6a%2Fi%2F2011%2F120%2Ff%2F6%2Fcorporate_pollution_by_jakejames-d3512u1.jpg&hash=30ead896a22d9a93df54de278d32cb3822d4a3ce)

The documents also reveal the department’s role in bringing foreign dignitaries to a fracking site in Pennsylvania, and its plans to make Poland a “laboratory for testing whether US success in developing shale gas can be repeated in a different country,” particularly in Europe, where local governments had expressed opposition and in some cases even banned fracking.

The campaign included plans to spread the drilling technique to China, South Africa, Romania, Morocco, Bulgaria, Chile, India, Pakistan, Argentina, Indonesia, and Ukraine.

In 2014, Mother Jones reporter Mariah Blake used diplomatic cables disclosed by WikiLeaks and other records to uncover how Clinton “sold fracking to the world.” The emails obtained by The Intercept through a separate Freedom of Information Act request provide a new layer of detail.

Continue reading. (https://theintercept.com/2016/05/23/hillary-clinton-fracking/)

—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 06, 2016, 09:18:31 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doomsteaddiner.net%2Fforum%2FMGalleryItem.php%3Fid%3D550&hash=d4f945bd1ed1f689d0155cb8174bb232085f17e8)

Shut Down the Democratic National Convention

Posted on Jun 5, 2016

By Chris Hedges

SNIPPETS:

Quote
On July 25, opening day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Cheri Honkala, leader of the   Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign (http://economichumanrights.org/), who was denied a permit to march by city authorities, will rally with thousands of protesters outside City Hall. Defying the police, they will march up Broad Street to the convention.

We will recapture our democracy in the streets of cities such as Philadelphia, not in convention halls such as the aptly named Wells Fargo Center, where the Democratic Party elites intend to celebrate the results of the rigged primary elections and the continuity of corporate power.

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, other activists and I will march with Honkala. It is not as if we have a choice. No one invited us into the center or to the lavish corporate-sponsored receptions. No one anointed us to be Clinton superdelegates—a privilege that went to corporate lobbyists, rich people and party hacks. No one in the Democratic establishment gives a damn what we think.
 
The convention is not our party. It is their party. It costs a lot of money to attend. Donate $ 100,000 and you become an “empire” donor, with perks such as “VIP credentials for all convention proceedings,” along with tickets to lavish corporate and Party receptions, photo ops with politicians at the convention podium, four rooms at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel and a suite at a Yankees game, where a “special guest” will be present. Short of $100,000? You can become a “gold” donor for $50,000, a “silver” donor for $25,000 or a “bronze” donor for $10,000.
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/61/45/95/614595ac6fffdb343dd8c80f60a45f78.jpg)


Quote
The loss of faith in the political system and neoliberal ideology is widespread. The corporate elites are pouring $5 billion into the carnival of presidential electoral politics in a desperate bid to keep us mesmerized and controlled. Democracy is endlessly invoked on the airwaves to legitimize the corporate and political forces that have destroyed it. Congress has an approval rating of 11 percent. Half of qualified voters are not registered to vote, and half of registered voters do not go to the polls. A little more than half of 25 percent—no more than 15 percent—of the electorate determines who becomes president. And this is the way the elites want it.

In our system of  inverted totalitarianism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism), the political philosopher Sheldon Wolin (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/sheldon_wolin_and_inverted_totalitarianism_20151101) pointed out, the object is to demobilize the citizenry, to render it apathetic, to convince the citizen that all political activity that does not take place within the narrow boundaries defined by the corporate state is futile.

This is a message hammered into public consciousness by the corporate media, which serve as highly paid courtiers to the corporate elites. It is championed by the two parties that offer up fear of the other as their primary political platform.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/page2/shut_down_the_democratic_national_convention_20160605

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-260115151805.png&hash=581313e86d77c46f1d0d729a0ca05b7e8114f707)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmlkshk.com%2Fr%2F3CER&hash=8a4074823e356e37d685c49c66c351bc44cefeb8)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 06, 2016, 10:03:21 pm
June 7, 2016 will be the day that we will all remember, for better or for worse.
https://youtu.be/57AwvRvrUtw
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 07, 2016, 06:29:59 pm
Quote
Thom talks about the decision to call the Democratic primary race for Hillary the day before big elections in California, New Jersey, and other states.

https://youtu.be/k186Cm-wHmY

Agelbert NOTE: Thom quotes the Washington Post: "Hillary may have won the nomination but Bernie won the debate". Thom agrees and claims that Bernie has "affected American politics for next two generations."

NEWS FLASH: The next two generations do not have a snowball's chance in hell of inheriting a viable biosphere under a Hillary Clinton Administration. This RIDICULOUS jabberwocky about "winning the debate" is just more typical double talk by the fascist power structure, PERIOD.

And Thom's talk of the media being exclusively motivated by horse race perception profits COMPLETELY ignores the Operation Mockingbird ENTRENCHED CIA assets in the U.S. media.

Thom, do you seriously think the Church Committee of over 30 years ago got rid of that oligarchic stranglehold on our news media?

We aren't talking about selling Ads, Thom. We are talking about PROPAGANDA designed to preserve the oligarchic and undemocratic power structure. THAT is NOT a "conspiracy theory", that is a CONSPIRACY FACT that the Church Committee exposed!

It GREW after that. It did NOT "go away".

Thom, it is YOU that needs to GET A GRIP!

http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/why-did-media-call-race-hillary-everyone-voted#comment-358632
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 08, 2016, 03:11:53 pm
https://theintercept.com/2016/06/07/perfect-end-to-democratic-primary-anonymous-super-delegates-declare-winner-through-media/ (https://theintercept.com/2016/06/07/perfect-end-to-democratic-primary-anonymous-super-delegates-declare-winner-through-media/)
Perfect End to Democratic Primary: Anonymous Superdelegates Declare Winner Through Media
Glenn Greenwald
June 7 2016

//
That the Democratic Party nominating process is declared to be over in such an uninspiring, secretive, and elite-driven manner is perfectly symbolic of what the party, and its likely nominee, actually is. The one positive aspect, though significant, is symbolic, while the actual substance — rallying behind a Wall Street-funded, status quo-perpetuating, multimillionaire militarist — is grim in the extreme. The Democratic Party got exactly the ending it deserved.

In a speech last night, El Caudillo made a call to "Bernie Sanders voters disenfranchised by a corrupt, rigged system," and said he would welcome them with open arms. Sanders has said that it is HRC's job to appeal to his voters.

I expect her to utter more high-flown inclusionist, aspirational rhetoric while turning hard right to pick up disaffected Rs, as you would expect from a corporately-owned property. Sanders will go to the convention to try to forestall that as much as possible.

It's 1968, but not exactly "all over again".  Fasten your seat belt. WHY? Because there is NO "consent of the governed" left in the U.S.A. 

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F_mVwqnQbJWtE%2FS68gmIavrtI%2FAAAAAAAABC0%2FBVdXP5ZUe50%2Fs400%2Fconsent.jpg&hash=21be973d2651eb73a9b4324cf6d0350e4db3125c)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 09, 2016, 03:31:02 pm
Jill Stein to Bernie Sanders: Run on the Green Party Ticket

Democracy Now! | June 9, 2016 1:31 pm

As Bernie Sanders prepares to meet with President Obama, we speak to Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, who has also been reaching out to the Vermont senator.

With Hillary Clinton claiming victory in the Democratic race, Stein is attempting to start a dialogue with the Sanders campaign.

In an open letter in April, Stein wrote, “In this hour of unprecedented crisis—with human rights, civilization and life on the planet teetering on the brink—can we explore an historic collaboration to keep building the revolution beyond the reach of corporate party clutches, where the movement can take root and flourish, in the 2016 election and beyond?”

Stein joins us from Albany ahead of this weekend’s New York Green Party convention. Watch here:

https://youtu.be/Om_UoqEpG9M

Here’s the transcript of the interview:

Juan Gonzalez:
We turn now to the race for the White House. Hillary Clinton has dominated this week’s news after claiming victory in the Democratic contest, setting her on a path to become the first woman to win a major party’s presidential nomination. With only one primary to go in the District of Columbia, Clinton has an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates over her challenger, Bernie Sanders. But Clinton’s pledged delegate count falls short of the 2,383 needed, meaning she will need to rely on the support of unelected superdelegates to officially secure the nomination at next month’s convention in Philadelphia.

But Hillary Clinton isn’t the only woman aiming to be on the ballot in November. Jill Stein is moving closer to securing the Green Party nomination. On Tuesday, Stein won the Green Party’s primary in California. She has so far won 20 of the 21 contests ahead of the party’s national convention in August in Houston.

Amy Goodman:
Jill Stein first announced her candidacy on Democracy Now! last June. She also ran for president on the Green Party ticket in 2012. In April, she wrote an open letter to Bernie Sanders urging him to consider joining forces to, quote, “ensure the revolution for people, planet and peace will prevail,” unquote. Jill Stein joins us now from Albany, New York, ahead of Saturday’s nominating convention of the New York Green Party.

Jill Stein, welcome back to Democracy Now! Can you respond to what happened this week, Hillary Clinton clearly saying in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, before thousands of people, that she has secured the Democratic Party’s nomination, she is the presumptive nominee?

Dr. Jill Stein:
Yes and good morning, Amy and Juan. It’s great to be with you. You know, this is kind of what many people have foreseen all along. It was kind of in the cards. The Democratic machine has very steeply tilted the playing field, from the beginning, by limiting the debates, limiting the exposure of Bernie Sanders, some very questionable election practices, 100,000 voters disappearing from the rolls in Brooklyn, some very questionable things that happened in the Democratic primary in California where independent voters thought they could just show up at the polls and cast a vote for Bernie Sanders but were unable to, by large numbers and huge discrepancies between the polls in advance and the actual outcome of the elections. So, you know and needless to say, the superdelegates have massively tipped the playing field. And the announcement the night before by major news organizations that Hillary Clinton had already clinched it, you know, hard to call that just a coincidence, seems tailor-made for discouraging people from actually turning out and exercising their right to vote.

So, this is what the Democratic Party has done for decades—many decades, in fact. And after the election of George McGovern in 1972 as a peace candidate—I should say his election to the nomination of the Democratic Party, the party changed the rules to steeply tilt that playing field, creating superdelegates and Super Tuesdays that make it very hard for a grassroots campaign to prevail. And over the years, the party has allowed principled candidates to be seen and heard, but has, at the end of the day, sabotaged them in one way or the other, often through fear campaigns and smear campaigns, in the same way that Bernie is being called a spoiler now and has been for some weeks. Dennis Kucinich was redistricted and basically, you know, taken off the political map. We saw Jesse Jackson the victim of a smear campaign. People remember the Dean scream that was used against Howard Dean as a peace candidate who was doing well. So, in many ways, the Democratic Party creates campaigns that fake left while it moves right and becomes more corporatist, more militarist, more imperialist. This is why we say it’s hard to have a revolutionary campaign inside of a counterrevolutionary party. That’s why we’re here as the Green Party to build a place where a revolutionary movement can truly grow with a political voice.

Juan Gonzalez: Well, Jill Stein, you’ve been trying for months to reach out to Bernie Sanders, because you acknowledge that there are many similarities in your program and his, to join forces. What’s been the response from the Sanders campaign and what are you hopeful for now?

Dr. Jill Stein:
Well, the response over the last several weeks has been the same as the response over the last several years. And in fact, the Green Party reached out to Bernie Sanders before the last election to see if he might be interested in running on the Green Party ballot line. And that was in 2011. And basically, we haven’t heard back yet, so I’m not holding my breath that we are going to. And in fact, I think it was just yesterday that Senator Sanders announced that he would be meeting with President Obama to basically stay the course and to essentially move his campaign inside of the Democratic Party, which I think is a mistake and would be essentially an abandonment of the movement that has been built. We’ve seen many very principled and powerful efforts to reform the Democratic Party from within over the course of many years and Democratic Party keeps marching to the right. So, you know, my hope, as Senator Sanders himself said, is that this is a movement, it’s not a man. And my hope is that the movement will continue. And we’ve offered—I’ve offered, basically, to put everything on the table and to see how we can work together and explore the—what it would take in order for that to happen—

Amy Goodman:
Well, let’s go to Bernie Sanders—

Dr. Jill Stein:
—to run a joint ticket, for example.

Amy Goodman: So, let’s talk about that for a minute. Let’s go to Bernie Sanders last July speaking at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, when he was asked if he would run on a third-party ticket if he failed to win the Democratic nomination.

Sen. Bernie Sanders:
If it happens that I do not win that process, would I run outside of the system? No, I made the promise that I would not and I’ll keep that promise. And let me add to that: And the reason for that is I do not want to be responsible for electing some right-wing Republican to be president of the United States of America.

Amy Goodman:
So that is Bernie Sanders last July. You talked about the possibility of a joint ticket. Are you saying that you would—I mean, you are not the presidential nominee of the Green Party yet. You’re running in different state primaries and conventions. But are you suggesting that the Green Party would consider him being the presidential candidate, whether or not he would consider this?

Dr. Jill Stein: It would obviously take a major change of rules for that to happen. But what I’m saying is that if Senator Sanders made the case that now he understood, after the very, you know, disturbing experiences of the last many months and the way that he’s been mistreated and beaten up by the party, perhaps he has a different view of the potential to create revolution inside of a counterrevolutionary party. Maybe he has come to see the necessity for independent third parties to actually move this movement forward. That would be—you know, that would be a game changer if he made the case that he has come to understand the critical need to build the Green Party as the political voice of that revolution. If that were the case, I think many things would become possible at that point for making the rules changes. I can’t change those rules, but I can have those discussions with him and lay the groundwork for it. It would probably have to be taken to the Green Party convention. But in terms of my own view, you know, I’m a physician, not a politician. I don’t have a vested interest in a particular political career or a particular political office. My job is to do everything that I can to create an America and a world that we can live in and that we can survive in. And I would be very interested in having this discussion. I am not holding my breath that it’s going to happen. And I think it’s important that our campaign be plan B, if not for Senator Sanders, then for his supporters.

http://ecowatch.com/2016/06/09/jill-stein-bernie-sanders-green-party/ (http://ecowatch.com/2016/06/09/jill-stein-bernie-sanders-green-party/)

Agelbert COMMENT: I have hitherto supported Senator Sanders. I am now for Dr. Jill Stein. I no longer support Senator Sanders.

To my shame, I voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980. I have never lived that down. I stopped voting after his first term. I post it here to show readers that American people can, and do, learn from their mistakes.

I was set to vote for Sanders. Now, my vote is for Dr. Jill Stein, whether she runs on a Sanders, Stein ticket or not.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 11, 2016, 08:52:28 pm
Whistleblower Says EPA Officials Covered Up Toxic Fracking Methane Emissions for Years

Nika Knight, Common Dreams | June 10, 2016 10:31

Why has the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) failed to take adequate action against disastrous, climate-warming methane emissions from the fracking industry?

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecowatch.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F06%2Fflare_750.jpg&hash=8fe69c77819f4c4bce844709b83cfed2a1c92338)
Fracked gas flaring at a fracking well near the Pawnee National Grassland in northeastern Colorado. Photo credit: WildEarth Guardians / Flickr

An environmental watchdog alleges that the answer may be a years-long, systematic cover-up of the true data surrounding these toxic emissions. That cover-up, the group says, was at the hands of at least one EPA researcher who accepted payments from the oil and gas industry.

In an incendiary federal complaint filed on Wednesday with the EPA’s Inspector General, the 28-year-old North Carolina-based group NC WARN wrote that “there has been a persistent and deliberate cover-up that has prevented the agency from requiring the natural gas industry to make widespread, urgently needed and achievable reductions in methane venting and leakage across the nation’s expanding natural gas infrastructure.”

“Studies relied upon by EPA to develop policy and regulations were scientifically invalid,” the organization charged.

Specifically, wrote NC WARN in a press statement, “Dr. David Allen (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0), then-head of EPA’s Science Advisory Board, has led an ongoing, three-year effort to cover up underreporting of the primary device, the Bacharach Hi-Flow Sampler and a second device used to measure gas releases from equipment across the natural gas industry. Allen is also on the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin, where he has been funded by the oil and gas industries for years.”

“The EPA’s failure to order feasible reductions of methane leaks and venting has robbed humanity of crucial years to slow the climate crisis,” said Jim Warren, director of NC WARN. “The cover-up by Allen’s team has allowed the industry to dig in for years of delay in cutting emissions—at the worst possible time.”

The cover-up was discovered by NC WARN, the group wrote in its complaint, when it became aware that the very inventor of the Bacharach Hi-Flow Sampler, an engineer named Touché Howard, had been attempting to blow the whistle for years on the crucial instrument’s malfunctioning. The critical failure causes the instrument to under-report methane emissions “up to 100-fold,” the organization wrote.

Studies have shown the EPA underestimating methane leaks from fracked gas production for years and Howard’s own research found that the agency has been “hugely underestimating” methane emissions specifically as a result of the faulty instrument, as Common Dreams reported.

“In the extreme, that kind of failure could lead to catastrophic explosions,” Howard told the Los Angeles Times.

The complaint describes Howard’s repeated attempts to warn the EPA and Allen about the instrument and the silence he received in response.

Quote
“It appears that the goal of the [University of Texas] team was not to critically examine the problems but to convince [Environmental Defense Fund, who co-authored the study] and its production committee members that no problems existed, (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)” NC WARN added.

“We believe Mr. Howard was specifically prevented from providing input because the [University of Texas] team knew that he would be able to show that their counterarguments were faulty and the resulting studies scientifically invalid,” the group concluded.

Howard’s concerns and the specific mechanical problems of the measurement instrument he has repeatedly pointed out have to this date never been addressed, “resulting in the failure of the EPA to accurately report methane emissions for more than two years, much less require reductions,” the complaint noted. “Meanwhile, the faulty data and measuring equipment are still being used extensively throughout the natural gas industry worldwide.”

Indeed, a graphic included in the complaint demonstrates that the malfunctioning Bacharach Hi-Flow Sampler is relied upon to measure methane emissions at nearly every point in the fracked gas production process:

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecowatch.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F06%2Fgas_production_750.jpg&hash=f7dd56610c6bcfe9ad5e4c2d09adc82d9bfbc18d)
Natural gas production sectors in which the Bacharach Hi-Flow Sampler (BHFS) is used. Diagram source: EPA, via NC WARN

It’s no mystery why Allen may have been so determined to fudge the data on toxic fracked gas emissions, NC WARN argued: “His disclosure statements […] show his research and consulting have long been funded by the oil and gas industry.”

NC WARN requested that the EPA Inspector General, the agency’s internal watchdog, investigate its allegations of fraud and abuse by Allen and other EPA officials; retract Allen’s studies and examine all EPA standards and policies that relied on those studies; conduct a new, scientifically valid study to “accurately quantify methane” emissions from the fracked gas extraction and production process; as well as investigate the EPA’s reliance on researchers with industry bias and conflicts of interest.

Moreover, the group recommended that the EPA “redress the damage that has been done” by doing the following:

1. EPA should institute a zero emission goal for methane;

2. EPA should initiate a full regimen for oversight, testing and remediation of methane emissions in the natural gas industry; and

3. EPA should take into account the global warming potential of methane emissions over a 20-year (not 100-year) timeframe.

Warren added that the only permanent solution to the problem of methane leaks is a total ban on fracking: “Fracking for gas and oil must also be stopped for a host of reasons. We’re reaching out to communities, workers, advocates and elected officials to join the call for an investigation into EPA’s scientific fraud.”

“The people of this nation,” Warren went on, “must demand that regulators and politicians reject the pervasive pressure of corporate money, stop coddling the polluters—and do their jobs on behalf of the public.”

http://ecowatch.com/2016/06/10/epa-fracking-methane-emissions/

The Fossil Fuelers   DID THE Climate Trashing, human health depleteing CRIME,   but since they have ALWAYS BEEN liars and conscience free crooks, they are trying to AVOID   DOING THE TIME or     PAYING THE FINE!     Don't let them get away with it! Pass it on! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F176.gif&hash=121533221905789c6b8d57a9603883266d349266)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 20, 2016, 02:52:40 pm
The polluters ALWAYS claim YOU VOTED for their subsidy SWAG. NOT SO!
The USA is an OLIGARCHY. And it BECAME an oligarchy LONG BEFORE 2008.


https://youtu.be/5tu32CCA_Ig

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/61/45/95/614595ac6fffdb343dd8c80f60a45f78.jpg)
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 20, 2016, 06:38:06 pm
Agelbert NOTE:Another "deluded conspiracy theory" (if you believe the gooberment propaganda)  ;).

The Pentagon’s Real Strategy: Keeping the Money Flowing   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)

Posted on Jun 16, 2016

By Andrew Cockburn / TomDispatch

This piece first appeared at TomDispatch. Read Tom Engelhardt’s introduction here. (http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176154/tomgram%3A_andrew_cockburn%2C_victory_assured_on_the_military%27s_main_battlefield_--_washington/)

These days, lamenting the apparently aimless character of Washington’s military operations in the Greater Middle East has become conventional wisdom among administration critics of every sort. Senator John McCain thunders that “this president has no strategy to successfully reverse the tide of slaughter and mayhem” in that region. Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies bemoans the “lack of a viable and public strategy.” Andrew Bacevich suggests that “there is no strategy. None. Zilch.”

After 15 years of grinding war with no obvious end in sight, U.S. military operations certainly deserve such obloquy. But the pundit outrage may be misplaced. Focusing on Washington rather than on distant war zones, it becomes clear that the military establishment does indeed have a strategy, a highly successful one, which is to protect and enhance its own prosperity.

Given this focus, creating and maintaining an effective fighting force becomes a secondary consideration, reflecting a relative disinterest—remarkable to outsiders—in the actual business of war, as opposed to the business of raking in dollars for the Pentagon and its industrial and political partners. A key element of the strategy involves seeding the military budget with “development” projects that require little initial outlay but which, down the line, grow irreversibly into massive, immensely profitable production contracts for our weapons-making cartels.
 
If this seems like a startling proposition, consider, for instance, the Air Force’s determined and unyielding efforts to jettison the A-10 Thunderbolt, widely viewed as the most effective means for supporting troops on the ground, while ardently championing the sluggish, vastly overpriced F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that, among myriad other deficiencies, cannot fly within 25 miles of a thunderstorm. No less telling is the Navy’s ongoing affection for budget-busting programs such as aircraft carriers, while maintaining its traditional disdain for the unglamorous and money-poor mission of minesweeping, though the mere threat of enemy mines in the 1991 Gulf War (as in the Korean War decades earlier) stymied plans for major amphibious operations. Examples abound across all the services. 

Meanwhile, ongoing and dramatic programs to invest vast sums in meaningless, useless, or superfluous weapons systems are the norm. There is no more striking example of this than current plans to rebuild the entire American arsenal of nuclear weapons in the coming decades, Obama’s staggering bequest to the budgets of his successors.

Taking Nuclear Weapons to the Bank  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c)

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These nuclear initiatives have received far less attention than they deserve, perhaps because observers are generally loath to acknowledge that the Cold War and its attendant nuclear terrors, supposedly consigned to the ashcan of history a quarter-century ago, are being revived on a significant scale. The U.S. is currently in the process of planning for the construction of a new fleet of nuclear submarines loaded with new intercontinental nuclear missiles, while simultaneously creating a new land-based intercontinental missile, a new strategic nuclear bomber, a new land-and-sea-based tactical nuclear fighter plane, a new long-range nuclear cruise missile (which, as recently as 2010, the Obama administration explicitly promised not to develop), at least three nuclear warheads that are essentially new designs, and new fuses for existing warheads. In addition, new nuclear command-and-control systems are under development for a fleet of satellites (costing up to $1 billion each) designed to make the business of fighting a nuclear war more practical and manageable. 

This massive nuclear buildup, routinely promoted under the comforting rubric of “modernization,” stands in contrast to the president’s lofty public ruminations on the topic of nuclear weapons. The most recent of these was delivered during his visit—the first by an American president—to Hiroshima last month. There, he urged “nations like my own that hold nuclear stockpiles” to “have the courage to escape the logic of fear, and pursue a world without them.”

In reality, that “logic of fear” suggests that there is no way to “fight” a nuclear war, given the unforeseeable but horrific effects of these immensely destructive weapons.  They serve no useful purpose beyond deterring putative opponents from using them, for which an extremely limited number would suffice. During the Berlin crisis of 1961, for example, when the Soviets possessed precisely four intercontinental nuclear missiles, White House planners seriously contemplated launching an overwhelming nuclear strike on the USSR.  It was, they claimed, guaranteed to achieve “victory.” As Fred Kaplan recounts in his book Wizards of Armageddon, the plan’s advocates conceded that the Soviets might, in fact, be capable of managing a limited form of retaliation with their few missiles and bombers in which as many as three million Americans could be killed, whereupon the plan was summarily rejected.

In other words, in the Cold War as today, the idea of “nuclear war-fighting” could not survive scrutiny in a real-world context. Despite this self-evident truth, the U.S. military has long been the pioneer in devising rationales for fighting such a war via ever more “modernized” weapons systems. Thus, when first introduced in the early 1960s, the Navy’s invulnerable Polaris-submarine-launched intercontinental missiles—entirely sufficient in themselves as a deterrent force against any potential nuclear enemy—were seen within the military as an attack on Air Force operations and budgets. The Air Force responded by conceiving and successfully selling the need for a full-scale, land-based missile force as well, one that could more precisely target enemy missiles in what was termed a “counterforce” strategy.

The drive to develop and build such systems on the irrational pretense that nuclear war fighting is a practical proposition persists today.  One component of the current “modernization” plan is the proposed development of a new “dial-a-yield” version of the venerable B-61 nuclear bomb. Supposedly capable of delivering explosions of varying strength according to demand, this device will, at least theoretically, be guidable to its target with high degrees of accuracy and will also be able to burrow deep into the earth to destroy buried bunkers. The estimated bill—$11 billion—is a welcome boost for the fortunes of the Sandia and Los Alamos weapons laboratories that are developing it.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smilies.4-user.de%2Finclude%2FSpiele%2Fsmilie_game_017.gif&hash=e8548890f80af23241a1d43a1ab1ca8031301f20)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

Full article (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Freading.gif&hash=63e3e644b39258d4c4eedbcdaf322315b1856723)

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_pentagons_real_strategy_keeping_the_money_flowing_20160616
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 22, 2016, 04:17:21 pm
Con vs. Con

Posted on Jun 19, 2016

By Chris Hedges

During the presidential election cycle, liberals display their gutlessness. Liberal organizations, such as MoveOn.org, become cloyingly subservient to the Democratic Party. Liberal media, epitomized by MSNBC, ruthlessly purge those who challenge the Democratic Party establishment. Liberal pundits, such as Paul Krugman, lambaste critics of the political theater, charging them with enabling the Republican nominee. Liberals chant, in a disregard for the facts, not to be like Ralph Nader, the “spoiler” who gave us George W. Bush.

The liberal class refuses to fight for the values it purports to care about. It is paralyzed and trapped by the induced panic manufactured by the systems of corporate propaganda. The only pressure within the political system comes from corporate power. With no counterweight, with no will on the part of the liberal class to defy the status quo, we slide deeper and deeper into corporate despotism. The repeated argument of the necessity of supporting the “least worse” makes things worse.

Change will not come quickly. It may take a decade or more. And it will never come by capitulating to the Democratic Party establishment. We will accept our place in the political wilderness and build alternative movements and parties to bring down corporate power or continue to watch our democracy atrophy into a police state and our ecosystem unravel.

The rise of a demagogue like Donald Trump is a direct result of the Democratic Party’s decision to embrace neoliberalism, become a handmaiden of American imperialism and sell us out for corporate money. There would be no Trump if Bill Clinton and the Democratic Party had not betrayed working men and women with the North American Free Trade Agreement, destroyed the welfare system, nearly doubled the prison population, slashed social service programs, turned the airwaves over to a handful of corporations by deregulating the Federal Communications Commission, ripped down the firewalls between commercial and investment banks that led to a global financial crash and prolonged recession, and begun a war on our civil liberties that has left us the most monitored, eavesdropped, photographed and profiled population in human history. There would be no Trump if the Clintons and the Democratic Party, including Barack Obama, had not decided to prostitute themselves for corporate pimps.
 
Con artists come in many varieties. On Wall Street, they can have Princeton University and Harvard Law School degrees, polished social skills and Italian designer suits that are priced in the tens of thousands of dollars. In Trump tower, they can have cheap comb-overs, fake tans, casinos and links with the Mafia. In the Clinton Foundation, they can wallow in hundreds of millions of dollars from corporate and foreign donors, including the most repressive governments in the world, exchanged for political favors. But they are all crooks.

The character traits of the Clintons are as despicable as those that define Trump.
The Clintons have amply illustrated that they are as misogynistic and as financially corrupt as Trump. Trump is a less polished version of the Clintons. But Trump and the Clintons share the same bottomless guile, megalomania and pathological dishonesty. Racism is hardly limited to Trump. The Clintons rose to power in the Democratic Party by race-baiting, sending nonviolent drug offenders of color to prison for life, making war on “welfare queens” and being “law-and-order” Democrats. The Clintons do a better job of masking their snakelike venom, but they, like Trump, will sell anyone out.

The Clintons and the Democratic Party establishment are banking that the liberal class will surrender once again to corporate power and genuflect before neoliberal ideology. Bernie Sanders will be trotted out, like a chastened sheepdog, to coax his followers back into the holding pen. The moral outrage of his supporters over Wall Street crimes, wholesale state surveillance, the evisceration of civil liberties, the failure to halt the devastation of the ecosystem, endless war, cuts to Social Security and austerity, will, the Democratic Party elites expect, airily evaporate. They may not be wrong. Given the history of the liberal class, they are probably right.

Sanders supporters, however, were given a stark lesson in how the political process is rigged. Some are disgusted and politically astute enough to defect to the Green Party. But once they no longer play by the rules, once they become “spoilers,” they will be ignored or ridiculed by a corporate press, excoriated by liberal elites and chastised by their former candidate.

Liberals, as part of the quid pro quo with the establishment, serve as attack dogs to keep us within the deadly embrace of corporate capitalism. Liberals are tolerated by the capitalist elites because they do not question the virtues of corporate capitalism, only its excesses, and call for tepid and ineffectual reforms. Liberals denounce those who speak in the language of class warfare. They are the preferred group—because they claim liberal values—used by capitalist elites to demonize the left as irresponsible heretics.

Liberals are employed by corporate elites in universities, the media, systems of entertainment and advertising agencies to perpetuate corporate power. Many are highly paid. They have a financial stake in corporate dominance. The educated elites in the liberal class are capitalism’s useful idiots. They are tolerated because they contribute, by discrediting the left, to the maintenance of corporate power. They do not think or function independently. And they are given platforms in academia and on the airwaves to marginalize and denounce those who do think and function independently.

The battle between a bankrupt liberal class and the left will color the remainder of the presidential race. What is predictable, and sad, is that so many self-identified progressives and their organizations will once again serve as the pawns of neoliberalism. They will practice censorship. Progressive sites in the primaries refused to reprint columns by critics such as Paul Street, who did not see Sanders as the new political messiah. And as we move closer and closer to the election, these sites will become ever more hostile to the left and ever more craven in their defense of Clinton.

The system of corporate power, which Clinton and Trump will not alter, will continue to be ignored. The poison of imperialism and corporate capitalism, steadily hollowing out the country and pushing it toward collapse, will be sidelined. The campaign will be a political reality show, this season with a genuine reality star as a presidential candidate. Campaigning will ignore ideas to elicit emotions—fear, anger and hope. Insults will fly back and forth over social media. The race will be devoid of content. Clinton and Trump, in this world of political make-believe, will say whatever their listeners want to hear. They will furiously compete for “undecided” voters, essentially the apolitical segment of the population. And once the election is over, one of them will go to Washington, where corporations, rich donors and lobbyists—who they represent—will continue with the business of governing.

After November, our role will be over. We will no longer be asked to answer polling questions designed to elicit certain responses. We will no longer be asked to play a walk-on part in the tawdry drama called democracy. The political carnival on television will be replaced by other carnivals. The corporate state will claim democratic legitimacy. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)  We will remain in bondage.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)

The real face of the corporate state, and the evidence that our democracy has been extinguished, will be on display during the party conventions in the streets of Cleveland and Philadelphia. The blocks around the convention halls will be militarized and flooded with police. There will be restricted movement. Pedestrians will be stopped at random and searched. Helicopters will hover overhead. Permits to hold rallies will only be issued to those, such as Sanders supporters, who stay within the parameters imposed by the political charade. Groups suspected of planning protests to defy corporate politics have already been infiltrated. They will be heavily monitored. Those who attempt to organize protests without permits will be arrested or detained before the conventions begin. The cities will be on lockdown.

If you want to see what America will look like soon, across the country, shift your focus from the convention halls to the streets in Cleveland and Philadelphia. It is in the streets that our corporate masters will win or lose. And they(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__smokelots.gif&hash=094f88de6782c1cd03ed5321b387792046eb3cdd)  know it. 


http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/con_vs_con_20160619 (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/con_vs_con_20160619)

Agelbert NOTE: Expect some liar with a big vocabulary (usually, but not always, a lawyer) who benefits from the fascist gooberment and legal system corruption that is destroying this country to claim that all the above is 'sky is falling' baloney, followed by mockery, derision and dripping empathy deficit disordered sarcasm AND OF COURSE, the claim that the writer or anyone that believes him has "mental" problems.

These "fine fellows" always read "reputable" news sources that provide a balanced, objective and "real world"  ;) perspective on the nature and workings of our God given democratic government, that we should all respect and trust (see below).
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200415181726.png&hash=972961f65be3b17fb13d11c9cfb40032a5662b90)
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 25, 2016, 02:10:35 pm
Agelbert NOTE: So much for the USA National Sovereignty based  Keystone XL Rejection.  >:(  The lawyer lackeys for the corporate crooks are using NAFTA to bypass national sovereignty as if it was not there.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

TransCanada Files NAFTA (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0) Suit Demanding More Than $15 Billion for Keystone XL Rejection

Michael Brune | June 25, 2016 10:16 am

On June 24, foreign oil company TransCanada filed a lawsuit against the U.S. under NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, arguing that the U.S. rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline violated NAFTA’s broad rights for foreign investors by thwarting the company’s “expectations.” As compensation, TransCanada is demanding more than $15 billion from U.S. taxpayers.

TransCanada’s case will be heard in a private tribunal of three lawyers who are not accountable to any domestic legal system, thanks to NAFTA’s “investor-state” system, which is also included in the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The controversial TPP would empower thousands of additional corporations, including major polluters, to follow TransCanada’s example and use this private tribunal system to challenge U.S. climate and environmental policies.

TransCanada’s Request for Arbitration follows the Notice of Intent to submit a claim to arbitration that it filed on Jan. 6.

TransCanada’s attempt to make American taxpayers hand over more than $15 billion because the company’s dirty Keystone XL pipeline was rejected shows exactly why NAFTA was wrong and why the even more dangerous and far-reaching Trans-Pacific Partnership must be stopped in its tracks.


The TPP would empower thousands of new firms operating in the U.S, including major polluters, to follow in TransCanada’s footsteps and undermine our critical climate safeguards in private trade tribunals.

Today, we have a prime example of how polluter-friendly trade deals threaten our efforts to tackle the climate crisis, spotlighting the need for a new model of trade model that supports rather than undermines climate action. We urge our members of Congress to learn from this historic moment and commit to reject the TPP.

Here’s more information on the TPP:

Environmental opposition to the TPP is mounting. Earlier in June, more than 450 environmental, landowner, Indigenous rights, and allied organizations sent a letter to Congress warning that pending trade deals like the TPP threaten efforts to keep fossil fuels in the ground.

Read the Sierra Club’s report on how the TPP would roughly double the number of corporations that could follow TransCanada’s example and challenge U.S. safeguards in private, unaccountable tribunals.

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The corporations that would gain this ability include hundreds of foreign-owned fossil fuel firms, such as the U.S. subsidiaries of BHP Billiton, one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters and one of the U.S.’s largest foreign investors in fracking and offshore drilling.

The TPP would nearly double the number of foreign fracking firms that could challenge new U.S. fracking restrictions in private tribunals.

The deal also would enable oil and gas corporations with nearly 1 million acres’ worth of U.S. offshore drilling leases to use this private tribunal system to try to undermine new restrictions on offshore drilling. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

No prior U.S. trade deal has granted such broad rights to corporations with such broad interests in maintaining U.S. fossil fuel dependency.

http://ecowatch.com/2016/06/25/transcanada-nafta-keystone-xl-tpp/

We do not have to let these crooks get away with this THEFT under the color of law.

(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_An6iCCo62M/hqdefault.jpg)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 06, 2016, 06:16:50 pm
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Senate Advances GMO Labeling Bill in Attempt to Nullify Vermont’s Historic Law

Wenonah Hauter | July 6, 2016 5:25 pm

Today, in a cloture vote, the Senate voted today to do away with our right to know what’s in our food, revoking a popular and clear state labeling law in effect in Vermont and nullifying all future state labeling initiatives.

This is a slap in the face for all of the advocates that have worked hard to pass state-level measures because they believe strongly that labels should be transparent, and people should have the choice to decide whether or not they purchase and consume foods with genetically engineered ingredients. The majority of Americans support labeling for GMOs and will hold their elected officials accountable for stripping away this transparency.

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If this bill becomes law, the industry wins what are essentially voluntary requirements under this GMO labeling “compromise,” which does not mandate recalls, penalties or fines for noncompliance with the incredibly weak requirements of the bill that will likely leave many GMO ingredients exempt from any labeling requirements. And the bill gives companies the option to use discriminatory QR codes that require a smartphone to access basic information about the food on store shelves.

Now, we call on the House not to pass the bill. We also call on President Obama to veto the bill if it comes to his desk. On the campaign trail many years ago, he promised reform on many food issues—from giving family farmers a fair shot in the marketplace to food labeling, saying we had the right to know whether or not food is genetically engineered. Before he leaves office, he has one more chance to get it right when it comes to food policy that protects people over corporations. He must veto this bill.

Watch as Senators John Tester (D-MT) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) speak out today against the Senate GMO food labeling bill, with Senator Tester arguing that including the label as a QR code protects corporate food producers over consumers: (video at article link)

http://ecowatch.com/2016/07/06/senate-gmo-labeling-bill/

Agelbert COMMENT: The Senate represents the 1%. The USA is an oligarchy. So, this dial-a-law ethics free maneuver to defend the empathy deficit disordered modus operandi of the oligarchs is par for the course in our modern "civilization".

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"The rich executed a coup d’état that transformed the three branches of the U.S. government and nearly all institutions, including the mass media, into wholly owned subsidiaries of the corporate state." -- Chris Hedges

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"The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have a nice day.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 16, 2016, 04:50:49 pm
'Pence is going to help Trump with voters who can't decide if they're more worried that gay people will get a wedding cake or healthcare'.

Presumptive Republican nominee for president Donald Trump announced Friday that he has chosen Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate.

Gov. Pence is famously—or infamously—right-wing, and a particular darling of far-right Evangelical voters.

Pundits surmised that Trump is attempting to sway the conservative Christian portion of the Republican party, which had previously rallied behind Ted Cruz.

Progressives decried the decision. Leftists pointed out Pence's plethora of policy stances and decisions that have threatened civil rights, women's health, the environment, and the welfare of the most vulnerable since he was elected to Congress in 2000 and then as Indiana's governor in 2012.

Science Denier

"Look, I don't know that [climate change] is a resolved issue in science today."—Gov. Mike Pence, 2014

Regarding Pence's climate stance, Greenpeace listed the many times in which Pence (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)acted against the climate and for the oil and gas industry:

    As a Congressman, Pence consistently voted true to his climate denial, voting to prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases, to reverse President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act, and against enforcing limits on global carbon dioxide emissions. He was also a vocal critic of the Clean Power Plan, insisting in a letter to President Obama that Indiana would not comply.
    Pence joined his fellow House Republicans in opportunistically using the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill to call for energy independence built on access to all of our domestic resources, including more offshore drilling. (Never mind that Deepwater Horizon was an offshore drilling rig in U.S. waters.)
    During his tenure as governor, he has overseen the expansion of the Whiting Refinery to process increasingly risky forms of fossil fuels, particularly petcoke and tar sands coming in from Canada. It is the 3rd largest tar sands refinery in the country, and its processing of petcoke, a byproduct of tar sands extraction that is cheaper and way dirtier than coal, has tripled in recent years.

Pence has also expressed doubt regarding evolution. "Do I believe in evolution? I embrace the view that God created the heavens and the earth, the seas and all that's in them," he said on MSNBC in 2008.

In the late 1990s, long after scientists had conclusively shown that cigarette smoking was linked to lung cancer, Pence dismissed such claims as "hysteria."

Attacked Women's Rights

In March, Pence signed into law what reproductive rights activists characterized as "one of the worst anti-abortion bills in the country." As Common Dreams reported:

    The law, which Pence said he signed "with a prayer," makes Indiana the second state in the nation, after North Dakota, to ban abortion in cases where a fetal anomaly is detected.

    It also mandates the burial and cremation of miscarried or aborted remains; restricts fetal tissue donation; and requires doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital or to have an agreement with a doctor who does.

Civil rights groups subsequently sued the state over what they described as a "cynical, deceptive attempt to ban abortions."

Pence also joined many right-wingers in attacking Planned Parenthood in response to a fake video purporting to show the group selling bodily tissues. (The filmmakers were eventually indicted for tampering with government records.)

Legalized Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination

Last year, Pence signed into law the so-called "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" that gave "legal cover, under the guise of 'religious liberties,' to any businesses or individuals who wish to violate anti-discrimination laws," as Common Dreams reported.

As Rolling Stone's Jeb Lund wrote:

    Pence and Indiana Republicans capitalized on a decades-long manipulation of "religious freedom" as an excuse to exclude and punish groups they see as immoral or repugnant, leveraging religion's perquisites to create a bubble of legitimated pre-Civil Rights Era prejudice (and tax avoidance). Only Pence and company went too far: Indiana's RFRA didn't just protect religious intolerance from government interference but actually empowered business to discriminate against immoral other folk without risk of civil rights lawsuits. Only, when pressed even to answer yes or no as to whether Pence had just signed a bill that legalized religious discrimination of gays, he sputtered and retreated. Typically, the Onion did the best job of anyone when it came to nailing him to a wall.

Tried to Privatize Social Security

"Governor Pence has a long history of fighting to cut and privatize Social Security," writes Nancy Altman, co-director of the progressive group Social Security Works. Altman released the following statement in reaction to Trump's choice of Pence for VP:

    In 2005, [Pence] was the leader of a group of House Republicans who criticized George W. Bush’s Social Security privatization plan for not being extreme enough! He supports raising the retirement age and other cuts to Social Security benefits. This despite the fact that the nation is facing a looming retirement income crisis, which is likely to be harshest for younger Americans.

    Pence has shown his desire to dismantle Social Security brick by brick, or even faster. He insultingly calls our Social Security system an “entitlement” rather than the earned benefit that it is. This attitude towards Social Security, the people’s pension, fits in perfectly with Donald Trump’s outrageous claim that Social Security is an illegal Ponzi Scheme. This name calling is an insult to every worker and Social Security beneficiary. It is an insult to all of us.

Iraq War Propagandist

Igor Volposky, deputy director of the Campaign for America's Future Action Fund, dug into congressional records and discovered that during his tenure in the House of Representatives, Pence had served as "Bush's chief war propagandist" when it came to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

"Before he became governor of Indiana and a candidate to be Donald Trump's vice-presidential nominee, Mike Pence was a congressman, and he voted for every free-trade agreement that came before him," the Washington Post wrote.

Pence's stance has apparently already hurt his state's workers: "This year, Pence urged an Indiana manufacturer, Carrier Corp., to reconsider a decision to move 1,400 jobs from Indiana to Mexico. The company is continuing with the plans but agreed to repay some state and local tax incentives," the Post reported. "After meeting with the company, Pence said he did not want to give Indiana workers 'false hope' that the jobs would stay in their state."

Anti-Immigrants

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) executive vice president Rocio Saenz condemned Pence's record on immigration in a statement released Friday:

    [Pence's] positions on immigration are anti-immigrant and anti-family. If Donald Trump wasn’t enough to alienate Latino voters, a Trump/Pence ticket will be the ultimate deal breaker for one of the fastest-growing demographics.

    His latest attack against immigrants and their American children came when he joined 25 other Republican governors in a lawsuit that blocked Obama’s executive initiatives on immigration, DAPA and DACA that would have shielded approximately five million undocumented immigrants from deportation.

    Governor Pence is not a friend of the immigrant community.

And in response to Trump's decision, Twitter erupted on Friday with comments both decrying and quipping about Trump's choice.

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/07/15/anti-women-anti-immigrant-anti-lgbtq-crusader-trump-finds-perfect-match-pence-vp (http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/07/15/anti-women-anti-immigrant-anti-lgbtq-crusader-trump-finds-perfect-match-pence-vp)

Definitely a marriage of convenience designed to deliver the powerful religious know-nothing vote.

It's a big **** (typical Trump behavior?), and bound to have lots of fall-out.

Begs, the question, "Whose idea was this?"

Maybe Newt Gingrich told him to do it. I don't think it was The Donald's idea.

Pence is, ABOVE ALL, a Koch Brothers TOOL. He has his head so far up the fossil fuel industry descending colon that he peddles the BULLSHIT that global warming is a "myth".

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-171015155423.jpeg&hash=97bacb1e3b6761ed9ffeb9c3bb958eae1813d2d2)
Pence  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgen152.gif&hash=d5b10968fe56c4cb95fae17cee3cb420a5f4e2da) enjoying a day at the beach.  (https://smileyshack.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/stupid-im-with-arrow-left.gif) 


AND HILLARY CLINTON IS JUST AS BAD!

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 21, 2016, 06:27:18 pm
July 21, 2016

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Denier Roundup

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Those who derived their power from profits found science-based health and environmental regulations an affront to their business models. Exploiting the postmodern concept that there is no objectivity enabled authoritarians to push their public policy agendas with PR instead of relying on scientific evidence to justify their positions.

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Harold Hamm (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)
Harold Hamm:  Sergeant in the War on Science

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Last night, oil tycoon Harold Hamm addressed the Republican National Convention. Since this post was written before his speech, we won’t address what was said. Instead, we’ll provide just a bit of history on Hamm and the wider sociopolitical history that has led us to a campaign season where facts have fallen by the wayside and emotional rhetoric have risen in importance.
 
Hamm is the billionaire CEO of the oil company Continental Resources. Before being identified as a potential candidate for a cabinet position and “Trump’s energy whisperer,” Hamm was in the news a year ago for his attempt to silence scientists who were linking Oklahoma’s massive uptick in earthquakes (from one-ish a year in 2009 to over 500 in 2014) to the massive uptick in fracking operations. Hamm apparently  ;) tried to get a University of Oklahoma scientist fired (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-15/oil-tycoon-harold-hamm-wanted-scientists-dismissed-dean-s-e-mail-says) for doing their job in pursuing the science that might interfere with his profits. 
 
This brings us to the larger point of science as a counterbalance to power.
It’s the major theme in Shawn Otto’s newest book, The War on Science: Who’s waging it, Why it matters, What we can do about it. (https://www.amazon.com/War-Science-Waging-Matters-About/dp/1571313532)

Otto traces the history of science and politics, starting with the “self-evident” nature of our rights within the Declaration of Independence. Science’s search for the underlying truth of nature, Otto writes, has always been a political force. Not in the partisan sense, but in the power sense. “Science is the great equalizer,” Otto told us via email. “It underpins the whole argument for democracy. But it’s also political, because it either confirms or disrupts somebody’s vested interests, and those people tend to fight back when science suggests certain laws or regulations they don’t like."
 
Fast-forward to the 20th century, when science ended World War II with the power of the atomic bomb. In the ensuing years, science enjoyed the financial support of the military and retreated from the public sphere, as it no longer needed public engagement for funding.
 
At the same time, the public was growing increasingly wary of science, the cause of their children’s pointless “duck and cover” drills in case of nuclear attack.

Meanwhile, in the humanitarian departments of academia, the postmodernist movement was questioning the fundamental nature of science as a way to discover objective truth, portraying it as just another “metanarrative” -- a story told by the ruling class in order to retain power.


  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffc06.deviantart.net%2Ffs71%2Ff%2F2009%2F347%2F2%2F6%2FWTF_Smiley_face_by_IveWasHere.jpg&hash=8ca673f8cf785d9dac626f9fd91e37a1a318c7ac)

This thinking worked its way into journalism schools, where reporters  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgen152.gif&hash=d5b10968fe56c4cb95fae17cee3cb420a5f4e2da) learned (https://smileyshack.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/stupid-im-with-arrow-left.gif) that there is no such thing(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fp8.gif&hash=34db9228a959b3b83fc65b38a1aa92a40d56f976) as objectivity , and creating the conditions where false balance thrives and industry   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) spokespeople  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)are given equal time and consideration as real scientists
 
This postmodernism, mostly a leftist concept, provided the intellectual underpinning for the larger war on science by the axis of industry and religious forces who coopted that language to insist we “teach the controversy.” Those who derived their power from religion found evolution and stem cells to be affronts to the sacred notion of a creator.

Those who derived their power from profits found science-based health and environmental regulations an affront to their business models. Exploiting the postmodern concept that there is no objectivity enabled authoritarians to push their public policy agendas with PR instead of relying on scientific evidence to justify their positions.

 
Which brings us back to this election cycle and the celebration of a man who has attempted to use his power to silence the science that threatens his profits. Instead of being run out of democratic society for this blatant display of authoritarianism, Hamm’s been given direct access to a candidate, a prime time speaking slot at the convention, and possibly a cabinet position.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f) 

Unlike most books of its type, The War on Science offers up a robust battle plan to restore science to its rightful place as an objective arbiter of the reality we all share, and upon which policy decisions must be made.
 
It won’t be an easy fight, but it’s one we can’t afford to lose. As the government scales of checks and balances are increasingly tilted in favor of the rich and powerful, science offers the strongest anti-authoritarian weapon available to restore power to the people.

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http://www.greenpartywatch.org
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 21, 2016, 07:56:00 pm
How about fraternity, like the banksters giving our kids student loans, and the politicians being paid off to exempt the kids from declaring bankruptcy on the loans. That's the equality and fraternity that exist today in our beloved democracy.

The benevolent making sure everyone gets an education that has a pulse and can sign the dotted line. They are my brother's keeper.  :'(

That's a nice illustration of how in fact we don't have fraternity (solidarity) in our pseudo-democracy.  The list of such examples could be read all through tonight and into the morning ... only to be taken up the next day and the next and the next. These illustrate my point: Which is that we failed to establish a society based on the honest valuation of liberty, equality and fraternity.  That's not interesting news (it's rather pedestrian). But what WOULD be news is if people who are neither defeatists nor misanthropists or nihilists would have a deep, soulful, non-pedestrian conversation on what we might do about our failure, so far.

I will not accept "It's impossible" as an answer. That's the pedestrian answer -- and the one you can get from most all of the so-called "educated" people, including many who have been my friends and mentors, people I love (including all of the regulars here).


But what WOULD be news is if people who are neither defeatists nor misanthropists or nihilists would have a deep, soulful, non-pedestrian conversation on what we might do about our failure, so far.

I already answered this question:

1-Dissolve Nation-States to smaller units

2- Establish communities of people with shared Culture and Values

3- Confiscate all wealth and redistribute evenly across the population

4- Terminate Banksters with Extreme Prejudice


RE


   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) You are speaking the truth, even if most people cannot handle the truth.

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In the meantime support Dr. Jill Stein. She knows EXACTLY ;D  ;) how to address our failure to curb rampant greed and oligarchic suicidal profit over people and planet criminal stupidity:
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smiley-lol.com%2Fsmiley%2Fexagerent%2Fpolice%2Fenprison.gif&hash=4912c6e4685052e7a6084b2d6740020437d7dae4) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smiley-lol.com%2Fsmiley%2Fexagerent%2Fpolice%2Fboulet.gif&hash=d7b4519fc185b666c4c74a5bc63d4d0a70c0ad21)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2194.gif&hash=5a6b9202f44f22d5ce751c5414683a0944e92e0c)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6348.gif&hash=9504ceda802b0d93a18efc33727d5044073ea428)


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http://www.greenpartywatch.org
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bativert.ma%2Fimages%2Fimage3.jpg&hash=7c7c27d838504cb1d5c5a4c1efac44e790a39265) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ftreeswing.gif&hash=03d29d18183a2924176defc1df7861676abb0960)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 21, 2016, 08:45:25 pm
The problem with "winners" in our massively failed "civilization", is that they cannot wrap their self worshipping heads around the FACT that they do not want to accept part of the responsibility for the corrupt status quo.

So, all the "I am credentialed and worked harder than you" statements by these "winners" are deliberate attempts to get readers to IGNORE the fact that a dog eat dog "civilization" is inherently unjust, wrong and insulting to many that have worked MUCH HARDER and/or studied MUCH LONGER but are still being shafted by the system.

Meritocracy is a myth. Ask any offspring (be sure to use truth serum  ;D) of the oligarchs if they "worked hard and persevered" to GET their swag.

AS JRM said in so many words, they just do not want to talk about the issue objectively.
 
Way back in the olden days, when I first showed up here, I DEMONSTRATED (for it was not just a wild guess) that our mainstream American story about wealth is utterly and completely OBSOLETE.  It was a partial demonstration then, as it can always be improved upon and elaborated, but the story goes that the word wealth comes from a very old word which means well-being. And I take well-being as a complex whole, not as something any one person can have. This ties in with my fundamental critique of mainstream economics, which defines wealth as something a person, a family, a nation, etc., can "have," as if it were a form of property.  All of that, now, to me, is nonsense. Utter garbage. Totally obsolete at best.

If you're living in a forest and the forest burns down ... and your principal bit of wealth is your forest house, you're **** out of luck. If you're living in a flood zone and the river rises and your house floats down stream, same story.

Now we're all living in a society in which pretty much everything is incredibly fragile and vulnerable ... because -- mostly -- we've not learned the lessons of history, or much of anything else, either.  We have sciences of resiliency (the opposite of fragility) in economics, ecology, biology, medicine, pscyhology, sociology, politics, etc., but we treat them as so much fluff-and-stuff: basically irrelevant.  Rarely does anyone wonder if there is a common principal uniting them all.  But I do, and did. There are plenty of common principals holding them together as health -- a word deeply (etymologically) related to wealth. I take this not as a mere irrelevant coincidence.  Neither do my philosophical allies, such as Charles Eisenstein (who  knows a great deal more about wealth than most Ph.D. economists do.

I've struggled with the concept of commensurability ... between "disciplines" and stories ... only to learn that measurement has its limitations. There is no monetary way to measure wealth. This is an insight worthy of some "hard work," but such work is not paid work. One labors on....

Meanwhile, the world gets worse and worse in lots of ways, with capitol doing what it naturally does every day: serving as fuel for the bonfire burning whatever remains of true wealth -- which, in large part, is the health of our communities, including the natural communities in which we are all embedded.

If we have any chance of pulling out of this, I think, we're going to have to have a revolution ... not only in economics, but in the basic "story" of who we are, what we are, what wealth is..., what well-being amounts to.
 

Curiously enough, I think the French Revolutionaries, centuries ago, had the simple motto we need today.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191456.bmp&hash=a239c2fd76d20d142f1c54b961e22ebd0d2a4808)

And interestingly enough, a volcanic eruption in Iceland was the catalyst that finally triggered the French Revolution (massive crop failures). IOW, despite all the tyranny, it wasn't until the people were REALLY hungry, while the "winners" in their "society" calmly kept their stomachs full, while telling the wretched of France that they were "not deserving" of anything better, that the powder keg exploded.

Climate Change will do exactly the same thing on a worldwide scale.

The "winners" CANNOT hide that FACT that their empathy deficit disordered RELIGION of Capitalism is KILLING the many for the benefit of the few.

(https://collapseofindustrialcivilization.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/capitalism-good-business-sense-leila-la-tres-sage.png)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 27, 2016, 08:35:27 pm
Monsanto Benefits Hand Over Fist From Tax Dollar Subsidies   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)
 

July 26, 2016 | 166,966 views

Agelbert NOTE: Don't miss the video by Funny or Die.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)


SNIPPET:

 
By Dr. Mercola (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)


https://youtu.be/Eclf6dbsXZ8

In the video above (at article link) , Funny or Die pokes fun at Monsanto's "feeding the world" message by highlighting some of the most obvious features of genetically engineered (GE) foods, such as the unnatural crossing of genetic material between plant and animal kingdoms, the use of toxic chemicals and Monsanto's ever-expanding monopoly.

"I own everything!" Mama Monsanto exclaims, and that's pretty close to the truth. Monsanto has gobbled up seed companies, chemical competitors and even research institutions investigating the impact of pesticides on bee die-offs.

Not to mention the influence the company wields over the U.S. government. It sure seems to "own" that too.

Why the US Government Refuses to Turn on Monsanto

Many have pondered how Monsanto managed to rise to such a powerful position with respect to its influence over the U.S. government, and I think journalist Abby Martin may have pin-pointed the source of this obnoxious loyalty in her recent video report, "America's Monster" (below).

In it, she details Monsanto's history as an American "war horse," which began with its involvement in the Manhattan Project and the creation of the atomic bomb. Monsanto's contributions to the U.S. war machine continued during the Vietnam War, when the company became a leading producer of Agent Orange.

These war contributions appear to have cemented a long-lasting and loyal relationship between the U.S. government and Monsanto that continues to this day, to the detriment of the American people.

Sixty-four other nations have been labeling genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for years. Here in the U.S., Monsanto's influence runs so deep, we just became the first country in the world to UNLABEL GMOs, as President Obama will soon sign a bill that nullifies Vermont's GMO labeling law, which just went into effect July 1.

Throughout its entire history, which began with the foundation of Monsanto Chemical Works in 1901, Monsanto has specialized in the production of toxic chemicals. Despite attempts to shed its destructive image, Monsanto has utterly failed to do so, for the simple fact that it never actually changed its basic modus operandi.

Nor did it actually change its direction from purveyor of toxins to a life-giving agricultural company. Its focus remains producing and selling toxins. It simply discovered it could sell more chemicals, and ensure ever-increasing profits, by producing GE seeds with herbicide-resistant properties.

https://youtu.be/PTi0_ZQtPTY

Full information and advice packed article:  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Freading.gif&hash=63e3e644b39258d4c4eedbcdaf322315b1856723)


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/07/26/monsanto-gmo-subsidies.aspx
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 27, 2016, 08:58:43 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THn5xqvmC9U&feature=player_embedded
Straight Talk by Abby Martin
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 27, 2016, 10:02:43 pm
The 1 Percent’s Useful Idiots

Posted on Jul 26, 2016

By Chris Hedges


SNIPPET:
Quote


The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will be pushed through whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is president.

The fracking industry, fossil fuel industry and animal agriculture industry will ravage the ecosystem whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is president.

The predatory financial institutions on Wall Street will trash the economy and loot the U.S. Treasury on the way to another economic collapse whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is president.

Poor, unarmed people of color will be gunned down in the streets of our cities whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is president.

The system of neoslavery in our prisons, where we keep poor men and poor women of color in cages because we have taken from them the possibility of employment, education and dignity, will be maintained whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is president.

Millions of undocumented people will be deported whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is president.

Austerity programs will cut or abolish public services, further decay the infrastructure and curtail social programs whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is president.

Money will replace the vote whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is president. And half the country, which now lives in poverty, will remain in misery whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton becomes president.

This is not speculation. We know this because there has been total continuity on every issue, from trade agreements to war to mass deportations, between the Bush administration and the administration of Barack Obama. The problem is not Donald Trump.

The problem is capitalism. And this is the beast we are called to fight and slay.


Until that is done, nothing of substance will change.
         (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

Full article:

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_1_percents_useful_idiots_20160726

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.globalresearch.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F07%2Fvote_jill_not_hill_womens_vneck_dark_tshirt.jpg&hash=96c561983f06a651588ab2c4c240d31865dbe059)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.greenpartywatch.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F02%2Fsteinsign.png&hash=77b5d8e593da1853dceeaf99c153d1a938cd0921)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 13, 2016, 10:27:55 pm
Agelbert NOTE: The Vermonters commenting give info you will not find on any national news source.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) ;D

Of course the Trump supporting, global warming denier idiots weigh in too, but that cannot be helped.  ::) There are a LOT of deniers hanging around the Vtdigger, by the up votes deniers receive.  :P

And there is a certain doomer here that, NO DOUBT, will not 'blame Bernie for buying a retreat to relax in', but some people  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fd2.gif&hash=98d536bf1047a88ef91e9c45e08b725347c9fe13)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) just cannot bring themselves to criticize immoral, greed based displays of WEALTH.  :(

It seems that Sanders, despite his claims to the contrary  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16), has ALWAYS had the SAME 'money isn't everything, but it's way ahead of whatever is in second place' (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0) mindset as that wealth worshipping doomer I just mentioned.

Moving right along, "Camp" is the affectionate euphemism that Vermonters use to describe their summer second homes in the boonies. Most of the time they are modest dwellings, but still highly valued properties because they are lakefront or/and the land area is over an acre (often more than 10 acres).

In the Sanders case, it definitely is NOT a modest home (see Vermonter comments  ;)). What a sellout this man and his wife (who walked away from a Burlington college Presidency with a $250,000 'bonus for hard work' a year before that college went bankrupt this year) turned out to be.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

Sanders, wife add third home with purchase of lake retreat (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

Aug. 11, 2016, 3:57 pm by Mark Johnson 25 Comments

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130816145541.jpeg&hash=4e80d354720f97ce7e260ac3993018aae6dd13b9)
Bernie Sanders   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smilies.4-user.de%2Finclude%2FSpiele%2Fsmilie_game_017.gif&hash=e8548890f80af23241a1d43a1ab1ca8031301f20) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f) home in North Hero. MLS photo

Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife have purchased a lakefront home in North Hero for $575,000.

The log cabin-style seasonal home on Lake Champlain has four bedrooms and more than 500 feet of Lake Champlain frontage.

Seven Days was the first to report the story.

The senator’s wife, Jane O’Meara Sanders, told the Burlington newspaper the purchase was financed from the proceeds of the sale of a home in Maine that her family owned. According to SF Gate, the North Hero property was listed for $598,000 in early June and the couple closed on the sale a week ago. People Magazine listed the agent as Franz Rosenberger of the local Coldwell Banker office.

“My family had a lake home in Maine since 1900, but we hadn’t had the time to go there in recent years — especially since my parents passed away. We finally let go of it, and that enabled us to buy a place in the islands — something I’ve always hoped for,” Jane Sanders said in a written statement to Seven Days.

The couple plans to continue living in Burlington. They also own a home in Washington, D.C.
   
Mark Johnson is a senior editor and reporter for VTDigger. He covered crime and politics for the Burlington Free Press before a 25-year run as the host of the Mark Johnson Show radio program on WKDR and WDEV. Read more

Email: mjohnson@vtdigger.org

Follow Mark on Twitter @MarkJohnsonVTD

Latest stories by Mark
•Sanders, wife add third home with purchase of lake retreat
•Democratic embrace of nominees comes with asterisk or two
•Minter cruises to Democratic nomination for governor


http://vtdigger.org/2016/08/11/sanders-wife-add-third-home-purchase-lake-retreat/ (http://vtdigger.org/2016/08/11/sanders-wife-add-third-home-purchase-lake-retreat/)


25 Comments on "Sanders, wife add third home with purchase of lake retreat"


  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)  votes on left -   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-141113183729.png&hash=d898195c8ae0a55e2e6d84fc47b9d06f8ba13f03) DOWN votes on right
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robert bristow-johnson
non-story. nobody cares about this.
37  |  -49 

Steve Beck
I do! Input is too short? OK
21  |  -3 

Ann Meade
Front and center in every national pub yesterday, someone cares. Summer home, book deal, big figure speaking engagements can’t be far off. I guess he really is a dem.
49  |  -16   


Peter Yankowski
This is a story…..it was just covered on VPR’s Vermont This Week.

Paul Heinz of Seven Days commented that Bernie has been working hard running for president for about two years and now wants some time to relax at his new lake house.

This is unbelievable…….Bernie Sanders has basically taken more than a year off from his job as a US Senator, while its safe to assume that he continued to collect his tax payer funded pay check. He hasn’t showed up for work in more than year and now he needs time to relax.

Now, how many of you could get more than a year off from work, still get paid and then have the press think that you need time off to rest and relax?

Bernie’s right……This country is really unfair, unjust and favors the powerful, who are ripping the people off.

Guess what……US Senator Bernie Sanders is one of the powerful and yes he’s ripping us off.
13  |  -5  Reply

Tom Sullivan
Nice property, it could be a great location for Burlington college.  ;)
59  |  -10  Reply 

John Poratti
I can only assume Bernie will donate one or two of these properties to the low income folks who cannot afford to own a home.  ;)
66  |  -12  Reply   

Roger Sweatt (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdrphilyerboots.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F05%2Fcherry-picking.jpg&hash=c196a0ec409afacfa8f087d5a4556de272d44c6b)
That is how climate change people  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220216203149.gif&hash=bd184b6edccce4045e246847a0c84e89bd5a18b6) think (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b), The rest of us are to have a small footprint while they have multiple houses and vacation places. Sanders three, Al the Gore 27 at last count, Sher at 12 houses and a 5,000 foot barn in a complex, for example. Yes save energy, only for them to use. Climate is is man made to scare the public into submission.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c)
60  |  -15 
Glenn Thompson (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdrphilyerboots.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F05%2Fcherry-picking.jpg&hash=c196a0ec409afacfa8f087d5a4556de272d44c6b)
After reading this story, I had to revisit current Exxon/Mobil stock prices. With Bernie’s announcement of buying a place in North Hero of all places….he will burn up more gas (going back and forth to Burlington) and increase his carbon footprint with this purchase. I thought he was one of the politicians calling for reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and controlling climate change? How is buying a place in North Hero going to address that?
34  |  -6

Kim Fried
Berne may decide that purchasing a speed boat will be faster. Captain Sanders.  ;)
21  |  -3

Kim Fried
1%ers???? Sure suprised many folks that Bernie is so wealthy. Kind of a contradiction in my view, but hey it’s just politics.
46  |  -8 

William Hays
Bernie and Jane have made it into the realm of the 4%ers. Democratic-Socialism at its best! I wonder if they still have a residence in Brooklyn, too.
18  |  -3

Agelbert NOTE: Roger Sweatt the Denier was not satisfied with one propaganda laced comment; he had to post it twice. He must be young, as well as biopshere math challenged (https://smileyshack.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/stupid-im-with-arrow-left.gif); he doesn't know how to spell "Cher".   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F4fvfcja.gif&hash=34a9a570347d39a0a892bc1f376c5e8b88add6b5)


Roger Sweatt  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdrphilyerboots.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F05%2Fcherry-picking.jpg&hash=c196a0ec409afacfa8f087d5a4556de272d44c6b)
That is how climate change people think, The rest of us are to have a small footprint while they have multiple houses and vacation places. Sanders three, Al the Gore 27 at last count, Sher at 12 houses and a 5,000 foot barn in a complex, for example. Yes save energy, only for them to use. Climate is is man made to scare the public into submission.
26  |  -14 

Steve Trahan
Somebody cares because this story is all over social media. What happen to Bernie being the poorest senator in the senate, so he claimed.
50  |  -10 

Homer Sulham
I wonder where he falls in the wealth ranking?
13  |  -4  Reply   

Bob Hooper
last I saw it was like 48 or 49 mostly because Rubio is such a poor manager of money and was in deep debt… one other senator had some kids college debt and Bernie was next….

I would bet MOST of these seasonal camps are owned by fellow Vermonters….and a lot of them family farmers who retained the rights to the lake side of their fields for building/leasing/rental… This is a small issue flamed up by press who are tired of reporting the excesses of tRump… That 7Days decided to make it a national issue seems opportunistic…. Lake views are not that uncommon, even from downtown Burlington or the old North End….
16  |  -22

Rama Schneider
“log cabin style”???? Looks more like barn siding to me.
15  |  -6 

Karl Riemer
Board & batten, but the picture is not of the main house, which is genuine log construction.
3  |  0   

Martha Molpus  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgen152.gif&hash=d5b10968fe56c4cb95fae17cee3cb420a5f4e2da)
How wonderful that someone who has worked so hard for others can enjoy a this comfort with his family as he ages–and that he has invested in Vermont. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220216203149.gif&hash=bd184b6edccce4045e246847a0c84e89bd5a18b6)
37  |  -47 

Deborah Billado
Martha… you guys never give up or take off those tin hats.. This man has never worked a day in his life, she bankrupted the Burlington College, they just sold out their millions of
 voters, he chants the same story to the same voters for 30 years..and they fall for it over
 and over yet nothing ever changes. If this make you happy then what the heck… go for
 it.
53  |  -18

Deborah Billado   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)
Wow.. bankrupt a college… sell out your voters to Hillarys machine… get a house on the lake.. life is good. Follow the money….
58  |  -22

Gary Murdock
The income claimed in the one tax return the Sanders begrudgingly released doesn’t support the 2 houses they own, never mind a $600k camp. As this story is reported, this purchase was made possible by the sale of a Maine property that was owned by Jane Sanders family; the key work being family. It would be nice to see some investigative reporting here, wont be difficult to track down the record of the sale to see how much it sold for and how many family members got a piece of it, this is all public record. Something tells me that the lions share of the cost for this $600k seasonal statement of opulence came from their campaign related booty. But hey, I understand this is Bernie were talking about, so he’s safe from the scrutiny that others must endure. And Phil Scott, if you are reading this, please keep this in mind when a reporter is assigned full time to track Dubois Construction contracts with the state while your serving as our new Governor.
27  |  -10   

ted cohen
“Seven Days was the first to report the story.”

Why would vtdigger want to bring attention – especially so high up in a story – that it got scooped?

If you want to credit the competition, fine, but do it later in the piece.

But placing it as a stand-alone, third sentence?

Come on guys, you are a self-respecting journal of record – and head and shoulders above the competition!
4  |  -19 

Karl Riemer
and thereby secure enough in its position not to worry about crap like that. 7D and VTDigger routinely reprint each other. They aren’t the same, they aren’t competitors, they are complementary.
10  |  -1

timothy price
“…the purchase was financed from the proceeds of the sale of a home in Maine..”
See, it had nothing to do with him selling his soul in Philadelphia.  ;)
29  |  -6

Craig Powers  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F165fs373950.gif&hash=ad797fcc08a061d3ae50ee49ccd9f3d517fb7496)
A man who now owns three houses wants to limit my choice of deodorants. The irony is amazing.
55  |  -8 

I'd say Bernie made a decent deal on a modest vacation home. Good value for the money, which is his money, and nobody's business but his and his wife's. He's nearly 75 years old. Looks like  a nice place to retire. It certainly bears little resemblance to the kind of expensive places owned by the typical .1 percent moneybags Senator.

I saw the stories a few days back. Oh, the outrage!

Tempest in a tea-cup, if you ask me.


(https://media.giphy.com/media/L29fiOMSDhhvi/giphy.gif)

Well, I didn't ask you. But I knew you would try to downplay this, and mock it too, of course. You outdid yourself with comments on this story. The gentleman doth protest too much.  ;)

Sainthood is not the issue here. But you are given to hyperbole when trying to make a case for your world view mindset: MONEY ISN"T EVERYTHING, BUT IT'S WAY AHEAD OF WHATEVER IS IN SECOND PLACE.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)

So, I understand your multiple comments to this story quite well. The claim about the "Maine property" was in the story and the Vermonter commenters shredded it. But you just had to bring it back up, as if that had squat to do with the FACT that this man made millions with $7 to $27 contributions from people struggling to get by in the hopes that their concerns would be addressed. That, of course, is 'irrelevant' to you.

You also claim this and that about "people in their seventies". Look up home ownership US valuations, stats and Read the comments from the Vermonters before you engage in such ridiculous assumptions. Less than 10% of the US population can afford ONE property valued at 600K, never mind THREE plus millions in the bank.

The median house in the USA is valued at LESS than HALF what Sanders paid for his "camp".

Sorry to be such a pain in the ass, Eddie, but I think your main problem is that you are a kiss up kick down kind of guy. Consequently, you are incapable of empathizing (beyond some very selective lip service) with people that have been shafted by one who claims to be one of them.

The other day, when JD and RE where getting on your case for something or other, your response was, "fuk yers guys".

Same to you and more of it.  ;D

 
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 16, 2016, 04:02:27 pm
The irrelevancy of comparing the subject of Senator Sanders' betrayal of trust to what the average USA bought and paid for Banana Republic elite politician does with his ill gotten gains is typical straw grasping doubletalk, expected from those who celebrate selfishness as part of the "real world".  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

Knock yourself out. You are just parading your bankrupt 'greed is good' world view.  ;)

I don't care how many pictures of mansions or empty hyperbolic rhetoric anyone here comes up with to justify the behavior of Sanders on a political piggery pecking order scale. The relativists, that were trained to believe there is no truth, revel in this sort of water muddying arm waving for the express purpose of clouding the issue of ethical breaches.

There is no such thing as a sliding scale of ethical behavior. But relativists, that believe only in what they can see and touch, cling to these sophistic justifications of perfidy in order to avoid introspection.

I recognize that my views on these matters are not popular here, even if they are given lip service from time to time. I do not hold those views because most people, due to their total embrace of atomic materialism, reject them. I don't believe what I believe just to be a contrary SOB.  ;D I believe what I believe because it is the hard, unvarnished truth.

This 'greed is good' crowd brays about 'hard work' and 'responsibility', along with 'all their 'years of study' in order to avoid facing the central driving force in their belief system: To "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die". They are modified (empathy deficit disordered) Epicureans.

Quote

Epicureanism is a system of philosophy based upon the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, founded around 307 BC. Epicurus was an atomic materialist, following in the steps of Democritus. His materialism led him to a general attack on superstition and divine intervention.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureanism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureanism)

Since most people, whether they have studied philosophy or not, believe that "pleasure is the greatest good", then espousing an Epicurean type world view should come naturally. But these modified Epicureans of today reject a very important part of the epicurean philosophy.

THAT IS, eschewing a modest life.
Quote

Epicurus believed that what he called "pleasure" was the greatest good, but that the way to attain such pleasure was to live modestly, to gain knowledge of the workings of the world and to limit one's desires.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureanism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureanism)

NOT ONLY do they eschew living modestly, they are firm believers in stepping on anyone that gets in the way of their quest to  accumulate as much money as they can. Greed, selfishness and a callous disregard for the social degradation and suffering they cause are integral aspects of the modified Epicurean. Their celebration of arrogance over empathy is a self delusionary device to finish the job of destroying any vestige of conscience that they ever had.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

But that is truth. And truth is something that most people cannot handle.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quotesdata.com%2FGiordano_Bruno_quotes.jpg&hash=0d85d6f34cec273575c2e67846e4bae901d9d14d)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 23, 2016, 09:48:17 pm
The Empire Files: Abby Martin with Dr. Jill Stein - Symptoms of a Sick Society

teleSUR English

https://youtu.be/g7hEfgxSJ44


Published on Apr 4, 2016

Part of the way the U.S. Empire's elections are rigged is the corporate media's censorship of third-party candidates, despite their nationwide campaign efforts.

The Green Party, running Dr. Jill Stein for President—on a platform more progressive than Bernie Sanders—has been totally ignored by the establishment.

Abby Martin sits down with Dr. Stein to look at how her career in medicine helped her diagnose America's "multi-organ failure," and why her ideas pose such a threat to Empire.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 24, 2016, 07:58:39 pm
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Democracy in America Is a Useful Fiction

Posted on Aug 23, 2016

By Chris Hedges

Chris Hedges is on vacation and will return to writing his weekly Truthdig column on Sept. 5. While he is on break, we will republish some of his Truthdig columns. This one originally appeared on Jan. 24, 2010.

Corporate forces, long before the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, carried out a coup d’état in slow motion. The coup is over. We lost. The ruling is one more judicial effort to streamline mechanisms for corporate control. It exposes the myth of a functioning democracy and the triumph of corporate power. But it does not significantly alter the political landscape. The corporate state is firmly cemented in place.

The fiction of democracy remains useful, not only for corporations, but for our bankrupt liberal class. If the fiction is seriously challenged, liberals will be forced to consider actual resistance, which will be neither pleasant nor easy. As long as a democratic facade exists, liberals can engage in an empty moral posturing that requires little sacrifice or commitment. They can be the self-appointed scolds of the Democratic Party, acting as if they are part of the debate and feel vindicated by their cries of protest.
Much of the outrage expressed about the court’s ruling is the outrage of those who prefer this choreographed charade. As long as the charade is played, they do not have to consider how to combat what the political philosopher Sheldon Wolin calls our system of “inverted totalitarianism.”

Inverted totalitarianism represents “the political coming of age of corporate power and the political demobilization of the citizenry,” Wolin writes in “Democracy Incorporated.” Inverted totalitarianism differs from classical forms of totalitarianism, which revolve around a demagogue or charismatic leader, and finds its expression in the anonymity of the corporate state. The corporate forces behind inverted totalitarianism do not, as classical totalitarian movements do, boast of replacing decaying structures with a new, revolutionary structure. They purport to honor electoral politics, freedom and the Constitution. But they so corrupt and manipulate the levers of power as to make democracy impossible.

Inverted totalitarianism is not conceptualized as an ideology or objectified in public policy. It is furthered by “power-holders and citizens who often seem unaware of the deeper consequences of their actions or inactions,” Wolin writes. But it is as dangerous as classical forms of totalitarianism. In a system of inverted totalitarianism, as this court ruling illustrates, it is not necessary to rewrite the Constitution, as fascist and communist regimes do. It is enough to exploit legitimate power by means of judicial and legislative interpretation. This exploitation ensures that huge corporate campaign contributions are protected speech under the First Amendment.

It ensures that heavily financed and organized lobbying by large corporations is interpreted as an application of the people’s right to petition the government. The court again ratified the concept that corporations are persons, except in those cases where the “persons” agree to a “settlement.” Those within corporations who commit crimes can avoid going to prison by paying large sums of money to the government while, according to this twisted judicial reasoning, not “admitting any wrongdoing.” There is a word for this. It is called corruption.

Corporations have 35,000 lobbyists in Washington and thousands more in state capitals that dole out corporate money to shape and write legislation. They use their political action committees to solicit employees and shareholders for donations to fund pliable candidates. The financial sector, for example, spent more than $5 billion on political campaigns, influence peddling and lobbying during the past decade, which resulted in sweeping deregulation, the gouging of consumers, our global financial meltdown and the subsequent looting of the U.S. Treasury. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America spent $26 million last year and drug companies such as Pfizer, Amgen and Eli Lilly kicked in tens of millions more to buy off the two parties. These corporations have made sure our so-called health reform bill will force us to buy their predatory and defective products.

The oil and gas industry, the coal industry, defense contractors and telecommunications companies have thwarted the drive for sustainable energy and orchestrated the steady erosion of civil liberties. Politicians do corporate bidding and stage hollow acts of political theater to keep the fiction of the democratic state alive.

There is no national institution left that can accurately be described as democratic. Citizens, rather than participate in power, are allowed to have virtual opinions to preordained questions, a kind of participatory fascism as meaningless as voting on “American Idol.” Mass emotions are directed toward the raging culture wars. This allows us to take emotional stands on issues that are inconsequential to the power elite.

Our transformation into an empire, as happened in ancient Athens and Rome, has seen the tyranny we practice abroad become the tyranny we practice at home. We, like all empires, have been eviscerated by our own expansionism. We utilize weapons of horrific destructive power, subsidize their development with billions in taxpayer dollars, and are the world’s largest arms dealer. And the Constitution, as Wolin notes, is “conscripted to serve as power’s apprentice rather than its conscience.”

“Inverted totalitarianism reverses things,” Wolin writes. “It is politics all of the time but a politics largely untempered by the political. Party squabbles are occasionally on public display, and there is a frantic and continuous politics among factions of the party, interest groups, competing corporate powers, and rival media concerns. And there is, of course, the culminating moment of national elections when the attention of the nation is required to make a choice of personalities rather than a choice between alternatives.

What is absent is the political, the commitment to finding where the common good lies
amidst the welter of well-financed, highly organized, single-minded interests rabidly seeking governmental favors and overwhelming the practices of representative government and public administration by a sea of cash.”

Hollywood, the news industry and television, all corporate controlled, have become instruments of inverted totalitarianism. They censor or ridicule those who critique or challenge corporate structures and assumptions. They saturate the airwaves with manufactured controversy, whether it is Tiger Woods or the dispute between Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien. They manipulate images to make us confuse how we are made to feel with knowledge, which is how Barack Obama became president. And the draconian internal control employed by the Department of Homeland Security, the military and the police over any form of popular dissent, coupled with the corporate media’s censorship, does for inverted totalitarianism what thugs and bonfires of books do in classical totalitarian regimes.

“It seems a replay of historical experience that the bias displayed by today’s media should be aimed consistently at the shredded remains of liberalism,” Wolin writes. “Recall that an element common to most 20th century totalitarianism, whether Fascist or Stalinist, was hostility towards the left. In the United States, the left is assumed to consist solely of liberals, occasionally of ‘the left wing of the Democratic Party,’ never of democrats.”

Liberals, socialists, trade unionists, independent journalists and intellectuals, many of whom were once important voices in our society, have been silenced or targeted for elimination within corporate-controlled academia, the media and government. Wolin, who taught at Berkeley and later at Princeton, is arguably the country’s foremost political philosopher. And yet his book was virtually ignored. This is also why Ralph Nader, Dennis Kucinich and Cynthia McKinney, along with intellectuals like Noam Chomsky, are not given a part in our national discourse.

The uniformity of opinion is reinforced by the skillfully orchestrated mass emotions of nationalism and patriotism, which paints all dissidents as “soft” or “unpatriotic.” The “patriotic” citizen, plagued by fear of job losses and possible terrorist attacks, unfailingly supports widespread surveillance and the militarized state.

 This means no questioning of the $1 trillion in defense-related spending. It means that the military and intelligence agencies are held above government, as if somehow they are not part of government. The most powerful instruments of state power and control are effectively removed from public discussion. We, as imperial citizens, are taught to be contemptuous of government bureaucracy, yet we stand like sheep before Homeland Security agents in airports and are mute when Congress permits our private correspondence and conversations to be monitored and archived. We endure more state control than at any time in American history.

The civic, patriotic and political language we use to describe ourselves remains unchanged. We pay fealty to the same national symbols and iconography. We find our collective identity in the same national myths. We continue to deify the Founding Fathers. But the America we celebrate is an illusion. It does not exist. Our government and judiciary have no real sovereignty. Our press provides diversion, not information. Our organs of security and power keep us as domesticated and as fearful as most Iraqis.

Capitalism, as Karl Marx understood, when it emasculates government, becomes a revolutionary force. And this revolutionary force, best described as inverted totalitarianism, is plunging us into a state of neo-feudalism, perpetual war and severe repression. The Supreme Court decision is part of our transformation by the corporate state from citizens to prisoners.

Chris Hedges, a Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent, writes a column published every Monday on Truthdig. His latest book is “Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle.”
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/democracy_in_america_is_a_useful_fiction_20100124
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 25, 2016, 03:20:47 pm
Water Is Life, Oil Is Death: The People vs. the Bakken Pipeline in Iowa and the Dakotas

Posted on Aug 22, 2016

By Paul Street
 
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People opposing the Dakota Access pipeline project, also known as the Bakken pipeline, rally in Des Moines, Iowa. (Barbara Rodriguez / AP)

The American version of democracy focuses on elections and candidates. As the venerable left intellectual Noam Chomsky observed in June, “Citizenship means every four years you put a mark somewhere and you go home and let other guys run the world. It’s a very destructive ideology … a way of making people passive, submissive objects.” Chomsky added that we “ought to teach kids that elections take place, but that’s not [all of] politics.” There’s also the more urgent and serious politics of popular social movements and direct action beneath and beyond the election cycle.

We might refine Chomsky’s maxim to read “and let rich guys run the world into the ground” or “let rich guys ruin the world.” With anthropogenic (really “capitalogenic”) global warming, the nation and world’s corporate and financial oligarchs are bringing the planet to the brink of an epic ecosystem collapse.

We might also put some meat on the bones of Chomsky’s pedagogical advice by “teach[ing] kids” about the people’s politics being practiced in the upper Midwest and northern Great Plains by citizen activists fighting to help avert ecological calamity by blocking construction of what North Dakota Sioux leader David Archambault II calls “a black snake” of “greed.” The snake in question is the planet-baking Dakota Access/Bakken pipeline, what Iowa activists call “The Next Keystone XL.”

While Iowa Berned, Dakota Access Worked Behind the Scenes  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)

As progressives flocked to presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ impressive rallies in Iowa over the past year, the Texas-based company Dakota Access LLC, a division of the ecocidal corporation Energy Transfer Partners LP, moved methodically ahead with its plan to build the Bakken pipeline. This $3.8 billion, 1,134-mile project would carry 540,000 barrels of primarily fracked crude oil from North Dakota’s “Bakken oil patch” daily on a diagonal course through sacred North Dakota Sioux tribal sites and burial grounds, South Dakota, Iowa, the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and many other major waterways, to Patoka, Ill. It would link with another pipeline that will transport the black gold to terminals and refineries along the Gulf of Mexico for export to the global market.

In March, five weeks after Sanders essentially tied Hillary Clinton in the Iowa caucus, the corporate-captive Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) approved the giant Iowa portion of the project, granting Dakota Access eminent domain across the entire route through 18 counties—the last major administrative hurdle for the project. The “regulatory” boards in the other three states had already signed off. There was still some slim hope that the Army Corps of Engineers could be persuaded to block the project. That hope was dashed July 25. 

Dakota Access construction crews have begun moving dirt and tearing up farmers’ crops along the pipeline’s projected path. Pipeline workers with out-of-state license plates are showing up in hotels, motels and camps—and on dating sites like “Plenty of Fish”—along the route. Construction began in South Dakota, North Dakota and Illinois in May. Pipe has been laid in Lee County in Iowa’s southeast corner and Lyon County in the northwest. Last week, a pipeline trench crossed the popular Chichaqua Valley Trail in central Iowa. A young woman from central Iowa reports that a local dating website is “swarming” with out-of-state pipeline workers staying in campsites and elsewhere.

Dakota Access first applied to the IUB for a pipeline permit in the fall of 2014, just before Sanders’ first visit to Iowa. Slowly but surely, as media-driven popular excitement over the largely Iowa-focused presidential contest built last year, the company quietly pressed ahead with a public relations offensive (with a strong emphasis on “jobs for Iowans”) against the opposition of environmentalists and concerned citizens. There was only one formal IUB public hearing, and it lasted just one day. The opponents of the pipeline represented a cross-section of Iowans. The proponents were almost entirely from construction unions, many from out of state. Opponents who attended multiple “informational meetings” staged by Dakota Access reported numerous blatant inconsistencies, contradictions and lies in the “facts” presented by the company. While the state dived further into the quadrennial caucus commotion, Dakota Access moved the pipeline through the required administrative and public relations hoops under the media-politics radar.

The stakes are high in the fight against the project. “If the Bakken Pipeline is built,” the progressive lobbying organization Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) notes, “it would seriously harm Iowa’s already impaired water quality, threaten the integrity of the fertile farmland of thousands of everyday Iowans, and contribute to our dependence on fossil fuels. This steers us away from developing renewable energy infrastructure and curbing the most catastrophic impacts of climate change.” CCI is part of a broad statewide anti-Bakken group called the Bakken Pipeline Resistance Coalition (BPRC) that includes more than 30 organizations. BPRC is engaged in the difficult work of grass-roots politics and direct action—both legal and extra-legal—beneath and beyond the major-party and candidate-centered presidential election extravaganzas that take early root in Iowa (thanks to its first-in-the-nation caucuses) every four years.

A Fake ‘Public Utility’

The IUB’s decision in March was rich with Orwellian irony. Iowa law forbids the condemning of agricultural land for private development. It is true, as Dakota Access argues, that the law excludes utilities under the jurisdiction of the IUB from the private development limitation. And that includes pipelines if they serve a “public purpose.” But this pipeline would simply transport oil through Iowa and therefore serve no discernible public good for the state and, in fact, promises to do considerable harm to the state’s environmental and financial health. Opponents rightly point out that like all pipelines, it will eventually spill, and Dakota Access LLC will leave Iowa holding the bag for the cleanup.

Like something out of Kafka, the IUB will have no power to enforce any kind of public regulations whatsoever on the operators of the private interstate pipeline they approved as a “public utility.” 

The IUB’s decision was another example among many that Iowa is up for sale to big business under the right-wing administration of Republican Gov. Terry Branstad.

The giant Canadian pipeline company Enbridge and Marathon Petroleum are impressed by Dakota Access’ success in gaining the approval of “regulators.” The two corporations recently put up $2 billion ($1.5 billion from Enbridge and $500,000 from Marathon) to purchase 49 percent of the Bakken pipeline. A likely consequence if the project is completed is that Canadian tar-sands oil will flow through the pipeline—and Iowa—toward the Gulf Coast. That oil is one of the most carbon-rich, planet-cooking fossil fuels on earth. Dire environmental concern about the mining of Canadian tar sands oil was the main reason climate activists like Bill McKibben engaged in high-profile protests of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline—a leading news story a few years ago.

Read the other two pages of this three page article at link below:
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http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/water_life_oil_death_people_vs_bakken_pipeline_in_iowa_dakotas_20160822

Agelbert NOTE: The concentration of Mens Rea Criminal Corporate Corruption of the Federal and many State Governments in the USA (and the world, for that matter) based in TEXAS is evidence that the Nietzsche style Empathy Deficit Disordered Territorial Imperative is an integral part of the MORALLY BANKRUPT Texan culture and world view. TEXANS, of all people on the planet, are the greatest threat to the biosphere that humanity has ever faced.

One way or the other, the TEXAN Oil & Gas worshipping culture will soon end.

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TEXAN has his morning coffee

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The Fossil Fuelers in general, and TEXANS IN PARTICULAR,    DID THE Climate Trashing, human health depleting CRIME,   but since they have ALWAYS BEEN liars and conscience free crooks, they are trying to AVOID  DOING THE TIME   or   PAYING THE FINE!     Don't let them get away with it!   Pass it on!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F176.gif&hash=121533221905789c6b8d57a9603883266d349266)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 26, 2016, 09:10:16 pm
 
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Agelbert NOTE: The NEXT time some worshipper of Capitalism tries to claim buying a 600K property is 'normal' in the USA, please let them know they need a refresher course in basic mathematics. NOBODY, even in the bracket above middle income, can afford to buy a property like that without a mortgage (as Senator Sellout Sanders recently did).

Venturing Into ‘the Capitalist Labyrinth’  (Video)

Posted on Aug 23, 2016

In this week’s episode of “On Contact,” Truthdig columnist Chris Hedges sits down with Rob Urie, author of “Zen Economics,” to discuss “the capitalist labyrinth.”

The two dive into the concept of the “economic man” or “economic woman” that Urie introduces in his book. Urie explains that humans are conditioned to feel that capitalism is a “natural” state of being. It’s “the integration of psychology with corporate desire,” he explains.

Urie and Hedges then discuss the “radical alienation” produced by capitalism, particularly how the system is responsible for nuclear weapons, climate change and even imperialism. “Alienation is the bedrock of consumer culture,” Hedges notes.

Capitalism, they agree, has a “self-destructive” quality that “leads to the inability to rectify the excesses.” In addition, they explore the idea that science is not objective. “Science has been harnessed to capitalism in a very destructive way,” Hedges says.

They also address the history of capitalism, particularly the ways it used to “regulate itself,” with Hedges citing the New Deal of the 1930s as one example. Urie states that neoliberalism today is “the philosophy of the ruling elite,” but argues that neoliberalism existed prior to the Great Depression of the 1920s:
 
“It’s the philosophy of the world where you’ve got the ruling elite, and there’s this self-justification, which comes through societal rewards … so upper-class, ruling-class leaders can look at their classmates and say, through the logic of capitalism (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f) , that ‘we’ve earned this.’ ”

 
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The episode ends with Hedges and Urie breaking down the harmful relationship between government and business. “Government isn’t intrinsically corrupt,” Urie argues.

Watch the entire video below.
https://youtu.be/z0bp8L7YHWE

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/capitalism_alienates_integrates_psychology_with_corporate_desire_20160823 (http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/capitalism_alienates_integrates_psychology_with_corporate_desire_20160823)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 11, 2016, 01:45:55 pm
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Quote

stephen whitaker

Talking about FAIRNESS, as much as LAW:

The PSB, being a court, and the Rising Tide folks not being a party, the Board is required to hear from the ‘public’ only by written comment filed with the Clerk or at a duly warned public hearing.

The current ‘Modus Interruptus’ is not entirely a result of a few people not playing nice, but by a continuing grievous failure of those supposed to be representing the interest of the public, the Department of Public Service, simply not doing its job.

When the public feels that the system is rigged, the protections failed, the fix is in, and the captains of industry are going to have their way, with collusion from the Governor and his Commissioner of Public Service, protest and even revolt is a time tested tool of bringing broader attention to the injustice.

The DPS lost it years ago and corrective measures are needed. The statutes provide for the appointment of an Independent Public Advocate. The Board should exercise this option.

up votes  31  |  down votes -11 

Margolis: Drowning in a tide of arrogance

Sep. 4, 2016, 7:54 pm by Jon Margolis 25 Comments

Demonstrators from Rising Tide Vermont   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)and the Vermont Workers’ Center gather at the Public Service Board building in Montpelier last year. File photo (at link) by Erin Mansfield/VTDigger

(Editor’s note: Jon Margolis is VTDigger’s political columnist.)


In early August, a federal judge ruled that the Public Service Board’s decision to ban the public from a hearing “cannot be sustained under the First Amendment.”


The board complied.

Sort of.  ;)

Told that it must allow “public attendance” at its Aug. 4 hearing about extension of a gas pipeline through a park in Hinesburg, the PSB decided to allow six members of the public into the hearing room.

“It turned out to be eight,” said Lisa Barrett, the retired lawyer who was the plaintiff in the lawsuit filed after the board first said it would permit no one (later amended to allow reporters) to enter the hearing room in Berlin, a “training room” of the Agency of Natural Resources that has space for about 70 spectators.

The PSB, Barrett said, “complied with the letter of the court order.”

Now, to be fair to the Public Service Board, it should be noted that some of its antagonists appear equally indifferent to the First Amendment. Members of a group called Rising Tide Vermont have attended earlier hearings neither to listen nor to speak but to shout, thereby depriving others of the right to listen or to speak.

As U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss noted in her ruling, “There is, of course, no First Amendment right to disrupt adjudicatory proceedings. … To the extent disruptive participants make it difficult to see or hear the board’s proceedings, they may impair the First Amendment rights of other members of the public.”

The First Amendment exists primarily to limit the power of the government. Rising Tide is not the government and so may not, strictly speaking, be bound by those limits.

Then again, perhaps private individuals should follow the spirit of the Constitution even if not bound by its letter. John Franco, the lawyer who argued the case in court on Barrett’s behalf, said, “People have a First Amendment right to go to hearings, to speak and to listen. Interfering with (that) right is a very, very bad thing to start doing.”

Rising Tide does not see it that way.

“This is frankly an unjust process,” said Will Bennington, the Rising Tide spokesman. Bennington denied that the protesters had shouted; they were singing. But he did not deny that the aim was to “prevent (the process) from going forward.” In the view of Rising Tide, Bennington said, pipeline owner Vermont Gas Systems is “stealing from 80-something-year-old widows. We have no intention of letting them make their argument.”

Hmm. Let’s parse this for a minute. A small, un-elected band of devoted — arguably zealous — people has arrogated to itself the power to interrupt if not to halt the legal proceedings of a state agency operating according to laws passed by the elected representatives of the people.

The difference between this zealotry and fascism is … just what?

Especially because there is no evidence that the zealots speak for a majority. No one has taken a poll, but state legislators tend to know what their constituents think (otherwise they don’t stay in office), and two who represent the area to be served by the pipeline, Sen. Chris Bray, D-Addison, and Rep. Harvey Smith, R-New Haven, report that most of their constituents seem to have accepted the PSB’s earlier decision that the pipeline is in the public good.

“It hasn’t been a hot topic,” Smith said.

Bray, citing cost overruns and apparent inconsistency with state’s renewable energy goals, has his own reservations about the wisdom of the project. But while he noted that a vocal minority in his district opposes the pipeline, “in general, most people accept it as reasonable.”

As long as fairness is in the air, let’s show a little toward the pipeline opponents, too. The Public Service Board, while it operates within the law and its proceedings are available online, is perhaps the most aggravating, imperious and haughty agency in all of state government.

This does not mean the three commissioners and their 24-person staff are imperious and haughty people. They may or may not be. It’s the law that makes the board — a quasi-judicial body — all but impervious to public sentiment. Its job is to determine whether a proposed project is in “the public good.” With precious few exceptions, it decides that it is.

Just the other day, for instance, it ruled that a proposed solar project in Morgan met that “public good” test. The residents of Morgan were almost to a person opposed to the project. That didn’t matter. Perhaps it shouldn’t. The PSB’s decision may have been the right one. But it’s easy to see why many rank-and-file folks don’t like it.

They dislike it even more because, as in the case of the gas line, utilities whose projects get PSB approval often resort to eminent domain, seizing (and paying for) property — or the limited use of property, through easements — whose owners do not want to sell it.

The board itself has no power of eminent domain. The utilities do. The law gives it to them. But it’s all part of the same process, and not everyone makes the distinction. Eminent domain is often necessary. The constitutions of both the United States (Fifth Amendment) and Vermont (Chapter 1, Article 2) specifically authorize it. But it is a sweeping exercise of government power, often maddening to the affected property owners and their friends and neighbors.

To some extent, then, the board and its staff are not responsible for their bad rep. But some of their actions exacerbate it. Just consider its original order to close that hearing:

“Access to the hearing site will be controlled by law enforcement officials, who will only permit the entry of the parties, their counsel, their witnesses, the board members, board staff, and the court reporter. All persons who attend … will be required to present a form of valid photo identification (e.g., a driver’s license, a passport, a government employee badge) in order to enter the hearing site.”

And no one on the PSB staff thought to say something like, “Uh, boss, won’t somebody point out that this sounds like the directive of an agency of a police state?”

Not if an agency doesn’t care what anybody thinks.

Furthermore, as Judge Reiss’ decision points out, the PSB did not bother to take other steps to deal with its (legitimate) concern about protesters disrupting the hearing. It didn’t even bother to ask the disrupters to stop disrupting, or, failing that, to leave the hearing room. It could have arranged with law enforcement to have the disrupters ejected.

It did not. Instead, it just ordered the meeting closed. Two of the three board members, including Chairman James Volz, are lawyers. So are at least six members of its staff. It boggles the mind to suppose that not one of them knew their order could not stand.


Asked whether that had been discussed, PSB chief counsel June Tierney, generally cooperative and accommodating in an interview, declined to answer.

Perhaps the Public Service Board and Rising Tide Vermont deserve each other.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)


Quote

Barbara Alsop

As you point out, Mr. Margolis, utilities get what they want before the PSB, even when they don’t do due diligence. This has been true from the time of rural electrification, when the naysayers were the current ratepayers who didn’t want to subsidize extension of electricity to rural towns. Then the “public good” was not in much doubt since electricity was obviously the path to the future.

The issue of utilities is not so clear any more. The regulators and the companies have reached an agreement that more is generally better, and they get along just fine without public input. But times are changing, as is the climate, and when the state won’t work to stop the changes, someone else has to assert the true public good. In 1992, the world first tried to slow the leviathan of climate change in Kyoto, and the US said no dice. In the years since, science has become a dirty word in this country, and the people have to protect themselves when their government doesn’t do it any more.

24  |  -12   

http://vtdigger.org/2016/09/04/margolis-drowning-in-a-tide-of-arrogance/ (http://vtdigger.org/2016/09/04/margolis-drowning-in-a-tide-of-arrogance/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 18, 2016, 01:50:38 pm
(https://prod01-cdn06.cdn.firstlook.org/wp-uploads/sites/1/2016/09/prison-strike-ft-article-header.jpg)

The Largest Prison Strike in U.S. History Enters Its Second Week

The largest prison strike in U.S. history has been going on for nearly a week, but there’s a good chance you haven’t heard about it. For months, inmates at dozens of prisons across the country have been organizing through a network of smuggled cellphones, social media pages, and the support of allies on the outside. The effort culminated in a mass refusal to report to prison jobs on September 9, the anniversary of the 1971 Attica prison uprising.

“This is a call to action against slavery in America,” organizers wrote in an announcement that for weeks circulated inside and outside prisons nationwide, and that sums up the strikers’ primary demand: an end to free prison labor. “Forty-five years after Attica, the waves of change are returning to America’s prisons. This September we hope to coordinate and generalize these protests, to build them into a single tidal shift that the American prison system cannot ignore or withstand.”

Since Friday, details on the strike’s success have trickled out of prisons with some difficulty, but organizers and supporters have no doubt the scale of the action is unprecedented, though their assessment is difficult to verify and some corrections departments denied reports of strike-related activities in their states.

Prisoners in 24 states and 40 to 50 prisons pledged to join the strike, and as of Tuesday, prisoners in at least 11 states and 20 prisons continued the protest, according to outside supporters in Alabama. Tactics and specific demands varied locally, with some prisoners reportedly staging hunger strikes, and detainees in Florida protesting and destroying prison property ahead of the planned strike date.

“There are probably 20,000 prisoners on strike right now, at least, which is the biggest prison strike in history, but the information is really sketchy and spotty,” said Ben Turk, who works on “in-reach” to prisons for the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, a chapter of the Industrial Workers of the World union helping to coordinate the inmate-led initiative from the outside.

Small rallies and demonstrations in support of the strikers were staged in dozens of U.S. cities and a couple of foreign countries, but so far the coordinated strike remains largely ignored on the outside.

“The strike has been pulled off, but we’re not quite breaking through to getting mainstream media,” Turk told The Intercept, noting that the strike was widely covered by independent media. “I talk to people who aren’t in that milieu and aren’t seeing it on their social media, and they’ll be like, ‘We didn’t hear about it, there’s nothing about it anywhere.’”

That’s bad news for the strikers, who rely on the support of outsiders to push for more radical reform but also depend on their outside visibility to mitigate retaliation by prison officials.

A week into the strike, a couple of groups were providing updates on the action, which organizers say will carry on indefinitely, as well as outside demonstrations of solidarity.

The information blackout is largely due to prison officials’ ample discretion in the details they choose to disclose. As the strikes began, reports emerged of several facilities being put on lockdown, some preemptively, but the only way for outsiders to get updates would be to call each facility and ask, usually getting no explanation about the reasons for a lockdown. Reports also emerged claiming that prison leaders in Virginia, Ohio, California, and South Carolina were put in solitary confinement as a result of the strike, according to the Alabama supporters.

The Alabama Department of Corrections did not respond to a request for comment, while corrections departments in Virginia, Ohio, and California — three of the states where strike-related disturbances were tracked by outsiders — denied that inmates in those states participated in the strike.

A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Corrections said that prisons there had resumed normal operations after several hundred inmates staged protests and work stoppages at four facilities. The spokesperson added that several inmates identified in the disturbances were transferred to other regional institutions and will be disciplined “in accordance with procedure.” At the Kinross Correctional Facility in Michigan, some 150 prisoners identified as “ringleaders” of the protests were also removed to other facilities after prisoners assigned to kitchen work declined to report to their jobs on September 9 and some 400 prisoners staged a peaceful protest. The situation there grew more tense a day later when prison guards went through the facility to remove suspected leaders, the Wall Street Journal reported, and the prison remains on lockdown.

Retaliation against strikers is also hard to track, but outside advocates said that several leaders were put in isolation and denied communication privileges, making it even harder for information to come out.

In one instance, at the Ohio State Penitentiary, Siddique Hasan, a well-known prison activist sentenced to death for his role in a 1993 prison uprising, was accused of plotting to “blow up buildings” on September 9. Hasan, an organizer with the Free Ohio Movement, was confined to isolation and denied access to the phone for nearly a month before the strike — a deliberate effort to prevent him from communicating with the outside about it, supporters said.

“What people have to realize is that these men and women inside prison — they expected to be retaliated against, but they sacrificed,” said Pastor Kenneth Glasgow, a former prisoner and a supporter of the Free Alabama Movement, the prisoner-led group that first called for the nationwide strike.

“People on the outside are not understanding they are being bamboozled,” he added, expressing disappointment that the strike hadn’t garnered more attention. “A lot of people are not realizing the value in what’s going on, they don’t realize that it’s slavery, that slavery still exists.”

While the most ambitious to date, the September 9 strike was hardly the first such effort by prisoners. Prison protests have been on the rise in recent years, following a 2010 strike during which thousands of prisoners in Georgia refused to work, an action that was followed by others in Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington. In 2013, California prisoners coordinated a hunger strike against the use of solitary confinement that at its peak involved 30,000 prisoners. And this year, prisoners rioted at Holman prison in Alabama — one of the facilities most actively involved in the current strike — and went on strike in Texas.

(https://prod01-cdn07.cdn.firstlook.org/wp-uploads/sites/1/2016/09/pelican-bay-state-prison-1024x819.jpg)
Pelican Bay State Prison, where inmates in long-term solitary confinement organized a hunger strike in 2013 that grew to include 30,000 prisoners at its peak.

Across the country, inmates are protesting a wide range of issues: from harsh parole systems and three-strike laws to the lack of educational services, medical neglect, and overcrowding. But the issue that has unified protesters is that of prison labor — a $2 billion a year industry that employs nearly 900,000 prisoners while paying them a few cents an hour in some states, and nothing at all in others. In addition to work for private companies, prisoners also cook, clean, and work on maintenance and construction in the prisons themselves — forcing officials to pay staff to carry out those tasks in response to work stoppages. “They cannot run these facilities without us,” organizers wrote ahead of the strike. “We will not only demand the end to prison slavery, we will end it ourselves by ceasing to be slaves.”

Prisoners on strike are calling for the repeal of an exception listed in the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which bans “involuntary servitude” in addition to slavery, “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.”

That forced labor remains legal in prison is unknown to many Americans, and that’s something strikers hope to change with this action. But it’s also a sign of how little the general public knows about the country’s massive prison system. “A nation that imprisons 1 percent of its population has an obligation to know what’s happening to those 2.4 million people,” Ethan Zuckerman, director of the Center for Civic Media at MIT, wrote in a blog post about the tepid response to the strike. “And right now, we don’t know.”

But while information on prisons is notoriously hard to obtain, a potentially larger problem for the striking prisoners is the seemingly limited interest in their plight, which remains confined to a few activists, family members, and formerly incarcerated people, even at a time when criminal justice issues and prison reform are high on the agenda of social justice advocates and politicians alike.

Prisoners themselves have been largely excluded from the last few years’ debate on mass incarceration, but the very fact that they were able to coordinate a collective protest of this scale, with all its limitations, is testimony to their determination that the prison system needs radical change, strike organizers say.

“When you have people who are inside, locked up, who have overcome all these obstacles and barriers and have organized in 24 states, 40 to 50 prisons,” said Glasgow, “that means all of us out here need to start stepping up.”

https://theintercept.com/2016/09/16/the-largest-prison-strike-in-u-s-history-enters-its-second-week/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 26, 2016, 06:19:35 pm
Police Killings Won’t Stop   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

Posted on Sep 25, 2016

By Chris Hedges

PAGE 1 of 2

 
The corporate state, no matter how many protests take place in American cities over the murder of unarmed citizens, will put no restraints on the police or the organs of security and surveillance. It will not protect the victims of state violence. It will continue to grant broader powers and greater resources to militarized police departments and internal security forces such as Homeland Security. Force, along with the systems of indoctrination and propaganda, is the last prop that keeps the corporate elites in power. These elites will do nothing to diminish the mechanisms necessary for their control. 

The corporate state, by pillaging the nation, has destroyed capitalism’s traditional forms of social control. The population is integrated into a capitalist democracy by decent wages and employment opportunities, labor unions, mass-produced consumer products, a modest say in governance, mechanisms for marginal reform, pensions, affordable health care, a judiciary that is not utterly subservient to the elites and corporate power, the possibility for social, political and economic advancement, good public education, arts funding and a public broadcasting system that gives a platform to those who are not in service to the elites. These elements make possible the common good, or at least the perception of the common good.

Global capitalism, however, is not concerned with the cohesion of the nation-state. The relentless quest for profit trumps internal stability. Everything and everyone is pillaged and harvested for profit. Democracy is a mirage, a useful fiction to keep the population passive and compliant. Propaganda, including entertainment and spectacle, and coercion through state-administered surveillance and violence are the primary tools of governance. This is why, despite years of egregious police violence, there is no effective reform.
 
Propaganda is not solely about instilling an opinion. It is also about appropriating the aspirations of the citizenry into the vocabulary of the power elite. The Clintons and Barack Obama built their careers mastering this duplicity. They speak in words that reflect the concerns of the citizenry, while pushing through programs and legislation that mock those concerns. This has been especially true in the long campaign to curb excessive police force. The liberal elites preach “tolerance” and “professionalism” and promote “diversity.” But they do not challenge the structural racism and economic exploitation that are the causes of our crisis. They treat the abuses of corporate oppression as if they were minor administrative defects rather than essential components of corporate power.

Naomi Murakawa in her book “The First Civil Right: How Liberals Built Prison America” documents how the series of “reforms” enacted to professionalize police departments resulted in placing more money and resources into the hands of the police, giving them greater power to act with impunity and expanding legally sanctioned violence. All penal reform, from President Harry Truman’s 1947 Committee on Civil Rights report to the Safe Streets Act of 1968 to the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 to contemporary calls for more professionalization, have, she notes, only made things worse.

The fiction used to justify expanded police powers, a fiction perpetrated by Democratic politicians such as Bill Clinton and Obama, is that a modernized police will make possible a just and post-racial America. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2932.gif&hash=0eaec4791a5825821998245e7fcd7744b56557fe) White supremacy, racism and corporate exploitation, however, are built into the economic model of neoliberalism and our system of “inverted totalitarianism.” A discussion about police violence has to include a discussion of corporate power. Police violence is one of the primary pillars that allow the corporate elites to retain power. That violence will end only when the rule of these elites ends. 

Quote
The calls for more training and professionalization, the hiring of minority police officers, the use of body and dash cameras, improving procedures for due process, creating citizen review boards, even the reading of Miranda rights, have done nothing to halt the indiscriminate use of lethal violence and abuse of constitutional rights by the police and courts. Reforms have served only to bureaucratize, professionalize and legalize state abuse and murder. Innocent men and women may no longer be lynched on a tree, but they are lynched on death row and in the streets of New York, Baltimore, Ferguson, Charlotte and dozens of other cities. They are lynched for the reasons poor black people have always been lynched—to create a reign of terror that serves as an effective form of social control.


The wreckage left behind by deindustrialization created a dilemma for the corporate state. The vast pools of “surplus” or “redundant” labor in our former manufacturing centers meant the old forms of social control had disappeared. The corporate state needed harsher mechanisms to subjugate a population it condemned as human refuse. Those on probation and parole or in jails or prisons grew from 780,000 in 1965 to 7 million in 2010. The kinds of federal crimes punishable by death leaped from one in 1974 to 66 in 1994, thanks to the Clinton administration. The lengths of prison sentences tripled and quadrupled. Laws were passed to turn inner-city communities into miniature police states. This had nothing to do with crime.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/police_killings_wont_stop_20160925
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 25, 2016, 09:16:49 pm
List of good and bad politicians (Grades A to F  ;D) in the fight for Drug Laws sanity.

http://www.drugpolicyaction.org/voter-guide/list.php
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 04, 2016, 09:29:13 pm
https://youtu.be/_C-dECZqIxE

Has the Party of Lincoln Turned Into the Party of Sedition?


http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/has-party-lincoln-turned-party-sedition
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 06, 2016, 07:23:52 pm
Voter ID Laws are the New Jim Crow  >:(
https://youtu.be/_dRNTPJCYHg
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 09, 2016, 08:48:57 pm
November 9, 2016
The Urgency of Now - A Message from Paul Jay

Paul Jay concludes our election night coverage with a promise to our viewers to be a platform for movements trying to organize.

https://youtu.be/JAilK8WV-lY

TRANSCRIPT of above Video: PAUL JAY, TRNN: As I said earlier, I don't think there's a party more responsible, assuming you're not happy about Trump's victory, if you are then I'm surprised you're watching us. But for other people who are not so happy and we've talked about the policies of the Clinton administration, of course Bush and the continuation of the economic policies of the Obama administration.

I think it’'s primarily the economic policies that are responsible for this. She asked Trump's language of noninterventionism in foreign affairs certainly appealed to people. But it was fundamentally the shifting of even more vast amounts of wealth into fewer and fewer hands that created this condition and the promises of Donald Trump I think by any objective measure will not alleviate those problems for people but as one of our guests said earlier, this is like, giving the finger, excuse me. This is just 'we don't believe any of you and we kind of don't believe Trump either but we're going to just give you the finger up because we don't know what else to do here'.

The xenophobia, the racism, all of this we've seen before in history. There's nothing new about blaming the other, blaming minorities. There's certainly nothing new in American history about this. We're going to be opening up a restaurant in the Real News building called Ida B.’s table and it's named after Ida B. Wells who was a very courageous journalist, investigative journalist, African American woman who exposed systemic lynching. One of the things in her investigation she exposed was that when unemployment went up amongst white workers, lynchings went up. And that it wasn’t just anger from white workers, that it was being deliberately organized by employers to let white workers vent by going out and lynching black workers. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)


So there's nothing new in what we're seeing here. But as dismal as this all might look for progressive people and I personally do think this is not the best of scenarios that could have happened tonight. There is also something here which is that the economic situation is smoke and mirrors. The economic recovery is false as far as any serious economist I've talked to. The federal bank threw tons of money at banks to make them look solvent. But the real bottom line of the economy is that demand low wages have hardly moved at all. Real demand is extremely low and it's going to get lower. Trump's policies are far from what he promised, are not going to increase jobs.

Certainly, not going to increase worker’s' wages which means the recession is likely to deepen here. The geopolitical threat in spite of Trump's talk, I don't personally believe it. I said personally in the broadcast I think it's going to be more of a Cheney situation with very aggressive foreign policy by Pence. Pence's critique of Clinton is she was weak on Russia. Pence and Trump have talked about we're going to put an end to ISIS. They've talked about bombings at a great scale. But Pence is as provocative with Russia as Clinton is. We'll see.

The number one problem we're all facing here, the really deep crisis and perhaps the most dangerous thing about what happened tonight is that we are now going to have a congress and a president that don't believe human caused climate change is real. If there was ever a time for all of these movements, whether it's black lives matter, whether it's climate change and whether it's workers fighting for rights. If it was ever a time for all of these movements to converge, merge, and not just take to the streets but work on various kind of electoral strategies and mass organizing, clearly it's now.

At the Real News we hope to be a platform for discussing and debating what comes next and we've done some of that tonight. We're going to continue. And let me once again stress the importance of the climate change issue which got almost no discussion whatsoever in this presidential election. We have a new film out called the Koch Brothers war on climate science. Well, Koch Brothers are going to get their way for the next two years until 2018 and maybe beyond.

It’s a very dangerous time. Very dangerous moment. But we humans have seen very dangerous times before. Whether it'’s before leading into the first world war before leading into the second world war. I say that with some meaning because we discussed a little bit earlier that there's going to be an I think disillusionment here of Trump supporters where their lives just don't get better. It doesn't matter that we know what is really coming down the pike here. Given this Trump-Pence alliance and Pence's connection with Karl Rove and the global agenda of these people, and it's not just these people because certainly democrats do the same thing. But the answer they have in these situations is war. And we need to be very aware of this and on guard for this.

So, we hope on the Real News that we will obviously be following all of this and we hope you will join us. So, thanks for sticking with us tonight and we'’ll be back tomorrow to talk about the post-election fall out and as I said we will be a platform in terms of everyone discussing what needs to be done and what needs to be done next. Thanks for joining us on the Real News Network.

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=17636
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 10, 2016, 10:42:09 pm
Donald Trump Ran on Protecting Social Security But Transition Team Includes Privatizers     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400)

Zaid Jilani

November 10 2016, 6:17 p.m.


Donald Trump campaigned on protecting Social Security. At the Miami GOP presidential debate in March, he said he would “do everything within my power not to touch Social Security, to leave it the way it is; to make this country rich again.”
Quote
In August, his campaign told CNNMoney that “We will not cut Medicare or Social Security benefits, but protect them both.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)

But two of the people said to be helming the president-elect’s Social Security Administration (SSA) transition team have a record of hostility to the program.

In an email obtained by The Intercept, unions representing Social Security employees reported that they had been notified of the names of four SSA veterans who were picked to run the transition team.

They are Mike Korbey, former senior advisor to the principal deputy commissioner in George W. Bush’s SSA; former Reagan SSA commissioner Dorcas Hardy; former SSA Inspector General Patrick O’Carroll; and former SSA General Counsel David Black.

Korbey is a long-time right-wing activist who has argued incorrectly that Social Security is “broken and bankrupt.” He worked for an organization called United Seniors Association, a sort of conservative counterpart to the AARP, that pushed for George W. Bush’s Social Security privatization scheme — and was hired by Bush to help tout his failed push for changes.

Dorcas Hardy, a Reagan administration SSA veteran, has also called for privatizing the program — in 1995, she took part in a press conference at the libertarian Cato Institute to advocate for that idea.

The SSA cannot unilaterally privatize the program. That takes legislation that Congress has to pass and the president has to sign. But if these are indeed the people the Trump administration(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f) is picking to helm the SSA, it’s a signal that he may be far more open to cutting benefits or privatizing the program than he let on.
https://theintercept.com/2016/11/10/donald-trump-ran-on-protecting-social-security-but-transition-team-includes-privatizers/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 10, 2016, 10:46:22 pm
Taken from a list of what are considered the worst 13 Supreme Court decisions in history, I don't think it's a coincidence that five  of them have occurred since 1992, and four of them since 2000.

Kelo v. City of New London (2005): Taking land from one private party to give it to another is a valid public use under the Takings Clause, the Supreme Court ruled in Kelo. The decision allowed New London to condemn Susette Kelo's land and transfer it to a private developer as part of a "comprehensive redevelopment plan."

 Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Commission (1992): A developer purchased vacant lots on South Carolina beaches. The state, seeking to prevent beach erosion, passed a management act which prevented Lucas from building homes on the land. That, according to the Supreme Court, was a total destruction of all "economically viable use" and a per se taking. Not only are the case's factual conclusions implausible, but as UCLA Law professor Jonathan Zasloff notes, the opinion is full of "expressly and needlessly anti-environmental" views.

 Bush v. Gore (2000): You don't have to be a Democrat to question the wisdom of this Supreme Court case. In a partisan split, the Supreme Court's five Republican appointees halted the recount of contested ballots in Florida, handing the election to George W. Bush. Even Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has come to regret the ruling.

 Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker (2008): Want to send a message to corporate wrongdoers? Don't expect the Roberts Court to make it easy. Following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, one of the greatest environmental disasters of the time, and after years and years of litigation, Exxon was finally held responsible for its negligent captain and hit with $5 billion in damages. Then the Supreme Court ruled that Exxon couldn't be subject to punitive damages in excess of compensatory ones, dropping total damages down to $500 million. Not only did Exxon evade billions in damages, the Supreme Court's ruling increased the value of its stock by $23 billion in two days. That was particularly a boon to Justice Alito, who chose to recuse himself from the case because he owned Exxon stock.

 Citizens United v. FEC (2010): Perhaps the most hated decision from the Roberts Court, Citizens United held that political donations are speech protected by the First Amendment, opening the floodgates to unlimited personal and corporate donations to "super PACs." Though widely unpopular, the ruling isn't going away anytime soon. It would take a constitutional amendment or a new Supreme Court makeup to reverse the decision.

- See more at: http://blogs.findlaw.com/supreme_court/2015/10/13-worst-supreme-court-decisions-of-all-time.html#sthash.hcE74pmY.dpuf (http://blogs.findlaw.com/supreme_court/2015/10/13-worst-supreme-court-decisions-of-all-time.html#sthash.hcE74pmY.dpuf)


Then there is:

Diamond v. Chakrabarty (1980)

Made it legal to obtain a patent for GMO's, which led to the GMO seed monopoly and the glyophospate that poisons our food and is building up in our soil. Also legal to patent GMO animals, btw.

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/447/303.html (http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/447/303.html)


 Kaley v. United States (2014)

The Supreme Court upheld the right for someone accused of a crime  to have all their assets seized, even money clearly not connected to criminal activity....even the money you need to pay for your attorney.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/02/kaley_v_united_states_terrible_supreme_court_decision_lets_the_government.html (http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/02/kaley_v_united_states_terrible_supreme_court_decision_lets_the_government.html)

The Supreme Court has failed to protect us in recent years from the slow erosion of our liberties as guaranteed in the Constitution....by upholding most of the Patriot Act, which is probably the worst law ever passed by Congress.

I could go on. Anyone who thinks we need more Scalias, Burgers, Thomases, and Alitos should really try to understand how they've caved to law enforcement interests, corporate interests, and the Deep State, and screwed the American citizens.

Three or four more of them, and the US Constitutions will be completely gutted in a few years. That's really what you want?



Excellent post, Eddie.      (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 10, 2016, 10:54:36 pm
Palloy said,

Quote
Despite everything that Trump has said about the corrupt establishment, we are going to see Trump working with the establishment, BEING the establishment, and failing in everything except tax cuts for the rich.

BINGO!      (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 11, 2016, 02:39:35 pm
'I wonder who owns that beautiful Trump hotel?' (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6656.gif&hash=2038f9b45636a93e5c0f4ee508ce29778fe9e9b4) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_1730.gif&hash=cdaf50326d98ff7b051a9c49e83d51c7bb687407)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)

His lawyer says 'everything will be done legally' to create a 'blind trust' for President Trump but ethics experts says having your kids manage your billions isn't 'blind'

President-elect Donald Trump has said his company is worth $10 billion and that he will put three of his children in charge while he is president

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-010215144153.png&hash=cb7da018cde919e11130c32b40331f5d9405e537)

The Trump organization includes hotel properties, golf courses, naming rights, a winery, modeling, and other business ventures

Trump counselor Michael Cohen says the company will go into a 'blind trust' During Trump's presidency

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-090315203150.png&hash=c52cac3e4572a3609fd1a46ef50b96a57ce04554)

Three of Trump's children will run the business along with a 'large executive team' that has been with Trump for decades

Watchdog group says it's 'ridiculous' to call it a blind trust

Could foreign governments book Trump hotel rooms to woo the new administration?   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F128fs318181.gif&hash=eff6d5f3831782966c2ff2081f07bf7fc5b22a6b)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3924574/I-wonder-owns-beautiful-Trump-hotel-lawyer-says-legally-create-blind-trust-President-Trump-ethics-experts-says-having-kids-manage-billions-isn-t-blind.html#ixzz4PjHEbaFf
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 11, 2016, 06:33:24 pm
https://youtu.be/B1HPZv3-Gts

Ralph Nader, "Democrats Have Lost Their Identity"
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 12, 2016, 02:23:16 pm
GO,
As you know, I was never a Hitlery supporter. Consequently, I am puzzled by your reference to Hitlery as if I preferred either of the  two corrupt candidates.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6656.gif&hash=2038f9b45636a93e5c0f4ee508ce29778fe9e9b4) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_1730.gif&hash=cdaf50326d98ff7b051a9c49e83d51c7bb687407)

Also, my post mocking the racists with a hamster eating a burrito was something I thought you would agree with and even get some good laughs out of, since you told me you were NOT glad that Trump had won.  :coffee:

However, your recent post with a picture of Trump and the words, "Mr. President", along with your seeming association with racists by sarcastically saying you were a member in good sanding of the "deplorables", implies that you are a Trump supporter. I apologize for believing you were not a Trump supporter. I am saddened that you see no fascist threat from him and his deplorable, empathy deficit disordered, racist, xenophobic world view.   

I wrote a post recently that you never replied to. Feel free to do so at your leisure. I am not your enemy, GO. I am a loyal servant of Jesus Christ. As you know, Trump and all the pseudo-Christian deplorables in his administration are not. I am reposting my recent post so that you can review it and respond. Thank you.


Quote
Quote
If GO is happy about this (S)election, he will soon be very disappointed. 

Your analysis of my feelings and future outlook of our situation are as accurate as your totally wrong analysis of the election Agelbert, which was presented with your usual manner of factual pseudo scientific BS material.

One with half a brain would realize that a religious Gold Bug zealot and Lite Doomer are not the makeup of a happy camper.

My only satisfaction comes from the end of the **** Clintons.

Don't come **** on me again AG, my future responses will not be so kind nor generous in my understanding of your anger at being conned by the Leftist MSM and their total Bull **** Propaganda that you swallowed hook line and sinker.

Kindly vent your anger at them in the future, not me.
       

 
                                                      (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.againstcronycapitalism.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fliberty-freedom-cc.jpeg&hash=4f3d4c2b73776cae5f3b134409cf1eb69b5880b1) 
                                                   

My, my, what vitriol. All I said as that I believe you will sorely be disappointed. Please feel free to describe exactly what part of what I posted was "BS". I was disagreeing with you, not attacking you. I am not angry at you.  If you are not happy about a Trump win, all you need to do is say so. There is no need for such overt hostility.

I urge you to calm down. You are a good man that wants the best for the USA. So do I. Peace, brother
.

Sorry Agelbert. This election has angered the geezer and made him very testy.

Never have I witnessed so many mediocre evil people in a horrible never ending cacophony of lies and skullduggery. Realizing they are actually the countries leaders has made it all the worse for me.  I feel as if I expired and am in Hell of late.

A thousand apologies for misreading your posting.

Will take your splendid advice and stop posting for a while until I recover my cool.                                     Regards, GO



Thank you, sir. Times are hard and we are all distressed by the increasing number of cracks in the road of our lives when we are increasingly in need of less misfortunes.  The picture below is a metaphor of this (S)election.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-071116130640.png&hash=95c28d2c79428550a9291bd7ea1d838e1bd80d9f)

Personally, I am not so much angered by the (s)election results, as saddened by them. Besides the Trailer Trash Trump thing, we've got a Governor in Vermont now that is going to make life very difficult for wind and solar Renewable energy growth by vowing to VETO ANY RE subsidies while ADDING lots of Republican red tape baloney for RE project site approval and Organic agriculture while simultaneously working diligently to protect fossil fuel subsidies and other pollution product vested interests along with GMO crops and commercial pesticide use on Vermont farms. As if that wasn't enough grief, the white supremacists here are VERY happy with the new governor.

Here's a map from 2015 showing the racist demographic in the USA. Compare it with the map of Trailer Trash Trump's wins. I may be wrong, but I thing that corroboration and causation are linked.


The most racist areas in the United States (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/5/3/1381214/-The-most-racist-areas-in-the-United-States)
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This lady, although she does not reference any map, sees the link too:
White Supremacy wins—for now.  

By Denise Oliver Velez   

Wednesday Nov 09, 2016 ·  3:40 AM EST

 732   Comments


KKK cross burning (graphic at article link)
attribution: Confederate till Death - English Wikipedia 

Time to wake up, you white people of good faith.

Look in the mirror.

See Amerikkka for what it is without the gloss.

See something black folks have been trying to tell you.

It’s not “populism” or “economic anxiety.”

Call it by name — White Supremacy.

I thought the black and brown firewall, with a little help from our white friends would hold back the tide.

I was wrong. My bad.

Thanksgiving is coming.  A time many of you gather with friends and family.

Killing racism starts at home.

Maybe it’s time for you to start speaking up and fighting back.

Lord knows we black folks have been doin’ it for centuries.

My people survived slavery and Jim Crow.

We’ll survive Donald Trump too — though I’m sure there will be deaths — there always are.

America has a white supremacy problem.

You are either part of the problem, or part of the solution.

Choose.

P.S. I ain’t leaving. The bones of my enslaved ancestors are buried here. They helped build this place with blood, sweat, tears, and laughter.  I’ll fight on.  In their name.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/11/09/1594035/-White-Supremacy-wins-for-now (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/11/09/1594035/-White-Supremacy-wins-for-now)
 


I'm not leaving either. The only way I leave Vermont and my keyboard is feet first. Thanks again for your cordial apology and reply.
 
God Bless you and yours. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdl7.glitter-graphics.net%2Fpub%2F2046%2F2046807qoer9uc27q.gif&hash=b4545bdf1fbc3161b81887e3f6eef473e6b4d549)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdl6.glitter-graphics.net%2Fpub%2F2752%2F2752256x4e962185l.gif&hash=b172b54c5cf7f75b0c1e937dee34cbf4c99097bc)

November 12, 2016 Agelbert NOTE: I too am glad that Hitlery is not President.

I wrote this in A Disqus comment before the election:
Quote
agelbert > Sekhmetnakt • 14 days ago

It's 6 evil stuff of one and half a dirty dozen for the other. The only sane choice is Jill Stein.
     

I also wrote, on more than one occasion, that Hitlery was just Trump in Drag.

All that said, there is an upside to this sorry situation. The upside I see to Trailer Trash Trump's Administration with a Republican House, Senate and Supine Corporate friendly Supreme Court is that now the Right Wing Fascists will have no cover for their skullduggery.

They, as is their rapacious and boundless greed based wont, will overreach and "deliver" a destroyed Medicare, Social Security, degraded environment, less environmental protection, more sickness, more war and more social decay. Scapegoating minorities will be, of course, tried. But I am pretty certain it ain't gonna work this time.

I will be personally negatively affected directly because with the voucher system on Medicare, I will probably NOT be able to afford a new pacemaker replacement operation when the one I have had since 2007 gives out in about two years (according to the last battery check). I'm sure you don't consider my misfortunate a good thing.

Trump is very, very bad for you, GO, not just me and many minorities. You will be sorely disappointed if you don't think so now. Watch and observe diligently and objectively. The Truth will be revealed.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.firstcovers.com%2Fcovers%2Fuserquotes%2Fy%2Fyou_will_know_them-84638.jpg&hash=5ffebdf48f5196fbef63b18c1bd9c15f7da24f0f)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 14, 2016, 08:19:28 pm
https://youtu.be/VY4Y1rlA0Vg
Sanders worries about Trump denying climate change

 By Jessie Hellmann - 11/13/16 11:16 AM EST

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/305778-sanders-worries-about-trump-denying-climate-change
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 17, 2016, 02:37:46 pm
11/16/2016 12:00 PM   

What Obama Did, What Trump Will Do (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070814193155.png&hash=144ce9330e49ee84060db8753a8db69c39a14913)

SustainableBusiness.com News

For people like me who deeply care about wildlife, our environment and the specter of uncontrollable climate change, there's nothing but fear in the face of a Republican majority in the House, Senate and Presidency ... and soon, the Supreme Court.

 The US elected GW Bush on steroids. During those painful 8 years, all I remember is fight after fight after fight to get some crumbs that helped the environment. He even repealed a 1983 rule that required a measly 100-foot buffer between coal operators and rivers, allowing them to dump mountaintop mining debris right into Appalachia waterways.

 I shake my head in horror every time I realize this is not a nightmare I can wake up from. 

I didn't agree with all of President Obama's policies, such as the great expansion of fracking or signing the fake GMO labeling bill, but overall, I felt buoyed by his presidency.

Obama made the US a climate leader, bringing China and India into the fold, and was instrumental in obtaining an international climate agreement that had been elusive for decades. In October, thanks to his leadership, the world signed a binding agreement to phase out climate forcing HFCs.  He made the US a renewable energy leader, starting with breathtaking funding in the Recovery Act.

Over the years, he issued a raft of thoughtful executive orders. Right before the election, The Transportation Department announced it would create 48 electric vehicle charging corridors in 35 states to lift sales of electric cars. Drivers will be able to find charging stations along interstate highways every 50 miles!

Examples of his wide ranging executive orders:

•all national security policies must fully incorporate climate change considerations.

•solar is more accessible to low- and middle-income households and veterans through the Clean Energy Savings For All Initiative, with a goal of 1 gigawatt of solar by 2020.

•launched the National Community Solar Partnership

•training 75,000 low-income people and vets for solar careers

•mobilized $4 billion from investors to back breakthrough renewable energy technologies

•federal government required to cut emissions 41.8% by 2025 (from 2008 levels) and use 30% renewable energy by then for ALL energy, not just electricity.

•federal agencies must incorporate sea level rise projections into planning and construction along US coasts

•protected more land and water than any US president - about 2 million acres - while redefining ocean policy, addressing illegal fishing and seafood fraud, and developing a strategy to address pollinator collapse.


Now we face the most right-wing, extreme appointments to every federal government agency we have ever seen - people who are salivating to drill everywhere (and get new tax breaks for it), get rid of renewable energy, turn our public lands over to private interests, and who couldn't care less about ecosystems or wildlife.

Trump    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

"We're only thinking about one thing right now: stopping Donald Trump from destroying the planet ... the Environmental Protection Agency will be gutted, the Endangered Species Act will be repealed, old-growth forests will be clearcut, hard-fought global climate change agreements will be undermined, and polluters will be given free rein over our water and air," moans Kierán Suckling, Executive Director of the Center for Biological Diversity. "We've been here before. During the Bush administration we went to court time after time, forcing it to uphold our strongest environmental laws."

 But what happens when Trump and Congress stacks the courts and repeals the laws? Not only has the Republican Senate refused to allow Obama to choose a Supreme Court judge, dozens of federal judgeship appointments are still waiting after 8 years. Bills have been introduced during Obama's term that would repeal the Endangered Species Act, for example, blocked only by Obama's veto.

Other things on Trump's "To Do" List are equally frightening:  

•pass libel laws targeting journalists who dare to be critical of him and his policies

•nationwide "stop-and-frisk" laws

•mass deportation and profiling of certain ethnic groups

•get rid of unions

•nominate the most conservative Supreme Court justice(s)

•national right-to-carry gun laws

•privatizing Social Security and Medicare, long on Mike Pence and Paul Ryan's list.


By now, you have heard of people on Trump's short list for cabinet.

He's already picked a white nationalist as Chief Strategist - a man who wants to work with right-wing groups around the world. "There is talk of Breitbart "news" bureaus opening in Paris, Berlin, and Cairo, spots where the populist right is on the rise, and a bigger newsroom is coming in Washington," says the NY Times.  Oh, and climate change is a hoax and renewable energy is a scam.

The Koch Brothers love Mike Pence and Reince Priebus, Trump's Chief of Staff. Marc Short, a top Koch advisor, is also helping the transition team, reports Politico.

Then there are war hawks John Bolton or Rudy Giuliani as the two choices for Secretary of State.

How about the National Labor Board, which just ruled against Trump's refusal to negotiate with unions? It's easy! Trump can simply appoint people who will "treat his company right." 

While the working class that elected Trump may not realize it, Obama has been using executive orders to help workers. such as: requiring sick days for government contractors. Starting December 1, anyone that earns $47,475 or less must be paid overtime, thanks to the Labor Department. The threshold used to be $23,660. These will likely be scrapped as low-wage workers can forget about a raise in the minimal wage. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)

For the EPA and Department of Energy, Trump is looking to fossil industry lobbyists that held high positions in the GW Bush administration (No lobbyists in my administration, says Trump!). Learn about Myron Ebel, who's leading the EPA transition. For Interior, it could be Lucas Oil founder, who has used his fortune to weaken environmental and wildlife protections. 

And the Agriculture Department? Trump promises to overturn gains there too and Monsanto is waiting.

For the Social Security Administration, antagonists from GW Bush and Reagan administrations are overseeing the transition. 

For Treasury, financial barons Trump railed against during the campaign are on the short list. "You would have to go back to the 1920s to see so much Wall Street influence coming to Washington," Charles Geisst, a Wall Street historian, told Politico. Look for Dodd-Frank to be repealed, coupled with massive tax cuts for the wealthy.

No need to wonder why bank, coal and oil stocks are soaring, while renewable energy stocks plunged  :( since Trump's election.


Read our article, Trump Isn't the Only Problem, It's His Choices for Cabinet, Supreme Court. (http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/26676)   

Meanwhile, donations and volunteers pour into groups like Planned Parenthood, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), CAIR (Muslim civil rights organization), women's rights, Sierra Club and many environmental groups.   

The Republican Party has become the most dangerous organization in world history, says Noam Chomsky.

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/26692
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 19, 2016, 02:00:42 pm
"The lights are blinking red."   

By Laurence Lewis   

Saturday Nov 19, 2016 ·  1:20 PM EST

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/11/19/1601845/--The-lights-are-blinking-red

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 22, 2016, 05:37:15 pm
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Trump's Trio of Deplorables

By Came In On Saturdays | November 20, 2016 at 03:02 PM EST | No Comments


Demagogue Donald’s Trio of “Deplorables”—Mike Flynn, Mike Pompeo, and Jeff Sessions   November 20, 2016

        Too often, the mainstream media (MSM) gets it very wrong. They wrongly went ballistic when Hillary properly called many of Demagogue Donald’s supporters a “basket of deplorables.” The MSM, instead, spent from 3/2015 to the end of Campaign 2016 screaming at high decibels about Hillary’s use of a private server while she was at the State Department. They ridiculously made this issue the equivalent of first degree murder. Never mind that W’s former Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condolezza Rice, both GOPers used private servers and Powell encouraged Hillary to do that. Of course, no FBI agents looked at them. IOKIYAR, “It’s OK if you’re a Republican.”  The MSM ignored the real issue, Donald’s association with true “deplorables,” major white supremacists and wacky super- hawkish foreign policy “experts.”

        We are now fully acquainted with one of Donald’s first appointments, “Deplorable-in-Chief” anti-Semitic, anti-Asian, anti-immigrant, and alt-right Breitbart champ Steve Bannon. He will, despite a huge public outcry, occupy the powerful Senior White House Counselor’s position.

       The Bannon “deplorable” appointment was no outlier.  On 11/18/2016, “The Donald” named three more “deplorables,” two to his national security team, and one to the Cabinet. They are retired Army Lt General Michael Flynn for national security adviser, GOP Congressman Mike Pompeo for CIA Director, and GOP Senator Jeff Sessions as Attorney General (CNN Kopan, 11/16/16).

          General Flynn (57), as Trump’s national security adviser, would be a critical gatekeeper for Donald. Flynn would oversee a staff of about 400. With Trump knowing little to nothing about national security, Flynn would have even more influence over Donald’s policy positions on China, N. Korea, Europe, and the Middle East. Flynn was not a GOP “establishment” candidate. He is a wild card. He was fired by President Obama in 2014 from his position as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He alienated many former colleagues.  Flynn believes that the problems that the U.S. faces in the Middle East stem from the Islamic faith itself. He criticized the Islamic religion as being nothing more than a “political ideology.” He makes a point of using the phrase “radical Islamic terrorism” as often as possible. He once posted a video on his Twitter account that included a phrase “Fear of Muslims is rational.” He sees Islam as a “metastasizing cancer.”  Flynn claimed that Shariah, or Islamic law, is spreading in the U.S., but gave no evidence as proof (NY Times, 11/17/16, Hirschfeld Davis & Haberman). He has a fiery temperament and often tweets conspiracy theories. Flynn advised Trump throughout the campaign. Flynn led chants of “lock her (Hillary) up” for her use of a private server during the GOP convention. No violations of Hilary passing classified information were found, although this issue probably cost Hillary the election. Flynn’s conspiracy and anti-Muslim views are a better match for Skid Row ranters, not a top White House adviser.

         While Flynn yelled about Hillary’s fake national security “problems,” his record is quite “interesting.” Flynn has, like Trump, been criticized for his closeness to Russia. Flynn appeared on a Russian TV network where he sat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a dinner celebrating the Russian RT network (CNN, Kopan, 11/18/16).  While Flynn was advising Trump on national security matters and receiving classified intelligence information during the campaign, he was also running a company, Flynn Intel Group. This group was lobbying on behalf of foreign clients, including a close ally of Turkey’s controversial president, Recep Erdogan.  On Election Day, Flynn himself penned an op-ed in “The Hill” newspaper which said the U.S. should extradite an exiled cleric Fetullah Gulen, allegedly involved in trying to overthrow Erdogan (CNN Browne, 11/18/16). Yes, Donald Trump, the “cleanser” of the D.C. lobbyist swamp.

       And which “deplorable” did Demagogue Donald pick to be his CIA Director? Why none other than 52 year- old Kansas GOP Congressman Mike Pompeo. Pompeo, who represents the Wichita area/ Kansas’ 4th Congressional District, is known as the Koch Brothers “bought and paid for” Congressman. Koch Industries is headquartered in Wichita. The right wing anti-regulatory brothers Charles and David Koch gave Pompeo $80,000 when he first ran in 2010, more than they gave any other congressman (NY Times, Mazetti & Hirschfeld Davis). Pompeo graduated first in his class from West Point, served in the military, and then obtained a degree from Harvard Law.  With three West Point friends, Pompeo founded Thayer Aerospace in Wichita and received help from Koch. In 2006, he sold his shares in Thayer and became president of a Wichita oil firm, Sentry International (Washington Post, Eggen, 3/20/11). Koch also had an interest in Sentry. Before running for Congress, Pompeo served as a trustee at Flint Hills Policy Institute, a conservative think tank.  Pompeo is a Tea Party favorite (Huffington Post, Wilkie, 11/18/16).

            Pompeo has no actual experience with intelligence issues. However, as far as Trump is concerned, Pompeo has the right ideology, enough to qualify for this sensitive post. Pompeo never had any problems with the sweeping domestic surveillance intelligence plans initially used by the NSA, National Security Agency. He felt them “lawful, constitutional, and consistent with defeating radical Islamic terrorism.” Like Flynn, he believes in using “enhanced interrogation techniques,” read torture, which the Obama administration ended.  He is strongly against, like Trump, the treaty we negotiated with Iran, to limit its nuclear programs. Pompeo shares Trump’s exaggerated fears and opposition to Muslims. In a speech on the House floor after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, Pompeo singled out Islamic faith leaders as potentially complicit in crimes committed by their congregants, even though many of them repeatedly condemn these terrorist acts (See Huffington Post, Wilkie,11/18/16).   

           In the House, Pompeo sat on the Select Benghazi Committee, the witch hunting outfit that unsuccessfully went after Hillary. During her marathon testimony before that body, he falsely accused her “team” of having met with Al Qaeda operatives shortly before the Benghazi attacks (MEDIAITE, Griswold, 10/22/15 ,”Vox,” Allen, 10/22/15). Although the Benghazi Committee found no  new evidence of wrongdoing, Pompeo filed a 48-page addendum that accused Hillary and her team of “playing politics to help her legacy.” Even GOP Benghazi Chair Trey Gowdy did not sign this addendum (See Mazzetti & Hirschfeld, 11/18/16).   

       “Last but far from least” in the Trump pantheon of “deplorables” is his pick to be Attorney General, or head the Justice Department, Alabama 4th-term Senator GOP Senator, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (69). Sessions was the first sitting Senator to endorse Trump (Kos, teacherken, 11/18/16). Trump’s idea of hiring the “best” people, IMHO, means picking folks who have been 10,000% loyal to him.  Trump stated he was “unbelievably impressed” with Sessions (Huffington Post, Reilly, 11/17/16). Demagogue Donald’s apparently “impressed” with a fellow the Huffington Post aptly headlined a “Dark Age Attorney General (11/18/16).”

          Sessions grew up southwest of Montgomery, Alabama where there were many African Americans. However, he had little sympathy for them. As an Alabama U.S. Attorney, he was accused by critics of “gross insensitivity” on racial matters. According to sworn statements by Justice Department lawyers, he called the NAACP and the ACLU “communist inspired.” He said these groups tried to “force civil rights down the throats of people (CQ Politics 08 Almanac).” He called a white lawyer who represented civil rights workers “a disgrace to his race.” Sessions also stated he thought the Ku Klux Klan was “OK until I learned they smoked pot (H. Schwartz, “Right Wing Justice).” A black attorney was called “boy” by Sessions. Sessions once threw a file of civil rights cases on a table and said, “I wish I could decline all of them (Huffington Post, Reilly, 11/17/16).” Sessions was big on prosecuting “voter fraud” cases against blacks as a U.S. Attorney. Because of his hostility to civil rights, the GOP-dominated Senate voted down then Pres. Reagan’s nomination of Sessions to a Federal District Judgeship in 1986 (CQ Almanac).

         Sessions had the “last laugh.” He was elected to a U.S. Senate seat from  “Crimson Red” Alabama in 1996 and received a position on the Judiciary Committee. During Bill Clinton and Barack Obama’s presidencies, as an obstructionist “pit bull,” Sessions delayed in committee many progressive judges.  These included a Calif. nominee who had opposed that state’s 1994 anti-immigration Proposition 187 (Schwartz, “Right Wing Justice”).

           Sessions was one of just 9 GOPer’s to vote against Sen. McCain’s provision banning torture. He is in favor of using waterboarding against terrorist detainees, wrongly calling this technique “effective (Goldman, NY Times, 11/18/16, Open Congress).” Sessions has never changed his anti-civil rights views. He called the 1965 Voting Rights Act “a piece of intrusive legislation (NY Times, Editorial Bd., 11/18/16).” He voted against reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, efforts to remove the Confederate flag, and against repealing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that barred openly gay and lesbian individuals from the military. He defended Trump’s lewd behavior and vulgar comments about “grabbing women (Huffington Post, Clawson, Kos, 11/18/16).”   

    Sessions has been against immigration reform from the get-go. He was a key leader in opposition to the bipartisan immigration bill that made its way through the Senate under Obama but died in the GOP House (CNN, Kopan, 11/18/16). In 2006, Sen. Sessions, argued against immigration reform by W. He then, called most immigrants coming from the Dominican Republic “lacking in skills that would benefit us (Huffington Post, Stein, 11/19/16).” On 12/10/2015, Sen. Sessions broke with his fellow GOPers to vote against an amendment stating that the Senate should not create policies that discriminate based on religion. He gave a half-hour speech arguing that the federal government should be allowed to use any criteria it wants to decide who gets in this country, including religion (“Daily Beast,” Woodruff, 11/19/16).

        As Attorney General, Sessions would have the authority to challenge immigration laws or Voting Rights Act violations. Based on his record, he will do little to stop civil rights violations. He will only go against “voter fraud” by African Americans, the bogus issue most GOPers now obsessively pursue. He wants to keep investigating Hillary over her email server. He will push for deporting more immigrants just as Donald wants (CNN de Vogue, 11/18/16).

      Sessions is subject to Senate confirmation, as is CIA nominee Pompeo. Many Democratic Senators, including Nev.’s newly elected Catherine CortezMasto and Mass.’ Elizabeth Warren intend to oppose Sessions’ nomination. Even if we lose this battle, we must “take our stand” against reactionary Sessions. He was not fit to be a District Judge in 1986, and certainly not Attorney General in 2017. We must also oppose Koch/ Benghazi CIA nominee Pompeo. Although Bannon and Flynn’s appointments do not require confirmation, we must keep condemning them too. Racist, anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, and misogynistic appointees must not be viewed as the “new normal” in 21st Century America. Hillary has at least a 1.5 million popular vote margin that will increase as all the votes are counted (Wasserman, Kos, Einenkel, 11/18/16). According to Gallup, only 29% of those polled feel Donald has a mandate (Shoreblue, Paris, 11/18/16).  Just say “No” to “Deplorable-in-Chief” Donald and to his “yuuge”  basket of “deplorable” appointees.   
 
http://cameinonsaturdays.com/?s=trumps-trio-of-deplorables
 
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 23, 2016, 08:27:14 pm
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Electing the Tyrant: Parallels Among Ancient Rome, Mexico During the Conquest and the U.S. Today

Posted on Nov 22, 2016


By M. Antonio Jimenez / Silicon Valley De-Bug

After tiring myself of this election, the campaigns were attacks on both candidates, both up to their necks in corruption; I couldn’t think of a way to write about it. Now, after the election I have come to realize how horrible it all is, and by this I mean what democracy really means here, and what it has done in the past.

I can’t profess to know the answers, but as the years go by, as a Mexican thinker, I come to see parallels between the Romans, my country’s conquest and what we call political life in general; a society ridden with hypocrisy and brutality, veiled by a republic that is called that only by name, justified by the child of Rome: “Rhetoric.”

In the passage from the film “Gladiator,” you can hear the resonance of what Rome was, in Spanish we have a saying that comes from the Romans, al pueblo pan y circo—to the people bread and circus. This is the testament of what republics have returned to. Immigrants like the slaves of Rome are never heard, are never made part of the democracy that the republic proclaims. The rights of migrants, Latin American, Muslim, Asian, and the long list of people excluded can not be given; the rights of men and women are their own form their birth.

You want to know how this happened. Look at the crowd, look at it for what it is. You want to know how we came to this. It was always here, it has never gone away. The country you live in is not what you thought it was.

I want you to realize what democracy was in the past, that its claim to civilization is one that was marked by violent oppression, and that the true republic must be sustained by the virtues it proclaims.

In the film, his son, Commodus, smothers Caesar after he tells him that Rome would be a republic again. Commodus responds that he never had the virtues his father held: wisdom, courage, fortitude and temperance.

The world does not care for facts; it does not value truth. It shuns away from it when it involves men who evade taxes, molest women, and are involved in outsourcing labor. The history of rhetoric is a long one, by the time it reached the Romans it had been perfected. There are three ways to convince a crowd, a talent given to orators: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. Ethics, logic, and passion have been used to move the masses. Its battle sometimes defined by prejudice, where unfounded claims of crimes are fed to a rather benign society. The society here blamed is the migrant one, the African American one, and the Islamic one.

People shift their alliance on frail arguments; it is only in the silence of reality that things become clear.

If I have learned anything from this election, it’s that one should not trust a candidate or public official. What you want cannot be given to you. This mob’s justice will always erase Black and Brown folks from its narrative of “A nation for all.”  That all lives matter, but middle class suburban lives matter a little bit more than others. That it is safe to be in a crowd that claims western culture as its own, that its false narrative exults them as leaders and not as pillagers of lands that were not theirs; that even to this day defy their own treaties to the natives who have been wronged.

Before when racism came up, the bigots would tell you who they were. Now, in the democratic nation that we live in, such things are explained quickly, even after evidence of cops killing the innocent. Why did they kill them? They cannot explain, prejudice sometimes being the last of all reasons.  ;)

In Michel Foucault’s writings he tells us that there are people who are written out of history, that the lower classes were never given a chance to write their own narratives, and the ones who rebelled against a prison state were persecuted. He tells us that it came to a point where any form of dissent was celebrated among the oppressed.

A slave rebellion can be stopped, not the memory of it, not the history of it.

If the Romans taught us anything it is that their democracy and their republic was built on excluding the many.

The fall of the Roman Empire is an example of all civilization. It is a lesson for those who grow arrogant in their power.

After denying his support in the invasion of Iraq, what the candidate exposes is his own self-righteous, back peddling on his own admission to invade. A true coward to the end, and that goes for many who approved of it, only to learn after that the weapons of mass destruction were never there, that it was all a lie, that who truly benefited was Halliburton, and company. A war fueled by prejudice, a prejudice used to perpetuate a continuing war that has no foreseeable end.

What it created among the people of Iraq was not democracy, not justice, but a self proclaimed justification of so called freedom. And in the void of any sort of justice rose what ironically is called an Islamic “State.”

People have always used religion to unify and at times deceive. It happened in Mexico during the conquest when Spaniards enslaved Natives for being unchristian savages, as chronicled by Bartolome de las Casas. He opposed the criminal law of Encomiendas where the king decreed that all Natives were slaves and any European man could take them as such. Let this be the allegory to our now current events, when men in politics destabilize countries that had nothing to do with terror, and now justify themselves in an irony of a rising tide of the Islamic State.

When I think of my country, I know why the conquest of it was so horrendous. The new world was not an uncivilized place, much like Iraq: Its civilization was vast in knowledge and science, but the victors do not share this with the conquered. A silence is left in the air. Bartolome de las Casas writes about one native named Hatuey, who rebelled and mobilized against the Spaniard’s aggression. After being exiled from what is now the Dominican Republic and entering Cuba, he went to the many tribes to warn them of what was to come.

Showing them a basket of gold, he told them, as Bartolome de las Casas writes:

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This is the God of the Spaniards, this is why they fight and kill. This is why they persecute us, and this is why we must kill them. These tyrants tell us they worship a God of peace and equality, but they take our lands and make us their slaves. They speak of an eternal soul, and of its prize and punishment, but they steal our belongings, seduce our women, and r a p e our daughters. They are incapable of equaling us in valor, they cover themselves in iron, that our weapons can not penetrate.

For his inciting rebellion Hatuey was burned at the stake. Before his death he was asked if he would like to become a Christian so he would go to heaven.

In his last words he asked father Olmeo, “Do Spaniards go to heaven? I do not want to go there, I would rather go to hell, to not see such cruel people.”

What can one say to someone who lived invasion? What comfort is there for them?

This is the real mark of so-called civilized western men, who go into illegal wars against the poor with excuses of civilizing, of liberation, of searching for weapons and evangelizing. You can chose the one you like in this narrative because the reality is that most governments are less involved in governing, or freedom and more so in domination.

Can one blame Christianity like people blame Islam? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2932.gif&hash=0eaec4791a5825821998245e7fcd7744b56557fe)

Murder, genocide, and corruption are not precluded to one people. For centuries the Christian faith has been used to conquer and kill off cultures throughout the planet, but it is not the faith of the Christian that tells him to do so. It is his own avarice, because a faith cannot be blamed when it is what keeps the innocent from losing hope. It is easy to dismiss all sorts of people not just Latin American, Asian, Muslim and many more migrants, the war that is not spoken of is on those who seek shelter in unknown lands, those who are exiled, who embark on an exodus into the unknown, and mourn the loss of their countries to war and corruption.

The law does not make one decent. The history of a western law, a western narrative is one that will always be in question. In America even the notions of democracy are not to be trusted, not when a blind people are led to believe that a nation’s laws are liken to the laws of a Christian faith.

Through this election the mask of a democratic world will be removed, the notions that the tradition of “Might is Right” will finally show itself, and nothing civilized will come of it.

Let this allegory teach you of who you are, that the threat you so long wanted to prevent came; not by foreigners, not by the different people that live in your country accused of taking it apart, but by greed, by prejudice, and accepting corruption.

Were you not delivered from bondage? Was not Egypt plagued to liberate people like you? Did not the ocean part for them to cross? Was not the mana of heaven given to them? And, did not they disobey their lord and wander through the desert for 40 years?

If you can’t believe this tale, if you can’t give credit to what it shows us, leave it as a lesson for those that proclaim themselves the elected; that you are chosen out of mercy, and not merit. You are no different from your brother – a border, a wall or an ocean cannot make you any better than him. Your leaders, however rich, however powerful, are subject to the judgment that you yourself are called to. The tradition of lying and pillaging and prejudice can only be understood as the wickedness that it is, and no charlatan can ever change their names to great virtues.


http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/electing_the_tyrant_parallels_between_the_romans_mexicos_conquest_20161122

Agelbert NOTE:
Trump is a charlatan, as are all fascists. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)


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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 23, 2016, 09:04:55 pm
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Matt Dunne: Trump a winner — at all costs    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

Nov. 22, 2016, 7:00 pm by Commentary 4 Comments

Editor’s note: This commentary is by Matt Dunne, who was a candidate in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. He is a lifelong Vermonter and former state senator and former head of Community Affairs at Google. He lives with his family in Hartland.
Vermont has always played an important role in our nation, particularly when the core of democracy, freedom of speech, is under threat. We must be prepared to play that role again.


In the face of John Adams’ efforts to stifle free speech and prevent criticism of the administration, Vermont’s Matthew Lyons went to prison for speaking out … and was elected to Congress from his prison cell.

Vermont Sen. Ralph Flanders bucked the Republican Party at the heart of the Red Scare by denouncing Joe McCarthy’s fear-mongering on the Senate floor. He is credited for shifting the momentum against the witch hunt for communists, a shift that eventually brought McCarthy down.

We face a similar moment again.

We have never seen a president like Donald Trump. He doesn’t appear to have an ideology or political philosophy. He has held a variety of positions on a variety of issues including abortion, marriage equality and even his own Muslim immigration ban proposal.

Trump appears to be comfortable saying whatever is necessary to close the deal. He’s already backtracking on Obamacare and saying he wants to be a president for all Americans. It should disturb us that he feels comfortable scapegoating minorities and using violent language to win an election … and more disturbed that it worked. We will have to see if he really delivers on that promise and we will have to be ready to push back.

But what concerns me most is that his Machiavellian pragmatism could lead to something much more dangerous. Trump’s area of expertise is communication and he mastered it during his campaign. The lessons he learned in reality television served him well. His leadership team is also filled with experts in landing a narrative that produces emotion and action. The campaign was lead by Breitbart executive Stephen Bannon, who will now serve as the president’s senior adviser. Newt Gingrich was famously the architect of the Contract with America and has already suggested bringing back the Committee on Unamerican Activities, stating on Fox News back in June, “We originally created the House Un-American Activities Committee to go after Nazis. We passed several laws in 1938 and 1939 to go after Nazis and we made it illegal to help the Nazis. We’re going to presently have to go take the similar steps here.” Gingrich stated this knowing full well that the committee evolved into an enterprise targeting people with opposing political views and creating a deep chilling effect on expression.

The election also demonstrated how weak the media is today. A record number of newspapers, including traditionally Republican publications in battleground communities, endorsed Clinton. And yet it wasn’t enough to change the mind of voters in swing states. Surveys show declining trust in the media across the country reaching an all-time low of 32 percent this fall. Trump was not afraid to fuel that sentiment saying “70%, 75% of [reporters] are absolute dishonest, absolute scum.”

Trump’s campaign gave us a look into his approach to the First Amendment by calling for the removal from rallies of protesters and suggesting that some should be “roughed up.” He remarked that “in the old days [protesters] would have been carried out on stretchers.” We saw unprecedented interference of Russian leadership and WikiLeaks by engaging in political cyber dirty tricks as a foreign enterprise hacked and released the private emails of the chair of Hillary’s campaign. The FBI director’s October Surprise regarding Hillary’s emails found on Anthony Weiner’s laptop was also conveniently resolved the day before the election, when the damage had been done but it was seen as likely that Hillary would prevail.

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From our perch in the Green Mountains we must watch carefully for the signs of threats to our freedom of speech and the ability to convey what is actually happening in the world.

In Trump, I see a political leader willing to do anything to be a “winner.” One who understands the power of direct communication and large-scale political rallies. He has seen how cyber attacks can expose a political competitor’s information in devastating ways and issued no condemnation of WikiLeaks when they hacked Hillary Clinton’s campaign chair’s email. He has seen the FBI’s ability to deliver a political punch.

From a technology perspective, we have seen the government, even under a progressive regime, go so far as to tap undersea cables between data centers to access private citizens’ emails. It is clear that the capitulation of just a few large companies could give our government unprecedented access to the political views and motivations of most of the people in our country.

We also know that the freedom of communication offered by the internet is fragile. The FCC, with commissioners appointed by the president, can make sweeping changes to net neutrality and change rules around whether a single company or individual can control all media in a particular region or market. ICANN, the independent organization that governs the internet is under threat as foreign governments (like Russia) that are uncomfortable with the freedom of information flow the internet provides, demand a role in overseeing the information highway. Some in Congress have advocated for the need to reduce the amount of user-generated content, a freedom which is key to allowing for the free flow of information without censorship.

All of these could allow a Trump administration to control the news Americans see. It has already developed its own communication channels through Twitter and Facebook and could easily expand to cable channels that could broadcast “official” news and cover rallies, leaving traditional journalists out of the process. Through existing structures, an administration could systematically stifle other communication by limiting access to internet content and threaten to withhold broadcasting licenses to the few remaining large media corporations unless they meet new, limited content standards or provide desirable regulation changes for those who comply. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting could easily be eliminated, and the resulting funding cuts would most likely reduce the distribution of public radio in rural communities and poorer states that have more trouble raising money from members. We are already heading into an era where we have difficulty settling on a shared view of the truth and an administration with experience in new media could accelerate the process of establishing a new consensus “truth” that simply reflects the message that meets the administration’s needs.

In Vermont we have found ways to harness the internet to advance national progressive causes, including Howard Dean and Bernie Sanders’ runs for president and the creation of the environmental organization 350.org. We also understand the complementary power of in-person communication. The power of town meeting, protest and collaboration. We are the state that found the intersection between the two, allowing 350.org to coordinate days of action throughout the world, the Howard Dean campaign MeetUps that drove campaigns in all 50 states and Bernie to demonstrate a real campaing can be waged with small contributions from millions of people. We have a tradition of speaking out against repression loudly, knowing that Vermonters will have our backs.

We need to be prepared to play this role again. From our perch in the Green Mountains we must watch carefully for the signs of threats to our freedom of speech and the ability to convey what is actually happening in the world. Through great organizations like the Center for Media and Democracy, Democracy for America and Our Revolution we can keep a watchful eye on this fundamental part of our democracy. We may even have to build new institutions protected within our borders to communicate freely and try new models for media like VTDigger and Seven Days. But we must be organized, educated to recognize efforts to stifle free speech and we must be ready to push back with a clarion voice.

As Coolidge said, “If the spirit of liberty should vanish in other parts of the Union, and support of our institutions should languish, it could all be replenished from the generous store held by the people of this brave little state of Vermont.” It is now our generation’s turn to fulfill that expectation.

http://vtdigger.org/2016/11/22/matt-dunne-trump-winner-costs/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 24, 2016, 01:14:55 pm
Agelbert REMINDER to those who will be "offended" (because they are supporters of the President Elect) by the hard truths stated in the article below:
 
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TOPICS: Democracy & Government

TAGS: 2016 election, donald trump, hillary clinton, media criticism
Democracy & Government


Farewell, America (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2955.gif&hash=ddc12d8bdb1bc63b7998a6b086b79a71b7bda755) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2953.gif&hash=b84c0ae260f7ac760e54bcdc33d788c36faa07c1)
 

No matter how the rest of the world looked at us on Nov. 7, they will now look at us differently.

By Neal Gabler | November 10, 2016

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The sun sets behind the Jefferson Memorial in Washington. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

America died on Nov. 8, 2016, not with a bang or a whimper, but at its own hand via electoral suicide. We the people chose a man who has shredded our values, our morals, our compassion, our tolerance, our decency, our sense of common purpose, our very identity — all the things that, however tenuously, made a nation out of a country.

Whatever place we now live in is not the same place it was on Nov. 7. No matter how the rest of the world looked at us on Nov. 7, they will now look at us differently. We are likely to be a pariah country. And we are lost for it. As I surveyed the ruin of that country this gray Wednesday morning, I found weary consolation in W.H. Auden’s poem, September 1, 1939, which concludes:


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BY Neal Gabler | November 8, 2016

“Defenseless under the night
 Our world in stupor lies;
 Yet, dotted everywhere,
 Ironic points of light
 Flash out wherever the Just
 Exchange their messages:
 May I, composed like them
 Of Eros and of dust,
 Beleaguered by the same
 Negation and despair,
 Show an affirming flame.”

I hunt for that affirming flame.

This generally has been called the “hate election” because everyone professed to hate both candidates. It turned out to be the hate election because, and let’s not mince words, of the hatefulness of the electorate. In the years to come, we will brace for the violence, the anger, the racism, the misogyny, the xenophobia, the nativism, the white sense of grievance that will undoubtedly be unleashed now that we have destroyed the values that have bound us.

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We all knew these hatreds lurked under the thinnest veneer of civility. That civility finally is gone.

We all knew these hatreds lurked under the thinnest veneer of civility. That civility finally is gone. In its absence, we may realize just how imperative that politesse was. It is the way we managed to coexist.

If there is a single sentence that characterizes the election, it is this: “He says the things I’m thinking.” That may be what is so terrifying. Who knew that so many tens of millions of white Americans were thinking unconscionable things about their fellow Americans? Who knew that tens of millions of white men felt so emasculated by women and challenged by minorities? Who knew that after years of seeming progress on race and gender, tens of millions of white Americans lived in seething resentment, waiting for a demagogue to arrive who would legitimize their worst selves and channel them into political power? Perhaps we had been living in a fool’s paradise. Now we aren’t.

This country has survived a civil war, two world wars, and a great depression. There are many who say we will survive this, too. Maybe we will, but we won’t survive unscathed. We know too much about each other to heal. No more can we pretend that we are exceptional or good or progressive or united. We are none of those things. Nor can we pretend that democracy works and that elections have more or less happy endings. Democracy only functions when its participants abide by certain conventions, certain codes of conduct and a respect for the process.

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No more can we pretend that we are exceptional or good or progressive or united. We are none of those things.

The virus that kills democracy is extremism because extremism disables those codes. Republicans have disrespected the process for decades. They have regarded any Democratic president as illegitimate. They have proudly boasted of preventing popularly elected Democrats from effecting policy and have asserted that only Republicans have the right to determine the nation’s course. They have worked tirelessly to make sure that the government cannot govern and to redefine the purpose of government as prevention rather than effectuation. In short, they haven’t believed in democracy for a long time, and the media never called them out on it.

Democracy can’t cope with extremism. Only violence and time can defeat it. The first is unacceptable, the second takes too long. Though Trump is an extremist, I have a feeling that he will be a very popular president and one likely to be re-elected by a substantial margin, no matter what he does or fails to do. That’s because ever since the days of Ronald Reagan, rhetoric has obviated action, speechifying has superseded governing.

Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)  was absolutely correct when he bragged that he could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue and his supporters wouldn’t care. It was a dictator’s ugly vaunt (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f), but one that recognized this election never was about policy or economics or the “right path/wrong path,” or even values. It was about venting. So long as Trump vented their grievances, his all-white supporters didn’t care about anything else. He is smart enough to know that won’t change in the presidency. In fact, it is only likely to intensify. White America, Trump’s America, just wants to hear its anger bellowed. This is one time when the Bully Pulpit will be literal.

The media can’t be let off the hook for enabling an authoritarian to get to the White House. Long before he considered a presidential run, he was a media creation — a regular in the gossip pages, a photo on magazine covers, the bankrupt (morally and otherwise) mogul who hired and fired on The Apprentice. When he ran, the media treated him not as a candidate, but as a celebrity, and so treated him differently from ordinary pols. The media gave him free publicity, trumpeted his shenanigans, blasted out his tweets, allowed him to phone in his interviews, fell into his traps and generally kowtowed until they suddenly discovered that this joke could actually become president.

Just as Trump has shredded our values, our nation and our democracy, he has shredded the media. In this, as in his politics, he is only the latest avatar of a process that began long before his candidacy. Just as the sainted Ronald Reagan created an unbridgeable chasm between rich and poor that the Republicans would later exploit against Democrats, conservatives delegitimized mainstream journalism so that they could fill the vacuum.

Quote
With Trump’s election, I think that the ideal of an objective, truthful journalism is dead, never to be revived.

Retiring conservative talk show host Charlie Sykes complained that after years of bashing from the right wing, the mainstream media no longer could perform their function as reporters, observers, fact dispensers, and even truth tellers, and he said we needed them. Like Goebbels before them, conservatives understood that they had to create their own facts, their own truths, their own reality. They have done so, and in so doing effectively destroyed the very idea of objectivity. Trump can lie constantly only because white America has accepted an Orwellian sense of truth — the truth pulled inside out.

With Trump’s election, I think that the ideal of an objective, truthful journalism is dead, never to be revived. Like Nixon and Sarah Palin before him, Trump ran against the media, boomeranging off the public’s contempt for the press. He ran against what he regarded as media elitism and bias, and he ran on the idea that the press disdained working-class white America. Among the many now-widening divides in the country, this is a big one, the divide between the media and working-class whites, because it creates a Wild West of information – a media ecology in which nothing can be believed except what you already believe.

With the mainstream media so delegitimized — a delegitimization for which they bear a good deal of blame, not having had the courage to take on lies and expose false equivalencies — they have very little role to play going forward in our politics. I suspect most of them will surrender to Trumpism — if they were able to normalize Trump as a candidate, they will no doubt normalize him as president.

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Cable news may even welcome him as a continuous entertainment and ratings booster. And in any case, like Reagan, he is bulletproof. The media cannot touch him, even if they wanted to. Presumably, there will be some courageous guerillas in the mainstream press, a kind of Resistance, who will try to fact-check him. But there will be few of them, and they will be whistling in the wind. Trump, like all dictators, is his own truth.

What’s more, Trump already has promised to take his war on the press into courtrooms and the halls of Congress. He wants to loosen libel protections, and he has threatened Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos of Amazon with an antitrust suit. Individual journalists have reason to fear him as well. He has already singled out NBC’s Katy Tur, perhaps the best of the television reporters, so that she needed the Secret Service to escort her from one of his rallies. Jewish journalists who have criticized Trump have been subjected to vicious anti-Semitism and intimidation from the alt-right. For the press, this is likely to be the new normal in an America in which white supremacists, neo-Nazi militias, racists, sexists, homophobes and anti-Semites have been legitimized by a new president who “says what I’m thinking.” It will be open season.

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This converts the media from reporters to targets, and they have little recourse. Still, if anyone points the way forward, it may be New York Times columnist David Brooks. Brooks is no paragon. He always had seemed to willfully neglect modern Republicanism’s incipient fascism (now no longer incipient), and he was an apologist for conservative self-enrichment and bigotry. But this campaign season, Brooks pretty much dispensed with politics. He seemed to have arrived at the conclusion that no good could possibly come of any of this and retreated into spirituality. What Brooks promoted were values of mutual respect, a bolder sense of civic engagement, an emphasis on community and neighborhood, and overall a belief in trickle-up decency rather than trickle-down economics. He is not hopeful, but he hasn’t lost all hope.

For those of us now languishing in despair, this may be a prescription for rejuvenation. We have lost the country, but by refocusing, we may have gained our own little patch of the world and, more granularly, our own family. For journalists, Brooks may show how political reporting, which, as I said, is likely to be irrelevant in the Trump age, might yield to a broader moral context in which one considers the effect that policy, strategy and governance have not only on our physical and economic well-being but also on our spiritual well-being. In a society that is likely to be fractious and odious, we need a national conversation on values. The media could help start it.

But the disempowered media may have one more role to fill: They must bear witness. Many years from now, future generations will need to know what happened to us and how it happened. They will need to know how disgruntled white Americans, full of self-righteous indignation, found a way to take back a country they felt they were entitled to and which they believed had been lost. They will need to know about the ugliness and evil that destroyed us as a nation after great men like Lincoln and Roosevelt guided us through  previous crises and kept our values intact. They will need to know, and they will need a vigorous, engaged, moral media to tell them. They will also need us.

We are not living for ourselves anymore in this country. Now we are living for history.

Neal Gabler is an author of five books and the recipient of two LA Times Book Prizes, Time magazine's non-fiction book of the year, USA Today's biography of the year and other awards. He is also a senior fellow at The Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California, and is currently writing a biography of Sen. Edward Kennedy.

http://billmoyers.com/story/farewell-america/

Agelbert NOTE: Great article, but, unlike the author, many millions of Americans, like myself, KNEW about this suicidal trajectory, of which the ubiquitous racism is but one symptom of America's moral decay.

Neal Gabler is a good man of principle. He is clear on what is right and what is wrong. However, as the reality of the WAY things REALLY are in the USA struck him like a kick in the groin, Neal Gabler's surprise is evidence that he was a victim of white privileged liberal wishful thinking. None of the following was a surprise to me and millions of other Americans of mixed ancestry that know the score.

Quote
If there is a single sentence that characterizes the election, it is this: “He says the things I’m thinking.” That may be what is so terrifying. Who knew that so many tens of millions of white Americans were thinking unconscionable things about their fellow Americans? Who knew that tens of millions of white men felt so emasculated by women and challenged by minorities? Who knew that after years of seeming progress on race and gender, tens of millions of white Americans lived in seething resentment, waiting for a demagogue to arrive who would legitimize their worst selves and channel them into political power? Perhaps we had been living in a fool’s paradise. Now we aren’t.

I have been warning about it to deaf ears for over a decade.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_1593.gif&hash=628238f2fc26695937f6e97b91b050976065743b) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fsnapoutofit.gif&hash=911b14b142101df534f739771fb2d3836a807d19)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)


Also, unlike Neal Gabler, I dated the final nail in the coffin of American Democracy much earlier than this election. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)

I dated it to when THIS GUY had the nomination for VP stolen from him so the Truman party hack could do the bidding of the M.I.C. when Roosevelt died.
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But, you know what? The abysmally stupid and morally corruptive embrace of greed, xenophobia and racism is the LEAST of our worries as a people in this perfect storm of Wall Street 'dial a reality' that so many fools and knaves wish to celebrate.

Below please find, America TODAY:
(https://progressivecynic.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/when-fascism-comes-to.jpg?w=262&h=305)
Quote
Like Goebbels before them, conservatives understood that they had to create their own facts, their own truths, their own reality. They have done so, and in so doing effectively destroyed the very idea of objectivity. Trump can lie constantly only because white America has accepted an Orwellian sense of truth — the truth pulled inside out.


BUT, THIS is America in the NEAR FUTURE:

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(https://ofcommonsense.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/free-choice-not-consequences.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 26, 2016, 04:00:04 pm
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Here's Adolph Hitler saying he'll 'make Germany great again' in 1934   

By Walter Einenkel   

Wednesday Nov 23, 2016 · 11:04 AM EST

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http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/11/23/1603405/-Here-s-Adolph-Hitler-saying-he-ll-make-Germany-great-again-in-1934


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It's just a coincidence, isn't it?

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 27, 2016, 01:08:28 pm
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How the Republican Party Rules a Nation That Hates It

Posted on Nov 25, 2016

By Paul Street

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/how_the_republican_party_rules_a_nation_that_hates_it_20161125

Agelbert NOTE:
A good person with the handle, "Readytotransform", commented. She is a psychologist. I responded to her in the hopes of steering her away from the "trees" in our situation so she could see the FOREST.


Quote
readytotransform

I am intrigued that Paul Street, and I respect this man, was expecting Clinton to win. I really am.

I didn't believe the polls. Why would they be authentic? I could see that Trump was going to get the Republican nomination. I saw that at least two months ahead of time. It was just obvious that he did stand out as a personality, like it or not. He was the most 'different' one of the group. He had nothing to say but little slogans and insults. But he did stand out as a kind of insult comic.

Hillary Clinton didn't even campaign. She had the msm, the Democratic party, most of the Hollywood insiders and free concerts instead. She was like a shadow and when she did speak, I couldn't even stand the sound of her voice and her entire presence was intolerable for me.

I know a kid who is 18 and voted for the first time. He and his pals voted for Gary Johnson. We talked about it a lot. He said "Somehow I feel personally disrespected by her when she speaks". And I thought that was quite astute of him. I felt the same way.

So. I did not think Clinton would win. I was expecting a tie, actually. But I was telling people for two months, that Trump would win. It just seems so karmic to me. He does represent the psyche of the trash mass media so called culture here. And obviously, not enough people were sufficiently scared to the point of bothering to vote against him.

I thought Stein was the only sane option. The DNC is who I put this on. We know it through the Podesta emails. And Billy Clinton told him to run this time. And we know that the Clinton

agelbert > readytotransform 


Stein was, and still is (i.e. the Green Party Platform), the only sane option.

As a psychologist and counselor of many, you surely know what happens when insane leaders run a business or/and a country. I do believe Freud said something or other about insanity and Germany back in the 1930's. That resulted in the destruction of a country. But the murder and brutality against Jews, the disabled, those with genetic disorders, etc. before the destruction gave evidence to the fact that a high degree of scientific knowledge, an advanced culture, a democratic government and a fairly homogenous, hard working, strong willed and intelligent population is NO GUARANTEE against the social decay of corruption by psychopaths (i.e. EVIL people).

Only a principled and unremitting defense of the Golden Rule would have prevented Germany from going insane. They learned their lesson. We didn't.

The issue of human behavior and conduct is an issue of morality, no matter how many people want to insanely claim that 'right' and 'wrong' are relative. The USA has been moving towards insanity practically since its founding. The natural borders, and then the bomb, are the only reasons we have not been destroyed by other nations yet.

But this time, an existential threat to our species from the sixth Great Extinction, now actively taking place due to pollution from industrial toxins and Green House Gases, makes the stakes a bit higher than just the destruction of a criminally insane country. The LACK of empathy that our country celebrates in business and in government that Trump exemplifies is the fundamental seed of our destruction.

The problem is EVIL, not the lack of knowledge of cause and effect.

"I was searching for the nature of evil - Evil is the absence of Empathy!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GDmhVD5GMs&feature=player_embedded

And it was NOT Jesus Christ who first came up with the Golden Rule:
Quote

"What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn."

— Shabbath folio:31a, Babylonian Talmud


Rich Grisham said about the (S)election process:

Quote
The manufacturing of consent.

agelbert > Rich Grisham

American Dystopia has been traveling towards a Trailer Trash Trump Tyrant for about a century.

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When a dystopia has all the gatekeeping criminals firmly controlling the gates to power, the inherent inefficiency of dystopic inertia destroys a nation.

The problem now is that Catastrophic Climate Change, goosed massively by the Trump Tyrant's energy policies, will destroy our economy and hopelessly degrade our biosphere, thereby endangering our existence as a species. Have a nice day.

(https://collapseofindustrialcivilization.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/snap-2013-11-06-at-14-31-28.png)

Quote

limerick4


It doesn't matter the D or R....it is the O (Oligarchic factor) plus G (Greed) that produces C (Corruption). And the Corruption is supported and driven by any number of industries in exchange for predation favors. And the industries have become so large and powerful that we now have fascism (look at ND where corporate mercenaries are being combined with state militia). And given the state of global warming...our goose is now cooked. Literally.
 

 

agelbert
> limerick4

Everything you say is true. But let those of us from the reality based community ensure that we don't make it easy for crazies to destroy the biosphere for the sake of profit over people and planet.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 29, 2016, 11:37:04 pm
https://youtu.be/jB54XxbgI0E

Noam Chomsky: ‘Most Predictable Aspect of Trump Is Unpredictability’—It’s ‘Very Dangerous’ (Video)

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/noam_chomsky_most_predictable_aspect_trump_unpredictability_20161128
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 02, 2016, 01:36:06 pm
Keith Olbermann comes up with a surprisingly easy, little-known, totally constitutional plan to fire President Trump

https://youtu.be/Gnnj_YjdJgs
   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emofaces.com%2Fpng%2F200%2Femoticons%2Ffingerscrossed.png&hash=d56f8009d18b55f4cea7be68284c0521be92fc5d)

AlterNet

30 Nov 2016 at 08:03 ET 

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/11/keith-olbermann-comes-up-with-a-surprisingly-easy-little-known-totally-constitutional-plan-to-fire-president-trump/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 02, 2016, 07:27:25 pm
What to know about newly appointed UN Ambassador Nikki Haley's position  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)  on climate change

https://mic.com/articles/160858/what-to-know-about-newly-appointed-un-ambassador-nikki-haley-s-position-on-climate-change#.mtxRqHO1H
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 03, 2016, 08:59:31 pm
https://youtu.be/9dpbrtwp1wE

What Might Jill Stein's Recount Expose About The Election?

Published on Dec 2, 2016

Big Picture Interview
: Greg Palast, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy . It's almost like they have something to hide.

With one Jill Stein-led recount effort already underway in Wisconsin and additional recounts pending in Michigan and Pennsylvania, supporters of Donald Trump are now taking legal action to stop what they say is a baseless attempt to smear their candidate.

In Pennsylvania, Trump himself has joined up with the local Republican Party to block Jill Stein's request for a recount.

In Wisconsin, Trump Super PACS are doing the dirty work and have asked a federal judge to stop what they say is a violation of due process rights.

Across the border in Michigan, meanwhile, Republican Attorney General Bill Scuette has asked the State Supreme Court to cancel an effort he and his office are calling a "frivolous request for a recount by an aggrieved party to silence all Michigan votes for president."

So - IS Jill Stein's push for a recount just a useless exercise in self-promotion? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)

Or is there actually a chance it could expose something big?   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F128fs318181.gif&hash=eff6d5f3831782966c2ff2081f07bf7fc5b22a6b)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 05, 2016, 01:33:58 pm
(https://www.rawstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Donald-F.-McGahn-Don-McGahn-Donald-F.-McGahn-USA-Politics-890x395-410x220.jpeg)
Donald F. McGahn

Donald Trump’s White House Counsel Is Proud “Architect” of America’s Corrupt Big Money Politics

Jon Schwarz

December 4 2016, 9:34 a.m.

SNIPPET:

Don McGahn (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) , soon to be Donald Trump’s White House counsel, bears as much responsibility as any single person for turning America’s campaign finance system into something akin to a gigantic, clogged septic tank.

From 2008 to 2013, McGahn was one of the six members of the Federal Election Commission, the government agency in charge of civil enforcement of campaign finance laws. While there, he led a GOP campaign that essentially ground enforcement of election laws to a halt.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

“I’ve always thought of McGahn’s appointment as an FEC commissioner as analogous to appointing an anarchist to be chief of police,” said Paul S. Ryan, vice president at Common Cause. “He’s largely responsible for destroying the FEC as a functioning law enforcement agency, and seemingly takes great pride in this fact. McGahn has demonstrated a much stronger interest in expanding the money-in-politics swamp than draining it.”

Ellen Weintraub, a current FEC commissioner, overlapped with McGahn’s entire tenure. McGahn and his two fellow GOP appointees, she recalled, possessed a “very strong ideological opposition to campaign finance laws in general.”

This ideology — that essentially all limits on campaign contributions and spending are unconstitutional violations of the First Amendment — was developed by a loose affiliation of conservative lawyers including McGahn, beginning in the late 1990s. It started bearing fruit a decade later with a series of court decisions, including the Citizens United ruling in 2010. McGahn’s page on his law firm’s website describes him as one of the “architects of the campaign finance revolution.”

McGahn’s perspective manifested itself consistently at the FEC. Previously, when the agency received outside complaints alleging violations of the law, its general counsel’s office was responsible for conducting a preliminary examination of the issues and then making a recommendation to the commission members about the legal issues involved and whether to proceed with a full investigation.

McGahn was so extreme that he attempted to block the general counsel’s staff from reading news reports, using Google or looking at a campaign’s web site without prior authorization from a majority of the FEC commissioners. Had the measure passed, because the FEC has six members at full capacity and no more than three can be from one political party, Republicans would effectively have controlled what FEC lawyers were allowed to read.

McGahn also attempted to prevent the FEC’s staff from doing something it had done as a matter of course in the past: respond to requests for internal records from the Justice Department, which is responsible for criminal prosecution of campaign finance crimes, without formal approval from the commissioners. “He just did not want us to have a more cooperative relationship with the Justice Department,” Weintraub said.

McGahn’s losing battle nevertheless led the agency’s general counsel at the time to resign in frustration.

Now, as Trump’s White House lawyer, McGahn will provide crucial advice on the nomination of judges, including to the Supreme Court. While Trump has criticized Citizens United, and called the Super PACs that sprang up in its wake “horrible” and a “total phony deal,” McGahn is a vociferous defender of the ruling.

Trump praised McGahn as possessing “a deep understanding of constitutional law.”(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)

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Full article:
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https://theintercept.com/2016/12/04/donald-trumps-general-counsel-is-proud-architect-of-americas-corrupt-big-money-politics/

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 05, 2016, 09:05:40 pm
The Mafia State

Posted on Dec 4, 2016


By Chris Hedges

SNIPPET:
The established elites dislike Trump because he is gauche, vulgar and boorish. He is not part of the refined group of mandarins trained to become plutocrats in Ivy League universities and business schools. He never mastered the cloying patina of refinement and carefully calibrated rhetoric of our courtier class.

Trump and his coterie of half-wits, criminals, racists and deviants play the role of the Snopes clan in William Faulkner’s novels “The Hamlet,” “The Town” and “The Mansion.” The Snopeses rose up out of the power vacuum of the decayed South and ruthlessly seized control from the degenerated aristocratic elites. Flem Snopes and his extended family—which includes a killer, a pedo phile, a bigamist, an arsonist, a mentally disabled man who copulates with a cow, and a relative who sells tickets to witness the bestiality—are fictional representations of the scum we have elevated to the highest level of the federal government. They embody the ethos of modern capitalism Faulkner warned us against.

“The usual reference to ‘amorality,’ while accurate, is not sufficiently distinctive and by itself does not allow us to place them, as they should be placed, in a historical moment,” the critic Irving Howe wrote of the Snopeses. “Perhaps the most important thing to be said is that they are what comes afterwards: the creatures that emerge from the devastation, with the slime still upon their lips.”

   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-081114190023.png&hash=8248298f64b94ba91481961abaa5f6204a70c942)

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_mafia_state_20161204
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 06, 2016, 01:54:32 pm
By News Corpse

Tuesday Dec 06, 2016 · 11:17 AM EST

Quote
Since Election Day four weeks ago Trump has refused to hold a press conference. That's longer than any president-elect in forty years. In fact, Trump hasn't held a press conference since July. And he has plenty of reasons for avoiding the media. Nevertheless, he continues to lash out in ever more ridiculous ways. Take for instance his tweet on Monday:

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/12/6/1607859/-Donald-Trump-s-War-With-The-Media-Takes-A-Hilarious-Turn-As-The-Twitterverse-Rises-Up
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 07, 2016, 04:59:57 pm
Democrats Drop A Bombshell Report That Exposes Trump’s Planned Devious War On Seniors  >:(

By westladem

Wednesday Dec 07, 2016 · 1:40 AM EST
205 Comments (205 New)


PoliticsUSA has a jaw-dropping report on just how badly the Orange Scrooge and Company (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) plan on completely demolishing our seniors and disabled folks:


Quote
⦁   “Sneaking massive benefit cuts through the back door – The Price (incoming HHS destroyer decimator nominee) proposal includes a devious plan that would likely trigger deep cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other priorities, while avoiding the need for members of Congress to vote directly for the cuts [my note — & would deny Democrats the ability to stop them] … If Republicans were to pass President-Elect Trump’s tax plan, the resulting increase to the deficit, under this plan, could require cuts to Social Security and Medicare of 13.5 percent, meaning the average Social Security beneficiary would lose more than $2,000 a year.​

⦁   … subject all benefits to sequestration …​

⦁   Unraveling longstanding guarantees to those who rely on Medicare, Social Security, Unemployment Insurance and other Benefits – ... Americans would have to fight annually for these benefits in the uncertain appropriations process, with no assurance their hard-earned benefits will be there at the end. Given the Republican Congress’s long record of failure to even consider appropriations bills on time, this could threaten the security of millions who rely on promised benefits.
Seriously, read it. (http://www.politicususa.com/2016/12/05/democrats-drop-bombshell-report-exposes-trump.html) What the gop plans for seniors and disabled Americans will devastate millions.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/12/6/1608151/-Democrats-Drop-A-Bombshell-Report-That-Exposes-Trump-s-Planned-Devious-War-On-Seniors
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 07, 2016, 06:10:21 pm
(https://belikewaterproduction.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/tumblr_mvfthevahg1qbfm1po1_500.jpg)

Why Trump Picked Ben Carson as HUD Secretary

Peter Dreier
 December 6, 2016
 
Donald Trump’s “edifice complex” explains his ill-advised choice of the completely inexperienced Ben Carson to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Agelbert NOTE: Don't miss this detailed and eye opening  :o history of Trump Daddy's Government Real Estate Rip-Offs and Repeated Racism in Housing (which Donald Trump has been found guilty of as well - like father - like son):
http://prospect.org/article/why-trump-picked-ben-carson-hud-secretary
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 07, 2016, 06:38:05 pm
https://youtu.be/Ij-yz_fqRaU

How Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f) Is Repeating the 1920s


Big Picture Interview: Richard Eskow, The Zero Hour/Campaign for America's Future. Speaking of Trump cabinet picks - the next presidential administration is shaping up to be the richest in American history. The last time we saw this kind of plutocratic takeover of the government it led to the Great Depression. Are we about to witness a sequel to that disaster?

For more information on the stories we've covered visit our websites at thomhartmann.com - freespeech.org - and RT.com. You can also watch tonight's show on Hulu - at Hulu.com/THE BIG PICTURE and over at The Big Picture YouTube page. And - be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter!

http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/how-trump-repeating-1920s
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 08, 2016, 06:08:45 pm
Samantha Bee Asks: ‘Is It OK for the President to Lie His ... Face Off 24 Hours a Day?’ (Video)
Posted on Dec 7, 2016

“Full Frontal” host Samantha Bee argues that the president-elect’s comments about “illegal” voters didn’t just spring out of nowhere. So, she wonders, where are these lies coming from, and is it right for the future U.S. president to regurgitate them? 


https://youtu.be/Z4jz4mLvsWY
— Posted by Natasha Hakimi Zapata


http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/samantha_bee_asks_is_it_ok_for_the_president_to_lie_his_face_off_20161207

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 08, 2016, 06:28:57 pm
https://youtu.be/TSqIdyCKFaI


Big Picture Interview: Robert Kennedy Jr., Waterkeeper Alliance. So far, Donald Trump's choice of cabinet members has been - well - deplorable.

He’s picked someone who wants to privatize Medicare to oversee Medicare as his secretary of Health and Human Services.

He’s picked a bankster who foreclosed on a 90-year-old over a 27 cent underpayment to oversee banksters as his Treasury Secretary.

And he's picked guy who thinks the KKK were just fine as long as they don't smoke pot to oversee our Civil Rights and marijuana laws as his Attorney General.

But as bad as those picks were - they pale in comparison to Trump's latest choice for a cabinet member - especially if you care about the future of our existence as a species on this planet. Multiple sources now say that Trump has picked Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to regulate fossil fuels as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Not surprisingly, Pruitt is a climate change denier - either totally stupid about science or just happy to take all that petro-billionaire money to keep him in power. So, here were are - Global temperatures are rising faster than ever before - Arctic sea ice is at record lows - all signs point to runaway climate change becoming a reality within the decade - and the man who's now set to head up environmental policy for the next few years thinks there's still a "debate" about whether or not climate change is even real.

Dec. 7, 2016 5:59 pm
By Thom Hartmann

http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/get-ready-climate-denier-heading-epa

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 09, 2016, 08:31:18 pm
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/avatars/ClimateNexus-73_140.jpg)

Fear and Loathing at Koch-Funded Trump “Shadow Transition Team” Event

Science gives way to science fiction at an ominous meeting of fossil fuel elites  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)


By Philip Newell


https://nexusmedianews.com/fear-and-loathing-at-koch-funded-trump-shadow-transition-team-event-34d2b2e72043#.ti2vj8j0w
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 10, 2016, 02:19:19 pm
https://youtu.be/Fj8mM5eK44s

HANDS OFF MEDICARE!
(https://allthoughtsworkoutdoors.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/p9047017-030close-up.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 10, 2016, 09:15:41 pm
https://youtu.be/XxN--pDp3X8

The Global Networks of the Resurging Far Right
It's no exaggeration to say that Trump has ties to neo-Nazi parties, says investigative journalist Nafeez Ahmed

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=17808#pop1
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 11, 2016, 03:14:32 pm
The Fossil Fuelers   DID THE Climate Trashing, human health depleteing CRIME,   but since they have ALWAYS BEEN liars and conscience free crooks, they are trying to AVOID   DOING THE TIME or     PAYING THE FINE!     Don't let them get away with it! Pass it on!    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F176.gif&hash=121533221905789c6b8d57a9603883266d349266)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-021114150033.png&hash=1a55bc1a81954375c07d21a43c3a26b4bd15b3be)

Trump’s Picks for EPA and Interior Threaten the Future of Clean Water

Sharon Lerner

December 9 2016, 4:39 p.m.

Environmentalists have been rightly focused on the fact that climate deniers Scott Pruitt, Trump’s pick to run the Environmental Protection Agency, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, whom he is expected to nominate for the Department of the Interior, could devastate the Clean Power Plan, the Paris Accord and, through them, national and even global progress on climate change. But Trump’s picks could permanently damage the country’s waters, too.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

Both have a record of wide-ranging hostility toward the environment. As Attorney General of Oklahoma, Pruitt repeatedly (and often unsuccessfully) sued the EPA to stop the agency from doing its job. McMorris Rodgers, a conservative member of the House from Washington who has received almost a half-million dollars in campaign contributions from oil and gas companies, earned a zero rating from the League of Conservation Voters. Both have already made the dismantling of water protections a particular priority.

If appointed, these two foes of the earth will likely usher in dark days for our nation’s lakes, streams, and rivers. Our waterways are already in serious peril, according to an EPA evaluation of U.S. lakes released Friday. According to the report, 30 percent of lakes now contain the pesticide atrazine.

Water contamination will almost certainly increase if Pruitt declines to issue penalties to polluters and cuts the budgets of divisions responsible for enforcement, as his record and rhetoric has indicated he will.

“A lot of how much protection we get has to do with whether the agency chooses to buddy up to the industry or really hold them accountable for the violation of the laws,” said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper. Van Rossum is currently involved in fighting fracking and more than a dozen pipeline projects and fears the threats to the river basin will only increase.

Quote
“Under a Pruitt EPA, we’re going to have a whole agency that’s about turning a blind eye, rather than holding industries accountable and protecting the people,” said van Rossum.

While it will take years to feel the full effects of some environmental disasters, the impact of not enforcing water laws will be felt more quickly. “The scary thing about water is there’s no wiggle room,” said Lisa Garcia, vice president of litigation for healthy communities at Earthjustice. “Once you discharge contamination into our drinking water, that’s an immediate impact. This could turn into real impacts to human health. It’s not something you want to play around with.”

Yet Pruitt and McMorris Rodgers already have. Both nominees have vocally opposed the Waters of the United States Rule, which would extend federal protection to thousands of lakes, rivers, and streams and allow the EPA to use the Clean Water Act to prosecute people who pollute them. Last year, Pruitt sued the EPA over the rule because it would harm the “property rights of the average American.”

Though a court is currently reviewing the rule, as EPA head Pruitt could decide not to defend it or even withdraw it. Other water protections in the works that he could snuff out include a tightening of the rules on lead and copper piping. If finalized, those rules could help prevent another Flint.

“We’re really concerned about lead and copper,” said David Goldston, director of government affairs for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “But really it’s everything.”

The fact that Trump has already surrounded himself with so many enemies of the environment makes the threat all the worse. “An entire constellation of anti-environmental people would clearly put in place policies that are counter to the public interest,” said Goldston.

Now environmental groups are turning their energies to fighting the appointments. Some have noted that only a few Republicans would need to break ranks to block Pruitt’s path in the Senate. And the opposition to McMorris Rodgers has already begun. Just hours after Trump’s choice was reported, Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, called on any senator “with a concern for future generations of Americans” to oppose her: “Rep. McMorris Rodgers poses a clear and present danger to our treasured public lands.”

https://theintercept.com/2016/12/09/donald-trumps-picks-for-epa-and-interior-could-doom-u-s-water/

(https://collapseofindustrialcivilization.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/snap-2013-11-06-at-14-31-28.png)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 12, 2016, 06:16:07 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)


December 12, 2016

Congress   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) Just Passed an Enormous Health (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2932.gif&hash=0eaec4791a5825821998245e7fcd7744b56557fe) Bill, And Few People Noticed


Last week, the Senate passed the 21st Century Cures Act, a controversial bill that provides funding for NIH in exchange for the rolling back of a slew of regulations for drugs and medical devices.

https://youtu.be/mzMlf3WhNTo

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=17901



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 13, 2016, 06:24:47 pm


Will Trump Scrap NASA’s Climate Research Mission?

Posted on Dec 12, 2016

By Andrew Revkin / ProPublica

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/will_trump_scrap_nasas_climate_research_mission_20161212

Agelbert NOTE:
In regard to the above question, see wild bears and their habits in the woods...

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/8b/30/b3/8b30b31e87dddef823ce634725ac42d3.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 14, 2016, 02:24:35 pm
12/12/2016 02:05 PM      print story email story    ShareThis 

Election WAS Rigged, Irregularities Abound

SustainableBusiness.com News

SNIPPET:

Update December 14: 40 Electors have signed the letter.


--- 

Donald Trump should NOT become President of the United States and it is up to Electors to do their job on December 19.

Their job is to select a candidate for president who, as our Founding Fathers envisioned, would be "endowed with the requisite qualifications," says an open letter from 11 Electors to National Intelligence Director James Clapper, asking for more information on Russia's hacking of the election.

How this wasn't a blowout issue during the campaign is beyond me. It was clear that Russians hacked the DNC and released tens of thousands of emails through Wikileaks - clearly to influence the election toward Trump.   
Quote

"Separate from Mr. Trump's own denials of Russian involvement in the election, the confirmed communication between Trump's aides and those associated with the Russian election interference activity raise serious concerns that must be addressed before we cast our votes,"
say Electors

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/26704
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 14, 2016, 02:52:05 pm
Scientists Protest as (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2mo5pow.gif&hash=995f9f6c08dcd54f18425f2bfbe138901cf052b1)Trump Transition Team(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fswear1.gif&hash=87347674f9297191f3f8a447208170617da4caf6) Signals Possible Witch Hunt

SustainableBusiness.com News

When climate scientists (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3) go out on the streets and protest (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53), you know something is up.

Today, they are rallying outside the annual American Geophysical Union annual conference in San Francisco, joined by allies from the climate movement. 26,000 people are attending the conference.

For many years, scientists have been subjected to disinformation from fossil fuel interests and paid-off politicians, and now there is a new challenge: the agencies in charge of protecting our environment will be led by the very people who wish to destroy it.

In a scary move, the Trump transition team asked the Department of Energy (DOE) to deliver a list of employees and contractors who have worked on climate policies under Obama.

DOE is refusing to list names. ;D (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

The 5-page memo asks 74 questions about:

⦁   who attended United Nations climate summits

⦁   who was involved in developing ⦁   social cost of carbon metrics, which requires agencies to weigh the climate impacts of federal projects as part of the evaluation process.

⦁   information on research activities, the basis for DOE statistics, and its ⦁   loan programs.


It also asks for information on specific programs:

ARPA-E, the lead research agency on clean energy innovation, investing $1.2 billion since its 2009 launch in 482 projects

Mission Innovation: US agreement with 22 countries to double investment in basic clean energy research over the next five years

Clean Energy Ministerial: brings energy ministers from 23 countries together to advance clean energy.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-l8RhCa0bIo0%2FTcV9_zAKJuI%2FAAAAAAAAAQE%2Fie11WfOegUI%2Fs320%2Fwitch-hunt.jpg&hash=339c4d25f3876d486bb71891fef225ea301b8272)

"This looks like a scare tactic to intimidate federal employees who are simply doing their jobs and following the facts. I am sure there are a lot of career scientists and others who see this as a terrible message of fear and intimidation - ‘either ignore the science or we will come after you,(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)'" Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told Washington Post.

Warning against "a return to political witch hunts of the 1950s, President-elect Trump must instruct his transition team to cease this profoundly anti-democratic behavior immediately," says David Cox, President of American Federation of Government Employees.

Scared of potential political interference, scientists are feverishly copying reams of government data onto independent servers to protect decades of crucial climate measurements, from sea level rise to statistics on wildfires, reports Washington Post. Database experts are helping to organize mountains of data and to house it on free servers. Offers have come in to fund these efforts and the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund is offering pro bono legal assistance.

A table at this week's conference is piled high with the Legal Defense Fund's booklet, "Handling Political Harassment and Legal Intimidation: A Pocket Guide for Scientists."

This weekend, a "guerilla archiving event" will be held at University of Toronto to catalogue key environmental data from the Environmental Protection Agency on climate change, water, air and toxics programs. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmuscular.gif&hash=1ebeafc0e4589b9d38ab66d37aa940d757e830e9)



Republicans have been de-funding and attacking environmental and climate programs throughout the Obama presidency - this is their chance!   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c)


Today's rally is being streamed live at 3:30pm EST here:
Website: www.facebook.com/ClimateTruth/

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/26705
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 16, 2016, 08:07:59 pm
What Does It Mean When The GOP (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) Says They're Undoing FDR's Legacy? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

https://youtu.be/0mpnMSrL5SE


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 20, 2016, 03:03:16 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

December 20, 2016

Greg Palast on Why Clinton Didn't Push for Michigan Recount - Part 1 of 2

Greg Palast tells Paul Jay that in order to rig and steal elections today, Jim Crow has gone into cyberspace.

SNIPPET from transcript of the following video:

Quote
PAUL JAY: And welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Paul Jay in Baltimore. In his film, released just a few months before the 2016 election, Greg Palast predicted that Donald Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) would steal that election and go on to win. I think he may have been more surprised than anybody when his film turned out to be making a correct prediction, but here he is, and he's going to join us to tell us why and how he thinks it was done. Thanks for joining us, Greg.

https://youtu.be/3C760QhgOHg

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=17918
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 20, 2016, 07:30:45 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmadmikesamerica.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F11%2Ftrump-fascism.jpg&hash=736cf9bb214ec8d5bfcbbedded2089e5ebd2e57f)
To Hell With Godwin's Law... We're There!
https://youtu.be/ms3RVeKvps0

Quote
Thom talks about Donald Trump's incoming administration and how it compares with the actions and statements with those of Adolf Hitler.

***********
 VIDEO NOTES

Godwin's law states : "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Hitler approaches 1"

That is, the more discussion, the more likely that Adolph Hitler's name will appear and be compared to whoever the discussion is all about.

Does Donald Trump's incoming administration compare to the actions of Adolph Hitler?

Have we reached the point where the law is here? Do you see Hitler's name appearing in internet discussions, or is the law a myth?

Mike Godwin, creator of Godwin's Law originally applied it to Usenet groups. Remember them? Now it applies to any threaded online discussion and most online discussion forums.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 21, 2016, 02:12:43 pm
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Greg Palast on Why Clinton Didn't Push for Michigan Recount - Part 2 of 2

Greg Palast tells Paul Jay that there are 75,000 uncounted Clinton votes, but she won't push for a recount because the elite will defend the fake monstrosity called the US electoral system even when their personal interests are at stake.  >:(
 
https://youtu.be/vPJeEkKGlMA

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=17994
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 22, 2016, 02:20:11 pm
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America—Don't Be Fooled, Trump's Cabinet Picks Can Be Stopped

 Michael Brune

Info packed article an video:

http://www.ecowatch.com/stop-trump-cabinet-picks-2157573124.html

Great comment!:

Quote
Pascal Molineaux (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)  · Professor at Universidad Javeriana Cali

Trump's strident anti-environmentalism and know-nothing approach to environmental issues as he vigorously pursues an agenda tailor made to please the Fossil Fuel Lobby and Big Business interests is, well, shamelessly corrupt and his con game will be revealed.

He has conned the American voter like no other, a fox out to ensure his 1% uberrich cronies get THEIR tax cuts, their watered down labor, environmental and fiscal policies so they can grab an even greater share of the national wealth.

He ain't gonna drain no swamp: as a beast if the swamp, he just loves to wallow in its murky waters with his alligator friends!
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 22, 2016, 05:15:10 pm
Trump on Drugs: Nightmare Scenarios Looking Ever More Probable  :P  :(

December 12, 2016 - By Jag Davies
 
What a strange time to be fighting to end the war on drugs and the mentality that gave rise to it.  In recent years we’ve won a wide range of once-unimaginable victories and super-majorities of public support – and yet we now face the prospect of the federal government undoing our painstaking progress and committing newfangled atrocities that were unimaginable just a month or so ago.

There’s little doubt our incoming commander-in-chief is primed to launch a new war on drugs that could be worse than anything we’ve seen before.  He has not just called for doubling down on draconian drug laws – he has also called for more private prisons, rejected restoring the right to vote for millions of Americans living with a felony conviction, and supported unconstitutional “stop and frisk” policing.  He’s even said he’ll deal with opioid addiction by building a magical wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.

In perhaps the most chilling sign yet, the President-elect recently expressed support for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign of mass murder of poor people suspected of using or selling drugs. (And if you think what’s happening in the Philippines can’t in the U.S., it’s time for a wake-up call.)

Long before Trump unveiled his Cabinet of Horrors, his explicit appeals to the most racist, xenophobic elements of American society were foreboding given the drug war’s racist, xenophobic origins and the ongoing, disproportionate targeting, arrest, conviction and incarceration of people of color for drug law violations. Now that Trump’s Cabinet has taken shape, though, his administration has taken on even more sinister dimensions.

Many people initially hoped Trump might at least make good on his campaign promise to let marijuana legalization play out at the state level – but that appears unlikely given his choice for Attorney General is Jeff Sessions, a drug war extremist with a career-long history of racist comments and actions. In recent years, Sessions played a critical role in blocking efforts to reform sentencing policy, asset forfeiture, and marijuana laws. He’s likely to escalate the war on drugs by undermining civil rights, stifling state-level marijuana reforms that have drastically reduced arrests in communities of color, and rolling back any progress in policing and criminal justice made by the Obama administration. (The Drug Policy Alliance is fighting to put the brakes on Sessions’ nomination so please ask your Senator to oppose his nomination here.)

The rest of the Cabinet is looking almost as disturbing as Sessions (which is really saying something).  Last week, Trump selected General John Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security. Kelly served as head of U.S. Southern Command, overseeing drug war efforts in Latin America.  This guy is a true believer in the drug war, and it’s an ominous sign that he’s been tapped to head up Homeland Security (a role, it’s worth noting, that has not previously been occupied by someone from the military – yikes).

Rep. Tom Price, Trump’s choice for director of health and human services, has consistently voted against key medical marijuana measures in Congress.  Price’s healthcare plan would no longer require insurers to cover addiction treatment, which would be a profoundly destructive step backwards.

Even Trump’s pick to head the EPA, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, is an anti-marijuana crusader who sued the state of Colorado in a futile attempt to overturn Colorado’s groundbreaking marijuana legalization law.

Trump hasn’t announced his “drug czar” yet but odds are it’ll be someone with an abhorrent track record.  Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, a staunch opponent of sensible drug policies, is currently a leading candidate to head the Office of National Drug Control Policy.  Bondi vigorously opposed Florida’s medical marijuana ballot measures in 2014 and 2016, and took a heavy-handed, counter-productive approach to her state’s problems with prescription opioids and new psychoactive substances.

This is the time when we find out what we’re really made of.  This new administration is not just an attack on sensible drug polices – it’s an attack on civil and human rights, bent on unleashing vast destruction in historically oppressed communities that have long borne the brunt of the drug war.

It’s more essential than ever that we venture past our growing edges, join together with other movements, and walk the walk when it comes to social integrity and racial justice. It’s going to be a long, challenging struggle – and it will define how history judges us.

Jag Davies is the director of communications strategy for the Drug Policy Alliance.

http://www.drugpolicy.org/blog/trump-drugs-nightmare-scenarios-looking-ever-more-probable
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 22, 2016, 07:30:22 pm
Published on Dec 10, 2016

Dick Gregory Warns America About Donald Trump Victory: "It's Over"

https://youtu.be/iRE8tHXK_Fw

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 22, 2016, 10:41:38 pm
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December 22, 2016

Paul Jay and Abby Martin Say Goodbye to 2016

TRNN's Senior Editor and the Host of Empire Files discuss the critical events of the year, including Trump's victory, the Sanders breakthrough, and the worsening prospects for federal action on climate change.


https://youtu.be/yIY50WVpKco

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=17997
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 23, 2016, 07:22:14 pm
Blaming Russia Is Irresistible to the Democrats (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F165fs373950.gif&hash=ad797fcc08a061d3ae50ee49ccd9f3d517fb7496)  ;)

Posted on Dec 22, 2016

By Paul Street

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/blaming_russia_is_irresistible_to_the_democrats_20161222
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 26, 2016, 06:50:31 pm
Published on Dec 17, 2016

The Twilight of Democracy by Tariq Ali


Tariq Ali discussion on the ideas outlined on his book The Extreme Centre: A Warning, during this years Festival of Dangerous Ideas.

What is the point of elections if result is always the same ??? : a victory for the extreme centre?

Since the end of the Cold War, politics in affluent Western democracies has become a contest to see who can better serve the needs of the market.

Rather than left and right parties representing genuinely different policies, they have converged to create a global economic order where deregulation, free trade, privatisation and market-driven solutions hold sway.

Whether voters agree or not, these things are a given, creating a massive disenchantment with government and a huge challenge to democracy.

Is this political wisdom or suicide?

Stan Grant (Chair)


https://youtu.be/Rw4zu_yGglg
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 28, 2016, 06:18:23 pm
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Agelbert NOTE: As Professor Henry Giroux makes clear, Trump's entire PURPOSE in naming these Swamp Creatures to Government is the total destruction of the social contract along with any remaining shreds of democracy.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605)


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December 25, 2016

Trump's Cabinet, the Church (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) of Neoliberal Evangelicals  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__burp.gif&hash=8ff3ef6c016d8baf5f61ed5e8db58f069b64da00)

Professor Henry Giroux says Trump's appointments signal a future of more war, violent military interventions, and an embrace of Islamophobia.

https://youtu.be/xiEFn0Ja6ms

http://therealnews.com/t2/story:17999:Trump%27s-Cabinet%2C-the-Church-of-Neoliberal-Evangelicals
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 28, 2016, 08:17:37 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Fascism is on the march in Brazil too!  :(   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

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December 27, 2016

An Interview with a Leader from Brazil's Landless Workers Movement

MST's Gilmar Mauro  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3) on the struggle to build a mass organization as an alternative to fascism amidst Brazil's ongoing political crisis.

https://youtu.be/8_mSF4H3ukM

http://therealnews.com/t2/story:18022:An-Interview-with-a-Leader-from-Brazil%27s-Landless-Workers-Movement
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 30, 2016, 05:03:35 pm
Agelbert NOTE: I await 2017 with trepidation.  I expect that, in 2017, the last remaining bit of Liberty we have in the USA will be TRUMPED. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 01, 2017, 06:22:01 pm
https://youtu.be/DYgbL6HjRe8
The Fascist Personality and Rhetoric of Donald Trump

https://youtu.be/flmr7CD6pqU
Trumpocalypse: Neofascist $$ before Democracy 

Published on Nov 13, 2016


[White House 2.0] Neofascism, political philosophy/ movement arose in Europe in the decades following WWII. Like earlier fascist movements, neofascism advocated extreme nationalism, opposed liberal individualism, attacked Marxist and other left-wing ideologies [Now its refugees, Mexicans, Immigrants, Muslims, et al] https://www.britannica.com/topic/neof...

Authoritarian Politics: Trump, Clinton, and Neo-Fascism http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/07/1...

Donald Trump May Select an Architect of Bush’s Torture Program to Run CIA - use of “waterboarding,” the simulated drowning technique once used by the Khmer Rouge and Nazi agents https://theintercept.com/2016/11/11/t...
https://youtu.be/WJpp-0IHC2M

Cornel West: Trump is a “narcissistic neo-fascist in the making - Trump is a Frankenstein of corporate media and there is no way he would have the status that he did if they didn’t cover every word, every tweet,”
http://www.salon.com/2016/05/23/corne...

Fascism Is All the Rage in Europe, and It’s Coming to America
http://www.alternet.org/world/fascism...

Neoliberalism: the deep story that lies beneath Donald Trump’s triumph https://www.theguardian.com/commentis...

Carl Bernstein: Trump is Setting Himself Up to Head ‘Neo-Fascist’ Movement http://www.mediaite.com/tv/carl-berns...

There's a little 'Mein Kampf' in Trump's 'Art of The Deal' http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion...

RISING NAZISM AND RACIAL INTOLERANCE IN THE UNITED STATES A REPORT FOR THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY (ACLU) http://www.hamptoninstitution.org/Ris...

Trump says U.S. should adopt Israel’s racial profiling model, after Huckabee applauds Israel’s anti-Muslim policies - Far-right Republican leaders hope to emulate Israel, where over 50 laws discriminate against Palestinian citizens http://www.salon.com/2016/06/20/trump...

Donald Trump, the American Fascist http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/d...

Father of Fascism Studies: Donald Trump Shows Alarming Willingness to Use Fascist Terms & Styles https://youtu.be/LWvVKTxTCAA

Project for the New American Century http://www.informationclearinghouse.i...

Donald Trump Defends Torture at Republican Debate http://time.com/4247397/donald-trump-...

Playback: Trump, Mussolini and the KKK http://www.politico.com/video/2016/03...

13 Examples Of Donald Trump Being Racist
He claims to have “a great relationship with blacks,” which is totally something a normal person would say.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/d...

Racism in US: More than 200 incidents of harassment reported since Trump won http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wor...

9 times Donald Trump has already betrayed the US voters http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wor...

Martin Luther King- Love your Enemies https://youtu.be/LhMNr9NtSD0

--------------------------------------
Raison d'etre: Citizen Journalist-History Anarchist. TV image metaphor for the controlled fascist media. **** TV-**** Journalism if it's controlled by elite machinery - Fascism. Until
workers of world unite, world-strike as one - together - solidarity of all race: Then all we are is slaves to the fasci corporatism - the machine.

'True revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love'-
'Our every action is a battle cry against imperialism, and a battle hymn for the people’s unity against the great enemy of mankind:
The US' - Ernesto Che Guevara

Satyagraha, ( “holding onto truth”) concept introduced in early 20th century by Mahatma Gandhi to designate a determined but nonviolent resistance to evil.

The machine kills fascists by pencil, music, film and mind.
On doit des egards aux vivants; on ne doit aux morts que la verite.
#Satyagraha #FreePalestine #BDS #AntiWar #BanTheBomb #EndDebt #NoBorders
Everything for everyone and nothing for ourselves.
Sty yu Oginali - Have Strength in Your Journey, My Friend
Let Love Guide You Free. Peace

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 01, 2017, 07:15:24 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-021114150033.png&hash=1a55bc1a81954375c07d21a43c3a26b4bd15b3be)

https://youtu.be/EZU5S4GOkUA

Donald Trump: Make America Hate Again | Part 1 (Documentary)

https://youtu.be/wJquRp5__oY

Donald Trump: Make America Hate Again | Part 2 (Documentary)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 01, 2017, 07:33:03 pm
https://youtu.be/mWnz_clLWpc
Peasants for Plutocracy: How the Billionaires Brainwashed America (Mini-Documentary)

https://youtu.be/IHWyLx8aV40
Plutocracy I: Political Repression in the USA
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 01, 2017, 07:58:24 pm
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Agelbert NOTE: The true history of the well entrenched Plutocracy in the USA is simply NOT taught in the schools OR admitted in the media. How many Americans know that the only reason state and municipal police forces were legislated into existence was as effective anti-labor strike forces? Very few!

And WHY didn't corporations want to keep murdering and brutalizing workers with their private armies like the Pinkertons, as they had done before? Because passing the costs of enslaving the worker to we-the-people (i.e. socializing the costs while privatizing the profits) is what Plutocracy has always been all about. Trump is, as Marx predicted, the logical final stage of these psychopathic Plutocrats.



https://youtu.be/MqZRTlvKNvk
Plutocracy II: Political Repression in the USA


Defying Donald Trump’s Kleptocracy

Posted on Jan 1, 2017

By Chris Hedges

SNIPPET:

Quote
The final stages of capitalism, Karl Marx predicted, would be marked by global capital being unable to expand and generate profits at former levels. Capitalists would begin to consume the government along with the physical and social structures that sustained them.

Democracy, social welfare, electoral participation, the common good and investment in public transportation, roads, bridges, utilities, industry, education, ecosystem protection and health care would be sacrificed to feed the mania for short-term profit.

These assaults would destroy the host. This is the stage of late capitalism that Donald Trump represents.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/defying_donald_trumps_kleptocracy_20170101

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 05, 2017, 06:34:43 pm
Unfortunately, and ironically, the second part of the film "Plutocracy" has had the audio track muted due to a copyright issue.  I watched the first one though.  Very interesting history.  It seems that the plutocracy was forged in the beginning of this country.  Not surprising at all.  It seems a fundamental characteristic of man to organize into a pyramid.  The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

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I don't understand how they get away with it.  That is the mystery to me.  All of the power should be with the people as we have the numbers, but it's not, and seemingly it never has been, as the documentary "Plutocracy" attests to.   

The people give the power to the church by going to it and believing in it, and that's the level just below the 1%.  Below that is the military which is formed from the proletariat class, so the force that protects and ensures the whole system is kept safe by the sons and daughters of the people. 

The rentier class doesn't do **** but profit off of the backs of the people as this depiction shows.  It seems they could easily be overtaken by the people.  I guess that happens by striking, which I never really understood until watching Plutocracy.  I guess striking and boycotting are really the only meaningful actions the proletariat can take.  Protesting doesn't do ****, especially now.  TPTB could give two ****'s whether we protest or not as is obvious by OWS and Standing Rock.

Organizing a massive strike is a Herculean task to be sure.  The only security the people have are their wages, so it has to be bad enough for the fear of no wages to be less than the life that the wages provide.  Over the years the 1% have perfected the means by which they control the masses.  Control of the food via industrial agriculture with terminator seeds and GMO's is probably the most important step by which they control.  They made food easy.  They made it where the people did not have to concern themselves with getting enough food.  It's not good healthy food, but it's cheap and it taste good. 

Next is private property which is what makes money so necessary it seems.  You have to have a place to live...a place to lay your head and stay warm and sheltered.  If all of the land is private property where you have to have permission to be there, than there is nowhere for you to live your life without money.  That's ultimately where they get control of the whole thing, money!  This allows the rentier class to profit off of the peoples backs. 

With control of the food and the money what are the people to do?  Now the people have no idea about food.  To the majority it's something that comes wrapped in petroleum at the big box store.  Where do the big box stores get the food?  It comes from the trucks of course.  Where do the trucks get the food?  From the food factory of course.  Where does the food factory get the food?  What do you mean?  They get the food from the food gettin' place...and that's if the fools even think that far about it, which they mostly don't.  The food just comes from the grocery store and that is all the thinking that is done about it. 

What is it that keeps us enslaved to the system they have put into place?  Is it really the ignorance and gullibility of the masses?  If you can get past the ignorance and gullibility somehow, by educating, then I suppose the next edifice is fear itself.  Or maybe a lack of imagination combined with a sense of powerlessness.  The more stupid the people become the easier it is for them to control us, and nothing is more representative of this process than Trumpty Dumpty as POTUS.  This is straight out of the film Idiocracy.   

The truth is that the people have been dumbed down to the point where they think Trump has their back.  At least a sizeable portion of the people.  The people are satiated by food chemicals, corn syrup, alcohol, nicotine, netflix, iphones, and finally fukitol.   

In the end, and there is an end to this, the 1% have built a house of cards.  We have a global 1% now, and they can all keep the people in check via the system they have built.  The huge global Corporate system that is the true plutocracy has a weakness.  Fossil fuels are that weakness!  The Corporatocracy is dependent on fossil fuels to keep the house of cards propped up.  At some point on the back side of Hubbert's curve there will be enough austerity for the masses that a critical mass will be reached.  There will be a tipping point, and I think that's when we will know that the game is over. 

It will be OWS times 10, only it will not be peaceful.  When there is enough austerity in America there will be nothing that can stop the anger of the proletariat.  Unfortunately they do not understand that fossil fuels are the ultimate reason why their lives have changed.  What will the 1% do when the system begins breaking under the weight of low EROEI energy?  By all measures we are at that point now, but as I have mentioned they are keeping it's dead lifeless body propped up with endless digibit subsidies.  That trick has a shelf life. 

I'm certain the 1% has a plan for the breaking point.  I don't buy that they have no idea about the weakness that's built into their system.  I can buy that the politicians mostly might not know due to ignorance, but the upper echelons are informed.  Why they aren't trying to curtail the whole thing with renewables is a mystery to me, but I'm sure there is a reason for it.  It's likely because they know that there is noway that renewables can be anything more than a bandaid.  That's why I'm starting to believe that their plan is for a massive reduction in population.  Reduce the world population by 5 billion and there's enough fossil fuels to keep this whole shootin' match going until Nibiriu comes or the Sun burns out. 

I'm also not beyond the possibility that the Matrix is a very real thing that we are plugged into.  Some type of holographic trick they have been performing.  This possibility would allow for BAU to continue ad infinitum regardless of the physics we think actual run the whole show.  This whole thing could be the Matrix instead substitute the robots for aliens.  Possibly interdimensional aliens.

https://youtu.be/MqZRTlvKNvk
Plutocracy II: Political Repression in the USA
I am sorry that the Plutocracy II film had the sound muted. When I watched it, the sound was okay. I guess TPTB don't want too much truth to get out there.   :(

GREAT comments on and graphics from Plutocracy II!   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fthankyou.gif&hash=dddf44270b9e7683ff5cbcca041427744de34fe5)

Surly gets all this and is a veritable fountain of historical knowledge on the socialist movement, but for Lucid's benefit I will attempt to summarize Plutocracy II highlights. Surly, If I miss anything, please elaborate.

Plutocracy II begins with the fake Reconstruction. IOW, all efforts to build an egalitarian South failed simply because the North, aside from a lot of fancy rhetoric, had never been egalitarian either.

So the Plutocrats of the North **** the South under the guise of freeing the African Americans, who enjoyed a VERY brief respite (about a decade) from their woes. Things actually got WORSE form them when the convict lease program began.

When the convict lease program kicked in (slavery is legal to this day as long as you are a prisoner Thirteenth Amendment), more African Americans died brutally than during slavery. Carnegie (and other Robber Barrons) made much of their fortunes from the convict lease program. Of course this was a huge problem for white laborers because, whether they worked in mines or a steel mill, they could not compete with slave (convict lease) labor. OF NOTE is the FACT that when slaves were OWNED, slave owners DID NOT want their blacks working in dangerous work like mines or other dangerous work like dynamiting hills for railroad lines. The robber Barons contracted Scotts or Irish (not even considered WHITE at the time) because they were considered "expendable".  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

When white laborers in the north began to organize and demand fair wages and less dangerous working conditions, the Northern Plutocrats pulled the troops keeping the Southerners from re-establishing some form of slavery (i.e. Jim Crow). Capitalist Plutocrats have their priorities, you know.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

The number ONE priority is preservation of CAPITAL. And keeping those laborers at work in the horrendous working conditions and less than subsistence wages in factories and mines and railroads, etc. required TROOPS.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

The "enemy" of the Capitalists was (and still is) organized labor. Therefore, Carnegie and his ilk would do whatever they could to keep labor disorganized. Carnegie would import people from all over Europe to work in his Steel Mills AND MAKE SURE that people working next to each other DID NOT SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE in order to make it difficult for them to organize.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

When that stopped working (an example of strike breaking Slavs joining with others on strike from another nationality that spoke a different language in the first part of the film) because everybody was learning English, the in your face killing and brutality of the Pinkerton "detectives" (ruffian murderers and cutthroats) were brought in. THAT eventually morphed into legislated police forces for the express purpose of breaking strikes.

At the time of the Hay Market situation, the Plutocrats were basically hatching a "use the police to serve Capitalism" modus operandi to pass the cost of breaking strikes to we-the-people.

The Chinese brought to build railroads is another brutal chapter in our plutocracy.

Also of note is that the progressives of the late 19th century were mostly racist. They didn't finally figure out that they should allow Blacks into unions until early in the 20th century. IOW, they were suckered by the divide and conquer strategy of the Plutocrats (that continues to this day in various iterations). Emma Goldman  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) was one of the champions of allowing workers of all races into unions (Wobblies movemet).

McKinley was the choice of the plutocrats. An "Anarchist" (people who actually wanted an egalitarian type of compensation for labor, not destructive terrorists as we have been taught to believe) killed McKinley. Teddy Roosevelt had been positioned as the VP by the Capitalists because he made too much noise about the damage monopolies were wreaking on society. The idea was to keep him neutralized (just like they did to William Jennings Brian). They sweated bullets when Teddy came into power but he turned out to be one of Da Boys despite his rep for "breaking up" the seven sisters of standard Oil that we have all heard about (They CONTINUED to operate as a cabal after being broken up.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) ). "Good old" Teddy went after the "Anarchists", which destroyed the labor movement for about 30 years.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

There is much more here about the careful and deliberate planning (SEE: MENS REA) by the plutocrats to reverse absolutely any pro-labor reform obtained through organized labor through strikes, blood and toil.

The news media as a propaganda arm and the control of the education of the "laborer" classes is all part of this murderous and evil scheme to rob the worker of his due for the sake of accumulating Capital among the plutocrats.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)


In Hawaii, after the "Remember the Maine" false flag operation to steal the Phillipines, Cuba, Guam and Puerto Rico from the Spaniards, the plantation owners, being careful, methodical and forward thinking Capitalists, asked the gooberment to allow them to bring Philipino and Puerto Rican workers because there were "too many Japanese" there and an effort to keep them disorganized had to be made as a good profit guaranteeing (i.e. keep the wages rock bottom) tactic.  It was done.

A few decades later they bragged that it worked well to keep the workers from trusting each other, communicating or organizing against management. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

Not in the film is something I know quite a it about and is applicable to the late 19th century time period when all these horrors were taking place (the USA had the highest accident and death rate in factories of any industrialized country BECAUSE of the Plutocratic Capitalist Robber Barrons). The railroad bridges that failed, the boilers on trains that blew up, the cars that burned quickly and killed all the passengers in derailments, the lack of lighting fore and aft of the trains that resulted in head on collisions or rear ending and of course, the cheap rails (called wild weasels) that killed MORE soldiers during one year of the civil War than those that died in combat, ALL those accidents were preventable BUT, since the USA was a Libertarian "paradise" at the time, no reforms would take place until many, many people died because, uh, the Capitalists had to ensure a profitable railroad bidness...  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

That's all for now. 
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 05, 2017, 06:46:04 pm
Plutocracy II begins with the fake Reconstruction. IOW, all efforts to build an egalitarian South failed simply because the North, aside from a lot of fancy rhetoric, had never been egalitarian either.

True. Sort of. But mostly true.  It was the industrialists (capitalists) of the North which obstructed the path to egalitarianism, not "the people". It was the  industrialists (capitalists) which did so in the South as well.  America was FOUNDED as -- and to be -- a class society, with the rich being the powerful and the poor being a servant class to the rich.  It is by design, and that design is built into the US Constitution itself.  As David Graeber so well explained it in his The Democracy Project, the founders generally feared and despised democracy, which they actually called "anarchy".

The Democracy Project, by David Graeber
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13330433-the-democracy-project (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13330433-the-democracy-project)

America had a profound flaw (and radical contradiction) in its original design and Constitution.  It was a nation founded on slavery and genocide, sexism, racism, and classism was "baked into the cake" from the beginning.  The American Revolution was only a beginning.  It continues to this day as a class conflict.  Always had class conflict built right in.


Well said. Thank you for the link.
      (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)       (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191456.bmp&hash=a239c2fd76d20d142f1c54b961e22ebd0d2a4808)

It still amazes me learning all of this.  Society does such a good job believing the bullshit.  You don't have a chance growing up in public school, like I did (not sure it's any different in private schools).  The pledge of allegiance itself is complete bullshit, but I guess that's all that is necessary to get people proud of their country.  When I was young I remember being proud of my country, which is something I find trite now. 

What was I proud of though?  A bunch of fuc king lies is what.  Then I joined the Navy and really got brainwashed, at least in boot camp.  It took me a week to shake myself out of that.  I'll never forget the moment I woke up from it to.  I went for a run and it dawned on me that I had been brain washed.  I stopped into a convenience store and got a pack of smokes and walked home smoking cigarettes. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgen152.gif&hash=d5b10968fe56c4cb95fae17cee3cb420a5f4e2da)  :-[

Anyways, people just take so much sh it at face value...especially government propaganda


(https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/files/2012/02/PhilipMorris.jpeg)

Sad, but true. Teach your children well, Lucid.

Now you know why the internet is a bit of a problem for the Plutocrats AND why Trump wants to end net neutrality. We-the-people are pretty efficient at countering false propaganda with truth based propaganda. Here's a nice poster I cooked up from an old Pearl Harbor gooberment propaganda poster. I recommend you pass it on. Our only weapon is the truth. We need to use that weapon while we still can.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 06, 2017, 02:29:46 pm
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Oh puh-leasee.... the infamy was when the nomination was stolen from Bernie.  Had that never happened, November 8th would have turned out quite differently.

We can thank the "leadership" of the Democratic party for that.

On one hypothesis, the Democrats (as a whole) didn't give Bernie the party nomination because they (a) feared he was not electable, or less electable than Hillary, or (b) because they preferred Hillary for other reasons.

This is certainly possible.  But I suspect what really happened is that the entrenched powers within the Democratic party leadership are beholden (or committed) to perpetuation of business as usual politics -- which, in reality, delights the folks who really own and run the country regardless of whether it's under the Democratic or Republican brand.

There are those who would seek to overhaul and transform the Democratic party so that it could be supportive of a candidate such as Bernie, but I suspect that's just what the powers that be want to have happen. That seeking.  It consumes a lot of time, money, energy, devotion... and goes nowhere.  Always.  And not for the reasons people think.   Both parties have a job to do, and it is to kiss corporate ass and serve the rich. Which includes the arms manufacturers, let's not forget that.  And the arms manufacturers need to have their stuff blown up so they can sell more of it, and so forth.

I'm not sure putting up a "third party" is the answer either.  The same dynamics which made Bernie go away will make that third party go away, too.  If we're going to create change we need a radically different strategy.  Something fresh which doesn't wince at the stark, ugly fact of Corporate Capture.  CC needs to be challenged directly, once and for all, decisively.  We should all be pretty weary of business as usual politics as a strategy for "change". Right?


"American corporations today are like the great European monarchies of yore: They have the power to control the rules under which they function and to direct the allocation of public resources. This is not a prediction of what’s to come; this is a simple statement of the present state of affairs. Corporations have effectively captured the United States: its judiciary, its political system, and its national wealth, without assuming any of the responsibilities of dominion."

https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2012/01/05/the-corporate-capture-of-the-united-states/ (https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2012/01/05/the-corporate-capture-of-the-united-states/)


Sad, but true.
Quote

“Two centuries ago, a former European colony decided to catch up with Europe. It succeeded so well that the United States of America became a monster, in which the taints, the sickness and the inhumanity of Europe have grown to appalling dimensions”  ― Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth

Quote
This mythical narrative is disseminated in films, on television, by the press, in churches, in universities and by the state. It is a lie. But it is a lie that works.

And it works because it is what we want. It appeals to our fantasies about ourselves:
that we are a virtuous people,
that God has blessed us above others,
that we have the highest form of civilization,
that we have been anointed to police the world and make it safe,
that we are the most powerful and righteous nation on earth,
that we are always assured of victory,
that we have a right to kill in the name of nationalist values—values determined by our naked self-interest and that we conveniently define as universal. - Chris Hedges
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_real_enemy_is_within_20150906 (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_real_enemy_is_within_20150906)

Empires always devolve into Liberty for the few and Misery for the rest.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fswh.schoolworkhelper.netdna-cdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F05%2FAztec-Empire.jpg%3Fx37075&hash=c8db2bc37129a2986249736d538d611c1aec6577)

How Did the Aztecs Feel about Alcohol?   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2.gif&hash=e8f8c104b70e8c8b4b4c9981bcb36ed1cfbab01c) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6869.gif&hash=f94938471d343a09155d1f60eefacdb2ceab2457)

The Aztecs did not tolerate crime or misbehavior in their society. Numerous offenses were punishable by death in the Aztec legal system, including homicide, perjury, robbery, destruction of crops, witchcraft, and even public drunkenness -- but only for younger offenders. Aztec elders could consume as much alcohol as they wished. The Aztecs' tipple of choice was pulque, a mildly alcoholic drink made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant. In the Aztec language, it was known as octli. The beverage's potency could be increased by adding certain roots and herbs.

Matters of life and death:

•Capital punishment could be carried out in a number of different ways, including hanging, stoning, beheading, disembowelment, burning, and quartering. If the victim chose to forgive the perpetrator, the death sentence could be vacated, and the perpetrator would become a slave of the victim’s family.

•Adultery was also a capital offense. Men were punished for adultery only if they had relations with a married woman. Married women were considered guilty regardless of the circumstances.

•The children of Aztec nobility could be sentenced to death if they were disrespectful, cowardly, or wasteful.

http://www.wisegeek.com/did-people-in-ancient-civilizations-drink-alcohol.htm (http://www.wisegeek.com/did-people-in-ancient-civilizations-drink-alcohol.htm)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 06, 2017, 02:43:25 pm
I think there is no reason why we should not be able to feed, clothe, shelter, educate, and provide medicine for all people on Earth regardless of their abilities.  I think we have the technology now, and we still have the energy, to do this.  Providing these things for all people would not remove the desire to perform in society.

I would be the first to come out in favor of taking the money we waste on war (and give to the Daddy Warbucks of the world), and spend it on social services. No problem with that.

But...I think that cheap energy creates a positive feedback loop for population growth, that can't be solved by doing the good works you're suggesting. Most people in the world have no control whatsoever over their reproduction. What prevents them from having 20 kids is just the limits imposed by reality, money, and in some cases, starvation and famine.

I also truly believe that in the absence of a need to work hard, most people have little interest in bettering themselves with education and innovation and entrepreneurship. My kids will never do what I did, because...they've never been as hungry as I once was.

That creates a negative feedback loop too, btw. They know they will likely never make the money I do, and their response is to NOT reproduce. We see this big time in Japan, but it's happening here too among the upper middle class, because they do have control over their reproduction. And what happens is that the people with some of the best opportunities, best brains, and best educations just die off without passing on anything to anybody.

It doesn't solve the population problem. It just dumbs down the whole planet.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.collider.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F02%2Fdonald-trump-president-camacho-idiocracy-slice-600x200.jpg&hash=c230088025939e1480eebe1caea5b90e5867f671)

For ten points and 25 words or less.

Would incentives solve the problem of shaping desirable behavior and if so what would the incentives be?

The 25 words or less only applies to the first part of the question.

(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR4drdotRcxfVuv2OCwQPoT7_7dh4aHJ3uRHmS2pdgdYeRA5qko)

Fear not, natural selection will return.

Natural Selection never went away. Rex Tillerson and Trump provide EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE OF THAT.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220815161550.png&hash=f95989290a4fca22333fc772d8abd90a6764d4d8)

The future is bright - FOR Tardigrades - extremophiles inherits earth
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8f/53/a0/8f53a09c9eaa9565e80341dfc9c779b1.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 06, 2017, 03:24:03 pm
It seems we've hit upon a major divide here. 

I'm not sure where I stand on the issue, but I think about it a lot.  Maybe I can stream of consciously lay it out here.

I think there is no reason why we should not be able to feed, clothe, shelter, educate, and provide medicine for all people on Earth regardless of their abilities.  I think we have the technology now, and we still have the energy, to do this.  Providing these things for all people would not remove the desire to perform in society.  It doesn't have to be a gift economy without money of the type Eisenstein calls for.  Basically all that would be needed would be to divert the billions of dollars per year that we spend on war, and weapons of war, to providing these basic necessities to all people.  There is no reason this can't be done, at least idealistically. 

The reason why we should do this is because there is no such thing as a "useless eater."  Even the lowliest piece of **** welfare junkie crack head(and I am well qualified to comment on this having spent 8 years dealing with them on the streets during my stent on the mat wagon), deserves these basic human necessities met regardless of their contribution to society.  I think there would need to be some caveats in place for drug abuse.  If someone is lowly enough to turn down psychological help, and rehab, than they should not be afforded medical treatment beyond emergency care.  However, if all basic human necessities were met for all people, then there would be less reason to marinate in drug abuse.  What I'm talking about is providing the simple bare necessities, no extravagant things would be provided for free. 

Upward mobility would be provided for pending you had the discipline and brains.  In this theoretical system the sky would still be the limit...within limits at least.  Maybe 1 million dollars per year would be the cap one would be able to make...something like that.  The highest paid positions would be awarded to those positions in society that required the most school and training to achieve. 

Maybe what I have outlined above is socialism, but I don't see it that way.  I'm just talking about what I believe should be the case because there is no good reason why it should not be.  This still allows for people to be rewarded for their ability and talents.  It still provides plenty of reason to excel.  You would have more money, better dwellings, better food...you would live better than those on the bottom.  It would still be a pyramid.  I suppose this would not allow for capitalism, but I'm starting to think that this would not be a bad thing. 

What is the reason why we should have 80% of the wealth of the world in the hands of 1% of the people on it (or some such statistic)?  The only people who would think this is a good idea are those at the top, with the 80%.  There is no reason why anybody should have hundreds of millions of dollars; never mind billions of dollars.  Nobody should have multiple homes and personal jets.  These simply is no reason for that much extravagance in life.  Nobody should have that much while there are human beings currently pilled on inflatable dingys trying to escape from a land torn apart by capitalist pigmen who are doing it simply to line their bank accounts with more billions. 

We all have the Buddha nature within us, or the Christ within.  We are all divine beings worthy of basic human needs being met.  I'm aware that there are no good worthless pieces of **** that deserve nothing but to be imprisoned, and we could allow for that in this society.  If you are a worthless piece of **** then you can be relegated to a shitty life where you are imprisoned and are made to work for free for the betterment of society.  Yet even currently our prisoners are afforded shelter, clothing, medicine, food, and education.  Why should it be that free citizens, who have done nothing wrong, should not be afforded those things? 

There is only one thing that keeps a system as I have just outlined from being reality, and that is quite simply greed. 

Money is the brainchild of greed, and it really is the root of all evil.  Jesus said as much, as did the Buddha, as did all of the worlds true spiritual leaders.  They say as much because it's the truth.  Anyone who does not realize that is deluding themselves so that they can feel good about having more than everybody else. 

I realize this is all theoretical idealism.  It's not reality.  Therefore, it not being reality, and this bullshit capitalistic society being what we have; we are forced to operate within the system we have.  We are forced into this participation of **** and pillage.  We are forced into playing the game whose goal is to get as much as we can for our family and friends.  Sure, we have the choice to give to those who have less, but in the end we have to get for ours first.  In the end I will feed my children while yours starve because they are my children and those are yours.  It is not my choice to have a system like this. 

I see no reason why we can't be egalitarian...no reason except greed.
 

You are 100% correct.

Here's the ideological elephant in the room. Milton Friedman said he was a Libertarian. That is applicable to this discussion because the world view of humans is shaped by what they VALUE. A Libertarian of the so-called "right" wing (actually the NON-egalitarian cretins among us), including most Republicans (and a LOT of Democrats too!), values REAL money (i.e. precious metals) over people. To them, the ""worth" of a human being is measured by the amount of utilitarian  output (for the purpose of obtaining REAL money) that can be extracted from said person.

An egalitarian person values people over REAL money (or even fiat legal tender law funny money, for that matter). You are an egalitarian, as am I.

Those that value REAL money over people will always brand us as wishful thinkers because they are greedy. They believe everybody is just like them.

That is the divide that makes Plutocracy a shell game of multiple levels of BS from the NON-egalitarians to justify their empathy deficit based greed.

If they were honest, they would just come our and say that they believe in Liberty for the elite and Misery for the rest. But honesty is not part of the world view of a greedy person. Mendacity and double talk for the purpose of justifying the denial of decent pay and living conditions for their fellow man IS. Lying and stealing are next door neighbors.

Set aside several hours and watch the following video. It will clarify why the status quo is so warped and why it has such inherent inertia constantly blocking egalitarian reforms. They value Money, not people. They perpetrate and live that injustice because they honor greed.


The POWER Principle
https://youtu.be/MdvzAwuXRDQ
A word of advice. Do not scold NON-egalitarian true believers. They are so full of pride that they eschew wisdom and reject humility. Thy will resort to sarcasm and mockery of the basest sort. Don't waste your time with them.

Proverbs 9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he shall hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 06, 2017, 06:33:12 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221215212409.png&hash=a468474328aca658690b57ec357614360c510849)

Does No One Care That 7 Million Votes Were Not Counted? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ff743217795e126d61e2b86481f9dfb4a%2Ftumblr_inline_n1mtftG9F61rl7j9n.gif&hash=25000cf9e1feb1f365967eaa49f40a1668cade50)

https://youtu.be/aJ7fWV-o0nk

http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/does-no-one-care-7-million-votes-were-not-counted


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 07, 2017, 02:21:08 pm
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Here’s What You Need to Know on Six of Trump’s Cabinet Nominations

By Jo Miles

We all expected that Trump's cabinet would mean trouble for many of the things we care about, from clean energy and healthy communities to our very democracy itself. But his chosen nominees are worse than we could have imagined. These individuals, responsible for the policies and decisions that affect the lives and well-being of all Americans, have a combined net worth of more than $13 billion so far—that's five times the net worth of President Obama's cabinet and more wealth than a third of American households. As you might expect, their ties to corporations run deep and those ties are reflected in their positions and past actions.

Here's what you should know about what Trump's nominees (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) mean for our food, water, environment and democracy—and how you can oppose their confirmations:
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http://www.ecowatch.com/pruitt-tillerson-zinke-perry-2182272584.html?page=1
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 07, 2017, 04:45:09 pm
Quote
Why you should worry: Pruitt has bragged about suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) multiple times, has often decried its decisions and now he's on deck to run it. His troubling history includes:

He opposed attempts to regulate fracking on federal lands.
He condemned the EPA's attempts to study fracking's impact on drinking water as politically motivated.

Um.  Well.   YEAH!  What with the Right Wing Creepazoids doing everything they possibly can to turn the EPA into the precise opposite of what it was ostensibly created to be... Well, YEAH!  Does anyone really believe there is anything not touched by political motivation?  How about the US Supreme Court? No politics there? A firewall is there to keep politics out?

These people!  Have they no shame?  (Rhetorical question, obviously.)


Agreed. Trump's fossil fuel government swamp creatures are a cancer on we-the-people.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 07, 2017, 05:45:25 pm
PBS'S FRONTLINE DOCUMENTS THE REAL DONALD J. TRUMP
 

By Major Tom   

Saturday Jan 07, 2017 ·  8:00 AM EST  184   Comments 

Even at this post election time, it's truly amazing (in the worst sense of the word) how very little Americans and the American mass media know about the real persona and true character (indeed, the very essence of the man) known as Donald J. Trump. 

Well, if you want to begin to know the real Donald J. Trump, you must view PBS's Frontline documentary program entitled "President Trump," which I believe first aired on January 3, 2017.  If you do this, you will finally know (if you haven’’t already) how much of an existential danger the world is in right now.

For example, the program documents the following: Donald's father, Fred Trump, inculcated very early into his young son his own "golden rule" (actually the "Trump Family Rule").  It was that life was a constant continuum of hard fought battles in which one must take no prisoners but had to completely and mercilessly destroy one's competition, one's foes.  In this regard, Fred Trump told his boy to think of himself as a "KILLER," when he successfully destroyed his competition.  However, if his son were to lose against his foes, then his father told Donald, he would be a crushed loser and would amount to a nothing disgrace in life. 

Fred also inculcated into his son the idea that he came from a long genetic line of highly superior and exquisite genes, and therefore he would always be superior to everyone else in the world.   

Of course, Donald took his father's advise and thoughts (as described above) to the very core of his heart and always tried (at all costs) to be the winner or a KILLER).  However, this resulted in young sociopathic Donald Trump becoming a terrible bully at home (and his parents were not spared), in the streets and at school (nor were his teachers spared); and his father realized this, so he sent his bratty, sassy and disobedient son (when he was in the 7th grade) to the strictest military academy in New York, the New York Military Academy located near West Point. 

The New York Military Academy was brutal and was a totally enveloping place.  Hazings were commonplace and students were often physical assaulted by the school cadre.  Also, commonplace were prearranged fights in which students would have to fight other students (without cause or justification) whether they wanted to or not.  (By the way, two of Donald's classmates were the sons of the gangster John Gotti and the son of then Cuban dictator Baptista.) 

Yet, over time, despite the constant "rough and tumble" environment of the military academy, Donald came to love it and he actually thrived there; and he especially loved the fact that there was a military prize to be won for most every activity at the school, be it in school or out of school activities.  Narcissistic Donald also excelled at sports and was a star athlete there, bragging (even to this day) that he could have played pro-baseball. 

Still, what gave Donald the most pride was the fact that his peers at the military academy in the school's year book named him as "The Ladies' Man."  For he and his cadet peers at the school, even more than sports, were at the time into explicit sexual subjects (calling it "barracks talk") and into the "Playboy" magazine (and the walls of most of the cadet rooms evidenced it); and for them Hugh Hefner was the ultimate iconic role model.  Many of the boys later in life admitted that the sexist ideas and notions of what was contained in "Playboy" was exactly how most boys thought women were all about and were to be treated.  Of course, most of these military school peers dramatically changed their views of women upon leaving school; but not Donald J. Trump.  Indeed, many of these now grown up and aged academy classmates also stated that Donald has not changed at all over time with regard to any of his views, including those of women.  This static view of self is supported by the fact that Donald Trump himself has stated more than once in the past that he "has not changed since the first grade."

After graduating from college and after Donald Trump had delved head first into the real estate business in Manhattan proper, he sought out and found a mentor (which he subsequently thought of as a second father - and certainly one he did not have to compete with like he did with his father, Fred).  That person was none other than lawyer, Roy Cohn.  Of course, it was the same Roy Cohn who became a close confidant, associate, alter ego, attack dog and errand boy of Senator Joe McCarthy of the communist witch hunt infamy of the 1950's.

As expected, fellow sociopath Roy Cohn taught Donald many bad and unethical things which included the idea that whenever Trump was sued that he must always counterclaim (and by doing so be a vicious counter puncher) in an amount many times that amount he was being sued - as this would likely delay the trial date of the case (justice delayed is justice denied) and force the plaintiffs to spend large sums to defend his ridiculous counterclaims.  He also told Trump to always make a case that he, Trump, was the true victim in the case.  His mentor also advised Trump to never settle unless it were for paltry sums.

Roy Cohn also told Trump that no matter whether it was a loss in business or a loss in court to always declare himself (over and over again) the winner; and repeat this many times publicly and people will eventually come to believe that lie. (Sound familiar?)  He also told him to never admit an error or a mistake.  (Also sound familiar?)  In this vein, Trump coined a term "truthful hyperbole," which meant that so long as there was at least a smidgeon of truth in what he said in any statement he might make, he could lie about anything else contained in that statement - and doing that has clearly become an indispensable and integral part of his lifelong modus operandi.  Of course, there is no such thing as "truthful hyperbole." 

At this point I will cease in describing the Frontline documentary, since I do not want to ruin the program by telling all of it here.  You must see it yourself because it surely is a must see; so please find it and down load it, so that you might understand how Donald J. Trump has become the devious psycho-sociopath that he truly is today.

Finally, it is too bad that this documentary did not air in last October last.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/7/1617979/-PBS-S-FRONTLINE-DOCUMENTS-THE-REAL-DONALD-J-TRUMP

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 08, 2017, 06:35:25 pm
January 8, 2017
Obama's (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)  Economic Legacy: Recovery for the Architects  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605)  of Financial Crisis (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smilies.4-user.de%2Finclude%2FSpiele%2Fsmilie_game_017.gif&hash=e8548890f80af23241a1d43a1ab1ca8031301f20)

Underpinning people's rage towards the establishment is the sense that modern capitalism is no longer working, says economist Richard Wolff

https://youtu.be/A_UcbhcM5hE
SHARMINI PERIES: It's The Real News Network. I'm Sharmini Peries coming to you from Baltimore.

   The final monthly jobs report for the Obama Presidency is out. Obama is leaving office with an unemployment rate of 4.7%, down from the 10% he inherited after the 2007 to 2008 financial crises. Over 11.3 million union jobs were created during the Obama years, and over two million of those jobs were created in 2016.

But these new stats should be put in context of a recent economic study done by Princeton and Harvard University by Lawrence Katz and Allen Krueger, the paper titled, "The Rise and Nature of Alternative Work Arrangements in the United States, 2005 to 2015." And it shows that almost 95% of the jobs created in the decade were positions that often lack legal protections, health insurance, pensions and job security, essentially what we call contract work.

Here to take a longer view of Obama's legacy for workers, is Richard Wolff. Richard is a Professor Emeritus in Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and currently a visiting Professor of Graduate Program, in International Affairs, at the New School University, in New York. His latest book is "Capitalism's Crisis Deepens". Richard, good to have you with us.

RICHARD WOLFF: Thank you.

SHARMINI PERIES: Richard, let's get your response to these latest figures, and how we should understand Obama's legacy, or record of 75 months of straight job growth in the United States?

RICHARD WOLFF: Well, I think the way to understand it is to draw a parallel. If you go to a doctor and you want to have an assessment of your health, how you are doing, and how your body is behaving. If the doctor gave you one measure, one test, for example, your blood pressure or, for example, some test of the sugar in your blood, or whatever it was, and said, "Well, that's it. You're in great health," because this one measure makes you look good, you would never see that doctor again.

   This is not a serious way to assess your health. There have to be many measures, of the many dimensions, that go into a healthy person's situation. And the same is true of the economy.

   Yes, it is wonderful for Mr. Obama and his defendants, and Mrs. Clinton, in the race, to talk about one of the measures, one of the relatively few measures that things have gotten better over the last 10 to 12 years that they're trying to talk about. But the reality is the minute you look at a normally diverse set of measures, the story changes, and dramatically. And that's why it's very important to refer to the Katz and Krueger papers. Because they are a measure of how good the jobs are, that were gotten -- how secure they are, what benefits go with them. And on almost all of those measures, the situation has deteriorated over the last 10 years.

And even, if I have a moment to go a bit further, one of the reasons the unemployment number is down, is not because unemployed people got jobs, but because unemployed people stopped looking for jobs, they were so depressed. And when that happens, the way we calculate unemployment in the United States, the unemployment number goes down, because the number of people without work looking has gone down. But it's not because they got jobs.

When you put it all together, the reality is, that, for working people in the United States, the last 10 years have been very, very bad. And what's worse is they come on top of the previous 20 years, when they weren't very good either -- which is why the gap between rich and poor has gotten so much more extreme.

And to put it all in a blunt way, it's why the predictions that Mr. Obama's successor, Mrs. Clinton, would win the election, that assumption was destroyed. And, in large part, it was because the reality of what has happened to working people's situation turned them against the Democratic Party, made them leave the Democratic Party, and particularly the central wing, the Clinton wing. And so we can see in a very dramatic way that these one set of numbers of unemployment simply fail to grasp the reality.

SHARMINI PERIES: And, Richard, these illusions that are created for us with these kinds of job creation numbers, or unemployment numbers, people like you and other good economists at your university, CEPR, Centre for Economic Policy Research, in Washington, they have all been critiquing these kinds of numbers for so long, because it does create the illusion that this problem is being addressed.

Why isn't it getting through? I know you're going to say for political reasons, but give us some specifics of how they're playing with us.

RICHARD WOLFF: Well, it's because so much of our culture has been invaded by the logic of advertising. You know, it's one thing to have professors, experts in various ways, can have all kinds of disagreements, but they're trying to understand a phenomenon. But it's a very different story when someone enters the conversation, not in order to put forward an explanation among others, but in order to sell something. Advertising enters the discourse with an ulterior motive to market something.

So, for example, Mr. Obama wants a legacy, which I understand. Wants to be thought of as a great success, which I understand. And so he fastens on something that makes him look good -- the way the seller of a soda pop will tell you how refreshing it is, but will not tell you about the calories in it, or the damage to obesity numbers in the country, and so on.

So, we are full of a society in which the people with the most money, the big institutions, the big corporations, long ago learned that they can overwhelm scientific analysis -- whether it be of cigarettes, whether it be of obesity -- it can overwhelm the science, the effort to understand, with the effort to market.

And that makes it very difficult for those who are still trying to understand something, to have a reasoned debate with people they disagree with. Because both sides of the disagreement tend to be overwhelmed by the much better funded approaches that have something to sell, something to prove, and therefore, distort the conversation.

SHARMINI PERIES: Right. So, not only in terms of creation of jobs and dealing with the unemployment rate, Obama also managed, while he was doing all of that, to also make sure that the market and the stock markets did well again, incredibly, in terms of the period he has governed. What was the impact of these gains on working people?

RICHARD WOLFF: Well, I think it can be summarized as the following: Every major index that I look at, and I look at quite a few, indicates that both before Obama, and before the crisis of 2008, and afterwards, the gap between rich and poor has widened in the United States.

What was done to restock and to recapitalize the banks? What was done to flood the economy with money that would find its way into bidding up stock prices? All of those things brought a real recovery to the very people at the top most responsible for the crisis in the first place. So, they got through it, they were helped by the government the most. They were the ones who were most responsible for it. They've enjoyed a recovery.

For the mass of the American people, there has been no recovery. They continue to see the gap between themselves and the richest 5% of the population get wider. The jobs they have now are not as good, not as secure as the ones they had before the crisis. They're wondering about this recovery they hear about, which seems to have passed them by.

Which is why we have Mr. Trump. Which is why we have a society straining, as comparable societies in Europe and elsewhere are also doing. But the end result is to say, "We are in a society whose capitalistic structure is straining the acceptability of this system. The instability, the inequality is simply more than the people of this society can tolerate." They don't yet have a clear way out, they don't have a clear way forward, but their anger, their rage, their dislike for the establishment they hold responsible, is obvious.

From the elections in Italy -- they got rid of that government -- to the Brexit vote in England, to Mr. Trump's election here, to the forthcoming elections in France and elsewhere, you can see percolating this sense that there is something fundamentally no longer working in modern capitalism. And that, I think, is shaping more of what's going on than anything else I can point to.

SHARMINI PERIES: Right. It's wonderful that some of your analysis, offline we were talking about, Richard, your radio program, and other things you're doing to educate ordinary workers about these kinds of issues. But overwhelmingly it's difficult for people to understand, because this is rather abstract.

So when I, over the holidays, every time I met anyone, I asked them about Obama's legacy and specifically, what they think his obstacles were in terms of making lives better for ordinary people like us. And often they cite that he inherited a great depression, and he had to work through all the economic turmoil that Bush had left behind. And also they make excuses for what he didn't do. So, let's try to address that question. What could he have done?

RICHARD WOLFF: Well, I think it's fair to be fair to him, and it's fair to say that he certainly did inherit an economic system in severe crisis. The last four months of 2008, here in New York City, where I live and work, were times when the people in the know, working in the Federal Reserve, working in the biggest banks, really wondered whether the system was about to break down and not function. And I mean not function in the practical way. The truck's not coming into the city with bread and milk for people, all of that because everything was in such terrible shape.

And, yes. Mr. Obama comes into office right in the middle of all of that, and so has a hard row to hoe. I get that. And we're through it. We're not as bad now as we were then. But what could he have done?

Well, he could have gotten us to a much, much better place than he chose to do. And let me give you just two concrete examples. He followed what really ought to be called Trickle-Down Economics. He helped the people at the top -- whether it was by flooding them with money through a Federal Reserve, or flooding the big companies with wonderful contracts, so that they could do things that were a stimulus to the economy and so on.

Helped all those at the top. Recapitalized the banks. Give the people at the top all the resources, in the hope that it would trickle down to everybody else. And as has always happened when you proceed in that way, the trickling is disappointing.

The folks at the top say, "Thank you, very much," and keep most of it for themselves. That's certainly what happened here. He could have chosen an alternative, called Trickle-Up, rather than Trickle-Down. Helped the people at the bottom, the ones who clearly need it most -- working people, unemployed people, poor people. Give them the way to spend more money, to have a better life, and that will create the demand for jobs and the profits for the companies who make the things that the mass of people can be empowered to buy. Rather more like what Franklin Roosevelt did, the last time capitalism collapsed, in the 1930s. Obama could have tried to go in that direction. Well, he didn't.

   Second point. Sometimes when you say that to the Obama folks, they come back with, what you called an "excuse" and I think you're right. "Well, I couldn't do it because the Republicans wouldn't let me." "I didn't have the support from below that would have been sufficient to overcome the obstacles placed in my way by the Republicans who undermined everything I tried to do."

Yes, he has a point, there's a grain of truth there. But let's be really honest here. A president who wanted to overcome the opposition of the Republican Party, and to build a support from below to do that, would have had to go out into this country and be the leader folks had hoped he might be when they elected him in 2008.

He would have had to respond to all the initiatives from below that showed a population angry and determined to change things. Had he chosen to be their leader, then there would have been a groundswell from below. That might have had a chance to break through the obstacles of the Republican Party. And in 2011 he was given that opportunity. It's called Occupy Wall Street.

In 350 cities across America -- Real News Network covered it too -- there were movements that showed masses of people who wanted fundamental change, and would have been the mass base for a change and a confrontation with the Republicans. But Mr. Obama chose not to respond to that. In fact, he coordinated the destruction by bulldozers, in many, many of the major cities of America, of the encampments that came to symbolize Occupy Wall Street.

That is, not only did he not welcome the support from below that he said was missing, but when it actually appeared, he helped to destroy it. He can't then come back and say to us, "I didn't have the support from below that might have made it possible for me to go in another direction." He, unfortunately, missed the opportunity created by his own election, and by the momentum of that moment, he missed the opportunity to become the kind of leader in this economic collapse of capitalism that Roosevelt was back in the 1930s.

And that's not to argue that everything Roosevelt did was wonderful and complete, it wasn't. But compared to what Mr. Obama tried, Mr. Roosevelt went much further. And Mr. Roosevelt proved that if you tax corporations and the rich, which he did, to help the mass of people with social security, unemployment compensation and a public jobs program, which Mr. Roosevelt did, not only do you get out of the Depression with trickle-up, rather than trickle-down, but you become the popular president, the most popular president in American history. Roosevelt was re-elected three times. No president had ever had an experience like that -- you don't fail politically if you do that, you succeed.

So Mr. Obama, who wants a legacy, now has to face the daunting reality that he didn't take the steps early in his campaign, in the face of this crisis, didn't learn from his predecessor as a Democratic president, and now suffers from a weak legacy. But part of the fault therein, lies with him.

SHARMINI PERIES: All right, Richard. We have many more topics to talk about. I want to get into the Dodd-Frank Act and its success or failure, in our next segment. Let's continue our discussion in part two, many more topics to take up.

RICHARD WOLFF: My pleasure. I'll be glad to.

SHARMINI PERIES: Thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=18086
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 09, 2017, 06:22:14 pm
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https://youtu.be/A4NgFcUB-c4

Quote
Published on Jan 8, 2017

Paul Street tells Paul Jay that in the first two years of Obama's first term when the Democrats controlled both houses, the president "stood between the bankers and the pitchforks" instead of using the moment for real reform.

Help support The Real News by making a donation today: http://therealnews.com/donate

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 10, 2017, 07:50:16 pm
Right Wing Christians are Starting to Get Buyer's Remorse

Agelbert NOTE: Chuck Baldwin is a Pastor in Montana. He is more of an honest (liberty for everyone, not just the elite) Libertarian than a Republican. He is also A Christian that talks straight about how wrong war is, how wrong scaring us into hating Muslims is, and what ACTUAL Christian behavior is and is not. So, I post this here as a evidence that the more rational people among the Christians are realizing that, like many of us leftists with Obama the fake populist, they have been conned by the fake populism of Trump. I don't agree with everything Chuck says, but I think he is talking a LOT of sense here.

Did Jeb Bush Win The Election?

Published: Thursday, December 1, 2016 

Conservatives and Christians who supported Donald Trump need to wake up to the reality that the election is over. The Wicked Witch of the West, Hillary Clinton, lost, and their guy won. What that amounts to is, campaign rhetoric means absolutely NOTHING now. Donald Trump is the President-Elect. From this moment on, we must stop judging Trump on his rhetoric and start judging him on his actions. And the man is busy right now putting his presidential administration together. These are the men and women that are going to be in control of trillions of taxpayer dollars and are going to have their own gigantic sphere of authority and influence over our lives. The kind of people Donald Trump selects for these key leadership posts speaks volumes about the kind of administration he will have. And it is on this exact point that conservatives and Christians greatly contribute to the demise of our liberties: when a Republican is elected President, they tend to go to sleep and refuse to hold the President accountable for his unconstitutional, big-government, neocon decisions and policies.

And speaking of going to sleep, did I miss something? I thought Donald Trump, not Jeb Bush, won the election. But looking over the list of people that have been selected to serve in the new administration, I see mostly establishment insiders. The vast majority of people selected by Trump could easily have been (and probably would have been) selected by Jeb Bush. In fact, Trump’s newly formed administration is shaping up to be an almost carbon copy of the ultimate neocon administrations of George Bush Sr. and Jr. In other words, the people Trump is appointing have track records that are completely contrary to what Trump told us he was going to do when he was elected President.

Let’s review what we have so far:


*Attorney General: Senator Jeff Sessions

Sessions is good on immigration and other issues, but he is terrible on Fourth Amendment issues. From TechDirt.com: “He's a huge supporter of increased surveillance, and not a fan of civil liberties. Going back a decade ago, Sessions very publicly supported President George W. Bush’s surveillance programs that included warrantless wiretapping of Americans. . . .Just this year, Sessions spoke out against encryption on mobile phones in discussing the legal fights between Apple and the FBI.”

“He's also spoken out vehemently against NSA reform that limits surveillance, complaining about the very modest changes in the USA Freedom Act.”

“On top of that, just recently, Sessions tried to massively expand the surveillance powers of the Justice Department, in an amendment he tried to attach to ECPA (Electronic Communications Privacy Act) Reform. We've been calling for ECPA Reform for many, many years, but to stop warrantless surveillance and data collection. But Sessions' plan was to make it even easier for law enforcement to get data, so long as they ‘declared it was an emergency.’”

See the report here:

Trump's Picks For AG & CIA Happy To Undermine Civil Liberties, Increase Surveillance

*Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): Congressman Mike Pompeo


This man is an absolute disaster! He is a major proponent of the surveillance society; he supports unlimited government spying on American citizens. He supports the indefinite detention sections of the NDAA that authorize federal agents or military troops to seize American citizens and hold them indefinitely without a warrant, without providing the person seized with an attorney, and without even the right of Habeas Corpus. He calls government whistleblower Edward Snowden a traitor who should be executed. The Police State has no better friend than Congressman Mike Pompeo. (See the TechDirt.com report above.)

*National Security Adviser: General Michael Flynn

Flynn is a rabid supporter of the global “war on terror.” He will enthusiastically expand the global “war on terror” to levels never before seen. He has totally bought into the anti-Muslim hysteria that has swept through the conservative, Christian, and Republican worlds. It is anti-Muslim hysteria--created by our own CIA, the Israeli Mossad, British MI6, Wahhabi terrorists from Saudi Arabia (most of whom couldn’t even find Mecca on a map), and professional agitators from Turkey--which the neocon establishment uses to foment all of these endless wars of aggression that Trump said he opposes on the campaign trail. If Mr. Trump truly wanted to put an end to the perpetual war doctrine created by the Bush family, he would never have chosen General Flynn.

Personal Adviser: Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner


Jared is the son of Zionist billionaire Charles Kushner, who is a convicted criminal and, I suspect, an integral part of the Jewish mafia. The establishment media is now promoting the idea that it was Jared Kushner who masterminded Trump’s election victory. This is a 35-year-old young man that nobody even heard of before election night. Now, Kushner is on the front cover and is the center of the featured article of the current edition of the very influential Forbes Magazine. Let me quote a little bit from this article in Forbes. The title of the article is “How Jared Kushner Won Trump The White House.”

“Winners will emerge shortly. But today’s focus is on the biggest loser: New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who has just been fired from his role leading the transition, along with most the people associated with him. The episode is being characterized as a ‘knife fight’ that ends in a ‘Stalinesque purge.’

“The most compelling figure in this intrigue, however, wasn’t in Trump Tower. Jared Kushner was three blocks south, high up in his own skyscraper, at 666 Fifth Avenue, where he oversees his family’s Kushner Companies real estate empire. . . .”

“The speculation was well-founded, given the story’s Shakespearean twist: As a U.S. attorney in 2005, Christie jailed Kushner’s father on tax evasion, election fraud and witness tampering charges. Revenge theories aside, the buzz around Kushner was directional and indicative. A year ago he had zero experience in politics and about as much interest in it. Suddenly he sits at its global center. Whether he plunged the dagger into Christie . . . is less important than the fact that he easily could have. And that power comes well-earned.”

See the article here:

Exclusive Interview: How Jared Kushner Won Trump The White House

I suggest that anyone who thinks that the Kushner Empire’s world headquarters’ address is mere coincidence is truly not paying attention to how New World Order mystics operate. Numerology may not be a big deal to you, but it is a big deal to THEM.

Kushner is a major player in the Zionist/Neocon agenda. And in all likelihood, this young man will be the most influential adviser that Trump will have. NOT GOOD.

*Ambassador to The United Nations: South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley

Haley was a strong critic of Donald Trump throughout the campaign. She was an avid supporter of neocon globalist Marco Rubio. As governor of South Carolina, she has zero experience in international affairs. The only experience Haley has in international affairs is when she eats breakfast at the International House of Pancakes. Why, then, would Trump select her as Ambassador to the U.N.? The senior senator from South Carolina gave us the answer. High-level neocon globalist Lindsey Graham said that Haley is “a strong supporter of Israel,” adding that her presence at the U.N. “will be reassuring to all of those who are concerned about the increasing hostility of the United Nations toward Israel.” (Egad! The United Nations was instrumental in creating the modern State of Israel.)

In other words, Nikki Haley is there to promote the interests of Israel--NOT the interests of the United States. I’m sure we can already thank Jared Kushner for this appointment.

*Secretary of Education: Betsy DeVos

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump was emphatic in his opposition to the Department of Education curriculum known as “Common Core.” Well, ladies and gentlemen, Betsy DeVos is a longstanding advocate of Common Core. Breitbart.com has the report:

“President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team announces the choice of Common Core and charter school supporter Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education.

“Anti-Common Core grassroots groups of parents and teachers urged Trump to abandon DeVos as his choice, citing her support for the education reform policies of pro-Common Core Jeb Bush and her influence through the Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP) in favor of Common Core.”

“DeVos, whose family founded Amway, was an at-large delegate for pro-Common Core Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Kasich received a grade of “F” at The Pulse 2016 for his support of the controversial standards.”

“Frank Cannon, president of American Principles Project, said in a statement prior to the announcement of DeVos’ nomination:

‘President-elect Trump rightly slammed Governor Jeb Bush for his support of Common Core on the campaign trail. Betsy DeVos would be a very Jeb-like pick, and the idea that Trump would appoint a Common Core apologist as Secretary of Education seems unlikely.’”

See the report here:

Donald Trump Announces Pro-Common Core Betsy DeVos As Education Secretary

Obviously, Frank Cannon thought he knew Donald Trump better than he does, because Trump did indeed select Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. All of her current backpedaling aside, she is a TERRIBLE appointee to be trusted with the anti-Common Core agenda promised by Trump on the campaign trail. Of course, Jeb Bush gave Trump high praise for selecting DeVos.

On November 22, I said this on my Facebook page:

"Folks, from this point onward, keep an eye out for how many CFR members Trump appoints. Over the past several decades, both Democrat and GOP administrations have been littered with CFR members. This is one of the BIGGEST reasons that nothing much changes regardless of which person is elected president."

See and “Like” my Facebook page here:

Chuck Baldwin's Facebook Page

Well, folks, it didn’t take long for Donald Trump to join his presidential predecessors from both parties and start appointing members of the globalist agenda-driven Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) to his administration.

*Deputy National Security Adviser: K. T. McFarland

McFarland is CFR. AND THE CFR IS THE SWAMP!

Let me remind readers of what Rear Admiral Chester Ward warned about the CFR. Admiral Ward was the Judge Advocate General of the Navy from 1956-1960 and a former member of the CFR who pulled out after realizing what they were all about. He warned the American people about the dangers of this and similar organizations (such as the Trilateral Commission).

Admiral Ward said, “The most powerful clique in these elitist groups have one objective in common--they want to bring about the surrender of the sovereignty and the national independence of the United States. A second clique of international members in the CFR . . . comprises the Wall Street international bankers and their key agents. Primarily, they want the world banking monopoly from whatever power ends up in the control of global government.”

Admiral Ward also said, “The main purpose of the Council on Foreign Relations is promoting the disarmament of U.S. sovereignty and national independence and submergence into an all powerful, one world government.”

Plus, the short list for Trump’s selection to the office of Secretary of State are said to be Rudy Giuliani, John Bolton, Mitt Romney, and General David Petraeus. Each of these men is totally and thoroughly an establishment neocon. And if Trump picks Petraeus, it will be another CFR member picked by Trump.

Besides being a globalist CFR member, Petraeus is an anti-Second Amendment gun-grabber and convicted criminal.

Petraeus hates guns so much that he teamed up with anti-gun leader Mark Kelly and his wife, Gabrielle Giffords, to co-found the Veterans Coalition for Common Sense, an anti-gun organization devoted to "do[ing] more to prevent gun tragedies" by "urging lawmakers to toughen gun laws." (Source: Gun Owners of America)

Petraeus was convicted (and pled guilty) to sharing classified information with his lover, Paula Broadwell. He was fined $100,000 and sentenced to two years on probation. On the campaign trail, Trump used Petraeus as an example of the kind of carelessness and criminality that Hillary Clinton was guilty of as Secretary of State. During the campaign, Trump said that Hillary “has to go to jail” for what she did. Is Trump really going to turn around and appoint a CFR globalist and a man who was convicted of the same kind of crimes that he accused Hillary Clinton of committing to the very same office? God help us if he does. It’s bad enough already.

Senator Rand Paul has hinted that he will oppose the nomination of David Petraeus should Trump appoint him. Good for Rand!

*Secretary of Transportation: Elaine Chao


Chao is another longstanding CFR member. She served in the cabinets of both G.H.W. Bush and G.W. Bush. She is a high-level neocon and globalist. She is a horrible pick! She is also the wife of the Senate Majority Leader, neocon Mitch McConnell. Gee! Why is that not surprising?

*Secretary of The Treasury: Steven Mnuchin


Talk about a globalist banking elite: no one personifies it more than Mnuchin. He was an Investment Professional with Soros Fund Management LLC and spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs. No single individual is more responsible for the attempted surrender of the United States to global government than George Soros. And no institution on the planet has done more to promote globalism than Goldman. When Mnuchin is confirmed as Treasury Secretary (and he will be), he will be the third Goldman alumnus to hold that position. The other two are Henry Paulson under President G.W. Bush and Robert Rubin under President Bill Clinton.

Goldman, JP Morgan, Rothschild, Warburg, Lehman Brothers, Lazard Brothers, Israel Moses Seif,  Rockefeller, and Kuhn Loeb control the Federal Reserve; and no institution on the planet is more responsible for the surrender of U.S. sovereignty and independence than the Federal Reserve. Talk about a swamp: the Federal Reserve bankers are the ones who are most financially responsible for filling the swamp.

For Donald Trump to say he intends to drain the swamp and to then appoint a Goldman-Sachs partner as Secretary of the Treasury is the height of either simplicity or duplicity. Either way, it’s BAD for America. If Trump truly wanted to drain the swamp, he would have appointed Ron Paul as Secretary of the Treasury.

*Secretary of Commerce: Wilbur Ross

Here we go again! Ross worked for Rothschild for twenty-four years. When Trump’s three casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, were going bankrupt, it was Wilbur Ross who stepped in and fronted the monies needed to keep them afloat and rebuild his business. Ross also served under President Bill Clinton on the board of the U.S.-Russia Investment Fund.

As I said at the beginning of this column: conservatives and Christians who supported Donald Trump need to wake up to the reality that the election is over. Hillary Clinton lost, and their guy won. What that amounts to is, campaign rhetoric means absolutely NOTHING now. Donald Trump is the President-Elect. From this moment on, we must stop judging Trump on his rhetoric and start judging him on his actions. And the man is busy right now putting his presidential administration together. These are the men and women that are going to be in control of trillions of taxpayer dollars and are going to have their own gigantic sphere of authority and influence over our lives. The kind of people Donald Trump selects for these key leadership posts speaks volumes about the kind of administration he will have. And it is on this exact point that conservatives and Christians greatly contribute to the demise of our liberties: when a Republican is elected President, they tend to go to sleep and refuse to hold the President accountable for his unconstitutional, big-government, neocon decisions and policies.

What I am seeing right now is another G.W. Bush administration developing. The vast majority of Trump’s appointments so far could easily have been selected by either Bush, either Clinton, or Barack Obama. They are the same establishment insiders that have been running the federal government for decades. Even perceived outsider Steve Bannon is a Goldman-Sachs alumnus, so I am very skeptical of exactly what he will bring to the table. 

And the reason that Republican administrations generally do so much more damage to our liberties than Democratic ones is because once they are in office, they have no meaningful opposition. Christians and conservatives lie down and go to sleep. But if they go to sleep on Donald Trump, they may wake up in an enslaved country.

Accordingly, I call on Alex Jones to be honestly objective about Donald Trump. I call on Steve Quayle to be honestly objective about Donald Trump. I call on Bradlee Dean to be honestly objective about Donald Trump. I call on Joseph Farah to be honestly objective about Donald Trump. I call on Ann Coulter to be honestly objective about Donald Trump. I call on the writers on NewsWithViews.com (most of whom I hold in high regard) to be honestly objective about Donald Trump.

The fact is, we owe Donald Trump NOTHING. He owes us his fidelity to constitutional government. Therefore, as radio hosts, writers, and opinion makers in the alt-media, we owe it to our country to be as faithful to constitutional government as we expect our civil magistrates to be. When the day comes that we lose our honest objectivity, we also lose our credibility and integrity.

I like Trump’s stated decision to ban former government office holders and employees from being lobbyists for five years. I like his stated position that America does not need any additional gun control laws and that Americans have an individual right to keep and bear arms. Obviously, he said many things on the campaign trail that sounded good, including investigating and prosecuting Hillary Clinton--a promise he has recanted since being elected.

I will happily give Donald Trump all due praise when he acts constitutionally and in the interest of the liberties protected in our Bill of Rights. I give him praise for convincing the Carrier company to keep their manufacturing plant in Indianapolis and not moving it to Mexico. But I will NOT give him a pass simply because he is a Republican or because he said a bunch of good things on the campaign trail. And giving him a pass by comparing him to Hillary Clinton is now moot. He’s not candidate Donald Trump any longer; he is now President Donald Trump. As such, I find it SCARY that Trump would suggest that burning the American flag in protest should result in the loss of citizenship or a year in jail. That’s Hitlerian kind of talk. The freedom to protest--even by burning the flag (as despicable as that is)--is what America is all about. For the government to punish peaceful protest is a huge step down the slippery slope to oppression. This is the kind of thing that has always bothered me about Donald Trump.

Again, Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric means nothing now. As President of The United States, he has one main responsibility: to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. And to the people he convinced to vote for him on November 8, he has one major promise to fulfill: to drain the swamp! But he is not going to drain the swamp with the people he is choosing to help him thus far.

 
http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/Articles/tabid/109/ID/3540/Did-Jeb-Bush-Win-The-Election.aspx
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 11, 2017, 01:48:06 pm

And speaking of going to sleep, did I miss something? I thought Donald Trump, not Jeb Bush, won the election. But looking over the list of people that have been selected to serve in the new administration, I see mostly establishment insiders. The vast majority of people selected by Trump could easily have been (and probably would have been) selected by Jeb Bush. In fact, Trump’s newly formed administration is shaping up to be an almost carbon copy of the ultimate neocon administrations of George Bush Sr. and Jr. In other words, the people Trump is appointing have track records that are completely contrary to what Trump told us he was going to do when he was elected President.

What's happened is a complete coup de'tat by phony libertarians like the Koch brothers. Based on the action so far, I'd say Jeb Bush would have created a government much closer to the center than what we're getting now (and I don't even like Jeb Bush). The only candidate who might have come close to this kind of sweep would have been Ted Cruz.

Goldman still controls the Treasury. The EPA stands to be gutted. Corporate CEO's and Generals are going to run the foreign policy.  The AG is a know-nothing racist with a Nancy Reagan attitude about drugs.

If we don't get a major ramping up of privatization and crony capitalism under Trump, I'll be completely amazed. Not to mention "Drill Baby Drill."


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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 15, 2017, 03:04:44 pm
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https://youtu.be/uQUkaEVe7II

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

July, 2016 and a very disorganized Trump campaign is headed into an equally chaotic Republican National Convention. The latest fundraising numbers for June are dismal, and according to CNBC, Trump is second guessing his decision to make Mike Pence his running mate, making last minute phone calls to assess the pick just days before the event. Past GOP candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney have decided to skip the convention. So have both former Bush presidents. One day before the convention and there’s still no official list of speakers. Nevertheless, July 18th roles around and the GOP has to move forward with the show.

GOP Convention

“Keep on singing […] USA, USA”

The convention is considered a disaster. It exposes a party in disarray. Delegations from Iowa and Colorado stage a walkout over a critical rules vote.

Delegates chanting, Denver 7 Broadcast

“Roll call vote, roll call vote […] Right there in the top right you can actually see Kendal Unruh in blue. She’s one of the leaders of the never Trump or dump Trump movement, trying to get the rules changed at the start of the convention to let delegates vote their conscience.”

Subsequent polls show Trump trailing Clinton in need-to-win swing states. Coupled with a string of bad press stories, including Trump’s fight with the family of a fallen Iraq vet, the Trump campaign seems to have lost its momentum.

Joe Scarborough, MSNBC

“Donald Trump is just not doing what is required to win.”

In a surprise move, the Trump campaign shakes up it’s leadership at the eleventh hour, bringing on far-right editor in chief of Breitbart News Steve Bannon along with former Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway. Days later, David Bossie, head of the corporate advocacy group Citizens United, is brought on as deputy manager of the campaign. The campaign also hires the data mining firm Cambridge Anayltica tasked with probing the American voters mind.

At a glance, these last-minute developments look desperate and disjointed.

Dana Perino, FOX

“I don’t know what they’re doing. I wish I could tell you.”

But a closer look reveals something different. It reveals a hidden connection between these players, a thread between this seemingly random cast of actors.

Enter billionaire hedge fund manager Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah. They’ve been eyeing Trump ever since their first choice, Ted Cruz, dropped out of the primaries back in May.

SOT — Ted Cruz

“We are suspending our campaign.”

Robert Mercer is part of a new class of billionaires, along with the Koch brothers for example, who’ve used the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which allows for unlimited amounts of cash contributions in US elections, to set up their own powerful political infrastructures that today they rival that of the two major parties.

The fuel behind Mercer’s influence, along with most of the top activist billionaires in America, is the absurd sums of money he accrues at the investment company he runs, Renaissance Technologies, based on Long Island, New York. Its famed Medallion fund is one of the most successful hedge funds in investing history, averaging 72 percent returns before fees over more than 20 years, a statistic that baffles analysts, and outranks the profitability of other competing funds, like the ones George Soros and Warren Buffet run.

In 2015, Mercer had single-handedly catapulted Cruz to the front of the Republican field, throwing more than $13 million into a super PAC he created for the now failed candidate.

But with the Trump campaign faltering and struggling for support, there’s a second chance for the Mercers to make a big bet. The Trump campaign is well aware of this. In fact, sources within Mercer’s super PAC would later tell Bloomberg news that moments after Cruz drops out of the race, Ivanka Trump and her wealthy developer husband, Jared Kushner, approach the Mercers, asking if they’d be willing to shift their support behind Trump. The answer is an eventual but resounding yes.

In the months leading up to Trump’s presidential win, the Mercers would prove a formidable force. Beginning after the disastrous Republican convention in July, they would furnish the Trump campaign not only with millions of dollars but with new leadership. But they would furnish him with something more: a vast network of non profits, strategists, media companies, research institutions and super PACs that they themselves funded, and largely controlled.

Carrie Levine, Center for Public Integrity

“I think what you’ve seen is a lot of these organizations in this network come out to play a role in the 2016 elections.”

With the Mercer family in the picture, the post-convention shake-up starts to make sense. Take Steve Bannon. He and Robert Mercer have been close for years. And Mercer is a top investor in Breitbart news, where Bannon was chief editor. Mercer’s also funded a number of Bannon’s media projects. Kellyanne Conway also comes out of this network. Before becoming co manager of Trump’s campaign, she headed up operations for Robert Mercer’s super PAC when it was supporting Ted Cruz. Deputy campaign manager David Bossie was president of Citizens United before joining the campaign, an organization Mercer has heavily funded since at least 2010. Cambridge Analytica, the mysterious data mining firm that received grudging praise after predicting the race’s outcome more accurately than any other polling company, is also heavily funded by Robert Mercer, and was employed by the Cruz campaign before Mercer switched over to Trump. In fact, the Mercers’ political infrastructure is so entrenched, that Rebekah Mercer herself sits on the 16 person executive committee of Trump’s transition team.

Mercer’s foray into the White House may seem to have been born partly out of luck, especially with Trump instead of Cruz as his stalking horse. But his rise to power was systematic, and it was years in the making.

The web of connections Mercer’s built over the last decade is vast and complex. It includes efforts to dismantle tax law and weaken the IRS; it’s about funding quack scientists and conspiracy theorists who blame the government for, among other things, playing a role in the San Bernadino massacre and of colluding with the United Nations in using climate change as an excuse to implement environmental laws meant to depopulate America’s midwest. It’s about pouring money into the neoconservative John Bolton Super PAC, which props up candidates who ascribe to Bolton’s very hawkish foreign policy.

But one of Mercer’s earliest activist ventures was financing a slew of fringe documentary projects that’ve helped raise the profiles of people like Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann and most notably, the director of those films, Steve Bannon.

Bannon, who was previously a naval officer and Goldman Sachs investment banker, made his first documentary in 2004 about Ronald Reagan. It retold his biography using washed out, black and white archival footage of the Hollywood actor, painting him as brave protector of western democracy from the threat communism.

In the Face of Evil

“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this the last best hope of man on earth or we’ll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.”

The film wasn’t a commercial success. According to the reviews, it was a flop. But it developed a cult following. And it revealed that there was an untapped audience for this sort of film, which demonized America’s current establishment while lamenting the death of old-time conservatism under Reagan.

In the Face of Evil would also connect Bannon to conservative author Peter Schweizer, who’s namesake book the film was based on.  It would also connect him to another rising conservative figure Bannon met at a screening of his Reagan film in Beverly Hills, a man Bannon recalled in a Bloomberg piece who came up to him after the showing like a “bear,” he said “who’s squeezing me like my head’s going to blow up and saying how we’ve gotta take back the culture.” His name: Andrew Breitbart, a conservative commentator who for the next few years would join Bannon and Schweizer in their efforts to establish a fresh conservative narrative, with Breitbart himself focusing on an idea for a new media company, something partly inspired by a trip to Jerusalem and the need to create an outlet "that would be unapologetically pro-freedom and pro-Israel", something that would come to fruition in 2007 and that he would call breitbart.com.

“One of the things I admired about [Breitbart],” Bannon said in that Bloomberg story, “was that the dirtiest word for him was ‘punditry’ […] Our vision—Andrew’s vision—was always to build a global, center-right, populist, anti-establishment news site.”

But that wasn’t all. What Bannon, Schweizer and Breitbart really wanted to forge was a multi-teared effort to push their agenda. They wanted to fund Schweizer’s books and Bannon’s films. They wanted a research wing. Ultimately, they wanted to create a media infrastructure big enough to pump their ideology into America’s national discourse.

But they needed more investors. And they needed large investors, people who could fund this giant operation for a sustained period of time, because what this right-wing trio had set out to do wasn’t to simply start a business. It was to transform America’s rage, it’s largely white, rural, working class discontent into a political movement that would storm Washington, first in the form of the Tea Party, and again six years later in the form of Trump.


That influx of cash would come from the organization more famous now for the Supreme Court decision it inspired than for the media and political work it’s done for decades, thanks in part to funders like the Koch brothers and, of course, Robert Mercer. The pro-corporate advocacy group Citizens United was created in 1988, and for years it had pumped out television ads, films and other forms of media content that sought to put pressure both on Democrats as well as more moderate Republicans to embrace a far-right, corporate-friendly approach to politics.

Citizens United Promo

“Remember that the left controls Hollywood. They control entertainment. They control the movies. They control television. They control mass media. They control certainly journalism. And so, what Citizens United has figured out is that through the media, they can in fact move public opinion. They can shape America, and thereby shape Washington.”

It was that effort that gave rise to the film Hillary: The Movie, which in turn lead to the supreme court case that changed the way politics is done in the United States.

It’s worth noting that the Citizens United decision to allow for unlimited campaign contributions through super PACs didn’t originate from any billionaire or corporation directly complaining about contribution limits. It originated from this documentary, which Bannon directed, and which FEC rules barred from being shown because it fell under the category of “electioneering communications.” Essentially, union and corporate funded groups like Citizens United couldn’t air anything critical about a candidate within 30 days of the primaries, and 60 days of the general elections.

The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down that rule opened up the floodgates for unlimited campaign spending, which Citizens United and its billionaire and corporate donors seized upon.

Citizens United has been heavily funded by the Koch Brothers and their network of donors, which Mercer joined early on. But in 2010, Mercer decides to extend his reach and influence beyond the confines of that network, beginning first with Breitbart News, which at the time had hit a bit of a rough patch.

Andrew Breitbart had put out a misleading video that showed a Department of Agriculture official, Shirley Sherrod, making what people characterized as racist remarks towards white people. Sherrod was fired, and when it came out afterwards that the clip had been manipulated, Sherrod sued Andrew Breitbart. The lawsuit fell on the heels of another false video exposé Breitbart had done a year earlier involving the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, known as ACORN, which had resulted in their loss of private and government funding. After the Sherrod video, the media virtually blacklisted him along with his site from mainstream.

The hiccup prompted Mercer to capitalize on the event. According to Bloomberg news, he puts upwards of $10 million in the company later that year, making him a top investor.

The next two years are spent expanding and sharpening these media connections. Bannon continues to produce documentaries, including The Undefeated, featuring the rise of Sarah Palin, as well as Occupy Unmasked, which aimed to discredit the 2011 protest movement.

Occupy Unmasked

(Breitbart): “These people feel morally justified to commit crimes.”

Schweizer continues publishing his books, most notably Clinton Cash in 2015, which Bannon adapted into a documentary and which fueled the right’s obsession with Hillary Clinton and the sources for her foundation. Meanwhile, Mercer is quietly lubricating his political and financial empire, doling out money to a whole slew of conservative non profits such as the Heartland Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the CATO Institute, Citizens United and many more.

Then, in 2012, Andrew Breitbart dies suddenly from a heart attack.

Wolf Blitzer, CNN

“[…] dead at the age of 43. Breitbart was certainly a driving force in the Tea Party movement as well as a very influential political voice on the internet.”

Mercer and Bannon, who was a board member at Breitbart, quickly rearrange leadership roles in an effort to not lose any momentum. In fact, Breitbart’s death seemed to have been a morbid blessing for the group. Breitbart, unlike his compatriots, had always been more of an old-school, more moderate conservative. He’d worked at the Drudge Report, which many saw as a bullhorn for the Bush administration. More surprisingly, he’d been a researcher for Arianna Huffington, and helped create an early model for what would become the liberal Huffington Post.

So: Mercer, Bannon and Schwiezer crank up the heat. In the months after Breitbart dies, Bannon is made executive chairman of breitbart.com. Schweizer, meanwhile, founds a new research group that focuses on feeding content to Breitbart news and Citizens United for their documentary projects called the Government Accountability Institute, where Mercer is a top funder while Bannon sits on the board.

These shifts are all taking place in the shadows of the presidential race between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Romney epitomized the GOP establishment, and Mercer must have been reluctant to give to his campaign: he ended up throwing about a million dollars into a super PAC supporting Romney, a paltry number compared to the $15 million he spent on Trump, and the $13 million he spent on Cruz.

Romney’s loss was a heavy defeat for Republican voters around the country. With so many Americans still struggling to get back on their feet after the 2008 economic crisis, his defeat angered many GOP voters. Some blamed Obama and the Democrats. Others blamed the Republican establishment, including Romney himself.

But at the NYU Club in New York, moments after the news of Obama’s reelection, one unsuspecting voice would take a small group of wealthy donors by storm, blasting the Romney team for dropping the ball on their data mining and canvassing operations. That woman was Rebekah Mercer, Robert Mercer’s daughter.

After Romney, Rebekah became her father’s right hand. Before that, Robert Mercer’s role in his political dealings was to supply money to the people he admired and trusted, people like Bannon, Schweizer and Breitbart. Rebekah wanted to change that. She wanted accountability over the money her father spent. And Romney’s failure provided an opportunity to step into the republican arena and assert her and her father’s agenda.

Between 2012 and 2016, she would take formal leadership positions at the think tanks and non profits her father funded. She became a director at Peter Schweizer’s Government Accountability Institute. She took over the Mercer Family Foundation. And more recently, she managed her father’s super PAC, alongside Kellyanne Conway.

She and her father began to engage more in what you might call a kind of sniper fire politics, investing money in very specific races and causes.

Carrie Levine

“We’ve seen Robert Mercer put money into super pacs in races that have something to do with often tax. This cycle he gave money to a super pac backing a primary challenger to senator John McCain in Arizona. McCain is a Republican and he was the cochair of the senate committee that investigated Renaissance’s tax strategies.”

McCain would later say he thought Mercer was doing this because of that investigation, which was looking into whether RenTec had avoided more than $6 billion in taxes over the course of 14 years.

For the 2016 Republican primaries, Robert Mercer decided to put his support behind Ted Cruz and so did Bannon. But as Cruz faltered and took positions that ran counter to Bannon’s conservative agenda, like supporting the TPP, Mercer and Bannon began questioning their support of a candidate who was too obviously trying to appease both the disgruntled American voter as well as corporate interests in Washington. In the end, Cruz’s evangelical christian persona failed to cover up his true identity, which was as a Harvard-educated lawyer who’d worked for years in Washington including as a young clerk in the Supreme Court.

Robert Mercer seldom makes public appearances and he never talks to the press. The only time he’s spoken publicly was in 2014, after he received a lifetime achievement award from the Association for Computational Linguistics. In the hour-long acceptance speech he gives in Baltimore, Maryland, Mercer spends almost all of his time talking about his passion for computers.

Robert Mercer

“I loved everything about computers. I loved the solitude of the computer lab late at night. I loved the air-conditioned smell of the place. I loved the sound of the discs whirring and the printers clacking.”

None of his remarks are political, except for one comment he makes, when he’s talking about the time he worked at the Air Force weapons lab in New Mexico, and the one day he discovered how to make their computers run 100 times faster.

Robert Mercer

“A strange thing happened. Instead of running the old computations in 1/100 of the time, the powers that be at the lab ran computations that were 100 times bigger. I took this as an indication that one of the most important goals of government-financed research is not so much to get answers as it is to consume the computer budget. Which has left me ever since with a jaundiced view of government-financed research.”

Mercer doesn’t quite fit into an established upper class. He isn’t exactly a Wall Street type, and neither are the 300 employees, many of whom are, like him, advanced mathematicians and physicists, who work at Renaissance Technologies’ brainchild, the Medallion fund.

Carrie Levine

“I think it’s interesting to note that this is a guy who has a programming background, a coding background who didn’t start out on Wall Street and so he’s come to this through sort of a different route […] He’s spoken very little about his political giving and so we can’t say a lot about his motives, at least not [from] what he’s said.”

The fund is known for its secrecy. It’s been closed to outside investors since 2005, and what exactly they trade isn’t fully understood. What is known is that what Mercer along with retired Renaissance Technologies founder James Simons and co CEO Peter Brown have done is master the math behind something called quantitative trading, which involves gaming the stock market using advanced algorithms and data analysis to create unprecedented profits. 

Bill Black, former bank regulator

“All they do is make one group of literally billionaires slightly richer than another group of billionaires […] but they add absolutely nothing to the economy or the world effectively.”

2016’s list of biggest political donors is stacked with billionaires who’ve made their money by engaging in what amount to different forms of gambling. The largest donor of the cycle, Tom Steyer is a hedge fund manager. The second, Sheldon Adelson, is a casino magnate. The third, Donald Sussman, is a quant fund manager. Strangely enough, founder of Renaissance Technologies James Simons, who’s one the Democrats’ largest donors, is number 5 on the list, while his colleague and Republican counterpart Robert Mercer is number 7.

Bill Black

“It’s not a coincidence that the enormous amounts of wealth go to people who are connected with gambling, but recall that they don’t ga mble. Adelson is the House. The House, mathematically, is going to win. And the idea at the hedge fund is that is, again, to have better math than the other billionaires so that you have — statistically you’re going to win.”

Casino capitalism has given people like Robert and Rebekah Mercer riches and power beyond most people’s imagination. But the role of activist billionaires in American politics isn’t new. It’s just become stronger as wealth is concentrated in fewer hands, with the top 1 percent of Americans today holding on to 40 percent of the country’s wealth, and with much of that increase taking place in the finance and energy sectors of the economy. The rise of people like Robert Mercer and the Koch brothers reflects how billionaires have gradually taken more direct control over politicians and the state.

Bill Black
“One of the things that is really useful if you’re a billionaire and that you get your money by doing nothing socially useful, is to valorize what you’re doing and to demonize anyone that might actually restrict it by law, regulation even social mores. And propaganda is historically, the answer to that.”


http://therealnews.com/t2/component/content/article/250-article-with-comment/3021-the-bizarre-far-right-billionaire-behind-trumps-presidency

Agelbert NOTE:
Check out the comments section at the above link. I enjoyed the discourse and participated with some nice (brief but pointed) rants.  ;D
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 15, 2017, 05:35:43 pm
Memphis PD Lt. Earl Clark fired the shot that killed Dr. King, not James Earl Ray.
https://youtu.be/R7NaofiaE9w

https://youtu.be/mWS1KPCmOrI
Uploaded on Aug 1, 2008

Talk by William Pepper author of "An Act of State: The Execution of Martin Luther King" and "Orders to Kill: The Truth Behind the Murder of Martin Luther King" given February 27, 2003 in Seattle.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 15, 2017, 09:23:32 pm
Agelbert NOTE: William Pepper explains how he was the key influence on MLK in convincing him to oppose the war (which is basically what got MLK assassinated by Hoover's FBI). The hit on MLK was originally set up to occur in Los Angeles BUT was MOVED to Memphis because the government did not want TWO hits (the RFK hit was already scheduled there) in one city. RFK was planning to ELIMINATE the oil depletion allowance for the fossil fuel industry. So, that alone, made him a marked man. The fossil fuelers have ALWAYS killed anyone that gets in their way.

https://youtu.be/VaWs-GuhKW0
William Pepper on the Assassinations of MLK, RFK and JFK


Published on Oct 21, 2013
The attorney for the family of Martin Luther King Jr., talks about the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK, the role of the government, CIA and other intelligence agencies and the innocence of Sirhan Sirhan, Lee Harvey Oswald and James Earl Ray.


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 17, 2017, 05:43:37 pm
(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/545693884664119297/mCDJfUgm.jpeg)

January 17, 2017'

Denier (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) Roundup

Quote
From White House to State Houses, Hypocrisy Flourishes in 2017

Wouldn’t it be neat if there were a test to tell us whether certain political statements are honest expressions of an intellectual position or a convenient excuses for partisan ideology? Of course it would. And last week, we could’ve benefitted from it several times over.
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First with the nomination of Rex Tillerson and many other special interest leaders.

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Next with the now five hires from Goldman Sachs, even after his campaign promised to drain the swamp of special interest influence and attacked those with connections to the bank.

Another example is of course EPA Admin nominee Scott Pruitt. A report reported on by PoliticoPRO Friday shows that in 13 of the 14 cases where Pruitt co-sued the EPA with a corporation, that corporation had donated money to a political committee linked to Pruitt. How that squares with Trump, who repeatedly invoked the idea that his opponents were guilty of “pay to play,” is unknown.

And already, the start of the 2017 legislative year has brought even more examples of hypocrisy at the state level.

A favorite reason given for opposition to policies to promote renewable energy is that government shouldn’t be picking winners and losers. Is that more than just rhetoric to mask a pro-fossil fuel position? We’ll soon see, based on how many of those same voices speak out against a new bill in Wyoming. The proposed legislation would prevent utilities from using large-scale wind or solar. A lack of vociferous GOP pushback would indicate that the government should pick winners and losers, so long as coal wins and renewables lose.

You know how deniers rail against supposed political interference in academia? About how liberals are somehow influencing what college students learn? Apparently one conservative Arizona legislature thought that was a good idea, and introduced legislation to ban colleges from having any course, activity or event that deals with social justice or race. So far, no outrage from outlets that regularly warn against political influence in universities, like the Daily Caller.

Speaking of which, they recently ran an opinion piece attacking the Rockefeller foundation for funding Exxon investigations, bearing the headline Fake News: When Leftist Foundations Fund Activism Posing As Journalism. Despite mentioning that the left loves to attack the Koch brothers in this piece, they conveniently left out any mention of the hundreds of thousands of dollars the Koch foundation’s given the Daily Caller.   

The sad part is, that’s not even the most hypocritical fake news happening of last week. No, that distinction goes to Trump, who at his press conference refused to take a question from CNN, calling it fake news, and instead called on someone from Breitbart.

Breitbart, which just so happens to have sent its former chief to the Trump campaign. And is heavily financed by the Mercer family, who besides sending millions of dollars to climate denial organizations (https://www.desmogblog.com/2017/01/12/trump-kingmaker-billionaires-robert-rebekah-mercer-pouring-millions-climate-science-denial), were said to “basically own” the Trump campaign by an insider.

Assuming they’re not hypocrites, it should only be a matter of time before we see something in the Daily Caller about the Mercer family funding activism posing as journalism. 

We were going to say we’re holding our breath for that reporting, but considering what air quality is apt to be once Pruitt’s running the EPA, we might as well enjoy clean air while we can.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.zaazu.com%2Fimg%2FIncredible-Hulk-animated-animation-male-smiley-emoticon-000342-large.gif&hash=db736c8c06568f1aa878171ad53d1f0301cfdff2)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 18, 2017, 06:31:50 pm
Pruitt’s EPA Lawsuits Are Worse Than You Think


Union of Concerned Scientists
SNIPPET:

Quote
Pruitt's lawsuits clearly demonstrate that he is against regulation, particularly of the oil and gas industry. That much we already knew.

But when one looks at the actual cases he has filed and the legal arguments he has advanced, one sees something even more disturbing—a disrespect for science, a penchant for a rigged method of performing cost-benefit analysis, and a lack of interest in helping to police the problem of interstate air pollution—which clearly must be done at the federal level.

http://www.ecowatch.com/pruitt-epa-lawsuits-2197643441.html
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 19, 2017, 06:40:22 pm
https://youtu.be/AFQFBfpOkSQ

Elizabeth Warren (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)  DESTROYS Ben Carson 
.

The Young Turks   
 
Published on Jan 12, 2017

Elizabeth Warren questioned Ben Carson on whether he would prevent Donald Trump from profiting from his office. Cenk Uygur and John Iadarola, hosts of The Young Turks, break down Ben Carson’s answer. Tell us what you think in the comment section below. https://www.tytnetwork.com/go

“During his confirmation hearing Thursday, Ben Carson repeatedly refused to guarantee that money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development would not go to benefit President-elect Donald Trump or his family.

“Among the billions of dollars that you will be handing out in grants and loans, can you just assure us that not one dollar will go to benefit either the president-elect or his family?” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) asked.

“I can assure you that the things that I do are driven by a sense of morals and values,” Carson responded. “And therefore I will absolutely not play favorites for anyone.”

Carson is Trump’s nominee to run HUD, an anti-poverty agency charged with federal affordable housing efforts.”

Read more here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/b...

Hosts: Cenk Uygur, John Iadarola

Cast: Cenk Uygur, John Iadarola

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 21, 2017, 03:34:35 pm

First petition generated on White House site demands
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2mo5pow.gif&hash=995f9f6c08dcd54f18425f2bfbe138901cf052b1)  Trump  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fswear1.gif&hash=87347674f9297191f3f8a447208170617da4caf6)
release tax returns

By Kerry Eleveld   

Friday Jan 20, 2017 ·  3:49 PM EST

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http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/20/1622867/-First-petition-generated-on-White-House-site-demands-Trump-release-tax-returns

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 21, 2017, 04:14:33 pm
Agelbert Observation: You've all heard the famous quote that Governments derive their power from the consent of the governed. Trump DOESN'T have that consent.

Trump inauguration TV special a big ratings loser - Sad!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ftissue.gif&hash=f8d05db8e11569882e0effbdd719e2b2e95c6785) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fshame.gif&hash=88b5b0c8644862ef4930e3c7e3556db6c3bf600f) 

By davidkc   

Saturday Jan 21, 2017 ·  1:41 PM EST

One reason the TV networks have been so soft on popular vote loser Donald Trump and given him so much nonstop coverage is the assumption that he’s a big ratings draw (i.e. he’ll earn them lots of $$$$$). Seems like that assumption has been blasted to smithereens, as ABC found out the hard way.

The network’s pre-inauguration special, “20/20: The Trumps Go to Washington,” was a big ratings loser, placing behind “The Blacklist” in the key adults 18-49 demographic and placing behind “Pure Genius” (a show I’ve never heard of) in the total number of viewers.

A paltry 5.1 million viewers tuned in for the 20/20 Trump inauguration special, compared to the 15 million viewers who watched the top show that evening, “The Big Bang Theory” on CBS.

By placing its hopes on Heir Trump, ABC was rewarded by placing fourth in the 18-49 demo and third in total viewers for the evening. SAD!  :laugh:

Maybe now networks will realize that going all-in on Trump is not going to be a moneymaker for them.


http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/21/1623151/-Trump-inauguration-special-a-big-ratings-loser-Sad

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 21, 2017, 04:35:43 pm
Donald Trump is now violating the emoluments clause

By Mark Sumner   

Friday Jan 20, 2017 ·  3:47 PM EST

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: President Donald Trump turns to House Speaker Paul Ryan as he is joined by the Congressional leadership and his family as he formally signs his cabinet nominations into law, in the President's Room of the Senate, at the Capitol in Washington,January 20, 2017. Pictured are Donald Trump, wife Melania Trump, son Barron Trump,Vice President Mike Pence wife Karen Pence, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Calif., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner and children Arabella, Joseph and Theodore.Donald Trump Jr., wife Vanessa Haydon, children two daughters, Kai and Chloe, and three sons, Donald, Tristan and Spencer.Eric Trump wife Lara Yunaska and Tiffany Trump (Photo by J. Scott Applewhite - Pool/Getty Images) (at article link)

On the rebooted White House petitions page, there’s currently just a single item:

Immediately release Donald Trump's full tax returns, with all information needed to verify emoluments clause compliance.

Oddly enough, the ability to sign this petition was disabled at the time of this article was written. But even assuming that the page was working properly, and the petition racked up the requisite number of votes, there’s a good reason to think it would never be acted on. Because Trump would have to admit that he was in violation the moment he took the oath.

The moment Trump takes that oath, he will violate it. This is because Donald Trump has refused to divest himself of his business, both domestic and foreign and will receive, as a result, on January 20, 2017, emoluments from foreign sources and domestic governments, federal, state and local.

Just to remind everyone how tightly his business and his regime will be entangled, Trump stopped by his hotel to shake a few hands last night. Though don’t expect to see much press coverage.

The Trump International Hotel in Washington is banning the media from its premises during inauguration week.

If you need another reminder, Trump will supposedly stop by his hotel as part of the inaugural parade. In fact, it may be the only point where he climbs out of his car.

Trump’s DC hotel is far from the worst example of how Trump’s businesses benefit from his position, but it is one of the most visible. And his hotel lease runs squarely into the Constitution.

Article 2 of the Constitution provides, in pertinent part:

The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.

This provision states, in unmistakable terms that the president of the United States can receive only his salary as an “emolument” and is expressly barred from receiving any other compensation from the federal government and the States (which necessarily comprises local governments as well as they are creatures of State creation).

The president can’t take, no matter how indirectly, a dime of additional money from the government. Neither can he take a dime from foreign governments. Petition or no petition, Donald Trump is now in violation of the emoluments clause.

What can Trump do? What presidents have always done—divest himself of his holdings. It’s not a complex analysis.

Can he do something else? Will a blind trust place him in compliance with the Emoluments Clause? No it will not. The problem is not just that Trump will know about his emoluments (and let’s face it, Trump can’t unknow what he holds anyway), it is that he will receive them. If Trump wants to be president and not violate the Constitution, he has to divest.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/1/20/1622841/-Donald-Trump-is-now-violating-the-emoluments-clause
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 21, 2017, 04:47:04 pm
Women's March On Washington (and everywhere else) much, MUCH larger than expected
 

By Mark Sumner   

Saturday Jan 21, 2017 ·  2:01 PM EST

SNIPPET:

300,000 in New York City. 125,000 in Boston. 50,000 in Austin, Texas. 15,000 in St. Louis. 10,000 in Portland, ME.

Across the country, the numbers for the Women’s March have turned out to be not just high, but higher than anyone would have predicted. Cities that had expected two thousand got ten. Areas that had planned on ten thousand got a hundred.

The overflow crowds are also happening in Washington, D.C. where so many have turned up that it’s proving difficult to actually march.

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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/1/21/1623203/-Women-s-March-On-Washington-and-everywhere-else-much-MUCH-larger-than-expected
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 21, 2017, 05:59:34 pm
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January 21, 2017

Trump's Infrastructure Plan:  Public Investment, Private Profit (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) 

The newly inaugurated president says his plan will benefit all Americans, but the 99% are likely to pay for it while the 1% profit, says economist Michael Hudson.

https://youtu.be/CGFyih1rgc8

(https://pics.onsizzle.com/donald-trump-correctly-talked-about-rebuilding-our-countrys-infrastructure-but-7263692.png)

Agelbert NOTE: Code Speech MEANING for the expression, "Our People", mentioned in Trump's Inaugural Address:

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 January 20, 2017

When Trump Says 'America First,' It's About the America of the Elites

Norman Solomon joins TRNN's live inauguration coverage to discuss the absence of references to the U.S. constitution and climate change in Trump's inaugural speech.


https://youtu.be/HfO7rfKfyd8
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 21, 2017, 09:00:07 pm
Anything at All Can Happen in the Age of Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgaah.gif&hash=e43fa6be4258ba495007b2bbb3e7dd2f60288fcd)
 

Jon Schwarz

2017-01-21T14:26:59+00:00

SNIPPET:

But while nothing is certain, some alarming things are more likely than others. The path the new administration hopes to take may be discernible in a 2016 report by the conservative Heritage Foundation. According to The Hill on Thursday, Trump transition staffers – including a vice president at Heritage’s grassroots arm Action for America – are using the Heritage document as the basis for Trump’s first proposed budget.

The Trump transition staff did not respond to questions about whether they are in fact doing this, and understandably so — the Heritage plan treats social spending like Lizzie Borden treated her parents, axing $10.5 trillion, or 20 percent, from the $51.4 trillion that the Congressional Budget Office projects the federal government would otherwise spend over the next ten years.

“Unprecedented” is simultaneously accurate and insufficient to describe the Heritage cuts. As Joel Friedman, vice president for federal fiscal policy at the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, puts it: “No administration up to this point has ever bought into proposals this far-reaching. Even the George W. Bush administration was never proposing cuts of anywhere near this magnitude.”

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As seen above, $6.8 trillion in cuts – or 65 percent of the total — would be extracted from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other non-discretionary spending, including all of the Affordable Care Act.

In addition to sharply reducing Social Security and Medicare benefits for most people, the Heritage plan would raise the programs’ eligibility ages and then index them to longevity – thereby enshrining in law the concept that no matter how wealthy the U.S. becomes, regular people will never be permitted to work fewer years at the end of their lives.

Heritage does not provide details about how exactly Medicaid and other mandatory spending would be whacked, but the cuts would be even heavier. While most Americans don’t know this until they need it, 65 percent of the elderly in nursing homes depend on Medicaid to pay their bills, and the program covers 45 percent of the country’s spending on nursing home care overall. Non-Medicaid mandatory spending includes income security for veterans, food stamps, and unemployment benefits.

Non-defense discretionary spending would also be eviscerated. Heritage would slice expenditures on clean energy, environmental programs, and veterans’ health, as well as funding for the Departments of Commerce, Transportation, Justice, and State. The National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities would be totally eliminated.

While all this is happening, one part of the government would see its budget protected and even increased: the Pentagon.

But wait, there’s more: The Heritage plan gets more draconian as time goes by, so these numbers actually understate the size of spending cuts in the long term. The graph below shows by percentage how much each area of government would be reduced in Heritage’s 2026 budget in comparison to the CBO’s current projection for 2026. For instance, spending on non-defense discretionary spending would be cut almost in half.

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full article:

https://theintercept.com/2017/01/21/anything-at-all-can-happen-in-the-age-of-trump/

Agelbert NOTE: The author of the above article seems to think that Trump is different from Pence in that Pseudo-Christian Pence certainly would carry out all the murderous budget cuts, while Trump might not.

I believe that is wishful thinking. Trump, if anything, will attempt even more draconian empathy deficit disordered budget cuts in order to further enrich his plutocratic pals at the expense of we-the-people. Mark my words. Trump is pure poison for we-the-people.

The sad fact is that the US Government is now fully fascist and will proceed to ignore every clean air, soil and water regulation on behalf of the fossil fuel industry and other polluters from the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

Also, the entire social contract that has been laboriously built up by people of good will since the time of FDR up to and including civil rights gains for people of color and healthcare for all Americans during the LBJ Administration will be deliberately and methodically destroyed piece by piece.

Every step in the dismembering of the social contract that will cause the unnecessary misery and the death of millions of Americans will be given an Orwellian label. For example, the Ryan plan to DEFUND the Affordable Care Act (i.e. Obamacare) is cynically called a "rescue", when in fact it is a death sentence. This nihilistic cynicism is part and parcel of the fascist regressive modus operandi now only slightly less prevalent in the Democratic Party wing of the duopoly as in the Republican in-your-face fascist wing.

More wealth transfer from the poor and middle class of all colors to the rich is what the Trump Administration is all about, as well as more pollution, more sickness, and more rampant racist brutality.

The defunding of the ACA immediately hands out an average of 7 million dollars in tax cuts (EACH!) to the 400 most wealthy families in America. The only reason the ACA was bad mouthed and demonized as "Obamacare" for the past seven years by the internet noise machine and the bought and paid for news media is because all those families that make over $250,000 a year did not like funding this program, even though it was a poor substitute for what every other industrialized country in the west has for their own citizens.

For those who labor under the belief that Trump isn't as "radical" as Pence in wanting to destroy the safety net of we-the-people, all you have to do is study Trump's choice for OMB (i.e. BUDGETS!).
 
Donald’s Budget Chief Nominee GOP Congressman Mick Mulvaney—He’s a Political/Economic “House of Cards” 

Mulvaney pressed for slashing federal spending more deeply than House GOP leaders wanted. During the Obama administration, Mulvaney took a super-hard line on spending. In 2011, he vowed not to raise the nation’s debt limit. Not raising the debt limit to pay debts already owed would have caused domestic and international economic collapse. Mulvaney could have cared less. He labeled himself part of the “Shutdown Caucus” because he was willing to shut down the government rather than raise the debt ceiling. 

Mulvaney was one of several dozen House GOPers who refused to back the final deal to raise the statutory debt limit (NY Times, Shear, 12/16/16).  Mulvaney voted against passing the 2013 fiscal cliff agreement. Failure to enact this deal would have increased taxes on the middle class and denied unemployment benefits to millions (Wash. Post U.S. Cong. Votes Database).

Mulvaney objected because there were not enough spending cuts, and taxes were allowed to rise on families making over $450,000 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ftissue.gif&hash=f8d05db8e11569882e0effbdd719e2b2e95c6785)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fshame.gif&hash=88b5b0c8644862ef4930e3c7e3556db6c3bf600f) (NY Times, Weisman, 1/03/13, McClatchy Newspapers, J. Rosen, 1/12/13).

Mulvaney, who comes from a state often hit by hurricanes, voted against aid for Northeastern Hurricane Sandy victims because this relief didn’t include “corresponding budget cuts.” This condition  had never been attached to prior disaster relief bills (See “Politico,” Everett & Sherman, 1/10/13, “Politico,” Rogers, 1/15/13).

At the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Mulvaney would guide Trump in repealing Obamacare. He would help Trump overhaul taxes and work on an infrastructure plan, which in Trump’s hands, appears to be more of a giveaway to his 1% rich friends than a middle class stimulus.

Mulvaney would also manage the White House’s annual proposed budget program and policies. He would be in charge of government purchases of goods and services, and oversee the review of government agencies and federal employees (NYTimes, Shear, 12/16/16, CNN, Diaz & Acosta, 12/17/16).

In introducing Mulvaney as his OMB pick, Trump stated, “We are going to do great things for the American people with Mick Mulvaney leading the Office of Management and Budget.” Trump called Mulvaney a “high- energy leader with deep convictions for how to responsibly manage our nation’s finances and save our country from drowning in red ink  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400) (CNN, Diaz & Acosta, 12/17/16).” Translation: Trump and Mulvaney will cut middle class programs to the bone, but help the super-rich.

Mulvaney at OMB will also cut science research. In a now deleted (though cached) Facebook page, Mulvaney wrote, “Do we really need government-funded research at all (Levy, “Mother Jones”)?  Mulvaney recently spoke to the original tinfoil hat John Birch Society. He argued against all scientific knowledge that the Zika virus does not cause birth defects (Kos, Sumner, 12/19/16).  Hey, why fund science at all?

He endorsed Donald a few hours after House Speaker Paul Ryan jumped on the Trump bandwagon in 6/2016. At a candidate’s forum in Gaffney, S. Carolina, Mulvaney stated that Trump could “advance the Republican agenda.”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

Mulvaney talked of Trump having “possible common ground with him on entitlements,” read, cutting Social Security and Medicare (CNN, Diaz & Acosta). Scam artist Trump and his political/economic “House of Cards” OMB nominee Mulvaney are nothing more than selfish radical budget cutters. Again, the only people getting more money in a Trump administration will be the super-rich.

Plutocratic greed is destroying America. This will end VERY badly.

Quote
"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both." — Dwight D. Eisenhower
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 24, 2017, 03:09:55 pm
Hi, I'm the Trump Pro-Free Market Ideas Representative.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-140415130805.png&hash=23d2e6dc6311a26c399bf0cb60868bcff2781a58)

Get Ready for the First Shocks of Trump’s Disaster Capitalism

Naomi Klein

January 24 2017, 1:11 p.m.

We already know that the Trump administration plans to deregulate markets, wage all-out war on “radical Islamic terrorism,” trash climate science and unleash a fossil-fuel frenzy. It’s a vision that can be counted on to generate a tsunami of crises and shocks: economic shocks, as market bubbles burst; security shocks, as blowback from foreign belligerence comes home; weather shocks, as our climate is further destabilized; and industrial shocks, as oil pipelines spill and rigs collapse, which they tend to do, especially when enjoying light-touch regulation.

All this is dangerous enough. What’s even worse is the way the Trump administration can be counted on to exploit these shocks politically and economically.

Naomi Klein explains how the Trump administration might take advantage of coming crises to Jeremy Scahill at the Women’s March, Jan. 21, 2017. (video at article link)

Speculation is unnecessary. All that’s required is a little knowledge of recent history. Ten years ago, I published “The Shock Doctrine,” a history of the ways in which crises have been systematically exploited over the last half century to further a radical pro-corporate agenda. The book begins and ends with the response to Hurricane Katrina, because it stands as such a harrowing blueprint for disaster capitalism.

That’s relevant because of the central, if little-recalled, role played by the man who is now the U.S. vice president, Mike Pence. At the time Katrina hit New Orleans, Pence was chairman of the powerful and highly ideological Republican Study Committee (RSC). On September 13, 2005 — just 14 days after the levees were breached and with parts of New Orleans still under water — the RSC convened a fateful meeting at the offices of the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Under Pence’s leadership, the group came up with a list of “Pro-Free-Market Ideas (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) for Responding to Hurricane Katrina and High Gas Prices” — 32 policies in all, each one straight out of the disaster capitalism playbook.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)

Vehicles form a line at an Exxon gas station off of Interstate 55 in Jackson, Miss., Aug. 30, 2005. The station was one of the few in the city with both power and gas one day after Hurricane Katrina made landfall.Photo: Rick Guy/The Calrion Ledger/AP (at article link)

To get a sense of how the Trump administration will respond to their first crises, it’s worth reading the list in full (http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine/resources/part7/chapter20/pro-market-ideas-katrina) (and noting Pence’s name right at the bottom).

What stands out in the package of pseudo “relief” policies is the commitment to wage all-out war on labor standards and on the public sphere — which is ironic because the failure of public infrastructure is what turned Katrina into a human catastrophe. Also notable is the determination to use any opportunity to strengthen the hand of the oil and gas industry.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F_IPZX1n_gnIM%2FTBxKST8wgBI%2FAAAAAAAAFxM%2F52D2UaemhQE%2Fs400%2FGas-Oil-Petroleum385.jpg&hash=733743a5d6af9b5085d12db935373e34c5e356fd)

The first three items on the RSC list are “automatically suspend Davis-Bacon prevailing wage laws in disaster areas,” a reference to the law that required federal contractors to pay a living wage; “make the entire affected area a flat-tax free-enterprise zone”; and “make the entire region an economic competitiveness zone (comprehensive tax incentives and waiving of regulations).”

Another demand called for giving parents vouchers to use at charter schools, a move perfectly in line with the vision held by Trump’s pick for education secretary, Betsy DeVos.

All these measures were announced by President George W. Bush within the week. Under pressure, Bush was eventually forced to reinstate the labor standards, though they were largely ignored by contractors. There is every reason to believe this will be the model for the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure investments Trump is using to court the labor movement. Repealing Davis-Bacon for those projects was reportedly already floated at Monday’s meeting with leaders of construction and building trade unions.

Back in 2005, the Republican Study Committee meeting produced more ideas that gained presidential support. Climate scientists have directly linked the increased intensity of hurricanes to warming ocean temperatures. This connection, however, didn’t stop Pence and the RSC from calling on Congress to repeal environmental regulations on the Gulf Coast, give permission for new oil refineries in the United States, and to green-light “drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.”

All these measures are a surefire way to drive up greenhouse gas emissions, the major human contributor to climate change, yet they were immediately championed by the president under the guise of responding to a devastating storm. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)

The oil industry wasn’t the only one to profit from Hurricane Katrina, of course. So did a slew of well-connected contractors, who turned the Gulf Coast into a laboratory for privatized disaster response.

The companies that snatched up the biggest contracts were the familiar gang from the invasion of Iraq: Halliburton’s KBR unit won a $60 million gig to reconstruct military bases along the coast. Blackwater was hired to protect FEMA employees from looters. Parsons, infamous for its sloppy Iraq work, was brought in for a major bridge construction project in Mississippi. Fluor, Shaw, Bechtel, CH2M Hill — all top contractors in Iraq — were hired by the government to provide mobile homes to evacuees just ten days after the levees broke. Their contracts ended up totaling $3.4 billion, no open bidding required.

And no opportunity for profit was left untapped. Kenyon, a division of the mega funeral conglomerate Service Corporation International (a major Bush campaign donor), was hired to retrieve the dead from homes and streets. The work was extraordinarily slow, and bodies were left in the broiling sun for days. Emergency workers and local volunteer morticians were forbidden to step in to help because handling the bodies impinged on Kenyon’s commercial territory.

And as with so many of Trump’s decisions so far, relevant experience often appeared to have nothing to do with how contracts were allocated. AshBritt, a company paid half a billion dollars to remove debris, reportedly didn’t own a single dump truck and farmed out the entire job to contractors.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605)

Full article:

https://theintercept.com/2017/01/24/get-ready-for-the-first-shocks-of-trumps-disaster-capitalism/

Agelbert NOTE: THe full article has many details that irrefutably prove that Trump, despite his penchant for talking out of both sides of his mouth, (watch the Trump flip flop video on u-tube if you haven't done it  ;), is a Fascist, Fossil Fuel Industry Pandering Republican ALL THE WAY. The Heritage Foundation's PLAN is TRUMP's PLAN.

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AND, these empathy deficit disordered Plutocrats are NOW planning to CASH IN on Catastrophic Climate Change while they DENY it is happening!
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Instead of making any attempt whatsoever to prevent or ameliorate it, they are helping to GOOSE the Polluting Emissions (MORE PROFITS for the Fossil Fuel Industry Fascists) so that there are MORE DISASTERS for them to CASH IN on. Rampant and unlimited GREED has driven TRUMP and his Plutocratic pals CRIMINALLY INSANE.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fp8.gif&hash=34db9228a959b3b83fc65b38a1aa92a40d56f976) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F126fs2277341.gif&hash=1a8375f11d76a653bcb48e30eaa7b652175f029d)

Don't say I didn't warn you.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 25, 2017, 02:39:08 pm
Looks like Dump is going to do exactly what he said he was going to do.  He's going to create a bunch of temporary jobs building pipelines and building a wall.  Key here is temporary, but we all know Merikans can't think much past the next football game so nobody cares about the temporary aspect.  Long term thinking need not apply in Merka. 

Of course Dump is not doing this, the Corporatocracy/deep state/military industrial complex is doing this.  He's just following orders.  I can't believe anything other.

Yep, Dumps doing all he said he would do, except for the whole "this is your Merka," "Merka is for you the people," "Goobermint is going to work for the Merkan people," and all of that other bullshit he diarrhead out of his mouth during his inauguration bullshit monologue.  It definitely was no speech. 


Well said.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

To Trump and his "alternative facts" true believing followers:
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FxNqrlk8.jpg&hash=86222604f4c77c0383622fa04b6697f1a9fb9577)

Agelbert NOTE: The full quote sheds even more light on who the Trumpers, many who claim to be Christians, REALLY are.

Quote
“To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.” - Thomas Paine
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 25, 2017, 06:42:16 pm
While I agree with you guys basically it could be that Trump may be a tool of his tool more than a tool of the 'tool'.

Regardless of quibbling details the way the mainstream press is treating Trump is disgusting.  The clueless disrespect the clueless and a pretty sight it is not.

Journalism was always subject to bias, but it is quite apparent there are no more objective news outlets. Everybody has an axe to grind.

On Trump and speculation about what he might or might not do....I try not to jump to conclusions, but all the evidence seems to point to a new government envisioned by somebody whose name starts with K. (for Kleptocrat)

True, but the Trumpers still labor under the illusion that Trump "is not as bad" as Obama. He is FAR WORSE. An objective analysis, soon to be made by everybody and his dog who has illusions about TRUMP, will emerge within six months.

I predict the realization of the Trumpers that Obama was a piker compared to Trump's zeal to ADVANCE Empire and the Police State on behalf of Plutocratic polluters everywhere will dawn on them WHEN the BIG WAR SCARE that is coming is followed by a MAJOR PRICE SHOCK in fossil fuels that will finish DESTROYING the middle class in the USA (see below).

Any similarity between K-Dog and the canine in the photo is totally coincidental.  ;D

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fhelpparentsagewell.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fimage0012.jpg&hash=b2914ac7dbe12344be4dfae7913d273b137e42e4)
$10.00 a Gallon?


 

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 25, 2017, 10:15:28 pm
Trump Administration Tells EPA to Cut Climate Change Page From Website 

http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-epa-climate-page-2213948545.html (http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-epa-climate-page-2213948545.html)

Federal Agencies Barred From Speaking to Press, Posting on Social Media

http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-gag-order-2213985518.html (http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-gag-order-2213985518.html)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241216151049.png&hash=78206393ea158485b779ed06d0fb0f84172b645d)

Government Agencies Defy Trump by Tweeting Climate Facts (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

http://www.ecowatch.com/badlands-national-park-trump-2213976759.html (http://www.ecowatch.com/badlands-national-park-trump-2213976759.html)

Agelbert NOTE: K-Dog responds that these commie librul employees need to be more respectful of El Presidente!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F165fs373950.gif&hash=ad797fcc08a061d3ae50ee49ccd9f3d517fb7496)

Not these tweets no.  They tweet the truth in defiance of a crazy man who like the King of Nothing from that short little book 'The Little Prince' thinks he can change reality by commanding that it be so.  The bone I'm chewing on is the total lack of professionalism in the MSM.

If they were more professional they would be more effective.  Give him some rope and let him hang himself.  He will do it of that we can be sure, be patient.  Ordering that science be silenced is a good step on his road to ruin.

When I was a little boy I closed my eyes and concentrated on a pencil to try and make it levitate.  It didn't budge.  I learned I was not the center of the universe.  Trump in trying to create his own reality never having earned that lesson.  It seems like he could be diagnosed with a narcissistic mental disorder.  Today's actions regarding the Mexican wall suggests he actually thinks he can make Mexico pay for the damn thing.  The country thought he was joking and elected him based on his assumed humor.  Now we find out he actually may be humorless and simply deranged.

What I just wrote makes the point that we don't have to wait long before we we can 'roast' Trump based on his actions and not on our emotional reaction to him.  I find that more satisfying.

RE does not mind the MSM hatchet job but I think RE would have Trump go straight to the head chopper.

K-Dog,

So you wake up when tweets start from some scientists and claim media "hatchet" jobs and "disrespect" to El Presidente up until NOW?  Did you miss all the other REAL NEWS about the ACTIONS of this POS President? ???
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We NEVER had to wait long to "roast Trump" because he has CONSISTENTLY telegraphed his racism, authoritarian government, nationalist fascism AND his support of fossil fuel industry profit over planet and Empire ALL ALONG the campaign trail.

At present, the list of fascist moves, along with managerial incompetence (FEMA is NOT helping Georgia tornado victims properly - What next, a claim there WAS NO TORNADO OUTBREAK because that implies support for the Climate Change "Chinese Hoax"?   :evil4:) so far was TOTALLY predictable. I predicted it (see my post shortly  after the election about fascist OVERREACH).

But you have been rather slow to smell the Trump Fascism on steroids ever since the election.

It's time for you to leave the Obama fascist piker behind and face the facts, not some "alternative facts" nice euphemism for BOLD FACED LIES! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fsnapoutofit.gif&hash=911b14b142101df534f739771fb2d3836a807d19) Obama was the fascist warm up. Trump is the MAIN EVENT.


(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpg)

Quote
2950-10K • 11 min 27 sec ago

Regarding the election that just took place....We all knew that if the illegal seizure of our government was successful, the future of the entire planet would end up in deep peril. Weeks of opportunity went by to legally correct and redirect this evil back to where it came from. I'm still outraged the election wasn't declared invalid. It seems not a single Dem including Obama nor our Justice dept. cared to step up and do what was right for humanity. Obama wouldn't even fire Comey.

Sure, we've turned a blind eye to election fraud before, and it got us into endless war that is still costing trillions, not to mention a crashed economy. This time however it's far more evil. The entire planet is about to get sodomized by a few bloated old wheezers/sniffers with bad hair dye, and it seems we are all just standing by and watching the assault unfold.

How many years do the Koch's have left, a couple at best? ....and how many more billions do they need?

Just in case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm sure most have....Trump has the same type of mental illness that Hitler had. Standing in his shadows are Pence, Ryan, and McConnell ... just plain old SS type dumb- asses, all totally ignorant of the magnitude of what is about to unfold.

I sure hope I'm wrong, but I'm afraid the only way to stop this now is the old fashion way. Crack open your history books...it ain't pretty.

http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2017/01/coming-war-net-neutrality (http://www.thomhartmann.com/blog/2017/01/coming-war-net-neutrality)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 26, 2017, 07:35:01 pm
Quote
This is chilling — after ordering a funding and hiring freeze, Trump’s transition team has announced that all EPA scientists' work will face case-by-case vetting before it can be shared with the public.

This is in direct conflict with the agency policy, which prohibits leadership from “suppressing, altering, or otherwise impeding the timely release of scientific findings or conclusions.”

After Trump’s executive order approving the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, we’re getting ready to organize major protests. Activists from around the country are already flooding Senate offices with calls and letters.

Gene Karpinski
 President
 League of Conservation Voters
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 26, 2017, 08:02:45 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221014222208.png&hash=ae35994d8acc44c5bd0794f40f9d513715a7159f)

Quote
One day after Rex Tillerson (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) visited the State Department, it was announced that four of the most senior civil service staff members had resigned.

NBC has confirmed that were asked to do so.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/26/1625630/-Trump-may-implode-faster-than-I-ever-imagined
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 26, 2017, 08:39:59 pm
Carl Bernstein: Republicans are openly discussing Trump's  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F126fs2277341.gif&hash=1a8375f11d76a653bcb48e30eaa7b652175f029d) 'emotional maturity, stability'

By Kerry Eleveld   

Thursday Jan 26, 2017 ·  1:50 PM EST  339   Comments

SNIPPET:

Veteran Beltway journalist Carl Bernstein told CNN Wednesday that discussions in Washington this week have been, "unlike anything I have seen in 50 years as a reporter."  Adam Withnall writes:  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Freading.gif&hash=63e3e644b39258d4c4eedbcdaf322315b1856723)

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/26/1625550/-Carl-Bernstein-Republicans-are-openly-discussing-Trump-s-emotional-maturity-stability
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 26, 2017, 08:54:04 pm
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Backstabbing Republican introduces bill to give away public lands, end Forest Service
   

By Walter Einenkel   

Thursday Jan 26, 2017 ·  6:06 PM EST  55   Comments

Utah’s Republican email bulldog, backstabbing hypocrite, and man who clearly hates his daughter and wife Rep. Jason Chaffetz wants to remind you that he’s also got Koch brothers shill and betrayer of the public trust on his resume. And he wants to update that resume.

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“It’s time to get rid of the BLM and US Forest Service police. If there is a problem your local sheriff is the first and best line of defense. By restoring local control in law enforcement, we enable federal agencies and county sheriffs to each focus on their respective core missions. “The long overdue disposal of excess federal lands will free up resources for the federal government while providing much-needed opportunities for economic development in struggling rural communities.”

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That’s from his website where he has released H.R. 621 and H.R. 622. H.R. 621 is a direction to the Secretary of the Interior to sell “certain Federal lands in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming, previously identified as suitable for disposal, and for other purposes.” Just like the people who used to live on it!

H.R. 622 “To terminate the law enforcement functions of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management and to provide block grants to States for the enforcement of Federal law on Federal land under the jurisdiction of these agencies, and for other purposes.” Because when a Republican wants to privatize things, take away anything worthwhile that the federal government may provide to its citizens, block grants are so very perfect.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

Remember this: Cliven Bundy’s attorney was trying to get money out of the Koch brothers for a reason. These moves to give away public lands have gone back in Chaffetz’s Utah for a few years now, and they’re funded by American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and therefore the Koch brothers.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/26/1625696/-Backstabbing-Republican-introduces-bill-to-give-away-public-lands-end-Forest-Service
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 26, 2017, 09:22:29 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-050515144544.png&hash=7ee8a9d0ff80a564867eeb5fc64c6c942dec8dee)

We Need a Movement to Stop Totalitarianism
https://youtu.be/bPap5iE4A7I

http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/we-need-movement-stop-totalitarianism
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 27, 2017, 08:30:39 pm
A Truly Wise Man Questions the Validity of Trump's World View
   

Sometimes, you read something that just nails it. For months, I’ve been trying to explain to those who would hear why I believe Donald Trump is the worst possible option as the leader of the free world. Why his entire entitled life is the wrong pathway to this position.

Well, a commenter on the New York Times article, The Politics of Cowardice nails it right on the head, breaking it down in a way that I wish I had.

Quote
El Jamon  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)   New York 7 hours ago

I am not a wealthy man. According to Donald Trump, I would be a loser. I changed diapers. I am an attentive, nurturing father. I built a modest business.

I am devoted to my spouse. We've been through thick and thin, better or worse and we still remain devoted and deeply in love.

Our home is modest. Our car is not luxurious. I served my country and paid for college myself, without ever taking a loan or dime from my parents.

And I am happy because I am grateful.

Every single day, I am grateful for this life, better or worse, rich or poor. I'm even grateful for the trials and struggles I've had. I'm grateful for the wisdom life's difficulties and set backs have provided.

The man in the gilded tower is not grateful. He is not wise. He is steeped in fears that, though we see the same television news stations, and read many of the same papers, I do not share.

Why is it that someone who had never wondered how he was going to pay for college, someone who (unlike myself) was backed by the generosity of the happenstance of wealthy parents, someone who cycles through luxury, why is he not grateful? Why is he so angry?


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Look at this wealthy, powerful man's face. He is tormented, even twisted by his fears, and envy and pride, despite the evidence and, as he often brags, the rewards of his greed and gluttony.

Why do I, a poor man by comparison, live in a state of gratitude, while he is in service to his envy and wrath? I view Mr. Trump's fear, lust and sloth and I do not envy him.

If only the half of our voters had this insight and perspective we wouldn’t be stuck with a dark soul running our country into the abyss.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2955.gif&hash=ddc12d8bdb1bc63b7998a6b086b79a71b7bda755)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/27/1626134/-No-Better-Description-Of-This-Ungrateful-Angry-Monster-Has-Ever-Been-Written
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 27, 2017, 08:49:21 pm
At least 6 journalists are facing up to 10 years in prison for covering protests
   

By Walter Einenkel   

Thursday Jan 26, 2017 ·  1:08 PM EST

SNIPPET:

Those people are under no legal obligation to step in the way of idiots with rocks and pipes to stop them from beating up buildings. You want to use their footage to help identify “rioters,” that’s one thing. You want to make it illegal to show what’s happening in the streets, that’s fascism.

https://youtu.be/6YCtIctT8s8

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/1/26/1625516/-At-least-6-journalists-are-facing-up-to-10-years-in-prison-for-covering-protests

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 29, 2017, 09:24:42 pm
K-Dog is now OFFICIALLY BANNED from this forum until further advised for peddling LIES, and double talking PROPAGANDA for Trumplethinskin Fascists. DON'T Try to post your cherry picking, reality downplaying CRAP here ANY MORE. Have a nice day, TRUMPER K-Dog!

https://youtu.be/NPnxiuBrZnM

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210117202856.png&hash=eed8faee1699ddd975e793858488ac52004d88f0)
Heritage Foundation budget  cut percentages
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 29, 2017, 09:53:55 pm
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Donald Trump’s Demolition Derby


Posted on Jan 28, 2017


By Bill Moyers / Moyers & Company

We’re a week into the Trump administration and it’s pretty obvious what he’s up to. First, Donald Trump is running a demolition derby: He wants to demolish everything he doesn’t like, and he doesn’t like a lot, especially when it comes to government.

Like one of those demolition drivers on a speedway, he keeps ramming his vehicle against all the others, especially government policies and programs and agencies that protect people who don’t have his wealth, power or privilege.

Affordable health care for working people? Smash it.

Consumer protection against predatory banks and lenders? Run over it.

Rules and regulations that rein in rapacious actors in the market? Knock ‘em down.

Fair pay for working people? Crush it. And on and on.


Trump came to Washington to tear the government down for parts, and as far as we can tell, he doesn’t seem to have anything at all in mind to replace it except turning back the clock to when business took what it wanted and left behind desperate workers, dirty water and polluted air.

In this demolition derby, Trump seems to have the wholehearted support of the Republican Party, which loathes government as much as it worships the market as god. Remember Thomas Frank’s book, The Wrecking Crew? Published in 2008, it remains one of the best political books of the past quarter-century. Frank took the measure of an unholy alliance: the century-old business crusade against government, the conservative ideology that looks on government as evil (except when it’s enriching its allies), and the Republican Party of George W. Bush and Karl Rove — the one that had just produced eight years of crony capitalism and private plunder.

The Wrecking Crew — and what an apt title it was — showed how federal agencies were doomed to failure by the incompetence and hostility of the Bush gang appointed to run them, the same model Trump is using now. Frank tracked how wholesale deregulation — on a scale Trump already is trying to reproduce — led to devastating results for everyday people, including the mortgage meltdown and the financial crash. Reading the book is like reading today’s news, as kleptomaniacs spread across Washington to funnel billions of dollars into the pockets of lobbyists and corporations.

That may include the pockets of Donald Trump’s own family. As Jonathan Chait wrote after the election in New York magazine, “(Trump’s) children have taken roles on the transition team. Ivanka attended official discussions with heads of state of Japan and Argentina. As president-elect, Trump himself met with Indian business partners to discuss business and lobbied a British politician to oppose offshore wind farms because one will block the view at one of his Scottish golf courses.”

Only a couple of days ago it was reported that the Trump organization would more than triple the number of Trump hotels in America. And why not? Its chief marketer works out of the Oval Office.

Jonathan Chait went on to say: “Trump’s brazen use of his office for personal enrichment signals something even more worrisome than four or more years of kleptocratic government. It reveals how willing the new administration is to obliterate governing norms and how little stands in his way.”

And oh yes, something else: David Sirota at International Business Times has just published a new report showing that the Trump administration appears to be quietly killing the federal government’s major ethics rule designed to prevent White House officials from enriching their former clients. Experts say a review of government documents shows that regulators appear to have abruptly stopped enforcing the rule, even though it remains the law of the land.

We were warned. Donald Trump himself told The New York Times, “The law is totally on my side, meaning, the president can’t have a conflict of interest.”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)  ;) Shades of Richard Nixon, who said, “When the President does it, that means that it is not illegal.” And who also announced, “I am not a crook.”  :evil4:


Which leads us to the second design now apparent in Trump’s strategy of deliberate chaos. He may have run a populist campaign, but now it appears he aims to substitute plutocracy for democracy.

I know plutocracy is not a commonly used word in America. But it’s a word that increasingly fits what’s happening here. Plutocracy means government by the wealthy, a ruling class of the rich and their retainers. If you don’t see plutocracy spreading across America, you haven’t been paying attention. Both parties have nurtured, tolerated and bowed to it. Now we’re reaching the pinnacle, as Trump’s own Cabinet is rich (no pun intended) in millionaires and billionaires. He is stacking the agencies and boards of government with the wealthy and friends of wealth so that the whole of the federal enterprise can be directed to rewarding those with deep pockets, the ones who provide the bags and bags of money that are dumped into our political process today.

Yes, both Democrats and Republicans have been guilty of groveling to the wealthy who fund them; it’s a staggering bipartisan scandal that threatens the country and was no small part of Trump’s success last November, even as ordinary people opened their windows and shouted, “We’re as mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore.” So now we have in power a man who represents the very worst of the plutocrats — one who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing. I shudder to think where this nightmare will end. Even if you voted for Donald Trump for a reason that truly is from your heart, I cannot believe you voted for this.

Tell me if I’m wrong. Tell me whose side are you really on? The people of America or the cynics and predators at the very top who would climb atop the ruins of the republic for a better view of the sunset?

Bill Moyers is the managing editor of Moyers & Company and BillMoyers.com.


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http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/donald_trumps_demolition_derby_20170128 (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/donald_trumps_demolition_derby_20170128)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 30, 2017, 08:44:00 pm
American Psychosis
Posted on Jan 29, 2017

By Chris Hedges

Reality is under assault. Verbal confusion reigns. Truth and illusion have merged. Mental chaos makes it hard to fathom what is happening. We feel trapped in a hall of mirrors. Exposed lies are answered with other lies. The rational is countered with the irrational. Cognitive dissonance prevails. We endure a disquieting shame and even guilt. Tens of millions of Americans, especially women, undocumented workers, Muslims and African-Americans, suffer the acute anxiety of being pursued by a predator. All this is by design. Demagogues always infect the governed with their own psychosis.

“The comparison between totalitarianism and psychosis is not incidental,” the psychiatrist Joost A.M. Meerloo wrote in his book “The R A P E of the Mind: The Psychology of Thought Control, Menticide, and Brainwashing.” “Delusional thinking inevitably creeps into every form of tyranny and despotism. Unconscious backward forces come into action. Evil powers from the archaic past return. An automatic compulsion to go on to self-destruction develops, to justify one mistake with a new one; to enlarge and expand the vicious pathological circle becomes the dominating end of life. The frightened man, burdened by a culture he does not understand, retreats into the brute’s fantasy of limitless power in order to cover up the vacuum inside himself. This fantasy starts with the leaders and is later taken over by the masses they oppress.”

The lies fly out of the White House like flocks of pigeons: Donald Trump’s election victory was a landslide. He had the largest inauguration crowds in American history. Three million to 5 million undocumented immigrants voted illegally. Climate change is a hoax. Vaccines cause autism. Immigrants are carriers of “(t)remendous infectious disease.” The election was rigged—until it wasn’t. We don’t know “who really knocked down” the World Trade Center. Torture works. Mexico will pay for the wall. Conspiracy theories are fact. Scientific facts are conspiracies. America will be great again.

Our new president, a 70-year-old with orange-tinted skin and hair that Penn Jillette has likened to “cotton candy made of P I S S,” is, as Trump often reminds us, “very good looking.” He has almost no intellectual accomplishments—he knows little of history, politics, law, philosophy, art or governance—but insists “(m)y IQ is one of the highest—and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure, it’s not your fault.” And the mediocrities and half-wits he has installed in his Cabinet have “by far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever assembled.”

It is an avalanche of absurdities.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffc06.deviantart.net%2Ffs71%2Ff%2F2009%2F347%2F2%2F6%2FWTF_Smiley_face_by_IveWasHere.jpg&hash=8ca673f8cf785d9dac626f9fd91e37a1a318c7ac)

This mendacity would be easier to repulse if the problem was solely embodied in Trump. But even in the face of a rising despotism, the Democratic Party refuses to denounce the corporate forces that eviscerated our democracy and impoverished the country. The neoliberal Trump demonizes Muslims, undocumented workers and the media. The neoliberal Democratic Party demonizes Vladimir Putin and FBI Director James Comey. No one speaks about the destructive force of corporate power. The warring elites pit alternative facts against alternative facts. All engage in demagoguery. We will, I expect, be condemned to despotism by the venality of Trump and the cowardice and dishonesty of the liberal class.

Trump and those around him have a deep hatred for what they cannot understand. They silence anyone who thinks independently. They elevate pseudo-intellectuals who adhere to their bizarre script. They cannot cope with complexity, nuance or the unpredictable. Individual initiative is a mortal threat.

The order for some employees of several federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research service, the National Park Service and the Department of Health and Human Services, to restrict or cease communication with the press or members of Congress, along with the attempt to impose 10-year felony convictions on six reporters who covered the inauguration protests, signals the beginning of a campaign to marginalize reality and promote fantasy.
(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpg)

Facts depend solely on those who have the power to create them. The goal of the Trump administration is to create an artificial consistency that conforms to its warped perception of the world.

“Before they seize power and establish a world according to their doctrines, totalitarian movements conjure up a lying world of consistency which is more adequate to the needs of the human mind than reality itself; in which, through sheer imagination, uprooted masses can feel at home and are spared the never-ending shocks which real life and real experiences deal to human beings and their expectations,” Hannah Arendt wrote in “The Origins of Totalitarianism.” “The force possessed by totalitarian propaganda—before the movements have the power to drop iron curtains to prevent anyone’s disturbing, by the slightest reality, the gruesome quiet of an entirely imaginary world—lies in its ability to shut the masses off from the real world.”

Trump’s blinding narcissism was captured in his bizarre talk to the CIA on Jan. 21. “(T)hey say, is Donald Trump an intellectual?” he said. “Trust me, I’m, like, a smart persona.”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)

“I have a running war with the media,” he added. “They are among the most dishonest human beings on earth. And they sort of made it sound like I had a feud with the intelligence community. And I just want to let you know, the reason you’re the number one stop [in the new presidency] is exactly the opposite—exactly. And they understand that, too.”
 
He launched into an attack on the media for not reporting that “a million, million and a half people” showed up for his inauguration. “They showed a field where there was practically nobody standing there,” he said about the media’s depiction of the inauguration crowd. “And they said, Donald Trump did not draw well. I said, it was almost raining, the rain should have scared them away, but God looked down and he said, we’re not going to let it rain on your speech.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c)

He has been on the cover of Time “like, 14 or 15 times,” Trump said in speaking of his criticism of the magazine because one of its reporters incorrectly wrote that the president had removed a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. from the Oval Office. “I think we have the all-time record in the history of Time magazine. Like, if Tom Brady is on the cover, it’s one time, because he won the Super Bowl or something, right? I’ve been on it for 15 times this year. I don’t think that’s a record, Mike, that can ever be broken. Do you agree with that? What do you think?” (Editor’s note: Photographs or drawings of Trump were on the cover of Time 10 times in the last year and a half and once in 1989.)

Trump’s theatricality works. He forces the press and the public to repeat his lies, inadvertently giving them credibility. He is always moving. He is always on display. He has no fixed belief system. Trump, as he consolidates power, will adopt the ideology of the Christian right to fill his own ideological vacuum. The Christian right’s magical thinking will merge seamlessly with Trump’s magical thinking. Idiocy, self-delusion, megalomania, fantasy and government repression will come wrapped in images of the Christian cross and the American flag.

The corporate state, hostile or indifferent to the plight of the citizens, has no emotional pull among the public. It is often hated. Political candidates run not as politicians but as celebrities. Campaigns eschew issues to make people feel good about candidates and themselves. Ideas are irrelevant. Emotional euphoria is paramount. The voter is only a prop in the political theater. Politics is anti-politics. It is reality television. Trump proved better at this game than his opponents. It is a game in which fact and knowledge do not matter. Reality is what you create. We were conditioned for a Trump.

Meerloo wrote, “The demagogue relies for his effectiveness on the fact that people will take seriously the fantastic accusations he makes, will discuss the phony issues he raises as if they had reality, or will be thrown into such a state of panic by his accusations and charges that they will simply abdicate their right to think and verify for themselves.”

The lies create a climate in which everyone is assumed to be lying. The truth becomes suspect and obscured. Narratives begin to be believed not because they are true, or even sound true, but because they are emotionally appealing. The aim of systematic lying, as Arendt wrote, is the “transformation of human nature itself.” The lies eventually foster somnambulism among a population that surrenders to the magical thinking and ceases to care. It checks out. It becomes cynical. It only asks to be entertained and given a vent for its frustration and rage. Demagogues produce enemies the way a magician pulls rabbits out of a hat. They wage constant battles against nonexistent dangers, rapidly replacing one after the other to keep the rhetoric at a fever pitch.

“Practically speaking, the totalitarian ruler proceeds like a man who persistently insults another man until everybody knows that the latter is his enemy, so that he can, with some plausibility, go out and kill him in self-defense,” Arendt wrote. “This certainly is a little crude, but it works—as everybody will know who has ever watched how certain successful careerists eliminate competitors.”
We are entering a period of national psychological trauma. We are stalked by lunatics. We are, as Judith Herman writes about trauma victims in her book “Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence—From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror,” being “rendered helpless by overwhelming force.” This trauma, like all traumas, overwhelms “the ordinary systems of care that give people a sense of control, connection, and meaning.”

To recover our mental balance we must respond to Trump the way victims of trauma respond to abuse. We must build communities where we can find understanding and solidarity. We must allow ourselves to mourn. We must name the psychosis that afflicts us. We must carry out acts of civil disobedience and steadfast defiance to re-empower others and ourselves. We must fend off the madness and engage in dialogues based on truth, literacy, empathy and reality.

We must invest more time in activities such as finding solace in nature, or focusing on music, theater, literature, art and even worship—activities that hold the capacity for renewal and transcendence. This is the only way we will remain psychologically whole. Building an outer shell or attempting to hide will exacerbate our psychological distress and depression. We may not win, but we will have, if we create small, like-minded cells of defiance, the capacity not to go insane.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/page2/american_psychosis_20170129
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 31, 2017, 04:54:10 pm
People For The American Way EXPOSES Sessions/Trump HYPOCRISY

Last night, Donald Trump fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates for refusing to defend his illegal executive order targeting Muslim immigrants and refugees.

When Yates, who was a holdover from the Obama administration, faced Senate confirmation for her job as deputy attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions pressed her on whether she thought the attorney general or the deputy attorney general “has a responsibility to say no to the president if he asks for something that’s improper.” She correctly responded that “the attorney general or the deputy attorney general has an obligation to follow the law and the Constitution and to give their independent legal advice” -- which was the answer that Sessions was clearly looking for.

But from all reports, we have a pretty good idea that, if confirmed as attorney general, Sessions himself would not stand up to improper orders by President Trump. In fact, the Washington Post calls him the “intellectual godfather” of Trump’s anti-constitutional executive actions.

In light of Trump’s recent orders and his administration’s failure to adhere completely to court orders halting the implementation of those orders -- a constitutional crisis in itself -- there is no way that Sessions’ confirmation should be rammed through the Senate, as it appears Senate Republicans are still pushing to do.

Sessions’ committee vote is TODAY. He’s expected to make it out of committee on a party-line vote, thanks to a combination of committee Republicans’ extreme right-wing ideology and outright spinelessness. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has rightly asked for a delay of the full Senate vote because of this past week’s events and the damning information that continues to come out about Sessions, his views, and his record.

Exactly one Democratic senator has said he would vote for Sessions -- West Virginia’s Joe Manchin. It’s not too late for him to change his vote or to join calls for a delayed vote. It’s also not too late for several Republican senators to grow a backbone, defend our core constitutional values, and join the opposition to Sessions.

ALL senators need to hear from their constituents NOW that they need to oppose Sessions and work their relationships with their colleagues in whatever ways they can to help grow the opposition against Sessions in the Senate. This Sessions nomination is a clear moral test for senators -- will they defend the Constitution? Or put party first and enable the bigoted and illegal agenda of the Trump administration? Which side of history will they be on?

Thanks for continuing to speak out and RESIST!

-- Ben Betz, Online Engagement Director

Ben, PFAW alerts@pfaw.org via mta-bbcspool.convio.net
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 31, 2017, 09:29:49 pm
January 31, 17
Amid Ongoing Protests, Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) Fires Acting Attorney General for Refusing to Enforce Immigrant Ban

 TRNN brings you the latest developments in the ongoing resistance against Trump's ban on Muslim refugees


https://youtu.be/o76l2GESHvM

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=18250
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 31, 2017, 09:39:47 pm
 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

Trump Builds NSC of Yes-Men

https://youtu.be/E8lv7WVE3Z4


http://therealnews.com/t2/story:18246:Trump-Builds-NSC-of-Yes-Men
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 31, 2017, 09:55:47 pm
Is a Trump Coup On the Way? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300714025456.bmp&hash=f4e4a260bd60d3f34ca86fed93c47d5fb4117cfd)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

https://youtu.be/gUA3zmCHmaE

http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/trump-coup-way
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 01, 2017, 11:26:34 pm
The Real Supreme Court Strategy : Neil Gorsuch nominated

https://youtu.be/1-aGeSs4EWk

http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/real-supreme-court-strategy-neil-gorsuch-nominated
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 01, 2017, 11:39:17 pm
February 1, 2017
Trump Faces New Wave of Resistance to Cabinet Picks  ;D
https://youtu.be/P93K7S4X5EM
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 09, 2017, 11:18:32 pm
Are We Now Living In A Police State?     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300714025456.bmp&hash=f4e4a260bd60d3f34ca86fed93c47d5fb4117cfd) 

https://youtu.be/DLd5osZWQnU
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 09, 2017, 11:30:10 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trbimg.com%2Fimg-566ee3d4%2Fturbine%2Fbal-donald-trumps-fascist-inclinations-do-not-bother-his-fans-20151214&hash=63072a772614b696dd8a9353902eaf6840248940)

Is Trump A Fascist Or...Something Even Worse?

https://youtu.be/qtrsd9VS8x8

Published on Feb 8, 2017

Big Picture Interview: Ron Rosenbaum, Slate/L.A. Review of Books/Explaining Hitler. It turns out Progressives and neo-Nazis agree on something: they both think Donald Trump is the new Hitler. But is all this "Trump is a Nazi" talk just hyperbole?
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 12, 2017, 02:13:44 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281216181536.jpeg&hash=faeff8739580c0d370dfafe6e6378077218a7ed2)

https://youtu.be/cs0BfPDvUQg

How Trump Filled The Swamp
 
 
corbettreport 

Published on Feb 3, 2017

SHOW NOTES AND MP3: https://www.corbettreport.com/?p=21637

With promises to "drain the swamp!" (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fugly004.gif&hash=c56db4280057389afd154a1cb4057410151579c8) still ringing in our ears, we have watched Trump appoint nothing but Goldman banksters, Soros stooges, neocon war hawks and police state zealots to head his cabinet. Join us this week on The Corbett Report as we examine the swamp-dwellers with which Trump has filled his swamp.

Agelbert NOTE: The only thing missing from this mostly accurate report is its rather blatant failure to list the MASSIVE influence of the Profit over Planet Swamp Creatures from the Fossil Fuel Industry in the Trump SWAMP. That is the one blind spot Corbett has. He simply cannot handle the reality of CO2 caused catastrophic climate change, even though he connects the corruption dots in most Business As Usual poisonous practices. The "subsidies" that the fossil fuel industry milks out of we-the-people worldwide amount to BILLIONS of dollars annually. Yet somehow this THEFT never makes it to Corbett's radar. Why is that? ???

Quote
Exxon-Mobil and Lee Raymond who was at the Company from 1963-2005 was the person who started the cover-up of climate change. Lee Raymond has also been on the Board of Directors when JPMorgan/Chase committed all their criminal acts leaving that company with a Rap Sheet a mile long. $20 BILLION in fines, but NO-ONE went to jail for all the financial burdens and losses JPM/CHase caused millions of people. Chase is still illegally foreclosing on homes.

Another person on the Board of Directors for Exxon is William Weldon who is also on the Board for JPMorgan/Chase. Weldon was the CEO at Johnson & Johnson during the production and sales of the TOXIC TALC that is causing cancer in so many women.

Jamie Dimon head of JPM/Chase walks around scot-free from the long Rap Sheet of Criminal Acts that were instigated by him. Now Jamie Dimon is out promoting the "Millions in Grants" that JPM/Chase is giving to communities and for scholarships for education ~~~ BUT ~~~ Dimon does NOT explain that this is STOLEN money from illegal home foreclosures, from illegal criminal acts, benefitting the bank.

These men have NO consciences, they are a narcissistic group of men with no morals, who only think of MONEY and GREED and Trump is at the top of the list with his egomaniac personality who will give these men a clearance to destroy for their own personal benefit.  Gerry Lednicky Seger

Quote
"The fossil fuel industry swallows up $5.3 trillion a year worldwide in hidden costs to keep burning fossil fuels, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
 
This money, the IMF noted, is in addition to the $492 billion in direct subsidies offered by governments around the world through write-offs and write-downs and land-use loopholes.

In a sane world these subsidies would be invested to free us from the deadly effects of carbon emissions caused by fossil fuels, but we do not live in a sane world. "  -- Chris Hedges
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 14, 2017, 02:53:08 pm
(https://img0.etsystatic.com/022/0/7376508/il_570xN.487703018_a2kj.jpg)
"Many Republican members of Congress have made a Faustian bargain with Donald Trump. " -- Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Quote
One nice thing about history, you always know how the story ends. Flynn's career in the Trump administration drew itself to a swift and sudden resolution. That chapter is over.  Meanwhile, another amusing chapter was being written in the Senate, during the confirmation process of Jeff Sessions. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) took a few moments of his confirmation time to make the following observation about the opening days of the Trump administration. Senator Whitehouse spoke very well. Check this out:


“President Trump and his family have brought more conflicts of interest to the White House than all other modern presidents and families combined. The proposed Trump domestic cabinet is an unprecedented swamp of conflicts of interest, failures of disclosure and divestment and dark money secrets. The Trump presidency is a haven for special interest influence and they’re just getting started.”

“Many Republican members of Congress have made a Faustian bargain with Donald Trump. They don’t admire him as a man, don’t trust him as an administrator, but they respect the grip he has on their voters,” Whitehouse observed. “The Republican Fausts are in an untenable position. The deal they’ve struck with the devil comes at too high a price. It really will cost them their soul.”

“Even if Trump’s ideology were not noxious, his incompetence is a threat to all around him. To say that it is amateur hour at the White House is to slander amateurs.”

"The opening days of this administration have been a gong show, but a gong show with a nuclear button."

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/14/1633512/--It-s-Like-Game-Of-Thrones-In-There-Flynn-s-Over-Will-Priebus-Or-Conway-Be-The-Next-To-Topple
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 14, 2017, 09:11:55 pm
(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpg)
Rolling Down the Road to Fascism in Trumpland (and Hitler's Big Lie)


https://youtu.be/RpqbWlH2ugc

Thom talks about the insidious republican force currently suppressing democracy in our voting system, Trump's communications on it, and parallels to Hitler's strategy to accumulate power in the 1930's.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 16, 2017, 12:31:42 pm
  February 16, 2017
Did the Deep State Facilitate Flynn's Resignation? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_1730.gif&hash=cdaf50326d98ff7b051a9c49e83d51c7bb687407)
 
Former FBI agent and whistleblower Coleen Rowley says there's a difference between leaking and whistleblowing, and it's likely that the former took place in the ongoing power struggle between the deep state and the executive branch of government - Two - Part Interview

Coleen Rowley  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3) is a former FBI agent and whistleblower. Rowley jointly held the TIME "Person of the Year" award in 2002 with two other women credited as whistleblowers.


https://youtu.be/Pw7_FrCXtSw

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=18412


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 16, 2017, 02:38:49 pm
The Washington Post

February 16, 2017

Donald Trump’s(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F165fs373950.gif&hash=ad797fcc08a061d3ae50ee49ccd9f3d517fb7496)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fp8.gif&hash=34db9228a959b3b83fc65b38a1aa92a40d56f976)  combative, grievance-filled press conference, annotated

A solemn President Trump turned his Thursday afternoon announcement of a new labor secretary nominee into a screed against the media and large-scale defense of his first four weeks as president.

It was remarkable. Trump hit all the usual points: The polls, the electoral college, the media, etc. He even said that he inherited a "mess" four separate times. There were grievances galore.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ftissue.gif&hash=f8d05db8e11569882e0effbdd719e2b2e95c6785) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fshame.gif&hash=88b5b0c8644862ef4930e3c7e3556db6c3bf600f)

Below is the transcript, which we'll update as it comes in, along with our analysis and annotations.

Agelbert NOTE: The annotations involve fact checking and are reliable. The transcript is a journey into Trump's alternative facts zone.

(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpg)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/16/donald-trumps-grievance-filled-press-conference-annotated/

Quote
think4yrslf

2:41 PM EST

John Dean, from the good ol' Nixon days, just said on MSNBC that this was the most "classless" performance he's ever seen by a U.S. President in a news conference....adding that he's followed Presidential news conferences since 1957 
 
Yet again, Don the Con has shown himself to be a delusional, disrespectful, condescending, complete liar who's wholly incapable of grasping reality. The longer this man remains as President, the bigger trouble our country is in. He's destroying our domestic stability and the reputation of our nation throughout the world. This man is not qualified to be President at ALL. It would be more appropriate for him to be committed to a mental institution.

Yep. The entire Trump team is a fascist wrecking crew.  :(  :P They will destroy the biosphere along with what's left of our democracy if we do not stop them soon.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 16, 2017, 05:14:20 pm
 (https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/545693884664119297/mCDJfUgm.jpeg)

DENIER ROUNDUP
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F_IPZX1n_gnIM%2FTBxKST8wgBI%2FAAAAAAAAFxM%2F52D2UaemhQE%2Fs400%2FGas-Oil-Petroleum385.jpg&hash=733743a5d6af9b5085d12db935373e34c5e356fd)

GOP Begins “Modernizing” Anti-Environment Propaganda
 
Continuing to demonstrate that while his skin looks thick and leathery, it’s actually as paper-thin as the resumes of many of his cabinet appointees and advisors, President Trump continues to pretend that negative press or outlets that expose Russian connections to his administration are fake, while giving actual fake news outlets like Breitbart prime real estate. The administration is making a habit of only calling on conservative outlets as a way to avoid critical questions, having done so exclusively for the past three press conferences. It’s gotten so bad that reporters have started trying to shouting real questions afterwards, only to be ignored. (But at least Acosta tried…)
 
Trump’s continued attempts at co-opting of the term “fake news” as a tool to delegitimize the press is a textbook use of propaganda. From Hitler to Stalin, some of history’s most infamous dictators routinely turned words upside down to strip them of their meaning and confuse the public.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

The latest example of this tactic will be on full view in the House today, when the Energy and Commerce committee holds a 10am hearing on “Modernizing Environmental Laws.” With speakers from the Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, and Chairman Shimkus quoted in the press release as looking forward to “practical reforms to promote the expansion of domestic infrastructure and manufacturing”, it’s unlikely the witnesses there who actually care about environmental protection will drive the conversation.
 
But despite what Steve Bannon thinks, the press is smart, and it’s unlikely that this “modernizing” language will to pass unchallenged by the media. Ari Phillips has taken the charge with a great piece that pulls back the propaganda to explain “What GOP lawmakers mean when they talk about modernizing the Endangered Species Act.” (http://fusion.net/story/386467/senate-panel-talks-modernizing-endangered-species-act-under-trump/)
 
Quote
For those wondering, it appears “modernizing” something means destroying it to benefit industry.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)
 
While it may seem silly and obvious to smart folks like Phillips that “modernization” is just an empty euphemism meant to conceal unpopular policy positions, this election proved the power of propaganda. We should all do everything we can to hold those in power accountable and keep the public apprised of the truth.

 Otherwise, Trump might succeed in “modernizing” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070814193155.png&hash=144ce9330e49ee84060db8753a8db69c39a14913) America.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070815234504.png&hash=985389b97dcdb7597d06de1ad53ff044c1fca800)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 16, 2017, 06:36:04 pm
https://youtu.be/YRyfU_Lkl8I
Trump Filibusters When Asked About Rising Anti-Semitism  ;)

(https://theuglytruth.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/trump.jpg?w=406&h=229)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 17, 2017, 01:59:01 pm
https://youtu.be/aavHduBk1_U

Trump Denigrating Office of the Presidency & Flat Out Lying (w/Guest John W. Dean)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 17, 2017, 06:02:17 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241216151049.png&hash=78206393ea158485b779ed06d0fb0f84172b645d)

Agelbert NOTE: The Fossil Fuel Crooks and Liars Front Man (Pruitt for the castration of the EPA) has now been rushed through the Senate to ensure that the he is IN before the e-mails from his Fossil Fuel partners in crime are made public next Tuesday (Court Order of an Oklahoma Judge). This Senate move is the latest bit of in-your-face corruption on behalf of the polluters.

 (https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/545693884664119297/mCDJfUgm.jpeg)

DENIER ROUNDUP
Senate Debates and Likely Confirms Pruitt for EPA Admin. Next Up, Red Queen for Head of Neurology.  ;)

“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things: Of shoes and ships and sealingwax, of cabbages and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings.”


...

“O Oysters,” said the Carpenter, “You’ve had a pleasant run! Shall we be trotting home again?” But answer came there none-- and this was scarcely odd, because they’d eaten every one.” 

A little over two months after the Walrus nominated the Carpenter to disassemble the EPA, it looks like finally, the time has come. Barring something truly frabjous, the Senate will confirm Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the agency he has sued 14 times. His nom comes despite the fact that he appears to have lied under oathabout his (lack of) action as Oklahoma Attorney General to fight pollution.

 Suffice to say that the oysters of the EPA, generally happy as clams to fight pollution, are none too pleased about new leadership. Nearly 800 former EPA employees signed a letter to the Senate in opposition to Pruitt and are otherwise protesting and calling their senators.

 In addition to rolling back regulations to safeguard the sea becoming boiling hot (okay maybe not literally boiling, but perhaps oxygen-less…), what else are they worried about?

 For one, there’s the return of David Schnare, former lawyer and analyst at the EPA. Marianne Lavelle at InsideClimate News’s feature on Schnare provides a window into the staffing decisions being made by whatever Cheshire cat is calling Trump’s shots at this point. Once an EPA oyster but now quite rotten, Schnare’s more recent work has been misleading courts to get climate scientists’ emails on behalf of coal-funded EELI.

 Speaking of emails, as the Senate was “debating” Pruitt’s nomination yesterday, a judge ruled that Pruitt’s correspondence with industry and lobby groups have to be turned over either to the Center on Media and Democracy or the court by Tuesday. As of the time of writing, the Senate vote is still today.

 Meanwhile, at the mad tea party of a Heritage Foundation (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) Event on climate models, we saw the same performance we’ve seen for years: models are unreliable, social cost of carbon is bad, we won’t see much warming in the future anyway, we should use a 7% discount rate instead of the 3% many experts already consider too high, etc.

 Ironically, during one speaker’s presentation of how they know better than real scientists, the laptop shut off. Over the next seven minutes, panelists had to walk away from their chairs so the laptop could be plugged in, computer restarted, password entered, and presentation reloaded. They filled the down time with questions from the audience.

 No one asked the obvious question of Heritage’s Tweedle Dees and Dums: “Why should we trust you to run complex computer models to help us plan for the future, when you didn’t even plan far enough ahead to plug in your laptop?”

But you know who is thinking ahead? The EPA. Yesterday, in response to the many FOIAs for its online content, they  uploaded a mirror of their pre-Trump website (http://gizmodo.com/the-epa-just-posted-a-mirror-website-of-the-one-trump-p-1792430343), as it was before we went through the looking glass.

This just in.
It appears that God has responded to the Senate's confirmation of Fossil Fuel Friend Pruitt.    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)

Pruitt, you see, was the Attorney General of Oklahoma that fought tooth hand nail to allow the frackers to run wild, which caused the increase in earthquakes there. But ALSO, he sued the EPA several times to allow he frackers to "regulate themselves". He didn't want the EPA "interfering"" with frackers by making them undertake "costly and unnecessary" safety measures according to EPA REGULATIONS.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)

Well, Oklahoma just reaped some more of what Pruitt and his fossil fuel pals sowed:

Oklahoma rocked by natural gas well explosion
By John Siciliano • 2/16/17 4:36 PM

SNIPPET:

A natural gas well exploded in Oklahoma Thursday afternoon, with reports of multiple injuries in Pittsburg County.
 
A number of state and local emergency agencies responded to the well explosion, which occurred near the town of Quinton, about 150 miles east of Oklahoma City.
 
The Quinton Police Department said the explosion in the major fossil fuel-producing state happened when the top of a natural gas well blew off, according to local channel News 9.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/oklahoma-rocked-by-natural-gas-well-explosion/article/2615085

(https://ofcommonsense.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/free-choice-not-consequences.jpg)



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 17, 2017, 07:36:57 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)

February 17, 2017

Trump's Tax Returns Key to Clarifying Russian Connections

Economist James Henry explains why we should take Deutschebank's findings about Trump's assets with a grain of salt


https://youtu.be/LQbneFvGKWQ

http://therealnews.com/t2/story:18424:Trump%27s-Tax-Returns-Key-to-Clarifying-Russian-Connections
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 17, 2017, 07:47:12 pm
Trump's Cabinet Does Not Represent You - On Purpose  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmocantina.gif&hash=d013c741bcf9a78776eec19c2c3aac449c35d75c)

(w/Guest Mark Pocan)

https://youtu.be/NUZi8lTNa2I

Thom and Congressman Mark Pocan hear concerns and suggestions from callers on a range of topics including taxing churches, gerrymandering, budget reconciliation, and ecological concerns.

http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/trumps-cabinet-does-not-represent-you-purpose-wguest-mark-pocan

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216142007.png&hash=84ef2c6fc002fc0b4bc9940ee16d0728d50cc9b5)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 21, 2017, 07:40:07 pm
At What Point Do Trump Supporters Feel Betrayed? ???

https://youtu.be/0kgeEbowkPw

Les Leopold, The Labor Institute/Runaway Inequality: An Activist's Guide to Economic Justice. According to economist Thomas Piketty, The poorest 50 percent of Americans have seen their incomes decline by a full 1 percent since 1978 - even as incomes for the top 10 percent of Americans have jumped by whopping 115 percent and incomes for the top one thousandth of a percent have skyrocketed an astronomic 685 percent.

There is no other way to put it - we are now living in a new Gilded Age  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df), and our democracy is in serious danger.

So as Americans take to the streets again today to fight back against the Trump agenda - the question needs to be asked: can we defeat Trump without first tackling income inequality?

http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/what-point-do-trump-supporters-feel-betrayed
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 21, 2017, 08:21:19 pm
The Republican Tax Scam We've All Been Falling For  >:(

https://youtu.be/ds-vJ-vl90c

Thom talks about the web of lies republicans spread about the effects of taxes to get the American people to go along with their plan to redistribute all wealth upwards to the mega-rich.

http://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/republican-tax-scam-weve-all-been-falling
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 22, 2017, 06:12:59 pm
 (https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/545693884664119297/mCDJfUgm.jpeg)
February 22, 2017

Rearranging Agency Deckchairs Begins on USS Trumptanic (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fgas2.org%2Ffiles%2F2013%2F05%2Fstupid.png&hash=03f34f8c94a314e127f3ee8c4872e721e1b04063)
 
Quote
Amidst swirling rumors of Executive Orders, newly minted EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt took the lectern on Tuesday in the Rachel Carson Green Room to address his new employees. His speech was the sort of bromide-laced sedative one would expect in an un-Trumped administration, which sadly made it nicer than anticipated. But still, to the EPA staffers, it was “condescending and hypocritical.”
 
 After thanking the career staffers, Pruitt’s 11-minute talk managed to discuss the importance of process and the rule of law (implying the agency flaunted it prior to his joining) and giving industry the certainty it needs, without ever mentioning public health or climate change. He also went through a version of the federalism spiel he used at his confirmation hearing, to give his pro-polluter perspective a sheen of respectability by couching it in noble-sounding but ultimate industry-forgiving legalese. But at least the feared Executive Orders to pull back on climate, water and other regulations and otherwise reform the EPA in Trump/Pruitt/Putin/Koch’s image failed to materialize. For now.
 
 Meanwhile, other agencies are still worrying about their future - especially NASA, which may soon be targeted by budget reauthorization bills which would cut its climate science and Earth monitoring budget and have it refocus entirely on space.
 
 We don’t know yet if Trump will sign the bill and reallocate resources to gut NASA’s climate work, but there’s little reason to believe he won’t. If he does, it sends the message that the administration and the GOP may not care that NASA is best suited to operate the many satellites necessary to gather information about our planet.
 
 Instead of doing the data collection work that keeps people here on Earth safe, NASA will be charged with focusing entirely on sending people to Mars. Presumably, our plan is to ruin that planet as well.
 
 Back here at home, journalists are continuing to poke and then prod at how closely Russia is working with Team Trump - particularly when it comes to the sanctions that, if lifted, would revive the $500 billion Exxon-Rosneft oil deal to drill in the Arctic. As a further sign of mutual goodwill, Russia has said it won’t push back if Trump decides to pull out of Paris, which is hardly surprising given Russia’s need for ice-free ports and the appeal of farming in Siberia.
 
 But for those worried about the fate of US climate action, the EPA and NASA, you might be reassured by remembering a little bit of modern history.
 
 NASA beat the Russians once.
 
 With our support, hopefully they can do it again.
 
 
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 23, 2017, 02:45:29 pm
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Emails Reveal EPA Chief Scott Pruitt’s Dirty Dealings With Oil and Gas Industry

Alleen Brown, Sharon Lerner

February 22 2017, 6:15 p.m.

Emails released Tuesday night illustrate the remarkably close relationship between EPA head Scott Pruitt and the oil and gas industry while he served as Oklahoma’s attorney general. The emails were made public as the result of a lawsuit and open records request by the Center for Media and Democracy only days after Pruitt was confirmed to lead an agency he has long fought to undermine.

The 7,500 documents reveal a new example of oil and gas industry operatives drafting and editing text Pruitt submitted to a federal agency, and they show how Oklahoma Gas & Electric and American Electric Power, both of which contributed to Pruitt’s election campaigns, reviewed documents pertaining to at least one rule affecting utility rates.

The emails contain thousands of references to and communications with the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, which has ties to ALEC, the conservative group that drafts “model” pro-business legislation. Pruitt’s office seemed to operate in conjunction with the council, which helped coordinate press for the attorney general and regularly released his blog posts on their newsletter, “Freedom Flash.” So after Pruitt appeared on Fox News in November 2013, for instance, OCPA’s Jonathan Small emailed Aaron Cooper, who was Pruitt’s director of public affairs, to tell him he was going to turn the video into a blog and “freedom flash it out.”

The emails also show employees’ attempts to make the work of the attorney general’s office confidential. “Don’t forget to take our name off our appearance,” reads one email from Oklahoma Assistant Attorney General Nicole King. Another email sent to three people in the attorney general’s office reads, “As you will see there is some confidential and highly sensitive confidential information. I am working on a confidentiality agreement based on what the Commission has been approving.”

In keeping with this effort to keep Pruitt’s communications private, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office still has not released all the emails the Center for Media and Democracy first requested more than two years ago. Even after Oklahoma Judge Aletia Haynes Timmons criticized the office for its “abject failure” to follow the open records law, the AG’s office withheld an unspecified number of documents on the grounds that they were privileged. Many of those that it did release were redacted. Judge Timmons ruled that the attorney general’s office has to supply additional records by February 27.

Methane Regulation

On May 2, 2013, Scott Pruitt and 12 other attorneys general sent a letter to the EPA urging the agency to avoid regulating methane emissions. The emails released Tuesday make clear that Devon Energy had a hand in drafting the letter, which argued that voluntary industry efforts to restrict emissions were sufficient, that federal emissions estimates were inaccurate, and that regulating methane fell outside the purview of the law. The letter was meant to counter threats by northeastern states that they would file a lawsuit against the EPA for failing to regulate methane. “In sum,” the letter reads, “regulation of methane emissions from oil and gas facilities is not ‘appropriate’ under the analysis contemplated by [the Clean Air Act].”

William Whitsitt, vice president for public affairs at Devon, had reached out to Oklahoma’s solicitor general, Patrick Wyrick, less than two months before, on March 21, 2013, writing, “Attached is a potential first-cut draft of a letter a (bipartisan if possible?) group of AGs might send to the acting EPA administrator and some others in the Administration in response to the NE states’ notice of intent to sue for more E&P emission regulation.”

Two months later, on May 1, Deputy Solicitor General Clayton Eubanks reached out to the Devon vice president, asking him explicitly for input. “I would like to get the letter out in the morning,” he wrote. “Any suggestions?”

Whitsitt did indeed have suggestions, writing back, “Here you go. Please note that you could use just the red changes, or both red and blue (the latter being some further improvements from one of our experts) or none. Hope this helps.”

Attachments to Pruitt’s emails were not released, leaving it unclear whether the letter remained as unchanged by Pruitt’s office as an October 2011 Devon-drafted letter he signed that was published by the New York Times in a Pulitzer-winning 2014 series. A press release for the May 2 comment boasted about the success of that earlier letter.

“In October 2011, General Pruitt wrote a letter to the nation’s AGs alerting them to new inaccurate methods being used by the EPA to measure the amount of methane gas released into the atmosphere by conventional natural gas wells and unconventional wells used for hydraulic fracturing,” the 2013 release said. “Following the letter and other public comments of concern, the EPA declined to regulate methane emissions from oil and gas facilities, and instead remain within their role of the Clean Air Act to review state standards.”

In May 2016, the Obama administration’s EPA finally released a rule regulating methane emissions on new oil and gas equipment. Three months later, Pruitt joined a lawsuit fighting the rule.

The documents contain additional examples of the ways in which the oil and gas industry shaped Pruitt’s work as attorney general. On January 28, 2014, Stephanie Houle, who was then a staff attorney for the energy company OG&E, reached out to Pruitt’s office to note that “It has come to our attention that the filed PDF version” of the company’s comments on a rule affecting electricity providers “did not capture the revisions OG&E made in redline format. The attached word document should clearly indicate the changes.” While input from public utilities on rules that affect them isn’t necessarily problematic, it indicates a coziness that raises questions.

The emails record the attorney general’s staff setting up numerous meetings with energy company executives: arranging for Pruitt to have dinner at the Petroleum Club, responding to an invitation for dinner at the governor’s mansion with the board of ALEC, and dining time and again with employees of Devon Energy.

In an email, Devon Energy spokesperson John Porretto told The Intercept, “Our engagement with Scott Pruitt as Attorney General of Oklahoma is consistent — and proportionate — with our commitment to engage in conversations with policymakers on a broad range of matters,” adding, “We have a clear obligation to our shareholders and others to be involved in these discussions related to job growth, economic growth and domestic energy. It is important that we give full consideration to policymaker requests for information and expertise on industry issues. It would be indefensible for us to not be engaged in these important issues.”

Oklahoma, like the rest of the country and the world, is already experiencing catastrophic consequences of the kind of unrestrained energy production Pruitt promoted as attorney general. In the past eight years, earthquakes in the state have increased by some 4,000 percent, a change that researchers attribute to the injection of fracking wastewater into the earth. Temperatures and extreme weather events are also on the rise around the country and world.

Pruitt doesn’t seem concerned about how the consequences of his energy and environmental policy will affect the lives, health, and homes of the public at large. But after an unusually severe thunderstorm hit Tulsa in the early morning of 2013, Pruitt did seem concerned about his own house. According to an email his assistant Ashley Olmstead sent that day to Howard L. Ground, manager of governmental and environmental affairs for the Public Service Company of Oklahoma, “General Pruitt asked that I reach out and see if there is any timeline on when he and the surrounding area might begin to have their power restored,” Olmstead wrote, adding, “Hope you are well and that you are getting to spend time with your grandbaby!”

https://theintercept.com/2017/02/22/emails-reveal-epa-chief-scott-pruitts-dirty-dealings-with-oil-and-gas-industry/

Agelbert NOTE: the Frackers KNOW the following. They just DON'T CARE!

In the year 2034:

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Snake Oil: how fracking's false promise of plenty imperils our future

Paul Mobbs 20th March 2014

Money Quote:

Quote
Fracking is just another step on the fossil fuel treadmill, according to 'Snake Oil' by Richard Heinberg. High costs, diminishing returns and growing pollution will ultimately nail its future.

http://www.theecologist.org/reviews/2315910/snake_oil_how_frackings_false_promise_of_plenty_imperils_our_future.html (http://www.theecologist.org/reviews/2315910/snake_oil_how_frackings_false_promise_of_plenty_imperils_our_future.html)

"Externalized" Costs Courtesy of the Fossil Fuel Industry as of 2010:

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 23, 2017, 09:17:21 pm
(https://theuglytruth.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/trump.jpg?w=406&h=229)

As Tyrants Take Control of Democracies, They Typically Do 7 Things (Video)

Posted on Feb 22, 2017

https://youtu.be/tg8y5H_Rrf0

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/tyrants_take_control_democracies_typically_7_things_video_20170222

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 24, 2017, 10:24:56 pm
September 8, 2016

Agelbert NOTE: You really need to watch this, if you wish to understand Trump and the danger he represents to America.

https://youtu.be/19KI_2X2Sfs
David Cay Johnston, "The Making of Donald Trump"


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 25, 2017, 01:13:08 pm
Quote
Has anyone who voted against Trump changed their mind and why? ???

Don Rolph

Don Rolph, lives in East Walpole, MA


Written Feb 12, 2017

I have indeed changed my mind on Trump since the election.

During the election I concluded that Trump would be very bad for the country and that he institute number of very problematic policies. It was going to be a long four years at least.

Since the election Trump has demonstrated not that he will be very bad for the country, but rather based on his first three weeks he will be catastrophic. It is increasingly clear that the Trump administration has no conception of how to govern, no understanding of how the government works, no understanding of our constitutional forms, and gets hung up on petty issues of no consequence to the detriment of critical issues. He is also arguably making the US at higher risk of terrorism and potentially conventional attack.

So yes I have changed my mind on Trump. He is not bad, he is catastrophic.


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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 25, 2017, 05:15:35 pm

Published on Feb 4, 2017


David Cay Johnston talked about this book The Making of Donald Trump, in which he takes a critical look at the 2016 Republican presidential nominee.

https://youtu.be/fgHAUmsOiw8
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 26, 2017, 04:07:29 pm
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As Calls Grow to Impeach Trump, Former Nixon Counsel John Dean Sees "Echoes of Watergate"

 Friday, February 24, 2017 

By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! | Video Interview

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/39613-as-calls-grow-to-impeach-trump-former-nixon-counsel-john-dean-sees-echoes-of-Watergate

Second part of video with John Dean:

John Dean: Trump Says Publicly What Nixon Said on Wiretap

 Friday, February 24, 2017 

By Amy Goodman, Demoracy Now! | Video Interview

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/39615-john-dean-the-difference-between-trump-and-nixon-is-trump-says-publicly-what-nixon-said-on-wiretap
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 26, 2017, 06:26:01 pm


3 Trump Targets: Here's What's at Stake

Feb. 25, 2017 02:46PM EST

Subscribe to EcoWatch's Top News of the day
 
Mary Anne Hitt

[Editor's note: President Trump signed another executive order on Friday aimed at eliminating regulations.]

The Washington Post has reported that the Trump administration may announce a number of executive orders in the coming days.

The rumored targets—the Clean Power Plan, the Clean Water Rule and the federal coal leasing moratorium—protect our air and water, save lives and take action to stop climate disruption. By the numbers, here's what's at stake if Trump  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) attacks these vital safeguards and reforms.

The Clean Power Plan

First Ever: On June 2, 2014, as part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the Clean Power Plan, our nation's first-ever protections from carbon pollution from power plants. The plan puts states in the driver's seat to hasten their shift to clean energy and reduce carbon pollution. It will also help reduce other forms of dangerous air pollution, helping to keep our children healthier.

Three Times: The Clean Power Plan has a solid legal foundation in the Clean Air Act. On three separate occasions, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the EPA's authority and responsibility under the Clean Air Act to protect human health and welfare by limiting carbon pollution.

Up to 6,600:
The Clean Power Plan will lead to significant climate and public health benefits for all. The EPA has estimated that, by 2030, the Clean Power Plan will prevent 150,000 asthma attacks and up to 6,600 premature deaths annually.

$93 Billion:
The Clean Power Plan also provides great opportunities for economic growth and sustainable development. Investing in clean energy will create jobs and fuel economic growth in our country. The EPA estimates the Clean Power Plan will deliver annual benefits of up to $93 billion by 2030.

37 Percent: Fossil-fuel fired power plants are the largest source of carbon pollution in the U.S. and therefore a major contributor to climate change. Carbon emissions from power plants represent 37 percent of the total CO2 emissions emitted in the U.S.

97 Percent: 97 percent of all the generating capacity added in the U.S. in December 2016 was either wind or solar energy, according to SNL Energy.

The Clean Water Rule

In March 2014 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers proposed a long-overdue Clean Water Act rule to end the confusion over which streams and wetlands are protected by the law.

The health of our nation's rivers, lakes and bays depends on the network of small streams and wetlands that flow into them. Here's what's at stake:

117 Million: The Clean Water rule provides protections for the drinking water sources for more than 117 million Americans. One in three Americans get drinking water from public systems that rely on headwater and seasonal streams.

20 million: The Clean Water rule also safeguards 20 million acres of wetlands that provide flood protection, recharge groundwater supplies, filter pollution and provide essential wildlife habitat.

Coal Leasing Moratorium: The Cost of Coal Under a Broken System

President Obama initiated a coal leasing moratorium on federal lands while the Department of the Interior reviewed the outdated coal leasing program, which has been shortchanging taxpayers while benefiting coal executives for decades.

Sorely in need of reform, under the outdated program the Department of the Interior has been issuing leases to coal companies on the cheap for coal on lands belonging to the American people, giving them a sweetheart deal that has flooded the market with subsidized coal at below-market prices, while damaging our climate and our public lands.

41 cents:
40 percent of all coal burned in the U.S. comes from our federal leases on public lands. Under the existing system, up to 90 percent of bids in the Powder River Basin received only a single bidder, resulting in sales far below what companies typically paid for on private lands. You could buy one ton of federal coal for less than a packet of M&Ms—just 41 cents.

~$28.9 billion:
Local taxpayers are not getting a fair return for the use of their public lands with royalty rates set unreasonably low. Under this system, American taxpayers are losing hundreds of millions of dollars each year, totaling an estimated $28.9 billion in revenues in the Powder River Basin alone over the 30 years since the federal government last overhauled its coal leasing program.

11 percent:
Mining and burning coal from public lands accounts for approximately 11 percent of annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Trump is rolling back critical public health and environmental standards so his buddies in the fossil fuel industry can continue to pad their pockets at our expense. The Sierra Club will be fighting these rollbacks every step of the way and Americans nationwide will continue to resist—join us.

http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-clean-power-plan-2282940807.html
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 01, 2017, 02:14:20 pm
March 1, 2017
Bernie Sanders' Response To Trump's Speech To Congress

Sanders calls out Trump for going back on his campaign promises, lying about corporate tax rates, and continues his push for a single-payer healthcare system.


https://youtu.be/8eK-5ivYb3o

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Heritage Foundation budget  cut percentages

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 01, 2017, 02:33:57 pm
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March 1, 2017

Ralph Nader on Trump's Speech to Congress

Ralph Nader tells Paul Jay that Trump's attack on the EPA and regulatory agencies will be a disaster.

https://youtu.be/ECECWTW6VTw

http://therealnews.com/t2/story:18545:Ralph-Nader-on-Trump%27s-Speech-to-Congress
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 01, 2017, 05:10:54 pm
Are the Republicans Looking for their Reichstag Fire Moment to Take Over?

Thom talks about how Hitler used a fire in the German parliament building to gain power and how the Trump administration may be looking to use a similar strategy.

[/b]
https://youtu.be/WuRmcvUhv3o

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 04, 2017, 03:08:37 pm
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Paving the way for a new progressive party?: Democratic Leaders are a Craven Bunch of Idiots Bent on Self-Destruction (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on 03 March 2017


By Dave Lindorff

The Democratic Party leadership, both in the Democratic National Committee and in Congress, is full of bad ideas these days, and they’re risking disaster because of it.

After the November election fiasco, you’d think a party that left controlling the governments of just 13 states of the 50 states, compared to 32 for Republicans, and that has just lost every lever of power in Washington -- the White House, the Senate, the House and the Supreme Court -- would be rethinking its whole approach to reaching American voters and trying to figure out where it went wrong over the last several decades.

Instead we’re hearing a whole lot of the same old bad ideas, and some new ones that are even worse than bad.

Take Nancy Pelosi, the dinosaur representative from San Francisco who once was the House speaker, back when Democrats controlled that lower chamber of Congress. She says Democrats should “just wait” until Trump voters realize that they have been misled by their candidate, on the assumption that they will then flock to the Democratic Party in 2018.
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Just wait? Doesn’t Pelosi get it yet? America’s working class -- black, hispanic and white -- has for years been “waiting” years in vain for the Democratic Party to come back to its roots and start helping them, instead of helping the toney entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and the toney hedge-fund managers on Wall Street to get richerWait for what? Voters both independent and Democratic abandoned the Democratic Party in droves in November because they finally woke up and realized it had abandoned them, and that “just waiting” for them to come back to a party that betrayed them is not going to work at all.

As I’ve written, plenty of those “deplorables” who voted for Trump in states that used to be reliably Democratic first voted in the Democratic primary for Bernie Sanders, either as Democratic Party registrants or as independents. They only turned to Trump when the choice was Trump or Clinton, whom they recognized as corporatist Democratic party hack. Many have told pollsters and interviewers that they voted for Trump and the Republicans not because they liked them, but to “shake things up” because the Democrats have been ignoring their plight.

And then there’s the corrupt and self-destructive selection of former Obama Labor Secretary Tom Perez as the Democratic National Committee chair, replacing the corrupt Donna Brazile, who helped screw candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders out of the party’s nomination by, among other things, passing Hillary Clinton tips about questions CNN planned to ask in her primary debate with Sanders, before herself being chosen by the DNC to replace the disgraced prior chair, Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz... 

For the rest of this article by DAVE LINDORFF in ThisCantBeHappening!, the uncompromised, collectively run, five-time Project Censored Award-winning online alternative new site, please go to: www.thiscantbehappening.net/node/3479

http://warisacrime.org/content/paving-way-new-progressive-party-democratic-leaders-are-craven-bunch-idiots-bent-self-destru




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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 10, 2017, 12:46:33 pm
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March 7, 2017 | Rona Fried | Policy/Trends

War on Regulations Takes Off (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.zaazu.com%2Fimg%2FIncredible-Hulk-animated-animation-male-smiley-emoticon-000342-large.gif&hash=db736c8c06568f1aa878171ad53d1f0301cfdff2)

Last week, Trump ordered supervisors installed in all federal agencies to carry out his “2 for 1” scheme to eviscerate big bad regulations that supposedly hold our economy back. Only regulations that cost industries $0 in 2017 can stay in place – forget any benefits of holding corporations accountable, such as saving lives, protecting human health, safeguarding fundamental rights, worker rights, environmental rights, and caring for wildlife and wildlands. And for any regulation that is put in place, two must be eliminated even if they are entirely unrelated.

“This fundamentally changes our government’s role from one of protecting the public to protecting corporate profits, and will lead to a dangerous new era of deregulation and corporate “self-regulation,” says Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen, which is suing Donald J. Trump for the regulations assault.

But this is just the beginning. If the Midnight Rules Act, REINS Act and Regulatory Accountability Act pass, major items long on the Republican wish list will finally be fulfilled. The bills have passed in the House and now await Senate action.
◾Midnight Rule Relief Act allows Congress – in just one vote – to repeal all regulations passed over the past year.

◾REINS Act (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) (Regulations From The Executive In Need of Scrutiny  ::)) gives Congress control over major new regulations, taking it out of the hands of professionals in federal agencies. For the first time, Congress would be in charge of approving regulations. If not approved within 70 days, the regulation dies and the agency is barred from taking it up again.

◾Regulatory Accountability Act  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400) makes it very hard to set new regulations by bogging the process down with over 60 new steps. Until now, agencies balance costs and benefits when considering new rules, but this law requires them to choose the “least costly” option as opposed to the “most effective” option.

The House passed the REINS Act several times during Obama’s term, but it was stopped in the Senate. The House voted down Democrat amendments to exempt rules that affect veterans’ health care, nuclear reactor safety, transportation of hazardous materials, and the safety of products used by children under the age of 2, reports USA Today.

Read our article, REINS Act Would Increase Toxic Pollution (http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/reins-act-would-increase-toxic-pollution-48691/)

These bills “give Congress sweeping authority to substitute political judgement for scientific judgement. It gives Congress permission to ignore all the years of technical work and public comment used to develop public health, safety, and environmental protections, and simply dismantle all these vital safeguards in one fell swoop,” says Union of Concerned Scientists. It’s ironic, because federal agencies develop regulations at the behest of Congress in the laws they pass!

The REINS Act “could, in effect, impose a slow-motion government shutdown, and would replace a process based on expertise, rationality and openness with one characterized by political maneuvering, economic clout and secrecy. The public would be less protected, and the political system would be more abused. Indeed, it is hard to imagine a more far-reaching, fundamental and damaging shift in the way the government goes about its business of safeguarding the public,” says Natural Resources Defense Council.

Conservative think tank Competitive Enterprise Institute is helping out with a 193-page agenda with a long list of regulations to eliminate, and Rep. Meadows (R-NC) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)has offered a list of 232 regulations that can be repealed immediately.

And who did Trump put in charge of advising on which regulations to gut? Billioinairre corporate raider Carl Icahn. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) With $16.5 billion, Icahn has plenty of money to protect (and grow!).

Corporations are Thrilled  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smilies.4-user.de%2Finclude%2FSpiele%2Fsmilie_game_017.gif&hash=e8548890f80af23241a1d43a1ab1ca8031301f20)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)

Real estate developers, for example, are thrilled with the rollbacks. Eliminating the “Waters of the US” rule makes it much easier to build without worrying about protecting wetlands and the streams half of Americans rely on for their drinking water. When the Endangered Species Act is gone, that will take a big pain out of the way.

Environmental Protection (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)  Agency

Federal contractors are thrilled that the House repealed Obama’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces executive order, which requires them to comply with worker health and safety laws before getting new contracts. 30% of the worst violators received $81 billion in federal contracts, according to a 2013 Senate report.  It affects the family of Rodney Bridgett, who was killed when a piece of heavy equipment crushed him and Calvin Bryant, crippled by a workplace explosion that killed 14 co-workers, for example. A vote in the Senate is imminent.

On the chopping block:

◾lead safety standards in drinking water

◾unsafe chemicals to be removed from the market under the Toxic Substances Control Act

◾gut enforcement of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts

◾prohibit payday lenders from praying on consumers with high interest rates

◾gut Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform,  Consumer Protection Act, Food Safety Modernization Act, Pipeline Safety Act and many more.

◾gut food safety regulations, net neutrality rules that protect he Internet from monopolies, energy efficiency standards for appliances and vehicles, and of course, the Clean Power Plan that reduces emissions from power plants.

◾no more restrictions on oil drilling or coal mines on public land

◾no more standards for healthy school lunches

◾standards that protect health workers from exposure to infectious diseases

◾a rule to prevent mining equipment from crushing miners

◾rules that protect communities from oil trains from exploding

◾protections for endangered species

Visit rulesatrisk.org to keep up (if you can!) with the rules on the chopping block.


“It’s horrifying that even after the Wall Street crash, the massive BP oil spill and numerous other public health and safety disasters across the country due to a lack of strong regulations, Americans will once again have to pay the price for the consequences of corporate recklessness, greed and lawbreaking,” says Weissman.

“Congress totally lacks the technical competence to review these kinds of complex rules. Do we really want members of Congress deciding whether a chemical can safely be used in food packaging? Or the proper procedures for approving new drugs as safe and effective? Or setting the allowable safety standard for heavy metals in drinking water?,” asks Carl Pope, former Sierra Club president.

Say Goodbye to Class Action Lawsuits?


HR 985, which would make it almost impossible for citizens to join class action lawsuits – among the most effective tools for victims of corporate abuse – will soon get a vote. Think about the BP oil spill or Wells Fargo’s illegal bank accounts. HR 720, HR 725 and HR 732 would make it harder for victims of corporate wrongdoing to sue and hold them accountable.

How About a Rule that Requires the President to Reveal His Taxes? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fnocomment.gif&hash=e2062ee03ac013cc64a2d5285ec05dd9510c141b) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

Although the vast majority of Americans want Trump to reveal his taxes, House Republicans don’t like that rule either.  Every single one of them voted to block a resolution that would force Trump to do what all other presidents have done on their own volition.

The House Ways and Means Committee has the power to demand Trump’s taxes, but the full House voted it down (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F237.gif&hash=13b71d2444f84b15c53fb1c0272c080f48a165f1) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ffly.gif&hash=b0526635e8b47d751b0e429925d73d78f9d79fc6) when Rep. Pascrell (D-NJ) brought it to the floor.

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/war-regulations-takes-off/

Agelbert NOTE: Message from the Trump Team to we-the-people:

  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-140415130805.png&hash=23d2e6dc6311a26c399bf0cb60868bcff2781a58)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 11, 2017, 03:37:14 pm
(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpg)

Our President Is Up to No Good

 Friday, March 10, 2017 

By Bill Moyers and Henry A. Giroux, Moyers & Company | Op-Ed

SNIPPET:

As Orwell often remarked, historical memory is dangerous to authoritarian regimes. In Orwell's Ministry of Truth, it is a crime to read history against the grain. In fact, history is falsified so as to render it useless both for understanding the conditions that shape the present and for remembering what should never be forgotten. As Orwell makes clear, this is precisely why tyrants(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__smokelots.gif&hash=094f88de6782c1cd03ed5321b387792046eb3cdd) consider historical memory dangerous; history can readily be put to use in identifying present-day abuses of power and corruption. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmaniac.gif&hash=9ecf389a7da25db958f3f63461cbb45a4b316c4e)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.ebaumsworld.com%2Fthumbs%2Fpicture%2F2367113%2F84688966.jpg&hash=70500a560c9b9cce78fad85e3673389aeaad1faa)

The Trump administration offered a pointed example of this Orwellian principle when it issued a statement regarding the observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F9DqiHlb.png&hash=a8312422f3f46e2662383a7d71292cb44c78c94d)

In the statement, the White House refused to mention its Jewish victims, thus erasing them from a monstrous act directed against an entire people. Politico reported that the official White House "statement drew widespread criticism for overlooking the Jews' suffering, and was cheered by neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer."

This act of erasure is but another example of the willingness of the Trump administration to empty language of any meaning, a practice that constitutes a flight from historical memory, ethics, justice and social responsibility.

(https://theuglytruth.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/trump.jpg?w=406&h=229)

Under such circumstances, government takes on the workings of a dis-imagination machine, characterized by an utter disregard for the truth that is often accompanied, as in Trump's case, by "primitive schoolyard taunts and threats." In this instance, Orwell's "Ignorance is Strength" materializes in the Trump administration's weaponized attempt not only to rewrite history, but also to obliterate it. Trump's contemptuous and boisterous claim that he loves the uneducated and his willingness to act on that assertion by flooding the media and the American public with an endless proliferation of peddled falsehoods reveal his contempt for intellect, reason and truth.

As the master of phony stories, Trump is not only at war with historical remembrance, science and rationality, he also wages a demolition campaign against democratic ideals by unapologetically embracing humiliation, racism and exclusion for those he labels as criminals, terrorists and losers, categories equated with Muslims, Mexicans, women, the disabled -- the list only grows. As John Wight observes, Trump's language of hate "is redolent of the demonization suffered by Jewish people in Germany in the 1930s, which echoes a warning from history."

All Governments Lie

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-050515144544.png&hash=7ee8a9d0ff80a564867eeb5fc64c6c942dec8dee)

Orwell's point about duplicitous language was that all governments lie. The rhetorical manipulation definitive of Orwellian language is not distinctive to the Trump administration, though it has taken on an unapologetic register in redefining it and deploying it with reckless abandon. The draconian use of lies, propaganda, misinformation and falsification has a long legacy in the United States, with other recent examples evident under the presidency of George W. Bush. Under the Bush-Cheney administration, for example, "doublethink" and "doublespeak" became normalized as state-sponsored torture was shamelessly renamed as "enhanced interrogation." Barbaric state practices such as sending prisoners to countries where there were no limits on torture were framed in the innocuous language of "rendition." Such language made a mockery of policy discourse and eroded public engagement. It also contributed to the transformation of institutions that were meant to limit human suffering and misfortune and protect citizens from the excesses of the market and state violence into something like their opposite.

But the attack on reason, dissent and truth itself finds its Orwellian apogee in Team Trump's endless proliferation of lies: including claims that China is responsible for climate change, former President Obama was not born in the United States and voter fraud prevented Trump from winning the popular vote for the presidency.

Such lies, big and small, don't function simply as mystification; they offer justification for aggressive immigration crackdowns, for effectively silencing the EPA and for upending Obamacare.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjosephnewton.com%2Fimages%2Fsized%2Fimages%2Fwork%2FAug6o9_Savage_Mislead_LG-440x501.jpg&hash=b9447cb3eb34cc4384c60f10612f98be8893232b)

Too often the relentless fabrications serve to distract the press, focusing its energies on exposing the untrustworthiness of the person and not on the symbolic, legal and material violence that such pronouncements and harsh policies invariably unleash. 
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/39750-our-president-is-up-to-no-good

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trbimg.com%2Fimg-566ee3d4%2Fturbine%2Fbal-donald-trumps-fascist-inclinations-do-not-bother-his-fans-20151214&hash=63072a772614b696dd8a9353902eaf6840248940)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 12, 2017, 03:18:26 pm
Quote
blueseahorse
Many of these demons that are crawling out from hell, like the movie The Setinel,
would have had a very fine time in Berlin during the 30s and 40s....great time. God help us.
Stay strong

nighthawk
This is why fighting with less progressive folks who generally share our values is so counterproductive now. We need to put a check on Paul Ryan and Trump. We've got a neoconfederate AG and a neonazi presidential adviser running the executive branch. The communists spent their time fighting with socialists and moderates while the foreign press, folks like William Shirer, looked on in amazement at the forces of the right gathering strength at the end of the 1920s in Germany. All sides, of course, lost in the end, badly.

critter  > blueseahorse


This is what is puzzling to me. I've believed all along that Trump would not spend his own money on his campaign, because his modus operandi is to spend others' money wherever possible, so I thought there had to be at least one oligarch behind the scenes.

When he first announced his cabinet appointments, I asked why they all seem like people the Kochs would have appointed, even though the Kochs have denied being involved with Trump because they know they are hated and that could sink him.  I saw an article that another billionaire, whose name escapes me at the moment, was behind Trump. Maybe he is, also, but why so many Koch-associated people already in government positions that do not require confirmation? Is it possible the Koch brothers finally achieved their coup?

YES (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070814193155.png&hash=144ce9330e49ee84060db8753a8db69c39a14913) , the Fossil Fuel Industry, of which the Koch Crooks are an integral Part, OWNS TRUMP! The Racist and Fascist Sessions is now busy getting rid of ANYONE who has ANY ethics in the "Justice" Department in collusion with the rest of the Trump Cabinet Fascists supporting the Fossil Fuel Industry Profit over People and Planet. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fminzdr.gif&hash=f5927d7395d8a28c69df2a0a3a98660932c6903f)

Saturday, March 11, 2017

by Common Dreams


US Attorney in New York Fired After Refusing Trump's Abrupt Request to Resign

The Trump administration demanded the resignation of 46 U.S. attorneys on Friday afternoon, with little warning


by Deirdre Fulton, staff writer

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/03/11/us-attorney-new-york-fired-after-refusing-trumps-abrupt-request-resign
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 12, 2017, 07:15:01 pm
Republican Socialism for the Plutocrats Continues
https://youtu.be/ZbQz_CgeA5M
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 13, 2017, 02:32:33 pm
 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)
  March 13, 2017

Trump and The War Within the American Oligarchy

https://youtu.be/vKSqZijIKS0

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=18647
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 13, 2017, 10:53:24 pm
This Level of Corruption Is Unprecedented in the Modern History of the Presidency


And it's threatening our democracy.


By Charles P. Pierce

Mar 12, 2017 

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a53810/corruption-unprecedented/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 15, 2017, 05:13:28 pm
 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)
 March 15, 2017

Trump Fills the Swamp with Fossil Fuel Lobbyists

DeSmogBlog's Steve Horn
says federal agencies are now being staffed by advocates of clean coal, expanded fossil fuel drilling, and hunting of endangered animals.

https://youtu.be/GMipt918ptw

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=18650

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281216181536.jpeg&hash=faeff8739580c0d370dfafe6e6378077218a7ed2)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 15, 2017, 09:32:50 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.ebaumsworld.com%2Fthumbs%2Fpicture%2F2367113%2F84688966.jpg&hash=70500a560c9b9cce78fad85e3673389aeaad1faa)

Chris Hedges: The Rise of Trump (March 3rd, 2017)

https://youtu.be/Na_jAtxpmiI

Published on Mar 15, 2017
Truthdig columnist and Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges addresses fascism and the rise of the Trump war machine in the keynote speech at the "After Trump and P u s s y Hats" event in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 3, 2017.

Introductions by Cecilia Point of the Musqueam First Nation and Lee Lakeman of the Vancourer R a p e and Women's Relief Shelter.

Credits:

Video by Collectivista (collectivista.org)

Democracy North
W2media.org

Produced by the Vancouver R a p e Relief and Women's Shelter
RapeReliefShelter.bc.ca
and the Asian Women's Coalition Against ****
AWECEP.org
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 16, 2017, 01:05:19 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Reich makes a lot of sense, lays out accurately the impeachable offenses of Trump and explains all the oligarchy based mayhem going on. Unfortunately, he continues to play blind, deaf and dumb about the COMPLICITY of the DEMOCRATIC PARTY for the Trump Fascism in general and the bought and paid for Democrats in particular. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

Robert Reich : The Resistance Report March 8, 2017
https://youtu.be/8EZiWo-yuuY




Mr. Reich, there is NO FUTURE for our democracy unless people massively vote GREEN. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

(https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/gptx/pages/19/features/original/sm-gppush.jpg?1414272646)

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/24/b2/a9/24b2a95f9cc7df97561253ecaa56a9ff.jpg)


Quote
rstevewarmorycom 

I'm retired. I have been a lifelong democrat till today. I have voted in every election. I just re-registered as an independent. Why? Because the democrats are now republicans!!! They have fallen for the free market poison!! 

They have abandoned the working class and the poor, they have abandoned socialist and progressive causes. Look at  Bernie's polling stats during the campaign, he would have beaten ANYBODY running against him, and beaten Trump by a TRUE landslide of 60% or better.

Americans are NO LONGER afraid of the word Socialism!!    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)

If the demos do not turn immediately Socialist and Progressive, they will cease to exist in the next two election cycles!! People were afraid of losing to Trump, so they tried to vote safe for your anointed candidate. But now the worst HAS happened, we have NO MORE fear of losing, we already LOST because we voted for corporate demos with NO allegiance to the workers or the poor!!! Anyone in the next election cycle that is NOT ANTI-CORPORATE and is NOT PROGRESSSIVE AND SOCIALIST, they WILL LOSE!!

Used to be demos were 45%, repubs 25% and 30% independent. But now the stats are 25% demos, 25% repubs, and 50% independent!!!   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)

Those independents can WIN if they vote for the same candidates!! Both parties are DYING!! If you go Socialist you can have the future, if not you will become the past!!!
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 16, 2017, 03:17:07 pm
Agelbert NOTE: To be filed in the category of questions about wild bears and their habits. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)

 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)
  March 16, 2017
Did Russian Oligarch Rybolovlev Bailout Trump in 2008?
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/8b/30/b3/8b30b31e87dddef823ce634725ac42d3.jpg)
Agelbert OBSERVATION: A billionaire  that rips people and planet off from making fertilizers is connected TOTALLY to the fossil fuel industry BECAUSE hydrocarbons are key ingredients in the manufacture of chemical fertilizers. This is ANOTHER link to Trump and his fascist fossil fuel OWNERS friends. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605)

https://youtu.be/d_peW85tg8k


  March 16, 2017

Trump's 2005 Tax Forms:(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85) 'Like Going to Dinner And Being Served Pictures of Food'  :P (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

Economists James Henry and Bill Black hypothesize that there are fraudulent and criminal activities lurking within Trump's unreleased Tax forms.

https://youtu.be/u7oqMB493_w
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 16, 2017, 06:18:39 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Trump's Budget Won't Balance Federal Spending, but It'll Move a Lot of Money to the Rich  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smilies.4-user.de%2Finclude%2FSpiele%2Fsmilie_game_017.gif&hash=e8548890f80af23241a1d43a1ab1ca8031301f20)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)
Thursday, March 16, 2017 

By Josh Hoxie, OtherWords | Op-Ed

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)


SNIPPET:

In other words, Trump's tax plan is a proverbial one-handed middle finger to the working class. And his spending cuts represent his other hand making the same gesture.

While repeated rhetorical distractions may succeed in sidetracking his audience, Trump can't use his impressive oratory skills to overcome basic mathematics.

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/39876-trump-s-budget-won-t-balance-federal-spending-but-it-ll-move-a-lot-of-money-to-the-rich
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 16, 2017, 07:50:41 pm
Chris Hedges: Who really is Donald Trump? with David Cay Johnston (10/16)

https://youtu.be/FDDFDLqJvUk

Published on Mar 15, 2017

Amazingly, this interview full of actual facts dates back to October 15, 2016. Chris Hedges sits down with David Cay Johnson, author of “The Making of Donald Trump” to examine how Trump and the rich are benefiting from a rigged tax system. RT Correspondent Anya Parampil further explores how the U.S. tax code has been rewritten to benefit the wealthy.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 17, 2017, 02:30:49 pm
ALL Americans (Trumpers too!) who are poor or middle class JUST GOT ROYALLY SHAFTED  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

https://youtu.be/okccvXtH8Es
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 17, 2017, 07:35:42 pm
(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpg)

https://youtu.be/l868Ibzu79o


Ralph Nader Denounces Trump Budget as Corporatist, Militarist & Racist: "The Mask is Off"


Democracy Now!   

Published on Mar 17, 2017

http://democracynow.org - Longtime consumer advocate and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader responds to President Donald Trump’s 2018 budget proposal to Congress, which calls for an unprecedented $54 billion increase in military spending while slashing environmental, housing, diplomatic and educational programs. "The mask is off. The fangs are now out," Nader says. "He is collaborating with what is, on the record, the most vicious, ignorant Republican Party in its history, since 1854."

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream 8-9AM ET: http://democracynow.org
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 20, 2017, 08:55:16 pm
The Billionaire Coup D'état  >:(

Does Trump Have A Deep State Of His Own?

https://youtu.be/lh4hmReN6cg

Greg Palast, The Guardian/Rolling Stone Magazine/The Best Democracy Money Can Buy. Donald Trump has spent the past few weeks warning his supporters about a "deep state" conspiracy against him. Does Trump have a deep state of his own?

For more information on the stories we've covered visit our websites at thomhartmann.com - freespeech.org - and RT.com.

Mar. 17, 2017 5:06 pm
By Thom Hartmann
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 21, 2017, 12:08:59 pm
A Trumper propagandist commenting on an article that exposed Trump's love for the Wall Street bankers, as opposed to the opposite that he had claimed before the election, recently disingenuously asked, "If Trump is so bad, how come Democrats have not explained why so many white women voted for him?". (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)


I answered:

You don't believe a thing the Democrats say, Trumper. So, your question is more of the "Obama was worse" pitch you trumpers never tire of throwing out there.

Nevertheless, for the benefit of readers here, I will tell what Chris Hedges says. Neither he nor I supported Hitlery Clinton so please don't try to label us as Dumocrats. We, unlike you, are part of the reality based community.  ;D

QUOTES FROM: A Last Chance for Resistance by Chris Hedges

Published on Monday, March 20, 2017  by Truthdig

"There are three institutions tasked in a functioning democracy with protecting the truth and keeping national discourse rooted in verifiable fact—the courts, the press and universities. Despots must control these three to prevent them from exposing their lies and restricting their power. Trump has not only attacked the courts but has also begun purges of the judiciary with his mass firing of U.S. attorneys. The Trump White House plans to fill 124 judgeships—including 19 vacancies on federal appeals courts—with corporatist lawyers such as Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch who are endorsed by the reactionary Federalist Society. By the time Trump’s four-year term is up, Federalist Society judges could be in as many as half of the country’s appellate seats."

"The current administration’s budget proposes to give the war industry, the domestic policing agencies, the fossil fuel industry, Wall Street, billionaires and the national security and surveillance agencies more than they could have imagined possible before the election. These forces, as in all fascist states, will be the pillars of the Trump regime. They will tolerate Donald Trump’s idiocy, ineptitude and unbridled narcissism in exchange for increased profits and power."

"There is an emotional incapacity among any population being herded toward despotism or war to grasp what is happening. The victims cannot believe that the descent into barbarity is real, that the relative security and sanity of the past are about to be obliterated. They fail to see that once rights become privileges, once any segment of a society is excluded from the law, rights can instantly be revoked for everyone.

There is a hierarchy to oppression. It begins with the most vulnerable—undocumented workers, Muslims, poor people of color. It works upward. It is a long row of candles that one by one are extinguished. If we wait to resist, as the poet C.P. Cavafy wrote, the “dark line gets longer” and “the snuffed-out candles proliferate.”"

FULL ARTICLE:

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/03/20/last-chance-resistance

(https://theuglytruth.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/trump.jpg?w=406&h=229)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 21, 2017, 04:25:27 pm
What do the members of the Trump Administration ENJOY?

SNIPPET:

Quote
They thoroughly enjoyed the look of horror on people's faces when the White House budget was revealed last week. The dismay of poor and working-class people, people of color, environmentalists, educators, artists, activists and, frankly, most Americans at the priorities put forth in that document is music to our supposed leaders' ears. It is all part of what passes for bedrock conservative ideology these days: "Make the liberals angry." That is all they have: cruelty for cruelty's sake.

Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director, told us that Meals on Wheels and after-school lunch programs for students have to go because they don't actually accomplish anything. This was perhaps the filthiest, most brazen lie yet told by a member of this administration, and friends, that's saying something. Meals on Wheels serves more than 2.4 million elderly people, including 500,000 veterans, to demonstrably beneficial effect. A fed student is a focused student, but just the simple act of filling the stomach of a food-insecure child is a towering victory all by itself.

Compared to the appropriations for Defense and Homeland Security, the money required to fund programs like these is so small as to be practically nonexistent. Cutting them will do nothing to lower the deficit; hell, they could be funded in a year if Trump would only stay one weekend a month in the nice white mansion we have set up for him in Washington, DC instead of flitting off to his golf course or his skyscraper on the taxpayer's dime. There is no plausible explanation for taking such programs away from the most vulnerable among us beyond a hatred and greed that beggars description.


When It Comes to Trump, We Should Be Too Petrified to Laugh (http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/39919-when-it-comes-to-trump-we-should-be-too-petrified-to-laugh)

Tuesday, March 21, 2017 

By William Rivers Pitt, Truthout | Op-Ed
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 23, 2017, 06:19:00 pm
Will Our Democracy ::) Survive the Right-Wing Takeover?

https://youtu.be/tpozBli6sf4

Agelbert NOTE: The USA is NOT a democracy; it's an oligarchy. However, the question has merit BECAUSE the oligarchic excesses are driving our economy to a collapse.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 23, 2017, 06:45:08 pm
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NYTimes: Trump "Lies in Ways That No American Politician Ever Has Before"

https://youtu.be/W2s4MTArWDc

Published on Mar 23, 2017

In this week's DumpTheTrumptyHive Roundup rant, I peruse the mainstream media for more reasons we need to kick our new Liar-In-Chief to the curb.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 23, 2017, 09:04:58 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Henry A. Giroux | The Culture of Cruelty in Trump's America

 Wednesday, March 22, 2017 

By Henry A. Giroux, Truthout | Op-Ed

This story was published thanks to readers like you. Donate now to support Truthout's fearless, independent coverage.


SNIPPET:

For the last 40 years, the United States has pursued a ruthless form of neoliberalism that has stripped economic activity from ethical considerations and social costs. One consequence has been the emergence of a culture of cruelty in which the financial elite produce inhuman policies that treat the most vulnerable with contempt, relegating them to zones of social abandonment and forcing them to inhabit a society increasingly indifferent to human suffering.

Under the Trump administration, the repressive state and market apparatuses that produced a culture of cruelty in the 19th century have returned with a vengeance, producing new levels of harsh aggression and extreme violence in US society. A culture of cruelty has become the mood of our times -- a spectral lack of compassion that hovers over the ruins of democracy.


http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/39925-the-culture-of-cruelty-in-trump-s-america

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 24, 2017, 08:45:54 pm
The Truth Of Trump’s “I Alone Can Fix It” Canard | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

https://youtu.be/juvYqEF3BzA

UNCEASING INCOMPETENCE!(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fp8.gif&hash=34db9228a959b3b83fc65b38a1aa92a40d56f976) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F126fs2277341.gif&hash=1a8375f11d76a653bcb48e30eaa7b652175f029d) 

https://youtu.be/2ntA246Fokg
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 28, 2017, 06:49:54 pm
Robert Reich : The Resistance Report March 27, 2017

https://youtu.be/_3Mqrhw6XSs



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 02, 2017, 02:02:47 pm
Agelbert NOTE: The censored word (xxxx) in the article below is "F U C K".

Henry Rollins: Make America Filthy, Hungry, Broke and Stupid Again (http://www.laweekly.com/music/henry-rollins-****-mick-mulvaney-scott-pruitt-and-the-whole-trump-administration-8075218)
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At the beginning of comrade Trump’s doomed administration, something he said at his puke-inducing hideout, Mar-a-Lago, right around the time he was pallin’ around with convicted killer Don King, told me everything about how this zero-talent grifter was going to govern. He called his repulsive property the “winter White House,” no doubt to put that into the country’s vocabulary, to be parroted by **** like Sean Hannity going forward.

Right then I knew he was going to try to spend as much time there as he could and that he had absolutely no interest in doing the job of the president. I figured he would go there for Thanksgiving and stay until the beginning of the following year. His dipshit fans would defend the cash hemorrhage to secure the area by making patently false comparisons to the cost of President Obama’s vacation budget. How many more seven-figure vacations is this fraud going to take? Too bad that the comrade’s multimillion-dollar weekends in Florida, of which there have been five at the time of this writing, can’t be billed directly to his supporters.

Days ago, Trump rolled out a new name for his leisure cemetery as he announced a gathering he was having, concerning the Department of Veterans Affairs. “[W]e’re having a meeting tonight at what we call affectionately the Southern White House. Seems to be the most convenient location. Everybody always wants to go to the Southern White House.”

Is the South rising again? Let me get this straight, improving the VA requires all involved to fly almost 1,000 miles for a weekend meeting? This is making America great again?

**** this guy.

In Mick Mulvaney’s hellish vision, elderly people just starve out.

This obscene abuse of the taxpayers’ money reminds me of what Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said recently on MSNBC’s Morning Joe when asked about some of the administration’s proposed budget cuts. He said that he and his team just didn’t feel right that “a coal miner in West Virginia or a single mom in Detroit” have their tax dollars wasted. “We can ask them to pay for defense, and we will, but we can’t ask them to continue to pay for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.”

At a news briefing, Mulvaney took a shot at Meals on Wheels, saying, “We can’t spend money on programs just because they sound good. And Meals on Wheels sounds great — again, that’s a state decision to fund that particular portion to. But to take the federal money and give it to the states and say, look, we want to give you money for programs that don’t work — I can’t defend that anymore. We cannot defend that anymore.” So, in Mulvaney’s hellish vision, elderly people just starve out.

I take no satisfaction in any American going hungry. Knowing that a lot of the people who voted for Trump might face grim challenges because of this kick-ass conservative belt-tightening, it is of no interest to me to remind them what they signed up for. All I can think about is an elderly person being hungry and frightened, and it makes me sick.

Two things here, both awful. First, the food and assistance given to millions of elderly and housebound people, including about half a million veterans daily, is a great program. A lot of the funding comes from donations and many of the people who deliver the food and care are volunteers. Second, for now at least, the budget cuts are not affecting Meals on Wheels and the many food delivery programs under its umbrella. Mulvaney didn’t seem to know this, even though as director he should, right? He just let everyone know what he thinks about old folks and vets who obviously need to eat and benefit from someone coming by to look in on them. What a tool.

Many years ago, a woman who lived next door to me had the MOW van come by every day. She passed away. I met her granddaughter who came to clean the place out. Her grandmother was a concentration camp survivor.

**** this guy.

To be truly strong on national security, the EPA’s budget should be expanded.

Doing their best to turn America into a coast-to-coast toxic dump, EPA chief Scott Pruitt and the comrade-in-chief are proposing budget cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency that will absolutely put millions of Americans at risk. To get a better understanding as to how Trump picked Pruitt to run the EPA, here’s one of the comrade’s tweets: “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” Thanks for breaking it down for me.

Of all the wretchedness of the Trump downward spiral, the consequences of defunding the EPA will be the longest-lasting and hardest to reverse or neutralize. The EPA is one of the most important parts of government. To be truly strong on national security, the EPA’s budget should be expanded. If this agency is defunded to the degree that these two shitbirds want to take it to, then conditions could become catastrophic. Pruitt is a true enemy of not only the country but the planet itself.

**** this guy.

It is apparent that this administration wants America to be filthy, hungry, broke and stupid. There are millions who, like battered spouses, will defend comrade Trump to the end. A fake populist like comrade Trump becoming president wasn’t as surprising as it was inevitable. This is what happens when a country’s electorate are not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier.

Even though Trump remains a low-energy slug with a 140-character attention span, the scoundrels he has assembled are energized and rarin’ to go. The billionaires are done with the burdensome yoke of the Kenyan tyrant and want a return on their investment. As to how bad it will get, we have not seen the worst of it yet.

**** these guys.

Here we are. Everything matters now. Your goodness, decency, fairness, stamina and, in several months, your vote.

Well put.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270317142022.png&hash=cc4dab8ff3e2d5b51acc393917751d9837eaf785)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 03, 2017, 02:10:30 pm
GOP Lawmakers (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) Now Admit Years of Obamacare Repeal Votes Were a Sham  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)

Lee Fang

March 31 2017, 1:11 p.m.

It is hard to overestimate the role of the Affordable Care Act in the Republican resurgence.

Over the last seven years, the GOP has won successive elections by highlighting problems with Obamacare, airing more than $235 million in negative ads slamming the law, and staging more than 50 high-profile repeal votes. In 2016 every major Republican presidential candidate, including Donald Trump, campaigned on a pledge to quickly get rid of it.

Now in total control of Congress and the White House, some GOP legislators are saying that the political assault on Obamacare was an exercise in cynical politics, and that an outright repeal was never on the table.

“We have Republicans who do not want to repeal Obamacare,” said Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., on Sirius XM Patriot on Wednesday.

“They may have campaigned that way, they may have voted that way a couple of years ago when it didn’t make any difference,” Brooks continued. “But now that it makes a difference, there seems to not be the majority support that we need to pass legislation that we passed 50 or 60 times over five or six years.”

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Listen to Rep. Brooks’s comments below:

https://theintercept.com/2017/03/31/repeal-votes-obamacare/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 03, 2017, 08:20:18 pm
If you don't like the rules, just change them!  ::)

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RE

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-panel-prepares-to-consider-gorsuch-as-threat-of-filibuster-looms/2017/04/03/129bcd8c-186a-11e7-bcc2-7d1a0973e7b2_story.html?utm_term=.74847759e5e0 (https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-panel-prepares-to-consider-gorsuch-as-threat-of-filibuster-looms/2017/04/03/129bcd8c-186a-11e7-bcc2-7d1a0973e7b2_story.html?utm_term=.74847759e5e0)

Democrats secure enough votes to block Gorsuch, setting stage for ‘nuclear option
Senate hurtles toward filibuster showdown over Gorsuch
Embed Share
Play Video1:59
By Elise Viebeck and Ed O'Keefe April 3 at 2:56 PM

Senate Democrats secured enough votes to filibuster the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, increasing the likelihood that Republicans will change the rules of the U.S. Senate to ensure his confirmation later this week.

Democratic opposition to Gorsuch has been building for days, and four more senators announced on Monday that they would vote against him and support a filibuster of his nomination. That gave Democrats the requisite 41 votes to put up a roadblock and compel President Trump and Senate Republicans to either withdraw Gorsuch’s nomination or change Senate procedure.

With Trump and Republicans vowing that Gorsuch will be confirmed despite any filibuster, a change in how the Senate does business — the so-called nuclear option -- is expected by Friday.

When that happens, the Senate is “headed to a world where you don’t need one person from the other side to pick a judge,” warned Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.). “And what does that mean? That means the judges are going to be more ideological, not less. It means that every Senate seat is going to be a referendum on the Supreme Court … The damage done to the Senate is going to be real.”

Graham’s comments came as the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to refer Gorsuch’s nomination to the full Senate, which is expected to begin debating the pick on Tuesday.
What’s at stake in this week’s Senate showdown
Embed Share
Play Video2:57

[How many votes Democrats need to block Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination]

The outcome of the panel’s vote was never in doubt — Republicans hold a majority of seats on the committee and Gorsuch was approved on a party-line vote. But the testy hearing foreshadowed what is likely to be a combative week over the merits of President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee and the way both parties have behaved during years of feuding over the makeup of the federal court system.

Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.) and Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) indicated on Monday that they would oppose Gorsuch and vote against cloture — or the motion to end a filibuster that is required to hold a final up-or-down confirmation vote.

During an hours-long committee hearing, Leahy, the longest-serving member on the panel, criticized Gorsuch’s answers during his marathon confirmation hearing as “excruciatingly evasive.” He said that a GOP move to end filibusters of Supreme Court nominees would damage the Senate but argued that he had to vote his conscience, even if it pushes Republicans to change the rules.

“I cannot vote solely to protect an institution when the rights of hard-working Americans are at risk,” he said, “because I fear that the Senate I would be defending no longer exists.”

[Home stretch for Trump’s Supreme Court nominee could forever alter the Senate]

Senate Republicans shot back — blaming Democrats for years of partisan bickering over judicial nominees that they say started when President George W. Bush made several nominations for federal court vacancies earlier this century.
Judge Neil Gorsuch prepares to testify during the third day of his confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee last month. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

“I disagree with those who somehow say this is the end of the Senate as we know it,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) said. “This is a restoration of the status quo ante before our Democratic colleagues directed this artificial 60-vote requirement.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.) became the fourth Democrat to say he would join Republicans in trying to end the filibuster. But in a sign of the incredible political pressure he faces as he votes on a nominee from his home state, Bennet did not state whether he plans to support or oppose Gorsuch.

So far, Bennet is the only Democratic senator who is not up for reelection in 2018 that opposes the filibuster.

Republicans are vowing to confirm Gorsuch by Friday, when a two-week recess is set to begin, meaning the process will consume the Senate’s floor schedule this week.

[Democrats just took the filibuster off life support]

Gorsuch was nominated by Trump on Jan. 31 and spent weeks privately meeting with senators and preparing for his confirmation hearing. He was questioned by the Judiciary Committee last month for almost 20 hours over three days, answering nearly 1,200 questions and later sending about 70 pages of answers to written follow-up questions, according to a team of White House officials assisting with his nomination.

As of Friday, Gorsuch had met with 78 senators — all but some of the most conservative and liberal lawmakers whose votes are likely to be along party lines. But three first-term Democratic senators, Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) and Kamala D. Harris (Calif.), complained that they were unable to get a face-to-face meeting with the nominee or offered the opportunity.

The fact that the three senators are women, with one Hispanic, one Asian and one African American, was not lost on some progressive groups that highlighted the perceived snub over the weekend. But Gorsuch aides insisted privately that difficulties scheduling time with the senators was the only reason they never met.

The two big, misleading statements senators can’t stop making in the Neil Gorsuch battle

This week’s anticipated change in Senate procedure dates to 2013, when Democrats, angered by Republican opposition to President Barack Obama’s nominees, used the “nuclear option” to end filibusters of executive branch and lower-court nominees, prompting Republicans to warn that there might one day be retribution.

“Changing the rules is almost inevitable; it’s only a question of when,” said Norm Ornstein, a longtime congressional expert and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Ornstein warned that with Republicans set to extend the filibuster ban to Supreme Court nominees, they may soon face pressure to end filibusters of legislation to keep major health-care and tax reform bills passed by the GOP-led House from stalling in the more closely-divided Senate.

The Daily 202 newsletter

A must-read morning briefing for decision-makers.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) “will resist the change in some cases because it’s in his interest not only when he’s in the minority again but also to be able to rely on Democrats when the House sends you crazy things,” Ornstein said. “And because it’s not clear they have the 51 votes necessary to change the rules for filibusters on legislation.”

McConnell said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, “I don’t think the legislative filibuster is in danger.”

Appearing on the same program, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said: “I don’t think there’s any thirst to change the legislative rules. Most Democrats and most Republicans have served in both the minority and majority and know what it means.”

Amber Phillips contributed to this report.

Yup.  :(

Along the way in my course of life studies in the school of hard knocks, I learned that much of what we are told by the "authorities" is rather selective in its application and availability.

If you do this or that, you are a baddy and an irresponsible naughty and shiftless citizen worthy of a fat fine and some jail time to learn you your manners.

But when the higher ups get caught with their hands in the unethical cookie jar, all of a sudden an exception to the "sacred rule of law" shows up.

How about that neato term called Force Majeure that governments pull out of thin air to justify bailing out liars and corrupt cheats in banking or some other business?

Have you ever wondered why lawyers and judges insist that "every case is different" when an 8 bit computer could classify and order and prepare sentence for 99% of every case that has ever been presented according to the direct application of the rule of law? BECAUSE, as the post you made explains, all the high sounding talk and alleged adherence to integrity and consistency and respect and so on is ALL BULLSHIT.  :evil4:


Surly posted the solution to this type of difficulty some time ago....He had a few fellows that were caught doing bad stuff being attended to with a length of rope and gravity assist.  ;)

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/5e/26/74/5e2674fbe030fbf5b116d9ded5afd40e.jpg)
Where there is a will, there is a way.






Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 11, 2017, 09:43:30 pm
Economic Update: Economics, Psychology & Trump

https://youtu.be/uc9x1PiYKWc

Published on Apr 9, 2017 by Democracy At Work

Quote
What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore--
And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Langston Hughes


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 14, 2017, 09:27:45 pm
Quote
Luther Martin: Representative for Maryland and dissenting Anti-Federalist. Was shocked at the attempt by the elite to overthrow the existing government in secret in 1787, and swore to tell the people what Washington, Madison and Hamilton were up to. The rich were terrified of the people screwed by Hamilton's bank bailouts and after Shay's Rebellion almost saw Philadelphia captured by angry citizens, they were ready to install a police state.

Martin warned we were ill-advised to install a President King who would plot against the people in concert with the Senate: He said we were crazy to put men into a chamber for six year terms instead of the current one-year terms; men who would no longer be paid by their states and move away from their constituents to a corrupt political city, and who could not be recalled for any reason by their state for misbehavior. He said we were going to lose our freedom under the reintroduction of a hated standing army and that we would suffer under the despotism of a Supreme Court with no citizen jury.

He stormed out and refused to sign the Constitution without a Bill of Rights, and broke the convention's signed oath of secrecy that Mad-Man Madison made everyone sign before being admitted. Martin went straight to the press and warned the people not to ratify this powerful central government with a crazy central bank and insane electoral college scheme designed to strip citizens of any meaningful representation.

Before this abomination was ratified, there were 2,000 representatives for the people: One rep existed for about 300 citizens. The Constitution made it one rep per MINIMUM 30,000 to 60,000 but CONVENIENTLY DID NOT STATE A MAXIMUM POPULATION PER REP!

That apparently wasn't good enough for the oligarchs as our population grew so shortly after 1913 a cork was put on the maximum number of representatives. Please note that ALL new voting groups from women to minorities to Native Americans got the "right" to vote AFTER the cork was put on the maximum number of reps .

NOTE: The 14th Amendment right to vote for African Americans after the Civil War became a cruel farce by 1876. The elitist Supreme Court twisted the 14th Amendment to give Corporations personhood as a cruel and cynical vicious slap to the original intent of the 14th Amendment. Even as blacks where being disenfranchised, the courts were busy giving corporations extra privileges along with the license to break the law with impunity called limited liability.

Now, in most states, there is only one rep for 740,000 citizens, and virtually ZERO chance of you ever talking to one. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)

Source: the Actual Anti-Federalist writings...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Complete_Anti-Federalist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Complete_Anti-Federalist)

It being that the FIX was in from the START, it is really quite amazing that this oligarchy lasted as long as it did without a Trump type leader raping it from top to bottom.

(https://ofcommonsense.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/free-choice-not-consequences.jpg)

Trump will destroy the USA. He is just following the tradition of ALL US Presidents. What makes it different now is that there was still some illusion of order and justice after the other presidents left with their ill gotten gains. This time it will completely come apart. Have a nice day.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ragingpencils.com%2F2011%2F10-24-11-the-one-percent.gif&hash=794bc99ce0e9552225f54b13b83617799a922fa4)(https://img.ifcdn.com/images/d273dcf4828ebb04f55f650ce7e7b61133f10a0bc872adf4b502fdebf24a20a4_1.jpg)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F40.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_lwx7wy0tIK1qd9a66o1_500.jpg&hash=35827ed8db1ceb9ade79d4881b81f54e1dab451d)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 15, 2017, 03:55:25 pm
Thousands demand  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2mo5pow.gif&hash=995f9f6c08dcd54f18425f2bfbe138901cf052b1)Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fswear1.gif&hash=87347674f9297191f3f8a447208170617da4caf6) release tax returns at New York rally

Posted 15 Apr 2017 23:30
 Updated 16 Apr 2017 03:25


NEW YORK: Thousands of people turned out for a march through midtown Manhattan on Saturday to demand that President Donald Trump release his tax returns and to dispute his claim that the public does not care about the issue.

Organizers of New York's "Tax March," one of more than 150 across the country and beyond, want to call attention to Trump's refusal to disclose his tax history, as his White House predecessors have done for more than 40 years.

In addition to major U.S. cities, including Washington and Los Angeles, marches are planned in Europe, Japan and New Zealand.

The Manhattan march began with a rally at Bryant Park, drawing a good-natured crowd estimated by a Reuters reporter to be about 5,000 people, although no official estimates were immediately available. The procession up Sixth Avenue was due to disperse at Central Park.

Among the marchers was an oversized inflatable rooster, sporting an angry expression and a sweeping metallic orange hairdo meant to resemble Trump's signature style.

“Thanks to Trump, I think that releasing your taxes when you run for president now has to be a law,” said New Yorker Marni Halasa, 51, who arrived in a tutu and leggings made of fake dollar bills and holding a sign that read “Show Me The Money!”

Critics have raised questions about what Trump's tax returns say about his net worth and various business ties.

As a candidate and as president, Trump has steadfastly refused to release his tax returns, citing an ongoing audit by the Internal Revenue Service. In September, he told ABC News, "I don't think anybody cares, except some members of the press." (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c)

The IRS has said that Trump can release his tax returns even while under audit.  ;D

The Trump tax marches were launched by a single tweet, organizers said. A day after the massive Jan. 21 women's march in Washington and other cities, comedy writer Frank Lesser tapped out on Twitter, "Trump claims no one cares about his taxes. The next mass protest should be on Tax Day to prove him wrong." It has been retweeted more than 21,000 times.

Organizers said they stuck with the traditional tax-deadline date of April 15 for the marches because as a Saturday it would draw more attendance, even though this year's income tax filing deadline was pushed back to Tuesday.

POLLS SHOW PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR TRUMP TAX RELEASE

“Paying your taxes is an American thing to do,” said Claudia Stroie, 49, a mechanical engineer from Connecticut who attended the rally in New York. “He’s not fit to represent the American people.”

Joe Dinkin, spokesman for the Working Families Party, one of the groups organising the marches, said ongoing investigations into the Trump campaign's connections with Russia underscore the need to disclose his returns.

"Without seeing his taxes, we'll never really know who he's working for," said Dinkin, who expects the marches to draw at least 100,000 protesters.

There have been some glimpses into Trump's tax history. Last month, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow reported on two pages of Trump's 2005 return that were obtained by investigative reporter David Cay Johnston and released by DCReport.org. They showed Trump paid US$38 million in taxes on more than US$150 million in income.

And in October, The New York Times reported that Trump had declared a US$916 million loss on his 1995 federal tax return, citing three pages of documents from the return.

In a Quinnipiac University poll released on April 4, more than two-thirds of the respondents said Trump should publicly release his tax returns. Other recent polls had similar results.

(Editing by Frank McGurty and Cynthia Osterman)

- Reuters

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/protesters-to-take-to-streets-to-demand-trump-release-tax/3680576.html (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/protesters-to-take-to-streets-to-demand-trump-release-tax/3680576.html)


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 15, 2017, 05:49:50 pm
The Repukians are GETTING IT from their Trump REJECTING base!  :o  ;D


Shields and Brooks on GOP home-district hostility, Trump policy reversals 
 
PBS NewsHour 


https://youtu.be/_oU2Rah6zzg

Published on Apr 14, 2017

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week’s news, including how Republican members of Congress are facing heat from crowds of their own constituents while home during recess, why President Trump’s views have shifted on China, NATO and Janet Yellen, and more.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 15, 2017, 06:52:10 pm
(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/545693884664119297/mCDJfUgm.jpeg)


250 Million Reasons to Reject HONEST  ;) Act (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4), 200,000 to Reject Mar-a-Largo

The (dis)HONEST Act, Lamar Smith’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) latest attempt to hobble environmental regulations, is already living up to this name. As it turns out, it the bill would likely cost around $250 million to implement, instead of the $1 million proponents have suggested. But the Congressional Budget Office never got those estimates: apparently, EPA leadership looked at the comments and decided not to report the numbers to the CBO. Not so honest after all. 

These juicy details were reported on April 4th, in a little-noticed  Bloomberg BNA story (https://www.bna.com/epa-leaders-trashed-n57982086175/), which also claimed that EPA brass prevented the agency from passing on the cost estimate. But someone did notice: ranking member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Eddie Bernice Johnson. She wrote a letter to Lamar Smith asking that he investigate the EPA’s political appointees for potentially misleading Congress about the cost of the HONEST act.

Given Lamar Smith’s inability to acknowledge the inconvenient truth about climate change, the odds that he’ll voluntarily look for evidence against his bill seem pretty slim.

Another climate denier, and frequent flier in Smith’s circles is Kathleen Hartnett-White (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4), who we called out way back in August ‘16 as a rising star in the oily black denier sky. She was rumored to be a pick for Scott Pruitt’s job back in December, but Politico reported yesterday that she’s now the leading choice to run the Council on Environmental Quality. This would make her the White House’s top advisor on environmental issues, a perfect platform to provide Trump with exactly the pro-oil, anti-science perspective he wants to hear.

One last decision folks might be regretting is paying the $200,000 membership fee to Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort. The Miami Herald reports that health inspectors found some yuge violations in the club’s kitchen earlier this year, including potentially parasitic fish  :P, broken coolers full of bacteria-breeding-temperature meats (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__burp.gif&hash=8ff3ef6c016d8baf5f61ed5e8db58f069b64da00) and rusty shelves.

Given that sea level rise is poised to flood the resort, the temperature of Trump’s coolers isn’t the only warming he’s unwise to ignore.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F128fs318181.gif&hash=eff6d5f3831782966c2ff2081f07bf7fc5b22a6b)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 18, 2017, 08:13:47 pm
Robert Reich : The Resistance Report, Monday, April 17th

https://youtu.be/SQosWdwk-30


Published on Apr 17, 2017
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 19, 2017, 09:20:54 pm
Will Trump GO AWAY in MAY?

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)

https://youtu.be/EsMuK_Sos58

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emofaces.com%2Fpng%2F200%2Femoticons%2Ffingerscrossed.png&hash=d56f8009d18b55f4cea7be68284c0521be92fc5d)

JFK WANTED that movie made to wake up the country to what a pack of generals running the show would be like. It's ironic that a pack of generals is the only thing that may save this country from WW3....

https://youtu.be/fRiZtqVPJ9U

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 22, 2017, 02:09:25 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.ebaumsworld.com%2Fthumbs%2Fpicture%2F2367113%2F84688966.jpg&hash=70500a560c9b9cce78fad85e3673389aeaad1faa)

Donald Trump is 'Too Mentally Ill to Serve' Say Doctors/Academics at Yale Psychiatric Conference 

By News Corpse   

Friday Apr 21, 2017 · 11:33 PM EDT
REBLOGGED BY Media Watch
 
We're only three months into Donald Trump's presidency and much of the world is teetering on the brink of catastrophe. Trump has launched dozens of missiles into Syria. He dropped the biggest non-nuclear bomb in Afghanistan. He's shaking his tiny fists at Iran and North Korea. Never mind that he can't remember what his policies were last month and can't keep track of his naval "armada."

Domestically Trump is just as disorganized and incompetent. A promise to repeal ObamaCare was unceremoniously abandoned after Congress refused to even hold a vote. His ban on Muslims coming into the country was halted by several federal court rulings. The wall on the Mexican border isn't being built, and neither Mexico nor Congress will pay for it. You have to wonder if he is tired of winning yet.

These failures may just be the result of someone with zero experience trying to run a government he never liked to begin with. Or they may be symptoms of something much more ominous.

A group of psychiatric doctors and academics are meeting at Yale University this week. Their purpose is to explore whether "Donald Trump is too mentally ill to serve." In the words of John Gartner, a former a part-time assistant professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, “We feel, as mental health professionals, that we have a duty to the public to warn them about Donald Trump’s mental illness.”

Gartner represents a group of psychiatrists called Duty to Warn. They're engaged in a lobbying effort to persuade members of Congress that Trump's mental fitness precludes him from holding office. The group asserts that Trump displays symptoms of a variety of mental illnesses, including antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders. A petition advocating Trump's removal from office has already surpassed 41,000 signatures.

This isn't the first time that people in the field have expressed concern about Trump's mental state. Earlier reports cited indications of Trump suffering from malignant narcissism. And a group of Harvard professors expressed 'grave concerns' about his "inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality."

What's more, a concerned, bipartisan coalition in Congress has proposed legislation mandating a new post of White House Psychiatrist. And when members of congress come together to agree on something this controversial, there's a fair chance that the concerns have merit. In Trump's case, the symptoms are so obvious it doesn't even take a profession to recognize them. His paranoia, hypersensitivity, childish tantrums, and fits of delusions couldn't be more evident. Unfortunately, neither is the risk that his mental flaws pose to the nation and the world. He needs serious professional help, and if he doesn't get it we're all going to need help before too long.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/4/21/1655223/-Donald-Trump-is-Too-Mentally-Ill-to-Serve-Say-Doctors-Academics-at-Yale-Psychiatric-Conference
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 22, 2017, 03:12:40 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220417150803.png&hash=41a6e1a224756b310a314e105f5aae9550bad375)

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/4/18/1653926/-Cartoon-The-Times-they-aren-t-a-changin
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 24, 2017, 04:45:12 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Quote
The US is the wrecking machine that is destroying everything. The world is hoping that China will somehow come to the rescue.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-021114150033.png&hash=1a55bc1a81954375c07d21a43c3a26b4bd15b3be)

Noam Chomsky: US  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) Is the "Most Dangerous Country in the World"

 Monday, April 24, 2017 

By Dan Falcone, Truthout | Interview

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/40319-noam-chomsky-us-is-the-most-dangerous-country-in-the-world
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 25, 2017, 02:08:50 pm
A display of unbelievable ignorance: In a real country with a real president, Trump’s AP interview would destroy him (https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/flip.it%2FVR5GSB-a-display-of-unbelievable-ignorance-in-/f-a14a292a0a%2Fsalon.com)

Bob Cesca/Apr 25, 2017

Our president thinks the Pentagon is a company, terrorism was a recent invention and 9/11 was a ratings coup
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.flipboard.com%2Fsalon.com%2Fb47308bf2ed51b40da6d8236927d59b3fd725edc%2Foriginal.jpg&hash=de2a1e4a54fe994a1bb574106a2b9cd73bae4bf4)

A new poll revealed that 98 percent of Donald Trump voters said they don’t regret their choice for president. It’s a number that’s simultaneously too difficult to believe and infuriating. By any reasonable account, whether from experts in presidential history or relatively nonpartisan commentators, Trump’s first 100 days have been an endurance test for the republic. His erratic, ignorant, deeply incompetent presidency is, day by day, causing damage — to the traditions of the White House and indeed to the spoken and unspoken rules that preserve our constitutional democracy.

At the center of it all is a chief executive who knows nothing. When he desperately avoids details by rotating through his mental rotisserie of superlatives (“very, very” or “tremendous” or “terrific” or whatever hyperbolic pitchman gibberish he’s trained himself to repeat), he comes off as an uninformed dolt, conspicuously avoiding questions with more vigor than he avoids strong gusts of wind. Conversely, when Trump struggles to repeat issue-oriented details, he comes off as a scattered, barely coherent toddler attempting to repeat something he heard at the grown-ups’ table and failing badly.

Both aspects of Trump’s ignorance were on mind-blowing display for his recent one-on-one interview with the Associated Press. It was a journey through the Hieronymus Bosch hellscape of Trump’s brain, and not even a legendary news outlet like the AP could decipher Trump’s incoherence — peppering the interview with more “unintelligible” parentheticals than an interview with Ozzy Osbourne.

Let’s dig into the three worst quotes.

Among other things, Trump delivered perhaps the best example of word salad since Sarah Palin’s “broken prompter” incident several years ago. In this quote, Trump elaborated on the responsibilities of the president, and whether he anticipated the gravity of the job.

Number One, there’s great responsibility. When it came time to, as an example, send out the 59 missiles, the Tomahawks in Syria. I’m saying to myself, “You know, this is more than just like, 79 [sic] missiles. This is death that’s involved,” because people could have been killed. This is risk that’s involved, because if the missile goes off and goes in a city or goes in a civilian area — you know, the boats were hundreds of miles away — and if this missile goes off and lands in the middle of a town or a hamlet . . . every decision is much harder than you’d normally make. [Unintelligible.]

This is involving death and life and so many things. . . .  So it’s far more responsibility. [unintelligible.]

The financial cost of everything is so massive, every agency. This is thousands of times bigger, the United States, than the biggest company in the world. The second-largest company in the world is the Defense Department. The third-largest company in the world is Social Security. The fourth-largest — you know, you go down the list.

One of the responsibilities of being president is knowing exactly how many missiles were launched while attacking an airfield operated by a sovereign nation. Trump doesn’t appear to know for certain whether it was 59 or 79. The last time he talked about Syria, he told Fox Business Channel’s Maria Bartiromo that he had bombed Iraq. This is apparently something he does: He tends to forget details about whom he bombed and how many bombs were used. Incidentally, Syrian state media reported that the cruise missile strike did indeed kill a number of civilians, including four children.

Oh, and Trump apparently thinks that the United States government, along with the Pentagon and Social Security, are “companies” — two of the three largest companies in the world. They’re not. In any way. Governments and government agencies, at least in America, are not companies; nor do they operate anything like companies.

Furthermore, when I repeat the phrase “Trump knows nothing,” I’m not exaggerating all that much. Take, for example, his remarks about NATO in which he admitted not knowing what NATO was or how it operated.

They had a quote from me that NATO’s obsolete. But they didn’t say why it was obsolete. I was on Wolf Blitzer, very fair interview, the first time I was ever asked about NATO, because I wasn’t in government. People don’t go around asking about NATO if I’m building a building in Manhattan, right? So they asked me, Wolf . . . asked me about NATO, and I said two things. NATO’s obsolete — not knowing much about NATO, now I know a lot about NATO — NATO is obsolete, and I said, “And the reason it’s obsolete is because of the fact they don’t focus on terrorism.” You know, back when they did NATO there was no such thing as terrorism.

“Back when they did NATO”? What? I assume he meant “when they created NATO” but what actually came out sounded not unlike when you ask a child his or her age and the kid holds up five fingers and answers “this many.” Regarding the assertion about terrorism not existing when NATO was created, it’s hard to know what to say. No, terrorism has existed since the dawn of civilization, contrary to Trump’s assumption that it’s somehow a recent phenomenon. Worse, he based his entire NATO platform — the idea that it’s obsolete and they have to pay up (for something, something, something) — on an answer he yanked out of his ass with the help of Wolf Blitzer, apparently.

This is the exact same reverse-engineering process Trump consistently uses as president. Here’s how it works: He blurts an array of gibberish on Twitter or during an interview, perhaps something he heard Steve Doocy say on “Fox & Friends.” Then he and his staff turn said gibberish into an incoherent and ill-considered White House policy. Hence, his NATO posture.

Finally, if we lived in normal times and if the president were halfway normal, the following quote would have erupted into a major scandal — especially if the president was a Democrat. Trump, on the other hand, can apparently get away with madness like this:

Associated Press: And that’s one of the difficulties I think presidents have had is that you can have these personal relationships with people from the other party, but then it’s hard to actually change how people vote or change how people —

Trump: No I have; it’s interesting; I have, seem to get very high ratings. I definitely. You know Chris Wallace had 9.2 million people; it’s the highest in the history of the show. I have all the ratings for all those morning shows. When I go, they go double, triple. Chris Wallace, look back during the Army-Navy football game; I did his show that morning. It had 9.2 million people. It’s the highest they’ve ever had. On any, on air, [CBS News’ “Face the Nation” host John] Dickerson had 5.2 million people. It’s the highest for “Face the Nation” or, as I call it, “Deface the Nation.” It’s the highest for “Deface the Nation” since the World Trade Center, since the World Trade Center came down. It’s a tremendous advantage.

First of all, let’s be clear about something: Trump gets ratings because people tune in to hear him say crazy things. His ratings are largely due to the spectacle of watching a cartoon supervillain spouting random insults, some of which threaten to precipitate a war or worse. It’s the same reason why people slow down while passing traffic accidents.

That aside, bragging about having the biggest ratings since the worst terrorist attack on American soil ever should be enough to summarily drag the president’s approval ratings as close to zero as possible. If the same nonsensical blurt, culminating in the 9/11 thing, had been uttered by former President Barack Obama, he probably would have been impeached, convicted and tossed in a federal prison. One last thing, not that it matters: The ratings audience for that Chris Wallace interview Trump mentioned was 2.3 million viewers, not 9.2 million. So he lied — again.

Nevertheless, 98 percent of Trump voters are supposedly cool with all this. It’s difficult to make sense of this other than it’s like the fandom surrounding sports franchises. No amount of losing will force superfans away from their favorite team, regardless of how awful they are. Hell, Philadelphia sports fans were mostly OK with it when the Eagles hired Michael Vick after he was caught torturing and murdering dogs for money. In the case of Donald Trump, however, the consequences are far more damaging — more than Trump voters will ever admit. But someday soon they’ll owe the rest of us an apology.

Agelbert NOTE: They DO owe us an apology, but I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for them to recognize reality.

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b1/07/dc/b107dcbaadea84c1c28a2e47049eb2ec.jpg)



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 25, 2017, 10:17:14 pm
The Coverup gets HARDER to Cover Up (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fus.cdn2.123rf.com%2F168nwm%2Flenm%2Flenm1201%2Flenm120100200%2F12107060-illustration-of-a-smiley-giving-a-thumbs-up.jpg&hash=2046bc6d662e09d3014a2c404a2af6ba17f8217c)

https://youtu.be/UYbsN5WImrU (https://youtu.be/UYbsN5WImrU)

Agelbert NOTE: When the crooks is cornered, dey looks for a Commie War Scare distraction. I tink it's called, uh, (see below):

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Falexanderhiggins.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F06%2Fobama-wag-the-dog.jpg&hash=3465f7b7a7d7686405a6daeb70f3e5ba887f343a)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 25, 2017, 10:31:05 pm
https://youtu.be/35aT9ikWcqc
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 26, 2017, 09:59:53 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)

Voodoo Economics Are Back - Bigly

https://youtu.be/RPdC2ceV-BM

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 27, 2017, 03:28:29 pm
 (https://wiki-gateway.eudic.net/wikipedia_en/I/m/Center_for_Biological_Diversity_logo.jpg)
 
For Immediate Release, April 21, 2017

Contact: Brett Hartl, (202) 817-8121, bhartl@biologicaldiversity.org

Public Records Sought on Dow’s Efforts to Pressure Trump Administration Over Pesticides, Endangered Species

WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity submitted Freedom of Information Act requests this week seeking public records from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Commerce to illuminate reports about how Dow Chemical is pressuring the Trump administration to abandon efforts to protect endangered species from pesticides. 

Last week Dow asked the Trump administration to scrap a nearly completed four-year effort to protect endangered species from Dow’s insecticide chlorpyrifos. In January the EPA announced that its scientists had determined the highly toxic pesticide is likely to harm 97 percent of the approximately 1,800 listed threatened and endangered animals and plants found in the United States.

“American taxpayers have a right to know exactly how Dow Chemical is profiting from the ever-deepening corporate swamp in our nation’s capital,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center. “It’s detestable that Dow and the Trump administration have so little respect for the health of our children and environment.”

Over the past six years, Dow has donated $11 million to congressional campaigns and political action committees, and has spent an additional $75 million lobbying Congress. In January 2017 Dow was one of three companies that donated $1 million to the Trump inauguration. President Trump named Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris as the head of the American Manufacturing Council in his administration. Liveris praised Trump by stating that Trump is making the United States “not a red-tape country, but a red-carpet country for America’s businesses.”

Trump  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6), who referred to Liveris as “my friend Andrew,” gave Liveris his pen after signing the executive order mandating that agencies create so-called “regulatory reform task forces.” Several weeks ago, the EPA shocked public health advocates by abruptly scrapping a proposed ban on chlorpyrifos, which is known to cause brain damage in children.   

“Dow spent millions on congressional campaigns, the president’s coronation and lobbying Congress and now it’s looking for its payback,” said Hartl. “The disgusting backroom efforts to sidestep the Endangered Species Act are the latest proof of just how hostile Trump’s closest industry buddies are toward common-sense protections for our environment.”

In December 2016 Liveris (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) criticized the EPA’s ground-level ozone pollution and renewable standards for utilities, while agreeing with a climate-change-denier that carbon dioxide is “an inert compound” and should not be regulated by the EPA.

During his tenure as the CEO of Dow, his company was assessed $6.5 million in fines by the EPA since 2010, including serious violations of the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

Over the same time period, Dow AgroSciences — the division that manufactures pesticides — has been assessed four separate penalties for violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.     
 
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.2 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
 
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2017/pesticides-04-21-2017.php
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 27, 2017, 10:19:31 pm
Guess Who Trump's Tax Plan Benefits The Most...
https://youtu.be/tGy7I-RpT28

https://youtu.be/JxpHwKsAWIM

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 28, 2017, 10:34:45 pm
WATCH: Trevor Noah Breaks Down Trump's First 100 Days

https://youtu.be/DWIFd9jx2dQ

http://www.colorlines.com/articles/watch-trevor-noah-breaks-down-trumps-first-100-days
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 29, 2017, 03:52:41 pm
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Even Libertarian Christians who voted for Trump have now realized what a fraud Trump is!

Pastor Chuck Baldwin:

"No, Donald Trump is not going to drain the swamp; he has completely immersed himself and his administration in the swamp--just like every President of recent memory before him. And every 100 days of his administration from this day forward will only reconfirm this obvious reality.

At some point, the people who thought that Donald Trump was an outsider and “anti-establishment”--and the ones who continue to sacrifice their principles defending him in the forlorn hope that they are going to ride his coattails to glory--will be forced to awaken to the stark reality that either Donald Trump was totally disingenuous from the beginning or he has already capitulated to the swamp creatures ensconced in Washington, D.C. Either way, there is absolutely no hope in Donald Trump. And neither is there any hope in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., is totally and thoroughly corrupt. It is run by bloodthirsty, conscienceless subhumans who will stop at nothing until they bring Armageddon upon the entire world. DC is nothing more than a coven of perverted, putrid, parasitic, pathetic, pompous, pretentious, prideful, pathological purveyors of global pestilence.

How long will freedom-loving Americans continue to believe the empty promises of phony politicians? How long will they continue living in the fantasy that somehow Washington, D.C., is going to see the error of its ways, repent, and return the nation to constitutional government? How long will they continue to look the other way while the swamp creatures in Washington, D.C., corrupt the minds and hearts of their children in these institutions of propaganda called public schools? How long will they continue to allow the swamp creatures in Washington, D.C., and their bottom-feeding serpent buddies at the Federal Reserve and on Wall Street demolish sound money principles and destroy a free market economic system? How long, folks? How long?

Donald Trump is finishing what G.W. Bush began. Bush forever destroyed the influence of genuine Christian patriotism in this country with his phony brand of warmongering Christianity. Now, Trump is forever destroying the influence of the Tea Party/Patriot movements in this country with his phony brand of warmongering/Police-State-building “nationalism.”

The truth is, Trump started drowning in the swamp even before he was inaugurated. Most of the people in his administration could have been picked by ANY of the other neocon Republican presidential candidates. Right now, Washington, D.C.’s neocon warmongers are gushing all over Donald Trump..

On the Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) recently said that on foreign policy “I am like the happiest dude in America right now. We’ve got a president and a national security team that I have been dreaming of. . . . I am all in. Keep it up, Donald.”

Ladies and gentlemen, please understand that the single issue that defines a neocon (i.e., Lindsey Graham, John McCain, Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, G.W. Bush) and a neolib (i.e., Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Harry Reid) is foreign policy. To the swamp creatures in Washington, D.C., everything is defined by foreign policy. Everything! These are beasts of prey. They feed on the blood and carcasses of the dead. They are enriched by war; they crave war; they promote war; they create war."

http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/Articles/tabid/109/ID/3593/No-Hope-In-Trump-No-Hope-In-DC.aspx (http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/Articles/tabid/109/ID/3593/No-Hope-In-Trump-No-Hope-In-DC.aspx)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 29, 2017, 07:46:51 pm
Bernie Sanders BRILLIANT takedown of Trump's First 100 Days In Office

https://youtu.be/AmR6XYVEKWI

Published on Apr 28, 2017

Bernie Sanders reflects on the failures and broken campaign promises of Donald Trump's first 100 days in the oval office.

(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpg)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 30, 2017, 02:18:49 pm
Quote
Do you think President Trump is a psychopath?

Kevin Carothers

Kevin Carothers, NOT a therapist, but I can try to help

Written Apr 25

I have had experiences with narcissistic sociopaths. I was married to one for about 15 years - she tried to kill me a couple times..

Here’s my take on the situation - 100 days later. Trump is, IMHO, POSSIBLY a narcissist. He also might be a psychopath.

According to the Richard Hare checklist, the twenty warning signs in the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) are;

•glib and superficial charm

•grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self

•need for stimulation

•pathological lying

•cunning and manipulativeness

•lack of remorse or guilt

•shallow affect (superficial emotional responsiveness)

•callousness and lack of empathy

•parasitic lifestyle

•poor behavioral controls

•sexual promiscuity

•early behavior problems

•lack of realistic long-term goals

•impulsivity

•irresponsibility

•failure to accept responsibility for own actions

•many short-term marital relationships

•juvenile delinquency

•revocation of conditional release

•criminal versatility

…Sounds like someone (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) we might know….  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)

Hare Psychopathy Checklist

DISCLAIMER: This is just a repeat of information - I am not a psychologist.


https://www.quora.com/

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 30, 2017, 04:18:39 pm
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHhC-q-AZV8/VylM0KK5dxI/AAAAAAABJMA/ojqlgqdv6_k2b71wspoFoNCjQnH35twgwCLcB/s1600/Capture.JPG)

Rick Friday has been giving farmers a voice and a laugh every Friday for two decades through his cartoons in Farm News.   
Now the long-time Iowa farm cartoonist tells KCCI that he has been fired.
Friday announced Sunday that his job was over after 21 years in a Facebook post that has since gone viral.
FACEBOOK POST:
"Again, I fall hard in the best interest of large corporations. I am no longer the Editorial Cartoonist for Farm News due to the attached cartoon which was published yesterday. Apparently a large company affiliated with one of the corporations mentioned in the cartoon was insulted and cancelled their advertisement with the paper, thus, resulting in the reprimand of my editor and cancellation of its Friday cartoons after 21 years of service and over 1,090 published cartoons to over 24,000 households per week in 33 counties of Iowa.
"I did my research and only submitted the facts in my cartoon.
"That's okay, hopefully my children and my grandchildren will see that this last cartoon published by Farm News out of Fort Dodge, Iowa, will shine light on how fragile our rights to free speech and free press really are in the county."
THE CARTOON:
The cartoon features two farmers talking about farming profits. (view cartoon)
The first says, "I wish there was more profit in farming."
The second farm answers, "There is. In year 2015 the CEOs of Monsanto, DuPont Pioneer and John Deere combined made more money than 2,129 Iowa farmers.
Friday received an email from his editor at Farm New cutting off their relationship a day after the cartoon was published.
Friday’s editor said a seed dealer pulled their advertisements with Farm News as a result of the cartoon, and others working at the paper disagreed with the jokes made about the agriculture corporations.
“When it comes to altering someone’s opinion or someone’s voice for the purpose of wealth, I have a problem with that,” said Friday. “It’s our constitutional right to free speech and our constitutional right to free press.”

***

To which I must add:

Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one. --AJ Liebling

The way it works in this country.....and everywhere else, as best I can tell. We are ruled by evil greedy men who gladly poison their own grandchildren in order to accumulate money they don't even need, and in fact will never spend. Something is amiss with this business model.

Yep. Something is VERY amiss when Human Dignity is not considered Capital. That something will destroy absolutely everything good that humanity has ever accomplished if it is not somehow properly demonized and banished forever from human society.

(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6cinZwfDC5g/WQBnC3DmUeI/AAAAAAAAZmg/qkzJgCMWy7goqNQDPepS_B1Qfaoe-u3WACLcB/s1600/H2S_SkullTalk_2017_04_24_Honeymoon_Screw.jpg)

I would add to AZ's very accurate graphic the following message to the "Greed is Good" Trump and vampire parasite friends:

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-260914180633.png&hash=2caa418ea42c2a0ea0c364c8a51d87923b8b9507)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 30, 2017, 05:09:33 pm
I ran into this and am displaying it here in the hope that the any Trump supporters will be bent out of shape by the TRUTH (again   ;D).
Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)First 99 Days in 99 Seconds

Posted on Apr 29, 2017

Saturday marks the 100th day of Donald Trump’s presidency, and comedians have been quick to point out how the first few months “sure felt longer.” On Friday, “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” released a humorous, 99-second summary of Trump’s first 99 days in office.

The summary includes some of the biggest moments of the Trump administration so far, such as Kellyanne Conway’s infamous “alternative facts” moment, the firing of acting Attorney General Sally Yates, the controversial departure of national security adviser Michael Flynn, Trump’s allegation of wiretapping by Barack Obama, and, most importantly, golf.

Watch the clip below:

https://youtu.be/xfFnWn1QDK4

—Posted by Emma Niles

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/stephen_colbert_sums_up_first_99_days_of_trump_administration_in_99_seconds
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 01, 2017, 08:16:00 pm
Agelbert NOTE: This "went away" when all the NOISE about Korea came up. It WILL be BACK.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)

Rachel drops another shoe. Right on Trump's head.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ftnp.gif&hash=00b6ab61584d51d7649e7ff4b2a7b7b719019acf)


By Murfster35   

Tuesday Mar 07, 2017 ·  5:46 PM EST

Rachel Maddow has the formula down pat. Several weeks ago she said on the air that she was changing the way she covers Mein Furor, she stopped covering what he said, and instead started covering what he does. This focus is working beautifully, and her staffs research is knocking it out of the park.

     Last night was a perfect example. The whole first half of her show was a detailed explanation of what may be the next investigation into Trump, this one on his business practices. Just to summarize, over a number of years, Trump became involved in a deal in Baku, Azerbaijan for a luxury high rise hotel and living property. Like most deals in eastern European countries, you have a local “partner” for these projects. In this deal, his partners were relatives of Ziya Mammadov, the Transportation Minister. This is where the problem comes in.

     On a salary of about $12,000 per year, Mammadov is now a billionaire. One of the issues Rachel highlighted was a job in which a US company was solicited tor an estimate to build roads and highways in Azerbaijan. The quote was $6M per kilometer. They were sent packing. Instead, Mammadov signed a contract with another company to do the job for a paltry $18M a kilometer. Turns out that the company is controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. It’s a money laundering scheme for the Revolutionary Guard. They spend a couple of million per kilometer in sanctioned funds for manpower and material to build roads, and get $18M in “clean” money in return that they can move around and spend. And of course Mammadov gets his cut under the table.

     This is not Mammadov’s first ride at the rodeo. He is so fabulously corrupt, even for an Azerbaijani official that his family is known as the “Corleone’s of the Caspian Sea”. And as powerful as the family is, that makes them dangerous for American companies to deal with.

     The reason is the Foreign Corruption Practices Act, a law designed to keep American companies from bribing foreign officials for preferential treatment. And ignorance is no excuse. American companies are expected to exercise due diligence in choosing their overseas partners to ensure everything is aboveboard. Just ask Frederic Bourke, co-founder of the Dooney and Bourke handbag line. He got into a deal several years ago, investing $8M to get in on an oil deal in Azerbaijan, they were supposedly selling their state run oil company. The guy running the deal spread a bunch of bribes around, and Bourke got convicted to the tune of 1 year in prison, and a $1M fine. Bourke didn’t actually bribe anybody, claims he knew nothing, but they got him for not exercising due diligence in checking out his potential partner.

     This is the family that Trump got into bed with on his high rise deal to the tune of at least $2.5M that he has declared. And it may not be able to lie fallow. Sherrod Brown, the ranking Democratic Senator on the banking committee has written to the Justice Department, asking them to investigate this whole transaction. It appears that this was a passive deal for Trump, simply renting out his name to grease the skids, but he got paid. He dropped the deal later, but the paper trail is there.

     I wrote in a diary a couple of weeks ago that the problem with a scandal is that it mushrooms. You ask one question, and the answer you get ends opening up a whole new avenue of investigation. This is happening to Trump now. Russian hacking has spread out into possible investigations of his real estate deal in Azerbaijan. Who knows what next week will bring, or even tomorrow?

     Here are the two portions of the Rachel show dealing with this last night. In total they are about 32 minutes, but you’ll be very well informed by the time it’s over with.

Don't miss the Videos.  ;D

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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/3/7/1641141/-Rachel-drops-another-shoe-Right-on-Trump-s-head
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 01, 2017, 08:34:13 pm
Apr. 28, 2017 3:30 pm

1000 Protestors Stormed the Heritage Foundation, Did You Hear About it from the Corporate Media? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2932.gif&hash=0eaec4791a5825821998245e7fcd7744b56557fe)

https://youtu.be/k4luBv2eLO0

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Trump embraced Heritage Foundation budget percentage cuts

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 02, 2017, 07:00:41 pm
The Corruption by Factions is the ROOT of the Destruction of our Republic

https://youtu.be/_NQ1PU_oMEE (https://youtu.be/_NQ1PU_oMEE)

May. 1, 2017 5:00 pm

Thom talks with a caller about the idea of doing away with political parties and judging politicians based solely on their policies and records. What a concept!

https://www.thomhartmann.com/bigpicture/what-would-happen-if-all-politicians-had-no-party-affiliation
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 02, 2017, 07:46:27 pm
https://youtu.be/qu5WnK3eCFI

(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pya86HYx3jE/WMQ5cCqBZoI/AAAAAAABL4M/DYBUNzDMuMIrJnYokV0g4VIbqv3qR6biwCLcB/s1600/sessions.jpg)

Agelbert NOTE: Attorney GENERAL SESSIONS (Forget? Haill!) just ain't got no sense of humor AT ALL. Ah just cain't figure it out. Ah mean, if he's such a non-RACIST 'noble feller' and all, what's he makin' such a fuss about? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6656.gif&hash=2038f9b45636a93e5c0f4ee508ce29778fe9e9b4)  ;)  It seems to me that fine lady hit a raw racist nerve or two... (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)

woman   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)  arrested for laughing during Jeff Sessions' confirmation hearing heads to trial

By wagatwe   

Tuesday May 02, 2017 ·  1:51 PM EDT

Daily Kos Social Recommended

TAGS #DesireeFairooz #FreeSpeech #JeffSessions #Racism #RichardShelby

Desiree Fairooz, a woman who laughed when Republican Senator Richard Shelby (AL) (https://beprepared.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/f/m/fm_c140_mre_cracker_1500x1500__1_1.jpg) introduced now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions by saying his record of “treating all Americans equally under the law is clear and well-documented,(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fugly004.gif&hash=c56db4280057389afd154a1cb4057410151579c8)” is now on trial for laughing at such a blatant lie. Huffington Post reports:

Fairooz was seated in the back of the room, and her laugh did not interrupt Shelby’s introductory speech. But, according to the government, the laugh amounted to willful “disorderly and disruptive conduct” intended to “impede, disrupt, and disturb the orderly conduct” of congressional proceedings. The government also charged her with a separate misdemeanor for allegedly parading, demonstrating or picketing within a Capitol, evidently for her actions after she was being escorted from the room.

The hypocrisy of the U.S. Capitol Police officer who arrested Fairooz and the prosecutors trying her case is easy to find. Fairooz’s lawyer has footage of other times folks laughed during Sessions’ hearingand didn’t get arrested.

Samuel Bogash, a lawyer representing Fairooz, showed a video of the audience laughing at another part of the hearing, when Sessions joked about disagreements with his wife. But [assistant U.S. attorney Jason] Covert argued that it was appropriate for the audience to laugh when Sessions made a joke about his marriage but not when Shelby claimed Sessions had a long record of “treating all Americans equally.”

If it’s truly about Fairooz’s laughing, then this is completely ridiculous. Where are conservative “free speech” advocates now? Conservatives like to mock liberals for being “special snowflakes” yet they’re throwing down the hammer on someone who wouldn’t politely laugh at the Racist Keebler Elf’s jokes.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__burp.gif&hash=8ff3ef6c016d8baf5f61ed5e8db58f069b64da00)

Watch a video of the arrest below: (at link)

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/5/2/1658198/-Woman-arrested-for-laughing-during-Jeff-Sessions-confirmation-hearing-heads-to-trial


UPDATE as of May 4, 2017:

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/5/3/1658557/-Woman-arrested-for-laughing-during-Sessions-confirmation-found-guilty-facing-a-year-in-prison
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 03, 2017, 05:43:15 pm
Quote
How do liberals (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)  feel about the positive, lasting change President Trump has brought within the last 100 days?  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)

Brett Huser, studied at University of Colorado Boulder

There seems to be some confusion: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)

I did NOT ask the question: “How do liberals feel about the positive, lasting change (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fugly004.gif&hash=c56db4280057389afd154a1cb4057410151579c8) President Trump has brought to America within the last 100 days?”.

I am answering that question. I am NOT the person who asked it.

After getting the notification that Quora digest is sending people to my answer, people started mistaking this answer as the original question in the comments. I’m not really sure why people think I asked the original question, but the confusion has happened three times in the comment section.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What Trump has “accomplished”:


•reinstating the Keystone pipeline - this is bad for the environment.

•reinstating the universal gag order - women all over the world will now be turned away from receiving legal medical help.

•reinstating the deportation of undocumented immigrants that are not criminals or dangerous to society - this does no good for anyone, especially the families that are torn apart.

•Chose Gorsuch for SCOTUS, who is anti women, POC, immigrants and pro corporations.

The rest of what Trump has written in his Executive Orders consist of:

•telling his cabinet secretaries to do their jobs (which would be like your mom asking you to do your chores on national television)

•asking for more information on the subject

•creating loopholes in ethics for lobbyists and members in his administration

•or…they are suspended/revoked by the court systems.

Trump’s “tax plan” was 250 words (my answer to your “question” is 32 words longer), 7 bullet points, giving tax cuts to the richest people in the U.S., ignoring small business owners.

Trump has gone back on his campaign promises regarding Syria, Mexico paying for the wall, draining the swamp, NAFTA, China, etc.

Trump claims that he is bringing jobs back by claiming deals made by Obama before Trump was elected.

Trump continues to have zero transparency.

Trump continues to divide the country by making no effort to bring people together.

What has he accomplished? I think you know that Trump has done nothing for most of America.

Perhaps that is what you mean in the phrasing of your question that seems to be antagonistic.  ;)  I think you know that you (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)  come across as someone who is giddy that trump stands for the values of the status quo and that everyone else outside of those values are “less than”. That's probably makes you feel special and superior.

https://www.quora.com/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 03, 2017, 06:08:44 pm
Quote
Factual evidence, since it is an impediment to what we desire, is banished.

Reign of Idiots

Posted on Apr 30, 2017

By Chris Hedges
 
The idiots take over in the final days of crumbling civilizations. Idiot generals wage endless, unwinnable wars that bankrupt the nation. Idiot economists call for reducing taxes for the rich and cutting social service programs for the poor, and project economic growth on the basis of myth. Idiot industrialists poison the water, the soil and the air, slash jobs and depress wages. Idiot bankers **** on self-created financial bubbles and impose crippling debt peonage on the citizens. Idiot journalists and public intellectuals pretend despotism is democracy. Idiot intelligence operatives orchestrate the overthrow of foreign governments to create lawless enclaves that give rise to enraged fanatics. Idiot professors, “experts” and “specialists” busy themselves with unintelligible jargon and arcane theory that buttresses the policies of the rulers. Idiot entertainers and producers create lurid spectacles of sex, gore and fantasy.

There is a familiar checklist for extinction. We are ticking off every item on it.

The idiots know only one word—“more.” They are unencumbered by common sense. They hoard wealth and resources until workers cannot make a living and the infrastructure collapses. They live in privileged compounds where they eat chocolate cake and order missile strikes. They see the state as a projection of their vanity. The Roman, Mayan, French, Habsburg, Ottoman, Romanov, Wilhelmine, Pahlavi and Soviet dynasties crumbled because the whims and obsessions of ruling idiots were law. 

Donald Trump is the face of our collective idiocy. He is what lies behind the mask of our professed civility and rationality—a sputtering, narcissistic, bloodthirsty megalomaniac. He wields armies and fleets against the wretched of the earth, blithely ignores the catastrophic human misery caused by global warming, pillages on behalf of global oligarchs and at night sits slack-jawed in front of a television set before opening his “beautiful” Twitter account. He is our version of the Roman emperor Nero, who allocated vast state expenditures to attain magical powers, the Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang, who funded repeated expeditions to a mythical island of immortals to bring back the potion that would give him eternal life, and a decayed Russian royalty that sat around reading tarot cards and attending séances as their nation was decimated by war and revolution brewed in the streets. 

This moment in history marks the end of a long, sad tale of greed and murder by the white races. It is inevitable that for the final show we vomited a grotesque figure like Trump. Europeans and Americans have spent five centuries conquering, plundering, exploiting and polluting the earth in the name of human progress. They used their technological superiority to create the most efficient killing machines on the planet, directed against anyone and anything, especially indigenous cultures, that stood in their way. They stole and hoarded the planet’s wealth and resources. They believed that this or gy of blood and gold would never end, and they still believe it. They do not understand that the dark ethic of ceaseless capitalist and imperialist expansion is dooming the exploiters as well as the exploited. But even as we stand on the cusp of extinction we lack the intelligence and imagination to break free from our evolutionary past.

Continue reading at link: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Freading.gif&hash=63e3e644b39258d4c4eedbcdaf322315b1856723)

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/reign_of_idiots_20170430

Quote
Magical thinking is not limited to the beliefs and practices of pre-modern cultures. It defines the ideology of capitalism. - Chris Hedges
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 04, 2017, 07:08:13 pm
Why Won’t the Press Ask Trump Anything? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ
https://youtu.be/uRU51OvhSyw

Published on May 3, 2017
American reporters are too afraid to demand answers. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 04, 2017, 07:12:15 pm
"Sanders Should Be President!" Bill Maher Talks About Trump, Clinton & more With Jake Tapper

https://youtu.be/q7LWrs55zfA

Published on May 2, 2017
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 04, 2017, 07:18:13 pm
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein BLAST Trump At 2017 WHCA Dinner  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

https://youtu.be/gboD5f_OqVs

Published on Apr 29, 2017

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein BLAST Trump At 2017 WHCA Dinner.

Buy Woodward and Bernstein's book "All the President's Men": https://goo.gl/qn5AAg

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 04, 2017, 07:42:27 pm
Jason Miller Gets OWNED By Carl Bernstein, "I Suggest You Go Back and CHECK Your FACTS"

https://youtu.be/wXbXuFNvIek

Published on Apr 5, 2017

Jason Miller gets a quick Fact Check from Veteran Investigative Reporter Carl Bernstein who is famous for breaking the Watergate scandal. How Jason Miller leaves himself wide open to such a rudimentary fact check is unbelievable.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 04, 2017, 10:27:28 pm
 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncc-1776.org%2Ftle-pics%2FFlag_of_the_United_States.png&hash=dde5dffb8a9710e499636687519ddca19367732a)


The Deep State: The Unelected Shadow Government

https://youtu.be/vjdw3Is9mT4

The Rutherford Institute

Published on Nov 24, 2015

America’s next president will inherit more than a bitterly divided nation. He or she will also inherit a shadow government—a permanent, corporatized, militarized, entrenched bureaucracy that is fully operational and staffed by unelected officials who are, in essence, running the country. As John W. Whitehead warns in this week's vodcast, all it will take is another terrorist attack or a natural disaster for such a regime to emerge from the shadows.

Copyright © 2015 The Rutherford Institute

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 04, 2017, 10:37:14 pm
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2-o8t-v16o/WEDQ2axJFPI/AAAAAAAAUB4/PyKTDiVQ2bsSNSNPyQ7Lx0aPuNOpnlLCgCLcB/s1600/william-casey-cia-quote.JPG)

The Path to Total Dictatorship: America’s Shadow Government & Its Silent Coup

https://youtu.be/mkC8FaQ6b8s

Published on Apr 4, 2017

Say hello to America’s shadow government: a corporatized, militarized, entrenched bureaucracy that is fully operational and staffed by unelected officials who are, in essence, running the country. This shadow government represents the hidden face of a government that has no respect for the freedom of American citizens. No matter who sits in the White House or who allegedly represents us in Congress, this shadow government is here to stay. Indeed, as leaked documents by the FBI reveal, this shadow government—also referred to as “The 7th Floor Group”—essentially runs the government out of Washington DC. And as the Wikileaks data concerning the CIA’s tapping into all of our electronic devices reveals, everything we’re doing is being watched by government eyes.

Visit our website
http://bit.ly/2gl9jbd
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 05, 2017, 12:45:02 pm
By Came In On Saturdays | May 02, 2017 at 04:48 PM EDT

“Moderate” GOP Congressman Tom “Repeal Obamacare” MacArthur (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) —He’s Just Another Trump Rubber Stamper


      “ IT’S B…AAA CK!  IT’S B…AAA CK!  IT’S  B…AAA CK!” The repeal Obamacare zombie bill keeps rising from the GOP ooze. In the Trump administration, it has already failed to pass twice. Actually, health care repeal legislation had previously failed over 50-60 times while Obama was in office. However, that was B.T.E., “Before the Trump Era.” Now, we have a GOP President as well as a “Red” House and “Red” Senate, a trifecta. Remember what Donald said on the 2016 campaign trail? Give him the Oval Office and keep both Congressional chambers bright “Red,” and repeal will be done in no time. Certainly, no later than the end of Trump’s 100 days, or by 4/29/2017.

       To Trump and his GOP’s surprise, the public began to realize how good and effective Obamacare was.  At packed town hall meetings, constituents yelled at GOP Congressmen and Senators, “Hands off our Obamacare.” Despite all of Donald’s appeals, arm-twisting, and bullying, too many GOPers in swing districts   realized that a vote to repeal Obamacare might cost them their seats in 2018 and even give Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) the Speakership. On 3/24/2017, Economic “genius” (NOT) House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wi.) was forced to pull the first vote to repeal Obamacare because he and Demagogue Donald would have faced a humiliating defeat (Wash. Post, 3/24/17 Vote Count).

         While the hard-right “Freedumb” Caucus took the blame for killing the first Trump/Ryan health care repeal, they and some GOP “moderates” would not end this battle to give Donald a 100 Days victory. Too many GOPers “think” that if they don’t repeal health care, enough of their red-meat base might stay home in the 2018 midterms because the GOP trifecta did not deliver. Some “moderates” are also upset that the “Freedumb” Caucus and Donald are blaming them for the 3/24/2017 failure. Obamacare repeal remains an obsession, even for “moderates.” Therefore, the GOP Congress and Trump brought forth Obamacare repeal Attempt #2. GOP Congressman Tom MacArthur, a co-chair of the “moderate” Republican Tuesday Group, “negotiated,” read, “capitulated” to the “Freedumb” Caucus. He succeeded in getting them to agree to an extremist health care repeal bill. Post-Trumpcare bill 2.0, MacArthur’s “brainchild,” was even worse than the original Trumpcare legislation. The new version would further tighten the screws on vulnerable Americans and let states allow insurance companies to charge higher premiums on older people with pre-existing conditions. MacArthur/Trumpcare 2.0 would, additionally give insurers the freedom not to cover essential health services like maternity care and cancer treatment (NY Times Editorial, 4/28/17).

     Democrats threatened to shut down government funding if this disastrous MacArthur/Trumpcare amendment made it into the federal funding bill then being negotiated. GOPers need the Democrats to pass this funding bill because they know the public would blame them for a government shutdown. They could then easily lose a net 24 seats in the 2018 midterm elections and flip the House “Blue.” On 4/30/2017, a senior congressional aide stated that congressional negotiators had hammered a deal to keep the federal government open till 9/30/2017. Trump would have to sign it before 5/05/17. In order to keep the government running, the GOP had to yield to the Democratic minority on major issues. No border wall between the U.S. and Mexico would be built. Planned Parenthood was funded. The Environmental Protection Agency was funded. The National Institutes of Health received increased funding. And the MacArthur/Trump gut Obamacare amendment was not in this funding deal. Overall, this funding compromise resembled an Obama-era spending bill more than a Trump one (See“The Hill,” Bolton & Wong, 4/30/17, Bloomberg.com, House, Wasson, & Litvan, 4/30/17).  However, Speaker Ryan, VP Pence, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Trump himself are still pushing MacArthur/Trumpcare 3.0. They are “educating,” read, “twisting” fellow GOPers to go along (See Wash. Post, Snell, Costa, & O’Keefe, 4/28/17). Donald and “Team Red” must “win” at any cost. Who is this Cong. MacArthur?

             Second-term GOP Congressman Tom MacArthur (56) represents New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District (CD). The present Garden State 3rd is located in South Central New Jersey and contains the 1 million- acre Pine Barrens Forest and thousands of additional farmland acres. Part of the Joint Base McGuire Dix-Lakehurst sits in the 3rd’s center. This base combines an Army military reservation, an Air Force base, and a Navy air station. Defense contractors are attracted to this area and 42, 000 jobs are connected to this base. Lockheed-Martin in Moorestown is a big employer with a naval electronics and surveillance system plant.  In addition to defense and agriculture, health care and tourism  remain  economic pillars. East of the Pine Barrens is Ocean County, including the barrier islands from Mantoloking south to Stafford. The 3rd contains older beach front communities and inland subdivisions and condominiums. The 3rd CD includes large parts of Ocean and Burlington Counties. The 3rd’s largest city is Toms River. Toms River had been home to a Ciba-Geigy Chemical plant. This plant closed while settling a $13.7 million lawsuit in 2001 over air and water pollution that residents claimed caused cancer. The 3rd  has  several suburban Philadelphia Burlington County townships (Barone & CQ 14 Political Almanacs).

         Ocean County has been the fastest growing part of New Jersey, a kind of “Frost Belt Florida.” It has attracted many NY and North Jersey retirees, eager to leave urban crime and high taxes. Politically, the Jersey 3rd has been competitive.  After the 2011 redistricting, Democratic-leaning Cherry Hill was moved into the heavily “Blue” Camden-based 1st CD while several GOP-leaning Burlington County townships were added to the 3rd . The current Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) gives the 3rd an R+1 score, keeping this district in the swing category. The 3rd went for Obama by 5 points in both 2008 and 20012, after going for W in 2004 by 2 points. In 2016, Trump carried the 3rd by 6 points (See Barone 14).

        Hebron, Ct. native Tom MacArthur received his undergraduate degree from Hofstra University. He then worked in the insurance industry. For 11 years, he was chairman and chief executive officer of York Risk Services Group. From 2011-2013, he served on the Randolph, New Jersey Township Council, and in 2013 became mayor (AP, 5/03/14). When the incumbent GOP Congressman decided not to run in 2014, MacArthur resigned from the Randolph council and moved into the 3rd CD. After winning the GOP primary, MacArthur contributed over $5 million of his own fortune to his general election race. He outspent his Democratic rival by about 3:1 and won by a 10-point margin. In 2016, he coasted to re-election getting 60% of the vote (Knapp, newjerseyhills, com/randolph, “Opensecrets.org.”, nj.com/politics/index, NJ.com, Melisurgo, 11/08/16). MacArthur now lives in Toms River and owns homes in Randolph and Barnegat Light, New Jersey. He is the richest member of the New Jersey congressional delegation, worth at least $30.8 million (AP, 5/03/14, “Washington Times,” 5/05/14, Mulvihill, “New Jersey Hills Media Group,” “NJ.com.”). In the present 115th Congress, MacArthur sits on the key House Financial Services Committee (CQ Roll Call, 115th Cong. At Your Fingertips). 

        As previously noted, MacArthur may be a co-chair of the “moderate” GOP Tuesday Group, but IMHO, he is a MINO, “Moderate in Name Only.”  In the current 115th Congress, MacArthur voted with his hard- right party 96% of the time and with Trump’s position  92.9% of the time (“ProPublica,” Willis, “FiveThirtyEight,” Bycoffe).  Mac Arthur endorsed Trump in the 2016 presidential election.  MacArthur was the only New Jersey Congressman to attend the 2016 Republican National Convention that nominated Trump. In 2/2017, Cong. MacArthur voted against a resolution to have the House request 10 years of Trump’s income tax returns (NJ.com, indy100. 2/28/17, heavy.com /news, 4/26/17). MacArthur has a personal relationship with the Trump family that Donald played upon. MacArthur knew Trump’s late father Fred and handled his insurance for many years. MacArthur would ride in Fred Trump’s car, going out with him to settle claims on many of the apartments Fred owned (Wash. Post, Snell, Costa, & O’Keefe, 4/28/17).

     MacArthur opposes abortion. He favors a crippling balanced budget Constitutional amendment (“Project Vote Smart, ontheissues.org). He opposes federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2/2017, he voted in favor of repealing a rule that required energy companies to disclose payments to foreign governments (Bycoffe, “FiveThirtyEight). The League of Conservation Voters gave MacArthur a lifetime 10% score (“League of Conservation Voters Scorecard”). He opposes same-sex marriage (“Project Vote Smart”). 

         Cong. MacArthur has repeatedly called for repealing Obamacare (“Project Vote Smart”).  A lot of GOP moderates received a bad case of political “heartburn” from MacArthur’s negotiating another health care repeal deal that catered to the demands of the “Freedumb” Caucus. MacArthur was the only “moderate” involved in these talks and often consulted with the White House and GOP leadership. Many Republican moderates had explicitly asked their leadership NOT to negotiate with the “Freedumb” Caucus over health care (SeeCNN, Mattingly, Walsh, & Barrett, 4/28/17, Wash. Post, Snell et al, 4/28/17). MacArthur could care less about following his group’s wishes. He could care less that 70% of Americans favor federal protection for pre-existing conditions. MacArthur wants states to be easily able to waive this vital federal pre-existing protection (Wash. Post-ABC News, 4/2017 Pol, CNN, Mattingly et al). All that counts for super-rich insurance businessman Cong. MacArthur is being in Demagogue Donald’s gut health care corner.

          Donald, VP Pence, and Speaker Ryan are far from giving up. They want to bring up MacArthur’s anti-health care reform amendment as soon as possible to the House floor. Democrats and moderates must keep bombarding the House with emails, phone calls, and letters to stop this disastrous legislation from passing. Whenever this awful zombie legislation comes up, it must be met with massive public opposition. The “moderate” Tuesday Group should strip MacArthur of his leadership position for going against their wishes.  Finally, in this swingy district, the Democrats must recruit and finance a top-flight challenger to defeat repeal Obamacare MacArthur in the 2018 mid-term elections. In 11/2018, Democrats and moderates must come out in droves to send MacArthur home. MacArthur’s record makes him more compatible with Southern and Rocky Mountain GOPers, not those from New Jersey.

http://cameinonsaturdays.com/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 08, 2017, 02:36:09 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-150417160902.png&hash=b1ac320fc5f1b8ca4aca0ddfcbcc059fbe0ca67e)

Agelbert NOTE: I don't agree with some of the views of Pastor Chuck Baldwin; but I agree 100% with everything he says below, about the massive level of corruption in the US Government and in the US nominal "Christian" Church, in the following snippets from his recent article marking his 65th birthday.

Strictly Personal (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)

Published: Thursday, May 4, 2017

SNIPPET 1:

As far as I know, I am in good health. And, somehow, I’ve been able to keep my hair. Not that that means a whole lot. I had a college professor that often quoted this little rhyme:

To every man God is fair.
 To some He gave brains.
 To others He gave hair.     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F4fvfcja.gif&hash=34a9a570347d39a0a892bc1f376c5e8b88add6b5)

After all of these years, I have forgotten most of what that professor taught, but I still remember that little limerick.

I campaigned for my friend, Congressman Ron Paul, in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries. After it was obvious that he would not be the Republican nominee, Constitution Party (CP) leaders and many Ron Paul supporters strongly encouraged me to seek the CP’s presidential nomination. They believed that someone was needed to keep the liberty message alive in the 2008 general election, because it was clear that neither Barack Obama nor John McCain would do so. After defeating my friend and former U.N. Ambassador, Alan Keyes, in the CP nominating convention, I became the Party’s nominee for President. And I was very honored to have received Ron Paul’s endorsement during that campaign.

Regarding the condition of the Church in America, it is my studied opinion that both the 501c3 tax-exempt status and State nonprofit corporation status have, in effect, castrated America’s pastors and churches to the point that most churches are spiritually impotent and irrelevant to the preservation of liberty. Instead of preaching the liberating Gospel of Christ and the empowering message of Christian non-conformity, they are preaching an enslaving message of bondage to the state via their preoccupation with the misinterpretation of Romans 13.

Speaking of which, my constitutional attorney son and I co-authored a book on this subject that I encourage everyone to read. The book is entitled “Romans 13: The True Meaning of Submission.” This book shows the teaching of the entire Bible (including Romans 13) regarding proper submission to authority--including when submission to civil authority is actually sinful and wrong.

To order our book on Romans 13, go here:

Romans 13: The True Meaning Of Submission (https://chuckbaldwinlive.com/Store.aspx#!/Romans-13-The-True-Meaning-of-Submission-By-Dr-Chuck-Baldwin-and-Attorney-Tim-Baldwin/p/65572590/category=15986016)

SNIPPET 2:

I believe there is a conspiracy of powerful elitists to surrender America’s independence and national sovereignty to a globalist New World Order. I believe the Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, and Bilderbergs are especially culpable in this evil subterfuge of our liberties. I had hoped that Donald Trump would honor his word to “drain the swamp” of establishment insiders, but he hasn’t. As with every President of both major parties before him, Trump has littered his administration with CFR globalists. In just the first couple of months of his presidency, Donald Trump appointed more CFR members and fellow travelers than Barack Obama. Here is the list so far (we will keep it updated):

CFR Members Appointed By Donald Trump (http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/Articles/tabid/109/ID/3582/CFR-Members-Appointed-By-Donald-Trump.aspx)

Trump has even changed what he calls himself. On the campaign trail, he said he was a nationalist, not a globalist. Now, he has reversed himself AGAIN. A few days ago, he told the Wall Street Journal, “I am a nationalist and a globalist. I’m both.” What a crock! One cannot be both. Trump is proving to be just another disingenuous say-whatever-it-takes-to-get-elected politician.

I believe that the national news media purposely keeps the American people in the dark about the truth of what is really going on. I believe the media deliberately covered up the events of 9/11, Waco, Ruby Ridge, TWA Flight 800, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Sandy Hook school shootings, etc., ad infinitum. Heck, I believe the media covered up what really happened in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. For all intents and purposes, the national news media is little more than a propaganda ministry of the federal government.

I am also convinced that there is a blatant attempt underfoot to turn the United States into a police-state-style surveillance society, to which personal freedoms and liberties are being quickly and egregiously sacrificed. Passage of the USA Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, and the Indefinite Detention clauses of the National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) are examples of this flagrant betrayal of freedom. And the Democrat and Republican parties are equally culpable in this blatant usurpation of our liberties. And on this subject, too, Donald Trump is on the exact same course as his predecessors.

I opposed the preemptive invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan by G.W. Bush, the bombings of Libya, along with the current bombings and drone attacks going on in countries throughout the Middle East--including Trump’s bombing of Syria and his decision to increase the number of U.S. ground forces in the Middle East. It should be obvious to everyone that the Obama administration did nothing to change the perpetual war/preemptive war doctrine introduced by George W. Bush. And it should be equally obvious that Donald Trump is continuing to escalate America’s unconstitutional wars of aggression around the world. At the rate Trump is going, the United States could soon be in a global nuclear war.

I am personally convinced that ISIS, al-Nusra, etc., are contrivances of Dark (illegal) Operations of America’s CIA, British Intelligence, and Israel’s Mossad. Saudi Arabia and Turkey are also partners in this nefarious activity. I’ll say it flat out: The “war on terror” is totally the creation of the Deep State in the West to keep America in a state of perpetual war and to keep the people of America in a state of perpetual fear and anger.

Furthermore, I believe the international “war on terror” is a ruse to assist the goals of the central banks to create global government. All of the talk about Iran and Syria (and even North Korea) being a threat to the world is a bunch of hysterical propaganda. And FOX News (along with many pastors and churches) is at the heart of the pro-war propaganda machine. Neocons and globalists are using the Muslim people as the proverbial Straw Man to give the American people an enemy to hate, so that they will accept perpetual war abroad and police-state measures here at home.

I opposed the bailouts for Wall Street. I regard the Federal Reserve as a corrupt cabal of international banksters whose actions are nothing short of criminal. I wholeheartedly support the abolition of the Federal Reserve and a return to sound money.

I believe both major parties in Washington, D.C., are drunk on government spending. No matter which Party controls Congress or the White House, government spending skyrockets, as do deficits. We are witnessing this reality yet again. Just this week, with the GOP in control of both houses of Congress and the White House, we watched the House approve--and President Trump endorse--yet MORE federal spending and LARGER federal deficits. G.W. Bush spent more tax dollars than Bill Clinton; Barack Obama spent more than Bush; and Donald Trump is already spending more than Obama. When it comes to federal spending, there truly isn’t a dime’s worth of difference between the two parties. No wonder Senator Rand Paul said this about the omnibus spending bill that passed the House this week: “President Hillary Clinton would have been proud of this bill.”

And speaking of federal spending, one reason Donald Trump wants to increase military spending is because the U.S. government is dropping so many bombs all over the globe that the military is running out. Consider: as of April 30, the U.S. has dropped over 79,000 bombs just in Iraq, Syria, and Libya.

See the report:

Trump Is Running Out Of Bombs (http://anotherdayintheempire.com/trump-running-bombs/)

I believe G.W. Bush and Dick Cheney should be in prison for committing international war crimes against humanity and Hillary Clinton should be in prison for selling access to her office to foreign interests and for facilitating (or maybe even directly causing) the death of America’s Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens. I believe politicians such as Lindsey Graham, John McCain, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi are enemies of freedom.

From a theological perspective, I believe the eschatological doctrine of the Rapture is being used by too many pastors and Christians as an excuse to not resist the many attacks against our liberties. I further believe that too many pastors and churches have become passive, timid, and politically correct and are, therefore, “good for nothing” (Matthew 5:13) when it comes to preserving liberty.

And, as faithful readers know, I have had an about-face when it comes to my understanding of the scriptures relating to the modern State of Israel. I have come to the studied opinion that the current State of Israel--the one created on May 14, 1948, by the Rothschilds--has nothing to do with the Israel of the Bible. I believe the modern Zionist State of Israel was birthed by and is led by antichrist Talmudists who are the spiritual descendants of the Pharisees. I further believe the Zionist State of Israel is a devilish counterfeit of “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16) with the goal of deceiving the West (especially Christians in America) and wreaking havoc, war, and bloodshed around the world and facilitating the collapse of Christianity in the United States--a goal that has been achieved many times over.

http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/Articles/tabid/109/ID/3596/Strictly-Personal.aspx
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 08, 2017, 09:31:39 pm
Yates gives it to Corrupt Senator Cornyn with BOTH BARRELS!   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)

https://youtu.be/DoPwbuMqZmk


Sally Yates just smacked the bullsh#t out of a Republican senator's mouth   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

By Walter Einenkel   

Monday May 08, 2017 ·  5:11 PM EDT


http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/5/8/1660163/-Sally-Yates-just-smacked-the-bullsh-t-out-of-a-Republican-senator-s-mouth

Sally Yates is an American Hero | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ


https://youtu.be/RdIg1DfS9LE

Published on May 8, 2017

And Trump? He is in trouble.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)




Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 09, 2017, 06:37:46 pm

Sally Yates Masterly Removes The Smug From Ted Cruz's Face As She Schools Him On Constitutional Law

By Leslie Salzillo   

Monday May 08, 2017 ·  5:30 PM EDT

During the Russian collusion hearings on Monday, former Deputy Attorney General, then Acting Attorney General for the Department of Justice, Sally Yates, batted off Trump-supporting Republicans like flies as they desperately tried to discredit, trick and shame her. They failed, and what they did do is embarrass themselves and the country by defending Donald Trump, also known as the ridiculous  deceitful, hate-mongering  “Fake President.”

During one particular inquisition, Texas Senator Ted Cruz pompously decided to question Yates on Trump’s Muslim ban, rather than on what Yates knew about Michael Flynn, which were the main reason for the hearing. Cruz found himself messing with the wrong person, as he tried to edify Yates on Trump’s authority using a section of the INA/Immigration and Nationality Act.

Here is a video excerpt followed by the video transcript.

https://youtu.be/1sC1dOiCSp0

(Transcript Excerpt)

A minute into the video Cruz brings up Trump’s Muslim ban. This is where his usual condescending  smug side reveals its ugly self.


Ted Cruz: Okay. Let’s revisit the topic, Miss Yates, that you and Senator Cornyn were talking about. (see video below)

Sally Yates: Okay.

Ted Cruz: Um. Is it correct that the Constitution vests the authority in the President?

Sally Yates: Yes.

Ted Cruz: And if an attorney general disagrees with the policy decision of the President — a policy decision that is lawful, does the attorney general have the authority to direct the Department of Justice to defy the President’s order? 

Sally Yates: I don’t know whether the attorney general has the authority to do that or not, but I don’t think it would be a good idea — and that’s not what I did in this case.

Ted Cruz: Well, are  you familiar with 8 U.S. Code § 1182?

Sally Yates: Not off the top of my head, no.

Ted Cruz: Well, It, it is the binding statutory authority for the president’s executive order your refused to implement that led to your termination, so it certainly is a relevant and not obscure statute.

Sally Yates: MmmHmm.

Notice how Cruz gets in his dig that Yates was “terminated?” The Texas senator goes on to quote one section of the statute.


Ted Cruz: By the expressed text of the statue it says, quote:  ‘Whenever the President finds that the entry of any alien or class of aliens into the United States, would be detrimental to the interest of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for any period he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or class of aliens  as immigrants or non immigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens, any restrictions he may deem appropriate.’ Would you agree that, that is broad statutory authorization?

Without hesitation, Yates replies with an additional provision that “trumps” (yes, she uses that word)  Cruz — basically out-lawyering him and putting him in his place for all the nation/world to see.


Sally Yates: I would, and I am familiar with that — and I’m also familiar with an additional provision of the INA that says: “No person shall receive preference or be discriminated against in issuance of a visa because of race, nationality, or place of birth.” That, I believe was promulgated after the statute that you just quoted. And, that’s been part of the discussion with the courts in respect to the INA, is whether this more specific statute trumps the first one that you just described.

But my concern was not an INA concern, here; it rather, was a constitutional concern.

And scene. Ted Cruz is still desperately trying to ‘find himself’ after election — but then, it’s really dark up in Trump’s ass. Here are some of the responses from Twitter during the Yates-Cruz exchange. (at article link)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/05/08/1660176/-Watch-Sally-Yates-School-Ted-Cruz-On-Constitutional-Law
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 10, 2017, 04:21:22 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

May 10, 2017


Comey Affair Sign of a Fractured American State

https://youtu.be/t8XIctQodEk

Historian Gerald Horne and Paul Jay dig deeper into Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey and the forces driving great divisions in the elites, the political class and the state apparatus.

(https://evilasshole.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/trumpopus.jpg?w=640)



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 10, 2017, 06:24:29 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)

Sen. Franken rips excuses for Comey firing into tiny shreds

By Frank Vyan Walton   

Wednesday May 10, 2017 ·  4:28 PM EDT

Just as i wrote in detail earlier this morning Franken has a ton to say about Comey’s firing. Via Rawstory.

https://youtu.be/iWAu5ax0NSw



On Wednesday, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) took to the Senate floor to discuss Tuesday’s firing of FBI Director James Comey and the facts as we currently know them pertaining to the investigation of President Donald Trump and his associates’ connections to the Russian government.

We know that the Russians mounted a complex operation to interfere with the 2016 U.S. election. We also know, Franken said, that they did this with the intent of helping former reality TV game show host Trump, hindering Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and undermining public confidence in the election system.

“These facts have been confirmed by our intelligence agencies,” Franken said. “What we don’t yet fully understand is all the reasons why the Russians favored Donald Trump and whether members of his campaign assisted in the Russian operation to sway the election in his favor.”

These questions are the subject of an active and ongoing investigation.

“The timing of Mr. Comey’s dismissal raises questions,” Franken said, “and Mr. Trump’s decision to abruptly fire the man leading an investigation that could implicate the Trump administration should shock the conscience of every American who believes that no man or woman is above the law.”

Yeah, that. All that.

Wednesday, May 10, 2017 · 6:14:07 PM EDT · Frank Vyan Walton 

Franken has done most of the work here I admit, but I appreciate being able to help his words get noticed.

My articles here — like that of so many others — is voluntary. If you appreciate this article any and all support you can offer to make more and better diaries in the future would be deeply and sincerely appreciated.  Thanks very seriously, you guys have helped so much already.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/5/10/1660974/-Sen-Franken-rips-excuses-for-Comey-firing-into-tiny-shreds




Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 11, 2017, 02:44:35 pm
(https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/18342813_10210671522477254_8287909036515362430_n.jpg?oh=aae6db4ffb3c155fa42e9f352f1fc446&oe=597BC00C)

 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)

GOOD ONE! 

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freewoodpost.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F09%2FTrumptoast.jpg&hash=b177976a1b9bb158a5f60f3c6aedb5413a40a2f0)
Trump is TOAST!

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 11, 2017, 02:48:36 pm
Trump is TOAST:  ;D
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On Russia, Let’s Follow the Money

https://youtu.be/Poc24APzPzY


You Can’t Fire the Person Investigating You

https://youtu.be/6yM1wGaQ7zY


Sally Yates is an American Hero  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)

https://youtu.be/RdIg1DfS9LE
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 12, 2017, 02:27:29 pm
Too many Michael Snyders in the general population for that to happen now. This is not Watergate, not by a long shot.

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You are right that this certainly is NOT Watergate. Watergate was SMALL POTATOES compared with having ACCESS to 100 million dollars in Russian money to game a U.S. ELECTION. That's called TREASON, Eddie. Your belief that this is somehow a minor scandal compared with Watergate is, like your fascinating  ;) claim that Sessions is not in DEEP S H I T, Orwellian, to put it mildly.

Watch this video to find out why this is FAR WORSE than Watergate:


On Russia, Let’s Follow the Money

https://youtu.be/Poc24APzPzY


As RE continues to correctly (and I have stated for over a month) point out, Trump NEEDS to have the Russia thing go away. The reason is that he and his wrecking crew KNOW they are TREASON TOAST when it comes out.
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No, I DO NOT think the whole Russian/Trump enchilada it will EVER come out. BUT the COVERUP, as in Watergate (on steroids  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)) is what will SINK TRUMP, Sessions, etc. et al. This is not just my opinion.  Keith Olbermann thinks so and he is friends with a key person from the Watergate period (it's in the video if you can take the time to watch a mere 5 minutes of truth  ;D).

Eddie, you can yawn all you want about this but you will be sorry for not taking this as seriously as you should.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 12, 2017, 02:30:18 pm
No one has tried to shut down the FBI enquiry

WHAT?  Firing the Chief Investigator isn't trying to shut down the inquiry? ???  :icon_scratch:

It's just like Nixon firing Archibald Cox.

RE

Profoundly disingenuous to think that decapitating the head of the agency does not send a message, no matter how many career agents showed up for work each day.

IN a related story, MSNBC reported on Thursday President Donald Trump will not visit FBI headquarters as expected after agency officials told the White House Trump would not be greeted warmly following his firing this week of Comey. Apparently comey enjoyed broad support within the agency. So there's that.


Well said.  It is a VERY bad idea to mess with the FBI. Trump continues into fascist overreach mode, as I predicted he and his wrecking crew would do right after they stole the election last year. The FBI will soon have a new Breakfast menu item on the NEW MORNING IN AMERICA (see below).

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freewoodpost.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F09%2FTrumpToast1.jpg&hash=664fb7d84568e303df3748eb0e3f57d488145a0a)
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 12, 2017, 02:39:59 pm
Too many Michael Snyders in the general population for that to happen now. This is not Watergate, not by a long shot.
Eddie, you can yawn all you want about this but you will be sorry for not taking this as seriously as you should.

The treason is currently afoot through the rotten #Trump/Russia affair is far more pernicious and dangerous than Watergate ever was. That was a wholly domestic matter. Every congressional repub that defends Trump or tries to sweep this under the rug, or who agrees with Sarah Sanders and Michelle Malkin that "it's time to move on" might as well register as a foreign agent.

I would dearly love to think that in the fullness of time, ALL these people would be going down. But in that regard, I agree with Eddie that there are "too many Michael Snyders in the general population for that to happen." There were too many confederates at the end of the Civil War to kill 'em all as well.


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100115191314.jpeg&hash=d55e3d264e3b56cb2eaf7dcb8dd62a8f98d301f2)

Somehow, I get the feeling that Eddie may have some Southern issues with your answer...

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 12, 2017, 06:14:03 pm
Abbreviated pundit roundup: Comey scandal goes from bad to worse for Trump  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__smokelots.gif&hash=094f88de6782c1cd03ed5321b387792046eb3cdd)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F245.gif&hash=67462ab647fbd65cb336e77c93c2601e477da0a9)

By Georgia Logothetis   

Friday May 12, 2017 ·  7:34 AM EDT

 368   Comments  (368 New)   

We begin today’s roundup with The New York Times editorial board and its piece on the “Trump-Russia Nexus,” a detailed accounting of Trump’s ties to Russia:



Mr. Trump and his associates can cry themselves hoarse that there is neither smoke nor fire here. But all in all, the known facts suggest an unusually extensive network of relationships with a major foreign power. Anyone who cares about the credibility of the American electoral process should want a thorough investigation of whether and how Russia interfered in the election and through whom.

Laurence Tribe, Richard Painter and Norman Eisen at USA Today have an important piece up:


If President Trump’s shockingly sudden firing of FBI Director James Comey had violated some statute or constitutional provision, our judicial branch could easily have remedied that misstep. What the president did was worse. It was a challenge to the very premises of our system of checks and balances precisely because it violated no mere letter of the law but its essential spirit. No one, not even a president, is above the law. And thus no public official, high or petty, can simply fire those our system trusts to investigate and remedy that official’s possible bribery, treason, or other disloyalty to the nation. [...]

In the end, the most important task is to credibly track down the details of the global financial entanglements that have ensnared this administration from the outset, and that have led to litigation against Trump under the Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution. That is likely the key to unlocking the mystery of what underlying conduct is so terrible that the Trump administration is willing to tie itself into knots and disgrace itself on the world stage to conceal its conduct.

The Economist calls on Congress to do its job:


Congress must now uphold constitutional norms. Any successor to Mr Comey nominated by the president must face the most rigorous examination of their impartiality. But that will not be enough. What is needed is either an independent commission, along the lines of the one set up to inquire into the events leading up to September 11th 2001, or a bipartisan select committee to investigate the Russia allegations. Neither would have prosecutorial powers, but they could have substantial investigatory resources and be able to subpoena witnesses. There is no reason why prosecutions could not follow once they had reported. Principled Senate Republicans, such as Richard Burr, Ben Sasse and John McCain, are troubled by what the removal of Mr Comey portends. It is high time for them and others to put their country before their party.

Jim Hoagland at The Washington Post:

The Trump presidency now poses an existential threat to many of America’s most vital institutions. He has tried to tear down to his own tawdry level the intelligence community, the FBI, the media and the federal judiciary. (Congress has been spared only because the Republican leadership lacks the moral courage to draw Trump’s fire.) Just as he is at war with himself, Trump is at war with the nation he is supposed to lead.

I had never particularly credited the idea that Trump or his campaign operatives openly colluded with Putin’s effort to draw them into the muck of the corruption the Russian leader inhabits and seeks to spread. They could not have been that stupid, I have been telling myself. Nor could I imagine that Trump was so dependent on Russian money that he could be compromised by Moscow.

But it is hard now to find other credible explanations for the president’s serial misbehavior and shameless, reckless actions. He seems eager to provoke moral outrage that will confirm his self-image of excelling by being the worst of the bad boys.

Scott Bixby at The Daily Beast takes a look at Trump’s obsession with loyalty above all:

President Donald Trump once described himself as “like, this great loyalty freak.” But to former employees of the nation’s top law enforcement service, it’s his apparent demands for personal loyalty from the nation’s top cop that are freakish. [...]

Clint Watts, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and a former FBI special agent, told The Daily Beast that the report is straight out of the playbooks of the authoritarian strongmen of whom Trump appears to be such a fan. “This loyalty pledge is completely out of line,” Watts said. “The FBI director is given a 10-year term for this exact reason—to prevent the nation’s top law enforcement officer from being put under undue influence based on political pressures.” If the Times report is true, Watts continued, “Trump’s loyalty pledge tactic comes straight from the worst aspects of authoritarians and mob bosses who see their rule above the rule of law.”

Jonathan Chait:

Donald Trump’s most consistent belief – even more consistent than his skepticism of international trade, which has waned on occasion – is his worship of power. He is not merely willing to do business with despots, as most presidents have been. He admires them because of, not despite, their despotism. His repeated refusal during the campaign to accept the legitimacy of the election (“rigged”), his promises to jail his opponent, and his intermingling of state power and personal profit all suggested a threat to the health of the republic. Now that threat has arrived. And if Republicans in Congress continue to cover for his actions, the damage to the health of American government may be longstanding.

Philip Allen Lacovara, former U.S. deputy solicitor general in the Justice Department who served as counsel to Watergate special prosecutors Archibald Cox and Leon Jaworski, says the Watergate comparisons are appropriate, but that the DOJ and FBI failed to do the right thing here:

Unlike their predecessors four decades earlier, Sessions and Rosenstein failed to recognize that they have a higher public duty than merely to implement the president’s will, even if Trump’s action was technically within his constitutional power. [...] After Nixon resigned, there were congratulatory comments that “the system worked.” But this assessment was overly simplistic. Now, as then, the system works only if the right people in the system do the right thing when deciding whether to roll over or to stand up.

And, on a final note, Eugene Robinson dives into what looks like a cover up:

The only way to make sense of this week’s stunning events is to conclude that there is something that President Trump desperately wants to hide. [...] If this were a criminal trial, prosecutors would allege that the president was displaying “consciousness of guilt” — that he was acting in a way no innocent person would act. Indeed, the only other president to try to head off an investigation by firing the chief investigator was Richard Nixon. [...]

I do believe in mere coincidences, up to a point. And I know that conspiracy theories usually turn out to be wrong. But I can see no explanation for Trump’s bizarre attitude toward the allegations of Russian meddling other than a desire to conceal something. [...]

If Trump wanted to end this scrutiny by firing Comey, he may have had the opposite effect. Ask yourself one question: Have you ever seen a coverup with no underlying crime? Neither have I.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/5/12/1661558/-Abbreviated-pundit-roundup-Comey-scandal-goes-from-bad-to-worse-for-Trump
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 12, 2017, 06:33:09 pm
Judas, Tax Cuts and the Great Betrayal


Paul Krugman MAY 12, 2017

SNIPPET:

In some ways conservatism is returning to its roots. Much has been made of Trump’s revival of the term “America First,” the name of a movement opposed to U.S. intervention in World War II. What isn’t often mentioned is that many of the most prominent America-firsters weren’t just isolationists, they were actively sympathetic to foreign dictators; there’s a more or less straight line from Charles Lindbergh proudly wearing the medal he received from Hermann Göring to Trump’s cordial relations with Rodrigo Duterte, the literally murderous president of the Philippines.

But the more proximate issue is the transformation of the Republican Party, which bears little if any resemblance to the institution it used to be, say during the Watergate hearings of the 1970s. Back then, Republican members of Congress were citizens first, partisans second. But today’s G.O.P. is more like a radical, anti-democratic insurgency than a conventional political party.
The political analysts Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein have been trying to explain this transformation for years, fighting an uphill battle against the false equivalence that still dominates punditry. As they note, the G.O.P. hasn’t just become “ideologically extreme”; it is “dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.”

So it’s naïve to expect Republicans to join forces with Democrats to get to the bottom of the Russia scandal — even if that scandal may strike at the very roots of our national security. Today’s Republicans just don’t cooperate with Democrats, period. They’d rather work with Vladimir Putin.

In fact, some of them probably did.

Now, maybe I’m being too pessimistic. Maybe there are enough Republicans with a conscience — or, failing that, sufficiently frightened of an electoral backlash — that the attempt to kill the Russia probe will fail. One can only hope so.

But it’s time to face up to the scary reality here. Most people now realize, I think, that Donald Trump holds basic American political values in contempt. What we need to realize is that much of his party shares that contempt.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/12/opinion/judas-tax-cuts-and-the-great-betrayal.html

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 12, 2017, 08:41:21 pm
Former FBI Director James Comey's Remarks on Whistleblower Day 2016

https://youtu.be/WEkEYbiDCIY

Published on May 12, 2017

On August 1, 2016, leaders from four federal agencies (the FBI, the Council on Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency, the Office of the Special Prosecutor, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) came together to formally acknowledge the important contributions and sacrifices made by whistleblowers. The event kicked off with these remarks from then FBI Director James Comey.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 12, 2017, 10:16:07 pm
...and the Beat Goes On...

RE


https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-own-words-add-fuel-to-questions-about-the-legality-of-firing-comey/2017/05/12/ccb4367e-3731-11e7-b412-62beef8121f7_story.html?utm_term=.fc7d7f8eb14f (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-own-words-add-fuel-to-questions-about-the-legality-of-firing-comey/2017/05/12/ccb4367e-3731-11e7-b412-62beef8121f7_story.html?utm_term=.fc7d7f8eb14f)

Trump’s own words add fuel to questions about the legality of firing Comey

(https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_1484w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2017/05/12/National-Politics/Images/Trump_Interview_16144-4a925-4426.jpg?uuid=ZwCyFjdkEeezc0GPaEmgBA)
President Trump is interviewed by NBC's Lester Holt on Thursday. (Joe Gabriel/NBC via AP)

By Karen Tumulty May 12 at 6:45 PM

With his own words over the past two days, President Trump has vastly escalated the stakes and potential consequences of his decision to fire James B. Comey as FBI director, provoking questions about whether his motivations and tactics may have run afoul of the law.

 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fus.cdn2.123rf.com%2F168nwm%2Flenm%2Flenm1201%2Flenm120100200%2F12107060-illustration-of-a-smiley-giving-a-thumbs-up.jpg&hash=2046bc6d662e09d3014a2c404a2af6ba17f8217c)

Here's a short, hard hitting AND FUNNY "Trump is Impeachment Toast" video!  ;D

Rober Reich : With his firing of the FBI director, Trump's impeachment becomes even more likely. 

https://youtu.be/D8zRQojPms0
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 13, 2017, 02:28:00 pm
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/comey-watergate/526443/ (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/comey-watergate/526443/)

Five Reasons the Comey Affair Is Worse Than Watergate

A journalist who covered Nixon’s fall 45 years ago explains why the current challenge to America may be more severe—and the democratic system less capable of handling it.

(https://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/mt/2017/05/GettyImages_515111760_toned/lead_960.jpg?1494602602)
Senate Watergate Committee members and staff gather around Chairman Sam Ervin Bettman / Getty

    James Fallows May 12, 2017 Politics


The tangled affair now known as Watergate began 45 years ago, before most of today’s U.S. population had even been born. (The median age of Americans is about 38, so most people in the country were born in 1979 or thereafter.) Thus for most people “Watergate” is a historical allusion—obviously negative in its implications, since it led to the only presidential resignation in American history, but probably hazy in its details.

For me, Watergate is anything but hazy. I’d left graduate school and begun my first magazine job, with The Washington Monthly, in the fall of 1972, as news of the scandal emerged. Over the next two years, until Richard Nixon’s resignation, I was living in D.C. and tracking the daily progress in clue-following and domino-toppling via stories in The Washington Post and elsewhere—and then the riveting, televised Watergate hearings that made national celebrities of politicians like Senators Howard Baker and Sam Ervin, and of White House aides like Alexander Butterfield (who revealed the existence of Nixon’s secret system for taping White House conversations) and John Dean (who as White House counsel had told Nixon, “there is a cancer on the presidency”). Anyone of conscious age in that time can probably remember the jolts to national sentiment that the near-daily revelations evoked.

So I’ve been thinking about comparisons between Watergate and the murky, fast-changing Comey-Russia-Flynn-Trump affair. As with anything involving Donald Trump, we have no idea where this will lead, what is “true,” and when the next bombshell will go off.

But based simply on what is known so far, this scandal looks worse than Watergate. Worse for and about the president. Worse for the overall national interest. Worse in what it suggests about the American democratic system’s ability to defend itself. Here is a summary of some reasons why:

* * *

The underlying offense

At some point in the coverage of every scandal you’ll hear the chestnut “It’s always the cover-up, never the crime.” This refers of course to the historical reality that scandal-bound figures make more problems by denying or lying about their misdeeds than they would if they had come clean from the start.

This saying first became really popular in the Watergate era—which is significant for what it suggests about the gravity of the underlying crime in that case. Richard Nixon’s beleaguered press secretary Ron Ziegler, a Sean Spicer–like figure of that era, oversold the point when he dismissed the break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters as a “third-rate burglary.” But the worst version of what Nixon and his allies were attempting to do—namely, to find incriminating or embarrassing information about political adversaries ranging from Democratic Party Chairman Lawrence O’Brien to Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg—was not as bad as what came afterward. Those later efforts included attempts to derail investigations by the FBI, the police, and various grand juries and congressional committees, which collectively amounted to obstruction of justice.

And what is alleged this time? Nothing less than attacks by an authoritarian foreign government on the fundamentals of American democracy, by interfering with an election—and doing so as part of a larger strategy that included parallel interference in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and elsewhere. At worst, such efforts might actually have changed the election results. At least, they were meant to destroy trust in democracy. Not much of this is fully understood or proven, but the potential stakes are incomparably greater than what happened during Watergate, crime and cover-up alike.

The blatancy of the interference

A climactic event of the Watergate saga, the “Saturday Night Massacre” of October 1973, is too complex to lay out in full. (More here.) Its essence was a nearly-last-gasp attempt by Nixon to prevent a special prosecutor from getting full access to the Oval Office tapes whose existence had recently become known.

But even in his stonewalling, Nixon paid lip service to the concepts of due process and check and balances. (His proffered solution was something called the “Stennis compromise,” in which the very conservative Senator John Stennis, from Mississippi, would “listen” personally to the tapes and summarize their content. As it happens, Stennis was famous for being practically deaf.) Nixon wanted to survive and win, but he wanted to act as if he was doing so while sticking to some recognizable rules.

Nothing Donald Trump has done, on the campaign trail or in office, has expressed awareness of, or respect for, established rules. Nixon’s private comments could be vile, but nothing he said in public is comparable to Trump’s dismissing James Comey as a “showboat,” or the thuggishly menacing tweet that Trump sent out today:

The nature of the president

Richard Nixon was a dark but complex figure. Of his darkness, this obituary/denunciation by Hunter S. Thompson provides a nice overview. Of his complexity, assessments from Garry Wills’s seminal Nixon Agonistes in 1970 to John Farrell’s Nixon: A Life just this spring emphasize the depth and sophistication of his political and strategic intelligence. He was paranoid, resentful, bigoted, and a crook. He was also deeply knowledgeable, strategically prescient, publicly disciplined—and in some aspects of his domestic policy strikingly “progressive” by today’s standards (for instance, his creation of the Environmental Protection Agency).

Donald Trump, by contrast—well, read the transcripts of his two most recent interviews, and weep. He is impulsive, and ignorant, and apparently beyond the reach of any control, even his own.

The resiliency of the fabric of American institutions

The Saturday Night Massacre acquired that name because of the number of people involved. When Archibald Cox, a famous Harvard Law School professor whom Congress had named the Watergate special prosecutor, rejected the “Stennis compromise” and insisted on getting the raw White House tapes himself, Nixon ordered his attorney general, Elliot Richardson, to fire Cox. Richardson—a Republican, a Boston Brahmin, a World War II hero—refused to obey the order, and resigned. The next in the chain of command was William Ruckelshaus, also a Republican, who had been the founding head of the EPA and then was Richardson’s deputy at the Justice Department. Ruckelshaus also refused to obey the order and resigned. Eventually it fell to the solicitor general, a not-yet-famous figure named Robert Bork, to carry out the order and fire Cox.

Within the space of a few hours, three senior officials—Richardson, Ruckelshaus, and Cox—had all made a choice of principle over position, and resigned or been fired rather than comply with orders they considered illegitimate. Their example shines nearly half a century later because such a choice remains so rare.

What would it take for today’s institutions to show that they are as healthy and resilient as they were even during the troubled Watergate era? History isn’t fair, and much of the burden of answering that question falls right now on one man. That is of course Rod Rosenstein, the newly confirmed deputy attorney general who, because of Jeff Sessions’s supposed recusal from the Russian-affairs investigations, is nominally in charge of them. If he wanted to be remembered as another Richardson, Ruckelshaus, or Cox, he would already have called for the appointment of a special prosecutor, or would do so today. Mr. Rosenstein, a lot depends on you.

The cravenness of party leaders

The Republicans of the Watergate era stuck with Richard Nixon as long as they could, but they acted all along as if larger principles were at stake. This I remember more clearly than any other aspect of that era, because the very first article I did for a big national magazine was a profile for Esquire, published not long after Nixon had resigned, about one of the very conservative Republicans who had finally chosen principle over party. That Republican was Charles Wiggins, a staunchly right-wing representative from Southern California who was on the House Judiciary Committee (and later became a Ninth Circuit appeals-court judge).

I followed him through the impeachment-committee hearings in 1974 as he weighed the evidence and finally decided that Nixon had lied too often and gone too far (and wrote about his journey in “The Ordeal of Mr. Wiggins”). The important point is, he was one of many congressional Republicans of that era who acted as if their responsibilities were broader than sheer party-line solidarity.

On the merits, this era’s Republican president has done far more to justify investigation than Richard Nixon did. Yet this era’s Republican senators and members of congress have, cravenly, done far less. A few have grumbled about “concerns” and so on, but they have stuck with Trump where it counts, in votes, and since Comey’s firing they have been stunning in their silence.

Today’s party lineup in the Senate is of course 52–48, in favor of the Republicans. Thus a total of three Republican senators have it within their power to change history, by insisting on an honest, independent investigation of what the Russians have been up do and how the mechanics of American democracy can best defend themselves. (To spell it out, three Republicans could join the 48 Democrats and Independents already calling for investigations, and constitute a Senate majority to empower a genuinely independent inquiry.) So far they have fallen in line with their party’s leader, Mitch McConnell, who will be known in history for favoring party above all else. 

***

I was 24 years old when I followed Charles Wiggins—and the other Republicans of that era, from Barry Goldwater and Howard Baker (and many Senate colleagues) to Elliot Richardson and William Ruckelshaus, who finally decided to be remembered for something greater than clinging to office or toeing the party line. Somewhere a 24-year-old is watching and preparing to remember the choices our leaders are making now. Because of the current lineup of legislative and executive power, the leaders whose choices matter are all Republicans.

I hope some of their choices, soon, allow them to be remembered as positively as are the GOP’s defenders of constitutional process from the Watergate days. But as of this moment, the challenge to the American system seems more extreme than in that era, and the protective resources weaker.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 13, 2017, 02:36:38 pm
When you're Under the Gun, You take it on the Run, baby.
But I know the neighborhood
And talk is cheap when the story is good
And the tales grow taller on down the line
So I'm telling you, babe
That I don't think it's true, babe
Or even if it is keep this in mind
You take it on the run baby
If that's the way you want it baby
Then I don't want you around
I don't believe it, not for a minute
You're under the gun so you take it on the run

RE

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/after-comey-firing-trumps-frustrations-boiled-over/2017/05/13/aa1884a4-37a3-11e7-ab03-aa29f656f13e_story.html?utm_term=.b5b011683184 (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/after-comey-firing-trumps-frustrations-boiled-over/2017/05/13/aa1884a4-37a3-11e7-ab03-aa29f656f13e_story.html?utm_term=.b5b011683184)

After Comey firing, Trump’s frustrations boiled over
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In this May 12, 2017, photo, President Donald Trump speaks to military mothers in the East Room of the White House during Mother’s Day celebration. Four months into office, Trump has become distrustful of some of his White House staff, heavily reliant on a handful of family members and longtime aides, and furious that the White House’s attempts to quell the firestorm over the FBI and congressional Russia investigations only seem to add more fuel. (Susan Walsh/Associated Press)

By Julie Pace and Jonathan Lemire | AP May 13 at 2:17 AM

WASHINGTON — After four months in office, President Donald Trump has become distrustful of some of his White House staff, heavily reliant on a handful of family members and longtime aides, and furious that the White House’s attempts to quell the firestorm over the FBI and congressional Russia investigations only seem to add more fuel.

Trump’s frustrations came to a head this week with the firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was overseeing the probe into his campaign’s possible ties to Russia’s election meddling. Fearful that his own team would leak the decision, Trump kept key staff in the dark as he pondered the dramatic move.

Chief strategist Steve Bannon learned on television. The communications staff charged with explaining the decision to the American people had an hour’s notice.

When the White House’s defense of the move failed to meet his ever-changing expectations, Trump tried to take over himself. But he wound up creating new headaches for the White House, including with an apparent threat to Comey.

“James Comey better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!” Trump wrote on Twitter Friday morning.

For a White House accustomed to bouts of chaos, Trump’s handling of Comey’s firing could have serious and long-lasting implications. Already Trump’s decision appears to have emboldened the Senate intelligence committee investigating into Russia’s election interference and the president’s associates, with lawmakers announcing a subpoena for former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Comey’s allies also quickly made clear they would defend him against attacks from Trump, including disputing the president’s assertion that Comey told Trump he was not personally under investigation.

Several people close to the president say his reliance on a small cadre of advisers as he mulled firing Comey reflects his broader distrust of many of his own staffers. He leans heavily on daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kusher, as well as Hope Hicks, his trusted campaign spokeswoman and Keith Schiller, his longtime bodyguard. Schiller was among those Trump consulted about Comey and was tapped by the president to deliver a letter informing the director of his firing.

Trump confidants say Bannon has been marginalized on major decisions, including Comey’s firing, after clashing with Kushner. And while Trump praised chief of staff Reince Priebus after the House passed a health care bill last week, associates say the president has continued to raise occasional questions about Priebus’ leadership in the West Wing.

Trump spent most of the week out of sight, a marked change from a typically jam-packed schedule that often includes multiple on-camera events per day. Even when aides moved ahead on an executive order creating a voter fraud commission — a presidential pet project that some advisers thought they had successfully shelved — Trump signed the directive in private.

More than a lack of momentum on major policy goals, Trump is said to be seething over the flood of leaks pouring out of the White House and into news reports. He’s viewed even senior advisers suspiciously, including Bannon and Priebus, when stories about internal White House drama land in the press.

A dozen White House officials and others close to Trump detailed the president’s decision-making and his mood on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations and deliberations.

After Trump decided to fire Comey, he was told by aides that Democrats would likely react positively to the news given the role many believe Comey played in Hillary Clinton’s defeat last year. When the opposite occurred, Trump grew incensed — both at Democrats and his own communications staff for not quickly lining up more Republicans to defend him on television.

Much of Trump’s ire has been focused on the communications team, all of whom were caught off guard by Comey’s ouster. He increasingly sees himself as the White House’s only effective spokesperson, according to multiple people who have spoken with him. By week’s end, he was musing about cutting back on the White House’s televised press briefings.

Two White House officials said some of Trump’s frustration centers on what he views as unfair coverage of his decisions and overly harsh criticism of press secretary Sean Spicer, as well as deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders, who led much of the response to Comey’s firing. Aides said Trump does not believe his team gave contradictory stories about his decision to fire Comey, despite the fact that the White House’s explanation changed dramatically over a 48-hour period.
CONTENT FROM THE CLEVELAND CLINIC
Making chemo more comfortable
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The White House initially said Trump was compelled to fire Comey by a critical memo from the deputy attorney general on the director’s handling of last year’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email. Aides later said the president had been considering firing Comey for months, and Trump said he would have made the decision regardless of the Justice Department recommendation.

“The challenge they have is that the president sometimes moves so rapidly that they don’t get a team around that gets it organized,” said Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker and Trump ally. “He’s a little bit like a quarterback that gets ahead of his offensive line.”

Trump is mulling expanding the communications team and has eyed hiring producers from Fox News, according to one White House official.

White House officials had hoped last week’s House vote would give the president a much-needed burst of momentum and infuse new energy into efforts to fully overhaul the “Obamacare” health law and pass a massive tax reform package. Aides were also eager for Trump’s first foreign trip, a high-stakes blitz through the Middle East and Europe.

But the blowback from Comey’s firing left the White House reeling once again. Trump’s visible anger and erratic tweets prompted a reporter to ask Spicer on Friday if the president was “out of control.”

“That’s, frankly, offensive,” Spicer said.

__

Politics newsletter

The big stories and commentary shaping the day.

Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writers Julie Bykowicz, Jill Colvin and Catherine Lucey contributed to this report.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 13, 2017, 02:38:02 pm
Trumpsky does McEnroe.  ::)

RE

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lawyers-taxes-russia_us_5915dec7e4b0fe039b345530 (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lawyers-taxes-russia_us_5915dec7e4b0fe039b345530)

Don’t Take Anything Trump’s Lawyers Say About His Tax Returns Seriously
Anything except releasing the documents falls short.
By Paul Blumenthal ,  Ben Walsh

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Kevin Lamarque / Reuters


President Donald Trump’s tax lawyers issued a statement on Friday that the White House wants you to take seriously: The president has not received income or taken on any debt or equity from Russian sources over the past 10 years, “with a few exceptions.”

This is not how you construct a credible statement about someone’s finances, let alone a sitting president of the United States.

“With few exceptions” is such an obvious out that it can barely even be called a loophole ― it simply and openly invalidates the denial that precedes it.

Trump has a history of emphatically denying that he has any monetary connection to Russia. In January, he tweeted: “NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA - NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!” His lawyers’ new admission of the “few exceptions” indicates this blanket denial was false. The letter written by Sherri Dillon and Willie Nelson, Trump’s tax lawyers at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, is dated March 8.

According to Dillon and Nelson, those exceptions include Russian fertilizer kingpin Dmitry Rybolovlev purchasing a South Florida mansion for $95 million in 2008; the 2013 Miss Universe contest held in Moscow, which earned $12.2 million in income; and “ordinary course sales of goods or services to Russians.” No documentary evidence was provided to prove that these are Trump’s only sources of income from Russians.

“Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets,” Donald Trump Jr. said at a Russian real estate conference in 2008. “We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.” And a sports writer recently reported that Eric Trump, another son of the president, said in 2014 that the family had access to $100 million from Russian banks. “Well, we don’t rely on American banks,” Eric Trump said at the time, according to the writer. “We have all the funding we need out of Russia.” (Eric Trump denied the quote.)

The incidental “sales of goods or services to Russians” was no small sum. Russians spent nearly $100 million to purchase condos in seven buildings licensing the Trump name in South Florida, according to Reuters. Trump received a commission on all sales in the buildings, likely somewhere between 1 percent and 4 percent. This would mean Trump received between $1 million and $4 million in income from Russian purchasers.

    This is a bizarre attempt to substitute a prepared communication for public disclosure, which is insufficient for both urgent investigation and repairing the public trust. John Wonderlich, executive director of the Sunlight Foundation

Trump also had a long-standing financing and business relationship with a company called Bayrock. Bayrock provided the financing to build Trump Soho, which the company owned and Trump lent his name to through a licensing deal. Bayrock was founded by Tevfik Arif, a former Soviet official who was born in Kazakhstan, and Tamir Sapir, a Georgian fertilizer and oil magnate. Felix Sater ― a mob-linked double felon who stabbed a man in the face with a broken margarita glass and was convicted for his role in a $40 million pump-and-dump stock fraud ― was a Bayrock executive.

Bayrock attempted to build Trump-branded buildings in Arizona and Florida and had offices for a time in Trump Tower. Sater was given a Trump Organization business card, which called him a “senior advisor to Donald Trump.” Sater traveled to Russia with Trump’s children looking for investment properties. Despite these numerous connections, Trump said in 2013 that if Sater “were sitting in the room right now, I wouldn’t know what he looked like.”

It’s unclear where Bayrock got the money to finance Trump Soho, because the funding trail ends with an Icelandic company called FL Group. Iceland was a common destination for laundered Russian money prior to the financial crisis, when the FL Group financed Bayrock. Allen Garten, a Trump Organization lawyer, told the Financial Times last year that he “had no reason to question” where Bayrock got its money. 

Additionally, HuffPost reported a previously unknown connection between Donald Trump Jr. and Sater through a company called Global Habitat Solutions. GHS, founded by Sater, acted as a marketing tool for a twice-defunct Trump Jr. venture called Titan Atlas, which sold building materials.

Of course, the president could provide evidence for his claims by releasing his personal tax returns and the returns for his family business, but he has refused to do so. Without producing his full tax returns, the only thing we have to reply on to substantiate Trump’s denials is Trump’s word.

And Trump has an almost unimaginable track record of telling falsehoods. The same goes for those speaking on his behalf. Without documentation for his and his lawyers’ claims, statements about where Trump’s income comes from and who his family does business with cannot be taken seriously.

Trump’s lawyers are simply doing their job: to do what their client demands, whether it is to protect him from negative publicity or from any potential legal liability. Dillon and Nelson have no duty to the American people and no obligation to the public trust to tell the truth about the president’s finances.

“This is a bizarre attempt to substitute a prepared communication for public disclosure, which is insufficient for both urgent investigation and repairing the public trust,” John Wonderlich, executive director of the pro-transparency Sunlight Foundation, told HuffPost.

“Trump also paid lawyers to vouch for his divestment and ethics plans, which were clearly insufficient,” he said.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 13, 2017, 02:43:30 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffilmstudies.info%2Fterminology%2Fmanuscripts%2Fimages%2Fbirds-eye-view.jpg&hash=0fbe37e4f2b0e0eb0ae6087f38a0e8e3f2da1fd9)

In an effort to clarify the ongoing debate about Trumpty-Dumpty's possible/alleged collusion with the Ruskies and possible TREASON, I thought it might be worthwhile to look at a few issues specifically, from the Diner Eye View.  I may expand this into a blog article at a later date, although for the most part I leave the Geopolitics to Surly and stick to Economics when I am not writing fiction, history or food articles. lol.  I will however at least contribute my current thoughts on this situation here inside the Diner.

Breaking it down, what do we know FOR SURE? ???   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191404.bmp&hash=007a2c20b76f970316a559a6e27cfd70c11f5998)

1- The Donald DEFINITELY sold Real Estate to Ruskie Oligarchs
2- Those purchases were DEFINITELY financed by Ruskie Banks
3- The Donald REFUSES to release his Tax Returns for the last few years
4- His companies have gone through innumerable Bankruptcies
5- His "organization", such as it is, is completely DISORGANIZED. The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing on any given day.
6- He can't STFU and Tweets out stupidity on a daily basis, digging himself a bigger hole all the time.
7- He's a Narcissist, Misogynist, Racist and Control Freak.  Actually, you probably could throw the whole DSM-V Book at him. lol.
8- He comes from a background in NYC Real Estate in Brooklyn & Queens, which is a total Mafia operation
9- He was a Reality TV Star, who made his fame by Firing people on TV
10-  He's OLD.  Age 70 now.  The brain starts to stiffen by this time, even without outright Alzheimers

Now, none of these things are necessarily "impeachable" offenses.  After all, Ronnie Rayguns ran the country with Alzheimer's for years! lol.  Ronnie however did surround himself with some competent, if unethical people.  His Trumpness however surrounds himself with syncophants and yes-men who themselves are incompetent and unethical.  So not only are they in a constant state of bickering with the press, they also are always bickering with each other.  I sure would love to be a fly on the wall in one of their meetings! lol.

At this point, His Donaldson is relegated to his "trusted advisors" of his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner to hand him advice on WTF to DO here to get his **** Popularity back out of the sewer?  Neither of these people seem particularly conversant with anything.  Everybody else in this disorganzation is simply trying to cover his own ass at the moment and trying to stay out of the way of the shrapnel coming off The Donald's smartphone on Twitter every morning.

Regardless of whether there was election tampering or not, El Trumpo is clearly incompetent, which I think even many of his former supporters are starting to realize, besides of course complete ideologues like Michael Snyder.  Is incompetence enough to get you impeached though?  ???   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191404.bmp&hash=007a2c20b76f970316a559a6e27cfd70c11f5998)
The issue here of course is that it's CONgress that has to do the impeaching, and it's currently ruled by Repugnants.  It would not be helpful for their electoral chances in 2018 if their own POTUS was in the midst of an Impeachment proceeding.  On the other hand, not too helpful either to be seen as backing an incompetent POTUS who is evicerating what little health care Amerikans can get these days without bankrupting themselves to get it.  So the rank and file Repugnants are stuck between a rock and a hard place here.

The MSM is another Wild Card here.  Generally, it is in the Pocket of the Deep State, but The Donald has made terrific ENEMIES of tradtional MSM reporters and organs like WaPo.  WaPo is owned by Jeff Bezos, a Silicon Valley Billionaire who blows The Donald away in his Bank Account.  You think Jeff Bezos will stand down to The Donald?  Highly unlikely.

The whole issue remains up in the air at the moment, but I sincerely doubt it will go away.  I also think at some point in the timeline somebody will LEAK a really BIG ONE, and I am also sure there is such a big one out there to be leaked.  Trumpsky is, like all Pigmen are, a CROOK.  It will come out in the end.  Of course, by the time it does come out, we will look like the WTC at the end of the day on 9-11.  ::)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 13, 2017, 02:49:28 pm

I do believe Trump has been the beneficiary of Russian money laundering. And if that means some Russian mafia guys have their hooks in him, then he certainly should not be POTUS, and we should get him out ASAP.

But then.....he shouldn't be President anyway. He's a complete train wreck as a President, and the Koch brothers obviously got to him and told him who to put in the cabinet, and they aren't any better than the Russian oligarchs.

Likely we will find that Cambridge Analytica did some really nefarious stuff to target undecided voters in "Blue Wall" states. Have heard/read some stuff that this was effective. You don't have to steal/turn them all. Just enough. Although voter suppression may well have been even more effective (Wisconsin: Trump's margin=20,000, Dem votes suppressed=200,000.)

And you have uncovered a salient truth: if there is not a dime's worth of difference between the Koch Brothers and Putin in terms of taking a wrecking ball to the US government, then both are equally treasonous.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fifg.org%2Fv2%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F01%2FKochtopus-v1.jpg&hash=58a574887c1ff76ece6322a3c22b3a68203b2885)
Koch Fossil Fuel Fascist's 'R' US
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 13, 2017, 04:10:49 pm
Quote
Is Everyone Aware of "Explosive" Dutch Documentary?

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By According to Fish   

Saturday May 13, 2017 · 11:42 AM EDT

I’ve seen the documentary work of Zembla TV mentioned earlier this week and now Raw Story is reporting on it as well.

www.rawstory.com/…

and here’s the documentary link (thanks ExpatGirl! for link)


https://youtu.be/1bEdMuKq30I

No wonder whenever the name “Felix Sater” is ever mentioned near him that Trump is scared p i s s less.

Our faux orange leader is going down bigly, it is just a matter of time.

Here’s part 2 (thanks CorpFlunky!)


https://youtu.be/gvd7PqI_Lx0

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/5/13/1661979/-Is-Everyone-Aware-of-Explosive-Dutch-Documentary
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 15, 2017, 06:24:43 pm
Morning Joe: FBI contacts say it's a criminal issue with Russia and Trump knows it (VIDEO) 

By Egberto Willies   

Monday May 15, 2017 · 11:57 AM EDT

I promised not to spend an inordinate amount of time on Russia by ensuring I write about middle-class, working-class, and poor economic, health care, and other dinner table issues. This excerpted video (https://egbertowillies.com/2017/05/15/morning-joe-fbi-criminal-russia-trump/) from Morning Joe this morning I believe is important enough to add to today's narrative.

Morning Joe says FBI pulling the string on Trump

There was an interesting panel discussion on Morning Joe that is worth noting. John Heilemann pointed out that Trump had a calculated reason for the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

"He knew he was going to take a lot of heat for this," Heilemann said. "But he clearly decided that the heat he is taking now is less than what would happen if there is a full bore independent investigation with James Comey asking for more resources, asking for more prosecutors trying to get to the bottom of what this Russia connection is. And that's the one place where we can't dismiss Trump as being wholly irrational. He is making calculated decisions right now."

After another guest had made an uninformed assessment initially disputing Heilemann, Joe added to Heilmann's point.

"I agree with John," Joe Scarborough said. "I don't think that was an irrational decision. Everybody's asking, 'Why did he do it? ' He said he did it because he understood that Comey was on to something. ... The FBI was onto something. The FBI has started pulling that string. And they are still pulling that string. And where it leads is not just an election issue. It is a criminal issue, and Trump knows that."

"The reason he did this is not because, he is out of his mind," Heilemann added. "He did this because as you said, Joe, I think he recognized, he looked over at the FBI and said, 'This guy James Comey who came to the White House, I asked him,' if you believe the story, 'I asked him for his loyalty. He wouldn't give me his loyalty. Now he is investigating me. He has been since last July. He is now taking daily briefings on this matter rather than weekly. He is now asking for more prosecutors.' Donald Trump knows what's at the heart of this. I don't know what that is. But he does. And he is saying, 'This guy knows it too.'"

Morning Joe then came in with what I believe is the most dangerous statement for Donald Trump.

"Here is the rub," Morning Joe said. "They already found the string. And they are pulling on it based on my contacts within the FBI. And they are starting to tug on that string. And they are going to keep going. And it has accelerated because of the way he fired Comey. He knows it."

Yes, the investigation continues, and Donald Trump will likely have serious legal problems. Progressives must go beyond just Russia and have economic, health care (push for Single-payer Medicare for all), criminal justice, and social justice answers for the 2018  elections as an option for aggrieved Americans whose problems leave them ambivalent to the Russia issue.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/5/15/1662443/-Morning-Joe-FBI-contacts-say-it-s-a-criminal-issue-with-Russia-and-Trump-knows-it-VIDEO

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 15, 2017, 08:20:30 pm
Check the "Tapes" - Trump May Have Committed Obstruction of Justice

https://youtu.be/Y-xAWeBE6mI

13,308 views   2 days ago 

… On tonight’s Big Picture, Sam talks to Bryan Pruitt of Red State and Valerie Ervin of the Working Families Party about recently removed FBI director James Comey and whether Trump committed obstruction of justice, and Mike Pence’s comments on the clash of civilizations. Then, Sam discusses the nuclear disaster at Hanford Nuclear Site and consequences of nuclear power
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 15, 2017, 08:49:51 pm
Here’s How Trump Could Already Be Prosecuted

https://youtu.be/VfyVsjQRMaM

The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

Published on May 15, 2017

A case can now be made based on what Donald Trump did last week.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 16, 2017, 06:12:08 pm
Donald Trump's business links to the mob - BBC

https://youtu.be/-k3B-tw2sB0

Newsnight

Published on Mar 4, 2016

Donald Trump now looks like the front-runner to be the Republican candidate for the US presidency. One of his big appeals is his business success - and his claim that his wealth means he can't be bought and sold. But there's evidence which not only casts doubt on Trump's wealth claims - but also reveals his history of business relationships with figures connected to organised crime. John Sweeney reports.

Newsnight is the BBC's flagship news and current affairs TV programme - with analysis, debate, exclusives, and robust interviews.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 17, 2017, 10:13:34 pm
Special Counsel Investigating Trump Campaign (IS A YES MAN!   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2))

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

 May 17, 2017

Special Counsel Investigating Trump Campaign Has Deep Ties to the Deep State

https://youtu.be/aFROG-NL8AQ

Former FBI agent and 9/11 whistleblower Coleen Rowley  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)says former FBI head Robert Mueller, now appointed to investigate the Trump campaign's ties to Russia, participated in covering up the pre 9/11 role of the U.S. intelligence agencies and the Bush Administration, helped create the post 9/11 national security/surveillance state, and helped facilitate the pre-Iraq war propaganda machine.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 18, 2017, 07:19:38 pm
Right Wing Media Mendacious Propaganda (IS NOT AN ACCIDENT, it's a PLAN!)

https://youtu.be/9oCBS1FKQds


(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2-o8t-v16o/WEDQ2axJFPI/AAAAAAAAUB4/PyKTDiVQ2bsSNSNPyQ7Lx0aPuNOpnlLCgCLcB/s1600/william-casey-cia-quote.JPG)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 21, 2017, 08:41:04 pm
Protesting Notre Dame students walk out of Pences   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)commencement speech  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

May 21, 2017
 
Source: Washington Post

Some graduating seniors at the University of Notre Dame walked out of their own graduation ceremony to protest Vice President Pence when he began to deliver the commencement speech on Sunday morning.

Pence was chosen to give the commencement address at the nation’s most prominent Catholic university — even though the school ordinarily invites newly inaugurated presidents to give the address in their first year of office. Thousands of students and faculty members signed a petition asking Notre Dame’s president, the Rev. John Jenkins, not to invite President Trump, and the university chose instead to invite Pence, a former Indiana governor.

A coalition of student activist groups at Notre Dame called We StaND For planned a walkout to protest policies Pence pursued as governor that they say targeted the most vulnerable. Pence was planning to seek reelection as governor when Trump selected him to be his vice presidential running mate in the summer of 2016, but Pence was unpopular at the time in his own state and many thought he would lose his reelection bid.

School officials knew of the student walkout plans and did not try to stop them. The students — more than 100 — walked quietly out, and there were some cheers and boos sounded, though only briefly. Paul Browne, vice president for public affairs and communications, said Notre Dame has been the site of protests of presidents and vice presidents in the past, and as long as the students did not disrupt the ceremony, it would be allowed to take place.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/05/21/protesting-notre-dame-students-walk-out-of-mike-pences-commencement-speech/?utm_term=.f631ebc3f2b9
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 21, 2017, 10:39:28 pm
What Happening in Trump's Head?
 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fp8.gif&hash=34db9228a959b3b83fc65b38a1aa92a40d56f976) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F126fs2277341.gif&hash=1a8375f11d76a653bcb48e30eaa7b652175f029d)

https://youtu.be/14HiLa02E3k

Agelbert NOTE: An interesting turn of events mentioned in the above video is that the Trump tower residents are trying to get the Trump name off of the property because it is causing their property values to TANK!  The Trump brand is TOAST!  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F4fvfcja.gif&hash=34a9a570347d39a0a892bc1f376c5e8b88add6b5)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 23, 2017, 02:00:03 pm
Dear Anthony,

This isn’t a ‘worst-case scenario’ anymore: Trump has made his proposed budget public.1 As expected, the cuts are reckless.

Trump wants to cut a whopping $57 billion from critical domestic programs — starving communities of resources needed to thrive and slashing critical environmental protections — all in order to spend even more on defense contractors and military buildup abroad.

The good news: Trump's proposal is far from final. It's up to Congress to pass a final budget — and that's still months away. We MUST react quickly to show how outrageous Trump's plan really is: Tell your members of Congress to reject Trump's anti-American agenda.

Trump's proposed budget is hundreds of pages long, and there's a lot of bad stuff in there. Here are five of the very worst components:

1 - Trump wants to gut the EPA protections. The Environmental Protection Agency was created to enforce laws like the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Air Act that save countless lives every year — but Trump is doing everything he can to cripple the agency's ability to do its job. He wants to cut staff (including career scientists), dismantle key programs like the Environmental Justice enforcement program, end grants to states for issues like lead poisoning, eliminate regional water cleanup efforts and slash funding for enforcement activities.

2 - Trump wants to cut renewable energy.
Jobs in renewable energy are outpacing fossil fuels by nearly 4 to 1 — yet Trump wants to cut renewable energy and energy efficiency by 70% in the federal budget.2 Investing in renewable energy is not just cost effective, it will create jobs, improve public health and help us prevent the unpredictable and dangerous impacts of climate change. We absolutely cannot let Trump grant the fossil fuel industry their number one wish. Our planet is out of time — we must move America OFF fossil fuels immediately.

3 - Trump wants to put Wall Street in charge of our nation's water systems. While infrastructure investment is desperately needed in our country, Trump’s budget would rely on private financing, which has a nasty track record of costing taxpayers more money than publicly run infrastructure. What we actually need is dedicated, national funding for our infrastructure – like the WATER Act.

4 - Trump wants to cut food stamps by $193 billion and cut food safety staff. Almost 44 million people received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance in 2016, meaning that cuts to this program would affect tens of millions of people and make it harder for them to get the food they need.3 Trump's budget would also cut funding for the Food and Drug Administration's food safety program, including reducing staff levels, and would cut funding for the Centers for Disease Control, which tracks and responds to foodborne illness outbreaks.

5 - Trump wants to end reporting on carbon emissions and cut climate programs. In doing so, Trump would devastate progress we’ve made on limiting climate change pollution. And his plans to end programs designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions is a nod to the oil and gas industry — an industry to which his cabinet has disturbingly close ties.4

It's up to us — people across the country with a direct line to our members of Congress — to demand they REJECT Trump's plans.

We still have time, but you need to act now: Send a strong message today to oppose Trump's dangerous budget!

Thanks for taking action,

Miranda Carter
 Online Organizing Director
 Food & Water Watch
 act@fwwatch.org


1. Trump proposes dramatic changes to federal government, slashing safety net programs that affect up to a fifth of Americans, Washington Post, May 23, 2017.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/05/23/trump-proposes-dramatic-changes-to-federal-government-slashing-safety-net-programs-that-affect-up-to-a-fifth-of-americans/

2. Solar Employs More People In U.S. Electricity Generation Than Oil, Coal And Gas Combined
, Forbes, January 25, 2017.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2017/01/25/u-s-solar-energy-employs-more-people-than-oil-coal-and-gas-combined-infographic/#32d7ba5a2800

3. Trump to propose big cuts to safety net in new budget, slashing Medicaid and opening door to other limits, Washington Post, May 21, 2017.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-to-propose-big-cuts-to-safety-net-in-new-budget-this-week/

4. Trump's Budget Slashes Climate Change Funding, NPR,
March 16, 2017.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/16/520399205/trumps-budget-slashes-climate-change-funding
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 23, 2017, 05:21:48 pm
The Secret of Donald Trump's Past Exposed By Chris Hedges and David Cay Johnston

https://youtu.be/TAgeNYE7MUM

Published on Mar 19, 2017

If you appreciate this channel and what it represents please support me and buy my book.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 23, 2017, 06:05:31 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-050515144544.png&hash=7ee8a9d0ff80a564867eeb5fc64c6c942dec8dee)

The Death of the Republic

Posted on May 21, 2017

By Chris Hedges

Snippet:

Our constitutional rights—due process, habeas corpus, privacy, a fair trial, freedom from exploitation, fair elections and dissent—have been taken from us by judicial fiat. These rights exist only in name. The vast disconnect between the purported values of the state and reality renders political discourse absurd.

 Corporations, cannibalizing the federal budget, legally empower themselves to exploit and pillage. It is impossible to vote against the interests of Goldman Sachs or ExxonMobil.

The pharmaceutical and insurance industries can hold sick children hostage while their parents bankrupt themselves trying to save their sons or daughters. Those burdened by student loans can never wipe out the debt by declaring bankruptcy. In many states, those who attempt to publicize the conditions in the vast factory farms where diseased animals are warehoused for slaughter can be charged with a criminal offense. Corporations legally carry out tax boycotts.

Companies have orchestrated free trade deals that destroy small farmers and businesses and deindustrialize the country. Labor unions and government agencies designed to protect the public from contaminated air, water and food and from usurious creditors and lenders have been defanged.

The Supreme Court, in an inversion of rights worthy of George Orwell, defines unlimited corporate contributions to electoral campaigns as a right to petition the government or a form of free speech.

Much of the press, owned by large corporations, is an echo chamber for the elites. State and city enterprises and utilities are sold to corporations that hike rates and deny services to the poor. The educational system is being slowly privatized and turned into a species of vocational training.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_death_of_the_republic_20170521
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 23, 2017, 06:36:04 pm
John Oliver asks, "WTF is going on?"
https://youtu.be/FVFdsl29s_Q

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 23, 2017, 07:31:44 pm
 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

Trump Budget Slashes Vital Programs to Enrich the Wealthy

https://youtu.be/tasFSfuyH9I

Published on May 23, 2017

Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research says President Donald Trump's new budget makes unprecedented cuts to already subpar levels of social assistance and "redistributes upward" to wealthy Americans.





Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 24, 2017, 04:53:50 pm
Economist Joseph Stiglitz: Trump's Budget Takes a Sledgehammer to What Remains of the "American Dream"

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! | Video Interview

SNIPPET:

Quote
AMY GOODMAN: Let's go to Mick Mulvaney, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

MICK MULVANEY  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)
: I think, for years and years, we've simply looked at a budget in terms of the folks who are on the back end of the programs, the recipients of the taxpayer money. And we haven't spent nearly enough time focusing our attention on the people who pay the taxes.
AMY GOODMAN: Mick Mulvaney. Your response, Joe Stiglitz?

JOSEPH STIGLITZ: Oh, totally wrong. I mean, I was in the White House for four years. And we did a very, very careful analysis of the benefits and costs, how it would affect taxpayers and ordinary consumers, the rich, the poor, the middle class, when we evaluated the program. We were very, very aware that this was money that people had worked for, earned, and that, on the other hand, they need help in a whole variety of areas, help in sending their kids to college, in buying a home. You know, the --

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/40704-economist-joseph-stiglitz-trump-s-budget-takes-a-sledgehammer-to-what-remains-of-the-american-dream
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 24, 2017, 06:12:27 pm
Robert Reich : The Resistance Report May 23, 2017
https://youtu.be/aEHt32X67tY
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 24, 2017, 06:48:49 pm
Al Franken Breaks Down Trump's Health Care Scam
https://youtu.be/xRIidiVhTDU

Published on May 23, 2017

Senator Al Franken details the health care scam Donald Trump and Republicans are running on the American people.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 24, 2017, 07:28:22 pm
Published on May 23, 2017

Chomsky “Bernie Would’ve Won"   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)

   
https://youtu.be/2BOYQI9_XQs

The Jimmy Dore Show

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 24, 2017, 07:35:05 pm
Dr. Richard Wolff - The Problem with “Reactionary Keynesianism"

https://youtu.be/rtHa2SHJaFg

Published on May 23, 2017

Economist Dr. Richard Wolff, Capitalism's Crisis Deepens Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown/Democracy At Work. Earlier today - the White House officially sent its 2018 budget plan to Congress. It has a patriotic-sounding name - but the so-called "New Foundation for American Greatness" is really just an all-out assault on poor and working Americans. If the President gets his way - billions will be cut from vital programs - including Medicaid - which candidate Trump promised never to cut. "Cruel" doesn't even begin to describe this budget plan.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 28, 2017, 01:17:48 pm

Off the keyboard of RE at the Doomstead Diner

zublished on The Doomstead Diner May 28, 2017



(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doomsteaddiner.net%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F01%2Ftrump-fear-720.jpg&hash=46fd93eb3ece4d19b2797bb3449780e3e3619eb4)

Discuss this article at the http://www.doomsteaddiner.net/forum/index.php/topic,9692.msg132280/topicseen.html#msg132280 Geopolitics Table inside the Diner

Well, we are about halfway through the first year of the Presidency of His Trumpness over the ever decaying corpse of Amerika.  Global citizens can count themselves lucky that at least so far he hasn't pushed the button to glaze over Beijing or Pyongyang, or whoever else is pissing him off over breakfast while he fires off the tweets.

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This week as I begin this recap, he took a break from the weekly Golf rounds at Mar de Lago flying in on Air Force 1 surrounded by an Army of Secret Service Agents to go Jet Setting around the world to meet with a variety of Foreign Leaders.  This of course costs the Taxpayer just slightly more than your average First Class Ticket on United for a Hawaiian Vacation.  In fact I could  LIVE in Hawaii for the rest of my life for the cost of one of these trips!  It's in the $MILLIONS$ for every weekend round of Golf he needs to play down in Florida to relieve the high stress during the week of getting out his Morning Tweet.

However, Deal-maker extraordinaire that he is, the money should be recouped by all the financial deals he will make for the FSoA during the trip!  According to Newz Reports in the MSM, in just the first day he sold $110B worth of military hardware to the Wahabist Killers running Saudi Arabia!  By itself, this easily pays for the trip!  Although of course, they could have done the same deal over the internet and saved a lot of money on what is basically just a Photo Op.  All the deals are already worked out long before El Trumpsky walks down the stairs from Air Force 1.

BTW, don't you find it a bit curious that all shots of the POTUS coming off one of these airplanes <em>(there are actually a fleet of them, not just one) have a portable stairway on open tarmac, no terminal in sight?  On my first flights in the 1960s down to Brazil, this was very common.  Even international airports of the time did not sport the big hydraulically powered jetway ramps that today attach themselves to just about every aircraft, unless you either are flying in an incredibly small and uncomfortable Regional Jet, or are flying to some complete Buttfuck location in the middle of 3rd World Nowhere.

Today however, you can't fly from Milwaulkee to Cleveland and disembark the plane without walking through a hydraulically powered Jetway tube.  When Air Force 1 lands in Riyahd though, there are apparently no available Gates at the terminal for the plane to dock at, so the POTUS is forced to walk down stairs to a waiting Limousine on the Tarmac.  You would think by now they would have at least devised a Mobile Escalator for the purpose of shipping the High & Mighty Meat Package of the POTUS off the fu cking 747!


(https://tribktla.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/gettyimages-685748534.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&strip=all)

So anyhow, what the expensive trip amounts to is an opportunity for numerous Photo Ops with Trumpovsky looking "Presidential" as he shakes hands with various Foreign Leaders. Also in theory for him a Welcome Relief from the last couple of weeks of Domestic Attacks on his credibilty and the way he is running the Executive Branch of Goobermint here on Home Soil.  Whether he can resist the temptation to Tweet while he is Jet Setting though remains an open question as of today when I begin writing this essay.

Back here in the FSoA though, the non-stop chatter about parallels with Watergate and the possibilities for the Big "I" of Impeachment continue, and not strictly from the so-called "left" of the Demodopes or Wing Nut bloggers.  It's being bandied about by WaPo on a daily basis, with heavyweight Law Professors from Harvard like Alan Dershowitz weighing in.  Regardless of who is interviewed though, they all pretty much say the same thing, that even if Donaldovitch is guilty of Impeachable crimes, it's unlikely the Repugnant controlled CONgress will pull the plug on him.  This takes a 2/3rds majority in the Senate,  so even if all the Demodopes vote to Impeach, you still need around 17 Repugnants to join them.  This does appear highly unlikely, except for a couple of things.

First is that currently the entire Goobermint is in complete dissarray and nothing on the Repugnant agenda is getting accomplished.  Well, at least none of the major stuff, some small stuff like eviscerating the EPA is happening.  Still haven't got rid of that pesky Obamacare yet though.  Also women can still get birth control and abortions, evolution is still being taught in the schools, teachers are still Unionized and there aren't any **** Oil Drilling Platforms off Malibu or Virginia Beach yet!  Also they have not yet raided all the public pension funds or privatized Social Security.  So things are not going as smoothly as the Repugnants would like here under the Trumpoyetsty Regime, mainly because the constant turmoil he creates with the Daily Lie on Twitter keeps them too bizzy doing Spin Control and trying to save their own sorry asses.



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The second major issue is that the CONgressional elections are coming up in 2018, and Repugnant candidates are currently getting pelted with Rotten Eggs & Rotten Tomatoes at Town Hall meetings all across the FSoA.  It's gotten so bad that they need to arrest reporters for the serious crime of asking questions and give their speeches from inside a Shark Cage protected by Secret Service carrying Bazookas.  Gerrymandering and voiding voter ballots may not be enough to get these clowns re-elected, and they know it.  At a certain point you gotta cut your losses and throw somebody under the bus, and with every Tweet Donaldovitch looks more and more like good Bus Meat.

Lopping off Donaldefsky's head isn't likely to make things better, it may in fact make them worse since we will get Pensky as replacement POTUS.  Pensky is likely to be worse since he is an experienced career beltway politician who knows where the money goes and how to buy favors and not just try to bully everybody in town.  He's already got a Super-PAC formed to collect money from Billionaires to help fellow Retardican pols get re-elected, and then himself too once he takes over the Oval Office from Trumpovitch and becomes the unelected POTUS, Gerald Ford style.  He can then grant a Pardon to Trumpov for Money Laundering for the Ruskie Mafia, after of course he deposits a nice chunk of change to Pensky's account in the Cayman Islands.



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The whole Ruskie connection deal with the Donaldov is so blatantly obvious it's not even funny.  First is the fact he refuses to disclose his Tax Returns, which no doubt are loaded with Fake Numbers.  Next is the fact it's <strong>KNOWN</strong> information already that he sold numerous properties in his buildings to Ruskie Oligarchs, who all also are trying to find some mattress to stuff the money they rip off from the Ruskie people into, somewhere outside Mother Russia.  Then there are all the meetings by various members of his staff and family with high level Ruskies and/or high bank account Ruskies.  Then of course is the Praise being dished out at him by Vlad the Impaler, who definitely would not be doing that if there was not something in it for him.  One has to suspect that Trumpovitch is PWNed by the Ruskies and Vlad is counting on him to deliver some good pipeline deals through Rex Tillerson.  If it looks like Donaldov cannot deliver, Vlad the Impaler will cut him loose and leave him twisting in the wind.  Instead of sleeping next to Melania, he will find the head of Cloud Computing in his King Size bed.  Then after that he will be Sleeping with the Fishes.  Compared to a takedown by the KGB, Impeachment is a very positive outcome for Trumpotsky.


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Despite all of this ongoing bullshit, a significant number of Deplorables still support Trumpsky, he amazingly has still a 36% approval rating!  The lowest in all of Recorded History at this point in a POTUS administration, but still at least 36% above where it should be.  In reality, it should be measured in the Negative Imaginary Numbers!  It's still unclear though whether a POTUS Popularity Index matters at all, sort of like it doesn't matter what the latest bullshit number is coming out of the BLS or the CBO.  Unemployment is down to 5%, but 50% of the population has dropped out fo the workforce!  The Economy is Growing at 2%/year, but the debt is growing at $2T/year!  Probably more, but you get the picture, none of these stats matter worth a damn anymore, even if they're correct.  Nobody actually in charge of Da Goobermint gives a flying ****, and no matter who you vote for the debt will keep going up and the number of employed people will keep going down.  Whether your POTUS is LOVED or HATED doesn't matter either, in both cases said POTUS won't be able to do a damn thing to change the downhill trajectory here.  Of course, a complete JERK like Donaldov can speed things up a bit, and is doing a good job with that in his first year shitting in the White House toilet.


(https://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/2017/05/Trump-US-Saudi-Arabia_Horo2-e1495307789854-635x357.jpg)

After his jaunt through Saudi Arabia picking up Beheading techniques from the Saudi Princes, Trumpovitch is due to hit Israel to talk to NetanYAHOO, then over to the Vatican where he will have an audience with His Popeness Francis, Vicar of Christ on Earth.  In one 10 day vacation, Donolovov is covering the Muslims, the Jews and the Christians!  Very broad minded of him.  Buddhists and Hindus may feel slighted here.

After making the Religious pilgrimmage, his next stop is in Brussels and then back to Italy for the G-7 meeting where the Economistas will further **** up the Global Economy while dining on Canapes, Oysters Rockefeller and $23,000 bottles of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1945.  Followed for desert by the <strong>BEST </strong>Chocolate Cake ever to go through the pie hole of his Putin Puppet head, even better than that last chocolate cake he ate in Syria.  Following his Impeachment, you can count on Donalditry Trumpovetsky to sign up as chief Spokesmodel for Betty Crocker.


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K-Dog the Trumper jumps in to attempt a distraction:  ;)

I still want to know what the beef is about Russia.  They are a country with about the same history as France only with their revolution being much more recent.  Are we at war with them?  Are they trying to control our bowel movements?  You are next to that big Air Force base and Russia is only a few hundred miles away from you right?  Perhaps you can explain.

The Russians I have met have all been intelligent refined and friendly.  Dimitry does not count, he is only Russian when he wants to be.  Real Russians would have nothing to do with him.


I respond to the K-Dog innocent sounding attempt to avoid the real issues with Trump.

Quote
Despite all of this ongoing bullshit, a significant number of Deplorables still support Trumpsky, he amazingly has still a 36% approval rating!  The lowest in all of Recorded History at this point in a POTUS administration, but still at least 36% above where it should be.

Yep. And many of those die-hard racist supporters that applaud whatever Trump does, including taking a dump in their faces, (just as long as General Sessions is continuing to make the South and the rest of the USA Racist again  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)) will innocently ask what the big deal about Russia is.....  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)

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And, that "cat" might be a bad doggie in disguise. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)




Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 29, 2017, 02:14:37 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

A 91-Year-Old to the Illinois Governor: Pass a Budget, Help People (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)

Monday, May 29, 2017

By Paul Nyhan, Equal Voice News | Interview

SNIPPET:

Dr. Alfred Klinger, 91, has joined other Illinois residents in walking from Chicago to the state Capitol in Springfield to call for a full budget that helps all residents. (Photo: Jane Adams Senior Caucus) at article link

As Illinois neared its second year without a complete state budget, Dr. Alfred Klinger decided to start walking. He joined advocates and families on a 200-mile march to the state Capitol this month to demand an end to the mind-boggling impasse and a budget that puts people first.

A World War II veteran, Dr. Klinger had marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Mississippi in 1965. At 90 years old, it was time to march again, this time from Chicago to Springfield, because the government couldn't even agree on a fiscal plan that invests in its most vulnerable families.

On the road, he joined other marchers led by ONE Northside and the Peoples' Lobby Education Institute' Lobby Education Institute and supported by the Grassroots Collaborative and Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR).

Along the way, they are asking people how the Illinois budget stalemate is changing their lives and discussing their own "people and planet first" budget. On May 30, after marching into the state Capitol, they'll hold a People's Assembly on their plan.

Their budget plan for greater investments in pre-kindergarten-through-high-school education, universal health care, moves to green energy, improvements to infrastructure and Illinois's pension commitments.

To pay for these investments, their plan would close corporate tax loopholes, create a graduated income tax and develop a financial transaction tax, raising $23 billion, according to a statement from Fair Economy Illinois, which is organizing the 200-mile march.

After a long day of walking, Dr. Klinger, who turned 91 on the road, talked with Equal Voice News about why he is marching, the need for voices of poor families and what's gone wrong in the Illinois state capitol.

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http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/40750-a-91-year-old-to-the-illinois-governor-pass-a-budget-help-people

Quote

Proverbs 28:27 King James Version (KJV)

He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 29, 2017, 02:29:34 pm
Quote
K_dog: I still want to know what the beef is about Russia.

Simple: Russia is the biggest country in the world, and has over 7,000 ICBMs aimed at the US, which has absolutely NO DEFENCE against them, other than to fire first and hope Putin instantly surrenders. This gives Putin the confidence to stand up to the Empire in Syria and Iran and Ukraine, and thereby giving confidence to Cuba, Venezuela, Philippines and North Korea, to do likewise.  This won't do at all, undermining US ability to coerce little countries into making economic deals favourable to the US, and supporting economic sanctions against its enemies even though it harms them economically.

Unfortunately, Trumpoversky has managed in a few short months to upset the Pacific countries by scrapping the TPP, to upset the Europeans by scrapping the TTIP, refusing to go along with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and demanding they pay more into NATO, and dumping the Ukrainian mess into their laps. HE has also managed to alienate Turkey with the failed coup and his choice of proxy forces in Syria, and Muslims everywhere with his rants about them all being terrorists, and Mexicans with his rants about them all being criminals and rapists, and insisting Mexico pay for The Wall. Let's not forget the Philippines, who he has driven into the arms of the Chinese and Russians.

On the Grand Chessboard method of scoring the great game, he has been a complete disaster, which probably led to Brzezinski's death from apoplexy.


Of course. Everything you said is common knowledge to those who have unbiased eyes to see. But that excludes a statistically significant portion of the voting public (though not the majority IMHO). The propaganda pushers consistently refrain from voicing the facts you just mentioned because it might make people think logically. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 29, 2017, 04:42:43 pm
40 Shady Things We Now Know About Trump and Russia

https://youtu.be/w6OVwwS5vBo


Published on May 24, 2017

After a deluge of revelations, here’s what we’ve learned so far.  :(

This is How Low the Trump Apologists Will Stoop

https://youtu.be/l5AM-UUeCXI


Published on May 22, 2017

The shameful conspiracy theory that won’t distract from Russia.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 29, 2017, 05:32:41 pm
Quote
K_dog: I still want to know what the beef is about Russia.

Simple: Russia is the biggest country in the world, and has over 7,000 ICBMs aimed at the US, which has absolutely NO DEFENCE against them, other than to fire first and hope Putin instantly surrenders. This gives Putin the confidence to stand up to the Empire in Syria and Iran and Ukraine, and thereby giving confidence to Cuba, Venezuela, Philippines and North Korea, to do likewise.  This won't do at all, undermining US ability to coerce little countries into making economic deals favourable to the US, and supporting economic sanctions against its enemies even though it harms them economically.

Unfortunately, Trumpoversky has managed in a few short months to upset the Pacific countries by scrapping the TPP, to upset the Europeans by scrapping the TTIP, refusing to go along with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and demanding they pay more into NATO, and dumping the Ukrainian mess into their laps. HE has also managed to alienate Turkey with the failed coup and his choice of proxy forces in Syria, and Muslims everywhere with his rants about them all being terrorists, and Mexicans with his rants about them all being criminals and rapists, and insisting Mexico pay for The Wall. Let's not forget the Philippines, who he has driven into the arms of the Chinese and Russians.

On the Grand Chessboard method of scoring the great game, he has been a complete disaster, which probably led to Brzezinski's death from apoplexy.

In other words, no good reason!  Preserving the empire of affluence is no good reason, not enough people are members and new members are not being accepted.  The bit about defense from ICBMs is a bit exaggerated.  There is more up in the sky than most people have a clue about.  Yet the biggest deterrent is that Russians suffer from sanity.  Nowhere in your explanation do I see evidence of Russian aggression which would be a good reason.

Cashing in on a cold war cultivated hatred of Russia for short term gain seems to me to be grasping at straws.  But I forget which side of the bell curve I live on.  Remembering that the strategy becomes effective.  Yet effective or not it is a move which reeks of desperation. 

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Nothing Palloy said had BEANS to do with "Russian aggression" (retaliatory nuclear weapon capability IS NOT aggression when dealing with the empire, it is SANITY), "grasping at straws" or "cold war cultivated hatred".

Palloy stated REALITIES the empire is uncomfortable with because the empire does not like to share power with anybody.

What Palloy left out, and you certainly always wish to ignore or downplay, is the  fact that Russia is not averse to gaming useful idiots like Trump for their survival against a neocon mad max machine run by BOTH the Democrats AND the Republicans. That is treason. Yeah, the empire does exactly the same hither and yon, including inside Russia itself. AND? Do you really think that all the nefarious skullduggery we have been involved with has endeared us to Russia? Anyone that thinks that is nuts or a Trumper (but I repeat myself  ;D).

The COLD WAR stopped on the Russian side with Gorbachev. But BUSH double crossed Gorbachev and KEPT IT GOING  by OWNING corrupt Yeltsin the same way Russia now owns corrupt Trump (Clinton did NOTHING to stop or slow down that destruction of the Russian economy BY the U.S.). THAT caused Russia to go through a WORSE DEPRESSION than the one the U.S. went through in the 1930's.

So, Putin is clearly out to castrate the empire on the behalf of Russian Oligarchs. That makes Russia a THREAT to our Oligarchs for a VERY GOOD REASON.

The only one grasping at straws here is YOU. The claim that a foreign government OWNING the POTUS is "no big deal" is a STRAW, and evidences a rather desperate straw grasping attempt to defend Trump's Treason.

The rational that "the Democrats are worse because they would start WWIII" is what remains to be proven by any actual acts by the empire. The total destruction of the social contract of this country and rampant resurrection of racism is a price you seem all too will to pay based on your hysterical claim that Trump is "averting WWIII, so we should all be happy campers". I don't think so.

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Trump  Treason is NOT TRIVIAL (see below):

40 Shady Things We Now Know About Trump and Russia

https://youtu.be/w6OVwwS5vBo

Published on May 24, 2017

After a deluge of revelations, here’s what we’ve learned so far.  :(

This is How Low the Trump Apologists Will Stoop

https://youtu.be/l5AM-UUeCXI

Published on May 22, 2017

The shameful conspiracy theory that won’t distract from Russia.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 29, 2017, 07:59:45 pm

Quote
Baltimore-area renters complain about a property owner they say is neglectful and litigious. Few know their landlord is the president’s son-in-law.

Jared Kushner’s Other Real Estate Empire (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/magazine/jared-kushners-other-real-estate-empire.html?_r=0)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 30, 2017, 05:42:34 pm
(https://c1cleantechnicacom-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/files/2017/05/Trump-Germany-1.jpg)

Robert Reich : Trump's Infrastructure Scam
Published on May 26, 2017
https://youtu.be/A33kWfIyXYI
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 30, 2017, 08:36:22 pm
 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncc-1776.org%2Ftle-pics%2FFlag_of_the_United_States.png&hash=dde5dffb8a9710e499636687519ddca19367732a)

Our democracy no longer represents the people. Here's how we fix it (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emofaces.com%2Fpng%2F200%2Femoticons%2Ffingerscrossed.png&hash=d56f8009d18b55f4cea7be68284c0521be92fc5d)

Larry Lessig | TEDxMidAtlantic

https://youtu.be/PJy8vTu66tE

Published on Oct 20, 2015 (BUT CLEARLY EXPOSES HOW TRUMP CAME TO POWER)

Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig makes the case that our democracy has become corrupt with money, leading to inequality that means only 0.02% of the United States population actually determines who's in power. Lessig says that this fundamental breakdown of the democratic system must be fixed before we will ever be able to address major challenges like climate change, social security, and student debt. This is not the most important problem, it's just the first problem.

Lawrence Lessig is the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School, former director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, and founder of Rootstrikers, a network of activists leading the fight against government corruption. He has authored numerous books, including Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Our Congress—and a Plan to Stop It, Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace, Free Culture, and Remix.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 30, 2017, 10:34:52 pm
Jimmy Carter Brilliantly Explains How The Establishment Gave Us Trump

https://youtu.be/XhebmG148Zo

Published on May 11, 2017
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 06, 2017, 05:08:53 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200317173810.png&hash=e0014c983c1e07f5fb22f33087bbd952dfa654b2)

Robert Reich: The Resistance Report:

https://youtu.be/j2jqohySZz4

Monday, Published on Jun 5, 2017
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 07, 2017, 09:43:25 pm
(https://images.dailykos.com/images/408361/story_image/01-comey.jpg?1496410362)

James Comey's prepared statement to congress  ;D

By Frank Vyan Walton 

Wednesday Jun 07, 2017 · 2:13 PM EDT

Published on the Senate committees website, before his scheduled testimony (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fcowboypistol.gif&hash=2dc97f743dffca22404e6e4e0822765e60b33f38) tomorrow.

Read the full statement — with emphasis — over the flip.

Quote
Statement for the Record

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

James B. Comey

June 8, 2017

Chairman Burr, Ranking Member Warner, Members of the Committee. Thank you for inviting me to appear before you today. I was asked to testify today to describe for you my interactions with President-Elect and President Trump on subjects that I understand are of interest to you. I have not included every detail from my conversations with the President, but, to the best of my recollection, I have tried to include information that may be relevant to the Committee.

January 6 Briefing
I first met then- President-Elect Trump on Friday, January 6 in a conference room at Trump Tower in New York. I was there with other Intelligence Community (IC) leaders to brief him and his new national security team on the findings of an IC assessment concerning Russian efforts to interfere in the election. At the conclusion of that briefing, I remained alone with the President-Elect to brief him on some personally sensitive aspects of the information assembled during the assessment.

The IC leadership thought it important, for a variety of reasons, to alert the incoming President to the existence of this material, even though it was salacious and unverified. Among those reasons were: (1) we knew the media was about to publicly report the material and we believed the IC should not keep knowledge of the material and its imminent release from the President-Elect; and (2) to the extent there was some effort to compromise an incoming President, we could blunt any such effort with a defensive briefing.

The Director of National Intelligence asked that I personally do this portion of the briefing because I was staying in my position and because the material implicated the FBI’s counter-intelligence responsibilities. We also agreed I would do it alone to minimize potential embarrassment to the President-Elect. Although we agreed it made sense for me to do the briefing, the FBI’s leadership and I were concerned that the briefing might create a situation where a new President came into office uncertain about whether the FBI was conducting a counter-intelligence investigation of his personal conduct.

It is important to understand that FBI counter-intelligence investigations are different than the more-commonly known criminal investigative work. The Bureau’s goal in a counter-intelligence investigation is to understand the technical and human methods that hostile foreign powers are using to influence the United States or to steal our secrets. The FBI uses that understanding to disrupt those efforts. Sometimes disruption takes the form of alerting a person who is targeted for recruitment or influence by the foreign power. Sometimes it involves hardening a computer system that is being attacked. Sometimes it involves “turning” the recruited person into a double-agent, or publicly calling out the behavior with sanctions or expulsions of embassy-based intelligence officers. On occasion, criminal prosecution is used to disrupt intelligence activities.

Because the nature of the hostile foreign nation is well known, counter-intelligence investigations tend to be centered on individuals the FBI suspects to be witting or unwitting agents of that foreign power. When the FBI develops reason to believe an American has been targeted for recruitment by a foreign power or is covertly acting as an agent of the foreign power, the FBI will “open an investigation” on that American and use legal authorities to try to learn more about the nature of any relationship with the foreign power so it can be disrupted.

In that context, prior to the January 6 meeting, I discussed with the FBI’s leadership team whether I should be prepared to assure President-Elect Trump that we were not investigating him personally. That was true; we did not have an open counter-intelligence case on him. We agreed I should do so if circumstances warranted. During our one-on-one meeting at Trump Tower, based on President-Elect Trump’s reaction to the briefing and without him directly asking the question, I offered that assurance.

I felt compelled to document my first conversation with the President-Elect in a memo. To ensure accuracy, I began to type it on a laptop in an FBI vehicle outside Trump Tower the moment I walked out of the meeting. Creating written records immediately after one-on-one conversations with Mr. Trump was my practice from that point forward. This had not been my practice in the past. I spoke alone with President Obama twice in person (and never on the phone) – once in 2015 to discuss law enforcement policy issues and a second time, briefly, for him to say goodbye in late 2016. In neither of those circumstances did I memorialize the discussions. I can recall nine one-on-one conversations with President Trump in four months – three in person and six on the phone.

January 27 Dinner
The President and I had dinner on Friday, January 27 at 6:30 pm in the Green Room at the White House. He had called me at lunchtime that day and invited me to dinner that night, saying he was going to invite my whole family, but decided to have just me this time, with the whole family coming the next time. It was unclear from the conversation who else would be at the dinner, although I assumed there would be others.

It turned out to be just the two of us, seated at a small oval table in the center of the Green Room. Two Navy stewards waited on us, only entering the room to serve food and drinks.

The President began by asking me whether I wanted to stay on as FBI Director, which I found strange because he had already told me twice in earlier conversations that he hoped I would stay, and I had assured him that I intended to. He said that lots of people wanted my job and, given the abuse I had taken during the previous year, he would understand if I wanted to walk away.

My instincts told me that the one-on-one setting, and the pretense that this was our first discussion about my position, meant the dinner was, at least in part, an effort to have me ask for my job and create some sort of patronage relationship. That concerned me greatly, given the FBI’s traditionally independent status in the executive branch.

I replied that I loved my work and intended to stay and serve out my ten-year term as Director. And then, because the set-up made me uneasy, I added that I was not “reliable” in the way politicians use that word, but he could always count on me to tell him the truth. I added that I was not on anybody’s side politically and could not be counted on in the traditional political sense, a stance I said was in his best interest as the President.

A few moments later, the President said, “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.” I didn’t move, speak, or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed. We simply looked at each other in silence. The conversation then moved on, but he returned to the subject near the end of our dinner.

At one point, I explained why it was so important that the FBI and the Department of Justice be independent of the White House. I said it was a paradox: Throughout history, some Presidents have decided that because “problems” come from Justice, they should try to hold the Department close. But blurring those boundaries ultimately makes the problems worse by undermining public trust in the institutions and their work.

Near the end of our dinner, the President returned to the subject of my job, saying he was very glad I wanted to stay, adding that he had heard great things about me from Jim Mattis, Jeff Sessions, and many others. He then said, “I need loyalty.” I replied, “You will always get honesty from me.” He paused and then said, “That’s what I want, honest loyalty.” I paused, and then said, “You will get that from me.” As I wrote in the memo I created immediately after the dinner, it is possible we understood the phrase “honest loyalty” differently, but I decided it wouldn’t be productive to push it further. The term – honest loyalty – had helped end a very awkward conversation and my explanations had made clear what he should expect.

During the dinner, the President returned to the salacious material I had briefed him about on January 6, and, as he had done previously, expressed his disgust for the allegations and strongly denied them. He said he was considering ordering me to investigate the alleged incident to prove it didn’t happen. I replied that he should give that careful thought because it might create a narrative that we were investigating him personally, which we weren’t, and because it was very difficult to prove a negative. He said he would think about it and asked me to think about it.

As was my practice for conversations with President Trump, I wrote a detailed memo about the dinner immediately afterwards and shared it with the senior leadership team of the FBI.

February 14 Oval Office Meeting
On February 14, I went to the Oval Office for a scheduled counter-terrorism briefing of the President. He sat behind the desk and a group of us sat in a semi-circle of about six chairs facing him on the other side of the desk. The Vice President, Deputy Director of the CIA, Director of the National Counter-Terrorism Center, Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and I were in the semi-circle of chairs. I was directly facing the President, sitting between the Deputy CIA Director and the Director of NCTC. There were quite a few others in the room, sitting behind us on couches and chairs.

The President signaled the end of the briefing by thanking the group and telling them all that he wanted to speak to me alone. I stayed in my chair. As the participants started to leave the Oval Office, the Attorney General lingered by my chair, but the President thanked him and said he wanted to speak only with me. The last person to leave was Jared Kushner, who also stood by my chair and exchanged pleasantries with me. The President then excused him, saying he wanted to speak with me.

When the door by the grandfather clock closed, and we were alone, the President began by saying, “I want to talk about Mike Flynn.” Flynn had resigned the previous day. The President began by saying Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong in speaking with the Russians, but he had to let him go because he had misled the Vice President. He added that he had other concerns about Flynn, which he did not then specify.

The President then made a long series of comments about the problem with leaks of classified information – a concern I shared and still share. After he had spoken for a few minutes about leaks, Reince Priebus leaned in through the door by the grandfather clock and I could see a group of people waiting behind him. The President waved at him to close the door, saying he would be done shortly. The door closed.

The President then returned to the topic of Mike Flynn, saying, “He is a good guy and has been through a lot.” He repeated that Flynn hadn’t done anything wrong on his calls with the Russians, but had misled the Vice President. He then said, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” I replied only that “he is a good guy.” (In fact, I had a positive experience dealing with Mike Flynn when he was a colleague as Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at the beginning of my term at FBI.) I did not say I would “let this go.”

The President returned briefly to the problem of leaks. I then got up and left out the door by the grandfather clock, making my way through the large group of people waiting there, including Mr. Priebus and the Vice President.

I immediately prepared an unclassified memo of the conversation about Flynn and discussed the matter with FBI senior leadership. I had understood the President to be requesting that we drop any investigation of Flynn in connection with false statements about his conversations with the Russian ambassador in December. I did not understand the President to be talking about the broader investigation into Russia or possible links to his campaign. I could be wrong, but I took him to be focusing on what had just happened with Flynn’s departure and the controversy around his account of his phone calls. Regardless, it was very concerning, given the FBI’s role as an independent investigative agency.

The FBI leadership team agreed with me that it was important not to infect the investigative team with the President’s request, which we did not intend to abide. We also concluded that, given that it was a one -on-one conversation, there was nothing available to corroborate my account. We concluded it made little sense to report it to Attorney General Sessions, who we expected would likely recuse himself from involvement in Russia-related investigations. (He did so two weeks later.) The Deputy Attorney General’s role was then filled in an acting capacity by a United States Attorney, who would also not be long in the role.

After discussing the matter, we decided to keep it very closely held, resolving to figure out what to do with it down the road as our investigation progressed. The investigation moved ahead at full speed, with none of the investigative team members – or the Department of Justice lawyers supporting them – aware of the President’s request.

Shortly afterwards, I spoke with Attorney General Sessions in person to pass along the President’s concerns about leaks. I took the opportunity to implore the Attorney General to prevent any future direct communication between the President and me. I told the AG that what had just happened – him being asked to leave while the FBI Director, who reports to the AG, remained behind – was inappropriate and should never happen. He did not reply. For the reasons discussed above, I did not mention that the President broached the FBI’s potential investigation of General Flynn.

March 30 Phone Call
On the morning of March 30, the President called me at the FBI. He described the Russia investigation as “a cloud” that was impairing his ability to act on behalf of the country. He said he had nothing to do with Russia, had not been involved with hookers in Russia, and had always assumed he was being recorded when in Russia. He asked what we could do to “lift the cloud.” I responded that we were investigating the matter as quickly as we could, and that there would be great benefit, if we didn’t find anything, to our having done the work well. He agreed, but then re-emphasized the problems this was causing him.

Then the President asked why there had been a congressional hearing about Russia the previous week – at which I had, as the Department of Justice directed, confirmed the investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign. I explained the demands from the leadership of both parties in Congress for more information, and that Senator Grassley had even held up the confirmation of the Deputy Attorney General until we briefed him in detail on the investigation. I explained that we had briefed the leadership of Congress on exactly which individuals we were investigating and that we had told those Congressional leaders that we were not personally investigating President Trump. I reminded him I had previously told him that. He repeatedly told me, “We need to get that fact out.” (I did not tell the President that the FBI and the Department of Justice had been reluctant to make public statements that we did not have an open case on President Trump for a number of reasons, most importantly because it would create a duty to correct, should that change.)

The President went on to say that if there were some “satellite” associates of his who did something wrong, it would be good to find that out, but that he hadn’t done anything wrong and hoped I would find a way to get it out that we weren’t investigating him.

In an abrupt shift, he turned the conversation to FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, saying he hadn’t brought up “the McCabe thing” because I had said McCabe was honorable, although McAuliffe was close to the Clintons and had given him (I think he meant Deputy Director McCabe’s wife) campaign money. Although I didn’t understand why the President was bringing this up, I repeated that Mr. McCabe was an honorable person.

He finished by stressing “the cloud” that was interfering with his ability to make deals for the country and said he hoped I could find a way to get out that he wasn’t being investigated. I told him I would see what we could do, and that we would do our investigative work well and as quickly as we could.

Immediately after that conversation, I called Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente (AG Sessions had by then recused himself on all Russia-related matters), to report the substance of the call from the President, and said I would await his guidance. I did not hear back from him before the President called me again two weeks later.

April 11 Phone Call
On the morning of April 11, the President called me and asked what I had done about his request that I “get out” that he is not personally under investigation. I replied that I had passed his request to the Acting Deputy Attorney General, but I had not heard back. He replied that “the cloud” was getting in the way of his ability to do his job. He said that perhaps he would have his people reach out to the Acting Deputy Attorney General. I said that was the way his request should be handled. I said the White House Counsel should contact the leadership of DOJ to make the request, which was the traditional channel.

He said he would do that and added, “Because I have been very loyal to you, very loyal; we had that thing you know.” I did not reply or ask him what he meant by “that thing.” I said only that the way to handle it was to have the White House Counsel call the Acting Deputy Attorney General. He said that was what he would do and the call ended.

That was the last time I spoke with President Trump.

There’s a whole lot wrong with this.  Trump clearly doesn’t understand the focus and integrity requirements on the FBI.  Comey had said before congress that Trump wasn’t being personally investigated during his testimony on March 20th.  He seem obsessed with pushing the press narrative about himself personally, but not so much about “satellite” people and even admits “They may have done something wrong” while claiming that he and Flynn didn’t.

Flynn may have violated the Logan Act by interfering with U.S. foreign policy while he was still — at that  time — a private citizen.  He also lied to the FBI and on his security forms claiming both that he didn’t discuss sanctions with Kislyak when he did, not disclosing this meeting on his SF-86 form and then telling the FBI that the $45,000 he received from Kremlin backed Russia Today in 2015, the $11,250 from Kaspersky Government Security Solutions, and the $530,000 he received from a Russian Oligarch which had been laundered through Turkey were from “U.S. Sources.”  Even his attempt, along with Kushner, Bannon and Eric Prince to establish a back-channel to Russia even just to bring them more into support of the fight against ISIS in Syria is illegal based on a NDAA passed by Congress in 2015.

Accordingly, Flynn, through the NSC, began suggesting the Pentagon embrace Russia in Syria. A senior defense official summarized Flynn’s entreaties as: “Well, we should work more with the Russians, so we’re fighting the same enemy in Syria.” Although Flynn never communicated a formal plan or articulated an actual series of steps, he wanted the Pentagon to use the deconfliction channel to explore what the Russians considered possible for a team-up against ISIS.

If put into effect, such a proposal would clearly violate the NDAA prohibition on cooperation with Russia. A cadre of Pentagon lawyers had already aggressively reviewed the provision and provided guidance to keep the Pentagon on the right side of the law. That contributed to Pentagon opposition to a 2016 proposal from John Kerry to expand intelligence sharing with Russia over Syria in order to keep the Russians aboard a ceasefire.

So yeah, Flynn likely violated multiple laws — perhaps Trump doesn’t understand that, and if he doesn’t he likely wouldn’t know if he himself had violated similar laws, which he might have or he might be afraid of.

In conjunction to Flynn addressing sanctions with Kislyak there were three separate attempts by White House and NSC personnel to push the State Dept to lift sanctions on Russia, the first almost immediately after the inauguration which prompted Senators Graham and Cardin to draft legislation to require the approval of Congress before they can be lifted.  Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen and Felix Sater tried to get a plan to end sanctions on Russia to Flynn.

Then even after Flynn was fired, NSC personnel pushed State again to have Russian Oil sanctions lifted only to have them argue back that it wouldn’t benefit U.S. oil companies and would hurt future sanctions if Russia didn’t back off Crimea first.  Exxon/Mobil also tried to get a waiver for oil sanctions only to have them denied two days later.  All of this shows a pattern of behavior that goes far beyond just Flynn.  This smacks of a criminal conspiracy.

Trump seems to not trust then Deputy FBI Director McCabe because his wife had received some campaign support funds from Terry McAuliff when she ran for office as a Democrat in Virginia. Trump plays a hop-skip-and-a-jump game with that to his having some ties to Hillary Clinton, when Trump himself has given money to Clinton and has a closer tie than that. Chelsea and Ivanka are closer than that.

Asking Comey to do an investigation intended to kill the narrative of the Steele Dossier which was publicly released on Jan 10th — some of which has since been confirmed by U.S and foreign intel services — is really dumb, and Comey is correct that that would create a personal investigation of Trump, which is the opposite of what he wants. Besides, as some of it has been confirmed that would have made things worse for Trump too.

It is very clear that Trump repeated asked for “Loyalty” in the direct context of Comey keeping his job. Trump really wanted to get the story of his innocence out, and to get the Russia “cloud” from over his head — so that leads us to the stories of Trump reaching out to Dan Coats and Mike Rogers to get that story out, which they refused as being inappropriate.  He also attempted to get them to publicly state there was “no evidence of collusion with Russia” which they also refused because that’s not their job — that’s for the FBI or DOJ to do once they’ve completed their investigation.  I’d be curious if he’s already extracted this type of loyalty pledge from incoming FBI director nominee Christopher Wray?

Rogers has sent out agency wide memos to the NSA that “There is no question that we [meaning NSA] have evidence of election involvement and questionable contacts with the Russians” so he clearly doesn’t think there’s no “there” there. 

It’s also notable that Sessions didn’t respond when Comey said he didn’t want to be left alone with Trump, but the fact is that Sessions and Rosenstein had already discussed removing Comey before both of them were confirmed — so really most of this was an extended loyalty test for Comey, which he ultimately failed and so Trump fired him right after Sally Yates testified about all the problems with Flynn’s behavior.

Most of this looks bad, very very bad.

For perspective here’s what the obstruction statute says:

18 U.S. Code Section 1505 Obstruction of proceedings before departments, agencies and committees:

Whoever corruptly, or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication influences, obstructs, or impedes or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede the due and proper administration of the law under which any pending proceeding is being had before any department or agency of the United States, or the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry under which any inquiry or investigation is being had by either House, or any committee of either House or any joint committee of the Congress—

Shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years or, if the offense involves international or domestic terrorism (as defined in section 2331), imprisoned not more than 8 years, or both.
My comprehensive Trump Russia corruption timeline has now been updated with specifics from Comey’s written statements.

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2017 · 4:19:15 PM EDT · Frank Vyan Walton
Added because we’re over 100 comments now.

My articles here — like that of so many others — are voluntary. If you appreciate this article any and all support you can offer to make more and better diaries in the future would be deeply and sincerely appreciated.  Thanks very seriously, you guys have helped so much already.

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2017 · 8:28:17 PM EDT · Frank Vyan Walton

On the technical issue of whether there needs to be a “pending judicial or congressional proceeding” in place before obstruction of justice can be applied legally,  Jonathan Turley had made this case today , but on the same day that Comey was fired, a Federal Grand Jury issued subpoenas for financial information connected to Michael Flynn.

People may claim that Trump is “vindicated” because Comey said he wasn’t personally being “investigated” and at the time he wasn’t— but I bet you dollars to donuts that under Mueller there is now a personal investigation of Trump.

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2017 · 8:44:29 PM EDT · Frank Vyan Walton
Dershowitz is saying that since President GW Bush pardoned Kasper Weinberger just before he was about to face a trial, that Trump has a “constitutional right” in direct the FBI and interfere with an investigation but I think that’s bullshit.  The power to Pardon is absolute and has no specific limitation, but Obstruction of Justice was part of the Impeachment articles against Nixon — for directing his people to tell the CIA to make the FBI stop the Watergate investigation by telling them that it was a matter of national security related to the Bay of Pigs and also against President Clinton for telling his staff and assistants that “there was no relationship with Monica.” 

Even though Trump could issue a pardon without consequence It’s quite clear that it’s impeachable for him to ask for Comey to “Let Flynn Go” and then fire him for not doing it therefore impeding and improperly influencing a current proceeding, just as Nixon and Clinton were accused of.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/6/7/1669713/-James-Comey-s-prepared-statement-to-congress
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 08, 2017, 11:59:56 pm
What We Now Know From James Comey

GQ

126,277 views

https://youtu.be/0rXQ7D19mhY

Published on Jun 8, 2017

Parsing the FBI director's extraordinary insights into Trump’s ever-growing quagmire
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 10, 2017, 06:37:59 pm
Trump Cuts Millions from the US Holocaust Museum, Sparking Outrage

By SemDem 

Saturday Jun 10, 2017 · 1:33 PM EDT

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/6/10/1640236/-In-Case-You-Missed-It-Trump-Cut-Millions-From-the-Holocaust-Museum-Sparking-Outrage

Agelbert NOTE: As I have always thought, Trump and his wrecking crew, (despite Jared Kushner) are closet NAZI anti-Semitic Fascists.  >:(

(https://theuglytruth.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/trump.jpg?w=406&h=229)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 10, 2017, 10:44:07 pm
May's UK election gam ble backfires as Tories  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400)lose majority (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fza4.gif&hash=2db0a6001703f4089cb64dc38159bb3d467e1bff)

Source: ABCNews.com

British Prime Minister Theresa May's gam ble in calling an early election backfired spectacularly, as her Conservative Party lost its majority in Parliament and pressure mounted on her Friday to resign. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6869.gif&hash=f94938471d343a09155d1f60eefacdb2ceab2457)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

The shock result throws British politics into chaos and could send Britain's negotiations to leave the European Union — due to start June 19 — into disarray. The pound lost more than 2 cents against the dollar.

With 636 of 650 seats in the House of Commons declared, the Conservatives had 310 to the Labour Party's 258. Even if the Conservatives won all the remaining seats, the party would fall short of the 326 needed for an outright majority. Before the election the Conservatives had 330 seats and Labour 229.
...
The results confounded those who said Labour's left-wing leader, Jeremy Corbyn, was electorally toxic. Written off by many pollsters, Labour surged in the final weeks of the campaign.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fus.cdn2.123rf.com%2F168nwm%2Flenm%2Flenm1201%2Flenm120100200%2F12107060-illustration-of-a-smiley-giving-a-thumbs-up.jpg&hash=2046bc6d662e09d3014a2c404a2af6ba17f8217c) It drew strong support from young people, who appeared to have turned out to vote in bigger-than-expected numbers. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191258.bmp&hash=e4ed21caaca822f7445ccafd39f49a9f84be90ca)


http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mays-uk-election-ga mble-backfires-tories-lose-majority-47931750


May called the snap election in the hope of increasing her majority and strengthening Britain's hand in exit talks with the European Union. She clearly overplayed her hand...by holding Trump's.   ;D
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 13, 2017, 11:07:35 pm
 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

June 13, 2017

Democratic Party Neoliberalism Cannot Defeat Trumpism

Michael Lighty of National Nurses United and one of the main organizers of The People Summit tells Paul Jay that the Summit has helped to spur the candidacy of many progressives that are challenging corporate Democrats at every level

https://youtu.be/OSdkutxHhhE
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 13, 2017, 11:23:19 pm
Jun. 12, 2017

On tonight’s Big Picture, Thom discusses the parallels between the Labour Party’s gains in the U.K. and the progressive movement in the U.S. with Larry Cohen of Our Revolution. Then, Thom talks to Dave McCulloch of Capitol Media Partners and Alex Lawson of Social Security Works about attorneys general suing Trump for violating anti-corruption provisions and some unusual phone calls between the president and fired attorney Preet Bharara.

https://youtu.be/Swis-6W7TzM

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 15, 2017, 02:06:29 pm
Why Are Republican Senators Hiding Their New Healthcare Bill?

https://youtu.be/7HB-PwhVzN0

(News Roundup 6/13/17

Thom covers current stories you're not likely to hear on corporate owned media. Republican senators writing their healthcare bill in secret, democratic candidates getting death threats, and more.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 20, 2017, 07:30:41 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-310517125550.jpeg&hash=d06642600f3b99f0e3933e485766e704610364bb)

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DCyU-dqU0AAOAzU.jpg:large)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emofaces.com%2Fpng%2F200%2Femoticons%2Ffingerscrossed.png&hash=d56f8009d18b55f4cea7be68284c0521be92fc5d)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 23, 2017, 10:35:08 pm
Published on Jun 23, 2017

What if Trump Actually Fires Mueller? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

Doing so might create the tipping point that ends him.  ;D

https://youtu.be/fYgWvgbnsTw
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 29, 2017, 07:29:59 pm
Why Are We Appeasing Trump? ???

The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ
https://youtu.be/DCEC8nLq0LA

Published on Jun 27, 2017

As they fret about cameras in the briefing room, far graver threats go unmentioned.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 29, 2017, 07:36:09 pm
Robert Reich: The Resistance Report 6/27/2017

https://youtu.be/nnYQFGctER8

Inequality Media Civic Action
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 01, 2017, 08:41:43 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Sad but True: The Republican Party (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070814193155.png&hash=144ce9330e49ee84060db8753a8db69c39a14913)
 Somehow Still Exists

Friday, June 30, 2017

By William Rivers Pitt, Truthout | Op-Ed

SNIPPET:

You have to get up bright and early to achieve numbers so astonishingly low, even in these strange days. If you read the thing, though, it should come as no surprise: The bill is so utterly repulsive, McConnell should have named it "The Soylent Green Is People Reconciliation Act of 2017." For those who don't get the reference, it's from a movie about eating people. The shoe fits.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Freading.gif&hash=63e3e644b39258d4c4eedbcdaf322315b1856723)

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41114-sad-but-true-the-republican-party-somehow-still-exists

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/05/c7/d8/05c7d881009dec85c4f24ed8561bf288.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 03, 2017, 06:26:58 pm
Trump Will Not Be Cleared | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

https://youtu.be/WyAEUOYJlmY

GQ

233,355 views

Published on Jun 30, 2017

The fallout from Donald Trump’s admission that the Russians meddled in our election.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 03, 2017, 09:38:53 pm
On Contact: Noam Chomsky - Part I

https://youtu.be/0YdBzwJCpo8

RT America

Published on Jul 1, 2017

On this week’s episode of On Contact, Chris Hedges travels to Cambridge, Massachusetts for a conversation with America’s most important intellectual, Professor Noam Chomsky. In Part I of their conversation, Chomsky discusses the adverse effects of neoliberalism (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) on the working class, as addressed in his book, “Requiem for the American Dream: The 10 Principles of Concentration of Wealth & Power”.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 07, 2017, 09:11:16 pm
The New Gilded Age is HERE (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070814193155.png&hash=144ce9330e49ee84060db8753a8db69c39a14913)
https://youtu.be/jeaUio5DFYc

July 6, 2017

Thom talks with a caller about the Gilded Age periods of the past, how they came about, and if we're entering another one.



Voter suppression accelerates in Georgia: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

https://youtu.be/bfo6x8z1WEs

Thom speaks with guest Greg Palast (Investigative Journalist, Filmmaker - The Best Democracy Money Can Buy) about the recent appearance of junk mail looking postcards requiring voters to mail them back to verify their registration and not get purged from rolls. Will your state be the next to do this?

https://youtu.be/_57aoiSttoI

On tonight’s Big Picture, Thom talks with Greg Palast about Kris Kobach’s fraudulent voter fraud investigation and where the states stand in compliance. Then he talks with Bryan Priutt and Alex Lawson about Trump’s “Nuremburg rally” speech, states suing Betsy DeVos over student loan protections and Trump’s scheme to buy leverage over CNN.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 09, 2017, 06:31:24 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Misinforming the Majority: A Deliberate Strategy of Right-Wing Libertarians (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

Sunday, July 09, 2017

By Mark Karlin, Truthout | Interview

SNIPPET:

How would you draw a line connecting Buchanan  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)  to the Koch brothers?


Charles Koch supplied the money, but it was James Buchanan who supplied the ideas that made the money effective. An MIT-trained engineer, Koch in the 1960s began to read political-economic theory based on the notion that free-reign capitalism (what others might call Dickensian capitalism) would justly reward the smart and hardworking and rightly punish those who failed to take responsibility for themselves or had lesser ability. He believed then and believes now that the market is the wisest and fairest form of governance, and one that, after a bitter era of adjustment, will produce untold prosperity, even peace. But after several failures, Koch came to realize that if the majority of Americans ever truly understood the full implications of his vision of the good society and were let in on what was in store for them, they would never support it. Indeed, they would actively oppose it.

So, Koch went in search of an operational strategy -- what he has called a "technology" -- of revolution that could get around this hurdle. He hunted for 30 years until he found that technology in Buchanan's thought. From Buchanan, Koch learned that for the agenda to succeed, it had to be put in place in incremental steps, what Koch calls "interrelated plays": many distinct yet mutually reinforcing changes of the rules that govern our nation. Koch's team used Buchanan's ideas to devise a roadmap for a radical transformation that could be carried out largely below the radar of the people, yet legally. The plan was (and is) to act on so many ostensibly separate fronts at once that those outside the cause would not realize the revolution underway until it was too late to undo it. Examples include laws to destroy unions without saying that is the true purpose, suppressing the votes of those most likely to support active government, using privatization to alter power relations -- and, to lock it all in, Buchanan's ultimate recommendation: a "constitutional revolution."

Today, operatives funded by the Koch donor network operate through dozens upon dozens of organizations (hundreds, if you count the state and international groups), creating the impression that they are unconnected when they are really working together -- the state ones are forced to share materials as a condition of their grants.

For example, here are the names of 15 of the most important Koch-funded, Buchanan-savvy organizations  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) each with its own assignment in the division of labor:
There's Americans for Prosperity,
the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation,
the American Legislative Exchange Council,
the Mercatus Center,
Americans for Tax Reform,
Concerned Veterans of America,
the Leadership Institute,
Generation Opportunity,
the Institute for Justice,
the Independent Institute,
the Club for Growth,
the Donors Trust,

Freedom Partners,
Judicial Watch
-- whoops, that's more than 15, and it's not counting the over 60 other organizations in the State Policy Network.
This cause operates through so many ostensibly separate organizations that its architects expect the rest of us will ignore all the small but extremely significant changes that cumulatively add up to revolutionary transformation. Gesturing to this, Tyler Cowen, Buchanan's successor at George Mason University, even titled his blog "Marginal Revolution."

In what way was Buchanan connected to white oligarchical racism?

(https://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/73957994/futurama-fry-cant-tell-if-its-states-rights-or-just-an-excuse-for-racism.jpg)

Buchanan came up with his approach in the crucible of the civil rights era, as the most oligarchic state elite in the South faced the loss of its accustomed power. Interestingly, he almost never wrote explicitly about racial matters, but he did identify as a proud southern "country boy" and his center gave aid to Virginia's reactionaries on both class and race matters. His heirs at George Mason University, his last home, have noted that Buchanan's political economy is quite like that of John C. Calhoun, the antebellum South Carolina US Senator who, until Buchanan, was America's most original theorist of how to constrict democracy so as to safeguard the wealth and power of an elite economic minority (in Calhoun's case, large slaveholders). Buchanan arrived in Virginia just as Calhoun's ideas were being excavated to stop the implementation of Brown, so the kinship was more than a coincidence. His vision of the right economic constitution owes much to Calhoun, whose ideas horrified James Madison, among others.

And from that kind of thought, Buchanan offered strategic advice to corporations on how to fight the kind of reforms and taxation that came with more inclusive democracy. In the 1990s, for example, as Koch was getting more involved at George Mason, Buchanan convened corporate and rightwing leaders to teach them how to use what he called the "spectrum of secession" to undercut hard-won reforms through measures that have now become core to Republican practice: decentralization, devolution, federalism, privatization, and deregulation.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) We tend to see the race to the bottom as fallout from globalization, but Buchanan's guidance and the Koch team's application of it through the American Legislative Exchange Council and the State Policy Network reveals how it is in fact a highly conscious strategy   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) to free capital of restraint by the people through their governments.

Another way all this connects, indirectly, to oligarchic racism: wanting to keep secessionist thought alive for this practical utility, the billionaire-backed right necessarily gives comfort to white supremacists. A case in point: the Virginia governors who supported the Buchanan-Koch enterprise at George Mason University also promoted a new "Confederate History and Heritage Month." Likewise, the Ludwig von Mises Institute, which honors one of Koch's favorite Austrian philosophers, is located in Alabama and led by Llewellyn Rockwell, Jr., a man who has long promoted racist neo-Confederate thought, yet was still thought fit to run the Koch-funded Center for Libertarian Studies. It's thus a mistake to imagine that the Koch and so-called alt-right causes are wholly separate; there's a kind of mutual reinforcement if you understand what Koch learned from Buchanan and how they operated.

As I conclude in the book, as bright as some of the libertarian economists were, their ideas gained the following they did in the South because, in their essence, their stands were so familiar. White southerners who opposed racial equality and economic justice knew from their own region's long history that the only way they could protect their desired way of life was to keep federal power at bay, so that majoritarian democracy could not reach into the region. The causes of Calhoun, Buchanan and Koch-style economic liberty and white supremacy were historically twined at the roots, which makes them very hard to separate, regardless of the subjective intentions of today's libertarians.

What would a society based on Buchanan's principles and goals look like? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ftnp.gif&hash=00b6ab61584d51d7649e7ff4b2a7b7b719019acf)


Full Article:

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41206-misinforming-the-majority-a-deliberate-strategy-of-right-wing-libertarians (http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41206-misinforming-the-majority-a-deliberate-strategy-of-right-wing-libertarians)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 10, 2017, 02:26:09 pm
What Do the Russians 'Have' on the Trump Family? Fear. (http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a56218/trump-junior-russian-meeting/?src=nl&mag=esq&list=nl_enl_news&date=071017)

Quote
What I believe I see here is an incredibly corrupt American family doing business with criminal gangs that are way, way out of their league, and that are in league with the institutions of government, and the formidable security apparatus, of an authoritarian state. Talk about punching out of your weight class. This isn't cheating some poor subcontractor. These people throw you out windows. And the Trumps have being doing business in this financial abattoir for years. This doesn't make them sharp. This makes them compliant minnows in a shark tank. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fshrk.gif&hash=96ffb60cb25efb2a5b789ad51b531420ed1c1b36)

Yep. That accurately describes the situation for Mr. Dunce-ald Trump and his ENTIRE Wrecking Crew, not just his family. We are all suffering because of Chump Trump's Treason.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 10, 2017, 02:51:41 pm
JARED KUSHNER TRIED AND FAILED TO GET A HALF-BILLION-DOLLAR BAILOUT FROM QATAR (https://theintercept.com/2017/07/10/jared-kushner-tried-and-failed-to-get-a-half-billion-dollar-bailout-from-qatar/)

SNIPPET:

NOT LONG BEFORE a major crisis ripped through the Middle East, pitting the United States and a bloc of Gulf countries against Qatar, Jared Kushner’s real estate company had unsuccessfully sought a critical half-billion-dollar investment from one of the richest and most influential men in the tiny nation, according to three well-placed sources with knowledge of the near transaction.

Kushner is a senior adviser to President Trump, and also his son-in-law, and also the scion of a New York real estate empire that faces an extreme risk from an investment made by Kushner in the building at 666 Fifth Avenue(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0), where the family is now severely underwater.

Qatar is facing an ongoing blockade led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and joined by Egypt and Bahrain, which President Trump has taken credit for sparking. Kushner, meanwhile, has reportedly played a key behind-the-scenes role in hardening the U.S. posture toward the embattled nation.

That hard line comes in the wake of the previously unreported half-billion-dollar deal that was never consummated. Throughout 2015 and 2016, Jared Kushner and his father, Charles, negotiated directly with a major investor in Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, known as HBJ for short, in an effort to refinance the property on Fifth Avenue, the sources said.

Trump himself has unsuccessfully sought financing in recent years from the Qataris, but it is difficult to overstate just how important the investment at 666 Fifth Avenue is for Kushner, his company, and his family’s legacy (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) in real estate. Without some outside intervention or unforeseen turnaround in the market, the investment could become an embarrassing half-billion-dollar loss. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emofaces.com%2Fpng%2F200%2Femoticons%2Ffingerscrossed.png&hash=d56f8009d18b55f4cea7be68284c0521be92fc5d) It’s unclear precisely how much peril such a loss would put Jared’s or his family’s finances in, given the opacity of their private holdings.

Full Eye Opening ;D Article from The Intercept:

JARED KUSHNER TRIED AND FAILED TO GET A HALF-BILLION-DOLLAR BAILOUT FROM QATAR (https://theintercept.com/2017/07/10/jared-kushner-tried-and-failed-to-get-a-half-billion-dollar-bailout-from-qatar/)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 22, 2017, 04:10:34 pm
Agelbert Observation: It appears that Trump is trying to corner the market on Pig Lipstick.  :D


Team Trump unraveling: With three major changes in 24 hours, what's next?

By Kerry Eleveld 
Friday Jul 21, 2017 · 12:55 PM EDT

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/7/21/1682791/-Team-Trump-unraveling-With-three-major-changes-in-24-hours-what-s-next

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.collaboratecommunications.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F01%2Fpig-blog.jpg&hash=5040f18c3793d62dfe2bb837d43c28e9180004ac)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 25, 2017, 10:30:22 pm
The Right Wing Plot to Repeal the 20th Century…(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070814193155.png&hash=144ce9330e49ee84060db8753a8db69c39a14913)

https://youtu.be/pvZ46oqrNyM

July 24, 2017

On tonight’s Big Picture, Thom discusses the Democrats’ unveiling of “A Better Deal” and what it means for the party’s future with Richard Eskow of Campaign for America’s Future. Then, Thom talks to Horace Cooper of the National Center for Public Policy Research and Kymone Freeman of We Act Radio about ALEC’s plan to change how Senators are elected, and the Senate’s upcoming vote on a healthcare bill.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 26, 2017, 01:50:54 pm
http://galacticconnection.com/astroturfing-government-shills-are-flooding-the-web/ (http://galacticconnection.com/astroturfing-government-shills-are-flooding-the-web/)


Blasting the News

The rapid technological evolution has made the world a different place. Our society has, undoubtedly, evolved along with technology. The internet has changed the way we consume information and the way we live. It has become an integral part of our lives. This has not gone unnoticed bycorporations and governments all over the world. They understand the potential of the world wide web, and they are constantly trying to find ways to monopolize the virtual space.
Astroturfing: Definition and examples

By definition, #astroturfing is “the practice of masking the sponsors of a message or organization to make it appear as though it originates from and is supported by a grassroots participant.” In layman’s terms, astroturfing is spreading #propaganda disguised as public opinion. It’s safe to conclude that governments and corporations have always done this through mass media, but the internet has given them a whole new avenue to explore and spread their propaganda.

Reddit, for example, has reduced itself to being nothing but a propaganda tool, for the most part, but social media websites are not immune to so called “shills.” The British Army has created a special team of online “warriors,” skilled in psychological manipulation, to aid Britain in #Cyber Warfare, the Guardian has reported.

An army spokesman has officially confirmed this.

Additionally, the Washington Post confirmed that the Obama administration hired a man named Cass Sunstein, famous for writing a Harvard paper that suggests intelligence officials should infiltrate online forums and chat rooms (with an emphasis on “conspiracy theory” communities), to influence discussion and spread propaganda.

President Obama, however, is not the first government official to use new media as a propaganda tool. According to a paper submitted to the Naval War College by USA Army major Angela Maria Lungu, and titled “The internet and psychological operations,” both George W. Bush’s and Al Gore’s campaign teams wanted to use chat rooms and similar platforms for “guided discussions to influence how citizens think about certain topics.”

One of Reddit’s most popular subreddits, /r/The_Donald can also be considered an echo chamber, a favorite habitat of trolls and Trump shills.

This just shows how there is no difference between the left and the right when it comes to propaganda: regardless of their political stances, politicians will not let anything stand in their way when it comes to engineering narratives and disguising them as public opinion.
What does the future hold?

Governments and corporations are always a few steps ahead of the general public. According to the Business Insider, 90% of media is controlled by six corporations. Governments have long ago penetrated social media and discussion websites. What the general public is currently unaware of though, is that any time they are discussing something online, they could be talking to someone hired and paid by the government or a corporation.

The world wide web is being taken away from us, and instead of remaining space for discussion and free thought, it is slowly transforming into a propaganda vehicle. Ironically, we’ve never had more access to information, and we’ve never had a harder time differentiating between real and fake news.

Quote
The world wide web is being taken away from us, and instead of remaining space for discussion and free thought, it is slowly transforming into a propaganda vehicle. Ironically, we’ve never had more access to information, and we’ve never had a harder time differentiating between real and fake news.

Yep. The 1% Cretins that run this  mess called "civilization" are threatened by an informed public. So, they feel compelled to fund massive disinformarion campaigns hither and yon.

And if they can buy a politician to get we-the-people to unkowingly fund propagnda lies directed to keep us ignorant and confused about all the state sponsored corporate criminality going on, they will.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

Follow the money. It always leads back to the people who are treated most respectfully by the mainstream media.

Even the short lived food fights where the media pretends to attack an oligarch are laughably transparent.

Follow the money.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-050515144544.png&hash=7ee8a9d0ff80a564867eeb5fc64c6c942dec8dee)
Sine Qua Non Scumbag Elite Ruling Principle: "The people must always be provided with an enemy".


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030317114213.jpeg&hash=1b88332105f6d800286b484c9f267305019922d2)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 26, 2017, 02:37:50 pm
I'm beginning to think it's not the weird politicians that are the problem, they're just symptomatic of the larger issue ---IDIOCRACY.

Well said. Idiocracy is systemic in  both the Devilcratic and Retardocratic parties.

As a medical professional, I'm sure you will agree that our Idiocracy is not idiopathic; we pretty much know the cause.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-260914185050.jpeg&hash=c24cfd224109945ee3dc65010f14b4b7bf2eda75)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220815161550.png&hash=f95989290a4fca22333fc772d8abd90a6764d4d8)


My belief is that there is an idiocracy now. But the reason for it mainly has to do with two things. One is the public education system in this country, which deliberately dumbs people down and prepares them to be passive worker bees. The other is media, first TV and now social media, like FB, Twitter, and Instagram.

The school thing was on purpose, and the elites get full credit for building a system that works (for them).

TV takes innocent children and makes them into rabid consumers, while also indoctrinating them along the lines of whatever narrative is currently being pushed by Rupert Murdoch and a few other media billionaires.

The social media thing, the whole Web 2.0 phenomenon seems to be an accident, but it is an unfortunate force multiplier for ignorance and misinformation.


Yep.

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2-o8t-v16o/WEDQ2axJFPI/AAAAAAAAUB4/PyKTDiVQ2bsSNSNPyQ7Lx0aPuNOpnlLCgCLcB/s1600/william-casey-cia-quote.JPG)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-050515144418.png&hash=de91e688b9b233d06a3fc3a61c3d0797e6b2c84b)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 30, 2017, 04:32:12 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Trump v. Sessions: Who Do You Root For? The Truth (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

Saturday, July 29, 2017

By William Rivers Pitt, Truthout | Op-Ed

JUICY SNIPPET:   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F4fvfcja.gif&hash=34a9a570347d39a0a892bc1f376c5e8b88add6b5)


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.batchcoloring.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F11%2FRainforest-Leopard-Show-Up-from-Tall-Grass-Coloring-Pages.jpg&hash=2bc92bd854804b234af94173bbf0eaa973486537)
Forget?   Hell!

Quote
... Jeff Sessions has not reached this high station in political life without knowing how to nurse, and properly repay, a grudge. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) Unless I am completely mistaken about everything I've ever known regarding human nature, politics and Southern gentlemen (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fcowboypistol.gif&hash=2dc97f743dffca22404e6e4e0822765e60b33f38) -- the attorney general and I both have Alabama red clay under our fingernails (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee); I've had my eye on him since George Wallace's last term as governor --  I can tell you this for certain sure: Jeff Sessions now despises Donald Trump, and will wait in the tall grass for the proper moment to fully express his displeasure. He may be giving meek interviews to Fox News, but when the time is right, Sessions will spring at Trump's throat like a leopard and say "Bless his heart" when he does.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwonderopolis.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F09%2Fsnake-in-grass_shutterstock_6187162.jpg&hash=05e1b8bf2234ac72fe0704e4d3c0b49141618cbf)

Where is that tall grass? The office of the attorney general of the United States. Trump wants Sessions to resign so he can nominate a replacement who won't recuse themselves from involvement in the Russia investigations. That person would then arrange the dismissal of Robert Mueller and the termination of his investigation. As long as Sessions is in the office, with Senate Republicans and the base of the party rallying to his banner, with the president unwilling to fire him, Mueller is safe to continue his investigation. If that investigation bears prosecutable fruit, Jeff Sessions will have his vengeance.

Oh what a tangled web, right? Rooting for one over the other is akin to choosing between explosive diarrhea and persistent constipation. Either way, you're dealing with a lot of S H I T. Mueller is no prize either, his ongoing investigation notwithstanding.

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41439-trump-v-sessions-who-do-you-root-for-the-truth (http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41439-trump-v-sessions-who-do-you-root-for-the-truth)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 30, 2017, 05:31:58 pm
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-07-28/fbi-general-counsel-comeys-right-hand-man-reportedly-under-investigation-leaks-mains (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-07-28/fbi-general-counsel-comeys-right-hand-man-reportedly-under-investigation-leaks-mains)
FBI General Counsel Reportedly Under Investigation For Leaks To Mainstream Media
Sara Carter via Circa.com
Jul 28, 2017

FBI General Counsel James A. Baker is purportedly under a Department of Justice criminal investigation for allegedly leaking classified national security information to the media, according to multiple government officials close to the probe who spoke with Circa on the condition of anonymity.

Right wing agitprop. Circa is the seemingly normal appearing news portal owned and operated by the Sinclair broadcast group, the same people that are attempting to acquire the Tribune broadcast group, and and bring their special brand of right wing lunacy to your local station. They are also the same people who provide"must carry" propaganda segments featuring such luminaries as Boris Epshtyn for their group station's newscasts. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_0293.gif&hash=b1af4868ed8f18c30e637f8cbcb79002f6f71039)


So now we have zero hedge quoting circa, in a perfect right-wing circle jerk. This is akin to Breitbart quoting Drudge on a news item.
Meanwhile, a search for, "James a baker DOJ investigation" yields no mainstream reportage, and only stories originated by circa, zero hedge, Fox, Breritbart, in the usual list of right-wing suspects, including the Epoch Times.

MAYBE the report is true, but what is certain is that this report is just the right wing media doing its part to help Trump win each and every day's news cycle, which is a matter of existential importance to the junta attempting to remain in power.


(https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmilitarymediainc.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F07%2FWheres-the-Beef-Mktg1.jpg&f=1)

Where is the leak?  There is no 'MAYBE' because if there was a leak something would be getting wet which means we could find what the hell Baker is accused of.  We can't, so there is no leak.

Can't do the time if you don't do the crime.  Ooops, I take that back.

Good job sleuthing out the Sinclair broadcast group!

(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/879772598472716288/Os5L1nEB_400x400.jpg)

Sara Carter is quite prolific.

https://muckrack.com/sara-carter/articles (https://muckrack.com/sara-carter/articles)


K-Dog, you are a Trumper.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) You are also a loyal defender of Sessions.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6). Why don't you admit that you wish they would kiss and make up instead of posting irrelevant arm waving about reactions to right wing (as in 24/7 LIES) media?

Right wing media just does what it does. Anyone that takes absolutely anything they say seriously is critical thinking challenged, if not hopelessly brain damaged.

Right wing media says this and says that and the other sensationalist mendacious baloney every single day.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6961.gif&hash=df13f27d25fd180bcc904f19809e2b35dc3309cf)

THIS is the story that is important now, though you don't want to deal with it:

(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Trump v. Sessions: Who Do You Root For? The Truth
Saturday, July 29, 2017
By William Rivers Pitt, Truthout | Op-Ed

Snippet:

I never thought we'd all live this long. My assumption after November was that Donald Trump would have figured out a way by now to blow the mantle off the planet and scatter our collective component elements into the farthest reaches of space. As we are somehow still here, let's take a moment to enjoy the ridiculous steel cage match unfolding between Trump and his attorney general, Jeff Sessions. There is so much wrong baked into this situation, so much error and ego and straight-up birdbrained ignorance, that we're left with a simple question.

Gadzooks, who do you root for?

Trump is a known quantity at this point. While his ultimate capacity for the demolition of all things moral, ethical, legal, intelligent or proper has yet to be established, he has done more than enough for us to cobble together a fair measure of the man, and it's pretty straightforward stuff. The president of the United States is, in no particular order, a boor, an oaf, a braggart, a bully, unlettered, inexplicably vain, immoral, amoral, orange for some reason, an unskilled congenital liar, a racist, a sexist, a homophobe, a cheat, a fraud, a terrible public speaker, a comprehensive embarrassment every single day and the purveyor of notoriously bad steaks.

We know this. We also know that Trump, the self-crowned king of social media, has unfriended Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the most OMG WTF LOL way history has ever seen. He says it's because Sessions hasn't been tough enough on Hillary Clinton and White House leakers, but again, he's a terrible liar. The reason Trump is going Donkey Kong on the attorney general has everything to do with a guy named Brian Benczkowski.

Benczkowski is a lawyer who came to work for the Department of Justice (DoJ) during the time of George W. Bush. He led Trump's DoJ transition team after the 2016 election. Last Tuesday, he testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee because he's been nominated to run the DoJ's criminal division, which is a damned big deal. During that testimony, Benczkowski informed the committee that he once represented a Russian-owned financial institution named Alfa Bank.

"Questions about the bank's activity first arose last year," reports CNN, "when a group of computer scientists raised concerns about internet records that showed that Alfa Bank servers repeatedly looked up the unique internet address of a Trump Organization computer server in the United States." Both the Trump for President campaign and Alfa Bank denied any relationship or wrongdoing. The whole matter was investigated by a team supervised by Brian Benczkowski from his partnership perch at Kirkland & Ellis, the world's second-highest-grossing law firm.

Brian Benczkowski, along with every other person on the planet who knows something about Trump's relationship with Russia, or thinks they know something, or might know something, is why Trump wants Jeff Sessions gone. Special counsel Robert Mueller and his ongoing Trump/Russia investigation are very interested in speaking to the Brian Benczkowskis of the world. This terrifies Trump, who wants Mueller's investigation stopped. Sessions could have done that, if he hadn't recused himself from all things Russia. Hilariously, Sessions is one of the people who knows something about Trump and the Russian government's electoral meddling, and is himself an established serial liar and perjurer on the topic. That's why Sessions recused himself from any part of any investigation. He didn't want to; he had to, after all those undisclosed, lied-about meetings.

Ah yes, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III,
son of Alabama, named after the president of the Confederate States of America and the general who opened fire on Fort Sumter. Once deemed too racist for a federal judgeship by his fellow Republicans, Sessions has managed over the years to establish himself as a stalwart ally of the religious right, the coal industry and of course, the war weapons manufacturers.

His overt racism, you see, is not Mr. Sessions' only selling point for the far right. In 2002, Sessions voted to authorize the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and in 2003 approved spending $86 billion on the endeavor. In 2005, he voted against paying for the war "on-budget," meaning on the books, and that same year voted against investigating outside contracts awarded to companies like Blackwater for work in Iraq and Afghanistan. At every opportunity afterward, he voted against withdrawing US troops from Iraq.

With that, the tale is told: Vote for an illegal war, fund it lavishly, invite your friends to the trough, hide the funding from prying eyes and the public, and keep the money machine going by refusing to end the war no matter how many die in the process. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

The tension surrounding whether Trump will actually fire his attorney general has been ratcheting up for days, but as of this writing, that shoe has not yet dropped. Those who name the president a coward point to this situation as proof: The man lacks the sand to back up his bluster. The big question for the media has been "Will Sessions resign?" The answer is utterly obvious: Hell no. Sessions has a lot of friends on the Republican side of the Senate, several of whom have forbidden Trump from firing him while promising terrible consequences if he does. This is unprecedented.

FULL ARTICLE AT LINK:

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41439-trump-v-sessions-who-do-you-root-for-the-truth (http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41439-trump-v-sessions-who-do-you-root-for-the-truth)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 30, 2017, 05:33:56 pm

Good job sleuthing out the Sinclair broadcast group!

(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/879772598472716288/Os5L1nEB_400x400.jpg)

Sara Carter is quite prolific.


https://muckrack.com/sara-carter/articles (https://muckrack.com/sara-carter/articles)


K-Dog, you bad, bad doggie! You just exposed yourself as a defender of right wing propagandist LIARS! Yes, I know you consider them "truth telling" pundists, but Snopes begs to differ:

Quote
We were unsuccessful in obtaining confirmation from the Syracuse affiliate that the segment Dafoe described in fact aired on that station in May, but the commentator she named, Sara Carter(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/879772598472716288/Os5L1nEB_400x400.jpg) , is indeed a conservative pundit who appears regularly on the Fox News Channel in addition to working as a national security correspondent for Sinclair-owned Circa News.

Mark Hyman, a former Sinclair executive who delivers the “Behind the Headlines” op-ed segments SGB pushed out to affiliates, is a contributor to The Washington Times, Washington Examiner, American Spectator, Human Events, and other conservative publications. And former Trump staffer Boris Epshteyn was hired in April 2017 to serve as Sinclair’s chief political analyst, a job which so far seems to entail defending the president and castigating the mainstream media, according to a report by the Washington Post:

Epshteyn’s segments have added yet another pro-Trump shading to news and commentary offered by Sinclair, a Baltimore-area company with a long history of favoring conservative causes and candidates on its stations’ newscasts.

http://www.snopes.com/2017/07/11/sinclair-broadcast-group-propaganda/ (http://www.snopes.com/2017/07/11/sinclair-broadcast-group-propaganda/)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-050515144418.png&hash=de91e688b9b233d06a3fc3a61c3d0797e6b2c84b)

GOTCHA, right winger!

(https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/4060108544/h02E25C97/.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 30, 2017, 05:38:18 pm
(https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/20431261_1421896314532977_1848065458141375751_n.png?oh=114d9b2227c7ac0831e9ee4401939474&oe=5A378DD9)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emofaces.com%2Fpng%2F200%2Femoticons%2Ffingerscrossed.png&hash=d56f8009d18b55f4cea7be68284c0521be92fc5d)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 31, 2017, 05:40:00 pm
Fired BEFORE his official START DATE! LOL!

https://youtu.be/ANLZoH6PFSU

Down Goes the Mooch! | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

GQ

Published on Jul 31, 2017

The chaos comes at you quick, right? Anthony Scaramucci, "The Mooch," is out. Who will be in? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 02, 2017, 09:59:39 pm
Noam Chomsky on DemocracyNOW! 

Noam Chomsky (July 30, 2017) - President Donald Trump & America 2017

https://youtu.be/XK0RaCg_eUc
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 06, 2017, 03:45:35 pm
Why don't liberals admit that President Trump is and will be a good president and will make America great again?  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)

Quote

Bill Allen

Updated Jul 18, 2017

I'm 57 years old and was born under the Dwight Eisenhower administration. I'm also a registered Republican and always have been since I voted for Reagan in 1980. Though he's been in office just 6 months, Donald Trump is (hands down) easily the worst president of my entire life! Not only do I say this because he's accomplished almost nothing so far (granted, I will give him Gorsuch as his only accomplishment (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fugly004.gif&hash=c56db4280057389afd154a1cb4057410151579c8)), but he has the most serious credibility problem. 16 or 17 Republicans as nominees, and the man who was the worst candidate of all was chosen.

I think there's a fair chance he will be impeached with this Russian scandal too.

Most importantly, the key ingredient the POTUS needs—whether I agree with his policies or not—is integrity. Trump has zero integrity and is a chronic liar. He talks like he's in the 3rd grade and is an utter embarrassment to us as Americans. In fact, he’s turned out worse than I ever imagined.

His arrogance, his narcissism, his bravado, his stupidity make him probably the worst president in US history.

So the real question is “"Why are his supporters so blind and so stupid that they fail to see just how bad of a president he's been over the last half year?” And the only answer I can give is that these people must be watching Fox News. What you get from Fox News is an entity pretending to give us accurate news. But instead, they've followed the mantra of Joseph Goebbels (go look him up if you've never heard of him). Sean Hannity is Joseph Goebbels incarnate.

One more thing…as a Christian I'm absolutely appalled and puzzled as to why the evangelical community is so supportive of this man as president when he lacks such integrity. Evangelicals should know better and should be ashamed themselves for this. Trump bears no redeeming qualities that Jesus talks about. He lacks humility, he is arrogant, he puts himself in front of others. he is such a narcissist. Please go back to the Gospels and read the beatitudes of Jesus. Please!   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)


https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-liberals-admit-that-President-Trump-is-and-will-be-a-good-president-and-will-make-America-great-again
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 10, 2017, 07:53:22 pm
The Political Assassination of Governor Don Siegelman

https://youtu.be/pH6Bj7rpaVg

Aug. 9, 2017 5:00 pm

Thom is joined by guest Steve Wimberly (Director/Producer - Atticus v. the Architect: The Political Assassination of Governor Don Siegelman) to talk about the complete prosecutorial attack on Don Siegelman by his political enemies.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 11, 2017, 08:06:06 pm
Republicans Have Weaponized the Criminal Justice System (w/guest Gov. Don Siegelman)

https://youtu.be/RgzqO7g6lKk

Aug. 10, 2017 5:00 pm

Thom speaks with guest Don Siegelman  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3) (Former Governor - Alabama, 1999-2003, profiled in the new documentary, Atticus v. the Architect: The Political Assassination of Don Siegelman).

Please go to http://free-don.org/ and sign the Petition  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300614160245.gif&hash=26cf0af4ea082bdb608bb7b2656d54ec7199969b) to allow the film in Montgomery:Stop Censorship:(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)  Urge Capri Theatre in Alabama to Show Siegelman Documentary Film
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 15, 2017, 10:19:24 pm

Agelbert NOTE: Please watch these videos from Thom Hartmann. They get right to the root of WHY this old FASCIST oligarchic tool of racist divide and conquer evil continues today to get Americans to fight each other, instead of bringing the Oligarchs to justice. Organized racism is FUNDED by the FASCIST Oligarchs!

August 14, 2017

https://youtu.be/UDRVCObqeqo (https://youtu.be/UDRVCObqeqo)
Thom speaks with guest Mark Potok (Writer, speaker, former organizer with Southern Poverty Law Center.) on the disturbing white supremacist violence over the weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia and how it is related to Donald Trump and other republicans.


https://youtu.be/e2vlucW6QrM (https://youtu.be/e2vlucW6QrM)
Thom looks at the history the violence of overt white supremacists and the support they've received from leading right wing institutions including the media and the police since the Greensboro Massacre in 1979 all leading up to the tragic murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville this past weekend.


https://youtu.be/2KKBK19D0Zw (https://youtu.be/2KKBK19D0Zw)
Thom speaks with a caller who witnessed the tragic terror attack carried out by white supremacist over the weekend in Charlottesville, echoing the sentiments that fascism must be stopped at all cost.

https://youtu.be/-fjubfdvNdY (https://youtu.be/-fjubfdvNdY)
Thom talks with Dr Randy Blazak on the fascist strategy of using free speech as a way to legitimize themselves and continue a conversation that we shouldn't even be having.


What We Can Do To Stop Fascism
https://youtu.be/mYjq6I0miWk (https://youtu.be/mYjq6I0miWk)
Thom Hartmann takes your calls and answers a question on the mind of viewers and listeners around the world. What can we do to stop Fascism?
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 15, 2017, 10:58:38 pm
(https://theuglytruth.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/trump.jpg?w=406&h=229)



Trump And Charlottesville: Too Little, Too Late | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

Published on Aug 14, 2017

https://youtu.be/58r68aCwtVg


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trbimg.com%2Fimg-566ee3d4%2Fturbine%2Fbal-donald-trumps-fascist-inclinations-do-not-bother-his-fans-20151214&hash=63072a772614b696dd8a9353902eaf6840248940)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 16, 2017, 03:12:59 pm
GREAT posts from K-Dog and Surly!  
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fus.cdn2.123rf.com%2F168nwm%2Flenm%2Flenm1201%2Flenm120100200%2F12107060-illustration-of-a-smiley-giving-a-thumbs-up.jpg&hash=2046bc6d662e09d3014a2c404a2af6ba17f8217c)

Yes, saying both sides are responsible for a murder was beyond stupid of him.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fc.files.bbci.co.uk%2FCCC6%2Fproduction%2F_97322425_mediaitem97322424.jpg&hash=b3b8159d1f5b04fa1adbda083240eb3813faaf8f)

If I was within 500 miles of that Robert E. Lee statue that statue would be having a new coat of red paint.  Blood red.

Hint Hint Surly.  How far away are you?


Three hours. Locals are doing what they can.

(https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/20819519_1940845092839138_4066359761828389150_o.jpg?oh=171a03536640657ca9949b79b9d50879&oe=5A1F291D)

K-Dog , glad to see you on the side of the angels here.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fcomputer3.gif&hash=cd6007945e9cbaabf029ebaef6ad36b8505bc341)

Surly, thank you for tirelessly continuing to fight the good fight. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) Watch your back, bro.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 21, 2017, 02:18:08 pm
(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpg)

"Any organization that disagrees with Trump, gets cut  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F126fs2277341.gif&hash=1a8375f11d76a653bcb48e30eaa7b652175f029d)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgen152.gif&hash=d5b10968fe56c4cb95fae17cee3cb420a5f4e2da).  Business committees, arts, and now science."

Even as reports from federal agencies demonstrate that the global climate scenario is becoming increasingly alarming, President Donald Trump has decided to continue the "wave of destruction" his administration is inflicting on the environment—and on the agencies tasked with studying climate change—by disbanding the federal advisory panel for the National Climate Assessment, which was tasked with helping government translate climate findings into plans for action.

As the Washington Post reported, the "charter for the 15-person Advisory Committee for the Sustained National Climate Assessment—which includes academics as well as local officials and corporate representatives—expires Sunday," and the Trump administration has decided the panel will not be renewed.

The Post continued:

    The National Climate Assessment is supposed to be issued every four years but has come out only three times since passage of the 1990 law calling for such analysis. The next one, due for release in 2018, already has become a contentious issue for the Trump administration.

    Administration officials are currently reviewing a scientific report that is key to the final document. Known as the Climate Science Special Report, it was produced by scientists from 13 different federal agencies and estimates that human activities were responsible for an increase in global temperatures of 1.1 to 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit from 1951 to 2010.

Recent reports have indicated that the Trump administration—more specifically Scott Pruitt, head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—is taking direction from Big Oil, so the move to disband a key climate advisory board was not met with surprise by scientists and commentators.

Still, many expressed alarm at the speed with which the Trump administration is moving to dismantle what is left of Obama-era rules designed to protect the water and the air from dangerous pollutants.

The administration's decision to disband the federal advisory panel for the National Climate Assessment is just part of this broader deregulatory agenda, which will have both immediate and long-term effects, scientists warn.

"I think it's going to be a serious handicap for us that the advisory committee is not functional,"  Richard Wright, former chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers' Committee on Adaptation to a Changing Climate, told the Post.

For Ed Murray, the Democratic mayor of Seattle, the move is just another example of Trump "stepping away from reality."

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216142007.png&hash=84ef2c6fc002fc0b4bc9940ee16d0728d50cc9b5)

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/08/20/trump-wave-destruction-continues-decision-disband-key-climate-panel



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 01, 2017, 07:32:54 pm
Ted Cruz (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) IMPLODES on Live TV Over Hurricane Hypocrisy

https://youtu.be/sgMPQR4HG74

Ted Cruz is a LIAR and a CROOK! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 01, 2017, 08:21:10 pm
The Trump Resignation End-Game? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emofaces.com%2Fpng%2F200%2Femoticons%2Ffingerscrossed.png&hash=d56f8009d18b55f4cea7be68284c0521be92fc5d)

https://youtu.be/VM6FGJ8foGg

The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

GQ Published on Aug 22, 2017

When it ends, Trump's presidency is going to end quicker than we think.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 01, 2017, 08:25:27 pm
Who’s Backing Away From Trump? Everyone

https://youtu.be/wpkXTu-fzWg

The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

GQ Published on Aug 23, 2017

There’s a stampede underway. To get as far away from Trump as possible.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 01, 2017, 08:30:04 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trbimg.com%2Fimg-566ee3d4%2Fturbine%2Fbal-donald-trumps-fascist-inclinations-do-not-bother-his-fans-20151214&hash=63072a772614b696dd8a9353902eaf6840248940)

For Whom Has Trump Made America Great?

https://youtu.be/kjGKJz1Kajw

GQ Published on Aug 28, 2017

The matter of good and evil is more inescapable with each passing week.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 01, 2017, 08:42:07 pm
What Trump’s Trip to Texas Revealed

(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpg)

https://youtu.be/KgZuk6e6MGw

The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

Published on Aug 29, 2017

The president’s response to this natural disaster was its own disaster.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-010617195330.jpeg&hash=86a17332dc08dce2277a49b169d640d7f9e9c150)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 01, 2017, 08:56:24 pm
Would Impeaching Trump Truly Lead to Civil War? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)

https://youtu.be/QPY3Q-0KN48


GQ Published on Aug 30, 2017

Roger Stone may think so—but here’s why that doomsday scenario of violence is nuts. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3)


Could Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) Try to Pardon… Everyone?

https://youtu.be/CxfXl7RRlQc

GQ Published on Aug 31, 2017

As Mueller closes in, the president's desperate options are about to grow thin.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216142007.png&hash=84ef2c6fc002fc0b4bc9940ee16d0728d50cc9b5)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 01, 2017, 09:11:36 pm
Robert Reich: The Resistance Report 8/28/2017

https://youtu.be/CGWFmTp6fEk

Inequality Media Civic Action

Published on Aug 28, 2017

Join us today as we talk about the ongoing investigation into Trump’s business dealings with Russia and how Trump is responding by riling up his base.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 01, 2017, 09:29:34 pm
Robert Reich: The Resistance Report 8/30/2017

https://youtu.be/JHod9i776LE

Inequality Media Civic Action

Published on Aug 30, 2017

Join me for today’s Resistance Report, where we’ll be talking about Hurricane Harvey, Trump’s climate policies, and more.


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 03, 2017, 08:59:25 pm
Democracy Now!

Published on Aug 30, 2017

John Nichols: "Horsemen of the Trumpocalypse: A Field Guide to the Most Dangerous People in America"

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241216151049.png&hash=78206393ea158485b779ed06d0fb0f84172b645d)

https://youtu.be/GjiCFkSt6Ec

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216142007.png&hash=84ef2c6fc002fc0b4bc9940ee16d0728d50cc9b5)

How Trump Could Bring About The Apocalypse! (w/Guest John Nichols)

https://youtu.be/Cvbmymh0KrI

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Aug 31, 2017

Thom speaks to long time friend and author John Nichols on his new book, Horsemen of the Trumpocalypse and the Trump Regime's plan to privatize and militarize space!
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 04, 2017, 07:37:12 pm
Agelbert NOTE: To be filed in the same category as questions about bears going poop in the woods.  ;D

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/8b/30/b3/8b30b31e87dddef823ce634725ac42d3.jpg)



Is Trump mentally unfit to properly run this country?

Jim Brasseur, Retired U.S. Naval Officer and Physician Assistant (1969-present)

Updated Aug 24, 2017

While I have had the privilege of over 45 years of medical practice, I do not believe that I have anywhere near the psychiatric or psychological experience to provide a knowledgeable clinical opinion of Mr. Trump’s mental fitness.

On the other hand, as a well experienced 67 year old American, my opinion is that Mr. Trump is screwy as a loon, is a threat to this country and the world and he shouldn't be allowed to lead a ghost town in Death Valley where he was the only occupant, let alone the United States. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

It'd be one thing if he were just a clown, but given his actions to date and the global political environment, he is remarkably dangerous.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FHjPbLbmep2aJO%2Fgiphy.gif&hash=3c7f7703f00cb341d3e9bdba607208d4204a294c)


96.1k Views · 3,915 Upvotes

https://www.quora.com/Is-Trump-mentally-unfit-to-properly-run-this-country

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 08, 2017, 08:00:37 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

September 7, 2017

Clinton Attacks Sanders in New Book -- RAI With Thomas Frank (2/6)

On Reality Asserts Itself, Thomas Frank  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020), author of 'What's the Matter with Kansas?' and 'Listen, Liberal,' and Paul Jay discuss Hillary Clinton's new book 'What Happened,' and identify the real differences between Clinton and Sanders.

https://youtu.be/ohs70wsfYSQ

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=19944
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 09, 2017, 02:07:34 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

September 8, 2017

Puerto Rico Drowning in Debt: Irma Deepens the Crisis

Mark Weisbrot says debt cancellation and restructuring will be the only answer to rebuild Puerto Rico (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3)

https://youtu.be/bW6qTTEaCfE

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=19959
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 12, 2017, 08:16:43 pm
 
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SEP 11, 2017

On 9/11: How We Hyped Terrorism and Slighted the Real Threat: Climate Change

SNIPPET:

But in the meantime, burning fossil fuels has been causing some 200,000 premature deaths each year. The plain way of putting it is that driving our cars and heating or cooling our homes is killing people ten years before their time. It is killing nearly 0.1% of the American population each year. That is more than the nearly 3,000 killed in 2001. And it is every year. Since 9/11, in other words, by burning fossil fuels at such a furious rate, by burning coal to make electricity and gasoline to move automobiles, we have sent 3,200,000 Americans to an early grave.

But that death toll is tiny compared to the Climate Genocide our political leaders and captains of industry have planned for us. The United States is emitting 5.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. The world is emitting some 45 billion metric tons of CO2. That heats up the oceans, which in turn put more water vapor in the air and support more destructive hurricanes. It also raises the sea level by melting surface ice and by increasing the volume of the sea water itself (warm water takes up more space).

One storm, fed by the extra warm water of the Caribbean, Harvey, appears to have caused $180 billion worth of damage. It totaled one million automobiles! Harvey was a 1 in 500 years storm. But then Irma was likewise. At one point it just sped along for days at 185 m/h, at a combined speed and duration that has never before been recorded.

Harvey comes after Hurricane Sandy, which caused $120 bn.in damage. Sandy was able to get all the way up to New York City because the Atlantic has warmed up. In the old days New York water would have been cold and would have stopped the Hurricane from getting that far north.

The United State should have swung into action in the 1970s when Exxon (was it Esso then?) scientists discovered that burning fossil fuels was causing global heating. We needed a Manhattan Project in the Reagan years to develop solar and wind. It did not happen. Reagan and Bush were in the back pockets of Big Oil.

Since 1977, 50 years ago, have we put 25 trillion metric tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere? That kind of concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is like setting off large numbers of atomic bombs. It makes it hot.

We haven’t spent $4-6 trillion on fighting climate change, even though burning fossil fuels polishes off 200,000 Americans a year and even though extreme weather is submerging cities like Houston and Miami from time to time, and will do so with increasing frequency.

It isn’t just storms. The American West has suffered from a long drought and an unusual number of fires in recent years. These phenomena, like the storms, are not caused by man-made climate change. There have been hurricanes and wildfires all along. Climate change is just prolonging them and making them worse. It is adding to their severity and longevity by a certain percentage– 10%? 30%.

Global heating will go on increasing and producing extreme weather. In 1750 there were 270 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It is now 410 ppm, the highest it has been for three million years. But the earth hasn’t yet heated up to the degree that such a high amount of CO2 in the atmosphere would predict. It will take centuries for that number to be translated into surface heat. All of Antarctica is going to melt. All of Greenland. Talk about a storm surge!

So we went in the wrong direction. Instead of invading and occupying Iraq, we should have created an army of scientists and engineers to invent better solar panels and better wind turbines and better batteries. The threat won’t come for the most part from hijacked jets. It will come from an atmosphere made angry and vengeful by our burning of fossil fuels. We should have been sending in the national guard to shut down the coal plants. We should have been banning gasoline cars.

Full article:

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/911-slighted-real-threat-climate-change-hyped-terrorism/

Agelbert NOTE: The following quote from a peer reviewed book is of extreme importance to all Americans:

Dilworth (2010-03-12). Too Smart for our Own Good (pp. 399-400). Cambridge University Press. Kindle Edition.

Quote
"As suggested earlier, war, for example, which represents a cost for society, is a source of profit to capitalists. In this way we can partly understand e.g. the American military expenditures in the Persian Gulf area. Already before the first Gulf War, i.e. in 1985, the United States spent $47 billion projecting power into the region. If seen as being spent to obtain Gulf oil, It AMOUNTED TO $468 PER BARREL, or 18 TIMES the $27 or so that at that time was paid for the oil itself.

In fact, if Americans had spent as much to make buildings heat-tight as they spent in ONE YEAR at the end of the 1980s on the military forces meant to protect the Middle Eastern oil fields, THEY COULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE NEED TO IMPORT OIL from the Middle East.

So why have they not done so? Because, while the $468 per barrel may be seen as being a cost the American taxpayers had to bear, and a negative social effect those living in the Gulf area had to bear, it meant only profits for American capitalists. "

Note: I added the bold caps emphasis on the barrel of oil price, money spent in one year and the need to import oil from the Middle East.

This totally unjustified profit, never mind the needless lose of lives, then increases the power of the fossil fuel corporations to perpetuate a biosphere harming dirty fuel status quo. How? By "funding" politicians with rather large "donations" to keep renewable energy from competing with dirty energy.

If all this was just about power politics, I might not be that concerned. Humans, particularly the overly ambitious and aggressive ones, have always fought and schemed to control and fleece the population at large.

But now we know the future of our biosphere is at stake. Now we know the entire edifice of dirty energy is a knife in the back of the biosphere that will destroy our species and many others.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-021114150033.png&hash=1a55bc1a81954375c07d21a43c3a26b4bd15b3be)

The system, as defined by the fossil fuel fascist dystopia that currently runs most of the human affairs among the 1 billion population in the developed world that is saddling the other 6 billion, who are totally free of guilt for causing it, with this climate horror we are beginning to experience, IS quite stubborn and does not wish to change the status quo.

Mother nature will force it to do so.

Whether it is done within the next two decades or not (i.e. a switch to 100% PLUS bioremediation Renewable Energy steady state economy) will dictate the size of the consequent die off, not only of humans but thousands of other species as well.

We are now in a climate cake that has been baked for about 1,000 years according to atmospheric, objective, proven with experimental data, science.


The Fossil Fuelers DID THE Clean Energy  Inventions suppressing, Climate Trashing, human health depleting CRIME,   but since they have ALWAYS BEEN liars and conscience free crooks, they are trying to AVOID   DOING THE TIME or     PAYING THE FINE!     Don't let them get away with it! Pass it on!    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F176.gif&hash=121533221905789c6b8d57a9603883266d349266)


 


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 13, 2017, 09:46:23 pm
 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncc-1776.org%2Ftle-pics%2FFlag_of_the_United_States.png&hash=dde5dffb8a9710e499636687519ddca19367732a)

Republicans Won't Let Americans Vote (w/Guest Jason Kander)

https://youtu.be/OtqWSnY_pGc

Sep. 12, 2017 3:02 pm

Thom speaks with Jason Kander ( former Secretary of State (D-MO)/President-Let America Vote & Chair-DNC's Commission to Protect American Democracy) on voter intimidation, suppression and efforts by Republicans that make it harder for people to vote.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 14, 2017, 10:49:36 pm
Why We Must Talk About Trump’s Mental Health | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

https://youtu.be/1P-xJmU5vZo

GQ

Published on Sep 6, 2017

A majority of Americans now think he’s “unstable.” Yet we’ve decided this topic is somehow taboo?



Trump Will Soon Be the Ex-POTUS | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

https://youtu.be/Bo0koTYc4zg

GQ

Published on Sep 7, 2017

Despite the distractions, Trump's Russia troubles are growing much worse.

How Did Trump Remember 9/11? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

https://youtu.be/_c0wOXVTtXE

GQ

Published on Sep 11, 2017

He hardly did.


Robert Mueller is Zeroing in on Trump’s Cover Up | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

https://youtu.be/xH_ihozcg7o

GQ

Published on Sep 12, 2017

The outlines of the case that Robert Mueller must be building can now be glimpsed.

The Media Doesn’t Understand What Trump is Doing | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

https://youtu.be/Wpz-8l4Dijc

GQ

Published on Sep 13, 2017

Donald Trump’s not pivoting. He’s not changing. He’s just crazy.

It’s Now Dawned on Trump: People Hate Him | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

https://youtu.be/lt67n1UeiO0

GQ

Published on Sep 14, 2017

In a flash of strange self-awareness, Donald Trump acknowledges the truth.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 14, 2017, 11:27:58 pm
Robert Reich: The Resistance Report 9/13/2017

https://youtu.be/MFMqQLgaIi4

Inequality Media Civic Action

Published on Sep 13, 2017

Join me for today’s Resistance Report, where we’ll be tracking issues we must not lose sight of: news on the Emoluments clause, an update on Medicare-for-all, dangerous new provisions in the Republican budget proposal, and more.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 17, 2017, 02:41:42 pm
Agelbert NOTE: A film that accurately predicted what is happening in the Fascist USA RIGHT NOW. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)

Don't Be a Sucker - 1947

https://youtu.be/23X14HS4gLk

Don't Be a Sucker - 1947

775,693 views

Weirdo Video

Published on Sep 29, 2007

In this anti-fascist film produced by US Military in the wake of WWII, the producers deconstruct the politically motivated social engineering of Germany by the Nazi regime.

Its argument is just as timely today. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trbimg.com%2Fimg-566ee3d4%2Fturbine%2Fbal-donald-trumps-fascist-inclinations-do-not-bother-his-fans-20151214&hash=63072a772614b696dd8a9353902eaf6840248940)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-081114190023.png&hash=8248298f64b94ba91481961abaa5f6204a70c942)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 19, 2017, 07:06:23 pm
This is the Legend Of Colin Kaepernick (w/Guest Rock Newman  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020))

https://youtu.be/1C63Lk4h_Bw

Sep. 18, 2017 4:00 pm

Alex is joined by Rock Newman to discuss the a skilled worker being denied a job because of his political beliefs, the NFL and Colin Kaepernick.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 21, 2017, 10:39:27 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-310517125550.jpeg&hash=d06642600f3b99f0e3933e485766e704610364bb)

Germany Wants To Know If Americans Have Gone Crazy Electing Donald Trump

https://youtu.be/XJwQYFHsfdk

Sep. 19, 2017 5:00 pm

Thom returns from with questions from the German public, HAS AMERICA GONE INSANE electing Donald Trump? What are the consequences of this going to be not just for America but for the world?

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 23, 2017, 03:34:08 pm
EcoWatch

Meet the 4 Horsemen of the EPA-pocalypse (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605)

By Mary Anne Hitt

Every week, another decision that endangers our families seems to come out of Scott Pruitt's  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) and Donald Trump's (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The latest facepalm/outrage comes in the form of confirmation hearings that start this week for four completely unacceptable nominees to critical leadership positions at EPA.

This Wednesday, Sep. 20, the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works will decide whether to confirm Bill Wehrum to lead the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, David Ross as chief of the EPA's Office of Water, and Michael Dourson to head up the agency's chemical safety programs. Later this month, they will hold a hearing on the nomination of Andrew Wheeler as EPA's deputy administrator, the agency's second-in-command.

We can thank EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt for these four horsemen of the EPA-pocalypse—four people who will gladly choose polluters over public health and clean air and water standards every time.

Andrew Wheeler, who Pruitt has tapped for the number two spot at EPA, was described by the Washington Post as a "longtime coal lobbyist" and has worked on behalf of a company which reportedly has numerous environmental and worker safety violations. Wheeler has spent his career challenging vital life-saving environmental protections that keep our air and water clean so that we can keep our families safe (I wrote this post about him earlier this summer). He also used to be an aide for outspoken climate-denying and corporate-polluter-loving senator, James Inhofe.

Bill Wehrum, Pruitt's pick to head up the office in charge of enforcing the Clean Air Act and keeping your air safe to breathe, is a lobbyist who represents a host of coal, oil, gas, and chemical companies, and was a former George W. Bush-era EPA official. If you recognize his name, it's because he was also nominated to this position in 2006—his nomination was withdrawn when he failed to earn support of the 60 Senators needed for confirmation.

And while he's nominated to lead the EPA's air and radiation office, ironically enough, he's said that the Clean Air Act shouldn't apply to the carbon pollution that contributes to climate change and superstorms like Hurricane Harvey. As my friend John Walke at NRDC put it, Wehrum "is an industry lawyer who was largely responsible for the Bush EPA's record of violating the Clean Air Act more often, and allowing more illegal emissions of harmful air pollution, than any EPA administration before or since."

David Ross, nominated for for the top spot at the Office of Water, has sued the EPA many times related to its clean water safeguards in his work representing fossil fuel states like Wyoming, including challenging the Clean Water Rule and the Chesapeake Bay cleanup program (he lost the latter lawsuit, which the court called "long on swagger, but short on specificity"). According to E&E News, he "has represented states and industry in lawsuits against the agency—some of which were filed by then-Oklahoma Attorney General and now EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt."

Finally, Michael Dourson is on deck to head up the EPA division that oversees the chemical industry, called the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, "Dourson has extensive, longstanding ties to the chemical industry (as well as earlier ties to the tobacco industry). He also has a history of failing to appropriately address his conflicts of interest." The first example they cite hits close to home for me as a West Virginian—they report he was the sole spokesperson for an expert panel studying the 2014 Elk River chemical spill but failed to disclose, until cornered by a reporter, that he had previously "done paid work for both of the companies that produced the chemicals involved in the spill."

In addition, Dourson has spent much of his professional career writing studies that undermine existing science and concerns about toxic chemicals, and call for weaker regulations on chemicals like pesticides. As our friends at the United Farm Workers explain, Dourson was paid by Dow Agrosciences to downplay concerns about a toxic pesticide and cast doubt on a Columbia University study linking exposure to it by pregnant women to irreversible neurodevelopmental problems in children—in other words, to hide the fact that the pesticide is dangerous to kids. As you may have heard, in a highly controversial move the EPA recently reversed restrictions on the use of this pesticide, called chlorpyrifos, shortly after meeting with officials from Dow.

Senators shouldn't get fooled—Scott Pruitt has seized the EPA and is trying to install polluter lobbyists in key positions. We can't let dirty fuel lobbyists win—we need the Senate to draw the line and reject these nominations.

Mary Anne Hitt is the director of the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign.

https://www.ecowatch.com/pruitt-epa-nominees-2487546138.html

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200117112553.png&hash=ba1663916552c8f166ff86d2dabbb356a693bc54)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 29, 2017, 08:23:28 pm
SEP 24, 2017 TD ORIGINALS

The Abuses of History

By Chris Hedges

SNIPPET:

Quote
The historian Carl Becker wrote, “History is what the present chooses to remember about the past.” And as a nation founded on the pillars of genocide, slavery, patriarchy, violent repression of popular movements, savage war crimes committed to expand the empire, and capitalist exploitation, we choose to remember very little. This historical amnesia, as James Baldwin never tired of pointing out, is very dangerous. It feeds self-delusion. It severs us from recognition of our propensity for violence. It sees us project on others—almost always the vulnerable—the unacknowledged evil that lies in our past and our hearts. It shuts down the voices of the oppressed, those who can tell us who we are and enable us through self-reflection and self-criticism to become a better people. “History does not merely refer to the past … history is literally present in all we do,” Baldwin wrote.

If we understood our real past we would see as lunacy Donald Trump’s bombastic assertions that the removal of Confederate statues is an attack on “our history.” Whose history is being attacked? And is it history that is being attacked or the myth disguised as history and perpetuated by white supremacy and capitalism? As the historian Eric Foner points out, “Public monuments are built by those with sufficient power to determine which parts of history are worth commemorating and what vision of history ought to be conveyed.”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400)


full article:

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-abuses-of-history/

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 02, 2017, 10:36:08 pm
Quote
Lynda Jones · Paradise Beach, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Yet another try to prevent more clean energy producers from entering the market (Solar and wind energy generation). Some of our politicians have got their hands deep in the coal sales cookie jar, and the bribe for building an outdated nuclear power plant already proven to be unsafe elsewhere in the world (including Russia- please google it) makes them very keen to keep clean energy out. Bugger them- in the most painful of all possible ways.
Oct 1, 2017 8:41am

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September 30, 2017

DOE Proposes Outrageous, Massive Coal and Nuclear Bailout

By Miles Farmer

Department of Energy (DOE) Sec. Rick Perry (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) just proposed a massive bailout for coal and nuclear power plants. The radical and unprecedented move is couched under a false premise that power plants with fuel located on site are needed to guarantee the reliability of the electricity system. The proposal relies on a mischaracterization of DOE's own recent study of electricity markets and reliability (discussed here), which if anything demonstrated that this kind of proposed action is not justified.

If adopted, the proposal would essentially ensure that coal and nuclear plants in regions encompassing most of the country continue to run even where they are too expensive to compete in the energy market. It would saddle utility customers with higher costs, while posing obstacles to the electricity system integration of cleaner and less risky energy sources such as solar and wind.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is still carefully analyzing the proposal, but below is a very preliminary take:

The proposal would bail out expensive and uncompetitive coal and nuclear plants (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

The proposal asks the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to take action within 60 days that would financially prop up "fuel-secure resources," which must have "a 90-day fuel supply on site enabling [them] to operate during an emergency, extreme weather conditions, or a natural man-made disaster." This requirement is aimed squarely at coal and nuclear power plants, which would generally be able to satisfy these criteria.

Many coal and nuclear units are very expensive and are having trouble competing in the wholesale electricity market (as discussed here). So the proposal asks FERC to bail out these power plants by essentially guaranteeing them profits and insulating them from competitive market forces. The proposal amounts to a massive subsidy that would ensure the plants continue to operate, rather than being economically retired when they are more expensive than other units (including wind and solar) that sell electricity at lower cost.

The proposal would radically reshape electricity regulation for most of the country

The rule would have a massive scope, covering regional wholesale markets where electricity is bought and sold to serve most of the nation's customers. It would apply to areas where the electricity system is operated by regional entities known as Regional Transmission Operators (RTOs) or Independent System Operators (ISOs), which administer competitive markets for electricity. The RTOs tell the more expensive plants not to operate when there's cheaper electricity available from other plants.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

As shown in the map, RTOs cover most of California, the Midwest and southern states in the middle of the country, as well as the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is not subject to FERC jurisdiction and would not be covered by the proposed rule, if adopted.

Secretary Perry's proposal would be a radical departure from the way FERC currently regulates electricity prices in these regions. Under FERC's system, electricity prices in RTOs are governed by competitive market forces. A power plant is only insulated from this system by FERC under extremely limited circumstances, where a detailed examination of the grid reveals that the plant is needed for reliability purposes. The plant is then guaranteed its costs of operating, but only on a temporary basis, until a replacement can be constructed.

The proposal would lead to higher energy bills and more pollution


Customers across the country would ultimately foot the bill for supporting these more expensive plants. While no credible analysis has been conducted of the costs (which can't even be done given the vagueness of the proposed rule), it is safe to assume that the toll would be many billions of dollars.

The proposal also would favor more expensive and risker power plants over cleaner and safer energy sources such as wind and solar power. Coal power plants emit a massive amount of pollution. They are one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases causing climate change. Coal plants also cause an array of other problems, such as acid rain and asthma. And while low-carbon, nuclear energy poses myriad health and safety risks (discussed here).

The proposal is unjustified

The purported basis for the proposal is that "[t]he resiliency of the nation's electric grid is threatened by the premature retirements of power plants that can withstand major fuel supply disruptions caused by natural or man-made disasters."

But DOE's own reliability report found that all regions of the country have excess supply of energy resources needed to meet demand. Furthermore, while it included a brief discussion of the potential benefits of on-site fuel supply, it also highlighted examples of power plants with on-site fuel supply failing, such as coal plants that could not operate during the 2014 Polar Vortex when their fuel supplies froze in the extreme cold.

The lesson that no type of power plant is immune to weather-related disruptions was clear during the recent hurricanes. Nuclear power plants had to be taken off-line in preparation for Hurricane Irma. Natural gas plants and pipelines suffered disruptions during Hurricane Harvey, and the onsite coal pile at a W.A. Parish plant in Texas became so saturated with rainwater that the coal could not be delivered into storage silos, forcing the plant to switch to natural gas for the first time in eight years.

Nuclear Availability in Florida during Hurricane Irma.Data from SNL Energy, "Daily Nuclear Operations"

Ultimately, the proposal's justification is as flimsy as Secretary Perry's initial suggested basis for subsidizing coal and nuclear—that "baseload" is necessary for the system, a myth that has been thoroughly debunked (as discussed here and here).

DOE is asking FERC to rush to judgment

FERC has already adopted detailed regulations to ensure the reliability of the grid, and follows established processes to consider any necessary tweaks. As DOE's own report explained, these systems have worked to meet the industry's high reliability standards even as the mix of generation serving customers' needs has changed dramatically.

DOE is asking FERC to sidestep that normal process by adopting its radical proposal in a mere 60 days, a timeline that would make it impossible to conduct any of the rigorous analysis that would surely be necessary before making such extreme changes. DOE's proposal is so vague that FERC could not possibly adopt it as is, making it hard to see how FERC could possibly advance it in a manner that complies the procedural requirements for a formal rulemaking proposal.

FERC should reject Secretary Perry's proposal

Perhaps the only silver lining in Secretary Perry's proposal is that DOE has no independent authority to adopt this proposed rule, which is already eliciting pushback from leaders like NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. As discussed here, FERC, not DOE, is the agency primarily responsible for regulating electricity markets. FERC should reject Secretary Perry's outrageous and poorly thought out request.

Miles Farmer is a clean energy attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

https://www.ecowatch.com/doe-coal-nuclear-bailout-2491308467.html

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 02, 2017, 11:06:24 pm
(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/545693884664119297/mCDJfUgm.jpeg)

Perry to FERC: Prop Up Failing Coal and Nuclear With Piles of Cash
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When the Department of Energy’s grid study came out in late August, we said it was obvious that it would be used to justify undeserved handouts to coal and nuclear (even though its contents didn’t actually support that idea). On Friday, fleet-footed DoE Secretary Rick Perry danced around reality to confirm those suspicions by proposing a new rule for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

This new rule Perry wants FERC to consider would make power plants that keep a 90-day fuel supply on hand eligible to receive “full recovery of costs” if they can “withstand major fuel supply disruptions caused by natural and man-made disasters.” In plain language, it would force the public to pay billions to coal and nuclear plants that can’t compete with gas and renewables.

The supposed justification for this handout is national security. Perry’s reasoning--directly contradicted by his own agency’s grid study--is that in times of emergency the country needs coal to keep the lights on. In the real world (which apparently the Trump administration can only reach via pricey private jets) natural and man-made disasters often incapacitate the very power plants Perry wants to prop up with ratepayer money.

During the 2014 polar vortex, for example, natural gas lines were constrained and coal piles froze, but wind and solar worked fine. During Harvey, coal piles were flooded, yet after Irma, it was solar panels that were used to keep traffic lights operational. And of course in Fukushima, a nuclear plant was rendered inoperative by the tsunami and caused a crisis on top of that natural disaster. Yet these are the sources Perry wants taxpayers to subsidize in the name of reliability.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Fc6492e4b47cfdbd50e74d285fde3c53e%2Ftumblr_inline_mm3g4yCaZc1qz4rgp.gif&hash=4b1cad5ea13f7430a0c01f3065039d21d78da398)

This certainly makes it seem like Perry’s request is less about reliability and more about political patronage and shielding dirty old inefficient and costly energy sources from the competition of the free market. Perry’s not coy about this either. “For too long, coal in this country is reviled,” he told the crowd at a speech at a coal mine last Thursday. “It’s time coal in this country is revived.”

To be fair, at least Perry didn’t show up with bags full of cash to give a failing coal plant. Instead, the DoE offered $3.7 billion in loan guarantees to Georgia utilities who are failing to get a pair of nuclear plants up and running. (That’s apparently 7 Solyndras, if you were wondering.) This is on top of another $8 billion utilities have already received, and still might not be enough to complete the project. At what point does it make more sense to just burn the money itself instead of trying to sustain these coal or nuclear plants?

While the loan for the nuclear plant is likely money wasted, it remains to be seen whether FERC will find Perry’s request justifiable. As an independent agency, Perry can’t force FERC to have taxpayers pour money into failing power plants. If there isn’t a legal and financially viable way to meet this request, FERC can decline. And if they don’t, green groups will sue, and a judge will have to decide whether rugcutter Rick’s arguments cut mustard.

To ballet your fears, here’s our guess. After looking at the facts, FERC’s career staffers will politely tell Perry that they did the hustle to try and make this work, but couldn’t swing it. The idea is just corporate welfare (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) mambo-jumbo, they might say, so Perry can take the idea and flamengo back to dancing on TV. 

Agelbert NOTE: Let us hope and pray that sanity prevails. But with the Trump Wrecking Crew, we can not count on sanity.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 11, 2017, 10:42:58 pm
Robert Reich: The Resistance Report 10/10/2017

https://youtu.be/2OcuHvkWSDM

Inequality Media Civic Action

Published on Oct 11, 2017

Today's Resistance Report on Trump's rogue foreign policy, his cruelty towards immigrants, and the 25th Amendment.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 13, 2017, 11:17:06 pm
Keith Olbermann Prophecy 7 years ago (he knew it was OVER then)

https://youtu.be/gPayKb39Kao

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The above people made the below people the US "government" Plutocratic Oligarchy

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(https://ofcommonsense.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/free-choice-not-consequences.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 14, 2017, 04:36:50 pm
Keith Olbermann Prophecy 7 years ago (he knew it was OVER then)

https://youtu.be/gPayKb39Kao


Reminding me once again of how much I miss Olbermann on TV. You'll notice how truth tellers, from Olbermann to Dylan Ratigan to Cenk Uygur, disappear from the so-called "librul" channel.

He had it all right, with the exception of President Palin. Our "Dred Scott decision," indeed.


Agreed. But somehow, I do not think Palin's policies would have been much different, in any way, shape or form, from Trump's polices.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 14, 2017, 07:45:08 pm
https://youtu.be/xakguzWlZ6g

Redacted Tonight

Published on Oct 6, 2017

Even before #HurricaneMaria, #PuertoRico was home to a severe economic + humanitarian crisis. While it's crucial to help the island recover from the devastation of this hurricane, we absolutely must also use this opportunity to call attention to the ongoing colonization, oppression + exploitation of the Puerto Rican people by the US government and Wall Street. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)

Speaking of Wall Street, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, which is supposed to supervise the financial markets, just announced a change in policy to rely less on supervising the industry directly. Instead it will rely more on banks self-reporting their own crimes, which sounds like a foolproof plan.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)
 Lee Camp breaks this down. Then, Natalie McGill joins Lee at the desk to discuss how Congress (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) doesn’t think twice about war money, yet may end a program that ensures medical care for poor children.

Then Naomi Karavani reports on a Supreme Court  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) case that may end collective bargaining through for workers against their employers.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 14, 2017, 09:06:16 pm
Palmer Report

Donald Trump’s allies in Congress make desperate panic move as Robert Mueller closes in on him

Bill Palmer Updated: 3:29 pm EDT Sat Oct 14, 2017

Home » Opinion

If you’re looking for a sign of just how thoroughly Special Counsel Robert Mueller is closing in on Donald Trump, you can start with the fact that Mueller spent all day interviewing Trump’s former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus on Friday. But if you really want confirmation of how close Mueller is getting, take a look at the manner in which Trump’s Republican allies in Congress are suddenly hitting the panic button in pronounced fashion.

Nineteen Republicans in the House and Senate have signed onto legislation which would force Mueller to essentially conduct his Trump-Russia investigation in public (link). This is, of course, a completely insane notion. As prosecutors are building a complex case involving dozens of subjects, witnesses and potential targets, various aspects of the case are kept secret for good reason. In fact Mueller has been keeping certain details hidden from Republicans in Congress so they can’t sabotage him by publicly leaking those details.

This legislation has virtually no chance of succeeding, as it would require 51 votes in the Senate and 218 votes in the House, yet it only appears to have 19 votes between them. Nonetheless, it’s a clear attempt on the part of Trump’s Republican allies – notorious charlatans Bob Goodlatte and Steve King among them – at taking one last desperate shot at preventing Mueller from being able to take down Trump. Moreover, these Republicans are giving away a lot by hitting the panic button at this particular time.

This is the clearest signal yet that Donald Trump’s allies now fear the Trump-Russia investigation is rapidly reaching the point at which there’s no turning back, and Trump’s eventual ouster will be all but guaranteed. It’s not a coincidence that these nineteen Republicans have signed onto this desperate legislation just as Priebus has begun meeting with Robert Mueller in a manner which suggests Priebus has flipped on Trump. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emofaces.com%2Fpng%2F200%2Femoticons%2Ffingerscrossed.png&hash=d56f8009d18b55f4cea7be68284c0521be92fc5d)

http://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/panic-button-donald-trump-mueller/5506/

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 17, 2017, 06:39:23 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Quote
Dismissing the Victims

Dismissing victims is not unusual for this administration and for the EPA. The agency's new chief, Scott Pruitt, spends his time on the road meeting privately with corporate CEOs responsible for these toxic waste sites. He then takes their wish-lists back to Washington so he can draft new ways to roll back the environmental protections they loathe.

But local community leaders, with few exceptions, have not been given the opportunity to talk with Pruitt.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Freading.gif&hash=63e3e644b39258d4c4eedbcdaf322315b1856723)

Hurricane Victims Don't Have the "Complexion for Protection" Tuesday, October 17, 2017 (http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/42281-hurricane-victims-don-t-have-the-complexion-for-protection)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 18, 2017, 07:52:16 pm
70 Years Of Big Money (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)Controlling Politics (w/Guest Harry Truman)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121424.gif&hash=384c17a4d2be4831084933b91808f8a60f73f7f5)

https://youtu.be/8EW1oaWaxv8

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Oct 18, 2017

It is such a unique time to be alive today, given Donald Trump, the state of America, geopolitics, it would be interesting to see what great American heroes like F.D.R. Henry Wallace and Harry Truman have to say about the situation regarding billionaires taking over the government...

Thom brings us a 70 year old clip of President Harry Truman doing just that and in this speech we get to see that the 1% trying to control politics isn't anything new.

SUPPORT THE PROGRAM
► Join us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/thomhartmann where you can also watch a re-run of the three hour program at any time
 
AUDIO PODCASTS
► Subscribe today: http://www.thomhartmann.com/podcast
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 20, 2017, 08:00:13 pm
The American Oligarchy (= FASCISM) is Already Here!

https://youtu.be/0dx9HskSwcA

Is America heading to Oligarchy, no... it's already there and this is how we can stop it!

Thom Hartmann Oct. 19, 2017 5:00 pm

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 23, 2017, 02:42:56 pm

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Why Did Paul Manafort Need to Get to Trump? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ
https://youtu.be/2v8yGN76i28

GQ

Published on Oct 19, 2017


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 24, 2017, 04:47:13 pm
Palmer Report


After another Bob Corker attack, Donald Trump goes berserk and starts tweeting about catching dogs

Bill Palmer Updated: 12:36 pm EDT Tue Oct 24, 2017

Home » Politics

Republican Senator Bob Corker has so thoroughly had it with Donald Trump’s demented antics, he’s willing to risk derailing his own party’s tax cuts for the wealthy in order to march Trump toward the door. Corker grabbed a CNN reporter’s microphone this morning and announced that he regrets having supported Trump during the election, accused Trump of being a consistent liar, and stated that Trump was not a good role model for children.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3)  Let’s just say that Trump didn’t take it well.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F4fvfcja.gif&hash=34a9a570347d39a0a892bc1f376c5e8b88add6b5)

Read more:(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Freading.gif&hash=63e3e644b39258d4c4eedbcdaf322315b1856723)

http://www.palmerreport.com/politics/dog-catcher-trump/5682/

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 24, 2017, 04:57:18 pm
Palmer Report

Republican Senator Jeff Flake announces he won’t seek reelection, openly declares war on Donald Trump  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6869.gif&hash=f94938471d343a09155d1f60eefacdb2ceab2457)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

Bill Palmer Updated: 4:20 pm EDT Tue Oct 24, 2017

Home » Politics
   
As Donald Trump was heading into lunchtime on Tuesday, he only had to worry about two prominent Republican Senators who have had enough of his crap. But by late Tuesday afternoon, a third GOP Senate voice had begun publicly calling Trump out on his unsuitability and dangerous antics. Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona announced that he won’t seek reelection in 2018 – and then he immediately took to the Senate floor and delivered a blistering attack on Trump.

Jeff Flake declared “I have children and grandchildren to answer to, and so, Mr. President, I will not be complicit or silent.” He explained “It must also be said that I rise today with no small measure of regret. Regret because of the state of our disunion. Regret because of the disrepair and destructiveness of our politics. Regret because of the indecency of our discourse. Regret because of the core regret because of the coarseness of our leadership. Regret for the compromise of our moral authority. And by our, I mean all of our complicity in this alarming and dangerous state of affairs. It is time for our complicity and our accommodation of the unacceptable to end.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F47b20s0.gif&hash=cc48c9af9d29b8836023c7db21103e52d1ed439e)

READ MORE!

http://www.palmerreport.com/politics/gop-senator-jeff-flake-announces-retirement-angrily-declares-war-on-donald-trump/5684/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 24, 2017, 07:02:58 pm
Jeff Flake BRILLIANTLY CRUSHES Trump on his senate floor speech (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)

https://youtu.be/flSbXhD0cCk

CasonVids

Published on Oct 24, 2017

Senator Jeff Flake  senate floor speech on he won't be seeking re-election and president trump's tweest about him 10/24/2017  new video.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 24, 2017, 08:44:44 pm
Robert Reich: The Resistance Report 10/23/2017

https://youtu.be/maUsAzV6QKI

Inequality Media Civic Action

Published on Oct 24, 2017
On Tonight's Resistance Report, we look at Trump's tax plan and the power of moneyed interests in Washington.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 26, 2017, 08:45:59 pm
 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

October 25, 2017

Wall Street(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) Wins as Senate (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) Blocks Consumer Protection Rule

The Senate (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) voted 51-50 to repeal a rule that would have made it easier for consumers to sue the financial institutions that defraud them. The move is "outrageous," says white-collar criminologist Bill Black. "It should be a national scandal, and require resignations in disgrace".

https://youtu.be/hj8M3PYqhag

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=20299
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 28, 2017, 01:48:03 pm
Donald Trump has brought us to the brink of nuclear war, obstructed justice, and taken money from foreign governments. We need to impeach this dangerous president. Sign on now.

https://youtu.be/GXl8vRmLeJk


THE CASE FOR IMPEACHMENT

Quote
Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Dear Elected Official,

This is not a time for “patience” — Donald Trump is not fit for office. It is evident that there is zero reason to believe “he can be a good president.”

Whether by the nature of Mr. Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin and Russia, his willingness to exploit the office of the Presidency for his personal gain and treat the government like a family enterprise, his conduct during Charlottesville, his decision to pull out of the Paris climate accords, or his seeming determination to take the nation to war, he has violated the Constitution, the office of the Presidency, and the trust of the public. He is a clear and present danger to the United States of America.

Republican Senator Bob Corker, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, referred to the Trump White House as a day care center, and observed that this president has put us “on the path to World War III.” This comes following reports that Trump’s own Secretary of State referred to him as a “moron” and that Chief of Staff John Kelly and Secretary of Defense James Mattis have an agreement not to leave Trump home alone for fear of what he could do. And we have seen other Republican Senators, including Senators Sasse and Flake, express their own profound concerns.

If Trump has lost the trust of the members of his own administration and leading members of his own party, surely it is time to act.

An accounting of his record to date leads to the same conclusion. He is turning his back on Lady Liberty by holding immigrant children hostage. He is actively sabotaging the Affordable Care Act — a law he is constitutionally obligated to faithfully execute — while seeking to strip away health care coverage that will leave millions of Americans to choose between life and bankruptcy. He is repealing clean air protections and unleashing polluters, even as increasingly catastrophic natural disasters supercharged by our warming planet ravaged the country throughout the summer — from hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, to the wildfires that have raged across California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. He has threatened to reduce aid for millions of American citizens in Puerto Rico who are struggling to survive without drinkable water or electricity — a move that would be a total dereliction of his duty. And every day, Americans are left bracing for a Twitter screed that could set off a nuclear war. These actions represent systemic attacks on our nation’s future. They endanger every single one of your constituents. That’s why you have a duty to speak out.

There is no moral reason to remain silent about this. Constitutional experts like Noah Feldman have already laid out clear legal and historical foundations for impeachment.  Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, a co-author of the Federalist Papers — and an immigrant himself — argued that “high crimes and misdemeanors” could be defined as “abuse or violation of some public trust.” This president has clearly already exceeded these standards. Congress has impeached past presidents for far less.

While we know that Republicans do not seem prepared to pursue impeachment even as members in their own ranks openly question Trump’s fitness for office, we are all working hard to ensure Democrats will take back the House and Senate in 2018. 

Given Trump’s total lack of fitness for office, the question of impeachment becomes a very real issue should we succeed in our midterm goal. That makes it imperative for every Governor of every state, and every mayor of every city, to acknowledge where they stand. This question affects the lives of every single American. They deserve to hear whether or not our party is willing to do what is necessary to protect them and their families. This is not an academic exercise. The very stability of the Republic is at stake.

So, by way of this letter, I am asking you today to make public your position on the impeachment of Donald Trump, and to urge your federal representatives to remove him from office at once. Every day he remains in reach of the nuclear codes is another day for him to menace the citizens you serve and protect. Your constituents deserve to know they are represented by people in every level of government who have the patriotism and political courage to stand up and take action when it is so desperately needed.  This is not a time to give in to an establishment that insists on acting the way the establishment always does, with “patience” or “caution.” It is an unprecedented moment, and it calls for extraordinary measures. We cannot remain fixated on what is politically smart. We have to do what is morally right.

Sincerely,

Tom Steyer

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-191017143841.jpeg&hash=21f142befe4ed82f10ef0bdba11c22bbd3051289)https://www.needtoimpeach.com/sign-the-petition

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281017143754.jpeg&hash=fe73ef4c943000d185b60debf584571781719038)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 30, 2017, 01:13:54 pm
Top U.S. & World Headlines — October 30, 2017

Democracy Now!

https://youtu.be/eB5A_uFL51U

Published on Oct 30, 2017

Visit https://democracynow.org to watch the full independent, global news hour, read the transcript, search our archive and to make a donation to support us.

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream 8-9AM ET: https://democracynow.org

Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today: https://democracynow.org/donate
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 31, 2017, 02:52:28 pm
GAME DAY! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)

https://youtu.be/Vyew9k1b2GU



Tom Steyer   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3)

Published on Oct 30, 2017

Over the past week, we’ve seen our movement grow into a powerful, nationwide force -- and you’ve been a big part of that. Please check out our video and share it with your friends and family.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-191017143841.jpeg&hash=21f142befe4ed82f10ef0bdba11c22bbd3051289) Sign the Petition: http://bit.ly/2gPzW9P 
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 31, 2017, 02:56:18 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-191017143841.jpeg&hash=21f142befe4ed82f10ef0bdba11c22bbd3051289) The Thom Hartmann Program (Full Show) - 10/31/17
https://youtu.be/D7hl7aolEoI
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 31, 2017, 07:19:51 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100115191314.jpeg&hash=d55e3d264e3b56cb2eaf7dcb8dd62a8f98d301f2)


Quote
Which do you think is scarier:

Donald Trump
or…

And the scarier one is…
Ghosts                     Trump, 49/40
Vampires                  Trump, 48/40
Mummies                 Trump, 48/40
Witches                    Trump, 49/42
Zombies                   Trump, 46/43
Werewolves              Trump, 45/44
Devil                        Devil, 51/36



https://www.publicpolicypolling.com/polls/support-impeachment-record-high/


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 01, 2017, 02:59:32 pm
The Thom Hartmann Program (Full Show) - 11/1/17

https://youtu.be/0gCZXNGRnfw
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 02, 2017, 02:45:44 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-191017143841.jpeg&hash=21f142befe4ed82f10ef0bdba11c22bbd3051289) Agelbert NOTE: The Trump Fascist Demagogue Mens Rea Modis Operandi  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) is in full display in the video. The difference back in 'Patriotic America First' 1939 is that the group to be demonized was the Jewish people. Trump demonizes brown and black people, to the delight of all the white SUCKERS in this country that fall for his CRAP.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.llnyc.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F08%2FNazi_Strike_2.jpg&hash=732b1b5bd4b4c3f9086aa3088a623505e53998af)

NIGHT AT THE GARDEN (Dir. Marshall Curry) VIDEO

In 1939, 20,000 Americans rallied in New York’s Madison Square Garden to celebrate the rise of Nazism – an event largely forgotten from American history. A NIGHT AT THE GARDEN uses striking archival fragments recorded that night to transport modern audiences into this gathering and shine a light on the disturbing fallibility of seemingly decent people. (More Info at link)

https://anightatthegarden.com/ (https://anightatthegarden.com/)

(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/e1/47/f6/e147f63ed282ac696cc0cc15ec1fcecf--german-american-bund-rally.jpg)

https://youtu.be/MxxxlutsKuI




Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 03, 2017, 05:07:35 pm
Did Trump Spot the Indictment’s Most Damning Phrase? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

249,306 views

https://youtu.be/wNbvCKqSgx0

GQ
Published on Oct 31, 2017

With three well-chosen words  ;D, Robert Mueller hints that more people are going down.

Is This the End… of Trump’s Sanity? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

https://youtu.be/5l406AXcQBo

GQ
Published on Nov 2, 2017

As the net tightens, Donald Trump’s behavior is getting more erratic.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 03, 2017, 05:28:58 pm
The real reason Robert Mueller hasn’t arrested Jeff Sessions (yet)

Bill Palmer

Updated: 3:35 am EDT Fri Nov 3, 2017

As the first arrests and guilty plea in Donald Trump’s Russia scandal have sent the various Trump-Russia players into a dither this week, an unmistakeable pattern has emerged. The Trump team is now making abundantly clear that Jeff Sessions was well aware of various Trump campaign meetings and conspiracies with the Russian government. This proves Sessions was lying when he claimed otherwise under oath. Suddenly it’s become easy for Robert Mueller to indict and arrest Jeff Sessions. Too easy.

On Monday, the formal confession from Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos was made public. He alleged that several Trump campaign officials, including Jeff Sessions, were aware in advance of his plot to conspire with the Russian government to alter the outcome of the election. On Thursday, Trump campaign adviser Carter Page testified before Congress that Sessions knew in advance about his trip to Moscow during the campaign.

The Page news prompted respected law professor Richard Painter to tweet “The fix is in. They set up Sessions to take the fall. After he is gone, a new acting AG fires Mueller.” I’ve come to suspect that Painter may indeed be correct about this, as he often is. I also don’t believe that such a plot will succeed. Trump can’t fire Mueller without firing Sessions and Rod Rosenstein first. Too many Senate Republicans are old friends with Sessions, and they don’t want him fired for personal reasons. Many of the Senate Republicans also don’t want Mueller fired, because they don’t want the public blowback of that firing to land on them heading into the midterms.

Donald Trump and his team may indeed be serving up Jeff Sessions as bait, in the hope that Robert Mueller will eagerly bust him. But Mueller knows that if he slaps handcuffs on Sessions, then Trump truly will have an excuse to fire Sessions. Even the Republican Senate wouldn’t be able to justify having a sitting Attorney General who’s in jail or under house arrest.

For that reason, Mueller has every strategic reason not to arrest Sessions – at least not yet. For all we know, Mueller may already have a sealed indictment against Sessions in hand. But if Mueller unseals it now, it may swiftly lead to his own firing. Considering what’s at stake, Mueller has a right – and even a responsibly – to keep himself from getting fired so he can see justice through all the way to the end.

Robert Mueller could arrest Jeff Sessions at any time for the crime of having lied under oath to the Senate back in January. But this was true even before Trump’s advisers began fingering Sessions. There’s a reason Mueller hasn’t arrested Sessions yet. He’ll use other avenues to get to Donald Trump, and once it’s reached the point of no return where Trump is going down one way or the other, then he can bring Sessions to justice as well. In fact, if and when Mueller does arrest Sessions, it’ll be a sign that he already has Trump nailed. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fcowboypistol.gif&hash=2dc97f743dffca22404e6e4e0822765e60b33f38)

Help fund Palmer Report:
PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!
Thanks for reading Palmer Report. Check out this great content:

http://www.palmerreport.com/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 03, 2017, 05:37:21 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acmeanimals.com%2FSiteImages%2Fnorwayrat.jpg&hash=fdb83cb01827aa21e87c50552634381f000f4a67)
Quote
“it was a very unimportant meeting, took place a long time, don’t remember much about it.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c)

Donald Trump tries out the mental incompetence defense after Papadopoulos and Gordon incriminate him (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fugly004.gif&hash=c56db4280057389afd154a1cb4057410151579c8)

Bill Palmer

Updated: 4:29 pm EDT Fri Nov 3, 2017
Home » Opinion

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Freading.gif&hash=63e3e644b39258d4c4eedbcdaf322315b1856723)

http://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/mental-incompetence/5878/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 03, 2017, 05:49:09 pm
Donald Trump’s Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is in deep trouble after arrest of Paul Manafort (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3)

Bill Palmer

Updated: 3:28 pm EDT Fri Nov 3, 2017

SNIPPET:

Earlier this year it became clear that Donald Trump’s campaign chairman Paul Manafort was laundering Russian money through Bank of Cyprus, and it appeared that Trump himself might have been doing the same. This led to the inevitable question, which at the time had no answer: what did this have to do with Trump’s decision to nominate Bank of Cyprus vice chairman Wilbur Ross as his Secretary of Commerce? Now we’re finally getting to the Wilbur Ross stage of the Trump-Russia investigation.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100115191314.jpeg&hash=d55e3d264e3b56cb2eaf7dcb8dd62a8f98d301f2)

Read more:

http://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/wilbur-ross-trump-russia/5853/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 05, 2017, 08:12:54 pm
Trump's Trojan Horse (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Tax Plan I Robert Reich

10,536 views

Inequality Media

Published on Oct 31, 2017

Robert Reich explains Trojan Horse tax plan is a Trojan horse that will pave the way for deeper cuts to education, health care and other programs.



https://youtu.be/BfHjzp0PxMI

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 05, 2017, 09:39:01 pm
Quote
Anthony,

Last week, we ran an ad on Fox & Friends calling for the impeachment of Donald Trump.

The president, unsurprisingly, was none too happy about it -- and his friends at Fox News heard the message loud and clear. Without warning, our ad was pulled off the air in blatant act of censorship.  >:(

Fox News violated our First Amendment rights in an effort to appease their #1 fan -- a volatile, thin-skinned President Trump. That's why we've brought in Bernie Sanders' lawyer, Brad Deutsch. He's joining the fight against Donald Trump and is helping to defend our right to freedom of speech.

A plurality of Americans favor impeachment. Our impeachment campaign has clearly struck a nerve with the president and is gaining more momentum by the day. Please share our video and keep up the pressure on Congress.

Share!

The time to impeach is now.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fmaniac.gif&hash=9ecf389a7da25db958f3f63461cbb45a4b316c4e)

Thanks,

Tom Steyer

https://youtu.be/UfIEqnuOEhw

https://www.needtoimpeach.com/momentum/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 06, 2017, 06:01:17 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030317114213.jpeg&hash=1b88332105f6d800286b484c9f267305019922d2)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-050515144544.png&hash=7ee8a9d0ff80a564867eeb5fc64c6c942dec8dee)

Paradise Papers Reveal Tax Evasion & Shady Dealings by Nike, Apple, Queen of England & Trump Cabinet

https://youtu.be/w0ELCOe0kbI
https://youtu.be/3HoKJu35y1Q

Democracy Now!

Published on Nov 6, 2017

https://democracynow.org - A slew of 13.4 million leaked documents revealed how the world’s richest men stash away billions of dollars in wealth in offshore tax havens. The revelations, known as the Paradise Papers, implicate more than a dozen of President Trump’s Cabinet members, advisers and major donors. We continue our conversation with Frederik Obermaier, co-author of the Paradise Papers. He is an investigative reporter at Germany’s leading newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung. Obermaier also worked on a separate investigation, the Panama Papers, and is co-author of the book “Panama Papers: The Story of a Worldwide Revelation.”

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream 8-9AM ET: https://democracynow.org

Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today: https://democracynow.org/donate

Agelbert NOTE:  This is not surprising to those of us in the reality based community. However, these predatory psychopaths do not like this sort of thing to come out. It's bad for business (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978).

After all, it's kinda hard to demonize all those brown and black people out there (when you aren't suckering low and middle class whitey to pay for bombing and shooting them in convenient wars) for being "irresponsible, corrupt, thieving low life crooks and liars" (and so on, you get the idea) when the elite in our society are guilty of far more egregious crimes on a continual mens rea modus operandi/modus vivendi basis.

I mean, From the Queen of England to the Fossil Fuel industry TOOLS, Trump and his wrecking crew, these WORLD CLASS CRIMINAL CROOKS AND LIARS make the other 99% of humanity look like saints!
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817123045.png&hash=4f6da8faccf741b308df3bf01ae8b4193dd205e4)

These psychopaths know that they must make some appearance of "doing the right thing"   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85) or they will no longer have the Consent of the Governed, so to speak.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fwww_MyEmoticons_com__smokelots.gif&hash=094f88de6782c1cd03ed5321b387792046eb3cdd)
(https://image.slidesharecdn.com/119-july4th2016-160708032009/95/119-july-4th-2016-36-638.jpg?cb=1467948536)

These bastards have not forgotten the French Revolution.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2194.gif&hash=5a6b9202f44f22d5ce751c5414683a0944e92e0c)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sherv.net%2Fcm%2Femoticons%2Ffighting%2Fguillotine-smiley-emoticon.gif&hash=346d398e98cf74adf4c16a32bc96088f160176ab)

BUT, since the evil bastards are still running most governments (i.e. they have carefully placed themselves above the law (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c)), they will now cut their losses, so to speak, and throw we-the-people some bones to chew on by throwing the less influential among these predatoy psychopaths off the proft over planet bus and into prison (see below).

The Future of several members of the Trump Wrecking Crew:
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-230115195735.png&hash=16270fccb8023c4dfee851f917a11f36993ed416)
But, but, Trump said he loved me and would support me always...

The PRESENT of several members of the Trump Wrecking Crew, INCLUDING TRUMP:
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acmeanimals.com%2FSiteImages%2Fnorwayrat.jpg&hash=fdb83cb01827aa21e87c50552634381f000f4a67)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Flooksmiley.gif&hash=2fa679c2bf50092b12a1301928cb338275c3ba54)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 06, 2017, 06:28:06 pm
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Left to right: Tillerson, Pruitt, Sessions, Price (but there are SEVERAL MORE!)

John Nichols: Horsemen of the Trumpocalypse

https://youtu.be/5Y43SeHXsuY

Ed Mays

Published on Sep 14, 2017

Whose hands are really on the levers of power in President Trump’s administration? The Nation’s John Nichols returns to our stages for an in-depth examination with his new book: Horsemen of the Trumpocalypse: A Field Guide to the Most Dangerous People in America. Nichols asserts that Trump has assembled a collection of “white nationalists, alt-right hatemongers, voter-suppression schemers, immigrant bashers, and climate-change deniers” to run the American government…and it’s up to us to challenge their excesses.
Having covered many of these political figures for decades, Nichols offers would-be resisters a clear-eyed look at Trump’s inner circle.

Thanks to Seattle Town Hall and Elliott Bay Books

Recorded 9/11/17

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: GWarnock on November 06, 2017, 08:32:00 pm
#1 offender!
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 06, 2017, 09:41:09 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Findex.php%3Faction%3Ddlattach%3Btopic%3D134.0%3Battach%3D40%3Bimage&hash=4c65fb594402f25b50481e5057d4d2dc3a51776e) #1 offender!

Exactly right!

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 07, 2017, 07:14:39 pm
Quote

Anthony --

I've got great news: We're partnering with MoveOn.org to fight Fox News' blatant censorship of our ad calling for Donald Trump's impeachment.

Trump is angry and frantic, and Fox News capitulated to pressure from the Trump administration. But despite the best efforts of Trump and his cronies at Fox News, our movement continues to grow -- and we will not be silenced.

I've just launched a petition with MoveOn.org demanding Fox News stop censoring the voices of the plurality of Americans who support impeachment.

By standing together, we'll send a strong message: This movement will not be silenced. The time to impeach is now.

Thank you,

Tom Steyer

Quote
Subject: Demand Fox News stop censoring anti-Trump views

Hi,

When I launched my "Need to Impeach" effort just a couple weeks ago, Fox News agreed to run an ad. Our dangerous president even watched it and tweeted a personal attack on me. But now, Fox News and President Trump see the strength of our movement and that more Americans than ever agree: It’s time to impeach. Fox News is frantically changing course, refusing to let us keep our ad on their network. We need to send Fox News a strong message: Stop silencing our voices. Run the ad and let viewers make their own decisions.

Tom Steyer

That's why I signed a petition to Fox News and President Donald Trump. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

Will you sign this petition? Click below:

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/demand-fox-news-stop?source=s.em.cp&r_by=18944436

 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fthankyou.gif&hash=dddf44270b9e7683ff5cbcca041427744de34fe5)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 08, 2017, 12:30:04 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)

Robert Mueller, eight ball, corner pocket

Bill Palmer

Updated: 2:18 am EST Wed Nov 8, 2017

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http://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/corner-pocket-robert-mueller/5956/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 08, 2017, 02:37:45 pm
Anniversary of the Apocalypse

In the terror-struck and vertiginous days after Donald Trump’s election a year ago, as I tried to make sense of America’s new reality, I called people who lived, or had lived, under authoritarianism to ask what to expect. I wasn’t looking for concrete predictions — one of the disorienting things about that moment was that no one, no matter how learned, had any idea what was happening — but for insights into how the texture of life changes when an autocratic demagogue is in charge.

A secular Turkish journalist told me, her voice sad and weary, that while people might at first pour into the streets to oppose Trump, eventually the protests would probably die out as a sense of stunned emergency gave way to the slog of sustained opposition. The Russian dissident writer Masha Gessen warned that there’s no way, with a leader who lays siege to the fabric of reality, to fully hold on to a sense of what’s normal. “You drift, and you get warped,” she told me.

They were both right. The country has changed in the past year, and many of us have grown numb after unrelenting shocks. What now passes for ordinary would have once been inconceivable. The government is under the control of an erratic racist who engages in nuclear brinkmanship on Twitter. He is dismantling the State Department, defending the hollowing out of the diplomatic corps by saying, on Fox News, “I’m the only one that matters.”

He publicly pressures the Justice Department to investigate his political opponents. He’s called for reporters to be jailed, and his administration demanded that a sportscaster who criticized him be fired. Official government statements promote his hotels. You can’t protest it all; you’d never do anything else. After the election, many liberals pledged not to “normalize” Trump. But one lesson of this year is that we don’t get to decide what normal looks like.

Last month Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, took an unannounced trip to Saudi Arabia, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who later had a number of his rivals, including a Trump critic, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, put under arrest. In The Washington Post, David Ignatius described Kushner’s talks with Prince Mohammed this way: “The two princes are said to have stayed up until nearly 4 a.m. several nights, swapping stories and planning strategy.” A year ago, that sentence would have been unintelligible as a description of American diplomacy, even as a wry joke.

But this nightmare year has upended assumptions about the durability of the rules, formal and informal, governing our politics. There’s a metaphysical whiplash in how quickly alarm turns into acceptance and then into forgetfulness. It was astonishing when Trump installed Steve Bannon as his chief strategist, a man who had previously run a white nationalist tabloid; now it feels like ages ago that he was even in the White House. (He’s been gone less than three months.)

It was staggering when credible evidence emerged that one of the president’s former national security advisers, Sebastian Gorka, was a member of a Nazi-aligned Hungarian group called the Vitezi Rend, and even more staggering when that revelation didn’t immediately end his White House career.

Hannah Arendt once wrote of the role vulgarity played in undermining liberalism in pre-totalitarian societies: “The temporary alliance between the elite and the mob rested largely on this genuine delight with which the former watched the latter destroy respectability.” I thought of this when I saw Ted Nugent, who on several occasions called for Barack Obama to be killed, grinning in a photograph taken in the Oval Office, or Kellyanne Conway appearing on television to urge America to buy Ivanka Trump merchandise. In this administration, crassness has become a weapon, annihilating social codes that once restrained political behavior, signaling that old standards no longer apply.

Lately, the pace of shocks has picked up, even if our capacity to process them has not. Trump’s former campaign chairman has been indicted. One of his former foreign policy aides has pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. about his attempts to collude with Russia. His commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, turns out to have retained a stake in a company with business ties to the son-in-law of President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board once claimed that our air is “too clean for optimum health.” USA Today recently reported that the president has nominated several members of his clubs to federal jobs. Never in modern history, it said, “has a president awarded government posts to people who pay money to his own companies.” In another administration this would have been a major scandal. In this one it barely registers.

How can America ever return from this level of systematic derangement and corruption? I wish there was someone I could ask, but we know more about how countries slide into autocracy than how they might climb out of it. It’s been a year, and sometimes I’m still poleaxed by grief at the destruction of our civic inheritance.

In moments of optimism I think that this is just a hideous interregnum, and that in a brighter future we’ll watch prestige dramas about the time we almost lost America while members of the current regime grow old in prison. But in my head I hear the song that closed out Trump rallies like a satanic taunt or an epitaph for democracy: “You can’t always get what you want.”


https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/11/06/opinion/anniversary-trump-clinton-election.htm

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 08, 2017, 05:37:51 pm
Robert Reich: The Resistance Report 11/06/2017

https://youtu.be/hCDYDzVpMo8

Inequality Media Civic Action

Published on Nov 6, 2017


It's been almost a year since Trump was elected but he's still going after his political opponents. Tonight we look at the damage he is doing to the rule of law and our democratic institutions.

(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpg)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 08, 2017, 06:16:29 pm
Naomi Klein on The Young Turks with Cenk Uygur

https://youtu.be/n6Fw5FRpbKY

37,624 views
 
TYT Interviews Published on Oct 13, 2017

Cenk Uygur interviews Naomi Klein, winner of the Sydney Peace Prize and author of five books, including The Shock Doctrine. They discuss Klein’s 5-step plan to resist Trump, what the Dems are doing wrong, how the political ground is shifting, Klein’s relationship with the media, whether or not the Democratic Party needs change, and how the Trump administration is the result of corporatism.

No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need by Naomi Klein: http://a.co/2iicZ0Z
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: GWarnock on November 09, 2017, 11:09:42 am
Republicans and Democrats are still controlled by corporate Ameri.... let's just say global corporations/ banks/ M, O, N, E, Y.[attach=1]
The Globe is controlled by banks/ M, O, N, E, Y, W, H, O, R, E, S!
They buy government leaders like we buy a washing machine, (1 year warranty on parts and labor, 5 year warranty on the drive train)!
[attach=2]
There are 2,043 billionaires on the planet, they are playing a game of Monopoly, we are merely  pieces...
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: GWarnock on November 09, 2017, 11:59:56 am
The 8 richest people on the planet own one half the worlds wealth, [attach=1], while Millions can't even afford decent catfood...


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Agelbert NOTE: There, fixed that formating thing fer ya.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F34y5mvr.gif&hash=835b3a3f26d5d1b7f0acc379ad8ebd3fe9eea488)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 10, 2017, 06:20:31 pm
The EPA's Science Purge (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

News & Politics

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.funny-emoticons.com%2Ffiles%2Ffunny-animals%2Fblue-bird-emoticons%2F801-listen-up%21.png&hash=f7fb2b5263a68b91c628fc597877983f813843e5) November 3, 2017

https://soundcloud.com/the-energy-gang
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 10, 2017, 07:48:17 pm
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 10, 2017, 07:52:05 pm
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 13, 2017, 09:16:50 pm
A Year Without a President Robert Reich
https://youtu.be/AOGTLvxEKMM

Inequality Media

November 5, 2017

Robert Reich looks at what we've learned so far about the Trump presidency, and who is really running the country.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 17, 2017, 07:30:42 pm
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pya86HYx3jE/WMQ5cCqBZoI/AAAAAAABL4M/DYBUNzDMuMIrJnYokV0g4VIbqv3qR6biwCLcB/s1600/sessions.jpg)
Forget, Hell! Umm, that is, unless ah don't recall...


Jeff Sessions gets CAUGHT LYING by ted lieu & jeffries on Trump Russia Meetings

https://youtu.be/N77SysKJZqE

464,726 views

CasonVids

Published on Nov 14, 2017

Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies before House judiciary committee on his meetings with Russian officials and the Trump campaign on this hearing Senators Ted Lieu  and Hakeem Jeffries question Jeff Sessions on President Trump, Russia and Trump Jr 11/14/2017.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 17, 2017, 09:06:32 pm
Congress Has a Culture of Harassment It's Bigger Than Roy Moore (w/Guest Don Siegelman)

https://youtu.be/57gbPJc2OHo

Thom is joined by the former governor of Alabama and Don Siegelman to discuss Roy Moore and American's problems with guns and people using them against crowds of people.

Thom Hartmann Nov. 16, 2017 5:00 pm

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 18, 2017, 02:22:27 pm
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pya86HYx3jE/WMQ5cCqBZoI/AAAAAAABL4M/DYBUNzDMuMIrJnYokV0g4VIbqv3qR6biwCLcB/s1600/sessions.jpg)
Forget, Hell! Umm, that is, unless ah don't recall...  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)

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Jeff Sessions gets CAUGHT LYING by ted lieu & jeffries on Trump Russia Meetings

https://youtu.be/N77SysKJZqE

464,726 views

CasonVids

Published on Nov 14, 2017

Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies before House judiciary committee on his meetings with Russian officials and the Trump campaign on this hearing Senators Ted Lieu  and Hakeem Jeffries question Jeff Sessions on President Trump, Russia and Trump Jr 11/14/2017.



Jeff Sessions gets CAUGHT LYING by ted lieu & jeffries on Trump Russia Meetings

It's just part of his skill set.

Color me nof surprised.   ::)

If his lips are moving, he's lying.

RE


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When Napoleon Tried To Conquer Egypt - Documentary

For History buffs: Napoleon's REAL Waterloo was in Egypt, not Waterloo (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-191017143841.jpeg&hash=21f142befe4ed82f10ef0bdba11c22bbd3051289) Agelbert NOTE: While the fellow narrating the documentary admires Napoleon's 'leadership qualities', he admits that Napoleon was was an expert liar and consumate con artist. As learned Doomer Surly says, and I agree with him. lying is part of the 'skill set' of certain people.

In our current ethics free imitation of a civilization (i.e. Social Darwinist Religion (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c)), unethical behavior is, not just admired for being 'astute', but rewarded with money and power along with never ending syrupy accolades from fellow true believers in 'might equals right'.

Our current criminal in chief, an admitted admirer of P.T. Barnum, is no Napoleon. BUT, the common thread that history shows among these men that lie and cheat their way to fame, who achieve temporary success by stimulating the most barbaric instincts that humans possess (eventually causing the death of thousands of suckers that admire and follow them slavishly and stupidly), is their ability to repeatedly portrays massive failures as successes in the public eye. This 'skill set' is what keeps them from being taken down the first time they fail in one of their schemes.

So let us be clear, the issue is not that people like Trump lie and get away with it; the issue is that they realize they screwed up and then sit down and carefully think through their predicament, using all the mens rea they can muster, in order to turn a massive failure into a propaganda event that will be portrayed as an astounding success.:o  ;)
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THIS was Napoleon's 'secret'. THIS is what the Napoleon wannabe Trump is trying to emulate. THIS is why you read about Waterloo and not about Egypt, which should have earned Napoleon the disdain of the French and a long prison term, if not the death sentence. For example, Napoleon didn't know what to do with about 2,000 prisoners he had taken in combat, so he had them murdered. He ordered his men to use bayonets to save ammunition. It was done on a beach in the Middle East. It took three days. Napoleon then faked a victory march into Cairo, even as a large percentage of his army was sick with plague. Napoleon then snuck out of Egypt, knowing the Turks and/or the English would soon run France out of there, declaring 'victory' in Egypt when he arrived in France.

He was greeted as a hero. He then went on to other massive errors like fighting Russia and trying to keep Haiti in slavery. But you know about that. What you don't know is in this documentary.

Be warned, Trump is going through his Egypt experience now. If he uses it to catapult himself to greater power by using the Napoleon Con Man Secret of branding failure as a 'brilliant success', a signifcant percentage of Americans, plus an even greater amount of non-Americans, will die in miserable conditions, either from war or from want. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070814193155.png&hash=144ce9330e49ee84060db8753a8db69c39a14913)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fdesertsmile.gif&hash=293fbde1c87dec2d81c5907e3fbac7d8e5bba7a9)


Trump, like Napoleion, is not stupid. Trump is intelligent. He is an expert in scapegoating those who tell the truth about him. These are NOT true leadership qualities. These 'qualities' are, unfortunately, admired by those with no ethical compass.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smilies.4-user.de%2Finclude%2FSpiele%2Fsmilie_game_017.gif&hash=e8548890f80af23241a1d43a1ab1ca8031301f20)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f) This has been my gripe with Wall Streeters in general and some Doomstead Diners in particular. The fact that a person lacking empathy and any sense of personal responsibility whatsoever is intelligent and clever enough to pass the buck to an innocent party can only considered a 'admirable' if you are a Social Darwinist. Social Darwinsim is a a demonic religion disguised as a justification for consciense free predation. Following it can gain you wealth, power and fame and make you a party to the eventual destruction of everything good about humanity. But, because the cause and effect horizon is greater than a single human lifetime, many are fooled into believing that it is not evil and destructive, but simply 'prudent apex predator behavior'. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)

If you cannot learn from me, at least try to learn from history. Napoleon's most trusted general, the one he left in charge of Egypt, was assassinated within a year and the French Army surrendered to the English shortly thereafter.

Napoleon was an intelligent, empathy deficit disordered, buck passing, MURDERING CROOK. Trump, with less intellect than Napoleon and the exact same Murdering Con Artist mindset, has several times the destructive power that Napoleon had. Do the math. Help get Trump out of office or face the doom you helped bring about. 

When Napoleon Tried To Conquer Egypt - Documentary

https://youtu.be/0_Wm3_ghzIs

59,877 views

Wonderbook

Published on Aug 24, 2017

Subscribe to Wonderbook for daily documentaries - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8g1... (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8g1...)

Watch more great documentaries - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8g1... (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8g1...)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 18, 2017, 02:35:13 pm
Guillotine Sliced, French Toast
http://business.financialpost.com/news/economy/debt-problem (http://business.financialpost.com/news/economy/debt-problem)

The bill is coming due.

Yup.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smiley-lol.com%2Fsmiley%2Fexagerent%2Fpolice%2Fboulet.gif&hash=d7b4519fc185b666c4c74a5bc63d4d0a70c0ad21)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smiley-lol.com%2Fsmiley%2Fexagerent%2Fpolice%2Fenprison.gif&hash=4912c6e4685052e7a6084b2d6740020437d7dae4)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2194.gif&hash=5a6b9202f44f22d5ce751c5414683a0944e92e0c)    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6869.gif&hash=f94938471d343a09155d1f60eefacdb2ceab2457)        (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6348.gif&hash=9504ceda802b0d93a18efc33727d5044073ea428)                              (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sherv.net%2Fcm%2Femoticons%2Ffighting%2Fguillotine-smiley-emoticon.gif&hash=346d398e98cf74adf4c16a32bc96088f160176ab)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 21, 2017, 02:18:56 pm
Republicans are PROUD of Giving HANDOUTS to their Rich Crook Donors  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

Social Security Works

November 21, 2017

https://youtu.be/qAqpsB-gu0k

Since his college years, Paul Ryan has been fantasizing about cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Now, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has featured Social Security Works’ very own Alex Lawson, Nancy Altman and Jasmine Jefferson in an important video to break down Paul Ryan and the Koch brothers’ long game to destroy our earned benefits.

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ssw2017membership
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 21, 2017, 02:58:11 pm
Donald Trump loses white supporter after his racist attack on black NFL star Marshawn Lynch

Bill Palmer

Updated: 1:34 am EST Tue Nov 21, 2017

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http://www.palmerreport.com/politics/marshawn-white-trump/6143/

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 27, 2017, 08:01:54 pm
The United States Government is No Different from a Fascist Government

https://youtu.be/GTChUwi87rs

Given the merger of state and corporate power that is our government today, how are we any different from fascist governments?

Thom Hartmann Nov. 24, 2017 2:00 pm

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 28, 2017, 02:55:25 pm
(https://c1cleantechnicacom-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/files/2017/05/Trump-Germany-1.jpg)

THIS IS WHAT DICTATORS DO

President Trump is stuffing the government full of reliable cronies.

Not far from the White House, the building that is supposed to be the permanent home of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau is nearly complete. This is assuming that, under the rule of the president*, and congressional majorities steeped in the politics and policies that made him inevitable, and a Supreme Court sliding toward a solid majority derived from that very same brand of modern conservatism, anything in our politics can be said to be permanent.

The CFPB is now in the middle of a signifying political bloodbath, the ramifications of which go far beyond the survival of that newly hatched institution, although its survival is important enough, especially to the citizens who got back some of the $12 billion the CFPB clawed away from the voracious tentacles of the swindlers in the financial services sector, where the business plan usually includes fraud. CNN surveys the terrain as the whole thing moves to court.

    Lawyers for Leandra English, whom Cordray named the effective acting director when he resigned on Friday, filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to halt the appointment of Mulvaney, who serves as head of the Office of Management and Budget and is also named in the lawsuit. Both Mulvaney and English were present at the CFBP Monday morning. Mulvaney was given full access to the CFPB director's office with "full cooperation" from its staff, a senior White House official told CNN, adding that the OMB director brought doughnuts for his new staff. English, according to a source familiar with the matter, also was present at the bureau Monday morning, but it was not immediately clear if she and Mulvaney interacted. English's move marks a stunning turn of events at the agency, which was created after the financial crisis to protect consumers and keep an eye on Wall Street. While serving in Congress, Mulvaney voted in favor of killing the bureau, arguing it has too much power and issues unduly harsh regulations, and he has worked alongside Trump to roll back some of the agency's rules.

According to the legislation that set up the CFPB, English has the proper claim to the office. This is because the CFPB deliberately was set up to be as independent as possible from presidential political influence—in short, to keep people like this president* from installing a crony like Mick Mulvaney in the job of shredding the agency he’s supposed to be running. This argument insists that English should run the CFPB until the president* nominates, and the Senate confirms, a proper successor to Cordray. Mulvaney’s case is based on something called the Vacancy Reform Act of 1998, which obviously predates the law establishing the CFPB.

In this matter, the current president* again is behaving in a manner quite typical of recent Republican presidents. This is how the last Republican administration played scandalous shenanigans with the Department of Justice. This is why the Reagan administration stuck people like James Watt in at Interior, and Silent Sam Pierce in at HUD. The only difference is that one of the people behind this president*, Steve Bannon, the last heir to House Harkonnen, hung a high-falutin’ think-tank name on this traditional conservative vandalism: “deconstructing the administrative state.”

The way you know that the president* is acting in this matter very much in keeping with current conservative ideology is that our current conservatives have lined up staunchly behind him. For example, Senator Tom Cotton, the bobblethroated slapdick from Arkansas, is pretending to be smart at the top of his lungs again.

    Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, a member of the Banking Committee and longtime critic of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, called English's lawsuit "just the latest lawless action" by the agency, which he labeled "rogue" and "unconstitutional" in a statement Sunday night. "The President should fire her immediately and anyone who disobeys Director Mulvaney's orders should also be fired summarily," Cotton said. "The Constitution and the law must prevail against the supposed resistance."

“The supposed resistance”? I think ol’ Tom believes that the CFPB is staffed with people in black balaclavas. I’m sure Cotton’s hysteria has nothing at all to do with the $1.5 million that the good folks at opensecrets.org report that his campaign fund has received from the “securities and investment” industries. Come to think of it, before he signed on as the president*’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney was gifted with over 400-large from those same banking interests.
Tom Cotton

(And, before I forget, if Richard Cordray really does run for governor of Ohio next year, Ohio Democratic primary voters would be well within their rights to ask him why he threw his vulnerable agency to the wolves on behalf of his own political ambitions.)

But there is more to it than simply who runs an agency that the Republicans and their donor classes hate. Even Ronald Reagan wasn’t bold enough to pick a member of his White House staff as Secretary of the Interior. Mulvaney is still the director of the Office of Management and Budget, as important a sub-Cabinet job as there is. Even for this job, he’s painfully unqualified, being basically a garden-variety Tea Party hack with no grounding in economics beyond whatever he last read in a mass email from Heritage.

Now, he’s supposed to run two vital financial agencies at once, including one that he’s already called a “sick, sad joke,” and we’re supposed to buy this as normal? This is what dictators do. They stuff the government full of reliable cronies whose interests are detached utterly from the people they’re supposed to serve. That’s how billions of dollars in mineral rights from impoverished little countries end up in banks in Switzerland and the Caymans. They’re always good at deconstructing things, the dictators are. It’s one of their only real talents.


http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a13937211/cfpb-mulvaney-trump/ (http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a13937211/cfpb-mulvaney-trump/)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 29, 2017, 06:46:55 pm
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGVIjKDVwAAdlAm.jpg)
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Trump is Finished (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3)| The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ

https://youtu.be/xmkXR7EL_RY

GQ
Published on Nov 27, 2017

Quote
And thus my work here is done
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 30, 2017, 09:30:58 pm
The Resistance Report: November 27th, 2017

https://youtu.be/MBb7lt5wUDw

Inequality Media Civic Action

Published on Nov 28, 2017

Tonight: the Trump-Republican tax abomination, and how we can stop it.

Agelbert NOTE: This is what happens in the next decade if this abomination of a tax SCAM goes through.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 01, 2017, 04:46:49 pm
US President Donald Trump has addressed US news media reports on the imminent departure of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state without clearly confirming or denying them.

The rumours, which had been present for months, grew louder when the New York Times newspaper reported, citing senior administration officials, on Thursday that Trump intended to replace Tillerson with Mike Pompeo, the CIA chief, in the coming months.

"He's here. Rex is here," Trump said in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday.

In a statement, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said: "As the president just said, 'Rex is here.'

"There are no personnel announcements at this time.

"Secretary Tillerson continues to lead the State Department, and the entire cabinet is focused on completing this incredibly successful first year of President Trump's administration."

Tillerson, a former executive for the energy company Exxon, took office on February 1.

Trump and Tillerson are believed to have disagreed on a number of foreign policy issues, including the regional blockade of Qatar.
Controversial remarks

Pompeo, a former Congressman from Kansas, is a controversial figure. He told Congress in 2013 that the silence from Muslim leaders on acts of violence committed by violent "extremists" was "deafening".

"Instead of responding, silence has made these Islamic leaders across America potentially complicit in these acts, and more importantly still, in those that may well follow," Pompeo said.

The reports came a day after Trump retweeted a series of videos deemed Islamophobic from UK-based Britain First, a far-right nationalist group.

Britain First has held "Christian patrols" in predominantly Muslim areas of UK cities.

Jayda Fransen, the group's deputy leader, has been convicted of religiously aggravated harassment for accosting a British Muslim mother of four for wearing a hijab.

"I think the world has come to expect a certain level of anti-immigrant and Islamophobic tint from this administration. Pompeo in the state department would continue this trend," Corey Saylor, the Council on American-Islamic Relations' chief Islamophobia expert, told Al Jazeera on Thursday.

Regarding Pompeo's rumoured move from the CIA to the state department, Saylor said: "each position gives him different ways to advance the administration's troublesome agenda".

Saylor pointed to previous actions by Pompeo, including his retweeting of a blog post that called Raj Goyle, a former political opponent of Indian descent, a "turban topper". Pompeo later apologised for the retweet.

Pompeo's campaign later used a hoarding encouraging voters to "Vote American" by voting for Pompeo over Goyle.

Saylor said these actions could have a negative impact on his tentative role as secretary of state, the highest diplomatic position in the US government.

"When you're trying to negotiate with countries that are our allies, with the type of background and things he's said in the past, I think that starts things off on a completely different level than those who have been able to separate violent extremism from the religion of Islam," Saylor concluded.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/trump-replace-rex-tillerson-mike-pompeo-report-171130174219545.html (http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/trump-replace-rex-tillerson-mike-pompeo-report-171130174219545.html)

the entire cabinet is focused on completing this incredibly successful first year of President Trump's administration."

And THEY complain about fake news. They are the primary dispensers of fake news.

I think Tillerson is more powerful than the Kochroaches like Pompeo (and Trump).

This move probably spells curtains for Trump, no matter how much in line the Kochroaches are with the rest of Big Oil & Gas. Tillerson is not a nice guy and knows exactly how to get people that are in the way. He is an old hand at skullduggery.
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 01, 2017, 10:58:44 pm
I do not think the "shift to the right in the general population" is anything but a Koch bought-and-paid for media (false) perception. When honest polls have been done, the fact is that that the general population of the USA favors Socialism in government, not profit over people and planet Capitalism. Deliberately targeted voter disenfranchisement and undemocratic gerrymandering has more to do with getting Kochroachs "elected" to State and Federal government positions than anything else.

I'm not in disagreement with you here. But the effects are huge. And the Koch chosen torch bearers have managed to put great political power in the hands of Christian conservatives.

I thought for a long time about how Texas could go from Anne Richards as governor to Bush, then Perry, then Abbott....each of them a bigger toady and each of them perfectly successful politically.It didn't quite add up, until I was looking at demographics and I noticed that the Catholics and the Evangelicals together make a majority of voting Texans. And they share the same hot buttons....abortion, prayer in schools, fear of LGBT people, fear of being a victim of crime. They are a bloc.

It's not that they're Christian that bothers me. It's that they're persuaded by the kind of potent Orwellian means that you mentioned...brainwashed, if you will. They are the Koch's rank and file. And they are voting these people in.

And it's the courts too. There was a recent court case here in which the voting districts were examined and (even though they are ALL extremely gerrymandered) the only one found to be in violation was......(drumroll) that of liberal Democrat Lloyd Dogett of Austin.

Sure his district is gerrymandered. The Republicans put al the black people in one district --- his.  Never mind that my representative, the conservative prick Lamar Smith, has a district that cherry picks every middle-class suburban neighborhood from South Austin to San Antonio, and also includes  a nice slice of the rural outlying counties nearby (just in case). He's elected for life.


Yes, the level of corruption is off the charts. And you know how I feel about those so-called "Christians", not just in Texas, but all over the United States. Take any one of those holier than thou "Evangelicals" and quote some Scripture about John the Baptist telling people that if they have two coats, to give one to someone who doesn't have one and he that hath meat, let him do likewise (Luke 3:11), and they will call you a heathen Communist! There is NO "God" but Mammon in the "Christian" organized Church in the USA, period.

But to your more important, and profound, point that so many people are voting against their better interests, let me say that I have wrestled with that all my life. I see people being manipulated, suckered and made fools of, yet they remain stubbornly loyal to the P.T. Barnum bastard from whatever political party that smiles and glad hands them even as he or she lies over and over again. So I see where you are going with this and partially agree.

But there is a limit to the long train of abuses, Eddie. People are not as gullible as Hitler believed (see his quote below).
(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/015c2e1a3250a81ec5409760e4636175a6f565f23a75028afb5f451719fdccb3.jpg)

Psychopaths like Hitler and the Koch Brothers, to name just three, need to believe their clever lies are effective. Orwell brought that up in the book "1984" where the psychopathic government announced the ration of chocolate had been RAISED from 20 grams a week (forgot the measurement - you get the idea) to 15 grams a week... And everybody cheered... (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817122018.gif&hash=74d86c1f35e2f61ea38c9bfa392f84a92631b96e)

Winston was not impressed. Winston saw through that. Orwell wrote the book because he knew that crap would be pulled on future generations. We are there. It's called "Tax Reform".

Psychopaths like to fool themselves into thinking we "little people" are all masochists and we just ENJOY (and DESERVE) abuse. Furthermore, they think they are DOING US A SERVICE by keeping us from doing whatever our "silly" minds think of doing.

Well, that is BULLSHIT!!!!

You can get away with that ONLY until your LIES are exposed. The Trumps of this world don't want to admit that, even to themselves.

All that Orwellian mindfork is falling apart now. Lamar Smith doesn't want to conserve the environment, the welfare of the people in his district or the right for people he does not  agree with to vote. "Conservative", MY ARSE! That bastard is a REACTIONARY tool of the highest corporate bidder, period!

I think that people all over the USA are realizing that they are being suckered with pretty words like "Freedom" and "Liberty" (and so on) which mean the exact opposite.

It is ironic that Communists are demonized for wanting to "corrupt the language" in order to undermine honest communication and truth (so they can take over the government from those poor innocent lamb Capitalists  ::)), when the Wall Street owned Politicians on the right (and several on the  so-called "left" too) have been the champion Orwellian mindforkers putting all kinds innocuous sounding or peppy euphemisms out there for activity that is actually horrendously exploitive and murderously crooked.

I can give you a LONG list of terms thrown around that, in practice, in the USA, mean the exact opposite of their definition in the dictionary. 

THAT, Eddie, is what has kept people confused and fooled into voting against their best interests. It has not been that they are stupid; it has been that they trusted. I will not blame the victim for what criminals have done.

At any rate, I think that is pretty much over. That is why the Republicans DO NOT WANT the masses to vote. That is why they are moving like greased lightning to gut what is left of our social contract. They ARE in hurry because they KNOW they ARE being exposed.

One more thing: If some "evangelical" tells you that Jesus is coming soon so we "don't have to worry about the environment", tell them they are disobeying Jesus Himself who said you MUST WORK (that includes STEWARDSHIP of the environment, not just giving Scripture tracts on a street corner) while there is daylight, because the day will come when no one can work. And tell them Jesus will spit them from his mouth for being lukewarm cowards without the spine to do what is right! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

Tell them that the MAMMON worship they practice in their "prosperity preaching" church is CONDEMNED OVER AND OVER AND OVER in the Bible. And then tell them to have a nice day.   :D

Eddie, maybe I am crazy, but I think this country is hitting rock bottom and, at least spiritually, things will now improve mightily.     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fballoons.gif&hash=a64bb5ff3e76c3e11999996c460fa02de1ee10f7)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 02, 2017, 12:34:12 pm
The Tax Scam(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Passed the Senate. What Now?

December 2, 2017

Republicans have jammed the Trump Tax Scam through the Senate, by a vote of 51-49. It’s hard to imagine how this bill could be worse: not only does it give massive tax cuts to the rich and corporations, it also allows drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, exacerbates growing inequality, and adds $1 trillion to the deficit—which will force deep cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security down the road.

The Tax Scam is not yet law. Republicans have two options for how to get the Tax Scam across the finish line, and then they have to immediately attend to funding the government. Here’s what comes next.

OPTION A: “GO TO CONFERENCE”

Since the House and Senate passed different versions of the Tax Scam, one option for Republicans is to merge them together by “going to conference.” This is where members of the House and Senate are appointed to a conference committee.  The goal is to work out the differences between the bills and put them together into one “conference report” which is then voted on by both the House and Senate.

There are a number of important differences between the two bills, first and foremost the repeal of the individual mandate that was included in the Senate version but not the House. There are also differences between the individual tax rates, the estate tax, and the alternative minimum tax.

Republicans have all publicly ;)  said they want to go to conference. Going to conference would more closely resemble “regular order” and allow for some review of what is in these bills. That extends the process of passing the Tax Scam by at least two weeks or so, because they have to appoint conferees, come up with the agreement, and then vote on it in both chambers. Given the deep unpopularity of the Tax Scam, it’s likely they’ll try to avoid conference at any cost by instead choosing Option B…

OPTION B: THE HOUSE PASSES THE SENATE BILL—AS IS

To really put the pedal to the metal on finishing the Tax Scam, Republicans can instead have the House pass the version just passed by the Senate. Even though Republicans have all said they want to go to conference, it would save them a ton of time and trouble to go this route instead. If the votes are there in the House to pass the Senate bill, they will.

Look for Speaker Ryan to quietly spend the weekend twisting arms behind the scenes. There is currently a vote scheduled on Monday, December 4 to “instruct conferees” (tell the members of the Conference Committee what to do)—but this could easily be turned into a vote on the Senate bill itself if the votes are there.

TURNING TO GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND DREAM

If Republicans go with Option A, it will mean the conference report on the Tax Scam takes a back seat to next week’s main event: finding a way to fund the government by the December 8 deadline. If they go with Option B, and the bill passes the House, it will mean Congress has finished its work on the Tax Scam.

Either way, our attention now needs to be on funding the government and holding Democrats to their commitment to secure inclusion of the DREAM Act in the funding bill. Democrats have promised for three months that they will use their leverage on the December spending bill to get the DREAM Act done. Now it’s time for them to deliver. Read more and find out how you can help Dreamers at www.dreamerpledge.org.

https://www.trumptaxscam.org/what-now
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 03, 2017, 03:49:05 pm
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/12/01/tax-cuts-for-the-super-rich-financial-assault-on-the-working-people/

December 1, 2017
Tax Cuts for the Super Rich, Financial Assault on the Working People

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by REZA FIYOUZAT

Tax plans are basically pictures of envisioned futures. So, to distill to its essence the tax proposal currently under consideration in the U.S. Congress and promoted by President Trump as something beautiful, we should counter-market it as: Jacking Up the Social Rent for the Working Peoples Act.

Marx described law as the official codification of the status of the lines of battle in the class struggle. For example, if the law dictates that child labor is allowed, capital has won; if specific laws ban such things, those on the side of labor and decency have won the battle. Likewise, if the prevailing law designates wealth accumulated through financial speculation as a separate class of income worth more, compared to earnings through labor (intellectual or physical), finance capital has won the battle. For now, at least.

The Republicans’ intension is very clear: strategic weakening of our side, by chipping away at, by damaging, destroying completely when and where possible, and by taking away as much of the public infrastructure as they can; infrastructure we need for our basic survival in safety. And by doing so, they reduce our ability to put up an effective fight down the line.

On the face of it, the proposed tax plan is marketed as something to help most earners receive some tax cuts. In absolute dollar amounts, however, here are some revealing figures from an article published by the Forbes magazine:

“In dollar terms, 53% of the cuts would go to the top 1% and 30% to the top 0.1% (those with expanded cash income of $3.4 million or more). Put another way, the top 1% would see an average $129,030 tax cut and the top 0.1% would save an average of $722,510, while those in the middle quintile would save an average of $660 per family.”

Clearly, the short-term benefits for most workers (all of which will disappear by 2027 at the latest) are minimal in terms of the extra purchasing power those tax savings can provide. Most likely, the average workers will receive enough extra cash to pay somebody back, on due payments. Meanwhile, the top 0.1% will receive enough tax cuts to cover the costs of servicing and maintaining their yachts for a year.

However, the reduced amounts in tax revenues as a result of the wealth gifted to the rich, amounting to trillions of dollars over the next decade, will necessitate reduced spending on social needs of ordinary people.

In terms of long-term loss of social services, social benefits, as well as the loss of investments in public infrastructure, in safe roads and bridges, to expenditures on basic health and education for working people, all the way to environmental protections, to enforcing workplace and housing safety standards, in all these and myriad other social needs, permanent losses are guaranteed to be enforced as severely as they are currently enforced in Greece; the totality of social loss for the average citizens, over the coming generations, will be certain and will go deep.

Wealth destruction, a necessary component of economic cycles that characterize capitalist ‘development’, does not have to happen in over-dramatic, huge and immensely destructive one-time events, such as wars or market crashes, or long recessions such as the one we’re still recovering from. Wealth destruction can be written into law, to be implemented in slow motion and over long periods of time, aimed at very surgically selected populations; just as the current tax proposal is aiming to do.

The more social services are privatized, the more varied social services will be denied to the most vulnerable. A decent education, good healthcare, safe streets, safe neighborhoods; even basic healthcare, safe food, water or soil for planting; all will be things to be paid for. There will be gradations of all these privatized goods, and an associated rent for every level of quality of goods and services provided.

Another dimension of taxation relates to the recently leaked Paradise Papers, documenting in some detail what has been known for long: international finance has created internationally dispersed centers for cash to be parked safely and away from snatching hands of governments, safe from taxation. As the population constituting the tax base shrinks and is less populated by corporations and the top 1%, it will be more densely populated by the people who earn a living by working.

This amounts to an extra layer of (social) expropriation of surplus from the working classes. In other words, this tax plan, if passed, will be the official codification into law of a higher social rent to be paid by working families. In the same process, the corporations and the top 1%, by the letter of the law, and speaking through their pliable representatives in the U.S. Congress, will give themselves a huge tax break (pay raise) by codifying into law, at a higher valuation, even more of the specific form of income only they cab earn.

***

1) Let’s take a quick look at the historical record of the percentages of taxes paid by the corporations v. individual earners.

The graph below from the Forbes magazine paints a few telling stories:


(https://uziiw38pmyg1ai60732c4011-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/dropzone/2017/11/Screen-Shot-2017-11-30-at-11.28.38-AM-768x397.png)
[Source: Forbes]

To sum up the data in this graph, since about 1944, we the individual taxpayers have steadily paid between 45% and 50% of all income taxes, while the corporations have seen a steady decrease in their tax contributions, from about 40% to 10%. The trend is clear. Corporations are winning the tax battles, and we the workers have been losing consistently, one tax ‘reform’ after another, for the last seven decades.

Another revealing set of figures comes from a chart prepared for a Tax Policy Center analysis, in which we find that the income taxes paid by corporations in 2016, for example, amounted to about 18% of the amount paid by individuals; in other words, for every $100 we chipped in, they put in $18. With Trump’s tax plan, they’ll get to contribute even less, while we’ll have to contribute more (and increasingly more so by 2027).

In the above-mentioned chart prepared by the Tax Policy Center, we also find that the last time corporations paid more income taxes than individuals was the year 1943.

2) Now consider the fact that different types of earnings are subject to different rates of taxation. There are many levels of tax brackets, but there are two types of (legal) earnings, according to the current tax laws: Financial earnings v. wage earnings. Income tax rates for workers range from about 15% to about 40%, while capital gains tax rates start from zero and max out at 20%, or a bit more depending on the investment.

As a September 2017 Bloomberg article summarizes it, “This isn’t some quirk of the U.S. tax code. Politicians have intentionally set tax rates on wages much higher than those on long-term investment returns … Americans with so-called unearned income—qualified dividends and long-term capital gains—get a break. A billionaire investor can pay about the same marginal rate as a $40,000-a-year worker, a fact Warren Buffett has famously lamented.”

The proposed tax plan by the Republicans will not only lower the tax rates on capital gains, it also makes is easier for top earners to qualify more of their earnings for lower rates of taxation.

3) Meanwhile, there are tax havens that are available only to the top 1%. A New York Times series report regarding the leaked Paradise Papers sums up the scale of money hidden from taxation: “The United States loses … close to $70 billion a year in tax revenue due to the shifting of corporate profits to tax havens. That’s close to 20 percent of the corporate tax revenue that is collected each year.”

The descriptions of how multinationals use internationally recognized laws to move cash away from any taxation are various and the readings in The New York Times’ series (including a revealing one on Apple) make for instructive reading.

Just in one example, presented in language (and graphics) easily understood by a layman like me, we learn how in one year Google redirected incomes worth $15.5 billion through Google Ireland Holdings (incorporated in Ireland, but ‘managed’ in Bermuda, where it “employs only a handful of people there.”), thereby completely avoiding any taxation for those billions in earnings. Another egregious culprit is Apple, parking close to $240 billion in earnings overseas.

These tax havens translate into a significant further reduction of the taxable population.

4) Destruction of certain kinds of wealth (owned by middle income, working people) and the demolition of social services (for everybody who earns by working, and the poor) will be the direct result of Trump’s tax plan. That’s the most primary intent of this tax plan.

For an example of how certain kinds of wealth can be destroyed systematically through mere legislation, consider the elimination of deductions on mortgages. Home ownership is marketed as the American Dream. The elimination of deductions on mortgages will naturally result in a higher cost of maintaining a home, thereby reducing the value of the homes owned by individual earners, while making home ownership harder to attain.

Given the fact that most individual homeowners have fixed incomes, increases in the costs of home ownership will result in reduced spending in other areas, which in turn will lead to a dip in aggregate demand. That would result in increasing recessionary pressures, as economists would put it. This is yet another form of wealth destruction that will keep trickling down.

An indirect (maybe intended) benefactor of the increase in home ownership costs is the investor in the rental market. A footnote to the ‘recovery’ in the housing market has been this: most of the houses that were swept up in the last foreclosure catastrophe (brought about by the banks) were … well, bought up mostly by the banks and investors, American and otherwise, at a fraction of the prices those houses had closed for in the original mortgages. Those houses have now moved to the rental side of the housing market. Since the housing crash, mortgages have enjoyed low interest rates, so mortgage payments remain steady, and in fact go down slowly in monthly payments as homeowners pay off their mortgage and as the interest portion goes down steadily.

Rents however have been steadily rising for the past decade, benefiting the corporate investors, who are now collecting more from renters than they would have in mortgage payments from home buyers.

That’s just one example; the wealth destructions intended by this tax plan go further. According to a thorough analysis by Jack Rasmus (CounterPunch, Nov. 13, 2017) the actual amount of budget deficit this tax plan will create over the next ten years is over $4.5 trillion, and not the $1.5 trillion its architects are projecting.

In terms of how much the largest corporations will benefit from all the proposed cuts coming their way, Rasmus’s conclusion, based on a review of available public records, Congressional analyses as well as those by reputable tax analysts, is clear:

“All [the intended benefits] amounts to a total tax cut windfall for US multinational corporations of at least $500 billion, and likely even hundreds of billions of dollars more over the coming decade.”

But, who pays for this windfall for the corporations? Here is a partial list (readers are encouraged to read the full Rasmus article for a more complete list and explanations for each item):

* Reduction of Personal Exemptions and Standard Deductions = $1.6 trillion tax hike for working families over the next decade

* Elimination of Itemized Deductions = $1.3 trillion tax hike for working families over the next decade

* Other major tax hikes on the working families come in the form of:

a) Elimination of Alternative Energy Credits = $12.3 billion a year

b) Elimination of Adoption Credits = $3.8 billion a year

c) Elimination of Flexible Health Savings Accounts and Elderly Dependents Expenses = $540 billion a year

d) Elimination of Education Credits = $65 to $95 billion over the next decade

As the reader can see, the proposed tax plan will nickel and dime the working families, so as to hand over a gigantic amount of public money to the corporations and the top 1% of the earners.

Rasmus further explains that the elimination of just three capital income tax loopholes currently enjoyed by the corporations would have paid for the tax breaks corporations are receiving:

“If Trump-Ryan really wanted to raise taxes, instead of targeting the middle class, they could have easily raised $2 trillion by ending just two other programs: Eliminating the preferential tax rate for long term capital gains taxation … and ending the practice of foregoing all taxation on stocks transferred at death, for which recipients of the stock pay no taxes whatsoever.”

Also, the elimination of corporate tax deductions for payments made into company pensions and health insurance plans would result in another $2.5 trillion in tax revenues. Rasmus asks rhetorically: “Workers don’t get to deduct their contributions to these plans. Why should employers?”

Another instance of two different deductions for the same items, but for two classes of people.

***

The bottom line of the tax proposals making their way through the U.S. Congress is to reduce the value of the type of wealth working people can accumulate. At the same time, the ruling elites aim to reduce even the possibility of the accumulation by others of that lesser type of wealth, in the first place. Corollary to that is a raise given to the value of the type of wealth that only corporations and the top 1% can earn.

We have reached a more savage stage in late capitalism’s development, whereby the capitalist classes have gone boundlessly rabid and are holding entire societies for ransom, from Greece to the U.S., demanding to be paid more as they provide fewer services and protections.

The question for us is: Why should we keep paying? Should we not strike? If ‘strike’, how? There is strike, and there is strike back. What can we do to combat this monstrosity of increasingly higher taxes for working people, minus political representation?

As relates to taxation, two simultaneous demands must be raised. First, and as the left has been advocating for decades, we need to mobilize and agitate for a tax rate that reflects the actual benefits drawn from the infrastructure: Those who benefit the most from the infrastructure must pay the highest tax rates. There has also got to be a minimum tax for the top income earners, and a graded, increasingly higher level of taxation on incomes exceeding a few millions.

Further, the rates of taxation on the rich and the corporations need to be sufficient to provide for healthy levels of support for all necessities of life for all citizens. Top taxation rates for corporations must reflect their incomes and profits, in at least the same proportion as tax rates for workers. The same must apply to rates of taxation on all forms of earning, regardless of whether gained through working or investing. Ideally, there also has to be a maximum income allowed, after which taxation rates should automatically reach 100%, or close to it.

Second, it is not enough to settle on a fair and just apportionment to each class of earners the percentage of taxes that must be paid.

Imagine that the corporations paid 90% of their income in taxes, as did the top 1% of earners; and imagine that people making under $30,000 paid zero in taxes, as corporations and the rich paid all their taxes, with all the loopholes closed. At the same time, imagine that all the extra tax revenues went toward more war making abroad, more R&D into weapons of mass destruction, more surveillance and keeping a close eye on citizens for any signs of dissent; and nothing else. What are the benefits of such a progressive taxation?

On a second front, we must simultaneously organize with the aim to change the public expectations regarding how our taxes are spent, and who decides how taxes are spent. We can, and must, advocate for a tax system in which, as I have been arguing, we the taxpayers directly decide how (at least) 50% of our tax revenues should be spent. How the other half (or less) of tax revenues is to be spent can be decided by the legislative representatives. We can start to organize the move for this initiative at the state level, especially in states in which ballot initiatives are allowed, and, in time, we can persuade progressive leaning candidates to endorse this demand. In the medium term, it is possible to change the public expectations regarding taxation. There are alternatives to the current system.

Trump administration’s visibly vicious attacks have been ongoing from day one. Although lacking any major legislative victories, they have managed to undo plenty of small yet positive measures that had gone into effect during Obama’s eight years in office, especially with regard to environmental regulations. The Republicans have already changed the face of the judiciary at its highest level, and are working their way down the hierarchy. On other fronts, they have depleted the EPA of resources, and have gutted regulations protecting people’s air and water already, and they are not stopping there. As for giving away public goods, they intend to hand the Internet over to giant telecoms, and the schools to private equity firms. In good time, they may even succeed in handing Social Security funds over to the Wall Street.

In terms of long term and long lasting damage, though, the tax proposals they are pushing through the Congress will harm the social fabric on a scale that will take decades to recover from. There will be wealth destruction to equal that of a never-ending war, which this tax plan actually amounts to.
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More articles by:REZA FIYOUZAT


Reza Fiyouzat may be contacted at: rfiyouzat@yahoo.com


RE,
GREAT post!   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020)


Here's more:

 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

December 1, 2017

GOP Tax Bill (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) is Even Worse Than We Think

The secretive Senate Republican tax bill is one of the largest wealth transfers to elites in US history, and economist James Henry says its damage to lower-income earners will likely be even worse than thought once its full contents are known

https://youtu.be/nirqTXWn598

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=20620%27%20style=%27color:#000;
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 05, 2017, 12:48:06 pm
As a conservative (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fd2.gif&hash=98d536bf1047a88ef91e9c45e08b725347c9fe13) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Frapgenius%2F1375371542_tumblr_m7jevgcaFm1qzqdem.gif&hash=1a2fe8d9567770e89661ad82a4e03b115e0f5358), I can appreciate that Trump can be a jerk at times. However, can the liberals give us just one policy of his they think is harmful to America?  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817122018.gif&hash=74d86c1f35e2f61ea38c9bfa392f84a92631b96e)

Quote
Matt Mariano, former Software Engineer
Answered Nov 22

Supporting Nazis.

Endorsing pedo phile to keep a senate seat.

Colluding with Russia.Delegitimizing our institutions: media , intelligence justice and state departments.

Requiring religious test for entry into US.

Requiring loyalty test to him.

Using Justice department to target political opponents

Weakening NATO.

Trashing our alliance with Mexico.

Dividing our country.…


Why am I bothering to write this? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817134648.gif&hash=d24c66a26329a19150a175d576b631d10f631ee8)

https://www.quora.com/As-a-conservative-I-can-appreciate-that-Trump-can-be-a-jerk-at-times-However-can-the-liberals-give-us-just-one-policy-of-his-they-think-is-harmful-to-America

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 05, 2017, 02:23:16 pm
As a conservative (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fd2.gif&hash=98d536bf1047a88ef91e9c45e08b725347c9fe13) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Frapgenius%2F1375371542_tumblr_m7jevgcaFm1qzqdem.gif&hash=1a2fe8d9567770e89661ad82a4e03b115e0f5358), I can appreciate that Trump can be a jerk at times. However, can the liberals give us just one policy of his they think is harmful to America?  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817122018.gif&hash=74d86c1f35e2f61ea38c9bfa392f84a92631b96e)

Matt Mariano, former Software Engineer
Answered Nov 22

Supporting Nazis.

Endorsing pedo phile to keep a senate seat.

Colluding with Russia.Delegitimizing our institutions: media , intelligence justice and state departments.

Requiring religious test for entry into US.

Requiring loyalty test to him.

Using Justice department to target political opponents

Weakening NATO.

Trashing our alliance with Mexico.

Dividing our country.…

Why am I bothering to write this?

https://www.quora.com/As-a-conservative-I-can-appreciate-that-Trump-can-be-a-jerk-at-times-However-can-the-liberals-give-us-just-one-policy-of-his-they-think-is-harmful-to-America



The real damage is in denying climate change and in removing any and all environmental protections (which weren't that great to begin with), and giving the Koch's and the other FFer's the green light to drill (and blast) anywhere, anytime.

What has he done that isn't harmful. Nothing.


All true. And yet, despite the high level of intelligence and knowledge of people like Karpatok, K-Dog and Golden Oxen, not a single one of these persons are willing to admit their massive and biosphere/society destroying error in judgement in supporting the election of Trump. So it goes.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-041115022304.png&hash=cd8cb8e28ab8f7fc78c1ea00d30a661bd937aed5)

Quote
Proverbs 16King James Version (KJV)

16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 05, 2017, 07:27:35 pm
Is Alex Azar the Worst Of the Trump Administration? (w/Guest Alex Lawson)

https://youtu.be/FUdjoFwUfmU

Thom is joined by long time friend of the show Alex Lawson of Social Security Works and We Act Radio, to discuss what may be the worst of the Trump Administration. Alex Azar.

Thom Hartmann Dec. 2, 2017 1:00 pm
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 06, 2017, 03:41:32 pm
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Updates on Attacking Science, Astroturfing on Pipelines, and Staffing the Swamp

One of our goals with this roundup is to alert you to upcoming denier threats before they hit the mainstream. Occasionally, great reporting can further illuminate issues we noticed some time ago. With deniers in power, good journalists have been busy digging into these issues even more, so quite a few updates to past roundups are in order.

First up, a new development to something we’ve covered extensively over the past few months: Pruitt’s plans for some red team/blue team nonsense. In a recent interview (from Disney World, for some reason) Pruitt told the Wall Street Journal’s Eli Stokols that he plans to kick off the process in early 2018. Writing this week in Scientific American, climate scientist Ben Santer explains how the peer-review process and scientific norms already function as a red team. Pruitt’s effort, Santer concludes, seeks only to “muddy the waters, to confuse, to delegitimize and devalue decades of well-established science.”

On that same anti-science note, InsideClimate News uses Lamar Smith, he of denying warming even as he watches the Arctic melt, as a case study in a piece published this week on how fossil fuel money shaped the House Science committee. The piece lays out how Smith transformed the committee from a quiet bipartisan group into something that, as Union of Concerned Scientists’ Andrew Rosenberg puts it, has played a role in the“diminishment of science in public policy.” From attacking scientists to politicizing science and championing denial, Smith served his funders well by defending fossil fuels from science.

Buying politicians is one way the industry wields influence. Astroturfing is another. We took a look at some of the fossil fuel industry’s astroturfing operations right before Thanksgiving, and since then more examples have already cropped up.

Kathiann M. Kowalski reports this week for Midwest Energy News on a pro-coal group in Ohio, that clearly serves a fossil fuel agenda, despite keeping its funders secret. Like many astroturfing groups, the organization boasts a typically Orwellian name--the Campaign for American Affordable and Reliable Energy (CAARE)--and has inserted itself into anti-wind farm lawsuits around the state. While the group is far from transparent, Kowalski digs up some clues that lead to fossil fuels. And a quick google of the group’s name shows that back in 2008, industry-friendly “free market” group FreedomWorks launched a campaign with almost the same name.

Slightly more transparent is the pro-pipeline efforts exposed by Huffington Post’s Alexander Kauffman this week. As Kaufman reports, a presentation obtained by HuffPo shows how the American Gas Association has set up a project called “Your Energy” in order to seed arguments, graphics and other propaganda into the public conversation about pipelines. With supposedly local organizations in Connecticut and Virginia, the group’s efforts go to show that the only people who really support pipelines are likely the same ones profiting off of them.

Finally, at this point it’s clear that Trump’s promise to hire “the best people” is just as true as his promise to drain the swamp. But a new analysis from the AP puts a number at how unqualified Trump’s hires have been. Sixty percent of the people Trump has hired for science positions lack an advanced degree in science, according to the AP’s analysis. Sixty percent of Obama’s picks, by contrast, did have advanced degrees. Broken down by agency, the difference is even more stark: while Obama’s Department of Energy had 13 advanced degree appointees, Trump’s has zero.

Reminder: The DoE is responsible for maintaining America’s nuclear fuel for power and weapons, and Rick Perry got a “D” in a class on meats.   

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 08, 2017, 07:50:35 pm
No amount of controversy around special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s charges, Trump’s apparent obstruction of justice or the subpoena of his personal finances appears to derail the momentum of the radical Republican agenda (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) .

https://youtu.be/81kegsG6w1g

Thom takes your calls on the state of democracy in America, the possibility of resistance under the growing police state and what we can do to keep fighting oligarchy and win. Thanks so much for your calls.

Thom Hartmann Dec. 7, 2017

https://youtu.be/CWNt_yxsbkM

Thom joins Ebony Land to talk about Republican plans for healthcare, and what we can do to stop them, big money in politics and Alex Azar!

Thom Hartmann Dec. 7, 2017 4:00 pm


https://youtu.be/kd8V76IMDug

Thom joined Ebony Land, the Policy Director for Social Security works to discuss the ongoing battle to save Social Security from Republican efforts. Voter ID laws that affect the elderly, and more.

Thom Hartmann Dec. 7, 2017 4:30 pm




Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 09, 2017, 03:22:18 pm
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America, Please, Fog This Mirror

  By Tom Lewis | December 6, 2017 | Politics

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (at article link)

“Sir, I know you’re not feeling all that well, but we need you to get up and go back to work.” (US Defense Department photo)

Please, America, I know you are not well, but open your eyes just a little and listen to me. I know you were too weak to fend off Trumpicitis a year ago, and that it left you too weak in the aftermath to do much except marvel at your own ensuing insanity. I know your doctors have been trying some untested experimental treatments on you — the 25th Amendment, the Emoluments Clause, probiotics, that sort of thing — without any success. But dammit, sit up and listen to me, and stop mumbling “Do not resuscitate.”

You used to be “the last, best hope of earth,” for a lot of good reasons. I can remember when you still were, although you started to lose it in the 1960s. It was understandable; you lost three of history’s finest public figures to assassination in just a few years, and you became ensnared in Vietnam. But it was in the 1980s that you became really sick. That’s when the awful, metastasizing cancer of greed overwhelmed your defenses and began turning you into a pathetic shadow of your former self.

Read more:

http://www.dailyimpact.net/2017/12/06/america-please-fog-this-mirror/#more-3785

Quote
Tom December 6, 2017
(cue Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb)

It’s so far from too late that there’s no sense of present time anymore. We’re in the early stages of being overwhelmed like that giant tsunami that swept Japan’s nuclear station away.

Economics gets more precarious by the day.

Nuclear war is clearly on the horizon – which seems closer every time I look.

Environmentally, all one need do is look around, let alone remember a few months ago to a world that doesn’t exist anymore (for Barbuda, Puerto Rico, etc).

Overnight a wildfire started in the dry tinder down in a small town in southern CA. Fanned by the Santa Ana winds, firefighters could only get out ahead of it to evacuate everyone in it’s path. The transmission line for a large area was affected by the fire, so some of the hydrants didn’t work (the hospital is out of commission too). There are millions of dead trees from the 5 year drought CA just emerged from – well, until this year – that provided ready fuel for this monster that roared though the valleys in the early hours – people having to leave their homes and all their possessions on a moment’s notice, some grabbed their pets.

With the EPA gutted and led by an anti-EPA zealot, there’s great legislation/policy changes coming like mining companies no longer having to put aside a significant amount of money in case of “accident” or “spill.” Nope, too burdensome on the poor corporation. Just hope for the best.

Politics is going to be our undoing as a nation. Well, that and all the social unrest coming from a brain-addled population, on prescription meds, with a concealed-carry license and packing, since ya can’t even go to a dang concert anymore, never mind the inner city, and somebody shoots up the place. Never any follow-through with the alphabet “protection” agencies (nor the msm) – makes me think they’re hidin’ something. I guess we’ll just hope for the best.

Everything is a mess now. Unaffordable health care on one end and agricultural companies out to poison us with Frankenfood on the other. We’re overworked, over-stressed, under paid, under appreciated with totally clueless kids that want no part of moving out or living in reality.

Education isn’t even glorified baby-sitting any longer. Now they’re out to break your spirit, drive you crazy and “graduate” you with no real skills into an environment of part-time gig work, unpaid “internships,” and other McJobs that will soon be replaced by robotics.

But it’s far worse than all this. What I’ve described is tinsel on the tree. Try living with pneumonic plague (yes, THAT plague) in the vicinity.

Try breathing air so toxic you may as well be sucking on a bus tail-pipe, or “farming” on newly volcanic-ash covered land, as far as the eye can see.

Thanks for the essay, Mr. Lewis. Always a good read that stirs a response.
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Quote
Max4241 December 8, 2017

Feel free to strike this when you read it.

In January of 2002, I got into a conversation with an engineer. I was a bar tender, he was an out-of-towner in to have a few beers. At some point in evening he started talking. He said, 9/11 did not go down the way they said it did. He said, Jim, the laws of physics are immutable, and every law of physics was broken that day.

I argued with him for two hours. I gave him the now in-famous Noam Chomsky attack. Too many people would have been involved! Someone would squeal. Besides, the operation was too vast to plan and expect to pull off. And if things went south, which would have been the most likely scenario, who would be the fall guy? Everybody at the top would have gone down, dude! Everybody!

And my my own argument. The media, man! Don’t forget the media! They would smell the rat. And how did they wire those massive buildings? It would have taken months! It would have taken f*cking years!

Every human argument I made was met with cold empiricism. He said, Jim, I hear you, but planes are aluminum, buildings are steel. When the Boeings hit the towers, they were paper going into a paper shredder.

He said, the smoke was black. That means the fires were burning cool, not hot. Not that it mattered. The fires could have raged for weeks and not done a g*ddamn thing to the true integrity of the buildings. To the steel. To the core.

He picked up a stack of plastic shot cups, pulled one off the top, held it above the stack, and said, this is what you believe, Jimbo, that this cup is going to crush this stack when I drop it. And he dropped it. And he dropped it again. And again. We both started cracking up watching the shot cup bounce off the stack half a dozen times and more.

He said, Jim, the laws of physics are immutable. The thousands of tons of steel at the top could not crush the many, many, tens of thousands of tons of steel below it, and then turn it all into fine powder. It could not happen, not in any world that includes Isaac Newton.

When he was leaving, he said; Jim, next time you see a video of the towers burning, look at them differently. Don’t foresee the collapse. Think of them as standing tall, standing strong. They’re only superficially damaged, There’s some smoke coming out of em, sure. There’s fires burning on a few floors. But think of them as essentially fine. All they need is some water and quick patch job, and they’ll be good as new. You’ll see it all different.

He was wrong. I didn’t it see it differently. Over the next five years, when I encountered clips or vids of the fatally stricken towers, I saw only gaping holes and red hot fires and smoke, terrible, terrible, towering columns of thick, killer smoke!

And inevitable collapse. Anyway, I forgot about the guy. Well maybe not the guy. He was a very decent chap, and an honorable American, if I read him right. I also remembered it as a great night at work, the hysterical laughter watching his plastic shot cup experiment. The absurdity of it. That feather light plastic shot cup trying crush that immutable stack, and him calling me an idiot.

So, coward that I am, I let his argument go. I wanted to lead a normal life. It wasn’t until I saw Loose Change five years later that I became a believer. Had no choice. Tower 7 got me, like everyone else. Never heard of it. Tower 7. A giant steel building drops into its footprint, five hours after the towers, for no reason at all. Wasn’t even smoking! How dare you drop into your footprint without copious amounts of smoke!

Yup, five lost years. Perhaps my greatest regret. For half a decade, my pride and joy, my intellect, failed me. It did not do what I trained it to do, which is to look through smoke, always, no matter thick it is, to see the truth.

  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)

http://www.dailyimpact.net/2017/12/06/america-please-fog-this-mirror/#more-3785
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 09, 2017, 08:06:33 pm
"There is now a 93 percent chance that global warming will—once again, under the business-as-usual scenario—exceed 4°C by 2100."

Do you seriously think any BAU scenario can go on for another 83 years? -  It is struggling to make it through to New Year without CRASHING.  Then without money, electricity, internet, TV, radio, water, sewerage, supermarkets how are we going to keep the oil flowing?

We need to stop worrying about things that CANNOT happen, and start thinking about how to survive COLLAPSE, which will be harder.
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Palloy is, of course, his usual irrelevant self. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6961.gif&hash=df13f27d25fd180bcc904f19809e2b35dc3309cf) Rather than writing a mea culpa for all the times he fociferously argued that the RCP scenarios that are LESS dramatic than the RCP 8.5 were more "realistic", now that the PROOF is here that RCP 8.5 is, as I stated over and over, LESS deleterious than the REAL THING (i.e. TOO conservative!), he comes at me with this "concentrate on survival" distraction.

NEWS FLASH: Every human that lives on earth, and not in some la la land, is ALWAYS thinking about SURVIVAL now and in the future. Bringing that up is NOT a valid argument against admitting ERROR in the past, diner Einsteins.

We need to stop worrying about things that CANNOT happen, and start thinking about how to survive COLLAPSE, which will be harder.

I second this motion.

RE

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fbc3.gif&hash=e80a574cef1f1cd31dc58d76fe36b5ffb7fe7d5b) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fnocomment.gif&hash=e2062ee03ac013cc64a2d5285ec05dd9510c141b)

How can anyone expect the truth to be outed on 9/11 when we don't even know the truth of the Kennedy assassination (or I should say assassinations, since it appears that several people were killed, and their names weren't all Kennedy).

JFK, RFK, Marilyn Monroe, Mary Pinchot Meyer, Lee Harvey Oswald, maybe even Jack Ruby.

The conspiracy crowd has come up with a list of 103 people who died under mysterious circumstances after JFK was offed.  I'm sure they're wrong about some of them...but I for one believe that at least a few of them were killed by the USMIC/CIA or (insert your favorite DC alphabet agency here). Meyer is a classic example of how the CIA likes to wrap up a "loose end".

Count me in with Tom Lewis. Glad he stopped by the Diner to visit a few times. Glad he's still writing every once in a while
.

Eddie, it is true that the issue of JFK, RFK, Martin Luther King Jr., and others our government killed on behalf of the Military Industrial Complex Capitalist War Machine, is unresolved water under the bridge. But the trillions of dollars spent on Iraq and the transformation of the USA (see: the enabling Patriot Act) into a fascist dictatorship is firmly rooted in the destruction of those buildings on 9/11 by aircraft and the garage sized hole made in the Pentagon by a missile to kill off some nosey accountants.

Unlike the withholding of the truth about the serial assassinations our government is involved with in past, which have no immediate repercussions, as long as the truth about 9/11 is withheld, no progress can be made in transforming our government into a representative republic (for all citizens, not just white propertied men).

Sure, the climate is going to hell in a handbasket. Sure, we can all say it's too late to do anything about anything except digging a nice cool hole in the ground and stocking it with goodies until the "bad" people go away in a wishful thinking scenario only a truly egocentric human could consider a positive outcome (see below).

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-251117175858.png&hash=01d4518aa3b7363fabcf86bf3d1bf50381901ac7)
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Well, that's pathetic. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df) But many here, rather than facing all their errors in judgement in the past and recognizing the need to change their materialistic, self centered world view, just point fingers at all the other people ruining society, while studiously avoiding that face in the mirror.

Eddie, if a person comes to you with such severe problems in his teeth and gums that you, as an experienced dentist, KNOW he has a 93% chance of losing all his teeth, plus possible blood poisoning and God knows what else, you will, of course, tell him the bitter prognocis. But that does NOT mean that you would avoid learning WHAT HE DID to cause the diseased condition so he will not CONTINUE TO DO IT. That does not mean that, RIGHT NOW, you will not do your best to save some of his teeth.

You would, in addition to office work, also order your patient to alter his diet and would prescribe whatever to deal with infection. If your patient claimed it was "too late" or "why bother?" when he may end up with only two or three good teeth, you would certainly not tell him he was being "logical". You WOULD tell him that life is not just about teeth and that, regardless of his present condition, not tending to it NOW will shorten his life even more than it has already been shortened. You would scold your patient seriously and soberly. You would remind him that KNOWING the root cause of his health problems is sine qua non to his immediate AND future health and prolonged longevity (i.e. survival).

If he does not know the root cause of his illness, he will eventually become diseased again because he will not know what behavior he needs to alter to avoid the disease. This is not hard to understand.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Forig02.deviantart.net%2Fbc20%2Ff%2F2009%2F176%2Fa%2Fc%2Flook_a_distraction_design_by_eecomics.jpg&hash=a3d84e6121734111823fc6cff8fb127058e41400)
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Only someone who WANTED the patient to only partially and weakly address the symptoms, until the disease kills the patient, would recommend that the patient concentrate on some half assed therapy branded as "surviving the symptoms".

The above may be considered a metaphor for fascist corruption in government rooted in 9/11. The SYMPTOM is fascist government hell bent on destroying the environment on behalf of the polluters. For ANYBODY to IGNORE those symptoms is, of course, wrong. But to IGNORE the FACT that Fascist BAU social and environmental destruction rooted in 9/11 is eventually going to kill the society that suffers from the disease is grossly irresponsible as well as being SHEER IDIOCY! While Palloy is busy preparing to "survive", the Fascist Mens Rea Modus Operandi ACCELERATES the climate destruction that WILL NOT slow down for OVER 1000 YEARS AFTER COMPLETE COLLAPSE!. Palloy thinks that when collapse forces us to stop using fossil fuels and 90% die from whatever, the "survivors will be fine and dandy because the environment will begin to recover immediately"...

That is such a grossly unscientifc and ridiculously ignorant and irresponsibly dangerous assumption that I must, after much study and consideration, reach for my cup (see below):

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-251117175700.png&hash=00439d30db6e35817ea0d1fbcba614f1f971448e)

Palloy, your "collapse will fix everything" claim is BULLSHIT!

Even if carbon dioxide emissions came to a sudden halt, the carbon dioxide already in Earth’s atmosphere could continue to warm our planet for hundreds of years, according to Princeton University-led research (http://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2060) published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 09, 2017, 10:06:52 pm
Eddie, if a person comes to you with such severe problems in his teeth and gums that you, as an experienced dentist, KNOW he has a 93% chance of losing all his teeth, plus possible blood poisoning and God knows what else, you will, of course, tell him the bitter prognocis. But that does NOT mean that you would avoid learning WHAT HE DID to cause the diseased condition so he will not CONTINUE TO DO IT. That does not mean that, RIGHT NOW, you will not do your best to save some of his teeth.

Actually, what you do in this situation is avoid going to a Dentist who charges as much as Eddie does and fly down to Mexico to have the offending teeth yanked for 10 cents on the dollar by a Mexican Dentist.  Then you adjust to the new way of life by eating mostly soft foods.  My diet consists of stuff like Brie Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Bananas, Berries, Sashimi, Soups of various kinds, Raw Meat (either ground sirloin or thin sliced filet mignon if I feel like spending), rice & beans, etc.  When I do have enough of an appetite to actually eat, I have no problem fulfilling my nutritional requirements with the 6 teeth I have left at the top front of my mouth.

To extend the analogy, when your teeth are so far gone you can't fix them, don't waste your money getting expensive implants from an expensive Dentist.  Get rid of the fu ck ing teeth and adjust to the New Reality.

We need to adjust to the new reality here, not try to fix a terminally broken set of teeth.

RE

RE,
I understand what you did with your dentition and I'm glad it worked for you. But can you honestly say that you solved all your health problems with that decision? Can you honestly say that your diet did not contribute to PAD and other health woes you are now experiencing? If you want to push the analogy, I must say to you that you cannot simply cherry pick a symptoms solving therapy that solved the teeth issue but did not address the root causes in your overall health problems.

Reality IS. I ALWAYS deal with it. Sometimes I do not deal with it all that successfully (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgaah.gif&hash=e43fa6be4258ba495007b2bbb3e7dd2f60288fcd), but I will not pretend it ain't there.

I disagree strongly with you if you think that I am the one "not adjusting to reality". The costs here are not just measured in dollars and cents; they are measured in quality of life and longevity. You are experiencing the effects of everything you have eaten and all the toxins you have been exposed to throughout your life. A decade ago, when I was a year older than you are now, I had to have a pacemaker implanted. I did not just treat the symptoms; I changed my activites to prevent further problems. It has worked well. That's all I'm saying we should do. I know you long ago made some decisions that you KNEW would shorten your life (like refusing to stop smoking). You have accepted that the consequences of that decision are inescapable. Accepting that REALITY is worthy of respect. It shows that you, unlike Palloy, understand that there ARE CAUSES, ROOT CAUSES, to any health problems we have now.

As to the inescapable reality of the accelerating deterioration of our environment and our society, Palloy is the one who cannot handle it. This la la land view that global warming and catastrophic climate change is "all going to go away with collapse" is the ultimate in wishful thinking and straw grasping.
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RE, what part of the following do you not agree with?
Quote
Even if carbon dioxide emissions came to a sudden halt, the carbon dioxide already in Earth’s atmosphere could continue to warm our planet for hundreds of years, according to Princeton University-led research (http://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2060) published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

I refuse to engage in Palloy's magical thinking, PERIOD!


Eddie said:
Quote
I think you make good points. I think the "silver lining" of collapse (if there is one) though, is that there is some truth to Palloy's thesis, which is that collapse will be what limits climate change.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)

I don't know whether immediate collapse tomorrow or next week would limit climate change ENOUGH to save humans or the higher animals, but I think it's possible. I'm not optimistic that it would, for the reason you stated. And I agree with you that reducing carbon emissions immediately is still a good idea.

As of now, it seems to still be getting worse instead of better, and those who should be leading us into a lower energy future are instead in complete denial, and doing all the wrong things.

It's seems more likely to me that collapse will do more to limit climate change than all the governments and al the elites and al the current lip service to change. that's a pessimistic view, I know, and I wish I had more reason not to be such a pessimist.


Eddie,

NO, Palloy's point is without any logical or rational foundation whatsover. A collapse WILL NOT stop global warming for several centuries. Until you can somehow prove that humans can routinely live under horrendous climate conditions for over 200 years, you do not have any basis whatsoever to assume that a collapse will "improve" the climate during those 200 years (2018-2218 at least!). Sure, after 1,000 years or so, the average global atmospheric temperature will start going down from ABOUT 10º C ABOVE Pre-Industrial! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817134648.gif&hash=d24c66a26329a19150a175d576b631d10f631ee8)

It's wishful thinking that Palloy is engaging in. It's irrational to think otherwise.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 12, 2017, 06:41:00 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Five Ways Moore (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c)  and the GOP(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605) Could Steal the Alabama Election

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

By Greg Palast, Truthout | Report

EXCELLENT must read article:

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/42883-five-ways-moore-and-the-gop-could-steal-the-alabama-election

Short Video explaining one of the low down dirty ways the GOP steals elections (Caging):

https://youtu.be/B2OauXwDXcM

And THIS from Thom Hartmann

Al Gore won the popular vote, so did Hillary Clinton, and still Republicans are winning left and right... well at least right....

Thom Hartmann Dec. 11, 2017 4:00 pm

https://youtu.be/s-WNVZOnKQo

Please Pass this on! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F176.gif&hash=121533221905789c6b8d57a9603883266d349266)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 15, 2017, 01:35:42 pm
New York attorney general to sue (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020) following net neutrality repeal

Other states will likely follow in the coming days  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)


By William Gayde on Dec 14, 2017, 7:01 PM

https://youtu.be/-9VQ-ykhRDU


Full article:

https://www.techspot.com/news/72326-new-york-attorney-general-sue-following-net-neutrality.html
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 19, 2017, 06:01:11 pm
The best description of Trump is from a seven year old Croatian psychiatric journal.

By ian douglas rushlau 

Tuesday Dec 19, 2017 · 11:01 AM EST

It’s not often that psychological diagnoses become the stuff of everyday conversations, but these aren’t ordinary times.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a clinical psychologist in private practice, with a background that includes work in inpatient hospitals and prisons.)

SNIPPET:

Before the age of Trump, there was an understanding that mental health professionals were not to publicly comment on perceived or presumed psychological problems of elected officials, known as the ‘Goldwater rule’, after the late Barry Goldwater. (For more on the history and recent discussion of the Goldwater rule, see here.) With Trump’s installation in the White House, the concerns over offering opinions of public figures that a professional has not personally evaluated have given way to the simple reality that Trump is so obviously severely mentally ill and mentally unfit to serve as President:

Q: Who are the National Coalition of Concerned Mental Health Experts?

A: We are a group of mental health professionals who have come together after a Yale ethics conference, which led to the instant bestseller, “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President.” We seek to alert lawmakers and the public to the dangerousness of the current president before an irreversible national or international crisis occurs. We represent more than the 27 in the book: we now number in the hundreds, and expect soon to number in the thousands or tens of thousands.

Q: What is our mission?

A. We are dedicated to sharing our knowledge for the purpose of warning and protecting national and international well-being and security.  We are currently consulting with government officials who seek our expertise. We bring our scientific information, clinical expertise, and practical experience to understanding and handling this situation, with the goal of offering solutions and hope.

Q: What is a mental health professional’s Duty to Warn?

A: Most states have laws that either require or permit mental health professionals to disclose information about patients who may become violent. Those laws are receiving increased attention following recent mass shootings, such as those in Aurora, Colo., and Newtown, Conn. A New York law enacted January 15, 2013, makes it mandatory for mental health professionals to report when they believe patients may pose a danger to themselves or others. New York’s law also allows law enforcement to remove firearms owned by patients reported to be likely to be dangerous.

Is Donald Trump's mental health becoming dangerous? https://t.co/uQfMY04Dkk

— Duty To Warn (@duty2warn) December 8, 2017
How best to describe Trump in psychological terms? Many professionals (and non-professionals) have offered diagnoses, but one has entered public discourse more than others, and it is in my view the most accurate: Malignant Narcissism.

What is Malignant Narcissism [MN]? The best overview I’ve come across is found in a seven year old article in a not especially well known journal from Croatia, Psychiatria Danubina :

Malignant Narcissism: From Fairy Tales to Harsh Reality

Mila Goldner-Vukov & Laurie Jo Moore

University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Manaaki House Community Mental Health Service

Psychiatria Danubina
(2010) Vol. 22, No. 3, pp 392–405

Quote
In MN destructive aspects of the self and the expression of aggression become idealized (Rosenfield,1971). People with MN give the appearance of being self-sufficient and successful. Covertly, however, theyare fragile, vulnerable to shame and sensitive to criticism. Failure to succeed in grandiose efforts results in prominent mood swings with irritability, rage and feelings of emptiness.

People with MN are driven by an intense need for recognition. Inwardly, they are deeply envious of people who have meaningful lives. They are adaptive, capable of consistent hard work and of achieving success. However, their work is done primarily to gain admiration and their intellect is strikingly shallow. They are often materialistic and ready to shift their values to gain favour. They are prone to pathological lying.

In the realm of love and sexuality they are charming, seductive and promiscuous, but unable to develop deep relationships.

When not involved in narcissistic pursuits, they are cold, unempathetic, exploitative and indifferent towards others. Disturbing feelings of inferiority, self-doubt,boredom, alienation, emptiness and aimlessness underlie their persona (Kernberg 1984). (pg. 393, emphasis added)

If one does not see these features in Trump, one is deliberately choosing not to see them.

And if one does not see his imminent dangerousness of such a person in command of the armed forces, and especially our nuclear arsenal— because of the utter unpredictability and irrationality of his lashing out— then one is simply a fool.


Full article:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/19/1725812/-The-best-description-of-Trump-is-from-a-seven-year-old-Croatian-psychiatric-journal

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 19, 2017, 07:25:07 pm
Fascism took over Germany in the EXACT SAME WAY it is taking over in the USA  >:(

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-081114190023.png&hash=8248298f64b94ba91481961abaa5f6204a70c942)

https://youtu.be/3vb9waNihi4

It's one thing if Milton Mayer warns us about fascism but what does it say about our nation when former presidents are becoming concerned?

Thom Hartmann Dec. 19, 2017 2:30 pm

(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/015c2e1a3250a81ec5409760e4636175a6f565f23a75028afb5f451719fdccb3.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 19, 2017, 07:52:15 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-060714185706.gif&hash=bd19395e80fdeaff0e65411e22dd6ff03ffde1c3)

Cutting Regulations Is Already Killing Us, The Tax Scam Will Make Inequality Worse

https://youtu.be/gWDbnyUMk1U

Even with the majority of Americans being against the Republican Tax Scam , massive inequality all around the world, the Republicans have fought to pass a bill that will redistribute our money to the morbidly Rich.

Thom Hartmann Dec. 19, 2017 2:00 pm
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 21, 2017, 05:58:39 pm
Tom Steyer -- Need to Impeach <yes@needtoimpeach.com> (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)
 

 
Anthony,

For the past few weeks, Fox News and GOP members of Congress have been laying the groundwork to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller. They are not even pretending anymore -- they are aiding and abetting an administration that thinks it's above the law.

There's only one solution: Impeachment -- and you and I, and 3.7 million other Americans agree. We are a huge movement, and we are making a difference. Look, back in October, just two members of Congress supported impeachment. Today, 171 members of Congress sent Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein a letter stating their support for Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. That's progress!

Now, we need the full force Congress to take action against Trump's lawless power-grab.

So we've created a new video that shows just one of the eight ways Trump has committed impeachable offenses. Please watch the video, and share it with your friends. Use it as talking points over the holidays.

Watch and share!

https://youtu.be/wR2qz_gVDRs

We have to keep up the pressure. The establishment has no plan for what happens when Trump fires Mueller, but we do.

Thank you for taking action this holiday season.

Tom Steyer


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 21, 2017, 06:24:01 pm

If you're not familiar with the work of Masha Gessen, you might wish to make note.

She began contributing to The New Yorker in 2014, and became a staff writer in 2017. Gessen is the author of nine books, including “The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia,” which won the National Book Award in 2017; and “The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin.” Gessen has written about Russia, autocracy, L.G.B.T. rights, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump, among others. She has also been a science journalist. After more than twenty years as a journalist and editor in Moscow, Gessen has been living in New York since 2013. You'll see this on TV as a contributor. One smart cookie.

Here she takes on the festival of slurping blowjobs seen in DC yesterday for Our Dear and Glorious Leader.


The Most Frightening Aspect of Trump’s Tax Triumph (https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-most-frightening-aspect-of-trumps-tax-triumph)

By Masha Gessen

December 21, 2017

(https://media.newyorker.com/photos/5a3be506ed5d1f3cfeca2d9c/master/w_727,c_limit/Gessen-Obsequious-Cabinet-Meeting.jpg)
The lies told by powerful men—and the thanks heaped on the most powerful man of all—are the language of a dictatorship. Photograph by Evan Vucci / AP
 

Donald Trump has scored a legislative victory with staggering costs. The price of the tax bill has to be measured not only in the loss American society will face in the increase in inequality, in the impact on public health, and the growth of the deficit, but also in the damage to political culture inflicted by the spectacle of one powerful man after another telling lies of various sorts.

All along there has been Trump claiming that the bill was a “gift” to the middle class. That this assertion appears to have no basis in fact has not affected the President’s statements. The President’s Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, maintained that his department had run the numbers and had shown that the tax bill would pay for itself. It appears that he lied, not so much about the result of the Treasury’s study but about the existence of the study itself: the Timesreported last month that the analysis had not been done.

This was a Trumpian lie, which is distinct from other kinds of political lying. It might be called a power lie: its purpose is not to convince the audience of something that isn’t true but to demonstrate the power of the speaker. Trump tweets blatant lies, repeatedly, to show that he can—and that by virtue of his bully pulpit, his words, however absurd, always have consequences. Mnuchin showed that he can do the same thing, and that he has more power than the opposition.

The bill’s passage occasioned an O R G Y of false public ritual. It began when the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, led the Cabinet in prayer, which included offering thanks “for a President and for Cabinet members who are courageous” and “for the unity in Congress that has presented an opportunity for our economy to expand.” (Not a single Democrat, in either chamber of Congress, voted in favor of the bill.) Following the prayer, Trump called on his Vice-President the way a teacher might cold-call on a pupil. For a full two minutes, Pence dutifully offered thanks for the President’s “middle-class miracle”; he said that he was “deeply humbled, as your Vice-President, to be able to be here.” Trump looked stern as he listened, nodding slightly, his arms crossed below his chest.

Later in the day, the Republican leaders of both houses of Congress, the Vice-President, and other Republican politicians gathered at the White House to offer praise to their leader. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan, and others hailed Trump for setting records in judicial appointments and, now, for passing the tax bill. Representative Diane Black, of Tennessee, thanked Trump “for allowing us to have you as our President.” Orrin Hatch, of Utah, who has been in the Senate for forty years, predicted that the Trump Presidency will be “the greatest Presidency we have seen not only in generations but maybe ever.” Pence performed, too, again, addressing Trump: “You will make America great again.”

Political speeches are rarely occasions for truth-telling. But the good ones combine a description of shared reality with the expression of a vision, or with words of celebration. The mediocre ones consist of platitudes—well-intentioned but lacking the force of inspiration or recognition. And then there is the genre of the thoroughly insincere pronouncement that is all empty ritual. This is not normally observed in countries with functioning democratic institutions, because hollow words are the very opposite of accountability. These kinds of speeches are usually given in dictatorships: their intended audience is not the public but the tyrant. This is what we observed in Washington on Wednesday, and it’s the scariest part of Trump’s big tax triumph.

Masha Gessen, a staff writer, has written several books, including, most recently, “The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia,” which won the National Book Award in 2017.



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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 21, 2017, 07:04:37 pm
Quote from: AG
Maybe we needed this in-your-face massive fascism by Trump and his wrecking crew to finally realize we need to become a representative republic instead of a disguised Totalitarian Dictatorship.

Perhaps. Several factors obtain.

Look at Virginia, one of the few states having elections in 2017. Gerrymandering is such that the Ds swamped the Rs, and picked up a bunch of seats in the House, by the full impact of the wave was blunted as a result of incumbents picking voters in the way they draw districts. Also, voter suppression efforts in support of the white supremacist agenda are in full algal bloom in a number of states.

And never forget the impact of Hate Radio and Trump TV, aka Faux News. Most republicans have become fully-reprogrammable, interchangeable meat puppets, nourished on a steady diet of Sean Hannity colon nuggets and Rush Limbaugh slobberings. No matter how badly Trump **** them, the problem will be held the responsibility of a Democrats or the nearest libtard. These people are irredeemable.


I hear ya, Surly, but there is only so far a person being told their ration of chocolate (see Orwell 1984) is being RAISED from 20 grams to 15 grams a week can be relied on to swallow the cognitive dissonant bullshit. Money talks and bullshit walks. All these people supporting Trump (and most everybody else) have been running short on social progams and medical care for over a decade now. They simply CANNOT keep blaming Obama for the death of their older relatives from lack of health care and the death of their kids from accidents due to decaying national infrastructure and the gigantic increases in health care premiums, etc.

The polls show that the Republican Happy Talk has lost credibility. All that Orwellian mindfuck does not work when credibility is gone. It's gone, Surly. Sure, the right wing bullshit artists will keep yammering about "how great things are without Obama". AND? They are paid to say that. Even the rubes know that. Those rubes are gettin' just a little tired of seeing empty wallets and ZERO future for jobs, education, their kids, etc.

Of course voter disenfranchisement is in full swing. I've been screaming about the uselessness of voting for years. You and I have argued back and forth on that. The millenials are going to go into VIOLENCE mode now, Surly. TPTB are full of right wing true believer lackeys that are, as we speak, getting gradually thrown off the bus economically. They will NOT go leftist. They will go into vandalism and crime. TPTB will see that and try to maneuver a pseudo egalitarian "leftist" government to calm the boiling masses. It will not work. And the millenials on the left will be every bit as violence prone. You cannot fill people up with hope for a better life and then trash them en masse without some heavy duty repercussions.

You will never convince a sane human being that they are not hungry when they are hungry. Fascists like Trump really believe that Orwelliam Mindfuck can overcome true perceptions through endless repetition. That's bullshit. Ideology and cognitive dissonant brainwashing never overcomes physical wants and needs UNLESS there is a basis for genuine hope, at which point people remain quiesent. There is now NO BASIS for genuine hope. That's OVER in 2018 and violence will proliferate simply because the young jobless people doing the violence KNOW THE VOTE DOES NOT COUNT! When people lose hope, all hell breaks loose. Mark my words.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 29, 2017, 07:24:55 pm
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The Right is Waging War on Academic Freedom

https://youtu.be/jgrVOCR761w

TheRealNews

Published on Dec 29, 2017

The resignation of Drexel University Professor Ciccariello-Maher following right-wing threats and harassment is the result of a broader, ongoing right-wing campaign to intimidate progressive professors throughout the U.S., and it's having a chilling effect on academic freedom, says Trinity College Professor Johnny Williams.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 29, 2017, 08:39:54 pm
The Plan To Get 279 Progressive Democrats In Office!

https://youtu.be/M2FfNFwDFR8

When you strip the ideas and policy from their party affiliation it turns out that most Americans agree with progressive ideas. You would think a democracy would like laws popular with the majority of it's population?

Thom Hartmann Dec. 28, 2017 2:30 pm



Do Republicans Know The United States Isn't the Confederacy?

https://youtu.be/aqDrBmW6vdw



Capitalism is a Fundamentally Unstable System (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

https://youtu.be/lHQ2AbcVIOQ

Dr. Richard Wolff joins us, explaining that all the logic, all the math points to a when, not an if, the economy will crash.

Thom Hartmann Dec. 28, 2017 3:30 pm


Trumps Gift To Private Prison Investors

https://youtu.be/5hy2FZY1R2E

The Donald Trump presidency has illustrated so many of the problems in our systems, his latest surprise governance was to use the GOP tax plan to encourage the private prison lobby! Is this the behavior we want to encourage?

  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-010215143525.png&hash=5bd7bd57f7d770273b7d73d29697fe3a0cc11e8f)


Thom Hartmann Dec. 29, 2017 2:00 pm


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 30, 2017, 02:09:45 pm
7 Huge News Stories You Probably Didn’t Hear About in 2017 (http://theantimedia.org/7-huge-news-stories-2017/)

December 29, 2017 at 2:53 pm

Written by Carey Wedler
 
(ANTIMEDIA) — 2017 was a chaotic year filled with violent protest, threats of nuclear war, ongoing Cold War-style accusations of collusion with ‘the Russians,’ and widespread allegations of sexual harassment. Establishment media outlets like Washington Post and CNN took it upon themselves to protect American democracy from the Trump administration, but in typical fashion, many of the most vital stories of the year — the ones that reveal the true nature of corruption and power in the U.S. — received little to no attention.

Here are the top underreported stories of 2017:

1. The government continued its push to spy on you indiscriminately — When Edward Snowden revealed to the American public the extent of the federal government’s surveillance programs, the country was outraged for a few fleeting moments. But the issue of privacy violations has largely faded into obscurity since then, even as the government’s push for these policies continues. Before leaving office, Barack Obama granted more surveillance authority to federal agencies, and once Trump took office, his administration began pushing to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which has not only swept up the records of foreigners, but also American citizens. As the ACLU has summarized, Section 702 of FISA allows the government to engage in “mass, warrantless surveillance of Americans’ and foreigners’ phone calls, text messages, emails, and other electronic communications.” It was passed in 2007 and reauthorized in 2012 but is set to expire on December 31 of this year. Congress’ worked this year to push through a renewal with tepid reforms, though it now appears lawmakers may fail to reauthorize the bill before it expires on New Year’s Eve. Nevertheless, the ongoing push for data collection presses on. In September, Trump nominated Adam I. Klein, a surveillance and FISA advocate, to chair a governmental board in charge of holding the government accountable for its surveillance activities.

2. The media and government selectively informed the public about North Korea —
North Korea has dominated headlines for months, with the media consistently warning of imminent danger and repeatedly fear mongering about the perceived threat. What has been grossly underreported, however, is not only the U.S. military’s historical decimation of the North Korean people, but also the North Korean regime’s willingness to engage in talks. North Korean officials have repeatedly stated they are willing to compromise on their weapons programs if the U.S. backs off its military grandstanding. As the North Korean ambassador to the U.N. told Reuters in November:

“As long as there is continuous hostile policy against my country by the U.S. and as long as there are continued war games at our doorstep, then there will not be negotiations.”

The Reuters headline, however, read, “North Korea rules out negotiations on nuclear weapons” – as if the notion of the U.S. halting its military drills is simply not an option.

This detail scarcely highlighted in the mainstream conversation, with outlets like the Washington Post also running headlines and stories that drum up the regime’s unwillingness to halt the weapons development.

3. Just as in the Obama years, the civilian death toll from American military operations was swept under the rug —
Despite some mainstream reports on the mass casualties the Trump administration has incurred durings its ramped up operations in the Middle East, over all, concerns over the loss of innocent life remain lost on the American public. Though Obama dropped over 26,000 bombs during his last year in office — a massive number — the Trump administration dropped over 20,000 in its first six months. Roughly halfway through the year, over 2,000 civilians had died, and in the battle of Mosul, alone, over 3,200 died as a result of the U.S. coalition, contributing to a total of between 9,000 and 11,000 civilian deaths.

 
4. Police violence continues — Aside from several high-profile instances of police brutality, including the brutal shooting of Philando Castile, a legal gun owner (the officer was acquitted of all charges and received a settlement from the police department), and the recent instance of a cop forcing a pet owner to behead his own dog, mainstream attention on the system problem of police misconduct has been quiet this year (especially compared to 2014, for example, when protests in Ferguson, MO, drew ongoing national attention). At the same time, President Trump encouraged officers to be rough with suspects and continued to assert his unwavering support for law enforcement, claiming anti-police sentiment is “wrong” and “dangerous.” He also reinstated the federal government’s program of granting military gear to local police. Meanwhile, American police continue to kill civilians at staggering rates, with estimates ranging between 976 and almost 1,182 for 2017. The number of cops killed in 2017 was the second-lowest in 50 years, according to data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

5. Establishment media neglects to inform audiences of the U.S. role in international chaos —Just a few weeks ago, CNN ran a disturbing story detailing the growing slave trade in Libya, where human beings are subject to gruesome conditions and auctioned off as property. Though the story itself received widespread attention (and the Guardian covered it earlier this year), CNN left out one key detail from the narrative: the problem exploded after the Obama and Clinton-backed NATO toppling of the country’s former leader, Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011, a detail the Guardian reported in April. Following the power vacuum left in the wake of that operation, Libya has become a haven for terror groups and horrifying activities like slave trading and r a p e. The media’s widespread omission of this fact prevents a thorough understanding of the ramifications of Western intervention in countries that are outside their jurisdiction (some outlets, like Newsweek, did highlight the Obama administration’s role in the growth of the slave trade, and to Fortune’s credit, the outlet acknowledged the problem was exacerbated following Gaddafi’s “fall,” though it failed to note how he ‘fell.’ Similarly, CNBC noted that “conditions have worsened since 2011, when former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was overthrown,” but failed to mention who instigated the overthrow.).

6. The world moves on from the American empire — As U.S. foreign policy continues to create unintended consequences, other global players are moving to lessen their dependence on America and the U.S. dollar. From Venezuela to Pakistan and Iran, countries are opting to conduct their oil transactions outside the long-dominant American currency. In addition, they are forming alliances. For example, Turkey, which has for years been somewhat of a U.S. ally, has strengthened ties with Russia. Iran and Qatar have mended ties, and even staunch U.S. ally Saudi Arabia is hedging its bets by building up business ties with Russia and China. The E.U. has also signaled its intention to become less dependent on the U.S., moving to create its own army.

7. Weed keeps winning! — Despite all the terrible news and seemingly unending flow of negativity, cannabis continues to make gains, and though the stories about individual developments have mounted in the mainstream, the breadth of the evolution is difficult to fully capture. Though the federal government has continued making huge numbers of arrests for the plant, the public’s support for legalization keeps mounting. Further, multiple surveys conducted this year show Americans strongly prefer cannabis as medicine over traditional pharmaceuticals. One analysis conducted by UC Berkeley and Kent State found “Ninety-seven percent of the sample ‘strongly agreed/agreed’ that they are able to decrease the amount of opiates they consume when they also use cannabis” and “81% ‘strongly agreed/agreed’ that taking cannabis by itself was more effective at treating their condition than taking cannabis with opioid.” Further, police are facing harsher scrutiny for their weed busts as the Internet schools them when they attempt to brag about cannabis-related arrests on social media. Despite the lobbying efforts by Big Pharma, police unions, and prison guard unions, the plant continues to enjoy increasing popularity and skyrocketing profits. This positive story demonstrates the ruling establishment’s continuing loss of control even as it struggles to keep its power over individual freedom.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 03, 2018, 07:52:24 pm
Suspicious Timeline Suggests GOP Blocking Merrick Garland May Be Tied to Trump/Russia Scandal

Of course they knew. They would never have put the cork on Garland unless they were SURE that Trump had the election in his pocket. What a pack treasonous scum these Reactionary bastards that call themselves "conservatives" are. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sherv.net%2Fcm%2Femoticons%2Fsick%2Fbarfing-smiley-emoticon.gif&hash=36f6791510582d9f9f48af1d4d1a006a5681103b)

Of course. But the BIG news on Action News tonight is the fact is the Congressional Republicans, particularly the extreme right Treasonbunnies,  are in on it. In the fullness of time, they will be shown to have been the happy recipients of plenty of Russian oligarch CA$H... Which is why they are trying so hard to spike the Mueller investigation, lest he successfully follow it back to its source.
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I know that I belabor this issue of the corruption funded by the Fossil fuel Industry a lot  ;) ;D, but I really think that Putin is on the same page as Exxon and the Koch brothers, WITH FINANCIAL MONEY LAUNDERING CONNECTIONS WORLDWIDE. This means the politicians are actually the "small fry" in this massive polluter stranglehold on politics here and abroad.

That Deutch (spelling?) bank in Germany is as dirty as they come. And the Federal Reserve bank(s) is/are every bit as dirty. That is what makes this MESS so hard for TBTB to admit to. It is a SYSTEMIC problem primarily funded by the Polluters! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)


Bankrupting the polluters would not stop immorality and corruption in politics, but it would be a good start! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121424.gif&hash=384c17a4d2be4831084933b91808f8a60f73f7f5)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 03, 2018, 07:56:05 pm
I know that I belabor this issue of the corruption funded by the Fossil fuel Industry a lot  ;) ;D, but I really think that Putin is on the same page as Exxon and the Koch brothers, WITH FINANCIAL MONEY LAUNDERING CONNECTIONS WORLDWIDE. This means the politicians are actually the "small fry" in this massive polluter stranglehold on politics here and abroad.

That Deutch (spelling?) bank in Germany is as dirty as they come. And the Federal Reserve bank(s) is/are every bit as dirty. That is what makes this MESS so hard for TBTB to admit to. It is a SYSTEMIC problem primarily funded by the Polluters!

Bankrupting the polluters would not stop immorality and corruption in politics, but it would be a good
start! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121424.gif&hash=384c17a4d2be4831084933b91808f8a60f73f7f5)

And it's all perfectly legal. Logical even, given the dictates of end-stage capitalism and the perfect logic of the spreadsheet. And if it's not legal, we buy some new laws. The common denominator between Putin, the Kochs, the oilmen and the bankers is pure, untrammeled greed. The politicians are infinitely replaceable rental units at this level.

Real estate is a highly valued asset for laundering dirty money., one of the reasons so few real estate developers ever pursue higher levels of office-- they can't bear the public scrutiny.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 03, 2018, 10:12:58 pm

RE

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42561075 (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42561075)

Trump-Bannon: A political knife fight with consequences
Jon Sopel North America editor @bbcjonsopel on Twitter

    3 hours ago

Media captionFive things Trump thinks about Bannon now

It's not unusual for former political allies to fall out. It happens all the time. But normally it's done in private, and maybe hinted at in public. Not this time. Not with this President.

This is a vicious knife fight between Donald Trump and his former campaign chief and White House Chief strategist being played out across social media.

Other Trump family members and supporters are piling in too. Why? Because Steve Bannon has enraged Donald Trump with his description of a meeting that took place between the president's son, Don Jr, and son in law, Jared Kushner, with a Kremlin-linked, Russian lawyer as unpatriotic and treasonous.

    10 explosive claims from new Trump book

He's talked about how clear it is what the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller, is investigating - whether the Trump organisation was laundering dirty Russian money. Donald Trump has fired back in the way only he knows how. He has met fire with fire, accusing Bannon of having lost his mind, of not being that influential, of being a pretender. Lost his mind. Wow.

So much for the spat. Does it matter? Well yes it does.
Image copyright Reuters
Image caption Mr Mueller's team is investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the election

To anyone who will listen, Trump and his supporters have insisted vociferously, angrily, indignantly that there is no evidence there was collusion. In one recent interview with the New York Times conducted over the New Year at Mar-a-Lago, Trump raised the subject 23 times. Twenty-three times he denied collusion.

Bannon's comments won't alter the course of the Mueller investigation - his team is quietly getting on with its investigation and following where the evidence takes them - remember there have already been three people charged in connection with this. But it matters in the war of words on social media.

The narrative of Trump fidelis is that this is a 'nothingburger', or to change my food metaphor, sour grapes from the Democrats after their shock election defeat.

    Russia: The 'cloud' over the Trump White House
    Russia-Trump: Who's who in the drama to end all dramas?

Some ideological outriders have been saying that what the President should do is fire the special counsel, and bring his existentially threatening investigation to an end. But how much more difficult is that propaganda battle now to wage, when one of the principal actors from the Trump campaign, and the first six months of the Trump presidency talks openly and on the record about treasonous and unpatriotic behaviour.
Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption President Trump boards Air Force Once with his then top aide, Steve Bannon

The firing of Bannon last August the President did with a heavy heart. But it seems that hell hath no fury like a Bannon scorned. Or as President Johnson noted when dealing with the troublesome J Edgar Hoover in the 1960s - better to have him inside the tent pissing out than outside pissing in. Bannon is outside, and taking careful aim.

    How Trump cooled on Bannon

But if the Bannon accusations are damaging (and they are), there is one aspect of this which will be causing quiet delight in the White House. If you cast you mind back to the summer, the appointment of General John Kelly (and the firing of Bannon) was meant to mark the moment when discipline was imposed on an unruly, freewheeling, chaotic administration.

There would be a chain of command. Order. Discipline. Systems. Well Steve Bannon was gone, true; but he was still an important voice in the President's ear. Remember this iron law of governing. It doesn't matter what a person's job title is, it is what proximity they have to the centre of power. Bannon was on the outside, but he was still a source of counsel. Now he is not just on the outside, he is in outer darkness.
Media captionSteve Bannon's three goals for the Trump presidency

So what is Steve Bannon's next move? Well I make one confident prediction: it won't be to roll up his tent, pack his knapsack and skulk away with his head drooping. Bannon is campaigning to tear down the Republican establishment, and in Breitbart News he has a fairly formidable weapon with which to wage his war. Bannon wants candidates in this year's mid term election who will threaten the existing Republican leadership, who will follow the populist, nationalist policies that led Donald Trump to election victory in 2016. You have two men now violently fighting it out for the hearts and minds of the Americans who propelled Donald Trump to victory.

When I came to work this morning I thought nothing would or could eclipse Donald Trump's tweet about Kim Jong-un. But now it seems that Mr Bannon and President Trump are locked in a battle over who's got the bigger button and whose is most powerful.

Next move, Steve Bannon. And this is so much less life-threatening than real nuclear war.


IF this is not a Bannon/Trump deliberately engineered food fight to distract people while Trump gets down and dirty on Mueller, then this could be a good thing. The fact is, Bannon has been tight with Trump for a LONG time. Bannon knows where all the bodies are buried (both Trump's and, of course, Bannon's - they might overlap but they are not the same   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)). So, all Mueller has to do, if Bannon REALLY wants to sink Trump (something I highly doubt right now), is to cut a deal exposing the crimes Trump has commited IN ADDITION to the Russian money that saved Trump's ass when he was going bankrupt (AGAIN!) and the money was laundered through the Deutch Bank as "loans" to Trump, in addition to the Trump real estate inflated priices paid by the 'From Russia with Love' money. 

Trump is certainly NOT his own man. THe money that saved his ass OWNS him. I am certain the evidence of a quid pro quo that Trump agreed to in exchange for the laundered money is NOT recorded anywhere. So, no hard evidence will ever be forthcoming.

BUT, Bannon knows, and can prove, WHEN the money started coming in. All Mueller has to do is is link Trump Campaign actions DIRECTLY (chronology of events within a few days of receiving "loans") with the money laundering SOURCE. That is prima facie evidence, even if circumstantial, that Trump colluded with a foreign power by running for POTUS for the purpose of getting out of debt.

As Surly said, real estate big shots rarely go into politics because they are so entangled in money laundering fun and games. Trump was probably approached by the Russians first, who knew exactly how hard up he was econmically (who knows, maybe they helped sink him economically, without his knowledge, to get a pliable stooge into the White House). Trump HAD to run for President. Otherwise, the money to keep the Trump pretend billionaire in extend and pretend mode would NOT be delivered. Trump ran a HUGE risk, due to all the criminal crap he has in his real estate background, by going for/into the POTUS job.

So, unless Mueller gets something from Bannon with TEETH in it, I do not yet believe Bannon is suddenly on the side of the angels.

(https://i.imgur.com/8SFIHZc.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 04, 2018, 02:03:42 pm
Trump is certainly NOT his own man. THe money that saved his ass OWNS him. I am certain the evidence of a quid pro quo that Trump agreed to in exchange for the laundered money is NOT recorded anywhere. So, no hard evidence will ever be forthcoming.

BUT, Bannon knows, and can prove, WHEN the money started coming in. All Mueller has to do is is link Trump Campaign actions DIRECTLY (chronology of events within a few days of receiving "loans") with the money laundering SOURCE. That is prima facie evidence, even if circumstantial, that Trump colluded with a foreign power by running for POTUS for the purpose of getting out of debt.

So, unless Mueller gets something from Bannon with TEETH in it, I do not yet believe Bannon is suddenly on the side of the angels.


Something like the sale of a Florida mansion to the Russian "Fertilizer King" for a $55 million profit on the flip? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)

Photographed in 2005 (at article link), Donald Trump stands in front of 515 N. County Rd., the estate he bought at auction for about $41 million, renovated and then sold in 2008 at a recorded $95 million.

Donald Trump and the mansion that no one wanted. Then came a Russian fertilizer king
BY GLENN GARVIN

ggarvin@miamiherald.com

FEBRUARY 27, 2017 06:31 AM

UPDATED JULY 21, 2017 10:13 AM

Since the allegations about Donald Trump’s business connections to Russia started to fly last year in the middle of his presidential campaign, the fog of political war has made it difficult to tell the real from the shadow. Except for one very visible landmark: a sprawling, rococo seaside mansion in Palm Beach that Trump himself liked to boast about as an example of his real-estate acumen.

This sale of the mansion has now become part of U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential Trump links to Russia, according to Bloomberg.

“What do I have to do with Russia?” he replied to reporters’ questions at a press conference in Doral last summer. “You know the closest I came to Russia, I bought a house a number of years ago in Palm Beach … for $40 million, and I sold it to a Russian for $100 million.”

That was a bland, if fairly accurate, summary of a wild and goofy tale of the Palm Beach real-estate market involving tax fraud, Russian billionaires, lurid divorce-court accusations and — at least in the opinion of some Palm Beach observers — the execrably vulgar taste of the super-rich.

It’s a tale that’s now coming to a sad end: That $100 million mansion, once the most expensive home in America, has become its most expensive tear-down. Not a single trace of the compound remains, and soon even its address will disappear: The 6.3-acre estate on which it stood has been broken into three parcels, and one of them has already sold.

“It’s an odd story, but Palm Beach real estate can be kind of strange,” said Gary Pohrer, one of the island’s real-estate agents. “People decide they want something, and they’ll pay a price that doesn’t necessarily correspond to reality.”

The story begins in March 2001, when healthcare tycoon Abraham Gosman, who had moved from Massachusetts to Palm Beach a few years earlier and reinvented himself as a philanthropist, declared bankruptcy. That financial catastrophe would eventually result in tax-fraud convictions for Gosman and his wife.

One of the casualties of the bankruptcy was the 62,000-square-foot mansion Gosman had built at 515 N. County Road and dubbed Maison de l’Amitie, the House of Friendship. A showcase for his charity events just a mile north of the vaunted Breakers hotel, it included a ballroom with a capacity of hundreds, an art gallery, underground parking for scores of cars and a 100-foot swimming pool. It was nested among a slew of outbuildings, including a barn, guest houses and a tennis cottage.

The Gosmans managed to hold on to it for a couple of years, but by 2004 it had been seized by the bankruptcy court and put on the auction block. There were several bidders, hoping to scoop up a plutocratic property at a dollar-store price, but Trump — a real-estate mogul still more than a decade distant from political ambitions — pounced, grabbing the house for $41.35 million.

“He bought it strictly as an investment to flip,” said Carol Digges, the Palm Beach real-estate agent who would eventually re-sell the house for Trump. “He never intended to live there.”

And he didn’t. After doing some renovation on the house, Trump put it back on the market in 2006 at price that made even jaded Palm Beach eyeballs pop: $125 million. Gossip Extrapublisher and columnist Jose Lambiet, one of a few reporters Trump invited to tour the house in an attempt to drum up buyers, was even more astonished by the price after he looked around.

“I’d been in the house before, at one of Gosman’s charity parties, and Trump had hardly changed anything, just put on a couple of coats of paint,” Lambiet said. “Even that — well, he told us the fixtures in one of the bathrooms were gold, but as he walked away, I scratched a faucet with my fingernails and it was just gold-covered paint.”

Lambiet has visited many homes of wealthy owners with more money than taste, but he considered the Maison de l’Amitie in a class by itself. “It was just terrible-looking, really gaudy,” he said. “Nothing fit together — it was sort of haphazard inside.

“There was a room with a floor made of cobblestones, and in the corner was a real wood oven for pizzas. It looked like an old Italian pizza place. Who does that in their house? ... I thought, he’s never gonna sell this. And he didn’t, the house stayed on the market for a couple of years.


“And then the Russian came along.”

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“The Russian” was Dmitry Rybolovlev (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978), a cardiologist-turned-potash-magnate (Russian newspapers called him “the Fertilizer King”) whose net worth was estimated in the financial press to be well north of $10 billion. By 2008, when he first inquired about the mansion, Trump had already cut the price to $100 million, and Rybolovlev offered even less, $75 million.

But Rybolovlev is well known for buying homes as if he’s spending Monopoly money. His 24-year-old daughter Ekaterina bought Skorpios, the 74-acre Greek island where Aristotle Onassis married Jackie Kennedy, for a price estimated at $150 million or more. Then there’s the family’s $88 million apartment overlooking Central Park West, the $20 million home in Hawaii acquired from actor Will Smith and the $135 million residence in the Swiss resort of Gstaad. (To be perfectly fair, that one consists of two houses.)

Trump, sensing his fish had taken the hook   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fugly004.gif&hash=c56db4280057389afd154a1cb4057410151579c8), hung tough on his price.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)


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On July 15, 2008, Rybolovlev bought the house for $95 million (Trump says credits on the closing costs brought the total package to $100 million), believed to be the biggest home sale in American history.

Although some real-estate publications made much of the fact that the mansion was on the market for nearly two years before it sold, Digges, the real-estate agent who sold it, wasn’t surprised. “When you’re sitting in that price range, there’s not 50 people in line waiting,” she said. “People with that kind of money are not readily available.”

Confidentiality agreements, she said, prevent her from discussing exactly how Rybolovlev came into the picture other than to say that “the client came to me on a referral.” Trump himself has said he never met Rybolovlev (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c), who conducted the entire transaction through intermediaries.  ;)

In the rough-and-tumble Russian financial world, anybody with wealth like Rybolovlev is viewed with a certain degree of suspicion, and his business career — which includes a charge of murder, of which he was acquitted — has certainly had its share of adventures. Much of it is shrouded in mystery; he almost never talks to reporters.

But South Florida never got a chance to see him up close. Rybolovlev never lived in his new mansion and is believed to have visited only once. That may have been due in part to a terrible mold problem discovered after he bought it.

Perhaps more importantly, though, not long after the sale closed, Rybolovlev became ensnarled in a divorce from his wife Elena, a toxic spill that splashed on for seven years. In court papers, she accused him of hosting lascivious orgies involving young girls on his yacht; he had her arrested for jewel theft.

The divorce case ended in an undisclosed settlement in 2015. And last year, Rybolovlev gave up on the mansion, successfully seeking permission to tear it down and divide the land under it into three parcels.

By November, the first of them had already sold, drawing $34.34 million for 2.35 acres.

“I thought the Russian was crazy to buy the place at that price, but now it looks like he’ll at least break even,” mused gossip columnist Lambiet.

Probably not, countered real-estate agent Pohrer: Although Rybolovlev may make back his purchase price, he’s been paying about $1.4 million a year in taxes since 2008, as well as the considerable upkeep on the huge house. “Overall, he’s going to wind up losing a pretty penny on this, maybe around $20 million,” Pohrer said.

“I actually thought the price was a little low,” he added. “There’s really no other vacant coastal land in Palm Beach for sale — everything else is going to come with a house on it. And this was the biggest of the three parcels, so the others will go for less.”

Who exactly purchased the land remains a mystery. Legal documents associated with the sale list only the name of a holding company. “I would have thought I’d be able to find out the name of the buyer by now,” said Pohrer. “But I haven’t been able to. That surprises me.” So, maybe there’s still a surprise ending in store.

The former Abe Gosman house at 515 N. County Rd. in Palm Beach was purchased by Donald Trump, who in 2008 sold it to entity connected to Russian billionaire Dmitri Rybolovlev.
Some have said the décor of the mansion at 515 N. County Rd. was gaudy and mismatched.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article135187364.html

Conducting the "entire transaction through intermediaries" is a GIANT RED FLAG any detective looking for money laundering will immediately spot. I'm sure Mueller has already done so. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fcowboypistol.gif&hash=2dc97f743dffca22404e6e4e0822765e60b33f38)  ;D
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 04, 2018, 02:18:42 pm
This is getting REALLY good!   ;D

RE

Trump lawyer sends cease-and-desist letter to Bannon: report
By Brandon Carter and Brett Samuels - 01/03/18 10:48 PM EST

Trump lawyer sends cease-and-desist letter to Bannon: report


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© Getty Images

President Trump’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to former White House chief strategist Stephe Bannon Wednesday ordering him to refrain from making “disparaging statement” about Trump and his family, according to a new report.

ABC News reports the letter, from Trump attorney Charles Harder, accuses Bannon of breaching a non-disclosure agreement signed as part of working on Trump’s campaign.

“You have breached the Agreement by, among other things, communicating with author Michael Wolff about Mr. Trump, his family members, and the Company [the Trump campaign], disclosing Confidential Information to Mr. Wolff, and making disparaging statements and in some cases outright defamatory statements to Mr. Wolff about Mr. Trump, his family members,” Harder wrote, according to ABC News.

The letter to Bannon also states that “remedies for your breach of the agreement include but are not limited to monetary damages.”

Harder is a well-known entertainment lawyer who previously represented Hulk Hogan in his case against Gawker Media, which Hogan won and ultimately led to Gawker filing for bankruptcy.

He also represented First Lady Melania Trump in her defamation lawsuit against the Daily Mail, which was settled last year.

Harder later said in a statement to ABC that the law firm "represents President Donald J. Trump and Donald J. Trump for President Inc." and issued legal notice to Bannon over his statements in Michael Wolff’s new book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.”

"On behalf of our clients, legal notice was issued today to Stephen K. Bannon, that his actions of communicating with author Michael Wolff regarding an upcoming book give rise to numerous legal claims including defamation by libel and slander, and breach of his written confidentiality and non-disparagement agreement with our clients. Legal action is imminent," Harder said.

Excerpts from Wolff’s book were published Wednesday in New York Magazine.

In the excerpts, Bannon described a July 2016 meeting at Trump Tower that included Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer as “treasonous” and “unpatriotic.”

He also said he believed there was “zero” chance that the president was not aware of the meeting, which contradicts previous White House statements.

“They’re going to crack Don Jr. like an egg on national TV,” Bannon reportedly said.

Bannon, who was fired from his White House post in August, is quoted often in the excerpts as a central figure in Trump’s inner circle.

Trump blasted Bannon on Wednesday afternoon, painting him as someone who inflated his role within the administration.
"Steve pretends to be at war with the media, which he calls the opposition party, yet he spent his time at the White House leaking false information to the media to make himself seem far more important than he was," the president said in a statement.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 06, 2018, 02:55:47 pm
Quote
Michael Wolff has done a crucial service, showing more intimately than any reporter yet the true nature of the man at the center of the American system. But without the complicity of other power-holders, Trump would drop from his central position like a tooth from a rotten gum. What we need to do now is widen the camera angle beyond Fredo Trump to the hard-faced men and women over his shoulders. Those are the people (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) who put Trump where he is, and keep him there, corrupting the institutions of American democracy and troubling the peace and security of the world.

Donald Trump Goes Full Fredo (http://www.doomsteaddiner.net/forum/index.php/topic,8523.msg143978.html#msg143978)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 10, 2018, 05:29:31 pm
(https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26167821_1728328040534029_5627140515977095392_n.jpg?oh=78cf59e15b8a99a71b525f7bd4d251a4&oe=5AEFE2A9)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 10, 2018, 07:09:55 pm
(https://charterforcompassion.org/images/menus/EdInstitute/walkingeachother.jpg)

JAN 09, 2018 TD ORIGINALS

And Compassion for All

By Eric Ortiz

SNIPPET 1:

Are you hopeful? It’s a simple question without a simple answer in these uncertain times.

But Sarah Silverman did something cool to end 2017 that should provide some hope. After encountering a troll on social media who called her the C-word, she showed compassion.

I believe in you. I read ur timeline & I see what ur doing & your rage is thinly veiled pain. But u know that. I know this feeling. Ps My back Fu cking sux too. see what happens when u choose love. I see it in you.
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) December 29, 2017

 

I can’t choose love. A man that resembles Kevin spacey took that away when I was 8. I can’t find peace if I could find that guy who ripped my body who stripped my innocence I’d kill him. He fu cked me up and I’m poor so its hard to get help.
— Jeremy jamrozy (@jeremy_jamrozy) December 29, 2017

 
No I just smoke weed. I’m prescribed medications which I take accordingly
— Jeremy jamrozy (@jeremy_jamrozy) December 29, 2017
 

I will go. But I trust no one I’ve been burned so many times. I’d give the shirt off my back and everytime I get burned. I’m super antisocial. I have no friends. I’m sorry I gave u  s h i t.
— Jeremy jamrozy (@jeremy_jamrozy) December 29, 2017

 
Im so psyched you’ll go. KEEP ME POSTED. Don’t give up on yourself. Be brave enough to risk getting burned. It’s what happens when u fight for yourself. But it’s worth it. I promise.
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) December 29, 2017

Silverman then used her platform as a celebrity to put out a request to help Jeremy, her new friend.
 
Yo SAN ANTONIO! Any kickass back/neck care specialists willing 2 help my friend @jeremy_jamrozy He has several slipped discs, no insurance, & can’t work bc of severe pain. Let’s get him back on his feet!! Who’s in?
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) December 29, 2017
 

I was their Director of Finance for 6 years and my sister is a CRS there @lmarti25 I’ll get her to reach out to him to get him in!
— Jen Carriedo (@jcarriedo) December 29, 2017

Jeremy started a GoFundMe page to raise $150 for back pain relief and was overwhelmed by the generosity of complete strangers.


SNIPPET 2:

America needs a life preserver. Liberty and justice for all are not the reality of today’s America (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fpirates5B15D_th.gif&hash=32438e1ed2c4d1823d4ed2a193286525c840a605). The system is still rigged against minorities, particularly blacks and Latinos, who are still moved to the bottom of lists. The government has failed and continues to fail the people, and the failure is by design. According to Nancy MacLean, author of “Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America,” in an interview with Salon, radical far-right forces are working to destroy “the model of government that has prevailed in the United States and in many other countries for a century.” This new vision of America wants to undo all semblance of democracy—removing government responsibility for education, health care, food, housing, old-age support—to line the pockets of a wealthy few.

MacLean explained:

Quote
I think that what we need to convey to people is that this is a messianic cause, with a vision of the good society and government that I think most of us would find terrifying, for the practical implications and impact that it will have on our lives.

We are at a crucial moment in our history, and we will not get another chance, by this cause’s own telling. They say again and again that this is going to be permanent, and they’re very close to victory. So I think we need to be really clear-eyed about understanding this and reaching out to one another without panic.

… [T]he Koch network (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070118134926.png&hash=02a998409f3976d1232a3505fb85b3a7343f74b2) and all of these people (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) are doing what they’re doing because they understand that their ideas make them a permanent minority. They cannot win if they are honest about what they’re doing. That’s why they’re doing things in the deceitful and frightening ways that they are.

And that, I think, is a sign of great power for the majority of people, who I think are fundamentally decent, and agree on much more than we’re led to believe.

The trouble is, the assault on democracy with Donald Trump in the White House is also coming from Democrats, who have moved to the right under the influence of financial elites to create what Paul Street calls the “nauseating nothingness of neoliberal capitalist and professional class politics.”

Thomas Frank said as much in the new afterword of his book “Listen Liberal: What Ever Happened to the Party of the People?”:

Quote
There was brilliance in the billionaire’s bluster. By denouncing free trade and the culture wars, [candidate Trump] was dynamiting the consensus orthodoxy that had dominated Washington for many years. This orthodoxy had, among other things, made possible endless sell-outs of working people by Democrats, who could savor their Tom Friedman columns and celebrate globalization’s winners and still count on the votes of the angry working class because such people had ‘nowhere else to go.’ Clintonism would only work, however, as long as Republicans did their part and adhered to free-market orthodoxy. Take that consensus away and leave the Democrats as the only party of globalization, and they would immediately be exposed to a working-class revolt within their ranks. … Trump was openly calling for such a revolt.”

That revolt has yet to happen. Trump has grown the swamp in Washington, D.C., instead of draining it. At the same time, he and his administrative tyrants have set out to destroy all sense of American humanity and the multicultural, “nation of nations” fabric and spirit upon which our country was founded.

The ruling class wants to keep American citizens divided.
That’s why we keep seeing policies opposed to what the majority of Americans want, with little substantive analysis of those policies. Instead, we get an abundance of “soap opera” news and “worldwide wrestling” narratives. Sensationalism sells. The rubes stay distracted and uninformed. The ruling class wins. All they care about is power and money. Anything or anyone that runs counter to making money or maintaining power is the enemy.

Our current government has no empathy because its political donors lack empathy. They don’t care about immigrants, economic equality, the poor, the middle class, the environment or peace—what a majority of Americans care about—because human rights, civil rights and decency are bad for business

FULL EXCELLENT ARTICLE with videos: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020)

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/and-compassion-for-all/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 10, 2018, 07:53:47 pm
How Homeland Security is Secretly Taking Away Your Right To Vote (w/Guest Greg Palast)

https://youtu.be/8L0A_l8pCQk

Investigative Journalist and director of the film, The Best Democracy money can buy, joins Thom Hartmann to discuss the secret move to make voter suppression invisible by having homeland security take over and classify it so we can't find out! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817134648.gif&hash=d24c66a26329a19150a175d576b631d10f631ee8)

Thom HartmannJan. 9, 2018 2:30 pm
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 11, 2018, 09:11:10 pm
Robert Reich: The Resistance Report, January 8th, 2017

https://youtu.be/pjjEffU5P3o

Inequality Media Civic Action

Published on Jan 8, 2018

Tonight we look at Trump's latest efforts to derail the Mueller investigation and take attention away from Michael Wolff's new book "Fire and Fury".
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 12, 2018, 03:07:46 pm
Cook, Zuckerberg, Bezos and over 100 other CEOs sign letter urging Congress to keep DACA program

Ending DACA could cost the economy billions

By Rob Thubron on Jan 11, 2018, 9:38 AM

SNIPPET:

Tech leaders have once again come together to fight a decision made by the Trump administration. This time, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos have joined CEOs from more than 100 companies in signing an open letter urging Congress…

Full article:

https://www.techspot.com/news/72706-cook-zuckerberg-bezos-over-100-other-ceos-sign.html
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 12, 2018, 09:11:20 pm
Truthdig

JAN 11, 2018

Why Jeff Sessions (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c)  Loves Pot Prohibition

The announcement by US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions that he’ll pursue federal pot prosecutions has two age-old motivations: power and money.

Financially, of course, the Republican party is vested in America’s vast private prison system. Every new arrestee means money in the pockets of the investors who own and operate them. Keeping those cells and beds occupied is the essence of the industry” and of Pot Prohibition.

The Drug War is a giant cash cow, not only for the prison owners, but for the cops, guards, lawyers, judges, bailiffs and all the other operatives whose livelihood depends on destroying those of the nation’s tens of millions cannabis customers.

Medical legalization in about half the country, and full legalization in California, Colorado and other states, represents a serious threat to this multi-billion-dollar incarceration scam. Sessions has risen to its defense.

Then there’s the power.

As long as so many millions of people smoke the stuff, marijuana’s illegality give police the ability to bust whoever they want, whenever they want. It is the core enabler of a police state.

In fact, Pot Prohibition is a major foundation of the Republican Regime stretching from the White House and Congress to state government, the courts and beyond.

The key is disenfranchisement.

Since the Drug War’s initiation by Harry J. Anslinger in the 1930s, the principle focus has been on people of color. Anslinger promoted the term “marijuana” to deal with cannabis because it has an Hispanic twinge and aroused paranoid bigotry among the white population.

While promoting films like “Reefer Madness” to make pot appear like some sinister force, Anslinger’s minions made cannabis into a racist menace.

But it was Richard Nixon who took the assault to its ultimate depth. Nixon hated blacks and hippies. He also had a serious interest in slashing into their communities, and depriving them of the vote.

In 1972 his own Blue Ribbon Schaefer Commission recommended against Prohibition. Chaired by Pennsylvania’s liberal Governor Richard Schaefer, it said the health impacts did not warrant a national campaign.

Nixon (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) ignored all that. Amidst a terrible war and racial upheavals, he proclaimed Drugs to be America’s most serious problem. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ftissue.gif&hash=f8d05db8e11569882e0effbdd719e2b2e95c6785)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fshame.gif&hash=88b5b0c8644862ef4930e3c7e3556db6c3bf600f)


His own staff knew better. As aide John Ehrlichmann put it:

“The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people.


“You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin. And then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities,” Ehrlichman said. “We could arrest their leaders. raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”

The Drug War gave Nixon the key to his “Southern Strategy.” Through a wide range of racist rhetoric and policy, he successfully campaigned to move southern white racists from the Democrats to the Republicans. But many southern states had substantial black constituencies. He needed to make sure they could not vote.

Slapping them in jail for pot was a powerful way to do that. Because pot is essentially everywhere, it also lets police arrest pretty much any black person they want at any time. According to Michelle Alexander’s THE NEW JIM CROW, tens of millions of blacks and Hispanics have since been busted. And independent survey by Prof. Bob Fitrakis has estimated the number of Drug War arrests since 1970 in the range of 41,000,000. At a cost of more than a trillion dollars, the US could instead have sent virtually everyone it busted for pot to a four-year university instead.

Instead, the assault has injected deep into the black and Hispanic communities a cultural toxin based in the prison culture. While busting peace, environmental and social justice activists for cannabis, politicians like Trump and Sessions damage the black and Hispanic communities while turning elections and driving the country to the right.

Sessions occasionally make absurd moral and public health claims for keeping cannabis illegal. But the damage it has done to individual lives and the broader community is incalculable.

Pot Prohibition has worked wonders for a fascist establishment keeps power only by using it as a way to crush its opposition, steal elections and fatten its pockets. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)

Anyone that says otherwise is blowing toxic smoke.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/two-biggest-bummer-reasons-jeff-sessions-loves-pot-prohibition/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 13, 2018, 04:18:59 pm
Paul Krugman: Republicans Simply Want to Hurt People

Quote
"Making lower-income Americans worse off has become a goal in itself for the modern GOP."
 
Then there's the Republican cry to impose aforementioned work requirements on Medicaid recipients, which has only grown more shrill since Trump assumed office. As Krugman explains, 10 of the states exploring such measures have accepted Medicaid expansions, so they gain nothing by booting people off their rolls. Ultimately, their motivations are as simple as they are vicious.

"It’s about stigmatizing those who receive government aid, forcing them to jump through hoops to prove their neediness," he notes. "Again, the pain is the point." 

https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/paul-krugman-republicans-simply-want-hurt-people (https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/paul-krugman-republicans-simply-want-hurt-people)

Exactly so. Immiseration of the poor, non-white and blue state dwellers is exactly the point.

Increasingly I have less and less patience with those who fail to discern that Trump is simply the logical consequence of 40 years of regressive republican policies, race baiting and dog whistles. Look closely and it is clear to see that the only different between Trump and his predecessors is that he has no self-discipline (for talking in code) and no filter. But the underlying thought is the same, now brought to full tumescence with complete control of the federal government. Also no patience with Both Siderist political equivalency.

Both Siderism has always been to deflect blame for our country being systematically wrecked by explicitly Republican atrocities and depraved Republican policies away from the Republican Party and onto anyone or any handy target.  The 60s.  Hippies.  Both Sides.  Social Justice Warriors.  Poor little brownshirt man-babies like Ben Shapiro and Milo Yiannopoulos being shouted down on some campus somewhere.  Doesn't matter.  As long as the discussion is shunted the hell away from the Republican Party, Mission Fu cking Accomplished. This is the purpose of half of the NYT's editorial staff (think David fu cking Brooks here) and most of cable news' daily morality plays.

The Party of Lincoln is now the Party of Jefferson Davis.

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Well said!
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 14, 2018, 03:18:45 pm
GOP campaigns took $7.35 million from oligarch linked to Russia (https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/08/03/tangled-web-connects-russian-oligarch-money-gop-campaigns)

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Surly, when I was young I read too much science fiction. I think you will be interested to know that an all too common thread in science fiction author future scenarios for humanity was the elimination of nation states by for profit corporations. I thought it was ridiculous baloney at the time.

Now that even the most zenophobic right wing reactionary cretins can be bought by corporations (that's what oligarchs run, of course), from a former enemy country, no less, I am no longer convinced these writers erred in seeing planetary corporate cruel rule coming. Sure, the scenarios pictured corporations as 'more efficient' than governments, but they did not shy away from also showing that they were a law onto themselves (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) .

I say all this because I really believe the issue here is not Russia; it's MONEY by corporations. This is not just about "Citizens United" empowering corporations to make fascism great again in the USA; it is a worldwide morally depraved profit over people and planet cancer by corporations. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.zaazu.com%2Fimg%2FIncredible-Hulk-animated-animation-male-smiley-emoticon-000342-large.gif&hash=db736c8c06568f1aa878171ad53d1f0301cfdff2)

And that is why I really think the word "treason" means exactly nothing to any of the Republicans (and most of the Democrats too!). (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

Of course the transition to corporate rule is not complete in the USA, but the Ryans of this country certainly believe the finish line is near.

I think those science fiction writers in the 1950's and 1960's were as clear eyed as Orwell in seeing the most probable future from what they observed back then. Sure, the wars and intrigue took place out in space between competing corporations, but the gaping absence of government power to control them was all too obvious.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 15, 2018, 07:14:04 pm

Surly, when I was young I read too much science fiction. I think you will be interested to know that an all too common thread in science fiction author future scenarios for humanity was the elimination of nation states by for profit corporations. I thought it was ridiculous baloney at the time. //

I say all this because I really believe the issue here is not Russia; it's MONEY by corporations. This is not just about "Citizens United" empowering corporations to make fascism great again in the USA; it is a worldwide morally depraved profit over people and planet cancer by corporations.

And that is why I really think the word "treason" means exactly nothing to any of the Republicans (and most of the Democrats too!).

The bright line connecting Russian oligarchs, Putin and American politics is money. The Trump criminal conspiracy is aslosh in it, but they are not unique. Oleg Derapaska has far more in common with Charles and David than with any of us.

I used to be big into science fiction, too. What SF writers do well is imagine new future circumstances based on current trends. It would be interesting to analyze how many once improbably future scenarios are now commonplaces, as we've driven past mores and convention.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3) Yes, it would be interesting.

Unfortunately, it appears to me that instead of moving more towards Utopia, as many Science Fiction writers hoped, we are moving more towards Dystopia (see below).  :P

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 15, 2018, 09:29:13 pm
The Death Cult of Trumpism
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Through racism and nationalism, Trump leverages tribal resentment against an emerging manifest common destiny.

By Greg Grandin

JANUARY 11, 2018

Why now? in trying to make sense of Trump’s effective use of racism to win the presidency, many have pointed to a long tradition of dog-whistling, reaching back decades. Trump is the nationalization of Nixon’s Southern strategy, the shadow cast forward by Reagan’s welfare queens and George H.W. Bush’s Willie Horton. Writing before the general election, Slate’s Jamelle Bouie linked Trump’s politicized racism to his predecessor’s upending of the racial hierarchy. After the vote, Ta-Nehisi Coates described Trump as the country’s first white president, in that whiteness is a negation of blackness, and Trump’s driving passion seems to be a desire to negate the legitimacy and legacy of Barack Obama, the country’s first African-American president.

Coates’s point is profound, especially when read against those moral philosophers who say the right to political sovereignty can be claimed only by those who possess emotional sovereignty. “Self-command, self-possession,” Woodrow Wilson wrote in 1889, are the pillars of America’s exceptionalism. Setting Trump aside for the moment, Wilson—the man who segregated the federal civil service, celebrated the Ku Klux Klan, and launched a racist counterinsurgency in Haiti—must be considered among the whitest of white presidents. He believed that individuals qualified for political self-rule through personal self-rule, demonstrating that they could use virtue and reason to regulate passion and impulse. “Government as ours is a form of conduct,” he said, “and its only stable foundation is character.” Along with his predecessors and contemporaries, Wilson associated the virtue of self-regulation with white skin, contrasting property-possessing, self-commanding sovereigns with their opposites: unself-governable people of color. They imagined—in fantasies that fishtailed wildly between nostalgia and wrath—that African Americans, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and Mexicans were immature, childlike in their emotions and unable to distinguish between true liberty and licentiousness, between the pursuit of happiness and lust.

In a way, then, according to America’s color-coded guide to political virtue and vice, Barack Obama might be considered the country’s only white president, in the sense that he served almost as a Platonic ideal of ancient moral philosophy. In office, he was preternaturally self-governed and self-regulated—Vulcan-like, as some said, and in control of his emotions, especially his anger. This self-regulation is a burden of race, which must have weighed heavily on Obama, being not just the first African-American president in US history but also one who took the office during a moment of extraordinary economic and military crisis.

Trump, by contrast, is all id and pure appetite, unspooling raw, insatiable, childish hunger every night on Twitter. He’s the most unregulated, unself-governed president this country has ever had, an example of what happens to the psyche of rich white people after four decades of economic deregulation. But white folks—at least powerful ones—get to decide the exception to the rule. (“Some of the virtues of a freeman would be the vices of slaves,” as one 1837 defense of slavery explained.) And that’s what makes Trump the whitest of white presidents: He can openly tweet-mock moral conventions that hold that only those who demonstrate self-sovereignty are worthy of political sovereignty and still be the sovereign.

But to get back to Trump’s psychic deregulation and Obama’s overregulation: Both are responses to what came before. Why now? Because the frontier is closed, the safety valve shut. Whatever metaphor one wants to use, the ongoing effects of the ruinous 2003 war in Iraq and the 2007–08 financial meltdown are just two indicators that the promise of endless growth can no longer help organize people’s aspirations, satisfy their demands, dilute the passions, contain the factions, or repress the extremes at the margins. We are entering the second “lost decade” of what Larry Summers calls “secular stagnation,” and soon we’ll be in the third decade of a war that Senator Lindsey Graham, among others, says will never end. Beyond these compounded catastrophes, there is a realization that the world is fragile and that we are trapped in an economic system that is well past sustainable or justifiable. As vast stretches of the West burn, as millions of trees die from global-warming-induced blight, as Houston and Puerto Rico flood, the oceans acidify, and bats and flying insects disappear in uncountable numbers, any given sentence from Cormac McCarthy’s The Road could be plucked and used as a newspaper headline. (“A Vast Landscape Charred, and a Sky Full of Soot” ran the headline for a New York Times report on California’s wildfires.)

In a nation like the United States, founded on a mythical belief in a kind of species immunity—less an American exceptionalism than exemptionism, an insistence that the nation was exempt from nature, society, history, even death—the realization that it can’t go on forever is traumatic. “You forget what you want to remember,” McCarthy wrote in The Road, to capture the torment of living in the postapocalypse, “and you remember what you want to forget.” It’s a good description of how those steeped in a definition of freedom as freedom from restraint must have felt living in Obama’s America, when they rejected with a racist fury even conservative, corporate-friendly policy solutions to the multiple crises of health care, climate change, inequality, and immigration.

This ideal of freedom as infinity was only made possible through the domination of African Americans, Mexican Americans, Mexicans, Native Americans, and Chinese, as slave and cheap labor transformed stolen land into capital, cutting the tethers and launching the US economy into the stratosphere. And now, as we are all falling back to a wasted earth, the very existence of people of color functions as an unwanted memento mori, a reminder of limits, evidence that history imposes burdens and life contracts social obligations. That many Latino migrants come from countries where democracy means social democracy—and that, once here, they revitalize cities and join unions—only inflames the right-wing backlash. Social rights, within the libertarian framework of American freedom, symbolize much more than mere economic restraint. They invoke the ultimate restraint: death. An implied conflation of social rights, race, and mortality was what made, for some, the “death panel” line of attack on Obamacare effective.

Maybe, then, Obama’s personal overregulation served as an intolerable aide-mémoire for the social destruction wreaked by years of financial and trade deregulation presided over by his white predecessors. The collective response (by a minority of voters) was to transmute the fear of death into a drive unto death, electing a president whose psyche is decomposing before our eyes to finish the job of deregulation. The tax bill is Trump’s Enabling Act—or, better, Disabling Act—ensuring that whoever comes next can’t reverse course.

Trumpism is a death cult. It counts among its priests a sheriff who tortured the poorest among us. Its saints are the victims of colored crime, and its sinners are African Americans (living reminders that American freedom was made possible only by American slavery), Latino migrants (themselves the victims of decades of trade deregulation, who come bearing a political tradition that says health care, education, and human dignity are human rights), and refugees from regions devastated by US militarism. But the cult has proved so confounding—which partly explains why those who dismiss it as immoral buffoonery find it hard to come up with an effective alternative—because what came before was also a death cult.

Trump’s national chauvinism is often presented as the opposite of postwar internationalism, which it is. But US-led internationalism during its golden age was profoundly skewed. It held up an ideal of formal universal equality among nations even as, according to the Sierra Club’s calculations, the United States, “with less than 5 percent of world population,” consumed “one-third of the world’s paper, a quarter of the world’s oil, 23 percent of the coal, 27 percent of the aluminum, and 19 percent of the copper.” Our “per capita use of energy, metals, minerals, forest products, fish, grains, meat, and even fresh water,” which all increased by a factor of 17 between 1900 and 1989, “dwarfs that of people living in the developing world.” It took an enormous amount of violence—in Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America—to maintain those numbers, and the pretense of calling this arrangement “universalism” could only be maintained so long as the promise of endless economic growth remained credible.

Trump won by running against the entire legacy of the postwar order: endless war, austerity, “free trade,” unfettered corporate power, and inequality. A year into his tenure, the war has expanded, the Pentagon’s budget has increased, and deregulation has accelerated. Tax cuts will continue the class war against the poor, and judicial and executive-agency appointments will increase monopoly rule.

Unable to offer an alternative other than driving the existing agenda forward at breakneck speed, Trumpism’s only chance at political survival is to handicap Earth’s odds of survival. Trump leverages tribal resentment against an emerging manifest common destiny, a true universalism that recognizes that we all share the same vulnerable planet. He stokes an enraged refusal of limits, even as those limits are recognized. “We’re going to see the end of the world in our generation,” a coal-country voter said in a recent Politico profile, explaining what he knows is his dead-end support for Trump.

https://www.thenation.com/article/the-death-cult-of-trumpism/

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AND RACISM!

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 16, 2018, 01:44:10 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Several pictures included in the article can be viewed at the link.

The Strange Fate Of Those Who Saw JFK Shot (http://www.greanvillepost.com/2018/01/13/the-strange-fate-of-those-who-saw-jfk-shot/)

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William Penn Jones Jr. was an American journalist, the editor of the Midlothian Mirror and author. He was also one of the earliest John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theorists. Jones attended the University of Texas at Austin and was a classmate of Henry Wade and John Connally. Wade later become the District Attorney in Dallas while Connolly would later become the 39th Governor of Texas. Both men were figures in the assassination of JFK.
In 1946, Jones purchased the Midlothian Mirror for $4,000; he eventually sold the newspaper in 1974. In 1963, Penn received the Elijah Lovejoy Award for Courage in Journalism. Jones was also known for being an early critic of the Warren Commission‘s report on the assassination of JFK. In 1967, he self-published Forgive My Grief, a four-volume work on the assassination of President Kennedy. In the 1980s, Jones co-edited The Continuing Inquiry newsletter with Gary Mack of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.

On January 25, 1998, Jones died of Alzheimer’s disease in a Alvarado, Texas nursing home at the age of 83.

In January 1983 Rebel Magazine published an article written by Jones, which is republished in full, with no editing below (except images). The JFK assassination was one of the biggest events to have ever hit America and Jones assumes that the reader of the time would have known quite a bit about it. This article makes for fascinating reading whether you believe the official state narrative or alternative theories. Last October, Statista concluded from surveys that 61 percent of Americans believe JFK was not killed by Oswald alone and that others were involved.

Over 100 murders, suicides, mysterious deaths – the strange fate of those who saw Kennedy shot.

By W. Penn Jones Jr.

Shortly after dark on Sunday night November 24, 1963, after Ruby had killed Lee Harvey Oswald, a meeting took place in Jack Ruby’s apartment in Oak Cliff, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. Five persons were present. George Senator and Attorney Tom Howard were present and having a drink in the apartment when two newsmen arrived. The newsmen were Bill Hunter of the Long Beach California Press Telegram, and Jim Koethe of the Dallas Times Herald. Attorney C.A. Droby of Dallas arranged the meeting for the two newsmen. Jim Martin, a close friend of George Senator’s, was also present at the apartment meeting.

This writer asked Martin if he thought it was unusual for Senator to forget the meeting while testifying in Washington on April 22, 1964, since Bill Hunter, who was a newsman present at the meeting, was shot to death that very night. Martin grinned and said: “Oh, you’re looking for a conspiracy.”
I nodded yes and he grinned and said, “You will never find it.”
I asked soberly, “Never find it, or not there?”
He added soberly, “Not there.”

Bill Hunter, a native of Dallas and an award winning newsman in Long Beach, was on duty and reading a book in the police station called “Public Safety Building.” Two policemen going off duty came into the press room, and one policeman shot Hunter through the heart at a range officially ruled to be “no more than three feet.” The policeman said he dropped his gun, and it fired as he picked it up, but the angle of the bullet caused him to change his story. He finally said he was playing a game of quick draw with his fellow officer. The other officer testified he had his back turned when the shooting took place.

Hunter, who covered the assassination for his paper, the Long Beach Press Telegram, had written:
“Within minutes of Ruby’s execution of Oswald, before the eyes of millions watching television, at least two Dallas attorneys appeared to talk with him.”

Hunter was quoting Tom Howard who died of a heart attack in Dallas a few months after Hunter’s own death. Lawyer Tom Howard was observed acting strangely to his friends two days before his death. Howard was taken to the hospital by a “friend” according to the newspapers. No autopsy was performed.

Dallas Times Herald reporter Jim Koethe was killed by a karate chop to the throat just as he emerged from a shower in his apartment on September 21, 1964. His murderer was not indicted.

What went on in that significant meeting in Ruby’s and Senator’s apartment?

Few are left to tell. There is no one in authority to ask the question, since the Warren Commission has made its final report, and The House Select Committee has closed its investigation.

Journalist Dorothy Kallagan’s mobster tell-all article may have got her killed – read the NY Post article HERE

Dorothy Kilgallen was another reporter who died strangely and suddenly after her involvement in the Kennedy assassination. Miss Kilgallen is the only journalist who was granted a private interview with Jack Ruby after he killed Lee Harvey Oswald. Judge Joe B. Brown granted the interview during the course of the Ruby trial in Dallas–to the intense anger of the hundreds of other newspeople present.

We will not divulge exactly what Miss Kilgallen did to obtain the interview with Ruby. But Judge Brown bragged about the price paid. Only that was not the real price Miss Kilgallen paid. She gave her life for the interview. Miss Kilgallen stated that she was “going to break this case wide open.”

She died on November 8, 1965. Her autopsy report took eight days. She was 52 years old. Two days later Mrs. Earl T. Smith, a close friend of Miss Kilgallen’s died of undetermined causes.

Tom Howard, who died of a heart attack, was a good friend of District Attorney Henry Wade, although they often opposed each other in court. Howard was close to Ruby and other fringes of the Dallas underworld.

Like Ruby, Howard’s life revolved around the police station, and it was not surprising when he and Ruby (toting his gun) showed up at the station on the evening of the assassination of President Kennedy. Nor was it unusual when Howard arrived at the jail shortly after Ruby shot Oswald, asking to see his old friend.

Howard was shown into a meeting room to see a bewildered Ruby who had not asked for a lawyer. For the next two days–until Ruby’s brother, Earl, soured on him, and had Howard relieved–he was Jack Ruby’s chief attorney and public spokesman.

Howard took to the publicity with alacrity, called a press conference, wheeled and dealed. He told newsmen the case was a “once-in-a-lifetime chance,” and that “speaking as a private citizen,” he thought Ruby deserved a Congressional medal. He told the Houston Post that Ruby had been in the police station Friday night (November 22, 1963) with a gun. Howard dickered with a national magazine for an Oswald murder story. He got hold of a picture showing the President’s brains flying out of the car, and tried to sell it to Life magazine. Ruby’s sister, Eva Grant, even accused Howard of leaking information to the DA. It was never quite clear whether Howard was working for Ruby or against him.

On March 27, 1965, Howard was taken to a hospital by an unidentified person and died there. He was 48. The doctor, without benefit of an autopsy, said he had suffered a heart attack. Some reporters and friends of Howard’s were not so certain. Some said he was “bumped off.”

Earlene Roberts was the plump widow who managed the rooming house where Lee Harvey Oswald was living under the name O. H. Lee. She testified before the Warren Commission that she saw Oswald come home around one o’clock, go to his room for three or four minutes and walk out zipping his light weight jacket. A few minutes later, a mile away, officer J. D. Tippit was shot dead.

Mrs. Roberts testified that while Oswald was in his room, two uniformed cops pulled up in front of the rooming house and honked twice–“Just tit tit,” she said.

The police department issued a report saying all patrol cars in the area, except Tippit’s, were accounted for. The Warren Commission let it go at that.

After testifying in Dallas in April 1964, Mrs. Roberts was subjected to intensive police harassment. They visited her at all hours of the day and night. Earlene complained of being “worried to death” by the police. She died on January 9, 1966 in Parkland Hospital (the hospital where President Kennedy was taken). Police said she suffered a heart attack in her home. No autopsy was performed.


Warren Reynolds being interviewed about the scene of a killing but was not sure about the FBI story he was given – to his cost
Warren Reynolds was minding his used car lot on East Jefferson Street in Oak Cliff in Dallas, when he heard shots two blocks away. He thought it was a marital quarrel. Then he saw a man having a great difficulty tucking “a pistol or an automatic” in his belt, and running at the same time. Reynolds gave chase for a short piece being careful to keep his distance, then lost the fleeing man. He didn’t know it then, but he had apparently witnessed the flight of the killer (or one of the killers) of patrolman Jefferson David Tippit. Feeling helpful, he gave his name to a passing policeman and offered his cooperation. Television cameras zeroed in on him, got his story, and made him well known. Warren Reynolds, the amiable used car man, was making history.

Reynolds was not questioned until two months after the event. The FBI finally talked to him in January 1964. The FBI interview report said, ” . . . he was hesitant to definitely identify Oswald as the individual.” Then it added, “He advised he is of the opinion Oswald is the person.”

Two days after Reynolds talked to the FBI, he was shot in the head. He was closing up his used car lot for the night at the time. Nothing was stolen. Later after consulting retired General Edwin Walker (the man Oswald allegedly shot at before he assassinated President Kennedy), he told the Warren Commission Counsel that Oswald was definitely the man he saw fleeing the Tippit murder scene.

A young hood was arrested for the murder attempt. Darrell Wayne Garner had called a relative bragging that he shot Reynolds. But Garner had an alibi, Nancy Jane Mooney, alias Betty McDonald, who said Garner was in bed with her at the time he was supposed to have shot Reynolds. Nancy Jane had worked at Jack Ruby’s Carousel Club. Garner was freed.

Nancy Jane was picked up a week later for fighting with a girlfriend. She was arrested for disturbing the peace. The girlfriend was not arrested. Within hours after her arrest, Nancy Jane was dead. Police reports said she hanged herself with her toreador pants.

Reynolds and his family were harassed and threatened. But upon giving the Warren Commission a firm identification of Oswald as being the Tippit murder fugitive, he said, “I don’t think they are going to bother me any more.”


A preponderance of "H"'s Killam’s jugular vein was cut and bled to death attempting to get to hospital
A preponderance of "H"'s Killam was a house painter who lived at Mrs. A.C. Johnson’s rooming house at the same time Lee Harvey Oswald lived there. His wife, Wanda, once pushed cigarettes and drinks at Jack Ruby’s club.

A preponderance of "H"'s was a big man, over six feet and weighing over 200 pounds. After the assassination, federal agents visited him repeatedly causing him to lose one job after another.

Killam was absorbed by the assassination, even obsessed. Hours after the event, he came home, “white as a sheet.” Wanda said he stayed up all night watching the television accounts of the assassination. Later he bought all the papers and clipped the stories about Kennedy’s death.

Before Christmas, Killam left for Florida. Wanda confessed where he was. Federal agents hounded him in Tampa, Florida where he was working selling cars at his brother-in-law’s car lot. He lost his job.

Killam wrote Wanda that he would be sending for her soon. He received a phone call on St. Patrick’s day. He left the house immediately. He was found later on a sidewalk in front of a broken window. His jugular vein was cut. He bled to death en route to the hospital.

There is no mention of Killam by the Warren Commission. A number of FBI documents on Killam relating to the assassination were withheld, along with documents prepared by the CIA. What is clear is that SOMEBODY considered A preponderance of "H"'s Killam a very important guy.

William Whaley was known as the “Oswald Cabbie.” He was one of the few who had the opportunity to talk alone with the accused killer of President Kennedy. He testified that Oswald hailed him at the Dallas Greyhound bus station. Whaley said he drove Oswald to the intersection of Beckley and Neches–half a block from the rooming house–and collected a dollar. Later he identified Oswald as his fare in a questionable police line-up.

Whaley was killed in a head-on collision on a bridge over the Trinity River, December 18, 1965; his passenger was critically injured. The 83 year old driver of the other car was also killed. Whaley had been with the City Transportation Company since 1936 and had a perfect driving record. He was the first Dallas cabbie to be killed on duty since 1937. When I went to interview the manager of the cab company about Whaley’s death, he literally pushed me out of the office, “If you’re smart, you won’t be coming around here asking questions.”

Domingo Benavides, an auto mechanic, was witness to the murder of Officer Tippit. Benavides testified he got a “really good view of the slayer.”

Benavides said the killer resembled newspaper pictures of Oswald, but he described him differently, “I remember the back of his head seemed like his hairline went square instead of tapered off . . .”

Benavides reported he was repeatedly threatened by the police who advised him not to talk about what he saw.

In mid-February 1964, his brother Eddy, who resembled him, was fatally shot in the back of the head at a beer joint on Second Avenue in Dallas. The case was marked “unsolved.”

Benavides’s father-in-law J. W. Jackson was not impressed by the investigation. He began his own inquiry. Two weeks later, J.W. Jackson was shot at his home. As the gunman escaped, a police car came around the block. It made no attempt to follow the speeding car with the gunman.

The police advised that Jackson should “lay off this business.” “Don’t go around asking questions; that’s our job.” Jackson and Benavides are both convinced that Eddy’s murder was a case of mistaken identity and that Domingo Benavides, the Tippit witness was the intended victim.

Lee Bowers’s testimony is perhaps as explosive as any recorded by the Warren Commission. He was one of the 65 witnesses who saw the President’s assassination, and who thought shots were fired from the area of the Grassy Knoll. (The Knoll is west of the Texas School Book Depository Building.) But more than that, he was in a unique position to observe some pretty strange behavior in the Knoll area before and during the assassination.

Bowers, then a towerman for the Union Terminal Co., was stationed in his 14 foot tower directly behind the Grassy Knoll. He faced the scene of the assassination. He could see the railroad overpass to his right. Directly in front of him was a parking lot and a wooden stockade fence, and a row of trees running along the top of the Grassy Knoll. The Knoll sloped down to the spot on Elm Street where the President was killed. Police had “cut off” traffic into the parking lot, Bowers said, “so that anyone moving around could actually be observed.”

Bowers made two significant observations which he revealed to the Warren Commission. First, he saw three unfamiliar cars slowly cruising around the parking area in the 35 minutes before the assassination; the first two left after a few minutes. The driver of the second car appeared to be talking into a “mic or telephone”; “he was holding something up to his mouth with one hand and he was driving with the other.” A third car with out-of-state license plates and mud up to the windows, probed all around the parking area. Bowers last remembered seeing it about eight minutes before the shooting, pausing “just above the assassination site.”

Bowers also observed two unfamiliar men standing on the top of the Knoll at the edge of the parking lot, within 10 or 15 feet of each other. “One man, middle aged or slightly older, fairly heavy set, in a white shirt, fairly dark trousers. Another man, younger, about mid-twenties, in either a plaid shirt or plaid coat or jacket.” Both were facing toward Elm and Houston in anticipation of the motorcade. The two were the only strangers he remembered seeing. His description shows a remarkable similarity to Julia Ann Mercer’s description of two unidentified men climbing the Knoll.

When the shots rang out, Bowers’s attention was drawn to the area where he had seen the two men; he could still make out the one in the white shirt: “The darker dressed man was too hard to distinguish from the trees.”

Bowers observed “some commotion” at that spot . . .,” ” . . . something out of the ordinary, a sort of milling around . . . which attracted my eye for some reason which I could not identify.” At that moment, a motorcycle policeman left the Presidential motorcade and roared up the Grassy Knoll, straight to where the two mysterious gentlemen were standing. Later, Bowers testified that the “commotion” that caught his eye may have been a “flash of light or smoke.”

On the morning of August 9, 1966, Lee Bowers, vice president of a construction firm, was driving south of Dallas on business. He was two miles south of Midlothian, Texas when his brand new company car veered from the road and hit a bridge abutment. A farmer who saw it, said the car was going about 50 miles an hour, a slow speed for that road.

Bowers died in a Dallas hospital. He was 41. There was no autopsy and he was cremated. A doctor from Midlothian who rode to Dallas in the ambulance with Bowers, noticed something peculiar about the victim. “He was in some strange sort of shock.” The doctor said, “A different kind of shock than an accident victim experiences. I can’t explain it. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

When I questioned his widow, she insisted there was nothing suspicious, but then became flustered and said, “They told him not to talk.”

Harold Russell was with Warren Reynolds when the Tippit shooting took place. Both men saw the Tippit killer escape. Russel was interviewed in January 1964, and signed a statement that the fleeing man was Oswald.

A few months after the assassination, Russell went back to his home near David, Oklahoma. In July of 1965, Russell went to a party with a female friend. He seemingly went out of his mind at the party and started telling everyone he was going to be killed. He begged friends to hide him. Someone called the police. When the policemen arrived, one of them hit Russell on the head with his pistol. Russell was then taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead a few hours later: cause of death was listed as “heart failure.”

Among others who died strangely were James Worrell, who died in a motorcycle accident on November 9, 1966. He saw a strange man run from the back door of the Texas School Book Depository shortly after the assassination.

Gary Underhill was shot. This death was ruled suicide on May 8, 1964. Underhill was a former CIA agent and claimed he knew who was responsible for killing President Kennedy.

Delilah Walle was a worker at Ruby’s club. She was married only 24 days when her new husband shot her. She had been working on a book of what she supposedly knew about the assassination.

William “Bill” Waters died May 20, 1967. Police said he died of a drug overdose (demerol). No autopsy was performed. His mother said Oswald and Killam came to her home before the assassination and her son tried to talk Oswald and Killam out of being involved. Waters called FBI agents after the assassination. The FBI told him he knew too much and to keep his mouth shut. He was arrested and kept in Memphis in a county jail for eight months on a misdemeanor charge.

Albert Guy Bogard, an automobile salesman who worked for Downtown Lincoln Mercury, showed a new Mercury to a man using the name “Lee Oswald.”

Shortly after Bogard gave his testimony to a Commission attorney in Dallas, he was badly beaten and had to be hospitalized. Upon his release, he was fearful for his safety. Bogard was from Hallsville, La. He was found dead in his car at the Hallsville Cemetery on St. Valentine’s day in 1966. A rubber hose was attached to the exhaust and the other end extending into the car. The ruling was suicide. He was just 41 years old.

Jack Ruby died of cancer. He was taken into the hospital with Pneumonia. Twenty eight days later, he was dead from cancer.

David Ferrie of New Orleans, before he could be brought to trial for his involvement in the Kennedy assassination, died of brain hemorrhage. Just what caused his brain hemorrhage has not been established. Ferrie was to testify in the famous Jim Garrison trial, but death prevented him.

Dr. Mary Stults Sherman, age 51, was found stabbed and burned in her apartment in New Orleans. Dr. Sherman had been working on a cancer experiment with Ferrie.

Another Ferrie associate, Eladio Cerefine de Valle, 43, died on the same day as Ferrie. His skull was split open; he was then shot. DeValle had used Ferrie as a pilot. DeValle had been identifying some men in a photo taken in New Orleans for Jim Garrison. One of the men in the photo was Lee Harvey Oswald.

Paul Dyer, of the New Orleans Police force died of cancer. He was the first police officer to interview Ferrie. Martin got sick on the job and died a month later of cancer. He had just interviewed David Ferrie.

News reporters were not exempt either. Two lady reporters died strangely. Lisa Howard supposedly committed suicide. She knew a great deal about the “understanding” which was in the making after the Bay of Pigs, between President Kennedy and the Cubans.

Marguerite Higgins bluntly accused the American authorities of the November 2nd, 1963 killing of Premier Diem and his brother Nhu. A few months after her accusation, she died in a landmine explosion in Vietnam.

On Saturday November 23, 1963, Jack Zangetty, the manager of a $150,000 modular motel complex near Lake Lugert, Oklahoma, remarked to some friends that “Three other men–not Oswald–killed the President.” He also stated that “A man named Ruby will kill Oswald tomorrow and in a few days a member of the Frank Sinatra family will be kidnapped just to take some of the attention away from the assassination.”

Two weeks later, Jack Zangetty was found floating in Lake Lugert with bullet holes in his chest. It appeared to witnesses he had been in the water one to two weeks.

Lou Staples, a radio announcer who was doing a good many of his radio shows on the Kennedy assassination, lost his life sometime on Friday night May 13, 1977. This was near Yukon, Oklahoma. He had been having radio shows on the assassination since 1973 and the response to his programs was overwhelming.

Lou’s death was termed suicide, but the bullet ending his life entered behind his right temple and Lou was left handed. He joined Gary Underhill, William Pitzer and Joe Cooper whose “suicides” were all done with the “wrong hand” shots to the head.

Lou had been stating that he wanted to purchase some property to build a home. He was lured out to a wheat field and his life ended there. I have been to the spot where Lou died.

Karyn Kupcinet, daughter of Irv Kupcinet, was trying to make a long distance call from Los Angeles. According to reports, the operator heard Miss Kupcinet scream into the phone that President Kennedy was going to be killed.

Two days after the assassination, she was found murdered in her apartment. The case is unsolved. She was 23.

Rose Cherami, 40, was an employee of Jack Ruby’s club. She was riding with two men on a return trip from Florida carrying a load of narcotics. She was thrown from the car when an argument began between her and one of the men. She was hospitalized for injuries and drug withdrawal. She told authorities that President Kennedy was going to be killed in Dallas. After her release from the hospital, she was a victim of a hit and run accident on September 4, 1965 near Big Sandy, Texas.

Robert L. Perrin was a gun runner for Jack Ruby. His wife, Nancy testified before the Warren Commission that Robert took a dose of arsenic in August 1962.

Guy Bannister was a private detective who was closely involved in the Jim Garrison trial. Guy and his partner, Hugh Ward, died within a 10 day period as the Warren Commission was closing its hearings. Guy supposedly died of a heart attack, but witnesses said he had a bullet hole in his body.

George deMohrenschildt was another man who was to give testimony but never made it. DeMohrenschildt, in his final days, became suspicious of everyone around him, even his wife, and was nearing a nervous breakdown some thought. He died of gun shot wounds. The verdict was suicide. But deMohrenschildt was a member of the White Russian society and very wealthy. He visited Lee Harvey Oswald and Marina Oswald when they lived on Neely Street. Marina visited the deMohrenschildts when she and Lee Harvey Oswald were having some of their disagreements.

Cliff Carter, LBJ’s aide who rode in the Vice President’s follow up car in the motorcade in Dealey Plaza where President Kennedy was gunned down, was LBJ’s top aide during his first administration. Carter died of mysterious circumstances. Carter died of pneumonia when no penicillin could be located in Washington, D.C. in September 1971. This was supposedly the cause of death.

Buddy Walthers, Deputy Sheriff, was at the kill sight of President Kennedy He picked up a bullet in a hunk of brain matter blown from the President’s head. Walthers never produced the bullet for evidence.

Walthers was also at the Texas Theater when Oswald was arrested. In a January 10th, 1969 shooting, Walthers was shot through the heart. In a shootout Walthers and his companion Deputy Alvin Maddox, were fired upon by Cherry, an escaped prisoner. Walthers and Maddox were trying to capture Cherry when Walthers was shot through the heart. Walthers’s widow received $10,000.00 for her husband dying in the line of duty.

Clay Shaw, age 60, died five years after he was charged by Jim Garrison for his involvement in the Kennedy assassination. Some reports have it that he had been ill for months after surgery for removing a blood clot. Other newspaper reports of his death stated he had cancer. It was revealed that Shaw was a paid contact for the CIA. A neighbor reported that an ambulance was seen pulling up to the Shaw home. Then a body was carried in and an empty stretcher brought out. A few hours later, Shaw was reportedly found dead in his home. Then he was given a quick embalming before a Coroner could be notified. It was then impossible to determine the cause of death.



Roger Dean Craig

On May 15, 1975, Roger Dean Craig died of a massive gun shot wound to the chest. Supposedly, it was his second try at suicide and a success. Craig was a witness to the slaughter of President Kennedy. Only Craig’s story was different from the one the police told.

Craig testified in the Jim Garrison trial. Before this, Craig had lost his job with the Dallas Police Dept. In 1961, he had been “Man of the Year.” Because he would not change his story of the assassination, he was harassed and threatened, stabbed, shot at, and his wife left him.

Craig wrote two manuscripts of what he witnessed. “When They Kill A President” and “The Patient Is Dying.”

Craig’s father was out mowing the lawn when Craig supposedly shot himself. Considering the hardships, Craig very well could have committed suicide. But no one will ever know.

John M. Crawford, 46, died in a mysterious plane crash near Huntsville, Texas on April 15, 1969. It appeared from witnesses that Crawford had left in a rush.

Crawford was a homosexual and a close friend of Jack Ruby’s. Ruby supposedly carried Crawford’s phone number in his pocket at all times. Crawford was also a friend of Buell Wesley Frazier’s, the neighbor who took Lee Harvey Oswald to work on that fatal morning of November 22, 1963.

Hale Boggs was the only member of the Warren Commission who disagreed with the conclusions. Hale Boggs did not follow Earl Warren and his disciples. He totally disagreed. Hale Boggs was in a plane crash lost over frozen Alaska.

Nicholas J. Chetta, M.D. age 50, Orleans Parish coroner since 1950, died at Mercy Hospital on May 25, 1968. Newspaper reports were sketchy. It was said he suffered a heart attack.

Dr. Chetta was the coroner who served at the death of David Ferrie.

Dr. Chetta was the key witness regarding Perry Russo against Clay Shaw. Shaw’s attorney went into federal court only after Dr. Chetta was dead.

Dr. Martin Luther King was murdered, then his assassin not captured until over a year later. Dr. King was the only hope this country had for bringing about equality.

The death of Robert Kennedy, only shortly after Dr. King’s death on June 5th, 1968, was a brazen act which gave notice to this entire nation. It became imperative, when Senator Kennedy became a threat as a Presidential candidate, that he had to be killed.

There is evidence that two persons, a man, and a woman were with the accused killer, but authorities have found no trace of them. Coroner, Dr. Thomas Noguchi told the Grand Jury the powder burns indicated the murder gun was fired not more than two to three inches from Kennedy’s right ear. Witnesses testified that Sirhan was never closer than four or five feet to the Senator.

I have not, by any means, listed “all” of the strange deaths. I have a complete list in my books. I have listed the most significant ones that occurred after the assassination. The strange deaths after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, in my estimate, numbered over 100, but I am certain I know of only a fraction.

Many strange deaths occurred after the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. No one knows the exact number.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 William Penn Jones Jr. was an American journalist, the editor of the Midlothian Mirror and author. He was also one of the earliest John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theorists. Jones attended the University of Texas at Austin and was a classmate of Henry Wade and John Connally. Wade later become the District Attorney in Dallas while Connolly would later become the 39th Governor of Texas. Both men were figures in the assassination of JFK.


And so the Bush Dynasty consolidated their power and enabled the Fascist takeover of the United States of America.  It's been all down Orwell's hill since then.  :(  :'(

P.S. I just want to add that I am certain JFK's son John was eventually told the truth. John was a "loose end" for the Bush Fascists. They took care of that in 1999. The fact that Jeb didn't make the big time and Trump did does NOT, in any way, make a case for denying that the Bush dynasty is extremely powerful. They are part of a coterie of oligarchs that run this Fascist Sh ithole. As always, with fascist sh ithole countries, there is constant dog eat dog sniping activity by the elite bastards at the top. But, the fascist rot eventually destroys a country. We are almost there. 
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 16, 2018, 07:10:37 pm
January 16, 2018

Fire and Fury: The Extreme-Right in the White House (Pt. 2/2)

The extreme right has a solid hold on the White House for the first time in decades and replacing Trump with another Clinton-type Democrat will only reinforce the forces that got Trump elected. Part 2 of our "Fire and Fury" book discussion with Doug Henwood

https://youtu.be/BwIOz7KaCLE

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=20908
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 18, 2018, 06:59:43 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

How Trump's Base Inspired an International Racist Fiasco, Again

Thursday, January 18, 2018

By William Rivers Pitt, Truthout | Op-Ed

SNIPPET:

Quote
Haiti is a victim of bad luck, but mostly, it's a victim of deliberate policy. So was Ireland, once upon a time, when those who fled British oppression and the Potato Blight were the new scourge of these shores.

Most of the immigrants who have come here over the generations were running for their lives from dire circumstances beyond their control. Such is the case today.

With a rank racist in the White House, however, all bets are off. This regime tailors public policy and comment to please a dwindling cadre of white voters who still enthusiastically support Trump's pan-directional hate.

Full article:

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/43261-how-trump-s-base-inspired-an-international-racist-fiasco-again
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 19, 2018, 01:26:58 pm
Some names have changed but the fascist Supreme Court RATS continue to serve their Fascist God of Hate and Cruelty faithfully. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-201113213637.png&hash=153cacb3aeb24bb83b16f222a0548dc35af2bd76)

Supreme Court (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)
 blocks redrawing of North Carolina congressional maps

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a lower court’s order for North Carolina to rework its congressional map because Republicans violated the Constitution by drawing electoral districts intended to maximize their party’s chances of winning.

The conservative-majority court granted a bid by Republican legislators in North Carolina to suspend the Jan. 9 order by a federal court panel in Greensboro that gave the Republican-controlled General Assembly until Jan. 24 to come up with a new map for U.S. House of Representatives districts.

Two liberal justices, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor, objected to the high court’s action. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020)

The Supreme Court’s decision to stay the order reduces the chance that the current district lines will be altered ahead of the November mid-term congressional elections. The court offered no reason for its decision.

The three-judge panel ruled that the Republican-drawn districts violated the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law by intentionally hobbling the electoral strength of non-Republican voters. Two of the three judges also said the plan ran afoul of the Constitution’s First Amendment by discriminating based on political belief and association.

Those judges on Tuesday refused to put the ruling on hold.

North Carolina’s congressional maps were challenged in two lawsuits by more than two dozen Democratic voters, the North Carolina Democratic Party and other groups.

Under current North Carolina congressional boundaries, Republicans won 10 of the 13 House districts in 2016, despite getting just 53 percent of the statewide vote.

The Supreme Court is currently examining two other cases from Wisconsin and Maryland involving claims that electoral districts were manipulated to keep the majority party in power in a manner that violated voters’ constitutional rights. That practice is called partisan gerrymandering.

In the Wisconsin case, Democratic voters are challenging Republican-drawn legislative districts. In the Maryland case, Republicans are claiming Democratic lawmakers drew a congressional district in a way that would prevent a Republican candidate from winning.

The North Carolina dispute centers on a congressional redistricting plan adopted by the Republican-led legislature in 2016. The Republican lawmaker in charge of the plan said it was crafted to favor his party because he thinks “electing Republicans is better than electing Democrats.”

“But that is not a choice the Constitution allows legislative mapdrawers to make,” the lower court said in unanimously striking down the plan.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-election/supreme-court-blocks-redrawing-of-north-carolina-congressional-maps-idUSKBN1F73C1

Agelbert NOTE: Par for the Fascist Course in the Fourth Reich.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trbimg.com%2Fimg-566ee3d4%2Fturbine%2Fbal-donald-trumps-fascist-inclinations-do-not-bother-his-fans-20151214&hash=63072a772614b696dd8a9353902eaf6840248940)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 19, 2018, 01:58:12 pm
(https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26730658_10210012617224444_7481031966181114323_n.jpg?oh=1baf475094c4f512983d9d6fd98eba7f&oe=5AE6C536)

You know, I've been thinking about that (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee). This Trump fellow likes to golf. My daddy was a golfer. He was, like Trump, a rather territorial fellow, being an admitted admirer of Mussolini before WWII and an admitted admirer of "strong man leadership" in South America before and after WWII.

My Daddy was a Major in the U.S. Army while I was growing up in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Even though he was in the Infantry Branch of the Army, he was called upon at the end of his carrier (after combat service in Korea and some 'fun and games' in Panama during WWII - you can read about what the U.S. Army DID to their own troops, particualrly the Puerto Rican soldiers in the U.S. Army, in Panama at DemocracyNow! any time - My daddy never said word one about that but I seriously doubt that he was not involved), because he had a degree in Law, to be editor of the Spanish Edition of the Military Review.

This was from 1954 to 1961. We all now know about all the skullduggery and mayhem the U.S. was up to in Central and South America then. I am certain Daddy knew about this crap, approved of it, and made certain that what was published made our bought and paid for dictators look great and those working for democracy to look like the "bad guys".

Sorry for the digression, but I want to make clear that the mindset of these narcissists who enjoy sports 🦍 is something I have observed directly. I suspect Trump, like Daddy, has his favorite golf ball brand, favorite club, favorite this and favorite that. He is probably real particular about who takes care of his stuff, unlike Daddy who just put his sports equipment in a certan place at home (that nobody was allowed to touch for any reason).

So, anybody reading this who is connected to Trump and wants to see how "tolerant" he is about being the object of pranks, here is a list of actions guaranteed to provide lots of excitement;  ;D

֍ Apply a bit of honey (or pine resin, etc. you get the sticky idea) on the grip of his favorite club.

֍ Put a gag (weight displaced) golf ball in his pack. Make sure it is branded just like his favorite brand. Narcissists are VERY observant.

֍ Put itching powder inside a small area in one of his golf gloves.

֍ Rig a timed short circuit on his golf cart to discharge the battery for around the time of the 17 hole (or the 7th hole if he is limiting his golf to 9 holes).

Trust me, it will be exciting. NO, I certainly am not advocating vandalism against, or harm in any way towards, the POTUS. I just think it would be an innocent prank that would be fun to watch.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16) Trump claims he can take a joke, doesn't he? Well, are you willing to find out?

If he is anything like my Daddy, he loves to do pranks on others, but goes ballistic when he is the object of one.  8)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 20, 2018, 03:08:35 pm
A Year of Donald Trump in the White House (https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/a-year-of-donald-trump-in-the-white-house)

By Adam Gopnik

Liberal democracy is good. Authoritarian nationalism is bad. That's the premise of the country. It's the principle that a lot of people died for. Americans never need to apologize for the continuing absolutism of their belief in it.

True. But, IMHO, the main issue here is the willful lack of critical thinking in American society. The big picture involving the ideal this country was founded on is, and always has been, a target for those that see through the soaring rhetoric of the Founding Fathers to the oligarchic seeds they consciously and deliberately planted.

We no longer should admire pretty words unless they have action to back them up.

Our biosphere in general, and our species in particular, are both in a LOT of life threatening trouble. THAT is the main issue we must concentrate on and address because, anyone as evil and stupid as Trump, who deliberately attacks the reality of that threat by doing everything to increase the danger, must be stopped AND imprisoned if we are to have a snowball's chance in hell of getting out of this mess.

The people in power, and those benefiting economically from the Stock Market Bubble, which is a DIRECT consequence of the corruption of the people in power, do not have a clue what critical thinking is. 🐒

Successfully dealing with the titanic problem we have requires clear eyed critical thinking.

The products of sound critical thinking such as empathy, humility, introspection, remorse, recognition of wrong and a willingness to make restitution for the past and continued wrongs, basically have been erased from the minds of most Americans. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

Americans do not like guilt. I don't know anybody that does. But pretending we have nothing to apologize for is not helping.

We need to stop normalizing immoral behavior. We need to stop the right wingers from demonizing moral behavior by calling it "immoral behavior". Liberals need to claim the MORAL HIGH GROUND the right wingers deviously stole from us. Liberals need to stop pretending everybody can just do whatever the hell they want.

Immoral behavior will exist as long as humans exist. But, NORMALIZING immoral behavior by calling it "moral", as the fascists do, is destroying human society, PERIOD.

If we do not stop being stupid, money worshipping idiots and instead start imprisoning the stupid, money worshipping idiots, we will perish.
Quote
King James Bible Proverbs 21:11
When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 20, 2018, 03:46:25 pm
Quote from: AG
But, IMHO, the main issue here is the willful lack of critical thinking in American society. The big picture involving the ideal this country was founded on is, and always has been, a target for those that see through the soaring rhetoric of the Founding Fathers to the oligarchic seeds they consciously and deliberately planted.

Accounting in large measure for the thirty-year-and continuing war on public education. The standardization and stupefying of curriculum, teaching to standardized tests, the crushing institutionalization, all make for several generation of people who despise learning, and who prefer to get their few sustaining ideas from the corn filched out of Sean Hannity's turds.

Man, I'm getting old.


Immorality is immorality, whether it is clothed in institutional brain washing or not. As long as we don't call it what it is, the cancer will continue to spread. 🦑

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 20, 2018, 04:34:15 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

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New "Make America Great" Trump Salute

Shutdown for the Trumpiversary: 🦍A Ghastly Symmetry 🕸

Saturday, January 20, 2018

By William Rivers Pitt, Truthout | Op-Ed

SNIPPET:

Don't snicker too long at the morass of chaotic ineptitude the administration is mired in. Some -- if not most  -- of that is theater in the vein of Wrestlemania. In reality, Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) and his congressional allies (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) have been quite busy.

In the last year, they have:   

🔥 Expedited approval for the Keystone XL pipeline;

🔥 Put Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court and put a whole slew of right-wing judges on the federal bench;

🔥 Rolled back protections for transgender students;

🔥 Declared a permanent US military presence in Syria;

🔥 Eliminated the Affordable Care Act's birth control mandate;

🔥 Rolled back huge swaths of environmental protections;

🔥 Basically obliterated the Environmental Protective Agency as a functioning body;

🔥 Rolled back net neutrality and various internet privacy rules;

🔥 Signed a law allowing states to deny funding to Planned Parenthood;

🔥 Translated a trillion dollars in taxpayer money to the wealthiest Americans while simultaneously gutting the Affordable

🔥 Care Act's individual mandate;

🔥 Pulled out of the Paris climate accord;

🔥 Succeeded in enacting some of Trump's anti-Muslim travel ban;

🔥 Embraced and empowered white nationalism;

🔥 Pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio;

🔥 Appointed Mick Mulvaney to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and;

🔥 Reestablished vast warrantless surveillance rules.

That ain't nothing, and worse is yet to come.


Full article:

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http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/43291-shutdown-for-the-trumpiversary-a-ghastly-symmetry
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 20, 2018, 05:07:22 pm
The Real Reasons Why the Government Shut Down

Immigration isn’t the only sticking point.

Jacquelyn Martin / AP

RUSSELL BERMAN  January 20, 2018 11:31 AM ET 

SNIPPET:

If there’s one thing Democrats and Republicans (some publicly, many others privately) agree on, it’s that the president’s negotiating style has made it much harder for the two sides to reach a deal. Trump has veered wildly from one extreme to the other—telling lawmakers in one meeting that he’d sign any DACA bill Congress sent him, then issuing a list of hard-line demands in the next. His vulgar reference to African nations, among others, as “shithole countries” while rejecting a bipartisan DACA proposal blew up the negotiations at a critical juncture.

Republicans have begged the president to tell them exactly what he’d accept in an agreement and then stick to it. But Trump hasn’t delivered. “I’m looking for something that President Trump supports, and he has not yet indicated what measure he is willing to sign,” McConnell told reporters this week, in a telling sign of the GOP’s frustration with the president’s inconsistency. “As soon as we figure out what he is for, then I would be convinced that we were not just spinning our wheels.”

Democrats have been even more frustrated, accusing the president of repeatedly backing out of commitments he makes to them in private once he 🐒 hears from conservative Republicans. 🦍

full article;

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/01/the-real-reasons-why-the-government-shut-down/551027/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 21, 2018, 01:11:56 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-091217145522.png&hash=1bf54d37b9c4826f54dfa241f4fe45ed659e5ea8)

How to Identify a “Shithole” 🌪 Country

By Tom Lewis | January 12, 2018 | Politics

If you look around your country and see a lot of these, that would be one clue. But there are others.

It’s important in national and international affairs that the terms of statecraft be precisely defined. When making policy and alliances, the parties must at all times be rigorously clear about what is meant by such labels as “nuclear power,” “developing country,” and the like. Now, a new term of art just introduced by the President of the United States, “shithole country,” begs a proper definition. Let us fix that for ya. Here is how you tell whether a country qualifies for the new designation.

Exhibit One
— Airports. If you have an airport, named for one of your most popular presidents, located just outside your largest city, in which earlier this month:

Hundreds of people were stranded on airplanes unable to get to a gate for up to 20 hours;
Baggage-handling machinery froze and failed, so that those lucky enough to get off their planes couldn’t get their bags;

It was so cold in the terminal that hundreds of the people stranded there built ramshackle shelters out of discarded cardboard boxes (you know, like homeless people do), where some spent three days ;
Two airliners collided on the tarmac;

A water main break flooded one of the airport’s four terminals with three inches of water and required that all electricity to the terminal be shut off;
Then you might be living in one of those countries the President was talking about.

This “cascading series of issues” (the words of the authority that runs the airport) occurred, of course, at John F Kennedy Airport, described as New York City’s “primary airport” and “the busiest international air passenger gateway to North America.”

Exhibit Two — Train Stations. Penn Station is to railroad travel what JFK is to air travel.  It is the main intercity railroad station in New York City, and the busiest passenger transportation hub in the Western Hemisphere, handling 600,000 passengers a day. It is located underneath  Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan, where railroads can reach it only through tunnels. In the same week that JFK was experiencing its “cascading issues,” Penn Station was described by Bloomberg BusinessWeek as “The Most Awful Transit Center in America,” which “Could Get Unimaginably Worse.”

Penn Station has been overcrowded, overused and deteriorating for decades. The first major program proposed to renovate it was offered in the 1990s, failed to get government support. Since then, traffic has doubled and every proposal to tackle the problem has died of neglect. The latest was torpedoed by none other than Donald Trump.

The two tunnels that cross under the Hudson River — that connect Penn Station with everything and everyone in the eastern US south of New York — were built while the Wright Brothers were building their first airplane factory, over 100 years ago. When the tunnels were flooded by Hurricane Sandy, the salt and chemicals deposited began eating even faster into the ancient cement and masonry that, should it fail, would shut down a major chunk of the US economy and introduce the Hudson River into midtown Manhattan. Not only is nothing being down about it, there are no plans to do anything about it.

Last spring a sewage pipe broke in Penn Station, flooding one of the crowded concourses with raw sewage. Making it, of course, a literal shithole.

Devin Leonard, who wrote the Bloomberg BusinessWeek article, concluded:

Quote
Penn Station is a debacle reaching across time. Its past is a slow-motion disaster of inaction and canceled reforms, its present an ongoing disgrace. And its future could be truly catastrophic, in the form of a tunnel failure that pinches shut one of the most vital economic arteries in America.

I’ll have to get back to you on Exhibits Three through 320 — bridges, highways, the electric grid, water pollution, soil depletion, ocean dead zones, garbage, declining life expectancy — but you get the idea.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070814193155.png&hash=144ce9330e49ee84060db8753a8db69c39a14913) When the Donald 🐒 created this new category by which nations are to be assessed, only the Stable Genius knew that America would turn out, once again, to be Number One.

http://www.dailyimpact.net/2018/01/12/how-to-identify-a-shithole-country/#more-3828
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 21, 2018, 05:41:00 pm
 January 21, 2018

Women March in Defiance of (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2mo5pow.gif&hash=995f9f6c08dcd54f18425f2bfbe138901cf052b1) Trump🦍 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fswear1.gif&hash=87347674f9297191f3f8a447208170617da4caf6)

In Baltimore and around the world the second anniversary of the Women's March on Washington prompted calls for unity in resisting the policies of the Trump Administration by Taya Graham and Stephen Janis

https://youtu.be/xgBWItKcgH4

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=20952%27%20style=%27color:#000;
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 21, 2018, 06:51:54 pm
Puerto Rico Still Suffering Under The Boot Of #Sh**hole Republican Politics 🦍

January 21st, 2018 by Steve Hanley

Republicans control all three branches of government. Ergo, whatever that government does can be attributed to Republicans. When it comes to Puerto Rico, the harshness of the federal government’s response to the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria continues to punish the residents of the island for the political sin of not being white people of European descent. There can be no other explanation for how Puerto Rico has fared under the administration of #FakePresident Trump other than the virulent strain of racism he glorifies.

Power restoration in Puerto Rico
(https://c1cleantechnicacom-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/files/2018/01/Hurricane-power-restoration-chart.jpg)
Credit: US Department of Energy and Travis Hartman/Reuters Graphics via Think Progress

The proof is in the pudding. The graphic above charts the amount of time needed to restore power to Florida after Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and Hurricane Irma in 2017 compared to the unforgivable delay in restoring power to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

The situation in Puerto Rico has descended into lunacy. According to a report by The Intercept, members of UTIER, the utility workers union in Puerto Rico, have accused the Army Corps of Engineers of hoarding materials needed to complete the restoration of the utility grid at its warehouse in Ponce in the southern part of the island. Most of Puerto Rico’s generating stations — which are primarily powered by diesel fuel — are located near Ponce.

“That is not normal to have such quantities of materials in the crisis that we are having in Puerto Rico. For example, I have never seen such quantity of cross arms in my life,” says Fredyson Martinez, UTIER’s vice president. “The amount of [containers of wires] is also too much knowing what is needed. And all that just sitting there while the workers make miracles with the few things they get each day. It’s sad.”

Apparently in retaliation for criticism from UTIER and PERPA, the island’s utility company, the Army Corps of Engineers raided a PERPA warehouse on January 6 amid allegations that PERPA itself was hoarding materials. The issue seems to come down to whether the supplies needed to rebuild Puerto Rico’s broken utility grid should be kept at USCOE’s two central warehouses (a third is about to be added) or at PERPA’s 7 regional facilities. Roads and bridges are still waiting to be repaired after the hurricane and moving workers and supplies around the island to where they are needed most is challenging.

Adding fuel to the fire is a realization among Puerto Ricans that the latest tax bill foisted off on the public by Republicans amounts to a soap suds enema for Puerto Rico. Among other things, that piece of highly partisan legislation now classifies items manufactured on the island as made in a foreign country, a change that could cost Puerto Rico up to 200,000 jobs.

(https://c1cleantechnicacom-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/files/2018/01/Jesus-Died-For-Shithole-Countries.jpg)
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Credit: Facebook

In New York City, the Puerto Rican community is complaining bitterly about how the US government manages — mismanages may be a better word — Puerto Rico. After the island defaulted on its public debt in July 2016, Congress passed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability act, often known as PROMESA. That legislation created an unelected management board designed to find ways to make sure the island met its financial obligations. The first thing the board did was slash funding for health care, pensions, and education.

Coming together under the hashtag #OurPowerPRnyc, people of Puerto Rican heritage are blasting PROMESA for being little more than a form of colonial rule. They believe their treatment is similar to how the US dealt with the so-called banana republics in Central America for decades. Many in the Puerto Rican diaspora are getting the distinct impression that the US government is treating the island as one of the “shithole countries” Donald Trump referred to so eloquently earlier this month.

In a press release on January 19, #OurPowerPRnyc listed 6 ways they believe PROMESA 🦖 has damaged the island and its people.

🔥 Trying to implement a minimum wage of $4.25 for everyone 25 years old and younger is not rebuilding Puerto Rico.

🔥 Closing 184 schools is not rebuilding Puerto Rico.

🔥 Voting unanimously to order Puerto Rico to implement 10% cutbacks in its public pension system, lay off tens of thousands of workers, and slash bonuses is not rebuilding Puerto Rico.

🔥 Cuts including $1 billion in health care services, $300 million from the public university budget, and $350 million in municipal aid is not rebuilding Puerto Rico.

🔥 Getting rid of environmental protections is not rebuilding Puerto Rico.

🔥 Privatization and selling our land is not rebuilding Puerto Rico.


Republicans may have underestimated the political muscle of the 200,000 people who moved to the US mainland after the Hurricane Maria disaster. Many of them have settled in Florida where they have registered to vote (they are US citizens, after all, a fact that seems to have escaped #FakePresident Trump 🐒). The power outage on their island could lead to political power surge for a large bloc of voters angry at the way they have been treated by Republicans. They could alter the political landscape in Florida later this year, assuming governor Rick Scott can’t figure out a way to prevent them from voting.

Oppression🦍 is a curious thing. Just as there is an equal and opposite reaction for every action in the physical world, the same applies in the world of politics. That is a lesson the Republicans refuse to learn but will ignore at their peril. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3)

https://cleantechnica.com/2018/01/21/puerto-rico-still-suffering-boot-shhole-republican-politics/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 21, 2018, 10:15:24 pm
The Resistance Report: Trump's 🐒 racism, the border wall, and Republican 🦍 "welfare reform"

https://youtu.be/fylpQq7TD2g

 
Inequality Media Civic Action

Published on Jan 15, 2018

Tonight we're looking at Donald Trump's racist past and whether Republicans will stand for it. We also examine how Trump's policies are already affecting average working people in the US. Lastly, we talk about what you can and must do over the next 10 months leading up to the November elections.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 21, 2018, 10:23:01 pm
January 21, 2018

Women March in Defiance of (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2mo5pow.gif&hash=995f9f6c08dcd54f18425f2bfbe138901cf052b1) Trump🦍 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fswear1.gif&hash=87347674f9297191f3f8a447208170617da4caf6)

Here are some images from the local iteration of the women's march.

(https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26815428_10160044321765637_2538964731351683747_n.jpg?oh=2704010b856644a11fb47b39f477dc30&oe=5AF5BF66) (https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26991801_10160044322115637_7129594790395303912_n.jpg?oh=5f6e915a9a5b19425d5aa0ecd1c3b1dc&oe=5ADF9073) (https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26904549_10160044323110637_5045338322784470664_n.jpg?oh=39950fa3b5449fdc1a7de26fc873840a&oe=5AF06634)

(https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26993667_10160044322800637_707729372812095458_n.jpg?oh=b59a5d03b1736ee7f85ff03f5120da03&oe=5AF4A380)  (https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/26850743_10212994608397514_992588943439150200_o.jpg?oh=77a2b449efbde91076ef2c870fa728c2&oe=5AD9E2BD) (https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26814837_10216185837507083_5216107024129418397_n.jpg?oh=cfee7f9c7ca429174b640685348753e6&oe=5AF5F212)

(https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/26850243_10212994868164008_518989987197057524_o.jpg?oh=6a25badd33a34321e845c0f4a51a8722&oe=5AE65BE4)

And then there were these ass holes on the bottom. A couple guys showed up with signs to protest the march. This woman was ready! She went across the street and held up her eerily right-on-time sign right beside them! And the guy in the middle is mistaken: NOBODY will be **** him.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 23, 2018, 06:28:50 pm
The Resistance Report ✨: The government shutdown and what comes next

https://youtu.be/S5zGh3K1YSs

Inequality Media Civic Action

Published on Jan 22, 2018

Tonight we discuss what happened with the government shutdown over the weekend and what's going to happen next.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 24, 2018, 06:11:55 pm
(https://i.imgur.com/8SFIHZc.jpg)

As Mueller closes in, paranoia spreads in the White House

Jeff Sessions 🦍 tries to purge FBI of Comey’s influence, while right-wingers 🦖 spread outrageous conspiracy theories


January 24, 2018

SNIPPET:

It gets crazier.  is now spouting the theory that the "Democrat Deep State" had a master plan to feed poor, gullible George W. Bush fake intelligence on Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction in order to embarrass Republicans, weaken the military and destroy Bush's second term. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fugly004.gif&hash=c56db4280057389afd154a1cb4057410151579c8)

No wait, it gets even crazier than that:

Sen Ron Johnson claims "informant" who has news about the FBI "Secret Society" working to overthrow President Trump.
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm)    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)

That's a very excited U.S. senator saying something that is Alex Jones-level bonkers on national television. The "secret society" conspiracy is more fully fleshed out in this screed from Lou Dobbs:

Drain the Swamp!- Our Justice Dept has been compromised, and it’s time to crush the corrupt secret society working against President. — Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs)
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One can imagine that sane people at the Department of Justice might just be getting a little bit concerned. We've had presidents investigated before. We've had them interfere with law enforcement and fire independent officials. But this level of flat-out lunacy from the party in power is something altogether different. Who knows where all this will end up? After all, Donald Trump 🦀 became president. Anything can happen.    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_1593.gif&hash=628238f2fc26695937f6e97b91b050976065743b)


Full article:

https://www.salon.com/2018/01/24/as-mueller-closes-in-paranoia-spreads-white-house-seeks-deep-state-purge/?page=1


Some EXCELLENT comments:

Quote
Gary Frank:  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

Trump is trying to discredit the FBI so that he can avoid justice for his crimes during the election campaign. This strategy might work, considering the current climate of tribal warfare. Everyone knows that this is a nonissue meant to save Trump from justice, but the Trump tribe doesn't care. They only require fake news or irrelevant news as a cover story in order to allow Trump to escape justice.

But will this diversion tactic be enough to sabotage the investigation and possibly allow to Trump to refuse to answers questions, to lie to Mueller, to stonewall Mueller, or to babble word salad rather than provide real answers to his questions?

It will be futile. Mueller has important testimony from many other top level officials. Trump is trapped. He will likely be charged and removed from office either because he confessed, because he lied or because he refused to cooperate - obstruction of justice.

21 Likes

Quote
Deltoid69:  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

Can you imagine if a Democrat were in the WH and under attack over these same charges and Democrats reacted to our institutions the way the Republicans are now, what the consequences would be.
 
When Trump was elected, I thought sensible Republicans, the ones who were puritanical “Constitutionalists” in fighting Obama at every turn, would apply those same standards to Trump and the country would be safe. Was I ever naive. The radical Republicans have certifiably lost their minds. They have spoken about morals, values, principles, and religious beliefs for decades. Now we can clearly see, not that I didn’t know, but the rest of America can now see all of that was political BS. I like to consider myself to be open-minded, but these Republican traitors have slammed the door on me ever voting for a Republican in my lifetime.

47 Likes
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 24, 2018, 08:34:03 pm
Americans Don't Deserve To Be Ruled Under Authoritarian Trump Regime 🦀 (w/guest Vicente Fox)

https://youtu.be/ERkglfZpj1s

Former President Vicente Fox joins the Thom Hartmann Program to discuss the white supremacist in chief, Donald Trump and his actions against the people of the world , the people of Mexico, and the people in America.

Thom Hartmann Jan. 23, 2018 2:00 pm
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 24, 2018, 08:58:30 pm
Why the Resistance (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) is More Important Than Ever (w/Guest Dana Fisher)🕊
https://youtu.be/Vh1hVM_f-nc

Thom is joined my University of Maryland Professor Dana Fisher 🦅  to discuss the data from the women's march, who is this "resistance" we are hearing about?

Thom HartmannJan. 23, 2018 3:00 pm
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 26, 2018, 09:44:52 pm
Are Militarized Police a Sign Of The Failures Of Unregulated Capitalism?

https://youtu.be/D0TDVxm6kKM

Are the police being driven to militarization via the failures of unregulated capitalism and a democracy that is more and more becoming the playground of the ultra rich and the politicians in their pocket. Thom takes your calls today and one caller suggests just that!

Thom Hartmann Jan. 25, 2018 2:00 pm

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/8b/30/b3/8b30b31e87dddef823ce634725ac42d3.jpg)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 26, 2018, 11:44:26 pm
Net Neutrality Means You Can Have The Internet Your Way

https://youtu.be/5aFZmEpnZfQ

Net Neutrality is so popular that even corporations are supporting it in their advertisements, so why was it repealed? The FCC under Ajit Pai and Donald Trump, the Republicans are working for their corporate backers not the people of the United States.

Thom Hartmann Jan. 25, 2018 3:00 pm
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 26, 2018, 11:48:39 pm
It's Past Time To Get Money Out Of Politics, but Libertarians 🦖  Think It's Free Speech

https://youtu.be/slSENGFLDN0

Why do libertarians think money is free speech? To answer this questions we are joined by Charles Sauer 🦖 , Libertarian Economist and president of the Market Institute.

Thom Hartmann Jan. 25, 2018 3:30 pm
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 27, 2018, 06:41:00 pm
January 26, 2018

Centrist Democrats 🦕  Are Undermining Progressive Candidates 🕊

According to a major new report, the Democratic Party leadership is undermining progressive candidates and backing wealthier, centrist hopefuls that are following a failed strategy. We speak to The Intercept's Lee Fang

https://youtu.be/v4QBJ0I7IBA

http://therealnews.com/t2/story:20988:Centrist-Democrats-Are-Undermining-Progressive-Candidates
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 29, 2018, 12:58:56 pm
What Trump 🦀 will NOT talk about tomorrow night

January 29, 2018

Friends of Bernie Sanders


Tuesday night is Trump's State of the Union speech. Nobody knows exactly what he will be discussing, but I'm absolutely certain what he will NOT be talking about.

He will surely not be apologizing for the many lies he told American voters: how he promised to defend the interests of working people, but then sold them out to Wall Street and the billionaire 🦖 class.

During his campaign he promised to provide health care to "everybody," but then supported legislation which would have thrown 32 million Americans off of the healthcare they had. Although we managed to stop his effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, 3.2 million fewer Americans today have health insurance than when Trump first came into office, and millions more will lose their health insurance as a result of the repeal of the individual mandate.

During his campaign he promised to pass tax reform legislation designed to help the middle class. The legislation that he 🦀 signed will, at the end of 10 years, provide 83 percent of the benefits to the top 1 percent, drive up the deficit by $1.7 trillion and raise taxes for millions of middle class families.

During his campaign he promised to take on the outrageously high prices of the pharmaceutical industry which, he told us, was "getting away with murder." Then, as president, while drug prices continue to soar, he appointed a drug company executive 🦖as Secretary of Health and Human Services who worked to triple insulin prices.

During his campaign he promised to take on the greed of Wall Street, but then proceeded to appoint more Wall Street titans (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) to high positions than any president in history. Now, with Wall Street firmly behind him, he is trying to repeal the modest provisions of the Dodd-Frank legislation which provide some consumer protections against Wall Street thievery.

Trump will also not be talking about the role that he has played in significantly lowering the respect that people all over the planet have for the United States. Once, not so many years ago, we were considered to be the political and moral leader in the world, the country most admired. Now, according to a recent Gallup poll, since Trump has been president median approval of U.S. leadership plummeted to 30 percent, down from 48 percent in 2016.

Trump will not talk about his efforts to undermine democracy in the United States and his support for authoritarianism abroad. He will not mention his encouragement to Republican governors to accelerate efforts for voter suppression, and his admiration for the leaders of countries like Russia, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines.

Trump will not talk about his belief that climate change is a "hoax," and his appointment of agency leaders who are undermining our ability to move toward sustainable energy and protect the environment.

Trump will not talk about how he is the first president in modern history who is intentionally trying to divide this nation up based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or nation of origin. He will not be mentioning his overt and covert efforts to win the support of white supremacists.

And on and on it goes. I suspect that there will be a lot more interest in what Trump will NOT be talking about in his speech than what he will discuss..

I don't have to tell you what you already know.

The very bad news is that Donald Trump is president of the United States and he is pushing the most dishonest, reactionary and divisive agenda in modern American history.

There is good news, however. And that is that, in an unprecedented way, we are witnessing a revitalization of American democracy with more and more people standing up and fighting back. We are seeing the growth of grassroots organizations and people from every conceivable background starting to run for office - for school board, city council, state legislature and Congress.

And these candidates, from coast to coast, are standing tall for a progressive agenda: Medicare for All, a $15 an hour minimum wage, free tuition at public colleges and universities, transformation of our energy system away from fossil fuels, a woman's right to choose and pay equity, progressive taxation, fair trade, criminal justice and immigration reform and much more.

Yes. The Koch brothers 🦖 🦕 and their billionaire 🐉 friends are planning to spend some $400 million in the 2018 midterm elections supporting right-wing Republicans. We will beat them, however, because we are in the midst of creating a political revolution. When ordinary people, by the millions, demand economic, racial, social and environmental justice - we will not be denied.

Keep the faith and please remember, despair is not an option. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)

In Solidarity,

Bernie Sanders
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 29, 2018, 01:31:40 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-290118133601.jpeg&hash=c4a266be59e7683775d0dc91bf9c453433284d57)

The Useful Idiocy of Donald Trump

Quote
The relentless and suicidal drive to accumulate greater and greater wealth by destroying the systems that sustain life is idolatry. It ignores the biblical injunction that idols always begin by demanding human sacrifice and end by demanding self-sacrifice. The elites are not only building our funeral pyre, they are building their own.

JAN 28, 2018 TD ORIGINALS

By Chris Hedges Columnist

Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, New York Times best selling author, former professor at Princeton University, activist and ordained Presbyterian minister. He has written 11 books,…


SNIPPET:

Trump, who has no inclination or ability to govern, has handed the machinery of government over to the bankers, corporate executives, right-wing think tanks, intelligence chiefs and generals. They are eradicating the few regulations and laws that inhibited a naked kleptocracy. They are dynamiting the institutions, including the State Department, that served interests other than corporate profit and are stacking the courts with right-wing, corporate-controlled ideologues. Trump provides the daily entertainment; the elites handle the business of looting, exploiting and destroying.

Once democratic institutions are hollowed out, a process begun before the election of Trump, despotism is inevitable. The press is shackled. Corruption and theft take place on a massive scale. The rights and needs of citizens are irrelevant. Dissent is criminalized. Militarized police monitor, seize and detain Americans without probable cause. The rituals of democracy become farce. This is the road we are traveling. It is a road that leads to internal collapse and tyranny, and we are very far down it.

The elites’ moral and intellectual vacuum produced Trump. They too are con artists. They are slicker than he at selling the lies and more adept at disguising their greed through absurd ideologies such as neoliberalism and globalization, but they belong to the same criminal class and share many of the pathologies that characterize Trump. The grotesque visage of Trump is the true face of politicians such as George W. Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The Clintons and Obama, unlike Bush and Trump, are self-aware and therefore cynical, but all lack a moral compass. As Michael Wolff writes in “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” the president has “no scruples.” He lives “outside the rules” and is “contemptuous of them.” And this makes him identical to those he has replaced, not different. “A close Trump friend who was also a good Bill Clinton friend found them eerily similar—except that Clinton had a respectable front and Trump did not,” Wolff writes.

Trump, backed by the most retrograde elements of corporate capitalism, including Robert and Rebekah Mercer, Sheldon Adelson and Carl Icahn, is the fool who prances at the front of our death march (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070814193155.png&hash=144ce9330e49ee84060db8753a8db69c39a14913).

Full article:

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/useful-idiocy-donald-trump/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-050515144544.png&hash=7ee8a9d0ff80a564867eeb5fc64c6c942dec8dee)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 29, 2018, 09:33:07 pm
David Cay Johnston, "It's Even Worse Than You Think"

https://youtu.be/y70q0mjujWk

14,774 views

Politics and Prose

Published on Jan 27, 2018

David Cay Johnston discusses his book, "It's Even Worse Than You Think" at Politics and Prose on 1/24/18.

Johnston, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, has been covering Trump since 1988. In June 2015, he was the first national journalist to write about a possible Trump presidency and in his 2016 bestselling The Making of Donald Trump he gave a comprehensive account of Trump’s business practices, associates, and family background. Now Johnston follows up that profile with a detailed analysis of the Trump administration’s first one hundred days. He shows how Trump’s policies are affecting ordinary people’s jobs, finances, and security, explains the federal agencies charged with carrying out Trump’s executive actions, and illuminates places where the system can hide what’s really going on.

http://www.politics-prose.com/book/97...

Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online. Visit them on the web at http://www.politics-prose.com/

Produced by Tom Warren

Category Education
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 31, 2018, 05:19:23 pm
Statement on Visit to the USA, by Professor Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights*

Washington, December 15, 2017


SNIPPET 1 (of a lengthy report that comprehensively explains what is wrong with the US economic and political system):

I. Introduction

1. I have spent the past two weeks visiting the United States, at the invitation of the federal government, to look at whether the persistence of extreme poverty in America undermines the enjoyment of human rights by its citizens.  In my travels through California, Alabama, Georgia, Puerto Rico, West Virginia, and Washington DC I have spoken with dozens of experts and civil society groups, met with senior state and federal government officials and talked with many people who are homeless or living in deep poverty.  I am grateful to the Trump Administration for facilitating my visit and for its continuing cooperation with the UN Human Rights Council’s accountability mechanisms that apply to all states.

2. My visit coincides with a dramatic change of direction in US policies relating to inequality and extreme poverty. The proposed tax reform package stakes out America’s bid 🦀 to become the most unequal society in the world, and will greatly increase the already high levels of wealth and income inequality between the richest 1% and the poorest 50% of Americans.  The dramatic cuts in welfare, foreshadowed by the President and Speaker Ryan, and already beginning to be implemented by the administration, will essentially shred crucial dimensions of a safety net that is already full of holes.  It is against this background that my report is presented.

3. The United States is one of the world’s richest, most powerful and technologically innovative countries; but neither its wealth nor its power nor its technology is being harnessed to address the situation in which 40 million people continue to live in poverty.

4. I have seen and heard a lot over the past two weeks.  I met with many people barely surviving on Skid Row in Los Angeles, I witnessed a San Francisco police officer telling a group of homeless people to move on but having no answer when asked where they could move to, I heard how thousands of poor people get minor infraction notices which seem to be intentionally designed to quickly explode into unpayable debt, incarceration, and the replenishment of municipal coffers, I saw sewage filled yards in states where governments don’t consider sanitation facilities to be their responsibility, I saw people who had lost all of their teeth because adult dental care is not covered by the vast majority of programs available to the very poor, I heard about soaring death rates and family and community destruction wrought by prescription and other drug addiction, and I met with people in the South of Puerto Rico living next to a mountain of completely unprotected coal ash which rains down upon them bringing illness, disability and death.

5. Of course, that is not the whole story.  I also saw much that is positive.  I met with State and especially municipal officials 🕊 who are determined to improve social protection for the poorest 20% of their communities, I saw an energized civil society 🕊 in many places, I visited a Catholic Church 🕊  in San Francisco (St Boniface – the Gubbio Project) that opens its pews to the homeless every day between services, I saw extraordinary resilience 🕊 and community solidarity in Puerto Rico, I toured an amazing community health initiative 🕊 in Charleston (West Virginia) that serves 21,000 patients with free medical, dental, pharmaceutical and other services, overseen by local volunteer physicians, dentists and others (WV Health Right), and indigenous communities 🕊 presenting at a US-Human Rights Network conference in Atlanta lauded Alaska’s advanced health care system for indigenous people 🕊 s, designed with direct participation of the target group.

6.
American exceptionalism was a constant theme in my conversations.  But instead of realizing its founders’ admirable commitments, today’s United States has proved itself to be exceptional 🦍 in far more problematic ways that are shockingly at odds with its immense wealth and its founding commitment to human rights. As a result, contrasts between private wealth and public squalor abound.

7. In talking with people in the different states and territories I was frequently asked how the US compares with other states.  While such comparisons are not always perfect, a cross-section of statistical comparisons provides a relatively clear picture of the contrast between the wealth, innovative capacity, and work ethic of the US, and the social and other outcomes that have been attained.

• By most indicators, the US is one of the world’s wealthiest countries.  It spends more on national defense than China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United Kingdom, India, France, and Japan combined.

• US health care expenditures per capita are double the OECD average and much higher than in all other countries. But there are many fewer doctors and hospital beds per person than the OECD average.

• US infant mortality rates in 2013 were the highest in the developed world.

• Americans can expect to live shorter and sicker lives, compared to people living in any other rich democracy, and the “health gap” between the U.S. and its peer countries continues to grow.

• U.S. inequality levels are far higher than those in most European countries

• Neglected tropical diseases, including Zika, are increasingly common in the USA.  It has been estimated that 12 million Americans live with a neglected parasitic infection. A 2017 report documents the prevalence of hookworm in Lowndes County, Alabama.

• The US has the highest prevalence of obesity in the developed world.

• In terms of access to water and sanitation the US ranks 36th in the world.

• America has the highest incarceration rate in the world, ahead of Turkmenistan, El Salvador, Cuba, Thailand and the Russian Federation. Its rate is nearly 5 times the OECD average.

• The youth poverty rate in the United States is the highest across the OECD with one quarter of youth living in poverty compared to less than 14% across the OECD.

• The Stanford Center on Inequality and Poverty ranks the most well-off countries in terms of labor markets, poverty, safety net, wealth inequality, and economic mobility. The US comes in last of the top 10 most well-off countries, and 18th amongst the top 21.

• In the OECD the US ranks 35th out of 37 in terms of poverty and inequality.

• According to the World Income Inequality Database, the US has the highest Gini rate (measuring inequality) of all Western Countries

• The Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality characterizes the US as “a clear and constant outlier in the child poverty league.” US child poverty rates are the highest amongst the six richest countries – Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden and Norway.

• About 55.7% of the U.S. voting-age population cast ballots in the 2016 presidential election. In the OECD, the U.S. placed 28th in voter turnout, compared with an OECD average of 75%.  Registered voters represent a much smaller share of potential voters in the U.S. than just about any other OECD country. Only about 64% of the U.S. voting-age population (and 70% of voting-age citizens) was registered in 2016, compared with 91% in Canada (2015) and the UK (2016), 96% in Sweden (2014), and nearly 99% in Japan (2014).


SNIPPET 2:

III. Who are ‘the poor’?

10. I have been struck by the extent to which caricatured narratives about the purported  innate differences between rich and poor have been sold to the electorate by some politicians and media, and have been allowed to define the debate.  The rich are industrious, entrepreneurial, patriotic, and the drivers of economic success  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16).  The poor are wasters, losers, and scammers  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F2z6in9g.gif&hash=771b084a0f186d9cc14f31defd98a6c90b69b84f).  As a result, money spent on welfare is money down the drain (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ftissue.gif&hash=f8d05db8e11569882e0effbdd719e2b2e95c6785)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fshame.gif&hash=88b5b0c8644862ef4930e3c7e3556db6c3bf600f) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6).  To complete the picture we are also told that the poor who want to make it in America can easily do so: they really can achieve the American dream if only they work hard enough.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Facigar.gif&hash=dc9dccf92c6c88c99611b06c86d92629d69f2978) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)




SNIPPET 3:

VI. Principal current governmental responses

5. Puerto Rico

68. I spent two days of the nine days I traveled outside of Washington, DC, in Puerto Rico. I witnessed the devastation of hurricane Irma and Maria in Salinas and Guayama in the south of the island, as well as in the poor Caño Martin Peña neighborhood in San Juan. Both in the south and in San Juan I listened to individuals in poverty and civil society organizations on how these natural disasters are just the latest in a series of bad news for Puerto Ricans, which include an economic crisis, a debt crisis, an austerity crisis and, arguably, a structural political crisis.

69. Political rights and poverty are inextricably linked in Puerto Rico. If it were a state, Puerto Rico would be the poorest state in the Union. But Puerto Rico is not a state, it is a mere ‘territory.’ Puerto Ricans have no representative with full voting rights in Congress and, unless living stateside, cannot vote for the President of the United States. In a country that likes to see itself as the oldest democracy in the world and a staunch defender of political rights on the international stage, more than 3 million people who live on the island have no power in their own capital.

70. Puerto Rico not only has a fiscal deficit, it also has a political rights deficit, and the two are not easily disentangled. I met with the Executive Director of the Financial Oversight and Management Board that was imposed by Congress on Puerto Rico as part of PROMESA 🦖 . This statement is not the place to challenge the economics of the Board’s proposed polices, but there is little indication that social protection concerns feature in any significant way in the Board’s 🦖 analyses. At a time when even the IMF is insisting that social protection should be explicitly factored into prescriptions for adjustment (i.e. austerity) it would seem essential that the Board take account of human rights and social protection concerns as it contemplates far-reaching decision on welfare reform, minimum wage and labor market regulation.

71.
It is not for me to suggest any resolution to the hotly contested issue of Puerto Rico’s constitutional status.  But what is clear is that many, probably most, Puerto Ricans believe deeply that they are presently colonized and that the US Congress is happy to leave them in the no-man’s land of no meaningful Congressional representation and no ability to really move to govern themselves.  In light of recent Supreme Court 🦀 jurisprudence and Congress’s 🐉 adoption of PROMESA there would seem to be good reason for the UN Decolonization Committee to conclude that the island is no longer a self-governing territory.

Full Report:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22533&LangID=E
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 02, 2018, 07:11:04 pm
Is Mike Pence 🐉 Running For President!
https://youtu.be/ZO3Ezb9NNbw
What would you do if I told you that Mike Pence is already acting like someone preparing to be president?

Thom Hartmann Feb. 1, 2018 2:30 pm

The End Of Democracy Brought to You by Thatcher 🦀 , Reagan 🦀 and Trump 🦀
https://youtu.be/LeyLjOe6A3U

Are we looking at the end of Democratic governments around the world and here in the United States as corporate power continuously grows!

Thom Hartmann Feb. 1, 2018 3:00 pm

Inequality Will Only Get Worse Thanks To Trump 🦀

https://youtu.be/j2MIrgYo87c

The Republican Tax Scam is going to do a lot of damage to our country, not the least of it, inequality is going to grow big time!

Thom Hartmann  Feb. 1, 2018 3:30 pm

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 04, 2018, 09:38:33 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

Agelbert NOTE: Originally publidhed August 25, 2017 BUT, even MORE pertinent today, February 4, 2018).

Paul Jay On The Trump Administration 🦀: One of the Most Dangerous Times in Human History
TRNN Replay: Senior editor Paul Jay and reporter Taya Graham discuss the Real News' coverage of the Trump administration and take viewer questions

https://youtu.be/LuvkjIkd6FI

http://therealnews.com/t2/story:21053:Paul-Jay-On-The-Trump-Administration%3A-One-of-the-Most-Dangerous-Times-in-Human-History
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 05, 2018, 04:31:36 pm
US President Donald Trump🦀 has sparked a backlash from UK politicians by attacking the National Health Service

February 5, 2018

SNIPPET:

Quote
Saturday's demonstration, called NHS In Crisis: Fix It Now, was organised by the People's Assembly Against Austerity and Health Campaigns Together.

In a joint response to the US president, they said people had marched "to show their love for the principles of universal and comprehensive care free at the point of use, paid for through general taxation".

They added: "We don't agree with your divisive and incorrect rhetoric."

Actor and NHS campaigner Ralf Little, who was at the march, told President Trump he was wrong about the reasons for the march.

Skip Twitter post by @RalfLittle
Hey matey. I was front row of that march and I can assure you that is 100% not why we were there. I can explain properly if you’ve got 5 mins to chat between rounds of golf? https://t.co/slud9VHrAD

— Ralf Little (@RalfLittle) February 5, 2018

Full article with video:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-42943768
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 06, 2018, 05:08:49 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Quote
The GOP (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) is now trying to change Medicaid from a program that supports low-income people into a program that will punish and shame them.

A Legal Battle (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) Is Mounting Against the GOP's Attack 🦖 on Medicaid

Tuesday, February 06, 2018

By Michael Corcoran, Truthout | News Analysis

SNIPPET:

About 500 protesters chanting Kill the Bill, Don't Kill Us! filled the street outside the New York Stock Exchange on December 19, 2017 -- where the resources siphoned from the poor and middle class by the Republican tax bill will be concentrated. (Photo: Erik McGregor / Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty Images)(at article link)

In Kurt Vonnegut's  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F19.gif&hash=3f9f2fc2285bc756137e21463bc2a4c420b15ac3) 1965 book, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, the protagonist inherits a massive sum of money from his wealthy family. Rosewater, who has no use for the American class system, decides the money should be spent on a foundation that gives money and love to people who are deemed as "useless to society" by the "rapacious citizens 🦖 who have come to control all that is worth controlling in America."

He is taken to court by an irate family 🦀whose lawyers argue that such unconditional generosity is evidence of mental instability. Vonnegut's alter ego, Kilgore Trout, feels otherwise, saying this kindness meant "our hatred of useless human beings and the cruelties we inflict upon them for their own good need not be parts of human nature."

It is fitting that this book was released the same year Medicaid was passed. Vonnegut's disgust at this sinister view on humanity stands out as we watch the GOP's 🦖 latest effort to reshape Medicaid in all sorts of regressive ways in states across the US. In January, President Trump 🦀 made the unprecedented decision to allow states to add work requirements and other obstacles (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) to Medicaid by applying for a waiver from the administration. It is a backhanded way of achieving one of the many goals of the failed Trumpcare bill: gutting 🦖 Medicaid.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.zaazu.com%2Fimg%2FIncredible-Hulk-animated-animation-male-smiley-emoticon-000342-large.gif&hash=db736c8c06568f1aa878171ad53d1f0301cfdff2)

Full eye opening article:

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/43458-a-legal-battle-is-mounting-against-the-gop-s-attack-on-medicaid

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 07, 2018, 04:25:26 pm
The Resistance Report: The Memo Controversy and the Mueller Investigation

https://youtu.be/Nh08ahc5Qxc

10,863 views
 
Inequality Media Civic Action

Published on Feb 1, 2018

On tonight's Resistance Report we talk about the controversy over the memo that Trump 🦀 and Republicans 🦖 want to release, and what it means for Mueller investigation.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 07, 2018, 07:30:13 pm
It’s 🦀 Even Worse Than You Think: David Cay Johnston & Greg Palast

https://youtu.be/eAmKwAcjha8

Greg Palast

Published on Feb 3, 2018

"A narcissistic know-nothing con artist who has spent his entire life swindling others while repeatedly urging followers to commit criminal acts of violence against his critics," writes David Cay Johnston. Who could he be talking about? I asked...

Full frontal exposure of the Trump Presidency by two New York Times bestselling investigative reporters — conversing, debating. This event was broadcast live from our sold out event in Los Angeles on Wednesday, January 31.

Watch Palast question Johnston about the accusations in his book, including Johnston’s revelation of Trump’s 2005 tax return — and his explanation of why it reeks of criminality!

***

Johnston’s It's Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America, opened this week at #2 on the Times' bestseller list.

https://www.amazon.com/Even-Worse-Tha...

And Amazon and Amazon Prime have just released The Best Democracy Can Buy:The Case of the Stolen Election, Palast's film of his investigation for Rolling Stone on how Trump’s cronies swiped the 2016 election.

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Democracy...

Editor Nicole Powers
Category News & Politics
License Standard YouTube License
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 07, 2018, 09:16:23 pm
New Twist on Steele Dossier Is Frightening Civil Liberties Activists (w/Guest Greg Palast)

https://youtu.be/C2M9z12CLTw

In the excitement to get Donald Trump out of office, are we empowering groups like the FBI and NSA to go after American Citizens with little evidence and less transparency? Investigative Reporter Greg Palast joins to inform us on the dark side of the Steele Dossier and how the state could use it against activists like you.

Thom Hartmann Feb. 6, 2018 2:30 pm
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 12, 2018, 02:24:48 pm
February 12, 2018

Corrupt Gun Unit Shows Why Policing Can't Be Reformed

Dr. Lawrence Brown, Professor of Public Health at Morgan State University says the new revelations from the Gun Trace Task Force corruption trial reveal how the underlying and historical imperative of policing require dismantling law enforcement and constructing new health-driven models for keeping communities safe

https://youtu.be/oZcRd3KNcu0

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=21118%27%20style=%27color:#000;
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 12, 2018, 08:22:36 pm
Why Public Infrastructure Should NEVER Be Owned by For Profit 🦀 Private Sector Entities

https://youtu.be/-aaZc815Xps

America's infrastructure problem is approaching dire, and who owns the infrastructure might be a clue as to why. Do you think our public infrastructure should be owned by for profit groups?

Thom Hartmann Feb. 9, 2018 3:00 pm

The Human Cost Of Cutting Corporate 🦀 Taxes

https://youtu.be/XvaSyDWKXqM

Republicans keep telling us that less government means more freedom and they are right if we were talking about the rich. Less Healthcare for us, more "freedom" for them 🦖.

Thom HartmannFeb. 9, 2018 3:30 pm



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 12, 2018, 08:46:44 pm
How Chris Kobach 🦀 Cut Elderly Voters So Republicans 🦖 Could Cut Medicare and Social Security.

https://youtu.be/D7gjR20RK-8

Did Chris Kobach work to undermine the voting power elderly people so the Republicans could cut medicare and social security through their Tax Scam?

Thom Hartmann Feb. 12, 2018 2:00 pm

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 13, 2018, 05:11:39 pm
Trump's 🦀 Huge Infrastructure Plan Is a Flop

It doesn't come close to spending enough to fix the nation's roads, bridges and tunnels.

By Barry Ritholtz

February 13, 2018, 1:02 PM EST

snippet:

Quote
The White House had an opportunity to create a robust, economically sound plan to modernize America. Instead, the administration (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) seems ready to give private investors 🐉🦕🦖 a gift at the expense of the taxpaying public. About the last thing this will do is make America great again.

Full article:

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-02-12/who-produced-trump-s-budget-not-trump

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)

(https://c1cleantechnicacom-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/files/2017/05/Trump-Germany-1.jpg)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-191217132907.jpeg&hash=fd1f8e2397996e6662ae8aa82ac19f78781d580f)

(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f269a0531f54fd1c1618278fe0144f1a4c83cc284aa96b523caece2ad390f752.jpg)



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 13, 2018, 08:31:08 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.thefrisky.com%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F02%2Fmussolini-compressed.jpg&hash=22d210e9f200cd4c5a48fb8b66324da33ea0b063)

The Ghost of Fascism 🦀in the Age of Trump 🦀

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

By Henry A. Giroux, Truthout | News Analysis

SNIPPET:

Quote
The first casualty of the Trump era is truth, the second is moral responsibility, the third is any vestige of justice, and the fourth is a massive increase in human misery and suffering for millions.

Instead of refusing to cooperate with evil, Americans increasingly find themselves in a society in which those in commanding positions of power and influence exhibit a tacit approval of the emerging authoritarian strains and acute social problems undermining democratic institutions and rules of law. As such, they remain silent and therefore, complicit in the face of such assaults on American democracy.

Ideological extremism and a stark indifference to the lies and ruthless polices of the Trump administration have turned the Republican Party into a party of collaborators, not unlike the Vichy government that collaborated with the Nazis in the 1940s.


(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f269a0531f54fd1c1618278fe0144f1a4c83cc284aa96b523caece2ad390f752.jpg)

Both groups bought into the script of ultra-nationalism, encouraged anti-Semitic mobs, embraced a militant masculinity, demonized racial and ethnic others, supported an unchecked militarism and fantasies of empire, and sanctioned state violence at home and abroad.

(https://theuglytruth.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/trump.jpg?w=406&h=229)

Full article:

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/43529-the-ghost-of-fascism-in-the-age-of-trump

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221014222208.png&hash=ae35994d8acc44c5bd0794f40f9d513715a7159f)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trbimg.com%2Fimg-566ee3d4%2Fturbine%2Fbal-donald-trumps-fascist-inclinations-do-not-bother-his-fans-20151214&hash=63072a772614b696dd8a9353902eaf6840248940)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 15, 2018, 03:16:37 pm
FEB 13, 2018 TD ORIGINALS

Prognosis: America 🦀🐉🦕🦖 2018

SNIPPET:

Doctors seek a unifying diagnosis to explain symptoms and inform a prognosis. My diagnosis for a Trumped-up White House with pseudo-populism as a diversion is naked greed. “Trust me” winks from the far-right wing predict a dire prognosis for the 99 percent.

In one career, my 38 working years as an oncologist, U.S. society has done a “180”—from a Peace Corps legacy🕊 to TV’s “Apprentice” and a mentality of social Darwinism 🦀. Rupert Murdoch’s Fox, echoing the Koch brother’s ALEC (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-070118134926.png&hash=02a998409f3976d1232a3505fb85b3a7343f74b2), the Cato Institute, and James Buchanan/Milton Friedman libertarianism have made “you eat what you kill” the sacred creed of their right-wing (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) propaganda machine. And much of America  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fgen152.gif&hash=d5b10968fe56c4cb95fae17cee3cb420a5f4e2da) has joined in the chant of “money over all 🦖.”

Soul searching over civil rights, the Pentagon Papers and Watergate once prompted a national catharsis and predicted an era of enlightened, transparent governance of America. But since those innocent days, the decades of my medical career have witnessed health care turned from a noble profession into “profit center” exploitation among Big Insurance, Big Pharma and Big Hospitals.

Many physicians joined in the gold rush, emboldened by Wall Street’s “greed is great (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)” mantra. One of the executives over me, his salary measured in the millions per year, would interrogate me regularly—“Fangman, is there any money in stem cell transplants” or other research trends du jour he’d seen a headline for in The Wall Street Journal. Never did the question he was paid to ask arise: Will innovation x, y or z improve our community’s health care? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ffly.gif&hash=b0526635e8b47d751b0e429925d73d78f9d79fc6)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F237.gif&hash=13b71d2444f84b15c53fb1c0272c080f48a165f1)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F290.gif&hash=38949e35cf58eaa4218b5a8176767c806d2f8537)

That same slickster CEO (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) was also an early adopter of Beltway hyper-polarization. His oft-used curse—“those dirty Democrats”—was a warning to anyone with a liberal instinct in his sphere of influence.

Understand that I am no socialist or partisan advocate. I’ve always been an independent. I earned money by hard work and respect a foundational tenet of capitalism: If you snooze, you lose. There was bad governance by Wendy Lee Gramm, Bill Clinton, Lawrence Summers, George W. Bush, Barack Obama. They coddled and then bailed out the pervasive greed of Wall Street and that of greedy mortgage bankers like Angelo Mozilo at Countrywide, as it flushed away much of my career’s work and the security of millions of others in the Great Recession. This casino mentality is still taking the 99 percent for suckers. Trump’s “tax reform” is yet another smoke screen for unvarnished greed. Read about Kimberly Clark’s tax cut plans as an example.

I don’t write to grind my ax. I write because con men running this nation are confusing American voters. Since the 1980s, hucksters too numerous to recount—see Bush/Dick Cheney, Henry Paulson, Lloyd Blankfein and now Donald Trump 🦀 —have seduced solid, hard-working Americans to believe in bogus scams like invading Iraq. The Koch brothers’ anti-democracy libertarianism has taken Friedman’s dog-eat-dog “trickle down” to new lows.

Full truth filled article:  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020)

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/prognosis-america-2018/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 15, 2018, 06:05:32 pm
February 11, 2018 TD ORIGINALS

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)

By Chris Hedges

The Deadly Rule of the Oligarchs

Quote
The longer we are ruled by oligarchs, the deadlier our predicament becomes, especially since the oligarchs refuse to address climate change, the greatest existential crisis to humankind.

SNIPPET:

There is little dispute that we live in an oligarchic state. The wealthiest 1 percent of America’s families control 40 percent of the nation’s wealth, a statistic similar to what is seen globally: The wealthiest 1 percent of the world’s population owns more than half of the world’s wealth. This wealth translates into political power. The political scientists Martin Gilens of Princeton and Benjamin Page of Northwestern, after examining differences in public opinion across income groups on a wide variety of issues, concluded, “In the United States, our findings indicate, the majority does not rule—at least not in the causal sense of actually determining policy outcomes. When a majority of citizens disagrees with economic elites and/or with organized interests, they generally lose. Moreover … even when fairly large majorities of Americans favor policy change, they generally do not get it.”

Oligarchs accelerate social, political, cultural and economic collapse. The unchecked plunder leads to systems breakdown. The refusal to protect natural resources, or the economic engines that sustain the state, means that poverty becomes the norm and the natural world becomes a toxic wasteland. Basic institutions no longer work. Infrastructure is no longer reliable. Water, air and soil are poisoned. The population is left uneducated, untrained, impoverished, oppressed by organs of internal security and beset by despair. The state eventually goes bankrupt. Oligarchs respond to this steady deterioration by forcing workers to do more for less and launching self-destructive wars in the vain attempt to restore a lost golden age. They also insist, no matter how bad it gets, on maintaining their opulent and hedonistic lifestyles. They further tax the resources of the state, the ecosystem and the population with suicidal demands. They flee from the looming chaos into their gated compounds, modern versions of Versailles or the Forbidden City. They lose touch with reality. In the end, they are overthrown or destroy the state itself. There is no institution left in America that can be called democratic, and thus there is no internal mechanism to prevent a descent into barbarity.

Full article:

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/deadly-rule-oligarchs/

(https://i1.wp.com/farm1.staticflickr.com/435/31498732716_8452ea1881_b.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 15, 2018, 07:11:29 pm
The Resistance Report: Trump's 🦀 Divide and Conquer Strategy

7,735 views

https://youtu.be/UnYbAlzBQ-4

Inequality Media Civic Action

Published on Feb 8, 2018

Today's Resistance Report about Donald Trump's "divide and conquer" strategy.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 17, 2018, 04:49:22 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

GOP (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) Takes Another Step to Control Federal Courts

Saturday, February 17, 2018

By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet | Report

SNIPPET:

Quote
But Grassley's  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) decision is also extremely political. Not only does it show that Republicans 🐉🦕 🦖 🦀 will dispense with any rule or tradition that stands between them and exerting political power, it also shows that the GOP is eager to foist extremist judges on purple and blue states.

"Today's vote… shows just how far Chuck Grassley is willing to go to cripple the system of checks and balances designed to protect our federal courts and our liberty," said Marge Baker, People for the American Way executive vice president. "His decision to move forward on the Brennan nomination over the objection of a home state senator sends a clear signal that the Trump administration can run roughshod over individual senators when it comes to judicial nominations. Donald Trump and [White House Counsel] Don McGahn have repeatedly nominated unqualified political cronies and narrow-minded elitists to critical seats on the federal bench."

Full article:

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/43573-gop-takes-another-ruthless-step-to-control-federal-courts
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 17, 2018, 05:02:39 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-310517125550.jpeg&hash=d06642600f3b99f0e3933e485766e704610364bb)

(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Four Signs That President Trump Is 🦀Becoming More Dangerous

Saturday, February 17, 2018

By Robin Marty, Care2 | News Analysis

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-150715183719.png&hash=7b222546f30a032efc31223d85eea0535ed42a49)

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/43539-four-signs-that-president-trump-is-becoming-more-dangerous
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 19, 2018, 02:41:08 pm
Which Country Do People around the World View as the Top Global Power?

Since his election, President Donald Trump has pushed an "America First" policy, pulling the United States out of global alliances on trade, the environment, and defense. And people around the world seem to have had strong reactions to these policies. The results of a new Gallup poll, published in January 2018, indicate that the world no longer sees the U.S. as the top power in global leadership. The poll, which surveyed people in 134 countries, gave the United States a tepid 30 percent approval rating, behind Germany and China.

What a difference a year makes:


Germany was seen as the top global leader by 41 percent of those polled, followed by China at 31 percent. Russia scored a 27 percent approval rating for its global role.

Gallup says that the world’s perception of U.S. leadership is at its lowest level since the poll began more than 10 years ago. The poll gave the U.S. a 48 percent approval rating during Barack Obama’s final year in office.

In about half of the world’s countries, America’s standing collapsed by 10 percentage points or more. Some of the biggest defections: allies in Western Europe, Australia, and Latin America.

http://www.wisegeek.com/which-country-do-people-around-the-world-view-as-the-top-global-power.htm

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200117112553.png&hash=ba1663916552c8f166ff86d2dabbb356a693bc54)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 20, 2018, 05:42:01 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.funny-emoticons.com%2Ffiles%2Ffunny-animals%2Fblue-bird-emoticons%2F801-listen-up%21.png&hash=f7fb2b5263a68b91c628fc597877983f813843e5) Punishing the poor isn’t just bad policy, it’s wasting taxpayer money  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817134648.gif&hash=d24c66a26329a19150a175d576b631d10f631ee8)

BY JOAN MAYA MAZELIS (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) , OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 02/20/18 05:00 PM

President Reagan labeled poor people as “welfare queens” back in the 1970s, but our nation’s stigma against the poor is as strong as ever. And as a result, misguided welfare policies — like drug testing recipients of public assistance — are making a comeback.

Just look at the White House’s most recent assaults on America’s poor. In the past few weeks, the federal government opened the door to work requirements for people who receive housing subsidies and Medicaid coverage. States see an opening for various ways to limit Medicaid benefits and cover fewer people. The White House is also proposing cutting off millions of people who receive food assistance and limiting the food choice for those who still get benefits. These policies focus on policing behavior rather than addressing needs. And that’s because they are based on stigma, not facts.

Despite their popularity, these types of changes don’t guarantee an escape from poverty or a better life. Instead, they further demean poor Americans and make their lives more difficult. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_2955.gif&hash=ddc12d8bdb1bc63b7998a6b086b79a71b7bda755)

To understand the depth of our nation’s stigma against the poor, let’s look at our track record with drug tests. There is overwhelming evidence that drug testing recipients of assistance saves no money and identifies few drug users, despite claims from prominent Republicans. The popularity of drug testing welfare recipients shows the power of the widespread belief that poverty and drugs go hand in hand.

The idea that welfare recipients are criminals who use illicit substances is a well-worn stereotype about the so-called undeserving poor. And it has real consequences for their lives.

People often mistakenly thought Rebecca, a poor woman in her early 30s I interviewed in Philadelphia, was a drug addict because she had no teeth. Many poor people without access to dental care find that the cheapest way to treat a serious tooth problem is to have it pulled, especially when dental issues go untreated until it’s too late for other interventions.

Rebecca longed for enough money to afford dentures, telling me she couldn’t wait to get a job “as soon as I get my teeth.” The irony of Rebecca — and so many others — losing medical assistance because she isn’t fulfilling work requirements is that affordable care is precisely what would help her secure work.

Meanwhile, misperceptions about poor people using drugs have led multiple states to pass legislation to drug test applicants or recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Now, states are seeking to drug test Medicaid recipients as well. Because testing eligible recipients costs more than the money that would be saved by withholding benefits from the tiny percentage who test positive, drug testing is not cost-effective.

Florida taxpayers, for example, spent $118,140 to reimburse people who tested negative for the cost of testing, which was $45,780 more than the state saved by denying benefits to the 2.6 percent of applicants who tested positive. And other states are doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Appeals courts declared the drug testing laws unconstitutional. But Florida spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to fight to overturn the ruling in court, and that means even more taxpayer money spent on these already costly and unwise policies.

It comes as no surprise that states and the White House 🦀 are reviving similar limits on Medicaid and housing programs as well. Our elected leaders are misinformed about the issue and rely on stereotypes of the poor to make these decisions.

During his term as Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) claimed — in complete defiance of the evidence — “many employers…say we’re looking for people but we can’t find anybody that has passed a drug test, a lot of them.”

Statements like this translate into policies that punish and stigmatize the poor without saving any money. They also feed the public’s doubt in the moral worth of those experiencing poverty. It implies that poor people use drugs; otherwise, why would we even be considering such tests?

The fact that our public officials 🐉🦕🦖🦀 continue to waste taxpayer dollars makes clear that stigmatizing poor people is a higher priority than either sensible spending or helping the poor. The moral problem before us is not drug use or laziness, but rather the pervasive belief that poor people do not deserve our help unless they meet an arbitrary standard we do not apply to anyone else. 

It’s time we had policies to aid the most vulnerable among us that are based on evidence instead of derogatory stereotypes. Money spent on drug testing poor people — or on ensuring recipients of housing subsidies or Medicaid are fulfilling work requirements — would be better spent on affordable housing, increased child care subsidies, and the creation of jobs that pay a living wage.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)


Joan Maya Mazelis 🕊 is an associate professor of sociology and an affiliated scholar at the Center for Urban Research and Education at Rutgers University-Camden. Her book “Surviving Poverty: Creating Sustainable Ties among the Poor” is available from NYU Press. Follow her on Twitter  @JoanieMazelis

http://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/374700-punishing-the-poor-isnt-just-bad-policy-its-wasting-taxpayer-money
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 20, 2018, 08:27:55 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Please watch these four videos from the Thom Hartmann show. They provide extremely valuable information about what is REALLY 🐉going on in government.

Thom Hartmann Feb. 20, 2018 2:00 pm

https://youtu.be/wKEwFwhsbRE

In a time when kids are becoming more and more politically active, getting out there and taking stake in their democracy, Republicans like Idaho State Senator Dan Foreman, are doing their best to discourage them? Why !


https://youtu.be/CCIoFf-4YUg

Florida based white nationalist group Republic Of Florida, along with bad actors online faked, Nikolas Cruz's membership in their group for laughs?

Rep Ro Khanna  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020) wants To Demilitarize the Police in addition to Gun Control Measures

https://youtu.be/ZD6IdsfWf_0

https://youtu.be/xFi1F8wrivw

Representative Ro Khanna joins the program today, will Marijuana legalization mean freedom for people behind bars, Is there a connection between United States Empire and the problem with people walking in our schools?

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 21, 2018, 12:57:25 pm
E-mail sent to me by Senator Leahy on Februaury 20, 2018

Dear Mr. Gelbert:

I regret that you are contacting me in light of another mass shooting.  Parkland, Florida is added to an ever-growing list of cities struck by unconscionable violence.

The day following the shooting in Parkland, the Senate held a moment of silence.  While this moment allowed us all to reflect on the horrific violence, and remember the lives lost and families that are suffering, our reflections and thoughts are simply not enough.  Congress must not stop here, and I will not stop here.

First and foremost, it is common sense that assault weapons specifically designed for the battlefield should not be on our streets, in our schools, or in our churches.  That is why, last fall, I joined several colleagues in introducing the Automatic Gun Fire Prevention Act, to close a loophole that allows semi-automatic weapons to be easily modified to fire at the rate of automatic weapons, which have been illegal for more than 30 years.  Additionally, we need universal background checks for firearms purchases—so criminals and others cannot abuse the internet and gun shows to evade background checks.  I am among the millions of responsible gun owners who undergo background checks and understand it is important to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

The Fix NICS Act of 2017, S. 2135, was introduced by Senator John Cornyn on November 15, 2017, and it attempts to help enforce current, existing laws regarding the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, specifically in regards to the requirement that federal agencies notify the FBI of any prohibited purchasers.  The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to examine this legislation on December 6, and it is now up to the Chairman of the Committee to advance the legislation.

I am heartbroken by this violence.  I mourn the lives of those lost, and cannot stop thinking about the difficult times ahead for families and friends that have lost loved ones.  There are no more excuses.  Please know I am committed to passing commonsense gun legislation.  Just like I advanced, as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2013, commonsense measures that would require universal background checks, strengthen firearms trafficking laws, and renew the ban on assault weapons.  Republicans then filibustered those measures on the Senate floor.  We must do better in order to protect our communities. 

Thank you for contacting me. I know it is a deeply emotional topic and I appreciate hearing your thoughts.  Please keep in touch.

Sincerely,

PATRICK LEAHY
United States Senator

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 21, 2018, 05:11:35 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Quote
My role with Hedge Clippers started about two and a half years ago, give or take, after Alejandro García Padilla, who was the governor, announced on The New York Times, "We can't pay bondholders 🦀 and bondholders🦖 won't negotiate with us." So, we started looking at who the bondholders were and, as I said earlier, they were very much the same bondholders 🦖🦀 that we had seen in places like Argentina and Greece. A lot of people thought that was interesting and we wanted to look at it.

Fighting for Puerto Rico (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) : The Struggle Against Post-Hurricane Privatization 🦀

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

By Sarah Jaffe, Truthout | Interview

SNIPPET:

Sarah Jaffe: Let's talk about Puerto Rico. What is the most important thing people should know about what is going on in Puerto Rico right now? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301014182447.gif&hash=58fbc1dfd905f79b3d4bacde8e89a935c2b859ac)


http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/43614-fighting-for-puerto-rico-the-struggle-against-post-hurricane-privatization
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 21, 2018, 06:54:57 pm
What Happened to Democracy?

https://youtu.be/AmEpqw05Fz0

It would be out of character in any other Representative Democracy for a Senator to send Cease and Desist Letters to their constituents, so why is it okay for Republican Senator Tom Cotton?

Thom Hartmann Feb. 20, 2018 2:30 pm

Agelbert NOTE: The USA is a  Inverted Totalitarian Fascist (i.e. Dictatorship pig 🐽 with democracy lipstick 🐷) country, PERIOD.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-041115022304.png&hash=cd8cb8e28ab8f7fc78c1ea00d30a661bd937aed5)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 21, 2018, 10:59:10 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-081114190023.png&hash=8248298f64b94ba91481961abaa5f6204a70c942)

Cornel West and Chris Hedges in Conversation - Wages of Rebellion

https://youtu.be/6ub7ZCE8KnM

MultiOmzz

Published on Dec 4, 2017

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 02, 2018, 10:36:54 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-190218175943.png&hash=868fbc8f6c12966c886a445b2e94d38144b3004f)

The Rise Of The Radical Right  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) In Trump's 🦀 America (w/Guest David Neiwert 🐳)


https://youtu.be/7Z90Y9YdVTY

Investigative Journalist, and contributor to the Southern Poverty Law Center, David Neiwert shares insights from his new book "Alt-America: The Rise Of The Radical Right in the Age of Trump"

Thom Hartmann Mar. 1, 2018 2:31 pm
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 03, 2018, 01:47:11 pm
Truthdig

 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncc-1776.org%2Ftle-pics%2FFlag_of_the_United_States.png&hash=dde5dffb8a9710e499636687519ddca19367732a)

Quote
I spent years as a foreign correspondent in Latin America. To say we are being governed like a banana republic is an insult to banana republics. It’s that bad, and no one should pretend otherwise.

MAR 02, 2018

Trump's 🦀 Presidency Is Neither Normal Nor Acceptable (https://www.truthdig.com/articles/trumps-presidency-not-normal-not-acceptable/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 03, 2018, 04:45:33 pm
 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

March 2, 2018

Canadian Logger 🦍 Intensifies Persecution of Greenpeace and Stand.Earth

"They have nothing to go on," says Todd Paglia, executive director of Stand.Earth, one of the defendants in the case filed by Resolute Forest Products, who had previously filed a case that was dismissed under anti-SLAPP legislation

https://youtu.be/lpq6OxJi9zY

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=21244
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 07, 2018, 10:44:55 pm
March 7, 2018

Honduran Exec 😈 Who Threatened Berta Caceres 🕊 Arrested for Her Murder
Just before her assassination, environmental activist Berta Caceres told a filmmaker that she was being threatened by Roberto David Castillo, a Honduran hydroelectric company executive. He has now been arrested for conspiring in her murder. We speak to documentary filmmaker Jesse Freeston

https://youtu.be/ue9mSRJBL4E

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=21301
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 09, 2018, 01:30:38 pm
Agelbert NOTE: These three videos evidence that

1) the overwhelming majority of the US voting public 🕊DO support correct policies in government,

2) there is ZERO democracy in the USA 🍌 (for the last several DECADES!) and

3)
the fascist fossil fuel industry 😈 is at the top of the Wall Street heap of criminals that corrupted, and continue to corrupt, local, state and federal government. The Banksters lie, cheat and steal in lockstep with the fossil fuelers because they are both part of the same profit over people and planet 100% UNDEMOCRATIC, FASCIST modus operand. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

We-the-people ARE on the proper side of ALL the issues, regardless of what the right wing greed balls in many forums claim. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

We-the-people's position on ALL the issues IS the political center of the USA, though it is called the "far left socialist" position by the main stream liars for right wing Wall Street fascism news media AND the fascist two party duopoly. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53) Have a nice day.  ;D

Quote
Even though the New Deal Style policies of Bernie Sanders are derailed by the corporate media, Republicans and the Morbidly Rich, these so called "radical far left polices" are actually favored by the majority of Americans. Thom Hartmann Mar. 8, 2018 2:12 pm

https://youtu.be/KKfDZbl89G0


Quote
Congressional Budget Office warns that we could be in a situation worse than the 2008 and the Republicans working for the Morbidly Rich, are doing nothing but making it worse. Thom Hartmann Mar. 7, 2018 2:30 pm

https://youtu.be/DNUafb1hZNk


Quote
Are the Morbidly Rich buying their way through New York's Fracking Ban? To help us find out, we are joined by Pramilla Malick (Founder and Chair of Protect Orange County, and environmental activist and 2016 State Senate Candidate / Host-Common Ground on WTBQ.) Thom Hartmann eMar. 7, 2018 3:00 pm

https://youtu.be/hRrys8loup8


 
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 11, 2018, 02:42:13 pm
🔊 Audio: Listen to this story. In January, after a long day at his London office, Christopher Steele, the former spy turned private … (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/12/christopher-steele-the-man-behind-the-trump-dossier)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 11, 2018, 02:51:17 pm
In Italy's elections, the fascists 😈 did scarily well 💣 (https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/05/opinions/italian-elections-future-opinion-ben-ghiat/index.html)

Economics was only part of the reason Italians made Five Star the biggest single victor of this election. Founded in 2009 by the form…


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 11, 2018, 02:57:01 pm
Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy, may have just been attacked in Britain (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sergei-skripal-a-former-russian-spy-may-have-just-been-attacked-in-britain/article/2650721)

A former Russian intelligence officer who spied for Britain's CIA equivalent intelligence agency, the Secret Intelligence Service, is in a critical condition in a British hospital. Colonel Sergei Skr…

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 11, 2018, 03:03:18 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)

Ex-aide 🦀 Sam Nunberg 😈 backs away from vow to fight Mueller subpoena (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/ex-aide-won-t-comply-subpoena-says-trump-may-have-n853771)

After a day spent belligerently defying special counsel Robert Mueller, former Donald Trump 🦀campaign aide Sam Nunberg 🐉 appeared to reverse himself Monday night and said he likely will cooperate with a…


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 11, 2018, 03:25:31 pm
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 🦀 bobs and weaves (http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/03/israel-benjamin-netanyahu-police-investigations-elections.html)

The ring of criminal investigations is closing in on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 🦖, leaving him very little room to maneuver. At this stage, most other people would throw up their hands and find …
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 13, 2018, 01:19:22 pm
Quote
Sir Edge: Trump 🦀 Is Amazing...  The Art Of The Drain...

..... Step 1) Create New Swamp By Selecting Past DC 🐘 Swamp Creatures

..... Step 2) Have New Swampers Run Amok 😈 👹 💵 🎩 🍌 🏴‍☠️  ... Criticize Them... Poke Fun

..... Step 3) Have New Swampers Look Like Deer Caught In Headlights

..... Step 4) Attack New Swampers On Twitter For Disagreeable Policies 😉

..... Step 5) When BIG Policy Issue Comes Up - Fire New Swampers For Disagreeing

..... Step 6) Praise Newly Fired Swampers For Their Committment and Service (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fugly004.gif&hash=c56db4280057389afd154a1cb4057410151579c8)

..... Step 7) Hire New Swampers 🐉🦕🦖 By Selecting Past DC Swamp Creatures (((Kudlow 👹)))

..... Step 8 ) Rinse and Repeat... MAGA 😈...

..... Step 9) Take Credit For Doing a Great 🦍 Job

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-03-13/trump-fires-tillersons-top-deputy-steve-goldstein-amid-state-department-purge (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-03-13/trump-fires-tillersons-top-deputy-steve-goldstein-amid-state-department-purge)

🤬

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281216181536.jpeg&hash=faeff8739580c0d370dfafe6e6378077218a7ed2)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 14, 2018, 03:11:03 pm
Biggest Koch W H O R E In Congress Is New US Secretary Of State

March 14th, 2018 by Steve Hanley

SNIPPET:

Of all the congressional representatives who have suckled themselves at the breast of the Koch brothers and their friends, Mike Pompeo is the champion. Before becoming director of the CIA under Donald Judas Trump, Pompeo served three terms in the House of Representatives as a congressman from Kansas. During that time, he accepted more money from the Koch brothers and their evil empire than any other person serving in the House or the Senate — just shy of $1,000,000 according to OpenSecrets.org (detailed amounts at article link).

During his confirmation hearing for the director of the CIA, Pompeo bobbed and weaved around his stance on climate change (he thinks it’s a bunch of hooey, by the way). “Frankly, as the director of CIA, I would prefer today not to get into the details of the climate debate and science,” he told the Senate according to a report by ThinkProgress. He may have had a point then, but his new job as Secretary of State is directly connected to how the United States deals with the issue on the world stage. Don’t expect Pompeo to have any different opinions on the subject than he has in the past.

In 2015, he described the Paris climate accords as a “costly burden,” adding that “Congress must also do all in our power to fight against this damaging climate change proposal and pursue policies that support American energy, create new jobs, and power our economy” — spoken like a true believer who has been nurtured by the unending flow of money from the Koch brothers. He is proof, assuming we needed any, that the United States government is for sale to the highest bidder.

Full article:

https://cleantechnica.com/2018/03/14/biggest-koch-****-congress-new-us-secretary-state/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 14, 2018, 07:39:52 pm
 (https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/545693884664119297/mCDJfUgm.jpeg)
Make Nexus Hot News part of your morning: click here (http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa) to subscribe.

March 14, 2016

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-121217195108.png&hash=34ddc1fd5afeb976b36342e73738ef155008be6d)

Tillerson’s 🦖 Setting, Koch Star Pompeo 🦀 and Kudlow 🐊 On The Rise

Back in October of 2017, the world found out that Department of State head Rex Tillerson called President Donald Trump “a fu ck ing moron” in a July meeting. It apparently took Trump a while to either build up the courage to act, or remember his catchphrase. Yesterday, right after Tillerson criticized Russia, Trump did the decent thing  ;)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)  and took to twitter to fire Tillerson via tweet, with no warning or explanation. (And when a top State Department appointee and Tillerson aide contradicted the White House’s claim otherwise, he too was fired.)

While he was a moderating force on Trump, Tillerson 🐽 will hardly be missed at State. Turns out he ran the Department like he did Exxon: poorly. The question is, will Exxon finish paying for Tillerson’s mistakes before the State Department gets itself back up to speed after Tillerson destroyed it? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.desismileys.com%2Fsmileys%2Fdesismileys_6656.gif&hash=2038f9b45636a93e5c0f4ee508ce29778fe9e9b4)

Either way, Trump has tapped Mike Pompeo to replace Tillerson, who holds the record for “the all-time biggest recipient of campaign funding from Koch Industries… and their affiliates   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6).” Prior to being Trump’s CIA director, Pompeo represented Wichita, Kansas, which is also home to Koch Industries, making him both figuratively and literally the Kochs’ congressman. Certainly that had no bearing on his 2012 Politico op-ed whining that everyone should “Stop harassing the Koch brothers.”

In an ideal world, the US diplomatic corps as a force for defending the silenced and marginalized from their corporate and state oppressors. It’s comforting to know this charge will now be led by a man who isn’t afraid of speaking up on behalf of a population as oppressed and under-resourced as the Kochs.

Needless to say, deniers are thrilled with the news that one of theirs is stepping up and an alarmist stepping down. (Remember that Exxon is part of “the discredited and anti-energy global warming movement" even though it’s given millions to denial organizations after it promised to stop.) Myron Ebell, of Koch-funded CEI, told Alex Kaufman of HuffPo that the move is “good news for us,” and that Ebell expects “very good things from him at the State Department.”

In other “replacing disappointingly ineffective, relatively moderate, pro-Paris agreement voices with Koch cranks” news, rumor has it Trump is replacing erstwhile economic advisor Gary Cohn with former Democrat, Reason editor, Reagan advisor and cable news pundit Larry Kudlow. Stephen Moore 🐍  of Koch-funded 🦕 Heritage Foundation is as happy about that possibility as Ebell 🦍 is of Pompeo, telling E&E that Kudlow is his “first choice, for sure.” As E&E points to a number of examples of Kudlow’s anti-climate stance, including praising a Paris pull-out, his preference makes sense. 

If Kudlow’s selected to serve as Trump’s lead economic council, he’ll join plenty of other Koch adherents already staffing the swamp. While Kudlow 🐊 may not be quite as kochzy with the Koch brothers as Pompeo 🦀, he too has bravely offered up a “Defense Of The Vilified-By-The-Left Koch Brothers.”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F165fs373950.gif&hash=ad797fcc08a061d3ae50ee49ccd9f3d517fb7496)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Ftissue.gif&hash=f8d05db8e11569882e0effbdd719e2b2e95c6785)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fshame.gif&hash=88b5b0c8644862ef4930e3c7e3556db6c3bf600f)


With Tillerson and Cohn, Trump was not exactly taking the high road, but with these new Koch cronies, he’s definitely taking Kudlow road. 

(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9adc777a0e08428257b76ece69d18ee52006bb5e39d60d966bb2440d29d17641.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 16, 2018, 05:07:54 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Did you know that WWI was the first Wall Street motivated war? You didn't? Learn the real history of this war and related corrupt acts which undermined US democracy that you were not taught in school. These events were the genesis of today's fascist US government.

Chris Hedges 🌟The Corrupt 🦀 US Government

https://youtu.be/chOxfq9U1iI

MultiOmzz

Published on Mar 16, 2018

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 17, 2018, 05:20:43 pm
Quote
Living At The Height Of Civilization Staring Into The Abyss


posted on 15 March 2018 by Doomstead Diner

-- this post authored by Eddie

Texas has switched back to Daylight Saving Time and I am once again driving to work in the dark. The stars were still out this morning when I left the house in the canyon and began my 28 mile commute to work, the first 20 miles or so I now achieve under eV power. It is now high spring in central Texas, and we have stopped using heat for the most part, but this morning the house was chilly with the clear morning temps of 39F.

I enjoy my coffee, which is fresh ground and liberally doctored with organic half and half. Delicious. My Chevy Volt has seat heaters, and they feel great in the crisp chill, especially on my back, which is still recovering from last Thursday's job of moving the stock tank. Some ibuprofen helps a lot. I remember my friend Artie, who has passed on now. Artie was an ex-marathon runner who skied his last several years on two artificial hip replacements, with the help of that ubiquitous non-steroidal pain killer. He referred to it as I-Be-Ski-In.

I am at work now and sipping coffee between patients. Yesterday was a tough, busy day, but it looks like today will be easier. Still busy, because it's Spring Break here. I'm hungry, because I was so tired after work I ate a hamburger I picked up before I got home, and crawled into bed and slept until my wife got home around ten pm. I sat up in bed for an hour-and-a half and then passed out again until my normal time to rise, which is 5:45 am. When she came to bed, she brought the dogs, who were happy to lie quietly at our feet until I put them to bed and turned outtthe lights.

I have been blessed to live an easy life, full of abundance. I have a great family, with grown children who are getting along well in life. By all normal measures of success, I have it made.


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doomsteaddiner.net%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F03%2Fabyss.jpg&hash=ff8b0de46b34b21cb33c1a8c8657327c249e9687)
The Abyss

But the world is definitely going to sh it. The handwriting is on the wall for anyone with one eye and half a brain to see. My country, which has long been blessed with the same kind of luck as me, is now in the death-throes of a dying empire. Led by a morally bankrupt blowhard who has hitched his wagon to the absolute worst of the low-grade fossil fuel barons of industry, every day the downward spiral speeds up.

The modest environmental protections of a generation ago, which never were strong, are being rolled back as completely as the courts will allow. The executive branch of government is now as firmly owned by the corporatocracy as is the legislative branch. The President, whose primary concern is winning the next election (while patting himself continuously on the back for winning the last one), has managed to run off the best of his sorry cabinet picks and bring the worst ones to positions of highest authority.

We have been a nation at war somewhere for many years now, if you can call illegitimate occupations of poor but strategically important nations war. Our wars are really just expensive occupations that drain the treasury of our once financially strong country. They make some greedy rich bastards a little richer, and the rest of us and our children and grandchildren yet unborn, a lot poorer.

At the moment, we are once again on the cusp of a coming World War, which I expect to be partially fought, at least, on American soil. This development will no doubt surprise the general public, which has not experienced such a disaster in modern times, and thinks of wars as unfortunate events, caused by foreign bad guys, that thankfully always happen far away in places they can't quite manage to even pinpoint on a map.

Under-educated but nevertheless highly opinionated, Americans spend a lot of time online these days spouting whatever kind of closely held beliefs they cling to in lieu of facts and reality. Clever politicians and media barons manipulate public opinion seemingly at will. War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.

The climate, affected by massive CO2 build-up from burning fossil fuels, is rapidly going rogue. The oceans are dying. 150 to 200 species of plant and animal become extinct each and every day that rolls. We are not immune. Our time is coming. Ironically, the only possible salvation appears to be a systemic collapse of civilization that removes the offending pollution by sending us back to the days of horses and buggies, or maybe human powered pull-carts with wooden wheels. Due to the financialization and hollowing out of the real economy, this is also quite likely to happen some fine day very soon. Unfortunately, it will not stop the climate change on a short timeline. By the time the planet recovers,humans and most living things might well be history.

So....most days I dream of leaving my easy life behind. I fantasize about buying a big sailboat and living out my last days living onboard, Sailing to the islands I love, and then if and when the collapse does come, trying to find some out-of-the-way place far from wars and dying cities, to try to make a go of it in what will truly be a New World.

It's quite the dichotomy, this modern life. So many good things have come my way. So many bad things just over the horizon. And, of course, one can see that those two sides of the coin are completely related. So much of what I enjoy comes at the expense of some poor sod eking out a miserable existence in some s h i t hole country that wasn't a SHITHOLE until the corporate barons who run the world turned it into one, in the pursuit of selling me stuff like nice cars with seat heaters, and good coffee.

Certain concerned scientists and poets have long known this was coming. I am blessed and cursed to live on the cusp of a great unraveling. I am literally living on the very brink. I weep for my children.

- - - - - -

Nothing is more frustrating to me about the collapse blogosphere than the tendency for ordinary people to sort themselves into political groups based on their good intentions and belief systems.

I have read plenty of good writers who do get it...that collapse isn't avoidable by changing whatever form of government we have, or our enemies have, or our rivals have. Please try to get past that kind of simple-mindedness. I just ain't that simple folks.

The world is run by powerful people who control people, assets, and armies.

America is a failing Republic. It's run completely by rich oligarchs and the politicians they buy, usually before elections, but also after, as has been the case with Trump, who ran as a populist but immediately sold his soul to the highest bidders, post-election.

The Soviet Union was a Communist state that failed spectacularly in 1989, and now it's controlled by a single despotic strong man, Vladimir Putin, who took over the primary state, Russia, after the drunk Yeltsin failed to establish a democratic form of government. They still have a legislature and pretend to be a democratic communist/socialist state, but it's a sham. Putin's rivals and challengers end up in prison or have fatal accidents.

Although the systems of government are different, people in both countries are brought up to love their countries without question and the people of both countries, in these desperate times, crave a strong man to take control and solve all their problems.

Russians love Putin, who presides over a completely corrupt kleptocracy. They are mostly ignorant, clueless dumb fu cks who are grateful to have heat during the bitter Russian winter, some basic foodstuffs, and a little vodka to ease their pain.

Americans, increasingly left out of the advances of the digital age due to poor public school educations and the shiftlessness that comes with thinking the world owes them a living, have rallied behind Trump, who is a huckster and a liar who got elected in an election that surprised almost everyone, himself included. Now he is busy auctioning off favors to super-rich American kleptocrats, who call themselves capitalists. The younger generation of pampered digital early adapters dream of a benevolent socialist state that will give them a house and public transportation instead of just a cell phone and a job waiting tables. So....maybe in the US, if BAU persists a few more years, the poles might reverse. Especially if the trailer trash who love Trump all die off from shooting up fentanyl, and the hispanic fast breeders decide to start voting in elections.

It won't matter. Collapse is baked in.

Pick any other country and the story is the same.

Britain is going their own version of Trump populism. Failing.

Most of Europe is socialist. Failing, although they have a few bright spots left.

South Africa flipped from white dominated Right Wing to black dominated Marxist. Failing faster every day.

China was hard core communist, tried to initiate market reforms, turned into a new kind of oligarchy that even now is consolidating under a new strong man. Failing.

Wake up, you idiots. It isn't the form of government. It's declining resources, climate change, hugely wasteful programs of all kinds, and sinister 21st century war machines getting ready to run amok.

http://econintersect.com/pages/opinion/opinion.php?post=201803151859

I just read your article, Eddie. In it you provided an in-our-face comprehensive list of the irrefutable hard truths too many do not want to face.

EXCELLENT article! 🌟 Thank you for writing it. 🌞

I watched a video by Chris Hedges recently that predicted exactly what is going on in the USA (and much of the rest of the world) today. He traces the history of how all this began all the way back to what he identified as the first war for Wall Street (WWI!  :o). What I most admire about his analysis is his recognition that
 EVERYONE, whether from the right or the left, who seeks political power, is not to be trusted. 

If you have a half hour or so to watch it, it will be worth your while. It has quite a few nuggets of history few people are taught in the USA. These events were the genesis of today's fascist US government.

Chris Hedges 🌟The Corrupt 🦀 US Government

https://youtu.be/chOxfq9U1iI

MultiOmzz

Published on Mar 16, 2018
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 19, 2018, 04:30:59 pm

Goldne Oxen said: That's the group your a member of, would think long and hard about staying in it and espousing their hate mongering, crybaby loser, unpatriotic and destructive  behavior Eddie.

No it's not. You are deliberately misrepresenting my POV, which is ad hom. Lay off,
or I'll tell you what team I think you're on. Anyone who follows your posts gets wise to your game after a while. Don't think you can play schoolyard games with me. This ain't my first rodeo. I'm nicer to you than I should be, most of the time. Don't take advantage.



(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fcowboypistol.gif&hash=2dc97f743dffca22404e6e4e0822765e60b33f38)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311017193926.png&hash=135a7bcd2093b679e425bbd2086adb8ddfd2e7b5)

We differ in our opinion of who and what Donald Trump is.

Hillary Clinton, and Obama have not moved on, that's the problem.

Both lumps of **** continue their venomous attacks, unprecedented in American pride, in insulting and defecating on our President and the disgusted with the status quo millions of our fellow citizens who saw fit to vote for him.

No. Just no.

Fox "News" (sic) avers that Trump and HRC are somehow "bickering." I put it to you to count up the number of times Trump has mentioned Clinton compared to the opposite. Trump rage-tweets about HRC and calls her a name almost every day, especially when he needs to keep his base of dupes riled. Punching down is a crowd-pleaser. The only mention HRC has made lately of Orange Hitler is that she accused Trump of having “quite an affinity for dictators” and said he “really likes their authoritarian posturing and behavior.”

That's the self-evident truth.

Fat Nixon has arguably spent an inordinate amount of time on social media attacking a person whom he defeated, leading to the $64 question: Is Trump obsessed with Hillary Clinton? He certainly finds her to be convenient.

And Obama? Really? Since decamping, he has comported himself with the same dignity that he displayed while Presidentin' While Black.


Quote
Both lumps of **** continue their venomous attacks, unprecedented in American pride, in insulting and defecating on our President and the disgusted with the status quo millions of our fellow citizens who saw fit to vote for him.

"Lumps of ****," "venomous attacks," insulting and defecating." Sounds like projection to me.

You want to prove that assertion?
Show your work. Post it here, and source it from some reputable news source. If it exists, i'd like to see it, because I comb through the sewers of the internet each day compiling a digest, and I have yet to find it. But I'm just an old crank with a hobby.

I'm betting you can't, because evidence of such behavior on the part of HRC or BHO, that is, behavior equivalent to the outrages committed by the current resident of the White House, does not exist outside of the fevered imaginations of right wing fantasts or operators of Macedonian web sites.


Well said, Surly. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

Eddie and Surly, I must admit I cannot figure out why you continue to attempt to reason with   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fd2.gif&hash=98d536bf1047a88ef91e9c45e08b725347c9fe13) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-190318152544.png&hash=f9c3636b6ca81d8a7b9c7b8182c3367edbb8a377).

If you want to just keep some dialogue going for the sake of views, then that is understandable, but Golden Oxen, consistent pseudo-Christian devoted worshipper of gold and himself, is enamored of Trump. Therefore, he cannot be reasoned with.

Golden Oxen hypocritically rails about government corruption that he "claims to be against" and is silent as DEATH when massive real estate FRAUD by "private" enterprize Trump India hotels business partner is caught DOING in India what Trump has AWAYS DONE EVERYWHERE, whether in government or out of it (it's in the news today  ;D).

The irrelevant half truths constantly being recycled by the Trumpers (Obama was "worse", Hillary evil, etc. Ad Nausem) are such transparently obvious attempts at distraction from Tump's Traitorous Governmental Corruption and Crime Spree that they would be worthy of pity if they weren't pushed so repeatedly by the fascist/Libertarian Kochroaches trying to destroy the last vestiges of individual freedom and liberty we have in this country.

As I said about six months ago, Golden Oxen has gone fully into Orwellian mindfuck 😈. That is what Trumpers 🦀 DO in a desperate attempt to keep people from seeing that it is they 😈 who have all the mens rea dastardly society destroying activity that they accuse others of. 

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281017143905.png&hash=47f412a454e30e87d4b462d9f071035f00907df4)

Trumpers, like Trump, are "wise" in their own eyes. Golden Oxen is an unapologetic Trumper.

Quote
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 26:12
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 19, 2018, 04:38:45 pm

That's the group your a member of, would think long and hard about staying in it and espousing their hate mongering, crybaby loser, unpatriotic and destructive  behavior Eddie.

No it's not. You are deliberately misrepresenting my POV, which is ad hom. Lay off,
or I'll tell you what team I think you're on. Anyone who follows your posts gets wise to your game after a while. Don't think you can play schoolyard games with me. This ain't my first rodeo. I'm nicer to you than I should be, most of the time. Don't take advantage.



GO violated the CoC so many times in this thread it's beyond belief you let the posts stay up.  I was out all morning with a Docs appt or I would have sh it -canned them myself.  Besides violating the CoC, he lies throughout the exchange.  "Not a Trump Supporter" my ass.  ::)  He voted for him and he puts up non-stop pro-Trump propaganda all the time.  He defends Trumpovetsky constantly using the same method Donalditry himself uses, he brings up Ancient History with the Clintons and Obama-sama.  HEY!  NEWZ FLASH!  These folks aren't in office anymore!  Not to mention he's a complete hypocrite.  Did he ever ONCE call Obama "our President" when he was in office?  Nope.  But now that he has his Fuhrer in office, he's "our President".  ::)  Fu ck ing unbelievable crap.  👎 👎

RE



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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 19, 2018, 05:03:08 pm

Eddie and Surly, I must admit I cannot figure out why you continue to attempt to reason with  (GO).

If you want to just keep some dialogue going for the sake of views, then that is understandable...

I argue with RE on this score as well.

Politically, GO and I will never agree. Yet this is a man susceptible to the arguments of Chris Hedges, who I think we can all agree is one of the smartest guys in the room and a man of impeccable morality. Politics aside, GO has made many contributions to this forum which I find useful and helpful. Edifying, even. When he goes ad hom (or when you or I do), we get to take our respective vocabularies for a walk, vent some spleen, but really accomplish nothing.  An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, etc.

I can be as sanctimonious as the next motherfucker, but what does that make me? An ass hole. At least I have the satisfaction of being correct, but I'm not going to convince GO of anything. He will have to convince himself. IN the fullness of time, I think he will, although he might not admit it. This place has a decided leftward twist, so GO has chosen a tough room in which to make a living. Yet he shows up here every day for the give-and-take. GO is so far to the right he thinks Eddie is a lefty, which is actually pretty funny. He's anything but. I grew up the son of a trade union Dem, picked up some academic leftism in college, but consider myself to have the same attitudes my father had. It's the world that's gone and done spun to the right, making people like me look like communists.

One can only show admiration for a man who shows he can take a punch. Having taken plenty of my own along the way, I do, anyhow.

This just in: it's only words. I give AZ a good thwok between the shoulder blades when he posts strange stuff, and find no difficulty arguing with Palloy or even RE. Hell, especially RE. If I'm not pissing on his shoes one every two weeks or so he thinks I don't love him anymore.

RE started the Diner Forum as a forum for untrammeled free speech and vigorous disputation. We'd be insulting the premises of this place if we offered anything less. As for Continuing an ongoing conversation with GO, when it comes to politics I will defend my turf, but feel free to enjoy the other aspects of his offerings, whether it's the statue of a pilgrim or an appreciation for the fine points of corned beef.

Maybe it's because I'm keenly aware of my own mortality, but I find myself thinking of the old quote, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." And let's keepit in perspective: by the simple fact of showing up here, we all recognize the fact that we're all doomed.


Free Speech is not a license to engage in Fascist Buillshit.

Surly, how do you know that Golden Oxen is not putting up a sympathetic front appearing to be susceptible to the arguments of Chris Hedges?

A long time ago on this forum you argued with me stating you "did not believe GO is a racist". He is. I knew it then. You resisted, and probably still resist, believing it. All those pictures of the downtrodden that GO posts, just like his claim to celebrate all that Chris Hedges stands for, is not credible. GO can sound SO sympathitic and SO reasonable for a while. Then one fine day he blurts out what he really thinks. If you want to believe he is just "on the rag" that day, fine. I vigorously disagree.

I could write for HOURS about what I have observed from Mr. GO passive aggressive fun and games for the last 5 years or so, but you have been there too, so I will leave you to ponder whether GO is stringing you along or not.  ;)  8)

This is not about sanctimony, it is about TRUTH and OBJECTIVE DISCOURSE.

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 19, 2018, 05:52:29 pm
I am being actively censored by AG.

And you will continue to be as long as you insist on pushing mendacious, but clever, fossil fuel friendly happy talk that threatens the future of the human species. Have a nice day.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-141113185701.png&hash=615e3c1aa9c374cb1eab5bfc1e9494f2cb05e9f7)


I am being actively censored by AG.

I'll leave this one up to explain.

AG has his own board, as do you.  You can each run your own boards as you see fit.

You are not "censored" anywhere else on the Diner, although you might be moderated if your posting gets too ad hom.

RE


Exactly. I answered Palloy with a very specific statement about a very specific issue. Palloy is lying that I censor him just to be a meany. In fact his  comment on pulleys to bring a tree down is still there on my channel. I read it and left it there because it contained no bullshit.  ;D

Surly apparently has come to a position in life where he respects people who can "take a punch". I guess that means he believes I cannot. And this "eye for an eye leaves everybody blind" business is simply not applicable when the main purpose of posts is to disseminate truth and objective discourse. It kinda bothers me that there are people out there doing everything they can to destroy our future as a species. If anybody here wants to claim I am being sanctimoneous or overly sensitive by labelling those who push lies and doubletalk as enemies not worthy of engaging in discourse, fine. I vigorously disagree.

I engaged bullshitters like MKing and several others that curse this forum for a while. After their heinous positions have become clear, to allow them to continue in their shameless efforts to repeat society and biosphere damaging propaganda, is GIVING THEM A PLATFORM TO CONTINUE PUSHING THEIR BULLSHIT. To encourage or allow said destructive discourse simply because we all should be kind to each other is like asking the burglar if he checked the other place you have the silverware before he leaves. Love thy Neighbor as thyself does not now, or ever did, mean to not call them out on LIES. In fact, going along to get along because "we are all in the same doomed boat" is NOT showing respect for them.

Of course, I will never make a lot of friends or infuence many people. I SPEAK FOR TRUTH AND THE WELFARE OF HUMANITY, not to win any popularity contests. Sanctimoneous? Yeah, if the last statement is a bit of holier than thou hypocrisy. I'm a lot of things, but I am not a hypocrite.

Sanctimonious, thin skinned, can't take a punch Agelbert?

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040817140651.png&hash=c43dc47dbb4ef892fb7c5680dba982b56fdad700)



 

 


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 19, 2018, 05:55:41 pm

Goldne Oxen said: That's the group your a member of, would think long and hard about staying in it and espousing their hate mongering, crybaby loser, unpatriotic and destructive  behavior Eddie.

No it's not. You are deliberately misrepresenting my POV, which is ad hom. Lay off,
or I'll tell you what team I think you're on. Anyone who follows your posts gets wise to your game after a while. Don't think you can play schoolyard games with me. This ain't my first rodeo. I'm nicer to you than I should be, most of the time. Don't take advantage.





(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fcowboypistol.gif&hash=2dc97f743dffca22404e6e4e0822765e60b33f38)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311017193926.png&hash=135a7bcd2093b679e425bbd2086adb8ddfd2e7b5)

We differ in our opinion of who and what Donald Trump is.

Hillary Clinton, and Obama have not moved on, that's the problem.

Both lumps of **** continue their venomous attacks, unprecedented in American pride, in insulting and defecating on our President and the disgusted with the status quo millions of our fellow citizens who saw fit to vote for him.

No. Just no.

Fox "News" (sic) avers that Trump and HRC are somehow "bickering." I put it to you to count up the number of times Trump has mentioned Clinton compared to the opposite. Trump rage-tweets about HRC and calls her a name almost every day, especially when he needs to keep his base of dupes riled. Punching down is a crowd-pleaser. The only mention HRC has made lately of Orange Hitler is that she accused Trump of having “quite an affinity for dictators” and said he “really likes their authoritarian posturing and behavior.”

That's the self-evident truth.

Fat Nixon has arguably spent an inordinate amount of time on social media attacking a person whom he defeated, leading to the $64 question: Is Trump obsessed with Hillary Clinton? He certainly finds her to be convenient.

And Obama? Really? Since decamping, he has comported himself with the same dignity that he displayed while Presidentin' While Black.


Quote
Both lumps of **** continue their venomous attacks, unprecedented in American pride, in insulting and defecating on our President and the disgusted with the status quo millions of our fellow citizens who saw fit to vote for him.

"Lumps of ****," "venomous attacks," insulting and defecating." Sounds like projection to me.

You want to prove that assertion?
Show your work. Post it here, and source it from some reputable news source. If it exists, i'd like to see it, because I comb through the sewers of the internet each day compiling a digest, and I have yet to find it. But I'm just an old crank with a hobby.

I'm betting you can't, because evidence of such behavior on the part of HRC or BHO, that is, behavior equivalent to the outrages committed by the current resident of the White House, does not exist outside of the fevered imaginations of right wing fantasts or operators of Macedonian web sites.


Well said, Surly. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2F301.gif&hash=0291ed4abf2d80e420d1aa00d4eb3c5dd6bbfb53)

Eddie and Surly, I must admit I cannot figure out why you continue to attempt to reason with   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Fd2.gif&hash=98d536bf1047a88ef91e9c45e08b725347c9fe13) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-190318152544.png&hash=f9c3636b6ca81d8a7b9c7b8182c3367edbb8a377)

If you want to just keep some dialogue going for the sake of views, then that is understandable, but Golden Oxen, consistent pseudo-Christian devoted worshipper of gold and himself, is enamored of Trump. Therefore, he cannot be reasoned with.

Golden Oxen hypocritically rails about government corruption that he "claims to be against" and is silent as DEATH when massive real estate FRAUD by "private" enterprize Trump India hotels business partner is caught DOING in India what Trump has AWAYS DONE EVERYWHERE, whether in government or out of it (it's in the news today  ;D).

The irrelevant half truths constantly being recycled by the Trumpers (Obama was "worse", Hillary evil, etc. Ad Nausem) are so transparently obvious attempts at distraction from Tump's Traiterous Governmental Corruption and Crime Spree that they would be worthy of pity if they weren't pushed so repeatedly by the fascist/Libertarian Kochroaches trying to destroy the last vestiges of individual freedom and liberty we have in this country.

As I said about six months ago, Golden Oxen has gone fully into Orwellian mindfuck 😈. That is what Trumpers 🦀 in a desperate attempt to keep people from seeing that it is they 😈 who have all the mens rea dastardly society destroying activity that they accuse others of. 

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281017143905.png&hash=47f412a454e30e87d4b462d9f071035f00907df4)

Trumpers, like Trump, are "wise" in their own eyes. Golden Oxen is an unapologetic Trumper.

Quote
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 26:12

In my view, we can either respond to GO's posts and try to make our dissenting case in a reasonable way, or we can do something we like a lot less, which is not let him make his posts (and I'd hate to do that), or put him under moderation, which is way more work than I want to do.

What I don't like to do is allow comments I strongly disagree with to stand up with no dissent.  I favor open dialog and even heated arguments to censorship....and censorship is a "gotcha" that GO likes to use to claim he isn't treated fairly. I won't play that game. I'd rather just tell him when I disagree. And that's not just GO, but anybody. I favor letting people speak their piece, and then calling them out if it seems necessary. And anybody can be wrong. I'm wrong a lot, and I try to be willing to listen to other people's POV.

I guess I ran Knarf off arguing with his SJW and #MeToo posts. I hope not. I just like to say what's on my mind. I try to be respectful to everyone. 

At heart, GO wants to be part of a group that thinks just like he does. He want to belong. He also likes to suck up to people he considers special, like Ashvin and LD.  He always writes them such effusive compliments, he's practically falling all over himself. It's completely transparent. But I think he often makes good points, and he's a good man. Libertarian belief systems resonate with me. But I've learned that for most high profile people, the powerful people of our world, that it's an excuse and a smokescreen.

If you read what Charles Koch says in an interview, you'd think he was a great guy and a genius. In reality, he's committed more atrocities than you can list. You have to judge on what people do, and not just on what they say.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 19, 2018, 05:58:04 pm
In my view, we can either respond to GO's posts and try to make our dissenting case in a reasonable way, or we can do something we like a lot less, which is not let him make his posts (and I'd hate to do that), or put him under moderation, which is way more work than I want to do.

What I don't like to do is allow comments I strongly disagree with to stand up with no dissent.  I favor open dialogue and even heated arguments to censorship....and censorship is a "gotcha" that GO likes to use to claim he isn't treated fairly. I won't play that game. I'd rather just tell him when I disagree. And that's not just GO, but anybody. I favor letting people speak their piece, and then calling them out if it seems necessary. And anybody can be wrong. I'm wrong a lot, and I try to be willing to listen to other people's POV.

It gets more time consuming to respond to all the ad hom and Trumpovetsky Propaganda GO posts than to just moderate it.  It's also a violation of the CoC to complain about censorship, so just AS H I T-can those posts also.  Takes much less time out of your day than writing a detailed point-by-point refutation of complete nonsense.


Quote
I guess I ran Knarf off arguing with his SJW and #MeToo posts. I hope not. I just like to say what's on my mind. I try to be respectful to everyone.

Knarf goes Walkabout regularly.  He's a sensitive guy and when his belief system is challenged, it upsets him.  He'll return at some point I would wager. 

Quote
At heart, GO wants to be part of a group that thinks just like he does. He want to belong. He also likes to suck up to people he considers special, like Ashvin and LD.  He always writes them such effusive compliments, he's practically falling all over himself. It's completely transparent. But I think he often makes good points, and he's a good man. Libertarian belief systems resonate with me. But I've learned that for most high profile people, the powerful people of our world, that it's an excuse and a smokescreen.

No he doesn't.  He likes to be in a group where he is in the minority and can fight with people.  If he wanted to be part of a group where he would fit in, it would be on TBP.  His fawning over certain people is positively repulsive.  All his "Geniuses" like Elon Muskrat, and Kunstler.  ::) Gimmee a break.

RE

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 19, 2018, 06:23:14 pm
Hypocritical Sucking up by GO.

Eddie, If you pick up on the overly dulcet flattery that comes off as baloney, what makes you think the dialogue is sincere when said person is not in the "you are the greatest" mode?

As RE said,
Quote
His fawning over certain people is positively repulsive.  All his "Geniuses" like Elon Muskrat, and Kunstler.  ::) Gimmee a break. - RE

Eddie said:
Quote
Eddie said:
In my view, we can either respond to GO's posts and try to make our dissenting case in a reasonable way, or we can do something we like a lot less, which is not let him make his posts (and I'd hate to do that), or put him under moderation, which is way more work than I want to do.

What I don't like to do is allow comments I strongly disagree with to stand up with no dissent.  I favor open dialog and even heated arguments to censorship....and censorship is a "gotcha" that GO likes to use to claim he isn't treated fairly. I won't play that game. I'd rather just tell him when I disagree. And that's not just GO, but anybody. I favor letting people speak their piece, and then calling them out if it seems necessary. And anybody can be wrong. I'm wrong a lot, and I try to be willing to listen to other people's POV.

I guess I ran Knarf off arguing with his SJW and #MeToo posts. I hope not. I just like to say what's on my mind. I try to be respectful to everyone. 

At heart, GO wants to be part of a group that thinks just like he does. He want to belong. He also likes to suck up to people he considers special, like Ashvin and LD.  He always writes them such effusive compliments, he's practically falling all over himself. It's completely transparent. But I think he often makes good points, and he's a good man. Libertarian belief systems resonate with me. But I've learned that for most high profile people, the powerful people of our world, that it's an excuse and a smokescreen.

If you read what Charles Koch says in an interview, you'd think he was a great guy and a genius. In reality, he's committed more atrocities than you can list. You have to judge on what people do, and not just on what they say.

Eddie, what a man SAYS IS IMPORTANT to determine if said person is untrustworthy when YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID IS FALSE! That's what you just said about the Kochroaches.

WHY do you think GO, a fierce defender of policies that have indisputably caused, and continue to cause, people to DIE EVERY DAY IN THIS COUNTRY is not bullshittting you?

How LONG do you give an unapologetic Trump supporter, who would rather have his tongue cut out than admit the INDISPUTABLE TRUTH THAT the Koch Libertarians are a pack of predatory murderers solidifying the profit over people and planet Oligarchy in the USA, the "benefit of continued dialogue"?  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817122018.gif&hash=74d86c1f35e2f61ea38c9bfa392f84a92631b96e)

HELLO?

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffc06.deviantart.net%2Ffs71%2Ff%2F2009%2F347%2F2%2F6%2FWTF_Smiley_face_by_IveWasHere.jpg&hash=8ca673f8cf785d9dac626f9fd91e37a1a318c7ac)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 20, 2018, 02:35:28 pm
Agelbert NOTE: This is an excellent presentation about their book in which these authors make crystal clear what an authoritarian attack on democracy (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)  🦀represents.

Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt, "How Democracies Die"

https://youtu.be/5v4NTtS2f5k

Politics and Prose

Published on Feb 6, 2018

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt discuss their book, "How Democracies Die", on 1/25/18.

Levitsky and Ziblatt, professors of comparative politics at Harvard, have spent nearly twenty years studying the breakdown of democracies. Focusing on Latin America and Europe, respectively, the two didn’t expect to address the issue for the United States, but that changed when Trump was elected. Building on their December 2016 New York Times op-ed which asked “Is Donald Trump a Threat to Democracy?” they emphatically answer “yes,” outline the specific risks he poses, and chart ways we can avert the threat of authoritarianism. Drawing on examples of troubled states from around the world since the 1930s, Levitsky and Ziblatt point out that warning signs of collapse include the weakening of institutions, such as the judiciary and the media, erosion of political norms, and the rise of incivility.

http://www.politics-prose.com/book/97...

Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online. Visit them on the web at http://www.politics-prose.com/

Produced by Tom Warren

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-190218175943.png&hash=868fbc8f6c12966c886a445b2e94d38144b3004f)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 20, 2018, 07:04:14 pm
 Alex Jones  :evil4: Is Getting Sued (Again)

Brennan Gilmore is a smart, articulate guy who wants Alex Jones shut up for good. He does not want his case settled. He wants Jones to have to practice ethical journalism or be discredited, or go to jail. Jones gets sued a lot, and his usual response is to settle and issue an apology, which goes largely unnoticed. Not this time.


The lawsuit against Alex Jones, explained

Why a Foreign Service officer is suing Alex Jones for defamation, explained in a podcast.
By Julie Bogenjulie.bogen@vox.com Mar 19, 2018, 6:10pm EDT


When Foreign Service officer Brennan Gilmore learned that there was going to be an alt-right protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, he decided to attend as a counterprotester. What he didn’t realize is that his now-infamous video of a car driving into the crowd of counterprotesters would capture an American tragedy — and set him up as a target for death threats, hate mail, and doxxing.

“I am the center of these conspiracy theories that I’m behind the attacks in Charlottesville,” Gilmore told Today, Explained host Sean Rameswaram. “The general outline of the conspiracy theory is there is a deep state that is trying to overthrow Donald Trump and I am an operative of it. Alex Jones and his conspiracy theory says I was paid $320,000 by George Soros to come to Charlottesville to orchestrate the event, and then to get on mainstream media and lie about what happened — which would undermine Trump’s administration.”

This, of course, is nonsense. There is no deep state, no attempt to overthrow the president, and no ill intent on the part of Gilmore. So Gilmore is fighting back and suing Alex Jones and others for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Learn how this could bring scrutiny to Jones’s notorious persona, and why conspiracy theories are so uniquely difficult to fight, on the latest episode of Today, Explained.

Go to Vox for the audio link. Gilmore is also on NPR today.

https://www.vox.com/today-explained/2018/3/19/17140050/alex-jones-charlottesville-las-vegas-defamation-lawsuit-today-explained-podcast (https://www.vox.com/today-explained/2018/3/19/17140050/alex-jones-charlottesville-las-vegas-defamation-lawsuit-today-explained-podcast)


I do NOT agree with Vox that "there is no Deep State" I do think Alex Jones is a lying sack of s h i t.




 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) Same here.

Alex Jones actually harmed the 9/11 truth movement by screaming "inside job", with wide eyes, day after day, instead of discussing the science that would expose the government bullshit story. I think Alex Jones was put there to get out in front of the 9/11 Architects and Engineers truth movement in order to tarnish its reputation so they would be branded as tin foil conspiracy theorists.

Unfortunately for Amercian freedom, it worked. We were headed downhill before 9/11, but AFTER 9/11 our downward path turned into an alpine slope!  :P  :(
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 20, 2018, 07:08:04 pm
What Do They Know That We Don't? DC Officials Flock To Doomsday Camps (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-03-20/what-do-they-know-we-dont-dc-officials-flock-doomsday-camps)

🤔
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 20, 2018, 10:23:24 pm
Harvard Professors Levitsky & Ziblatt - How Democracies Die

https://youtu.be/ZjIVMQ4Z8Gs

Washington Watch
Published on Feb 25, 2018

Harvard professors Steve Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt examined the causes that lead to breakdowns in democracies around the world.

January 31st, 2018

Daniel Ziblatt is Professor of Government at Harvard University, a faculty associate in residence at Harvard University's Minda De Gunzburg Center for European Studies, and a nonresident associate of Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

Steven Levitsky is a political scientist and Professor of Government at Harvard University. A comparative political scientist, his research interests focus on Latin America and include political parties and party systems, and democratization, and weak and informal institutions.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 22, 2018, 06:28:53 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Eddie, check this out. Frum says Trump 🦀 is the "Gum disease" of American Democracy! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coh2.org%2Fimages%2FSmileys%2Fhuhsign.gif&hash=3732d0427be65896527fc3805c5be54a33cffd3b)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncc-1776.org%2Ftle-pics%2FFlag_of_the_United_States.png&hash=dde5dffb8a9710e499636687519ddca19367732a)

DAVID FRUM: THE CORRUPTION 💵 🎩 🍌 OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

https://youtu.be/yP6rCBkVpr4

Commonwealth Club

Streamed live on Feb 5, 2018

While much of the country has been focused on the Trump–Russia investigation, conservative author David Frum has been monitoring the strain the new president is placing on the traditional limits of the Oval Office. During his own White House tenure as George W. Bush’s speechwriter, Frum witnessed the ways the presidency is limited not by law but by tradition, propriety and public outcry.

Frum argues the traditional limits of the Oval Office have been weakened. In his new book, Trumpocracy, Frum outlines how he thinks President Trump could push America toward illiberalism, what the consequences could be for our nation and our everyday lives, and what we can do to prevent it. Join one of America’s leading conservative pundits for a conversation about our changing democracy and where the country is heading.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 30, 2018, 02:53:23 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftherealnews.com%2Ft2%2Ftemplates%2Fgk_twn%2Fimages%2Flogo3.png&hash=4b5cf976827a8d50b9a86730b78230c107b3cf62)

March 29, 2018

Cambridge Analytica Is Not Alone: i360 and Data Trust Disastrous for Democracy

https://youtu.be/ao0uFIuF_HQ

Cambridge Analytica, owned by Robert Mercer, is in the news, but other companies -- like the Koch Brothers' i360 and Karl Rove's Data Trust -- are far more dangerous, says investigative reporter Greg Palast

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=21461%27%20style=%27color:#000;
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 02, 2018, 09:45:30 pm
The American Prospect magazine

Puerto Rican Refugees and the Elusive Blue Wave

MANUEL MADRID MARCH 20, 2018

Emigres from the island could be recruited to the Democratic camp, but will progressive organizing defeat right-wing money that ties relief to recruiting?

SNIPPET:

Recent registration numbers in heavily Puerto Rican areas have also been ambiguous. Between September and January, more than 60 percent of new Hispanic voters in central Florida had registered as independents, with less than 30 percent registering as Democrats but only 8 percent as Republicans. Total registrations did see a slight bump in the last few months of 2017 compared with earlier months, but far short of the deluge that was once predicted.

Puerto Rican voter turnout rates, which historically have been far higher than those of electoral contests in the 50 states, tend to plummet upon reaching the mainland. This phenomenon is often attributed to the stark differences between island and mainland politics. Puerto Ricans typically only vote once every four years; there is no Republican and Democrat dichotomy, rather a split among pro-independence, pro-statehood, and pro-commonwealth parties. A new political environment can be difficult to process, particularly for evacuees struggling to find schools for their children, to keep a roof over their heads, and put food on the table.

IN THIS RELATIVE political vacuum, corporate money is contending with on-the-ground progressive organizing. The LIBRE (https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9adc777a0e08428257b76ece69d18ee52006bb5e39d60d966bb2440d29d17641.jpg) Initiative is the Hispanic outreach  component of the Koch brothers’ vast political network(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4). Technically a nonpartisan group, LIBRE 😈 —whose name means “free” in Spanish—stops short of registering people to vote, but proudly disseminates messages of “economic freedom,” school choice, and deregulation among Hispanics in battleground states like Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio. Last year at a donor summit, the Koch network revealed plans to spend as much as $400 million during the 2018 election cycle, spreading the funds among a web of grassroots groups, including LIBRE. LIBRE groups funded by the Koch network (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) operated with a combined budget of $13.5 million in 2016, according to The Boston Globe.

Over the years, LIBRE 😈 and its sister organization, the LIBRE Institute (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400), have built goodwill 😇😉 in the Hispanic community in Florida, particularly among the poor, offering help with tax preparation, English and résumé-writing classes, food donations, back-to-school events, scholarships, and health checkups. The group has set down roots quickly within these communities, building ties with local hospitals, churches, Spanish-language radio stations, and even the state Chamber of Commerce. Florida state officials welcoming Puerto Rican evacuees arriving at airports have been forwarding them to LIBRE’s offices for further assistance, according to the group’s deputy state director, David Velazquez.

In January, LIBRE’s Puerto Rican Outreach Project launched a series of “Welcome to Florida” classes at its offices in the Orlando area aimed at helping Puerto Rican new arrivals with job training, finding housing, and navigating school enrollment. Instructors used worksheets for attendees to calculate their savings from the recently enacted tax cut, and other lessons in free-market economics. Even before the hurricane, the group had been actively pursuing the Puerto Rican vote, sending a team to the island in 2016 to connect with islanders considering relocating to Florida.

Puerto Rican voters have diverse views, particularly on religious issues, but they have been overwhelmingly opposed to President Trump. In 2016, LIBRE itself decided to focus its get-out-the-vote efforts, consisting of staff- and volunteer-run phone banks and door-to-door outreach efforts using state voter files, on Senate races as a way to distance itself from the Republican presidential nominee.

Attempts by progressives to match LIBRE’s clout have been hobbled by a lack of comparable funding, according to groups on the ground. Betsy Franceschini, senior state director of the Hispanic Federation, says that LIBRE’s model of providing relief services as a way to connect with Hispanic communities was co-opted from groups like Hispanic Federation that offer English lessons, case-management services, and legal aid for Hispanics.They’ve (https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9adc777a0e08428257b76ece69d18ee52006bb5e39d60d966bb2440d29d17641.jpg) adopted a model 😇  ;)  that we’ve been using for decades and turned it around to their 😈 benefit,” Franceschini says.

Full article:
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pic4ever.com%2Fimages%2Freading.gif&hash=63e3e644b39258d4c4eedbcdaf322315b1856723)

http://prospect.org/article/puerto-rican-refugees-and-elusive-blue-wave
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 03, 2018, 01:27:08 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.thefrisky.com%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F02%2Fmussolini-compressed.jpg&hash=22d210e9f200cd4c5a48fb8b66324da33ea0b063)

Quote
Casino Mussolini

1. enjoying the fruits of his business while running the country

2. a predatory billionaire unable to control his predations

3. emoluments, money laundering, obstruction and fraud

4. a perverse love of self

5. Americans must atone for his behavior
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 04, 2018, 09:56:26 pm
 (https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/545693884664119297/mCDJfUgm.jpeg)
Make Nexus Hot News part of your morning: click here (http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa) to subscribe.

April 4, 2018

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-121217195108.png&hash=34ddc1fd5afeb976b36342e73738ef155008be6d)

Scott Pruitt 🦀 and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 

Yesterday, we covered Scott Pruitt’s recent, questionable housing decisions at length, but new scandals keep emerging faster than we can type them. Here’s a quick roundup or some of the latest Pruitt news--somehow, we’ve got even more to unpack today. 

First, another detail has emerged about Pruitt’s very accomodating DC landlords: Steven and Vicki Hart donated to Pruitt’s campaign for attorney general in Oklahoma and hosted a fundraiser for his reelection, the Daily Beast reported Tuesday. This likely explains how Pruitt became a temporary tenant of the Harts, but not his steal of a deal rent.

The Atlantic also reported early Tuesday morning that Pruitt used an obscure provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act to give big pay bumps to two of his favorite aides after the White House told him not to  :o  :D. (Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?)

Just a few hours later, the Washington Post reported that one of these aides, Millan Hupp, served as the point person for Pruitt’s housing search last year. Hupp, who received a 33 percent raise, apparently spent several months talking to real estate companies on Pruitt’s behalf and viewing properties. An EPA spokesperson dismissed the story, but “federal officials are barred from enlisting one of their subordinates to do personal tasks for them,” according to a former Office of Government Ethics employee quoted by the Post.   

According to one anonymous administration official, Trump called Pruitt yesterday morning to show his support for the embattled EPA administrator. Trump reportedly told Pruitt “keep your head up" and "keep fighting," and “we have your back." However, given the White House’s history of having people’s backs publicly and then sending them packing, speculation has started about who would replace Pruitt.  ;D

More than 20 members of Congress have called on Pruitt to resign, and yesterday two Republicans joined the chorus. At this point it’s hard to imagine someone who could be worse in the job, but we’re keeping a watchful eye on Andrew Wheeler, currently in line to be confirmed as deputy administrator. Emily Atkin at the New Republic calls Wheeler “a more extreme choice to lead the agency than Pruitt.” Wheeler, a coal lobbyist and former Inhofe aide, has a history of denying climate science and has been accused of abusing his power to go after opponents. He was confirmed by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in February, but has yet to have a full confirmation hearing.

Any talk of Pruitt’s firing or replacement is total speculation. But it makes us wonder: better the Pruitt that you know than the Wheeler you don’t?
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 07, 2018, 02:10:13 pm
I'm sure we're safe.We can't even influence one another.

Homeland Security to Compile Database of Journalists, Bloggers (https://biglawbusiness.com/homeland-security-to-compile-database-of-journalists-bloggers/)

Hmmmm. I am sure that the Doomstead diner and my teeny tiny Renewable Revolution forum will earn some "honorable mentions" in this new fascist fun venture. Doesn't it make ya feel warm and fuzzy inside to be a source of jobs for all those loyal Trumpers out there?

No? I didn't think so. Me neither, but I am trying to add a bit of levity to our dystopian situation.

As a person trained by the USAF as an Intelligence Operations specialist/Photo Interpreter {dual AFSC (air force specialty code) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)}, I imagine that certain words and phrases will be looked at it with interest. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c)

Here is a very small list of some of them:

Revolution
Fascist
Trump, Trumper, Trumpista, Trumplethinskin, etc.
Socialist
Livable wages
Capitalist cruelty
Orwellian mindfork
Government Corruption
Oil and Gas corruption, pollution, murder and skullduggery of various sorts
pejorative comments about fossil fuels
Kochroach
Injustice
Racist Bigots
Cooperative(s)
Elite bastards
Oligarch, Oligarchy, Oligarchs, etc.
One percent (i.e when depicted as crooks, parasites, liars, cheats, welfare queens, etc.)
Greed is Bad

Considering what I have posted about here for five years and on disqus for over ten, I am certain that I have gotten somebody's attention. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)


Quote
Proverbs 29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

 
 

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 07, 2018, 02:36:09 pm
Quote
Quote from: Surly1 on Today at 11:36:21 am
I'm sure we're safe.We can't even influence one another.

Homeland Security to Compile Database of Journalists, Bloggers

Hmmmm. I am sure that the Doomstead diner and my teeny tiny Renewable Revolution forum will earn some "honorable mentions" in this new fascist fun venture. Doesn't it make ya feel warm and fuzzy inside to be a source of jobs for all those loyal Trumpers out there?

No? I didn't think so. Me neither, but I am trying to add a bit of levity to our dystopian situation.

As a person trained by the USAF as an Intelligence Operations specialist/Photo Interpreter {dual AFSC (air force specialty code) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)}, I imagine that certain words and phrases will be looked at it with interest.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c)

Here is a very small list of some of them:

Revolution
Fascist
Trump, Trumper, Trumpista, Trumplethinskin, etc.
Socialist
Livable wages
Capitalist cruelty
Orwellian mindfork
Government Corruption
Oil and Gas corruption, pollution, murder and skullduggery of various sorts
pejorative comments about fossil fuels
Kochroach
Injustice
Racist Bigots
Cooperative(s)
Elite bastards
Oligarch, Oligarchy, Oligarchs, etc.
One percent (i.e when depicted as crooks, parasites, liars, cheats, welfare queens, etc.)
Greed is Bad

Considering what I have posted about here for five years and on disqus for over ten, I am certain that I have gotten somebody's attention.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

You're toast, AG. Public enemy number one. I'm very proud of you, fwiw.

Glad to be among your readers. When all the truth tellers are silenced, I no longer see the point in hanging around. It'll be time to vote with my feet.


🌞 Thanks bro. I wish I had the patience of Job. It gets old walkng into a box canyon with a blow torch facing you at the end. I don't mind leaving this valley of tears; I just hope that God gives me the strength to handle what I know is coming as long as I am here. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-291217164030.png&hash=36cbf9c36fa6d6d240ed8a29a0c020cdee7b26e3)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 07, 2018, 05:28:06 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-310717232714.jpeg&hash=68ec2687cad360aed0465d51ce0d503486027a69)

Quote

April 7, 2018

Paul Ryan supported Donald Trump’s EPA chair Scott Pruitt while he gutted environmental protections and blocked essential work to combat climate change.

And now that Scott Pruitt is facing numerous charges of corruption -- including using taxpayer money for lavious travel, and $43,000 to soundproof his office -- Paul Ryan is remaining silent, terrified of upsetting his oil and gas company campaign contributors.

We need elected officials willing to stand up to Trump’s corrupt EPA and the fossil fuel industry. That means we need to get rid of Paul Ryan.

As a Congressman, DFA-endorsed progressive Randy Bryce would lobby to end corporate welfare for this billion dollar industry and work to create thousands of Green Jobs. Will you stand with Randy and DFA and call for an end to fossil fuel subsidies?

Each year, Congress hands billions of dollars in subsidies to oil and gas CEOs. These taxpayer handouts to one of the richest industries on earth are part of a “dirty energy money cycle” that must end. In return for their subsidies, the fossil fuel industry spends hundreds of millions per year in campaign contributions and lobbying expenses -- which Paul Ryan gladly accepts.

Over his career, Paul Ryan has received nearly $2 million in contributions from the fossil fuel industry. In exchange, he looks the other way as oil and gas companies contribute to the dangerous polluting of our country.

Randy Bryce has pledged not to accept any contributions from fossil fuel companies -- which is one of the many reasons he has earned DFA’s endorsement. Please stand with DFA and Randy Bryce by signing our petition to end fossil fuel subsidies today.

Thank you,

- Karli

Karli Wallace Thompson, Senior Digital Manager and Wisconsin resident
Democracy for America



Sign Randy Bryce's petition: End fossil fuel subsidies (https://act.democracyforamerica.com/sign/bryce-petition/?t=1&refcode=g-Fossilfuel0407.d-20180407.m-10943.s-41759&referring_akid=10943.4218871.7yrs7l)

By taking this action you agree to receive important updates from Democracy for America and the Randy Bryce for Congress campaign. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

SIGN THE PETITION (https://act.democracyforamerica.com/sign/bryce-petition/?t=1&refcode=g-Fossilfuel0407.d-20180407.m-10943.s-41759&referring_akid=10943.4218871.7yrs7l)

Over his career, Paul Ryan 😈 has received nearly $2 million in contributions from the fossil fuel industry. Randy Bryce (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) has pledged not to accept any contributions from fossil fuel companies and, as a Congressman, he would lobby to end corporate welfare 🦖 for this billion dollar industry.

It makes little sense to prop up oil companies and create a competitive disadvantage for clean energy companies. In Wisconsin alone, we’ve seen WE Energies do everything in its power to disincentivize community efforts to transition to clean and renewable energy sources. This utility company, like many fossil fuel companies, has not been a good actor in Wisconsin and we must not let them continue to stand in the way of progress.

Sign the petition and stand with Randy Bryce's pledge to not accept fossil fuel money and end fossil fuel subsidies. (https://act.democracyforamerica.com/sign/bryce-petition/?t=1&refcode=g-Fossilfuel0407.d-20180407.m-10943.s-41759&referring_akid=10943.4218871.7yrs7l)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 07, 2018, 07:29:23 pm

Considering what I have posted about here for five years and on disqus for over ten, I am certain that I have gotten somebody's attention. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)


Quote
Proverbs 29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

Mark of pride and badge of honor when conferred.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 07, 2018, 07:31:04 pm
Quote
Quote from: Surly1 on Today at 11:36:21 am
I'm sure we're safe.We can't even influence one another.

Homeland Security to Compile Database of Journalists, Bloggers

I've been barking about this for years.

Purveyors of 'Doom' have a special place on the radar of Homeland Security.  There is a belief that notions of doom attract unstable people who could become threats.  We are all monitored, however discretely.  The irony is, even here in the Diner complaints have been made that the Nature Bats Last crowd attracts depressed people with dangerous depressed thoughts and negative energies.  That is from the perspective of another flavor of doomer.  Think of how total outsiders of doom, or as I know they do, think of us!

290,000 global news sources.  Ten percent of that could be 29,000 names.  That leave room for us.


That's rather depressing.  ;)  But, being labelled as "unstable" has its rewards.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 07, 2018, 08:08:31 pm
In the greater scheme of things having us on their lists is not going to be good for anything.

Cataloging crazies can't stop this.


(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VTXYvsy4CRY/WscLDXuxTAI/AAAAAAAAYtY/F9kVEYosw0UiibX350ElvHWMpGcqIYnrwCLcBGAs/s1600/cross-2C-in-2018.png)

If the graph follows the third order polynomial over the next year it will be very bad news.

Count on it.

Waking the Climate Giant 🔥 screenshots


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NOTE: After three years of flat emissions noted in the graphic above, they INCREASED in 2017.  :P

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https://youtu.be/DNWGlzHC2ss

Expect Palloy to take some Ad Hom, and totally unjustified, pot shots at Sam Carana.  ::) 

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 11, 2018, 05:21:52 pm
Paul Ryan Will Retire as the Biggest Fake in American Politics (http://www.doomsteaddiner.net/forum/index.php/topic,1279.msg152019.html#msg152019)

If he hadn't done so much damage, we could laugh him off the national stage—like Joe Biden did.

By Charles P. Pierce

Aprill 11, 2018


This would include, of course, “reforming,” probably out of existence, the Social Security survivor’s benefits that got him through high school and college before he could line up at the federal trough for the rest of his adult life.

This has always been particularly disturbing to me. I'm really glad Charlie remembered to mention this. It reminds me of another conservative stuffed shirt millionaire named Rick Perry, who also never held a job outside politics until after he left the Texas governorship. He immediately did GET a job though, afterward, lobbying for MCNA, the same Medicaid Big Insurance Corp for whom he'd just abandoned single payer, to "reform" Medicaid dental services in Texas. 

Let's play a game:

"Which conduit scheme will hire Paul Ryan to be their lobbyist".

Get your entries in soon. I expect the competition will be over before the 2018 calendar is out-of-date.

Even in his press conference on Wednesday, Ryan expressed disappointment that, in his two decades in Congress, he didn’t get to fully gut Medicaid and Social Security

As a lobbyist, he'll have much more time to write the language of bills going before Congress, once all that pesky, constant Republican fund-raising doesn't consume so much of his valuable time.


Well said.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020)


I think Ryan took the road out because he knew that the Progressive challenging (Iron worker Bryce) would destroy him, thereby eliminating any chance Ryan would ever have to get into the White house.

That said, the lobbyist gig is certainly what he will be jump into with all his corrupt and corrupting government connections.

Ryan is an example of people. like the Ayn Rand witch, who hypocritically use social services even though they try to destroy them.

There are too many people in the USA with exactly that type of destructive attitude. My millionaire greed ball sister Jeanette, the one who was married to John Adair, the dentist that drowned in Puerto Rico (I almost drowned trying to fish him out of the rip tide and monstrous surf) fits that bill exactly.

John had a thriving dental practice in Ft. Lauderdale.  Jeanette got $250,000 in life insurance and went to work as a registered nurse (she had been studying that as a mother of three boys). She gladly took ALL the care for child survivers money Social Security gave her for her children while she used the big bucks from the life insurance to invest in the stock market in 1982.

By 1989 she was rich. Her son Brian became a stock broker in 1990. By the year 2000 he too was a millionaire (He has a nice condo in San Francisco near his yacht). They are ALL right wing crazies now. They ALL want to destroy Social Security and Medicare. They have ALL conveniently forgotten that they would be NOWHERE if these programs hadn't been there when they were middle class.

This is why I carry on so much about Capitalist cruelty, Eddie. The hypocrisy is so thick you can cut it with a knife! And yeah, my sister was front and center in all the successful efforts to legally steal my inheritance. These bastards that get rich NEVER HAVE ENOUGH! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

Ryan is an enemy of every decent human being on this planet. Some, if not all, of my siblings and their offspring are in exactly the same category. 😟

 
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 11, 2018, 06:01:38 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

Teachers in Puerto Rico Demand an End to School Closures and Privatization

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

By Sarah Jaffe, Truthout | Interview

SNIPPET:

What has it been like here, connecting with some of the other teachers and their other struggles around the US?

Martinez: Well, when we come here, we know that is the same struggle that we are given in Puerto Rico -- not only in the States, but throughout the globe with teachers. Teachers in the entire continent are fighting against this capitalist 😈 agenda, this neoliberal 🦀 agenda that wants to destroy not only public education, but all the public services in our country.

The attack is not only on education. They want to privatize schools, to implement those charters, they want to give the voucher programs, they want to shut down the schools, they want to fire public employees. We are talking about 100,000 employees that will be fired from different agencies.

 They want to destroy the University of Puerto Rico, which is a state university, by eliminating campuses. They want to increase the admission fee, they want to increase the cost per credit, per course. They want to cut the pensions from 10 percent to 25 percent [for] people that do not have enough to live. It is not only an attack on public education....

We have heard [of] the same attack against all public sectors; this is a generalized attack. I don't even think it is the "shock doctrine" anymore. It is the terror doctrine that they have implemented here in Puerto Rico.... Being here and talking to teachers and listening to the stories -- West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona. We have a great alliance with MORE from New York, and just listening to them, it just renews our energy and it lets us know that this is one struggle of the working class, and that we will have small victories until we triumph entirely. We are not hopeless. We have much hope to go back to our country and give the fight that we have to give.

Article with audio interview and transcript:

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/44127-teachers-in-puerto-rico-demand-an-end-to-school-closures-and-privatization
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 11, 2018, 09:25:11 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Some very brave people are making life real hard for the Kinder Morgan polluting liars and crooks 🦕 that have Trudeau 🐒 in their pocket. As usual when democracy gets in the way the polluters, the front ment like Trudeau try to sabotage it on behalf of more profit over people and planet 😠. Let us hope Kinder Morgan and Trudeau continue to have their polluting asses handed to them by the brave Canadian defenders of the environment.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)

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April 11, 2018

Trudeau 🦖 Panics After Trans Mountain Tar Sands Pipeline Suspended  ;D

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convenes an emergency cabinet meeting to save Trans Mountain while Alberta Premier Rachel Notley warns of a "constitutional crisis." Dimitri Lascaris reports

https://youtu.be/GgR5dFmPuJA

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=21556
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 12, 2018, 02:43:07 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Some very brave people are making life real hard for the Kinder Morgan polluting liars and crooks 🦕 that have Trudeau 🐒 in their pocket. As usual when democracy gets in the way the polluters, the front ment like Trudeau try to sabotage it on behalf of more profit over people and planet 😠. Let us hope Kinder Morgan and Trudeau continue to have their polluting asses handed to them by the brave Canadian defenders of the environment.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)

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April 11, 2018

Trudeau 🦖 Panics After Trans Mountain Tar Sands Pipeline Suspended  ;D

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convenes an emergency cabinet meeting to save Trans Mountain while Alberta Premier Rachel Notley warns of a "constitutional crisis." Dimitri Lascaris reports

https://youtu.be/GgR5dFmPuJA

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=21556

(https://images7.alphacoders.com/415/thumb-350-415175.jpg)

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Mining of the tar sands will not be stopped.

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You are entitled to your opinion and to be as wrong as you wish of course, but I disagree with your rather depressing opinion. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-291217164030.png&hash=36cbf9c36fa6d6d240ed8a29a0c020cdee7b26e3)


I think that soon the polluters will have to stick the product of tars sands mining where the sun doesn't shine.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-141113185701.png&hash=615e3c1aa9c374cb1eab5bfc1e9494f2cb05e9f7)


Times are changin', K-Dog. The polluters will increasingly find themselves out gunned, despite their past successful efforts to corrupt every government that has fossil fuel resources. 8)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 12, 2018, 06:48:29 pm
Mining of the tar sands will not be stopped.[/center]

You are entitled to your opinion and to be as wrong as you wish of course, but I disagree with your rather depressing opinion.


I think that soon the polluters will have to stick the product of tars sands mining where the sun doesn't shine.


Times are changin', K-Dog. The polluters will increasingly find themselves out gunned, despite their past successful efforts to corrupt every government that has fossil fuel resources.

It will stop due to energy economics.  When the net energy return is negative, it stops itself.  This will take a little while though.

RE
the view from here is we want the revenue and the righteousness of being clean energy crusaders. I see zero enthusiasm for the financial pain it would cause here. I don't know if there will be future tar sands money but there is no way in hell Alberta will shut down mature developments. At 60 something a barrel everyone is anti tar sands at 110 a barrel... that is a hell of an incentive. You buy a lot of senior care daycare housing projects with that money. There is an established route to the Gulf refineries and infrastructure designed to take it. The trick will be making sure no new money goes in...

So, it's all about money, is it?  I'll agree with you on just one thing: $110 a barrel is a HELL of an incentive. I'm sure your daughters will NOT thank you profusely in a decade or so for supporting polluting tar sands at the "right" price. I think anyone that does figure that tar sands polluting is "okay" at the "right" price will soon be very sorry they did. But for now, I'm sure the lawyers from Kinder Morgan agree 100% with your "math".  Good luck with that.
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 12, 2018, 06:50:36 pm
Mining of the tar sands will not be stopped.[/center]

You are entitled to your opinion and to be as wrong as you wish of course, but I disagree with your rather depressing opinion.


I think that soon the polluters will have to stick the product of tars sands mining where the sun doesn't shine.


Times are changin', K-Dog. The polluters will increasingly find themselves out gunned, despite their past successful efforts to corrupt every government that has fossil fuel resources.

It will stop due to energy economics.  When the net energy return is negative, it stops itself.  This will take a little while though.

RE


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The energy net return for fossil fuels has always been, when ALL the "externalities" are taken into account, negative. They've gotten around that with corruption, gamed markets and welfare queen subsidies, NOT because they had a positive ERoEI.

I've made that case to you for years but you just do not want to hear it.  ::)

RE, whether you want to accept it or not, the "high energy density" (LOL!) of this tar sands crap is NOT the issue here.

In regard to the present situation in Canada, the issue for the fossil fuelers is that, as long as the polluters can buy governments to give them a free pass to continue using the biosphere as a dumping ground for their pollution, they will continue.
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They will scream about "sanctity of contracts" (even though the fossil fuelers 🦖 - SEE EXXON 🦖 in Guyana right now! - will mangle contracts any time they feel like it or defend them like Bible Quotes when the contract is a sweetheart deal in their favor!). They will wail about world trade agreements. They will threaten to sue. It's all legaleze BULLSHIT.

The "business model 😈" of the Fossil Fuel Industry 🦖, AT PRESENT, has NOTHING to do with real energy product thermodynamics of energy return on ENERGY invested cause and effect. Regardless of how uncompetitive their polluting product is, the polluters will cling to their stupid business model as long as they can keep the corruption gravy train going.

Spare me the talk about energy product "energy" returns. You peak oil folks see lack of energy as the only trigger for disruption. That's way too reductionist. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183312.bmp&hash=02dafef2fe739676600fdc9bd56271f0f5ab3723) How come your "peak oil" isn't at $200 a barrel, huh? Over a decade ago it was over $100! Inflation PLUS "peak oil"  should have raised the price above $200 NOW, not the measly $67 or so!

We've used a LOT of oil since 2005! If the supply was really going down so much, they would have jacked up the price, regardless of the Great Recession! Don't bother to riddle me why they ain't done that, Batman. I can answer WHY the price of oil ain't gainin' traction, despite the best efforts of corrupt governments hither and yon.

The answer is REAL COMPETITION from clean energy, whether you want to accept that or not (see graphic below).

The only thing that will stop the polluters is people willing to give their lives to stop them. That will happen soon in Canada and in many other places as well.

The economics of fossil fuels has been brain dead stupid for several years now. Corrupt government handouts and subsidies is the only thing keeping those bastards in business, whether you peak oil folks want to believe that or not. 

The following chart is irrefutable evidence that the fossil fuelers have ZERO REAL economic reason, beyond corrupt practices that game the energy prices, for continuing the polluting product BAU.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120418140613.png&hash=0887597e31f38d3ea7b51e06a506f157e44587c5)



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 12, 2018, 07:47:01 pm
Quote
AG: The economics of fossil fuels has been brain dead stupid for several years now. Corrupt government handouts and subsidies is the only thing keeping those bastards in business, whether you peak oil folks want to believe that or not.  

I have been saying that for ages: the only reason fracking continues is because the Fed guarantees the commercial bank's loans to the frackers, despite their business case not adding up.  This because Amerikans are addicted to oil and that is the only way to keep BAU ticking over.

I agree with you on this, but I do not think you are stating the whole story. The "addiction" to fossil fuels is certainly not limited to the USA. About 17% of the world's population is "addicted" to dirty energy. The following graphic may be a bit dated because China's thirst for fossil fuels has grown a LOT, but you can see that population itself is not the problem:

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I believe that the gaming of markets on behalf of all types of fossil fuels is the sad legacy of government corruption. You accuse Americans of being addicted to oil. True. But, the drug pusher that got them (I am NOT addicted to oil - they would be bankrupt if they had to rely on my use of fossil fuels for the last 30 years  8)) "addicted" was the US Government, a subsidiary of Standard Oil for over a century. Did you know that the ENTIRE intelligence organization for US agencies in foreign countries came DIRECTLY from the officies of Rockefeller's Standard Oil? You didn't? Well, that is a historical fact.

The tentacles of the fossil fuel industry were so engrained in US foreign and domestic policy as to be indistinguishable from Fossil fuel corrupt corporate fun and games until Renewable Energy began to make some headway in the last two decades.

Read "The Tyranny of Oil" by Antonia Juhasz to learn how ever single effort by competing energy technologies since the early 20th century have been ruthlessly and methodically crushed.

Disinformation campaigns (Government FUNDED! not just Fossil Fuel Industry funded) subsequently would make, and repeat a LOT, the bold faced BULLSHIT claim that "they weren't ready for prime time" or "they couldn't compete" or the old reliable "They didn't have enough energy density". They were all half truths at best, though more often just plain corrupt profit over people and planet "business as usual".

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 12, 2018, 10:29:50 pm
Truthdig

APR 11, 2018

By Robert Reich  RobertReich.Org

The Truth About an Untethered Trump🦀

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The petulant adolescent in the White House – who has replaced most of the adults around him with raging sycophants and has demoted his chief of staff, John Kelly, to lapdog – lacks adequate supervision.

Before, he was merely petty and vindictive. He’d tweet nasty things about people he wanted to humiliate, like former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Now his vindictiveness has turned cruel. After smearing FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe with unfounded allegations that he lied to investigators, the new Trump made sure McCabe was fired just days before he would have been eligible for a pension after more than twenty-one years of service.

Before, he was merely xenophobic. He’d call Mexicans murderers and rapists.


Now his xenophobia has turned belligerent. He’s sending thousands of National Guard troops to the Mexican border, even though illegal border crossings are at a record low.

And he’s starting a trade war against China.

China has been expropriating American intellectual property for years. But Trump isn’t even trying to negotiate a way out of this jam or build a coalition of other trading partners to pressure China. He’s just upping the ante – and, not incidentally, causing the stock market to go nuts.

But the most dangerous thing about the new Trump is his increased attacks on American democracy itself.

Start with a free press. Before, he just threw rhetorical bombshells at the Washington Post, CNN, and other outlets that criticized him.

Now he’s trying to penalize them financially, while bestowing benefits on outlets that praise him.

Last week he demanded that Amazon, the corporation headed by the man who owns the Washington Post, pay higher postal rates and more taxes, and that the Post should register as Amazon’s lobbyist. Amazon stock wilted under the attack.

They’re absurd charges. Amazon collects and pays state sales taxes on its products, and the Postal Service is losing money because of the decline in first-class mail, not package deliveries.

Presumably Amazon can take care of itself. Trump’s attack was intended as a warning to other companies with media connections that they’d better not mess with him

Trump is trying to hurt CNN, too. The day after the Justice Department moved to block AT&T’s purchase of Time-Warner, parent of CNN, he said the deal wasn’t “good for the country.” Few missed the connection.

Meanwhile, he’s praising Trump-adoring Sinclair Broadcasting, signaling to the FCC it should approve Sinclair’s pending $3.9 billion purchase of Tribune Media’s TV stations.

We’re entering a new and more dangerous phase of Trump’s “divide and conquer” strategy, splitting the nation into warring camps – with him as the most divisive issue.

Even Trump’s tweets have become more brazenly divisive. Last week he called his predecessor “Cheatin’ Obama.” When was the last time you heard a president of the United States disparage another president?

He’s more determined than ever to convince supporters that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is in cahoots with Democrats and the FBI to unseat him.

This might give him some protection if Trump decides to fire Mueller, or if Mueller’s investigation turns up evidence that Trump collaborated with Russia to win the election, and Congress moves to impeach him.

“Try to impeach him, just try it,” warned Roger Stone, Trump’s former campaign adviser, last summer. “You will have a spasm of violence in this country, an insurrection like you’ve never seen.”

But Trump’s strategy might just as easily extend beyond Mueller. What happens if in 2020 a rival candidate accumulates more electoral votes, but Trump accuses him or her of cheating, and refuses to step down?

“He’s now president for life,” Trump recently said of Xi Jinping, adding “maybe we’ll 🦀 have to give that a shot someday. 😈” Some thought Trump was joking. I’m not so sure.

Democracies require leaders who understand that their primary responsibility is to protect the institutions and processes democracy depends on. The new Trump seems intent on maintaining his power, whatever it takes.

Democracies also require enough social trust that citizens regard those they disagree with as being worthy of an equal say, so they’ll accept political outcomes they dislike. The new Trump is destroying that trust.

Trump untethered isn’t just a more petty, vindictive, and belligerent version of his former self. He’s also more willing to sacrifice American democracy to his own ends. Which makes him more dangerous than ever.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-truth-about-an-untethered-trump/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 13, 2018, 04:57:48 pm
The Associated Press

Ex-FBI Director Comey in new book says Trump 🦀 is 'unethical and untethered to truth,' demanded loyalty like a mafia boss.

13 Apr 2018

By CHAD DAY and JONATHAN LEMIRE

full truth filled article:

https://apnews.com/3e123c8153d6497c9e07ec77bdd24171

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 17, 2018, 02:54:18 pm
(https://www.afsc.org/sites/afsc.civicactions.net/files/u1752/Truthout%20logo.jpg)

As the Republican Roof Caves In, Paul Ryan 😈  Hits the Road (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311017193926.png&hash=135a7bcd2093b679e425bbd2086adb8ddfd2e7b5)

Saturday, April 14, 2018

By William Rivers Pitt, Truthout | Op-Ed

SNIPPET:

What began two Novembers ago as an all-encompassing Republican victory, a takeover of two branches with a stranglehold on the third, has devolved into a chaotic stampede to avoid the looming and seemingly insurmountable "Blue Wave" to come. "This is the Watergate pattern writ large," writes Rick Wilson for The Daily Beast. "In 1973, Republicans were screaming that the investigation was nothing but a Fake News Witch Hunt. They lost 49 House seats and eight Senate seats in 1974, two months after Nixon resigned."

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/44163-as-the-republican-roof-caves-in-paul-ryan-hits-the-road

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 18, 2018, 02:07:25 pm
GOP Congressional Candidate Kimberlin Brown Pelzer 😈 Takes the Low Road

By Came In On Saturdays | April 16, 2018 at 02:16 PM EDT

GOP “Young Gun” Congressional Candidate Kimberlin Brown Pelzer—She Shoots Herself With Planted Questions and Extremist Pals   

      The GOP will do anything and everything to win elections from the top of the ticket on down. We all know about Demagogue Donald’s 2016 campaign of fake news and his gang’s probable collusion with Putin’s Russia.  Down-ticket “Team Red” 2018 midterm candidates for House and Senate races are no better. Arizona GOP Cong. Martha McSally, who is running for a Senate seat, held a Facebook Live Event. At that event, she posted a comment from her own account praising herself for “great video quality,” and adding, “thank you for your service (shareblue.com, Willis, 4/10/18).” McSally is not the only GOPer who was recently caught planting her own comments to look good. GOPer Kimberlin Brown Pelzer, running for a congressional seat in CA, was caught doing a similar stunt. As part of a Facebook Live Q&A, where candidates are supposed to be taking questions from voters, a question about “sanctuary cities” from Brown Pelzer’s personal account was added/planted into the mix of questions (See shareblue.com, Willis, Metz, “Desert Sun,” 4/06/18). “Sanctuary cities,” where illegal immigrants can not be apprehended by state or federal authorities for deportation, constitute a central issue in the immigration debate, especially for the GOP’s hard-right xenophobic base (See Metz, “Desert Sun”). Who is Kimberlin Brown Pelzer?

           On 10/10/2017, GOPer Kimberlin Brown Pelzer (56) announced she was running for CA’s 36th Congressional District (CD) in 2018.  She wants to defeat that district’s current Congressman, Democrat Raul Ruiz (46) who is running for his 4th term (cactushugs.com, Dolan, 10/10/17, 115th Congress At Your Fingertips). The present CA 36th CD covers eastern Riverside County. On its western side, the 36th takes in Banning and Beaumont and stretches all the way east to Blythe at the AZ border. The 36th includes the cities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio, Hemet, and San Jacinto. This CD also includes Coachella and Rancho Mirage. Agriculture, tourism, and alternate energy sources constitute this area’s economic pillars (CQ & Barone 14 Political Almanacs). The 36th contains the Coachella Valley which produces 95% of the dates eaten in the U.S. The Coachella Valley’s fertile farmland relies on irrigation from the western waters of the Colorado River and seasonal migrant workers. Palm Springs, once the winter resort of the stars, has now become popular with rich retirees and gay couples. Former Presidents Eisenhower and Ford retired to this desert area. Several Native American reservations are in the 36th and have tribal casinos in the Palm Springs area. About 1/3 of the jobs in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Palm Desert are provided by hospitality and retail sectors. With its high desert sands, the Joshua Tree National Park is a tourist spot. The alternative-energy industry is growing. The western edge of Palm Springs is dotted with windmills, and huge solar projects are under way in the desert region to the east (CQ 14).

           About 300,000 people live in the 36th.  Hispanic residents make up 48% of the 36th’s population barely edging out whites.  CA’s non-partisan redistricting commission, which drew the boundaries of the 36th after the 2010 census, wanted to keep the retirement and Indian lands together. The result is a strongly competitive swing district. The latest 4/07/2017 Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) gives the 36th a D+2 score. Democrats have a narrow 6% voter registration edge. The GOP voters in the 36th are not overwhelmingly hard-right conservative. Obama carried the 36th by a 4% margin in 2008 and by 3% in 2012. In 2016, Hillary beat Donald by 9%, 52%-43% (CQ 14, pe.com, Horseman, 1/30/18).   

           Born in Zacatecas, Mexico, Raul Ruiz was adopted by migrant farmworker relatives as a baby and raised in Coachella. From a very young age, he wanted to become a doctor. A high-achieving high school student, Ruiz went door-to-door in Coachella with a handmade contract to ask neighbors and local businesses to contribute to his college tuition. He raised almost $2,000. After graduating UCLA magna cum laude in 1990, he attended Harvard Medical School. He became the first Latino to receive three graduate degrees from Harvard, his M.D. and master’s degrees in public policy and public health (Barone & CQ 14, voxxi.com). While at Harvard, Ruiz spent almost a year in Chiapas, Mexico with a health and social organization. He told “The Desert Sun” newspaper that that experience showed him the “tremendous nature of poverty and how real policies can actually affect human lives (Barone, 14).” After graduating Harvard, Ruiz worked in Mexico, El Salvador, and Serbia. He then took a job as an emergency room physician at the non-profit Eisenhower Medical Center in Coachella Valley. In 2011, Ruiz became senior associate dean at the University of California Riverside’s Medical School (voxxi.com, washingtontimes.com, 1/10/13). In 2012, he received an award from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division for aiding the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake (voxii.com).

          In 2012, in his first run for public office, he ran against incumbent Mary Bono Mack. Bono Mack first won this seat in 1998, after her husband, singer Sonny Bono’s, death. Ruiz’s campaign was considered a long-shot. However, Bono Mack was facing her first Hispanic challenger. Ruiz had a demographic advantage in this newly redrawn district where Latinos then had almost 40% of the voters. He ran as a “public servant and physician, dedicated to serving the community.” In the general election, the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) gave Ruiz substantial support and former Pres. Bill Clinton endorsed him (KESQ, 10/23/12). GOP PACS spent lots of money on Bono. Bono attacked Ruiz for being in protest demonstrations while at Harvard. GOP ads called Ruiz a “tool” of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and a supporter of Obamacare. In an upset victory, Ruiz won by a 6% margin, 53%-47%. In 2014, a big GOP year, “Team Red” thought freshman Ruiz was vulnerable. This time, he beat his opponent by 8 points. In 2016, Ruiz won his third term by a 24.2% margin (U.S. House of Reps. Elections, 2012, 2014, 2016).

          In the House, Cong. Ruiz sat on the Natural Resources and Veterans’ Affairs Committees and currently sits on the key Energy and Commerce Committee (CQ 14, !15th Cong. At Your Fingertips). In this swingy district, he has voted with “Team Blue” 90.8% of the time (projects.prorepublica.org). He has been labeled a Populist-Leaning Liberal (on theissues.com). He has basement ratings from the NRA as well as anti-immigration groups (votesmart.org). In 2016, after the Pulse nightclub Orlando, FL massacre, Ruiz joined dozens of his Democratic colleagues as part of a House sit-down to force a vote on gun control legislation including universal background checks (desertsun.com, 6/22/16). He has stated his support for Obamacare and voted against its repeal (thehill.com, Baker, 6/11/13, clerkhouse.gov). He is strongly pro-choice. He voted against an act to ban abortions that take place 20 or more weeks after fertilization(nytimes.com). He is for protecting Medicare and Social Security (ruizhouse.gov).

                 Under CA law, the 6/05/2018 primary will send the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, to the 11/06/2018 general election.  Although five GOPers have filed to run against Ruiz, Kimberlin Brown Pelzer looks like the GOP front-runner who will face Cong. Ruiz in the 11/2018 election. Ruiz has no Dem. opponents. Brown Pelzer, because of her fundraising ability, has been named, along with 15 other GOP congressional hopefuls to the “Young Guns” program.  Being a GOP “Young Gun” boosts her candidacy. It gives her the opportunity to receive more financial national GOP aid, more help from GOP- leaning groups  such as the Koch Bros., and assistance from Republican campaign consultants. Brown Pelzer has been endorsed by former H.W. Bush Chief of Staff and ex-NH Gov. John Sununu, outgoing Fullerton GOP Cong. Ed Royce, and the Riverside County Republican Party (See pe.com, Horseman, 1/30/18, kimberlinforcongress.com). Hayward, CA native Brown Pelzer is best known for her soap opera acting career. She portrayed Sheila Carter on “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” off-and-on from 1992-2006. She built several businesses with her husband including a sports fishing and marina rental business and an avocado farm. She owns and personally operates a design company (cactushugs.com, Dolan, 10/10/17, kimberlinforcongress.com). Brown Pelzer entered the political spotlight by speaking in prime time at the 2016 GOP National Convention that nominated Donald (cactushugs.com, kimberlinforcongress.com). A big Trump supporter, she proudly attended his inauguration (See cactushugs.com). Brown Pelzer believes that the 36th CD “has not been effectively represented” by Cong. Ruiz. She stated that “hard-working people across the district want to see conservative leadership in Washington (pe.com, Horseman, 1/30/18).”

        In addition to burnishing her record by trying to plant her own questions among regular voters, Brown Pelzer pals around with some controversial extremist characters. Photos posted to her Instagram from the GOP 2016 Convention included one posing with former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Flynn is at the center of multiple ongoing investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election (cactushugs.com, 10/10/17).

    Besides Flynn, Brown Pelzer is a fan of former Deputy Assistant to Trump, Sebastian Gorka, one of Donald’s top anti-terrorist “experts.” Gorka, a native of England, whose family came from Hungary, was the fellow who wore a Vitezi Rend medal on his suits. Vitezi Rend was a Hungarian far right group that the U.S. State Dept. labeled as being under control of Nazi Germany during WWII. Members of this group helped Nazis in 1944 Hungary round up Jews and send them to the Auschwitz concentration/extermination camp. Gorka was accused of taking an oath of loyalty to this group. He denied that, but said he wore this medal in honor of his father’s “struggle” against totalitarianism. In any event, Gorka, for years, has had close ties and worked with far-right openly racist and anti-Semitic Hungarian groups (See Nichols, “Horsemen of the Trumpocalypse,” “The Forward”). On 4/08/2018, Gorka came to address GOPers at the Unite the Inland Empire Conservative Conference about the 2018 midterms. Brown Pelzer was “excited” to see Gorka. She wanted to hear what Gorka would say about “sanctuary cities (Metz, “Desert Sun,” 4/06/18).” Prior to his speech, Brown Pelzer met with Gorka and called this meeting with him “wonderful (desertsun.com, Metz, 4/08/18).” Brown Pelzer also spoke at this gathering (desertsun.com).

           Kurt Bardella, a former spokesperson to retiring right-wing GOP Cong. Darrell Issa and former moderate GOP ME Sen. Olympia Snowe, left the GOP. He became a Democrat after Trump’s rise and the GOP’s backing of AL sexual predator Roy Moore (USA Today, Bardella, 12/10/17). Bardella aptly stated, “Anyone who wants to be seen with extremists who vocalize these views is the reason the Republican Party is an endangered species in California (desertsun.com, Metz).” Yes, the GOP, with its extremist platform and extremist personalities from Trump on down, is an “endangered species” in CA and many other places in the U.S.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3)
Ruiz has a big political war chest and has won his previous elections easily. However, elections are not won by theorizing pundits. They are won by strong turn out on the ground. Speaker Ryan and 38 other GOPers are retiring rather than running again in 2018. The 36th CD remains a competitive district. The GOP still plans to challenge Ruiz, because it believes that Democratic voters will not turn out in midterms while the “Red” base will (See Wildermuth, sfchronicle.com, 2/28/18). On 11/06/2018, Democrats in the CA 36th and the rest of the country must prove the GOP wrong by voting in droves. Ruiz must be re-elected and the House taken back. We must reject Trump 🦀 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) and Brown Pelzer’s 👹 extremism. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

http://cameinonsaturdays.com/?s=gop-congressional-candidate-kimberlin-brown-pelzer-takes-the-low-road

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 27, 2018, 08:08:50 pm
The real reason Paul Ryan (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) just fired the House Chaplain

Daniel Cotter | 4:03 pm EDT April 27, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

We have learned recently that United States House of Representatives Chaplain Patrick Conroy was asked to resign by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. For anyone who knows Ryan and his affection for Ayn Rand, this should not come as a surprise. Conroy’s letter stated: “As you have requested, I hereby offer my resignation as the 60th Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives.” Various reports have made it very clear that Conroy was told by Ryan to either retire or be pushed out. Chaplain Conroy had served in the role since 2011, when then-Speaker John A. Boehner hired his fellow Catholic Conroy.

Ryan is a Catholic conservative who once reportedly got up and walked out of his Janesville parish when the priest discussed social justice and helping others. Conroy is a Jesuit priest. Recall also this seeming incongruity in Ryan – he is a committed follower of Ayn Rand and her views of radical individualism.

Ryan has argued the two are not fundamentally opposed and can coexist, but scholars have questioned how Rand’s “morality of capitalism” squares with Christian teachings. Rand was an atheist who also affirmed the need for spirituality, but it’s hard to reconcile God’s grand plan with Ryan’s view that capital markets free and unfettered from regulation lead to liberation of the poor.

Reportedly, what triggered this forced resignation were two events- in the first, Conroy permitted a Muslim to give opening prayer and in the second, Conroy offered up a prayer in connection with the tax bill that passed in December, challenging the House of Representatives to make sure that the outcomes of their activity would be guided so “there are not winners and losers” but that the law’s “benefits [were] balanced and shared by all Americans.”

Democratic Representative Gerald E. Connolly has stated that in discussions with Conroy, the priest told him he speculated that was the reason for his departure. While we wait for the definitive reasons for the forced resignation, one must lament that Paul Ryan is the poster child for letting the funding by PACs turn him potentially into another PAC – a phony arse Christian. *

The New Testament is full of stories of Jesus helping those less fortunate, balancing the needs of all, showing love and mercy for the downtrodden and marginal. Too often anymore, we are seeing the actions of those who profess their faith but have “forgotten the face of their Father.”

Recommended reading: Trumpocracy – The Corruption of the American Republic

Support Palmer Report: PayPal • GoFundMe

When it comes to important political storylines, Palmer Report is consistently early and accurate – just ask our longtime readers. You can follow Palmer Report on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up for our mailing list.

Daniel Cotter is a lawyer writing and teaching about SCOTUS, and married father of two boys living in Chicago, Illinois.

http://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/house-chaplain-fired-paul-ryan/9745/

*Matthew 7:21-23 New King James Version (NKJV)

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 30, 2018, 06:44:31 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbutthatsnoneofmybusiness.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F01%2Flobbyists.jpg&hash=8909b05665d52b6a90a24403cd0d910c3932f1f9)

Almost 2/3 Of Americans Have Given Up On Political Parties, Citing Corruption In Government

by Tyler Durden

Mon, 04/30/2018 - 17:15

Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,

Disillusioned by the promises of politicians and convinced that the entire political system is irreparably corrupt,  many Americans will be staying out of the voting booth for the 2018 elections.

This isn’t new, however, as many refused to vote in 2016 as well.

Respondents told poll takers at USA Today and Suffolk University in a recent survey:

Quote
“Nearly two-thirds of adult U.S. citizens will stay away from the polls during the coming midterm elections, and they say they have given up on the political parties and a system that they say is beyond reform and repair…

A majority of those non-voters would like to see a third party or multiple parties.” –Suffolk University

Although that number may seem high, in 2016, faced with the prospect of having to choose between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, 46.9% of eligible voters didn’t even vote in the presidential election.

Most of those who no longer vote have given up on the “lesser of two evils” fallacy and the irrational belief that somehow the government has our best interests in mind.

The Huffington Post noted,

Quote
“The poll surveyed Americans who aren’t registered to vote or who are registered but say they’re unlikely to cast a ballot. Combined, the two groups include more than 100 million adults, the pollsters note.”

And the corruption in government is becoming apparent to those who choose to opt out of voting. About 68 percent of independent voters and party registered voters who say they are unlikely to vote this year agreed with the statement:

Quote
“I don’t pay much attention to politics because it is so corrupt.”

It’s a marked increase over the 54 percent of respondents who agreed to this characterization of politics in the 2012 survey.

The bad news for both major political parties continues too.  According to Truth in Media, around 63 percent of respondents in these categories agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “I don’t pay much attention to politics because nothing ever gets done – it’s a bunch of empty promises,” which is also up from the 59 percent who said the same nearly six years ago.

Only 22 percent of respondents said the Democratic and Republican parties do a good job of representing Americans’ political views, which is down from 32 percent when the question was asked in 2012.

An increasing number of voters from both sides are beginning to see the corruption and manufactured compassion inherent in most (if not all) politicians.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-04-30/almost-23-americans-have-given-political-parties-citing-corruption-government

Agelbert NOTE: When a government no longer has the consent of the governed, the governed become ungovernable (see below).

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040417131033.jpeg&hash=c3c9e3cced8af544267cb6a5b9ee696a653e31a7)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 03, 2018, 02:52:39 pm
AgMag

Top 8 Farm Subsidy Loopholes

By Scott Faber, Vice President of Government Affairs

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2018

Our farm safety net is already so filled with loopholes that the top 3 percent of farms – or about 60,000 farms – receive roughly 40 percent of all farm subsidies.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

Many farms receive more than $1 million in subsidies annually, and the share of subsidies the largest farms claim has increased from 11 percent in 1991 to 34 percent in 2015.

But the farm bill under consideration by the House Agriculture Committee tomorrow would create new loopholes that would further tilt the playing field in favor of the largest farms.

Here are the top farm subsidy loopholes in the House farm bill:

Eliminates Means Test – Under current law, farm operations with adjusted gross incomes of more than $900,000, or $1.8 million for couples, are ineligible for subsidies. The House bill would eliminate the means test for “pass-through entities,” like partnerships and joint ventures, allowing millionaires and billionaires to get subsidies. In addition, the bill fails to lower the current means test to $500,000 and apply the means test to crop insurance subsidies, as proposed by President Trump.

Adds Cousins, Nieces and Nephews – Under current law, family members like siblings and adult children are eligible for subsidies – regardless of whether they live or work on the farm. The House bill would also make cousins, nieces and nephews eligible for subsidies. The bill does not limit subsidies to one person per farm, as proposed by President Trump, or create work requirements for farm subsidy recipients.

Creates New Corporate Loopholes – Under current law, a corporation is treated as a single person for the purposes of determining eligibility for subsidies. But Section 1603 of the House bill would allow each member of certain pass-through entities, like S Corporations, to receive subsidies, just like farm partnerships.

Exempts Pass-Through Entities from Payment Limit – Pass-through entities like partnerships and joint ventures would also be exempt from a $125,000 payment limit on certain subsidies. The bill also removes payment limits for loan deficiency payments and marketing loan gains, does not cap crop insurance premium subsidies, and fails to reduce the payment limit for peanut subsidies, as President Trump proposed.

Does Not Limit Partner Subsidies – The House bill places no limit on the number of partners who can receive subsidies. Under current law, each member of a farm partnership is treated as a separate person when calculating subsidy payments, so the partnership’s potential payment limit is equal to the number of qualifying members.
Does Not Limit Manager Subsidies – The House bill does not reduce the number of so-called farm managers who can receive subsidies. Under current law, certain farms could continue to designate up to three managers to be eligible for subsidies – even if those individuals don’t work on the farm or provide little or no management.

Increases Price Guarantees – The House bill also increases the price guarantees included the 2014 Farm Bill by up to 15 percent. The bill fails to reduce crop insurance premium subsidies from 62 percent to 48 percent, as President Trump proposed.

Extends Insurance Company Subsidies – The House bill continues to provide $1.5 billion in annual subsidies to crop insurance agents, and continues to guarantee crop insurance companies a 14 percent rate of return.

https://www.ewg.org/agmag/2018/04/top-8-farm-subsidy-loopholes
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 21, 2018, 05:52:25 pm
Truthdig

May 21, 2018

The Coming Collapse

By Chris Hedges —  Every day the foundations of our institutions decay more, but American society is emotionally unable to grasp the mortal danger that approaches.

SNIPPET:

The system is designed so we can never free ourselves from debt.

However, the next financial crash, as Prins points out in her book “Collusion: How Central Bankers Rigged the World,” won’t be like the last one. This is because, as she says, “there is no Plan B.” Interest rates can’t go any lower. There has been no growth in the real economy. The next time, there will be no way out. Once the economy crashes and the rage across the country explodes into a firestorm, the political freaks will appear, ones that will make Trump look sagacious and benign.

Full article:

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-coming-collapse/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270115141816.png&hash=9e5b9256040e731f025e15fd44bffae1fc05d7c7)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 21, 2018, 06:34:48 pm
Truthdig

MAY 20, 2018

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F9DqiHlb.png&hash=a8312422f3f46e2662383a7d71292cb44c78c94d)

Trump’s 🦀 Strategic Assault on Democracy, Word by Word

By Karen J. Greenberg / TomDispatch

SNIPPET:

Tiny as that incident was, at a conference meant largely for students but open to an array of professionals, it caught the essence of this administration’s take-no-prisoners approach to the language many of us customarily use to describe the country we live in. Such an assault is, of course, nothing new under Trump. After all, the current president had barely entered the Oval Office when the first reports began to emerge about instances in which language at various government websites was being altered, words and concepts being changed or simply obliterated.

Since then, the language of an America that the president and his associates reject has been under constant attack. Some of those acts of aggression were to be expected, given the campaign promises that preceded his election. Take climate change, which Donald Trump called a “Chinese hoax” long before he filled his administration with rabid climate deniers. The Department of Agriculture was typical. Its new officials excised the very word “climate change” from their website, substituting “weather extremes,” and changed the phrase “reduce greenhouse gases” to the palpably deceptive “increase nutrient use energy.” Across the board, in fact, .gov websites replaced “climate change” with vague words like “resilience” and “sustainability.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0)


But you don’t have to focus on the urge to obliterate all evidence of climate change, even the words to describe it. Other alterations have been no less notable. For starters, as at the recent conference I attended, there has been a clear rejection of language that connoted the have-nots, the excluded, and the marginalized of our world. At the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), for example, this year’s budget request carefully excluded such descriptors from its mission and purpose statement. Originally incorrectly reported as a policy decision to ban certain words from use at the agency, CDC officials were simply reading the tea leaves of the new administration and quickly ridding their budget requests of key words, now poison in Trump’s Washington, describing their mission. These were words suddenly seen as red flags when it came to the use of government funds to help the less fortunate or the discriminated against. Examples included “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” and “fetus” — and with science now in disrepute for its anti-fossil-fuel findings, also discarded were the phrases “evidence-based” and “science-based.”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)


Full article:

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/trumps-strategic-assault-on-democracy-word-by-word/ (https://www.truthdig.com/articles/trumps-strategic-assault-on-democracy-word-by-word/)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-050515144544.png&hash=7ee8a9d0ff80a564867eeb5fc64c6c942dec8dee)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 23, 2018, 03:07:09 pm
How Big Is the “City of London”?

London is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, but just because you've visited London doesn't mean that you've actually visited the City of London. In fact, Greater London is divided into 33 local authority districts: 32 boroughs and a 1-square-mile financial district officially known as the "City of London."

The hotbed of monetary matters is overseen by the City Corporation😈 🍌 🏴‍☠️ and is home to less than 10,000 residents 👹 🎩  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78), yet hundreds of thousands of Londoners commute there every day.

It is also the historic center of Greater London and was known as "Londinium" when it was founded in 43 A.D. by the Romans. The rest of the metropolis gradually grew up around the City, and Greater London is now home to more than 8 million people.

Secrets of other cities: 🕵️

We call Los Angeles "L.A." for short, but its official name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles Sobre el Río Porciúncula.  :P

The Golden Arches in front of the McDonald's on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, France, are white because the yellow arches were deemed to be too tacky for the City of Light.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220216203149.gif&hash=bd184b6edccce4045e246847a0c84e89bd5a18b6)

Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world that sits on two continents, spanning Asia and Europe. 👀

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-big-is-the-city-of-london.htm (http://www.wisegeek.com/how-big-is-the-city-of-london.htm)

Greater London is formally created

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Greater_London_UK_location_map_2.svg)
Greater London

Greater London was formally created by the London Government Act 1963, which came into force on 1 April 1965, replacing the administrative counties of Middlesex and London, including the City of London, where the London County Council had limited powers, and absorbing parts of Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey. Greater London originally had a two-tier system of local government, with the Greater London Council (GLC) sharing power with the City of London Corporation (governing the small City of London) and the 32 London Borough councils. The GLC was abolished in 1986 by the Local Government Act 1985. Its functions were devolved to the City Corporation and the London Boroughs, with some functions transferred to central government and joint boards.[20]

Greater London was used to form the London region of England in 1994. A referendum held in 1998 established a public will to recreate an upper tier of government to cover the region. The Greater London Authority, London Assembly and the directly elected Mayor of London were created in 2000 by the Greater London Authority Act 1999. In 2000, the outer boundary of the Metropolitan Police District was re-aligned to the Greater London boundary. The 2000 and 2004 mayoral elections were won by Ken Livingstone (L), who had been the final leader of the GLC. The 2008 and 2012 elections were won by Boris Johnson (C). The 2016 election was won by Sadiq Khan (L).

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_London#/media/File:City.hall.london.arp.jpg)
The Greater London Authority  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) is based in City Hall

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_London (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_London)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 23, 2018, 10:18:52 pm
How Big Is the “City of London”?

London is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, but just because you've visited London doesn't mean that you've actually visited the City of London. In fact, Greater London is divided into 33 local authority districts: 32 boroughs and a 1-square-mile financial district officially known as the "City of London."

The hotbed of monetary matters is overseen by the City Corporation😈 🍌 🏴‍☠️ and is home to less than 10,000 residents 👹 🎩  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78), yet hundreds of thousands of Londoners commute there every day.

It is also the historic center of Greater London and was known as "Londinium" when it was founded in 43 A.D. by the Romans. The rest of the metropolis gradually grew up around the City, and Greater London is now home to more than 8 million people.

Secrets of other cities: 🕵️

We call Los Angeles "L.A." for short, but its official name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles Sobre el Río Porciúncula.  :P

The Golden Arches in front of the McDonald's on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, France, are white because the yellow arches were deemed to be too tacky for the City of Light.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220216203149.gif&hash=bd184b6edccce4045e246847a0c84e89bd5a18b6)

Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world that sits on two continents, spanning Asia and Europe. 👀

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-big-is-the-city-of-london.htm (http://www.wisegeek.com/how-big-is-the-city-of-london.htm)

Greater London is formally created

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Greater_London_UK_location_map_2.svg)
Greater London

Greater London was formally created by the London Government Act 1963, which came into force on 1 April 1965, replacing the administrative counties of Middlesex and London, including the City of London, where the London County Council had limited powers, and absorbing parts of Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey. Greater London originally had a two-tier system of local government, with the Greater London Council (GLC) sharing power with the City of London Corporation (governing the small City of London) and the 32 London Borough councils. The GLC was abolished in 1986 by the Local Government Act 1985. Its functions were devolved to the City Corporation and the London Boroughs, with some functions transferred to central government and joint boards.[20]

Greater London was used to form the London region of England in 1994. A referendum held in 1998 established a public will to recreate an upper tier of government to cover the region. The Greater London Authority, London Assembly and the directly elected Mayor of London were created in 2000 by the Greater London Authority Act 1999. In 2000, the outer boundary of the Metropolitan Police District was re-aligned to the Greater London boundary. The 2000 and 2004 mayoral elections were won by Ken Livingstone (L), who had been the final leader of the GLC. The 2008 and 2012 elections were won by Boris Johnson (C). The 2016 election was won by Sadiq Khan (L).

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_London#/media/File:City.hall.london.arp.jpg)
The Greater London Authority  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) is based in City Hall

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_London (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_London)

A conspiracy theory favorite...but most of this info is legit.

The City of London houses

Rothschild controlled ‘Bank of England’
Lloyds of London
The London Stock Exchange
All British Banks
The Branch offices of 384 Foreign Banks
70 USA Banks
Fleet Streets Newspaper and Publishing Monopolies
Headquarters for Worldwide Freemasonry
Headquarters for the worldwide money cartel known as ’THE CROWN’
The City of London is controlled by the Bank of England, a private corporation owned by the Rothschild family after Nathan Rothschild crashed the English stock market in 1812 and took control of the Bank of England.

The Queen refers to the City of London Corporation as the ‘Firm’  but it is known as The CROWN (not representing the Royalty of Britain). Buckingham Palace is in London but not in the City of London and the City is not part of England.

City of London directly and indirectly controls all mayors, councils, regional councils, multi-national and trans-national banks, corporations, judicial systems (through Old Bailey, Temple Bar and the Royal Courts of Justice in London), the IMF, World Bank, Vatican Bank (through N. M. Rothschild & Sons London Italian subsidiary Torlonia), European Central Bank, United States Federal Reserve (which is privately owned and secretly controlled by eight British-controlled shareholding banks), the Bank for International Settlements in Switzerland (which is also British-controlled and oversees all of the Reserve Banks around the world including our own) and the European Union and the United Nations Organization.  The Crown controls the global financial system and runs the governments of all Commonwealth countries, and many non-Commonwealth ‘Western’ nations as well (like Greece). The Crown traces back to the Vatican, which is headed by the Pope (who owns American Express)  In essence the City of London Corporation would become the “One World Earth Corporation” and would privately own the world.

http://www.sinhalanet.net/three-corporations-run-the-world-city-of-london-washington-dc-and-vatican-city (http://www.sinhalanet.net/three-corporations-run-the-world-city-of-london-washington-dc-and-vatican-city)

I'm not so sure about the connection to the Vatican, or whether the Pope really owns American Express.

Just because we are paranoid does not mean they aren't out to git us.  ;D
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 25, 2018, 11:01:07 pm
Democracy in Chains: The Radical Right’s Stealth Attack on American Democracy

May 23, 2018

In part one, Nancy Maclean reveals Nobel prize-winning economist James M. Buchanan as the architect of the Koch Brothers’ secret campaign to undermine public education, unions, and to reshape America

(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9adc777a0e08428257b76ece69d18ee52006bb5e39d60d966bb2440d29d17641.jpg)

https://youtu.be/MsBNwMjEo90

Story Transcript

JAISAL NOOR: 2018 has been the year of the teacher, as waves of protest in mostly Republican-dominated states starting in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona, and most recently North Carolina have challenged not only low pay, but tax cuts and the privatization that have crippled public education.

STRIKING NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER: The state keeps asking more of us every year, but giving us less resources. So that’s one of the big reasons we’re here to fight today.

JAISAL NOOR: These states have all adopted policies backed by right-wing billionaires like the Koch brothers, whose network of dark money funders has poured untold sums into transforming the American political landscape by shackling the government’s ability to fund social services and enforce regulations while cutting taxes on the wealthy and increasing protections for corporations, all while passing a slew of restrictive voter laws, in the name of advancing so-called liberty.

A number of reporters and scholars have written works that have shed light on the workings of the shadowy networks of the right-wing billionaires like the Koch brothers. But until now there has been little understanding of the origins of the ideology behind this assault on democratic institutions. That led our next guest, Nancy MacLean, the William Chafee Professor of History and Public Policy at Duke University, to look into the ideological foundations of this movement. And what she uncovered is deeply shocking and troubling; the subject her explosive book, “Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America.” Really happy to have you on.

NANCY MACLEAN: Great to be with you.

JAISAL NOOR: So For the first part of this discussion, let’s start at George Mason University, where you stumbled upon a remarkably unguarded trove of documents belonging to the late Nobel Prize-winning economist James McGill Buchanan, and what you were able to piece together about his role in the Koch brothers’ plans to reshape America and its democratic institutions. Talk about how you came across this, and what you started to piece together.

NANCY MACLEAN: Well, James Buchanan had been on my radar from some historical research that I had done on the state of Virginia’s massive resistance to Brown vs. Board of Education in the late 1950s, and I became intrigued with him. And when I finally was able to get into his private archive at George Mason in 2013, I found all of my suspicions confirmed about the ways that his ideas were being weaponized by the Koch donor network in order to effectively disable our democracy, and to do things like privatizing public education, inflicting these radical cuts in necessary social services in the country, changing constitutional law. All kinds of things I was able to find in that archive.

And ironically, I got into the archive in September of 2013, just as Buchanan’s ideas were guiding a government shutdown in Washington, D.C. led by Ted Cruz, a figure deeply steeped in both this thinking and rooted in the Koch network. So very, very, I would say, unsettling experience to be in the archives during the day while watching the damage being inflicted on Americans who needed the federal government’s services, and needed the government open during the time I was at the archives for the first time.

JAISAL NOOR: So, limiting democratic participation and empowering the wealthy is nothing new in American history. What’s different about Buchanan’s work? What makes his ideas so radical and so dangerous to democracy?

NANCY MACLEAN: Yeah, Buchanan was playing on that same team(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) as the wider right, with people like Milton Friedman and others who believed in a kind of free market fundamentalism, believed that government was the problem, believed that the solution was to turn decision making over to the market for just about everything. But what was different about Buchanan is that he came up with a theory of how government grew over the 20th century, and particularly the domestic part of government, what is sometimes called the liberal state. So things like Social Security and Medicare, worker’s rights, environmental protection, antidiscrimination, and so forth. He produced a theory that was aimed really to discredit government so that people would not automatically look to government in cases of market failure, and that turned out to be a much more insidious, and in the long run effective, approach to to undermining the popular achievements of the 20th century.

So Buchanan’s approach was complementary to that of Friedman and the Chicago school and others, but again, much more devastating. And we see it today in all the language about the swamp, the notion that all public figures are corrupt and misleading the public. All of those ideas really stem from a school of thought that Buchanan developed called ‘public choice economics’ most broadly, and his particular variant was often called the Virginia school of political economy.

JAISAL NOOR: So a historic figure sort of plays big in this, in your book. James C. Calhoun (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6), who was a slave owner, a former vice president, a statesman from South Carolina who had a lot of influence in the first half of the 19th century in the United States. What role-. So, talk about who he is and his significance, and what role he had on the thinking of Buchanan and other influential figures in this libertarian arch-right movement. .

NANCY MACLEAN: Yes. Before James Buchanan, John C. Calhoun was the most significant antidemocratic thinker in America. He was a Southern slaveholder from South Carolina, onetime vice president, South Carolina member of the U.S. Senate. And he produced two big treatises reinterpreting the constitution and the purpose of American government in a way that would protect slaveholders’ interests. He did this a generation after the founders, and he did it because he could see that national majorities were developing that would challenge slavery and he wanted to protect what had become the most profitable capitalist institution in the mid-19th century when he was writing, or I should say the early 19th century, the first third of it, and the 1820s and ’30s in particular.

And basically he was a theorist of what I’ve come to think about as property supremacy, a kind of property supremacy that reinterprets the constitution in a, in order to protect the absolute prerogatives of property holders, the most dramatic being slaveholders, in order to keep democratic government at bay. And what’s really interesting about Calhoun is that Buchanan’s own colleagues at George Mason University have called John C. Calhoun a precursor to modern public choice theory, in particular to the ideas of this figure James McGill Buchanan (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) , their former colleague. And they actually said that the two systems of ideas had the same purpose and effect. And I could not agree more with that because I think the purpose is to protect the rights of property holders, particularly the wealthiest among them, from the reach of majoritarian democracy. I think that, that kind of sums it up.

JAISAL NOOR: And can you talk about the response from George Mason University before and after they were recently forced to admit that this tremendous amount of money they were getting from the Koch brothers came with strings attached which actually compromise their entire department? Because the Koch brothers had veto power over who served, you know, who, who could work at George Mason? You talk about that, and their evolving response in this case.

NANCY MACLEAN: Yeah, it’s a really chilling story. I will say that I have direct personal experience of how poisonous a presence this Koch donor network is in our public life, because after my book came out, you know, the initial review attention and media attention was universally positive and favorable from professional reviewers from historians and others. And about two or so weeks in, two to three weeks in, there was this kind of libertarian pile on. And much of it came from faculty at George Mason University, who had been funded by the Koch network, who were working with the Koch implant on the campus at George Mason in the economics department, the law school. And something called the Mercatus Center, which, interestingly, is housed on the campus of this public university but in no way accountable to it, and Charles Koch has sat on its board for years.

So, what we saw there is how the Charles Koch Foundation 🦕🦖 and the operatives that it funds basically are weaponizing their implants 😈 👹 on our public university campuses in order to come after anyone who is critical of this operation. And there were a few researchers from Greenpeace, and a wonderful group of young people who have built a group called UnKoch My Campus that researched the people who were attacking me and my book, and found that in 90 cases these were people who were, received-. Faculty members who received direct funding from Charles Koch, or operatives in his various operations, who in most cases never declared their conflicts of interest, basically violating ethics 101 in these attacks.

And the important thing about this is not the personal thing, the attacks on me, but what it tells us about how our higher education system is being used for this larger political project. And as you say, the recent revelations over the last few weeks of what has happened over the years at George Mason 🐉 are quite breathtaking. In one case a faculty member was chosen, hand selected by a donor for a tenured position at this public university. And ironically, he was also the first out of the gate to attack me, this individual. So it is really stunning. The other thing that has come out in these revelations from George Mason is the extent of donor influence over faculty hiring and assessments of faculty performance. They were actually able to have a voice in getting rid of faculty if they didn’t adequately advance the Koch donor project.

And especially chilling was revelations from the law school, I should say all made possible by FOIA inquiries associated with UnKoch My Campus, and a group called Transparent GMU, FOIA inquiries that found that the Federalist Society, the body that has been vetting and recommending federal judges to Republican administrations since Ronald Reagan, the Federalist Society had actually set up a front group, a front group of the kind usually used, in legal terms, for money laundering, to funnel money to the now-named Scalia School of Law at George Mason, in order to use that law school as a base of operations for moving our judiciary to the right in terms of faculty appointments, setting up programs that could assist in this political project, and placing students in clerkships with judges on the right.

So it is really mind blowing for scholars to see what is being done to our universities. And although George Mason’s administration at first denied this for years to their faculty senate and to the students who were concerned on campus, they have had to admit, now that these FOIA requests have become public, that in fact the donors had grossly undue influence on the campus that has corrupted academic integrity at this public institution.

JAISAL NOOR: Well, that’s really tremendous. And you know, it sort of demonstrates the ideological conviction over the academic, academic conviction of this group. So this wraps up the first part of this discussion about Democracy in Chains, by Nancy MacLean. In our next part we’ll focus on public education and why this assault on democracy has been so closely focused on it. Thanks so much for joining us.

https://therealnews.com/stories/democracy-in-chains-the-radical-rights-stealth-attack-on-american-democracy
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 28, 2018, 09:45:58 pm
Truthdig

Glenn Greenwald: Trump 🦀 Is a ‘Continuation of American Political Culture’ 😈 👹 💵 🎩 🍌 🏴‍☠️ 🐉🦕🦖  (Video)

MAY 27, 2018

— Posted by Natasha Hakimi Zapata

https://youtu.be/DKRGsPCUTqs

https://www.truthdig.com/videos/glenn-greenwald-trump-is-a-continuation-of-american-political-culture-video/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 02, 2018, 12:51:42 pm
June 2, 2018

This week’s #TrumpThreatLevel:

After much delay, the Trump administration finally released a legal explanation to justify its reckless escalation of the war in Syria. (https://act.indivisible.org/go/89952?t=15&akid=21655%2E538018%2EV0Jbbf) Spoiler alert: this explanation isn’t good enough. Trump is basically claiming that he can authorize military force anytime he wants without first consulting Congress. That’s not what the Constitution says, and that puts us all in danger.

The Trump administration has dramatically ramped up lethal force operations around the world, leaving behind a large civilian body count. But even though Trump is required by law to disclose just how many civilians have been killed, he is blocking accountability by refusing to share that information (https://act.indivisible.org/go/121293?t=16&akid=21655%2E538018%2EV0Jbbf) with the public.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200317173810.png&hash=e0014c983c1e07f5fb22f33087bbd952dfa654b2)

Trump 🦀 keeps botching diplomacy with North Korea. First the much-hyped summit is canceled, then it’s back on. South Korean President Moon Jae-In is working hard to salvage a path forward, but Trump keeps raising the threat level anyway. (https://act.indivisible.org/go/11162?t=17&akid=21655%2E538018%2EV0Jbbf)

Visit trumpthreatlevel.indivisible.org for a running list (http://act.indivisible.org/go/60645?t=18&akid=21655%2E538018%2EV0Jbbf) of all the ways Trump makes us less safe and our latest foreign policy resources to take action.



Looking ahead

This Tuesday, we’ve got a major set of exciting primaries, including three of our nationally endorsed candidates! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)

→ Jeramey Anderson for Congress in MS-04

→ Virginia Madueño for Congress in CA-10

→ Harley Rouda for Congress in CA-48

    You can read more about them on Indivisible435.org!       (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191456.bmp&hash=a239c2fd76d20d142f1c54b961e22ebd0d2a4808) (https://act.indivisible.org/go/85857?t=19&akid=21655%2E538018%2EV0Jbbf)

All three of these candidates are running amazing grassroots campaigns, and Indivisibles are getting out the vote on these final few days before election day to get their endorsed candidates to the next round. Indivisible CA-48, who endorsed Harley Rouda, has been typing away at text banking shifts ahead of the big day on Tuesday -- check out their unstoppable, dedicated volunteers here! (https://act.indivisible.org/go/121546?t=20&akid=21655%2E538018%2EV0Jbbf)

We couldn’t be more excited to see all of the incredible engagement of both Indivisible groups and endorsed candidates ahead of November. You’re building the big #BlueWave and we’re humbled to call ourselves a part of this movement. Good luck on Tuesday and we’ll be cheering you all on from afar!

In solidarity,

The Indivisible Team
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 03, 2018, 12:59:20 pm
Everything you think you know about the Deep State is probably WRONG.



Webster Tarpley audio: The Deep State: What It Is 🐍  AND how it put Trump 🦀 into Power

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.funny-emoticons.com%2Ffiles%2Ffunny-animals%2Fblue-bird-emoticons%2F801-listen-up%21.png&hash=f7fb2b5263a68b91c628fc597877983f813843e5) Program – June 02, 2018 Download: WCR-20180602.mp3 (http://tarpley.net/world-crisis-radio/)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 03, 2018, 01:27:16 pm
Trump's announcement that withdrawing US troops from South Korea is NOT on the agenda for Summit 1 means that Summit 1 won't be successful.  Hopefully there will be a Summit 2 with a different agenda, but an attack on NK is more likely given the hubris involved and the escalation of tensions being provoked around the world, see Geopolitics.

Those tensions alone are plenty. Add to those the domestic pressures from the Mueller probe, the Cohen tapes, and having to rendition Melania to a prison in Thailand to keep her from publicly leaving him. Trump will readily sacrifice Americans to save himself, just as Hitler was prepared to sacrifice the German people at war's end.

All bullshit aside is this **** maniacal Trump hatred ever going to end here for a day at least.

Aren't you blowing this Melania situation out of hand. The man is a womanizer, has been married three times, everyone knows what he is including her. He never represented himself as a holy or exemplary family man

Now your accusing him of murdering her, and claiming his going to sacrifice lives of Americans, comparing him to Hitler, how disgusting.

Grow up will you all. The man is a human being, has a mother a father wives and children and is an American Citizen.

He was elected by your fellow citizens, he didn't seize power. Hate him all you wish but after a few years of this **** it's time to act like adults. 

When you own the fact that you can't handle criticism of Trump because you support his dastardly, empathy deficit disordered, immoral, vulgar, might is right world view, then maybe you can claim a basis for your endless whining. Until then, the only one into nauseatingly repetitive bullshit is you.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 03, 2018, 01:29:29 pm
All bullshit aside is this **** maniacal Trump hatred ever going to end here for a day at least.

Aren't you blowing this Melania situation out of hand. The man is a womanizer, has been married three times, everyone knows what he is including her. He never represented himself as a holy or exemplary family man

No. Not for a minute.

Defend him as you will, and own the white nationalism, rampant criminality, utterly disgusting racism that drips, drips, drips from him. like gonorrhea, grifting, and the lies, lies, the incessant lies. Yeah, that's your boy.

You go nourish yourself with the corn picked out of his turds. Bon appetit.

In re Melania, she hasn't been seen in 22 days. Her twitter account has made a single post, in language clearly not hers. So WHERE is she?

I think she is leaving his ass,and he has her sequestered. Got a better idea?

Not mine.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 08, 2018, 05:58:19 pm
Why the GOP 🦍 Really Wants to Cancel the Senate’s August Recess

WRITTEN BY Robin Marty , Care2

PUBLISHED June 8, 2018

SNIPPET:

McConnell cites a “judicial crisis” of empty seats that still need to be filled — ignoring the fact that the reason so many seats remain open is because the Senate GOP refused to confirm President Barack Obama’s nominations. Regardless, for Republicans the need is real.

After all, come January 2019, there’s a strong possibility that Republicans will no longer hold the majority — and it will be the Democrats with the power to confirm or deny.

But filling up judicial vacancies is only a fig leaf for the real reason behind the clamor to keep Senate in session as often as possible. According to The Hill, the other goal is to prevent Democratic incumbents from campaigning at home, giving an advantage to their GOP challengers.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doomsteaddiner.net%2Fforum%2FSmileys%2Fdd1%2Ficon_study.gif&hash=1cf00a8329d6fd992f7fd6d76ef38ca0a2bbaa14)

https://truthout.org/articles/why-the-gop-really-wants-to-cancel-the-senates-august-recess/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 08, 2018, 09:22:32 pm
June 8, 2018

Primaries Expose Bitter Fight 🤬 in Democratic Party

Down with Tyranny blogger Howie Klein says corporate Democrats fight to undermine and defeat progressive candidates in spite of Sanders’ proven success in working class districts

https://youtu.be/cDXYl7stwiQ
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 11, 2018, 06:11:24 pm
They're 👹 Not Even Trying to Hide It Anymore (https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a21271456/supreme-court-ohio-voter-purge/)

Yep.  :(

The racist bastards never stop doing what they do. As they get more confident of their power, they become more in-our-faces about brazenly doing what those evil bastards have ALWAYS done since ancient times, when they could get away with it.


Quote
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

Proverbs 30:12-14

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 11, 2018, 09:46:29 pm
The news from Puerto Rico

The Battle for Paradise

https://youtu.be/pTiZtYaB3Zo

A corporate-government program 🦀 to undermine  civil society 😠

Quote
A video version of Naomi Klein's new book "The Battle for Paradise."

The situation in a nutshell:

Grassroots efforts are thriving in the face of extraordinary challenges.

Official efforts are failing - deliberately.

Why?

https://youtu.be/OjG7qqomvBk

One reliable place to send help:

http://hispanicfederation.org

http://www.nextworldtv.com/videos/what-isnt-working-1/the-news-from-puerto-rico.html
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 13, 2018, 12:49:29 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Who was King Lemuel's Mother? ??? Nobody knows, but her advice is still wrongly ignored. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183312.bmp&hash=02dafef2fe739676600fdc9bd56271f0f5ab3723) The writer here covers it pretty well. However, I disagree that everyone who self-medicates becomes an addict. Most people who self-medicate do not. It is Biblically OKAY to self-medicate to mitigate the pain of sickness and/or poverty. It is just wrong to condemn everyone who self-medicates. Too many Christians have a stuffed shirt, overly judgemental, attitude towards drinking. There is NO Biblical basis for claiming Christians should not drink fermented beverages. The Biblical admonition, in several places in Scipture, is to avoid getting drunk, not to abstain totally from drinking.

But, since "Evangelical Christians" have an irrational prejudice against drinking, they try to spin the Bible to make it look like Scripture prohibits drinking booze.

All that said, it is to the writer's credit (though he wrongly tries to spin the good advice for the poor as "irony") that he admits that the advice of King Lemuel's mother is sound. King Lemuel's mother 🕊 makes it quite clear that the pain and misery of the sick and/or those in poverty is ample justification for self-medication.

As you can see from the vulgar, arrogant and totally unprincipled government leaders 🦀🐉🦕🦖 we are cursed with today, the elites continue to ignore this timeless advice.  :(

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Die_Sprüchen_Salomos.jpg/1200px-Die_Sprüchen_Salomos.jpg)

Proverbs 31:1-9: Lemuel’s Mother And The Duties Of Kings

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Nathan Albright

The identity of King Lemuel is unknown. Some people think that Lemuel is a pen name of King Solomon, the author of most of Proverbs, but like Agur, the author of Proverbs 30 [1], he may simply be an otherwise unknown wise man whose wisdom remains in the Bible even after he has been forgotten by history. In this case, the wisdom was (according to Proverbs) originally the wisdom of Lemuel’s mother. Unfortunately, Lemuel’s mother, who was presumably a princess or queen herself, has not been recorded in scripture, and as Lemuel’s identity or his realm is forgotten, Lemuel’s mother also has been consigned to historical oblivion.

Nonetheless, what is most important about King Lemuel and his mother is not their identity, or what realm they ruled over, but the worthiness and implications of the advice itself on the duties and responsibilities of kings. Needless to say, the subject is of considerable interest to me. Of course, when the Bible speaks about kings and their duties and responsibilities, kings is a title that refers to civil rulers and leaders in general and is not limited to monarchy, though it is of course applicable at all places and all time.

There are three pieces of advice given to Lemuel by his mother and then recorded in scripture. Let us examine each of them in turn and see what sort of relevant advice we can glean from them. The first piece of advice is recorded in Proverbs 31:1-3: “The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him: What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.” It is ironic that Lemuel’s mother tells him not to give his strength to women nor his ways to that which destroys kings. What is meant here? Given the context, that Lemuel is the son of his mother’s womb and vows, that Lemuel was a queen, the lawfully wedded wife of her husband, presumably a king. Giving your strength to women means collecting and being ensnared in a harem by women scheming for influence for themselves and their children. What destroys kings is the luxuriant and corrupt and decadent lifestyle that most monarchs live–a way that destroys them mind, body, and spirit. So, lesson number one for leaders is: don’t amass a harem; stick with one godly wife.

The second piece of advice is found in Proverbs 31:4-7: “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.” This is a wise command, but one that is seldom heeded by rulers. Far too often those who consider themselves elites enjoy parties and banquets and luxury. The Bible forbids leaders from drunkenness (including religious leaders) because it interferes with the duties of a leader to discern and judge justly. Intriguingly, Lemuel’s mother recommends drink for those who are perishing, whose lives are full of misery, so that they can forget their misery for a little while. This seems to be a major reason why people self-medicate their problems and become alcoholics. It is not clear whether this advice is ironic, and intended to point out that drunkenness reflects misery rather than happiness, vanity and futility rather than the proper purposeful life of a ruler, but it is sound advice anyway. Lesson number two for leaders is: stay sober and sober-minded.

The third lesson from Lemuel’s mother is contained in Proverbs 31:8-9: “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” Most kings and rulers may wish to be seen as defending the cause of their people, but in reality most of them plead the cause of elites, be they military leaders or aristocrats or palace courtiers or wealthy businessmen. Elites do not need for rulers to speak on their behalf. They have their own power, their own lobbyists and lawyers and other backers, and do not need the power of the throne to support their interests. Rather, it is the poor and needy and speechless, those who do not have a voice in the corridors of power, nor can afford those to speak on their behalf, that require the support of the ruler. And this support cannot merely be lip service, but needs to be the expenditure of actual political capital and effort on their behalf, for the cause of justice within a realm. Most rulers and leaders, whatever their inclinations, are unwilling to crusade for justice within their realms and institutions, but are content to go with the flow and enjoy the perks of office as well as the benefits of associating with those who are already powerful and well-connected, rather than to disrupt that equilibrium for the sake of justice and equity. Lesson number three for leaders is: godly leaders speak for the powerless and poor, not for the elites.

All of these pieces of advice for leaders cut against the grain of how leaders generally behave. If there are three sins of leaders that are extremely common, the sins of sexual immorality, luxuriant decadence, and casual injustice are high among them. These are especially omnipresent evils in monarchies whose focus is on splendor and luxury and where the power of the monarch and his inner clique is bolstered by some kind of bogus divine right view of leadership and where the responsibility of rulers to uphold constitutional standards is weak or nonexistent. We ought to be careful when we see such standards present to ensure that such rulers are made aware of their obligations to the people and cease from serving only themselves and their favorites. Lemuel’s mother gave immensely wise advice, and advice that is sadly seldom heeded by leaders, whether crowned monarchs or not, to this day. Let it not remain so.

[1] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/seven-things-i-learned-from-the-wisdom-of-agur/

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 13, 2018, 02:45:52 pm
You have to know these things when you're a King, you know.

https://youtu.be/SzS9YsJX14k

I don't think leaders these days get much good advice from their mothers, or anyone else. Your post points out one additional thing you didn't mention. These ideas are not new. They're as old as civilization. By now we should be figuring it out, but we aren't. Not a good reflection on the  durability of human wisdom.

Yup. One of these days I might even convince you we are DEVOLVING, instead of "evolving".  ;D
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 13, 2018, 04:56:17 pm
You have to know these things when you're a King, you know.

https://youtu.be/SzS9YsJX14k

I don't think leaders these days get much good advice from their mothers, or anyone else. Your post points out one additional thing you didn't mention. These ideas are not new. They're as old as civilization. By now we should be figuring it out, but we aren't. Not a good reflection on the  durability of human wisdom.

Yup. One of these days I might even convince you we are DEVOLVING, instead of "evolving".  ;D

No argument, really. We are Devo.
https://youtu.be/-JfJlaLO9bk

Yep.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 18, 2018, 06:16:35 pm
Cuba versus the USA in regard to the Level of Freedoms

I have no wish to trade my current repressive government for an even more repressive government so that I personally can live a lower standard of living. Tell me again why that's a good thing?

Oh come on.  Even you acknowledge to develop any kind of society that is remotely "sustainable" we need to Power Down, use less fossil fuels and live closer to the land with more of the population involved in food production.  The Cuban Revolution forced all those things to happen, and today Cuba is far better prepared for SHTF Day than the FSoA.  Voluntarily giving up your vacations to the VI and lowering your standard of living is a way to provide a better chance for your kids to have any kind of future at all.
I've got to second RE on this.  At least with the current government evidence can support or disprove that the government is repressive or not.  It is a matter of opinion but only so far, because facts are facts are facts and repression can be measured.  In contrast any government we 'trade' it for is a total speculative unknown because it has not yet happened.  It is a logical fallacy of some kind.  Maybe this one?

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RE

Perhaps expressing two things which can't possibly be traded is not exactly an amphiboly in a strict grammatical sense but the content of Eddie's statement is a claim that this is the best of all possible world by equating knowledge of a future which has not yet transpired.  That violates causality and is impossible.  It is a bourgeois acceptance of the status quo.

If you are confused think of having "repressive government" on both sides of a mathematical equation.  Basic algebra would cancel them out leaving you with the conclusion that we should accept what we have now because it must be the best.  That is Eddie's claim.  Problem is one of Eddies 'repressive governments' is imaginary and in the future and other one is not and is here with us right now.  Two different things which can't be equated can't cancel each other out, be the current government repressive or not.


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Well does "repression" have anything to do with resource scarcity? There is always resource scarcity more or less, less in good times, more in hard times. But now we have resource depletion and too many mouths to feed and therefore too many screams of social injustice and lack of equality. Who gets the biggest pieces of pie. Those with money and power. Who are the most repressed? Those living in places where the pie is declared evenly distributed by dictum. It's all bullshit of course, because the strongest, most opportunistic, smartest and most able always get more pie even when the pie is getting devoured. Idealists propose otherwise. That is what ideals are. Not reality! Reality is dark and stark. Nobody wants to look at it. They would rather just keep yammering about injustice and who is going to bell the cat. It's not going to change when the resources are next to nothing. The same fight for power and pie will continue in the midst of starvation. Only the weak will have less breath to scream and the strong and opportunistic will have more reason to uphold "private property". It has always been so. It will continue to be so. So Scream On. Cheers.

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I think resource scarcity and repression are clearly linked.

In a world (like the one humans once lived on a few generations ago), with lots of wide open spaces and not that many people, it is much easier to live a life free of government repression.

For nearly 100 years, malcontents from the lower 48 went and lived like mountain men in Alaska on public land. They trapped and fished, and lived for years without any contact with the government. Now the US Forest Service has helicopters and technology that can spot a cooking fire miles away. All those old guys died off and new ones are not allowed. The commons has been effectively cleared, because that public land has to be managed. By "managers". Bullshit. The Forest Service is in service to the corporations who profit from the resources, not the people. It's that simple.

Even though the US Constitution GUARANTEES  the right for Americans to occupy public land.

But yeah. I do agree that the idea that you can redistribute wealth equitably to build a better world overlooks the fact that some people are greedy no matter what their politics, and that powerful people always manage to do pretty much what they want, regardless.

Yep. Nevertheless, the following extremely profitable business in the USA has absolutely nothing to do with resource depletion and everything to do with carefully and cruelly planned exploitation, humiliation, impovershment, legal slavery and the methodical destruction of all socially beneficial cohesion in communites of color. I am certain that Cuba is less repressive, at least in this regard.

 
Rattling the Bars: More Arrests (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df) And Jail Time (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

June 17, 2018

Executive Producer Eddie Conway uncovers why more arrests are not resulting in safer making communities. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

https://youtu.be/jFQoXXmPAxo

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 18, 2018, 09:02:09 pm
Far-Right 🦀 Wins Presidency in Colombia: ‘A Frightening Result’ 😨

June 18, 2018

Ivan Duque, who is the candidate of former president Alvaro Uribe, won a solid victory for Colombia’s presidency and will probably take Colombia back towards civil war and internal repression, with the help of the US and other conservative governments, argues Manuel Rozental, of PueblosEnCamino.org

Quote
Manuel Rozental

Emmanuel Rozental is a Colombian activist, physician, and practicing surgeon with more than 40 years’ involvement in grassroots political organizing with youth, indigenous peoples, and urban and rural movements. He has been exiled several times to Canada for political activities. Academic in social and political sciences, strategist with social movements throughout the Americas and beyond.


https://youtu.be/REr-kwtr-AQ

SNIPPET from video interview:

Quote
So our fear is now that Colombia is the spearhead of the U.S. policy for this continent. And the U.S. policy for this continent in economic terms is this: war actually is not a means to an end. The resources and territories that are needed are not only a means to an end. War is the end in itself.

The Middle Eastern wars have activated the economy and have improved the economy in the U.S. [Inaudible] that Colombia’s role is one of the Israel of Latin America. And what comes here is a model and a new phase, neoliberalism is left behind.

The new phase such as Colombia and Mexico for capital from the U.S., and pushed by, promoted by U.S. corporations and the Pentagon, is actually a, let’s call it a mafia-type capitalism which is, on the one hand, drug trafficking and drug mafias together with governments and corporations, and launching all types of wars constantly.

I am not trying to generate fear. I’m just showing the type of movements we’re seeing developing here.

https://therealnews.com/stories/far-right-wins-presidency-in-colombia-a-frightening-result
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 19, 2018, 01:18:01 pm
Quote
Eddie: You don't think Cuba is more repressive than the US?  I suggest you try to move there. You can't.

That's biased BS.  You probably can't become a citizen of Cuba unless you marry a Cuban, but that's the same anywhere.  But you can go there for a holiday, or for a political conference (I know people who have been there, organised thru WSWS), and in Michael Moore's "Sicko" he took a dozen sick US citizens there and they got treated in hospital for free, and medicines free.  He wasn't allowed to go to the US part at Guantanamo.  After 50 years of US sanctions, their infrastructure is very run down, but that would be true in any country.

The ones that want to leave are the ones who have availed themselves of all the socialised free education, and then want to move somewhere else where they can earn more money for themselves and not pay Cuban taxes.  Greedy scum in other words.


The christian asylum seeker from Cuba I met in 2010-11 spoke English well, so I assume their education is at least half in English. That fits them perfectly for running offshore call centres for corporations or becoming bartenders and tour guides, making the big bucks compared to anyone still working for the Cuban govt "pretending to work and pretending to be paid". Perhaps taxing this free market that appeared as Castro was on his death bed can fund the govt and improve wages.  But u have to say also that if these people leave, whether they have their Cuban qualifications recognized I have no idea, but if they even work as low skill minimum wage for greed, their education failed.

Under communism all children are also wards of state and so are schooled in communism. All forms of art, music and literature are only approved to glorify the revolution. The same principle applies to all work, hence the hammer and sickle symbols. The sickles are a little ironic if there are no crops after scorched earth purges though. Anyway, would a programmer who likes to to work on apple, android and ms windows be as much a failure of communist education and greedy scum, as a painter or sculptor who isn't interested in portraits of revolutionaries?


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Eddie, EVERYTHING we have access to in the USA is based on Imperial REPRESSION of other countries AND the majority of non-wealthy Americans.

How can I say such an "outrageous" statement?

Ask yourself a simple question? How would you feel if you HAD TO buy and sell everything you depend on with Russian Rubles?

Would that bother you a teensy weensy bit?

I think it would put a MOUNTAIN SIZED BURR under your Texas saddle.

It's NOT "okay" because War loving Incarceration Nation USA does it to everyone that ain't rich here and everyone that don't live in the USA.

Please DO NOT tell me that we "had to do that before some other country did it to us 😇 ;)". That is not a justification for routine repression. And yeah, economic repression DIRECTLY translates into slave wages, poverty, lack of freedom, strife, wars, murder, and so on HERE and abroad. To pretend it doesn't is sophistry.

Cuba is simply not in the same ball park with the level of repression the USA is NUMERO UNO at on this planet.

We did not get our World Reserve Currency “exorbitant privilege” by being the "land of the free". We GOT THAT BY REPRESSION here, there and everywhere, period. Everything the American Imperial Economic Hitmen have done is repression, whether you wish to admit it or not. No other country on the planet, no matter how many they killed for this or that reason, comes close to our level of despotic behavior, except for England and Spain a couple of centuries back, on a much, much smaller scale. 

The phrase “exorbitant privilege” was originally coined in the 1960s by Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, then the French Minister of Finance. He was referring to the massive benefits imbuing to the United States for having the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Barry Eichengreen, Professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California Berkeley, summarized it thusly:
Quote
It costs only a few cents for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to produce a $100 bill, but other countries had to pony up $100 of actual goods in order to obtain one.” Commodities are priced in dollars; trade exchange takes place in dollars; current account deficits are priced that way too. Enormous benefits accrue to the USA because of it.

(https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Opposecapitalism5.jpg)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 19, 2018, 07:38:40 pm
US 🦍 leaves 'hypocritical and self-serving' UN Human Rights Council

19 Jun, 2018

Washington has decided to walk out of the UN Human Rights Council, accusing the body of hypocrisy. The US has long cited concerns about the body’s “anti-Israel bias.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley announced the decision at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

“The US is officially withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council,” Haley said, calling it a “hypocritical and self-serving organization that makes a mockery of human rights.”

“American participation is the last shred of credibility the council has,” Haley argued. “That is precisely why we must leave.”

“The Human Rights Council is a poor defender of human rights. Worse than that, it has become an exercise in shameless hypocrisy,” Pompeo said, blasting the council for passing more resolutions against Israel than against the rest of the world combined.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the US for the “courageous decision” to leave the body, which he called a “biased, hostile, anti-Israel organization that has betrayed its mission of protecting human rights.”

“The US decision to leave this prejudiced body is an unequivocal statement that enough is enough,” Netanyahu said. “Israel welcomes the American announcement.”

This is the first time a member of the council would leave the body voluntarily. The US was halfway through its three-year term on the 47-member panel.

On Monday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein criticized Washington over the “unconscionable” policy of separating children of immigrants who cross the border illegally and holding them in detention centers.

“I call on the United States to immediately end the practice of forcible separation of these children,” al-Hussein said.

While the timing of the US exit from the UN body coincides with this criticism, Washington’s objections to the Human Rights Council over the years have mostly been in regard to Israel. Ambassador Haley has accused the council of a “relentless, pathological campaign” against Israel, and said the US would leave unless the body gets rid of its “chronic anti-Israel bias.”

Shortly after its establishment in 2006, the council voted to make a review of alleged human rights abuses by Israel a permanent feature of every session, known as Agenda Item 7. Likewise, the body’s special rapporteur on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the only expert whose mandate is not time-limited.

The George W. Bush administration boycotted the council at its inception, but the Obama administration decided to “re-engage” with the body in 2009. Even so, in 2011 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused the council of “structural bias” against Israel.

Domestically, some critics of President Donald Trump are citing the move as proof his administration does not believe in human rights and rule of law.

The decision “sends a clear message that the Trump administration does not intend to lead the world when it comes to human rights,” said Senator Chris Coons (D-Delaware), who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Leaving the council is unlikely any immediate practical implications for US diplomacy, aside from allowing the UN body to continue condemnations of Israel without much in the way of opposition. Last month, when the council voted to investigate the killing of over 100 Palestinians in protests along the Israel-Gaza border and accused Israel of excessive force, only the US and Australia voted against.

https://www.rt.com/usa/430256-us-quits-human-rights-council/]https://www.rt.com/usa/430256-us-quits-human-rights-council/


Agelbert NOTE:Yep. In the face of  U.S.  "Human Rights" reports 😇  ;), which routinely consist of amazingly selective condemnation of some countries, while others 😈 are ignored or given sainthood, China has countered with Human Rights Reports about the U.S., where China has a thing or two to say about the consistent U.S. Human Rights Violations REALITY. I live here. They are correct.  It has, if anything, gotten WORSE since 2014. Anyone who calls this "anti-U.S. commie propaganda" is in Capitalist Worshipping La La Land.

Quote
2014 report

China published a report on the United States' human rights situation on June 26, 2015, hitting back at U.S. remarks about China.

The report, titled "The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2014," was released by the Information Office of the State Council, China's Cabinet, in response to "the 2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" issued by the U.S. State Department on June 25 local time.

China's report states that the U.S. made comments on the human rights situations in many countries while showing not a bit of regret for or intention to improve its own terrible human rights record.

"The U.S., a self-proclaimed human rights defender, saw no improvements in its existent human rights issues, but reported numerous new problems," it says.

While its own human rights situation was increasingly grave, the U.S. violated human rights in other countries in a more brazen manner, and was given more "red cards" in the international human rights field, according to the report.

Ji Hong, a research fellow with Institute of American Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said America does not hold the moral high ground to tutor or judge others in that itself is also plagued by major human rights issues. According to Ji, who took part in drafting the report, US racial problems even deteriorated during the Obama presidency. "In the past, there were only implicit discrimination against ethnic minorities, but recent cases such as Charleston shooting spree reflected a more flagrant bias."

VIOLENCE & TORTURE

The U.S. was haunted by spreading guns, frequent occurrence of violent crimes, which threatened citizens' civil rights. The excessive use of force by police officers led to many deaths, sparking public outcry, the report says.

An unarmed 18-year-old African-American Michael Brown was shot dead by a white police officer named Darren Wilson in Ferguson, a town in Missouri. After the grand jury of both Missouri and New York decided to bring no charges against the white police officer, massive protests broke out in more than 170 cities nationwide, it cites cn.nytimes.com as saying.

"The U.S. used cruel tortures indiscriminately, notably those carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)," it says.


To acquire intelligence from suspects of terrorism and extremism, the CIA used brutal methods, such as sleep deprivation, waterboarding, long-term solitary confinement, slamming prisoners against the wall, lashing, death threat and even "rectal rehydration" or rectal feeding, according to the report.

DISCRIMINATION & ABUSE


"The U.S. is a country with grim problems of racial discrimination, and institutional discrimination against ethnic minorities continued," according to the report.

Serious racial bias persisted in the police and justice systems. Minority groups and indigenous people are subject to unfairness in environment, election, health care, housing, education and other fields, it says. In August 2014, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in its concluding observation on the periodic report of the U.S. on the latter's implementation of relevant convention, slammed the U.S. for violating the rights of ethnic minorities, indigenous people, immigrants and other minority groups.

It criticized the fact that members of racial and ethnic minorities continued to be disproportionately arrested, incarcerated and subjected to harsher sentences, according to the report.

"American women and children's rights were not fully protected," it says, adding that women were discriminated at workplaces, and domestic violence was prevalent.

The report quotes media reports as saying that 2.1 million American women on average were assaulted by men each year. Three females were murdered by their partner each day, and four females died each day as a result of abuse.

Also, "millions of American children were homeless." Three children died each day as a result of abuse. School violence and sex assaults were pervasive and gun shootings happened from time to time, it says.

MONEY POLITICS

"Money is a deciding factor in the U.S. politics, and the U.S. citizens' political rights were not properly protected," the report says.

Despite the highest midterm election spending in history, general election voter turnout for the 2014 midterms was the lowest since World War II, according to the report.

"Dark money" flowed into elections, and the voting rights of racial minorities and other groups were intentionally suppressed, it says, adding that a few interest groups with power were able to influence the government's decision-making.

The U.S. democratic system was experiencing a crisis of representation, it says.

"Ordinary citizens feel that their supposedly democratic government no longer truly reflects their interests and is under the control of a variety of shadowy elites," the report cites Foreign Affairs as saying.

INEQUALITY

"Although the U.S. is the most developed country in the world, it is hard for the economic and social rights of its citizens to be soundly ensured," the report says.

In the process of economic recovery, the income inequality continued to be enlarged, the basic living conditions for the homeless people deteriorated, the health care system operated terribly and the education rights of average citizens were violated, according to the report.

VIOLATIONS ELSEWHERE

In the field of international human rights, the U.S. has long refused to approve some core human rights conventions of the United Nations and voted against some important UN human rights resolutions, the report says.

National Security Agency and other intelligence-gathering apparatus of the U.S. for a long time have spied on world leaders and civilians, according to the report.

Moreover, the U.S. continued to go even further to violate human rights in other countries, including infringing the privacy of citizens of other countries with the overseas monitoring project, killing large numbers of innocent civilians of other countries in drone strikes, and raping and killing locals by U.S. soldiers garrisoned overseas, it says.

Friday's report was the 16th such annual report published by China in response to U.S. attacks. Li Daojun, a professor with Law School of Shandong University, said the U.S. and China should expand mutual exchange and recognition on human rights causes. "The U.S. puts political rights above all else while China seeks to focus more on ensuring people's economic opportunities and development. In essence, it's the same because the two are interdependent."

[15]


The 2014 report stated:


On June 25 local time, the State Department of the United States released its country reports on human rights practices once again, making comments on the human rights situations in many countries while showing not a bit of regret for or intention to improve its own terrible human rights record. Plenty of facts show that, in 2014, the U.S., a self-proclaimed human rights defender, saw no improvements in its existent human rights issues, but reported numerous new problems. While its own human rights situation was increasingly grave, the U.S. violated human rights in other countries in a more brazen manner, and was given more "red cards" in the international human rights field.

The U.S. was haunted by spreading guns, frequent occurrence of violent crimes, which threatened citizens' civil rights. Statistics showed that the use of firearms in the U.S. was behind 69 percent of murders, while for robberies, the figure was 40 percent, and for aggravated assaults, 21.6 percent (edition.cnn.com). The excessive use of force by police officers led to many deaths, sparking public outcry. An unarmed 18-year-old African-American Michael Brown was shot dead by a white police officer named Darren Wilson in Ferguson, a town in Missouri. After the grand jury of both Missouri and New York decided to bring no charges against the white police officer, massive protests broke out in more than 170 cities nationwide (cn.nytimes.com, November 25, 2014).

The U.S. used cruel tortures indiscriminately, notably those carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). To acquire intelligence from suspects of terrorism and extremism, the CIA used brutal methods, such as sleep deprivation, waterboarding, long-term solitary confinement, slamming prisoners against the wall, lashing, death threat and even "rectal rehydration" or rectal feeding. United Nations human rights convention institutions such as the UN Human Rights Committee and the Committee Against Torture had raised their concerns over issues in the U.S., including terrible detention conditions for convicts awaiting execution, abuse of brutal methods, secret detention, indefinite arbitrary detention, and illegal wire-tapping which infringed citizens' privacy. These institutions called on the U.S. to conduct swift, effective and fair investigations into all brutal behaviors and abuse of forces of the police force (www.un.org (http://www.un.org)).

The U.S. is a country with grim problems of racial discrimination, and institutional discrimination against ethnic minorities continued. Serious racial bias persisted in the police and justice systems. Minority groups and indigenous people are subject to unfairness in environment, election, health care, housing, education and other fields. In August 2014, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in its concluding observation on the periodic report of the U.S. on the latter's implementation of relevant convention, slammed the U.S. for violating the rights of ethnic minorities, indigenous people, immigrants and other minority groups. It criticized the fact that members of racial and ethnic minorities continued to be disproportionately arrested, incarcerated and subjected to harsher sentences (tbinternet.ohchr.org).

Money is a deciding factor in the U.S. politics, and the U.S. citizens' political rights were not properly protected. Despite the highest midterm election spending in history, general election voter turnout for the 2014 midterms was the lowest since World War II. "Dark money" flowed into elections, and the voting rights of racial minorities and other groups were intentionally suppressed. A few interest groups with power were able to influence the government's decision-making. As a renowned scholar pointed out sharply, the U.S. democratic system was experiencing a crisis of representation. "Ordinary citizens feel that their supposedly democratic government no longer truly reflects their interests and is under the control of a variety of shadowy elites (Foreign Affairs, September/October 2014)."

Although the U.S. is the most developed country in the world, it is hard for the economic and social rights of its citizens to be soundly ensured. In the process of economic recovery, the income inequality continued to be enlarged, the basic living conditions for the homeless people deteriorated, the health care system operated terribly and the education rights of average citizens were violated. In October 2014, the United Nations Special Rapporteurs criticized the unprecedented water shut-offs in Detroit disproportionately affected the most vulnerable and poorest people, violating their right of access to drinking water and other international human rights.

American women and children's rights were not fully protected.
Women were discriminated at workplaces, and domestic violence was prevalent. Each year, 2.1 million American women on average were assaulted by men. Three females were murdered by their partner each day, and four females died each day as a result of abuse. In the U.S. military, reports of female soldiers getting harassed were on the rise, and more faced repercussions for reporting assaults. Millions of American children were homeless. Three children died each day as a result of abuse. School violence and sex assaults were pervasive and gun shootings happened from time to time.

National Security Agency and other intelligence-gathering apparatus of the U.S. for a long time have spied on world leaders and civilians. The U.S. has not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The U.S. government 🦍 often takes an evasive or uncooperative attitude toward the criticism of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of UN, the council's working groups and special rapporteurs.

[16]

Read more:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Rights_Record_of_the_United_States (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Rights_Record_of_the_United_States)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 20, 2018, 02:25:59 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200618131341.png&hash=99eafbad78aa87620fa0f3d5fdf95c873d6fac60)

Army Discharges West Point Grad Who Promoted Communism

by Tyler Durden

Wed, 06/20/2018 - 12:33

Authored by Commie Bishop via Campus Reform,

The West Point graduate who promoted communism in social media posts last year has officially been discharged from the U.S. Army.

According to Fox News, Spenser Rapone’s resignation was accepted Monday, and he will be leaving the military with an other-than-honorable discharge.


Rapone’s social media posts, including a picture of him wearing a Che Guevara shirt under his military attire, sparked outrage last year, with officials blasting the West Point graduate for his radical political activism.

"The U.S. Military Academy strives to develop leaders who internalize the academy's motto of Duty, Honor, Country, and who live the Army values,” the military academy said in a statement at the time.

“Second Lieutenant Rapone's actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army.

“As figures of public trust, members of the military must exhibit exemplary conduct, and are prohibited from engaging in certain expressions of political speech in uniform,” West Point continued.

“Second Lieutenant Rapone's chain of command is aware of his actions and is looking into the matter. The academy is prepared to assist the officer's chain of command as required.”

According to The Daily Caller 🦕, former Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, Jason Altmire, who nominated Rapone for the elite military institution, also disavowed the former cadet’s actions, calling them “abhorrent.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220216203149.gif&hash=bd184b6edccce4045e246847a0c84e89bd5a18b6)

“While I strongly support the rights of American citizens to express their opinions, the actions of 2nd Lieutenant Rapone are abhorrent and appear to be in clear violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, in addition to being inconsistent with the values of the United States Military Academy,” the former lawmaker said last year. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-191017140758.jpeg&hash=8c0a35a928dcda3c1a8714ab03f4924a1a775851)

“I have no doubt that the U.S. Army will take appropriate action.”

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) welcomed the decision to discharge the West Point graduate, noting that Rapone’s pictures suggest that he supported U.S. enemies.

“While in uniform, Spenser Rapone advocated for communism and political violence, and expressed support and sympathy for enemies of the United States,” Rubio said, as reported by Fox News.

I’m glad  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) to see that they have given him an ‘other-than-honorable’ discharge.”

According to the news network, Rapone said that he “knew there could be repercussions,” to his actions and that his “military career is dead in the water.”

“On the other hand, many people reached out and showed me support,” he said.

“There are a lot of veterans both active duty and not that feel like I do.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121424.gif&hash=384c17a4d2be4831084933b91808f8a60f73f7f5)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3)


Quote
"I would encourage all soldiers who have a conscience to lay down their arms and join me and so many others who are willing to stop serving the agents of imperialism and join us in a revolutionary movement," Rapone added.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcliparts.co%2Fcliparts%2FBig%2FEgq%2FBigEgqBMT.png&hash=e7eec62f009cdd686ce795fad0a53c6befe748e9)

Rapone also posted a picture on Twitter Monday showing him giving the middle finger to the sign outside Fort Drum, along with the caption, “One final salute.”

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Df-54PHVMAET8rm.jpg)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183515.bmp&hash=4a3ad9d0a78a7e161f53ddd84f568082a5b0d2ad)

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-06-20/army-discharges-west-point-grad-who-promoted-communism (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-06-20/army-discharges-west-point-grad-who-promoted-communism)


This took me back to the days when I wore those uniforms. Shining that tiny breast plate (a token symbol of an ancient large breastplate) was always a chore. You also had to be very careful when you attached it to the white canvas straps that attach to the dummy powder box (a token symbol from the Revolutionary War) because the Brasso polish you used on the breastplate, which comes in contact with the 4 bent metal clasps underneath the breastplate, might stain the white straps (a lot of cadets got demerits for that when we had to wear the full dress gray uniform for parades) :P . You put everything on and THEN carefully positioned the breastplate. Full dress gray is the one with that ridiculous three lines of round gold colored fake buttons in the front. The military just LOVES shiny objects. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183312.bmp&hash=02dafef2fe739676600fdc9bd56271f0f5ab3723)

I admire the this brave man of conscience, Spenser Rapone 🌟, for realizing the ethical and moral value of Communism and its vast superiority over our ethically and morally bankrupt Capitalist System Cruelty.

I salute him. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311017193926.png&hash=135a7bcd2093b679e425bbd2086adb8ddfd2e7b5) 

But, I ain't done yet.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)


This is MY CONSTANT SALUTE to anyone who thinks Capitalism is "the best system".

  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-140415130805.png&hash=23d2e6dc6311a26c399bf0cb60868bcff2781a58)
Have a nice Brainwashed Capitalist day.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 20, 2018, 05:37:43 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200618131341.png&hash=99eafbad78aa87620fa0f3d5fdf95c873d6fac60)

I think capitalism is a very mixed bag (some very, very bad issues, I do admit) , but people should be allowed to be communist if they want to be. Including West Point cadets.

Including anybody.

What I find abhorrent is the lack of tolerance. Kicking this young man out over his political beliefs is very obviously a clear violation of his rights as guaranteed by the US Constitution. But who cares, right? He's a communist.



First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

------------ Martin Niemoller


Capitalism US Style 🦍 has always been totally intolerant of Communism and any of its Socialist iterations here and abroad. There never has been any freedom in this country to be a Communist/Socialist, unless you plan to live in poverty with your Socialist principles. That is NOT "freedom". Yeah, you are "free" to believe any old thing you want and embrace any "ism" you want, AS LONG AS YOU DON'T CRITICIZE DA PROFITS OF DA BIDNESS.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c)

The hysteria over the "Communist threat to our freedoms" goes all the way back to Hoover, even before that Capitalist Crook became he head of the FBI.

And even decades before that, the tyranny against the Socialists in Chicago (Haymarket arrests and Kangarro Court trials) evidenced the deep hatred and brutal intolerance for Socialism in this country by the business people who NEVER want to be on an equal footing with their employees in regard to pay, no matter how valuable the employee.

The Capitalist DISEASE forces people with high work skills to start their own business, thereby perpetrating the disease.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doomsteaddiner.net%2Fforum%2FSmileys%2Fdd1%2Franting3.gif&hash=dd78afe77400d0dc5c0c02d9b8e8dc6e92821cd0) It pits all against all in an insane race to see who pays their employees LESS, rather than motivate people to build a better, more caring society where people look to help each other, rather than stomp each other into the ground for profit.

The reason Italy did not go Socialist after WWII is because our CIA KILLED all the leaders of the movement there. Now Italy is going full fascist AGAIN, thanks to OUR Capitalist Skullduggery.

After WWII, the CIA sent a nice message to France, as well. France was leaning towards Socialst egalitarian policies and our CIA massively overdosed a WHOLE TOWN in France with LSD.
It wasn't to "try the drug out".  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c)

There are around ten or more other countries where other anti-socialst murder and mayhem Capitalist skullduggery was practiced. It continues to this day.

The Black Panthers, a NON-VIOLENT (though the propaganda BULLSHIT claimed otherwise) Socialst group were ruthllessly gunned down in various cities in the USA.

The McCarthy era witch hunts against Socialsts/Communists has never really gone away for a Capitalist reason.

Equality of opportunity and payment for work done, the basic idea behind Socialism, is a threat to any greed based system in general, and Capitalism in particular.

Capitalists don't give a rats ass about anybody's "rights". All that lip service about "freedom" is fine and dandy as long as the Socialist doesn't try to unionize da bidness. It's okay in the USA for Socialists to be "noble = poor", but the moment they actively question the bankrupt ethics of Capitalists, they get Capitalist Police State Crushed.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-251117173820.png&hash=29faea6fdb245599738c008f73553eb4fa208ce8)

THAT is the REAL history of Capitalism and Capitalists in the USA.   

(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f269a0531f54fd1c1618278fe0144f1a4c83cc284aa96b523caece2ad390f752.jpg)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-190218175943.png&hash=868fbc8f6c12966c886a445b2e94d38144b3004f)
Donald Trump is, and always has been, a TRUE REPRESENTATIVE of what Capitalism (which is nothing but dressed up Fascism) is.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281017143754.jpeg&hash=fe73ef4c943000d185b60debf584571781719038)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 22, 2018, 05:11:29 pm
Truthout

HUMAN RIGHTS

The Republican War on the Poor and Vulnerable

BY Mike Ludwig

PUBLISHED June 22, 2018

SNIPPET:

Lynne Haney is a professor of sociology at New York University who has spent years studying a population that is often ignored, if not misunderstood and ridiculed, by policy makers and the general public: low-income fathers who owe child support debt. She has interviewed more than a hundred such men and observed about 1,200 child support cases. Haney says only about 10 percent reflect the stereotype that “child support” brings to mind — a father who refuses to take responsibility for his children. In reality, most care about their families but live in a constant state of financial instability, where one wrong move can set them back years.

“We know a whole lot about poor women and their vulnerabilities, for decades and decades of research has debunked a lot of myths about them,” Haney said. “But we haven’t had a similar rethinking of poor men.”

Like the “welfare queens” of the past, such noncustodial parents have become the latest targets of conservatives seeking to shrink the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. On Thursday, House Republicans passed their version of the Farm Bill, which includes a number of provisions that analysts estimate would eliminate or reduce SNAP benefits for 2 million people and about 1 million families. SNAP already has strict time limits for benefits and work requirements for many participants, but conservatives are seeking new restrictions as they search for ways to pay for their tax cuts for the rich.

Full article:

https://truthout.org/articles/the-republican-war-on-the-poor-and-vulnerable/

Agelbert NOTE: The Republicans are just being true to their morallly bankrupt Capitalist Ideology, which they share with too many Democrats. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 22, 2018, 05:29:13 pm
ECONOMY & LABOR

Workplace Deaths ☠️ Are Rising. Trump-Era 🦀  Budget Cuts Could Make It Worse.

BYBruce Vail In These Times

PUBLISHED June 22, 2018

SNIPPET:

The number of deaths hit a total of 5,190 in 2016, up from 4,836 in 2015, according to an April 2018 report by the AFL-CIO. That’s about 14 deaths each day from preventable worker accidents. It’s also the third year in a row that the number has inched up, and the highest death rate since 2010, the labor federation reported.

Workplace safety systems are “definitely in the failure mode,” says Peter Dooley, a consultant with the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health who was worked closely with labor unions over the years. “In the last two years it is getting dramatically worse. It’s just outrageous.”

The precise reasons for the rise are not simply stated, adds Peg Seminario, AFL-CIO’s long-time director of occupational safety and health. Overall patterns such as very high rates of injury in the logging and construction industries are consistent over time, she says, and there is no single employment trend that accounts for the recent rise. “The numbers are actually down in construction, but they are up almost everywhere else,” she says.

Inadequate enforcement (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85) of existing safety rules is the most commonly cited explanation for the rise, Seminario tells In These Times.


Full article:

https://truthout.org/articles/workplace-deaths-are-rising-trump-era-budget-cuts-could-make-it-worse/

Agelbert NOTE: Happy Days are HERE AGAIN for Capitalism. The "Good old Days" of TOTALLY UNREGULATED CAPITALISM have returned. Oh. Happy Day for "Liberty, Freedom, Justice and the American Way". 😈 👹 💵 🎩 🍌 🏴‍☠️   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 22, 2018, 06:48:50 pm
 (https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/545693884664119297/mCDJfUgm.jpeg)
Make Nexus Hot News part of your morning: click here (http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa) to subscribe.

June 22, 2018

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Racism, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Homophobia and Climate Denial: All Part of the Rich White Man’s 😈💵🎩 Status Quo.

Last month, Nexus Media reported on a study in Environmental Politics showing that racial resentment, specifically against President Obama, is perhaps one reason for the increased polarization in climate change. The general idea of the study is that old white men who make up the denier demographic saw a black man in power who cared about climate change, and that pushed them further into denial. The Sierra Club’s magazine covered the study this week, which brought it to the attention of James Delingpole at Breitbart.

Interestingly, Delingpole didn’t even really bother trying to refute in his post, instead just suggesting that because Republicans are “more skeptical of the mainstream media” and are “better-informed generally,” they “have been quicker to grasp the truth than Democrats.” Given the expose last year showing how Breitbart “smuggled Nazi and White Nationalist ideas into the mainstream,” it comes as no surprise that Delingpole doesn’t bother trying to disprove the idea that deniers are racist.

While the study doesn’t say it outright, anyone who’s spent any amount of time in the dredges of a comment section or dealing with trolls on social media knows that it generally doesn’t take much scrolling through a denier’s feed to find some barely or not-at-all disguised racism. Granted, those who focus specifically on climate tend not to stray into other areas, but the generalists, so to speak, tend to hold a range of… we’ll say “deplorable” opinions.

A Forbes piece published yesterday by Dr. Marshall Shepherd, the second African American President of the American Meteorological Society, on deniers using his race to push back on his work offers just the latest example of the latent undercurrent of racism within the denial community (even from those with PhDs). Shepherd’s experiences are just one part of why it’s so important that climate and environmental groups face our own whiteness problem, an issue addressed by sociologist Dorceta Taylor in a new Yale360 interview.

Unfortunately, it’s not just America’s age-old grapple with the legacy of slavery that’s making headlines these days. The kidnapping, drugging, and physical and mental abuse of children, now likely turned to an illegal semi-permanent detainment with well-documented and horrific long-term psychological ramifications, is an absolute crisis of humanity.

And as much as we might like to focus on anything but this atrocity, like most everything else, it too has a climate connection. One of the tent cities erected to house children in Texas is facing 100+ degree heat, offering little respite for those thrown into its terrible conditions. And many of those facing that threat are coming from the Dry Corridor of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, where the climate change-boosted swing of drought and deluge has wreaked havoc on subsistence farming. Combined with years of horrific violence stemming from US policies, the agricultural crisis is yet another factor leaving people with little choice but relocation.

And as climate change continues, things will only get worse. Which is why, as Kate Aronoff wrote recently, “Abolishing ICE is Good Climate Policy.” As climate change continues making it harder for those only barely scraping by to survive, we’re going to see more migration. The only moral response is compassion, not militarism, opening our arms and our borders to those who like all white American families at one point or another, are seeking a piece of the American dream and an escape from an increasingly hostile homeland. This spirit of kindness and compassion is beautifully expressed in a Scientific American piece by NASA’s Kate Marvel, whose experience as a mother formented her concern about climate change.

Much like our need to incorporate people of color more fully into the climate community, so too must women’s voices be heard. Fortunately, that message is starting to ring out, with former president of Ireland Mary Robinson saying us on Monday that “climate change is a man-made problem and must have a feminist solution.” One paleoclimatologist leading that charge, with an admirable humility, is Dr. Sarah Myhre. Her recent profile in Grist deals not only with the constant struggle of balancing emotionally honest outreach to the public with the outdated maxim of scientific objectivity, but also the constant assault of misogyny that women face, much like the ever-present racism Dr. Shepherd endures.

And finally, given that it’s Pride month, we would be remiss to not point out that the LGBTQ+ community faces similar discrimination from the same old white status-quo men. (Let’s not forget that climate deniers like those in Britain's UKIP party or supposed Christian leaders in the US regularly blame extreme weather disasters on homosexuality.) It’s also worth noting that members LGBTQ folks are particularly vulnerable to climate disruption due to the discrimination they face by church-run shelters, for example. 

This all comes together in a story from Michigan this week, where GOP state senator Patrick Colbeck proposed major overhauls to the state’s social studies curriculum, removing climate change, mentions of the accomplishments and challenges facing the LGBT, American Indian, Latinx, immigrant communities, while also claiming that giving rights to some is an infringement on the rights of others. (He also explained to the state’s education regulators in his notes on the draft that the KKK was created to be an “anti-Republican” organization, not an “anti-black” one.)

The status quo, of white men with power who couldn’t care less about the lives of others so long as the paychecks keep coming in, is a multi-faceted enemy which will only be overcome by a coordinated effort among all the rest of us.   

Nothing exists in a vacuum, both literally and figuratively. And climate change is certainly no exception. Happy Pride Month and Refugee Week everyone. Celebrate our shared humanity, then there’s work to do.

https://mailchi.mp/climatenexus/methane-emissions-much-higher-than-epa-estimates-usgs-moves-to-muzzle-scientists-more?e=0fd17c5b57
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 25, 2018, 05:06:07 pm
Regardless of what one thinks about the restaurant owner that kicked out Sarah Huckabee Sanders, The Donald's Tweet about it being dirty and needing paint is so typical of his knee-jerk way of responding to things that happen in the world that he doesn't like.

They don't like me and my codependent sidekick?  They must be filthy scumbags, then.

In Trump's mind anyone who doesn't like him is automatically a target, and he just shoots from the hip with his Social Media Gun.

Trumpovetsky stopped his maturation process sometime before Kindergarten.  He never learned the important lessons you are supposed to accumulate there.
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RE

Well said.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 27, 2018, 08:02:15 pm
Justice Kennedy Retires....Is That a Bad Thing?
The voting record of Anthony Kennedy is very much a mixed bag. He wrote the opinion sanctioning gay marriage, but he also wrote the majority opinion on Citizen's United, one of the worst (possibly the worst) Supreme Court decisions of all time. I think he probably tried to be fair, and it ended up often putting him at odds with the conservatives like Scalia and Thomas....but in the final analysis, his tenure on the court probably did more harm than good.

Unfortunately, the next nominee is liable to be much worse. The Supreme Court has failed the American people in so many ways I could list. On civil seizure. On surveillance. On gay wedding cakes. Some of those failures are more important than others. Citizens' United is huge and very, very bad, for regular people, and great for billionaires.

Dem senator: Justice Kennedy's resignation a 'disaster' for vision of 'We the People'
BY AVERY ANAPOL - 06/27/18 02:45 PM EDT  103
64
   
Dem senator: Justice Kennedy's resignation a 'disaster' for vision of 'We the People'
© Getty
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) on Wednesday lamented the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy as “a disaster” for “We the People.”

The 81-year-old Kennedy, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan's, who has long been considered a “swing vote” on the court, announced his retirement on Wednesday.

“This is a disaster for everyone who believes in the 'We the People' vision of the Constitution,” Merkley tweeted.

In a follow-up tweet, Merkley noted that he was “worried” about the standing of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

Kennedy’s retirement opens the door for President Trump to nominate a second conservative justice to the Supreme Court. Anti-abortion advocates are expected to pursue more cases if the court leans right.

Emboldened by the Trump administration, anti-abortion advocates have been gearing up to potentially move to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Trump said he will immediately begin his search for Kennedy's replacement.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/394455-dem-senator-kennedy-resignation-a-disaster-for-vision-of-we-the-people


Justice Kennedy Retires....Is That a Bad Thing?  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202829.png&hash=a4ec201b97ad269ff59a6a1c0f1c19a04b57803a) It Don't Matter No More...

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 29, 2018, 05:25:47 pm
LIVEWIRE  TRUMP 🦀 SWAMP🦖 🐊 🦎 🐍 🐲
 

Livid Over Aide’s Testimony, Pruitt 🦖 Tried To Ruin Her Future Job Prospects

By Kate Riga | June 29, 2018 9:26 am

After former EPA director of scheduling Millan Hupp testified to a congressional committee that she had tried to obtain a used mattress from Trump Tower for her boss, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt went after her, smearing her name to conservative groups and assuring them that she couldn’t be trusted, according to a Thursday Daily Beast report.

Before her testimony, which she had no choice but to deliver, Hupp was one of Pruitt’s most loyal aides, sticking with him since his attorney general campaign in Oklahoma.

Pruitt is already reportedly under investigation due to charges levied by his former chief of staff, Kevin Chmielewski, who claims that Pruitt leaked damaging information about him when he suspected that Chmielewski was leaking to the media.

Sources told the Daily Beast that Pruitt also tells his employees to pitch “oppo hits” to media outlets about other staffers who left on bad terms. 

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/livid-over-testimony-pruitt-tried-to-ruin-aides-future-job-prospects (https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/livid-over-testimony-pruitt-tried-to-ruin-aides-future-job-prospects)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 30, 2018, 07:06:53 pm
TruthDig

June 28, 2018TD ORIGINALS

To Hell With Civility (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

By Sonali Kolhatkar Columnist

Sonali Kolhatkar is a columnist for Truthdig. She also is the founder, host and executive producer of "Rising Up With Sonali," a television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV (Dish Network, DirecTV,…

SNIPPET:

By its very definition, “protest” is an act of disapproval. It cannot be made with kind words, fake smiles, handshakes or quiet dinners. Protest is often an act of rage against a perceived injustice, and at this moment Americans are outraged and have every right to nonviolently confront Trump’s defenders in the streets, in restaurants and outside their homes. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817134648.gif&hash=d24c66a26329a19150a175d576b631d10f631ee8)

Rep. Maxine Waters  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf), D-Calif., gets it.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3)  The intrepid progressive urged her supporters to act, saying that if they “see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.”

A careful reading of her words makes it imminently clear that Waters believes in raucous and peaceful protest. Contrast that with Trump, who has literally called for violence against individuals and whole communities repeatedly. Worse than Trump threatening Waters for her statement has been the response of Waters’ fellow Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a statement showing immense cowardice, saying, “If you disagree with a politician, organize your fellow citizens to action and vote them out of office. But no one should call for the harassment of political opponents. That’s not right. That’s not American.”

Actually it is very American to engage in protest, whether or not Schumer interprets that as “harassment.” What is “not right” are Trump’s policies and Schumer’s unwillingness to confront them more harshly. Other Democrats echoed Schumer in denouncing Waters. Waters rightly refused to capitulate to the weak-willed establishment wing of her party and demanded a refocusing of efforts on what matters, saying, “I decided I’m just talking about the children. I want the children released, I want a plan. I want a plan for what this administration is going to do to connect these children.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan had the audacity to call on Waters to apologize, saying, “There is no place for this,” even though the Republican leader has, for well over a year, silently acquiesced to the ugliest and most violent of discourses from the president he continues to back. Perhaps Ryan is truly worried he too may no longer be able to eat out in peace or enter and exit his home without facing protesters in the streets outside. If so, Waters and the activists she spoke to in her statements are the real winners in the war for the nation’s moral conscience.

There is nothing civil about a president and Supreme Court deciding to ban people from whole nations vis-à-vis the Muslim ban ruling by the Supreme Court this week. There is nothing civil about more than 2,000 children being held hostage by the Trump administration. There is nothing civil about the massive numbers of undercounted deaths in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria for which Trump has yet to be held accountable. There is nothing civil about Trump’s undoing of the Iran nuclear deal. There is nothing civil about the GOP’s offensive on Obamacare, its tax giveaway to the rich, its attacks on voting rights or the undermining of unions. In the face of such relentless daily assaults on our Constitution, our social safety net, our human rights and dignity, Schumer and his ilk want us to remain civil?

It is quite likely that proponents of slavery, Jim Crow racism, Japanese-American internment, etc., called for calm over fury. Nothing helps the status quo quite like civil discourse in the face of daily destruction.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/to-hell-with-civility/ (https://www.truthdig.com/articles/to-hell-with-civility/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 30, 2018, 09:52:14 pm
Quote
Wilkinson and her staff concluded they could not serve Sanders in good conscience because of her immoral actions, not her identity.

Some, not I, would say the staff had no say since they had no risk in the business.  Capitalism has a way of forcing everyone to a lowest common denominator.  A business can go out of business if it tries to pay a living wage when the competition won't.  Tariffs are meant to prevent unfair competition as one example of necessary regulation to fix the problem.  The idea is hundreds of years old.  The responsibility of leveling tariffs left to the president in our constitution.  Yet so called progressives are acting like it is a poison Trump personally invented.  Capitalism corrupts and it corrupts absolutely.  It robs people of being able to know right from wrong.  In this situation the decision was really the wish of the employees which the owner could have vetoed.  They called her in to make the decision.  Going along with them was the right thing to do from any point of view, wise or decent.  They had respect enough for the owner to have her come in and make the decision and that was wise for all that she returned that respect.  Far better for the health of the business than to risk the loss of a few customers who are OK with immorality.  The ones lost would be no loss.  The infectious gain in restaurant moral will bring in new customers.

This issue is revealing everyones true colors.  The idea that someone has the right not to serve someone in their restaurant is making those who think they can own other people very uncomfortable.  Conservatives, some even here in the diner, would have you believe that not being a slave to the system and not serving the rich and the powerful makes you immoral.  These same people would have no trouble throwing out a bum.  What's the difference?  Capital is the god of the bourgeois and it defines their morality.   Only capital makes the situations different.


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This Is The World They Want

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TPTB will kill most of us quite happily to avoid losing their grip on the profit over planet business as usual destroying the biosphere. Capitalism is the Cancer giving us Hydrocarbon Hell. 

(https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Opposecapitalism5.jpg)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 02, 2018, 07:43:05 pm
So, Now You Want Civility?

JUNE 26, 2018 / JOHN PAVLOVITZ

Civility?

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That’s the card you’re pulling now, Trump supporters?
That’s where you’ve landed?
That’s your go-to play at this stage of the game?
It’s a little late for you to roll that out now, isn’t it?

After voting for a self-proclaimed genitalia-grabber.
After he suggested dissenters at his rallies should be beaten up.
After hearing him call violent nazis “fine people.”
After he bulldozed sacred Native American lands and turned frigid hoses on tribe elders.
After he ignored mass deaths in Puerto Rico and vilified their public servants.
After he began dismantling protections to our planet and shrinking our national parks.
After witnessing Flint, Michigan go without clean water.
After watching exhausted refugee families stranded at airports.
After leveraging religion to justify all manner of discrimination.
After ignoring evidence of a Russian interference that threatens our national sovereignty.
After seeing ICE raids in hospital rooms and workplaces.
After his gross, reckless fabrications about Muslims and Mexicans and immigrants.
After witnessing him work tirelessly to take healthcare from the sick and the poor.
After he vilified kneeling black athletes and badgered their employers into silencing their peaceful protest.
After his unhinged Twitter rants against private citizens and their businesses, against celebrities and political opponents and world leaders.
After terrorizing teenage shooting survivors on social media.
After allowing the radicalized Christian right and soulless NRA gun zealots to shape national policy.
After sanctioning Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller and Sebastian Gorka and Jeff Sessions.
After retweeting the toxic filth of Dana Loesch and Laura Ingraham and Ann Coulter.
After celebrating while he’s alienated our greatest allies and aligned with malevolent dictators.
After your silence in the face of migrant children being ripped from their parent’s arms and placed in dog kennels.
After digging in your heels for the past two years on every bit of it.

Now you want to pretend to be civilized?

Now want to talk about measured debate?
Now you want to wag your finger at us for being disrespectful?
Now you want to shame us for our supposed lack of manners?
Now you want to gaslight us into guilt and apology—as if we’ve lost our dignity, as if we’ve sacrificed our humanity, as if we’ve bastardized our religion, as if we’re the ones impervious to other people’s feelings.

With all due respect—to hell with your phony civility.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-140415130805.png&hash=23d2e6dc6311a26c399bf0cb60868bcff2781a58)

No, you don’t get to play that card. That request is off the table for you.

You lost that moral high ground somewhere between excusing his mocking of a disabled reporter—and celebrating brown-skinned kids in cages.

Your lengthy, sickening body of work over the past two and a half years is the greatest witness of your fraudulence.

You don’t really want civility, anyway. If you did, you wouldn’t still be supporting this President. Civility not what you’re asking for. If you were simply asking for that, we wouldn’t have an issue.

You (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) want something else:
You want consent to your abject cruelty. You’re not going to get it.
You want our silence in the face of perversions of justice. It will not be forthcoming.
You want tacit approval for a white Evangelical theocracy. That ain’t gonna happen.
You want to us to quietly witness this President dismantling democracy. We’re simply not going to.
You want us worship your white, angry, American, gun-toting God. We won’t.
You want us to join you in your blind idolatry of a man fully lacking nobility. We won’t be.
You want the steady stream of Sarah Sanders lies, alternative Fox News facts to go unchecked. We’re not giving you that courtesy.
You want us to allow you to perpetuate dangerous false stereotypes of immigrants and young black men and Transgender people. We’re not going to.
You want us excuse your supremacy and indulge your privilege and sanction your President’s bigotry and applaud this Administration’s legislated assaults on marginalized communities. It’s gonna be a long wait, friend.

No, we’re not doing any of that. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)


What we are going to do, is clearly, repeatedly, and unapologetically oppose it all with everything we have.
We’re going to push back hard against every divisive meme you produce, every incendiary Tweet he manufactures, every human rights atrocity this Administration generates, every effort you make to normalize monstrous behavior or excuse his ramblings.

We’re going to be unflinching, and we’re going to use our outside voices, and we aren’t going to mince words when it comes to the inherent worth of human beings, the affronts on our Constitution, or the hijacking of our faith traditions.

You can call that uncivilized if you’d like, but honestly we don’t give a damn.

We’re going to be profoundly pissed off whenever diversity is threatened or when human beings are treated as less-than or when religion is invoked to do harm or when America’s stability is under attack.

In the face of the inhumane things on display in this country right now, we’ll take the cause of humanity and our volume every single time.

We’re going to be loud in the cause of love, even if that sounds like anger in your ears. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)

 
Order John’s forthcoming book ‘HOPE AND OTHER SUPERPOWERS” here!

https://johnpavlovitz.com/2018/06/26/so-now-you-want-civility/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 04, 2018, 12:41:55 pm
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The Dictatorship Over America: How It Functions

Eric Zuesse

07/03/2018

Democrats have won the national vote in six of the last seven presidential elections, which, with the retirement of Anthony Kennedy, will have resulted in the appointment of eight of the Supreme Court’s nine justices. And yet four of those justices will have been appointed by presidents who took office despite having fewer votes than their opponent. Republicans will have increasingly solid control of the court’s majority, with the chance to replace the sometimes-wavering Kennedy with a never-wavering conservative movement stalwart.

Over the last generation, the Republican Party has moved rapidly rightward, while the center of public opinion has not. It is almost impossible to find a substantive basis in public opinion for Republican government. On health care, taxes, immigration, guns, the GOP has left America behind in its race to the far right. But the Supreme Court underscores its ability to counteract the undertow of its deepening, unpopular extremism by marshaling countermajoritiarian power.

This is the way that the neocon (Hillary Clinton wing) Democrat Jonathan Chait, writing at the Democratic Party propaganda-organ New York magazine, got something profoundly correct, for a change. That quotation opened Chait’s June 27th commentary, which was titled "The Republican Court and the Era of Minority Rule”.

Neoconservatives (otherwise called “America’s imperialists” but they’re basically no different from imperialists in other countries) now run both of America’s political Parties - not only the Republican Party - regardless of what voters might happen to think of the neoconservative philosophy.

This disparity between the non-ideological public and the virtually 100% neoconservative rulers, is due to the fact that voters have no real power in America (something that Chait noted in that excerpt, but only within a partisan Democratic-Party-versus-Republican-Party context, not any broader or more encompassing context, that questions the political and economic system itself — at a deeper level than merely “Democratic” versus “Republican”). By contrast against that powerless public, America’s aristocrats possess all of the power, and they’re imperialists (“neocons”) because they want their private international corporate empires to dominate over the entire world. But this insightful (though too narrowly focused) opening from Chait shows that even neoconservatives (such as he) aren’t always wrong about everything.

In fact, this opening, from a Democratic Party neoconservative, about America’s increasing conservative (Republican) dictatorship, was entirely truthful within its partisan narrow scope, and therefore (to that extent) more like an exemplification of the proverbial “infinite monkey theorem” — that “a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type a given text, such as the complete works of William Shakespeare.”

However, Chait’s ‘Shakespearean' string ended precisely there, when he immediately followed up that opening statement of his, by saying, “The story really begins in December 2000,” and he proceeded to blame everything on Bush-v.-Gore, and on the way that the Republican operatives **** the American nation on 9 December 2000. This problem of America’s being a dictatorship, however, actually goes far deeper — and farther back — than that Republican Party victory (as will be shown here).

The only comprehensive and scientific study which has ever been done of whether the US is a democracy or instead a dictatorship, was published in 2014, and it found that, “In the United States, our findings indicate, the majority does not rule — at least not in the causal sense of actually determining policy outcomes.”

Consequently, for example, our opinions of “Saddam’s WMD” were simply being manipulated by the controlling owners of US-based international corporations, just as those same super-rich individuals (most of whom are Americans) have controlled whom the nine people will be who rule from the Supreme Court, on what the US Constitution means, and doesn’t mean (and this judicial panel, of course, also decided Bush-v.-Gore).

So: the US Constitution has become increasingly twisted (by such jurists) to ‘mean’ things (such as aristocratic dictatorship) that were loathed by America’s Founders, who actually went to war against Britain’s aristocracy — this Constitution has become increasingly twisted to ‘mean’ things such as creating and expanding an international empire, and as allowing US taxpayers to be forced to subsidize the political speech of some religions and not of other religions, nor of opponents of all religions. (Especially the Republican Party benefits enormously from empowering evangelical pastors to preach Republican propaganda to their congregations.)

According to that scientific study, the United States, during the period that was studied, which extended from 1981 through to 2002, which was virtually the entire twenty years PRIOR to Bush-.v.-Gore — and this is quoting now directly from the study itself: “The preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.”

So: how does this — the aristocracy’s dictatorial grip on America’s Government — function? Not only the 2000 US Presidential ‘election’ was stolen from the American electorate, but so too are almost all US national elections stolen, especially the crucial ones, such as the political primary elections to Congress and the Presidency, for candidates to become the selected nominees of each of the two political Parties and thus to become offered to the public as the final contestants who might actually win those offices in the US national Government. Just as Bernie Sanders was the most-preferred of all candidates in 2016 to become the US President but the nomination was stolen from him by the Democratic National Committee for Hillary Clinton, it’s the same in most ‘elections’ to American national offices. And this dictatorship by the super-rich didn’t start with Bush.-v.-Gore, such as Chait alleges.

Right now, the US aristocracy, who control all of the large US corporations — including all of the major news-media — are pushing very hard to impose a kind of lock-down against the few media that they don’t control: against the media whose only presence is online, because these small media lack the funding to have either a print-and-paper presence, or else network broadcast and telecast facilities or a cable network.

The way that the ‘news’-giants propagandize this lockdown against unwanted truths, is by calling those small media sites (the half-dozen or so which do publish the elsewhere prohibited truths) ‘fake news’ media, and by alleging that only the print-broadcast-cable ‘news’ media (the very same ‘news’media which had deceived the public in 2002 to fear “Saddam’s WMD” and which had ‘justified’ in 2011 Obama’s destruction of Libya, and his subsequent invasion of Syria) ought to be trusted by the American people. Obviously, that’s crazy, but America’s aristocrats want the public to believe this way.

On June 27th, Gallup reported:

Gallup and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation conducted a web-based experiment to assess the effectiveness of a news source rating tool designed to help online news consumers discriminate between real news and misinformation. The tool identifies news organizations as reliable (using a green cue) or unreliable (using a red cue) based on evaluations of their work, funding and other factors by experienced journalists.

The Gallup news-report closed: “Gallup and Knight Foundation acknowledge support for this research provided by the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Open Society Foundations.” All of them are neoconservative organizations, which represent the interests of America’s billionaires — not of the public anywhere.

The technical report of this experiment concluded that mainstream news-media can increase the public’s prejudice against non-mainstream news-media, by having their own hired “experienced journalists” label those small competing news-media as providers of ‘misinformation’ instead of ‘news’:

This survey experiment evaluated the effect of a specific source rating tool — cues about news organization trustworthiness based on evaluations from experienced journalists. The findings suggest that using this approach may help combat online misinformation and restore confidence in obtaining quality news.

Of course, this finding is very good news for America’s billionaires, because further suppressing what the aristocrats are calling ‘misinformation’ (such as this) will enable them to increase their dictatorship, even more.

As time goes by, the means of deceiving the public, become even cagier than they were before. The way that the dictatorship in America functions is by deceiving the public; and perhaps this Gallup-Knight-Ford-Gates-Soros study has helped them to develop a more effective “tool” to do that.

Maybe the next big invasion will be of Iran. American-and-allied media seem to be focusing increasingly on this particular target. Perhaps “experienced journalists” are being promoted right now, for that very purpose. With Donald Trump in power, Iran is systematically becoming the main next target. It was his top target even before he became elected; and one can even say that he was selected by the US aristocracy, and by Israel's aristocracy, and by the Saud family who own Saudi Arabia, and by the leader of UAE’s royal families, mainly for this reason, to be installed to run the US regime. But, of course, they would also have done very well if Hillary Clinton had been ‘elected’.

That’s the way things are: politics in America, especially at the national level, is now merely a puppet-show. And, apparently, many if not most of the people who are pulling the strings in it don’t so much as live here — they are foreigners, though of the types that Trump (as now is obvious), relies upon, instead of persecutes (such as ‘wetbacks’).

The American people are merely the audience. We didn’t even buy this puppet-show. Those billionaires did. (The American ones also buy the puppet-theater which presents Russia as being the foreign power that controls the US Government and that ‘endangers democracy’ everywhere. During the communist era, that story-line was believable by even intelligent people, but after 24 February 1990, it no longer is.)

https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2018/07/01/dictatorship-over-america-how-it-functions.html

(https://washingtonsblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/americansdon27ttrust.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 04, 2018, 01:11:52 pm
(https://washingtonsblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/americansdon27ttrust.jpg)

Oh Say Can You See? (http://www.doomsteaddiner.net/forum/index.php/topic,11276.msg157179.html#msg157179)

By Surly1

Originally published on the Doomstead Diner on July 4, 2018

Surly1 is an administrator and contributing author to Doomstead Diner. He is the author of numerous rants, screeds and spittle-flecked invective here and elsewhere. He lives a quiet domestic existence in Southeastern Virginia with his wife Contrary. Descended from a long line of people to whom one could never tell anything, all opinions are his and his alone, because he paid full retail for everything he has managed to learn.


As we celebrate the nation's Independence, a virtual pallor seems to hang over the proceedings like a shitmist. There will be parades, fireworks, cookouts and picnics, and the attendant mindlessness of a hot summer day. There will be 21-gun salutes with appropriate solemnity. But in many ways, it's almost as if it's "Bizarro- Fourth of July–" similar, but a bit off. As if our hearts are not fully in it. Given that hundreds of thousands attended over 800 rallies demonstrating against government-sanctioned kidnapping of children and separation of immigrant families, they may not be. Now comes proof we're just not as patriotic as we used to be.

FULL ARTICLE:

Oh Say Can You See? (http://www.doomsteaddiner.net/forum/index.php/topic,11276.msg157179.html#msg157179)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F_IPZX1n_gnIM%2FTBxKST8wgBI%2FAAAAAAAAFxM%2F52D2UaemhQE%2Fs400%2FGas-Oil-Petroleum385.jpg&hash=733743a5d6af9b5085d12db935373e34c5e356fd)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 05, 2018, 09:47:30 pm
Scandal Ridden Pruitt 🦖 Finally Resigns (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311017193926.png&hash=135a7bcd2093b679e425bbd2086adb8ddfd2e7b5) from EPA, Leaving Another Climate Denier 🦕 in Charge 👎

July 5, 2018

Sierra Club’s Mary Anne Hitt says Pruitt’s long list of scandals is only matched by his long list of attempted environmental rollbacks, and new acting EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler will advance the same deregulatory agenda

https://youtu.be/j-pcZc8INgU

Story Transcript

DHARNA NOOR: It’s The Real News. I’m Dharna Noor.

Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt resigned on Thursday amidst numerous allegations of ethical and legal violations. Trump announced Pruitt’s resignation via Twitter, where he also said that EPA Deputy Administrator and former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler will assume the role of acting administrator this Monday. Just hours before Pruitt resigned, two congressmen called upon the EPA’s inspector general to investigate allegations that Pruitt has been hiding and falsifying calendar records of his meetings with industry officials. And these came in a slew of new allegations reported by The Washington Post on Monday. Aides also said that the administrator asked EPA staffers to help his wife get a six-figure job, and to perform many other nonofficial tasks.

Here to talk about all of this is Mary Anne Hitt. She’s the director of the Beyond Coal Campaign at the Sierra Club. Thanks for joining us today.

MARY ANNE HITT: Thanks for having me.

DHARNA NOOR: So first let’s talk a little bit about what we’re losing in Scott Pruitt. Let’s assess his record a little bit. So as you know, and many of you probably know, on Monday a schoolteacher named Kristen Mink actually confronted Pruitt in a D.C. restaurant and asked him to resign. Let’s see that clip.

KRISTIN MINK: I just wanted to urge you to resign because of what you’re doing to the environment in our country. Meanwhile, you’re slashing strong standards for cars and trucks for the benefits of big corporations. We deserve to have somebody at the EPA who actually does protect our environment, someone who believes in climate change and takes it seriously for the benefit of all of us, including our children. So I would urge you to resign before your scandals push you out.

DHARNA NOOR: So Mink castigated Pruitt for being a climate denier, for attacking clean air and water standards, for renting a condo from the spouse of a prominent fossil fuel lobbyist with whom he was in talks. This was just as a reminder at the time that he actually approved the Alberta Clipper pipeline, allowing hundreds of thousands more barrels of oil per day to flow to the United States from Canada’s tar sands. Talk a little bit about his record generally, and what Pruitt’s environmental impact was, and about his deregulatory agenda.

MARY ANNE HITT: Well, let me say first that I am a mom of an 8-year-old, and I found it very heartwarming when that mom stood up and I think said what a lot of us moms wish we could say to Scott Pruitt in person, which is that it’s our clean air and our clean water and the very safety of our kids that is on the line. And Scott Pruitt from day one in office was, frankly, working to dismantle the EPA. It was his life’s work formerly as the Oklahoma attorney general to try to find shortcuts or loopholes around our clean air and clean water standards, and from his first day on the job he began working at the behest of polluters to do just that.

And in doing so, if that wasn’t bad enough, he also was just-. It was just, frankly, a bottomless pit of scandals, of corruption, from multi-hundred dollar fountain pens, to accepting cheap rent from a lobbyist for a fossil fuel company, to tactical paants that were bought for him for the price of hundreds of dollars a pair. So it was really, frankly, I think-. Again, as a mom, as someone who’s worried about the safety of your air and water, the fact that he was that corrupt in his personal dealings was one thing. The fact that he was playing fast and loose with the water that we all drink and the air that we all breathe was what was truly scary about Scott Pruitt.

DHARNA NOOR: Talk a little bit more about what some of the impacts that he had were on clean air and clean water regulations. Talk a little bit more specifically about what some of his legacies will be, moving on from the EPA.

MARY ANNE HITT: Well, the long list of Scott Pruitt’s ethical scandals is only matched by a long list of air and water and climate regulations that he tried to roll back in his tenure at EPA. Everything from standards for how to dispose of toxic coal ash safely so it doesn’t end up in the drinking water, so you don’t have things like arsenic in your drinking water from coal ash, to the first ever climate standards that we had as a nation to reduce climate pollution from power plants. He was working to repeal and revoke those. You can talk about the safety of pesticides. You can talk about-. Really, Scott Pruitt never met an environmental regulation that he didn’t want to try to roll back or repeal. And the good news, if there is any, is that he didn’t get too far in that agenda. A lot of what he was trying to do, we believe, was illegal. And the Sierra Club and other groups were challenging him in court every step of the way. So he set a lot of bad things in motion. And we are worried that Andrew Wheeler, the number two at the EPA who is now in charge, will continue on that toxic agenda. But we also are very determined to fight them every step of the way.

DHARNA NOOR: Yeah. So let’s talk a little bit more about Andrew Wheeler. Again, he’s a former coal lobbyist. And I understand that your organization actually obtained emails between him and Scott Pruitt through the Freedom of Information Act. What did you find from those emails, and what do you generally expect from him as an EPA administrator?

MARY ANNE HITT: Well, I want to give a special shoutout to our attorneys and press folks at the Sierra Club. They paged through, I am not kidding you, almost 60000 pages of FOIA documents from the EPA that are the source of the information about a lot of these scandals that you saw on the news and you wrote about on the front pages of the newspaper. And Wheeler and Pruitt were definitely partners in crime, working to advance this agenda of rolling back our environmental safeguards that they’re going to continue full speed ahead with Wheeler at the helm, to try to get that agenda over the finish line. And we are going to be fighting at the Sierra Club and with all of our partners every step of the way to prevent that from happening. Because it really is, you know, just as the mom who confronted Scott Pruitt in the restaurant put it so so beautifully, it’s our kids future. It’s the safety of the water we drink and the air that we breathe. And that, that is what they are playing fast and loose with to benefit their polluter buddies.

DHARNA NOOR: And then, lastly, how can people hold the EPA administrator, whether it’s Pruitt, Wheeler, or somebody else accountable? What are some actions that people can take to ensure that, you know, we don’t have another EPA administrator like Scott Pruitt? Is that even possible?

MARY ANNE HITT: Well, the Sierra Club tonight is reaching out to all of our members and supporters and asking them to call their members of Congress, because Congress is the agency that does have oversight over the EPA. And obviously Trump is happy to have folks reading the EPA doing the bidding of polluters. And so our check on that is the Congress. And Scott Pruitt did get a lot of a lot of very hard questions, increasingly hard questions, every time he appeared before the Congress and before the Senate. That was a lot of what put him on the hot seat and, again, exposed some of this corruption.

And so we’re going to be counting on members of Congress now to do the same thing with Wheeler who, again, he’s a coal lobbyist. He has a very long and not very pretty track record when it comes to clean air, clean water. He’s got the same agenda as Pruitt and Trump, which is to dismantle all of our environmental safeguards. And so folks should call their members of Congress and ask them to oppose Wheeler and Trump’s agenda, and to actually put someone in charge of EPA who will let the EPA do its job and fulfill its mission. I’m sure the very hardworking folks at EPA are breathing a sigh of relief tonight, and would just like to be able to do their jobs to make sure our air and water are safe. And the Congress needs to allow the EPA to do just that. That’s what the American people are counting on.

DHARNA NOOR: All right. Well, Marianne, as we see what Wheeler and others do in the EPA we’ll be sure to check in again with you. Thanks so much for coming on today.

MARY ANNE HITT: Thank you so much for having me.

DHARNA NOOR: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.

https://therealnews.com/stories/scandal-ridden-pruitt-finally-resigns-from-epa-leaving-another-climate-denier-in-charge
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 07, 2018, 08:11:42 pm
How the Democrats (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) take the Supreme Court back from Donald Trump 🦀

Tim Faulkner | 12:18 am EDT July 7, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

Article III, Section I of the Constitution states that “The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.” While the Constitution established the Supreme Court, it left it up to Congress to decide how to fill the court. The Judiciary Act of 1789 set the number at one chief justice and five associate justices.
 
While the intended purpose of the Supreme Court is to determine the constitutionality of laws, there have been several instances where the court was used for partisan political moves. When the Federalists lost power in 1800 the lame-duck Congress made a play to prevent President Thomas Jefferson from being able to make an appointment by reducing the number of justices to five. However, the incoming Congress repealed this to put the number back at six. In 1807, Congress increased it to seven.

Then in 1837, President Andrew Jackson was able to appoint two justices after Congress increased the number of justices to nine. Following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican majority in Congress voted to reduce the number of justices to prevent Democrat President Andrew Johnson from appointing any new justices. When Ulysses S. Grant won the presidency in 1868, Congress increased it back to nine to allow him two appointments. The number of Supreme Court justices has remained at nine since the Judiciary Act of 1869.

With Donald Trump ready to announce his next appointment on Monday, there have been a multitude of strategies put forth for Democrats to attempt to prevent the confirmation. With so many critical laws that protect the rights of so many people at risk, this is an extremely important effort. When Andrew Johnson was about to be impeached, Congress passed the Judicial Act of 1866, which reduced the number of seats to prevent him from getting any appointments.
 
If the Republicans currently in Congress cared enough to put country over party, they could prevent Donald Trump from making another appointment, but we all know that will not happen. Instead, if Trump is able to push through his next choice, at least we know that once Democrats take back power, they have the ability to counter Trump’s appointments by adding two new seats which can be filled by justices who will actually make decisions to protect Americans, not hurt them.

(https://lh6.ggpht.com/sw_iT7GZASdAYeiecsZEHJE-EgDhdK2rCWUzZOJS0OFiGpoi9qn8iMH2nuXHgWg2PA=h900)

Help support Palmer Report and independent political journalism: PayPal • GoFundMe

http://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/democrats-supreme-court-trump-back/11248/

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 10, 2018, 02:10:24 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Trump 🦀 is following EXACTLY the same playbook Hitler used in Germany to make the courts a handmaiden to fascist murder ☠️ and mayhem 💣. >:( God help us.

Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh stumbles out of the gate

Bill Palmer | 11:58 pm EDT July 9, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

Brett Kavanaugh just did a big favor for those who are seeking to defeat his nomination to the Supreme Court. Donald Trump could have picked any far-right judge and made his billionaire donors and extremist supporters happy. So why did he choose Kavanaugh specifically? You and I know that it obviously involved a private conversation about personal loyalty. But thanks to Kavanaugh’s big stupid mouth, now the whole world knows it.

After Donald Trump introduced Brett Kavanaugh as his Supreme Court nominee, Kavanaugh stepped to the microphone and said this: “No president has ever consulted more widely or talked to more people from more backgrounds to seek input for a Supreme Court nomination.” It was precisely what Trump wanted to hear. It was also the dumbest thing Kavanaugh has ever said in public, because he just personally married himself to Trump in the court of public opinion.

There are two ways we can convince mainstream America to ferociously stand up and fight against this Supreme Court pick. The first is to point out that Brett Kavanaugh will cast the deciding vote to overturn Roe v Wade, gay marriage, and other crucial rulings. This simply requires pointing to his existing record of far-right extremism. The second is to frame Kavanaugh as being a corrupt puppet of Donald Trump. This was going to be a difficult sell, until Kavanaugh just handed us the above quote.

I’ll post Brett Kavanaugh’s words about Donald Trump again, because this is the quote that you copy-paste and send to all your friends who wouldn’t normally care about the Supreme Court but who think Trump is a corrupt criminal: “No president has ever consulted more widely or talked to more people from more backgrounds to seek input for a Supreme Court nomination.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201722.png&hash=5299cc10ee42beae76e4d3b7c79dbf5f4c0addac) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-251117175700.png&hash=00439d30db6e35817ea0d1fbcba614f1f971448e)

These are not the words of a legitimate judge. They’re the words of a corrupt judge who is willing and eager to do Trump’s 🦀 personal bidding 🦍 at the expense of America.

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http://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/stumbles-brett-kavanaugh-trump-court/11298/

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Hitler's Courts Video series Parts 2 and 3 (Past can be prologue, readers!) (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/corruption-in-government/msg2020/?topicseen#msg2020)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 10, 2018, 10:55:12 pm
Agelbert NOTE: It turns out there was ANOTHER RAT named Anthony Kennedy in the Supreme Crooks Court 😈 👹 💵 🎩 🍌 🏴‍☠️ ALL THE TIME!
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-201113213637.png&hash=153cacb3aeb24bb83b16f222a0548dc35af2bd76)
Exposed: secret corrupt retirement deal between
Anthony Kennedy (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) and Donald Trump 🦀

Bill Palmer | 6:04 pm EDT July 10, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy was secretly negotiating with Donald Trump about his replacement, even as he was casting major pro-Trump votes that were out of character with his own judicial record. This comes on top of earlier revelations that Kennedy’s son played a key role at Trump’s favorite Russian money laundering bank. We’re now looking at a full blown scandal that’s getting uglier by the hour.


NBC News is now backing off from its earlier implication that Anthony Kennedy only agreed to retire if Donald Trump specifically picked Brett Kavanaugh, and is now reporting that Kennedy provided Trump with five names that would be acceptable to him. Brett Kavanaugh was the only conservative name on the list, so Kennedy would have known that Trump could only pick Kavanaugh. These negotiations reportedly began months ago. This means that Kennedy was secretly negotiating his retirement with Trump while he was casting the swing vote on issues like Trump’s Muslim Ban.


While Kennedy has sided with conservatives on fiscal issues, he’s often sided with liberals on civil rights issues like gay marriage; his vote in favor of the Muslim Ban was out of character. If Kennedy had voted against Trump on the Muslim Ban, at a time when he was negotiating with Trump over his potential replacement, it likely would have prompted the vindictive Trump to break off those negotiations. Kennedy would have known this – meaning that his final votes can be seen as fully corrupt.


If anyone were tempted to give Anthony Kennedy the benefit of the doubt about the corrupt nature of this secret deal, that goes out the window within the context of the fairly straight line that can be drawn from Kennedy to his son to Donald Trump to Russian money laundering to the Trump-Russia election rigging conspiracy. Kennedy’s legacy is clearly ruined; the only question is whether he’ll end up facing criminal charges. Follow the money.

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http://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/corrupt-kennedy-trump-exposed/11311/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 13, 2018, 04:51:38 pm
Truthout

July 13, 2018

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Exploiting Pensions, Wall Street Cost Taxpayers $624 Billion Over Last Decade

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams: In a frenzied bid for higher profits in the decade following the 2008 financial crisis, Wall Street pension fund managers have siphoned as much as $624 billion from Americans' retirement savings -- and, as a direct result, taxpayer coffers -- through a vicious combination of high fees and foolish investment strategies.

Read the Article (http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=L%2FK%2B8Kxah7t8d4qHKQsBkoLK1U2MX2sg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 22, 2018, 12:25:46 pm
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Poisoning Our Children: The Parent's Guide to the Myths of Safe Pesticides

July 22, 2018 • 71,521 views 👀

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS0_SHVDTsA&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0NyidgFBgE&feature=player_embedded

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Story at-a-glance

• In the U.S., there are about 80,000 registered chemicals. Of these, only a few hundred have been tested for safety, and even that testing is considered inadequate by most toxicologists

• Chemicals are tested in isolation. In real world application however, chemicals are used in combination, and the few studies done on synergetic effects reveal even nontoxic chemicals can become toxic when mixed together

The agricultural and global chemical industries have manipulated the system to control and suppress safety concerns. Through regulatory capture, regulators end up working for the industry’s 😈 👹 💵 🎩 rather than the public’s interest

• Regulators make decisions on the safety of poisons in our food and environment based on data provided by the company selling the toxin, and outsiders cannot review that evidence

• There’s no specific safety testing done for children, but studies show there is no lower level of pesticides that is safe for children

Read more:

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/07/22/no-safe-limit-for-pesticides-for-children.aspx
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 27, 2018, 09:49:04 pm
JUL 25, 2018TD ORIGINALS

American Society Would Collapse If It Weren’t for These 8 Myths

Our society should’ve collapsed by now. You know that, right? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718210826.gif&hash=092e58b7487d71e472330a34e06beba130367805) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121424.gif&hash=384c17a4d2be4831084933b91808f8a60f73f7f5)

No society should function with this level of inequality (with the possible exception of one of those prison planets in a “Star Wars” movie). Sixty-three percent of Americans can’t afford a $500 emergency. Yet Amazon head Jeff Bezos is now worth a record $141 billion. He could literally end world hunger for multiple years and still have more money left over than he could ever spend on himself.

Worldwide, one in 10 people only make $2 a day. Do you know how long it would take one of those people to make the same amount as Jeff Bezos has? 193 million years. (If they only buy single-ply toilet paper.) Put simply, you cannot comprehend the level of inequality in our current world or even just our nation.

So … shouldn’t there be riots in the streets every day? Shouldn’t it all be collapsing? Look outside. The streets aren’t on fire. No one is running naked and screaming (usually). Does it look like everyone’s going to work at gunpoint? No. We’re all choosing to continue on like this.

Why?

Well, it comes down to the myths we’ve been sold.

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Myths that are ingrained in our social programming from birth, deeply entrenched, like an impacted wisdom tooth. These myths are accepted 🙉 🙊 and basically never questioned. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183404.bmp&hash=dc40a133c761f80036b08ef0f6c0427aaa7e9f4b)

I’m going to cover eight of them. There are more than eight. There are probably hundreds. But I’m going to cover eight because (A) no one reads a column titled “Hundreds of Myths of American Society,” (B) these are the most important ones and (C) we all have other s h i t to do.

Myth No. 8—We have a democracy. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)

If you think we still have a democracy or a democratic republic, ask yourself this: When was the last time Congress did something that the people of America supported that did not align with corporate interests? … You probably can’t do it. It’s like trying to think of something that rhymes with “orange.” You feel like an answer exists but then slowly realize it doesn’t. Even the Carter Center and former President Jimmy Carter believe that America has been transformed into an oligarchy: A small, corrupt elite control the country with almost no input from the people. The rulers need the myth that we’re a democracy to give us the illusion of control.

Myth No. 7—We have an accountable and legitimate voting system. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718202127.gif&hash=acc63221521ebaf3f238088fd92d1ae3a08b6e48)

Gerrymandering, voter purging, data mining, broken exit polling, push polling, superdelegates, electoral votes, black-box machines, voter ID suppression, provisional ballots, super PACs, dark money, third parties banished from the debates and two corporate parties that stand for the same goddamn pile of fetid crap!

What part of this sounds like a legitimate election system?

No, we have what a large Harvard study called the worst election system in the Western world. Have you ever seen where a parent has a toddler in a car seat, and the toddler has a tiny, brightly colored toy steering wheel so he can feel like he’s driving the car? That’s what our election system is—a toy steering wheel. Not connected to anything. We all sit here like infants, excitedly shouting, “I’m steeeeering!”

And I know it’s counterintuitive, but that’s why you have to vote. We have to vote in such numbers that we beat out what’s stolen through our ridiculous rigged system.

Myth No. 6—We have an independent media that keeps the rulers accountable. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718210558.gif&hash=9234ac544277d3924347404eb52489dfe64e3ca4)

Our media outlets are funded by weapons contractors, big pharma, big banks, big oil and big, fat hard-on pills. (Sorry to go hard on hard-on pills, but we can’t get anything resembling hard news because it’s funded by dicks.) The corporate media’s jobs are to rally for war, cheer for Wall Street and froth at the mouth for consumerism. It’s their mission to actually fortify belief in the myths I’m telling you about right now. Anybody who steps outside that paradigm is treated like they’re standing on a playground wearing nothing but a trench coat.

Myth No. 5—We have an independent judiciary.
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The criminal justice system has become a weapon wielded by the corporate state. This is how bankers can foreclose on millions of homes illegally and see no jail time, but activists often serve jail time for nonviolent civil disobedience. Chris Hedges recently noted, “The most basic constitutional rights … have been erased for many. … Our judicial system, as Ralph Nader has pointed out, has legalized secret law, secret courts, secret evidence, secret budgets and secret prisons in the name of national security.”

If you’re not part of the monied class, you’re pressured into releasing what few rights you have left. According to The New York Times, “97 percent of federal cases and 94 percent of state cases end in plea bargains, with defendants pleading guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence.”

That’s the name of the game. Pressure people of color and poor people to just take the plea deal because they don’t have a million dollars to spend on a lawyer. (At least not one who doesn’t advertise on beer coasters.)

Myth No. 4—The police 🦍 are here to protect you. They’re your friends. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718211017.gif&hash=1b5b289486b9429bdbdcb938b21ef1a2b66d30fc)

That’s funny. I don’t recall my friend pressuring me into sex to get out of a speeding ticket. (Which is essentially still legal in 32 states.)

The police in our country are primarily designed to do two things: protect the property of the rich and perpetrate the completely immoral war on drugs—which by definition is a war on our own people.

We lock up more people than any other country on earth. Meaning the land of the free is the largest prison state in the world. So all these droopy-faced politicians and rabid-talking heads telling you how awful China is on human rights or Iran or North Korea—none of them match the numbers of people locked up right here under Lady Liberty’s skirt.

Myth No. 3—Buying will make you happy.
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This myth is put forward mainly by the floods of advertising we take in but also by our social engineering. Most of us feel a tenacious emptiness, an alienation deep down behind our surface emotions (for a while I thought it was gas). That uneasiness is because most of us are flushing away our lives at jobs we hate before going home to seclusion boxes called houses or apartments. We then flip on the TV to watch reality shows about people who have it worse than we do (which we all find hilarious).

If we’re lucky, we’ll make enough money during the week to afford enough beer on the weekend to help it all make sense. (I find it takes at least four beers for everything to add up.) But that doesn’t truly bring us fulfillment. So what now? Well, the ads say buying will do it. Try to smother the depression and desperation under a blanket of flat-screen TVs, purses and Jet Skis. Now does your life have meaning? No? Well, maybe you have to drive that Jet Ski a little faster! Crank it up until your bathing suit flies off and you’ll feel alive!

The dark truth is that we have to believe the myth that consuming is the answer or else we won’t keep running around the wheel. And if we aren’t running around the wheel, then we start thinking, start asking questions. Those questions are not good for the ruling elite, who enjoy a society based on the daily exploitation of 99 percent of us.

Myth No. 2—If you work hard, things will get better.
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According to Deloitte’s Shift Index survey: “80% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs” and “[t]he average person spends 90,000 hours at work over their lifetime.” That’s about one-seventh of your life—and most of it is during your most productive years.

Ask yourself what we’re working for. To make money? For what? Almost none of us are doing jobs for survival anymore. Once upon a time, jobs boiled down to:

I plant the food—>I eat the food—>If I don’t plant food = I die.

But nowadays, if you work at a café—will someone die if they don’t get their super-caf-mocha-frap-almond-****-latte? I kinda doubt they’ll keel over from a blueberry scone deficiency.

If you work at Macy’s, will customers perish if they don’t get those boxer briefs with the sweat-absorbent-ass fabric? I doubt it. And if they do die from that, then their problems were far greater than you could’ve known. So that means we’re all working to make other people rich because we have a society in which we have to work. Technological advancements can do most everything that truly must get done.

So if we wanted to, we could get rid of most work and have tens of thousands of more hours to enjoy our lives. But we’re not doing that at all. And no one’s allowed to ask these questions—not on your mainstream airwaves at least. Even a half-step like universal basic income is barely discussed because it doesn’t compute with our cultural programming.

Scientists say it’s quite possible artificial intelligence will take away all human jobs in 120 years. I think they know that will happen because bots will take the jobs and then realize that 80 percent of them don’t need to be done! The bots will take over and then say, “Stop it. … Stop spending a seventh of your life folding shirts at Banana Republic.”

One day, we will build monuments to the bot that told us to enjoy our lives and … leave the shirts wrinkly.

And this leads me to the largest myth of our American society.

Myth No. 1—You are free.
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And I’m not talking about the millions locked up in our prisons. I’m talking about you and me. If you think you’re free, try running around with your nipples out, ladies. Guys, take a dump on the street and see how free you are.

I understand there are certain restrictions on freedom we actually desire to have in our society—maybe you’re not crazy about everyone leaving a Stanley Steamer in the middle of your walk to work. But a lot of our lack of freedom is not something you would vote for if given the chance.

Try building a fire in a parking lot to keep warm in the winter.

Try sleeping in your car for more than a few hours without being harassed by police.

Try maintaining your privacy for a week without a single email, web search or location data set collected by the NSA and the telecoms.

Try signing up for the military because you need college money and then one day just walking off the base, going, “Yeah, I was bored. Thought I would just not do this anymore.”

Try explaining to Kentucky Fried Chicken that while you don’t have the green pieces of paper they want in exchange for the mashed potatoes, you do have some pictures you’ve drawn on a napkin to give them instead.

Try running for president as a third-party candidate. (Jill Stein was shackled and chained to a chair by police during one of the debates.)

Try using the restroom at Starbucks without buying something … while black.

We are less free than a dog on a leash. We live in one of the hardest-working, most unequal societies on the planet with more billionaires than ever.

Meanwhile, Americans supply 94 percent of the paid blood used worldwide. And it’s almost exclusively coming from very poor people. This abusive vampire system is literally sucking the blood from the poor. Does that sound like a free decision they made? Or does that sound like something people do after immense economic force crushes down around them? (One could argue that sperm donation takes a little less convincing.)

Point is, in order to enforce this illogical, immoral system, the corrupt rulers—most of the time—don’t need guns and tear gas to keep the exploitation mechanisms humming along. All they need are some good, solid bullshit myths for us all to buy into, hook, line and sinker. Some fairy tales for adults.

It’s time to wake up. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

If you think this column is important, please share it. Also, check out Lee Camp’s weekly TV show “Redacted Tonight” and weekly podcast “Common Censored.”


https://www.truthdig.com/articles/american-society-would-collapse-if-it-werent-for-these-8-myths/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 28, 2018, 04:39:30 pm
Common Dreams

BY Jake Johnson

PUBLISHED July 27, 2018

Quote
How are they going to pay for this?” asked one commentator on Twitter. “Oh wait, that question only gets asked when it comes to social programs that benefit the working class.”

The Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald added:

It seems strange, at least to me, that Democrats – with one side of their mouth – say Trump is an authoritarian, lawless traitor, but then, with the other side, keep voting to increase his war powers, military budget and detention & spying authorities. https://t.co/nRoOM7Kifw pic.twitter.com/X11kYf9Qsf

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 27, 2018

House Democrats (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) Join GOP (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) to Approve $717 Billion in Military Spending
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Full article:

https://truthout.org/articles/house-democrats-join-gop-to-approve-717-billion-in-military-spending/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 31, 2018, 08:14:08 pm
Gore Vidal Interview Series with Paul Jay (7/7) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clker.com%2Fcliparts%2Fc%2F8%2Ff%2F8%2F11949865511933397169thumbs_up_nathan_eady_01.svg.hi.png&hash=599691109af22b33f1d59dd61eb97448a9427020)

July 31, 2018

On the sixth anniversary of the death of Gore Vidal, and the final day of our fundraising campaign, we republish Paul Jay’s 2007 interview with Vidal on the state of journalism. Vidal says, “I’ve been around the ruling class all my life, and I’ve been quite aware of their total contempt for the people of the country”

https://youtu.be/IWODMla3IWk

Story Transcript

PAUL JAY: The economic structure of television makes what I’m going to ask difficult to accomplish. But do you think television journalists have learned anything from this last four years?

GORE VIDAL: Well, they’ve always been lazy, and they’re not used to getting to the heart of problems, of matters. They’re not used to investigating anything. Socrates tells us that the unexamined life is not worth living, and that is an absolute truth. Those who want to examine life don’t go in for journalism, because they’re not allowed to. So they’ve got to be very careful. They have to think about tenure if they’re at a university. They’ve got to think about, you know, the publisher and advertisers. So it’s a difficult row to hoe, and we have no intellectual tradition of any kind in the United States. I even told Arthur Schlesinger, you know, Arthur, one Schlesinger does not make a spring. He was horrified.

PAUL JAY: What do you think is the significance of what we’re trying to do?

GORE VIDAL: Well, I’m all for it. I wouldn’t be sitting here today if I didn’t like the notion. And it’s apt to catch on. It’s when the news starts to break how two presidential elections, 2000 and 2004, were stolen, and The New York Times would not review the book written about it by Congressman Conyers, nor Washington Post, nor Wall Street Journal. The great instruments of news were silent. Well, they’re saying, we don’t give a goddamn about the United States. Just stew in your own juice. Leave us alone. We have corporate figures to add up now, and we have certain things we want to put in place, and we may have a couple of candidates for you dumdums, but you probably won’t like them.

You know, I’ve been around the ruling class all my life, and I’ve been quite aware of their total contempt for the people of the country. And the Republican machine became so good at transmitting its own feelings about the world to the enemy, to the liberals, once anyone, any of the right wing hear what I just said, he’ll say, oh, the liberals have always hated America. We know that. They despise family values, because they’re only interested in gangbangs and drugs and so forth. This is the way they deal. And whenever they have a real coward for president, like Bush himself, and you have a hero like Kerry, oh, he’s a coward. Didn’t you know that? We’ve got five guys who were in Vietnam with him. What they do is whatever is their transgression, whatever are their faults, they lie and apply it to the other person. That confuses everything. If I were an average voter in the United States I wouldn’t know who was telling the truth, whether Kerry really had run away and didn’t get purple hearts, or whether Junior, you know, had actually learned how to fly a plane.

PAUL JAY: And television news covers the lies like news.

GORE VIDAL: Yes. It has a lock on it.

PAUL JAY: You’ve been touring the country after your new book.

GORE VIDAL: Well, no, I was touring it before the last congressional election to raise money for the Democratic Party. Not that I like the Democratic Party, but we have to have the semblance of a second party to get rid of these others.

PAUL JAY: What do you hear from people?

GORE VIDAL: Well, I’ve never heard cries of rage so loud. It’s when I’m in New Mexico or West Virginia. I’ve covered the whole country by now.

PAUL JAY: Our project’s fundamentally motivated out of our own concern for what the future holds, especially in terms of what democratic rights we do have and the way the media has played such a destructive role. What do you think is the potential for what we’re doing? What do you make of the project?

GORE VIDAL: Well, the potential is enormous. There’s not anyone with an IQ above, you know, lowest room temperature who isn’t interested in something like this. Everybody is on to the con act of our media, that they are obeying bigger, richer interests than informing the public, which is the last thing that corporate America has ever been interested in doing. So I think, you know, the sky’s the limit to the amount of audience you can get.

And one of the secrets is, aside from telling the truth, which most people in America hate because they’ve been brought up on advertising, and they think the truth is just something irrelevant. Irrelevant. You know, everybody lies. You know, I love that line. So it’s alright to steal the election. Well, that isn’t what the world’s about. And I think it’s really come down to we’re going to be blown up one of these days. We have now acquired so many enemies with so much power in the world that, well, they’re going to take a couple of cracks at us. I would rather have Real News here telling us just where it was they struck, where it is, intelligence says they may strike again, and maybe why they’re doing it. We blew up their mosque, we killed their president, or whatever it was that set them off. What our fictional news does now, and this is- all it is is fiction, whether it’s CNN or CBS or NBC, it’s all fiction. The people making this junk know that. The viewers suspect it. But where are they going to turn to? Where are they going to find out? They can’t all go out and get a, you know, subscription to The Nation, which would help straighten them out, at least in print.

So you’re going to be the only alternative, and the word will start to spread. Look at the speed with which, you know, just by telling jokes, John Stewart and company got the attention of everybody. And now they say, well, most of the real news that the people know about they get from the satirizing of it that Stewart does. And very funny he is, too. In other words you build a better mousetrap, and the mouse will come to your door.

PAUL JAY: Thank you.

https://therealnews.com/stories/gore-vidal-interview-series-with-paul-jay
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 05, 2018, 05:55:16 pm
Do Major Corporations Pay a Lot in Income Tax?

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The nation's top CEOs get richer, while the U.S. government loses out, at least according to the Institute for Policy Studies. The think tank reviewed tax and personal financial information from 2010 and found that at least 25 U.S. companies paid their CEOs (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) more in total compensation than the firms themselves paid in corporate income taxes.  >:(

In fact, while the CEOs earned an average of $16.7 million USD each, their businesses received an average of $304 million in tax refunds from the federal government.

Among the widest discrepancies:

John Lundgren (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) got paid more than $32.5 million from Stanley Black & Decker, while the firm saw a tax refund of $183 million. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817122018.gif&hash=74d86c1f35e2f61ea38c9bfa392f84a92631b96e)

Ford CEO Alan Mulally (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) earned more than $26.5 million and Ford received a $69 million refund. 🤬

The report follows up on recent controversies about sky-high CEO pay, as some estimates show that top executives earn about 325 times more than the average American worker. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ff743217795e126d61e2b86481f9dfb4a%2Ftumblr_inline_n1mtftG9F61rl7j9n.gif&hash=25000cf9e1feb1f365967eaa49f40a1668cade50)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300115234833.gif&hash=20e82f36f361174e6f8f07e11c36330842502bab)

It's good to be the boss:  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

On average, CEOs (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) in the United States (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncc-1776.org%2Ftle-pics%2FFlag_of_the_United_States.png&hash=dde5dffb8a9710e499636687519ddca19367732a) earn the equivalent of $6,000 per hour.

Average CEO pay has jumped 930 percent since 1978, compared with an 11 percent hike for all other employees.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) is the world's wealthiest man, with a net worth of about $150 billion USD.

https://www.wisegeek.com/do-major-corporations-pay-a-lot-in-income-tax.htm

(https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Opposecapitalism5.jpg)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 09, 2018, 09:35:46 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281216181536.jpeg&hash=faeff8739580c0d370dfafe6e6378077218a7ed2)

Trump 🦀 Ally Rep. Chris Collins 😈 Arrested for Insider Trading – Is the Swamp Drained Now? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718202127.gif&hash=acc63221521ebaf3f238088fd92d1ae3a08b6e48)

August 9, 2018

White collar criminologist Bill Black analyzes the significance of Rep. Chris Collins arrest for insider trading along with his son and son’s fiance’s father on 13 counts of wire fraud, securities fraud, and making false statements to the FBI.

Collins was first Congressman to endorse Trump and is one of his closest confidants (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c)

https://youtu.be/-QP89K_Ani8

https://therealnews.com/stories/trump-ally-rep-chris-collins-arrested-for-insider-trading-is-the-swamp-drained-now

Agelbert NOTE: This is just the tip of the Trump "iceberg" (https://emojipedia-us.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbs/240/apple/118/pile-of-poo_1f4a9.png).

Anything at All Can Happen in the Age of Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/who-can-you-trust/corruption-in-government/msg6321/#msg6321)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 13, 2018, 09:16:47 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Pentagon response to the following 100% factual article:

(https://i.imgur.com/O8Wz9oF.png)

The Political Economy of the Weapons Industry: Guess who’s sleeping with our insecurity blanket

by Joan Roelofs, Counterpunch 25:3, 16-22 (2018) republished August 7, 2018

For many people the “military-industrial-complex (MIC)” brings to mind the top twenty weapons manufacturers. President Dwight Eisenhower, who warned about it in 1961, wanted to call it the military-industrial-congressional-complex, but decided it was not prudent to do so. Today it might well be called the military-industrial-congressional-almost-everything-complex. Most departments and levels of government, businesses, and also many charities, social service, environmental, and cultural organizations, are deeply embedded with the military.

The weapons industry may be spearheading the military budget and military operations; it is aided immensely by the cheering or silence of citizens and their representatives. Here we will provide some likely reasons for that assent. We will use the common typology of three national sectors: government, business, and nonprofit, with varying amounts of interaction among them. This does not preclude, though it masks somewhat, the proposition that government is the executive of the ruling class.

Every kind of business figures in the Department of Defense (DoD) budget. Lockheed is currently the largest contractor in the weapons business. It connects with the worldwide MIC by sourcing parts, for example, for the F-35 fighter plane, from many countries. This helps a lot to market the weapon, despite its low opinion among military experts as well as anti-military critics. Lockheed also does civilian work, which enhances its aura while it spreads its values.

Other types of businesses have enormous multi-year contracts—in the billions. This despite the constitutional proviso that Congress not appropriate military funds for more than a two year term. Notable are the construction companies, such as Fluor, KBR, Bechtel, and Hensel Phelps. These build huge bases, often with high tech surveillance or operational capacity, in the US and abroad, where they hire locals or commonly, third country nationals to carry out the work. There are also billion-funded contractors in communications technology, intelligence analysis, transportation, logistics, food, and clothing. “Contracting out” is our modern military way; this also spreads its influence far and wide.

Medium, small, and tiny businesses dangle from the “Christmas tree” of the Pentagon, promoting popular cheering or silence on the military budget. These include special set-asides for minority-owned and small businesses. A Black-owned small business, KEPA-TCI (construction), received contracts for $356 million.  [Data comes from several sources, available free on the internet: websites, tax forms, and annual reports of organizations; usaspending.gov (USA) and governmentcontractswon.com (GCW).] Major corporations of all types serving our services have been excellently described in Nick Turse’s The Complex. Really small and tiny businesses are drawn into the system: landscapers, dry cleaners, child care centers, and Come-Bye Goose Control of Maryland.

Among the businesses with large DoD contracts are book publishers: McGraw-Hill, Greenwood, Scholastic, Pearson, Houghton Mifflin, Harcourt, Elsevier, and others. Rarely have the biases in this industry, in fiction, nonfiction, and textbook offerings, been examined. Yet the influences on this small but significant population, the reading public, and the larger schooled contingent, may help explain the silence of the literate crowd and college graduates.

Much of what is left of organized industrial labor is in weapons manufacture. Its PACs fund the few “progressive” candidates in our political system, who tend to be silent about war and the threat of nuclear annihilation. Unlike other factories, the armaments makers do not suddenly move overseas, although they do use subcontractors worldwide.

Military spending may be only about 6% of the GDP, yet it has great impact because: 1. it is a growing sector; 2. it is recession-proof; 3. it does not rely on consumer whims; 4. it is the only thing prospering in many areas; and 5. the “multiplier” effect: subcontracting, corporate purchasing, and employee spending perk up the regional economy. It is ideally suited to Keynesian remedies, because of its ready destruction and obsolescence: what isn’t consumed in warfare, rusted out, or donated to our friends still needs to be replaced by the slightly more lethal thing. Many of our science graduates work for the military directly or its contractee labs concocting these.

The military’s unbeatable weapon is jobs, and all members of Congress, and state and local officials, are aware of this. It is where well-paying jobs are found for mechanics, scientists, and engineers; even janitorial workers do well in these taxpayer-rich firms. Weaponry is also important in our manufactured goods exports as our allies are required to have equipment that meets our specifications. Governments, rebels, terrorists, pirates, and gangsters all fancy our high tech and low tech lethal devices.

Our military economy also yields a high return on investments. These benefit not only corporate executives and other rich, but many middle and working class folk, as well as churches, benevolent, and cultural organizations. The lucrative mutual funds offered by Vanguard, Fidelity, and others are heavily invested in the weapons manufacturers.

Individual investors may not know what is in their fund’s portfolios; the institutions usually know. A current project of World Beyond War advocates divestment of military stocks in the pension funds of state and local government workers: police, firepersons, teachers, and other civil servants. Researchers are making a state-by-state analysis of these funds. Among the findings are the extensive military stock holdings of CALpers, the California Public Employees Retirement System (the sixth largest pension fund on earth), the California State Teachers Retirement System, the New York State Teachers Retirement System, the New York City Employees Retirement System, and the New York State Common Retirement Fund (state and local employees). Amazing! the New York City teachers were once the proud parents of red diaper babies.

The governmental side of the MIC complex goes far beyond the DoD. In the executive branch, Departments of State, Homeland Security, Energy, Veterans Affairs, Interior; and CIA, AID, FBI, NASA, and other agencies; are permeated with military projects and goals. Even the Department of Agriculture has a joint program with the DoD to “restore” Afghanistan by creating a dairy cattle industry. No matter that the cattle and their feed must be imported,  cattle cannot graze in the terrain as the native sheep and goats can, there is no adequate transportation or refrigeration, and the Afghans don’t normally drink milk. The native animals provide yogurt, butter, and wool, and graze on the rugged slopes, but that is all so un-American.

Congress is a firm ally of the military. Campaign contributions from contractor PACs are generous, and lobbying is extensive. So also are the outlays of financial institutions, which are heavily invested in the MIC. Congresspeople have significant shares of weapons industry stocks. To clinch the deal, members of Congress (and also state and local lawmakers) are well aware of the economic importance of military contracts in their states and districts.

Military bases, inside the US as well as worldwide, are an economic hub for communities. The DoD lists more than 4,000 domestic properties. Some are bombing ranges or recruiting stations; perhaps 400 are bases with a major impact on their localities. The largest of these, Fort Bragg, NC, is a city unto itself, and a cultural influence as well as economic asset to its region, as so well described by Catherine Lutz in Homefront. California has about 40 bases, and is home to major weapons makers as well. Officers generally live off-base, so the real estate, restaurant, retail, auto repair, hotel and other businesses are prospering. Local civilians find employment on bases. Closed, unconvertible installations are sometimes tourist attractions, such as the unlikeliest of all vacation spots, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

DoD has direct contracts and grants with state and local governments. These are for various projects and services, including large amounts to fund the National Guard. The Army Engineers maintain swimming holes and parks, and police forces get a deal on Bearcats. JROTC programs nationwide provide funding for public schools, and even more for those that are public school military academies; six are in Chicago.

National, state and local governments are well covered by the “insecurity blanket;” the nonprofit sector is not neglected. Nevertheless, it does harbor the very small group of anti-war organizations, such as Iraq Veterans Against War, Veterans for Peace, World Beyond War, Peace Action, Union of Concerned Scientists, Center for International Policy, Catholic Worker, Answer Coalition, and others. Yet unlike the Vietnam War period there is no vocal group of religious leaders protesting war, and the few students who are politically active are more concerned with other issues.

Nonprofit organizations and institutions are involved several ways. Some are obviously partners of the MIC: Boy and Girl Scouts, Red Cross, veterans’ charities, military think-tanks such as RAND and Institute for Defense Analysis, establishment think-tanks like the American Enterprise Institute, Atlantic Council, and the flagship of US world projection, the Council on Foreign Relations. There are also many international nongovernmental organizations that assist the US government in delivering “humanitarian” assistance, sing the praises of the market economy, or attempt to repair the “collateral” damage inflicted on lands and people, for example, Mercy Corps, Open Society Institutes, and CARE.

Educational institutions in all sectors are embedded with the military. The military schools include the service academies, National Defense University, Army War College, Naval War College, Air Force Institute of Technology, Air University, Defense Acquisition University, Defense Language Institute, Naval Postgraduate School, Defense Information School, the medical school, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and the notorious School of the Americas in Fort Benning, GA, now renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. “In addition, Senior Military Colleges offer a combination of higher education with military instruction. SMCs include Texas A&M University, Norwich University, The Virginia Military Institute, The Citadel, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), University of North Georgia and the Mary Baldwin Women’s Institute for Leadership.”

A university doesn’t have to be special to be part of the MIC. Most are awash with contracts, ROTC programs, and/or military officers and contractors on their boards of trustees. A study of the 100 most militarized universities includes prestigious institutions, as well as diploma mills that produce employees for military intelligence agencies and contractors.

Major liberal foundations have long been the “Sinews of Empire,” engaging in covert and overt operations to support imperial projection. They have been close associates of the Central Intelligence Agency, and were important in its instigation. The foundation created and supported Council on Foreign Relations has long been a link among Wall Street, large corporations, academia, the media, and our foreign and military policymakers.

Less obvious are the military connections of philanthropic, cultural, social service, environmental, and professional organizations. They are linked through donations; joint programs; sponsorship of events, exhibits, and concerts; awards (both ways); investments; boards of directors; top executives; and contracts. The data here covers approximately the last twenty years, and rounds out the reasons for the astounding support (according to the polls) that US citizens have conferred on our military, its budget, and its operations.

Military contractor philanthropy was the subject of previous reports, in 2006 and 2016. Every type of nonprofit (as well as public schools and universities) received support from the major weapons manufacturers; some findings were outstanding. Minority organizations were extremely well endowed. For many years there was crucial support for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from Lockheed; Boeing also funded the Congressional Black Caucus. The former president and CEO of the NAACP, Bruce Gordon, is now on the Board of Trustees of Northrop Grumman.

General Electric is the most generous military contractor philanthropist, with direct grants to organizations and educational institutions, partnerships with both, and matching contributions made by its thousands of employees. The latter reaches many of the nongovernmental and educational entities throughout the country.

Major donors to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (listed in its 2016 Annual Report) include the Defense Intelligence Agency, Cisco Systems, Open Society Foundations, US Department of Defense, General Electric, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and Lockheed Martin. This is an echo of the CEIP’s military connections reported in Horace Coon’s book of the 1930s, Money to Burn.

The DoD itself donates surplus property to organizations; among those eligible are Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little League Baseball, and United Service Organizations. The Denton Program allows non-governmental organizations to use extra space on U.S. military cargo aircraft to transport humanitarian assistance materials.

There is a multitude of joint programs and sponsorships. Here is a small sample.

The American Association of University Women’s National Tech Savvy Program encourages girls to enter STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers, with sponsorship from Lockheed, BAE Systems, and Boeing. Junior Achievement, sponsored by Bechtel, United Technologies, and others, aims to train children in market-based economics and entrepreneurship. Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts is partnered with Northrop Grumman for an “early childhood STEM ‘Learning through the Arts’ initiative for pre-K and kindergarten students.” The Bechtel Foundation has two programs for a “sustainable California”— an education program to help “young people develop the knowledge, skills, and character to explore and understand the world,” and an environmental program to promote the “management, stewardship and conservation for the state’s natural resources.”

The NAACP ACT-SO is a “yearlong enrichment program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students,” with sponsorship from Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman et al. The national winners receive financial awards from major corporations, college scholarships, internships, and apprenticeships—in the military industries.

In recent years the weapons makers have become enthusiastic environmentalists. Lockheed was a sponsor of the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation Sustainability Forum in 2013. Northrop Grumman supports Keep America Beautiful, National Public Lands Day, and a partnership with Conservation International and the Arbor Day Foundation (for forest restoration). United Technologies is the founding sponsor of the U.S. Green Building Council Center for Green Schools, and co-creator of the Sustainable Cities Design Academy. Tree Musketeers is a national youth environmental organization partnered by Northrop Grumman and Boeing.

Awards go both ways: industries give awards to nonprofits, and nonprofits awards to military industries and people. United Technologies, for its efforts in response to climate change, was on Climate A list of the Climate Disclosure Project. The Corporate Responsibility Association gave Lockheed position 8 in 2016 in its 100 Best Corporate Citizens List. Points of Light included General Electric and Raytheon in its 2014 list of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in America. Harold Koh, the lawyer who as Obama’s advisor defended drone strikes and intervention in Libya, was recently given distinguished visiting professor status by Phi Beta Kappa. In 2017, the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility recognized 34 Young Hispanic Corporate Achievers; 3 were executives in the weapons industry. Elizabeth Amato, an executive at United Technologies, received the YWCA Women Achievers Award.

Despite laborious searching through tax form 990s, it is difficult to discover the specifics of organizations’ investments. Many have substantial ones; in 2006, the American Friends Service Committee had $3.5 million in revenue from investments. Human Rights Watch reported $3.5 million investment income on its 2015 tax form 990, and more than $107 million in endowment funds.

One of the few surveys of nonprofit policies (by Commonfund in 2012) found that only 17% of foundations used environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria in their investments. ESG seems to have replaced “socially responsible investing (SRI)” in investment terminology, and it has a somewhat different slant. The most common restriction is the avoidance of companies doing business in regions with conflict risk; the next relates to climate change and carbon emissions; employee diversity is also an important consideration. Commonfund’s study of charities, social service and cultural organizations reported that 70% of their sample did not consider ESG in their investment policies. Although 61% of religious organizations did employ ESG criteria, only 16% of social service organizations and 3% of cultural organizations did.

Weapon industries are hardly ever mentioned in these reports. Religious organizations sometimes still used the SRI investment screens, but the most common were alcohol, gambling, pornography, and tobacco. The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, a resource for churches, lists almost 30 issues for investment consideration, including executive compensation, climate change, and opioid crisis, but none concerning weapons or war. The United Church (UCC) advisory, a pioneer in SRI investment policies, does include a screen: only companies should be chosen which have less than 10% revenue from alcohol or gambling, 1% from tobacco, 10% from conventional weapons and 5% from nuclear weapons.

The Art Institute of Chicago states on their website that “[W]ith the fiduciary responsibility to maximize returns on investment consistent with appropriate levels of risk, the Art Institute maintains a strong presumption against divesting for social, moral, or political reasons.” Listed as an associate is Honeywell International, and a major benefactor is the Crown Family (General Dynamics), which recently donated a $2 million endowment for a Professorship in Painting and Drawing.

Nonprofit institutions (as well as individuals and pension funds of all sectors) have heavy investments in the funds of financial companies such as State Street, Vanguard, BlackRock, Fidelity, CREF, and others, which have portfolios rich in military industries. These include information technology firms, which, although often regarded as “socially responsible,” are among the major DoD contractors.

In recent years foundations and other large nonprofits, such as universities, have favored investments in hedge funds, real estate, derivatives, and private equity. The Carnegie Endowment, more “transparent” than most, lists such funds on its 2015 tax form 990 (Schedule D Part VII). It is unlikely that Lockheed, Boeing, et al, are among the distressed debt bonanzas, so these institutions may be low on weapons stock. Nevertheless, most of them have firm connections to the MIC through donations, leadership, and/or contracts.

Close association with the military among nonprofit board members and executives works to keep the lid on anti-war activities and expression. The Aspen Institute is a think-tank that has resident experts, and also a policy of convening with activists, such as anti-poverty community leaders. Its Board of Trustees is chaired by James Crown, who is also a director of General Dynamics. Among other board members are Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, Javier Solana (former Secretary-General of NATO), and former Congresswoman Jane Harman. Harman “received the Defense Department Medal for Distinguished Service in 1998, the CIA Seal Medal in 2007, and the CIA Director’s Award and the National Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal in 2011. She is currently a member of the Director of National Intelligence’s Senior Advisory Group, the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations.” Lifetime Aspen Trustees include Lester Crown and Henry Kissinger.

In recent years, the Carnegie Corporation board of trustees included Condoleezza Rice and General Lloyd Austin III (Ret.), Commander of CENTCOM, a leader in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and also a board member of United Technologies. A former president of Physicians for Peace (not the similarly named well-known group) is Rear Admiral Harold Bernsen, formerly Commander of the US Middle East Force and not a physician.

TIAA, the college teachers’ retirement fund, had a CEO from 1993-2002, John H. Biggs, who was at the same time a director of Boeing. TIAA’s current board of directors includes an associate of a major military research firm, MITRE Corporations, and several members of the Council on Foreign Relations. Its senior executive Vice President, Rahul Merchant, is currently also a director at two information technology firms that have large military contracts: Juniper Networks and AASKI.

The American Association of Retired Persons’ chief lobbyist from 2002-2007, Chris Hansen, had previously served in that capacity at Boeing. The current VP of communications at Northrop Grumman, Lisa Davis, held that position at AARP from 1996-2005.

Board members and CEOs of the major weapons corporations serve on the boards of many nonprofits. Just to indicate the scope, these include the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Newman’s Own Foundation, New York Public Library, Carnegie Hall Society, Conservation International, Wolf Trap Foundation, WGBH, Boy Scouts, Newport Festival Foundation, Toys for Tots, STEM organizations, Catalyst, the National Science Center, the US Institute of Peace, and many foundations and universities.

The DoD promotes the employment of retired military officers as board members or CEOs of nonprofits, and several organizations and degree programs further this transition. U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Eden Murrie (Ret.) is now Director of Government Transformation and Agency Partnerships at the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service. She maintains that “[F]ormer military leaders have direct leadership experience and bring talent and integrity that could be applied in a nonprofit organization. . .”  Given the early retirement age, former military personnel (and reservists) are a natural fit for positions of influence in federal, state, and local governments, school boards, nonprofits, and volunteer work; many are in those places.

Perhaps the coziest relationships under the insecurity blanket are the multitudes of contracts and grants the Department of Defense tenders to the nonprofit world. DoD fiscal reporting is notoriously inaccurate, and there were conflicting accounts between and within the online databases. Nevertheless, even a fuzzy picture gives a good idea of the depth and scope of the coverage.

From their 2016 Annual Report: “The Nature Conservancy is an organization that takes care of people and land, and they look for opportunities to partner. They’re nonpolitical. We need nongovernment organizations like TNC to help mobilize our citizens. They are on the ground. They understand the people, the politics, the partnerships. We need groups like TNC to subsidize what government organizations can’t do.” Mamie Parker, Former Assistant Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Arkansas Trustee, The Nature Conservancy.

Among the subsidies going the other way are 44 DoD contracts with TNC totaling several million for the years 2008-2018 (USA). These are for such services as Prairie Habitat Reforestation, $100,000, and Runway and Biosecurity upkeep at Palmyra Atoll, HI, $82,000 (USA). For the years 2000-2016, GCW lists a total of $5,500,000 in TNC’s DoD contracts.

Grants to TNC for specific projects, not clearly different from contracts, were much larger. Each is listed separately (USA); a rough count of the total was more than $150 million. One $55 million grant was for “Army compatible use buffer (acubs) in vicinity of Fort Benning military installation.” Similar grants, the largest, $14 million, were for this service at other bases. Another was for the implementation of Fort Benning army installation’s ecological monitoring plan. Included in the description of these grants was the notice: “Assist State and local governments to mitigate or prevent incompatible civilian land use/activity that is likely to impair the continued operational utility of a Department of Defense (DoD) military installation. Grantees and participating governments are expected to adopt and implement the study recommendations.”

TNC’s Form 990 for 2017 states its investment income as $21 million. It reported government grants of $108.5 million, and government contracts of $9 million. These may include funds from state and local as well as all departments of the federal government. The Department of the Interior, which manages the vast lands used for bombing ranges and live ammunition war games, is another TNC grantor.

Other environmental organizations sustained by DoD contracts are the National Audubon Society ($945,000 for 6 years, GCW), and Point Reyes Bird Observatory ($145,000, 6 years, GCW). USA reports contracts with Stichting Deltares, a Dutch coastal research institute, for $550,000 in 2016, grants to the San Diego Zoo of $367,000, and to the Institute for Wildlife Studies, $1.3 million for shrike monitoring.

Goodwill Industries (training and employing the disabled, ex-offenders, veterans, and homeless people) is an enormous military contractor. Each entity is a separate corporation, based on state or region, and the total receipt is in the billions. For example, for 2000-2016 (GCW), Goodwill of South Florida had $434 million and Southeastern Wisconsin $906 million in contracts. Goods and services provided include food and logistics support, records processing, army combat pants, custodial, security, mowing, and recycling. Similar organizations working for the DoD include the Jewish Vocational Service and Community Workshop, janitorial services, $12 million over 5 years; Lighthouse for the Blind, $4.5 million, water purification equipment; Ability One; National Institute for the Blind; Pride Industries; and Melwood Horticultural Training Center.

The DoD does not shun the work of Federal Prison Industries, which sells furniture and other products. A government corporation (and thus not a nonprofit), it had half a billion in sales to all federal departments in 2016. Prison labor, Goodwill Industries and other sheltered-workshop enterprises, along with for-profits employing immigrant workers, teenagers, retirees, and migrant workers (who grow food for the military and the rest of us), reveal the evolving nature of the US working class, and some explanation for its lack of revolutionary fervor, or even mild dissent from the capitalist system.

The well-paid, and truly diverse employees (including executives) of major weapons makers are also not about to construct wooden barricades. Boards of directors in these industries are welcoming to minorities and women. The CEOs of Lockheed and General Dynamics are women, as is the Chief Operating Officer of Northrop Grumman. These success stories reinforce personal aspirations among the have-nots, rather than questioning the system.

Contracts with universities, hospitals, and medical facilities are too numerous to detail here; one that illustrates how far the blanket stretches is with Oxford University, $800,000 for medical research. Professional associations with significant contracts include the Institute of International Education, American Council on Education, American Association of State Colleges and Universities, National Academy of Sciences, Society of Women Engineers, American Indian Science and Engineering Society, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Society of Mexican-American Engineers, and U.S. Green Building Council. The Council of State Governments (a nonprofit policy association of officials) received a $193,000 contract for “preparedness” work. Let us hope we are well prepared.

The leaders, staff, members, donors, and volunteers of nonprofit organizations are the kind of people who might have been peace activists, yet so many are smothered into silence under the vast insecurity blanket.

In addition to all the direct and indirect beneficiaries of the military establishment, many people with no connection still cheer it on. They have been subject to relentless propaganda for the military and its wars from the government, the print and digital press, TV, movies, sports shows, parades, and computer games—the latter teach children that killing is fun.

The indoctrination goes down easily. It has had a head start in the educational system that glorifies the violent history of the nation. Our schools are full of in-house tutoring, STEM programs, and fun robotics teams personally conducted by employees of the weapons makers. Young children may not understand all the connections, but they tend to remember the logos. The JROTC programs, imparting militaristic values, enroll far more children than the ones who will become future officers. The extremely well-funded recruitment efforts in schools include “fun” simulations of warfare.

There is a worldwide supporting cast for the complex that includes NATO, other alliances, defense ministries, foreign military industries, and bases, but that is a story for another day.

The millions sheltered under our thick and broad blanket, including the enlistees under the prickly part of it, are not to blame. Some people may be thrilled by the idea of death and destruction. However, most are just trying to earn a living, keep their organization or rust belt afloat, or be accepted into polite company. They would prefer constructive work or income from healthy sources. Yet many have been indoctrinated to believe that militarism is normal and necessary. For those who consider change to be essential if life on this planet has a chance at survival, it is important to see all the ways that the military-industrial-congressional-almost everything-complex is being sustained.

            “Free market economy” is a myth. In addition to the huge nonprofit (non-market) sector, government intervention is substantial, not only in the gigantic military, but in agriculture, education, health care, infrastructure, economic development (!), et al. For the same trillions we could have a national economy that repairs the environment, provides a fine standard of living and cultural opportunities for all, and works for peace on earth. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185040-1659929.gif&hash=0a9ca0c1f083655b821cbf024422e55e009a6d8d)

 

Joan Roelofs is Professor Emerita of Political Science, Keene State College, New Hampshire. She is the author of Foundations and Public Policy: The Mask of Pluralism (SUNY Press, 2003) and Greening Cities (Rowman and Littlefield, 1996). She is the translator of Victor Considerant’s Principles of Socialism (Maisonneuve Press, 2006), and with Shawn P. Wilbur, of Charles Fourier’s anti-war fantasy, The World War of Small Pastries (Autonomedia, 2015). A community education short course on the military industrial complex is on her website, and may be used for similar purposes.


Web site: www.joanroelofs.wordpress.com Contact: joan.roelofs@myfairpoint.net

 https://worldbeyondwar.org/the-political-economy-of-the-weapons-industry-guess-whos-sleeping-with-our-insecurity-blanket/

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 14, 2018, 05:28:31 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F773_0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpeg&hash=049858dd493719b30abf78c954b8ad7f38bd6d74)

Trump is Not What He Seems - Maggie Haberman

He (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) is a LOT WORSE! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-1647640.gif&hash=2ef54cdc4f328b2b5315f424b6c41978252e8e49)

https://youtu.be/rg4IqrIpuQU

Washington Watch

Published on Aug 13, 2018

Maggie Haberman, a New York Times White House correspondent and CNN political analyst, spoke about covering the White House. Among the areas she talked about were the mechanics of the daily press briefings and how information is disseminated by the White House to the press.

Recorded July 21st, 2018

Agelbert NOTE: Maggie Haberman reveals that Trump actually believes that he can shape reality according to his whims simply because he has no concept of truth whatsoever. His loud mouthed vengeful, vicious nature, which negatively affects the press and the White House staff 24/7, is also evidenced with some rather euphemistic vocabulary.

This POTUS is a wannabe Textbook Fascist Big Brother straight out of Orwell's book, 1984. Absolutely every single one of Trump's "frustrations" as POTUS are caused, as detailed by Maggie Haberman, by his inability to DICTATE whatever he wants to dictate.

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If the USA survives Trump, it will be a miracle. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-1648302.gif&hash=46bf8a149f1786d9be67deeb16a50826c5945856)

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(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216142007.png&hash=84ef2c6fc002fc0b4bc9940ee16d0728d50cc9b5)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 14, 2018, 07:11:38 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200117112553.png&hash=ba1663916552c8f166ff86d2dabbb356a693bc54)

Harvard Professors Levitsky & Ziblatt - How Democracies Die(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180836-16292310.gif&hash=65d34088a49b58007544c1988ff312eee541bee9)

https://youtu.be/ZjIVMQ4Z8Gs

Washington Watch

Published on Feb 25, 2018

Harvard professors Steve Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt examined the causes that lead to breakdowns in democracies around the world.

January 31st, 2018

Daniel Ziblatt is Professor of Government at Harvard University, a faculty associate in residence at Harvard University's Minda De Gunzburg Center for European Studies, and a nonresident associate of Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

Steven Levitsky is a political scientist and Professor of Government at Harvard University. A comparative political scientist, his research interests focus on Latin America and include political parties and party systems, and democratization, and weak and informal institutions.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-141017162822.png&hash=8c665a21b33347c132ffb241339bf2487b5f80a8)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 16, 2018, 08:54:59 pm
EcoWatch

By Lorraine Chow

Aug. 13, 2018 12:54PM EST

DNC Will Take Fossil Fuel Money 🐉🦕🦖 After All
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201645-1486464.jpeg&hash=bfa44b2ee2b1d6d1ea71a024b1bd6e9cf1328326)

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SNIPPET:

That was fast. Just two months after the Democratic National Committee (DNC) unanimously prohibited donations from fossil fuel companies, the DNC voted 30-2 🙉 🙊 on Friday on a resolution that critics say effectively reverses the ban, The Huffington Post reported.

The resolution, introduced by DNC Chair Tom Perez (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) 🦖, allows the committee to accept donations from "workers, including those in energy and related industries, who organize and donate to Democratic candidates individually or through their unions' or employers' political action committees" or PACs.

It conflicts with the original resolution that called on the committee to "reject corporate PAC contributions from the fossil fuel industry that conflict with our DNC Platform."

In a conference call after the vote, Perez (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)said that members of the labor community considered the original resolution passed in June "an attack on the working people in these industries," per The Hill.   
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121829.png&hash=035f25ddb6d065f1533ce03c1c07f5fddcbbc83c)

Read more: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doomsteaddiner.net%2Fforum%2FSmileys%2Fdd1%2Franting3.gif&hash=dd78afe77400d0dc5c0c02d9b8e8dc6e92821cd0)

https://www.ecowatch.com/dnc-fossil-fuel-donations-2595481111.html
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 20, 2018, 12:31:28 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201759-1490907.jpeg&hash=4f378d8d41d81128badca5842b1835d9a5290a8d)

Donald Trump’s rats are eating him alive
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-021014225147.gif&hash=cabb452778f06a3c279f5b26b2c4db7c271c3a36) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184308-16331586.gif&hash=e3675dfb28e73fffe35623f14c0c327a9cee80fa)

Bill Palmer | 10:01 pm EDT August 19, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

This morning Donald Trump revealed quite a bit about his worldview when he referred to Richard Nixon’s White House Counsel John Dean as a “RAT” for testifying against Nixon. History remembers Dean as a courageous hero who did the right thing; Trump is condemning Dean for having been personally disloyal to his criminal boss. But it’s funny that Trump is talking about people ratting each other out, because his own proverbial rats are now eating each other – and him – alive.

Just in the past few weeks we’ve seen so many of Trump’s people stab each other in the back, it’s been difficult to keep track. Omarosa has begun releasing humiliating secret recordings of Donald Trump and his advisers and his family in order to promote her new book. Michael Cohen released an incriminating recording just to spite Trump. Rick Gates testified against Paul Manafort. Oh, and everyone is testifying before the grand jury against Roger Stone.

To give you an idea of how nervous Donald Trump and his people are about all of this, consider that Stone just posted an image to Instagram depicting his fellow former Trump adviser (and former friend) Sam Numberg as a rat. This comes after Cohen posted a tweet claiming that Omarosa was lying, and Trump called Omarosa a “dog.” Now that Cohen has just been informed he’ll likely be charged and arrested within two weeks, we’ll see if and when he cuts his inevitable plea deal against Trump.

This may help explain why Donald Trump had the concept of a “rat” in mind when he was ranting this morning. He’s publicly insisting that his own White House Counsel Don McGahn hasn’t actually ratted him out, but Trump surely knows different. McGahn has been ratting him out for ten months, right under his nose. We’ll see how history ends up remembering McGahn, if he’s remembered at all. But it’s really starting to look like Trump will be remembered as having been taken down by his own handpicked, underhanded people. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)

Click here  (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=OL_3FRutVfuRVOfpHGEk6DAl1lrBou3LXI9CY-XiWzEj_PhA45MZzOJgMDqmdaraut8X80&country.x=US&locale.x=US)to help fund Palmer Report's takedown of Donald Trump!

You can follow Palmer Report on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up for our mailing list.

http://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/rats-eating-trump-alive/12129/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 29, 2018, 06:00:36 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-260718150100.jpeg&hash=00f25fb4f05b52767255a460eb1efa3742d5c738)

Is Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Betraying the American People? Q&A (Pt 1/6)

August 28, 2018

Part 1 of Paul Jay and Aaron Mate’s interactive discussion with viewers about the real reasons Trump should be considered a traitor by the American people – From a live recording on August 2nd, 2018

https://youtu.be/FfZD_Ohwa7Q

https://youtu.be/2bu1cUwvpwM

Paul Jay (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-16442135.gif&hash=52927992b43007fa5c5eb6ffcb453ae29948c356) is the CEO and senior editor of The Real News Network. He has overseen the production of over 7,000 news stories and is the host of TRNN news analysis programming. Previously, he was executive producer of CBC Newsworld’s independent flagship debate show CounterSpin for its 10 years on air. He is an award-winning documentary filmmaker with over 20 films under his belt, including Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows; Return to Kandahar; and Never-Endum-Referendum. He was the founding chair of Hot Docs!, the Canadian International Documentary Film Festival and now the largest such festival in North America.


Aaron Maté (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac) is a host/producer for The Real News and a contributor to the Nation. He has previously reported and produced for Democracy Now!, Vice, and Al Jazeera, and written for the Toronto Star, the Intercept, and Le Monde Diplomatique.

Story Transcript

AARON MATE: It’s The Real News. I’m Aaron Mate. And we are doing a live Q&A with The Real News Senior Editor Paul Jay. He’ll be taking your questions throughout this hour, so if you have them, put them in the chat below wherever you’re watching, or send them to us on Twitter.

Welcome, Paul. Your thoughts on this question that we’ve been hearing about in the aftermath of the Helsinki summit, of Trump’s betrayal of the American people. Do you think that Russia should be the area of focus for this question?

PAUL JAY: Well, it’s hard to argue with anyone that says that Trump has betrayed the American people. And I’m sure he has, and will do so many, many more times. But simply meeting with Putin is not a betrayal of the American people. Now, we don’t know what was really said between Trump and Putin. I am not one that thinks there was some lovely conversations about arms reduction. Nor do I think that one should hope for such things out of a meeting between Trump and Putin. I don’t think either of them are peaceniks. But of course, Trump represents the most aggressive power in human history, I guess you could say. So they’re certainly in the same league as being dangerous characters. Trump and the American oligarchy have committed great crimes against humanity. That being said, I don’t trust any conversation between Trump and Putin. And not because either of them is the devil or are demons. Because both of them represent very reactionary states, and represent states that are essentially controlled by oligarchies, whether it’s the Russian or the American.

So yeah, I’m always wary of when two leaders like that get together. But to be wary of these negotiations or discussions, one should not feed the most reactionary fears and stoke the paranoia that harkens up all the ghosts and demons of the Cold War. One should have a sober appraisal of when a big imperial power meets a mid-level power, and look at what the consequences might be for the peoples of the United States, the people of Russia, peoples of the world.

And there’s a lot of reasons to think that Trump is betraying the American people, but not because he met with Putin. And I, you know, while I have many points of agreement with Bernie Sanders, I think it’s honestly- I don’t know. I guess outrageous. Bernie Sanders should not jump on this bandwagon. And it doesn’t, it says something- one should be careful of about Bernie Sanders’ vision of foreign policy, that he does jump on this bandwagon. Because the real reasons to fear this meeting between Trump and Putin and the real reasons for betrayal, well, first and foremost, this is the meeting of two climate science deniers. The most serious existential threat of our time and no one’s talking about that. And that’s a betrayal of the of the human species. And so we should be focused on that. We should be very concerned about that.

There was a letter going around a lot of progressive people signed, saying we shouldn’t critique this meeting because it’s a good thing when two nuclear powers meet. And of course, in principle it is. But John Bolton just appointed to the National Security Council as an adviser, I think is the position, a guy named Tim Morrison. Tim Morrison was against the START Nuclear, the treaty, Russian-American treaty. He’s against New START. He was one of the key guys pressuring Obama and lobbying for Obama to put a big investment into nuclear weapons, which he did. Apparently there’s under Obama, and continued under Trump, a trillion dollars over 10 years into developing new nuclear weapons. I mean, that’s a betrayal of the American people, both by Obama and now by Trump. We should condemn that.

And to think that, that Trump, who appoints John Bolton, who appoints a Tim Morrison- and of course Bolton and Morrison are on the same page- who are against any kind of nuclear restrictions on the American military and thus against any kind of arms treaty with anyone that might restrict Americans’ might, to think that is going to be the conversation between Trump and Putin, we should call that out. We shouldn’t be Pollyanna and create illusions that Trump is somehow going to be a peacenik with Putin. And we should try to think through what might- what those discussions might really have been. And yes, condemn them, because we condemn the oligarchies of both countries. But we don’t do it by jumping in the boat of this kind of American exceptionalism, American nationalism, rabid nationalism, where we are all of a sudden praising the CIA. And now we’re cheering on the FBI. Like, the organs of repression in the United States, who have systematically destroyed progressive political forces in this country for decades and spied on people. All of a sudden we’re rooting them on?

What’s going on in much of the liberal and much of the left in the United States is atrocious, and it’s- whatever the Russians did in terms of the 2016 elections is so insignificant compared to wrapping up this vile, rabid, chauvinistic language. And I’m really sorry to see Bernie jumping and using the same kind of words. We need to talk about the whole truth here, and not create the grounds for the kind of militaristic policies that we know Trump’s coming down the pike with, and I suspect is the real conversation between Trump and Putin, which is Iran. And what’s happening with Iran- you have Netanyahu threatening Israeli military action. The you have all kinds of back and forth rhetoric. The Iranians are now threatening they might block the Straits of Hormuz if the Americans start blocking Iranian oil exports.

We know John Bolton and Trump, not just Bolton, that the objective is regime change in Iran. And Iran’s going to be in a position with increasing economic pressure, that they’re going to need Russia and China in far more significant ways to buy Iranian oil and break the American sanctions. And that’s, in all likelihood, what Trump is really talking to Putin about. And I wasn’t in the meeting, and I guess other than a couple of translators nobody was. But if I’m looking at this situation, Trump is saying to Putin, we don’t want you to bail out the Iranian economy, and we don’t want you to bail out the Iranian government the way you did Assad in Syria. You know, we’re living with you saving Assad in Syria. But when we’re coming after destabilization of Iran, we don’t want you playing that role. And I have no idea what Putin responded with. But you know, Trump came out of those meetings smiling.

So yeah, do I think Trump has betrayed the American people? Sure. But for none of the reasons that corporate media and the whole Democratic Party establishment mostly are talking about.


https://youtu.be/FfZD_Ohwa7Q?list=PLhvPB4lyc4dRUY1d4FoLoB1LLhggPXXT1

https://therealnews.com/stories/is-trump-betraying-the-american-people-qa-pt-1-6
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 30, 2018, 10:32:47 pm
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51fUjH53qnL._SL160_.jpg)
Book Alleges Trump is Compromised by Russian Mafia

August 30, 2018   

https://youtu.be/SneU3D1peUY

As the legal cloud surrounding President Trump and his associates grows, the new book “House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia,” argues that Trump is compromised by financial links to Russian mafia money laundering. Author Craig Unger discusses his book

https://therealnews.com/stories/book-alleges-trump-is-compromised-by-russian-mafia
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 01, 2018, 04:43:00 pm
New court filing reveals George Papadopoulos has incriminated Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-1624479.gif&hash=92c92575625c10582f9c1c6f9db969ad24bf62a8)

Bill Palmer | 12:12 pm EDT September 1, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

As recently as a week ago, former Donald Trump adviser George Papadopoulos and his wife Simona were publicly suggesting that George might rip up his longstanding plea deal and take his chances at trial. That’s now off the table, as Papadopoulos has formally decided to go along with the deal – although he does intend to ask the judge during his September 7th sentencing for a more lenient sentence than the one recommended by Robert Mueller. His new approach: directly incriminating Donald Trump.


Attorneys for George Papadopoulos made their official court filing for the upcoming sentencing hearing. The filing documents how Papadopoulos met with Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions during the campaign, and told them that he could get Trump a meeting with Vladimir Putin, and that “Mr. Trump nodded with approval and deferred to Mr. Sessions, who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign should look into it.” So why is this important?

For one thing, it directly accuses Donald Trump of having been in on the Trump campaign plot to work with the Russian government. On its own, there wouldn’t have been anything illegal about Trump meeting with Putin during the election. But when coupled with other revelations, including separate reports that Donald Trump knew in advance about his son’s meeting with Russian government representatives who were illegally offering dirt on Hillary Clinton, this new revelation helps incriminate Trump. It also means Jeff Sessions lied under oath to the House Judiciary Committee.

Of course this court filing is only for sentencing purposes. But it finally reveals at least part of what George Papadopoulos told Robert Mueller when he began cooperating with him; Mueller has had this information all along. This helps build the criminal case against Donald Trump for illegally plotting with the Russians during the election. It also means that Mueller has Sessions nailed on at least two counts of perjury, when you include the lies that forced him to recuse himself to begin with. Yesterday we learned that Trump-Russia players are being criminally pursued for committing perjury.

http://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/filing-george-papadopoulos-trump-jeff-sessions/12406/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 12, 2018, 08:04:39 pm
Senate Democrats publish documents that catch Brett Kavanaugh committing even more felony perjury


Bill Palmer | 9:21 am EDT September 12, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

The Senate confirmation hearings for Donald Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) have already been controversial and dramatic. We’ve seen Democratic Senator Cory Booker release emails which exposed Kavanaugh as a shady character and an ideological extremist👹☠️. We’ve seen GOP Senator John Cornyn 😈 make the empty threat of expelling Booker. Yesterday we saw Democrats seek to expose Kavanaugh’s apparent gambling problem. Now the Democrats are zeroing in further on Kavanaugh’s status as a perjurer.

Influential Senator Dick Durbin tweeted this: “In 2006, I asked Judge Kavanaugh (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) about his role in the 4th Circuit nomination of Jim Haynes (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) – a key figure in crafting the Bush (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) White House detention (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smiley-lol.com%2Fsmiley%2Fexagerent%2Fpolice%2Fboulet.gif&hash=d7b4519fc185b666c4c74a5bc63d4d0a70c0ad21) & interrogation policies. Under oath, he said, ‘I’ve—I know Jim Haynes, but it was not one of the nominations that I handled.’ However, these emails from 2002 and 2003 show that then-Associate White House Counsel Brett Kavanaugh played a substantial role in the decision to nominate Haynes, including examining whether Haynes ‘would be an across-the-board judicial conservative.'” Durbin then posted the emails in question.

Durbin went on to add: “This is a theme that we see emerge with Judge Kavanaugh time and time again – he says one thing under oath, and then the documents tell a different story. It is no wonder the White House and Senate Republicans are rushing through this nomination and hiding his record.” The key phrase here is “under oath.” Lying under oath is perjury, a felony, and you generally go to prison for it. Senate Democrats are exposing Kavanaugh as not merely a serial liar, but a criminal liar.

As Palmer Report has previously spelled out, the Democrats are trying to do two things here. The first is to expose Brett Kavanaugh as such as toxic pile of crap, certain vulnerable Republican Senators might conclude that they can’t vote for him, for fear it’ll cost them reelection. The second is to firmly establish that Kavanaugh has committed multiple felonies, which would set the stage for Kavanaugh to be impeached even if he is confirmed. More and more, it’s starting to feel like – whatever direction this goes in for now – it’ll end up with Kavanaugh in prison.

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http://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/perjury-brett-kavanaugh-more-democrats/12619/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 14, 2018, 01:47:56 pm
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Here's What We Know About All That Bottled Water Abandoned in Puerto Rico [Updated]

By Yessenia Funes

September 12, 2018

Filed to: WHAT A WASTE

The government’s mismanagement of the crisis Hurricane Maria wrought on Puerto Rico was once again thrust into the spotlight this week, when photos of a large number of bottled water pallets sitting derelict outside an airport in Ceiba went viral on social media.

But while the public outcry was swift after CBS News Correspondent David Begnaud broadcasted the photos of what he said looked like “millions” of bottles of water on his Twitter account Tuesday night, what really happened may be a bit more complex than a simple failure to deliver relief supplies.

The photographer who took these images, Abdiel Santana, works for the Puerto Rican Joint Forces of Rapid Action, a federal law enforcement agency. He told Begnaud he had noticed these loads of water in October or November of last year, according to CBS. After flying over the region again recently, Santana told Begnaud he noticed the bottles were still there and uploaded the images to Facebook Tuesday. Earther has reached out to Santana for comment and we will update if we hear back.

Puerto Rican General Services Administration (GSA) has a somewhat different account of the events. In a press release shared with Earther, the agency explained the Puerto Rican government was eager to receive some of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “excess water inventory” and claimed about 20,000 pallets in May 2018. But after delivering over 700 pallets, the agency received “several complaints” about their smell and taste. That’s why the rest of the bottles are still sitting unused, per the agency.

On Thursday, FEMA told CBS News it had moved the water outside in January to save money before transferring it over to the Puerto Rican government in April.

FEMA 👹 was initially quick to distance itself from the story. On Wednesday, the agency told Earther that the water was handed off to the GSA, and, from there, the water was its responsibility. Looks like the administration is clapping back at FEMA, however, with claims that the water wasn’t fit to drink by the time they got it. Now, the Puerto Rican government is coordinating water tests with FEMA and the Department of Health.

“I always had food and water to give the people, sometimes two cases of water for families.”
“The Municipality of Barceloneta and the Corporation for Public Dissemination expressed these complaints,” said GSA Administrator Ottmar Chávez, in the press release.

All of this is news to Ceiba Mayor Angelo Cruz Ramos, who told Earther he had no idea these pallets of water were sitting within his municipality. He found out about it Tuesday night like the rest of us. He doesn’t have access to the area where the water is, he said, because it’s run by FEMA.

However, Cruz Ramos said his municipality had enough water and food at the height of the crisis. Around 700 to 800 people would visit a local distribution center to pick up water and food every day in the aftermath of the storm, and the mayor would also hit the streets to give out further water. Once power returned to the region in March, he ended relief supply distribution efforts.

“I’m thankful to FEMA and the U.S. government,” he told Earther. “I always had food and water to give the people, sometimes two cases of water for families.”

The same can’t be said for other remote parts of the island where water distribution centers were something out of a fairy tale. Still, Cruz Ramos made a good point that once this water was left in the sun even for a day or two, it was no longer safe to drink. The Caribbean sun is no joke, and researchers caution against drinking bottled water that’s been left out in the garage or a car all day during the summer because of the chemicals that can leach from the plastic into the water. In Puerto Rico, summer never ends.

This entire mess comes on the heels of President Donald Trump 👹 calling the U.S. response to Hurricane Maria an “unsung success.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718210558.gif&hash=9234ac544277d3924347404eb52489dfe64e3ca4) Whoever’s at fault, thousands of water bottles abandoned on an island where people have been struggling for months to access clean water isn’t exactly what success looks like.

Updated: 9/13/18, 2:30 p.m. ET: After a day of outrage, FEMA 👹 admitted to CBS News it had left the water bottles out since January as a cost-saving measure. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-251117175700.png&hash=00439d30db6e35817ea0d1fbcba614f1f971448e) It then went on to give the General Services Administration the water in April. The story has been updated to include this new information.

https://earther.gizmodo.com/heres-what-we-know-about-all-that-bottled-water-abandon-1829000210
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 14, 2018, 08:50:40 pm
Bret Kavanaugh Should Be Impeached for Lying to the Senate (w/guest Lisa Graves)

https://youtu.be/ifsWmOrLnDU

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Sep 10, 2018

Brett Kavanaugh has lied to the senate during his hearing a week prior to the publication of this video, by stating he has no knowledge of memos from his time during the Bush administration, here to correct Kavanaugh and call for his impeachment is Lisa Graves the author of the very memos Brett Kavanaugh lied about to the Senate, Should Brett be impeached rather than elevated for lying to the senate?
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 14, 2018, 09:13:24 pm
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The Collapse of the American Empire?

29,798 views

https://youtu.be/tPk9HSLagVg

The Agenda with Steve Paikin

Published on Sep 12, 2018

The Agenda welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges, who over the past decade and a half has made his name as a columnist, activist and author. He's been a vociferous public critic of presidents on both sides of the American political spectrum, and his latest book, 'America, the Farewell Tour,' is nothing short of a full-throated throttling of the political, social, and cultural state of his country.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 14, 2018, 10:01:03 pm
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Rick Wilson, "Everything Trump 🦀 Touches Dies ☠️ 🚩 "

6,817 views


https://youtu.be/0yafBxWUQNY

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Politics and Prose

Published on Sep 12, 2018

Rick Wilson discusses his book, "Everything Trump Touches Dies", at Politics and Prose on 8/28/18.

Wilson is a seasoned Republican political strategist well versed in the art of negative ads. He’s also been a leader of the Never Trump movement, and his searing analysis of the president, from the early days of Trump’s campaign through his first year in office, is a no-holds-barred critique of the damage Trump has done to the country, the Republican Party, and the conservative movement. Combining his signature dark humor with penetrating insight about today’s politics, Wilson dissects Trump’s deceptions, exposes the illusions his followers blindly follow, and calls out Trump’s enablers among politicians and media figures. Yet dire as the situation is, Wilson is hopeful that the nation can find its way back to reason.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)

https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9...

Rick Wilson is a seasoned Republican political strategist and infamous negative ad-maker. His regular column with The Daily Beast is a must-read in the political community. Published in The Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, The Federalist, Independent Journal Review, he’s also a frequent guest on Real Time with Bill Maher, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, With Friends Like These, and the national networks. Rick Wilson lives in Tallahassee, Florida with his wife, three dogs, and a nameless cat. They have two grown children.

Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online. Visit them on the web at http://www.politics-prose.com/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 15, 2018, 12:04:38 pm
A COMPARISON OF RICK GATES AND PAUL MANAFORT’S PLEA DEALS (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185039-1655102.gif&hash=1a13ffad2c8451cba6f45b04a1249447d50c3e73)

September 15, 2018 by emptywheel

SNIPPET:

THE GOVERNMENT IS INTENT ON TAKING ALL OF MANAFORT’S STUFF  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163124-1669950.gif&hash=3136c3f2021d13cacae8b9488d005fe8231d2df6)

The Manafort plea includes over three pages laying out how the government is going to take his ill-gotten gains. Given my newfound obsession with Paul Manafort’s forfeitures, I’ll write that up separately (or better yet make bmaz, who actually knows something about how this works, do so). The short version, though, is the government is intent on making sure they’ll get it all.

Ful article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184310-1635923.gif&hash=5e2530db4748ed6c7163e1d478fdfa3cd1108668)

https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/09/15/a-comparison-of-rick-gates-and-paul-manaforts-plea-deals/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281216181536.jpeg&hash=faeff8739580c0d370dfafe6e6378077218a7ed2)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 15, 2018, 02:09:16 pm
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Quote
harpie says:
September 15, 2018 at 8:51 am
Yesterday on Twitter Marcy responded to @StanleyCohenLaw:

SCL 6:56 PM – 14 Sep 2018 3/statements in furtherance of the conspiracy are an execption to the hearsay rule once prima facie conspiracy is established and the participation of declarant. Confrontation the only limit & statements by unindicted coconspirator i.e. the president are admissible as 2 others.

emptywheel: 7:03 PM – 14 Sep 2018 Yup. Hearsay exception is going to light up the Trump conspiracy.

…ordering popcorn now…
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Reply
Bob Conyers says:
September 15, 2018 at 10:40 am
Can someone unpack this for us non-lawyers?

I have a basic sense of hearsay, but I’m quite foggy on how it’s admissable here, and even more, why it’s such a threat.

Reply
bmaz says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:09 am
See Rule of Evidence 801 d2E:

(d) Statements That Are Not Hearsay.
 A statement that meets the following conditions is not hearsay:

(1) A Declarant-Witness’s Prior Statement.
 The declarant testifies and is subject to cross-examination about a prior statement, and the statement:

(A)
 is inconsistent with the declarant’s testimony and was given under penalty of perjury at a trial, hearing, or other proceeding or in a deposition;

(B)
 is consistent with the declarant’s testimony and is offered:

(i) to rebut an express or implied charge that the declarant recently fabricated it or acted from a recent improper influence or motive in so testifying; or

(ii) to rehabilitate the declarant’s credibility as a witness when attacked on another ground
; or

(C)
 identifies a person as someone the declarant perceived earlier.

(2) An Opposing Party’s Statement.
 The statement is offered against an opposing party and:

(A)
 was made by the party in an individual or representative capacity;

(B)
 is one the party manifested that it adopted or believed to be true;

(C)
 was made by a person whom the party authorized to make a statement on the subject;

(D)
 was made by the party’s agent or employee on a matter within the scope of that relationship and while it existed; or

(E)
 was made by the party’s coconspirator during and in furtherance of the conspiracy.

Reply
orionATL says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:01 am
i had just read that manafort had pleaded guilty to two counts, one of which was conspiracy to defraud the u.s. that seems to me to be a very important outcome for the osc team.

i’ve never been too sure of that particular charge re a jury’s decision, though i no doubt mueller’s team (who actually know the law :) ) have confidence in their decision to deploy it.

at the very least now, manafort’s guilty plea sets up confraudus as the hurdle other conspirators better be able to jump cleanly over or it’s a face full of dirt and time in the slammer for them.

Reply
harpie says:
September 15, 2018 at 9:34 am
Justin Hendrix:

I’m interested whether he [Manafort] helped funnel payments to right wing media sites on behalf of Yanukovich. / Per this: [links to this 2013 article]: Exclusive: How Ukraine Wooed Conservative Websites  Rosie Gray 7/16/13 https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosiegray/exclusive-how-ukraine-wooed-conservative-websites

Reply
Willis Warren says:
September 15, 2018 at 10:15 am
This is just amazing stuff, Marcy.  Wow

Reply
Trip says:
September 15, 2018 at 10:37 am
Marcy, I think you retweeted something yesterday about Dowd emailing all of the people in the JDA that, paraphrased, ‘Manafort doesn’t know anything about the campaign’ (which is insane on the face of it since he was a campaign chairman, but I digress).

Doesn’t Dowd put himself at risk of obstruction? He quit. He is no longer Trump’s attorney. Isn’t everything he says AFTER resigning not under attorney/client privilege? Plus, it may be have been an utterance in the furtherance of a crime: obstruction, (keeping everyone zipped without being privy to Manafort’s cooperation)?

Reply
Trip says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:10 am
Apparently not.

In case anyone is interested:
Id.at 392; see also IBJ Whitehall
Bank and Trust Co. v. Corey & Associates, Inc., 1999 WL 617842, at *3
(M.D. Ill. Aug. 12, 1999) (joint defense privilege cannot be waived without the consent of all parties to the defense, except when one of the joint defendants becomes an adverse party in the litigation).
Because cooperating with the government, and even testifying against a former joint defense member, is generally not deemed “actually adverse” to the interests of other joint defense members, it does not trigger a waiver of the privilege. Instead, even when one defendant agrees to cooperate with the government and testify against his co-defendants, the assumption is that joint defense information will remain privileged, and will not be useable against the producing party.

THE HENKEDECISION •
In United States v. Henke
, 222 F.3d 633 (9th Cir. 2000)
https://durietangri.com/sites/default/files/drafting_0.pdf

Joint defense agreements: the benefits and the risks
https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2013/07/joint_defense_agreem.html

Reply
bmaz says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:28 am
First, let’s stick to criminal context as opposed to civil. Second, much depends on the nature of the JDA. Without seeing the language there is simply no way to know how it might be enforced. Lastly, I have issues about a JDA where most of the 37….37….people involved are not even defendants per se.

There is no easy answer at this point to this question. Googling stuff will not help that fact.

Reply
Trip says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:32 am
I’m not a lawyer. I’m just trying to understand. And yes, that 37 people are involved is both astounding and incomprehensible.

Reply
TheraP says:
September 15, 2018 at 12:32 pm
Could we add disturbing?  (Thanks for asking these questions, Trip!)

I honestly hope it’s also a sign of 37 very anxious possible defendants.   (Or conspirators?)

Reply
Tracy says:
September 15, 2018 at 1:23 pm
Defendants vs. witnesses (as I think these 37 were described), that is interesting.

It all seems v wrong headed!! Aren’t there ethics people all over this?

But yeah, what happens now re: that JDA/ people still in/ why Dowd still involved/ what happens w/ Manafort sounds v unclear from all the comments I’ve read here, and perhaps impossible to know w/out seeing the actual JDA. Well, I look forward to a future post about it ;)

Reply
earlofhuntingdon says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:38 am
This gets complicated, but the short version is that Dowd is bound by the attorney-client privilege to keep confidential permanently information he learned about during the representation.

There are few exceptions.  One is that if the client and attorney litigate the bill or something else regarding the representation, then the privilege – which is the client’s – is deemed waived by the client.  That is, the attorney is able to use information learned during the representation to defend herself against claims made by the client.

After Dowd’s representation of Trump ceased, he would have to keep confidential whatever he learned during the representation, where that information is covered by the privilege.  Their private discussions, for example, would be covered.

Discussions in front of non-lawyers – other than Dowd’s staff or people working for him in connection with the representation (e.g., an accountant) – or lawyers not acting for Trump and not bound by a joint defense or similar agreement with Trump, would not be covered. If Trump opens up about privileged information in front of his own staff, for example, then he’s waived privilege.

The usual course for a lawyer, post-representation, is to keep shtum about it.

Reply
Trip says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:47 am
Thanks.

Reply
Tracy says:
September 15, 2018 at 1:29 pm
And Earl, do you know why according to Maddow (I think from Fear) Ty Cobb does NOT have privilege w/ Trump – why Cobb can be called as a witness – and why when T learned this he was like: oh ****, I told him a lot of stuff.

Reply
Aneela says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:12 am
Marcy,

“Had he succeeded, perhaps Trump would have recognized the jeopardy that put Manfort (and, presumably, himself) in. Perhaps he would have taken that moment to pardon Manafort, and save him from that jeopardy.”

Not understanding why, since they were in a joint defense agreement, Manafort’s lawyers couldn’t just inform Trump’s lawyers of what Rick Gates had given up rather than having to go through the circuitous route of reading into the public record?

Reply
Trip says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:29 am
Aside from what he knew or didn’t know, or the potential pipeline, it would seem that they were keeping the JDA on the down lo, at least as far as the public was concerned. Who knew until a few days ago? It looks kind of bad when some are convicted of crimes, and the others look guilty by association, in a sense, since they considered their interests ‘equal’ via the agreement. I realize that is perception more than fact, but in politics perception is everything.

Trump was kind of between a rock and hard place with the pardon. If he had done this before the midterms and before Kavanaugh was brought up, the public perception would have been that of guilt and obstruction. That would make Kavanaugh’s appointment even more loaded. I think the GOP wouldn’t let him do it when it would have served him best (because they were invested in their own agendas), and threatened to withdraw support from him (someone like McConnell comes to mind).

Reply
bmaz says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:56 am
JDA’s are never public information. The fact that it is closely held is as it should be.

Reply
Trip says:
September 15, 2018 at 12:00 pm
So then Rudy shouldn’t have should have kept it shut, as usual?

Does the gov’t typically know before trials, or is this something they learn during the trial? Or perhaps, is it something that is attempted to be kept secret throughout?

Reply
bmaz says:
September 15, 2018 at 12:09 pm
Government may or may not directly learn of a JDA, but usually do not get affirmatively told. More often they can just guess by how their interactions with the lot of the defendants’ attorneys goes.

Reply
Trip says:
September 15, 2018 at 12:13 pm
Thanks.

It sounds like Rudy was trying to send a message, or was just being stupid with this declaration.

Reply
bmaz says:
September 15, 2018 at 12:21 pm
Hard to tell with Rudy!

Reply
TheraP says:
September 15, 2018 at 12:22 pm
Since some of these 37 are in this Defense Agreement as parties to a conspiracy, and at least one of them is a known serial liar (even to an attorney), does that potentially make this “agreement” also part of a conspiracy? Or Obstruction of Justice? And if so, would that allow Mueller or a Grand Jury to pry into some of this?

(Hold your fire, please. I am a tender, if naive, soul and not out to incur your wrath. Or to disturb the flow of information here.)

Thanks for whatever help you can provide. (As somehow this grand effort – of alleged conspirators – to collaborate on defense feels disturbing to me. Also to Justice being done.)

Reply
bmaz says:
September 15, 2018 at 12:48 pm
The answer is, I don’t know, maybe! Maybe not. Who knows? Again, so much comes down to how the actual JDA’s are worded and/or agreed to.

Reply
TheraP says:
September 15, 2018 at 12:58 pm
Thanks! So they’re open questions. And we’ll see how this plays out.

Reply
Trip says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:18 am
Do we think the stipulation in Manafort’s cooperation agreement to offer info to the gov’t without his attorney(s), frees them (lawyers) from negative consequences associated therein with the JDA? Or does it not matter since the attorney agreed on behalf of Manafort?

*I know this is probably a very dumb question, but not being a lawyer, I’m having full comprehension issues.

Reply
orionATL says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:20 am
i found this discussion of manafort’s plea deal useful:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/15/i-was-prosecutor-heres-what-stands-out-me-about-manaforts-deal-with-mueller/?

Reply
Willis Warren says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:28 am
WAPO fire walled, what’s the takeaway?

Reply
TheraP says:
September 15, 2018 at 12:11 pm
To evade the fire wall, erasing history and cache generally works for me. Either that or set up an account to post. (That’s still free, I believe.)

Reply
Thomas says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:30 am
From what I piece together from public information:

It seems likely that the back and forth between Russians and the Trump campaign was not direct communications between individuals, but rather, one individual (Manafort, eg) would send a message to another (Kiliminick, eg), who would then share it with a group(Russian Intel, oligarchs, Putin) and a different individual from that group (Russian official, eg) would then give the answer to another individual (Carter Page, eg) who would then transmit the answer (to Manafort, eg)

This may be the way that Manafort, JD Gordon, Page handled the “Memorandum of Understanding” or quid pro quo, of the conspiracy.

If I’m right, then the GOP platform change was a show of good faith about the future quid pro quo arrangement to lift sanctions, and Trump’s  “Russia if you are listening” statement was a signal for the Russians to begin executing the campaign assistance.

This is also the likely way that the whole NRA/Butina/Gordon scheme was coordinated, and THAT is the likely scheme alluded to in Manafort’s notes about RNC fundraising during the Trump Tower meeting.

If I am right, Gordon and Page are next, not Don jr or Stone.

Not discussed by anyone yet is the connection between Flynn and Gordon. Flynn was the person handling the sanctions relief payoff after the election.

I think it’s likely Flynn was a lot more instrumental in the entire conspiracy than has heretofore been revealed.

It would explain why prosecutors keep putting off sentencing Flynn over the initial charges, and why they keep on questioning him as they learn more from other witnesses.

Reply
Thomas says:
September 15, 2018 at 11:51 am
Recently I read everything I could find about the Seth Rich conspiracy theory.
Everyone involved in that cover story to divert attention away from the DNC hack by the GRU has been under investigation by the Special Counsel, including Jerome Corsi.
Jack Burkman (a Trump campaign fundraiser and associate of Rick Gates!) went to extraordinary lengths to push that conspiracy theory.
I watched the press conference Burkman held with a “witness” who by telephone told Wapo, Daily Beast, and many other skeptical journalists that Seth Rich was killed by federal agents connected to Rod Rosenstein and MS13.
Shortly after that, Mueller’s indictment of 12 Russian military officers for the DNC hack completely destroyed the Seth Rich conspiracy theory.
After that, the Rich conspiracy theorists went silent.
It is plain to me that Stone, Hannity, Burkman, Butowski and Fox News (and others!) ALL carried water for this conspiracy theory which was a Russian disinformation operation.
It’s clear to me that Roger Stone was deeply involved. I am waiting with anticipation for Hannity to go down, too.
I think this part of the story won’t materialize until after the election though.

Read more:

THE OBJECTION THAT MADE MUELLER’S CASE  ;D

September 14, 2018 by emptywheel

https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/09/14/the-objection-that-made-muellers-case/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F779_8SFIHZc.jpeg&hash=b3919b89921aedc4b9157c83f047b5ab75d4b222)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 16, 2018, 05:18:20 pm
Kavanaugh Accuser Breaks Silence About Sexual Misconduct Allegations (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718210826.gif&hash=092e58b7487d71e472330a34e06beba130367805)

BY MICHAEL BURKE - 09/16/18 01:46 PM EDT

SNIPPET:

Ford told the Post that Kavanaugh and a friend, Mark Judge, were both “stumbling drunk” when they took her into a bedroom while they were at a house in suburban Maryland. Judge and Kavanaugh were both students at Georgetown Preparatory School.

Judge and Kavanaugh pushed Ford onto a bed in the room, where rock-and-roll music was playing at a high volume, Ford alleged.

According to her, Kavanaugh “held her down with the weight of his body and fumbled with her clothes, seemingly hindered by his intoxication,” the Post reported. She added that both of the boys were laughing “maniacally.”

Ford was able to escape when Judge jumped on top of her and Kavanaugh and broke them up, she said. She said she then locked herself in a nearby bathroom for five or 10 minutes before leaving the house.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/406925-kavanaugh-accuser-breaks-silence-about-sexual-misconduct-allegations-detailed
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 17, 2018, 03:51:12 pm
🕵️ MUST READ POST and COMMENTS THREAD by ETHICAL LEGAL EAGLES: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

HAVE MARK JUDGE TESTIFY ALONG WITH CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD (AND KAVANAUGH)

September 17, 2018/54 Comments/in Law /by emptywheel

SNIPPET from SEVERAL EXCELLENT, historically accurate, comments: ✨🕯️     

Quote
Jim says:
September 17, 2018 at 12:36 pm
The GOP has been co-opted by right wing evangelical crazies and wannabe libertarian crazies.  It started under Nixon, really took flight under Reagan, and went to hell in a handbasket when Gingrich had the keys.  The party is completely controlled by people like the Kochs and the Mercers, the money men who have far too much influence on policy planks.

Add the Citizen’s United ruling really untying the hands of the monied to influence elections, and this is the result.  A tsunami of madness.

Reply
marc schuman says:
September 17, 2018 at 2:27 pm
Thank you Jim, well said.  A tsunami for sure.

When people ask “what happened?” its important that they know this was not some kind of overnight thing, although as Hannah Arendt pointed out, it took less than a couple of decades for Europe to slide into a totalitarian horror with death camps.  Importantly, going forward, we have to convince people that this kind of thing wont end with Trump – not by a long shot.

Morris Berman now lives in Mexico – his readers and friends there should know well by now what happened up here over the last couple of decades and why Morris now chooses to live there instead.  (Not saying I agree with all of his opinions, just pointing out that he articulates the gravity of the problem pretty well.)

Media control and dumbing down over the last couple of decades is of course another big part of it.  Jon Stewart said it something like this and few others have: (paraphrasing) “if you listen to the radio and watch Fox news, its pretty much a continuous 24/7 alarm bell that the immigrant gangs are en mass trying to get over the border and are coming to steal from you and **** your daughter …… so if that’s all you hear every day, then what Trump is saying makes perfect sense to you.”

Reply
Ollie says:
September 17, 2018 at 11:19 am
Oh thank you Marcy for writing this today.  I watched DN! and Amy had this woman’s attorney on and as of this am airing?  No one has reached out to the attorney at all from Congress.  No one.  Well, I guess Kellyanne has publicly stated that this woman should be hear (for whatever that’s worth, lol).  I think this is a great idea about also have Mark Judge testify too as well as Brett.

 

Reply
earlofhuntingdon says:
September 17, 2018 at 11:22 am
By all means, let’s ignore prep school indiscretions – she was only a girl and she wanted it – and let’s comfort the comfortable.  But we must prosecute those miscreant 15-17 year olds as adults for murder, especially when they are people of color.  Slippery slope, moral consequences, and all that.

The disparities of the plot read like the banksters rewarding themselves for nearly toppling the global financial system, while foreclosing on nearly a million people who worked hard to own a home, sometimes foreclosing on people who were not delinquent, simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I realize the Goopers have no shame, let alone an awareness of hypocrisy, but that should not stop anyone else from pointing out their failings, and proposing fixes for them, as well as the apparent failings of Mr. Kavanaugh.

He has the hallmarks of a well-groomed political hit man, not a legal scholar.  Some of his quotes from his Ken Starr days seem straight out of a coming of age novel, by a guy who never came of age.  His carefully built persona, meant to convince us that the man who would be king has the substance of a real one, I find unpersuasive.

Reply
pseudonymous in nc says:
September 17, 2018 at 12:01 pm
I was thinking a lot about Molly Ringwald’s reassessment of her role in John Hughes’s movies, and how those films simultaneously spoke to young adults who felt marginalised while treating really sketchy sexual stuff as normative.

As I said before, the word that came to mind for Kavanaugh during the hearings was “unctuous”. The focus on his 80s elite-bro years has only heightened that. Impunity for me means the full force of the carceral state for thee.

Reply
Vern says:
September 17, 2018 at 12:34 pm
A few more syllables but better:

oleaginous

(root is “oleo” as in the margarine — with all that implies)

Reply
Pete says:
September 17, 2018 at 12:19 pm
I dunno what the law was 30+ years ago in the place where this (is alleged to have happened – gotta say that even though my gut tells me it did happen) – but it’s possible that even if this were consensual (and my gut tells me no way it was) it’s still possible to have been a sex crime.

My point is, there are many more teenage boys in more contemporary times who are labelled sex offenders for a variety of sexual conduct..  I suppose one could argue the binary status of some of those labelings, but I suspect a black-out drunk attempted sexual assault (****) would get you in legal trouble and labeled in a lot of places.

I have witnessed black out drunk persons “function” in ways that, if you did not witness it, you would no believe.

Kavahaugh (still) under oath, Ms. Ford and Judge under oath, and the two other females as well if possible.

Pete

Reply
posaune says:
September 17, 2018 at 2:00 pm
Pete @ 12:19

Seems like there’s not a SOL on sexual assault in MD; IANAL and I could be wrong, though.

Reply
mathteacher says:
September 17, 2018 at 11:25 am
Also, the conversation about youthful indiscretions happened on the day that Kennedy retired. Funny coincidence, no?

Reply
readerOfTeaLeaves says:
September 17, 2018 at 1:01 pm
And when you put together that Kennedy’s son work(ed) for Deutsche: (1) in a division that seemed skilled at laundering Russian rubles into American real estate, and (2) which made loans to the Trump Org, the plot thickens.

Add onto this foul mire that Kavanaugh was nominated by President PussyGrabber, a man who repeatedly sent his lawyer to alternately harass women, and/or pay them off.   And who wished that he could date his own daughter (!).  In addition, his current tv lawyer (Judi Ruliani), is notable for cross dressing: wig, lipstick, nylons, yada yada.

Lady Karma must be a **** on wheels, and she seems to morph into an S/M Dominatrix when she gets Trump and Kavanaugh in her sights.   I imagine Lady Karma is having the time of her very long, bitchy, and irony-laden life — delivering a whole lot of poetic justice to asshats who can’t seem to decipher the real thing.

 

Reply
AndTheSlithyToves says:
September 17, 2018 at 1:30 pm
ROTL, Thank you for reminding everyone of Kennedy’s (privileged) kids and their sleazy behavior. He’s another smug a$$hat that sold his soul to the devil of money and deprived Al Gore of the presidency.

Reply

Read more: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184310-1635923.gif&hash=5e2530db4748ed6c7163e1d478fdfa3cd1108668)

HAVE MARK JUDGE TESTIFY ALONG WITH CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD (AND KAVANAUGH) (https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/09/17/have-mark-judge-testify-along-with-christine-blasey-ford/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 19, 2018, 11:32:50 am
Here comes Brett Kavanaugh’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) cradle of filth

Bill Palmer | 9:16 am EDT September 18, 2018

Palmer Report » Opinion

Here we go yet again. Now that the stage has been set for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to publicly testify before the Senate about her attempted r a p e accusation against Brett Kavanaugh, and for Kavanaugh to testify in his defense, we’re already seeing the ugliest factions of American society racing to remind us just how ugly they are. It’s already begun.


The race is now on to insist that Kavanaugh – because he’s a powerful man – should be taken at his word, while Ford – because she’s a woman – should not be believed. We’re also seeing the argument that even if Kavanaugh did try to r a p e  a woman, he’s somehow magically a better person now, so we should just ignore it and put him on the Supreme Court anyway, where he’ll get to spend the rest of his life deciding the fates of other lowlifes and their victims. That’s just so pathetic.


If Brett Kavanaugh were being accused of having stolen a candy bar from a convenience store in his youth, we could have a serious conversation about whether he’s grown over the decades from a minor violator of the law, to someone who can be trusted to interpret the law. But attempted  R A P E? Are you kidding me? That’s the kind of argument you’d expect to hear after a guy has spent twenty years in prison, and he’s asking to be let out on parole. Even then, you’d expect him to be placed on a sex offender registry for the rest of his life, not on the Supreme Court.


If nothing else, times like these serve as a good litmus test for society, because we see the lowest of the low crawling out of their cradle of filth in order to tell us how they feel. Take a look around at the politicians, pundits, public figures, and guys at the local pub who are arguing that we should automatically believe Brett Kavanaugh because he’s a man, and disbelieve Christine Blasey Ford because she’s a woman. These are the people you can safely reject from society, because if they’re that morally wrong about this, they’re never going to be morally right about anything.

https://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/cradle-of-filth/12758/

Quote
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.

His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray. - Proverbs 5 KJV: 21-23

(https://i2.wp.com/fair.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Slate-Kavanaugh.png)




Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 19, 2018, 04:25:06 pm
Brett Kavanaugh’s own words about Georgetown Prep come back to bite him

Bill Palmer | 8:40 am EDT September 19, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

Brett Kavanaugh now stands accused of having attempted to r a p e Dr. Christine Blasey Ford during a party, back when he was a high school student at Georgetown Prep, and she was attending a nearby high school. Ford has gone into great detail about the incident; Kavanaugh claims he never even attended any such party. But now Kavanaugh’s own words are coming back to bite him.

Senator Elizabeth Warren has unearthed a video from 2015 in which Brett Kavanaugh told an audience that “Fortunately we’ve had a good saying that we’ve held firm to, to this day, as the Dean was reminding me before the talk, which is what happens at Georgetown Prep, stays at Georgetown Prep.” The audience responded with what sounded like nervous laughter.

Kavanaugh was clearly trying to spin the famous “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” tagline, which has long been seen as a pitch that any debauchery you engage in while visiting Las Vegas won’t follow you home. It’s more than a bit unsettling to hear any adult insist that the same motto would apply to his time in high school. He’s a federal judge and a nominee for the Supreme Court, so everything he’s ever done in his life is fair game for determining his suitability.

Yet even after becoming a judge, Brett Kavanaugh went on to make this remark. In so doing, he tacitly acknowledged that his high school years were indeed full of debauchery, while insisting that none of it is anyone’s business, and thinking it’s hilarious that his former classmates would cover for anything he’s done. When you place this within the context of what Christine Blasey Ford is asserting about Kavanaugh’s high school years, it takes on a profoundly disturbing context.

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https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/words-kavanaugh-georgetown-prep-bite/12770/

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 20, 2018, 08:30:47 am
DONALD TRUMP’S BUBBLE MAY BE ROBERT MUELLER’S GREATEST WEAPON

September 19, 2018/108 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe /by emptywheel

Robert Mueller has a slew of really good lawyers working for him. But I think his biggest asset is Donald Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) bubble. ;D

Consider this NYT story, in which a bunch of lawyers anonymously blame each other for getting 16 months into the Special Counsel investigation without ever figuring out what the President did.  ;)

The lawyers have only a limited sense of what many witnesses — including senior administration officials and the president’s business associates — have told investigators and what the Justice Department plans to do with any incriminating information it has about Mr. Trump, according to interviews with more than a dozen people close to the president.

What is more, it is not clear if Mr. Trump has given his lawyers a full account of some key events in which he has been involved as president or during his decades running the Trump Organization.

Quote
[snip]

Mr. Dowd took Mr. Trump at his word that he had done nothing wrong and never conducted a full internal investigation to determine the president’s true legal exposure.

[snip]

And once Mr. Dowd was gone, the new legal team had to spend at least 20 hours interviewing the president about the episodes under investigation, another necessary step Mr. Dowd and his associates had apparently not completed.

In spite of the effort to blame all this on Dowd, the NYT article provides abundant evidence (which they, in typical Maggie and Mike fashion, don’t seem aware of) that Trump’s lawyers continue to be clueless.

There’s the notion that just 20 hours of Trump interviews would be sufficient for nailing down the actual story. Don McGahn, after all, has had 30 hours of interviews with Mueller’s team, and while he has played several central roles, he’s not the principal. And, unlike Trump, he can and presumably did tell a mostly consistent story.

There’s the admission that Trump’s lawyers actually don’t know how ten senior officials testified.

During Mr. Dowd’s tenure, prosecutors interviewed at least 10 senior administration officials without Mr. Trump’s lawyers first learning what the witnesses planned to say, or debriefing their lawyers afterward — a basic step that could have given the president’s lawyers a view into what Mr. Mueller had learned.

Complain all you want that Dowd didn’t obstruct competently. But the Joint Defense Agreement (the one that gave Rudy no advance warning that Paul Manafort had flipped on the President) is what Rudy has always pointed to to justify his confidence that Trump is not at any risk. So Rudy is, by the standards of the anonymous people leaking to Maggie and Mike, just as incompetent.

Perhaps best of all is the claim of an anonymous Maggie and Mike source that poor Jay Sekulow was left to clean up after Dowd’s, and only Dowd’s, mistakes.

In March, Mr. Dowd resigned, telling associates that he disagreed with the president’s desire to sit for an interview with Mr. Mueller — one form of cooperation he opposed — and leaving Mr. Sekulow with the task of rebuilding the legal team from scratch, and without knowing many of the details of the case. Mr. Dowd left few notes or files about the case, which had to be recreated months after the fact.

Somehow, Ty Cobb, the guy brought in after Marc Kasowitz left amid concerns that Trump was obstructing justice, who oversaw responding to discovery requests and who was initially celebrated as being very aggressive, gets no blame. Cobb was the guy who put McGahn in a defensive crouch — leading directly to 20 of his 30 hours of testimony — after blabbing in public about him hiding documents.

Crazier still, Jay Sekulow gets no blame in this narrative, even though Sekulow was around during all of Dowd’s purportedly mistaken decisions. As recently as March, Sekulow was quite confident that his undeniable expertise in litigating the right wing’s ressentiment prepared him to deal with the challenges of a Special Counsel investigation.

When Jay Sekulow joined President Donald Trump’s legal team for the Russia investigation last summer, he was largely expected to serve as the public face of the group. But after former lead attorney John Dowd resigned last week, and with other top lawyers reportedly reluctant to join the team, Sekulow is now the key player in one of the most high-stakes investigations in the world.

“I have maintained since the beginning of the representation that my interest is representing the client,” Sekulow tells TIME. “And it may take different forms at different times, and we’re just right now in a different phase.”

Quote
[snip]

Peter Flaherty, who worked for Romney on both campaigns and has known Sekulow for more than a decade, offers effusive praise for Sekulow that draws on the world of Boston sports.

“Jay is a combination of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, wrapped into one super-lawyer,” Flaherty says, citing the New England Patriots’ coach and quarterback. “He is capable of both devising successful strategy in a conference room, as well as being able to execute it in a courtroom.”

Critics say that legal expertise in high-minded constitutional issues won’t translate well to the guts of a criminal case. But Sekulow says he feels his “broad background” in the law has prepared him for the current challenge, citing a recent case he worked on in which the IRS admitted to unfairly scrutinizing tax forms of conservative groups.

In the wake of Manafort’s plea deal, Sekulow seems less certain he’s got control of the situation.

Here’s the thing though. This is a 2,100-word story presented as truth, disclosing evidence (albeit unacknowledged) that the lawyers who have serially managed press outreach (Sekulow, then Rudy) are clueless. It repeats, as Maggie and Mike always do, two key threads of the spin from these men: that Trump’s only exposure is obstruction and that the end result will be a report.

[Manafort’s] plea brings to four the number of former close associates of Mr. Trump who have agreed to cooperate with Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the election and obstruction of justice by the president.

And while Mr. Trump’s lawyers insist Mr. Mueller has nothing on their client about colluding with Russia, they are bracing for him to write a damaging report to Congress about whether the president obstructed justice.

Quote
[snip]

The sense of unease among the president’s lawyers can be traced, in part, to their client. Mr. Trump has repeatedly undermined his position by posting on Twitter or taking other actions that could add to the obstruction case against him.

[snip]

Even after Mr. Mueller’s appointment, Mr. Trump did things like ask witnesses about what they told Mr. Mueller’s investigators and put out misleading statements about contacts between his campaign and Russia, which appear to have deepened the special counsel’s examination of possible obstruction.

A mere review of Jay Sekulow’s own list, drafted in March, of questions Mueller might ask Trump, should make it clear to anyone exercising a tiny degree of skepticism that the claim Mueller is exclusively focused on obstruction is utter nonsense. And after the speaking criminal information released with Manafort’s plea, the expectation of a report should be treated far more critically.

But it’s not.

In an article about how Trump’s lawyers, generally, are clueless, and demonstrating though not reporting that the lawyers providing information to the press are part of that general cluelessness, Maggie and Mike don’t pause to reflect on whether that leaves them, too, clueless.

So when Trump tries to understand his plight by reading Maggie and Mike, he would believe a fiction largely created by the lies he has already told his lawyers and his preference for PR rather than solid legal advice.

Of course, it gets worse from there. Trump has benefitted from nine months of Devin Nunes-led intelligence, fed both via staffers and through a stable of incompetent right wing stenographers, about the investigation. I know for a fact that the most competent Republicans who have read the most investigative documents do not have a grasp about either the scope of the investigation or how it evolved (though someone at least understands that after August 1, 2017, the investigation got far more risky for the President).

But when you take that misunderstanding about the investigation and launder it through incompetent hacks like John Solomon, then the picture it provides is even more misleading.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201759-1490907.jpeg&hash=4f378d8d41d81128badca5842b1835d9a5290a8d)

Which led us to Trump’s decision on Monday to declassify a bunch of stuff.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Forig02.deviantart.net%2Fbc20%2Ff%2F2009%2F176%2Fa%2Fc%2Flook_a_distraction_design_by_eecomics.jpg&hash=a3d84e6121734111823fc6cff8fb127058e41400)

That led Mark Warner, who has a better though still incomplete understanding of the potential risk to Trump, to quip, “Be careful what you wish for,” suggesting that the documents might be very incriminating to Trump.

Batshit crazier still, Trump went on to do an interview with the aforementioned John Solomon. (The Hill, unlike the NYT and virtually all other outlets, has the dignity to label interviews where Trump tells reporters a bunch of bullshit “opinion.”) In it, Trump suggests he had the authority and should have fired Jim Comey they day he won the primaries (an interesting suggestion by itself as Mueller appears to be investigating Roger Stone’s activities from that time period), which would likely have resulted in a Hillary win.

“If I did one mistake with Comey, I should have fired him before I got here. I should have fired him the day I won the primaries,” Trump said. “I should have fired him right after the convention, say I don’t want that guy. Or at least fired him the first day on the job. … I would have been better off firing him or putting out a statement that I don’t want him there when I get there.”

Crazier still, Trump admits that he has no idea what is included in the vast swath of documents he has already ordered to be released.

Trump said he had not read the documents he ordered declassified but said he expected to show they would prove the FBI case started as a political “hoax.” 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-191017140758.jpeg&hash=8c0a35a928dcda3c1a8714ab03f4924a1a775851)

“I have had many people ask me to release them. Not that I didn’t like the idea but I wanted to wait, I wanted to see where it was all going,” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121829.png&hash=035f25ddb6d065f1533ce03c1c07f5fddcbbc83c) he said.

In the end, he said, his goal was to let the public decide by seeing the documents that have been kept secret for more than two years. “All I want to do is be transparent,” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c)  he said.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmemecrunch.com%2Fmeme%2F5L3XX%2Fspiderman-bullshit-detector%2Fimage.jpg%3Fw%3D544%26amp%3Bc%3D1&hash=4825835b92337d62f61a3d37d282105e97ac3ee3)

As I’ve noted here and elsewhere, even careful readers, to say nothing of the frothy right, have little visibility on how this investigation evolved (even the tiny bit more visibility I have makes me aware of how much I don’t know). If the smartest Republican upstream of Trump’s concerns about the genesis of the investigation doesn’t understand it, then far stupider Congressmen like Mark Meadows, who hasn’t reviewed all the documents, is surely misrepresenting it.

And yet Trump, from within the bubble of sycophants, clueless lawyers, and credulous reporters is blindly taking action in the hope of undercutting the pardon-proof plea deal of his campaign manager.

Update: Thanks to those who corrected my error in the bracketed description of the fourth plea.

As I disclosed in July, I provided information to the FBI on issues related to the Mueller investigation, so I’m going to include disclosure statements on Mueller investigation posts from here on out. I will include the disclosure whether or not the stuff I shared with the FBI pertains to the subject of the post.

https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/09/19/donald-trumps-bubble-is-robert-muellers-greatest-weapon/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 21, 2018, 09:36:14 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)

BRETT KAVANAUGH’S CHARACTER WITNESSES: KEN STARR, BILL SHINE, AND DONALD TRUMP (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c)

September 21, 2018  39 Comments/ in Law / by emptywheel

Over the last week, some pretty curious character witnesses have come out to insist that Brett Kavanaugh is a nice man who would never sexually assault someone else.

First, there’s Ken Starr(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd), who judged that Christine Blasey Ford had had her opportunity to come forward and had not done so, and so “the matter has adjourned.”

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As someone who’s interested in process and fairness, obviously any allegation of this nature is an unfortunate serious allegation, but to be honest, I was outraged about the timing, as well as the process, that the letter, about something long ago, was in the hands of — you covered it very well — of the Democrats in July, and yet there is nothing done about this. I just think it’s too late for there to be any serious consideration at this stage. The matter has adjourned. You had your opportunity to come forward and you failed to do that year after year after year.
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Starr was forced to resign as president of Baylor University in 2016 for his role in covering up sexual assault committed by members of the football team. The report that led to his firing specifically talked about a culture of victim-blaming on behalf of administrators.

In addition, the investigations were conducted in the context of a broader culture and belief by many administrators that sexual violence “doesn’t happen here.” Administrators engaged in conduct that could be perceived as victim-blaming, focusing on the complainant’s choices and actions, rather than robustly investigating the allegations, including the actions of the respondent.

Then, yesterday, Bill Shine (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) said that the White House stands by Kavanaugh 100%.

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“We stand behind Judge Kavanaugh 100 percent,” Bill Shine, deputy WH chief of staff for communications, told us a few minutes ago in the Rose Garden. He did not say whether Kavanaugh should testify alone on Monday.

Shine was forced to resign from Fox News in 2017 after he was accused of attacking the victims of Roger Ailes’ sexual harassment.

In a case settled in December (the dollar figure is under wraps), Shine was accused of retaliating against a woman who declined to have a sexual relationship with Ailes. In another lawsuit, a woman who complained to Shine about Ailes’ behavior said he told her that he was “a very powerful man” and that she “needed to let this one go.” A third woman, who said she was psychologically tortured by Ailes for 20 years, was, at one point sent to live in a hotel for six weeks where senior leaders at Fox could “monitor” her. She claims that Shine reviewed all of her emails, which he 😈 denies.

Finally, this morning, Donald Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) joined in, both defending Kavanaugh’s honesty and (echoing Starr’s line) suggesting that because Ford didn’t file a police report, the attack must not have happened. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220216203149.gif&hash=bd184b6edccce4045e246847a0c84e89bd5a18b6)

This defense of an alleged abuser mirrors the ones Trump made for Rob Porter 👹, in which he complained that mere allegations shattered his life before hailing the good job he did at the White House.

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We found out about it recently, and I was surprised by it, but we certainly wish him well, and it’s a tough time for him. He did a very good job when he was in the White House, and we hope he has a wonderful career, and he will have a great career ahead of him. But it was very sad when we heard about it, and certainly he’s also very sad now. He also, as you probably know, says he’s innocent, and I think you have to remember that. He said very strongly yesterday that he’s innocent, so you have to talk to him about that, but we absolutely wish him well. He did a very good job when he was at the White House.
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According to Bob Woodward’s book (which relied heavily on Porter as a source), Kavanaugh (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) recommended Porter for his old position as Staff Secretary.

And also the defense he mounted for Roy Moore 😈, where he emphasized Moore’s denials even while continuing to campaign for him.

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“He denies it. Look, he denies it,” Trump said of Moore. “If you look at all the things that have happened over the last 48 hours. He totally denies it. He says it didn’t happen. And look, you have to look at him also.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163125-16722324.gif&hash=fd301340fefe90d81ed8826dfa0568be12a1c0d8) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817122018.gif&hash=74d86c1f35e2f61ea38c9bfa392f84a92631b96e)


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To be sure, with Kavanaugh there’s no hint of serial abuse, as there was when Trump took the side of both Porter and Moore. Which is why Republicans should be really cautious about who comes out in defense of Kavanaugh. Because his character witnesses ((https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) 😈 👹 ) damn him as much as his unconvincing denials. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3)

https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/09/21/kavanaughs-character-witnesses-ken-starr-bill-shine-and-donald-trump/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 23, 2018, 07:05:35 pm
Justice Is Blind ... Drunk (Video)

September 23, 2018

By Mark Fiore —  Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court is hanging in the balance after Christine Blasey Ford accuses him of sexual assault when they were teenagers.

WATCH:

Justice Is Blind ... Drunk (https://www.truthdig.com/videos/justice-is-blind-drunk-video/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 24, 2018, 12:10:06 pm
I want to vomit (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sherv.net%2Fcm%2Femoticons%2Fsick%2Fbarfing-smiley-emoticon.gif&hash=36f6791510582d9f9f48af1d4d1a006a5681103b)


Bill Palmer | 12:04 am EDT September 24, 2018

Palmer Report » Opinion

When the buzz began on Sunday night that one or more additional accusers were about to come forward against Brett Kavanaugh, I found myself momentarily excited. After all, this nomination needs to be killed off for the sanctity of democracy in general, and for the safety and well being of women everywhere. Then the stories surfaced. I’ve been reading, studying, researching, and writing about these new developments for the past few hours – and now I want to vomit.

These stories are simply horrifying. Deborah Ramirez says that Brett Kavanaugh subjected her to sexual assault at a drunken college party. This comes after Dr. Christine Blasey Ford said that Kavanaugh subjected her to attempted r a p e at a drunken high school party. See the pattern here? If these two women are both telling the truth, and why wouldn’t they be, how many more women were subjected to this sort of thing by Kavanaugh? How many more of his victims are out there who are afraid or unable to come forward? Then it somehow got even worse.

Michael Avenatti announced that he has multiple witnesses who want to testify before Congress that Brett Kavanaugh and his friends arranged parties in their youth for the specific purpose of getting women drunk and high so they could gang r a p e them. If this proves to be true, then just how many women has Kavanaugh r a p e d ? Five? Ten? Fifty? These aren’t just numbers; these women are real people whose lives have been ruined by this maniac and the surrounding culture which allowed him to get away with it.

Yeah, this is “good news” in the sense that it puts us much closer to keeping a corrupt monster off the Supreme Court, which in turn puts us closer to ousting the corrupt monster who occupies the Oval Office. But there’s nothing to celebrate here. I feel physically ill just from reading these revelations, and I’m not a woman. I don’t have to live in fear that someone like Kavanaugh might do something like this to me in the future, or have to relive the memories of someone like Kavanaugh having done something like this to me in the past. I can’t begin to imagine what women are feeling tonight.

Click here (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=RHHCSFGSSUCC4) to help fund Palmer Report's editorial effort to take Donald Trump down

https://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/i-want-to-vomit/12961/

Agelbert OBSERVATION: Kavanaugh (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) is a walking, taking example of MENS REA (with malice aforethought) modus operandi in thought, word and deed.

Kavanaugh is, like Trump🦀, a symptom of our disease, not the disiease. The disease is the rampant fascist corruption in our government.

From the DINOs, who pretend to be Democrats in order to fool people of good will into voting for them, to the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee who, in MENS REA fashion, DID THE FOLLOWING:

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Farrow and Mayer are reporting that last week, Senate Republicans learned about Ramirez’s accusations. How did they respond? They “issued renewed calls to accelerate the timing of a committee vote.” In other words, they tried to bury it by ramming Kavanaugh through before it could become public and sink the nomination.

So now we know that the Republican Senators attempted to withhold critical and potentially criminal information about their Supreme Court nominee from the public.
https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/gop-bury-brett-kavanaugh-additional/12954/

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Mammon worshipping reprobates, who's every breath is exemplified by MENS REA, have taken over the U.S. Government. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183404.bmp&hash=dc40a133c761f80036b08ef0f6c0427aaa7e9f4b)

We bring ("restore" or "bring back" are both not the correct verb or term because our government was elitist and greed based from the start!  >:() respect for our fellow humans (and the biosphere that enables humans and millions of other species to survive and thrive) to our government, as Jesus Christ Commanded, or we are doomed to destruction, PERIOD. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

(https://ofcommonsense.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/free-choice-not-consequences.jpg)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 25, 2018, 01:13:09 pm
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Senator Collins of Maine has been warned by the good people of Maine. She either votes NO on the Kavanaugh CROOK/PERVERT or she is TOAST! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)


https://youtu.be/9XU9Wpa7Aos
Mainers have a Message for Senator Collins
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 25, 2018, 06:16:56 pm
As Rosenstein Stays, What Can Manafort Give Mueller?

September 25, 2018

After widespread speculation that he was on the outs, Rod Rosenstein is still on the job. The uncertainty over his future comes amid a flurry of activity in the Mueller probe that he oversees, including the plea deal of Paul Manafort. Author Craig Unger joins Aaron Maté to discuss Rosenstein’s plight and whether Manafort’s lobbying work in Ukraine could tie him to the long-suspected Russian collusion plot

https://youtu.be/HhDs1-ls7UA

https://therealnews.com/stories/as-rosenstein-stays-what-can-manafort-give-mueller

 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202829.png&hash=a4ec201b97ad269ff59a6a1c0f1c19a04b57803a) Agelbert COMMENT: ALL these comments were censored.  >:(

agelbert  Babyl-on  6 minutes ago
How many times does an erudite person of note, like Author Craig Unger, have to reference the money trail from the Russian oligarchs/mafia for you to be able to add two and two to get Trump/Russia Collusion four?

TRUMP WAS BROKE! TRUMP GOT A LOT OF MONEY LAUNDERED THROUGH PURCHASES OF TRUMP MASSIVELY INFLATED PRICE PROPERTIES BY GUESS WHO? ( Russian oligarchs TIGHT WITH PUTIN!).

FOLLOW THE MONEY! What part of that do you find so "unlikely", Mr. Russian Troll?


agelbert  SnowPyramid  14 minutes ago
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agelbert  Howie Lisnoff  15 minutes ago
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agelbert  Ted Parker  16 minutes ago
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Detected as spam 😈 Thanks, we'll work on getting this corrected. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c)


agelbert  Sarastro92  17 minutes ago
Manafort AND Trump are both tools of Russia, PERIOD!


agelbert  18 minutes ago (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162655-1422241.gif&hash=c395eada6e18bf2d9b9c2c7079a45ee8fb2f2c34)

Mr. Maté, Your behavior towards Emptywheel and your behavior towards Author Craig Unger shows an inexcusable aversion to accepting the FACT that the Russian Oligarchy is WELL OVER 50% RESPONSIBLE for putting Trump in office. You just cannot handle that, can you? You are 100% WRONG in your endless attempts to claim that the evidence of Russian influence on U.S. affairs/elections is a propaganda diversion from the real problem of the systemic and massive corruption within the U.S. that has transformed our government into a Koch Brothers/Exxon/Chevron/etc. PETRO-STATE based oligarchy as well.

It's time that you stopped beating that dead horse, Aaron. Sure, out government is rotten to the Koch Brothers core. AND? The issue here is competition between two petro-state fascist oligarchies, neither of which give a tinker's patuty about the Catastrophic climate Change they are foisting on the entire biosphere , PERIOD!

If you cannot wrap your head around that, you are being willfully blind. The "Russian influence ain't the significant problem" DOG is not gonna hunt, pal. Trump would not BE THERE if it wasn't for Putin and his Russian Mafia team, PERIOD!

I'm sure there are plenty of Russian trolls, like several who have posted here today, that will give you lots of ata-boys for your willful blindness and consistent belligerence towards those pointing the well deserved finger at Russian intelligence/mafia. Good luck with that.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 25, 2018, 10:02:42 pm
Trump’s 🦀 ‘Dissociation from Reality’ at UN

September 25, 2018

President Trump had the opportunity to address the UN General Assembly opening for the second time, which he used to brag and lie, says Phyllis Bennis, of the Institute for Policy Studies

https://youtu.be/JVo72ggeC7o

https://therealnews.com/stories/trumps-dissociation-from-reality-at-un
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 26, 2018, 05:56:52 pm
📢 SAY YOU BELIEVE CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD, DEBORAH RAMIREZ, AND JULIE SWETNICK

September 26, 2018

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Deborah Ramirez, and Julie Swetnick have all accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, but Senate Republicans are ignoring their allegations and rushing to confirm him to the Supreme Court anyway.
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(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sherv.net%2Fcm%2Femoticons%2Fsick%2Fbarfing-smiley-emoticon.gif&hash=36f6791510582d9f9f48af1d4d1a006a5681103b)

This (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c)  is what the Republican Party has become.

Watch our new video, then add your name to say that you believe Dr. Ford, Ramirez, and Swetnick.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-060518153110.png&hash=39d587c31b7f7e66b30d7e59bb560e2ad0662eee) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)

https://youtu.be/sd7FpyDFzok

In solidarity,
Eve
 
Eve Tyler
Writer
Need to Impeach


https://www.needtoimpeach.com/scotus-believe-survivors/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 26, 2018, 08:19:29 pm
Donald Trump’s Last Day at Work: A Fable

  By Tom Lewis | August 5, 2018 | Politics

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (at article link)


This is a story, boys and girls, about how Donald Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) world could end — not with a bang, but a whimper.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718204746.gif&hash=ef3006b22f07724d45868cab1dae91b1dff31327)

It’s a balmy September day in Washington when John Kelly bursts into the oval office to blurt, “Mr. President, Robert Mueller is here. He wants to speak with you.”

“What?” says the president. “We told him I don’t have to talk to him. I’m the President. He can’t make me.”

“Yes sir. He doesn’t want to discuss the investigation, He says it’s over. It’s shutting down today, and he’s here to say goodbye.”

“Oh. Good. Well, then, bring him in.”

Robert Mueller enters, wheeling a suitcase full of papers. “Mr. President, my work is concluded and I thought it appropriate to show you the results.” He opens the suitcase and lifts out a couple of two-foot stacks of papers. “These are the summaries of indictments returned by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia charging you with 72 counts of tax evasion, bank fraud, money laundering, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit these crimes and obstruction of justice.”(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201112.png&hash=679f4583d6861313c256e8762c40929af1ac667e) 😀

“See,” says the president, “There was no collusion. And you can’t indict a president.”

“Well,” replies Mueller, “I think you’ve been misinformed on both counts. There was plenty of collusion, but in most cases you can’t prosecute stupid. As for indicting a sitting president, we can and we will, because this is a republic in which no man is above the law, but we recognize that it’s going to be a long fight, and that’s why I brought some other things to show you.

“These,” and he hauls out three one-foot stacks of papers, “are indictments returned against your son Don, Jr., your daughter Ivanka, and your son-in-law Jared Kushner. Same crimes — tax evasion, bank fraud, money laundering for Russian criminals, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of justice. Each of these individuals is facing 40-60 years in prison, and none of them can claim to be a sitting president.

“By the way, sir, if you did somehow convince the Supreme Court that a sitting president is immune to prosecution, there will be FBI agents waiting for you at the foot of the dais the day your successor is sworn in.

“But here’s what we are prepared to suggest. You seem upset by the prospect of your family going to prison — and by the way, we’ve found enough irregularities in Melania’s immigration status to deport her. And I understand that any father and husband would want to protect his family.

“So here’s what you do, sir. You present your letter of resignation to the secretary of state by close of business tomorrow, and all of this goes away, we will agree to nolle prosse all of these indictments, and we will consider it a good deal for the United States.”

And that, boys and girls, was Donald Trump’s last day at work as president. Then, Mr, Mueller went to see vice president Mike Pence. But that’s a story for another night. Good night, boys and girls. Sweet dreams.
     

Tagged Donald Trump, impeachment, Mueller. Bookmark the permalink.

http://www.dailyimpact.net/2018/08/05/donald-trumps-last-day-at-work-a-fable/#comments
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 27, 2018, 02:02:52 pm
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Agelbert NOTE: These comments display an in depth knowledge of the truth.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-1624479.gif&hash=92c92575625c10582f9c1c6f9db969ad24bf62a8)

Unlike the wise people making the following comments, too many in the U.S. refuse to accept the horrific level of corruption in the U.S. Government. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

Quote
Rapier says:
September 27, 2018 at 10:58 am
I really hate to say this but does anyone care to dispute the general argument that “: that by letting our Middle Eastern allies arm al Qaeda-allied fighters, the Obama Administration created the mess that is in Syria.

Qatar and the Saudis each put between $1bn and $3bn into recruiting, transporting, outfitting and paying jihadis from the entire Muslim world, many of them non Syrians from as far away as Chechnya and Malaysia. From 2012 on we were were presented serial lists of ‘moderate’ ‘rebels’ fighting Assad.  I am not going to wade in on “al Qaeda-allied fighters”  but  the idea that any of them intended to participate in a representative democratic form of government is, not put too fine a point on it, nuts.

Since virtually nobody within 2 degrees of policy power in the US would consider anything but that ‘Assad must go’ by any means necessary we ended up with Trump and his crew of grifters making the case and trying to adjust policy, or what passes for policy in the Trump administration. Which has  now made any debate on the use of jihad to advance US policy even more impossible. Which perfectly mirrors  the US-Russia relationship post NATO expansion.

Far be it for me to argue Trump isn’t a fruitcake but at root plenty of his gut instincts are rational or rational enough to deserve debate.  The thing is he doesn’t debate or make his case. He stomps his feet and creates, or tries to, another reality via a ragtag group of grifters and necromancers.


Doctor My Eyes says:
September 27, 2018 at 11:14 am
Thanks for this comment.  The corruption runs so deep that it’s hard to find a place to stand.  Why not start with the US supporting the Taliban as a way to stick it to Russia? Hard to put a pro-democracy spin on that one.  What part did the successful impoverishment of Russia play in the rise of the Russian mob? We have Special Ops forces in countries around the world. We’ve been toppling democratic regimes the world over for decades.  Where are we to stand in objecting to what Russia is doing to us? We grasp for integrity but scarcely know what it looks like. Still, I don’t believe for a second that Trump has even a glimmer of understanding about the mistakes of using al qaeda associated fighters.  I assume he was saying  these things as a reason for giving Syria to Russia. And that is all. There is no more integrity to Trump’s “thinking” than there is to the thinking of the decades of US policy-makers who cover imperialism with a thin veil of human rights and democracy.

Watson says:
September 27, 2018 at 1:14 pm
Putin’s hold over our president apparently results from Trump’s having solved his persistent cash flow problems by laundering money for entities in the murky inter-penetrated world of Russia’s security sector and Russian organized crime.
 
Nonetheless, the greater evil in Syria is the terrorist fundamentalist Islamist opposition dominated under various noms de guerre by al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood.
 
The Assad regime in Syria is a corrupt, autocratic police state. It resembles Uncle Sam’s ally in Egypt, the al Sisi regime, although both of those governments share the virtue of being non-sectarian; and neither is as abhorrent as the fanatical, terror-exporting, vampiric petro-monarchy run by Bush/Obama/Trump’s sword-dancing soul mates in Saudi Arabia.
 
US hostility to Syria has nothing to do with democracy promotion or human rights. Syria has been in the neocons’ cross-hairs for decades because it has been a foe of Saudi Arabia and Israel, and an ally of Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah.

Doctor My Eyes says:
September 27, 2018 at 11:03 am
Am I wrong to view all of this in the context of “how Simeon Megolivic came to own the US”? Wasn’t cooperation with the Russians part of Flynn’s transition activity? I guess Christie was merely associated with the mob in New Jersey. I don’t have nearly the command of detail exhibited here, but I keep focusing on Russia as the primary actor behind so many manipulations.  Where did the decision to bring Flynn on originate? The Russian mob infiltrates.  That’s what they do.  They have infiltrated our government.  This is the enemy we are fighting.  Does Kavanaugh seem like someone with exposure to kompromat? Pence? I would love to be reassured on this point.  I’m losing sleep over it.

BobCon says:
September 27, 2018 at 1:19 pm
Not that this is reassuring, but I think it makes sense to view GOP politics as run by a coalition of oligarchs, rather than just Putin. You have Murdoch, Koch, Adelson and some others deeper in the weeds I don’t know, along with a second tier jockeying for front row seats.

Putin is a factor, to be sure, but I think it makes sense to view him as a major bidder rather than someone with a monopoly.

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https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/09/27/the-christie-ouster-and-the-flynn-hiring/

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 28, 2018, 01:46:02 pm
THE RECORD SUPPORTS CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD 🕵️

September 28, 2018/52 Comments/in Law /by emptywheel  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

(https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SJC-Men-768x321.jpg)

This may sound counterintuitive. But the Republican-led whitewash hearing into allegations that Brett Kavanaugh assaulted Christine Blasey Ford actually ended up supporting her case, not Kavanaugh’s.

FORD WITHSTOOD RACHEL MITCHELL’S INTERROGATION

As bmaz noted, the Republicans hired a skirt: Maricopa sex crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell.

Mitchell conducted all of the questioning — save one impetuous outburst from Lindsey Graham — of Ford. And Mitchell tried diligently to challenge Ford’s account. She started by asking Ford to review all her statements and correct and inconsistencies in her past statements, something she did not do thoroughly with Kavanaugh. She then challenged Ford’s story in a few places, first by shadowing the Ed Whelan theory that the house in question must belong to the parents of Kavanaugh’s doppelganger, Chris Garrett (later testimony would make clear Garrett was how Ford first got introduced to the Kavanaugh crowd); Ford dismissed that by answering that the house in question might be in a broader area. Mitchell tried to suggest that Ford’s symptoms — including PTSD and anxiety — might come from other reasons; but because this is Ford’s academic expertise, Ford swatted those away with science. Mitchell made much of the fact that Ford declined to travel to DC in spite of her dislike of air travel, even though she travels for a yearly family visit and vacations. Mitchell also tried to insinuate that some political actors either coached her or paid for Ford’s polygraph, but Ford’s lawyers pointed out they had paid for it, as is the norm. And Ford’s own timeline simply didn’t support the claim she was politically coached. Mitchell invented a claim, out of an indistinct claim by Ford, that she had wanted to keep her testimony confidential up until the original hearing. In the end, Mitchell got Ford to admit — relying on her expertise — that five minute sessions like this hearing weren’t the best way to get the truth from victims of trauma, which would seem to support a longer investigation, not the kind of hearing Mitchell had been paid to star in.

Ford withstood all those questions with grace (and the timely intervention of her attorneys).

KAVANAUGH SPENT 45 MINUTES RANTING LIKE A BELLIGERENT DRUNK

Chuck Grassley unwisely let each witness take as much time as they wanted for opening statements.

After Ford took a normal amount of time, Kavanaugh, bidding for Trump’s support, took a full 45 minutes for his statement.

(https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-27-at-8.55.43-PM-845x321.png)

His statement was delivered shrilly, with an angry red face, just short of screaming. Coming after hours of testimony he was sometimes a violent drunk, Kavanaugh looked during his statement like the drunk you avoid in the parking lot of a bar, because it’s just not worthwhile human interaction. I don’t rule out him drinking while watching Ford’s testimony, nor did others.

In short, Kavanaugh looked like a guy who could not manage rage, just as numerous witnesses had described him being as as a drunk.


THE MARK JUDGE SAFEWAY TIMING SUGGESTS A LATE JUNE/EARLY JULY ASSAULT

One reason Ford repeatedly said she’d like an FBI interview is because she assumed that if she could date an exchange she had with Mark Judge after her assault, she might be able to narrow down when the actual event occurred. Republicans want to avoid having Judge’s public comments about drunken debauchery in the time period reviewed by any credible questioner.

Judge has written about that in his book, describing working at the local Safeway for a few weeks to pay for Football camp.

According to Kavanaugh’s calendar, football camp started on August 23 that year.

(https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-27-at-2.22.49-PM-845x321.png)

Ford testified that her exchange with Judge took place 6 to 8 weeks after the incident.

Quote
Ford: We had always been friendly with one another. I wouldn’t characterize him as not friendly. He looked ill. Says it happened 6-8 weeks after the incident.

If Judge was working for the few weeks prior to Football camp to pay for it and his and Kavanaugh’s exchange with Ford happened 6 to 8  weeks earlier, that would put the assault in early July.

That would mean this entry, for an event on Thursday, July 1, 1982, in Kavanaugh’s calendar would be solidly within that range.

(https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-27-at-2.24.22-PM.png)


THE REPUBLICANS FIRE THEIR PROSECUTOR AFTER SHE CORROBORATES FORD’S STORY

And Kavanaugh’s testimony actually supports Ford.

Start with the claim, in his opening rant, that he usually only drank on weekends. That makes no sense because Judge’s book about the period describes being dysfunctionally hungover routinely while he worked at the Potomac Safeway to earn money for Football camp.

Quote
Kavanaugh claims this had to be a weekend bc they all worked. But Judge said he routinely went to work badly hungover.

Then Mitchell started questioning Kavanaugh. She started by asking him to review the definition of sexual assault, as she asked Ford to do. Kavanaugh got a weird set to his lips.

Shortly thereafter, she turned to his calendar, getting him to confirm that he wrote everything in there. In her next round, Mitchell’s first questions were about the July 1 entry. After filibustering about the earlier workout session (about which he wasn’t asked), Kavanaugh admitted that the entry showed he got together at Tim Gaudet’s —  with Mark Judge and PJ Smith — and Chris Garrett, whose nickname is Squi.

In other words, Kavanaugh confirmed he was at a small gathering with the boys Ford said were there, as well as the guy who had introduced her to these boys.

Durbin’s questioning followed, after which Lindsey Graham took over questioning from Mitchell and went on a tear, calling it an unethical sham. Having gotten Kavanaugh to identify a get-together that matched Ford’s description, Mitchell was done questioning for the day.

Effectively, the GOP hired a prosecutor to question a victim, but decided the alleged perpetrator could not withstand the same prosecutor’s questions as soon as she had him identify a get-together that resembled the one described by Ford.


KAVANAUGH THRICE STOPPED SHORT OF DENYING BEING A BLACKOUT DRUNK

One problem with Kavanaugh’s testimony is that he and his alleged accomplice, Mark Judge, are reported to be blackout drunks. Judge even wrote a book admitting to the fact. So Kavanaugh went to some lengths trying to avoid admitting that he had ever blacked out, even while he admitted, “I like beer,” over and over.

The first came, in her first round, when Mitchell asked Kavanaugh what he considered too many beers.

Quote
Mitchell: What do you consider to be too many beers?

Kav: I don’t know, whatever the chart says.

[snip]

Mitchell: Have you ever passed out from drinking?

Kav: Passed out would be no, but I’ve gone to sleep. I’ve never blacked out. That’s the allegation, and that’s wrong.

That’s when Republican Senators started to look worried. They gave Kavanaugh one of his three lifeline breaks.

Kavanaugh repeatedly dismissed his freshman roommate’s claim that he was a shy man who became belligerent after drinking by pointing to the squabble that one freshman roommate had with another, as if the normal animus between freshman roommates makes the observation of one invalid.

Finally, Blumenthal raised an incident from college that Kavanaugh had admitted he didn’t recall, only to have Kavanaugh insist he remembered all of it.

Quote
Let me ask you this. In a speech that you gave, you described, quote, falling out of the bus onto the front steps of the Yale Law School, at 4:45 AM.

Kavanaugh interrupted to try to prevent Blumenthal from finishing the quote.
Quote

The quote ends that you tried to piece things back together, end quote, to recall what happened that night. Meaning?

I know what happened. I know what happened that night.

The appellate court judge actually didn’t claim that he remembered it, just that he knows what happened.


KAVANAUGH REFUSES TO CALL MARK JUDGE

As a reminder, Ford alleges that Brett Kavanaugh tried to r a p e her in the presence of admitted dead drunk Mark Judge. Republicans refused to call Judge over and over.

Then Kavanaugh refused to answer questions about Judge’s own accounts of the period. In response to a question from Patrick Leahy about whether he was the drunk described as Bart O’Kavanaugh in Judge’s book, Kavanaugh refused to answer.

Quote
3rd Q: Are you Bart O’Kavanaugh.

Kav: not answering.

Kav finally says, “you’d have to ask him.” Which is the point.

Blumenthal noted to Kavanaugh that Judge’s statement was just six cursory and conclusory sentences signed by Judge’s lawyer, not a sworn statement.

So here’s what we saw yesterday: Christine Blasey Ford was unflappable and consistent. By comparison, Kavanaugh — at least in his statement — appeared to be precisely what he denied he was. His denials that he was a blackout drunk (and therefore that he assaulted Ford but didn’t remember it) were not credible and stopped well short of supporting his claim. And his own calendar, and the Republicans own prosecutor, identified a get-together that matches the time and attendees identified by Ford.

The GOP tried to set up a whitewash of this evidence. But instead, it failed, and they were left with screaming men.

And that won’t stop them from voting out his nomination.

(https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/plugins/pdf-print-pro/images/print.png?2128317843)

Tags: Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford, Ed Whelan, Lindsey Graham, Patrick Leahy, Richard Blumenthal

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https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/09/28/the-record-supports-christine-blasey-ford/


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 28, 2018, 03:00:32 pm
(https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Screen-Shot-2018-09-27-at-8.55.43-PM-845x321.png)

Quote
Allison Holland says:
September 28, 2018 at 12:29 pm
my husband was an alcoholic. i believe kavanaugh is an alcoholic as well. the melt down that was witnessedby the world yesterday was that of a dry drunk. he hasnt been drinking and hes angry. very angry that he has been forced to stay dry. i have seen it many times.
and about the calander. it is a teenager’s ruse. it was for his parents and a joke at his fathers. he put stuff in there for them. he wrote pre alibis. we all did stuff like that..the fake diary. the fake letters in the mail for snoopy parents. even the fake phone conversations. its such a ruse that the has world has fallen for. its a joke and i think it even upsets him because he cant tell anyone how funny it is.
one thing alcoholics do is lie for seemingly no reason. they just lie. little lies that cover up the real lie they are covering up. their whole lives are lies and they know it so the shell cant get ****. and besides there is nothing wrong with it, right ? he was looking for comrades. you drink right senator ? you drink too right prosecutor ? everybody drinks but prissy wives who get mad when we all drink. right ? he was desperate for affirmation that yes everybody secretly drinks just like he does. people saw the stone sad face of his wife. she needs him to get this job. i’ve been there. if he doesnt get this job her life and that of her childrens will be a living hell worse than it already is. he is a mean drunk who likes to drink a lot of the time. all of the time. her facial muscles seemed unreal to many. it was so frozen. but that is the state of the wife of a beligerent drunk. we freeze when the phone rings. we freeze when it doesnt. we freeze before he can slam the door shut after a hard days work before hes had the comfort of the booze and we stay frozen until he sleeps. and she is catholic. she cannot divorce. she is resigned. what you saw in the tiny muscles of her life behind the mask was pride in resilience and fear as to where that resilience might lead her.

Reply
Anon says:
September 28, 2018 at 12:56 pm
Wow, I actually had to take a walk around the room after reading what you wrote. In part because the hell you describe is terrifying though I’ve known of people who have been through it. But also because as I look back on her picture I see what you see and I realize that it was right there in front of me. I just skipped over it. I was focusing on the loud drunk in front and not on the terrified lives behind him.

I’m very sorry to hear what you suffered.

Reply
Bruce Olsen says:
September 28, 2018 at 2:10 pm
I’ve posted a similar comment a couple of times; As an alcoholic I’m certain he’s also alcoholic.

His performance was exactly like a failed intervention. Textbook denial and deflection.

I’m surprised nobody with a platform and expertise in substance use disorder hasn’t pointed this out.

Allison has added many more details than I had time to add, but they are 100% spot on.

One disagreement: I don’t think the calendar needs to be interpreted as part of the alcoholic’s ruse. The entries clearly lack some candor, but it’s unlikely at that age he had begun to construct the elaborate facade that long-term sufferers of substance use disorder often construct. Depends on when he started drinking, and there’s no evidence it began much before the, ummm, alleged incident.

But thanks for writing that, Allison. It’s a very accurate description of an alcoholic’s common behaviors. I’m not convinced he’s a dry drunk, but he certainly can’t seek help now even if he wanted to.

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https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/09/28/the-record-supports-christine-blasey-ford/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 28, 2018, 06:34:06 pm
Quote
BobCon says:

September 28, 2018 at 10:01 am

During the 1930s, the Supreme Court notoriously struck down New Deal laws over and over on the weakest justification.

It took the the threat of Roosevelt packing the Court with non-ideologues to get the conservatives to back off from their activism.

I think it’s fair to say this bunch (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) will never back off. 😱 It will take court packing, impeachment, and/or a lucky set of vacancies to drive this majority 🐉🦕👹🦖🦍 off the bench, and then years to reverse the illogical, anti-historical, anti-precedent, flat out crazy rulings they will issue. Right to privacy, one man one vote, equal protection, basic elements of the Bill of Rights, these things all have targets on their backs.

 
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Read more:

https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/09/28/kavanaugh-hearing-the-aftermath/

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 28, 2018, 10:39:20 pm
Rancorous Senate Cmte Pushes Kavanaugh Nomination, FBI Will Investigate Accusations

September 28, 2018

Who believes what depends on what you believe in our divided nation. Political war wrapped in misogyny leads to one of history’s most explosive Senate confirmations

https://youtu.be/p3kL_psc5b0

Story Transcript

MARC STEINER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I’m Marc Steiner. Great to have you with us.

The crack in the chasm that divides America’s political and social beliefs were exposed in 1991, when Anita Hill testified against Clarence Thomas’ nomination to the Supreme Court. The depth of that chasm erupted when Dr. Blasey Ford testified that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh attempted to sexually assault her 36 years ago. Her testimony was moving, powerful, and hard to refute. His testimony was angry, at times a tearful denial, whose spear was a political attack on the motivations of the Democrats he said were trying to destroy him, his reputation, and his family.

What gets lost at times in all this is the pivotal role the Supreme Court plays in how America defines itself in almost every political, social, and cultural context. Many thought Kavanaugh’s nomination was toast after Ford’s powerful testimony. But the anger of Judge Kavanaugh buoyed and his supporters on the committee and throughout America. They just took the vote this afternoon that sent Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Senate floor, and even that process was filled with conflict.

We’re joined once again by Lisa Graves, who is a senior fellow and former executive director of the Center for Media and Democracy, until she became president of True North Research, and codirector of DocumentedInvestigations.org. I should say, Lisa, welcome, good to have you back.

LISA GRAVES: Thank you so much for having me.

MARC STEINER: So this has been a pretty stunning moment. I know I remember in 1991 covering and watching what happened when Anita Hill made her testimony, and how people dismissed her. And it was, it was a horrible thing to watch, what she went through. But now we have this. And it’s not so much redux as what I was saying earlier in the opening, as kind of really showing the chasm that we have in America over what we believe and how we believe it, what we see and don’t see, and how we interpret what we actually see.

LISA GRAVES: Well, I think that one of the things that should be, should be known to people is that, in fact, Dr. Ford has been treated far worse than Anita Hill was.

MARC STEINER: What do you mean by that?

LISA GRAVES: And what I mean by that is that when when Prof. Hill came forward she was permitted to have witnesses testify along with her to testify about the things that she told them, character witnesses for her, other people who who could talk about what they had heard. And so at that reopening of the hearing for Clarence Thomas, there were, I think, in total between his witnesses or her witnesses nearly 20 people who testified. And that testimony came on the heels of having the FBI go back out and interview witnesses. Now, not all the witnesses that might have been relevant then were allowed to testify. But a substantial number were. And it was treated as completely an uncontroversial matter to go back to the FBI and have them do the interviews that would help inform the Senate. The interviews are conducted on an impartial basis by freshly trained investigators who don’t have time constraints in, you know, not, like, five minute increments for questions, that sort of thing. They’re allowed to speak to witnesses and gather that information.

For Dr. Ford, Sen. Grassley refused the request by Democratic members of the Senate to go back to the FBI, as is the normal course of things in nominations, to do a supplemental background investigation. It happens all the time. It’s happened before in this year with other nominees. Has always been the norm, going back to at least the 1960s, for requests for the FBI supplemental to be relayed by the chairman and ranking member, and for the FBI to do that as a matter of course. Here with Dr. Ford there was a refusal to follow that process, and a refusal to allow other witnesses to testify, other witnesses that Dr. Ford asked to be heard, and other witnesses who have come forward to say that they, too, were mistreated by Brett Kavanaugh.

And so you had a setup yesterday that was much more like she said-he said, because it was structured to be precisely that. And there were no other witnesses, including one of the most relevant witnesses who have testified, Mark Judge. And so I think in that way, Dr. Ford was certainly treated worse than Anita Hill, as bad as that hearing was in terms of how Sen. Hatch and others went after Anita Hill back in 1991. That didn’t happen this time because the Republicans hid behind a prosecutor they hired only to question Dr. Ford, and barely to question Brett Kavanaugh. And so, you know, that’s why I think that she was treated worse.

Now, this morning we have new developments about that FBI investigation proceeding. And I think that’s a good thing for the Senate and for the country.

MARC STEINER: I want to come to that in a moment, about what could happen going forward. But it seems to me one of the things that Democrats in this process are being accused of by Republicans are interfering with the process and just trying to stymie this and end this nomination to the Supreme Court. But taking a step backwards over the last several years, the combination of McConnell and Grassley stopping Obama’s appointment at the end of his term, and the way some of this stuff has actually been railroaded through, it’s almost as if there’s nothing anybody can do about it. It just gets pushed forward. And pushed in any way that the leadership of the Senate seems to want to push it. And there’s Democratic pushback, but there’s very little it seems people can do to to stop McConnell or Grassley, McConnell really at this moment behind the scenes is pushing really hard to get this thing done quickly, though more may happen when it gets to the floor.

So this, what I’ve talking about earlier was this is a, this is a very serious political battle going on. And it’s about what happened with Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh, but it’s even deeper than that.

LISA GRAVES: Well, you know, one of the things that people should remember if they haven’t heard is that Sen. McConnell, who’s the majority leader for the Senate, he’s a Republican elected from Kentucky, has said that his proudest moment in his entire tenure in the United States Senate was blocking Merrick Garland, Obama’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court in 2016, blocking him from ever even getting a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, let alone a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee, let alone a vote on the floor. He has called out that act of obstruction that left a vacancy on the Supreme Court for more than 400 days the high point of his entire Senate career.

And so, you know, this is an extremely, extremely partisan leader of the Senate; someone who then, when he has the chance now to install someone like Brett Kavanaugh, who is extremely controversial even apart from these very serious charges against him, and the evidence that has been made against him is extremely controversial, and even McConnell has been determined to rush him through as quickly as possible. Even promising outside special interest groups that he would deliver Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. One of those groups he spoke to her a week ago was is the Family Research Council Action. FRC Action is the group that was created, basically part of the evangelical movement, but it’s not just that. It’s a group that has received substantial funds through the Koch’s Freedom Partners operation to pass through LLCs that have names like ORRA LLC, An [Evange] for Change LLC, in order to basically distort the elections in this country.

So there are some substantial things going on behind the scenes where McConnell is more than happy to delay for any amount of time a Democratic nominee to the Supreme Court, but will not brook even minimal delay to get the truth- in fact wants to stop any real effort to get the truth- about Kavanaugh in the record. He wants to put him on the court before that truth and more truth can come out. Today it appears that he’s been stymied in that, because it doesn’t look like he has the votes to ram Kavanaugh through the Supreme Court without allowing an FBI investigation for at least a week to look into the charges against Brett Kavanaugh, that he would not necessarily have the votes to proceed. But we’ll see over the next couple days what happens.

But McConnell is a person who basically is using raw power, naked partisan power, to try to distort the U.S. Supreme Court, make it into a vehicle for his funders, his donors, his base, and in fact really twist the court for the next 20 or 30 years, were Kavanaugh confirmed, to [inaudible] what he wants.

MARC STEINER: I’m sorry.

LISA GRAVES: Yes, no problem. You know, I was on a roll there, but that’s okay. I appreciate the intervention.

MARC STEINER: So there are two things I want to kind of wrestle with here, before we, before we go. I want to first play this quick clip. And this is a clip of the end of today’s hearings as the vote was about to be taken. And you’ll hear what Senator Flake had to say, and we’re going to come back and talk a bit about what a weeklong FBI investigation could do, but then also examine what’s really at stake here with the Supreme Court that I was alluding to at the beginning of this, and what Lisa was just talking about, as well. But let’s check this out, first.

JEFF FLAKE: … for up to but not more than one week, in order to let the FBI continue to do an investigation limited in time and scope to the current allegations that are there, and limit in time to no more than one week. And I will vote to advance the bill to the floor with that understanding. And I’ve spoken to a few other members who are on my side of the aisle that may be supportive as well. But that’s my position.

MARC STEINER: So, Lisa, I mean, you know- I, over the course of my life I’ve, I’ve had interactions the FBI, given the work that sometimes I’ve done over the years. So I’m just curious, from your perspective, what can they accomplish in a week?

LISA GRAVES: Well, of course I’d prefer they had as much time as they needed and not an artificial limit. But in fact they can seek to interview Mark Judge, they can try to determine the location of the assault that Dr. Ford has described, they can validate her statements about knowing Mark Judge and where he worked, and things of that nature. And I think that they can also interview other students about- other students from that time, other alumni from that time about Brett Kavanaugh’s claims regarding his sort of choir boy behavior that summer, which he sort of put forward as, in essence, an alibi that he couldn’t, couldn’t do this; that, you know, his calendar, so to speak.

And so I think there’s there are things the FBI could do. I don’t know that it would be conclusive, but it would certainly be more thorough than what Sen. Grassley has allowed, which is basically extreme partisan action by his counsel and a refusal to even have witnesses be asked questions by federal law enforcement as part of a supplemental background investigation. To take Mark Judge’s letter at face without any examination, you know, it’s really an unacceptable way to proceed when the matters are so serious and when, when in essence we’re being faced with the choice, or in essence, the effort to install someone into the U.S. Supreme Court where there is credible evidence, eyewitness testimony has been given, that he sexually assaulted a young woman.

MARC STEINER: To me it’s kind of stunning that the way we can look at this same, the same event, and see it very differently. And you, when we saw the testimony of Dr. Ford, but then saw the testimony later of Judge Kavanaugh, and it just … It was clear that people are going to see what they want to see in this. And I think some of the deeper issues here, besides the misogyny that runs very deep in all of this is that you can speak to, is also what’s at stake here for the future of the court and the future of the country.

LISA GRAVES: Well, I think that’s right. I also think it’s important to understand motives. As I’ve said, Dr. Ford has everything to lose by coming forward and telling the truth. She’s lost her privacy. She might not even be able to return to her house and live peacefully. Who knows about her security in her teaching role. Brett Kavanaugh has everything to gain by lying, by obstructing, and by yelling about what has been charged against him. In fact, there’s an old saying by trial lawyers that if you don’t have the facts, argue the law; if you don’t have the law, argue the facts; and if the facts and law are against you, yell like hell and pound the table. And that’s what we saw yesterday. I don’t think that’s convincing. It’s certainly convincing, I suppose, to some people. But it’s not evidence.

MARC STEINER: It’s always really enlightening to talk to you, Lisa. I appreciate you taking the time with us once again, and look forward as this unfolds over the next whatever that’s going to be, week, two weeks, in the U.S. Senate and how that plays out to hear your analysis and reflections. Thank you so much for joining us.

LISA GRAVES: Thank you for having me on. It’s a pleasure to be on your show.

MARC STEINER: Always good to have you with us. And I’m Marc Steiner for The Real News Network. We’ll be focusing like a laser beam on this nomination process and what happens. We have more to come. Thank you all for joining us again, once again, at The Real News Network. I’m Marc Steiner. Take care.

Related Bios Lisa Graves

Lisa Graves is the Executive Director of the Center for Media and Democracy and publisher of ExposedByCMD.org and PRWatch.org. CMD is a national watchdog group that conducts in-depth investigations into corruption and the undue influence of corporations on media and democracy.

https://therealnews.com/stories/rancorous-senate-cmte-pushes-kavanaugh-nomination-fbi-will-investigate-accusations
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 30, 2018, 01:09:04 pm
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Vtdigger

🌩 Storms of autumn 🍁 🍂

By Walt Amses  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818221610-1607296.jpeg&hash=372bed297059a182447c4cb001615d5e8346adcc)

Sep 28 2018 

Editor’s note: Walt Amses is a writer and former educator who lives in North Calais.

As our floundering ship of state looks ever more likely to slip under relentless waves of growing resistance, the captain wonders why the crew seems intent on tossing a life preserver to everyone else. What about him? Based on past performance we can envision him pushing to the front of the line, ordering the sailors to stand down and focusing the entire rescue operation on getting himself out of harm’s way while blaming everyone else for navigating toward the iceberg.

It makes you wonder what it might be like to share a lifeboat with Donald J. Trump … of course that’s a joke. You’d have to live in a vacuum not to understand the president’s main priority in a natural disaster would not deviate from his main priority in a political disaster: himself. You’d be tossed overboard without a moment’s hesitation. Unless you’re a woman. In which case you’d probably jump overboard yourself, willing to risk a possible encounter with jaws rather than an inevitable rendezvous with paws. #MeToo movement, meet ME-ME-ME 2.0.

(https://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2017/09/Hurricane-Maria-Radar.jpg)

Utter disregard for others comes through loud and clear via tweets so shameless that even allies are thinking twice: The almost 3,000 victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico were not killed by the hurricane but rather were the product of a democratic plot to make him look bad, as if he needs any assistance in that department. The president’s reliance on conspiracy theories, however typical, remains shocking in its departure from reality, negatively tweaking his already tanking approval rating.

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We can easily imagine those numbers sinking even further given the likelihood that Trump’s assessment of climate change as a “hoax, invented by China” might be called into question, particularly in light of the unprecedented devastation Hurricane Florence continues to spread through the Carolinas.

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Undaunted by televangelist and snake oil salesman Pat Robertson’s  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) “shield of protection,” the storm dumped rains of biblical proportion, inundating entire towns and cutting off major cities such as Wilmington, North Carolina.

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On a visit there last week ostensibly to comfort victims, the president couldn’t help but seek personal comfort as well, enquiring about a lake northeast of Charlotte, which is coincidentally adjacent to one of his golf courses. Asking a local energy official, “How is Lake Norman doing?”, saying that he “loved that area” but suggesting ”I can’t tell you why, but I love that area.” As usual, Trump’s ham-fisted attempt at being adroitly subtle landed with a resounding thud, prompting groans from a public growing weary of his unparalleled self interest.

As the waters began to recede and late summer morphed into early fall, the severity of what unfolded in the Carolinas was only the latest in a series of hundred-year storms that climate scientists worry might mark the tipping point of global warming’s impact on the size and intensity of hurricanes and other weather phenomena such as heat waves and floods. A team of researchers from New York’s Stony Brook University have already determined that Florence was bigger and stronger – dropping 50 percent more rain – than it would have been had it occurred in a world without human-caused warming.

If that weren’t enough, Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, perceived as a slam dunk, playing to the Republican base and enhancing the GOP’s chances heading into November’s midterm elections, appears likely to accomplish the opposite. Allegations of sexual misconduct in prep school and again in college last week sent conservatives reeling with the Hobson’s choice of caving to Democratic demands for a delay or jamming the nomination through, risking electoral blowback, potentially squandering even their Senate majority.

How this all goes down remains to be seen but harbingers of a perilous road for Trump & Company seem to be everywhere. Carolinians find themselves still swamped with floodwaters reeking of hog feces, toxic chemicals and coal ash — all courtesy of the environmental deregulation so dear to the president; normal Americans wonder aloud if the GOP is seriously considering political suicide by going public with their war on women; and the very real possibility that Rod Rosenstein — who appointed Robert Mueller — might soon be headed for the exit, providing additional drama that the administration can ill afford.

While Vermont’s autumnal equinox came rumbling south on I-89 right on time, with blustery winds and falling temperatures abruptly ending one of the warmest summers anyone can remember, Washington’s political ruling class is beginning to feel the chill as well. The president, finally alone in his lifeboat, was uncharacteristically silent over the weekend, leading beltway pundits to speculate that perhaps White House staffers had him bound and gagged, strategically incommunicado somewhere in the West Wing until things blow over.

But conservatives 💵😈🎩 might do well to keep in mind that this will not blow over. Like the monumental storms we’ve seen over the past few years, it’s too damned big and unlikely to be the last one they see slowly churning their way. Summer may be gone but hurricane season is far from over.

https://vtdigger.org/2018/09/28/walt-amses-storms-autumn/

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 02, 2018, 12:25:17 pm
Sanders Calls for Kavanaugh Perjury Investigation – Where are the Democrats? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163123-16662165.gif&hash=0c278af5ea445d20e48640c4f39f951df986eed6) A Q&A with Paul Jay

October 1, 2018

Dharna Noor and Paul Jay discuss the announcement by Mitch McConnell that a Senate vote will be held before the end of this week and a letter from Sen. Bernie Sanders calling for an FBI investigation into Kavanaugh’s possible perjury

https://youtu.be/c2ya19uJzZ0

https://therealnews.com/stories/sanders-calls-for-kavanaugh-perjury-investigation-where-are-the-democrats-a-qa-with-paul-jay
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 03, 2018, 07:49:07 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)

John Oliver on SCOTUS Nominee Kavanaugh 🦍

October 3, 2018 6:00pm by Barry Ritholtz

John Oliver discusses the ongoing controversy surrounding Brett Kavanaugh, the sexual assault allegations against him, his Supreme Court nomination, and what that could all mean for the highest (mostly-dog) court in the land.

Brett Kavanaugh: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

https://youtu.be/opi8X9hQ7q8

https://ritholtz.com/2018/10/john-oliver-on-scotus-nominee-kavanaugh/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 03, 2018, 08:52:17 pm
Quote
A vital element of Donald Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) 2016 presidential campaign was the fiction-filled autobiography he foisted on us, the beating heart of which was, “Vote for me because I’m a self-made rich man.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c) For a variety of reasons best contemplated after a tall glass of neat whiskey and a nap  ;), it worked.

Erasing the presidency of Barack Obama while enshrining “Owning the Libs” as a national policy priority became the grease to lubricate the machine. Nearly two years later the mythology of the billionaire president remains highly motivational to Trump’s still-frantic supporters.

That mythology took a torpedo shot below the waterline on Tuesday courtesy of The New York Times, which unleashed a meticulous 14,000-word analysis of the origins of Trump’s fortune. David Cay Johnston (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac), winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting, wrote of the Times report, “As the paper’s former tax reporter, and the journalist who has covered Trump the longest, I’m in a solid position to judge the depth and quality of their work. It is masterful.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818180844.png&hash=d74cfbba22967e53f7eb6202dffdd50b3e520fe2)

Full Article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-060914180936.jpeg&hash=5e39d70fafe4e7190a6eebce34b740c58721de3f)

Be William Rivers Pitt Truthout

PUBLISHED October 3, 2018


https://truthout.org/articles/the-dubious-fiction-of-donald-trumps-fortune-has-been-exposed/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 03, 2018, 10:13:56 pm
(https://www.naturalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/91/2017/09/Hurricane-Maria-Radar.jpg)

Disaster Profiteers (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) vs. the People of Puerto Rico

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October 2, 2018

One year after Hurricane Maria, counting the dead is one of many challenges that Puerto Rico faces under massive debt, crippling austerity, and disaster profiteers. Aaron Maté speaks to writer and educator Rima Brusi and Carla Minet of the Center for Investigative Journalism in Puerto Rico

Download mp3 (https://therealnews.com/stories/disaster-profiteers-vs-the-people-of-puerto-rico)

Story Transcript

AARON MATE: It’s The Real News. I’m Aaron Mate.

One year after Hurricane Maria, there is virtually no dispute that thousands of people lost their lives in Puerto Rico. A Harvard study earlier this year says the storm likely killed more than 4600. And ahead of Maria’s first anniversary, the Puerto Rican government officially acknowledged a toll of at least 2975. But there is one notable exception in the White House. President Trump recently said Democrats had inflated the toll to make him look bad. And FEMA director Brock Long made the rounds on cable news to downplay the numbers.


BROCK LONG: And it’s frustrating. Those studies, the Harvard study was done differently than the George Washington study, or this study or that study. And the numbers are all over the place. So the George Washington study looked at what happened six months after the fact. And you know what happens is – and even in this event you might see more deaths indirectly occur as time goes on because people have heart attacks due to stress, they fall off their house trying to fix their roof, they die in car crashes because they went through an intersection where the stoplights weren’t working. You know the other thing that goes on – there’s all kinds of studies on this that we take a look at. Spousal abuse goes through the roof. You can’t blame spousal abuse after a disaster on anybody.

AARON MATE: The Trump administration’s death toll denial has at least garnered some media attention. But it’s one of many tragedies that Puerto Rico is facing one year after Hurricane Maria. Well, joining me are two guests; Rima Brusi is a writer, educator and advocate, she’s formerly a faculty member at the University of Puerto Rico. And Carla Minet is executive director of the Center for Investigative Journalism in Puerto Rico. Welcome to you both.

Carla, I’ll start with you. What do we know at this point about the death toll? Your group was on the story from the beginning, reporting that the early numbers were a huge undercount. Every study since then has corroborated your findings. What do we know today?

CARLA MINET: Well, we still know very little. What we have is the recent George Washington University report that says that around more than 3000 people died. But it’s another estimate. They haven’t done like an epidemiology kind of study. What we did is that we did a journalism investigation. We recently published the most complete database that has 487 cases of verified cases of people that died because of the hurricane, following the CDC guidelines. So that database is online, and there you have the most complete list and testimonies of the family members of the people that died because of the hurricane, though still no official new numbers have come out.

AARON MATE: And what do you think accounts for a sizable number of the deaths that came in the days and months after the hurricane, the people who didn’t die immediately in the storm?

CARLA MINET: Most of the deaths that we have been documenting our debt from people that died the next weeks and months following the hurricane. They died because of the lack of medical services, lack of medicines, lack of electricity to get their medical treatment, problems in hospitals, infections sepsis, lack of the possibility of having dialysis, and the kind of deaths that are considered related, but not directly, to the hurricane. But since the CDC still considers them related to a hurricane although they are indirectly related.

AARON MATE: And Rima Brusi, as you look at the media coverage of Hurricane Maria one year later, there was recently a round of commemorations, what’s your sense of how Puerto Rico is being covered today and what issues do you think are being most overlooked?

RIMA BRUSI: Well, there’s a lot of journalists and a lot of writers in general that are doing a really good job, a really nice job on that, are making a big effort to get at the roots of the crisis and to cover the issue in depth. Now that said, the mainstream press in general has a tendency to focus on the hurricane in itself as an isolated natural disaster and to portray Puerto Ricans as victims of a natural disaster and nothing else. Whereas there’s many processes that not only make a disaster much worse, like Carla was saying, in terms of debts and the impact in a general sense. Most of that predated the hurricane and had come from before, from 2015.

The stating by the local government of the debt unpayable, and by the reaction of the bondholders and by reaction the federal government and their decision to impose the Junta de Control Fiscal, this fiscal management board that is pretty much all-powerful, and that has an impact on the way things happen in every financial institution in Puerto Rico nowadays. So I guess what I’m saying is that journalists covering Puerto Rico sometimes do not go into the issue. So they don’t understand the economic roots and the ideological roads of many of the things that they’re covering, as if they were only a consequence of Hurricane Maria. No, there’s a lot of stuff going on from before. Stuff that places like the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, where Carla works, were covering before the hurricane.

AARON MATE: And for people who are unfamiliar with some of those structural issues, can you give us a brief survey and your assessment of where they are now? We’re talking about an island 72 billion dollars in bond debt. About 50 billion dollars when it comes to pension obligations. But what a lot of people don’t know is the strong connection that these huge obligations have to Wall Street.

RIMA BRUSI: Absolutely. Wall Street is not particularly concerned about the pension engagements part. But as soon as the governor in 2015 declared the debt unpayable, a group of … I think it was 34 hedge funds and vulture funds hurried, in a very rushed manner commissioned this report, and in about eight to ten pages sort of made a set of recommendations to the Puerto Rican government. Demands, really, more than recommendations because they reflect the demands later made in court by the same group of debtholders. And these demands included a number of austerity measures.

They want labor reform, they want education reform. And when they say education reform, they focus on two very specific things. They wanted to reduce the budget of the public university and they wanted to reduce, and I’m quoting almost verbatim, the number of teachers working in the K-12 system. So very early in the game, two years before the hurricane, already there was an agenda of closing schools, of attacking labor, of reducing union power or eliminating unions or undermining unions. All those things predated the hurricane.

So now the we are further debilitated by the hurricane, those measures are even more dangerous and undermine Puerto Rico’s ability to recover and to recover economically, and also frankly emotionally, from the hurricane. Now the overall frame for this, of course, is a frame that combines disaster capitalism, which I think a lot of your viewers are familiar with that the kind of framework, and the approach after disasters to sort of make a profit out of it by different actors. And then in the case of Puerto Rico, there’s also colonialism. We are powerless to take our own measures, in political terms, against disaster profiteering because the local government has pretty much no power. The federal government’s power trumps any decision the Puerto Rican government can make.

AARON MATE: Carla, let me ask you about the issue of disaster profiteering, because there was a recent study put out by the Center for a New Economy, which your group has covered, that found that ninety percent of federal contracts for post-Maria recovery have been issued to companies that are outside of Puerto Rico.

CARLA MINET: Yeah, definitely. Everybody has been wondering where this recovery money is going. And we now have just learned that almost 90 percent of this money is going to companies in the U.S. And I think it begs the question; with so much unemployment in Puerto Rico and so much need, so many people eager to work, people that even went to the U.S. and would be willing to come back to the island if they had a decent job, why is this recovery process not being distributed among Puerto Rican companies and Puerto Rican people? So it’s definitely part of this system, this federal system of contracting companies that are on their list. I don’t know if this has a political side. I can suppose it does. But definitely, it’s not being something that is for the benefit of the Puerto Rican economy that’s been for like 12 years now in depression.

AARON MATE: Rima Brusi, as we wrap, you mentioned a bit about some of the attacks on education. And let me ask you about that in the context of your former school, University of Puerto Rico. Can you talk about what has been happening there, and also the impact that cuts to education have on activism? Because it’s my understanding that campuses like the University of Puerto Rico have been sort of the center for so much resistance inside Puerto Rico, so much activism over many, many years.

RIMA BRUSI: So, yes. The university, since 1948 at least, has been very active in terms of leading the resistance, spearheading the resistance against not only disaster profiteering but before that, neoliberal measures, austerity measures and also colonialism and political colonialism in the sense of the federal power over Puerto Rican affairs. So I was not surprised when they became the first target by the Junta de Control Fiscal, the fiscal management board imposed by the federal government through the PROMESA law. As soon as they were officially established, their very first target was the public university. And they basically slashed the public university’s budget by a third. So at that point in time, the university’s budget was determined by a formula in terms of a portion, a percentage, of the Puerto Rico’s budget in general.

So when Puerto Rico was in financial trouble, the budget of the university went down in the same way every other budget for every other agency went down. And this was designed like that in order to protect the university from partisan bickering and from partisan actions. Now that the Junta has decided to cut the university’s budget by a third, the university is more vulnerable to partisanship and to partisan attacks from within, locally. But also outside of that, the federal government has been really unhelpful. Like from all the relief funds that the federal government assigned to relief efforts associated with Hurricane Maria, the University of Puerto Rico, which has 11 campuses and takes care of the majority of students on the island, received only 20 percent.

Now surprisingly, institutions like NYU, New York University, which has a lot of money, and Grand Canyon University, which was until very recently a for-profit and in many ways still is, got a lot of money from Hurricane Maria’s relief funds, even though they were not affected in any way by the hurricane. So this combination of local partisanship and colonialism and the intervention by the federal government, and the way the federal government has decided to distribute their funds, has affected the university to a great degree, to the point where we, and I say we because I consider myself still part of it, are frankly desperate.

Because the university generates 70 percent of all academic knowledge in the island. It generates 90 percent of all peer reviewed and basic research work. It is a bastion for the resistance in Puerto Rico. It is also one of the main motors, and I want to say the main but at least one of the main motors, in terms of upward mobility and economic opportunity for our people. And it’s being handicapped in such a way that we are afraid. And Joseph Stiglitz agrees with us on this and local economists like Jose Carballo-Cueto also do. The handicapping of the University of Puerto Rico is going to have a terrible effect, a terrible impact in terms of Puerto Rico’s recovery.

AARON MATE: As we wrap up, Carla, last question to you. You are the executive director of a Center for Investigative Journalism in Puerto Rico. What are the key stories and issues that you have your eye on that you think are going to be shaping the direction that Puerto Rico goes in?

CARLA MINET: So the stories about the bankruptcy process and how it evolves now that we have a new scenario, I think it’s a very important story. Also, how is the federal government going to keep going at this recovery process in this scenario where we have very complex issues to tackle? Not only the economic situation and the devastation created by the hurricane, but the fact that the most impacted issue since the hurricane is the electric grid in Puerto Rico, which is probably the biggest problem in terms of how much it takes to have a new and resilient, as they want to call it, electric grid that is strong enough for the island looking into the future and knowing that we will get many other tropical storms, hurricanes, et cetera, because of climate change and the way we’ve been behaving with nature.

So I think it’s important to understand that all these stories, as Rima said, are very related to the political system in Puerto Rico, the political nature of us being a colony of the U.S., and how that would manifest into every decision that the federal government makes. I think it’s the best way to understand how the decisions are being taken. With the new elections coming up in the U.S. in the next months, I think it is a question of how will that be relevant to Puerto Rico’s case. I think many people are trying to figure that out, if it means something for us. And also, I think that in the end, the most important question is how can Puerto Ricans be the ones deciding their own future, their own recovery process, and not the federal government, not the bondholders, not the U.S. companies coming into Puerto Rico to profit from this disaster.

AARON MATE: We’ll leave it there. I want to thank both my guests. Rima Brusi is a writer, educator and advocate, formerly a faculty member at the University of Puerto Rico. And Carla Minet is Executive Director at the Center for Investigative Journalism in Puerto Rico. Thanks to you both.

CARLA MINET: Thank you.

RIMA BRUSI: Thank you.

AARON MATE: And thank you for joining us on The Real News.

https://therealnews.com/stories/disaster-profiteers-vs-the-people-of-puerto-rico
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 04, 2018, 05:05:50 pm
(https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*8ka_lCMwcI-0Yl0_js1Tbw.jpeg)

Quote
Nicholas Grossman  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

Senior Editor at Arc Digital. Poli Sci prof (IR) at U. Illinois. Author of “Drones and Terrorism.” Politics, national security, and occasional nerdery.

SepTEMBER  29, 2018

Brett Kavanaugh Is A Liar (And 44 Other Things I Believe)

Some honest thoughts about this fascinating, harrowing national drama

1. I believe Brett Kavanaugh is a liar.

2. I believe this primarily due to the hearings where he defended himself from accusations of sexual assault.

3. I believe he experienced nights of drinking where he couldn’t remember some stuff that happened. I believe his freshman year roommate — who described Kavanaugh as “frequently, incoherently drunk” — as well as others who said he drank a lot and often became belligerent.

4. I believe this, in part, because I knew guys like Brett in college. A lot of people knew guys like Brett in college.

5.. I don’t believe drinking to excess in high school or college matters. I strongly believe everyone’s responsible for their actions, intoxicated or otherwise, but the drinking itself doesn’t matter.

6.. I don’t believe it matters to the American people either. George W. Bush drank to excess, almost certainly drugs too, grew out of it. Barack Obama admitted to marijuana and c o c a i n e, grew out of it. Voters didn’t care.

7.But I believe lying about it matters.

8. I don’t believe “Renate Alumnius” is an innocent reference to friendship (though I believe Kavanaugh could have written it in his yearbook without ever hooking up with her). I don’t believe Kavanaugh called himself “Beach Week Ralph Club — Biggest Contributor” because he ate too much spicy food. I don’t believe “boofing” refers to flatulence or “Devil’s Triangle” refers to a drinking game. I believe Kavanaugh knows this.

9. I can’t believe youthful drinking and high school yearbooks are being discussed as an issue of national importance.

10. But I believe lying about unimportant things is important. Kavanaugh might be lying because he thinks the truth makes accusations against him more believable. He might be lying because he’s embarrassed. Neither makes it better.

11. I know that lying about innocuous things is a big red flag when applying for a security clearance. If you’d lie just because you’re embarrassed about youthful indiscretion, how can we trust you not to lie if you make a mistake, or something goes wrong?

12. I believe Brett Kavanaugh made a conscious decision to lie to America to get on the Supreme Court. I do not believe we can objectively determine if he’s lying about more serious things — especially pertaining to Christine Blasey Ford — but his willingness to lie about unimportant things raises suspicion.

13. I believe Christine Blasey Ford, and I did not say that before the hearing. I found her testimony credible and upsetting. I especially believed her when she opened with “I’m terrified.” Who wouldn’t be?

14. I was also moved by Kavanaugh’s testimony. I believed him when he choked up talking about how hard this has been on his family. I considered the possibility he’s completely innocent, and it’s horrifying.

15. I don’t believe anyone knows how they’d react if they faced false accusations in a setting like this. I believe Kavanaugh’s anger and emotion is one plausible reaction.

16, I also believe Kavanaugh’s anger and emotion is consistent with someone who believes he is being unfairly denied something that is rightfully his.

17. I believe he worked incredibly hard to get here. I believe he straightened up sometime after college, and lived the moral life his defenders describe. Some of the guys like Brett I knew in college did too.

18. I believe 25+ years of responsible adulthood easily outweighs drinking too much and acting like a jerk as a young man.

19. But I believe acting like a jerk is on one side of an important line, and sexual assault’s on the other.

20. I believe that saying you believe both Kavanaugh and Ford is a cop-out. In particular, believing she was assaulted as described, but by someone other than Kavanaugh, is a dodge — a way to keep supporting his nomination without having to say she’s lying or crazy.

21. I know memory can be unreliable. But Dr. Ford — an accomplished research psychologist — knows that as well as anyone. She still says “100% certain.”

22. I know I don’t remember specific dates of any social gatherings in high school, nor how I got to all of them. I believe people making a big deal out of Blasey Ford not remembering these details don’t remember dates of their high school gatherings either.

23. I believe it’s possible Blasey Ford is telling the truth and Kavanaugh doesn’t remember. I believe this because he drank a lot, because many high school upperclassmen barely notice younger teenagers around them, and because the incident sounds much more memorable for the victim than the perpetrator.

24. I believe it’s much more likely someone on the cusp of incredible power — someone who believes they deserve it — would lie. Especially compared to someone relatively anonymous who knew she’d be dragged through the mud for coming forward.

25. I believe lying in Blasey Ford’s position would be harder than lying in Kavanaugh’s.

26. I know some r a p e accusations are fabrications. But the research indicates fake accusations are usually over-the-top, often come from people with a history of lying, and don’t include admissions of imperfect memory. I don’t believe Blasey Ford’s accusation raises any of those red flags.

27. I believe Julie Swetnick’s accusation, conveyed through attorney/media personality Michael Avenatti — that Kavanaugh and Judge orchestrated gang r a p e parties — does.

28. I believe Democrats have played politics throughout, manipulating the timing to delay passed the midterms. I believe some of them see Blasey Ford more as a tool than a person.

29. But I don’t see how any of that reduces her credibility.

I30.  believe Republicans arguing that they have to take a stand or Democrats will drum up similar accusations against any future nominee need to ask themselves why Scalia, Kennedy, Roberts, Alito, and Gorsuch did not face accusations of sexual assault. I believe they should consider the possibility the relevant factor with Thomas and Kavanaugh was particular to Thomas and Kavanaugh, not the party of the president who nominated them.

31. I believe there’s a fundamental flaw in Republicans’ “gotta take a stand” logic: forgetting about the American people. Democrats will attack any Republican Supreme Court nominee, but attacks against squeaky-clean nominees like John Roberts won’t resonate outside of h a r d c o r e partisans. Polls show approval for Kavanaugh dropped over 10% since his nomination. That doesn’t happen to everyone Democrats attack.

32. I believe public opinion on this matters. Not because we should govern by public opinion poll — we definitely shouldn’t — but because Supreme Court legitimacy matters.

33. I know John Roberts thinks legitimacy matters, and I don’t believe he would ever make a blatantly partisan public statement like Kavanaugh did before the Senate, not even if he were falsely accused of sexual assault.

34. I believe the American Bar Association correctly emphasizes legitimacy in it’s Model Code of Judicial Conduct. The first canon reads: “A judge shall uphold and promote the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

35. By this standard, I believe Kavanaugh vowing revenge against Democrats — “what goes around comes around” —disqualifies him from the Supreme Court on its own. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

36. I believe many Americans view this episode through a partisan filter. Bias and motivated reasoning are rampant, and I believe everyone should be honest about that and try to work towards objectivity.

37. I do not believe there is sufficient evidence to convict Brett Kavanaugh of attempted r a p e in a court of law. There’s no physical evidence and no corroborating witnesses. The victim’s testimony, however compelling, isn’t enough.

38. I do not believe the accusations have been refuted either. Blasey Ford says he did it, Kavanaugh says he didn’t, and everyone else says they don’t remember.

39. I believe “I don’t remember” means “I don’t remember,” notI definitely remember and it didn’t happen. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16) 😉”

40. I believe if we want to know what happened we need to hear from Mark Judge, the only witness to the alleged attack.

41.  do not believe we will know what happened beyond a reasonable doubt. But we have to make a decision despite the uncertainty.

42. I do not believe the criminal law standard of beyond a reasonable doubt is the correct one to use here. As I explained in a previous article, we’re choosing whether to elevate Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, not whether to throw him in jail.

43. I believe Supreme Court Justices should be held to the highest standard of integrity, and that there are too many clouds over Kavanaugh to confirm.

44. I believe confirming him would do long-term harm to the country by damaging Supreme Court legitimacy, and that there are many qualified conservative jurists who wouldn’t.

45. I believe this episode will damage the country however it turns out. Millions of Americans believe Kavanaugh is a sex offender. And millions of Americans believe Kavanaugh is an innocent man smeared by political opportunists. Unfortunately, I do not believe there is anything that could change either of those beliefs.

https://arcdigital.media/brett-kavanaugh-is-a-liar-and-44-other-things-i-believe-17db67de2532
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 05, 2018, 12:41:23 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100718164155-14511755.jpeg&hash=1c62dd0525852ffbbcbc7f2459189db15d6435c6)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2Fthumb_3-271114005231.jpeg&hash=2962d87464833e5ab2b6fde9d6478e8fe9881d5f)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185039-1650578.gif&hash=f338daee4cd9cad66dc5bc5437615c9725fbc67d) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163126-16781285.gif&hash=a68bd32b1682197c213909d100b5b12389cce9f3)

Vote for Climate Justice (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.haleakalasolar.com%2Fimages%2Findex-infobox2.jpg&hash=c49806321315171df0f26c7f0f47adb61cf632eb) in 2018 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)

One of the most important ways we can protect the climate, our democracy, and the Supreme Court for the long term is by electing the progressive climate leaders we need on November 6.

Watch Sunrise Movement‘s Varshini Prakash talk about what’s at stake — and pledge to vote. On November 6, we can to take action to protect our democracy and win the just future we need. There’s too much at stake to sit this one out.

https://youtu.be/5c1ROy3KvHM

https://350action.org/vote-2018-video

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120118181944.png&hash=bd1f420590db5a3213f18c2338839318746c937a)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-251117174622.jpeg&hash=c88507a51ced12d3dd0f41b367418348a76e9891)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 05, 2018, 03:00:17 pm
Weak Underfunded IRS Behind Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Wealth and History of Avoiding Taxes

October 4, 2018

Investigative tax attorney James Henry talks about the New York Times’ investigation into the origins of Trump’s wealth, how it is related to tax evasion, and how the US tax system has systematically and increasingly favored the rich

https://youtu.be/5k1HoLVrUzc

https://therealnews.com/stories/weak-underfunded-irs-behind-trumps-wealth-and-history-of-avoiding-taxes

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200217115745.png&hash=f0b7fe8a50e3073453e38dfb61aa33d70ad1791f)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 11, 2018, 11:41:20 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-010718172302.jpeg&hash=fa688c0438385737f55068e7922177b741f16043)

Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Probably Engaged in Felony Tax Evasion

October 10, 2018

White collar criminologist Bill Black analyzes the New York Times investigation into Trump’s tax evasion and argues that if true, these would be considered felonies. However, he will probably never be held to account for this, before he leaves office

https://youtu.be/xYAoTk9NYIY

https://therealnews.com/stories/trump-probably-engaged-in-felony-tax-evasion
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 12, 2018, 07:35:58 pm
By Eli Watkins, Tami Luhby and Katie Lobosco, CNN

Updated 3:06 PM ET, Wed October 10, 2018


SNIPPET:

Championed for years by the left flank of the party, Medicare for all gained support following Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders' bid for the presidency. Many potential candidates for the party's 2020 nomination joined Sanders last year in filing a bill to establish the program, and former President Barack Obama referred to Medicare for all approvingly in a speech last month.

Trump, in his op-ed less than a month from the November elections, claimed the plan would devastate the health care industry, undercut Medicare in its current form and "inevitably lead to the massive rationing of health care."

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmemecrunch.com%2Fmeme%2F5L3XX%2Fspiderman-bullshit-detector%2Fimage.jpg%3Fw%3D544%26amp%3Bc%3D1&hash=4825835b92337d62f61a3d37d282105e97ac3ee3)

Full Article:

Trump 🦀 publishes ridiculous and completely false op-ed bashing Democrats on Medicare for All (https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/10/politics/donald-trump-medicare-for-all-midterms/index.html)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 12, 2018, 11:54:04 pm
Trump is a LIAR! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-16881856.gif&hash=ef5bd30cec7a50a81f3507f9bd328189dead7aa2) 


https://youtu.be/yUz350VnYKA
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 18, 2018, 01:09:21 pm
OCT 16, 2018TD ORIGINALS

America Is Authoritarian by Design

SNIPPET:

A second case in point is the passion play that unfolded last spring over creeping fascist Donald Trump’s vicious policy of separating migrant children from their parents as they cross the southern border. Cable news viewers saw highly emotional and personalized reporting on the trauma inflicted on Latinx families. Trump and the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency were portrayed in a most unfavorable light, eliciting liberal and progressive outrage along with activist action that led to the reunification of many of the families torn apart by the Trump administration’s cruelty.

Beyond these dramatic stories, media consumers heard the usual timeworn calls for “comprehensive immigration reform” and clear “paths to citizenship.” Notice, however, what escaped critical examination. As during its breathless coverage of the “unaccompanied minor” migration crisis in 2014, the corporate media this year has had little to say about the following ways in which the United States has helped make Mexico and Central America unlivable for many of its people:

Flooding these nations with cheap, subsidized U.S. agricultural exports, devastating campesino communities in the name of “free trade.”

Using so-called free trade agreements to force the privatization of government enterprises, the deregulation of corporations, the slashing of social budgets and the displacement of communities by foreign mining projects.

Intensifying drug gang violence and power by advancing the militarized “War on Drugs.”

Accelerating climate change, which has ravaged Central American coffee and corn production.

Funding and equipping authoritarian and violent, mass-murderous “Third World fascist” regimes (including a right-wing junta the Obama administration helped install in Honduras toward the beginning of 2009) and forces allied with U.S. and business interests in Central America.

Thanks to the media’s failure to provide any of this essential historical-hemispheric context, the great majority of Americans are unaware that the United States has a moral obligation to take in and otherwise assist Central American immigrants and refugees seeking to escape situations made hopeless by U.S. intervention and policy.


Full article:

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/authoritarianism-is-rotting-america-from-the-inside-out/

Agelbert COMMENT:

"Presiding over this failed state, of course, is Donald Trump 🦀 —the perfect avatar for a corporate, financial and military oligarchy 🐉🦕🦖 😈 👹 💵 🎩 🍌🏴‍🦍 ☠️🚩 systematically pillaging the state. "

True. 😟

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201645-1486464.jpeg&hash=bfa44b2ee2b1d6d1ea71a024b1bd6e9cf1328326)


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300714025456.bmp&hash=f4e4a260bd60d3f34ca86fed93c47d5fb4117cfd)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 18, 2018, 01:19:49 pm
October 18, 2018

Donald Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) just ATTACKED Bernie Sanders for fighting (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) to pass Medicare For All.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301014183629.gif&hash=15481fa08b581c624351cc14f949b1557f851476)

But Bernie Sanders is NOT backing down:
(https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Kc8dflbvlwF9JZrG1KK7Jh2tqb7Rm6aWEsTZZgJGGoEuMIPALK-tTZuOpVewB1RvfwDZ0nOlCEzS58HwpQYIeTjdYJUiLhMGbAkrJ2WnLkfmzsFlCl83wu7UekfMmgKa4mnDqOGVmbOyYmY1hS0SJNlFpa7YJ4pSB7Y=s0-d-e1-ft#https://go.passmedicareforall.org/page/-/MFA_Callouts-Trump-LIES-About-Medicare-for-All_20181012.png)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216142007.png&hash=84ef2c6fc002fc0b4bc9940ee16d0728d50cc9b5)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 18, 2018, 04:51:30 pm
(https://truthout.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2018_1018pitt3-1200x627.jpg)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) +  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) =  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100718163533-1440632.png&hash=2038f9ca0d583ad19bb21596148955c3b0e7d739)

The Terrible Trump Portrait That Explains Everything

October 18, 2018

William Rivers Pitt, Truthout: The legacies of Nixon (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd), Reagan 🐉 and W. Bush 🦕 combine to tell a long, sorry tale of corruption, greed, brazen lies, abused power and religious fundamentalism gone (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) wild that put us where we are today. Remove any one of those men from the strange painting that lit up the internet on Monday, and Donald Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F780_9adc777a0e08428257b76ece69d18ee52006bb5e39d60d966bb2440d29d17641.jpeg&hash=4d8f2f9ea7b952c63ad0441a4619e9b370ddcb0a) would be just another late-night punchline you slept through, again.

Read the Article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

https://truthout.org/articles/the-terrible-trump-portrait-that-explains-everything/

(https://renner.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/eTL-Header_Sep-18.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 20, 2018, 12:13:34 pm
The Poor People’s Campaign Calls Out ‘Policy Violence’

The campaign wants to advance a new understanding of poverty as a traumatic experience inflicted by (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) policy-makers.

By Greg Kaufmann OCTOBER 16, 2018

SNIPPET:

Quote
In 2014, 671,000 children ages 4 and under were homeless. It led to 18,600 additional hospitalizations.

As with housing, the data around food insecurity and policy solutions are clear. Children who receive SNAP (food-stamp) benefits—which are $1.40 per meal for the average recipient—are less likely to be at risk of being underweight or having developmental delays than children who are eligible but not receiving food stamps. These children also have fewer hospitalizations and emergency-room visits, and less need for special education in school. Families receiving SNAP are also 28 percent more likely to be able to pay for medical expenses without having to give up necessities like food, rent, or utilities. According to one long-term study, SNAP “is linked with a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension in adults.”

“If a child is already developmentally delayed as a young child, they are between 8 to 12 times more likely to be unable to work as an adult,” said Chilton. “Food insecurity is a form of toxic stress, which is linked to having a smaller brain size, and it affects the organs in the body—the liver and lungs don’t function well.”

Chilton says that it’s not just Republicans with their proposals to add additional work requirements to SNAP that demonstrate a hostility towards children and low-income families. “Before the Trump administration—when Democrats had all of this information about the importance of SNAP benefits for child health and well-being—many of them voted to take money out of the SNAP program in order to fund school breakfast and school lunch. They knew that if they cut SNAP, children would be damaged. How is that not state-sanctioned violence against children?”  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818204150.gif&hash=b0c952ab5fbcc13d8028f98c38a87513f789ab75) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300115234833.gif&hash=20e82f36f361174e6f8f07e11c36330842502bab)

Full article:

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https://www.thenation.com/article/the-poor-peoples-campaign-calls-out-policy-violence/

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Quote
Revelation 3:17 KJV

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

(https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Opposecapitalism5.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 20, 2018, 01:51:59 pm
 (https://wiki-gateway.eudic.net/wikipedia_en/I/m/Center_for_Biological_Diversity_logo.jpg)

Oct. 19, 2018 01:03PM EST
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-F66PxaSGNyM%2FUsVwtcJMdRI%2FAAAAAAAA9uE%2F2t2MW9yYTrw%2Fs1600%2F11shark-lawyers.gif&hash=b50153c99ab6d382229dee759facb670ee9ead09)

Leaked Trump 🦀 Administration (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) Memo: Keep Public in Dark About How Endangered Species Decisions Are Made(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-16181943.gif&hash=0b93e71ee5e24bbe02555e0d648a1283e0e9651d) 🤬

In a Trump administration memorandum leaked to the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is directing its staff to withhold, or delay releasing, certain public records about how the Endangered Species Act is carried out. That includes records where the advice of career wildlife scientists may be overridden by political appointees in the Trump administration.

"This is a clear attempt to stifle science and boost Trump's anti-wildlife agenda," said Meg Townsend, the Center for Biological Diversity's open government attorney. "The public has every right to know how our government makes decisions about the fate of our most endangered species. This memo keeps the public in the dark and creates the perfect environment for political meddling."

The memo recommends that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service limit the information released to the public for decisions regarding species protected under the Endangered Species Act. It provides a list of types of records for agency staff to withhold, including drafts of policies and rules, briefing documents and decision meeting notes and summaries.

The agency has already implemented aspects of this guidance in actions like the Keystone XL pipeline construction lawsuit, and in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision last year to prematurely remove endangered species protection from Yellowstone grizzly bears, as the memo confirms.

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"Directing the agency to hide science violates every notion of the scientific process, which is supposed to be open and reviewable," said Townsend. "If the Service covers up dissenting views, it can get away with all kinds of bad decisions that could do enormous damage to some of America's most imperiled plants and animals." 😱

As this memo recommends that agency staff take a less transparent approach, Trump's anti-wildlife agenda is being pushed at all levels of government. Removing the public's ability to know what its government is doing—which is contrary to the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act—means that it will be more difficult to legally challenge agency actions that harm imperiled wildlife.

"This Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) memo would send all future Fish and Wildlife Service decisions into a black hole and result in more animals going extinct,😨" Townsend said. "If the Trump administration would simply let the Fish and Wildlife Service follow the law and support decisions with science, it wouldn't need the memo or have anything to hide."

https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-endangered-species-decisions-2613623876.html

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 20, 2018, 02:23:34 pm
October 20, 2018

GET ONE FRIEND TO SIGN THE PETITION FOR NTI’S ONE YEAR

October 20 marks the one-year anniversary of the Need to Impeach petition, now a national movement of over 6 million people.

https://youtu.be/WEMv-tAIJUQ


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In honor of the NTI’s first birthday, (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300614160245.gif&hash=26cf0af4ea082bdb608bb7b2656d54ec7199969b)share this petition page (https://www.needtoimpeach.com/anniversary-video-petition/) with one friend as we gear up to flip the House and start the process of impeaching the President.




Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 23, 2018, 06:31:36 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)

How Dismantling an Obscure Tax Created an American Aristocracy 💵 🎩 🍌 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) 🏴‍ ☠️  🚩

October 22, 2018

Republicans’ decades-long efforts to gut the estate tax is creating a permanent ultra-rich class, and undermining the government’s ability to pay for popular programs like Social Security and Medicare

https://youtu.be/m0Qjj1hECaU

Story Transcript

TAYA GRAHAM: The 2017 Republican tax bill was a watershed moment for this country, a nation already struggling with massive and near historic income inequality was forced to confront a new law that only made things worse. The bill not only offered the biggest break to the country’s wealthiest, but it codified those gains for years to come. The damage can and will be far reaching. The debt incurred from the bill will soon make interest payments higher than what the U.S. government spends on health care, and many say the ballooning deficits may be used as a pretext for cutting popular programs like Medicare and Social Security.

To understand the far reaching implications of this policy, The Real News will be doing a series with tax experts and advocates for change, searching for a real assessment of the consequences and the most effective solutions. Today I’m joined by Matt Gardner, a senior fellow at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan think tank where he has worked since 1998. Matt, thank you so much for joining us.

MATT GARDNER: Thanks for having me.

TAYA GRAHAM: So, Matt, just to give people a sort of primer on the Republican tax bill, what from your perspective are some of the worst changes with regard to benefiting the wealthiest Americans?

MATT GARDNER: Well, first and foremost, it’s a big tax cut and one that offers very little to low and middle income families. And it is, in fact, targeted to the best off, as you mentioned. Probably the number one reason for that is the substantial cuts in the corporate income tax that were enacted as part of this bill, cutting the 35 percent corporate tax rate almost in half. Another big giveaway to that top end is the estate tax, where rather than reforming the taxes, really people have been arguing for a while, what this bill did instead was to double the exemptions. So, we’re now at a point where one out of every 1000 estates is going to be subject to estate tax going forward.

The third element is that we cut the top marginal income tax rates and introduced a new tax break for passthrough income, what the Trump administration referred to as small business income but really isn’t. This is business income that’s reported on personal income tax forms. It is one of these single forms of income that is most highly concentrated in the hands of the top one percent. So, cutting taxes on these businesses is a big giveaway to the best off. So, between those four things, you have a tax cut that is one of the largest in last quarter century and also one of the most unfair.

TAYA GRAHAM: That’s just incredible statistics. I was wondering, what are some of the long term fiscal consequences of the new tax law in terms of creating deficits and the ability of the government to fund programs like Social Security or Medicare?

MATT GARDNER: It depends a lot on what, if anything, Congress does in the next decade. But certainly, the best way of describing it is that we are in a pretty deep hole to begin with, before the tax cuts were passed, and we have now dug that hole a lot deeper. As you’ve seen, the headlines in the last couple of weeks were looking at a trillion dollar budget deficit for this year. That in itself is not new, we haven’t balanced our general budget since I think 1999, during the last year of the Clinton administration. But we have been getting steadily more and more irresponsible.

What that means going down the road is that later congresses are going to have to make the hard decisions that this Congress and this president have chosen not to, which taxes are going to hike to help eliminate the budget deficit? Or, more critically, which spending areas are they going to eliminate or cut back? Right now, congressional leadership and the Trump administration have taken the approach that they don’t need to make these hard choices because tax cuts will spur economic growth, and the deficits that we’re seeing right now will somehow disappear down the road. But there’s no evidence that that’s working. There’s no historical evidence that it ever has.

And so, there’s going to be a reckoning. It could be as soon as 2025 when many of these tax cuts are scheduled to go away and probably won’t. But if it doesn’t happen then, at some point in the next two decades we’re going to reach a crisis level when we simply can’t afford to pay for even the most vital services that our government currently tries to provide. And at that point, it’s going to be either permanent spending cuts of a sort that no American would support, or tax cuts, probably on low and middle income Americans. Again, something that most of us would not support. This is the inevitable choice we face from kicking the can down the road, as Congress has in the past year.

TAYA GRAHAM: Well, why do you think the Republican Party is essentially controlling the government right now? It’s supposed to be the party of fiscal conservatism. Why are they kicking these hard decisions down the road? Can you speculate on that?

MATT GARDNER: I can think of a couple of reasons. One is that it’s the easy thing to do, and certainly the Republican leadership, but also humanity more generally, tends to look for the easy solution. These are hard problems to deal with and they require political will. Second is that there has been a pervasive supply-side ideology taking hold over the last 30 years, where some very prominent elected officials have gotten elected and have tried to govern on this principle that tax cuts will pay for themselves. And if you say something over and over again to yourself, you can really convince yourself. I think there may be quite a few members of Congress who really do believe, despite the utter lack of evidence, that if they just keep cutting taxes, will generate enough economic growth that we’ll all be all right in the end.

That’s sort of the cheerful view. The more cynical view, I think, would be that Republican leaders in Congress know that their recent history is Republican leaders cut taxes and Democratic leaders, when they take power, clean up the mess and make the more unpopular decisions that are required to make things balanced. And frankly, that’s the real concern going forward. If, as is likely, Democrats take over Congress in a month or so, the House anyway, they’re going to be faced with a difficult question: do they let things sit where they are with spiraling deficits for the next 10 years, or do they try to clean it up? If they try to clean it up, they’re the ones who are hiking taxes, who are cutting spending.

So, it could be a very cynical and clear-eyed political strategy designed to enforce this view that Republicans are the party of cutting taxes and Democrats are the party of hiking spending. It’s a profoundly unfair outcome if it works out that way, but it’s one that is allowed in our budgetary system because it’s entirely legal for Congress to enact a budget that is not balanced, that is profoundly out of balance. An in fact, we’ve done it consecutively for almost two decades right now. So, there are a lot of reasons why they could be doing it. Some of them are sincere some of them profoundly cynical. I think it’s probably a mix of the two.

TAYA GRAHAM: Well, some people have suggested that the tax bill was actually a precursor to defund programs like Medicare and Social Security, that it was quite purposeful. What do you think?

MATT GARDNER: That’s another view that I think could certainly be true. One thing we know is that Americans like the notion of tax cuts taken on their own. Another thing we know every bit as well from polling data is that when it becomes clear that tax cuts have consequences, that tax cuts must be accompanied by spending cuts, the popularity of these tax cuts withers, it goes away. So, the trick, I think, that congressional leaders have tried to do is they can’t get people to swallow this combination of tax cuts and spending cuts that are the recipe for the smaller government Republican leaders want to see. So, they pretend there’s a free lunch, that they can cut the taxes and they don’t have to worry about the other side of the equation.

And then, I think the thinking is, five years, ten years down the road when the tax system faces a crisis of sustainability, they can point to spending and say that’s the problem, it’s not the tax system it’s the spending side, we’re spending too much. And then, the hope is I suppose, Congress will be forced to make these spending cut decisions that Americans don’t want, that through a crisis of sustainability will have to enact profound reductions in the size of government that no American would support on their face.

TAYA GRAHAM: Now, this bill that we’re discussing I think also cut the estate tax, is that correct?

MATT GARDNER: That’s right.

TAYA GRAHAM: I just want to ask; how has the estate tax been altered over the past decade and what does that mean for our budget going forward?

MATT GARDNER: I think there are three important ways in which the estate tax has changed. One is that the exemption has gone sharply up. There’s always been a baseline amount of wealth that can be passed on from one generation to the next without incurring even a dime of tax. That was around a million and a half at the end of the Clinton administration and it’s been sharply ratcheting upwards ever since then. Before the Trump tax cuts were passed, it was the case that you could have and estate as a single person of five million dollars. If you’re a married couple, almost eleven million dollars, and not pay a dime of tax. The Trump tax plan doubled these numbers. So, now a married couple can have an estate worth twenty-two million dollars and not owe any estate tax at all, simply pass that on tax free to their heirs.

So, that’s a really big impact. It gets us to a place, taken on its own, where roughly one in one thousand estates, zero point one percent of all estates, are not going to generate any tax going forward. Second thing is that the rates have gone down. And a third thing, I think this is probably the most significant, is that there has been a gradual erosion of the IRS’s ability, from a spending, from an administrative perspective, to enforce the laws. And that’s why you get headlines such as the one we saw in the New York Times a couple weeks ago, where the Times, which had the money to do this, did a big investigative report where they looked in detail at how President Trump’s family has shifted income in between generations and found what sure looks like tax avoidance, if not illegal tax evasion, where they’ve undervalued assets before shifting them from one generation to the next.

When you handicap the IRS’s ability to enforce the laws, as Congress has done for a couple of decades now, that opens the door to the sort of tax avoidance that really, I think outweighs the impact of cutting the rates and doubling the exemptions, as Congress has. If the rules can’t be enforced, it’s almost not worth having rules at all. And I think that has been the long term strategy of Congress with the estate tax. As a result, the budgetary impact is pretty profound. The estate tax really is an insignificant contributor to our federal budget right now precisely because it’s been undercut in these three ways. And that’s a shame, because right now, given the deficit situation we face in the short run and going forward, we do have a sort of budgetary zero sum game. Every billion dollars we’re not collecting from progressive sources like the estate tax or the capital gains tax or the personal income tax more generally is a billion dollars that has to be made up somewhere else.

TAYA GRAHAM: So, this kind of leads me to my next question, is if an equitable estate tax could actually have a positive impact on the federal budget, would it make a difference to make the state tax more equitable?

MATT GARDNER: It absolutely would make a difference, both in fiscal terms and the sort of psychological terms, the public support terms that I mentioned. Right now, the estate tax operates in a larger framework though. It’s best understood as a backstop to the federal income tax. And part of the reason why continuing to have an estate tax is so vital is that as long as it exists, it is at least a backstop against rampant tax avoidance on the personal income tax. The reason I say this is that even if a high income earner can escape all taxes on their capital gains income or their investment income over the course of their lives, at least you have this backstop that requires one level of tax at the end of people’s lives as they try to hand over these huge piles of cash to the next generation.

So, I think the estate tax plays a vital role as a backstop in making sure that a personal income tax works in the first place. If it goes away, I think that will open the door to even more widespread tax avoidance on the personal income tax side. And that’s a real concern, because the personal income tax is roughly half of all the revenue we get right now as a nation.

TAYA GRAHAM: So, how have these cuts affected local estate taxes, if at all?

MATT GARDNER: That’s a great question. Before the Bush tax cuts of 2001, we had a federal estate tax system in place. Federal means there’s a national component and a state component as well. And there was sort of an understanding that every state would be able to levy an estate tax, and the states were there first before the federal government started doing this, and that the federal government would do sort of a revenue sharing agreement with the state. In 2001, when Congress passed substantial estate cuts, they pretty much ripped up the agreement between the federal government and the state government and took away this implicit aid to state governments. What that meant was that state governments suddenly faced a choice. If they wanted to have an estate tax, it was all coming out of their own state residents’ pockets. And that made the idea of having a state estate tax much less popular.

And within five years, something like two thirds of all the states repealed their estate taxes. So, now I think we’re left with roughly one third of the states that have any estate tax revenue at all. That’s the direct effect. The indirect effect, of course, is that the weakening of the federal tax on its own diminishes the ability of Congress to provide aid from the federal level to the state level for all ongoing services. So, without a question, these two mechanisms, indirect and direct, have made it harder for state and local governments to make ends meet, to pay for the things we all depend on from our local governments, especially education healthcare and transportation.

TAYA GRAHAM: Now, we have seen that a large share of the gains from economic growth have not just gone to the one percent, but an even smaller handful of people. So, how much has wealth for the richest of the rich in our country?

All indicators are that inequality is getting worse, that the share of wealth, including capital gains, dividends, other forms of unearned income that’s going to the top one percent, is going up. All indicators like corporate profits are near all-time highs. But at the other end of the spectrum, median income, the inflation adjusted average income for working families, really has not changed at all. It’s roughly where it was three decades ago. So, as prosperous as our nation seems to be from an aggregate perspective over the last decade or so since the recession ended, there is very little indication that this growth is benefiting low and middle income working families, and every indication that the lion’s share of the benefits are going to owners of stock, owners of companies and those with potentially taxable estates.

TAYA GRAHAM: So, given the apparent inequity here, what can be done to fix the tax system and make it fair? What kind of major changes would you recommend.

MATT GARDNER: It’s a really interesting time to ask that question because legislation just got introduced, I think today, earlier this week, in Congress by Senator Kamala Harris of California, which would enact a big tax cut in the form of the earned income tax credit, expanding the ITC, which is a targeted tax credit for low and middle income working families, in a way that is designed as an alternative to the big tax cuts that Congress enacted just a year ago. And it’s not by accident, I think, that the ten year cost of these tax cuts proposed by Senator Harris would be substantially less than what Congress enacted last year and would still deliver much higher benefits, substantially higher benefits to everyone in the bottom 60 percent of the income district distribution, low and middle income Americans.

That alone, abandoning the Trump tax cuts and shifting more towards the approach that Senator Harris has proposed, is a very straightforward way of moving forward. It’s not that simple. There are certain elements of the Trump tax cuts, I think, where it would be hard to put them back in the bottle so to, speak. Having cut the corporate income tax rate from thirty-five percent down to near twenty percent, it’s going to be very difficult for Congress to simply increase it again. But undoing many of the most damaging tax cuts, like the marginal income tax rate cuts, certainly undoing the estate tax cuts and this gigantic new deduction for passthrough businesses that Congress has pushed through at the last minute last year, I think is a very sensible first step toward a more sustainable and fair tax system.

TAYA GRAHAM: I think you’re absolutely right. And I think as long as income taxes are punitive to the lower and middle classes and they’re not enforced for the wealthiest, I think it’s going to be difficult to have that dialogue. But Matt, I just want to thank you so much for joining us. I’m your host, Taya Graham, and I want to thank you for joining me at The Real News Network.

https://therealnews.com/stories/how-dismantling-an-obscure-tax-created-an-american-aristocracy

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 23, 2018, 08:38:33 pm
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Quote
Rep Maxine Waters' tweet to McConnell re: tax cuts and earned benefits

Maxine Waters ✔ @RepMaxineWaters

McConnell, if you think you're going to get away with taking from seniors after you have given to the rich, you have another thing coming 😠. We will not allow you to touch #SocialSecurity, #Medicare, or #Medicaid to make up for your wild tax cuts for corporations & the rich.

8:53 AM - Oct 23, 2018

(https://allthoughtsworkoutdoors.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/p9047017-030close-up.jpg)


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https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211310405

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 23, 2018, 09:06:43 pm
Thom Hartmann

Tue Oct 23, 2018, 07:30 PM

Why Did Georgia 😈 Stop a Bus Of African Americans Trying to Vote? (w/Guest LaTosha Brown)

Georgia tried to stop a group of African Americans from early voting by pulling over their bus and forcing Seniors to exit. This wasn't in the early days of the civil rights movement but in 2018. LaTosha Brown with Black Votes Matter was on the bus when it happened and is building up her organizing effort to fight voter intimidation and make sure Georgia knows that Black Votes Matter.

https://youtu.be/LmdqpZejP0w

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https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017516770
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 26, 2018, 03:00:21 pm
(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f269a0531f54fd1c1618278fe0144f1a4c83cc284aa96b523caece2ad390f752.jpg)(https://c1cleantechnicacom-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/files/2017/05/Trump-Germany-1.jpg)

Broad-Daylight Fascism and the Bombs of October

BY William Rivers Pitt  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf), Truthout 👍👍👍

PUBLISHED October 26, 2018

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591)
Quote
“You know what I am? I am a nationalist, okay?” –Donald Trump, Houston rally, October 22, 2018

SNIPPET:

Even in the smallest corners of New Hampshire, far from the doings of the great and powerful, the word is out and the fear is real.

Read all of this excellent article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

https://truthout.org/articles/broad-daylight-fascism-and-the-bombs-of-october/

Truthout October 26, 2018 READING LIST 👀👍👍👍:

POLITICS & ELECTIONS
Georgia’s Kemp Purged 340,134 Voters, Falsely Asserting They Had Moved
https://truthout.org/articles/georgias-kemp-purged-340134-voters-falsely-asserting-they-had-moved/

POLITICS & ELECTIONS
Why Voting for Immigration Reform Is Critical for Korean Americans
https://truthout.org/articles/why-voting-for-immigration-reform-is-critical-for-korean-americans/

LGBTQ RIGHTS
Trump’s Transphobic Attack Is Cruel Beyond All Definition
https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-transphobic-attack-is-cruel-beyond-all-definition/

ECONOMY & LABOR
Billionaires Made More Money in 2017 Than Any Other Year in History
https://truthout.org/articles/billionaires-made-more-money-in-2017-than-any-other-year-in-history/

ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH
Air Pollution Causes Up to 33 Million ER Visits for Asthma Annually
https://truthout.org/articles/air-pollution-causes-up-to-33-million-emergency-room-visits-for-asthma-annually/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-231014212330.jpeg&hash=c256f59f7e0e14e05edbffee22f8d77a46d53a91)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 26, 2018, 04:51:19 pm
Ralph Nader Radio Hour

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200415182528.png&hash=5d93c84b5a4e9e43a375761a6d1af5dde083ea6c)

The Falling of the American Empire
64,957 views

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-141115235353.png&hash=ac01bfcf5671764eb0d69f8e24646ae385ce4355)

https://youtu.be/9okTltpYY1s

Published on Aug 18, 2018

Ralph spends the whole hour with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author, Chris Hedges, discussing his book “America: The Farewell Tour.”
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 28, 2018, 05:42:18 pm
(https://images.theweek.com/sites/default/files/113016MikeLuckovich_Creators.jpg?resize=807x807)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200217115745.png&hash=f0b7fe8a50e3073453e38dfb61aa33d70ad1791f)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 01, 2018, 06:23:32 pm
After White Supremacist Terror, Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) Doubles Down from Birthright to the Border

October 30, 2018

In the aftermath of a spate of white supremacist violence from Florida to Kentucky to Pittsburgh, President Trump is ramping up nativism and xenophobia. The U.S. is deploying up to 14,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, purportedly in response to a caravan of Central American asylum seekers. Trump also says he might revoke birthright citizenship for the babies of non-citizens. We are joined by historian Gerald Horne of the University of Houston

Story Transcript

AARON MATE: It’s The Real News. I’m Aaron Mate.

From pipe bombs in the mail, to the killing of two black shoppers in Kentucky, to the synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, the U.S. is grappling with yet a new round of white supremacist terror. But in the aftermath of this incident, and just days before the midterms, President Trump is ramping up the nativism and xenophobia that has stoked white supremacists. First, on Monday, federal officials announced plans to send 5,200 active duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in response to a caravan of Central American asylum seekers fleeing violence in dire conditions at home.

SPEAKER: Our message to the organizers and participants of this caravan is simple: As the President and Secretary Nielsen have made clear, we will not allow a large group to enter the United States in an unsafe and unlawful manner. For those that seek to cross the border illegally. We will apprehend them and fully enforce the laws of the United States. For those that seek to make an asylum claim safely and lawfully in a port of entry, the governor of Mexico has already offered you protection and employment authorization. If you are fleeing alleged persecution at home, you have arrived at a safe place to make your claim.

AARON MATE: According to Newsweek, the size of the U.S. force on the border could top 14,000. This comes amid reports that Trump is mulling executive actions to shut down border entry entirely, and even suspend habeas corpus, which grants detainees the right to appear before a judge.

Then on Tuesday, Trump announced yet another potential executive action. Speaking to AXIOS, Trump said he might revoke birthright citizenship for babies of noncitizens and undocumented immigrants.

DONALD TRUMP: Now they’re saying I can do it just with an executive order. Now, how ridiculous- we’re the only country in the world where a person comes in, has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States for 85 years with all of those benefits. It’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. And it has to end.

REPORTER: Have you talked about that with counsel?

DONALD TRUMP: Yeah, I have.

REPORTER: So where in the process is-

DONALD TRUMP: It’s in the process. It’ll happen. With an executive order. That’s what you’re talking about, right?

Yeah, that’s exactly what I was talking about.

That’s very interesting. I didn’t think anybody knew that but me. I thought I was the only one.

AARON MATE: Joining me to discuss Trump’s latest anti-immigrant actions is Gerald Horne, historian and professor of history and African-American studies at the University of Houston. Welcome, Dr. Horne. Let me ask you first about this latest announcement from Trump today about birthright citizenship. Do you think that he even has the constitutional authority to end birthright citizenship for noncitizens? And if he doesn’t, then as a historian, what do you make of what he’s doing here?

GERALD HORNE: Apparently he does not have the authority to end birthright citizenship via an executive order. That is the impression I got from the words not only of Speaker Paul Ryan, but also from a survey of a number of leading constitutional scholars.

Having said that, we all know that the Republicans have packed the courts, the federal courts, in recent months and years. And many of these federal judges owe a debt of gratitude to the Republicans and Mr. Trump personally for him placing them on the court. And so it’s possible that there could be a wildcard federal judge, and certainly a wildcard Supreme Court, that could pass on that. I doubt it. But we’re in a different age right now. It’s obvious that many of our liberal friends have miscalculated when they overestimated the democratic potential nature of the United States of America, and the Bill of Rights, particularly. And I’m afraid to say that many of us are going to pay the price for that miscalculation.

AARON MATE: As a historian, when you hear Trump speak like this, what historical parallels come up for you? I’ll just say for myself that my thought today was I was recalling how the Nazis, back when they were formulating their own so-called racial purification laws, that they looked to the United States for inspiration.

GERALD HORNE: That’s true. There’s been a good deal of scholarship with regard to that, particularly how the Nazis looked the United States for so-called antimiscegenation laws. That is to say, laws in the United States that basically made it verboten for those defined as white to marry those defined as black. Obviously in Germany that was transferred to the German non-Jewish population and the Jewish population.

That is one striking parallel, but of course there are striking parallels from U.S. history itself. We should not forget the fact that when the Ku Klux Klan arose post-1865 in the wake of the U.S. Civil War, in many ways they were the armed wing of the Democratic Party. That is to say, the Democratic Party then being the party of Jim Crow, the party of Dixie. And that kind of terrorism that was inflicted, not least on black people post-1865, we hear echoes at least of that kind of policy in 2018 as enunciated by the present occupant (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) of the White House.

AARON MATE: OK. So you mentioned 1865. So just 13 years later, in 1878, you have the signing of the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars military forces from playing a role in domestic law enforcement. Now there is talk of that being suspended, along with the suspension of habeas corpus, as I mentioned earlier, giving people the right to appear before a judge in this crackdown on the border, with Trump sending thousands of troops there, possibly over 14,000, which is about as many as are in Afghanistan right now.

And yesterday at the White House, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked about this, and whether these drastic steps, these suspensions of constitutional protections, is on the table.

REPORTER: Now those are options on the table?

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: Look, I’m not going to get into specific policies that we’re considering. There’s a number of actions that we’re looking at taking. When we’re ready to make an announcement on that front, we’ll let you know.

AARON MATE: That’s Sarah Huckabee Sanders. So Dr. Horne, if Trump is sending thousands of troops to the border, is he violating Posse Comitatus? And would there be a historical parallel for such an infringement, as he’s apparently doing that?

GERALD HORNE: Well, once again I’d have to give a similar response as I gave to the previous question; that is to say, that there is an argument that he is in violation of the law, but there is a counter argument that if he goes before the so-called right judge, that will not matter. It reminds me of what Trump’s lawyer Roy Cohn, the late Roy Cohn, the anticommunist fixer and colleague of Senator Joe McCarthy, once said. When he went into court he didn’t want to know what the law is, he wanted to know who the judge is. And I think that that’s the kind of philosophy that you see taking place with regard to Mr. Trump’s actions.

Secondly, this removal or threat to remove habeas corpus is particularly dangerous. That is a long-standing writ that goes back to England hundreds of years ago which allows a prisoner improperly detained to go before a judge and be released. That suggests that there will be a mass roundup of some sort where people will not be able to go to a federal judge to be released.

And then thirdly, I think you have to look at the fact or the possibility that what Mr. Trump is saying is a desperate electoral gambit. That is to say, the midterm elections are taking place on Tuesday. There are polls that suggest that the Republicans will lose the House. More to the point, the Houston papers in particular are talking about a Beto bump; that is to say, senatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, who’s running against incumbent Ted Cruz. He’s behind in the polls. But the so-called Beto bump might wipe out Republican Congressman Will Hurd, a former CIA analyst who is now in the Congress. He’s running against a very strong Democratic candidate who is expected to benefit from the Beto bump. And it’s possible that Mr. Trump is trying to prevent other Beto bumps by ginning up the right-wing base, particularly in southern Texas.

AARON MATE: So in terms of these threats to all these basic rights, now, there is a growing fear that this is not just being done to target undocumented people, but this is also part of a process that wants to gin up fear in order to justify cracking down on dissent on progressives at home, working people, to crush strikes. And I’m wondering, in this context, to what extent is the historical crackdown on working people, the crushing of unions- a huge theme especially in the 20th century- how has that contributed to what we’re seeing today, and actually to the appeal and the power of white supremacy across the country?

GERALD HORNE: Well, I couldn’t have asked a better question myself. One of the things I’ve been stressing in recent days, months, and indeed, years, is that you cannot underestimate the potency of the Red Scare, which not least routed progressive labor. I oftentimes cite the case of Harry Bridges, the leader of West Coast Longshore, who led the San Francisco General Strike of 1934. Happened to be born in Melbourne, Australia. And therefore it led to repeated efforts not only to deport him, but to weaken his progressive leadership. The Union, the International Longshore and Warehouseman’s Union, had to spent a pretty penny out of its treasury in order to keep their leader from being deported. I could also cite the case of Ferdinand Smith, a black Jamaican who was number two in the National Maritime Union, who actually was deported in the early 1950s, which led to the demolishing, virtually, of the National Maritime Union, which he led, turning ships into floating slums.

That also led to a devastation of political education which has been particularly harmful to the working class. Particularly, I would say, those working-class voters who were seduced and [traduced] into voting for Mr. Trump in places like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, et cetera. And it created an overall atmosphere of backwardness whereby the class question was downgraded, which inevitably lead like a seesaw to the rising of ultra right-wing white nationalism, which you just saw manifested in Pittsburgh, not least.

AARON MATE: I want to go to a clip of some of the xenophobia and chauvinism that has stoked by the media. Because it’s not just Trump, it’s also his allies on Fox News, especially. So I want to go to Lou Dobbs 🐉 speaking recently on his show on the Fox Business Network.

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LOU DOBBS: The fear is, to be clear, the fear is that some of them are radical Islamist terrorists that have intermingled with this group of Central Americans. A further fear is that many of the, you know, so many of these, these migrants from Central America, frankly, are radical left-wingers. Their leaders are left-wing party members, for crying out loud, out of Honduras. This is- and no one other than the President at this point, we- you know, I keep expecting to hear Chuck Schumer Nancy Pelosi express their concern for America. But with a caravan that seems to be doubling every few days in size, they have said nothing.

AARON MATE: So that’s Lou Dobbs speaking on the Fox Business Channel about the migrant caravan comprised of hundreds of people fleeing violence and persecution in Central America. Dr. Horne, As we wrap, where do you rate this moment right now in history, in terms of the level of white supremacy and chauvinism we’re seeing being mainstreamed across the country? And if you have any comments on what Lou Dobbs said there, and especially about the role that that’s stoking fear of immigrants has played in a historical context.

GERALD HORNE: Well, obviously Lou Dobbs is introducing a canard when he’s speaking about so-called Middle Easterners who are part of this caravan of hope, which is making its way through Mexico as we speak. I find it also striking that the speaker in waiting, Kevin McCarthy, has demonized Jewish billionaires such as George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, Tom Steyer, who’s leading the struggle to impeach Mr. Trump; and deleted his tweet demonizing them, but the stain still remains. Note as well that the New York Times just reported this morning that a leading executive of Campbell’s Soup Company was recently ousted because he singled out George Soros as financing this caravan that’s heading North. That is to say, like Kevin McCarthy, helping to whip up the kind of anti-Semitism that you saw recently manifested in Pittsburgh.

I would say this is a particularly dangerous moment, because unlike previous dangerous moments we don’t have the necessary kind of international solidarity that the black liberation movement, for example, enjoyed for decades, but does not necessarily enjoy today. That means that the ultra right-wing white nationalists have wind in their sails as a result, and our climb as a result will be uphill, I’m afraid. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-1647640.gif&hash=2ef54cdc4f328b2b5315f424b6c41978252e8e49)


AARON MATE: We’ll leave it there. Gerald Horne, historian, professor of history and African-American studies at the University of Houston, thanks very much.

GERALD HORNE: Thank you.

AARON MATE: And thank you for joining us on The Real News.

https://therealnews.com/stories/after-white-supremacist-terror-trump-doubles-down-from-birthright-to-the-border
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 01, 2018, 06:34:14 pm
(https://i.pinimg.com/236x/f1/4e/5c/f14e5c5e7fbef8c5fc58c75c4341c044.jpg)

Trump's (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) Love Affair With Violence in the Age of Fascist Nihilism

BY Henry A. Giroux, Truthout

PUBLISHED October 31, 2018

The ghosts of a fascist past have erupted into a new American nightmare as violence becomes the new normal under Trump. This administration has created a social order and political movement that views violence as a tool for social and racial cleansing and is pouring fuel on a fire that produces endless assaults on those considered vulnerable, disposable and worthy of extermination.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-love-affair-with-violence-in-the-age-of-fascist-nihilism/

(https://www.laprogressive.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/trump-shooting-720.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 02, 2018, 12:17:03 pm
The Thom Hartmann Program (Full Show) - 11/02/18
https://youtu.be/_2llodGW6ds
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 02, 2018, 12:45:58 pm
If you have ANY doubts about the Republican PLAN to DESTROY MEDICARE and Social Security, as well as afforable employee health programs, this will make their mentes reae crystal clear.

Republican Senate candidate literally took his sick employee's health insurance away

Joan McCarter  Daily Kos Staff

Friday November 02, 2018 · 11:33 AM EDT
 
Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac) has one hell of a closing ad in the last days of this election cycle, hitting the issue that everyone is talking about, for real. No, not the caravan. Their health care. His opponent, Republican businessman Mike Braun (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) has been touting his experience as an employer, saying he understands all about protecting people's health care (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c) because of his experience as a boss. One of his former employees, Jim Songer of Hungtingburg, Indiana, tells the real story.

"At Mike Braun's company, I sold RV parts and towing parts. A few months ago, I got really sick, ended up in the hospital.

Quote
"So while I was in the hospital, Mike Braun fired me. And backdated my termination. So my insurance had been cancelled. I was devastated, stuck with a $30,000 bill and left with nothing.

"There is no such thing as health care when something happens to you and it gets taken away. And that's what Mike Braun's company   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78)did."

In a Tuesday night debate, Braun said that "Just like I've taken care  of my employees, I'll take care of Hoosiers," which sounds a lot more like a threat than a promise once you've heard Songer's story. The ad has been running for a few weeks now, and "neither Braun’s campaign nor his company has contradicted Songer's  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) version of events."

https://youtu.be/yaORaMVhqRA

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/2/1809359/-Republican-Senate-candidate-literally-took-his-sick-employee-s-health-insurance-away

Agelbert ADDED NOTE: Vote Republican and you can kiss ALL your health care AND Social Security benefits (that YOU WORK AND PAY FOR) away.

AND, while the Republican FASCISTS gleefullly and methodically destroy the benefits you have ALREADY EARNED on behalf of Wall Street crooks, they will go full Orwell by swearing on a stack of bibles that they are "protecting" Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid AND pre-existing condition health benefits in employee health insurance programs. They are following Hitler's Orwellian Mindfuck to the letter.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F783_015c2e1a3250a81ec5409760e4636175a6f565f23a75028afb5f451719fdccb3.jpeg&hash=a0242c7b8904f1931dc481dd54fe51b39b900eff)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591)


mentes reae: mentes reae is a plural form of mens rea

mens rea
Definition:   criminal intent; the thoughts and intentions behind a wrongful act (including knowledge that the act is illegal).
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 02, 2018, 01:28:22 pm
Trump's Medicare administrator thinks Medicare is 'scary'

Joan McCarter  Daily Kos Staff

Thursday November 01, 2018 · 2:50 PM EDT

SNIPPET:

Perhaps because that tweet got so much blast-back from an enraged Twitter populace, she came back with this lame rejoinder: “Did I get your attention? Good. Medicare for All isn’t a joke. It’s a multi-trillion dollar drain on the American economy that will bankrupt future generations.
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-111214174727.png&hash=a0ea65f844542e4709bd444bd2f70496c434c56b)

It’s government controlled health care that will strip choice away from millions. It’s a bad idea. And it IS scary.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c)

What is actually for-real frightening is the trillion dollars in tax cuts Trump and the Republicans gave to the rich and to corporations, their excuse for ballooning the deficit so they (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) can go after Medicare. And Social Security. And Medicaid.

read more:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/1/1809121/-Trump-s-Medicare-administrator-thinks-Medicare-is-scary
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 02, 2018, 01:58:54 pm
November 2, 2018
(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f269a0531f54fd1c1618278fe0144f1a4c83cc284aa96b523caece2ad390f752.jpg)

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dq9KFT8UcAAJ-Ur.jpg)

First Troops Arrive At US-Mexico Border For "Operation Faithful Patriot" (https://images.dailykos.com/images/604450/story_image/NO45-1024x1024.jpg?1540657700)

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dq7tofKW4AArZBI.jpg)

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dq7t9CYWkAEXHol.jpg)

Trump's order to fire on civilians is illegal as hell, and already being used to justify murder (https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/2/1809318/-Trump-s-order-to-fire-on-civilians-is-illegal-as-hell-and-already-being-used-to-justify-murder)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 02, 2018, 02:20:23 pm
The killer at the heart of Trump's (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) racist ad was set free—by Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio

Mark Sumner  Daily Kos Staff

Friday November 02, 2018 · 8:46 AM EDT

SNIPPET:

Donald Trump announced at the outset that he wanted this election to be about racism and, despite a few pesky bombs and a mass murder, that has certainly been the core focus of his rallies and statements going into the midterms. With days to go, Trump is still trying to maximize xenophobic fear and convince America that brutalized families hundreds of miles from the border represents a threat that requires thousands of armed troops and a waiting network of concentration camps. The capper for Trump’s season of fear has been an ad so racist that it’s made even Republican dirty tricksters turn away in shame. This isn’t a dog whistle. Or a trumpet. Or a fog horn. It’s just racism.

But as it turns out, it’s not just racism. It’s also a complete lie (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-16881856.gif&hash=ef5bd30cec7a50a81f3507f9bd328189dead7aa2). As reported by the Washington Post, the ad opens with the horrific words of violent murderer Luis Bracamontes who bragged of his killings at trial and threatened to kill more.

Read more:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/2/1809302/-The-killer-at-the-heart-of-Trump-s-racist-ad-was-set-free-by-Arizona-sheriff-Joe-Arpaio

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 02, 2018, 02:34:39 pm
(https://images.dailykos.com/images/605629/story_image/scarem.png?1540929300)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 02, 2018, 02:44:14 pm
(https://images.dailykos.com/images/602962/story_image/votefears.png?1540325142)

On November the 6, 2018, you have the LAST opportunity to prevent the Fascist Republican (planned by them for DECADES) total DESTRUCTION of Social Security, Medicare and the few rights you have left. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-16881856.gif&hash=ef5bd30cec7a50a81f3507f9bd328189dead7aa2) 

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 03, 2018, 02:57:43 pm
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQn0W02-62NCqiZnG_9Gs6RlY2xYPTjsbT1hRx_K1dlglS7asp5)
Agelbert NOTE: Apologies to actual canines everywhere. Canines can hear at frequencies that most humans have difficulty hearing, if they can hear them at all, as this video demonstrates (the last sound in the video is an appropriate 🦀 Trump 😈 Dog Whistle auditory metaphor). 

https://youtu.be/taVYoRDqxr0
[embed=640,380]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taVYoRDqxr0[/embed]

Bought and paid for (by American Fascist Oligarch(s)💵 🎩 🍌 ) Politicians 😈 know they cannot honestly campaign on the issues that voters support.

So, they often use code speech to rally hate filled and racist indiviuals who would not otherwise be suckered into voting against their interests. This vile, underhanded appeal to the basest of human tribal instincts is often missed by people of good will.

Because mostly the targeted (racist) suckers are motivated by it, AND the politician SCUM using it can Orwellianly claim he (or she) is not engaging in racist hate speech (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16), this heinous technique's message, hidden, in disingenuously innocuous words and phrases, for the express purpose of motivating ignorant racists to vote against their economic interests (on behalf of fascist oligarchs (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78)), is called a "Dog Whistle".

The emotional appeal of the political "Dog Whistle" prevents people from thinking logically. It triggers fear of the other, even if not acting on that "fear" is as statistically likely to cause actual harm as the probability of being hit by a lightning strike in your basement (when your house doesn't have one). That's why it works so effectively to con many working class white people to continue to vote to be further asset stripped and conned out of their rights and freedoms by the fascist bastards.

(https://pics.me.me/not-all-trumpsupporters-are-racist-but-all-racists-are-trump-26481309.png)

In the following interview, you will learn more about the history of this technique, which was originated and used, mostly by Republican Party, using cold blooded, empathy deficit disordered, careful, deliberate and methodical malice aforethought (mens rea). Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) is not the first devious Republican bastard to use this technique, but he, and the Fascist (https://images.dailykos.com/images/604450/story_image/NO45-1024x1024.jpg?1540657700) Republican Party of Profit over People and Planet, is the one that now uses it routinely.

(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTOur2fofuncPSKp1rBp_TH91JwOOpBpOdofb-s0RVNRCK2Efkgyg)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR67H09AN3Fe8RgiLewoyD_a6QAWuDT5jYC121JdqI1Pj363p0H)
(https://image.politicalcartoons.com/184503/250/184503_250.png)
 
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How Trump’s Racist Campaigning Serves ‘Rule by the Rich’

November 2, 2018

Unveiling a racist, anti-immigrant ad just days ahead of the midterms, Donald Trump is making unprecedented use of a decades-old “dog whistle” political strategy that demonizes people of color in the service of policies that benefit “rule by the rich,” says UC Berkeley law professor and author Ian Haney López

AARON MATE: It’s The Real News. I’m Aaron Mate.

A spate of white supremacist terror has not slowed President Trump’s embrace of racism, xenophobia, and nativism. Instead, just days before the midterms it appears to be his main campaign strategy. On Wednesday, Trump shared a racist anti-immigrant advertisement on his Twitter page, along with the message “Vote Republican now.” The ad features a Mexican man who was convicted of killing two police officers in California earlier this year.

Louis Bracamontes, the Mexican immigrant shown here, was deported twice under Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The ad also shows unidentified crowds riding and pushing down barriers in unidentified locations. It has been described as one of the most racist political ads in the U.S. in decades. But it is not an exception. The 2018 midterm campaign has seen a number of racist ads, particularly targeting candidates of color. Take, for example, this ad from Republican Duncan Hunter, who is currently under federal indictment for corruption. This is how Hunter is campaigning against his challenger Ammar Campa-Najjar, a Latino Arab-American.

DUNCAN HUNTER CAMPAIGN AD: Ammar Campa-Najjar is working to infiltrate Congress. He’s used three different names to hide his family’s ties to terrorism. His grandfather masterminded the Munich Olympic massacre. His father said they deserved to die. A Palestinian Mexican millennial Democrat named Amar Campa-Najjar doesn’t get the support from the people of San Diego.

He is being supported by [care] and the Muslim Brotherhood. This is a well-orchestrated plan.

Ammar Campa-Najjar: A risk we can’t ignore.

I’m Duncan Hunter, and I approve this message.

AARON MATE: An ad from Congressmember Duncan Hunter. Well, joining me to discuss racism as a campaign strategy in 2018 and well before is Ian Haney Lopez. He is a law professor at UC Berkeley, and the author of Dogwhistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class. Welcome, Professor.

Let me start by asking you about this ad tweeted out on Wednesday by President Trump. What was your reaction, and where do you think it rates in the history of racist campaign ads in this country?

IAN HANEY LOPEZ: Somewhere near an all Muslims, Mexico is sending rapists, MS-13 likes to kill people slowly, and their animals. That is, I think this rates pretty much typically for Trump’s campaign from 2015 through the election, and in the way he’s governed.

AARON MATE: All right. Let’s go back a little bit, because people are comparing this ad to the Willie Horton ad of 1988. And it’s important to know this history, because otherwise there are some who might think if Trump was doing something unprecedented. But as your book Dogwhistle Politics well documents, this is a very old campaign strategy. So let’s go back to 1988 and play the Willie Horton ad. This is at a time when the Democratic challenger Michael Dukakis, he was leading in the polls, ahead of the Republican nominee Vice President, at the time, George H.W. Bush. And then Bush’s people, Lee Atwater, his campaign manager, masterminded this ad featuring Willie Horton, who was a prisoner who was let out of prison, and committed crimes while he was let out. And this was the ad that the Lee Atwater conceived of and that changed that campaign.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH CAMPAIGN AD: Bush and Dukakis on crime. Bush supports the death penalty for first degree murderers. Dukakis not only opposes the death penalty, he allowed first degree murderers to have weekend passes from prison. One was Willie Horton, who murdered a boy in a robbery, stabbing him 19 times. Despite a life sentence, Horton received 10 weekend passes from prison. Horton fled, kidnapped a young couple, stabbing the man and repeatedly raping his girlfriend. Weekend prison passes. Dukakis on crime.

AARON MATE: That was the infamous Willie Horton ad that changed the course of the 1988 campaign. Professor Haney Lopez, talk about the Willie Horton ad, and what it meant then, and how it has influenced politics since.

IAN HANEY LOPEZ: Dogwhistling really starts in the mid-1960s when the Republican Party, which was more or less equally committed with the Democratic Party to civil rights, but when Republican Party leaders figured out that they could exploit rising white anxiety generated by the civil rights movement. And it’s this same dynamic that we see in terms of rising white anxiety around the election and re-election of a black president. There’s really been a 50-year process. All throughout this process, the Democrats have understood that the Republicans were using racism as a strategy. They are using it as a wedge issue to break apart a New Deal Democratic coalition of African-Americans, the white working class, and white liberals.

They’ve understood this since at least 1970. How would they respond? Initially they decided they wouldn’t respond at all, they would ignore it. It just seemed too difficult to challenge Republican racism. That seemed to backfire, because it seemed to accuse not just the Republican politicians, but Republican voters, white voters, of being racist. So the Democrats opted to stay silent. They hoped the whole thing would blow over.

Now, you get Reagan’s election and the so-called Reagan Democrats, which are white Democrats who flee the Democratic party, switch to Republican, because Reagan was dogwhistling about welfare queens and cracking down on crime. But again, Democrats were staying silent. Then you get the Bush-Dukakis run. Dukakis isn’t talking about race. And all of a sudden, George H.W. Bush comes out with the Willie Horton ad. He comes from behind in the race. He takes the lead, he goes on to win. And so this is huge, and it’s huge on a couple of different levels.

One, it proved that staying silent was no solution at all; that if you stayed silent, you were going to lose. You had to address race. Two, it left the Democrats in a trap. They couldn’t stay silent. They had to address race. But they couldn’t allege racism. What should they do? Enter Bill Clinton and the so-called new Democrat. Their strategy? Imitate Republican dogwhistling. So Bill Clinton says, I’m going to end welfare as a way of life. That’s a dogwhistle. Whose way of life are we talking about? Or Bill Clinton says, I’m going to crack down on crime. Well, who supposedly are the criminals. And so what we get after Clinton, after the Willie Horton ad with Clinton, after the Willie Horton ad, what we get is a competition between the GOP and the Democrats as to which party can most appeal to fearful whites with the message that that party is going to crack down on undeserving, dangerous people of color. And this is really where, for example, mass incarceration and the war on crime come from. Not from Republicans alone, but from Republicans and Democrats together competing in terms of dogwhistle politics.

Last key point about about Willie Horton. It soon came out that the masterminds behind Willie Horton like Lee Atwater confessed to their racial motive. And so the Willie Horton ad today stands as a classic example that everybody recognizes as dogwhistling. So the move for people to compare what Trump is doing to Willie Horton is a move to say see? What Trump is doing is dogwhistling because we know the Willie Horton ad is dogwhistling. Only thing is, Trump is doing something much much worse, if you really look at the sorts of messages that he is spreading in the public.

AARON MATE: How so?

IAN HANEY LOPEZ: So, the Willie Horton ad was really evasive. Yes, it pictured Willie Horton. No, it didn’t picture the victims. It was one ad; the campaign didn’t own it. They said, we disavow this. This is being run by somebody else. We’re in a completely different setting now. Now we have a president who funded the creation of that ad. This isn’t just some other group and he happened to tweet it. He paid for that ad. He’s directly endorsing that ad. And his message is not- the Willie Horton ad, if you think about the victims, they were never pictured. It was a white couple. They never were pictured. But it’s implicit. Trump over and over again talks about and centers white people as the supposed victims.

So we’re now in a sort of a political era in which we have a president of the United States surrounding himself within his administration by white nationalists, people like Stephen Miller, elected with the help of white nationalists like Steve Bannon, applauded by white nationalists. Someone who says that white supremacists, when they riot, that some of them must be very fine people. This is a level of racist provocation that we haven’t seen in the United States- we haven’t seen this sort of racial poison since the 1950s. And in terms of a president spreading this sort of white nationalism, you really need to go back to the civil war, and to the years just after, to the years just before, before national figures of Trump’s stature and power were spreading this sort of racist hate.

AARON MATE: OK. So on that point, let’s go to a clip from 1981 featuring Lee Atwater, who later on masterminded the Willie Horton ad, and ran the George H.W. Bush presidential campaign; after that chaired the Republican National Committee. But in 1981, Atwater was working inside the Reagan White House, and he was interviewed about his electoral strategy. And he laid out, in stark and offensive terms- and a warning now, because in this clip the N-word is said multiple times by Lee Atwater. But he told the interviewer about he wanted to appeal to voters through racially coded language and the audio wasn’t covered by the Nation magazine a few years ago. But this is from 1981.

LEE ATWATER: Here’s how I would approach that issue as a statistician, or a political scientist- no, as a psychologist, which I’m not, is how abstract do you handle the race thing? In other words, you start out in- you don’t want to quote me on this, are you? You start out in 1954 by saying, “N i g g e r, n i g g e r,  n i g g er.” By 1968 you can’t say “n i g g e r”- that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, state’s rights, and all that stuff. And you get so abstract, now, you’re talking about cutting taxes. And all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things. And a byproduct of them is blacks get hurt worse than whites. And subconsciously maybe that is part of it. I’m not saying that. But I’m saying that if it is getting that abstract and that coded, that we’re doing away with the racial problem one way or the other. Do you follow me? Because obviously, sitting around saying we want to cut taxes, we want to cut this, and we want … Is much more abstract than even the busing thing, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “N i g g e r, n i g g e r. ” You know. So any way you look at it, race is coming on the backburner.

AARON MATE: That’s Republican strategist Lee Atwater speaking in 1981. Now, later on in his life, about a decade later, he developed a terminal illness. And it’s said that on his deathbed he developed remorse for his actions, and he even wrote letters of apology to people who he had targeted with his racist smear efforts. But there he is, laying out in stark terms the strategy that he masterminded. Haney Lopez, is it fair to say that that Atwater strategy is still very much alive today?

IAN HANEY LOPEZ: Very much so. But I want to, I want to stop and really make two points about what Atwater is saying. We hear him saying the GOP is going to campaign in racial code. That’s point number one. Most people don’t get past that. What’s actually most important about that Atwater quote is the second thing he’s saying, that the GOP can talk about tax cuts and attack, and attack- and they can sell tax cuts through a racial narrative of dangerous and undeserving people of color. And we really, really have to unpack that. That’s the only way we’re going to understand Donald Trump and his racist fearmongering, and Donald Trump and a trillion and a half dollar tax cut for his billionaire backers. Those are not two separate things. They’re directly connected through dogwhistling.

It’s really important that we understand that dogwhistling has an ideological project. Not just stir racial panic, but convince people that the real threat in their lives is government; get white voters to turn against government in a way that allows the right to hijack government for their corporate donors. So I want to stop, and I want to really go through that.

Here’s the message. For example- and Ronald Reagan perfected this- talk about welfare queens. The minute you talk about welfare queens, you conjure the image of undeserving black women cheating and ripping off the system. But then pivot and say, you know who the real enemy is? It’s government, because it’s government is taking hard-earned tax dollars from decent, innocent whites, and giving it to these undeserving black people. Right? So the message is hate and resent people of color. But really hate government. Government’s the enemy. It coddles minorities with welfare, it refuses to control them through lax criminal law. It’s why we have to crack down on crime. It refuses to control them through unsecure borders. Does it matter to Trump that we have the highest sustained levels of deportation in the history of the nation? No. The narrative is you can’t trust government. You’ve got to hate government, because government is opening the doors. Government refuses to control these people.

Now, what should you do if you hate government? One, starve it. Cut off its funds. Cut taxes for the billionaires. Two, if you can’t trust government, you should reward the people who are the real engines for progress in America, the corporations. Let them write the rules. So we say deregulation, or the right says deregulation. What they really mean is let corporations write the rules of the game. And they are. Three, if government is a problem, then all of those social programs- you know, things like public education, or healthcare, or environmental regulation- get rid of those, because government really cares more about undeserving people of color than it does about hardworking, decent, real Americans.

The narrative of dogwhistling is a narrative that says resent people of color, but hate and turn against government. And when you turn against government, you get rule by the rich. In other words, you get Donald Trump. Donald Trump, more than any politician that we’ve had in the last 50 years, absolutely crystallizes the sort of fundamental politics of dogwhistling. Racial fearmongering to help elect a billionaire who is completely corrupt, and all he cares about, his billionaire friends and his billionaire backers, and has just rewarded them with a trillion-dollar tax cut that’s coming out of the pockets of all the rest of us. Meanwhile, they’re busy trying to cut off our healthcare, trying to make sure that people with pre-existing illnesses can’t get health coverage, because that way they can shuffle a few more dollars to the billionaires.

That’s the story that we need to tell. That’s the politics we need to understand to truly understand how dogwhistle politics is working today.

AARON MATE: Ian Haney Lopez (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf), UC Berkeley law professor, author of Dogwhistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class, thanks very much.

IAN HANEY LOPEZ: Thank you so much.

AARON MATE: Thank you for joining us on The Real News.

https://therealnews.com/stories/how-trumps-racist-campaigning-serves-rule-by-the-rich

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(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/73/02/b1/7302b15040274d5f44925c06573cc5dc--donald-trump-money-trump-funny.jpg)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 03, 2018, 08:10:56 pm
Trump's Medicare administrator thinks Medicare is 'scary'
//

SNIPPET:

Perhaps because that tweet got so much blast-back from an enraged Twitter populace, she came back with this lame rejoinder: “Did I get your attention? Good. Medicare for All isn’t a joke. It’s a multi-trillion dollar drain on the American economy that will bankrupt future generations.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/1/1809121/-Trump-s-Medicare-administrator-thinks-Medicare-is-scary (https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/1/1809121/-Trump-s-Medicare-administrator-thinks-Medicare-is-scary)


At this point, you're arguing religion with these yahoos. What the "medicare will bankrupt us" crowd will avoid at all costs is a discussion of priorities. It's all about priorities, starting with the "defending the empire" part of the federal budget that ticks in @54 per cent of the budget. Not accounting for transfers and other budget trick that fatten that wad. We'd have money for Medicare for all and a skittle-shitting unicorn in every driveway if we weren't busy diverting so much to insure the capital of a handful of swells.

I understand what you are saying about how propagandized the yahoos are to their own detriment. Nevertheless, I disagree that I'm "arguing religion". Forget "Medicare for all", those yahoos voting Republican are guaranteed Medicare (and social Security) for NOBODY if Republicans remain in power. Of course the Republican/Libertarian voting Fascist Enablers that curse this forum, and the country, play word games with Government bugeting and funding. BUT, I refuse to believe they are so STUPID that they do not see that ROBBING those programs is BAD for THEM, regardless of the warped priorities in their "yahoo religion" about what government "wastes money" on. These fuckers pretend to wail and p i s s and moan about 'govment givaways' when they KNOW DAMNED GOOD AND WELL that the most MASSIVE economy destroying GOVERNMENT GIVEAWAYS are to Wall/War/Oil Street. THAT is why the DUMB **** here who live and die by the Stock Market hang on to that with bated breath! They KNOW the Fascists in power are a pack of crooks and they, instead rejecting this GRAND LARCENY, just wish to cash in on the CROOKS AND LIARS GRAVY TRAIN (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) while they can.     (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smilies.4-user.de%2Finclude%2FSpiele%2Fsmilie_game_017.gif&hash=e8548890f80af23241a1d43a1ab1ca8031301f20)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162655-14231561.gif&hash=98b427175ee380f6d3c313520cc8668c10f2172a) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-190318152544.png&hash=f9c3636b6ca81d8a7b9c7b8182c3367edbb8a377)
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Well, they will soon have even more INNOCENT BLOOD on their hands than they ALREADY HAVE by voting for the Fascist Republican Bastards who tried, since 2010, OVER 70 TIMES to DEFUND the ACA, and finally succeeded in getting millions of poor and needy people, MOSTLY WHITE, to be FORCED to choose between medical care and FOOD!

Those IRRESPONSIBLE BASTARDS who parade themselves here as "good citizens", including those LIARS that claim Trump 🦀, who was getting PAID $200,000 a YEAR from the time he was FOUR YEARS OLD (as part of an inheritance avoidance scam by daddy but TRUMP DID KEEP THAT GIVEAWAY, UNEARNED, MONEY!), is a "successful businessman" (BULLSHIT!!!) are so calloused by their comfortable life and economic security that they cannot see that they have been taken for WORLD CLASS SUCKERS by the Fascist Oligarchs pulling the Republican machine strings.

(https://i.imgflip.com/eghas.jpg)


All that said, the GREEDBALLS (normally business owners, NOT employees) who are so short sighted and STUPID as to celebrate the imminent destruction of the "entitlement" (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718210558.gif&hash=9234ac544277d3924347404eb52489dfe64e3ca4) programs on behalf of "Wall Street controlled Privatization", BECAUSE the employers 🐷 won't have to "pay" part of employee Social Security and Health Insurance when those programs are Fascist KAPUT (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162655-14212306.gif&hash=ac1ba9a4062a66706644a3a889fa54d31c5eb4f0)", are fooling themselves into thinking that employees will not demand FAR HIGHER wages to cover the same thing. I mean, are these business **** so STUPID that they don't GET the fact that EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY, NOT CEO GREED, is what keeps the USA from cratering?

Don't they GET that the loss of those hugely successful SOCIALIST PROGRAMS has prevented an untold amount of LOSS of employee productivity and made the workforce healthier and more secure?

Do these TRUMP WORSHIPPING Employer MORONS REALLY BELIEVE the historically proven LIE that the best way to run a business is to keep your employees in fear through insecurity, slave wages and no recourse or rights?

If they really are that STUPID (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2Fthumb_3-070115205550.bmp&hash=954ecd048188876741ab48a48f4eee644baa39ec), then this country is TOTALLY F U C K E D and will soon experience THE most bloody revolution that has cursed the world TO DATE.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162655-1422241.gif&hash=c395eada6e18bf2d9b9c2c7079a45ee8fb2f2c34)


Surly, I am hoping that Right Wingers on this forum resolve to STOP SHOOTING THEMSEVES IN THERE SOCIAL DARWINIST WORSHIPPING, MIGHT EQUALS RIGHT BELIEVING, FACE. If they don't, I will at least be comforted by the fact that people like me (and you and millions more who can actually add and subtract) at least warned them. 

Quote
It’s a multi-trillion dollar drain on the American economy that will bankrupt future generations.

(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vjRJ8ywqasg/Trv370jtsuI/AAAAAAAAAN0/26LofPWMZ3A/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/unicorn.jpg)

Who gets the SSI deductions after the drain is stopped?  Do I not understand self funding?

K-Dog, stop speaking in vague metaphors. If you want to talk seriously about Federal Government budgeting, stop going off the SHALLOW END of non sequitur economic perspective free discourse. The Wall Street Fed babied PONZI SCHEME is what is bankrupting this country, NOT Social Security and Medicare. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-16881856.gif&hash=ef5bd30cec7a50a81f3507f9bd328189dead7aa2) 

AND, if you keep voting Republican, you will end up without either of those programs, BECAUSE THOSE PROGRAMS are the only ones that ACTUALLY have funds to be robbed from by your Republican and Libertarian, Profit over People and Planet, Racist **** friends in Wall Street controlled Government.

Now if that is just too complicated for you to figure out, then go ahead, VOTE REPUBLICAN. Don't blame me when your ass is Fascist Grass, even before it is Climate Change Catastrophe GRASS!

However, I will certainly blame you and everybody else who irresponsibly, irrationally AND self destructively, supports the Republican Party.

HOW THE REPUBLICAN FASCIST PARTY (https://images.dailykos.com/images/604450/story_image/NO45-1024x1024.jpg?1540657700) WILL REWARD AVERAGE PEOPLE WHO VOTE FOR THEM IN THIS ELECTION:

(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1701182507/poopprobs.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 03, 2018, 09:01:20 pm
These BASTARDS Voted to put 22 million people in medical jeopardy. YOU ARE NEXT.

(https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/-VTepC07Uy4Gui8lrT9G4Gi_lZnYEw25inOZL_CaFAFXHxV8UJb_ltn98ycPxwS5gxFoZZXg1fxTBlehrxJyTG6YzBZcRBcL79YGMBaH0JG5CtVTv00tlckcQoPN7u1tOCeESVnQ8IKNa-pS0_uu_6pbwJjtqg=s0-d-e1-ft#https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/data/000/232/257/original/Senate_ACA_-_List_of_Shame.png)



Message to ANYONE HERE who is so STUPID that they think Medicare and Social Security will not be SCRAPPED by the FASCIST REPUBLICAN **** they support:

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-140415130805.png&hash=23d2e6dc6311a26c399bf0cb60868bcff2781a58)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 03, 2018, 09:02:17 pm
GOD DAMNED REPUBLICANS AND GOD DAMNED COUNTRY DESTROYING **** WHO SUPPORT THESE FASCIST BASTARDS!

(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/PBYYNoAAbT1ugsUT7Nrb7r8mukM1_bNtZ7j-7sV845uUNaIlIoAqlJxU3iQlHA-4RNdut8CAzxMW_u8pKYcZrj4q09E4M1Hs34brPX2FqWzHCgefwRCD93C-D_Vma4dOlKfX_cOU2ZCQfND1QjYv_NbGlDGwbvXaH3ZA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/data/000/232/259/original/trumpcare_list_of_shame_updated.png)

VOTE REPUBLICAN FOR THIS GUARANTEED FUTURE:

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-141115235353.png&hash=ac01bfcf5671764eb0d69f8e24646ae385ce4355)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 03, 2018, 09:03:59 pm
WHO ARE THE REAL WELFARE QUEENS OUT TO DESTROY SS & MEDICARE?

(https://images.dailykos.com/images/604450/story_image/NO45-1024x1024.jpg?1540657700)

(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Bjl3Eqk8PFBhwUprLkYusinMhmEmGwIoZgVwx7fKuLAPD8W-SahWDreD8oJ1VJmsR85Pw5ToenmpY10idMrD5pcWZaFrHMmpyPNQtlXdmwd6AIAQutjFxEUyAooZE7G1DyLhZCiL4Kd6-4btLmQr3QOocNjJ9mszcQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/data/000/232/256/original/House_Budget_-_Final_Tax_Vote.png)

(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/sTBtd0PtBh0iVa0608ha_BklBusBAyLOAk_afKZ7MZb6mxr2uucvMe40YCepfuqKr50fnHG_rqXlhd8GSk0sIGYnJqFa6QnENeMM7uLOtaZK4pBh6RLYdSgyAAuSCSz3Edl5xW3R0oduG8Rlrzef9a0IEYoVVA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/data/000/232/258/original/Senate_Tax_-_List_of_Shame.png)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281117170839.jpeg&hash=8fa0d4f94d3c1041e41679dfe004c99123912bbc)

If you think the above is BAD, YOU AIN"T SEEN NOTHIN' YET! The Fascists were JUST WARMING UP! After the (s)elections they GO FULL IN-YOUR-FACE-FASCIST!

VOTE REPUBLICAN AND KISS YOUR greedy, stupid, good German ASSETS, RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, along with your SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE, GOODBYE!

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080814213147.png&hash=8caa9e70560c86d7f1e8f5c50cee91c97d9859f1)



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 03, 2018, 09:33:00 pm
NOV 02, 2018TD ORIGINALS

Lee Camp: 'We're in a New Age of McCarthyism'

Article with podcast: 👍 🕯️

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/were-in-a-new-age-of-mccarthyism/

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 03, 2018, 09:46:21 pm
Midterm Elections and the Divider (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) in Chief

November 1, 2018 • 1:00 PM PT

Control of the House and the Senate are at stake in the midterm elections. So is the power of the Trump White House. The president is not on the ballot in any state, but he’s back on the campaign trail--with a vengeance. We’ll hear how he’s responded to some real crises and invented another. 

People march in memory of the victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. October 30, 2018. Photo credit: Cathal McNaughton/Reuters. (at podcast link)

📢  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163127-1680962.png&hash=405119a0c023346043f1dae6ab993a831a8cbb5d)

https://www.kcrw.com/latest/midterm-elections-and-the-divider-in-chief


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-031118165640.png&hash=15d22169488173f0a65aa63df533a0e675d6d6a0)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 04, 2018, 06:42:09 pm
November 4, 2018

Webster Tarpley exposes the Fascist Threat of Republicans to the USA in this November 2, 2018 podcast.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163123-1664600.png&hash=d609f7e4847e25e034ca7c7b11e75234ba2a0afd) http://tarpley.net/audio/WCR-20181103.mp3

http://tarpley.net/world-crisis-radio/
(https://images.theweek.com/sites/default/files/113016MikeLuckovich_Creators.jpg?resize=807x807)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-031118165640.png&hash=15d22169488173f0a65aa63df533a0e675d6d6a0)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 04, 2018, 08:04:30 pm
(https://images.dailykos.com/images/606594/story_image/11-01-2018-mcfadden-915px.png?1541113345)

We have no excuses now. Our eyes are wide open. (WashPost)

SNIPPET:

Will we take a step, even a small one, back from the ugliness and the race-baiting that has engulfed our country?

Or will we affirm that we are really the intolerant and frightened people Donald Trump has made us out to be?

If we choose the latter, 2018 will in some ways be more difficult to take than 2016.

This time, we don’t have the luxury of saying we didn’t really know what Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) would do.

Our eyes are wide open. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-310714182509.png&hash=7a8191a3d5ff15c51ad36a342a0cd50a90b956bd)

========================

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/this-time-our-eyes-are-wide-open/2018/11/02/c14d4cf2-deca-11e8-85df-7a6b4d25cfbb_story.html
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 05, 2018, 12:19:32 pm
(https://images.dailykos.com/images/607525/large/Inequality.png?1541349101)

Stiglitz explains why "The American Economy is Rigged" and why Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) doesn't want to talk about it

(https://images.dailykos.com/images/607522/story_image/American_economy.png?1541348625)

Shockwave  Community

Sunday November 04, 2018 · 12:06 PM EST

SNIPPET:

Trump is not talking economy much in these last days before the midterm.  Could it be because he read this Scientific American article, The American Economy Is Rigged (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-american-economy-is-rigged/) ? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-1624479.gif&hash=92c92575625c10582f9c1c6f9db969ad24bf62a8)

Quote
By most accounts, the U.S. has the highest level of economic inequality among developed countries. It has the world's greatest per capita health expenditures yet the lowest life expectancy among comparable countries. It is also one of a few developed countries jostling for the dubious distinction of having the lowest measures of equality of opportunity.
...

It is not the laws of nature that have led to this dire situation: it is the laws of humankind. Markets do not exist in a vacuum: they are shaped by rules and regulations, which can be designed to favor one group over another. President Donald Trump was right in saying that the system is rigged—by those in the inherited plutocracy of which he himself is a member. And he is making it much, much worse.

Read more: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/4/1809793/-Stiglitz-explains-why-The-American-Economy-is-Rigged-and-why-Trump-doesn-t-to-talk-about-it (https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/4/1809793/-Stiglitz-explains-why-The-American-Economy-is-Rigged-and-why-Trump-doesn-t-to-talk-about-it)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100718163643-14431575.png&hash=6acebd70a8e157b7ede369776511a5a0032448b7)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281216181536.jpeg&hash=faeff8739580c0d370dfafe6e6378077218a7ed2)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170117173547.png&hash=4ae972ee500b6529adec068835b6dbd146376bc5)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241216151049.png&hash=78206393ea158485b779ed06d0fb0f84172b645d)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216142007.png&hash=84ef2c6fc002fc0b4bc9940ee16d0728d50cc9b5)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 05, 2018, 08:13:40 pm
In Conversation: Elizabeth Warren and Robert Reich
59,679 views

https://youtu.be/6F3EJh6V1cw

Published on May 8, 2018

Robert Reich discusses the progressive movement and how we can reclaim democracy.

Agelbert NOTE: Robert Reich ends the conversation with this quote:

Quote
“We can have concentrated wealth in the hands of a few or we can have democracy. But we cannot have both.” - Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis

(https://www.trbimg.com/img-59d78560/turbine/ct-trump-evangelicals-support-20171006)(https://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/2017/04/CULT_Worthen_Fitzgerald_Art_Web/lead_720_405.jpg?mod=1533692230)
(https://themuslimtimesdotinfodotcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/02.jpg?w=667)
(https://progressivecynic.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/when-fascism-comes-to.jpg?w=262&h=305)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cqqn7uxUkAAoIXz.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 07, 2018, 12:52:00 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-251117175858.png&hash=01d4518aa3b7363fabcf86bf3d1bf50381901ac7)

Democrats Take the House  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132400-16842321.gif&hash=e2590f92501c5dd6149626bb0ab180ce9e1d5bd3) – What Now? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163125-16731933.gif&hash=22dedd3548e66d624c4c7ff9b16a5c134768da77) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163123-16662165.gif&hash=0c278af5ea445d20e48640c4f39f951df986eed6)
 

November 7, 2018

https://youtu.be/5LPqrylDkY4

TRNN midterm elections panel with Thomas Frank, Eugene Puryear, Jacqueline Luqman, Paul Jay, Khalilah Harris, Lester Spence, Ralph Nader, Danny Glover, and host Marc Steiner discuss what the Democratic party can do now that it re-took the House of Representatives

https://therealnews.com/stories/democrats-take-the-house-what-now
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 07, 2018, 09:24:05 pm
Danny Glover: Crucial Midterm Election Not just for US, but Also for Rest of World

November 7, 2018

Activist and actor Danny Glover looks at the big picture of the midterm election and what it means for people living outside the US

https://youtu.be/TiYRcbIQTt0

https://therealnews.com/stories/danny-glover-crucial-midterm-election-not-just-for-us-but-also-for-rest-of-world
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 08, 2018, 11:34:02 am
Devin Nunes🐒 just had a really bad night  ;D

Bill Palmer | 6:04 pm EST November 7, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

As expected, embattled GOP Congressman Devin Nunes was reelected last night in his overwhelmingly Republican-leaning district. After seeing how the rest of the House races went, and what it means for his future, Nunes may now be wishing he hadn’t won. In fact he may be wishing he could hide under his bed and never come out.

The Democrats took majority control of the House last night, meaning that Devin Nunes will no longer be the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. That role will now go to Democrat Adam Schiff instead. Unless the GOP shakes up its committee assignments, Nunes will be demoted to ranking member of the House Intel Committee. That means he’ll have to sit there helplessly as Schiff reopens Nunes’ illegitimate Trump-Russia investigation and redoes the entire thing, this time in legitimate fashion. But that’s just the start.

It’s not just that everything Devin Nunes has done in the past two years will now be quickly undone. It’s that Adam Schiff’s new House Intel Committee probe into Trump-Russia will expose all the corrupt, and in some instances illegal, moves that Nunes made while trying to obstruct justice on Donald Trump’s behalf. Schiff is going to serve up Nunes on a silver platter to Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

So yeah, Devin Nunes had a really bad night last night. He won reelection, but so what? He’s in such a deep red district, the Republicans could have run a talking scarecrow and won. Nunes gets to keep his seat, but that merely gives him a front row seat for what’s about to happen to him. Nunes is now powerless to save himself, so if he were smart he’d just go cut a plea deal with Mueller. But as we’ve seen, Nunes is the opposite of smart.

Click here to help fund Palmer Report's editorial takedown of Donald Trump!

Be sure to follow Palmer Report on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for our mailing list.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/devin-nunes-really-bad-night/13937/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 08, 2018, 06:04:09 pm
BY Norman Solomon (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-16442135.gif&hash=52927992b43007fa5c5eb6ffcb453ae29948c356), Truthout

PUBLISHED November 8, 2018


SNIPPET:

... sharp contrasts between advocacy for economic justice ✨ and flackery 😈 for de facto oligarchy 👹.



Surveys show that voters are hungry for genuinely progressive policies that have drawn little interest from mainstream media outlets. For instance, polling of the US public shows:

֍ 76 percent support higher taxes on the wealthy.

֍ 70 percent support Medicare for All.

֍ 59 percent support a $15 minimum wage.

֍ 60 percent support expanded tuition-free college.

֍ 69 percent oppose overturning Roe v. Wade.

֍ 65 percent support progressive criminal justice reform.

֍ 59 percent support stricter environmental regulation.

Read more: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

A Challenge to the New Blue Congress: Govern as Progressives (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) (https://truthout.org/articles/a-challenge-to-the-new-blue-congress-govern-as-progressives/)

Agelbert NOTE: I have ZERO confidence in Pelosi doing what she MUST DO (i.e go 100% Progressive, ESPECIALLY in regard to Renewable Energy) to keep the Hydrocrabon Hellspawn Oligarchy 🐉🦕🦖 STILL RUNNING (and still ruining through massive 24/7 government welfare queen subsidized pollution) the USA from accelerating down the path to the extinction of most mammalian vertebrate species, including humans. Never mind stopping them. They want to EXPAND the hydrocarbon Profit over people and planet 'business model' (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2Fthumb_3-070115205550.bmp&hash=954ecd048188876741ab48a48f4eee644baa39ec).

Stupid is as STUPID Suicidal Insanity DOES. 🤬

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220815161550.png&hash=f95989290a4fca22333fc772d8abd90a6764d4d8)

 
The Fossil Fuelers 🦖 DID THE Clean Energy  Inventions suppressing, Climate Trashing, human health depleting CRIME,   but since they have ALWAYS BEEN liars and conscience free crooks 🦀, they are trying to AVOID   DOING THE TIME or   PAYING THE FINE!     Don't let them get away with it! Pass it on!   
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 08, 2018, 10:46:48 pm
Will Kemp (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) Get Away With Suppressing Georgia’s Black Votes? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185040-16582181.gif&hash=0d99dd3e7a01101b8b7d5d1d810050efa1fc13df)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-1625583.gif&hash=a2eb9b0838b0a6c6a52f7ffe11949f008333d97a)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)

November 8, 2018

Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State, Brian Kemp, has declared victory in a heated gubernatorial race, but Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac) is not conceding (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27). Kemp purged tens of thousands of votes as part of a crackdown that adversely impacted black voters. We speak to attorney, activist Anoa Changa and investigative journalist Greg Palast.

https://youtu.be/shmsR1Ozmkg

https://therealnews.com/stories/will-kemp-get-away-with-suppressing-georgias-black-votes
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 09, 2018, 04:31:10 pm
(https://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/images/smilies/furious.gif)

As Florida Races Narrow, Trump And Scott Spread Claims Of Fraud Without Evidence


November 9, 20189:45 AM ET

SNIPPET:

Updated at 11:15 a.m. ET

Days after midterm voting, as ballots are still being counted, Republican 🐉 lawmakers who are holding on to tight leads in midterm states are alleging foul play and voter fraud. The claims were amplified by President Trump 🦀, without evidence, on Friday morning.

"You mean they are just now finding votes in Florida and Georgia — but the Election was on Tuesday?" he wrote in a tweet. "Let's blame the Russians and demand an immediate apology from President Putin!" (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817122018.gif&hash=74d86c1f35e2f61ea38c9bfa392f84a92631b96e)

Current Florida Gov. Rick Scott (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9), locked in a tight Senate race, said in a news conference Thursday night that "the people of Florida deserve fairness and transparency and the supervisors are failing to give it to us." (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c)

"Every Floridian should be concerned there may be rampant voter fraud in Palm Beach and Broward counties," he said. "I will not sit idly by while unethical liberals (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220216203149.gif&hash=bd184b6edccce4045e246847a0c84e89bd5a18b6) try to steal this election from the great people of Florida." (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121829.png&hash=035f25ddb6d065f1533ce03c1c07f5fddcbbc83c)

Scott's race against Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) seems to be headed toward triggering a mandatory recount  ;D. Florida law says any race within a 0.5 percent margin must go to a recount, and as of 9 a.m. Friday, Nelson trailed Scott by 0.18 percent.

Previous claims of widespread voter fraud, including Trump's claim that millions of people voted illegally in 2016, are considered false by voting experts. One investigation, published in 2014, found 31 possible cases of in-person voter fraud out of more than 1 billion ballots cast over a 14-year period. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132421-16902.gif&hash=deba9f0f91ecd7d65bbdeb78786bef4a98cb1a7e)

Read more: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201112.png&hash=679f4583d6861313c256e8762c40929af1ac667e)

https://www.npr.org/2018/11/09/666018707/trump-scott-spread-claims-of-voter-fraud-as-florida-race-narrows
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 10, 2018, 12:50:33 pm
Trump’s 🦀 Firing of Sessions: Is the Presidency Above the Law? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185040-16582181.gif&hash=0d99dd3e7a01101b8b7d5d1d810050efa1fc13df)   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-1625583.gif&hash=a2eb9b0838b0a6c6a52f7ffe11949f008333d97a)

November 10, 2018

People across the country are sounding the alarm over Trump’s firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the temporary appointment of Matt Whitaker, a perceived Trump loyalist and a Russia probe critic. Robert Weissmann of Public Citizen discusses Thursday’s protests across the country and whether Robert Mueller is under threat.

https://youtu.be/41raRa2hda4
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 10, 2018, 03:39:28 pm
November 10, 2018

Is your phone company funding white supremacy?

Tatum Kassel, CREDO Mobile

(https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/CP77gTcPQqVxkai_1wYzgjZfoohJCkvmgWin8Mp9mYIF1hfttAE_c_aEol7HxgngV2qFk6pVGcMalZlLDDiG8JVfKbHFseM6PB6WAZx1T7ItHx_7apZMaCk=s0-d-e1-ft#https://s3.amazonaws.com/credo-email/1811-nov/steve_king_top_image.jpg)

With their past financial contributions to racist Congressman Steve King's campaign, AT&T has been complicit in his overt white supremacist views.

Switch to the phone company fighting every day for equality, civil rights, and a better future for all of us.

Call today to switch to a carrier with a conscience: 855-765-8679
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 10, 2018, 04:33:35 pm
(https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/iTwJuD66rgpElOyDJdNDLsZxRGToyCwFnR1xPHNrldKsjrafey0c7jrOGEh-MyNYcSK3JWmInwH45RI_MSB2TOJIkFwtC5peMNdLjT0hWZqQ6u0hQxU=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.pfaw.org/uploads/2017/08/mueller-trump-protect-web.png)

Given Whitaker's (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) public and well-documented hostility towards the Mueller investigation, he should immediately recuse himself from overseeing the investigation, but given how unlikely that is to occur, Congress MUST step up to protect Mueller and allow the investigation to proceed without interference from Trump.

There's currently a bipartisan bill in Congress, the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, that would ensure that Special Counsel Robert Mueller would be able to conduct his investigation independently and beyond the reach of President Trump. This bill would establish a much-needed firewall between the Trump Administration and the special counsel's office.

Add your name to the growing calls on Congress to pass the bill that would protect Mueller>> (http://act.pfaw.org/sign/protect-the-mueller-investigation-petition/)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F779_8SFIHZc.jpeg&hash=b3919b89921aedc4b9157c83f047b5ab75d4b222)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 10, 2018, 05:05:30 pm
November 10, 2018

BY William Rivers Pitt, Truthout

SNIPPET:

The period of time between right now and January 3 may be, mark my words, the strangest and most dangerous passage this nation has crossed in decades. 👀

Why? Because before Tuesday, Trump only suspected someone might come along with a big enough stick to do him actual damage. Now, he knows they’re coming for sure, and if Wednesday’s presser was any indication, he is not taking the new order of things in stride.

Full MUST READ article: 👍👍👍

At Long Last, Donald (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)
 Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F780_9adc777a0e08428257b76ece69d18ee52006bb5e39d60d966bb2440d29d17641.jpeg&hash=4d8f2f9ea7b952c63ad0441a4619e9b370ddcb0a) Knows True Fear
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)
(https://truthout.org/articles/at-long-last-donald-trump-knows-true-fear/)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-101118134711.png&hash=95656a8745d64029834962eaf709ab2a1042866a)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 10, 2018, 06:09:47 pm
Quote
This is what we’ve waited for

This is it, boys, this is war (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185040-1659929.gif&hash=0a9ca0c1f083655b821cbf024422e55e009a6d8d)

— Nena, “99 Luftballons”

Quote
Elizabeth Warren
@SenWarren

.@SecretaryZinke shouldn't have been confirmed in the first place. He's since used his position to benefit himself and his Big Oil & Gas buddies. But now his conflicts of interest are finally starting to catch up with him. He should resign immediately. https://www.salon.com/2018/10/19/ryan-zinke-fires-doi-inspector-general/ …

10.2K
9:47 AM - Nov 2, 2018

EcoWatch

November 10, 2018

Report: Zinke 😈 Plans to Resign, Explores Fox 🐉 News, Energy 🦕🦖 Company Boards  (https://www.ecowatch.com/zinke-resignation-fox-news-energy-2618877024.html)

Agelbert NOTE: Below, please observe, Zinke having a cup of coffee:

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210316151047.png&hash=322a7c76731414f0f2ba44f8649e39de889b4bd6)

PRISON IS TOO GOOD FOR THAT ZINKE 🦖 PROFIT OVER PEOPLE AND PLANET BASTARD! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818204546.gif&hash=ffeafdfa24208fe5070639ffa682bb2ad041737c)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 12, 2018, 11:41:49 am
Trump 🦀-Russia🦕 puppet Dana Rohrabacher 🐒 has been bounced from Congress. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-1689625.gif&hash=31d44a761d963df1354e5ef55b63387c72033709) Now he’s in REAL trouble. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121424.gif&hash=384c17a4d2be4831084933b91808f8a60f73f7f5) 😀

Bill Palmer | 7:07 pm EST November 11, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, best known for being such a blatant puppet of the Kremlin that a House GOP leader once famously accused him of being on Vladimir Putin’s payroll, has been bounced from Congress. It took several days, but Democratic challenger Harley Rouda 👍 😎 has pulled far enough ahead in the tight race that major news outlets are finally calling it for him. But this is just the beginning of Rohrabacher’s troubles.

Back when the indictment of alleged Russian spy Maria Butina was released, it quickly became clear that Dana Rohrabacher was the Congressman who allegedly met with her during the 2016 election cycle. This led Rohrabacher to go ahead and admit that he did indeed have dinner with her, while saying that he’s not sure if he’s the Congressman referenced in the Butina indictment. That means it’s him, or he’d have denied it.

So this confirms that Special Counsel Robert Mueller, or at least his prosecutorial partners, have indeed been investigating the real reason for Rohrabacher’s open allegiance to the Kremlin all these years in general, and his role in the Trump-Russia election scandal in particular. Is it possible that Rohrabacher is simply a Kremlin puppet because he happens be in love with Russia for innocent if insane reasons? Maybe.

But if it turns out there’s a more substantive reason Dana Rohrabacher has been this far up Vladimir Putin’s butt all this time, prosecutors are going to find it – and let’s just say that if they end up indicting and prosecuting him, it’ll be made easier by the fact that he’s no longer going to be a sitting Congressman. After all, he can’t hide behind the office. For that matter, the Republican leadership will have no strategic reason to try to protect him.

Click here to help fund Palmer Report's editorial takedown of Donald Trump!

Be sure to follow Palmer Report on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for our mailing list.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/trump-russia-puppet-dana-rohrabacher-has-been-bounced-from-congress-now-hes-in-real-trouble/13998/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 12, 2018, 11:52:50 am
Rick Scott (https://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/images/smilies/furious.gif)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163126-16771578.gif&hash=60d3e7427efc846ae1733eff0803c25b5d5b7862) spirals out of control as the Florida elections start to slip away from him  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-141113185047.png&hash=384024358ff8d5e7133d19b6e6638da4584a8154)

Bill Palmer | 8:32 pm EST November 11, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

The 2018 races for Governor and Senator in Florida have turned out to be as suspiciously stacked in the Republicans’ favor as the 2106 race for President was in Florida, and the most obvious commonality is that Rick Scott has been the Governor overseeing all of the above rig-jobs. Scott also happens to be the GOP candidate in the 2018 Senate in question. Not shockingly, he’s done everything he could to try to prevent all the votes from being counted – but his efforts are starting to slip away from him, and he knows it.

Rick Scott is a career criminal who used his position as a health care CEO to defraud Medicare, before using his position as Governor to steal the pensions of teachers and other public servants in Florida. So no one is surprised that he keeps finding himself at the center of the Republican Party’s election rigging scandals; he’s the kind of crook who’s tailor made for the modern GOP.

True to form, Rick Scott has been trying to prevent a legitimate vote count from happening in Florida this week. First he falsely accused Democrat-heavy Broward County of voter fraud, and sent in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate. But that failed when the FDLE quickly concluded that there was no fraud in the county. So now Scott is spiraling out of control.

So far this evening Rick Scott has filed three bogus lawsuits aimed at preventing the votes from being properly counted. He’s trying to have the voting machines and ballots impounded in the midst of being counted, presumably so his henchmen can screw with the results. And, even though his own FDLE officials have confirmed that there was no voter fraud on the part of Democrats, he’s still using the word “fraud” in interviews.

Rick Scott is now dangerously close to felony election tampering. He’s always been something of a cautious criminal throughout his life, which is why he’s never been brought to justice. But as his desperation mounts to rig his own Senate election and he spirals further out of control in an effort to salvage his rig-job, perhaps he’ll screw up in the kind of fashion that might finally bring him to justice for his crimes. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)

Click here to help fund Palmer Report's editorial takedown of Donald Trump!

Be sure to follow Palmer Report on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for our mailing list.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/rick-scott-spirals-elections-slip/14004/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 12, 2018, 12:55:11 pm
SNIPPET:

Vetwife 👍 First Amendment November 11 · 07:50:20 PM

I have said over and over and over...Scott (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) stole medicare from the elderly..Why would ANYONE think he wouldn’t steal votes.   I believe there is malware in there.   We were warned about this…….I don’t believe he actually won Florida twice.  This is fascism at it’s peak.  He took over the hospitals...cut the healthcare… robbed Floridians and has drained us dry and wants to move to the national level.  Brenda Snipes is a Bush apointee….Has Scott turned on a Bush?  He also did not have a blind trust.. His wife

Read more:

‘The sitting Florida Governor (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) is seeking to throw out lawful votes and seize the voting equipment’ (https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/11/1812054/--The-sitting-Florida-Governor-is-seeking-to-throw-out-lawful-votes-and-seize-the-voting-equipment?utm_campaign=trending)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 12, 2018, 02:06:08 pm
SNIPPET:

Before we had Trump’s swarm of bloodsucking lobbyists gutting government regulations from within, we had Cheney’s. Before Trump brazenly used the White House to boost his brand, we had Cheney wallowing in emoluments: He let his energy industry pals shape energy policy; he pushed to invade Iraq, giving no-bid contracts to his former employer, Halliburton, and helping his Big Oil cronies reap the spoils in Iraq.

Read more:

Trump Or Cheney? NYT Asks "Who's The Real American Psycho?" (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-12/wsj-asks-whos-real-american-psycho) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817122018.gif&hash=74d86c1f35e2f61ea38c9bfa392f84a92631b96e)

Agelbert NOTE: The NYT asks the WRONG QUESTION. Trump is HERE NOW. Yeah, Trump would not be HERE without Cheney 🦖 (AND Obama 🐩), but the M.I.C.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) that put Cheney there is STILL (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) HERE. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-16881856.gif&hash=ef5bd30cec7a50a81f3507f9bd328189dead7aa2) 

The M.I.C. (i.e the DEEP STATE) PUT Cheney. Obama AND Trump (and ALL Presidents since WWII) IN POWER!

The M.I.C. IS THE PROBLEM, of which Trump 🦀 is currently just one of its Capitalist Profit Over People and Planet Biosphere destroying symptoms 😈👹🐉🦕🦖💵🎩🍌🏴‍☠️.

The NYT, a CREATURE OF THE M.I.C., is engaging in an attempt to DISTRACT we-the-people from the REAL PROBLEM. The article says many truths, YET refuses to connect ALL the dots that lead straight to the 'MIGHT EQUALS RIGHT' Social Darwinst RELIGION of the Wall Street 'GREED IS GOOD', biosphere math challenged evil bastards.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Femilysquotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F01%2FIf-you-think-the-economy-is-more-important-than-the-environment-try-holding.jpg&hash=aff8496a63efd4b57c75b75eb544bd8002327dba)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 12, 2018, 08:33:29 pm
November 12, 2018

By Chris O'Leary 👍👍👍, former 10 years of Active Duty at U.S. Marine Corps (1989-2000)

(https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-da3491e94176e011cf0025ee2a2e1831)

Read a LOT MORE: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

Why do people hate Donald Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) as President? (https://www.quora.com/Why-do-people-hate-Donald-Trump-as-President)
Title: ReThis Is All Donald Trump Has Left David Roth: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 12, 2018, 09:11:37 pm
November 12, 2018

By David Roth (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185039-1655102.gif&hash=1a13ffad2c8451cba6f45b04a1249447d50c3e73)

This Is All Donald Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Has Left (https://theconcourse.deadspin.com/this-is-all-donald-trump-has-left-1830329753)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 14, 2018, 09:08:56 pm
Rep. Schiff’s priorities for the House Intelligence Committee

November 13, 2018 • 8:00 PM PT

In January, Burbank Congressman Adam Schiff is expected to be chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. We ask what investigations he will open, and what recourse there will be if Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker shuts down Mueller’s Russia probe.

LISTEN:

https://www.kcrw.com/latest/rep-schiffs-priorities-for-the-house-intelligence-committee
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 15, 2018, 11:29:15 pm
Chris Hedges on the Ruleless-ness Tearing Our World Apart (Video)

by CHRIS HEDGES NOV 14, 2018

https://youtu.be/HV0cS1TGve4

The Pulitzer Prize-winner delves into the "deep psychological distress" Americans have been plunged into as meaningful communal bonds are shattered.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 16, 2018, 12:25:52 pm
LDF (Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.), Defend. Educate. Empower.

(https://ci3.googleuserc[size=18pt][size=18pt][size=18pt][/size][/size][/size]ontent.com/proxy/ec2JUifBhKLrBZeOjBBtIUhbpliK_aSTx1aYMbe42AODdXs3T7iDjwqjnmJQdtfimeanHTGWRrfKLPwRwV17vJRS-MSD3a6D1a6HufWBUYGWuaZ8uGdncg=s0-d-e1-ft#http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6857/images/2018-11-LDF-Fall-8-header.png)

The midterm election proved that voter suppression is alive and well. Here's a quick overview of what voters encountered in key states where LDF staff and volunteers were on the ground as part of our Prepared to Vote initiative:

Georgia—Voter Registrations Blocked: Before the election, the state attempted to block 53,000 voter registration applications, most of which were from African Americans. On Election Day, voters encountered long lines and malfunctioning voting machines. Some polling places were even changed without notice. Now, over a week after the election, votes for Georgia's next governor are still being recounted.

Alabama—Black Students Denied the Vote: LDF filed a complaint on behalf of four Black college students who were denied the right to vote in Madison County. Across the state, voters encountered barriers to the ballot because of “inactive voter” lists, inaccurate voter registration lists, mismatches between addresses on photo ID and registered addresses, and poorly trained poll workers.

South Carolina—Machines Changing Votes: In Richland County, voters reported that machines were changing their votes. There was only one technician assigned to recalibrate malfunctioning machines for every five polling places, resulting in long wait times during the morning hours.

Texas—Early Voting Cut for Students: Last month, LDF filed a lawsuit on behalf of students at Prairie A&M University who are being disenfranchised by attempts to curtail early voting on campus. On Election Day, Texas voters encountered challenges with malfunctioning or broken machines, polling place changes, and long wait times for public transportation for voters with disabilities.

Barriers to the ballot in these states and others revealed renewed efforts to restrict voters' rights. Our report on the obstacles we encountered (https://www.naacpldf.org/wp-content/uploads/Prepared-to-Vote_2018_VOTE_BULLETIN_PREVIEW_FINAL.pdf) underscores the ongoing impact of voter suppression on racial minorities and the need for greater protections and election reform.

LDF has fought diligently over the past year to defend civil rights, and we will continue to ensure that all voters can exercise their fundamental right to vote. Watch this video to learn more and help us keep fighting with a donation in support of equality.

WATCH NOW (https://vimeo.com/298699385)

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
40 Rector Street, 5th floor   •  New York, NY 10006


A brief snapshot of a few of the voting issues the LDF team observed on the ground and learned about on Election Day

SNIPPET:

Quote
TEXAS

In Tarrant and Dallas counties, Texas voters encountered challenges with malfunctioning or broken machines, polling place changes, and long wait times for public transportation for voters with disabilities.

At the Lakeside Recreation Center precinct, voters—most of whom were people of color—were turned away for attempting to vote at the wrong location. The precinct lines changed 😈 from the previous election, but the voters did not receive notice.

In Harris County, long delays in the morning hours at polling sites around the county resulted in a judicial order to
extend polling place evening hours at nine locations

READ MORE about ELECTION RIGGING in Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina AND Missouri: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201112.png&hash=679f4583d6861313c256e8762c40929af1ac667e)

Our report on the obstacles we encountered (https://www.naacpldf.org/wp-content/uploads/Prepared-to-Vote_2018_VOTE_BULLETIN_PREVIEW_FINAL.pdf)

Quote
Democracy Defended, our full report on the 2018 midterm elections, which will also include an analysis of pre-Election Day voter suppression activities, is forthcoming.

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
40 Rector Street, 5th floor   •  New York, NY 10006

Agelbert NOTE: A more appropriate title for the forthcoming LDF full report would be "Democracy Destroyed" or "Democracy Attacked". 

Response to the above irrefutable evidence of  REPUBLICAN FASCIST ELECTION RIGGING by Right Wing BIGOTS (see below):

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-101118134711.png&hash=95656a8745d64029834962eaf709ab2a1042866a)

(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f269a0531f54fd1c1618278fe0144f1a4c83cc284aa96b523caece2ad390f752.jpg)


ANOTHER Agelbert NOTE: It is no coincidence that the very same racist PIGS who rig elections in the USA are in total alignment with the Hydrocarbon Hellspawn destroying our environment for profit over planet. They are ALL "Birds" of the VERY SAME empathy deficit disordered, hate filled, vile, despicable, rampant greed driven "feather". 

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-141118190003.jpeg&hash=e7433a688ea20d1b1c56e548dee9ef5a97d56679)

https://youtu.be/_LXiSPpfM54
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 19, 2018, 11:24:47 pm
(https://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/onix/cvr9781471182389/proof-of-collusion-9781471182389_hr.jpg)

Proof of Collusion
How Trump Betrayed America

By Seth Abramson (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac)

For the first time, the full, explosive record of the unthinkable: how a US president compromised American foreign policy in exchange for the promise of future business and covert election assistance.

Looking back at this moment in history, historians will ask if Americans knew they were living through the first case of criminal conspiracy between an American presidential candidate turned commander in chief and a geopolitical enemy. The answer might be: it was hard to see the whole picture. The stories coming in from around the globe have often seemed fantastical: clandestine meetings in foreign capitals, secret recordings in a Moscow hotel, Kremlin agents infiltrating the Trump inner circle...

Seth Abramson has tracked every one of these far-flung reports and now, in Proof of Collusion, he finally gives us a record of the unthinkable - a president compromising American foreign policy in exchange for the promise of future business and covert election assistance. The attorney, professor and former criminal investigator has used his exacting legal mind and forensic acumen to compile, organise and analyse every piece of the Trump-Russia story. His conclusion is clear: the case for collusion is staring us in the face. Drawing from American and European news outlets, he takes readers through the Trump-Russia scandal chronologically, putting the developments in context and showing how they connect. His extraordinary march through all the public evidence includes:

* How Trump worked for thirty years to expand his real estate empire into Russia even as he was rescued from bankruptcy by Putin’s oligarchs and Kremlin agents.

* How Russian intelligence gathered compromising material on him over multiple trips.

* How Trump recruited Russian allies and business partners while running for president.

* How he surrounded himself with advisers who engaged in clandestine negotiations with Russia.

* How Trump aides and family members held secret meetings with foreign agents and lied about them.


By pulling every last thread of this complicated story together, Abramson argues that - even in the absence of a Congressional investigation or a report from Special Counsel Mueller - the public record already indicates a quid pro quo between Trump and the Kremlin. The most extraordinary part of the case for collusion is that so much of it unfolded in plain sight.  :o  >:(  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

http://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Proof-of-Collusion/Seth-Abramson/9781471182389
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 21, 2018, 01:53:18 pm
Adam Schiff (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) slam dunks Donald (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) Trump


Bill Palmer | 9:09 am EST November 21, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

Unless you spent the weekend under a rock, you’ve heard by now that Donald Trump lashed out at incoming House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff by idiotically referring to him as “Adam Schitt.” This prompted Schiff to fire back by making light of Trump’s insistence that he wrote the answers to Robert Mueller’s questions himself. Now that Trump is in new trouble, Schiff is taking aim at him accordingly.

Donald Trump released a shameful and treasonous statement siding with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, who murdered American journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Adam Schiff fired back in this manner: “To say “maybe he did and maybe he didn’t,” or that we are incapable of finding out the truth, or that knowing the truth our silence can be bought with arms sales, undermines the Presidency, credibility of our intelligence professionals, and our role as a champion of human rights.”

Then came the news that back in April, Donald Trump tried to have Hillary Clinton and James Comey prosecuted on false charges. Schiff fired back again: “To those who have said that Trump is committed to the rule of law, and that he would never seek to turn his personal or political animus into criminal prosecution of his opponents: He is not. And he would. We must pass legislation to protect Mueller before it’s too late.”

The important part here is that, after having spent the past two years stuck as minority ranking member on the House Intel Committee, Adam Schiff is now just a few weeks from becoming majority Chairman. This means Schiff will have subpoena power and the ability to hold public hearings into every one of Donald Trump’s scandals. In other words, Schiff will soon be able to slam dunk Trump with far more than just words.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/adam-schiff-slam-dunks-trump/14156/


Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo were treasonously plotting with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from the start


Tim Faulkner | 12:01 pm EST November 21, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

Even as Donald Trump publicly sides today with Saudi Arabia, we’re learning that current United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, delivered a detailed plan to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in an attempt at assisting in the coverup of the murder of American resident and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. This is according to a new bombshell story from the Middle East Eye. If proven true, this would be an outrageous attempt by the Donald Trump administration to cover up a crime against the United States by a foreign leader.

Just as Trump did when he sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the American Intelligence community, Trump is now siding with Saudi leaders over the CIA, which stated that MBS ordered the torture and murder of Khashoggi. According to the Middle East Eye’s source, Pompeo delivered the elaborate coverup plan, a step-by-step procedure to avoid culpability for the king and crown prince, in person during a meeting in Riyadh on October 16, exactly two weeks after Khashoggi’s death.

The plan involved scapegoating an innocent member of the ruling Saudi family to protect top leaders from any political or criminal fallout. Such a blatant attempt to prevent justice and protect ruthless murderers would cause worldwide outrage, but the fact that top officials in Trump’s administration were the masterminds behind the plan is stunning. Even before the story bringing Pompeo into the conspiracy came out, human rights groups across the globe were demanding the United States uncover the truth.

It now appears that top intelligence officials in the Trump administration were well aware of what happened, but instead of working to make the facts public, they did everything they could to help protect those involved in ordering the gruesome murder. “When Pompeo declared on 18 October that Saudi Arabia should be given ‘a few more days’ to complete its investigation into the case, he was giving them time to begin implementing his plan,” according to the source. While this story is sure to attract worldwide scrutiny, Trump might (temporarily) enjoy the distraction from all of the indictments of Special Counsel Robert Mueller that are likely coming soon.

Click here to help fund Palmer Report's editorial takedown of Donald Trump!

Be sure to follow Palmer Report on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for our mailing list.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/pompeo-plottng-treason-start-trump/14149/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 22, 2018, 08:14:34 pm
The old FOX IN THE HENHOUSE trick

This must hear Thom Hartmann Podcast exposes how Trump AND crooked Judge Kavanagh helped deep six JFK assassination files AND gave the CIA a pass for OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. Senator Mitch McConnell is also part of this continued cover up. How come? Mitch McConnell was an intern on the Warren Commission whitewash! 

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163123-1664600.png&hash=d609f7e4847e25e034ca7c7b11e75234ba2a0afd) November 22, 2018 Podcast  (https://www.thomhartmann.com/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 24, 2018, 10:15:36 pm
(https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/F5tzvIUJ01MKuiJZhQBFykB1xfn22muJLZ3jih5DtRu_1xBXFM-lMAIvn5cgcvP7uMH1ssBpnhxxQXq_zoEAO7o5BTig_J850Gz49zM-UTbkE45OvDJNJoMMVbLLiZP4QAbLz--Sc37RQ65hmZfDeMoxhA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/data/000/238/106/original/Trumpducken_(unbranded).png)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100718164155-14511755.jpeg&hash=1c62dd0525852ffbbcbc7f2459189db15d6435c6)

Tomorrow is Yesterday...

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210316151047.png&hash=322a7c76731414f0f2ba44f8649e39de889b4bd6)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 27, 2018, 04:47:43 pm
Sinking Donald Trump (https://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/images/smilies/furious.gif) declares war on General Motors, CNN, Robert Mueller, and well, just about everyone (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-141113185047.png&hash=384024358ff8d5e7133d19b6e6638da4584a8154)

Bill Palmer | 12:30 am EST November 27, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

Donald Trump is having a particularly bad day. How do we know this? Just ask Donald Trump. He’s spent the day declaring war against, well, just about everyone. This isn’t some kind of power move, either. He’s making empty threats that he knows he can’t carry out, he’s lashing out at everyone who’s defying him or making him look bad, and he’s running out of designated enemies.

Trump spent the morning attacking Robert Mueller and the Trump-Russia investigation, the latest sign that Trump’s Matt Whitaker stunt hasn’t worked, and that Trump is as frustrated with Mueller’s ongoing progress as ever. Then Trump posted a multi-part tweet all but calling for the worldwide destruction of CNN, and hinting at launching state-run television in its place (no, he can’t make this happen). But then came Trump’s feud with General Motors.

GM announced today that, largely due to Donald Trump’s failed trade war, it’ll be shedding large chunks of its American workforce. Trump promised that he would magically bring back American automotive jobs, but instead his disastrous economic policies have made things worse. Now Trump is lashing out at GM, insisting that the car maker “better put something else in” to replace the lost U.S. jobs. That’s obviously not going to happen.

If this storyline sounds familiar, it’s because Donald Trump previously had a similar feud with iconic American motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson. Trump demanded that Harley keep the jobs in the United States, but Harley took them overseas anyway, and of course Trump has done nothing about it. Ford has also slashed manufacturing jobs due to Trump’s trade war.

But the bigger story here may be that Donald Trump just keeps declaring war on one American cornerstone after another, whether it be a respected public official like Mueller, or a respected news outlet like CNN, or a bedrock car company like General Motors. As Trump circles the drain, he’s now at war with everyone – except for the thugs running Russia and Saudi Arabia. But then again, he personally owes them money.

Click here to help fund Palmer Report's editorial takedown of Donald Trump!

Be sure to follow Palmer Report on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for our mailing list.

Bill Palmer



Bill Palmer is the publisher of the political news outlet Palmer Report


https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/war-general-motors-cnn-mueller/14258/

(https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/F5tzvIUJ01MKuiJZhQBFykB1xfn22muJLZ3jih5DtRu_1xBXFM-lMAIvn5cgcvP7uMH1ssBpnhxxQXq_zoEAO7o5BTig_J850Gz49zM-UTbkE45OvDJNJoMMVbLLiZP4QAbLz--Sc37RQ65hmZfDeMoxhA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/data/000/238/106/original/Trumpducken_(unbranded).png)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 27, 2018, 05:13:32 pm
(https://allthoughtsworkoutdoors.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/p9047017-030close-up.jpg)

Chris Hedges - The American Empire 😈👹🦍💵🎩🍌🏴‍☠️ Will Collapse Within a Decade, Two at Most (11-19-18)

46,633 views

https://youtu.be/tCDd3VoAFUs

VulgarTrader

Published on Nov 20, 2018

Here, Chris speaks with CBC Radio about his new book and predicts that the US empire will collapse within the next 20 years, probably within the next 10.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 28, 2018, 05:30:17 pm
PART OF THE TRUTHOUT SERIES  Progressive Picks

BY Karen Garcia, Sardonicky

PUBLISHED November 28, 2018


SNIPPET 1:

Quote
With about eight dynasties now possessing as much money as half the entire world’s population combined, it is impossible to ignore the fact that extreme wealth inequality is antithetical to the health and future of humanity and every other living thing on earth.


SNIPPET 2:

Quote
Meanwhile, back in the US capitol, House Speaker-in-Waiting Nancy Pelosi 👎 took to the pay-walled pages of the Amazon Empire’s Washington Post mouthpiece in yet another attempt to convince the oppressed that her plutocratic Congress is in their corner.

But her words can’t help but betray that the Democratic Party’s toothless new “restoring democracy” legislation is simply more sugar-coating of the continued oppression of ordinary people by the Amazon-America League of Oligarchs. She follows the neoliberal playbook of diagnosing the lethal cancer and then prescribing band-aids to keep it nicely hidden. The “big tells” are highlighted in my bold.

Full article:

American Nightmare” Is an Antidote to Misguided Faith in Liberal Politics (https://truthout.org/articles/american-nightmare-is-an-antidote-to-misguided-faith-in-liberal-politics/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 29, 2018, 12:35:40 pm
Thom Hartmann thinks Trump 😈 is doing the Nixon (pretending to be totally nuts dangerous for negotiation purposes) strategy combined with the Goebbels dictate for Hitler. 👹

Goebbels told Hitler, in no uncertain terms, that they could control the populace, even though they had minority support, IF, and ONLY if, they kept everyone off balance. The other advice Goebbels is mostly known for is the Big Lie. Actually, Goebbels proposed both those ethicallly bankrupt strategies as part of a formula to achieve dictatorial power.

This required food fights, spats (real or not), outrageous demands, etc. to dominate the news cycle while a lot of 'progress' on their heinous plans went on behind the scenes until total dictatorial power was obtained.

I think Trump is following that script. I think the Koch Brothers 🦕🦖 handed it to him.

QUOTE:

"One longtime Koch lieutenant characterized the overall strategy of Koch's libertarian funding over the years with both a theatrical metaphor and an Austrian capital theory one: Politicians, ultimately, are just actors playing out a script. The idea is, one gets better and quicker results aiming not at the actors but at the scriptwriters, to help supply the themes and words for the scripts – to try to influence the areas where policy ideas percolate from: academia and think tanks. Ideas, then, are the capital goods that go into building policy as a finished product – and there are insufficient libertarian capital goods at the top of the structure of production to build the policies libertarians demand."

Read more:

The political activities of the Koch brothers include the financial and political influence of Charles G. 🦕 and David H. 🦖 Koch on United States politics. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_activities_of_the_Koch_brothers#frb-inline)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F780_9adc777a0e08428257b76ece69d18ee52006bb5e39d60d966bb2440d29d17641.jpeg&hash=4d8f2f9ea7b952c63ad0441a4619e9b370ddcb0a)


An interesting documentary on Nixon. It leaves some important stuff out, of course. BUT, it does offer some clues about nixon's behavior not many people know about:


Reputations: The Secret World of Richard Nixon, Part One (BBC, 2000)

126,479 views

https://youtu.be/l7FY4MjVB1c

Jack Graham

Published on Aug 12, 2016

The first of a two part Reputations special, originally aired on BBC 2 in 2000.  This episode reveals Nixon's dangerous and unstable private personality, and how it deformed his political career and presidency.

PART 2

https://youtu.be/R4flLbGgPhU

Jack Graham

Published on Aug 12, 2016

The second of a two part Reputations special, originally aired on BBC 2 in 2000.  This episode reveals Nixon's conspiracy to sabotage the 1968 peace talks with Vietnam in order to extend the war, allowing a Nixon election victory later that same year at the cost of thousands of preventable deaths.


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 30, 2018, 02:56:09 pm
In real socialism, or communism, the bureaucrats get all the goodies. Cuba is a case in point.

So it's better that Eddie Lampert, Carl Icahn and Jamie Dimon get all the Goodies? ???  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163125-16731933.gif&hash=22dedd3548e66d624c4c7ff9b16a5c134768da77)

RE

Good one. 👍 ;D

You see, RE, the issue with Capitalist Ideology is not so much WHO gets the goodies. Capitalist Ideologues are basically immune to being convinced of the LACK of merit of Capitalism. Any other type of economic system credited with attempting to reduce inequality in society will always be mocked as a scam.

Captalist ideology, of course, requires the demonization of any system (e.g. Socialism) that attempts to reduce greed based inequality. However, all the endlessly and boringly repeated "evidence" presented "justifying" Capitalism as the "best" system is not really what drives the Capitalist to vigorously defend Capitalist Ideology (often by vigorously attacking egalitarian Ideologies like Socialism).

What drives the CAPITALIST iDEOLOGY IS not PROFIT.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163125-16722324.gif&hash=fd301340fefe90d81ed8826dfa0568be12a1c0d8) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-16181943.gif&hash=0b93e71ee5e24bbe02555e0d648a1283e0e9651d)

What drives the Capitalist Ideology is a (flawed) World View. But, but, aren't Capitalists all aout profit?

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132422-1694957.gif&hash=0bc3d0238a5d0f215f6edc6c0bd62395e93be065)

NOPE.

Here's a clue to what is behind the diamond hard ideological shell Capitalists surround themselves with that prevents them from objectively measuring the merits of egalitarian economic systems like Socialism.

Quote
"Capitalist ideology claims that the world is perfectly ordered and everybody is in their place (i..e. everybody gets what they deserve). This self legitmating aspect of Capitalism is Socially Catastrophic. This is the Victorian view of the world." Rob Urie - Author " Zen Economics"

IOW, Capitalist WORLD VIEW, which I once mistakenly shared, embodies a firm belief  that human relations are governed by pecking order. This half truth morphs, in the Capitalist's mind, into accepting that the most predatory, aggressive, intelligent, manipulative, etc. (you get the idea - might is right and morality is for the weak) will ALWAYS rise to the top of the pecking order heap, no matter what the economic system. SO, since most people who buy this Malthusean World View do not consider themselves at the totally consciense free "ideal" elite level of pecking order, they ask themselves how best they can survive, and possibly thrive, in this jungle.

They look at Socialism and expect (see: Predatory Pecking Order World View) that everybody is going to have gooberment breathing down their necks while the "big boys rake it in at the top". They look at Capitalism where everybody is getting shafted, more or less, by the big boys raking it in at the top, BUT, there is theoretically more freedom from gooberment "interference" at the middle class level.

SO, they defend Capitalism, "with all its warts".  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)

The incorrect premise (Pecking Order justifies predatory behavior in humans) leads to the biosphere destroying behavior that Capitalists wittingly (and often unwittingly) engage in, to the detriment of our species.

The correct World View is that humans are social beings. No, we are not like the bees and ants, which are, for all practical purposes, species instinctively 100% Socialist. But, we are certainly NOT "lone individuals in competition for resources with our family, friends, peer group, etc.". That's the PECKING ORDER WORLD VIEW that "justifies" ANTI-Social behavior because "if you don't do it, somebody else will run over you to do it". (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162655-14212306.gif&hash=ac1ba9a4062a66706644a3a889fa54d31c5eb4f0) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132332-16812332.gif&hash=ca61f76f711b4ad81f3e665376f43c8076f05b1d)

All the other (Predatory Pecking Order, Social Darwinist Ideology based) claims about varying intelligence levels, natural differences in human skill and ability that are "penalized" by Socialism, the alleged Socialst hindrence to greater economic prosperity based on education, experience, etc. are ALL realities that can certainly be accommodated in an EMPATHY BASED EGALITARIAN economic system like SOCIALISM.

Soviet Style "Socialism" was NOT TRUE SOCIALISM. Neither is Cuba's "Socialism". WHY? Because it simply replaced the Owner BOSS/Employee WORKER PECKING ORDER with the Commissar BOSS/Comrad WORKER PECKING ORDER.

THAT is why anarchists called the Soviet (FAILED) Experiment, STATE CAPITALISM.

In many places in the world today there are Socialist organizations that work as they should. They are called COOPs. The Manufactured Home Park I live in is now becomming an R.O.C. (Resident Owned Community). We will ALWAYS limit how much you can sell your home and lot for to make SURE that prices remain within the reach of the middle class to poor American Family who wants a home. We will take care of the grounds and we will ALL continue to pay the same "rent", whether we are on the board of directors or not.

THAT is how SOCIALISM WORKS. We are making our little portion of American society more stable, more secure and more environmentally conscious. If this happened all over the world, humanity would have a fighting chance to REALISTICALLY deal with making sure that EVERYBODY pays their fair share of ALL COSTS in order to mitigate Catastrophic Climate Change. There is NO CHANCE of that happening in a Capitalist World Economy.

Getting back to our (FAILED) version of Capitalism, here is just one of a video series that lays out the incredibly creative level of BOLD FACED BULLSHIT that Capitalism defending economists have engaged in to explain the "rationality" of CAPITALIST CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, that continues UNABATED today, which is methodically destroying the world economy through increasing, totally unjustified, inequality:

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)

How Fraud Corrodes Weak Market Regulations Governed by Market Fundamentalism

November 24, 2018

Prof. Bill Black’s talk at the forum, “Destroying the Myths of Market Fundamentalism,” held in Washington DC, on October 19, 2018


https://youtu.be/MzGELSq4alE

Series: Destroying the Myths of Market Fundamentalism (https://therealnews.com/series/destroying-the-myths-of-market-fundamentalism)

Ralph Nader: Destroying the Myths of Market Fundamentalism

Antitrust and How Kleptocracy Corrupts What Markets are Supposed to do Well

The Virtues and Limits of Markets

https://therealnews.com/stories/how-fraud-corrodes-weak-market-regulations-governed-by-market-fundamentalism (https://therealnews.com/stories/how-fraud-corrodes-weak-market-regulations-governed-by-market-fundamentalism)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 01, 2018, 01:41:28 pm
Agelbert NOTE: The following selected comments highlight the importance of the article posted here after the comments:

Quote
Eureka says:
November 30, 2018 at 7:47 pm
Well that’s a relief, another loop back into Stone besides Corsi.  I remember those posts about the earlier PACs but it is hard to keep all of the crime syndicate balls in the air as to how they may relate ultimately to the Mueller investigation.  So appreciate you are on top of it all.  These people (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) are so exhausting!


Semanticleo says:
November 30, 2018 at 8:15 pm
Hoping Muellers self-,,,imposed gag order is lifted soon. It must be embarrassing enduring so many scofflaws of putative legal entities and low-lifes of Manaforts 😈 statuous Republican  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) iconography.


Jenny says:
November 30, 2018 at 9:13 pm
Thanks Marcy for continuing to put all the puzzle pieces together.  At this point, I need a score card to tell the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) players.

Shady Don (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) McGahn’s name was in the book, Blinded by the Right, not very flattering back in the 80s and 90s.  Now he is front and center.  Questionable as FEC, Commissioner.  Will he go down too?

Did these individuals (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) all go to Trump 🦀 University majoring in Crime 101: Collusion, Corruption and Obstruction?


SOME IMPORTANT HISTORICAL DETAILS  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) MICHAEL COHEN PROBABLY SHARED WITH MUELLER’S TEAM

November 30, 2018/19 Comments/in 2012 Presidential Election, 2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Mueller Probe /by emptywheel

The attention since Michael Cohen pled guilty has focused largely on his role in brokering a Trump Tower deal, which was the substance of his lies to Congress as detail in his plea. But there are other things about which he was surely a really useful witness for Mueller. ABC provided some sketchy details, including the enticing detail that Cohen knew about pardon offers (possibly, even for him).

Quote
Cohen has spent more than 70 hours in interviews with Mueller’s team. The questioning has focused on contacts with Russians by Trump associates during the campaign, Trump’s business ties to Russia, obstruction of justice and talk of possible pardons, sources familiar with the discussions have told ABC News.

But I want to point to two historical details of particular interest. 🧐

It’s clear that Mueller has some interest in campaign finance irregularities, at least those of Roger Stone (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) . But the crowd Roger rat-f u c k s with actually has a history with Michael Cohen (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9). Cohen set up a 527 in 2011 into which Trump Organization funneled probably illegal cash.

As I’ve noted, in 2011, one of the people closely involved in Stone’s 2016 rat-f u c king, Pamela Jensen (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9), was involved in a 527 called ShouldTrumpRun that listed Michael Cohen as President.

 
(https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screenshot-2018-08-18-at-8.29.41-PM.png)

The organization was apparently laundering Trump corporate cash into campaign spending. But when the issue came before the FEC, Commissioner Don McGahn  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) helped kill an investigation into it.

Quote
During McGahn’s FEC tenure, one of those he helped save from enforcement action was Trump himself. In 2011, when the future president-elect was engaged in a high-profile process of considering whether to enter the 2012 race for the Republican presidential nomination, Trump was formally accused in an FEC complaint of violating agency regulations. The case was dismissed on a deadlocked vote of the FEC commissioners.

A four-page complaint filed by Shawn Thompson of Tampa, Fla., accused Trump of illegally funneling corporate money from his Trump Organization into an organization called ShouldTrumpRun.com. McGahn and fellow FEC Republicans Caroline Hunter and Matthew Petersen voted to block FEC staff recommendations that Trump be investigated in the matter—designated Matter Under Review (MUR) 6462.

Ultimately, Trump opted not to run for president in 2012. Nonetheless, FEC staff attorneys concluded his activities before that decision may have violated campaign finance rules regarding money raised to “test the waters” for a candidacy. A staff report from the FEC Office of General Counsel, based largely on news articles and other documents about Trump’s flirtation with running for president—including Trump’s own quoted statements— recommended that the commissioners authorize a full FEC investigation backed by subpoena power.

FEC Democrats voted to pursue the recommended probe, but the votes of McGahn and the other FEC Republicans precluded the required four-vote majority needed for the commission to act.

McGahn and Hunter issued a “ statement of reasons” explaining their votes in the Trump matter in 2013. The 11-page statement blasted FEC staff attorneys in the Office of General Counsel for reviewing volumes of published information regarding Trump’s potential 2012 candidacy in order to determine whether to recommend that the FEC commissioners vote to authorize a full investigation. McGahn and Hunter argued that the FEC counsel’s office was prohibited from examining information other than what was contained in the formal complaint submitted in the case.

The Office of General Counsel shouldn’t be allowed to pursue an “unwritten, standardless process whereby OGC can review whatever articles and other documents not contained in the complaint that they wish, and send whatever they wish to the respondent for comment,” the Republican commissioners wrote.

And this public trial balloon in 2011 is interesting  ;) for another reason. It means that when Trump set up the Miss American deal in 2013, the Russians knew he 🦀 might consider running for President. Cohen was closely involved in that deal, too.

That Cohen was involved in negotiations with the Agalarovs in 2013  is interesting enough. But I’m particularly intrigued by something that happened in the wake of the disclosure of the June 9 meeting. As the Trumps and Agalarovs started getting testy about each others’ response, Ike Kaveladze called Roman Beniaminov’s attention to a picture from the Las Vegas announcement party that got leaked to the press, highlighting Cohen and Keith Schiller.

On July 13, 2017, Ike Kaveladze (who was really in charge of the meeting for his boss, Aras Agalarov) and Roman Beniaminov (Emin Agalrov’s assistant, who heard ahead of time the meeting was about dealing dirt on Hillary to the Trumps) had the following exchange by text (PDF 34).

 
(https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Screen-Shot-2018-06-11-at-4.41.13-PM.png)

[Kaveladze sends link]

Quote
Beniaminov: But I don’t recall taking any video. And I can’t understand why it looks so similar.

Kaveladze: I mean his trump organization employees.

By July 13, the Agalarovs and Trumps (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201903.png&hash=f7b1f3e1f363fe16e0e17f9c2d82b60fa83b8731)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201722.png&hash=5299cc10ee42beae76e4d3b7c79dbf5f4c0addac) were increasingly at odds on how to respond to the story, not least after the Trumps leaked Rod Goldstone’s name to the press after saying they wouldn’t. After that, there seemed to be increasing amounts of dirt being leaked, perhaps by both sides.  :D

It appears that Kaveladze may have phoned Beniaminov right before this to raise this CNN story, which had just been posted. Beniaminov seemed to think Kaveladze had suggested that he, Beniaminov, had taken the video, even while he seems to have been present at the Las Vegas event back in 2013.

 
(https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Cohen-and-Schiller-1.png)

Scott Balber 😈, the Agalarov’s👹 ever-present lawyer (who had actually represented Trump on a Miss Universe related issue in 2013), was quoted in the piece.

Quote
“It’s simply fiction that this was some effort to create a conduit for information from the Russian federal prosecutors to the Trump campaign,” Balber said on CNN’s “New Day.” “It’s just fantasy world because the reality is if there was something important that Mr. Agalarov wanted to communicate to the Trump campaign, I suspect he could have called Mr. Trump directly as opposed to having his son’s pop music publicist be the intermediary.”
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121829.png&hash=035f25ddb6d065f1533ce03c1c07f5fddcbbc83c)

I don’t rule out Balber having taken and leaked the video.

Or maybe not: What Kaveladze is interested in highlighting to Beniaminov is the presence of two other Trump employees in the video: Keith Schiller and Michael Cohen, shown above.

I don’t know what to make of the reference — though it’s equally possible they were involved in the 2017 response, or were viewed for some other reason as an additional concern regarding the June 9 meeting.

While Schiller actually was in the loop of the June 9 meeting (Rob Goldstone chatted with him the day of the meeting and asked about how to mail things to Trump given increased security), there’s no public evidence Cohen was.

But perhaps Kaveladze realized Cohen might know something about the 2013 events that would be of concern as the investigated heated up.

In any case, we know from Mueller’s questions he thinks the 2013 does serve as a key part of the investigation. And while Schiller 🦖with his sinecure at the RNC (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100718164155-14511755.jpeg&hash=1c62dd0525852ffbbcbc7f2459189db15d6435c6)— may not be talking, Michael Cohen is.  ;D

There are other aspects of Trump’s business that Cohen will explain for Mueller, including corrupt deals with Russians and related countries.

But these two past events are likely to be of particular interest for Mueller’s prosecutors.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)


Tags: Aras Agalarov, Don McGahn, Ike Kaveladze, Michael Cohen, Roger Stone, Roman Beniaminov

Agelbert additional NOTE: For those that don't know about the Miss America Trump DEAL with Russia, let me say that you are missing the KEY to how Russia got to Trump. All the rest of the collusion fun and games, including real estate money laundering and continuously bailing Trump out of his CONSISTENT BUSINESS FAILURES, followed smoothly thereafter.

The Russian Oligarchs OWNED Trump LONG before he ran for POTUS.

If you cannot handle that, you are in willful denial. Let me also add that the Republican Party DOES NOT see Russia as an adversary, simply because Russia is run by a Profit Over People and Planet Oligarchy, just as the USA currently is. So, YEAH, the Republicans are happy as pigs in poop to take all the Russian money they can. AND THEY HAVE, AND CONTINUE NOW, to TAKE RUSSIAN MONEY! The Republican Party is the Party of TRAITORS on behalf of CAPITALIST/FASCIST OLIGARCHY. If you think that is not the case, SEE BELOW:

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-230815160919.gif&hash=e606a53bb5dc82bbd50eb8f079b9becc20109263)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 01, 2018, 04:58:40 pm
How the Profit Over People and Planet DINOs (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) in the Democratic Party Plan to Screw Americans Out of Medicare for All, Reality Based Social Security Pensions & A Green New Deal

Agelbert NOTE: Also in this reality based video is a (summarized) TRUE HISTORY of WHY and HOW the REPUBLICAN PARTY destroyed a MAJOR PART of the middle class in the USA.

https://youtu.be/nlcGqc7DZi8

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Nov 20, 2018

After Democrats took back the House, a debate on who the next speaker would be was the a major concern for democrats right up there with who would be running for President in the 2020 general election.

One group of corporate democrats is fighting to get rid of Nancy Pelosi, but not for the reasons you would think,

Can progressives put aside ideological unity and embrace Nancy Pelosi before this group of corporate democrats (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smilies.4-user.de%2Finclude%2FSpiele%2Fsmilie_game_017.gif&hash=e8548890f80af23241a1d43a1ab1ca8031301f20)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) sends the party right into the hands of multinational corporations?

SUPPORT THE PROGRAM
► Join us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/thomhartmann where you can also watch a re-run of the three hour program at any time
 
AUDIO PODCASTS
► Subscribe today: http://www.thomhartmann.com/podcast

(https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Opposecapitalism5.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 02, 2018, 06:41:50 pm
Palmer Report December 1, 2018 SNIPPET:

The document is thirty-three pages, so we’ll cut to the chase: Michael Cohen is asking for time served. This would mean that he wouldn’t have to report to prison at all. Considering the seriousness of the nine felonies he’s pleaded guilty to, as well as the other felony charges that were waived as part of his deal, this would be a very lenient sentence. The thing is, the mere act that he’s asking for it reveals something.

For a defendant, the goal in a sentencing memo is to ask for something on the lenient end of what might be considered realistic. You don’t want to ask for something absurd, because then the judge might be offended, and might be inclined to not take the request seriously. Considering how closely Michael Cohen has been working with Robert Mueller and other prosecutors – including the events of yesterday – you have to figure that he made this request after running it past them first, and wouldn’t have asked for something that they found offensive, either.

Michael Cohen’s decision to release this document right now, when his sentencing hearing isn’t for nearly two weeks, suggests that he’s trying to capitalize on the public goodwill that he earned yesterday when he helped Robert Mueller expose that Donald Trump was a part of the Trump Tower Moscow conspiracy during the 2016 election. Cohen went a long way yesterday to taking down Donald Trump, as well as bringing Trump’s kids to justice.

We’ll see what Robert Mueller comes back with as far as his sentencing recommendation. The judge could then end up realistically going with anything in between what Mueller asks for and what Cohen asks for. But again, it’s revealing that Cohen thinks he’s in a strong enough position to even ask for a free pass. If Mueller comes anywhere close to recommending time served, it’ll mean that Mueller thinks Cohen has been a really big help in Trump’s downfall.

You can  read the lengthy sentencing memo here. (https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5348235-Cohen-sentencing-memo.html?fbclid=IwAR0mN8Hi9SVEGiKuBwCNBFunrHeEgYISBRPP6eMifvwEANOMYucXuS_d8Wk) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132422-1693180.gif&hash=8bc43ce7ebff6fb3a70224434834524068d3583c)

Full article:

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/sentencing-memo-revealing-cohen/14384/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 03, 2018, 01:32:10 pm
Quote from: AG
The Russian Oligarchs OWNED Trump LONG before he ran for POTUS.

If you cannot handle that, you are in willful denial. Let me also add that the Republican Party DOES NOT see Russia as an adversary, simply because Russia is run by a Profit Over People and Planet Oligarchy, just as the USA currently is. So, YEAH, the Republicans are happy as pigs in poop to take all the Russian money they can. AND THEY HAVE, AND CONTINUE NOW, to TAKE RUSSIAN MONEY!

Bookmark this post. Most of the Rs in Congress are owned by Russia, and all are actively engaged in obstruction of justice. In the fullness of time all will be revealed. And the fuckwits who have declaimed that "TrumpRussia"is a neocon myth, like Caitlin F u c k i n g Johnstone, will be revealed for their poor judgment and lack of understanding Or ideological blindness.

Eric Trump admitted to all this before they told him to STFU.

Yep. By the way, have you been able to wade through the 33 page Mueller Motion to get Cohen a lighter sentence? It is quite incriminating of Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd), even if Trump 🦀, as usual, is trying Orwell his way out of his PROVEN COLLUSION by making noises about having the "maximum sentence" book thrown at Cohen.

Palmer Report December 1, 2018 SNIPPET:

The document is thirty-three pages, so we’ll cut to the chase: Michael Cohen is asking for time served. This would mean that he wouldn’t have to report to prison at all. Considering the seriousness of the nine felonies he’s pleaded guilty to, as well as the other felony charges that were waived as part of his deal, this would be a very lenient sentence. The thing is, the mere act that he’s asking for it reveals something.

For a defendant, the goal in a sentencing memo is to ask for something on the lenient end of what might be considered realistic. You don’t want to ask for something absurd, because then the judge might be offended, and might be inclined to not take the request seriously. Considering how closely Michael Cohen has been working with Robert Mueller and other prosecutors – including the events of yesterday – you have to figure that he made this request after running it past them first, and wouldn’t have asked for something that they found offensive, either.

Michael Cohen’s decision to release this document right now, when his sentencing hearing isn’t for nearly two weeks, suggests that he’s trying to capitalize on the public goodwill that he earned yesterday when he helped Robert Mueller expose that Donald Trump was a part of the Trump Tower Moscow conspiracy during the 2016 election. Cohen went a long way yesterday to taking down Donald Trump, as well as bringing Trump’s kids to justice.

We’ll see what Robert Mueller comes back with as far as his sentencing recommendation. The judge could then end up realistically going with anything in between what Mueller asks for and what Cohen asks for. But again, it’s revealing that Cohen thinks he’s in a strong enough position to even ask for a free pass. If Mueller comes anywhere close to recommending time served, it’ll mean that Mueller thinks Cohen has been a really big help in Trump’s downfall.

You can  read the lengthy sentencing memo here. (https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5348235-Cohen-sentencing-memo.html?fbclid=IwAR0mN8Hi9SVEGiKuBwCNBFunrHeEgYISBRPP6eMifvwEANOMYucXuS_d8Wk) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132422-1693180.gif&hash=8bc43ce7ebff6fb3a70224434834524068d3583c)

Full article:

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/sentencing-memo-revealing-cohen/14384/ (https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/sentencing-memo-revealing-cohen/14384/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 03, 2018, 07:10:38 pm
Quote from: AG
The Russian Oligarchs OWNED Trump LONG before he ran for POTUS.

If you cannot handle that, you are in willful denial. Let me also add that the Republican Party DOES NOT see Russia as an adversary, simply because Russia is run by a Profit Over People and Planet Oligarchy, just as the USA currently is. So, YEAH, the Republicans are happy as pigs in poop to take all the Russian money they can. AND THEY HAVE, AND CONTINUE NOW, to TAKE RUSSIAN MONEY!

Bookmark this post. Most of the Rs in Congress are owned by Russia, and all are actively engaged in obstruction of justice. In the fullness of time all will be revealed. And the fuckwits who have declaimed that "TrumpRussia"is a neocon myth, like Caitlin **** Johnstone, will be revealed for their poor judgment and lack of understanding Or ideological blindness.

Eric Trump admitted to all this before they told him to STFU.

Yep. By the way, have you been able to wade through the 33 page Mueller Motion to get Cohen a lighter sentence? It is quite incriminating of Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd), even if Trump 🦀, as usual, is trying Orwell his way out of his PROVEN COLLUSION by making noises about having the "maximum sentence" book thrown at Cohen.

Palmer Report December 1, 2018 SNIPPET:

The document is thirty-three pages, so we’ll cut to the chase: Michael Cohen is asking for time served. This would mean that he wouldn’t have to report to prison at all. Considering the seriousness of the nine felonies he’s pleaded guilty to, as well as the other felony charges that were waived as part of his deal, this would be a very lenient sentence. The thing is, the mere act that he’s asking for it reveals something.

For a defendant, the goal in a sentencing memo is to ask for something on the lenient end of what might be considered realistic. You don’t want to ask for something absurd, because then the judge might be offended, and might be inclined to not take the request seriously. Considering how closely Michael Cohen has been working with Robert Mueller and other prosecutors – including the events of yesterday – you have to figure that he made this request after running it past them first, and wouldn’t have asked for something that they found offensive, either.

Michael Cohen’s decision to release this document right now, when his sentencing hearing isn’t for nearly two weeks, suggests that he’s trying to capitalize on the public goodwill that he earned yesterday when he helped Robert Mueller expose that Donald Trump was a part of the Trump Tower Moscow conspiracy during the 2016 election. Cohen went a long way yesterday to taking down Donald Trump, as well as bringing Trump’s kids to justice.

We’ll see what Robert Mueller comes back with as far as his sentencing recommendation. The judge could then end up realistically going with anything in between what Mueller asks for and what Cohen asks for. But again, it’s revealing that Cohen thinks he’s in a strong enough position to even ask for a free pass. If Mueller comes anywhere close to recommending time served, it’ll mean that Mueller thinks Cohen has been a really big help in Trump’s downfall.

You can  read the lengthy sentencing memo here. (https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5348235-Cohen-sentencing-memo.html?fbclid=IwAR0mN8Hi9SVEGiKuBwCNBFunrHeEgYISBRPP6eMifvwEANOMYucXuS_d8Wk) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132422-1693180.gif&hash=8bc43ce7ebff6fb3a70224434834524068d3583c)

Full article:

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/sentencing-memo-revealing-cohen/14384/ (https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/sentencing-memo-revealing-cohen/14384/)

I haven't been following this closely, but I would expect Cohen to eventually be disbarred, which means he loses his livelihood, too. I'm not sure that's completely inevitable, but it has to be 99% certain. Not that I'm against it.

I hope Cohen gets to walk, just to stick it up Trump's nose, but time served seems pretty optimistic.


I don't much care about what happens to Cohen. The fact is that it is now irrefutable the Trump has been lying about his source of funds to run a Presidential Campaign from the getgo. Emptywheel has been on to Trump from the start. Emptywheel is the courageous lady that blew up a huge scandal in the Bush (Shrub, not daddy) Admiinistration that got Cheney's sidekick lawyer liar (I forget the name of that bastard right now -so many bastards - so little time) in big trouble. She wrote a book about it.

Here's the latest on Trump:

December 3, 2018/26 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe /by emptywheel

WHY HAVE ROGER STONE AND TRUMP HIDDEN THEIR ONGOING JOINT DEFENSE "COLLUSION"? (https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/12/03/why-have-roger-stone-and-trump-hidden-their-ongoing-joint-defense-collusion/)

 If Trump is still POTUS after 2020, the rotton, filthy, massive, oligarhic level of Profit Over People and Planet corruption in this country irreparable. If Mueller leaves no (Roger) Stone unturned  ;D, there is NO WAY Trump avoids indictment for Obstruction of Justice (and other impeachable crimes like "light" TREASON).



I can't help myself.  ;D

Everyone piles on after Donald Trump 🦀 implies someone named “Scott Free” is out to get him

Bill Palmer | 6:04 pm EST December 3, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

Most people are familiar with the phrase scot-free. Not everyone knows about its Scottish etymology, or even how to correctly spell it, but everyone knows that “Scott Free” isn’t a person. Then there’s Donald Trump, whose raging Twitter meltdown today was so far over the top, some people came away wondering if Trump might truly think “Scott Free” is a person who has gotten away with some very bad things, and may be out to get him.

For reference, here’s part of Donald Trump’s lengthy attack on Michael Cohen: “He makes up stories to get a GREAT & ALREADY reduced deal for himself, and get his wife and father-in-law (who has the money?) off Scott Free. He lied for this outcome and should, in my opinion, serve a full and complete sentence.” While Trump does have a history of improperly capitalizing words for no particular reason, it’s worth pointing out that “Scott” and “Free” are the only two such words in this rant. It didn’t go unnoticed.

Merriam-Webster, the famous dictionary company, was quick to use its official Twitter account to make fun of Donald Trump:

‘Scot-free’: completely free from obligation, harm, or penalty

‘Scott Free’: some guy, probably

Numerous people pointed to the DC Comics superhero Mister Miracle, who also goes by the name Scott Free. Others posted quips like “I’m Scott Free, and I did not approve this message” and “Who is Scott Free? Is this another one of your pseudonyms?” In any case, Donald Trump’s dishonest (and illegal) tweet has left us to conclude that perhaps Michael Cohen should get off scot-free.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/scott-free-trump-piles/14442/


GOOD ONE, Surly.  ;D

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-191017143841.jpeg&hash=21f142befe4ed82f10ef0bdba11c22bbd3051289) Ya ain't seen nothing yet. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 03, 2018, 07:25:09 pm
Quote from: AG
The Russian Oligarchs OWNED Trump LONG before he ran for POTUS.

If you cannot handle that, you are in willful denial. Let me also add that the Republican Party DOES NOT see Russia as an adversary, simply because Russia is run by a Profit Over People and Planet Oligarchy, just as the USA currently is. So, YEAH, the Republicans are happy as pigs in poop to take all the Russian money they can. AND THEY HAVE, AND CONTINUE NOW, to TAKE RUSSIAN MONEY!

Bookmark this post. Most of the Rs in Congress are owned by Russia, and all are actively engaged in obstruction of justice. In the fullness of time all will be revealed. And the fuckwits who have declaimed that "TrumpRussia"is a neocon myth, like Caitlin **** Johnstone, will be revealed for their poor judgment and lack of understanding Or ideological blindness.

Eric Trump admitted to all this before they told him to STFU.

Yep. By the way, have you been able to wade through the 33 page Mueller Motion to get Cohen a lighter sentence? It is quite incriminating of Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd), even if Trump 🦀, as usual, is trying Orwell his way out of his PROVEN COLLUSION by making noises about having the "maximum sentence" book thrown at Cohen.

Palmer Report December 1, 2018 SNIPPET:

The document is thirty-three pages, so we’ll cut to the chase: Michael Cohen is asking for time served. This would mean that he wouldn’t have to report to prison at all. Considering the seriousness of the nine felonies he’s pleaded guilty to, as well as the other felony charges that were waived as part of his deal, this would be a very lenient sentence. The thing is, the mere act that he’s asking for it reveals something.

For a defendant, the goal in a sentencing memo is to ask for something on the lenient end of what might be considered realistic. You don’t want to ask for something absurd, because then the judge might be offended, and might be inclined to not take the request seriously. Considering how closely Michael Cohen has been working with Robert Mueller and other prosecutors – including the events of yesterday – you have to figure that he made this request after running it past them first, and wouldn’t have asked for something that they found offensive, either.

Michael Cohen’s decision to release this document right now, when his sentencing hearing isn’t for nearly two weeks, suggests that he’s trying to capitalize on the public goodwill that he earned yesterday when he helped Robert Mueller expose that Donald Trump was a part of the Trump Tower Moscow conspiracy during the 2016 election. Cohen went a long way yesterday to taking down Donald Trump, as well as bringing Trump’s kids to justice.

We’ll see what Robert Mueller comes back with as far as his sentencing recommendation. The judge could then end up realistically going with anything in between what Mueller asks for and what Cohen asks for. But again, it’s revealing that Cohen thinks he’s in a strong enough position to even ask for a free pass. If Mueller comes anywhere close to recommending time served, it’ll mean that Mueller thinks Cohen has been a really big help in Trump’s downfall.

You can  read the lengthy sentencing memo here. (https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5348235-Cohen-sentencing-memo.html?fbclid=IwAR0mN8Hi9SVEGiKuBwCNBFunrHeEgYISBRPP6eMifvwEANOMYucXuS_d8Wk) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132422-1693180.gif&hash=8bc43ce7ebff6fb3a70224434834524068d3583c)

Full article:

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/sentencing-memo-revealing-cohen/14384/ (https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/sentencing-memo-revealing-cohen/14384/)

I haven't been following this closely, but I would expect Cohen to eventually be disbarred, which means he loses his livelihood, too. I'm not sure that's completely inevitable, but it has to be 99% certain. Not that I'm against it.

I hope Cohen gets to walk, just to stick it up Trump's nose, but time served seems pretty optimistic.


I don't much care about what happens to Cohen. The fact is that it is now irrefutable the Trump has been lying about his source of funds to run a Presidential Campaign from the getgo. Emptywheel has been on to Trump from the start. Emptywheel is the courageous lady that blew up a huge scandal in the Bush (Shrub, not daddy) Admiinistration that got Cheney's sidekick lawyer liar (I forget the name of that bastard right now -so many bastards - so little time) in big trouble. She wrote a book about it.

Here's the latest on Trump:

December 3, 2018/26 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe /by emptywheel

WHY HAVE ROGER STONE AND TRUMP HIDDEN THEIR ONGOING JOINT DEFENSE "COLLUSION"? (https://www.emptywheel.net/2018/12/03/why-have-roger-stone-and-trump-hidden-their-ongoing-joint-defense-collusion/)

 If Trump is still POTUS after 2020, the rotton, filthy, massive, oligarhic level of Profit Over People and Planet corruption in this country irreparable. If Mueller leaves no (Roger) Stone unturned  ;D, there is NO WAY Trump avoids indictment for Obstruction of Justice (and other impeachable crimes like "light" TREASON).
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 05, 2018, 10:11:20 pm
Agelbert NOTE: MORE evidence that the Pentagon 🦍(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) is WAY out of control. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183404.bmp&hash=dc40a133c761f80036b08ef0f6c0427aaa7e9f4b)

Pentagon 🦍 Engaged in Unfathomable Financial Mismanagement  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78)

December 5, 2018

Around the same time that auditors declared that the Department of Defense’s finances are unauditable, The Nation published an extensive exposé of just how deliberately falsified and mismanaged the Pentagon’s accounts are. We speak to the report’s author, investigative journalist David Lindorff

https://youtu.be/DeQZQNhyPr0

Story Transcript

GREG WILPERT: It’s The Real News Network, and I’m Greg Wilpert.

About three weeks ago, the auditors who were conducting the first-ever comprehensive audit of the Defense Department announced that the audit could not be completed because too much money was simply unaccounted for. Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters afterwards, “We failed the audit, but we never expected to pass it. It was an audit on a $2.7 organization, so the fact that we did the audit is substantial.”

The Pentagon’s annual budget is now over $700 billion and climbing. However, investigators who have looked into the Pentagon’s finances, such as Mark Skidmore, a professor of economics specializing in government policy at Michigan State University, found that at least $21 trillion of Pentagon financial transactions between 1998 and 2015 could not be accounted for.

Joining me now to make sense of what is going on at the Defense Department is David Lindorff. David is a contributor to the Nation, where he recently published an article with the title Exclusive: The Pentagon’s Massive Accounting Fraud Exposed. He also writes for Salon, London Review of Books, and Tarbell.org. Thanks for joining us today, David.

DAVID LINDORFF: Thanks for having me.

GREG WILPERT: So what is going on with the Pentagon’s accounts? Why did it fail the audit, and what exactly does failure mean?

DAVID LINDORFF: Well, it failed the audit because the numbers are so screwy that the 1200 auditors from the outside firms that were looking at it just threw up their hands and said we can’t do it. I had been warned by several people, including the head of the National Security Unit of the GAO that there would not be an audit because of this problem, and that it’ll be years before they can actually do an audit because the numbers are so bad that they’re dealing with. But the reason behind it is that the Pentagon has been deliberately falsifying numbers in its annual reports every year so that for years those numbers are, described by one former OIG supervising auditor, as garbage.

GREG WILPERT: So you requested, yourself, documents from the Defense Department’s Inspector General’s Office, and they sent you an annual report that was heavily redacted, with even the report’s title blacked out. And the slogan at the bottom of the report, though, which was not redacted but perhaps should have been, said “Integrity, efficiency, accountability, excellence.” Tell us about your efforts to get information for the Defense Department, what that was like, and what they said in response to your requests.

DAVID LINDORFF: Well, that document was actually posted on their website as though it was supposed to be public information. But it’s futile, because everything has been blacked out. And that’s a first. The same guy who said that the budgets are garbage said it shocked him as a former supervisory audit director at the OIG to see them censoring the documents, because before this all the documents they would post were were public record.

But you know, Mark Skidmore, Professor Skidmore at Michigan State University, who looked at all those documents between ’98 and 2015 did see all the documents. And the OIG, to its credit, was calling out these fake numbers. They would say, you know, these numbers, which sometimes totaled in the trillions of dollars, in Pentagon budgets were unsupported by any kind of ledger entries to back them up. And they would criticize the Pentagon accounting units and say, you know, you gotta do this right. This isn’t right. But nobody would ever get fired. The OIG would never recommend prosecution to the Justice Department. No supervisory people ever got called to the carpet for this kind of stuff.

So one has to assume that this was deliberate. And in fact, people that I talked to on the record off said that that is exactly what is happening, that it’s a deliberate effort to make the Pentagon budgets impenetrable and inauditable.

GREG WILPERT: Now, it seems like we’re talking about hundreds of billions of dollars per year that is really unaccountable. So if much money is unaccountable, doesn’t this open the door, open wide for fraud, corruption, and maybe even embezzlement? I mean, who’s to say that that’s not what’s happening?

DAVID LINDORFF: Well, actually, it is happening. And what the on-the-record interview I had with Asif Khan, who is the head of the GAO’s National Security Asset Management Unit that monitors the budgets of the Pentagon and the CIA, and various other– the Atomic Energy Commission, or NRC, rather. You know, the various entities that have national security aspects to them. Said that the Pentagon has been for years on his and the GAO’s list of high-risk agencies for fraud, waste, and abuse.

And that, you know, think of this. The Pentagon accounts for 54 percent of every tax dollar that taxpayers and corporations pay in taxes to the government. And it is on the high risk list for fraud, waste, and abuse. This is incredible, and nobody’s–I never even knew that. I don’t think it’s ever been reported that they’re on that list. It’s an absolute outrage, and the American people should be clamoring for action on this. But you hear nothing about it from Congress.

GREG WILPERT: Indeed, it seems to be truly amazing that the story itself has hardly been covered in the media. And if you consider that first of all not only is all this fraud possible, maybe even corruption and embezzlement, but they’re also not returning the money back to Congress as they’re supposed to be at the end of the year if they didn’t spend it. I mean, there’s so much illegality going on, it seems. Why isn’t Congress looking into this more seriously? Why isn’t the Pentagon being held accountable? What do you think?

DAVID LINDORFF: Well, it’s interesting. I mean, in the 1980s there were huge hearings into scandals that were raised by whistleblowers like Chuck Spinney, Ed Fitzgerald. You know, people that had, you know, real credibility and used their names, not just whistleblowers in, you know, behind the scenes. Called out massive fraud by the Pentagon, and the Congress responded by, you know, hearings and putting top people under oath, and uncovered a lot of fraud. And you know, heads rolled and everything. Spinney actually was put on the cover of Time magazine for his efforts.

Nothing like that goes on now. And I run it back to 2001 and the war on terror, which has had the effect of making people and the media, you know, worshipful of the military. They’re supposed to be the highest regarded part of the American government, and yet, you know, they’re they’re basically fraudsters. And they’re doing what bureaucracies always do. They’re enlarging their budgets and enlarging their power, and there is nothing particularly admirable about them.

GREG WILPERT: OK. Well, unfortunately, we’re out of time. We’re going to leave it there for now. I was speaking to Nation contributor David Lindorff, author of the article The Pentagon’s Massive accounting Fraud Exposed. Thanks again, David, for having joined us today.

DAVID LINDORFF: Thanks for having me on.

GREG WILPERT: And thank you for joining The Real News Network. If you like Real News Network stories such as this one, please keep in mind that we have started our winter fundraiser and need your help of reaching our goal of raising $400,000. Every dollar that you donate will be matched. Also, keep in mind we do not accept support from governments or corporations. Please do what you can today.


https://therealnews.com/stories/pentagon-engaged-in-unfathomable-financial-mismanagement

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-220815161550.png&hash=f95989290a4fca22333fc772d8abd90a6764d4d8)

The future is bright, .... for extremophiles.

 
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8f/53/a0/8f53a09c9eaa9565e80341dfc9c779b1.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 11, 2018, 01:45:54 pm
Tue, 12/11/2018 - 12:35

Trump 🦀, Pelosi 🐩 And Schumer 🦕 Square Off In Surreal Oval Office Shouting Match  ;(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040817183318.gif&hash=85dbde0ecc986da6385d09f4df76d45028b7062d) (http://)

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https://youtu.be/RZ82YmOM804

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 13, 2018, 04:44:23 pm
December 13, 2018

Quote
YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT: MARIA BUTINA (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

Russian operative Maria Butina has pleaded guilty to conspiring to influence the 2016 election. Trump and the NRA need to be held accountable too. Watch and share this video, and sign up for our weekly Need to Know update emails to stay informed.

https://youtu.be/TAFkXHtn7aw

https://www.needtoimpeach.com/butina-guilty/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 13, 2018, 09:21:14 pm
The Life and Crimes of George Herbert Walker Bush (w/ Lamar Waldron)

29,452 views

Thom Hartmann Program

https://youtu.be/NTOVpNjNrIg


Premiered Dec 7, 2018

This week marks the burial of the 41st president of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush.

In the week since his passing, many in the press have taken this time to describe President Bush as a model president, statesmen and in contrast to Donald Trump.

But in looking at the past with rose tinted eyes we ignore how the Bush Crime family led us to Donald Trump, and it is in that spirit that Lamar Waldron joins Thom Hartmann to go over the life and crimes of George H.W. Bush.

The Real story that is not being told on the corporate media.


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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 14, 2018, 12:17:36 pm
Agelbert NOTE: This excellent comment on the linked article is basically what I believe is the basis of Mueller's methodical modus operandi.

Scipio Africanus 👍 😀

Russia collusion is a shiny object. What Mueller has, and intends to do with it, is truly the stuff of nightmares. Those bouncing today, in disdainful attitudes, will find themselves in pickle jars in short order. Something went wrong seriously somewhere, which catastrophically derailed the Republic.

Because of the insight into that, understanding that Mueller, in reality, is an investigator, much like Holmes, Sherlock that is, trying to decipher how the dog was bypassed for the house to be robbed, and the murderers of the residents to carry out their despicable acts, leaves us no choice but to stay out of it, and observe the investigation into the greatest heist of the 20th century.

Like we said, it's about score settling, and the scores will be settled. The rats have consumed the cheese without triggering the trap door. That wasn't the intent for the trap door to close, the purpose of the cheese, is that of "tracking". The rats were not intended to be killed by the trap, but to lead right back to the rat king (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121424.gif&hash=384c17a4d2be4831084933b91808f8a60f73f7f5), like the movie - great wall (of China).

We'll continue to observe, as the foundation of the Republic (Rule of Law), is repaired...

In Explosive Interview, Cohen Says Mueller Has "Substantial" Evidence Against Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)

by Tyler Durden

Fri, 12/14/2018 - 09:45

SNIPPET:

Offering his most detailed accounting yet of the events that led up to his guilty plea, Cohen insisted that Trump had directed him to make the "hush money" payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal that have emerged as the center of the campaign finance allegations that prosecutors are seeking to trace back to the president.

Cohen: "Nothing at the Trump 🦀 Organization was ever done unless it was run through Mr. Trump 🦀," Mr. Cohen said. "He 🦀 directed me to make the payments. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132421-16902.gif&hash=deba9f0f91ecd7d65bbdeb78786bef4a98cb1a7e)

Read more:

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-14/explosive-interview-cohen-says-mueller-has-substantial-evidence-against-trump
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 16, 2018, 04:09:37 pm
Friends of the Earth foe.org
(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hZ0yMjpo_4nzYF1AyQ3fBmdLLxfjT9KAR2Hm3zQYKf7ivEHxdiCK9SO-pLsXL6SvQXssynpm1l5nLnG6-w7HdQ-0K2ZgZVUtVyGgcvlLNUfsGQr4hov9CsFxbwbr6AvMWa4oB-0OzUhvu4dK2dBUp-AJ0RybmFltU2zKiK3GKi15b-PA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://acb0a5d73b67fccd4bbe-c2d8138f0ea10a18dd4c43ec3aa4240a.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/10012/FOE-2.jpg?v=1503946136000)


VICTORY (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818180844.png&hash=d74cfbba22967e53f7eb6202dffdd50b3e520fe2): Ryan Zinke 🦖 resigns as Interior Secretary (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-1689625.gif&hash=31d44a761d963df1354e5ef55b63387c72033709)

Dec 15, 2018, 9:59 AM

Dear Anthony,

Victory for the environment: Ryan Zinke resigns from the Department of the Interior after onslaught of scandals!
VICTORY! Ryan Zinke just stepped down as Secretary of the Interior, according to a tweet from Donald Trump. He will leave at the end of the year. This was largely thanks to people like you demanding he be held accountable for his corruption.

Every day Ryan Zinke was in office, he worked to destroy our public lands and waters -- with devastating impacts on our communities. He slashed protections for places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Bears Ears National Monument. And he did it all to help his fossil fuel industry friends.

The scandals surrounding Zinke have been building for months. The DOI Inspector General released a report showing that every time Zinke had a choice between benefiting taxpayers and himself, he chose himself. He even changed policies so taxpayers would cover travel for his wife, and wasted $25,000 on a romantic trip to Turkey with her.

His corruption was so severe that the DOI Inspector General referred an investigation to the Department of Justice for possible criminal prosecution.

Friends of the Earth members like you spoke out on these scandals and made them impossible for Trump to ignore. Zinke resigned after you signed petitions, made phone calls, took to social media and took to the streets to demand that he be kicked out of the Department of Interior.

This shows that when people like you stand up to Trump and his Administration, you can make a difference. You can stop them from destroying our environment and endangering our communities.

Forcing Zinke out is a huge victory for people and the environment. Each day Zinke was Interior Secretary, he worked to advance his radical plan to slash national monuments, cut Indigenous communities out of the decision-making process, and ignore significant environmental, cultural, and scientific information. And he did it all in a mad dash to frack ☠️, mine ☠️ and drill ☠️ on America's public lands.

And until the scandals caught up to him, he was dangerously ☠️ effective at it. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818204546.gif&hash=ffeafdfa24208fe5070639ffa682bb2ad041737c)

By kicking Zinke out of the Department of the Interior, you helped send a strong message that it’s unacceptable for our leaders to put the fossil fuel industry and other corporate interests ahead of people and the planet.

Trump 🦀 is still trying to fill his government with corrupt extremists 💵 🎩 and climate deniers 🦕. Zinke’s likely replacement, David Bernhardt 🐉, is a walking conflict of interest. Before coming to Interior he was a high paid lobbyist representing the very industries that will profit from Trump’s plan (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) to hand our public lands and waters over to (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) polluters.

That’s why we’ll need you with us every step of the way as we work to stop these dangerous nominees and appointees. But Zinke’s ouster shows that when we all take action together, we win.

Thank you for helping build a better future for our country and our planet.

Standing with you,
Nicole Ghio,
Senior fossil fuels program manager,
Friends of the Earth

https://foe.org/news/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 16, 2018, 10:40:52 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591)

Donald Trump’s lies spiral out of control

Tim Faulkner | 3:00 pm EST December 15, 2018

Palmer Report » Analysis

Joyce Vance and Barbara McQuade are former United States Attorneys and frequent MSNBC contributors, often providing their legal insight into Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Trump-Russia treason. During a recent appearance on AM Joy, they were discussing some of the recent bombshell stories surrounding Donald Trump’s multitude of criminal activities. While there are so many scandals to discuss, the conversation quickly turned to Trump’s level of honesty, or lack thereof.

When asked about Trump’s blatant lies throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Vance opined, “I think one of the most important takeaways here actually is an extra-legal takeaway. It’s the notion — that as American citizens — a candidate lied to us during the campaign.” She continued, “We need to take a moment and think about how truly outrageous this is.” While we have all become accustomed to Trump’s constant use of mistruths, and with politicians often referred to as dishonest, what we have witnessed over the past couple years compares to nothing we have experienced in this nation’s history. What many have known for quite some time – that Donald Trump is a career criminal appears to finally be accepted by cable news channels, save Fox (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) News.

“Democracy is all about giving full information to voters so they can cast a ballot for the candidate of their choice,” McQuade stated. “And by lying and covering up about his past on the eve of the election and violating the laws designed to create transparency, they say that President Trump clouded the process for the American voters.” Given the recent news that Trump directed Michael Cohen, his longtime personal lawyer and fixer, to pay hush money to prevent voters from knowing about his extramarital affairs, it is clear that Trump was willing to keep everyone in the dark.

In an analogy that even Donald Trump could appreciate, McQuade quipped, “When immigrants procure their citizenship by fraud, we strip them of their citizenship. When a president procures his presidency by fraud, should we consider doing the same?” I believe a vast majority of Americans would respond to this question with an unequivocal “Yes!” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838) While there are no laws to undo all of the damage Trump’s administration has already done, it becomes more clear every day that Mueller is working to undo some aspects (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073XW3HNB/). (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121424.gif&hash=384c17a4d2be4831084933b91808f8a60f73f7f5)

Tim Faulkner

I’m a ceramic engineer living in Central New York, avid sports fan but find myself more interested in politics lately.


https://www.palmerreport.com
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 16, 2018, 11:14:25 pm
 
(https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/b9cb62e6-e881-42e3-9725-5b67c8cc99ed_1.219d04e2a9052ff62218c08c9a3c9b47.jpeg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF)

The Apprentice: Trump, Russia and the Subversion of American Democracy (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062803700/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dcotter761-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0062803700&linkId=c6072642623d180c419cee2e12b7cd0f)

Hardcover – October 2, 2018
 (Author) Greg Miller
  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

Quote
David Roy, Ph D
5.0 out of 5 stars Calm, Clear, Detailed

October 13, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

A sign that an author has mastered his/her material is clarity, and Greg Miller's Apprentice shows just that. Miller also reports information that I've not read or heard of elsewhere, showing that he has done his own research and that he goes beyond the surface. The only draw back to the book is that I cannot find a game plan to turn things around; but that really is not his job. Defining the problem clearly helps yield solutions.

A WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE WORK OF 2018

From two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington Post national security reporter Greg Miller, the truth about Vladimir Putin’s covert attempt to destroy Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump win the presidency, its possible connections to the Trump campaign, Robert Mueller’s ensuing investigation of the president and those close to him, and the mystery of Trump’s steadfast allegiance to Putin.

It has been called the political crime of the century: a foreign government, led by a brutal authoritarian leader, secretly interfering with the American presidential election to help elect the candidate of its choice. Now two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington Post national security reporter Greg Miller investigates the truth about the Kremlin’s covert attempt to destroy Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump win the presidency, Trump’s steadfast allegiance to Vladimir Putin, and Robert Mueller’s ensuing investigation of the president and those close to him.

Based on interviews with hundreds of people in Trump’s inner circle, current and former government officials, individuals with close ties to the White House, members of the law enforcement and intelligence communities, foreign officials, and confidential documents, The Apprentice offers striking new information about:

► the hacking of the Democrats by Russian intelligence;

► Russian hijacking of Facebook and Twitter;

► National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s hidden communications with the Russians;

► the attempt by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, to create a secret back channel to Moscow using Russian diplomatic facilities;

► Trump’s disclosure to Russian officials of highly classified information about Israeli intelligence operations;

► Trump’s battles with the CIA and the FBI and fierce clashes within the West Wing;

► Trump’s efforts to enlist the director of national intelligence and the director of the National Security Agency to push  back against the FBI’s investigation of his campaign;

► the mysterious Trump Tower meeting;

► the firing of FBI Director James Comey;

► the appointment of Mueller and the investigation that has followed;

► the tumultuous skirmishing within Trump’s legal camp;

► and Trump’s jaw-dropping behavior in Helsinki.

Deeply reported and masterfully told, The Apprentice is essential reading for anyone trying to understand Vladimir Putin’s secret operation, its catastrophic impact, and the nature of betrayal.

The Apprentice: Trump, Russia and the Subversion of American Democracy (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062803700/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dcotter761-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0062803700&linkId=c6072642623d180c419cee2e12b7cd0f)

Look Inside 🧐 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062803700/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=dcotter761-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0062803700&linkId=c6072642623d180c419cee2e12b7cd0f)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 17, 2018, 12:26:57 pm
Mon, 12/17/2018 - 10:35

Quote
The Judge 👍

Keeping everyone's attention glued to the wall while the biggest types of insanity that could get us all killed or turned into degraded sapiens (even more so) just keep going on, like there is just nothing wrong with any of it, is indicative of what a sham our ( supposed ) democracy has devolved into. And apparently people just eat it up like it actually was the most pressing issue in these 4 years of the Don's presidency.  Don't you be a dunce.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201759-1490907.jpeg&hash=4f378d8d41d81128badca5842b1835d9a5290a8d)

If Trump 🐀 backs down now, he will lose all credibility with millions upon millions of American voters (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-17/snyder-its-trump-vs-schumer-all-marbles)

Agelbert NOTE: The Wall is a deliberate distraction. Below, PLEASE SEE, a SIGNIFICANT part of the DESTRUCTIVE REALITY of the Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) Adminstration's (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c)   UNRELENTING ATTACK ON WE-THE-PEOPLE (just up to 2017 - it got WORSE in 2018): 🤬

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-191217132907.jpeg&hash=fd1f8e2397996e6662ae8aa82ac19f78781d580f)

Trump’s land and water grab laid bare in new maps

Press Release December 5, 2018

American landscapes being redrawn in rush (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201645-1486464.jpeg&hash=bfa44b2ee2b1d6d1ea71a024b1bd6e9cf1328326) to increase drilling and mining

A series of new maps by The Wilderness Society confirms the Trump administration’s rush to open public lands to drilling and mining is redrawing the American landscape. The maps are being released about a week before another round of public oil and gas lease sales and in concert with maps unveiled by The Guardian that are also drawn from TWS data.

The mapping and data project, called “Trump’s Land Grab” (https://wilderness.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=3c85766bc4c44579a2a7bb133b70e774) shows how in just two short years the administration has begun to radically alter the American landscape. Over 2017 and 2018, President Trump and Interior Secretary Zinke have rolled back protections on 153 million acres of land and water that were conserved for cultural, ecological, and recreational reasons. To put that into perspective, the area is about the size of California and Washington combined.

“This is how Trump’s call for so-called energy dominance plan looks when put into practice,” said Jenny Kordick, TWS’ climate and energy advocacy director. “In service of special interests, the administration has pushed to open millions of acres to drilling and mining, even as polls say the it’s out of step with mainstream American values.”

The new maps show the dramatic shift from protecting land to putting it up for sale. Included in the most controversial conservation rollbacks by the administration so far are Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments, millions of acres in Western Sage-Grouse habitat, the California desert, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Arctic Ocean, and the U.S. Coastline.

“President Trump is not only making rollbacks to wildland protections, he’s attacking some of the most vulnerable and wildest places imaginable,” Kordick said. “Many of these places are among the wildest lands in the contiguous United States. These are places that should be conserved for future generations and are simply too wild to drill.”

The TWS maps were released ahead of another quarter of Interior department onshore oil and gas lease sales occuring on December 12-13. Over three million acres will be auctioned to energy companies in addition to what has already been made available.

END

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/press-release/trumps-land-and-water-grab-laid-bare-new-maps

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120118181944.png&hash=bd1f420590db5a3213f18c2338839318746c937a)

Agelbert ADDED NOTE: Add to the above the Trump plan for Medicare and Social Security... (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd)


(https://images.theweek.com/sites/default/files/113016MikeLuckovich_Creators.jpg?resize=807x807)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216142007.png&hash=84ef2c6fc002fc0b4bc9940ee16d0728d50cc9b5)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 18, 2018, 08:13:56 pm
(https://images.dailykos.com/images/604450/story_image/NO45-1024x1024.jpg?1540657700)

Institutionalizing Lawlessness: Systematically Subverting Markets

6,789 views

https://youtu.be/612q9EhhDrU

TheRealNews

Published on Dec 8, 2018

Consumer advocate Ralph Nader gives the closing talk at the forum, “Destroying the Myths of Market Fundamentalism,” held in Washington DC, on October 19, 2018

Visit https://therealnews.com for more stories and help support our work by donating at https://therealnews.com/donate.

Category News & Politics

Series: Destroying the Myths of Market Fundamentalism (https://therealnews.com/series/destroying-the-myths-of-market-fundamentalism)

Ralph Nader: Destroying the Myths of Market Fundamentalism

Antitrust and How Kleptocracy Corrupts What Markets are Supposed to do Well

The Virtues and Limits of Markets

https://therealnews.com/stories/how-fraud-corrodes-weak-market-regulations-governed-by-market-fundamentalism
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 18, 2018, 08:32:52 pm
Jimm Dore interviews Chris Hedges Oct 15 Full 3 parts

38,581 views

https://youtu.be/nOZ7NSuZp6s

Published on Oct 17, 2018

Jimmy Dore interviews Chris Hedges and this clip of Chris the mess that Americans are in NOW!    Thanks Jimmy and as always You are amazing Chris

Larry Publisher of JusticeNewsNetwork.com

Visit Jimmy's youtube channnel for MUCH MUCH MORE Truth!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3M7...

Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 19, 2018, 09:36:56 pm
Senators 🐒🦍😈👹 Sneak Illegalization of Israel Boycott into Budget Bill  >:(

December 19, 2018

While Republican Senators are trying to sneak a last-minute amendment into the budget bill to make BDS illegal, violating free speech, 26 states are also moving to make boycotts of Israel illegal. We speak to IPS’s Phyllis Bennis about the anti-BDS efforts in the US

https://youtu.be/2k5-TgJdia4

https://therealnews.com/stories/senators-sneak-illegalization-of-israel-boycott-into-budget-bill
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 19, 2018, 09:58:43 pm
Trump’s  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241013183046.jpeg&hash=51c9c4f17e747698c76c65c7c1814eff4f32c400) Criminal Justice Reform Act(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16) Is a Meaningless Smoke Screen (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817134648.gif&hash=d24c66a26329a19150a175d576b631d10f631ee8) (Pt 1/3)

December 18, 2018

Congress’s Criminal Justice Reform Act boosts privatization, fails to dismantle mass incarceration, nor does it implement sentencing reform. We speak to Eddie Conway and Natasha Pratt Harris about the proposed reform

https://youtu.be/JhQ4gVOHfKg

Story Transcript

MARC STEINER: Welcome to The Real News. I’m Marc Steiner, great to have you with us.

And I’m here with Eddie Conway, who is Executive Producer here at Real News and host of Rattling the Bars. Eddie, glad you’re here in the studio with us.

And it looks as if the United States Senate, in a bipartisan move, is about to pass a criminal justice reform act called The First Step Act. Now, Trump campaigned on being tough on crime, as he said, mocking the notion of not abusing people who are arrested and more.

DONALD TRUMP: It will provide new incentives for low risk inmates to learn the skills they need to find employment, avoid old habits and follow the law when they’re released from prison. In many respects, we’re getting very much tougher on the truly bad criminals of which, unfortunately, there are many, but we’re treating people differently for different crimes.

MARC STEINER: But do we have a new Trump, and are conservatives now for criminal justice reform all of a sudden? So what does it mean when the Koch brothers and their organization, Right on Crime, are united with the American Civil Liberties Union to support this bill? It does change mandatory minimum to an extent, and all those procedures, it improves the good credit time people get to an extent, though there’s some racial issues in terms of racial and class bias, releasing more people sooner in federal prisons may happen. But conservatives want to tighten this so people who commit what we call “violent” acts are excluded, along with child abusers and people who sold any amount of heroin to fentanyl.

As I said, Real News Executive Producer Eddie Conway is here, along with Dr. Natasha Pratt-Harris, who’s the Criminal Justice Coordinator at Morgan State University, and Aajah Harris, who is SGA President at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. And welcome to The Real News both of you, all of you. Good to have you here.

NATASHA PRATT-HARRIS: Thank you.

EDDIE CONWAY: Thank you.

MARC STEINER: So Natasha, let me just start with you. What do you think politically is happening here? All these years you’ve been in the middle of this issue, and we see now, out of nowhere, that we have this first step back, and we’ll talk a little bit later about the people who are opposed to this, surprisingly, as not being enough, but what’s your analysis of this?

NATASHA PRATT-HARRIS: Well basically, you have what I call like a checklist of items that people in power or who are political leaders are responsible for. So they say, oh check on taxes, check on any number of things health care, check on, oh now let’s address criminal justice issues. Right now, criminal justice reform is very popular. During the Nixon era, it was about getting tough and the War on Drugs, which we know means something more than the war on just drugs. Under Reagan, you had Say No to Drugs and the campaign where you actually had a full-fledged war on drugs. Under Bill Clinton, you had the Crime Control Act of 1994, and that was a checklist item.

Then you had the realities of the second Bush, who decided that we needed a Second Chance Act of 2007 because we need faith-based organizations to do their part in assessing what happens with people who’ve been incarcerated, or actually offering assistance to those folks and changing the way we do criminal justice work, which kind of started from the get tough policies of prior years, the first Bush, Reagan and so forth. And then you have President Obama, who came in with his reforms, and part of his administration. And now you have Trump, who’s just following suit on what the previous presidents had been engaged in. This is politics as usual. It’s going to be popular because criminal justice reform is a popular thing right now. Many people are using language that they didn’t even know existed ten, fifteen years ago, maybe even five years ago. So this is just a part of the norm in terms of the check box items. But in the popular world, it is exciting. Oh wow, Trump is doing this exciting new thing.

MARC STEINER: So this to me, in some ways, Eddie, is there are clearly positive things about this bill. I mean, people are forced to do something and say something, whether it’s realistic or not, being forced into this issue. But one of the things, I mean the critics are saying this is supposed to affect mass incarceration. The reality is it has nothing to do with sentencing, the people have been battling to change sentencing guidelines at the federal level, that hasn’t changed. So what do you think the real import of this will be?

EDDIE CONWAY: Well, as I mentioned earlier, I think, and I’ll go back to Malcolm X’s statement. We’re being tricked, hoodwinked and bamboozled. This is just an occurrence of fixing the criminal justice system because of the amount of attention that Michelle Alexander’s book focused on that, because of the standing of America’s prison system in the world, the largest prison population for any nation in the world. So lawmakers want to–it’s putting lipstick on a pig, if I could do that. And the amount of reforms that’s in this particular bill is so minute that it doesn’t even show up on the statistical chart. In the final analysis, if this bill was to pass, it would affect about a total of 6000 people. The reality is, if the bill passes, it’s going to incarcerate people longer, but it’s also going to spread the prison industrial complex out into the community by using electronic monitors and other kinds of things. And so, the system won’t be housing that many people inside the walls, but it will be turning the community into prison itself in poor and Black communities.

MARC STEINER: So I want to explore that a bit. That has not been part the official critique, which has more to do with sentencing, but there are things at the beginning and the end of this in terms of how we deal with criminal justice I want to get to. But I’m curious, Aajah, as somebody who is working on this on campus, I mean, how does this initially affect you in your thinking in terms of what they’re trying to do? What do you think is missing here?

AAJAH HARRIS: I find it quite interesting that I, in the classroom, haven’t heard about this particular bill or act, so it’s very new to me. I mean, I do think that it’s–I also agree with what he says, it’s like a trick. No one ever wants to agree with a bill that positively affects the people who it need to affect, but it always is a bill that goes in favor of the, almost in line with that theory like the haves and have nots. It always goes in favor of someone who has things and not in the favor of the people who don’t have things. So I think that when creating bills or legislations in general, the government should be in favor of everyone, but most importantly the have nots because the have nots kind of overpower those who have.

MARC STEINER: One of the things about the bill, internally, before we talk about the other two extremes in this bill, what happens before people are sent to prison and how the sentencing happens and what happens when they’re out, which is what Eddie just raised, which was going to raise earlier. One of the critiques here, and I think it’s interesting to talk about this. We’re doing more and more with algorithms in terms of determining what we should do with society, taking the human element out, just an allegedly objective look at the world. One of the things here about this bill is that, apparently, if you have a record, a continuing record of crime, of criminal activity, of being arrested and convicted, that goes into this algorithm that may make you not eligible for all the reforms. And part of the argument, Natasha, here that people are making against this is that that will affect Black and brown people and poor people in an adverse way, more than the other people who may have been kingpins and more and can get out because they’ve never been busted before.

NATASHA PRATT-HARRIS: Definitely. Again, there’s a lot of lip service to just about everything we’ve done in our society regarding criminal justice issues, especially when the reality is People of Color had been disparately impacted by a get tough policy or otherwise. Even when we had a system where Black folks weren’t just disproportionately represented, Black people were impacted in a way that other folks or persons who are the haves, like Aajah shared, aren’t necessarily affected. Quite frankly, you can have these algorithms, but it’s truly about who’s in place and how people respond to the messenger group behind this particular thing. So one of the analogies I consider is if you are a Lakers fan and LeBron is playing for the Lakers at that time and you’re good with what he’s doing on the court, then you’re good with this process. But if you are a Cleveland fan and LeBron is no longer with Cleveland, then you definitely are saying there’s something wrong. But it’s the same game.

MARC STEINER: That’s really interesting. I’ve never heard that analogy before, I like that. We’re here with Dr. Natasha Pratt-Harris, who’s Associate Professor at Morgan State University, Aajah Harris and Eddie Conway.

And we just hit the tip of the iceberg here. And the rest that has to do with what happens with people who are sentenced and what kind of sentencing goes on and how that’s not being reformed in this, as well as the larger issue, in some ways, what happens when you get out? Let’s say you’re let out and you’re given early release. Are you really free? Well, the segments coming up are going to track and talk about all of that, so join us.

https://therealnews.com/stories/trumps-criminal-justice-reform-act-is-a-meaningless-smoke-screen-pt-1-3
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 20, 2018, 11:32:58 pm
Trump 🦀 Judges 🐵🐒🦍😈👹

BY JEFF DANZIGER

(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/3_jOFTewzV_B5qq5zzveRlwoKPr-qwKDgvM7-VApEXwCsJ9_4-rkj5Wq0pEva95Q5O0Ze2HKx3kvh640MXiP-fy3M7FA_AGY4HYXSG4_87UA9_EkJ5yVhpSgKKXF=s0-d-e1-ft#https://www.truthdig.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/jdz181221c-850x583.jpg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 21, 2018, 01:56:58 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-190218175943.png&hash=868fbc8f6c12966c886a445b2e94d38144b3004f)

Moyers Talks To Author Ben Fountain About Trump’s Triumph

Quote
This is the boldest, bravest and most bracing book about politics that I have read this year.

BY BILL MOYERS | OCTOBER 9, 2018

SNIPPET 1:

BEN FOUNTAIN: So much of the news coverage portrayed his campaign as a challenge to the establishment of the Republican Party, the way the Republican Party had conducted itself the last 50 years. But, come on, he (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) was simply doing the same thing, talking the same game Republicans have been doing for years, but he did it better. He’s absolutely a virtuoso of the politics of paranoia and racism, cultural resentment, xenophobia, misogyny and all the rest that the GOP has prospered on for the past 50 years.
 
What IS a New Democrat 😈?

BILL MOYERS: Yet he would have lost, I’ll wager, if the Democrats had kept their house in order and their priorities straight. Your take on how both parties paved the way for Trump is tough and true, but your account of how the Democrats piled on the people they once represented is one for the ages, in no small part because of your eye for details. Your chapter “Hillary Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” is wicked in its particulars. You might have painted a big mural on the wall — and there is an impressive scope to your story — but it’s the pimples of guilt that are most revealing. Like how establishment Democrats, seeing Republicans raise so much money from the oligarchs, set out to tap into the loot by developing close relationships with big donors and big business. For one thing, they organized an outfit called the Democratic Leadership Council [DLC] with an “executive council” that included corporate behemoths such as ARCO, Chevron, Merck, DuPont, Microsoft, Philip Morris, Koch Industries. Among the trustees would eventually be the longtime chief political operative for Charles 🦕 and David Koch 🦖. His nickname was “the Pirate (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd).” I might think you had made that up if I hadn’t seen note 11, page 255.

BEN FOUNTAIN: Thank you. But let me make this point: In one sense the so-called New Democrats of the Clinton years were traditional Democrats in that they were still strong for civil rights, for cultural diversity, sensitive to sexual orientation and ethnicity. But in terms of rock-bottom economics, of all those people really hurt, even ruined, under globalization and the reckless financialization of the American economy, establishment Democrats became more and more like Republicans: They stopped making the case for government. Republicans were perfectly happy to wage class war against the constituencies Democrats nominally represent. Democrats didn’t exactly become pacifists, but — well, let me put it this way: Those eight years of Bill Clinton’s 😈 New Democrats  👹💵🎩 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae) 🏴‍☠️ served the party’s traditional constituency of the working class, the middle class, minorities, the poor and immigrants about as well as the second coming of Herbert Hoover.

BILL MOYERS: One might say Democrats pulled up their roots on Main Street and repotted them on Wall Street, where Hillary Clinton plucked plenty of posies before and during the 2016 campaign.

SNIPPET 2:

BILL MOYERS: We’re finally scraping the whitewash off our mythologies, and that’s painful for those whose lives were framed by those mythologies.

BEN FOUNTAIN: Yes, the paradigm of what it means to be an American is changing, and it needs to change if we’re going to have a realistic idea of ourselves and our history. There’s the old paradigm of mythic whiteness — John Wayne, on his horse: the big white guy who tames the frontier. Well, the reality was — is — much more complex and problematic than that. But a lot of white folks have felt demeaned and put-upon, especially by so-called “elites” — educated opinion, the intellectuals, the scholars and writers who are bringing historical truths to light and insisting that they be reckoned with. Not only do a lot of white people feel threatened by this, they feel insulted, condemned. That’s a fraught psychological state to live in.

BILL MOYERS: People want their John Wayne back.

BEN FOUNTAIN: Oh man, do they. I saw it everywhere on the campaign trail: Trump gave a huge swath of white America back to itself. Gave them psychological, emotional affirmation as an antidote for all the anxiety, all the resentment they’d been feeling. He told them: “You aren’t bad; you’re good. Actually, you are the real America.” That kind of affirmation is powerful medicine in politics.

 
The Ghost (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) of George Wallace

BILL MOYERS: Backlash thrives on it. Think of the backlash after the emancipation of the slaves. Demagogic politicians rallied a defeated and sullen South to put the chains back on black people — all those segregationist laws of Jim Crow. Lynching that continued into the 20th century. Statues erected to Confederate warriors to preserve the memory of the “Lost Cause.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)”  And then the backlash in our time against the Supreme Court’s order to desegregate the schools, against passage by Congress of civil rights and voting rights legislation, against the struggle and victories of the civil rights movement. Whites fled to the suburbs, opened private religious schools, created federal housing policies that institutionalized segregation on economic grounds.

SNIPPET 3:

BILL MOYERS: Yeats got it right: “We had fed the heart on fantasies / The heart’s grown brutal from the fare.”

SNIPPET 4:

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201645-1486464.jpeg&hash=bfa44b2ee2b1d6d1ea71a024b1bd6e9cf1328326)

J.R. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Comes Home

BILL MOYERS: So he’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) less an aberration than a culmination —

BEN FOUNTAIN: — Of a certain strand of American life, yes. Well, several strands. We can’t discount the con man strand, for one. I found myself wondering how many tricks Trump poached from J.R. Ewing [the star of the TV series Dallas in the ’70s, played by Larry Hagman]. The creators of that hit saga had intended for J.R.’s “good” brother Bobby to be the star, but J.R. — a snake and bastard who cheated on his wife — stole the show. The man truly did not give a s h i t about anyone else. Yet the audience took to the villain — loved him. You can imagine Donald Trump watching J.R. and thinking, I can work with this. Just be myself (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) . People loved J.R. not in spite of his nastiness and greed but because of it.

Full, excellent, article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

Bill Moyers Talks To Author Ben Fountain About Trump’s Triumph (https://billmoyers.com/story/bill-moyers-talks-to-ben-fountain-about-trumps-triumph/)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-190218175943.png&hash=868fbc8f6c12966c886a445b2e94d38144b3004f)

  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-021014225147.gif&hash=cabb452778f06a3c279f5b26b2c4db7c271c3a36)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-191218165701.png&hash=2ef02ca0dacb2c3ad996df8c1676f0c9862e2c79)
 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200415182528.png&hash=5d93c84b5a4e9e43a375761a6d1af5dde083ea6c)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270115141816.png&hash=9e5b9256040e731f025e15fd44bffae1fc05d7c7) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280914153654.gif&hash=3555ba10ac278662b34a6e1afbd1be9ad63ce3bd)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818180844.png&hash=d74cfbba22967e53f7eb6202dffdd50b3e520fe2)











Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 22, 2018, 01:33:33 pm
Quote

Yeats got it right: “We had fed the heart on fantasies / The heart’s grown brutal from the fare.”

Quote
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201645-1486464.jpeg&hash=bfa44b2ee2b1d6d1ea71a024b1bd6e9cf1328326)

Moyers Talks To Author Ben Fountain About Trump’s Triumph

Quote
This is the boldest, bravest and most bracing book about politics that I have read this year.

BY BILL MOYERS | OCTOBER 9, 2018

SNIPPET 1:

BEN FOUNTAIN: So much of the news coverage portrayed his campaign as a challenge to the establishment of the Republican Party, the way the Republican Party had conducted itself the last 50 years. But, come on, he (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) was simply doing the same thing, talking the same game Republicans have been doing for years, but he did it better. He’s absolutely a virtuoso of the politics of paranoia and racism, cultural resentment, xenophobia, misogyny and all the rest that the GOP has prospered on for the past 50 years.
 
What IS a New Democrat 😈?

BILL MOYERS: Yet he would have lost, I’ll wager, if the Democrats had kept their house in order and their priorities straight. Your take on how both parties paved the way for Trump is tough and true, but your account of how the Democrats piled on the people they once represented is one for the ages, in no small part because of your eye for details. Your chapter “Hillary Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” is wicked in its particulars. You might have painted a big mural on the wall — and there is an impressive scope to your story — but it’s the pimples of guilt that are most revealing. Like how establishment Democrats, seeing Republicans raise so much money from the oligarchs, set out to tap into the loot by developing close relationships with big donors and big business. For one thing, they organized an outfit called the Democratic Leadership Council [DLC] with an “executive council” that included corporate behemoths such as ARCO, Chevron, Merck, DuPont, Microsoft, Philip Morris, Koch Industries. Among the trustees would eventually be the longtime chief political operative for Charles 🦕 and David Koch 🦖. His nickname was “the Pirate (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd).” I might think you had made that up if I hadn’t seen note 11, page 255.

BEN FOUNTAIN: Thank you. But let me make this point: In one sense the so-called New Democrats of the Clinton years were traditional Democrats in that they were still strong for civil rights, for cultural diversity, sensitive to sexual orientation and ethnicity. But in terms of rock-bottom economics, of all those people really hurt, even ruined, under globalization and the reckless financialization of the American economy, establishment Democrats became more and more like Republicans: They stopped making the case for government. Republicans were perfectly happy to wage class war against the constituencies Democrats nominally represent. Democrats didn’t exactly become pacifists, but — well, let me put it this way: Those eight years of Bill Clinton’s New Democrats served the party’s traditional constituency of the working class, the middle class, minorities, the poor and immigrants about as well as the second coming of Herbert Hoover.

BILL MOYERS: One might say Democrats pulled up their roots on Main Street and repotted them on Wall Street, where Hillary Clinton plucked plenty of posies before and during the 2016 campaign.

SNIPPET 2:

BILL MOYERS: We’re finally scraping the whitewash off our mythologies, and that’s painful for those whose lives were framed by those mythologies.

BEN FOUNTAIN: Yes, the paradigm of what it means to be an American is changing, and it needs to change if we’re going to have a realistic idea of ourselves and our history. There’s the old paradigm of mythic whiteness — John Wayne, on his horse: the big white guy who tames the frontier. Well, the reality was — is — much more complex and problematic than that. But a lot of white folks have felt demeaned and put-upon, especially by so-called “elites” — educated opinion, the intellectuals, the scholars and writers who are bringing historical truths to light and insisting that they be reckoned with. Not only do a lot of white people feel threatened by this, they feel insulted, condemned. That’s a fraught psychological state to live in.

BILL MOYERS: People want their John Wayne back.

BEN FOUNTAIN: Oh man, do they. I saw it everywhere on the campaign trail: Trump gave a huge swath of white America back to itself. Gave them psychological, emotional affirmation as an antidote for all the anxiety, all the resentment they’d been feeling. He told them: “You aren’t bad; you’re good. Actually, you are the real America.” That kind of affirmation is powerful medicine in politics.

 
The Ghost (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) of George Wallace

BILL MOYERS: Backlash thrives on it. Think of the backlash after the emancipation of the slaves. Demagogic politicians rallied a defeated and sullen South to put the chains back on black people — all those segregationist laws of Jim Crow. Lynching that continued into the 20th century. Statues erected to Confederate warriors to preserve the memory of the “Lost Cause.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)”  And then the backlash in our time against the Supreme Court’s order to desegregate the schools, against passage by Congress of civil rights and voting rights legislation, against the struggle and victories of the civil rights movement. Whites fled to the suburbs, opened private religious schools, created federal housing policies that institutionalized segregation on economic grounds.

SNIPPET 3:

BILL MOYERS: Yeats got it right: “We had fed the heart on fantasies / The heart’s grown brutal from the fare.”

SNIPPET 4:

J.R. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Comes Home

BILL MOYERS: So he’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) less an aberration than a culmination —

BEN FOUNTAIN: — Of a certain strand of American life, yes. Well, several strands. We can’t discount the con man strand, for one. I found myself wondering how many tricks Trump poached from J.R. Ewing [the star of the TV series Dallas in the ’70s, played by Larry Hagman]. The creators of that hit saga had intended for J.R.’s “good” brother Bobby to be the star, but J.R. — a snake and bastard who cheated on his wife — stole the show. The man truly did not give a s h i t about anyone else. Yet the audience took to the villain — loved him. You can imagine Donald Trump watching J.R. and thinking, I can work with this. Just be myself (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) . People loved J.R. not in spite of his nastiness and greed but because of it.

Full, excellent, article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

Bill Moyers Talks To Author Ben Fountain About Trump’s Triumph (https://billmoyers.com/story/bill-moyers-talks-to-ben-fountain-about-trumps-triumph/)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-190218175943.png&hash=868fbc8f6c12966c886a445b2e94d38144b3004f)

  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-021014225147.gif&hash=cabb452778f06a3c279f5b26b2c4db7c271c3a36)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-191218165701.png&hash=2ef02ca0dacb2c3ad996df8c1676f0c9862e2c79)
 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200415182528.png&hash=5d93c84b5a4e9e43a375761a6d1af5dde083ea6c)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270115141816.png&hash=9e5b9256040e731f025e15fd44bffae1fc05d7c7) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280914153654.gif&hash=3555ba10ac278662b34a6e1afbd1be9ad63ce3bd)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818180844.png&hash=d74cfbba22967e53f7eb6202dffdd50b3e520fe2)


These excerpts are absolutely terrific. I can’t wait till I’m in a position to read the entire article. But this is exactly right.

There is a perfectly good reason I’ve always referred to Bill Clinton as “America’s most successful republican president.”


 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163127-1680962.png&hash=405119a0c023346043f1dae6ab993a831a8cbb5d)


Thank you bro. If you, a man with far more wordsmith talents than I can ever hope to achieve, think the excerpts I picked are key, I am then sure I did a reasonable job of demonstrating how important a read this article (https://billmoyers.com/story/bill-moyers-talks-to-ben-fountain-about-trumps-triumph/) is.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718210628.gif&hash=a297e44320f13fa5f3eae64809a46139f5e2395a)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-310517125550.jpeg&hash=d06642600f3b99f0e3933e485766e704610364bb)
Bill Moyers Talks To Author Ben Fountain About Trump’s Triumph (https://billmoyers.com/story/bill-moyers-talks-to-ben-fountain-about-trumps-triumph/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 24, 2018, 07:25:24 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-310717232714.jpeg&hash=68ec2687cad360aed0465d51ce0d503486027a69)

DEC 23, 2018 OPINION (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

Paul Ryan's (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) Entire Career Was a Cash Grab for Billionaires (https://www.truthdig.com/articles/paul-ryans-entire-career-was-a-cash-grab-for-billionaires/)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170317122516.jpeg&hash=03f66f0278dc72c0984f8436b415fbe2c48edae5)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 26, 2018, 10:39:18 pm
BY Jake Johnson, Common Dreams

PUBLISHED December 26, 2018

NEWS  POLITICS & ELECTIONS

 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

Unpaid Federal Employees Set Record Straight With Shutdown Stories (https://truthout.org/articles/unpaid-federal-employees-set-record-straight-with-shutdown-stories/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 26, 2018, 11:07:45 pm
Quote
Forgetting, conveniently, that Jesus Christ was himself a brown Palestinian (Jew), the U.S. has relegated the Gazans to second-class citizenship, subjugating them to an increasingly unhinged, far-right Israeli government. For good measure, and as a final slap in the face to Palestinian sovereignty, President Donald Trump has also unilaterally moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Despite it being home to three world religions, the region is now for Jews only,  Washington has apparently decided. Paradoxically, and ever so cynically, American evangelicals (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) have thrown their full support behind the decision.

DEC 24, 2018 OPINION | TD ORIGINALS

(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/304fa75d7ed32d56ae1ff3a796933cb65eac738511bb960bc4a77bb2f67c0af6.gif)
Jesus Christ Would Be Appalled by America’s Immigration Policy ☠️

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/jesus-christ-would-be-appalled-by-americas-immigration-policy/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 03, 2019, 08:16:30 pm
(https://image.cagle.com/204492/1155/204492.png)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Fc6492e4b47cfdbd50e74d285fde3c53e%2Ftumblr_inline_mm3g4yCaZc1qz4rgp.gif&hash=4b1cad5ea13f7430a0c01f3065039d21d78da398)

  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-010215143525.png&hash=5bd7bd57f7d770273b7d73d29697fe3a0cc11e8f)


JAN 02, 2019

Thom Hartmann / Independent Media Institute

SNIPPET 1:

Quote
If successful, not only will Republicans (and corporate-funded Dems) block any genuinely progressive spending legislation in 2019 or 2020, but they’ll prevent any possibility of debt-free college, Medicare for All, or a Green New Deal in the entire next presidential term, clear through 2024 or beyond. ☠️

For this remarkably successful 😈 38-year-long GOP head-fake strategy, you can thank a guy named Jude Wanniski 👹.

SNIPPET 2:

Quote
Odds are you’ve never heard of Jude  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6), but without him Reagan 😈 never would have become a “successful” president, Republicans (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) only rarely would have taken control of the House or Senate, and neither George Bush 🦕🦖 would have been president. 👀

Full, truth filled article:

Thom Hartmann: The GOP Is Reviving One of Its Favorite Scams (https://www.truthdig.com/articles/thom-hartmann-the-gop-is-reviving-one-of-its-favorite-scams/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 05, 2019, 01:37:06 pm
NEWS ANALYSIS  POLITICS & ELECTIONS

BY Jake Johnson, Common Dreams

PUBLISHED January 4, 2019

House Democrats Release Sweeping Legislation to Drain the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201903.png&hash=f7b1f3e1f363fe16e0e17f9c2d82b60fa83b8731) Swamp (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201722.png&hash=5299cc10ee42beae76e4d3b7c79dbf5f4c0addac)

SNIPPET:

In an op-ed for The Hill on Thursday, Sarbanes and Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) laid outthe three central components of H.R. 1:

֍ First, we will rein in the influence of big money in our politics. That means bringing more transparency to our campaign finance system and empowering everyday Americans with a powerful new system that rewards and amplifies small donors.

֍ Second, we will make sure that public servants actually serve the public, not use their office for personal gain. That means strengthening ethics across all three branches of government, ending the revolving door in Washington and reining in lobbyists.

֍ Third, we will protect every citizen’s right to vote. That means promoting national automatic voter registration, expanding early and absentee voting, building the case to restore the Voting Rights Act, ending voter roll purging, safeguarding our election infrastructure from foreign attackers and cracking down on partisan gerrymandering.


Read more:

https://truthout.org/articles/house-democrats-release-sweeping-legislation-to-drain-the-swamp/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 06, 2019, 05:35:48 pm
Trump's 🦀 EPA 😈 Is Undermining New Law to Regulate Chemicals

DANIEL ROSS, TRUTHOUT

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is supposed to ensure chemicals in US products don't cause harm to humans or the environment. However, under Trump, the Environmental Protection Agency has defanged an overhaul to the TSCA that was meant to systematically review existing chemicals already in the marketplace, as well as all new chemicals joining them.

Read the Article →

https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-epa-is-undermining-new-law-to-regulate-chemicals/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241216151049.png&hash=78206393ea158485b779ed06d0fb0f84172b645d)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 07, 2019, 10:26:27 pm
‘What are we waiting for?’: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-16881856.gif&hash=ef5bd30cec7a50a81f3507f9bd328189dead7aa2)  NYT columnist David Leonhardt calls for  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201302.png&hash=1e849526e5e1fde614fb21346869666fd34fa3dd)Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201722.png&hash=5299cc10ee42beae76e4d3b7c79dbf5f4c0addac) immediate removal from office in scathing editorial (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)

written by Daily Kos   January 6, 2019

SNIPPET:

He then reminds us of calls within Congress for impeachment moves against each of the past two Presidents.

He makes clear that neither Trump’s ideology — which in some cases he finds abhorrent — nor even some of his more noxious actions such as cutting health insurance or deporting undocumented aliens rises to the necessary level for impeachment.

Leonhardt tells us
Quote
The negligence and perfidy of President Trump — his high crimes and misdemeanors — can be separated into four categories. This list is conservative.

It does NOT (at least at this point) include either collusion with Russia (not necessarily as yet proven) or his cavalier — lazy — approach to the performance of his job.

Quote
It instead focuses on demonstrable ways that he has broken the law or violated his constitutional oath.

Let me list the four categories as each appears, in bolded section heading:

Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) has used the presidency for personal enrichment.

Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) has violated campaign finance law.

Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) has obstructed justice.

Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) has subverted democracy.

Leonhardt explains in detail, with supporting material, each of these assertions.

Let me offer the first and last brief paragraphs on just the last point, the subverting of democracy:

Quote
The Constitution that Trump swore to uphold revolves around checks and balances. It depends on the idea that the president is not a monarch. He is a citizen to whom, like all other citizens, the country’s laws apply. Trump rejects this principle. He has instead tried to undermine the credibility of any independent source of power or information that does not serve his interests.

Quote
No other president since Nixon has engaged in behavior remotely like Trump’s. To accept it without sanction is ultimately to endorse it. Unpleasant though it is to remove a president, the costs and the risks of a continued Trump presidency are worse.

Leonhardt then poses the question of What Now? and proceeds to answer it.

Read more:  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)


https://www.alternet.org/2019/01/what-are-we-waiting-for-nyt-columnist-david-leonhardt-calls-for-trumps-immediate-removal-from-office-in-scathing-editorial/

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGVIjKDVwAAdlAm.jpg)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185040-1659929.gif&hash=0a9ca0c1f083655b821cbf024422e55e009a6d8d)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 08, 2019, 01:09:04 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170218174357.png&hash=296cf589ab13b3bca649d79db1953fa2289b1563)

(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/YbKEPprRBZ5oG9UekEe4FBcxz5h5ySKb2H6jwdAj56BiFyrSbvvKj6obznI7L4__t-OAhDpo4ol5wvKttQRKXLZ_JLR0xP0YasvW3Cg=s0-d-e1-ft#http://gcaptain.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/1114734.jpg)

Admiral Thad Allen: This Senseless (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Government Shutdown Is Harming Coast Guard Families (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838) 

By Editorial on Jan 07, 2019 05:34 pm

By Admiral Thad Allen, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired) – Today, with the government shutdown in its third week, it is beyond troubling that Coast Guard men and women are being unnecessarily subjected to financial hardship while enduring the operational, mission-related circumstances that are accepted as part of their compact with their country.

These are the Americans who flew over the rooftops of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, saving thousands from flooded homes. These are the men and women who were the first ashore in Haiti after the earthquake, rendering aid, treating wounds, and delivering children in unsanitary, primitive conditions. These are the heroes who mobilized to respond to the worst marine environmental disaster in the nation’s history. These are the selfless service men and women who provided medical support to other Department of Homeland Security agencies to screen incoming airline passengers during the Ebola crisis and today are supporting the Department on the southwest border. These are the people who stand search-and-rescue watch and patrol our coastal waters and the Arabian Gulf. And these are the Americans who have accompanied the remains of my friends and colleagues to their final resting place in Arlington Cemetery, rendering honors and exercising the manners of our profession. Continue reading on the U.S. Naval Institute website… (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)  (https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2019-01/senseless-government-shutdown-harming-coast-guard-families)

Admiral Allen served as the 23rd Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

This article appeared in the January 2019 issue of Proceedings Magazine.

https://gcaptain.com/admiral-thad-allen-this-senseless-government-shutdown-is-harming-coast-guard-families/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 08, 2019, 01:23:36 pm
(https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/jS9O_Kgxfqjc5OYKBwW1PduNeJbCMH1wE12GjpSijmgfMWDNqrXw-msQonPKlTipa206XMLzW1g8N3Vyw-AbTV1KVc4tUWQx34uDv872nH-Brj9QQ3Vcycfr2WxLsK2Mw0Zgu-BVgrpkRbbOlQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://go.traindemocrats.org/page/-/NDTC_Headline-Washington-Post-Trump-Lies_20190108.jpg)

Sign the Petition → DEMAND Congress impeach Trump! (https://go.traindemocrats.org/page/s/congress-impeach-trump) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 08, 2019, 06:08:06 pm
When We Get Politically Active, What Can We Accomplish?

https://youtu.be/mW-FQsFHDqk


Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Jan 6, 2019

Can the issues such as education and other be fixed through becoming politically active?

Why are accepting political repression from the Republican administration and what can we do about it?

Thom debates with a caller.

SUPPORT THE PROGRAM
► Join us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/thomhartmann where you can also watch a re-run of the three hour program at any time
 
AUDIO PODCASTS
► Subscribe today: http://www.thomhartmann.com/podcast

FOLLOW THOM
► AMAZON : http://amzn.to/2hS4UwY
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ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Thom Hartmann Program is the leading progressive political talk radio show for political news and comment about Government politics, be it Liberal or Conservative, plus special guests and callers

✔ Amazon links are affiliate links
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 08, 2019, 06:27:29 pm

Paygo Explained and Challenged

https://youtu.be/WN8SKID1HI4

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Jan 5, 2019

Is Paygo a real problem? What about the statute.

Thom Hartmann attempts to explain Paygo and how it will affect us all. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf)

SUPPORT THE PROGRAM
► Join us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/thomhartmann where you can also watch a re-run of the three hour program at any time
 
AUDIO PODCASTS
► Subscribe today: http://www.thomhartmann.com/podcast

FOLLOW THOM
► AMAZON : http://amzn.to/2hS4UwY
► BLOG : http://www.thomhartmann.com/thom/blog
► FACEBOOK : http://www.facebook.com/ThomHartmannP...
► INSTAGRAM : http://www.instagram.com/Thom_Hartmann
► PATREON : http://www.patreon.com/thomhartmann
► TWITTER : http://www.twitter.com/thom_hartmann
► WEBSITE : http://www.thomhartmann.com
► YOUTUBE : http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c...

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Thom Hartmann Program is the leading progressive political talk radio show for political news and comment about Government politics, be it Liberal or Conservative, plus special guests and callers

✔ Amazon links are affiliate links
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 09, 2019, 05:46:08 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sherv.net%2Fcm%2Femoticons%2Fsick%2Fbarfing-smiley-emoticon.gif&hash=36f6791510582d9f9f48af1d4d1a006a5681103b)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591)

Donald Trump Is the Damn Emergency  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

BY William Rivers Pitt, Truthout

PUBLISHED January 9, 2019

SNIPPET:

Far and away the most impactful rebuttal came from newly minted Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf), who called into deep question the very existence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement itself on MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show.” She accused Trump personally of violating human rights at the border by manufacturing a crisis with his brutally racist policies. “These women and children who are coming here with nothing but the shirts on their backs,” she said, “are acting more in the American tradition than this president right now.”

Full article (MUST READ! 👀): (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

https://truthout.org/articles/donald-trump-is-the-damn-emergency/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-290118133601.jpeg&hash=c4a266be59e7683775d0dc91bf9c453433284d57)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 09, 2019, 07:46:16 pm
(https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/lBTM79UiusPdDvdruwhQvSOxeWgsfOFRh_VEYP88xqzX6Okyi436HRWHX4f8UoYwJpki_HXoOdvOTyG7mZmGKbOmAz7QcCQCrYPxT5Vs-ZLkEHobNOz1f0wqX7cWuxYI=s0-d-e1-ft#https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.indivisibleguide.com/images/editor-2019-01-09.png)

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jan-2019strategy
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 09, 2019, 09:31:08 pm
January 9, 2019

Trump’s 🦀 State of Emergency? – with Paul Jay & Gerald Horne

If Donald Trump follows through on his threat to declare a state of emergency, it puts the American state further into deep crisis – with historian Dr. Gerald Horn and host Paul Jay

https://youtu.be/ejnAVzYTT1Y

https://therealnews.com/stories/trumps-state-of-emergency-with-paul-jay-gerald-horne
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 09, 2019, 09:40:12 pm
Bernie Sanders (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) Responds to Trump’s 🦀 Oval Office Address

January 8, 2019

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) delivers a response to President Donald Trump’s address to the nation Tuesday night on the shutdown and the President’s demand for funding for a wall

https://youtu.be/GBSqstm09TQ

https://therealnews.com/stories/bernie-sanders-responds-to-trumps-oval-office-address
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 09, 2019, 09:50:19 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae)

What Donald Trump 🦀, Chuck Schumer 🐉, and Tony Soprano 😈 Have in Common

January 9, 2019

Gerald Horne and Paul Jay discuss Donald Trump’s address to the nation on the wall and border security

https://youtu.be/GOKBtVrfxLk

Story Transcript

PAUL JAY: Welcome to The Real News Network. I’m Paul Jay.

On Tuesday night, Donald Trump delivered an address to the nation, preempting time on the major television networks and all of the cable news channels. There was a lot of speculation during the day that he was going to announce a national emergency, and use that as a cover for funding his wall without Congressional support. Well, he didn’t call for a national emergency. In fact, he more or less said the same things he’s been saying, well, since his election campaign. The message barely changed tonight, which I think may have been somewhat disappointing for some of his followers that were expecting something rather dramatic. But I think he did say one thing that is revealing into the soul of Donald Trump. But Into the soul of the whole class Donald Trump represents. Here’s a clip from the speech.

DONALD TRUMP: Some have suggested a barrier is immoral. Then why do wealthy politicians build walls, fences, and gates around their homes? They don’t build walls because they hate the people on the outside, but because they love the people on the inside.

PAUL JAY: That’s the speech, I think, one could have heard from another New Yorker, a few years ago. I’m loyal to my family; I believe and love my family. Everyone else is expendable. And of course, the New Yorker I’m talking about is Tony Soprano. That is the logic of the mafia: That you’re loyal to your own, and you don’t care much–you may not hate the others outside the wall. After all, it’s only business; it’s not personal, to quote Tony Soprano. But this is the logic of mobsters.

Well, another politician spoke after Donald Trump: Chuck Schumer. Here’s a clip from Schumer’s speech.

CHUCK SCHUMER: The symbol of America should be the Statue of Liberty, not a 30 foot wall.

PAUL JAY: Well, let’s remember Chuck Schumer together with President Obama deported something like two million people. In fact, President Obama’s nickname was ‘deporter in chief.’ But let’s talk about the roots of why there is so much migration, particularly, these days, from Central America–‘these days’ meaning the last few decades. Because it’s been a bipartisan affair, this mobster mentality that we’re loyal to ourselves and don’t care about others. Interesting enough in a nation that pretends to be one with American values, which are often called Christian values, which would one think has something to do with the values of Jesus, but certainly is not care about yourself and don’t give a damn about anybody else.

But it’s been a rather bipartisan effort, both Democrats and Republicans, to pillage and plunder Central America and prop up oligarchies, tiny handfuls of families in Central American countries that use the most vicious, dictatorial methods to suppress resistance. Supported, as I say, by both Republican and Democratic regimes, or governments.

Now joining us to talk about the wall and Central America and U.S. policy is Dr. Gerald Horne. He’s joining us today from Washington, D.C. Gerald holds the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chairs of History and African-American Studies at the University of Houston. He’s the author of many books, most recently Storming the Heavens and The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism. Thanks for joining us again, Gerald.

GERALD HORNE: Thank you for inviting me.

PAUL JAY: So in the Democratic response to Trump after his speech–and there was not a word about the origins of this migration crisis, the refugee crisis. And I guess because they have as much blood on their hands as the Republican Party does, and the kinds of forces Trump represents. But tell us a little bit about the history of U.S. policy in Central America and how this created the conditions for so many women, children, and men, fleeing such violence.

GERALD HORNE: Well, I think it’s fair to say that there has been a bipartisan crusade over the past half century to make sure there has not been a redistribution of the wealth in Central America, which obviously has created a large class of poor people who see no alternative but to head north.

I’m thinking of 1954, when U.S. imperialism was involved in the overthrow of the Arbenz government in Guatemala. You may recall that the Argentine doctor Che Guevara was on his motorcycle journey north, and he passed through Guatemala at that particular moment, and that helped to radicalize him. I think of what happened in El Salvador during the Reagan administration of the 1980s, when the United States sought to suppress the FMLN, the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, a leftist group that was seeking to redistribute the wealth that helped to create a culture of violence in El Salvador. Many people found it necessary to flee to Los Angeles, for example, where many of the youth became involved in the gang culture of Los Angeles, and then brought that gang culture back to El Salvador. And then, in a very interesting twist in history, then migrated northward, back to Los Angeles, where they’re now being accused of being gangsters and thugs, as evidenced by Mr Trump’s speech tonight.

When you think of the so-called Northern Triangle, that patch of territory where Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador meet, you have to think of the depredations of U.S. imperialism. And speaking of Honduras, of course, we all know that during the war against the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua, Honduras was a frontline state. It was basically turned into a massive military base that was used to destabilize the Sandinista regime. That helped to create conditions that once again caused people to flee northward to the U.S. border. So I think it’s fair to say that there has been a bipartisan crusade to crush radicalism in Central America, and that helps to account for this migration crisis today in 2019.

PAUL JAY: And the reason for the support of these violent regimes in Central America was very banal, in a sense. It was straightforwardly to support the efforts of American Fruit Company and other fruit companies. American mining companies. I mean, the whole term ‘banana republic,’ if I have it correctly, actually comes from Honduras. They began as a way to impose American corporate interests on Central America.

GERALD HORNE: Well, there is another aspect of bipartisanship that should not escape our attention. I’m thinking of an op ed piece that appeared in The New York Times just a few days ago written by Hector Tobar, who was of El Salvadorian descent. He is a well-known journalist, formerly a journalist for the Los Angeles Times. And he pointed out that Hollywood, which you oftentimes think of as being a bastion of progressivism–that is to say, if you don’t know better–has really helped to establish the stereotype of the Latino drug dealer, which goes along with the rough Russian mafioso and the so-called Arab terrorist as stock characters that Hollywood trots out.

The problem there, obviously, is that Mr. Trump can play up on this idea of the so-called Latino drug dealer. In his speech tonight, for example, he spent quite a bit of time talking about how people from south of the border are responsible for the drug crisis that is killing people in the United States of America. And that kind of rhetoric and propaganda that Mr. Trump 🦀 was deploying tonight was propelled in no small measure by the kinds of stereotypes that the film and television industry in Hollywood 👹 helped to promulgate.

PAUL JAY: That quote I played from Trump in the very beginning, how it’s not immoral for politicians to build walls around their communities because they love their own, not because they hate the other. Well, who is the other that they’re building walls around in New York, and in D.C., and in Baltimore County? You know, we live in–our office is in Baltimore City. The war on drugs, which is very linked to the history of Central America, and Nicaragua, because to a large extent the CIA was financing the arming of the Nicaraguan fascists by selling allowing them to sell drugs into the United States, and especially into places like Baltimore and majority black African-American communities. And then the war on drugs becomes another way to devastate these communities. Talk a bit about this history, the link between keeping blacks out of rich neighborhoods in the United States, and the suppression of resistance in Central America.

GERALD HORNE: Well, point number one, your listeners and viewers might be familiar with the character known as Freeway Ricky Ross. He was this black American drug dealer who confessed that he was getting drugs from Central America. And if you go to C-SPAN you can see a very interesting hearing, when then-CIA director John Deutch came to Los Angeles, and was pummeled with questions by a black audience who accused him and his agency, the CIA, of working with Contra forces in Nicaragua to help to send drugs that helped to devastate Los Angeles.

Now, with regard to this concept of the wall. When I was watching Mr. Trump’s speech, I was also thinking of the fact that there was a famous Supreme Court case some years ago involving a black American with dreadlocks known as the [Walkman], who used to be detained whenever he tried to walk into a neighborhood in southern California that was nonblack. And there was a virtual wall that basically said that he could not go into certain neighborhoods, even if he was not involved in any sort of improper behavior. But more than that, I was thinking of the bad old days of slavery, when a wall was built to keep enslaved Africans inside the United States to prevent them from fleeing northward to Canada, or southward to freedom in Mexico.

And I was also thinking of the fact, quite frankly, when Mr. Trump was demonizing Latinos, and demonizing Mexicans in particular, accusing them of all manner of crimes, including beheadings, and murders, and ****, and all of the rest, I was thinking of a book I’d just read about the anti-lynch crusader Ida B Wells Barnett, who spoke and wrote in some detail about the bad old days of lynching. In particular in the 1890s, when those kinds of descriptors demonizing black people, that was used to lynch black men in particular. That is to say, execute them without due process of law. I dare say that the kind of rhetoric that Mr. Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) is now pushing forward is very dangerous, and it’s particularly dangerous because I don’t think we should rule out the possibility that he has in his back pocket the idea of somehow promulgating a state of emergency that would not only allow him to build his vaunted wall, but could also be used to crack down on civil liberties generally.

You might recall the Korematsu case from the 1940s, when people of Japanese ancestry were detained illegally not because of any action that they did, but simply because they were of Japanese ancestry. There was a Supreme Court justice who said at the time that the emergency powers that rest in the Oval Office, that rest in the presidency, is like a loaded weapon. And that loaded weapon is now in the hands of a demented individual by the name of Donald J. Trump.

PAUL JAY: The solution to the refugee crisis, the migration crisis from Central America, it seems to me is rather obvious. It’s even been talked about during the Obama administration, it has been talked about in Congress, but they don’t do anything about it, which is actual–they don’t use the word ‘reparations.’ But reparations to Central America for the destructive and criminal violation of international law. The way the United States interfered in the internal affairs of Central American countries propped up these dictatorships in the favor of U.S. corporations. If they’re serious about wanting to stop this refugee migration crisis, then there should be reparations paid to these countries. They should stop propping up these rightwing governments. In fact, what they’ve done is the opposite, of course. Wherever there’s been a progressive breakthrough in Latin America the United States does everything it can to undermine and bring down governments that are actually somewhat more–that are social democrat by European terms, or even American terms. And a lot of the governments that the Americans and the CIA have brought down wouldn’t have been that far from the policies of Bernie Sanders. But that’s considered beyond the pale for American policy in Latin America.

And the Democrats won’t talk about this. The Republicans won’t talk about this. But if there’s a serious conversation to be had about this crisis at the border, then I think it has to focus on real reparations for Central America. I don’t care whether you call it reparations or call it investment, but it can’t just be investment in terms of propping up the Central American oligarchy and the current state of relations in those countries. I know you agree with me, so that’s a softball. But go ahead.

GERALD HORNE: Well, your words actually reflect the recent remarks of the newly installed president of Mexico. I’m speaking of Lopez Obrador, AMLO, who suggested quite recently that if there are those in Washington who were sincerely interested in halting or stopping or curbing the migration flow northward, that they would be involved in more serious and productive investment in Central America. Particularly in the northern triangle that I just made reference to, where the borders of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala meet. And what’s interesting, to go a step further, is that AMLO said that if he could not receive a fair hearing for this reasonable proposal in Washington, that he would go abroad to seek investment opportunities for the Northern Triangle, speaking of China, for example. Speaking of other countries.

And I think that that’s the kind of approach that we need. That is to say, we need to talk just as talk in Washington nowadays about so-called Green New Deal. We need an old-fashioned New Deal for Central America. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3) That is to say, government-directed investment to create employment opportunities at reasonable wages. That’s what’s needed right now for Central America.

PAUL JAY: All right. Thanks very much for joining us, Gerald.

GERALD HORNE: Thank you for inviting me.

PAUL JAY: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.

https://therealnews.com/stories/what-donald-trump-chuck-schumer-and-tony-soprano-have-in-common
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 10, 2019, 11:59:21 am
(https://disobedientmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/disobedient-header-1.jpg)

Opinion: In A Sane World Brenda Snipes 😈 Would Be In Prison, Not Reinstated

January 9, 2019 Elizabeth Vos

Some readers might be thoroughly – and rightly – sick of reading about the ongoing litany of Brenda Snipes’s corruption. After the former Broward County elections supervisor went unprosecuted for her multiple felonies spanning at least two elections, she now has the gall to add insult to injury by playing the victim for being ousted by Florida’s Governor, Rick Scott. Days ago, Snipes reportedly pleaded with a Federal judge, claiming that she was the victim of unfair “targeting” by Scott.

The Washington Times wrote: “Brenda Snipes was in a federal court Monday asking U.S. District Judge Mark Walker to reinstate her as elections supervisor for Broward County. Walker did not rule during the nearly two-hour hearing, but he did raise questions about whether Snipes was given a chance to defend herself against allegations made by Scott.”

Tim Canova 👍, as readers will recall, ran against Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) as an independent in the November midterms, after previously running against her in a Democratic primary race. Canova responded to this latest news via social media, saying:

Quote
“If Brenda Snipes is reinstated as Broward Elections Supervisor instead of arrested for illegally tampering with evidence and willfully destroying ballots (multiple felonies!!!), can we please stop pretending we have any semblance of a democracy, the rule of law, or real elections?”

Canova also took to Twitter, calling on Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Tulsi Gabbard, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, President Trump, Governor Rick Scott, and former gubernatorial candidate Ron De Santis to stand for election integrity: “Be on notice that fixing our fraudulent elections must now be our litmus test.”

Since this latest news emerged, some have postulated that Snipes’s appeal may be motivated by a desire to ensure that she receives her pension. Regardless of her ultimate motivation, it is important that the public is informed of the depth and breadth of Snipes’s betrayal of the public she was appointed to serve. In light of the legacy press’s failure to cover this real example of epic election rigging, it is left to small independent outlets and journalists to convey the story to the public.

As Disobedient Media previously reported, Snipes went so far as to appear with Debbie Wasserman-Schultz on the campaign trail just prior to the November elections. The lack of legacy press outrage on this issue is exquisitely hypocritical: can one imagine the outrage that would have ensued if Trump had campaigned with Putin in the weeks before the 2016 Presidential election?

The race in Florida’s 23rd district drew additional ire after video evidence emerged and went viral, showing ballots being improperly transported in private vehicles. Governor Rick Scott eventually fired Snipes on November 30th via executive order, after Snipes had announced her intent to resign effective January 2019. The order read in part:

(https://i0.wp.com/disobedientmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-09-at-4.18.36-PM.png?w=681&ssl=1)

Earlier this month, Tim Canova’s campaign also called on Congress to refuse to seat Wasserman-Schultz, citing Snipes’s documented inability to maintain a proper chain of custody of ballots, as well as other issues that call the results of the Congressional race into obvious question.

Disobedient Media previously reported that Canova contested the results of the race, and an amended complaint filed by Canova in December makes it astoundingly clear that Snipes should not be in a position to argue for reinstatement, but in a sane world would be defending herself in a court of law on multiple felony counts. The complaint, first reported by Big League Politics, also details Snipes’s previous felonious acts in the 2016 primary race between Canova and Schultz:

“… It is beyond reasonable dispute that Snipes has long engaged in demonstrable misconduct in connection with elections in Broward County, including misconduct in the 2018 General Election that is sufficient to change or at least place in doubt the results reported by Snipes in the 2018 General Election for Florida’s 23rd Congressional District.”

“… Snipes engaged in a repeated pattern of obstruction, deception, and ultimately unlawful conduct in the destruction of all the ballots cast in the 2016 primary… On May 11, 2018, the Florida Circuit Court granted Plaintiff Canova summary judgment, and found that Snipes had violated numerous state and federal statutes, including laws punishable as felonies with up to five years in prison. The Court’s ruling made clear that Snipes’ destruction of ballots was illegal on several separate counts… Violations of the federal statute are punishable by up to a year in prison. Violations of the state statute are punishable as felonies by up to five years in prison.”

“The Court further found that Snipes had violated the Florida statutory requirements to act in good faith. Snipes destroyed the ballots in September 2017, but nonetheless filed her Answer and Affirmative Defenses on October 31, 2017 and did not reveal the ballot destruction until November 6, 2017. Even after admitting to the unlawful destruction of ballots, Snipes’ continued to litigate in bad faith.”

“After the Florida Circuit Court ruled that Defendant Snipes had violated state and federal statutes in destroying all the ballots cast in the 2016 primary election, there were no consequences for Snipes – she was not suspended and replaced by the Governor, and there was no announcement of any criminal investigation by any law enforcement agencies.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817132239.gif&hash=c555fae59d64f84fedf7c850401a5d9610527816)

Turning our attention back to the disastrous 2018 midterms, the complaint reads: “…Close to 100,000 of Defendant Wasserman Schultz’s 161,611 total votes show no indication of how or when those votes were cast. These “approximately 98,00 votes from nowhere” for Wasserman Schultz may have been votes transferred illegally from another candidate or candidates, which would be “sufficient to change or place in doubt the result of the election.”

The complaint also cites a report by Truthout, showing that: “Of the 148,833 votes that Wasserman Schultz reportedly received in Broward County, 97,874 votes were not identified by voting method. The total votes that are not identified by voting method alone are enough to change the results of this election, or at the very least to place in doubt these results.”

The document goes on to detail exclusive research showing that votes for Canova were: “Not impacted by any demographic, but rather remain consistent at very close to 5% across all precincts – no matter which demographic is voting. According to one high level computer security expert interviewed by Freisdat, this is as likely as “winning the lottery every day for a year.” In the same interview,  that high-level computer security expert stated that this looks “mathematically generated across the precincts [and that] … there’s something that appears to be systematic in nature … Typically an algorithm or formula would apply some linear function, and that’s essentially what we see here.”

If this type of “systematic” interference is proven to have occurred, then it took place under the watch of Snipes and in benefit of her ally Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, who, dare-we-forget, was pivotal in cheating Bernie Sanders’s run against Hillary Clinton in 2016’s doomed Democratic Primary.

Snipes and Schultz are the public faces – no, the visible sores, the putrefying boils on the American body politic, that have yet to be lanced. The problem we face as a larger nation when witnessing the downfall of Democracy in Florida’s 23rd Congressional district is not the weeping sores alone, but the overwhelming sickness that prompted them to appear.

https://disobedientmedia.com/2019/01/opinion-in-a-sane-world-brenda-snipes-would-be-in-prison-not-reinstated/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 10, 2019, 01:06:01 pm
(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/TBCsue1cVYavqkAn4ICjvDPsVVbxXWLJCusqTFI-zI4OGusiQpGgF7lFLLo0vkURZ1UuajHskf3in1jmJdAa7jzD788bukGptnxegGZkIP8zoPXN8DVgkI7vssMyJCTqxPxP3ZTd3hdDcmqc4iydDG0=s0-d-e1-ft#https://go.passmedicareforall.org/page/-/MFA_Callout-AOC-Trump-Wall-Fantasy-Quote_20190110.jpg)

https://go.passmedicareforall.org/page/s/stop-the-border-wall
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 10, 2019, 09:34:37 pm
Trump's 🦀 Incompetence is a Threat to National Security (2019)

https://youtu.be/sThLKer60ek

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Jan 9, 2019

Donald Trump's very character, might be enough to bring down the whole country with him and pointing it out might be the first step in taking action against him.

The real crisis is not on the border, it's at the white house.

Donald Trump doesn't have the qualities it takes to be a good president, except for his brazenness but is Donald Trump such a bad person that he could bring the whole country down with him?

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241216151049.png&hash=78206393ea158485b779ed06d0fb0f84172b645d)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 10, 2019, 09:47:54 pm
Agelbert NOTE: In addition to what Thom 👍 mentions, it is important to remember that Trump 🦀 is the bought and paid for tool of the Hydrocarbon Hellspawn 🦕🦖. The Fossil Fuel Fascists 🦕🦖 are not happy with California's embrace of Renewable Energy and Electric vehicles (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-231218145827.png&hash=8d3bbb761cf17fcddac83f24088d26e316b65e33).  So, their  Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) fascist guided missle is doing all he can to demonize Californians. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183404.bmp&hash=dc40a133c761f80036b08ef0f6c0427aaa7e9f4b)

Californians, of ALL COLORS, will react accordingly:
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-221018182916.png&hash=1aa051930e3107cd136142feade85b9608662dae)

Is Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F780_9adc777a0e08428257b76ece69d18ee52006bb5e39d60d966bb2440d29d17641.jpeg&hash=4d8f2f9ea7b952c63ad0441a4619e9b370ddcb0a) Punishing California for Being Progressive and Brown? (2019)

https://youtu.be/qJwIptQlSvw

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Jan 9, 2019

Is Trump Punishing  California for Being Progressive and Brown?

California is one of the most progressive and diverse states in America. Perhaps at least part of the reason that  Donald Trump is threatening the Golden State by denying FEMA funds unless they rake their Forrest. 

Although forest management is an important part of stopping wildfires, especially as climate change creates more uncontrollable wild fires; it seems inconsistent with Donald Trump's policy to  care about this

but consistent with Trump and Republican Party policy is punishing progressives, denying care to people of color and then blaming the results on the Democratic Party,.

Is Trump Punishing California for Being Progressive & Brown?
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 11, 2019, 05:33:17 pm
https://youtu.be/z8Ab-qIWfIo

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/impeachment-2019
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 12, 2019, 10:28:39 pm
SNIPPET:

Quote
Rapier (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) says:

January 12, 2019 at 9:31 am

The main oddity of the Times downplaying Russian involvement in the election is that for 20 years at least, and increasingly by the mid oughts, the NY Times was involved in a virtual jihad against Russia. Several times a week the top of the online page would have a story saying in one way or another Putin is the devil. I am not saying Putin is Peter Pan but the over emphasis was stunning.

While half a million were being killed and millions were made refugees in Libya and Syria because Saudi funded jihadis from all over the Muslim world bent on establishing a medieval form of Islam were sent there the NY Times regaled us with endless stories of Olympic athlete doping. The scale was simply astoundingly wrong. Then, at the moment when the most relevant to America story about Russia since the fall of the USSR broke they went all mamby pampby about Russia and especially Putin. This is exceedingly odd.

My rough Grand Unified Theory of the NY TImes dating to the 30’s is that it seeks to normalize fascism because fascism is American as apple pie so we get stories of the regular guy in Toledo who happens to be a Nazi. He keeps his lawn mowed so WTF, no biggie. That this has continued over several generations demands a motive but good luck with that. That Putin’s Russia has become more fascist didn’t stop the Times jihad against it, until the last half of 2016. Throw in that central to the push back against the Mueller probe has been that it is an outgrowth of a phobia against Russia. A phobia engendered by 20 years of above the fold stories in the ‘even the liberal NY Times’ conditioned liberals to hate Russia, with total success. Then when it came time to swoop in for the kill?

Read more: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132422-1692935.gif&hash=94922268ae283c7009e29067ba89220f466726ec)

January 12, 2019/131 Comments/in 2016 Election, Mueller Probe, Trump Administration /by Rayne

Over the last several years, one thing has bothered me about The New York Times, something not immediately obvious in these related pieces of what may be the most important work the paper published since the early 2000s and the Iraq War. By “important” I don’t mean effective, nor do I mean constructive.

A LESS OBVIOUS QUESTION ABOUT NYT’S  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16)REPORTING ON TRUMP-RUSSIA (https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/01/12/a-less-obvious-question-about-nyts-reporting-on-trump-russia/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 13, 2019, 12:16:15 pm
Exposed: Donald Trump’s treason is so severe, he’s been hiding the worst of it from his own people 😲


Bill Palmer | 9:09 am EST January 13, 2019

Palmer Report » Analysis

From the start, Donald Trump has been rather open and casual about his treasonous relationship with Russia. During the election, he publicly asked Russia to hack Hillary Clinton’s emails, a cyber war crime. Since illegitimately taking office, he’s stood next to Putin while attacking the United States.

From the outside it’s seemed that everyone in Donald Trump’s immediate circle has been in on the treason, either unfazed by it, or actively participating in it. Certainly, none of them can pretend that they somehow don’t know what we all know. But it turns out the worst of Trump’s treason is so severe, he’s actually gone to great lengths to hide it even from his own people.

In a stunning new bombshell from the Washington Post today, we’re learning that after Donald Trump has spoken privately with Vladimir Putin, he’s personally seized the interpreter’s notes, and ordered the interpreter not to discuss the details with anyone. It’s one thing to try to prevent such secrets from becoming public; Trump has clearly been afraid even his own complicit underlings might turn against him if they learned just how treasonous these conversations have been.

This comes just one day after the New York Times bombshell about the FBI having opened a counterintelligence investigation into Donald Trump in mid 2017. We don’t think this is a coincidence. This appears to be part of a new pattern in which leaks that could only have been sanctioned by Robert Mueller are now surfacing on a daily basis. We think Mueller (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301014181553.gif&hash=c09667beb656b25086c168adcdaddcba59abf858) is laying the groundwork for the big bomb he’s about to drop on Trump’s head. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/treason-severe-hiding-trump/15273/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F779_8SFIHZc.jpeg&hash=b3919b89921aedc4b9157c83f047b5ab75d4b222)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 13, 2019, 01:55:55 pm
January 13, 2019

Kamala on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

On Thursday, Kamala joined Stephen Colbert on The Late Show to talk about Trump’s government shutdown -- and why it’s not going to end with the U.S. government building a wall, which is nothing more than Trump’s vanity project.

https://youtu.be/eakG43Ai2gk

https://kamalaharris.org/ema190112-kamala-on-the-late-show/

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 15, 2019, 05:37:14 pm
sunbro January 15 · 12:19:08 PM

Mitch McConnell’s Hypocrisy:
https://youtu.be/PrD7E580p9g

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/15/1826437/-Keep-the-spotlight-on-McConnell-specifically-for-the-shut-down-or-we-will-lose-this-fight
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 15, 2019, 06:56:39 pm
January 15, 2019/69 Comments/in Mueller Probe /by emptywheel

SNIPPET:

At the time she delivered these comments to McGahn in January 2017, Yates would have known only that Flynn had lied.

Even at the time she testified about the exchange with McGahn in May, neither she nor the FBI would yet have had tangible evidence that Flynn had been acting on Trump’s orders when he told Kislyak to hold off on responding to sanctions. Likewise, neither she nor the FBI knew at the time that Trump’s spawn had, the summer before, agreed to consider lifting sanctions if his dad got elected. Neither Yates nor the FBI would have known that the Russians were offering a Trump Tower deal and dirt on Hillary Clinton to induce Don Jr to commit to revisit sanctions. And, neither Yates nor the FBI would have known that Don McGahn had written up a misleading report justifying the firing of Mike Flynn (who, after all, had only done what he had been ordered), that directly conflicted with Yates’ account of the conversation.

For all those reasons, Yates would not have known that this theory — that covering up the Tower-for-sanctions quid pro quo, the commitment to deliver on sanctions relief, and the bogus reason for firing Mike Flynn made a person susceptible to blackmail — actually applied to Trump, not (just) Flynn. Indeed, for a variety of reasons Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201759-1490907.jpeg&hash=4f378d8d41d81128badca5842b1835d9a5290a8d) was more susceptible to blackmail than Flynn (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9), because Flynn had just been doing what he was told, didn’t have a prior bribe to hide, and might expect a pardon if he successfully protected the President.

Full article with excellent comments:


COMPROMISE: SALLY YATES’ WARNING ABOUT VULNERABILITY TO BLACKMAIL APPLIED TO TRUMP EVEN MORE THAN MIKE FLYNN
(https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/01/15/compromise-sally-yates-warning-about-vulnerability-to-blackmail-applied-to-trump-even-more-than-mike-flynn/)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 24, 2019, 09:57:14 pm
Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Jan 22, 2019

Trump's (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) Secret Strategy Behind Government Shutdown

https://youtu.be/Km20E5_-TqM

Does Donald Trump have a a secret strategy to the government shutdown? Some are suggesting that Donald Trump, and the Republicans are using the government shutdown as a testing ground to prove their ideas about small government, cut the social safety net and even abolish the FBI? 

Just why is Donald Trump fighting so hard to keep the government closed?


SUPPORT THE PROGRAM
► Join us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/thomhartmann where you can also watch a re-run of the three hour program at any time
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 26, 2019, 03:02:07 pm
Sat Jan 26, 2019, 12:56 PM

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163125-1670892.gif&hash=52c8fc02a27607fa721313b1d28946b6bf1fe4e7)

The Trumptanic - Brilliant!! What a talented & insightful 13-yr-old (https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211732543)

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dx2bsokX4AUwmOV.jpg)



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 26, 2019, 03:28:38 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201112.png&hash=679f4583d6861313c256e8762c40929af1ac667e)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-280515145049.png&hash=84e87515e750391c1f1bca6d6ae06485972bfa81)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-260119152420.png&hash=a801ea2d3d1c0f2143b6d44dddb7eefcf3bb3d29)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 26, 2019, 06:28:18 pm
SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2019

| Support Truthout's independent journalism! |

SNIPPET:

Ross, then Lara Trump, then Larry “just-a-glitch” Kudlow and then Trump himself, all lined up to show everyone what it sounds like when someone who has never known anything but wealth and privilege tries to locate the concept of being flat busted. Watching these bent silver spoons vomiting ersatz empathy on us lesser mortals was a bit like listening to a frog trying to explain to a tadpole what it’s like on dry land.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184310-1635923.gif&hash=5e2530db4748ed6c7163e1d478fdfa3cd1108668)

Trump Folds on Shutdown (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132400-16842321.gif&hash=e2590f92501c5dd6149626bb0ab180ce9e1d5bd3) After Yet Another Historically Bad Week (https://truthout.org/articles/trump-folds-on-shutdown-after-yet-another-historically-bad-week/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 28, 2019, 05:05:13 pm
PUBLISHED January 28, 2019

By OFER RABAN, THE CONVERSATION

SNIPPET:

The scope of financial crimes unearthed so far by state and federal authorities investigating President Trump and his associates is remarkable. Even more remarkable is what these investigations tell us about the levels of criminality among the US's business and political elite.

Full article: 👀   

Trump Investigations Reveal Wider Criminality Among US's Business Elite (https://truthout.org/articles/trump-investigations-reveal-wider-criminality-among-uss-business-elite/)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281017143754.jpeg&hash=fe73ef4c943000d185b60debf584571781719038)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 28, 2019, 06:54:40 pm
(https://www.needtoimpeach.com/wp-content/themes/timber/dist/img/logo-blue-red.svg)

January 28, 2019

The House of Representatives can bring impeachment charges against a sitting president for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
 
Donald Trump violated federal election law when he conspired with Russia to steal the 2016 presidential election, and commits bribery every time he profits from a government official staying at one of his hotels.
 
But what the heck are “other high crimes and misdemeanors?” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163123-16662165.gif&hash=0c278af5ea445d20e48640c4f39f951df986eed6) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163125-16731933.gif&hash=22dedd3548e66d624c4c7ff9b16a5c134768da77) The short answer: anything Congress says they are. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132421-16902.gif&hash=deba9f0f91ecd7d65bbdeb78786bef4a98cb1a7e)
 
The long answer: Watch our new video to find out, then share it with five friends. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121424.gif&hash=384c17a4d2be4831084933b91808f8a60f73f7f5)

IMPEACH TRUMP FOR HIGH CRIMES

The Constitution stipulates that the president can be impeached for “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Watch our new video where we break down exactly what constitutes a “high crime.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838) It should come as no surprise: Trump’s committed a bunch of them. After you’re done watching, add your name to say you’re ready for impeachment in 2019.

https://youtu.be/1icnPgiRA2s

https://www.needtoimpeach.com/high-crimes-video/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 31, 2019, 04:48:26 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-310119164018.gif&hash=8a30a54788e3b39bd74c6aff969e8ebab15f2b2c)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 07, 2019, 09:14:30 pm
The Silent Protest Against Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) Immigration Policies ☠️

https://youtu.be/K-txpQbgKLc

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Feb 6, 2019

If you watched Trump's state of the Union you may have missed a silent protest against Donald Trump's immigration policies.   

As Trump praised a story of one man freeing another from a concentration camp,  members of congress wore the names of victims of Trump's immigration polices, which saw refugee children, separated from their parents and locked in cages.

Can Trump see what he is doing?
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 07, 2019, 10:12:56 pm
Americans Want Socialism Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F780_9adc777a0e08428257b76ece69d18ee52006bb5e39d60d966bb2440d29d17641.jpeg&hash=4d8f2f9ea7b952c63ad0441a4619e9b370ddcb0a) Says No


https://youtu.be/9dSjEUYmGs8

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Feb 7, 2019

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) says, “We're not going back to socialism… We don't believe in a centralized planned economy where the government puts restraints on” the billionaires behavior.
But Americans want more socialism.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-1624479.gif&hash=92c92575625c10582f9c1c6f9db969ad24bf62a8)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121424.gif&hash=384c17a4d2be4831084933b91808f8a60f73f7f5) They want Social Security stabilized and expanded. They want a national health care system that heals people instead of just producing billionaires in the insurance industry. They want banks that support local communities rather than ripping off their clients. They want their food and water to be safe for their children. They want schools that are world-class quality, and want their kids to get a college education without being crippled for life by debt. They want mass transportation that’s fast, efficient, and inexpensive to use. They want an air transportation system that’s safe and reasonably priced.

Donald Trump and his rich buddies like Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin want none of these things. The major funder of the GOP, but at the federal and the state level, is the Koch network. And when David Koch ran for VP in 1980, he openly proclaimed that he wanted to end Social Security, privatize Medicare, shutter our public schools, sell off our roads and rivers and rails to the highest bidder to turn into toll roads and profit centers, and end regulations that protect us all from pollution coming from Koch Industries smokestacks.

SUPPORT THE PROGRAM
► Join us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/thomhartmann where you can also watch a re-run of the three-hour program at any time



Economic Update: Socialism Past to Future
26,995 views

Published on Feb 4, 2019

https://youtu.be/4fwXo6xH9NA

Democracy At Work

Support the show! Become an EU patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/economicupdate

Economic Update: Socialism Past to Future

On this episode of Economic Update, Prof. Wolff begins with an overview of socialism's history, especially in the U.S. where it was widely discussed up to 1945, then repressed in the Cold War and now vigorously revived since the crash of 2008. He then examines socialism's basic economic criticism of capitalism in the 20th century.

In the second half of the show, Prof. Wolff goes on to show how and why socialism, as it is re-emerging now, is new and different.

Follow us ONLINE:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/economicupdate
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Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 09, 2019, 07:09:54 pm
Democratic Rep. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201112.png&hash=679f4583d6861313c256e8762c40929af1ac667e) blows AG Whitaker's 😈 hair back with rapid fire questioning  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040817183318.gif&hash=85dbde0ecc986da6385d09f4df76d45028b7062d)

https://youtu.be/XBfw1rBDdNY

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/8/1833314/-Democratic-Rep-blows-AG-Whitaker-s-hair-back-with-rapid-fire-questioning#view-story

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 11, 2019, 04:43:38 pm
QUID PRO QUO REDUX, PART ONE: THE TRUMP (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) TOWER DANGLE

February 11, 2019/80 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Mueller Probe /by emptywheel

SNIPPET:

Last May, I wrote a series using the questions (as imagined by Jay Sekulow) Mueller had posed to Trump to lay out what theory of investigation Mueller might be pursuing — and what details we know about it. We’ve learned a lot more about the investigation and confirmed that the investigation focusing on Trump personally includes both a criminal and a counterintelligence component. I wanted to update the series. Because we know so much more about both sides of this quid pro quo, the organization of the series will be somewhat different.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/02/11/quid-pro-quo-redux-part-one-the-trump-tower-dangle/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 14, 2019, 05:57:37 pm
FEB 13, 2019 OPINION

Danny Glover (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-16442135.gif&hash=52927992b43007fa5c5eb6ffcb453ae29948c356): The U.S.👹 Redefines the Term 'Dictator' as It Sees Fit

https://youtu.be/hMKLK6UQBaQ

Full Interview Transcript: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/danny-glover-the-u-s-redefines-the-term-dictator-as-it-sees-fit/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 15, 2019, 11:45:52 am
Quote
So this is how freedom dies -- with a rambling, incoherent monologue

— Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) February 15, 2019

Quote
slfiore February 15 · 11:15:52 AM
No national security meeting in the White House Situation Room today:  Trump flew down to Mar-a-Lago to play golf this morning.

Read more:

Twitter reacts to Donald (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) Trump's 'emergency' declaration (https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/15/1834939/-Twitter-reacts-to-Donald-Trump-s-emergency-declaration)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 15, 2019, 12:06:09 pm
A Good Rant (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818180844.png&hash=d74cfbba22967e53f7eb6202dffdd50b3e520fe2)

Someone asked "Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?"
Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England, wrote this magnificent response:
"A few things spring to mind.
Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface.
Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront.
Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul.
And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist.
Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that.
He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat.
He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.
And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully.
That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead.
There are unspoken rules to this stuff - the Queensberry rules of basic decency - and he breaks them all. He punches downwards - which a gentleman should, would, could never do - and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless - and he kicks them when they are down.
So the fact that a significant minority - perhaps a third - of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think 'Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:
* Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.
* You don't need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.
This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss.
After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of ****. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum.
God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid.
He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart.
In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws - he would make a Trump.
And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish:
'My God… what… have… I… created?
If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set."

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 15, 2019, 12:11:20 pm
A Good Rant (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818180844.png&hash=d74cfbba22967e53f7eb6202dffdd50b3e520fe2)

Someone asked "Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?"
Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England, wrote this magnificent response:
"A few things spring to mind.
Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace - all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed.
So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief.
Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing - not once, ever.
I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility - for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman.
But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is - his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty.
Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers.
And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults - he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness.
There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface.
Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront.
Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul.
And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist.
Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that.
He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat.
He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege.
And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully.
That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead.
There are unspoken rules to this stuff - the Queensberry rules of basic decency - and he breaks them all. He punches downwards - which a gentleman should, would, could never do - and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless - and he kicks them when they are down.
So the fact that a significant minority - perhaps a third - of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think 'Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that:
* Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are.
* You don't need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man.
This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss.
After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of ****. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum.
God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid.
He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart.
In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws - he would make a Trump.
And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish:
'My God… what… have… I… created?
If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set."


Great witty rant. To bad it couldn't all be put on a t-shirt or hat his followers would be forced to wear. Or maybe "I voted for the BOOR" on a hat for Trump voters.
AJ

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718204746.gif&hash=ef3006b22f07724d45868cab1dae91b1dff31327)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 15, 2019, 01:12:04 pm
Idiot: Emergency!!!!!!!!!(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591)  (http://www.doomsteaddiner.net/forum/index.php/topic,9921.msg169933/topicseen.html#msg169933)

Yep.

Quote
A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. -- Proverbs 6:12-14 (KJV)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F773_0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpeg&hash=049858dd493719b30abf78c954b8ad7f38bd6d74)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 15, 2019, 01:54:57 pm
Taxing Waters Rising (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-190119153601.gif&hash=336ba78f7f18ff5829ef3722f89b4258d2315284)


SNIPPET:

The place was packed with guys like me 40+ white working class/farmers, hey it’s rural Wisconsin, and they were all bitching about one thing. Taxes.

It wasn’t the quietly disgruntled sort of mildly irritated bitching. It was a seething sort of muted rage that comes from people who are seriously pissed and are looking for someone to blame kind of bitching. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817134648.gif&hash=d24c66a26329a19150a175d576b631d10f631ee8) Then ol’ Chuck Grassley (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) appears on the TV pontificating about taxes. Ho Boy. Spark meet gasoline 💥. Even the owner and waitresses lost their ****. I think “Bald faced **** liar” was the mildest term I heard used and that was a waitress. Could be wrong though. It was loud.

Everyone and I do mean every single person in that establishment started comparing just what they had to cough up in taxes or just how small their return was going to be if they got one compared to last years. People were going to be short 5k minimum on their refunds. Others were in the hole to the IRS up to 12k. Vacations were being canceled. Repairs and purchases are being postponed. Vehicles are not going to be purchased.

Then the farmers started bitching about who they were going to sell soybeans to. What should they plant? Corn? Soybeans? It’s time to order seed you know? How can I make a profit if I can’t sell what I grow? Is this China **** going to be sorted out soon? Who gives a **** about a border wall I need **** laborers. Does that fat orange bastard really know what the **** he’s doing? 50% of these people voted for Trump, Walker and Duffy. Now granted there were some MAGA hat wearing folks in there and a couple spouted off about staying the course and talking points. My did that go over well. Not.
//
The word Schadenfreude comes to mind.
Can't say we didn't see this coming. BUT it really is the dems fault for running Hillary :icon_scratch: (who was damaged goods).
AJ

Well, hindsight is 20-20, but there is no doubt the gears were jiggered and the skids greased to coronate Miss It's-My-Turn. As someone who worked for, contributed and supported Bernie all the way, nothing was more apparent.

I don't doubt that Robert Mercer helped the Russians aim to social media gunsights in several states for the election (as he did for the Brexit referendum), but the enthusiasm gap was palpable.  I specifically recall going on a weekend excursion to a cottage on North Carolina's Outer Banks in October, 2016. NE North Carolina is conservative country, but not the sort of gap-toothed, sister-fu cking, tobacco-dipping rural  horror show you might imagine. Driving south, we noted the preponderance of Trump signs: some yard signs, some great big suckers, but many dozens of them along the main drags. And not a one for Hillary.

I ain't makin' it up.


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818221632-1610966.gif&hash=e878dd8cdc23a6ed7f551880f2c20745d49a7567)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 22, 2019, 01:56:39 pm
I already said, more than a year ago, that I'd vote for Sanders.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132400-1685431.gif&hash=770de9d7a4fd6b31ea7d9b45e544cc00777d8029)
   

Sanders is the only left leaning candidate with the ethics and gravitas to be POTUS, in my opinion.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818221632-1610966.gif&hash=e878dd8cdc23a6ed7f551880f2c20745d49a7567)


One other thing. I think the USMIC can co-opt any POTUS, after they are elected. It's metastatic cancer at the end stage. You can't kill the cancer without killing the host.

True.  :(

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201645-1486464.jpeg&hash=bfa44b2ee2b1d6d1ea71a024b1bd6e9cf1328326)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F3000_Things%2520can%2520only%2520get%2520worse.png&hash=ab123778b20b45534127f64e8dd831d22c0cb12e)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-281218134331.png&hash=c555fdb1dfc82a32b8f4102dc0d8fe6d1a574de4)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 22, 2019, 04:57:00 pm
HOW AMY BERMAN JACKSON (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) GOT ROGER STONE TO STEP IN IT AND THEN STEP IN IT AGAIN  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-141113185047.png&hash=384024358ff8d5e7133d19b6e6638da4584a8154)

February 22, 2019/88 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe /by emptywheel

SNIPPET:

As you no doubt have heard, Amy Berman Jackson imposed a gag on Roger Stone (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) yesterday in response to his posting a picture of her with a cross-hairs on it.

But I’d like to look at how she did so (https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/5746249/Transcript-Instagram-Post-Leads-ABJ-to-Broaden.pdf), not just because of the way she crafted it to withstand what may be a legal challenge from Stone’s lawyers, but for how she got Stone on the hook for lies that may get him jailed anyway.

At the beginning of the hearing, she puts Bruce Rogow, Stone’s attorney, on the record about several issues. She gets him to certify that the post in question came from Stone’s Instagram account, as well as the timing of its posting and removal.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184310-1635923.gif&hash=5e2530db4748ed6c7163e1d478fdfa3cd1108668)

https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/02/22/how-amy-berman-jackson-got-roger-stone-to-step-in-it-and-then-step-in-it-again/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 28, 2019, 09:31:08 pm
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 👍 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) Grills Michael Cohen, Laying Out Plan to Probe More Trump Crimes
17,835 views

https://youtu.be/cW4mqEVTRFk

Democracy Now!

Published on Feb 28, 2019

https://democracynow.org - Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez questioned Michael Cohen about President Trump’s shady tax dealings at Wednesday’s hearing, presenting a roadmap for investigators to look further into Trump’s crimes. We speak with independent journalist Marcy Wheeler, who says, “In five minutes, this freshman congresswoman just laid out a whole investigative plan for three more topics into Donald Trump’s potentially criminal activities.” Wheeler covers national security and civil liberties on her website EmptyWheel.net.

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream 8-9AM ET: https://democracynow.org

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Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 28, 2019, 10:14:42 pm
Will Republicans (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Hold Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) to the Same Standard They Did Nixon (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smiley-lol.com%2Fsmiley%2Fexagerent%2Fpolice%2Fenprison.gif&hash=4912c6e4685052e7a6084b2d6740020437d7dae4) ? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132332-16812332.gif&hash=ca61f76f711b4ad81f3e665376f43c8076f05b1d)

1,974 views

https://youtu.be/ZrYerOvf0zI

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Feb 27, 2019

What standard will the Republicans hold for Trump, as was held for Richard Nixon?

Richard Nixon resigned the presidency for lying about covering up the Watergate burglary that was looking to see what dirt the DNC had on him.

Today Cohen will testify that Trump covered up his own crime of paying off Story Daniels and Karen McDougal to cover up the dirt of his affairs that could have sunk his candidacy for president if it came out.

There are lots of other crimes, racism, and frauds, but will Republicans at the very least hold Trump to the same simple standard they did Nixon?

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Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 01, 2019, 02:01:34 pm
(https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/53179285_10156219353393224_914404511617908736_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=d74400f85cc661a61129d24b2be6edea&oe=5D15E390)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163124-1669950.gif&hash=3136c3f2021d13cacae8b9488d005fe8231d2df6)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 01, 2019, 03:04:52 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Our House is being DELIBERATELY Divided BY CAPITALISTS=FASCISTS. WHY? Because CAPITALISM is a  FAILURE and CAPITALISTS (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-231218145827.png&hash=8d3bbb761cf17fcddac83f24088d26e316b65e33) would lose power if the SOCIALIST SOLUTION to the CAPITALIST FAILURE, REQUIRED to fix our CATASTROPHIC economic, environmental and cultural problems, is voted in by WE-THE-OVERWHELMINGLY-PRO-GREEN-NEW-DEAL-PEOPLE.

So, SOCIALISM is hysterically demonized 24/7 as a "danger to freedom and liberty" (see Orwell). In the run up to the 2016 election, ALL the (ethical) STOPS were pulled out to label as "Socialists" the CAPITALIST Water Carriers (i.e. Obama AND Hillary) of the Dumocratic WING of the Wall Street CAPITALIST Party in order to FOOL AMERICANS into voting in a member of the Repukian WING (Trump) of the Wall Street CAPITALIST Party.

In the run up to 2020, the in-your-face demonization of all things Socialist as the "failed horror of Venezuelan horrors" will continue. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818204546.gif&hash=ffeafdfa24208fe5070639ffa682bb2ad041737c)

Hopefully, the American public will not fall for those vicious lies again. Watch this and learn what these ethically challenged CAPITALIST bastards enthusiastically will DO (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) to cling to their Profit Over People and Planet DESTRUCTIVE POWER.

 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-010319144633.png&hash=290b550d0c55f2244e94fdab3349beb3452bec0f)

 
VICE Special Report: A House Divided

1,401,619 views

https://youtu.be/pdVl3WvgJ50

VICE

Published on Aug 14, 2017

'VICE Special Report: A House Divided' is nominated in the 2017 Primetime Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special." See below for links to watch more of this year's nominees from VICE.

With exclusive access to the President, his inner circle and key opponents, VICE founder Shane Smith examines the rise of the Tea Party, the faltering of key deals, and how growing extremism has left America more divided than ever.

Watch more 2017 Primetime Emmy Nominees from VICE:

'GAYCATION' with Ellen Page and Ian Daniel is nominated for "Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program" - http://bit.ly/2cGHOvl

'VICELAND At The Women’s March' is nominated for "Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series" - http://bit.ly/2wJ1Vyp

VICE’s "Assad’s Syria and Cost of Climate Change" is nominated for "Outstanding Picture Editing for A Nonfiction Program" - http://bit.ly/2w7CFnG

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 02, 2019, 02:02:24 pm
THE MAY 18, 2017 MEETING (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) WITH TRUMP (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd), JAY SEKULOW (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6), AND MICHAEL COHEN (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9)

February 28, 2019/76 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Mueller Probe /by emptywheel 👍👍👍

One of the things that happened in yesterday’s Michael Cohen testimony is that Gerald Connolly seems to have dated a meeting between the President, Cohen, and Jay Sekulow: May 18, 2017. That’s based off a May 16 email that refers to a Thursday meeting.

Quote
Gerry Connolly: There was an email from a special assistant to the President to a Deputy White House Counsel, and the email is dated May 16, 2017 and it says, and I quote, POTUS, meaning the President, requested a meeting on Thursday with Michael Cohen and Jay Sekulow. Any idea what this might be about, end-quote? Do you recall being asked to come to the White House on or around that time, with Mr. Sekulow, May of 2017?

Michael Cohen: Off the top of my head sir, I don’t. I recall being in the White House with Jay Sekulow and it was in regard to the document production as well as my appearance before the House Select Intel.

Thursday that week would have been May 18.

As Cohen lays out in the rest of the clip, at the meeting Trump told him to cooperate but then repeated the lines (Cohen says he knew) Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) wanted him to use: There is no Russia, there is no collusion, there is no deal. This stuff has to end. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

If that is, indeed, when Cohen and Sekulow started working on Cohen’s perjurious testimony, it is remarkable timing. This post has a timeline of Cohen’s evolving lies. Of note, the timing in May looks like this:

May 9: Trump fires Jim Comey

May 16: Trump asks for a meeting with Sekulow and Cohen

May 17: Rod Rosenstein appoints Mueller

May 18: Cohen, Sekulow, and Trump meet during which Trump lays out the party line

May 30: Cohen says he won’t cooperate with HPSCI

May 31: HPSCI subpoenas Cohen and his law firm


Among other things, this means that Trump was laying out a party line even before Mueller got appointed. It also means that They recognized the risk of this testimony before the HPSCI request moved to a subpoena.

Remember, according to his testimony yesterday, Cohen claimed Sekulow edited his testimony, including by foreshortening the time during which the Trump Tower deal remained active during the election (though Sekulow denies it).

As I disclosed last July, I provided information to the FBI on issues related to the Mueller investigation, so I’m going to include disclosure statements on Mueller investigation posts from here on out. I will include the disclosure whether or not the stuff I shared with the FBI pertains to the subject of the post.

https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/02/28/the-may-18-2017-meeting-with-trump-jay-sekulow-and-michael-cohen/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 02, 2019, 03:07:15 pm
Maxine Waters (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) makes stunning revelation about Donald Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6)  international finances

Bill Palmer | 9:09 am EST March 2, 2019

Palmer Report » Analysis

Donald Trump spent the past two years hurling one dishonest, vicious, and outright racist insult at Congresswoman Maxine Waters after another. That didn’t work out too well for Trump, as she’s now Chairwoman Maxine Waters, and she happens to be in charge of a House committee that has the power to dig deep into Trump’s international finances. Waters just revealed that she’s got him by the you-know-what.


Maxine Waters appeared on the Chris Hayes show on MSNBC on Friday night and announced that her staffers are now working directly with Deutsche Bank, with regard to the series of suspicious loans that the bank has made to Donald Trump over the years. While Deutsche Bank has made previous claims to the media that it was cooperating with investigators, this is the first time one of the investigators has publicly confirmed that the bank’s cooperation is for real. So what does this mean?


Back in early 2017, a major British newspaper reported that U.S. and UK regulators had busted Deutsche Bank for laundering billions of dollars of Russian money into the hands of clients in a handful of cities including New York City. Palmer Report pointed out at the time that this lined up rather conveniently with the “loans” that Deutsche Bank kept floating to New York City resident Donald Trump, even after he became a poor credit risk – and much of the money never was repaid.


Maxine Waters now has her hands on the Deutsche Bank records that will show precisely how and why it kept floating money to Donald Trump even after no other major bank was willing to lend him a cent. This is going to expose the money trail from the Kremlin to Trump. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for, and Waters (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201112.png&hash=679f4583d6861313c256e8762c40929af1ac667e)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) now has it.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-141113185047.png&hash=384024358ff8d5e7133d19b6e6638da4584a8154)

Click here to help fund Palmer Report's editorial takedown of Donald Trump!

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/maxine-waters-stunning-revelation-donald-trump-international/16373/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 03, 2019, 07:16:38 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59)

Trump and Netanyahu Scandals a Very Dangerous Moment – Wilkerson & Jay

March 3, 2019

Desperate men do desperate things; two leaders facing corruption charges may more aggressively push their Iran regime change agenda – Larry Wilkerson joins Paul Jay

https://youtu.be/zBuAaZ_AQno

Story Transcript

PAUL JAY: Welcome to The Real News Network. I’m Paul Jay.

The testimony of Michael Cohen to the House Oversight Committee was a very revealing look into the state of America’s political culture. One could talk about it for a long time, but it was perhaps at the very end of the hearing, when Cohen does his final statement, the most chilling contribution was made. First here’s how he started things off. I know everyone’s heard this so many times by now. But here’s a little bit from his opening statement.

MICHAEL COHEN: I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience.

I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat.

PAUL JAY: Cohen, under questioning and in his opening statement, laid out some specific things that lead one to conclude that Donald Trump broke the law. They seem to have President Trump on bank fraud and various kinds of tax evasion. There is an argument that goes that a president can’t be indicted while he’s in office. Well, here’s what Cohen suggested–that if Trump loses the election in 2020, perhaps he won’t leave office.

MICHAEL COHEN: Given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020 that there will never be a peaceful transition of power.

PAUL JAY: Now joining me to talk about that, and other parts, other things that fall out of the Cohen testimony, is Colonel Larry Wilkerson. Larry is a retired United States Army soldier and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. Thanks for joining us again, Larry.

LARRY WILKERSON: Good to be with you, Paul.

PAUL JAY: So what do you make of that? He’s talking about what, that there’ll be an election. He loses the election, or there will be something staged, perhaps, that might lead to not having an election. What do you make of what Cohen says?

LARRY WILKERSON: This was not a surprise to me because about a year ago in the Senate when I was working on the preliminary lobbying efforts to get the United States out of the war in Yemen, I encountered a senator who–a long-serving senator of the Republican Party–who asked everyone to leave his office. He asked me to ask my people to leave. And he asked his people to leave, including his chief of staff. And he said, I have a question for Col. Wilkerson. It calls on his military professional expertise.

So they all left, and we were alone in the office. And he looked at me and he said–looked at his watch, and he said, I’ve got to go vote in a few minutes. But I want to give you a scenario and ask you a question. The scenario is this. Let’s say that we come on the midterms and lose one or both the Houses. And let’s say that after that, the articles of impeachment that even now are being crafted in the House by, largely, the Democrats, if not exclusively Democrats, they become something that Republicans, my party, is interested in. And all of a sudden we move towards that. And here’s the scenario. We go over to the White House with the leaders of Congress, both parties, just as they did, basically, with Richard Nixon after Watergate. And we say to the president “You have two choices, Mr. President. You can suffer these very powerful articles of impeachment. We guarantee you you’ll be removed from office, and after that we’ll prosecute you and your family to the full extent of the law, which is perfectly legal. Or here’s your alternative, Mr. President. You can resign, as Richard Nixon did, and we won’t prosecute you or your family. You have a choice.”

I said, OK. That doesn’t sound like all that implausible a scenario to me. And the senator said, yeah, but here’s my question to you. Trump won’t leave, and he calls to the streets his legions. And as you know, his legions are the most well-armed legions in America. In fact, his base owns probably 75 to 90 percent of the guns in America. And the FBI will tell you that. What’s the military going to do? the senator asked me. My response I won’t share with you, but it was a very, very serious response. And it vouchsafe to talk about the military, the constitutional crisis, and other things.

PAUL JAY: Well, that was, that was actually my next question: What would the military do? Because it’s not just about people in the streets, because if the police and military play any normal role, I don’t think Trump has that kind of force in terms of, you know, people with guns and such. But if he uses, you know, quasi-legal constitutional means, what does that mean? That there’s a staged event like some kind of terrorist attack, or some other kind of national emergency that’s used as an excuse not to have the elections, or not to implement the results of the elections. What would the military do? And it seems to me if Trump is in any way entertaining these kinds of ideas, he better make sure that the leaders of the military are his people. So my question is: Are they?

LARRY WILKERSON: Now, this is the dilemma. And what you’ve just painted is not really, I think, a part of reality. The reality would be that others would see through a declaration of a national emergency, or even a declaration of war; even if it were to order the military to deploy to places like Iran, or North Korea, or whatever. Because I think the leadership would refuse. The leadership of the military has a bifurcated loyalty, if you will. Not just mentioning the Constitution, which is the ultimate loyalty, but they’re loyal to the legislative branch, which is basically that branch which commissions them and approves their stars, and the executive branch.

So when you’re talking about the leadership under a scenario like this, a declaration of a national emergency clearly aimed at deflecting attention from the president, or keeping the president around longer than the statute legislation says for the elections and so forth, is in my view nonsense, because the military would never adhere to that. They’d never follow that. They’d go straight to the Congress. And the Congress would turn it over, I hope. Even my Republican idiots like Mitch McConnell in the Senate would see the dire necessity to take action there, and wouldn’t allow their lust for power and money to overcome totally their desire to keep the Republican tack. I hope. Notice I say “I hope.”

PAUL JAY: Well, that was my next question. Because when you look at those hearings with Cohen, at least the Republicans on that committee, and some we’ve heard who weren’t on the committee that are agreeing with them, the, I don’t know, complete overt, banal partisan defense of Trump, and attempting to destroy the character of Cohen, which one understands to some extent, but zero interest in what seems like rather overt corruption, that these guys seem to be–have decided they’re either they’re going for bust with Trump, that they’re so worried about being primaried by Trump forces and that Trump seems so powerful within the Republican Party. I mean, CPAC is on now, and every speaker, virtually, is a love letter to Trump, including Lindsey Graham, who used to be a big critic of Trump.

Like, if we can have these conversations, and obviously a year ago a Republican senator was already thinking this through, well, obviously they’re thinking it through, and coming to the conclusion that they’re not even giving themselves some plausible deniability to distance themselves from Trump.

LARRY WILKERSON: But there’s political space here, Paul. There’s still political space. I wish there weren’t, but there is. And let’s face it, Cohen destroyed himself. The Democrats and others attacking him, Republicans or Democrats, or whatever, they didn’t hurt Cohen. Cohen destroyed himself. And his credibility is suspect here. The reason that we can say we believe most of what he said, I don’t think it’s based on Cohen’s character. It’s based on, I think, a growing and sure knowledge of Trump’s character. The man has lied over 8,000 times from the bully pulpit of the presidency of the United States. This is a foul character we have in the White House. There’s no question about that. There are people in his base who understand that, but cling to him because he promises them things like the reversal of Roe v. Wade, like a homophobia unprecedented. He promises them these things, and so they cling to him in some desperation, now.

When all this comes to a head, when he calls, as it were, someone to the streets, armed or unarmed, when he tries to linger, I think the institutional architecture of this country is going to rip his guts out, and he will no longer be president. If it doesn’t, I’m moving to New Zealand forthwith.

PAUL JAY: You better do it quickly, because the New Zealanders have already made it illegal for foreigners to buy property because so many billionaires are buying up property in New Zealand.

LARRY WILKERSON: Got my tickets. I have some contacts in the MFAT in New Zealand from my days at the State Department.

PAUL JAY: So what do you make of this supposed precedent or legal thinking that a president can’t be indicted while in office? I mean, let’s go back to the hearings, first of all. Here’s Ro Khanna about–where it appears Trump is really cornered. Let’s play that clip.

RO KHANNA: I just want the American public to understand the explosive nature of your testimony in this document. Are you telling us, Mr. Cohen, that the President directed transactions in conspiracy with Allen Weisselberg, and his son Donald Trump Jr., as part of a criminal conspiracy of financial fraud? Is that your testimony today?

MICHAEL COHEN: Yes.

PAUL JAY: So if that’s correct, and apparently in these hearings they’re going to build this argument out even more, they have him on, essentially, bank fraud; lying to Deutsche Bank to get some big loan to buy the Buffalo Bills. And here’s AOC, where there’s the potential issue of avoiding real estate taxes.

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: According to an August 21, 2016 report by the Washington Post, the President claimed in financial disclosure forms that Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida was worth more than $50 million. He had reported otherwise to local tax authorities, that the course was worth “No more than $5 million.” Mr. Cohen, do you know whether this specific report is accurate?

MICHAEL COHEN: It’s identical to what he did at Trump National Golf Club at Briarcliff Manor.

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: To your knowledge, was the President interested in reducing his local real estate bills? Tax bills?

MICHAEL COHEN: Yes.

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: And how did he do that?

MICHAEL COHEN: What you do is you deflate the value of the asset. And then you put in a request to the tax department for the deduction.

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: Thank you.

PAUL JAY: So all these things, I believe, are being pursued by the prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, which is not under the control, directly, of the White House or the DOJ. They can’t really stop that prosecution. Where does it come that he can’t be indicted for this? That’s kind of bizarre, given the whole American revolution was supposed to be about not having a king.

LARRY WILKERSON: Specifically in this case I think if you look at the real world, and particularly the real political world, the world of the United States being, if you will, the world’s security and foreign policy financial and economic leader, you say to yourself, well, if you could indict a sitting president that would be a horrible precedent, because politics being what it is, particularly today, you’d be doing that all the time. And the president would have no time to run this vast empire that we put together. And that’s a real world argument that I would entertain.

At the same time, I think it’s a 50/50 purely legal, now–just purely legal–it’s a 50/50 case as to whether or not this can be done. And ultimately the Supreme Court would have to be the 51, put it on the side of the majority and say yes, it can be done, or it can’t be done. And I think that’s remotely–a remote reality here with Trump. I think what we’re going to see is we’re going to see him removed from office through constitutional means before 2020, or we’re going to see him removed by the election in 2020. I don’t know which it will be. I suspect the latter. But it’s going to be that way. And then the crunch comes. Does he depart peacefully? Does he leave and go back to his television, and so forth? One wonders. Because you just pointed out why he might not leave, in a very, very realistic sense. He’s going to jail for the rest of his natural life. New York will see to that.

You know, Paul, I have never met a New Yorker to this day–and I spent some time in New York–who likes Donald Trump. They hate him. They hate his guts. The taxi drivers. The sedan drivers. The restaurant owners. The bar owners. The people in New York, they hate Donald Trump. That ought to tell you something about Donald Trump.

PAUL JAY: Let me add one thing to this, because I don’t think we can look at this just from the point of view of Trump and his own vulnerability here. But Netanyahu in Israel is in the midst of his own scandal up to his eyeballs. The thing that might save him from going to jail is if somehow he can win the next election and create the same kind of scenario, that are you really going to put a sitting prime minister in jail? So there’s a convergence here. And add to that the John Bolton factor and the forces he represents who want regime change in Iran, and have wanted it for more than a decade. Will they give up this chance, the Trump presidency, of a moment in history where they may get the play out this very aggressive agenda which they’ve not been able to implement before on Iran?

So Trump’s in such a predicament. Netanyahu, the Bolton agenda, which is also very much the Netanyahu agenda, to try to have regime change in Iran, it seems to me you put it all together and we’re in a hell of a dangerous period over this next two years. And again, at the very beginning of our conversation, I think a lot of this is going to come down to how does the leadership of the American military respond to all this? And two, does he start to significantly change who is the leadership of the American military?

LARRY WILKERSON: That would be a dire sign, if that were to take place. I mean, beyond Jim Mattis, for example. But your scenario is one that concerns me. I think it is the most likely adverse scenario to develop. And you’re right to point at both capitals, Jerusalem and Washington. That Netanyahu would do something, even before the election, or after the election’s taken place and the results are adverse, to make it appear to the Israeli public that he’s essential, like starting a war with Iran. And dragging the United States into it, dragging John Bolton into it, as you’ve intimated, willingly, and several other neoconservatives in the administration, or close to it. That worries me. That a wag the dog–you know, the tail wagging the dog scenario, that does present, to me, a possibility. Not a probability, but a possibility. And that’s worrisome.

PAUL JAY: All right. Thanks for joining us, Larry.

LARRY WILKERSON: Thanks for having me.

PAUL JAY: Thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.

https://therealnews.com/stories/trump-and-netanyahu-scandals-a-very-dangerous-moment-wilkerson-jay
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 05, 2019, 03:05:21 pm
PUZZLING THROUGH THE HOUSE REQUESTS(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4) 

March 4, 2019/67 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Mueller Probe /by emptywheel

In this post, I’ll try to make sense of the requests House Judiciary Committee sent out today.

The requests — which they’ve run by Mueller and SDNY — don’t all make sense. Generally, people are being asked for the documents they’ve already turned over (or had seized) to some investigation. A lot of this is boilerplate, though, so some people are being asked for documents they don’t have.

Alan Garten gets a request, but not Alan Futerfas, in spite of the fact that both Trump lawyers were involved in coaching June 9 meeting testimony.

It excludes some obvious intelligence targets — it doesn’t ask for documents concerning Oleg Deripaska, and Sergei Millian is not on this list — but not others — like WikiLeaks.

Ivanka Trump and Sam Patten are not included.

This is a first run of either the most important association or some surprising ones. I’ll be doing rolling updates of this after more detailed review of the request letters.

CONTACTS WITH RUSSIANS
I’ve split this into those who were named in requests for documents detailing contacts with Russians, which includes the following, Trump himself, and Konstantin Kilimnik:

Trump Campaign (letter, document requests)
Trump Organization (letter, document requests)
Carter Page (letter, document requests)
Erik Prince (letter, document requests)
George Papadopoulos (letter, document requests)
Jared Kushner (letter, document requests)
Jeff Sessions (letter, document requests)
Jerome Corsi (letter, document requests)
KT McFarland (letter, document requests)
Michael Cohen (letter, document requests)
Michael Flynn (letter, document requests)
Paul Manafort (letter, document requests)
Rick Gates (letter, document requests)
Roger Stone (letter, document requests)
Tom Bossert (letter, document requests)

Those requested for documents showing communications with Russians and the list above:

Christopher Bancroft Burnham (letter, document requests)
Jason Maloni (letter, document requests)
Paul Erickson (letter, document requests)

MEETINGS WITH PUTIN
Allen Weisselberg (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018
Brad Parscale (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018
Christopher Bancroft Burnham (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018
Corey Lewandowski (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018
Don McGahn (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018
Donald Trump Jr. (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018
Eric Trump (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018
Erik Prince (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018
Hope Hicks (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018
Reince Priebus (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017
Rick Gates (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017 and November 11, 2017
Rhona Graff (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018
Roger Stone (letter, document requests)
Roger Stone (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018
Steve Bannon (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018
Tom Bossert (letter, document requests) July 7, 2017, November 11, 2017, July 16, 2018, and November 30, 2018

JUNE 9 MEETING
This category, like the contacts with Russians one, I’ll split onto those named and those asked about the June 9 meeting. The former are here:

Anatoli Samochornov (letter, document requests)
Donald Trump Jr. (letter, document requests)
Irakly Kaveladze (letter, document requests)
Jared Kushner (letter, document requests)
Paul Manafort (letter, document requests)
Rinat Akhmetshin (letter, document requests)
Rob Goldstone (letter, document requests)
These people were asked about the June 9 meeting but are not named.

Alan Garten (letter, document requests)
Don McGahn (letter, document requests)
Hope Hicks (letter, document requests)
Jason Maloni (letter, document requests)
Mark Corallo (letter, document requests)
Steve Bannon (letter, document requests)

TRUMP TOWER MOSCOW
Allen Weisselberg (letter, document requests)
Donald Trump Jr. (letter, document requests)
Felix Sater (letter, document requests)
Jay Sekulow (letter, document requests)
Matthew Calamari (letter, document requests)
Michael Cohen (letter, document requests)
Ronald Lieberman (letter, document requests)
Sam Nunberg (letter, document requests)
Sheri Dillon (letter, document requests)
Stefan Passantino (letter, document requests)

SANCTIONS RELIEF
Carter Page (letter, document requests)
Erik Prince (letter, document requests)
George Papadopoulos (letter, document requests)
Jared Kushner (letter, document requests)
Jason Maloni (letter, document requests)
J.D. Gordon (letter, document requests)
Jeff Sessions (letter, document requests)
Jerome Corsi (letter, document requests)
KT McFarland (letter, document requests)
Michael Cohen (letter, document requests)
Paul Manafort (letter, document requests)
Rick Gates (letter, document requests)
Roger Stone (letter, document requests)
Tom Bossert (letter, document requests)

CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA AND SHARING OF POLLING DATA
Alexander Nix (letter, document requests)
Brad Parscale (letter, document requests)
Brittany Kaiser (letter, document requests)
Cambridge Analytica (letter, document requests)
Concord Management and Consulting (letter, document requests)
Jared Kushner (letter, document requests)
Julian David Wheatland (letter, document requests)
Paul Manafort (letter, document requests)
Rick Gates (letter, document requests)
Sam Nunberg (letter, document requests)
SCL Group Limited (letter, document requests)
Tony Fabrizio (letter, document requests)

PETER SMITH EFFORT
Jerome Corsi (letter, document requests)
John Szobocsan (letter, document requests)
Matt Tait (letter, document requests)
Peter Smith (Estate) (letter, document requests)
HUSH PAYMENTS AND CATCH-AND-KILL
Allen Weisselberg (letter, document requests)
American Media Inc (letter, document requests)
David Pecker (letter, document requests)
Donald J Trump Revocable Trust (letter, document requests)
Dylan Howard (letter, document requests)
Jared Kushner (letter, document requests)
Keith Davidson (letter, document requests)
Matthew Calamari (letter, document requests)
Michael Cohen (letter, document requests)
Ronald Lieberman (letter, document requests)
Steve Bannon (letter, document requests)

CORRUPT BUSINESS INTERESTS (INCLUDING EMOLUMENTS)
Alan Garten (letter, document requests)
Allen Weisselberg (letter, document requests)
Andrew Intrater (letter, document requests)
Christopher Bancroft Burnham (letter, document requests)
Columbus Nova (letter, document requests)
Donald Trump Jr. (letter, document requests)
Erik Prince (letter, document requests)
58th Presidential Inaugural Committee (letter, document requests)
Flynn Intel Group (letter, document requests)
Frontier Services Group (letter, document requests)
George Nader (letter, document requests)
Jared Kushner (letter, document requests)
Kushner Companies (letter, document requests)
Matthew Calamari (letter, document requests)
Michael Cohen (letter, document requests)
Michael Flynn (letter, document requests)
Michael Flynn Jr (letter, document requests)
Ronald Lieberman (letter, document requests)
Sheri Dillon (letter, document requests)
Stefan Passantino (letter, document requests)
Tom Barrack (letter, document requests)
Viktor Vekselberg (letter, document requests)

OBSTRUCTION (INCLUDING WHCO ADVICE)
Annie Donaldson (letter, document requests)
Don McGahn (letter, document requests)
Eric Trump (letter, document requests)
Hope Hicks (letter, document requests)
Jared Kushner (letter, document requests)
Jason Maloni (letter, document requests)
Jay Sekulow (letter, document requests)
Jeff Sessions (letter, document requests)
KT McFarland (letter, document requests)
Mark Corallo (letter, document requests)
Reince Priebus (letter, document requests)
Sean Spicer (letter, document requests)
Steve Bannon (letter, document requests)
Tom Bossert (letter, document requests)

PARDONS
Michael Cohen (letter, document requests)
Michael Flynn (letter, document requests)
Paul Manafort (letter, document requests)
Rick Gates (letter, document requests)
CONTACTS WITH WIKILEAKS
Jerome Corsi (letter, document requests)
Julian Assange (letter, document requests)
Michael Caputo (letter, document requests)
Randy Credico (letter, document requests)
Roger Stone (letter, document requests)
Sam Nunberg (letter, document requests)
Ted Malloch (letter, document requests)
Wikileaks (letter, document requests)

GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATION REQUESTS
Department of Justice (letter, document requests)
Federal Bureau of Investigation (letter, document requests)
General Services Administration (letter, document requests)
NRA (letter, document requests)
The White House (letter, document requests)
Trump Campaign (letter, document requests)
Trump Foundation (letter, document requests)
Trump Organization (letter, document requests)
Trump Transition (letter, document requests)

As I disclosed last July, I provided information to the FBI on issues related to the Mueller investigation, so I’m going to include disclosure statements on Mueller investigation posts from here on out. I will include the disclosure whether or not the stuff I shared with the FBI pertains to the subject of the post.

https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/03/04/puzzling-through-the-house-requests/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 05, 2019, 10:19:43 pm
(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/reSAPJSH86kex75gNuae2Unm4WeMXArkPG9qjuff-hzpmru24LYMucfzrtuYG2oAGDhUoyvinrwx7_EshJahIxG16guNOkK83xAVp-SmXd2uKror8XCxLiKK9lQa52kDq9UAfeqVXazKnlE=s0-d-e1-ft#https://needtoimpeach-res.cloudinary.com/image/upload/v1549925596/NTI_Color_RGB_2x_1.png)

March 5, 2018

Anthony, we launched Project Accountability as a way to let influential members of Congress know their constituents and the country support impeachment proceedings. Yesterday, New York Congressman Jerry Nadler announced that the House Judiciary Committee will launch a probe into Donald Trump’s 🦀 obstruction of justice, campaign finance violations, and abuses of power. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818180844.png&hash=d74cfbba22967e53f7eb6202dffdd50b3e520fe2)
 
When 7.5 million Americans raise their voices, our representatives have no choice but to listen. Let’s keep telling powerful members of Congress to do the job we elected them to do: Hold Trump accountable.
 
Since launching our effort to demand action from Rep. Nadler, we have collected 76,809 petition signatures, made 5,727 phone calls, and sent 767 emails urging him to start impeachment hearings — now he’s investigating Trump.
 
Anthony, watch our new video of Rep. Nadler’s constituents delivering the petition to launch impeachment hearings to his office, and thank him for taking this promising first step toward impeachment.

https://youtu.be/Nl82xfGYssw

This is such a crucial time to keep up momentum while impeachment is front and center. If we can demand action from more members of Congress, we can expose Trump’s crimes and corruption, and finally begin the process of impeaching him.
 
Thanks for standing with us,

Need to Impeach

https://www.needtoimpeach.com/nadler-obstruction-investigation/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 06, 2019, 06:47:19 pm
By William Rivers Pitt, Truthout

PUBLISHED March 5, 2019


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)
(https://truthout.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2019_0305-blue-dog-democrats.jpg)
The Democratic (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718202127.gif&hash=acc63221521ebaf3f238088fd92d1ae3a08b6e48) Blue Dog 🐘😉 Coalition released this photo with their latest inductees on November 27, 2018.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

“Moderate” Democrats Are Really Conservatives — and They Are (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Dangerous  (https://truthout.org/articles/moderate-democrats-are-really-conservatives-and-they-are-dangerous/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 06, 2019, 08:39:05 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-16881856.gif&hash=ef5bd30cec7a50a81f3507f9bd328189dead7aa2) Stopping the Oppression of the Supermajority!

https://youtu.be/nFCH5uGmL08

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Mar 6, 2019

Tim Wu wrote in the New York Times about the Oppression of the Supermajority.

We Are Not Politically Polarized on Important Issues - So Just Stop It!

75% of Americans want higher taxes for the uberwealthy, 67% want guaranteed maternity leave, 83% are asking for stronger net neutrality protections, 60% are in favor of better privacy laws and 92% want Medicare to negotiate lower drugs prices. The list goes on.

Why are “we” not being heard?



Once Banned 1918 Flu Being Studied in Secret?
1,598 views

https://youtu.be/VfjLzRxMXFI

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Mar 5, 2019

Could deadly flu virus studies escape the lab and infect millions without healthcare?

Scientists are resuming once-banned research into the deadly flu virus of 1918, which killed millions, in the hopes of stopping a future similar flu pandemic. 

The public was not informed. The United States is uniquely vulnerable because we have no national health care program.

Canada and Mexico and all of Europe and parts of South and Central America do, but we don’t.  So no matter what kind of vaccine or treatment we come up with to stop the spread of the next version of the deadly flu of 1918, we’re going to have a problem because so many people can’t afford to go to the doctor - or don’t even have a doctor - and will instead walk around contagious, spreading the illness.

Our lack of sick leave compounds it; people who are sick will still go to work in our restaurants and taxis and sneeze on us and our food, increasing the velocity of the spread of the next big disease, whether it be flu or SARS or some new virus that North Korea or another foe could drop into our country.

How Do We Hold Corporations (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Accountable When People Die ☠️?

https://youtu.be/S8FVvQAOotY

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Mar 5, 2019

When people die ☠️, should the pharma and fossil fuel corporations causing those deaths and then declaring bankruptcy to avoid being held accountable?

If a corporation goes bankrupt, should those who have died, lost money and jobs through those actions, be compensated?

Julio Rivera and Thom debate and, unusually, agree on several points and violently disagree on others.

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The Thom Hartmann Program is the leading progressive political talk radio show for political news and comments about Government politics, be it Liberal or Conservative, plus special guests and callers

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Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 06, 2019, 09:11:43 pm
Quote
Peterr 👍👍👍 says:

March 6, 2019 at 6:16 pm

It’s like the GOP folks who spent years running up deficits for wars and tax cuts for the rich suddenly raging about deficits when Dems are in control.

It’s like Reagan and his crew demanding that SCOTUS and the courts hew to the narrowest reading of the law, then they turn around and give Congress the middle finger by secretly selling arms to Iran in violation of US sanctions, compounded by using the proceeds to support the Nicaraguan Contras, also in violation of US law.

It’s like Eliott Abrams engaging in war crimes in Central America, getting convicted of lying about it to Congress, getting pardoned by Poppy Bush, then coming back under Trump to be a special envoy related to the mess in Venezuela and Central America, and Abrams getting righteously indignant when questioned about his very relevant behavior by an uppity brown non-Christian female member of the House Foreign Relations committee. “How dare you want to talk about my history of lying to Congress when I come here to testify . . .”

And let’s not even get into the GOP folks who rail against abortion then pay for one when their mistress gets inconveniently pregnant . . .

Eli Lake’s behavior is not a bug . . . it’s a feature.

Read the TRUTH FILLED article the above comment was posted under: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

March 6, 2019/44 Comments/in Intelligence /by emptywheel

📢 ELI LAKE’S 😈 SERIAL DEFENSE OF BIBI NETANYAHU’S 👹CLANDESTINE TAMPERING MAKES HIM THE POSTER CHILD PROVING ILHAN OMAR 👍 RIGHT (https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/03/06/eli-lakes-serial-defense-of-bibi-netanyahus-clandestine-tampering-makes-him-the-poster-child-proving-ilhan-omar-right/)

(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRYtSzXi88g_W8stoj4fe2JelYvMKJ180hGyE6UaLwL4CBnTtoUcg)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 08, 2019, 02:52:32 pm
Bill Palmer | 11:55 pm EST March 6, 2019

SNIPPET:

Former prosecutor Renato Mariotti responded by saying that “That is an inaccurate statement of the law.”

Congressman Ted Lieu, a former prosecutor himself, said this to Rudy: “Maybe you missed it, but Cohen is going to PRISON in part because the hush money payments were illegal. That means if @realDonaldTrump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) wrote the checks, he became part of the conspiracy. You were a former prosecutor. You know the law. Stop lying to us.”

Read more: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184310-1635923.gif&hash=5e2530db4748ed6c7163e1d478fdfa3cd1108668)

(https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/deep-rudy-giuliani-end-prison-learn/16521/)Rudy Giuliani (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) goes off the deep end after learning he’s going to prison
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 08, 2019, 02:59:45 pm
Bill Palmer | 9:09 am EST March 7, 2019

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

(https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/kirstjen-nielsen-prison-must/16519/)Kirstjen Nielsen (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) must go to prison
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 08, 2019, 03:05:33 pm
How many people did Michael Cohen just send to prison? 😀

Cheryl Kelley | 10:30 am EST March 7, 2019

Palmer Report » Analysis

Rachel Maddow reported tonight about the additional evidence Michael Cohen provided to the House Intelligence Committee. The most detailed known evidence Cohen offered was evidence of the edits he made to his congressional testimony based on advice he received from Donald Trump’s lawyers.

Let’s just say the physical evidence, along with Michael Cohen’s testimony, sounds like a slam dunk. It sounds like someone is going to jail, and that someone will be Trump’s lawyers, or Trump himself, or both. First, lets talk about the physical evidence. Cohen apparently has a copy of the original testimony he prepared that he provided to Trump’s lawyers. He also has copies of communications he had with the lawyers after they received a copy of his testimony. The communications include the lawyers’ recommended edits that would help Cohen stay on message with Trump.Finally, Cohen has his final testimony that he changed in order to comply with the advice of Trump’s lawyers.

This could be enough to prove the lawyers were acting in concert with Trump to commit a crime, in which case attorney-client privilege would be out the window. In order to avoid jail time the lawyers would have to say that Trump lied to them, and that they believed the edits they were suggesting were true, and that they were directed by Trump to make the edits. This would most likely result in an obstruction of justice charge being directed at Trump instead of his lawyers.

Either way it’s very bad news for the Donald Trump criminal defense team, and potentially good news for Michael Cohen. All the documentation he is prone to keeping is paying off for him, and this is just one small piece of what was contained in the brief cases full of information he turned over today.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/people-send-prison-michael-cohen/16516/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 08, 2019, 06:48:16 pm
BY Heather Digby Parton, Salon

PUBLISHED March 8, 2019

Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) Knew It All, From the Beginning (https://truthout.org/articles/what-did-trump-know-and-when-did-he-know-it/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 08, 2019, 07:19:02 pm
Quote
March 7, 2019
B. P. 👍

For the last 40 years, both parties have consistently moved to the right.  Today, the GOP is so far right that the majority of the party are extremists. 

The Democrats who used to be left of center, FDR Democrats, are now right of center because again, for the last 40 years, corporatists control the Democratic Party.   

Bottom line is both parties work for, cater to and represent the economic interests of corporations (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) and the ultra rich in return for massive campaign cash. 

More than 70% of the electorate have ZERO impact on policy. The working class hardly exists. 

America is a total disaster and has fallen well behind other western democracies in quality of life.  We are long overdue for millions of citizens to surround the capital and demand that we have a government that works for the people and not just the 1%. Sanders 2020
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac)

Why is Corporate Media (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) Asking Democrats to Move to the Center? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817122018.gif&hash=74d86c1f35e2f61ea38c9bfa392f84a92631b96e)
7,170 views

https://youtu.be/7ivGM2CsDf4

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Mar 7, 2019

The corporate media is telling the Democratic party to "Move to the center" as well as telling the American public  that progressives have gone "too far left" 

But these so called far left policies, are actually the center of America.

You can't turn on a cable TV news channel these days without seeing some TV pundit or panelist saying that Democrats need to "move to the middle."

What the heck do they mean?  Do they mean that Democrats should say it's just fine that over 30 million Americans have no health care?

Does "moving to the middle" mean that we love that the big banks make hundreds of billions in profits by ripping us off and putting our economy at risk? That fossil fuel and chemical industries should continue to poison us and our planet?

That it's just fine if drug companies and for-profit colleges and Charter Schools keep ripping us off? That it's just fine that the American Dream is dead and there's no need to bring back unions and union jobs?

What is "the center" beyond the status quo?

➡️Please Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

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ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The Thom Hartmann Program is the leading progressive political talk radio show for political news and comments about Government politics, be it Liberal or Conservative, plus special guests and callers

#MoreFromThom

✔ Amazon links are affiliate links

Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 09, 2019, 08:11:44 pm
Agelbert NOTE: The old "otherwise blameless (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718202127.gif&hash=acc63221521ebaf3f238088fd92d1ae3a08b6e48) life" TRICK. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

The bar is set so low I can’t even look at it

Robert Harrington | 5:05 pm EST March 8, 2019

Quote
The late Vincent Bugliosi once said that, above all, and not without good reason, society despises politicians and lawyers, so it’s a crowning irony that society too often honors and respects judges, who are both.

Judge Ellis 😈 gave Manafort 👹 a pass because the judge is corrupt, and he invites us to be corrupt with him, all for the low, low price of the surrender of our critical faculties and our sense of fair play.
Well no thank you, judge. (https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/the-bar-is-set-so-low-i-cant-even-look-at-it/16552/)



March 8, 2019/106 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Mueller Probe /by emptywheel

SLEAZY INFLUENCE PEDDLER PAUL MANAFORT AND FOREIGN AGENT PROSECUTOR BRANDON VAN GRACK

SNIPPET:

Quote
In an otherwise blameless life, Paul Manafort lobbied on behalf of the tobacco industry and wangled millions in tax breaks for corporations.

In an otherwise blameless life, he helped Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos bolster his image in Washington after he assassinated his primary political opponent.

In an otherwise blameless life, he worked to keep arms flowing to the Angolan generalissimo Jonas Savimbi, a monstrous leader bankrolled by the apartheid government in South Africa. While Manafort helped portray his client as an anti-communist “freedom fighter,” Savimbi’s army planted millions of land mines in peasant fields, resulting in 15,000 amputees.

[snip]

In an otherwise blameless life, he spent a decade as the chief political adviser to a clique of former gangsters in Ukraine. This clique hoped to capture control of the state so that it could enrich itself with government contracts and privatization agreements. This was a group closely allied with the Kremlin, and Manafort masterminded its rise to power—thereby enabling Ukraine’s slide into Vladimir Putin’s orbit.

[snip]

In an otherwise blameless life, he produced a public-relations campaign to convince Washington that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was acting within his democratic rights and duties when he imprisoned his most compelling rival for power.

In an otherwise blameless life, he stood mute as Yanukovych’s police killed 130 protesters in the Maidan.

Full article:  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

TWO TRAJECTORIES: SLEAZY INFLUENCE PEDDLER PAUL MANAFORT AND FOREIGN AGENT PROSECUTOR BRANDON VAN GRACK (https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/03/08/two-trajectories-sleazy-influence-peddler-paul-manafort-and-foreign-agent-prosecutor-brandon-van-grack/)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 14, 2019, 02:33:15 pm
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQDJbM8NFIXC9zSnoHC8vW_ujjLqD1PzWmvoyTqJWzVcYuinkCx)

PAULIE’S VERY BAD DAY: “IF THE PEOPLE DON’T HAVE THE FACTS, DEMOCRACY CAN’T WORK.”

March 13, 2019/156 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe /by emptywheel

Recently, I got a new makeup artist for my TV appearances (which, of course, all have to do with the Russian investigation). She came to the US from Ukraine in the wake of Yanukovych’s ouster. When I told her I was talking about the Manafort the first time I met her, she expressed her hope that he would pay a price, here, for what he helped Yanukovych do to her country.

I like to think today is for her. Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Paul Manafort to an additional 43 in months in prison on top of the 47 from EDVA for crimes were tied to Manafort’s efforts to whitewash a brute, in Ukraine, Western Europe, and the US, and then hide the “blood money” (as his daughter called it) from tax authorities.

Immediately after the sentencing ended, Cy Vance announced a 16-count indictment in New York State, on charges that Trump cannot pardon. Whatever you think of Vance’s grandstanding, the NY indictment immediately shifts Manafort’s incentives for a pardon, because prison in NY State would be significantly less comfortable than FCI Cumberland, where Manafort will serve his federal charges. So any pardon might just hasten a move to less comfortable surroundings.

That means the entire strategy Manafort has pursued for the last 18 months, refusing to cooperate and then, when he did enter a plea deal, using it only to waste prosecutors’ time and share information with Trump, will serve no purpose.

Which is why I think today can best be summed up by the contrast between two statements. In the middle of a long judgment that was not televised but was superbly livetweeted by Zoe Tillman, Andrew Prokop, Ryan Reilly, and others, ABJ observed the gravity of Manafort’s FARA crimes by noting that, “If the people don’t have the facts, democracy can’t work.”

Immediately after the sentencing, Kevin Downing 😈 — the Manafort lawyer who, more than the others, has been cultivating Manafort’s pardon strategy — stepped out on the courtroom stairs and made a false statement that serves that pardon strategy (as he did last week) “Judge Jackson conceded that there was absolutely no evidence of Russian collusion in this case.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c) Protestors immediately called him a liar, and noted that that’s not what ABJ had said, hopefully to be picked up by every TV feed filming Downing.

Indeed, ABJ had just criticized that ploy in the courtroom.

Quote
During Wednesday’s sentencing, Jackson (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) slammed Manafort and his lawyers for their focus on the fact that he was not charged in connection with his work on the Trump campaign or accused of colluding with the Russian government. She said that the “non-collusion mantra was a non sequitor,” unrelated to what sentence Manafort should receive, and that his lawyers made the “unsubstantiated” claim that Manafort was only charged with financial crimes predating his campaign work because Mueller’s office couldn’t charge him with anything to do with Russia.

The live-tweeting is what made it possible for protestors to spoil Downing’s effort to perform as Trump wanted him to, undermining Downing’s (and with it, Trump’s 🦀) effort to spin this verdict as an exoneration in the case in 🦀 chief.

Today’s verdict was about Paul Manafort’s efforts to prevent voters in both Ukraine and the US from obtaining real facts.

And it turns out that President Trump isn’t going to be able to help Manafort avoid the consequences for that. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

As I disclosed last July, I provided information to the FBI on issues related to the Mueller investigation, so I’m going to include disclosure statements on Mueller investigation posts from here on out. I will include the disclosure whether or not the stuff I shared with the FBI pertains to the subject of the post.


Tags: Amy Berman Jackson, Cy Vance, Kevin Downing, Paul Manafort


https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/03/13/paulies-very-bad-day-if-the-people-dont-have-the-facts-democracy-cant-work/ (https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/03/13/paulies-very-bad-day-if-the-people-dont-have-the-facts-democracy-cant-work/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 15, 2019, 05:29:23 pm
IVY LEAGUE "MERITOCRACY" has ALWAYS been CAPITALIST BULLSHIT


Global Capitalism 💵🎩😈👹🍌🏴‍: US and China - 1 Global Economy, 2 Giants [March 2019]
23,538 views

https://youtu.be/c-AsYwDG5mU

Democracy At Work

Published on Mar 13, 2019

** New book out now!!! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-16442135.gif&hash=52927992b43007fa5c5eb6ffcb453ae29948c356) http://www.lulu.com/shop/richard-d-wo... ***

Thank you for supporting GCLEU on Patreon! Your support helps us compensate the staff and additional workers it takes to put event together. Thank you for being a part of the GCLEU team!

Global Capitalism: Live Economic Update (GCLEU) March 2019

Richard D. Wolff
Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at 7:30 PM


US and China: 1 Global Economy, 2 Giants
Tariffs, Competition, Deals: What’s Coming

In connection with the main topic above, this month we will discuss:
 
1. The record US gov’t budget deficit in 2018: causes and effects

2. The record US trade deficit in 2018: causes and effects

3. Unions reviving? Strikes, organizing and the looming strategic decision they face about socialism in the US


Follow us ONLINE:
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Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 21, 2019, 12:16:07 pm
May 🦀 vs Trump 🦀

Theresa May has the second-most top personnel changes (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) in the world in the past two years, topped only by President (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) Trump.

Their outward styles are vastly different but they are from the same mold 🦀 internally.

1. It's my way. I 🦍 don't give a damn what you think.

2. It's your fault for anything that goes wrong. I 😈 accept no responsibility.

3. Blame everyone else so much that a deal becomes impossible.


Self-Assessed Know-It-All Personalities

Theresa May and Donald Trump are both arrogant, self-professed know-it-all personalities. Neither has the capability to listen to anyone but themselves.

This is not obvious at first glance because their outward appearances are vastly different.

IOW, those two empathy deficit disordered EVIL crabs 🦀🦀 are both FOOLS. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)


A wise person feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident. -- Proverbs 14:16
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 22, 2019, 05:22:39 pm
(https://images.dailykos.com/images/604450/story_image/NO45-1024x1024.jpg?1540657700)(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f269a0531f54fd1c1618278fe0144f1a4c83cc284aa96b523caece2ad390f752.jpg)

Published on Tuesday, March 19, 2019

by Common Dreams

by Eoin Higgins, staff writer

'Terrible News': US Supreme Court 👹 🍌 Rules for Indefinite Detention of Immigrants"A major setback for civil liberties." 😨 (https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/03/19/terrible-news-us-supreme-court-rules-indefinite-detention-immigrants)

 
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 22, 2019, 05:56:37 pm
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MAR 21, 2019 OPINION | TD ORIGINALS (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

America Is Exceptional—in All the Wrong Ways (https://www.truthdig.com/articles/america-is-exceptional-in-all-the-wrong-ways/)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-190218175943.png&hash=868fbc8f6c12966c886a445b2e94d38144b3004f)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 22, 2019, 10:40:23 pm
Democratic Hopefuls Reject AIPAC (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

March 22, 2019

So far no Democratic presidential candidates have committed to speaking at this year’s American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference. Is this a shift in Democratic foreign policy towards Israel? What does this mean for AIPAC, one of the country’s most influential lobby groups?

https://youtu.be/cFeT0cqHycs

https://therealnews.com/stories/democratic-hopefuls-reject-aipac
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 23, 2019, 12:59:01 pm
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Welcome to Donald Trump’s post-Mueller twilight zone

Bill Palmer | 9:09 am EDT March 23, 2019

Palmer Report » Analysis

Robert Mueller has submitted his report about Donald Trump, but we know hardly anything about what’s in it. There’s only one person who knows even less than we do about what’s in the report: Donald Trump. He only gets his news from the worst of TV pundits, who tell him what he wants to hear. His own people try to shield him from real news (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718202127.gif&hash=acc63221521ebaf3f238088fd92d1ae3a08b6e48), for fear he’ll implode. So not only does he not know (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132332-16812332.gif&hash=ca61f76f711b4ad81f3e665376f43c8076f05b1d) what’s in the report, he doesn’t know (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132422-1694957.gif&hash=0bc3d0238a5d0f215f6edc6c0bd62395e93be065) about half of what’s transpired in the Mueller probe in plain sight up to this point. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718211017.gif&hash=1b5b289486b9429bdbdcb938b21ef1a2b66d30fc)

For instance, Robert Mueller gave a free pass to Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn despite his serious crimes, and then Mueller redacted nearly all of Flynn’s obviously crucial cooperation. It’s fairly easy for us to parse that the redacted stuff is about Trump or other fish bigger than Flynn, and that the “stuff” in question is surely in Mueller’s report. But does Trump even know that any of the above happened? I can’t recall if any of Trump’s favorite Fox News hosts bothered to cover any of it.

There are numerous other examples of this kind of thing. Trump’s former campaign vice chairman Rick Gates was still cooperating as recently as last week, which means he’s sold out people bigger than his longtime partner in crime Paul Manafort. What did Gates give up on Trump? For that matter, what did the likes of Don McGahn and Steve Bannon give up about Trump during their reported tens of hours of testimony? What all did Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg give up in exchange for his immunity? We don’t know the answers to these questions, but we do know the answer isn’t “nothing.”

So if Donald Trump is feeling good right about now, it’s based on a false sense of security emanating from his own blissful ignorance about everything that’s been happening in plain sight. On some level we’ve all been in the Twilight Zone since the day Trump was named the winner of the election. But now Trump in particular is in a Twilight Zone of his own making, because he doesn’t even know what all he doesn’t know.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/twilight-zone-post-mueller-trump/16930/

Quote
John Nesbit 👍

So in other words "we" who have been enduring this nightmare have to keep holding our breath and waiting endlessly for a sign of justice (if any). He continues to be rewarded with free reign over our government and corruptive influence over future electoral processes, (to name a few). And we have to continue to digest all of his lies as "chosen by God", every day on the news and twitter ? No thanks. I'm done with this diseased monstrosity. Barr will try to hide a lot of the report from the eyes of the people. There will be a fight to the death with Congress and the Supreme Courts. Blood will flow.

Agelbert NOTE: John Nesbit has a far better take on the situation than Palmer, who is engaging in a bit of wishful thinking. The level of corruption in our fascist government is absolutely breathtaking. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817134648.gif&hash=d24c66a26329a19150a175d576b631d10f631ee8) To claim that Trump is not a decisive part of the team working 24/7 to protect their criminal corruption is a big, big mistake. Trump is no genius but he is well versed in corruption and how to use the corrupted Courts to his criminal advantage. Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) knows EXACTLY what he and his wrecking crew (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) need to suppress in the Mueller Report, and HOW to suppress it through a corrupted fascist handmaiden judiciary.

We are in a LOT of FASCIST (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) trouble in this country. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818215612-1568948.jpeg&hash=47a23036b1310f9d98489f6ca7c4c3f5d195c76e)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-050515144544.png&hash=7ee8a9d0ff80a564867eeb5fc64c6c942dec8dee)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-190218175943.png&hash=868fbc8f6c12966c886a445b2e94d38144b3004f)

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There is only so much of that Long Train of ABUSES (see the Declaration of Independence) that we-the-people will put up with. John Nesbit is right.

The Shape of Things to Come
https://youtu.be/pEqWCH_4srU

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201645-1486464.jpeg&hash=bfa44b2ee2b1d6d1ea71a024b1bd6e9cf1328326)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F3076_Independence%2520from%2520Fossil%2520Fuels.png&hash=f0d4b7b582dbd6cc2137bda1e27e46464e1ef0d2)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 23, 2019, 02:25:05 pm
(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/afBqFjmAA5ZIuC0X95qKyWE0v151NAwpSlG69FXPO8kETd7qkUyHXEbOzsyOaS-0vLjKI6RMhH6pHFjVDiLDewQDXRWo15k5JUyOwxMj5fP1j-vl_nYpeDUty02PcoervLSKcViznAXlaqeRbKJLW8bR3l4GtNSEGZ9YD5q6bN-bXIxjtjOaaQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://d15k2d11r6t6rl.cloudfront.net/public/users/Integrators/BeeProAgency/139576_115486/FBI-Heimbach-letter-650.jpg)


AE911Truth
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) 👍👍👍

March 23, 3019

9/11 Families, Lawyers’ Committee, AE911Truth to File Lawsuit against FBI on Monday

This coming Monday, 9/11 family members Bob McIlvaine and Barbara Krukowski-Rastelli along with the Lawyers’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry and Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth will file a lawsuit against the FBI over its 9/11 Review Commission Report issued in 2015.

This bold legal action will be the first time that anyone has ever attempted to force the FBI to assess and report the evidence of the World Trade Center’s explosive demolition as well as other 9/11 evidence still unaddressed to this day — all known to the FBI.

In 2014, Congress mandated the FBI to form an external commission to conduct “an assessment of any evidence now known to the FBI that was not considered by the 9/11 Commission related to any factors that contributed in any manner to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.”A year later, the FBI  😈 released the final report, which included neither an assessment of the evidence related to the WTC demolition nor an assessment of several other areas of crucial evidence.

Our end goal is to compel the FBI to reconstitute its 9/11 Review Commission in some form, assess the evidence known to the FBI but omitted from the Commission's 2015 report, and include that evidence in a new, amended report to Congress and the American people.

From now through April 1, we ask you to help us raise $30,000 for the first two phases of litigation: drafting the complaint and preparing our response to the anticipated motion to dismiss, which involve hundreds of attorney hours. We also invite everyone who is near Washington, D.C., on Monday, March 25, to attend our 1:00 PM news conference with Bob McIlvaine, Mick Harrison, Dave Meiswinkle, and Richard Gage at the Newseum, one block from the U.S. District Court!

Please visit AE911Truth.org/FBI to learn more and make your generous donation today. On behalf of the Lawyers’ Committee 🦅 and Bob and Barbara 🕊✨, we are grateful for your unyielding commitment.

https://www.ae911truth.org/fbi

Agelbert NOTE: The 911 INSIDE JOB by rogue elements in the US Government is PRECISELY what paved the way for the FASCIST Government now destroying the fabric of American society.

If this CRIME is allowed to go unpunished, there is no hope for ANY kind of Social AND Environmental Justice in this country.

What goes around, COMES AROUND!

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-071117175342.jpeg&hash=ac6ea3788a581a5a6111d7143ed677cfdf6c2c5b)

https://youtu.be/pEqWCH_4srU

https://youtu.be/CRZy8yImNWc
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 23, 2019, 02:45:48 pm
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Mueller Report Complete: Will Barr 😈 Hide Trump's 🦀 Un-Indicted Crimes?
1,359 views

https://youtu.be/2VxhCRWrfbo

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Mar 22, 2019

William Barr has said that he will not release the investigations of the now complete Mueller Report on un-Indicted individuals.

Some are now wondering if this applies to the president?

If Trump is not Indicted in the Mueller Report and Barr hides from the American people un-Indicted crimes by Trump, how should America react?

➡️Please Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

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Category News & Politics

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 23, 2019, 05:38:43 pm
(https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1687,w_3000,x_0,y_0/dpr_1.5/c_limit,w_1044/fl_lossy,q_auto/v1552489211/190313-Messer-Vicky-Ward-tease-_c1476y)
Extended Conversation with Vicky Ward (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-16442135.gif&hash=52927992b43007fa5c5eb6ffcb453ae29948c356) on “Kushner (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6), Inc.”

Web Exclusive MARCH 22, 2019

https://www.democracynow.org/2019/3/22/extended_conversation_with_vicky_ward_on

This is viewer supported news. Please do your part today.

investigative journalist and author of Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.


Web-only extended interview with investigative journalist Vicky Ward, author of “Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.”

Transcript

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh. Our guest is Vicky Ward, investigative journalist. Her new book, Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

Why don’t we just begin with the title, Vicky?

VICKY WARD: Right.

AMY GOODMAN: Kushner, Inc.

VICKY WARD: Yeah.

AMY GOODMAN: Why did you call it that?

VICKY WARD: Because I think that, you know, all roads, in the book, lead back to the Kushners’ giant financial problems and that everything Jared and Ivanka have done in this White House is about self-service, not public service. You know, these are people who both grew up in cultures that have extraordinary disdain for rules, including the rule of law. They think that rules only apply to other people. You know, I mean, Jared has very strong feelings about government, going back to what happened to his father in 2004, when, you know, he pled guilty. The government, Chris Christie and his team of prosecutors in New Jersey, had extraordinary leverage. And I think that from—

AMY GOODMAN: Why don’t you tell that story, for those who are not familiar with what happened? This is before Chris Christie was governor, prosecutor in New Jersey. And what happened to Charles Kushner?

VICKY WARD: Well, Charles Kushner pled guilty to basically three counts: tax fraud, illegal campaign contributions, but the most sort of scandalous and notorious thing was that he set his own brother-in-law up in a very sordid sting involving a prostitute, that was witness tampering. And Christie had a lot of leverage over him, that I go into in the book, about his personal life that Charles Kushner did not want out in public, which is why he pled guilty so quickly. And Jared was aware of a lot of this. And I think that—you know, I included it in the book because it’s the only way that you can understand the intensity of the hatred that I think is engendered in Jared towards Christie, but towards the system. Right? This is—you know, there’s a Kushner mentality, and Charles had it, too, that, you know, we’re not here to—you know, we don’t wait to be accepted by Harvard; we pay our way into Harvard. You know—

AMY GOODMAN: And explain that.

VICKY WARD: So, Charles Kushner’s company sent a check to Harvard University for $2.5 million. Jared Kushner ended up going to Harvard. He was, at his high school, in the third track of the—in his class, there were five tracks. He was in the third. No, it was unheard of for anyone in the third track to go to any Ivy League school, let alone Harvard. And I quote one of his classmates, who was in the first track, getting—being rejected by Harvard and crying when she heard that Jared had got in. And a lot of the teachers were crying. They thought it was such an abuse of the system.

The Kushners are used to buying—buying their way through life. They think that money buys everything they need. You know, during Charles Kushner’s legal troubles—there’s a lawyer I quote in book who said, with their money, they virtually got him fired. You know, he said that they knew how to use money. So—

AMY GOODMAN: They got who fired?

VICKY WARD: They didn’t get him fired. He’s a guy called Theodore Moskowitz. He was involved in Charlie Kushner’s legal dispute with his brother.

But you asked me a bit bigger question. So that, yeah, there is this mindset, when Jared and Ivanka go into government, that rules are for other people. And I think that this is why you see the unfairness in, for example, the divestment, right? Everyone—you know, Gary Cohn, Rex Tillerson sell everything in order to go into the government. Jared Kushner and Ivanka don’t. I mean, they put most of their things into a trust run by family members. And, after all, they both come from family businesses.

And then Jared does something extraordinary: He closes the White House logs, the White House visitor logs, so that no one can see who he’s meeting with in the White House. And we only discover a whole year later, when John Kelly says, “No, no, the White House logs have got to be open,” that he’s met with Citigroup and Apollo, who have meanwhile given his family firm loans, and he’s met with Lloyd Blankfein, then the CEO of Goldman Sachs, at a time when Goldman Sachs had an investment in a company that Jared had not only actually put—he hadn’t put it on his White House disclosure form, and he hadn’t divested. I mean, this is—I mean, this is just remarkable. And no one knew. And the American people have a right to know who’s going in and out of the White House.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, Jared Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner, has just written a piece in The Washington Post titled “Here’s the Truth About My Family and Our Business.” Charles Kushner writes, quote, “When he left the company, Jared took several steps to preclude conflicts of interest. At the recommendation of his legal counsel, in consultation with the Office of Government Ethics, he divested from more than 80 partnerships, including 666 Fifth Ave., at a substantial financial sacrifice. We walled off Jared from receiving information on the company, and he resigned as the controlling partner in more than 100 entities. This was all done out of an abundance of caution,” Charles Kushner wrote.

VICKY WARD: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: Do you think this also was in response to your book?

VICKY WARD: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: It was today.

VICKY WARD: Yes. I mean, I think it’s just sad. I mean, there’s the—it’s just—this is a fantasy. This is version of what Charles Kushner wishes had happened. I mean, it’s almost more interesting for the things it leaves out than for what it actually says. You know, he starts off, and he portrays the Kushner family as sort of like this cookie-cutter family. No mention of the sordid scandal and him going to jail. He talks about the fact that it’s legal to seek foreign investment to finance trophy buildings in New York. He doesn’t explain that he had to seek foreign investment, because no one in America would touch this thing with a 50-foot barge pole. He talks about the fact that he was bailed out with a 99-year lease. He doesn’t say that that lease was paid up front. I mean, that’s just unheard of, and which is why Congress is investigating it. And—

AMY GOODMAN: And you’re saying that Qatar is involved with this lease?

VICKY WARD: Yes. The Qataris have a $1.8 billion stake in Brookfield. And, you know, Charlie Kushner has bragged about his relationship with the Qataris. I knew they were always there. And the Qataris—if the Qataris want to do this, Brookfield is not going to turn around and say no. I mean, to pay a 99-year lease up front, I mean, you’d have to have—any businessperson, you’d have to have your—for a building that’s worth—you know, would be better if it was just dirt, you’d have to have your head examined. It makes absolutely no financial sense.

And to the last point about Jared having no appearance of conflict of interest, how can he wall himself off from his family? I mean, this is a family business. And I also say in the book he has—you know, he’s also had, in the past, a profit-sharing agreement with his brother, by the way. You know, clearly, the security agencies don’t agree with Charles Kushner, because that’s why they wouldn’t give Charles—Jared Kushner a security clearance.

AMY GOODMAN: So, talk about the significance of that, that only recently sort of exploded again, the whole issue of how Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump got security clearances, Ivanka Trump going on television recently and outright saying Trump was not involved in her security clearance, when in fact—what do you understand happened?

VICKY WARD: Well, Trump had to override everybody. Absolutely everybody said, you know, they’re not—they cannot have security clearances. The—

AMY GOODMAN: You mean everyone in intelligence, who is—

VICKY WARD: Sorry, sorry. Any, yes, career intelligence agency. And, you know, Trump had to override this. And then, as we know, he lied about it, and Ivanka lied about it on television. I mean, for this to be the new norm in our leadership strikes me as just extraordinarily troubling and dangerous. I mean, you know, how do you even begin to right a system that’s so broken and is so dangerous?

NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, I want to turn to Ivanka Trump’s recent appearance on Fox News criticizing the Green New Deal’s proposal for guaranteed jobs for all Americans.

STEVE HILTON: You’ve got people who will see that offer from the Democrats, from the progressive Democrats, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—”Here’s the Green New Deal, here’s a guarantee of a job”—and think, “Yeah, that’s what I want. That simple.” What do you say to those people?

IVANKA TRUMP: I don’t think most Americans, in their heart, want to be given something. They’re—I’ve spent a lot of time traveling around this country over the last four years. People want to work for what they get. So I think this idea of a guaranteed minimum is not something most people want. They want the ability to be able to secure a job. They want the ability to live in a country where there’s the potential for upward mobility.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: That was Ivanka Trump speaking to Fox News. Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez responded on Twitter saying, quote, “As a person who actually worked for tips & hourly wages in my life, instead of having to learn about it 2nd-hand, I can tell you that most people want to be paid enough to live. A living wage isn’t a gift, it’s a right. Workers are often paid far less than the value they create,” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted—

VICKY WARD: Right.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: —in response to Ivanka’s comment. So—

VICKY WARD: Right, right, right. Well, I mean, how out of touch is she? But, I mean—but, you know, we see this. I mean, you know, what Jared and Ivanka, I think, don’t realize is that everyone else in the White House sort of views them as like Inspector Clouseau, like bumbling incompetence. And the only people who are aware that—you know, who don’t realize how incompetent they are, are themselves. I mean, they live in a reality distortion field.

AMY GOODMAN: So, can we switch gears completely and talk about what you understand happened with the firing of James Comey—

VICKY WARD: Yeah.

AMY GOODMAN: —and what Jared Kushner’s involvement was?

VICKY WARD: Yes. So this is really important. And I think, you know, one of the most important reveals, actually, in the book was that Jared Kushner—the story that Jared Kushner had met with the Russian ambassador and a Russian banker connected to the Kremlin during the transition started to come out in the early spring of 2017. And it was noticed and reported that Jared had not put any of these meetings, or any of the other meetings he had with any foreigners, for that matter, on his security clearance form. That is—that could well be—that’s a felony.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: I mean, you suggest, in fact, that it was Jared Kushner who was responsible for removing the White House logs—

VICKY WARD: Yes. So—

NERMEEN SHAIKH: —so he could not—you know, so he would be protected from people knowing about all the people who were coming to see him at the White House.

VICKY WARD: Yeah. Well, that’s a slightly different thing. This, that is indeed true and also extraordinary. But the Comey thing is a little different. You know, Jared’s normal sort of way of operating with the president was to take him aside and talk quietly to him. But when it came—so, but once these reports were out that he hadn’t disclosed these meetings on his security clearance forms, and by this time the FBI had got—then run by James Comey—had opened its investigation into whether or not there was collusion with the Trump campaign and Russia, Jared, unusually, in front of everybody, in front of a large group—Bannon was there, but so were lots of others—made an impassioned plea to the president to fire James Comey. He gave a three-pronged argument. He said, you know, “The FBI doesn’t like him. The Democrats don’t like him. And your base will love it.” Steve Bannon, who is—you know, whatever we all think of his politics, he’s a wily strategist—thought this was a disastrous idea, and pushed back. But, obviously, you know, it was Jared who, I say in the book, was “gung-ho” about this. I mean, he was very atypically impassioned. Jared swayed the president. And hence you have Robert Mueller. I mean, James Comey goes, and, you know, hence we have everything—you know, the extraordinary events of this ongoing investigation, the special counsel.

AMY GOODMAN: So, let me ask you about Ivanka Trump’s defense of her father after Charlottesville. We have this famous moment after the horror of Charlottesville and the killing of Heather Heyer, the Ku Klux Klan/neo-Nazi march, where President Trump says this.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I think there’s blame on both sides. And I have no doubt about it, and you don’t have any doubt about it, either. And–and—

REPORTER 1: But only the Nazis—

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And—and if you reported it accurately, you would say.

REPORTER 2: One side killed a person. Heather Heyer died—

REPORTER 1: The neo-Nazis started this. They showed up in Charlottesville. They showed up in Charlottesville—

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Excuse me. Excuse me.

REPORTER 1: —to protest the removal of that statue.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They didn’t put themselves down as neo—and you had some very bad people in that group. But you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides. You had people in that group—excuse me, excuse me. I saw the same pictures as you did. You had people in that group that were there to protest the taking down of, to them, a very, very important statue and the renaming of a park, from Robert E. Lee to another name.

AMY GOODMAN: That’s President Trump. “There were fine people on both sides.”

VICKY WARD: Yeah.

AMY GOODMAN: Explain where Ivanka Trump then fits into this story.

VICKY WARD: So, I mean, to me, this is the heart of the book. It’s the sort of absolute tipping point, because I think it’s just the most shocking reveal of all. Gary Cohn, whose grandfather was a Holocaust survivor, an immigrant, came over here, Jewish—very, very upset by what the president had said.

AMY GOODMAN: His top economic adviser.

VICKY WARD: Yeah, sorry. Yes. And so upset that he decides he’s going to resign. He goes to New Jersey, where the president has a home. So do Jared and Ivanka. And he stops in to visit Jared and Ivanka and explain that he’s going to resign. And Ivanka—Jared, rather typically, says nothing. Ivanka, to his amazement, says, “no, no. You know, you don’t get it. My father is—you know, my father didn’t mean any of that.” But then she says, “No, my father didn’t say that.”

Gary Cohn had been part of the circle of advisers trying to manage Trump’s response to Charlottesville, and he knew that not only had Trump said it, that Trump had said it deliberately. He had gone against the advice of his advisers. He had picked out—pulled out a piece of paper. He said those words quite deliberately. He was horrified at what—at Ivanka’s response. And he never felt the same way about Jared and Ivanka again. He didn’t resign, but the reason he didn’t resign was he talked to Rob Porter, then the staff secretary, who he’s close to, and Porter said, “You know, we need you to try and get tax reform through Congress.”

AMY GOODMAN: We’re talking to Vicky Ward, investigative journalist. Her new book, Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. We were speaking to you about Ivanka Trump the last time you were on Democracy Now! You were investigating her business interests from China to India. What about Jared Kushner’s links to China? Can you explain them more fully, as you do in the book?

VICKY WARD: Yeah. So—

AMY GOODMAN: And especially talk about the holding company Anbang Insurance.

VICKY WARD: Yeah, I think this is one of the things that actually triggered me to start thinking about writing this book, is what happened, what we started to learn about Jared and the Chinese. You know, it was—so, no one knew this. None of his transition or White House colleagues knew anything about this. But Jared, the first weekend of the transition, and his father had a dinner with a major Chinese insurance firm, Anbang, that they were hoping would bail them out of the 666 Fifth Avenue, this disastrous money pit. But at the same—in the same time period in the transition, the Chinese government flew in, because they were so concerned about what the president said—had said about Taiwan. And Jared—

AMY GOODMAN: This is before he’s president.

VICKY WARD: Yes, this is the transition.

AMY GOODMAN: Just in the period—the transition period.

VICKY WARD: And Jared and a group of others meet with the Chinese government officials at the Kushner Companies headquarters. The whole thing is, you know, wildly, wildly inappropriate. But Jared doesn’t mention the fact that he’s got these ongoing talks with this Chinese insurance company, by the way, whose CEO has gone to jail for a life sentence. And on, I think it’s January 9th, The New York Times reports news of this dinner. And all of Jared’s colleagues—you know, Gary Cohn, Priebus—are just horrified. And Gary Cohn says to Jared, “You know, you realize, Jared, that from now on, whatever you do, everyone is just going to assume you’re here to enrich yourself.”

AMY GOODMAN: The Palestinian negotiator, Erekat, what did he say about Jared Kushner, as he pushes a, quote, “Middle East peace plan”? Something around the issue of “he sounds like a real estate agent”?

VICKY WARD: A real estate, yes, exactly. He did. And, of course, Jared pushes back and says, “Well, maybe you need a real estate broker to solve Middle East peace.” I mean, it’s—you know, again, we come back to this idea, the sort of entitlement, the disdain of rules, rule of law, the sort of the personal agendas, self-interest, not the public interest. I mean, and—

NERMEEN SHAIKH: You could say that’s something that’s true of a large number of people within the Trump administration. The distinction is that Trump and—that Jared and Ivanka Trump are relatives of Donald Trump. I mean, would you say that’s the main problem with them? Therefore they’re not in formal positions for which they could be faulted for the things that you’re pointing out, but rather they’re relatives who have access to Trump in a way that, first of all, gives them power, but without granting them some kind of formal authority.

VICKY WARD: Well, I think it’s more complicated than that. I think it’s to do with transparency. I think that the other members of the Cabinet and the administration are sort of held to a greater public scrutiny. I mean, you know, all these things, you know, that Jared has the power to close the logs and operate in darkness, the fact that he’s—the foreign policy is conducted in darkness, that it’s the—it’s that they’re kind of—they, unlike everyone else, are out of the system. And this is what Reince Priebus couldn’t manage. You know, everyone else, it’s sort of a bit more transparent, you know, their conversations with the president. I think the problem with these two is, we don’t—there’s so much that we don’t know.

AMY GOODMAN: Even though they have official titles, as a senior advisers.

VICKY WARD: Right. And that’s not OK. I mean, look, if she was just the first daughter, not a problem. But she’s not. And that’s where there is a real problem. You know, you can’t go into government and run it like a family (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) real estate business. But that is exactly what’s going on.

AMY GOODMAN: Talking about the family real estate business, what about the Trump International Hotel, down the street from the White House, and how it’s being run, who goes there, what they pay, and then what they’re getting in return?

VICKY WARD: Well, that’s an obvious example of exactly what we’re talking about, just an extraordinary conflict of interest, that’s in plain sight. I mean, famously, you know, anyone—all the foreign entities who are looking to curry favor all stay there. I mean, you know, and again, Ivanka and her—the Trump children each have a 7 percent share in that, which actually is surprisingly little, that Donald Trump didn’t give them more equity. I mean, that, I think, explains, to some degree, why Ivanka was so keen to hold onto her fashion line for so long, even though it was completely inappropriate that she do that, because Donald Trump gives his children surprisingly little. It’s an unusual arrangement for a New York real estate family business. They have surprisingly little equity in his assets.

AMY GOODMAN: So, what about the House Oversight Committee, Judiciary—

VICKY WARD: Yeah.

AMY GOODMAN: —now that Democrats control the House? What is being—what do you think should be exposed about Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump? What do you think they are most vulnerable on, as the—as, for example, House Judiciary has demanded—

VICKY WARD: Yeah.

AMY GOODMAN: —documents from 81 businesses and people, but Ivanka Trump is not one of them?

VICKY WARD: No, but her businesses are—I mean, come up, and there are a lot of questions about her businesses, as there are about Jared and his businesses. You know, I hope that House Oversight asks more people. I mean, I think that it’d be—you know, I that talking to Jared’s brother—I mean, there are questions about conflicts of interest. You know, just a question. And, you know, it seems clear that Gary Cohn would be a useful person to interview, given that he had a prior knowledge of some of the Kushner brothers’ partnerships.

AMY GOODMAN: Because?

VICKY WARD: Because Goldman Sachs, which is where Gary Cohn used to work, was an investor. So, I hope that—you know, I think that one way to look at it is that the investigations coming out of Congress now are going to give us a road map. They’re the sort of what. And I hope that my book is the why, if that makes sense.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, let me ask you specifically about another issue, very important: BFPS.

VICKY WARD: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: Explain what that is, how this ties into the whole debate around healthcare, Obamacare, around the Affordable Care Act.

VICKY WARD: Right. So, BFPS is on Jared Kushner’s White House disclosure forms. It stands for “brothers first, partners second.” The way he described it to someone he was trying to hire, three years ago, before he went into the government, was that it’s a profit-sharing vehicle with his brother Josh, whereby each brother splits 50 percent of each of their businesses with each other. Charles Kushner, I report in the book, liked this arrangement, because Charles Kushner had a famous disastrous feud with his own brother about money. So he thought it would be great if these two split their profits 50-50, avoid any fighting.

Now, Josh Kushner says that currently there is no profit-sharing arrangement between them—very precise use of the tense. But Gary Cohn knew that they still had—you know, that Jared still has a stake in a company called Cadre, that he founded with Josh Kushner, his brother, and he kept that stake when he went into the government. He didn’t disclose it on his financial forms. Instead, he rolled it up in BFPS.

AMY GOODMAN: Brothers first, partners second.

VICKY WARD: Yes. So, yes. So—

AMY GOODMAN: We’re talking about Thrive. We’re talking about Cadre. We’re talking about Oscar insurance.

VICKY WARD: Oscar—well, so, it’s a little tricky. So, Oscar Health insurance is a business that Josh Kushner started. It’s a health insurance business that’s worth—or it was worth, at the time, at the beginning of the administration, $2.7 billion. And because Gary Cohn knew that there was this web of entanglement, or that certainly existed in the past, and he knew—he did know that Jared still had a stake in Cadre with his brother, he was very concerned when Jared kept bringing up his brother’s name during discussions of repeal-and-replace. And, you know, Jared—

AMY GOODMAN: Repealing Obamacare.

VICKY WARD: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And Jared—because Josh’s business, the success of it, is entirely predicated on Obamacare, it’d be disastrous if it had been repealed, for Oscar, this $2.7 billion business. So when Jared kept saying—you know, mentioning Josh, Gary Cohn was really, really uncomfortable. And then Joel Klein, who works for Josh, reached out to Gary Cohn with suggestions of how he thought healthcare should be shaped. And Gary Cohn says in the book that he was really uncomfortable about this. Now, Joel Klein says, “I was just doing—I was doing what anyone in my position would do.” You know, but given the background and given these business partnerships, I think Gary Cohn was really troubled. And rightly so.

AMY GOODMAN: So, you don’t name a lot of your sources.

VICKY WARD: No.

AMY GOODMAN: And that’s one of the criticisms of the book—

VICKY WARD: Yeah.

AMY GOODMAN: —is that it’s based on so many unnamed sources. Why?

VICKY WARD: Well, if you look at any book about a White House that’s written contemporaneously, they’re not on the record. I mean, even the great Bob Woodward is full of anonymous sources. And with this White House in particular, that is known to be so punitive, people are very frightened to go on the record. You know, Washington is an ecosystem. These people’s livelihoods depend on their relationship with the White House. So the only way you can get around—you know, you can really try and be as accurate as possible is to double- or triple-source everything. And, you know, so I made it a point of principle not to take one person’s word—you asked me earlier about Steve Bannon—absolutely never to take what somebody like he might have said, you know, as gospel, that it had to be run past other people who had direct knowledge of what happened in the room.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: But there are a couple of moments where you say, “He thought to himself,” Bannon thought to himself. That can’t possibly be verified by anybody else.

VICKY WARD: Yeah, it’s a—so, that would have been checked. I mean, that’s not in there without, you know, yes, I would have known. I would have had access to what he thought in those instances, and he is aware of that.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, we’ll leave it there. At the end, an unnamed source says to you, “Wait until they’re out of power.”

VICKY WARD: Oh, yes.

AMY GOODMAN: “I’ll tell you the real story then.” Vicky Ward, investigative journalist. Her new book is titled Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

To see Part 1 of our discussion (https://www.democracynow.org/2019/3/21/kushner_inc_vicky_ward_on_how), go to democracynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman, with Nermeen Shaikh.

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https://www.democracynow.org/2019/3/22/extended_conversation_with_vicky_ward_on

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 23, 2019, 06:31:45 pm
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Kushner, Inc.: Vicky Ward on How Jared and Ivanka’s Greed & Ambition Compromise U.S. Foreign Policy

STORY MARCH 21, 2019  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

SNIPPET:

icky, welcome back to Democracy Now!

VICKY WARD: Thank you, Amy.

AMY GOODMAN: Let’s begin there. I mean, it may sound a little odd to talk about the senior adviser to President Trump, Jared Kushner, and how he almost started a war in the Middle East, by asking you about a New York City skyscraper, a New York City building.

VICKY WARD: You’re exactly right, though, to make—

AMY GOODMAN: 666 Fifth Avenue.

VICKY WARD: You’re exactly right to make the connection. So, the Kushners have this albatross around them. In the book, I sort of think of 666 Fifth Avenue as like the Maltese Falcon. It’s just always there, and sort of all roads, when it comes to Jared’s policymaking, lead back to this money pit, this disastrous investment, where a loan of $1.4 billion is coming due in February of 2019, and no American lender will touch it with a 50-foot pole, which means the Kushners need foreign investment. You know, tricky when it’s a family business, and the son is now senior adviser to the president. The Qataris told the Kushners in the spring of 2017, when Jared was already in government—Charlie Kushner asked for over a billion dollars; they turned Charlie Kushner, Jared’s father, down.

So, bearing that in mind, Jared has a new best friend in the Middle East, who also has money: MBS, the future crown prince—he wasn’t crown prince yet—of Saudi Arabia. And these two form a bond that really alarms Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state, and James Mattis, the secretary of defense, because Jared and MBS cut out all the national security officials who should be looped in onto their communications, cut out everyone in the State Department. You know, these are systems we’ve had in place to protect our security and our government for decades. And Rex Tillerson, who, you know, was very experienced in the region—

AMY GOODMAN: The former secretary of state.

VICKY WARD: The former secretary of state, but, before that, remember, he ran Exxon—knew a bit about MBS’s sort of brutal track record and was really concerned about this.

Jared sees an opportunity for money, for investment in MBS and for subsidizing his peace plan. So he pushes the president to make the United States’ first official visit overseas not to a country with shared democratic values, such as Britain or France, but to the united—sorry, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where they have this summit that is supposed to be all about cooperation in the region. But 10 days later, or thereabouts, Rex Tillerson and James Mattis are at a conference in Australia. To their astonishment, they learn that, instead of cooperating, the Saudis have led a group of Middle Eastern countries to blockade Qatar, where America has an air base. That is our security in the region. They had no prior knowledge of this. Tillerson immediately knew that the green light—Saudis would never have done this without support from the White House—it came from Jared.

And what MBS wanted was to over—was he actually wanted to invade Qatar—it was worse than that—because he wanted the Qataris’ resources, which is why, when he eventually—actually, when he couldn’t get hold of those, that’s what actually then leads him to round up six of the seven ruling branches of the Saudi royal family later in November. You know, it’s all about money. Rex Tillerson said to Jared Kushner, “Jared, have you noticed that the only branch”—you know, there are seven ruling houses in Saudi Arabia—”the only branch that MBS has not rounded up is his own? Don’t you think it’s statistically unlikely that they’re not corrupt, too?” Jared didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to know, when Tillerson told him how dangerous this was. And actually, what Jared did was what MBS wanted him to do, which was fire Rex Tillerson.

But there’s an ironic twist to this tale. In the spring of 2018, MBS arrives in Washington, and the president asks him for $4 billion to help rebuilding Syria. And MBS says, “I don’t have that kind of money.” This atrocious war in Yemen has cost the Saudis a lot, and oil prices fell. Well, Trump and Jared listened. The Qataris then arrived in Washington. And, you know, strategically, they offered Trump and Jared—they said, “We’ve got plenty of money, for whatever you want to do. But you need to end the support of this blockade.”

So, what happens is that at exactly the sort of same time period, 666 Fifth Avenue, the Kushners’ troubled building, gets an extraordinary deal that makes absolutely no sense. A Canadian firm, whose second-largest investor is the Qatari Investment Authority, says it’s going to lease this building, that someone who’s been involved in it said would be worth—more valuable if it was just a pile of dirt. They’re going to pay $1.3 billion, 99-year lease, and they’re going to pay all that lease up front. I mean, this is a deal that stinks. So, I mean, it seems hard—and at the same time, the U.S. changes its policy towards the blockade on Qatar. I mean, Congress is now, quite rightly, investigating this.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: Well, I mean, that’s one of the incidents, one of the principal incidents, that you cite in the book as a conclusion, which, you know, might surprise people, which is that Jared and Ivanka are Trump’s greatest liability.

VICKY WARD: Yes.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: I mean, it seems that there are a number of contenders for that position, not least Trump himself.

VICKY WARD: Yes, but I think, you know, Trump, as we’ve seen, particularly in this last week, to a much larger degree than Jared and Ivanka, is in plain sight. Right? He’s not holding back on anything, unfortunately. You know, all the inappropriate things that have come out his mouth or his Twitter feed in the last week illustrate that. Jared and Ivanka would never say those kind of things, which means, I think, that they’re more dangerous, in a way, because they’re in disguise. You know, what I just described to you, I think of as sort of diplomacy in the dark. I mean, the idea that Jared is running around doing all of this, and nobody knows anything about it, not even our State Department, not the National Security Council, I mean, that’s horrifying.

View full video or read full transcript:


https://www.democracynow.org/2019/3/21/kushner_inc_vicky_ward_on_how

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 26, 2019, 09:59:41 pm
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Green New Deal Voted Down by Senate🐉🦕🦖(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c), but Activists Aren’t Deterred (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)

March 26, 2019

The Senate rejected the proposal in what Democrats called a “sham vote,” but 18-year-old Jeremy Ornstein of the Sunrise Movement says that won’t stop the movement for climate action

Green New Deal, climate, climate change, Ed Markey, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senate

Story Transcript
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DHARNA NOOR: It’s The Real News. I’m Dharna Noor.

The U.S. Senate voted no on a resolution for the Green New Deal on Tuesday afternoon. They held the procedural vote at the behest of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said that they wanted to get Democrats on record. The resolution, introduced last month by New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, outlines a broad plan to tackle the climate crisis by reaching net zero emissions within a decade while creating millions of jobs investing in infrastructure and centering frontline communities. Democrats have said that McConnell’s call for a vote was an attack, and they voted ‘present’ instead of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the resolution to show unanimity. Even resolution sponsor Markey voted ‘present.’

Now joining me to talk about this vote is Jeremy Ornstein, an 18-year-old fellow and spokesperson with the Sunrise Movement. Sunrise is the youth-led environmental organization that spearheaded the push for the Green New Deal. Thanks so much for being on, Jeremy.

JEREMY ORNSTEIN: Yeah, my pleasure. I’m looking forward to the conversation.

DHARNA NOOR: So I want to start by asking you to talk about the Senate Democrats’s strategy on the floor today. Again, even Markey, the Senate sponsor of this resolution, just voted ‘present.’ Here he is at a press conference that y’all, Sunrise, held before the hearing.

ED MARKEY: Republicans and President Trump may choose to be in denial about the consequences of climate change. But to ordinary people, climate change is not politics. It is life and death. But instead of confronting this generational challenge, Senate Republicans and their leader Mitch McConnell have scheduled a sham vote today on the Green New Deal resolution on the floor of the United States Senate. They are calling this vote without hearings, without expert testimony, without any real discussion of the costs of climate action and the massive potential for clean energy job creation in our country. And that is because Senator McConnell wants to sabotage the call for climate action.

DHARNA NOOR: But Republican senators seem to think that this was a way to dodge the vote. For contrast, here’s what Texas Republican Senator Cornyn’s response to the vote was today.

JOHN CORNYN: But this proposal is a pie-in-the-sky, unattainable end destination with no details of how to arrive there. So as the Senate prepares to vote on the Green New Deal, I’d ask we keep in mind that our constituents didn’t send send us here to Washington to vote ‘present.’ That’s a cop out. Voting ‘present’? Give me a break.

DHARNA NOOR: So what do you make of this strategy? Was it a cop out to vote ‘present’? Did you support the strategy?

JEREMY ORNSTEIN: That’s a good question. I think today, we were talking earlier, and I think not–I don’t feel deterred by the vote, and by the fact that the Senate voted no. We were expecting this. This resolution was intended as a conversation starter. We knew it couldn’t pass the Senate, where the the party in the majority takes more than 90 percent of the total campaign contributions from oil and gas. This wasn’t supposed to pass. This was supposed to start a conversation.

And so I think that the Republicans who are calling this a cop out, who are asking for political leaders to just show up and pick a side, you know, which side of the line are they on? Are they for a Green New Deal? Or are they opposing the Green New Deal? I think they’re misinterpreting this moment.

Senator Markey said it himself. There haven’t been discussions, real discussions around this Green New Deal resolution. I sat in the Republican Senate chambers a few weeks ago to hear Republicans pointing to skewed graphs and a made up number that talked about the Green New Deal without, as the senator said, expert testimony; without considering the cost of inaction. And so this isn’t the big vote where everyone draws the line and says we’re going to take a side. This isn’t the the vote where history will look back to see who picked a side. But that has already begun, and it’ll continue to go on. This is one piece in this long political struggle to secure a livable future of good jobs.

And part of the reason I’m saying that is we’re looking straight ahead to 2020, because when those politicians come back asking for our votes, we’re going to remember today. We’re going to remember yesterday. And we’re going to remember from now until then what choices these politicians make. So this is one choice out of many. And I think that–yes. So that’s why I think that this is no cop out, because this what this vote is, is such a clear political stunt by McConnell to score some political points with his billionaire donors, because they’re cowards threatened by this Green New Deal.

At the same time, I question the Democrats. I’m a Democrat. I’m a registered Democrat. And I think that the Democrats are the only party that’s really standing up to the climate denialism of the Republican Party.

DHARNA NOOR: But standing up in what sense? I mean, there’s some disagreement amongst the Democrats, too. I mean, OK, they all voted ‘present’ today on the Senate side. But you know, Chuck Schumer today said that climate change is a crisis. So yeah, he supports action on climate change, I guess. But he’s calling for the creation of a Senate select committee on climate change. On the House side, Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that she’ll be creating a select committee on climate change. But Sunrise and AOC have called for a select committee on the green new deal, one that could draft legislation, have subpoena power. Let’s take a look at the clip from Chuck Schumer today at the Senate.

CHUCK SCHUMER: I am calling for the creation of a Senate Select Committee on Climate Change. It’s a crisis. Ask the farmers in Iowa and Nebraska and Kansas if they think it’s a crisis. The very least we can do is do what the House did, and set up a select committee on climate change. Bipartisan. The committee could be partners with the House committee. And we might actually get something done, not sham votes that everyone knows are a joke. A political joke. If there ever were an issue that demanded focus from this chamber, this is it. Climate change is an existential threat to our committee, to our country, and our planet.

DHARNA NOOR: So is Schumer’s proposal enough?

JEREMY ORNSTEIN: Yeah, I think you hit on the–He says this is the least we can do. It’s so clearly not enough. And I say that because he doesn’t call for something more. And if the reason, the big reason that these Republican GOP elite senators are so afraid to discuss the Green New Deal is because it’s not just the plan to decarbonize our economy, it’s a plan to transform our economy and society while making sure nobody falls through the cracks. And that is so truly a threat to the interests of their donors. So I think–and at the same time it’s the only solution that fits the scale and scope of the crisis, which is so big.

So when Senator Schumer calls for this climate change committee, which is definitely a compromise, he’s not compromising between two decent sides to find some meaningful common ground. He’s compromising with the people who are literally profiting, who are taking campaign money, from the executives who will profit from the crisis.

So I think that–I think that the leadership that we want to see is not just to say, you know, well, do you believe in climate change? Because we’ve moved past that. Climate change is here, and it’s hurting people right now. What Democrats in the Senate should be asking their counterparts is not “Do you believe in climate change?” If they don’t believe in climate change, they’re beyond politically irrelevant. The question we’ve got to be asking is “What is your plan that fits the scale and scope, that gets us to 100 percent renewable in line with the IPCC report?” And that’s a Green New Deal. If we’re going to do it in a way that makes sure people can live while doing it, that makes sure people can have access to good jobs. But anything other-

DHARNA NOOR: But some senators are saying that the proposals for things like Medicare for All being in the Green New Deal are unrelated to the climate crisis, and so they don’t belong in legislation like this. And so some of them are calling for more targeted action, they would say. So Republican Senator John Barrasso from Wyoming today called for the implementation of carbon capture and storage instead of the Green New Deal. And Senator Cornyn said that it may as well include a proposal for a free beer and pizza. Why do things like Medicare for All belong in a resolution to fight the climate crisis?

JEREMY ORNSTEIN: Good question. Yeah, I wonder how much money the senator from Texas has taken from the people who are profiting from the destruction of our future. And I hope he knows that tackling a crisis this big is no joke. And a lot of the people who are going to be affected by this, we can’t drink free beer. Guess what? I’m not 21. So I hope the Senator hears that one. And more importantly, I think, is that the Green New Deal, the reason the Green New Deal isn’t just being championed by environmental groups, isn’t just being championed by people who live in rural areas, or urban areas, or suburban East Coast, West Coast, heartland, but by all these groups, by people who who are fighting for a new economy and live in all parts of the country, who come from all walks of life, is because it’s not–it doesn’t just address one thing. It actually transforms our country to deal with many interconnected crises.

And the reason for that is that the climate crisis, which is caused by our dependence on fossil fuel, is so interlinked to everything about our society. That’s why the scale of transformation, the infrastructure investments, the public transportation, the energy, the food, all of these systems which power our lives, that are that are so ingrained in the way we live, to change those, to change all of them to save us from this terrible threat which is already here, there’s so much work involved. There’s so much change..

DHARNA NOOR: To answer your question, Senator Cornyn from Texas actually takes the fourth most amount of fossil fuel contributions from anybody on the Senate.

JEREMY ORNSTEIN: Wow.

DHARNA NOOR: But you mentioned, right, that the point of this Green New Deal resolution wasn’t to get it to pass. But you know, much was made today of the rather unorthodox remarks of Senator Mike Lee. And when he wasn’t showing pictures of Reagan riding a dinosaur, he was dismissing climate change as a threat to worry about later, not now.

[Clip of Sen. Mike Lee]

JEREMY ORNSTEIN: It highlights to me importance of having people–I think the congresswoman from Massachusetts, Ayanna Pressley, says the people in power should be the people who are closest to the pain. So I am sure that the senator from Utah knows where his water is coming from every day, and isn’t worried about heat waves. And I, yeah, I’m concerned for his grandchildren, for his kids. I know he’s put up the poster that says have a lot of kids. And I, you know, a lot of the people around now won’t be around to see the worst consequences of the climate crisis, so they’re just going to keep getting worse. So I think it’s really important that our leadership reflects all the people who are dealing with the challenges of the day. That’s the first thought.

And second, we know that putting forward a resolution for a select committee for a Green New Deal changed the political landscape in a dramatic way. I mean, we’ve got Republicans who take money from fossil fuel executives. We’ve got the Republicans, the GOP elite who are the most ardent supporters of President Trump, who a climate denier-in-chief, as Markey says. Those Republicans, those GOP elite politicians, are putting forward their own plans to deal with climate change that of course don’t match the scale and scope of the crisis. But they’re being forced to do this politically. And we also know that fossil fuel executives like the Koch brothers continue to have a grasp, continue to have power on our politics, or else something like the Green New Deal would be implemented a long time ago. Or else they wouldn’t be using made up numbers to lie about it so vehemently.

So here’s the truth about this. This is not just a fight to build enough solar panels and invest enough in infrastructure in time. This is also a political fight to make sure that our generation and ordinary Americans have the political power to pass all the things we need. Once we do the politics, then we can worry about it. And at the same time as we do the politics we can worry about survival, prosperity. But we know that–we know that the enemy really is clear that there are people who are very invested in holding back action. And when we do something like we did in November and December, and now, introducing the Green New Deal resolution, making a really bold political ask, that’s when we challenge Senator Lee to say “What’s your plan?” That’s where we get him on the record, talking about babies, talking so clearly naive about the situation, naive about the threat.

And that’s where we–that’s how we tell our fellow Americans. That’s how we exposed the crisis, expose the corruption. And that’s how we set ourselves up to win in 2020. And we can–you know, I think it’s good when members of Congress talk about more incremental approaches. I think, fine, let’s do all the small things, too, because we’re going to have to do at some point. But if we don’t take bold political leadership, then we’ll never go all the way. And if we don’t take bold political leadership we’ll never exile the fossil fuel campaigns, the fossil fuel billionaires, from our politics. And if they keep a grasp on our politicians, I don’t know if we’ll ever get a plan passed that really fits the scale and scope of the crisis. I hope that makes sense and answers your question.

DHARNA NOOR: Yes, definitely. OK, Jeremy Ornstein joining us today from Washington, DC, where the Senate has voted no on a resolution for the Green New Deal. But again, Jeremy says that he and the rest of the representatives from the Sunrise Movement are not deterred. Thank you so much for being here again today.

JEREMY ORNSTEIN: Thank you so much.

DHARNA NOOR: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.

https://therealnews.com/stories/green-new-deal-voted-down-by-senate-but-activists-arent-deterred
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 26, 2019, 10:41:04 pm
Dumping Wallace, Blocking Bernie: How the Democrats Broke With the Working Class - Kuznick RAI

22,589 views

The Real News Network

Published on Mar 20, 2019

A replay of a TRNN interview from June 2016

Peter Kuznick, co-author of The Untold History of the United States, spoke to Paul Jay about the significance of the vice presidency of Henry Wallace, who served in the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, in the context of the Bernie Sanders campaign.

https://youtu.be/BYEq6S8I21I

"[The historian] Arthur Schlesinger talked about him being the greatest secretary of agriculture in American history," said Peter Kuznick. "He turned the agricultural economy around. In 1932, the farm income was one-third of what it had been before the Depression started, and Wallace reversed it and put it back on its feet. But during the '30s, he was America's leading progressive.

"Wallace "actually was, in terms of his politics, more progressive than Bernie Sanders," said Paul Jay. "In fact, he makes Bernie Sanders look like a centrist moderate.

"The party bosses sought to remove Wallace from the ticket for Roosevelt's third presidential run.

"The segregationists in the South hated him," said Kuznick. "He was the leading spokesman for black civil rights. The misogynists hated him. He was the leading spokesperson for women's inequality. The British and the French hated him. They implored Roosevelt to get him off the ticket as vice president because he was writing pamphlets and speaking openly about the need to end British and French colonialism. He said that America's fascists are those people who think that Wall Street comes first and the American people second.

"After FDR wrote a letter saying he would reject the nomination if Wallace was removed, the beloved progressive politician was put back on the ticket.

Wallace was one of the most popular public figures in America during the 1930s. When traveling in Chile and Costa Rica, he attracted crowds numbering in the tens of thousands.

"Many people don't understand where the progressive aspects of the New Deal came from," say Kuznick. "If you look at the '34, election, '36 election, the American public was very, very, very progressive during that time. And the thing that sparked the progressive elements in the New Deal was the upsurge of labor, the rise of the CIO, the battle for the working class in the 1930s and the soul of America. In fact, if you look even at the Communist Party, the Communist Party was planning to be part of that tradition of the popular front."

"Once you have the Cold War, McCarthyism, and the House Un-American Activities Committee and essentially purge the unions of most of the really progressive leadership, what you're left with is a union leadership that merges with the elites and in fact become elites themselves," said Jay. "And so the Democratic Party, instead of this place where you have this united front of different classes contending, you have the whole preponderance of leadership now representing the elites.

""We've had certain moments when the party has reverted to its working-class roots, when it has been a progressive party," said Kuznick. "And I think that's what the Sanders campaign is trying to do, and it's certainly what Wallace was fighting for from 1941-45 when he was vice president of the United States."

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Category News & Politics

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 27, 2019, 11:39:53 am
Agelbert NOTE: This explains why you will not hear a peep from the right wing in the form of criticism of the Biden Campaign.

Joe Biden Is Hillary Clinton 2.0 — Democrats Would Be Mad to Nominate Him (https://theintercept.com/2019/03/21/joe-biden-2020-hillary-clinton/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: Surly1 on March 27, 2019, 01:58:59 pm
Good Ol' Joe has too much baggage.

DOA.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: Surly1 on March 27, 2019, 02:21:41 pm
Apropos of this thread:

Let’s look at what they’ve been comfortable with:
— fired two law enforcement officials for investigating him
— drafted a false cover story for the Trump Tower Russia meeting
— concealed his debt to Cohen for a hush money payoff by omitting it from his financial disclosure report, a felony if done knowingly and willfully
— destroyed records of his secret meetings with Putin
— lied to the American people about his business dealings in Russia
— has been caught telling thousands and thousands of lies to the American people
— committed human rights violations with a new policy that caused an unprecedented number of family separations and made no effort to track the thousands of children taken
— used the military for an election stunt
— gave openly political speeches to the military and CIA
— violated the constitution’s emoluments clauses
— refused to divest conflicts of interest that now appear to be influencing govt policy
— actively furthered a cover-up of the torture murder of a Virginia resident, who wrote for the Washington Post, by one of his top customers
— has used his position for profit
— spent 1/3 of his days visiting his properties
— publicly called for a hostile foreign power to attack our elections
— shared classified info with Russia
— publicly disclosed a planned trip of legislators to a war zone
— put an unaccountable shadow cabinet of members of Mar-a-Lago in charge of VA, and circumvented ethics laws by naming Carl Icahn a presidential advisor without appointing him
— has continued to let his nepotistic son-in-law spearhead Middle East policy initiatives without a high level security clearance
— attempted to shield his criminal National Security Advisor from investigation
— has violated the Presidential Records Act and allowed his staff to use private means of communications (while complaining about his political rival’s emails)
— intervened in career-level disciplinary actions, which insulate certain key government functions from politics
— refused to take action on 10 findings of Hatch Act violations by his own appointee leading the agency that enforces the Hatch Act
— has undermined critical alliances and threatened to withdraw from NATO
— shut down the govt, leaving some desperate Feds in danger of eviction
— humiliated the U.S. by acting like Putin’s gushing subordinate in Helsinki
— has defended Russia against the findings of our own intelligence agencies, dragged his feet on sanctions against Russia, and advocated lifting sanctions on Oleg Deripaska and D.O.’s businesses
— announced withdrawal from Syria without consulting, or telling, the military
— is an unindicted coconspirator in criminal campaign finance violations
— called white supremacists “fine” people
— has disgraced the office of the presidency with disgusting tweets and statements
— dispatched the Counsel to the President to find out if a secret FISA warrant had been issued regarding his associates
— said that “flipping” to cooperate with federal law enforcement agents “almost ought to be illegal.”
— etc., etc., etc
Walter Shaub- Former Director of the Office of Government Ethics

https://threader.app/thread/1086255622088257537
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 27, 2019, 02:37:39 pm
Good Ol' Joe has too much baggage.

DOA.


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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 27, 2019, 02:56:01 pm
Apropos of this thread:

Let’s look at what they’ve been comfortable with:
— fired two law enforcement officials for investigating him
— drafted a false cover story for the Trump Tower Russia meeting
— concealed his debt to Cohen for a hush money payoff by omitting it from his financial disclosure report, a felony if done knowingly and willfully
— destroyed records of his secret meetings with Putin
— lied to the American people about his business dealings in Russia
— has been caught telling thousands and thousands of lies to the American people
— committed human rights violations with a new policy that caused an unprecedented number of family separations and made no effort to track the thousands of children taken
— used the military for an election stunt
— gave openly political speeches to the military and CIA
— violated the constitution’s emoluments clauses
— refused to divest conflicts of interest that now appear to be influencing govt policy
— actively furthered a cover-up of the torture murder of a Virginia resident, who wrote for the Washington Post, by one of his top customers
— has used his position for profit
— spent 1/3 of his days visiting his properties
— publicly called for a hostile foreign power to attack our elections
— shared classified info with Russia
— publicly disclosed a planned trip of legislators to a war zone
— put an unaccountable shadow cabinet of members of Mar-a-Lago in charge of VA, and circumvented ethics laws by naming Carl Icahn a presidential advisor without appointing him
— has continued to let his nepotistic son-in-law spearhead Middle East policy initiatives without a high level security clearance
— attempted to shield his criminal National Security Advisor from investigation
— has violated the Presidential Records Act and allowed his staff to use private means of communications (while complaining about his political rival’s emails)
— intervened in career-level disciplinary actions, which insulate certain key government functions from politics
— refused to take action on 10 findings of Hatch Act violations by his own appointee leading the agency that enforces the Hatch Act
— has undermined critical alliances and threatened to withdraw from NATO
— shut down the govt, leaving some desperate Feds in danger of eviction
— humiliated the U.S. by acting like Putin’s gushing subordinate in Helsinki
— has defended Russia against the findings of our own intelligence agencies, dragged his feet on sanctions against Russia, and advocated lifting sanctions on Oleg Deripaska and D.O.’s businesses
— announced withdrawal from Syria without consulting, or telling, the military
— is an unindicted coconspirator in criminal campaign finance violations
— called white supremacists “fine” people
— has disgraced the office of the presidency with disgusting tweets and statements
— dispatched the Counsel to the President to find out if a secret FISA warrant had been issued regarding his associates
— said that “flipping” to cooperate with federal law enforcement agents “almost ought to be illegal.”
— etc., etc., etc
Walter Shaub- Former Director of the Office of Government Ethics

https://threader.app/thread/1086255622088257537



Exactly RIGHT! Thank you for posting these irrefutable truths.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

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Trump and his wrecking crew could care less about facts or truth. The damage he, his wrecking crew and his followers are doing to this country and the biosphere may be irreparable at this point. As you are doing (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac), I will continue to advocate for solutions, even if the odds are now against people who want to do the right thing.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 27, 2019, 08:43:55 pm
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

Barr 😈Is a Distraction. We Must Insist on the Moral Indictment of (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) Trump.

SASHA ABRAMSKY, TRUTHOUT

Now is not the time to backpedal on criticisms of Trump. Now is the time to step them up, to laser-focus on the moral ugliness and cruelty of this horrific man and the enablers now charged with implementing his vision.

Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/barr-is-a-distraction-we-must-insist-on-the-moral-indictment-of-trump/) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 28, 2019, 12:18:28 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100115191314.jpeg&hash=d55e3d264e3b56cb2eaf7dcb8dd62a8f98d301f2)

I found this quote out there on the internets. It is a perfect response to the corrupt POS Republicans 🐉😈🦕🦖 making a lot of noise "demanding" that Schiff 🦅👍 resign as Chairman of the House Intelligence Commmittee. These are the SAME corrupt POS Republicans 🐉😈🦕🦖 that were MUTE while the former House Intelligence Commmittee Chairman, Trump Lackey 🐒 Nunez, lied about everything under the sun with FAKE investigations, charges and exonerations of all things Trump:

Quote
Schiff is a brilliant man who will get the last laugh when Congress finds Trump guilty of Obstruction and SDNY with tax and insurance fraud. Kudos to Schiff! (Not Peter!)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818221632-1610966.gif&hash=e878dd8cdc23a6ed7f551880f2c20745d49a7567)


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 28, 2019, 06:05:14 pm

Quote
Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591)
March 28, 2019
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MAR 28, 2019, 1:33 PM

THINKPROGRESS

By DANIELLE MCLEAN

Quote
"I think it's immoral, I think it's unethical, I think it's unpatriotic, and yes, I think it's corrupt and evidence of collusion."

Schiff (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac)recites long list of Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Russia contacts after Republicans (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) call for his resignation

https://youtu.be/r8gAYUupm2k

Associated artcle: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

https://thinkprogress.org/schiff-rebukes-republicans-listing-trump-contacts-russia-intelligence-committee-b940fe749a72/


Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 28, 2019, 07:48:31 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F795_9adc777a0e08428257b76ece69d18ee52006bb5e39d60d966bb2440d29d17641.jpeg&hash=d4981cd695fe7bf30568b67912c9fe1d3edbd91b)

US Military Budget Reveals an Offensive Posture, Russia and China on Defense – Wilkerson

March 27, 2019

The massive military expansion in the US and China could lead to absolute disaster – Larry Wilkerson joins Paul Jay

https://youtu.be/MEggNscv7vc

https://therealnews.com/stories/us-military-budget-reveals-an-offensive-posture-russia-and-china-on-defense-wilkerson

(https://dingo.care2.com/c2p/GlobalZero/GZ500x600.png)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 30, 2019, 03:16:13 pm
Agelbert NOTE: I agree that large tech companies have too much power and are doing all they can to destroy what is left of democracy in human society. However, it is WRONG to say that the polluters no longer have a massive say in government policy. They STILL do. Proof of that is that the polluters STILL get GIANT "subsidies" (i.e. wefare queen hand outs on the taxpayer dime). Giant tech corporations, though they ARE provided with unjustified pecuniary incentives to exploit people hither and yon, get a pittance in swag when compared to the SWAG gifted to the Fossil Fuel and Nuclear Power biosphere destroyers. If these polluters lacked the power they once had, they would NOT be getting the massive SWAG they continue to get each year from polluter corrupted governments all over the world. The author should not pretend that these polluter biosphere destroyers are no longer a problem for human civilization. They ARE the MAIN THREAT.

The author does, however, makes good points 👍 about the danger of the tech giants. Still, the existential threat the polluter corporations represent is more pressing and has NOT diminished in any significant way. Yeah, Renewable Energy IS killing them and their profits slowly, but that is certainly not because of any lessening of power and influence the polluters wield 24/7 to corrupt governments.   

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Saturday, March 30, 2019 9:40 AM

by Bruce Wilds

Mega Global-Companies 🦍 Dwarf Power Of Many Nations

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T_c3LFXo2m4/XJ9vTO8cWhI/AAAAAAAAEpE/ARUOZPDwsOgziXxjcYmdKRDFolI8VRSlACLcBGAs/s320/Top-10-Biggest-Companies-in-the-World2.gif)
Names We Know- Do they 💵🎩Have An 🍌🏴‍☠️🚩 Agenda?

When the value of Apple and Amazon soared above one trillion dollars they became the first companies to reach this milestone. It is difficult to deny that in our modern world many large companies already have more power than most nations and their power continues to grow at an alarming rate. In the past, it was large oil conglomerates that held the power but today much of it has shifted to technology companies 🙃. This power is reflected in companies ability to bend regulations in the area of trade, in some ways, the anti-globalism movement could be viewed as an attempt to halt large companies in their tracks. This is one of the reasons anti-globalist and those wanting more limits of trade have rushed to embrace the use of tariffs.

For years many economists have discounted the implications and disregarded how the greed of these companies have added too many problems in the world. For example, if it is bombs you want, they will gladly make them for you, and while doing this they gain power and add to their profits. This train of thought brings front and center the question of whether mega-global companies are working in the direction of taking over the world and even dominating governments and countries. This is in some ways an extension of the New World Order with CEOs pulling the strings. The power they wield is often masked behind the facade of a figurehead leader but it is very real.

Developments over the last several decades portend a shift in power from country to corporations. The argument can be made that corporations are well on their way to supplant the state as the world's dominant organizational structures in the future. Knowledge is power and this means is not just about large conglomerates that produce products or energy but extends into how internet companies, in particular, have placed themselves in the position where they control the communication networks collecting and storing data on all of us putting them in a position to manipulate us in every way.

This has resulted in a blurring of the lines between business and state that has emerged over the centuries and shaped the world as we know it. By weaponizing the data they have collected as propaganda in a battle for our hearts and minds technology companies may hold an advantage over national government in persuading individuals to align with their interests. This translates into enormous persuasive power and could be the key to providing corporations with a path to ultimately control populations, governments, and even nations. As they have gained power it seems these powerful global entities often lead governments around by the nose placing and have taken to placing people in a position of servitude.

The leaders of many large global companies have quietly cast off their national identities over the years choosing to live as citizens of the world and part of the global elite. CEOs of mega-corporations are often the iconic figures that show up in Davos at the World Economic Forum and set the world's future agenda. In a world where countries struggling to be great and often steal the resources of others to elevate themselves to power, many people with leadership qualities have decided the route of CEO is a superior path to power over becoming a politician where national borders limit their rise. These companies are the powerful behind the curtain with politicians pandering to their wants and needs.

Adding to our woes is the number of these companies feeding at the government tit and profiting greatly from the production of items or services that poorly serve mankind. It was with an Orwellian sleight of hand a few years after the end of World War II the War Department was renamed the Department of Defense. This did not halt the growth of the military industrial complex that had grown into a monolith during the war but gave it a path to justify its expansion after the war. One way to do this has been to find new enemies constantly lurking in the shadows, this we have done. Those profiting from the tools and weapons of destruction have blown away national borders by selling their wares across the world deeming this and that country as an ally. 

They also promote "free trade" (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) which has replaced the idea of fair trade. Companies have long pushed for national borders to vanish as they pursue ever-larger markets and strive to achieve greater supply chain efficiency. Transnational companies have declared, damn the people of our nation, it is about us. This makes it rather ironic that governments across the world have chosen to spend so much time and money spying on their people rather than focusing on watching the actions of the huge global companies and conglomerates that hold power over us all. By doing this they have allowed and often abetted the very companies wishing to supplant their power.

As governments yield to these companies by joining and allowing them to watch and exert control over populations it seems prudent to question whether the power of individual sovereign countries has been supplanted by that of mega companies. Across the world, we find many countries rapidly moving towards more controlling governments with strong authoritarian tendencies. Using tools such as facial recognition every citizen in China is now slated to be watched and their behavior scored in the most ambitious and sophisticated system of social control in history. ABC Australian news ran a piece showing how the Chinese people are justifying this extension of government power. Even more concerning is that this could even be viewed as a coordinated effort to reduce, we the people into mere pawns and less relevant.

The idea that a world controlled by mega companies will be benevolent and kind ignores the greed and ambitions of those who control them and how little regard they can have for those ranked below them. In his novels, Orwell depicted how governments could take on a life of their own and criticized totalitarianism throughout his writings. Totalitarianism, the most extreme and complete form of authoritarianism, is a political concept that defines a government which prohibits opposition parties, restricts individual opposition to the state and exercises an extremely high degree of control over public and private life. As an added bonus for these behemoths they can hide behind the governments they control sucking the blood from them but remain aloof and shielded from the evil they inflict. It seems an argument could be made that this is the direction we are moving.

Footnote; In the works is an article explaining why these companies are very content to throw countries under the bus and enslave us for "the greater good."  The article below contends that Apple and Amazon share an ugly truth and that is their strong ties to America's government has in many ways allowed them to create a persona or facade that far outshines reality. This allows each company in its own way to exploit us while masking the huge amount of income they pluck from our government on all levels.
 
http://brucewilds.blogspot.com/2017/12/apple-and-amazon-share-ugly-truth-they.html

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 01, 2019, 04:54:00 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591)

THREE THINGS: THIS AIN’T NO FOOLING AROUND

April 1, 2019/26 Comments/in Congress, Domestic Policy, Economics /by Rayne

SNIPPET:

~ 1 ~

This sums up the problem:

Quote
A senior administration official with direct knowledge of the meeting described Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) stance: “He (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) doesn’t want another single dollar going to the island.”

Puerto Rico is still in very bad shape 19 months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island. I can’t begin to do the scale of the additional problems inflicted on Puerto Ricans by the horrible management of financial aid. Please read this piece at the Washington Post for a better take on how bad things are:

Puerto Rico faces food-stamp crisis as Trump privately vents about federal aid to Hurricane Maria-battered island

The Bigot-in-Chief continues his deadly vendetta against Puerto Rican Americans still badly affected by Hurricane Maria’s devastation. He doesn’t want to send them any additional aid for reasons which are opaque to the rest of the country but are readily guessed at based on his past behavior.

— He couldn’t bother to do adequate pre-hurricane preparation; he sat on his goddamn fat ass and bitched about NFL players taking a knee rather than get off his ass and make sure Puerto Rico was prepared. We know he had ample time and instead he was either malignant in his duties or incompetent, take your pick.

— He had to be shamed by Hillary Clinton into dispatching the Navy’s hospital ship. The ship did not treat as many patients as it should have nor did it stay long enough. At least one entire ICU ward on the island died because medical attention didn’t get to the most obviously needy places fast enough.

— Under his watch management of disaster recovery services was totally botched, from water bottles sitting on the tarmac undelivered to electrical service contracts let to what appears were profiteering outfits unprepared to deal with the scale of the problems. So much money was wasted because of this gross incompetence.

— Too little attention was given to Puerto Rico’s businesses as critical national infrastructure. The entire country faced medical supplies shortages because manufacturers in PR were the only sources in the U.S. and they were ignored rather than treated as essential.

Three thousand Americans died after the hurricane; most of them died because of the fu-cked up and opaque personal agenda Trump has against Puerto Rico. More people may have been affected here on the mainland but I’ll bet there’s no way to record the impact.

Me, for example — I had to manipulate the schedule for major surgery back in early 2018 because the hospitals here in Michigan were reporting tight supplies of IV equipment made in Puerto Rico. Thank goodness it worked out, that I didn’t have another episode requiring transfusions and days of IVs. But I couldn’t help think of patients elsewhere across the country who were negatively impacted; there were reports of reusing disinfected IV equipment because supplies had run out.

Trump thinks Puerto Rico has received too much money already. I suspect Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) real issues are:

1) He has a personal bias against Puerto Rico because a Trump-branded golf course there failed in 2015;

2) He simply hates brown and non-English speaking people — just look at how he responds to situations where persons of color need help versus whites;

3) He doesn’t see Puerto Rico as part of the U.S.


American persons of color are highly aware of the treatment (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) of Puerto Rico. How the White House and Congress respond to Puerto Rico shapes their opinion, and failure to do right by Puerto Ricans can affect these voters’ attitudes going into 2020.

But Puerto Ricans don’t have a senator, one might say. True — but it’s estimated 6% of the population left the island after the hurricane and more may still leave. They’ve been moving to Illinois, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and Wisconsin because it’s cheaper to live in these states than it is now in Puerto Rico. What a pity for GOP senators in those states up for re-election in 2020 who continue to vote against aid for Puerto Rican recovery — they’ll have more Democratic voters to contend with at the polls.

Call your senators — tell them to ensure Puerto Rico has more financial assistance for post-hurricane recovery. We owe it to our fellow Americans just as we would if they were in North Carolina, Florida, Texas, or California after a major disaster. We owe them for the failure to provide equal protection under the law before, during, and after the hurricane resulting in nearly as many Americans’ deaths as 9/11.

Read more:

https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/04/01/three-things-this-aint-no-fooling-around/

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 01, 2019, 06:22:38 pm
 
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51OyslVcpXL._SX323_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae)

The U.S. Is Run by a Financial Oligarchy 👹💵🎩🍌: The Ruling Elite (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c), Money & the Illusion of Progress (1993)
32,728 views

https://youtu.be/1f2r_-1biSk

The Film Archives

Published on Apr 28, 2014

Some contemporary authors have characterized current conditions in the United States as being oligarchic in nature. About the book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/080...

Simon Johnson wrote that "the reemergence of an American financial oligarchy is quite recent," a structure which he delineated as being the "most advanced" in the world. Jeffrey A. Winters argues that "oligarchy and democracy operate within a single system, and American politics is a daily display of their interplay." Bernie Sanders (I-VT) opined in a 2010 The Nation article that an "upper-crust of extremely wealthy families are hell-bent on destroying the democratic vision of a strong middle-class which has made the United States the envy of the world. In its place they are determined to create an oligarchy in which a small number of families control the economic and political life of our country."

United States political and finance industry leadership has recently been dominated by people associated with Harvard and Yale. All nine members of the current Supreme Court attended Harvard or Yale law schools. The last member appointed to the court who was not a former student at one of those two institutions was Sandra Day O'Connor, appointed by the newly elected President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Reagan was also the last United States President who did not attend either Harvard or Yale.

A well-known fictional oligarchy is represented by the Party in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. The socialists in the Jack London novel The Iron Heel fight a rebellion against the oligarchy ruling in the United States. In the Ender's Quartet, by Orson Scott Card - specifically Xenocide, Speaker for the Dead, and Children of The Mind - there is an Oligarchy of the Starways Congress which rules by controlling communication by the Ansible. The Capitol in The Hunger Games trilogy is also a form of Oligarchy, as is the nation of Tear (ruled by a group of High Lords, until the appointment of High Lord Darlin as King of Tear) in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligarchy

Corporatocracy is a term used as an economic and political system controlled by corporations or corporate interests. It is a generally pejorative term often used by critics of the current economic situation in a particular country, especially the United States. This is different to corporatism, which is the organisation of society into groups with common interests. Corporatocracy as a term tends to be used by liberal and left-leaning critics, but also some economic libertarian critics and other political observers across the political spectrum. Economist Jeffrey Sachs described the United States as a corporatocracy in his book The Price of Civilization. He suggested that it arose from four trends: weak national parties and strong political representation of individual districts, the large U.S. military establishment after World War II, big corporate money financing election campaigns, and globalization tilting the balance away from workers.

The term was used by author John Perkins in his 2004 book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, where he claimed that a "corporatocracy" exists, involving tacitly coordinated corporations, banks, and governments. This collective is known as what author C Wright Mills would call the Power Elite. The Power Elite are wealthy individuals who hold prominent positions in Corporatocracies. These individuals control the process of determining society's economic and political policies.

The concept has been used in explanations of bank bailouts, excessive pay for CEOs, as well as complaints such as the exploitation of national treasuries, people, and natural resources. It has been used by critics of globalization, sometimes in conjunction with criticism of the World Bank or unfair lending practices, as well as criticism of free trade agreements.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporat...

Category Education
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 02, 2019, 09:52:37 pm
Deep Faith in the Deep State Gives Dems a Set Back

March 31, 2019

https://youtu.be/BQqJ2y7iWIQ

Our weekly panel discusses the Mueller Report, as the Democrats and their media allies put their eggs in the Russia-Gate basket and handed Trump a PR victory – Jacqueline Luqman, Jeff Cohen and host Paul Jay

Story Transcript
PAUL JAY: Welcome to The Real News Network. I’m Paul Jay.

This is our weekly roundup panel. But before we get started, let me do a bit of a rant introduction here, because we’re going to talk about the Mueller report. On The Real News, we’ve been always extremely skeptical of the whole Russiagate story. We’ve carried many, many reports that said that the evidence of Russian interference was dubious, at best. The collusion story, the evidence seemed rather thin and dubious. But I always said, myself, all through all of this, I actually–I’m sorry–don’t give a damn. I didn’t care whether there was some low-level Russian interference that we all know was mostly ineffective. Not mostly ineffective, was ineffective. I didn’t care whether Trump colluded or didn’t collude with some mostly or completely ineffective Russia troll farm inc. Maybe there was, wasn’t, whatever. Because in the list of the crimes of Donald Trump, all of this was a distraction.

So let me preface our discussion about the Mueller report with that framing, because it still is a major news story. It is a crisis within the political class of the United States. It does reflect real splits amongst the elites. It will affect the well-being of ordinary people, which is what we care about. But we’ve never put any eggs in the “Oh, he didn’t collude” basket; nor were we, a la Rachel Maddow and some others, constantly hammering that his big crime was the collusion. So when the Mueller report briefing, a four page summary, whatever it is Barr did, came out, I didn’t jump for joy that he didn’t collude, as some did. Nor was I disappointed that it didn’t show that he didn’t collude. All of it is so secondary.

That being said, as a political event, it’s actually not secondary. It is a reflection of some real stuff, and that’s what we’re going to talk about. So joining me to talk about all of this, first of all, coming from Woodstock, New York, is Jeff Cohen. Jeff is the founder of the media watchdog FAIR, and he is currently, and was the co-founder of RootsAction.org. And joining me in the studio is Jacqueline Luqman. She’s editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and she’s a regular contributor and sometimes host at The Real News. So thanks for joining us.

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: Thanks for having me.

PAUL JAY: So Jeff, let me start with you. What’s your main takeaway? We’re going to break this down into various categories, but first of all, your main takeaway of the events, the Mueller events of this week.

JEFF COHEN: Well, I think that the Trump team played it well. They had Barr hide the full 300 plus page report, and Barr quoted about 50 words. So Trump’s able to claim vindication. He clearly has not been vindicated. I think that, wearing my media critic hat, this has been a horrific episode in mainstream media; the fixation, the obsession, the exaggerations about Russia election collusion, while excluding far bigger issues and far bigger affronts to U.S. democracy committed by Trump. So as a media critic, what’s happened the last two years is really offensive.

And as a political analyst, the leadership of the Democratic Party putting their eggs in this basket, and every time Nancy Pelosi, for a year and a half, two years, has been asked about impeachment, rather than laying down the many grounds of possible impeachment inquiry–and RootsAction.org has about 15 of them, from abuse of the pardon power, politicizing federal prosecutions, the violation of the anti-corruption clauses of the Constitution because of Trump’s self-dealing–you can go on and on–the discrimination based on religion represented by the Muslim ban, tearing refugee families apart at the border. There’s 15 different grounds, and every time Pelosi is asked about impeachment, she says, “Well, let’s wait for the Muller report.” And all the leaders of the party, “Let’s wait for the Mueller report.” And what that achieved was it tended to take these huge affronts against the U.S. public, against democracy, against the Constitution, and marginalize them like they’re less important than Russian election collusion. I think it was a horrible strategy.

One final point. In November of 2018, the exit polls have shown that virtually no voters cared about Russian election collusion. So if the Democrats had focused on Trump’s corruption and his violation of the two clauses in the Constitution saying you can’t accept a financial benefit from your office, and it had been about his greed and self-interest, that might have impacted the 2018 election, and it might have been a bigger Democratic victory they squandered politically by saying, “We’re waiting for Mueller.”

PAUL JAY: Well, let’s play a clip of perhaps the person who is the face of this media frenzy and what I would call Russophobia. She’s not the only one. I’m talking about Rachel Maddow, obviously, but CNN is every bit as guilty as MSNBC is. But Rachel, her show rose to the top of cable ratings at the height of all this. Back in July of 2018, Trump met with Putin in Helsinki, and this is one of the most highest points of the fever pitch of this craziness. And here’s a couple of clips from MSNBC.

RACHEL MADDOW: I mean, for everything that we have been through as a country, for every kind of trial and challenge and intrigue and embarrassment and scandal that we have been through as a nation, we haven’t ever had to reckon with the possibility that somebody has ascended to the presidency of the United States to serve the interests of another country rather than our own. What’s the corrective to that? How do you remedy that? These are no longer hypothetical questions.

JILL WINE-BANKS: It’s just as serious to me as the Cuban missile crisis in terms of an attack, or the 9/11 attack. The president is taking the side of the people who attacked us instead of trying to prevent a future attack. He has done nothing to make sure that the elections four months away are going to be safe. And I would say that his performance today will live in infamy as much as the Pearl Harbor attack or Kristallnacht. And it’s really a serious issue that we need to deal with.

PAUL JAY: So Jacqueline, the level of that rhetoric is hard to believe, and they put their eggs in the Mueller basket. But to me, the underlying crime here is the beating the drums of a new Cold War. Far more significant than anything Trump may or may not have done.

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: Yes. I mean, what I think I have to do is make very clear that I think Trump is guilty of something. I’m certain he’s guilty of something, but I think that something is more along the lines of financial crimes. Just from looking at his behavior, the things that have come to light from this investigation, you can look at the way he’s been trying to solidify this deal to build this Trump Tower in Russia for 30 years. And I think any thinking person can look at what’s come out of this investigation and say, “OK, he’s thinking he can capitalize on the presidency to finally get this done.” I think that that makes sense. So yes, he’s guilty of something.

But this whole Russophobia and the level of hysteria from people like Maddow and the other clip, where the woman ended saying that this is akin to Kristallnacht. Are you kidding? This is this is not a situation where the president of the United States is acting on behalf of a foreign government, as opposed to acting on our behalf. First of all, our own government has not acted on the behalf of the people that is supposed to elected it a very long time. So to feign this outrage that this particular president is doing something different from what other presidents have done, as if other presidents have acted on behalf of the people; that, first of all, is just dishonest about our government. That’s just a dishonest premise to start from.

And then, to take this discourse of Russia corrupting our elections and corrupting our electoral process. You had a Democratic Party that was involved in purging registered voters in some places. Then you had a Democratic Party that was also actively colluding, for real, with the media to completely not cover a very popular insurgent candidacy. I mean, I believe these agents in the media have created this narrative that is centered on Russia being the enemy and creating this crisis in this country, when really the crisis is and always has been this really unseemly alliance between both political parties and the media–that is, the corporate media, I should say–that’s more than willing to trot out whatever narrative the highest bidder will pay for. And whoever gets hurt by it–meaning the American people–whoever gets hurt by that level of disinformation, it doesn’t matter, as long as one party is seen as winning over the other.

PAUL JAY: Jeff, when you discuss this kind of within the rough framing of the mainstream discourse, there is something fishy about Barr’s letter, and there is something fishy about the Mueller report; first of all, how on earth the Democrats trusted Mueller. In an interview I did recently with Larry Wilkerson, he called Mueller the “cleanup man” for the Republican Party. Years post 9/11, Iraq war, I mean, the FBI was accused by Graham under Mueller’s administration for directly not properly investigating the 9/11 situation. I mean, it goes on and on. And then they put all their eggs in the Mueller basket, so why trust them in the first place? But still, Barr was obviously put in place by Trump to block anything that might hurt Trump in the report, and so far, that’s what he’s doing. The whole thing is pretty fishy.


JEFF COHEN: Yeah. Let’s do Mueller and then Barr. I mean, I’m a person of the left. When I was young, the FBI was spying on me.

PAUL JAY: And I’m sure still is.

JEFF COHEN: Yeah. We have this thing in the mainstream media where there’s Fox News on the right and MSNBC on the left. No, MSNBC is not on the left. If you’re on the left, your saviors are not FBI chiefs. For 16 years, Mueller and Comey ran the FBI. During that time, Occupy Wall Street was surveilled, Black Lives Matter was surveilled, The Standing Rock activists, the Water Protectors, were surveilled. So they’re not my heroes. So that’s number one. And all these former generals that got paraded on MSNBC and CNN, they are not the saviors of progressive America. So on the one hand, there really were attempts to collude. Collusion is not a crime, but with the antics of Trump aides like Papadopoulos, Carter Page, trying to arrange meetings with the Russians and getting a green light from the leadership, and then you have the Trump Tower meeting in June 2016, that’s not a minor issue.

And when I hear people say, “Oh, who cares if they met,” I mean, think about it. If a foreign power, say Israel or Saudi Arabia, during the Democratic primaries, had contacted the leadership of the Hillary Clinton campaign and said, “As part of our effort to help you defeat Bernie, here’s some dirt on Bernie” And then the leader of that campaign says back in an e-mail, “I love it,” I mean, we’d be outraged. And I don’t know if I agree with Steve Bannon when he referred to the Trump Tower meeting as unpatriotic or treasonous, which is what Bannon said about the Trump Tower meeting, but clearly there was some attempt to collude, and that’s why–getting to Barr–the American public has a right to see the full 300 plus pages. Because all we know from Bar, is which is fascinating, is that Muller punted, he sort of threw up the white flag, he said, “I cannot–this report does not prove a crime of obstruction of justice, but it does not exonerate President Trump.” That’s pretty intense, and I want to hear more about that.

And then, secondarily, that comment that’s been quoted from the report, and we only know it from Barr, which is they did not find that Trump or Trump’s associates conspired or coordinated with the Russians during the election; when they say did not find, in legal terms, when a prosecutor says that–he said did not establish–that means did not establish beyond a reasonable doubt. But clearly, there was some collusion, and I want to hear about it. So I’m happy that there’s activism trying to demand the full report.

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: Yeah. I do believe there was some coordination to get information, I do think there was some coordination. Again, I really do think the meat of this matter is financial crimes. When this report is released–and I do believe the report absolutely needs to be released, because I’m interested to find out what other things came that Trump hasn’t been exonerated for. I want to know what those things are. I think I have a pretty good idea, but I’d just like to see for myself, as I think we all have a right to.

PAUL JAY: And I think a lot of that’s being followed up by the Southern District Prosecutors in New York, who are going after the financial crime.

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: Exactly. And it might be that that’s exactly what it said in the report, that because there are these connections to financial misdeeds and questionable financial dealings involving Russia, then these issues are being shuttled to the Southern District of New York, who are continuing an ongoing investigation. That could be the things that Trump is not exonerated for from this report. But again, we don’t know, because we don’t see the full report. But I am really concerned about the damage that the corporate media has done to black activists, to black voters, and to people who they claimed were influenced by this very limited, and not extensive in scope at all, Russian troll farm operation to so-called influence voters not to vote for Trump.

The media, the corporate media, never reported the truth about the extent of that operation. They always inflated the reach and the scope and the influence to make it seem as if this really small agency that didn’t spend a lot of money–the Internet Research Agency, I think they’re called, didn’t spend a lot of money. They actually spent less money on this so-called national troll farm campaign than the New Knowledge Agency that wrote a report spent on their nefarious dealings in the Alabama election. So there is a problem that was never reported by corporate media with this whole situation. But also, they didn’t report that most of the ads didn’t even appear on social media until after the election. Most of them didn’t mention Trump or Clinton or Sanders or the election at all. There were a bunch of memes of Jesus saying, “Click if you if you love Jesus, share,” ridiculous things like that.

PAUL JAY: Although that’s part of data gathering, to figure who they want to talk to, assuming they is they. And that’s still not clear.

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: But that’s the same thing that Amazon does, that’s the same things that any online retailer does when they want to build an audience for their product. The Internet Research Agency did not create a campaign that was wide enough, large enough, influential enough to influence anyone to vote one way or another in this election. But these people in the corporate media, the Maddows and the people at CNN, they created this narrative and then they turned it into “black activists were influenced by these ads,” as if we are a bunch of ridiculous, silly, childish people who decide who to vote based on some shoe ads on Facebook. And for me, the damage is done. For me, I think that the corporate media has done an irreparable amount of damage by trotting out that storyline.

PAUL JAY: Jeff, I mean, we’ve said this on The Real News a million times, I’ll say it again. The critical thing that elected Donald Trump is, number one, Hillary Clinton was a terrible candidate with a ton of baggage. Two, her campaign itself was awful and didn’t campaign in the swing states the way any normal campaign would. And most importantly, she promised to be the legacy of the Obama administration, under which inequality got far worse. So she was going out there with a message of essentially more of the same, when it was clear that much of the electorate was rejecting more of the same.

JEFF COHEN: There’s no doubt. She got defeated in the Rust Belt. And I worked on a movie, the corporate coup d’etat, and we interviewed workers who voted for Obama, voted for Bernie, and then voted for Trump. She got beat in the rust belt because she was seen as the candidate of the status quo. And so, the day after the election, the Democratic leadership and the Clinton campaign decided, “Well, who are we going to blame this on? Because certainly it wasn’t our fault.” And that was one of the impetuses behind the Russia hysteria. I think we should name some names in terms of the media and some specifics. I mean, the Washington Post reported, and it was false, that the Russians had hacked into the electric utility grid in Vermont. That is false. And again, the big Russia-bashing scare is always big news, and the retraction is always smaller.

NBC, MSNBC reported that the Russians had used a supersonic microwave weapon against U.S. diplomats in Havana. It wasn’t true. Forbes reported that RT, Russia’s television network, had hacked into C-SPAN and had put RT programming on C-SPAN. And C-SPAN had to rush out and say, “Well, no, no. That was our technical glitch.” But the most damaging story in the whole two plus years of Russiagate was from the Washington Post quoting some research outfit, they were a bunch of hacks, they’re charlatans, claiming to have a list–if it sounds McCarthyite, it was–claiming to have a list of more than 200 websites that were routinely disseminating Russian propaganda during the 2016 election. And that was in the Washington Post, it was promoted by the editor, Marty Baron. And on that list of Russian propaganda websites were credible, important, independent news sites like Truthdig.dot com, truthout.org, Black Agenda Report. It was just old fashioned McCarthyism in the Washington Post.

So you had a series of these stories that not only–again, I’m no defender of Putin. I think he’s a right wing nationalist, anti-gay, sexist, and all of that, but Russia did not do all of these things. And since Russia and the U.S. have 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons at their ready, let’s try to have some sobriety when we talk about U.S.-Russia relations.

PAUL JAY: Just finally, I want to make the point that while I didn’t care whether there was collusion or not collusion because I think in the scheme of things the whole thing was so minor; that being said, I think there’s something good about the fact that one, that the political elites are at war with each other. Because when they work together, it’s usually not good for the rest of us. I also think Trump is–I guess it was Chomsky who said this, but a lot of people have said it–I think Trump is extremely dangerous as a president. And I think the more that this process might wound him. And unfortunately, putting all their eggs in the Mueller basket didn’t play that role. On the other hand, if in fact in the Mueller report is damning evidence, whether it’s about collusion or corruption doesn’t matter, it’s a good thing this comes out and perhaps weakens the Trump presidency. Actually, Jacqueline, do you want to–

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: Yeah. I think among those of us who are not Trump’s base–he has a die-hard, hard-core base that I’m telling you, no matter what comes out of this report–I think even if this report actually does say this evidence shows a connection to Trump colluding with Russia, Trump’s base is not going to care.

PAUL JAY: But Trump’s base is not enough to elect him.

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: This is true, but I’m just telling you about the political, and maybe more importantly, the social reality.

JEFF COHEN: Let me just jump in. Imagine if even one tenth of CNN and MSNBC and Rachel Maddow program, just one tenth had focused on his greed and self-dealing and his violation of the Constitution with, for example, the Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C. You’ve got governments like Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, they’re having their events there. The National Mining Association, they’re having their events there. You have all this greed going on which is in violation of the Constitution. When Jimmy Carter, a businessman, became president, before that, he divested himself of his peanut farm and his peanut warehouse. Trump has refused to divest. I just want one tenth of the time focused on how, in violation of the Constitution, he’s received all these financial benefits at his businesses from international interests and domestic interests. That would have hurt Trump even more in the November 2018 election, would have hurt him even with some of those die-hard members of the base.

PAUL JAY: It may yet get there. Because with these congressional committees following up on Cohen’s testimony, obviously the Democrats have to switch to the corruption story now and the pending release of the Mueller story. So we’ll see. OK, quick last word.

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: Yeah. I think what I’m trying to get at is there is a section of Trump’s base that no matter what he does, they will see him as their hero.

PAUL JAY: Yeah, and we know that.

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: There is no reasoning with these people. There are always going to be people who will respond, “No collusion,” like in New York with the parade with a bunch of Trump supporters who were out there having a parade because the report came back half a nothing burger.

PAUL JAY: We don’t know that because we don’t have the report.

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: Well, that’s why I said half a nothing burger. So there is a section of this country, of the electorate, of voters, who regardless of what Trump does, regardless of what it’s proven that he does–

PAUL JAY: But it’s not enough for him to get elected. [crosstalk]

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: It might not be enough to get him reelected, but they will always be a factor. They will always be a factor because they will always be that group of aggrieved people who believe that their hero was set upon by this evil liberal government. We’re always going to have to deal with these people, they’re not going to go away.

PAUL JAY: OK, all right. Thanks for joining us, Jeff. Thanks for joining us, Jacqueline.

JEFF COHEN: Thank you.

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: Thank you.

PAUL JAY: Thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.

https://therealnews.com/stories/deep-faith-in-the-deep-state-gives-dems-a-set-back
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 03, 2019, 05:21:52 pm
APR 02, 2019 OPINION | TD ORIGINALS

Nancy Pelosi (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) Believes in Nothing

(https://www.truthdig.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/nancypelosi-850x567.png)
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP)

Last month, Nancy Pelosi gave an interview to the Washington Post that incensed an increasingly socialist flank of the Democratic Party. “I don’t think we should go down that path,” she said of President Trump’s possible impeachment, before adding the president of the United States is “just not worth it.”

It was unclear, in this context, what “worth it”  ;) meant to Pelosi. In the same interview, she claimed that Trump was unfit for office “ethically,” “intellectually” and “curiosity-wise.” So “worth it,” it seems, translated to “politically advantageous.” From this, one might draw the conclusion that the Speaker of the House thinks it better to keep this guy around—a far cry from newly elected Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s pledge several months before to “impeach the motherfucker.”

Pelosi regretted the negativity of her tone in describing the president. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817122018.gif&hash=74d86c1f35e2f61ea38c9bfa392f84a92631b96e) “I don’t usually talk about him this much,” she offered. “This is the most I’ve probably talked about him. I hardly ever talk about him. You know, it’s not about him.” Rather it’s about “lower health-care costs, bigger paychecks, cleaner government.” What exactly that “it” is remains unclear.

Her critics have seized on her impeachment language, but Pelosi gave a more telling answer in her reply to the question that immediately preceded it. Asked whether Trump had done any good for the country, she replied:

He’s been a great organizer for Democrats, a great fundraiser for Democrats and a great mobilizer at the grass-roots level for Democrats. [Laughs.] And I think that’s good for America.

A great organizer; a great fundraiser; a great mobilizer. If you are in the business of running the Democratic Party, then Donald Trump is good for 💵🎩🍌🏴‍ business.

A few weeks later, the Mueller 😈 investigation concluded with a whimper. The former g-man had been lionized by a core of Hillary Clinton stalwarts, who came to view him with an almost messianic fervor, parsing every new tidbit that emerged from his tight-lipped shop for hints of a grand strategy. Some seemed to legitimately expect him to march Trump out of the White House in chains—or barring that, Don Jr. out of Trump Tower in handcuffs. Fed a steady diet of conspiracy theories by cable news pundits and a coterie of online grifters, they lost their ability to distinguish Cold War fantasy from late-capitalist reality.

Then Attorney General William Barr released his four-page memo on the report, which was immediately denounced as a whitewash. Barr’s memo made two principal points: that there was no proof of a grand conspiracy between the Trump campaign and malign actors in the Russian government, and that the special prosecutor remained agnostic about the possibility of criminal obstruction of justice by the president. Given the broad legal immunities enjoyed by the executive office, Barr and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, concluded the Department of Justice could not proceed with any prosecutions.

Members of the hashtag resistance were devastated that Mueller had seemingly failed to catch Teflon Don in the act of defiling their sacred republic, but the disappointment among Democratic leadership felt more muted: less concerned with how the investigation ended than that it had ended at all.

Democratic House leaders like Jerry Nadler and Adam Schiff have since pivoted to calling for the release of the full Mueller report. They are right to do so, as Barr has proved himself a notorious water-carrier for corrupt conservatives. It is entirely possible he slanted his abstract of the investigation’s conclusions so they’d land with the loosest, wettest possible plop.

But these tactics still feel dilatory, as did the investigation itself, which Democrats seemed perfectly content to let unspool forever, picking off petty crooks at the fringes while leaving the more grave implications of the probe—collusion, conspiracy, treason—forever unresolved. A boundless, unending investigation, after all, could have produced precisely the kind of paralysis that marred the latter years of the Obama administration.

Pelosi and her Senate counterpart, Chuck Schumer, have not been entirely ineffective at grinding the gears of the Trump administration’s policy apparatus, in as much as it has any policy apparatus to speak of. They held firm through the “partial government shutdown,” and managed to sell it pretty effectively as the fault of the president, though not without Trump’s help in hanging it around his own neck to begin with.

But in the face of demands from their own activist base that they try to actually do something, they have sought—as Democratic centrists (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) inevitably doto negotiate against their own best positions before they even begin. The Green New Deal? Expensive, overly broad. Medicare-for-all? Likewise, not to mention impractical and disastrous for the beloved private health insurance industry. 🤬They did pass H.R. 1, an admirable bill to protect and expand voting rights, in the House, but only after months of quibbling over censorious anti-BDS bills and symbolic condemnations of their own ranks for trumped-up charges of anti-Semitism. The legislation is, of course, doomed in the Senate.

Since their decisive turn toward neoliberalism under Bill Clinton, Democrats have reinvented themselves as a party of technocrats, embracing a kind of proceduralism that stands in stark contrast to the red-meat ideology of the GOP. Ironically, it is the lunatic asylum of the Republican Party that has produced the most successful parliamentarian in the history of the United States, Mitch McConnell.

There is a curious void at the heart of Democratic politics. It isn’t necessary to believe in some absurd, magical notion of willpower to note that at its highest level, the party seems to lack an essential, motivating will. Instead, it views itself as something more akin to a professional membership organization that has a convention in a nice hotel every few years. They are not so much an emperor without clothes—that grand, ridiculous figure for the delusions of power—as they are clothes without an emperor; a lot of nice fabric blown away in a breeze and borne aloft on someone else’s hot air.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/nancy-pelosi-believes-in-nothing/

Agelbert COMMENT: Sadly true about Pelosi et al and her crooked corporate UNDEMOCRATIC Democratic Party supporters. 😟

We are  now OFFICIALLY a First World BANANA REPUBLIC. 🤬

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-010319144633.png&hash=290b550d0c55f2244e94fdab3349beb3452bec0f)

QUOTE:
PAUL JAY: Jeff, when you discuss this kind of within the rough framing of the mainstream discourse, there is something fishy about Barr’s letter, and there is something fishy about the Mueller report; first of all, how on earth the Democrats trusted Mueller. In an interview I did recently with Larry Wilkerson, he called Mueller the “cleanup man” for the Republican Party. Years post 9/11, Iraq war, I mean, the FBI was accused by Graham under Mueller’s 😈 administration for directly not properly investigating the 9/11 situation. I mean, it goes on and on. And then they put all their eggs in the Mueller basket, so why trust them in the first place? But still, Barr was obviously put in place by Trump to block anything that might hurt Trump in the report, and so far, that’s what he’s doing. The whole thing is pretty fishy.

JEFF COHEN: Yeah. Let’s do Mueller and then Barr. I mean, I’m a person of the left. When I was young, the FBI was spying on me.
UNQOUTE

Full transcript and video (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/index.php?action=recent)

Learn MORE about "Cleanup Man" 🦍 Mueller 👹 and 911 (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/geopolitics/war-provocations-and-peace-actions/msg11900/#msg11900)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 04, 2019, 10:32:29 pm
Trump 🦀 ” Tweets his Ignorance” about Puerto Rico

April 4, 2019

San Juan, Puerto Rico Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz 👍 calls out Trump’s false statements about how much aid has reached Puerto Rico, and says that he uses the peoples suffering to pitch them against each other


Story Transcript

SHARMINI PERIES: It’s The Real News Network. I’m Sharmini Peries, coming to you from Baltimore.

President Trump once again attacked politicians in Puerto Rico Tuesday, tweeting “Puerto Rico got $91 billion for the hurricane, more money than has ever been gotten for a hurricane before. And all their local politicians do is complain and ask for more money. The politicians are grossly incompetent,” he wrote. “They spend the money foolishly or corruptly, and only take from the USA,” he said.

Trump also singled out San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz when he tweeted “The crazed and incompetent mayor of San Juan had done such a poor job of bringing the island back to health. $91 billion to Puerto Rico and now the Dems want to give them more, taking dollars away from our farmers and so many others. Disgraceful!” he wrote.

Well, Mayor Carmen Cruz had a very respectful response to the president.

CARMEN YULIN CRUZ [CLIP]: First of all, Mr. President, 3,000 Puerto Ricans died on your watch. They died because your government was inefficient, ineffective, and unable to do its job. Secondly, again, you should fire whoever told you $91 billion were given to Puerto Rico. As you just mentioned, the Washington Post says between 11—our estimate is between $11-13 billion. There are still 30,000 people with rooftops that are not good enough. If a tropical storm comes, we have to take all of those people out of harm’s way. We have $600 million that the president is holding hostage because his vanity is much higher than his humanity is. $600 million to feed 1.3 million Puerto Rican people. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Julia Velasquez have put forth a plan just to feed people. So what kind of a man is he that he looks the other way when people need to be fed?

SHARMINI PERIES: Well, she joins us today, right here on The Real News Network, the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz, with us. She joins us from Puerto Rico. Carmen Yulin Cruz, Mayor, I welcome you to The Real News.

CARMEN YULIN CRUZ: Thank you so much.

SHARMINI PERIES: Mayor, you are in a Twitter war with the president, and all of this because the Senate failed to pass bills that would have provided additional aid to Puerto Rico on Monday. Then the Senate could not muster enough votes, which is 60 votes, in a procedural motion to approve $600 million for food stamps, because the Democrats said this was not enough to address the issues faced by Puerto Ricans.

Now, $600 million seems like a lot to people. Why is it not adequate to address what the Puerto Rican people are facing at the moment?

CARMEN YULIN CRUZ: Well, first of all, the president continues to tweet his hate and his ignorance out to everybody. No, Mr. President, $91 billion have not been sent to Puerto Rico. And he makes it sound as if it is a prize. You have two terrible hurricanes that devastated your island, and you have gotten—that’s the way he said it—$91 billion. Not only does he lie, but he has the amount completely wrong. According to the Washington Post, it’s about $11 billion.

Now, what we’re talking about is money that has been promised to Puerto Rico but has not been delivered to Puerto Rico. A lot of—much to do about not so much.

Number 2, this is classical Donald Trump. He tries to pin people against one another. This is what we’re talking about: 1.3 million Puerto Ricans out of 3.2 million Puerto Ricans that live in Puerto Rico are under the poverty level and require food stamps in order to put food on the table and not starve. That is exactly what we’re talking about. Now, the president continues to be ignorant about what the Puerto Rican people need, and continues to say that it’s too much money. Not only that, he seems not to even trust his own government. For example, FEMA money that has come to Puerto Rico as a reimbursement is money that is audited by FEMA. So FEMA doesn’t give you anything that they don’t think should be eligible for reimbursement.

So this $600 million is money that is needed; 85% of the Puerto Rican population is in dire need of this assistance. Now, out of this, plenty of them are children. Plenty of them are elderly, and plenty of them are handicapped people. And I want to correct myself. It’s 45% of the Puerto Rican population.

Now, the president does two things that are horrendous. One is he uses people’s suffering to hold them hostage. We will all remember a couple of weeks ago when he said “I want the money for the wall,” he didn’t get the money for the wall, and he left out of work 800,000 federal employees. If he doesn’t get what he wants he throws a little temper tantrum and he tries to put people down. And the other thing is that assistance, things that people need to breathe, to be alive, to survive, should never be weaponized and should never be used as a carrot, so to speak. But that’s what the president does best, tries to put people at odds with fake news that comes out of his mouth, and with totally ignorant comments that really are shameful to the presidency and to himself.

SHARMINI PERIES: All right, let’s talk about that $91 billion he claims that Puerto Rico received. And there’s been various studies proving and showing that that is not the case. Give us some details in terms of how this committed or allocated money never arrived in Puerto Rico.

CARMEN YULIN CRUZ: Well, one of the things that is very important is FEMA keeps changing the rules of engagement. For any other situation where there’s a climate change-related catastrophe or any type of devastation, FEMA initially would give 50% of the money that you certify, just through a letter. And they would give 50% before. Well, remember, there was Irma, then there was Maria. And FEMA somewhere in the middle changed the rule and said, you know what? That’s only going to be for Irma. For Maria we’re going to give you 50% up to $1 million.

Now, they continue also to change the systems, the systems where you have to input the data. And now, this is recovery money, right, the money that comes from picking up debris or vegetative material. This is what they call Category A and B. We’re getting close to the second year anniversary of Irma and Maria, and still that part has not been given completely to the Puerto Rican municipalities. We haven’t even begun from Category C through G, which are the categories which allows you to clean up any debris that’s in the water systems, or, for example, bridges, roads, or any facility. In the case of the municipality of San Juan, there are 487 facilities that need to be looked at by FEMA in order for them to certify the damage and then give the money in order to go ahead and fix them.

At the rate they’re going—and hopefully, I had a conversation with some FEMA people this afternoon, and they’re going to amp up what they’re doing. But at the rate they’re going till today, it’s going to take them 5 years and 10 months to review those 487, of which they have only reviewed so far 57. That’s only for the municipality of San Juan. You can imagine how much further back this system is going to take all over Puerto Rico.

Now, all of this money that we’re talking about, that he’s talking about, this is what it would take for Puerto Rico to come out of every difficult situation that happened during both hurricanes and as a result of both hurricanes. But he just doesn’t know what’s going on in his own administration, and his lack of leadership is really forcing him to lie in order to save face.

SHARMINI PERIES: Now, Trump also singled out San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz when he tweeted “The crazed and incompetent mayor of San Juan has done such a poor job of bringing the island back to health; $91 billion to Puerto Rico, and now the Dems want to give them more, taking dollars away from our farmers and so many others. Disgraceful!” he wrote.

CARMEN YULIN CRUZ: Well, on our part we don’t want to defend ourselves at the cost of somebody else. And let me tell you, a couple of weeks ago, the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico said, “Mr. President, I support the wall. And I’ve done so publicly. But don’t take the money for Puerto Rico. Take everybody else’s money, but not the money for Puerto Rico.” That’s totally ludicrous. That’s not the way to ensure that a dignified path going forward amongst all people. This is not about shared citizenship. This is about a shared humanity. There are people in a reservation in Pine Ridge right now that are clamoring for the same thing that I was clamoring for the people of Puerto Rico in September, October, November of 2017.

But this is classic Donald Trump. Donald Trump likes to pit people against each other. And I repeat, the suffering of people should never be weaponized. The suffering of people and the need that people have in California, in Pine Ridge, in the Midwest, should never be weaponized. And the president just—there is money to go around. But the president has to understand that his role is not to be the divider in chief. It is to be the commander in chief. His role is not to pin people against each other. His role is to unite people through the thread of common humanity. But he doesn’t get it. He cannot get it done. So what he does is he attacks, he insults, he tweets his hate away. And it just, frankly, shows how embarrassing it must be for him to have to resort to such low tactics of pitting people against one another.

SHARMINI PERIES: It’s very clear that President Trump doesn’t even realize that you were hit by Maria and Irma, because he keeps making reference to ‘a’ hurricane in Puerto Rico. Mayor, if you had a plan to address all the issues that people are facing in Puerto Rico, and had that $91 billion that you should have received, what would be your plan of action?

CARMEN YULIN CRUZ: Well, there needs to be a complete overhaul of our electrical system. And that’s another program altogether. The current local Puerto Rican government is selling the Puerto Rico electrical power authority, which will give the private sector something like a monopoly in Puerto Rico for everybody. So they may or may not decide that it’s good for X or Y community or neighborhood to receive electricity just because it would be not profitable.

That’s number one. Number two, all of our health systems, our hospitals, our diagnostic clinics, all of them, need to have solar generation systems. Because climate change is real, despite what the president continues to say. And this will bring stronger and faster hurricanes coming altogether. This is going to be a powerful situation that we have to deal with. And number three is the infrastructure, the bridges and the roads, which frankly make it very difficult for people and very unsafe for people to deal with.

SHARMINI PERIES: And that was the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz. I thank you so much for joining us today.

CARMEN YULIN CRUZ: Thank you so much.

SHARMINI PERIES: And thank you for joining us here on The Real News Network.

https://therealnews.com/stories/trump-tweets-his-ignorance-about-puerto-rico
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 04, 2019, 10:54:08 pm
Trump 🦀 and Pelosi 🐍 Both Cater to Private 👹 Health (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-221218213306-18921865.gif&hash=6076481a022d4b2daae92e388786246f5b6d7c09) Insurance – Wendell Potter (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

April 4, 2019

Trump’s “great healthcare plan” and opposition to Medicare for All’s “socialism” and Pelosi’s defense of the ACA and opposition to single-payer are both aimed at garnering support from the private insurance industry

https://youtu.be/FaANYTE2IK4

Story Transcript

PAUL JAY: Welcome to Reality Asserts Itself on The Real News Network. I’m Paul Jay.

Ten years ago, Wendell Potter had quit his job as a senior executive at CIGNA health insurance. He’d been in the business for about 20 years and had risen to a very senior executive position, head of communications at CIGNA, and he decided he’d had enough. He took a year off to decide what he would do with the rest of his life. Well, here’s what he decided to do.

WENDELL POTTER [CLIP]: It recently became abundantly clear to me that the industry’s charm offensive—which is the most visible part of duplicitous and well-financed PR and lobbying campaigns — may well shape reform in a way that benefits Wall Street far more than average Americans …. The industry and its backers are using fear tactics, as they did in 1994, to tar a transparent, publicly-accountable health care option as a “government-run system.” But what we have today, Mr. Chairman, is a Wall Street-run system that has proven itself an untrustworthy partner to its customers, to the doctors and hospitals who deliver care, and to the state and federal governments that attempt to regulate it.

PAUL JAY: That was June 24, 2009. And that kicked off the rest of Wendell Potter’s life, where he became a fighter for health care reform, consumer rights advocacy, fighting to keep money out of politics, and now working in investigative journalism. He’s the author of several books; Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans, also with Nick Penniman, he wrote Nation on the Take: How Big Money Corrupts Our Democracy and What We Can Do About It. And his new project is Tarbell.org (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf), a website which does investigative journalism into how money in politics impacts (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) millions of Americans. Thanks for joining us.

WENDELL POTTER: My pleasure, Paul. Thank you.

PAUL JAY: So normally on Reality Asserts Itself, we do this sort of biographical and then we get into the issues. But because of all the recent brouhaha about how the Republican Party is going to become the party of great health care, and the Democrats all now fighting Trump on health care after the Mueller report didn’t give them what they wanted, at least not so far, we’re going to start with this current iteration of the health care debate. And then in following segments we’ll get into the more biographical issue, and then we’ll pick up again drilling into the whole health care and some of the other issues you’re interested in.

WENDELL POTTER: Sure.

PAUL JAY: So as we say, Trump–there’s a court case going on, they’re trying to rule the Obamacare as unconstitutional. Trump’s jumping on that, saying now we’re going to have an opportunity to do a Republican health care plan. Nancy Pelosi is taking him up on it, saying no, they need to fix the ACA, Affordable Healthcare Act. In the wings, people are running for president, many of whom are various versions of Medicare for All, single payer health care. What do you make of the politics of all this?

WENDELL POTTER: Well, the politics of all of it is that nothing is actually going to happen in Congress one way or another that will affect our health care system, even though Pelosi and Schumer are saying–well, at least Pelosi–they’re going to be able to introduce some legislation to, as they put it, “shore up the Affordable Care Act.” That’s not going to go anywhere. Even if they pass it in the house, it’ll surely not pass the Senate and never reach the president’s desk.

The president has really got Republicans in Congress quite concerned, because he has said publicly–and he’s had to backtrack–he’s said that the Republicans would come up with some kind of bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, which they spent years saying they would try to do and never did. And of course, he said that his administration would support this lawsuit that is challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. That actually could work its way through the court system and even reach the Supreme Court this year or next. No one knows exactly how long it would take. But that could–if the Supreme Court upholds a decision in a Texas court–that could really undo the Affordable Care Act. That’s where things stand right now. But in terms of legislation, don’t expect to see anything out of either chamber that will reach the president’s desk.

PAUL JAY: Now, a lot of this is positioning for the 2020 elections.

WENDELL POTTER: Absolutely.

PAUL JAY: On both sides. In terms of the judicial process, I mean, how quickly can this proceed. If, for example, the Supreme Court found against the ACA–although previously, not that dissimilar numbers of the court. Roberts went with saying the ACA was constitutional, but there’s some new twist with the case this time that maybe would change his vote. I mean, what timeframe might this happen in, and how realistic is it that Roberts may go the other way this time?

WENDELL POTTER: Well, the case is being appealed. The decision of the Texas federal court which sided with the attorneys general of the Republican states that filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law, that is being appealed at a federal appeals court in New Orleans. Don’t know exactly when we’ll hear about that case, but I would expect probably that that case will overturn the Texas judge’s decision. It’s all political, and the judge in New Orleans was appointed by Democrat, so there is some expectation that he will overturn that earlier court decision. Whatever happens, it likely will proceed on to the Supreme Court, because whoever loses probably will try to get it to the Supreme Court. How long that will take is really unknown, but conceivably if the court decides to take it up, it could take it up next year.

PAUL JAY: I mean, one would think, given Trump has so many allies on the Supreme Court, that they will make damn sure that they do not make a decision pre-election, or they will be handing Trump and the Republicans a dog’s breakfast mess, no health care system at all, going into the 2020 elections.

WENDELL POTTER: I think you’re exactly right.

PAUL JAY: So this is a good propaganda move, but this is not… Be careful what you wish for President Trump, because if you get this handed back to you, this is going to kill you in the 2020 election.

WENDELL POTTER: Yeah, it absolutely will. And I think the attorneys general that brought this suit did this. Without really understanding what would happen if this law is declared unconstitutional. And you’re exactly right. If the Supreme Court were to side with those attorneys general, it would be an absolute chaotic mess for the president– for everybody, for that matter, but it would be a disaster–

PAUL JAY: First and foremost for the American people, who will have no idea what their health insurance is anymore.

WENDELL POTTER: Exactly. And it would be worse than the reality of our healthcare system before the Affordable Care Act was passed, because health care costs, they’ve continued to go up. And so, it would be, as you put it, a dog’s breakfast. It would be a real mess. And for that reason, I don’t think we’ll see the Supreme Court being eager to take this up, quite frankly, and they may never do it. But if they do, there are two Trump appointees on the bench now.

PAUL JAY: And for Trump’s base, it makes him look good. Because one of the accusations of the base is how they didn’t repeal and replace Obamacare. Some of the right wing radio pundits give him hell for it and give the Republicans hell for it. So he can now show, “I haven’t given up on this,” even though it’s mostly BS probably. Another kind of BS that’s happening on the side of the Democratic Party–Ryan Grim from The Intercept had an interesting story how behind the scenes, Nancy Pelosi is actually meeting with–or her representatives are–meeting with the private insurance companies and saying, “Don’t worry, we who actually really run the Democratic Party are not interested in single payer Medicare for All style health care.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-16181943.gif&hash=0b93e71ee5e24bbe02555e0d648a1283e0e9651d)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300115234833.gif&hash=20e82f36f361174e6f8f07e11c36330842502bab) What do you know about this?

WENDELL POTTER: It’s terrific reporting by Ryan Grim at The Intercept. And it’s been verified that a guy named Wendell Primus  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78), who is Pelosi’s chief healthcare policy 😈 guy, was meeting behind closed doors with health insurance company executives, more or less reassuring them that “not to worry, we’re not going to do anything that will bother your profits.” And even more recently, reports surfaced about his having yet another closed door meeting, this time with staff of Democrats in the House, essentially saying, “We know some of you guys have introduced and are cosponsoring a Medicare for All bill. Go slow on that. We’re not going to really pay any attention to that legislation.” So what’s behind this, quite frankly, is money in politics, Paul. Because a lot of the Democratic leaders have taken a boatload of money from the health insurance industry, from the pharmaceutical companies, and they don’t want that to end anytime soon.

PAUL JAY: Yeah. Let me say to our audience go, to Tarbell.org. Because there’s an article there which actually lays out which of the Democrats have gotten money from the health care industry. You’ve done a lot of that kind of reporting.

WENDELL POTTER: We have. And we’re going to continue to take a close look at that. As we go through this election cycle, we’re going to continue to report on which Democrats are on the take, and there are a lot of them in the House in particular. Both in the House and the Senate, but it’s clear that those that have taken a lot of money–and one of those who has is a congresswoman from Illinois,  😈 Cheri Bustos, who is now the Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

PAUL JAY: And if I remember from your article, she’s a former insurance executive as well. You guys went in kind of different directions.

WENDELL POTTER: Exactly. She and I had exactly the same title, Vice President of Corporate Communications. And yes, we went different directions. But she is one of the members of the House, the Democratic Caucus, who’s taken big checks from all five of the political action committees of the big for-profit insurance companies. And she’s, her own self, been throwing cold water on the idea of moving toward a Medicare for All type system. So she’s really carrying water for the  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184307-1632656.gif&hash=a05eb1265a82fece710980651991a0e153bc3062) health insurance industry.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)


PAUL JAY: Well, we’ll get into some of the detail of the objections to single payer coming from the Democratic Party and the Republican Party leadership in one of the future segments. But the current situation, I think it’s kind of ironic in some ways. When President Obama got Obamacare passed, he made a deal with pharma that “if you don’t fight me on this health care reform because we’re ‘taking on the private insurance companies'”–I think in the early stages, maybe the private insurance companies didn’t like what was coming, but in the end, watch what happened to their stock once it got passed. They didn’t mind it whatsoever. But in the beginning, they didn’t like the fact that it was even being talked about, how to change the system.

But President Obama says to pharma, “Stay out of this and we’ll leave you guys alone, and we’ll protect you from this importation of Canadian generic drugs and such.” Now it’s a bit of the reverse. Pelosi is saying to the insurance companies, “Don’t worry, we’ll protect you from single payer, Medicare for All, but don’t you fight us, because we want to bring down drug prices,” when the whole thing’s an integrated problem.

WENDELL POTTER: Oh, it is. It is an integrated problem. In fact, all the special interests in health care–we’re talking about insurance companies, drug companies, big hospital companies, medical device manufacturers, the AMA–they have symbiotic relationships. And it’s just foolishness to think that there is any interest among any of those parties, including the insurers, to really do something about bringing down health care costs. There’s a lot of finger-pointing going on, and that serves a useful purpose for them. The drug companies point the finger of blame at insurance companies, and the insurance companies say it’s pharma or the pharmacy benefit managers, which is another layer of middlemen that we might talk about. But it’s an extraordinarily complex system.

PAUL JAY: We’re going to get into this in more detail, but let me just ask you one question. I don’t understand why the insurance companies don’t have a self interest in being more active in reducing certain costs. And I’ll give you an example from my personal experience. My kid needed a CPAP machine for apnea. And for a technician to come to the house, bring the machine, shove it on his head, and in about four minutes, do it up, the insurance company–which wound up getting the whole bill because I’d already met our crazy 3000 dollar deductible for the year–but 2300 dollars for a machine that sells on Amazon for 125 dollars, and ten minutes of this woman’s time. I don’t understand, why do insurance companies put up with that?

WENDELL POTTER: Well, they don’t have any real incentive to bring costs down. They talk a good game. And they sold us, the American public, a bill of goods over many years, trying to make us believe that they can bring costs down, or have an interest in doing that. See, they have kind of a monopoly situation. You are not eligible for Medicare, so you have to get your coverage through the private insurance market. Not one of them, even those big ones, including the big ones that I used to work for, has enough market share to really negotiate favorable deals with the drug companies or big hospital companies. So that’s number one. They’re not big enough, they don’t have enough clout to do it. The other is they don’t have much of a desire to do that, despite what they say. Because as health care costs go up, and because they’re kind of the only game in town for most of us, they’re able to raise premiums.

PAUL JAY: I was about to say, it helps justify crazy deductibles and all the rest.

WENDELL POTTER: Yeah. It’s just a matter of their, over time, being able to shift more and more the cost of premiums and the cost of health care to us. And as health care costs go up and they are able to take in more premiums, that means they get more revenue. So they grow, and they have more revenue to convert to profit. So that’s why it’s all a game, and that’s why all this finger pointing is just nonsense. They’re all in on the game and they’re making out like gangbusters, and the rest of us are getting screwed.

PAUL JAY: OK. On the next segment of Reality Asserts Itself with Wendell Potter, we are going to go back to those days leading up to his testimony at the Senate hearing. And we will go through the process of transitioning from a communication person, executive, defending the private insurance industry, to a communication activist attacking, or exposing, the private insurance industry. That’s on Reality Asserts Itself on The Real News Network. Thanks for joining us.

https://therealnews.com/stories/trump-and-pelosi-both-cater-to-private-health-insurance-wendell-potter
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 05, 2019, 07:08:38 pm
(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/d2c7YbK692lmIBZxeoQNO4JY14mKUFjdf1h5CV6fPKPz3FEEK0SVY2sJjK7eE0EphG1yi9HfyJT1NUZqC4Tp5-DUn8YHJvvjhXfAVIsQMKky0kmuVFg-dePqWXi1RP-9yR76hrfpfd9tUg=s0-d-e1-ft#https://www.truthdig.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Passing-the-Smell-Test-850x1365.jpg)
Passing the Smell 💵🎩😈👹🍌🏴‍☠️🦍 Test
BY MR. FISH —


 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 06, 2019, 01:53:39 pm
April 6, 2019

(https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/CmqAsX8IlfWyu1erOJP17vnuwdB41mMnQr_pagRIgmpDMq9jslzTwToisIEE_0jusC6a5sTnjWUpB3ZECYGVBP4Lb7sBzXX3zFFqAmUFTd7n0Ngu0JumulWUg8A=s0-d-e1-ft#https://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/public/2019/April/EN-20190406-1.jpg)

Signs Our Constitution Is Apparently Headed the Way of the Dinosaur 😨

It's enough to make your head spin, it's happening so quickly. Your rights are slipping away like quicksand and the world we're heading into is rapidly resembling a scientific dictatorship where you're fed only what government and industry want you to know.
 
Read More >> (https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/04/06/shutting-down-the-vaccine-debate.aspx)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 07, 2019, 08:19:30 pm
(https://theintercept.imgix.net/wp-uploads/sites/1/2018/02/intercepted-1518820577.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&q=90&h=60&w=60) INTERCEPTED

April 3 2019, 6:01 a.m. 🔊 Podcast


AMERICAN DYSTOPIA: THE STATE, SURVEILLANCE, AND ILLUSION OF CHOICE (https://theintercept.com/2019/04/03/american-dystopia-the-state-surveillance-and-illusion-of-choice/?campaign=homepage-podcast-intercepted)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 08, 2019, 01:19:35 pm
Agelbert NOTE: This comment corrects the 'free' (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) market fundamentalist (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) bias of the article it references with FACTS.

Quote
fackbankz
Extremely oversimplified.  90's were "right" and 2000s were "left?"  As I recall, we got an extremely right-wing administration in 2000 through what amounted to a coup wherein the right-wing governor of a state basically put his right-wing brother and his very right-wing handlers in the White House through election shenanigans.  Oh, and that state had been decided for the other guy until the right-wing cousin on the right-wing network announced, "No, wait a minute! Something is up in my right-wing cousin's state!"

That was the moment when we officially became a right-wing banana republic  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae) after several decades of swinging  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) right. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf)

Medicare Part D was a cash grab by private insurers.  No Child Left a Dime was robbery.  WeDontSayHisName-Feingold was a joke, a way to give PACs all the power.

Oh, and those two trillion-dollar wars.

But hey, I guess it was the leftists sticking up for the working man that stole all the working man's money, right?  Like forcing people to buy private health insurance.  That was sooo leftist. 

We've been a right-wing warmongering banana republic with nukes for 40+ years, man.  That's why all the money's gone even after Social Security was pillaged.  Al Gore was pointing out a real problem with all his talk of a "lock box."  They raided all that money we workers put in all our lives and used it to pay for boondoggle **** planes like the F-22 and F-35 and wars we didn't need to be in.
 
 The last marginally left wing administration was JFK and before that FDR.

The one thing you're right about is that this wealth gap has become so insane that there will be genuine upheaval when the music stops. You won't want to be living in a rich neighborhood when hunger sets in, but how do you think the wealth gap grew so much in the past 40 years? Duh. It damn sure wasn't leftists redistributing wealth and standing up for the common working man. You think Obama was a leftist?  ****, you are an NPC and the one whose program makes him retarded at that.

Sun, 04/07/2019 - 10:15

 
Pendulum by Tim Knight  from Slope of Hope (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-07/pendulum)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 08, 2019, 02:04:13 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Originally posted in 2014. It's every bit as applicable today, if not more so, than it was in 2014.

Karpatok said,

Quote
So am I, even if you can't see it. But thank you anyway. This is all true AG and the Perps need to be stopped and taken out. How do YOU propose it should and could be done. And please spare us FAKE DEMOCRACY and "WORKING WITHIN  THE SYSTEM" The system is dead and the JUNTA and CABAL operate for SATAN and the DEMIURGE OF DEATH. In such a demolished and dumbed down apathetic society, what can be the WAY?  PLEASE!                               
Karpatok

These people are the problem:
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221014222208.png&hash=ae35994d8acc44c5bd0794f40f9d513715a7159f)

The solution IS NOT this: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sherv.net%2Fcm%2Femoticons%2Ffighting%2Fguillotine-smiley-emoticon.gif&hash=346d398e98cf74adf4c16a32bc96088f160176ab) Although I admit it has a certain appeal. ;D But as a student of history, you surely know that it just passes the buck to another clever "king (or queen) of the hill" that then proceeds to grow the tyranny cancer from the democratic beginnings. See Yogi Berra and Deja vu all over again. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183337.bmp&hash=fd5a6df63c32bd65dda7b6d93e788647ca3829df)

The hippies had it right in the 1960's. It was a workable, viable plan. That is why our gooberment stepped in and drugged them left and right to give them a bad rep with "respectable" people. The hippies were a HUGE threat to the MIC!

IF we STOPPED supporting the system of consumerism, materialism, and hedonism, the system would DIE. They could print all the money in the world and if we (or about 40% - that's all we would need to bring the bastards to their knees) REFUSED to eat ANYTHING but what we absolutely HAD to have to get by (and less if they jacked up the price!) and REFUSED to use energy for ANYTHING except the bare necessities and ALL lived the MINIMALIST life style REFUSING to have cable, REFUSING to change our clothes more than once a month (so we wouldn't use as much energy washing and soap to wash with), REFUSING to travel except to get food and go to work (and then WALKING or riding a bike as often as possible) and REFUSING to work ANYWHERE that contributes to FEED TPTB, they would be FORCED to stop their damn wars,  24/7 dehumanizing of everything good about human empathy and celebration of brutality and ruthlessness as a "Virtue" of the "Apex Predator" or go to prison.

If everybody VOLUNTARILY decides to be SUPER FRUGAL and live DIRT POOR even if they have the money or the gold or whatever to consume, then MONEY LOSES ITS POWER to undermine ethical behavior and morality in this country.

Yep. That is one tall order. But at the end of the day, TPTB are supported, as MKing correctly says, by every kilowatt hour we consume, every house we buy, every car we run and so on. Every gadget, every cell phone, every CD, every sound system, every cable subscription and even every internet subscription is a compromise that HELPS the CORRUPT status quo.


Well then, how come I'm not living in a panther cave? Because I'm NOT a purist! I don't have the intestinal fortitude to take a vow of poverty like Knarf. Mea Culpa.

HOWEVER, if 40% of the American public had exactly the same "consumer" (see Orwell   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191258.bmp&hash=e4ed21caaca822f7445ccafd39f49a9f84be90ca) ) profile that I do, The stock market would have collapsed, the real estate market would have collapsed, the town budgets would have shrunk from low real estate taxes from people living in 980 sq. ft.  houses or smaller and there would be no mortgage industry to speak of because everybody's house would be paid for.

The derivatives, tranches, scams and so on in mortgages would never have EXISTED. The price of oil would have crashed in 2003 from lack of demand. The Fossil Fuel profits would NOT have been able to buy the politicians they bought to get the wars going and the oil price climbing and torture escalating AND SO ON.

The entertainment industry would be bankrupt. The hotel, travel and tourism industries would be bankrupt. Most automobile manufacturers would have had to shut down. Most mall and stores would have closed, including Walmart! The PC gaming industry would have never taken off. Less than 10% of the electorate would vote! The main stream media would be a JOKE to Americans in any and all surveys put out by TPTB (their advertising revenue would TANK). No printed newspapers would be in business for at least ten years now.

But the internet would still be there.  :-[

In the above Agelbert Frugality is Freedom Scenario, TPTB would fight back JUST LIKE THEY DID WITH THE HIPPIES in the 1960's. IN fact, they ARE fighting back by using every trick in the book to make us believe we MUST support the system (and the saintly, holy- and so on- TROOPS) that BRINGS us all these GOODIES.

What will they do if we all say they AREN'T "GOODIES"?  What will they do if they see us making the CONNECTION between consumerism here and destroying a family or a piece of planet there?

They will try to RIDICULE, DEFAME, DEMONIZE and, if that don't woik, IMPRISON the leaders (in that order. It's cheaper and more efficient that way, ya know. ). And a few examples of killing the people making too much sense are in order to keep the rest of the sheeple in line, of course. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4)
 
My response is, (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-16881856.gif&hash=ef5bd30cec7a50a81f3507f9bd328189dead7aa2) SO WHAT? What have YOU GOT that makes me feel good about the traitors running my country and the planet into the trashed biosphere ground? You've got NOTHING! Take your cell phones and distractions and shove them up your descending colon! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132421-16902.gif&hash=deba9f0f91ecd7d65bbdeb78786bef4a98cb1a7e)

At which point TPTB do what they have always done when everything they try does not work. They 🦍 go on a killing rampage with agent provocateurs starting it and the "new hippies" getting blamed. Works every time. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6)

But those of us left who know their tricks will continue to NOT work within the system. The financial elite pretend all this is a distraction because they own all the stocks anyway AND the government AND the Military AND the health care (and so on).

And we win. We win because TPTB NEED to make us work for peanuts so they can HAVE their piggery and Planetary Pillage. They are slaves themselves of gigantic consumerism and hedonistic world views so they just cannot get it through their heads that people would rather live in misery than support a suicidal world view.

What's different now from previous history is that people, in the past, resisted tyranny as a matter of justice, morality, and common sense. But what they were after was a reasonable level of HUMAN COMFORT AND PEACE.

There WAS a future. There WAS hope for a better world. There WAS more patience and willingness to give the new top dog the benefit of the doubt that he or she would not revert to the Lord of the Manor BULLSHIT.

NOW, we KNOW that human comfort and peace is IMPOSSIBLE if TPTB continue their fascist business as usual. NOW we know we ALL ARE COMMITTING SUICIDE by supporting the corrupt system.

So we are given a choice to have some relative comfort while we commit suicide or undergo a lot of hard times and misery of dealing with a government that hates us because we won't consume enough to support the MIC fascism.
 
Certain materialism worshipping types will tell us that agelbert's attitude is suicidal along with being anarchic and stupid. I counter that, as compromised as I appear to be because I don't "live in a panther cave" ;D, I am waging a war for peace and justice with my level of frugality that nobody I know, except maybe Knarf, is willing to engage in to battle the CERTAIN suicidal world view of TPTB.


EVERYONE out there buying lots of STUFF is helping destroy our species. And FOR WHAT?

For COMFORT! You are BRAINWASHED! You have been told that comfort is GOOD! It's good If you aren't degrading the biosphere and democracy to get it! At that point you become a Quisling!

The sophist 🐉 water carriers for 🦕🦖 polluters, that spend their day defending the profit over planet status quo, will tell you that if you consume ANYTHING AT ALL, you are as big a pig as they are and have no moral standing. That's false. WHY? Because
TPTB operate MOSTLY on marginal profits. It's the old make a penny here and there and it adds up through volume sales. If the Frugality is Freedom Minimalist mindset is embraced by 40% or more of the populace, it's a death sentence for the MIC fascist status quo. Peer pressure will take care of the inertia of change.

People with a lick of sense CANNOT be bought for a COMFORTABLE SUICIDE. That is what most people are, in fact, accepting as what they GOTTA DO TO GET BY! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183312.bmp&hash=02dafef2fe739676600fdc9bd56271f0f5ab3723)

That's just plain STUPID, PITIFUL and, of course, aiding and abetting eventual HUMAN EXTINCTION ☠️. 


So yeah, Karpatok, we are between a rock and a hard place. I recommend as extreme frugality as you can handle and the preaching of said lifestyle everywhere you can along with berating the materialistic DUMB ASSES shooting themselves (and the rest of us) in the foot FACE with their unethical  addiction to stuff.

THIS IS THE BOTTOM LINE:

We must be willing to Starve to death, if need be, not for our principles or purity or purpose, but because TPTB are parasitic. Ticks cannot live without blood. They WILL NOT breed unless they have sufficient nutrition. WE-THE-PEOPLE are the host. Unlike the tick metaphor, WE are actually sticking a VOLUNTARY and UNNECESSARY IV in our blood veins and feeding TPTB. Pull that INFERNAL IV OUT of your arm!

IF 40% of us UNITE in a
Frugality is Freedom Minimalist Mindset, most of us will not starve to death, ethical behavior will have a fighting chance of being what most of humanity embraces, our stupid view of the "economy" can be discarded along with the "might is right" insanity causing the pillaging of our planet and JUSTICE has a chance to exist among Homo SAPS.

In fact, it's our ONLY CHANCE to have a government based on
CARING instead of CONQUEST, PERIOD.

Sure, a lot of people will die horrible deaths. The specter of dying of hunger or/and disease because you didn't work for the fascists or support their consumerist crap is terrible. :(


But the CURRENT PATH IS SURE to prevent the life of BILLIONS of humans in the future because there won't BE any humans in the future.

Violence is dumb, Karpatok. I possess the skills to do all kinds of horrendous things. If I wanted to, I could actually duplicate the grizzly scenario in one of those Tom Clancy books (without an A-bomb - I'm anti-nuke. LOL!). I know EXACTLY how to fly a huge airliner. I know EXACTLY how to fool ATC radar with certain transponder code settings that only someone who has programmed ATC computers AND been an air traffic controller will know about - And I would NEVER DO IT even if the devil himself, every fascist in the world and every corrupt and murdering MIC bastard were all gathered in a stadium for an easy hit BECAUSE they will be REPLACED the next day and they will MULTIPLY. Violence BREEDS VIOLENCE. I want LESS VIOLENCE. I want MORE LIFE, not more DEATH, COMPRENDE, AMIGA?

The fascists FEED on DEATH as well as our habits.

We must all make a choice. I have made mine. That is, to the best of my ability, to live the most frugal minimalist life possible to starve TPTB that feed on me. If I die in the process, I'll die knowing that, even though I might have lived longer if I had participated in a bit more fun in my dotage, had everyone emulated my lifestyle, humanity would not have gone extinct. As you see, I really am not misanthropic, even though that is the way I act sometimes. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-051113192052.png&hash=93c42ef9f18fc5d9da50fd91fc19f70009f95f85)

I repeat, I have made my choice.
I ENJOY the fact that I live small and spend little. Yeah, I'm a Christian. And that has a LOT to do with my supreme disgust with materialism. But this is NOT about religion. I do not think God is going to do JACK SH-IT to keep us from reaping what we have sown.

Anyone that follows the
Frugality is Freedom Minimalist Mindset pattern should sell ALL their stock, move to the smallest place they can possibly live in (and so on as mentioned above). They must STOP participating in the world of money as much as possible by severely downsizing their expenses regardless of their buying power. Said person must disparage demonize, criticize, mock and take every opportunity to embarrass worshippers of pecuniary wealth with hard, direct and angry vitriol about the fact that these people are aiding and abetting civilizational suicide.

My choice is not popular. So if you take it, you will not be popular. But you will be doing the right thing. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

Any other choice, from violence to clever prose about Maslow's hierarchy and whatever that leads to doing zip to actually change the suicidal trajectory we are on is wrong.

I urge you to make the right choice.

For anyone reading this that makes the wrong choice (comfortable suicide leading to eventual human extinction), I have a question for you:


Do you feel lucky?
https://youtu.be/V7Nci-GVuHE

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080814213147.png&hash=8caa9e70560c86d7f1e8f5c50cee91c97d9859f1)
[/center]
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 08, 2019, 06:47:27 pm
LISTEN TO ME!!!" AOC & Elijah Cummings TAG TEAM Trump & Trump Lackey Jim Jordan GOES DOWN IN FLAMES

220,218 views

https://youtu.be/Q2XbzggIoMA

Dose of Dissonance

Published on Apr 2, 2019

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elijah Cummings, & others take turns destroying Trump for his recklessness, and Trump lackey Jim Jordan goes down in flames!

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Featuring Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Congressman Elijah Cummings, Trump lackey Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, Congressman Gerry Connolly, & Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.

Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 08, 2019, 06:58:13 pm
Heated Argument ERUPTS in Congress over Ocasio-Cortez's line of Question On Census
530,453 views

https://youtu.be/z7vqi7C2Al0

CONSERVATIVE TALK

Published on Mar 15, 2019

Heated Argument ERUPTS in Congress over Ocasio-Cortez's line of Question Over Census

This is How Yahoo News Wrote The Article On This 🤣

Ocasio-Cortez and House Democrats roast Wilbur 👹 Ross over census citizenship question

WASHINGTON — Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was roasted before a House of Representatives committee Wednesday in a hearing that lasted more than six hours. It was not a roast of the comedic variety, however, with Ross repeatedly scorched by Democrats as he struggled to explain why he sought the inclusion of a citizenship question on the 2020 census.

Ross was on the ropes for much of his testimony before the House Oversight Committee, but the knockout blow did not come until the seventh hour of the hearing, when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., finally had the chance to interrogate Ross, who is 52 years her senior. Ocasio-Cortez, who has been in Congress a little more than two months, effectively summarized the Democrats’ central argument against Ross: that in putting the question on the census, Ross did not consult with U.S. Census Bureau experts but instead took advice from voter-suppression specialists aligned with President Trump.

“It’s all there in black and white,” Ocasio-Cortez said of a July 2017 email to Ross from Kris Kobach, the then Kansas secretary of state who has made a career of voter suppression. The email said that adding a citizenship question was “essential,” presumably so that congressional apportionment would prove more favorable to Republicans.

Ocasio-Cortez then asked if Ross spoke about the citizenship question after that email.
“I have no recollection of speaking to him again after that,” Ross answered.

She quickly noted that Ross and Kobach spoke again later that same month, referencing a ruling in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, where New York, along with more than a dozen other states, sued to block the inclusion of the question. (The judge in that case, Jesse Furman, ruled against Ross earlier this year, though the broader legal battle over the citizenship question continues.)

Referring again to the legal proceedings from the Southern District, Ocasio-Cortez showed that Ross had, in fact, discussed Kobach’s proposal for a citizenship question in September 2017.

Ocasio-Cortez also argued that Ross had not met the congressional reporting requirements mandated by law, because the new citizenship question was materially different from the one that last appeared on the census, in 1950. This seemed like the kind of appeal to constitutional authority that could resonate with some conservatives.

“Why are we violating the law to include any question whatsoever in the 2020 census?” said Ocasio-Cortez, banging her fist on the podium for emphasis.

When the young Democrat finished with her questioning, an exasperated Ross looked to Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., who chairs the committee.

“I believe she is out of time, chairman,” Ross practically pleaded.
“I don’t have any need to respond, sir,” answered a defeated-sounding Ross.

Seated next to Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., followed with her own sharp interrogation of Ross. She argued that while Ross claimed to be a supporter of an accurate census, the inclusion of a citizenship question would effectively undermine its accuracy. She also noted that the information technology division of the Census Bureau was “severely understaffed,” citing a report by the Government Accountability Office.

Throughout the day, Ross faced repeated accusations of dishonesty and obfuscation. In his forceful opening remarks, Cummings lit into the Commerce secretary, charging that the former corporate raider — who has been accused of exaggerating his wealth and not fully disclosing foreign investments — “engaged in a secret campaign" from his first days in the Trump administration to put the “unconstitutional” citizenship question on the 2020 census.

Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 09, 2019, 05:45:09 pm
Authored by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,

April 9, 2019

SNIPPET:

Though not surprising, it’s nevertheless extraordinary to watch Donald Trump publicly and shamelessly morph into a George W. Bush (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) era neocon when it comes to foreign policy, and a CNBC stock market cheerleader (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) when it comes to the economy. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183404.bmp&hash=dc40a133c761f80036b08ef0f6c0427aaa7e9f4b)

Just like Barack 😈 Obama before him, Trump talked a good populist 😇 game on two issues of monumental importance (foreign policy and the rigged economy), but once elected immediately turned around and prioritized the core 🐉🦕🦖😈👹💵🎩🍌🏴🦍☠️ interests of (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) oligarchy.

(https://zh-prod-1cc738ca-7d3b-4a72-b792-20bd8d8fa069.storage.googleapis.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_desktop/public/inline-images/Screen-Shot-2019-04-08-at-1.39.20-PM-768x672.jpg?itok=alawLZDO)

Trump doesn’t even give lip service to big picture populist topics anymore unless they’re somehow related to the culture war, which works out perfectly for the entrenched oligarchy since the culture war primarily serves as a useful distraction to keep the rabble squabbling while apex societal predators loot whatever’s left of this hollowed out neo-feudal economy.

The pivot toward status quo consensus when it comes to two of the most existential issues facing the nation should be deeply concerning to everyone, but particularly to those(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bahrnoproducts.com%2FlollipopHelloSucker.jpg&hash=9d2e3cb8fc0732bc0841823b3305f6ec501f6875)who thought Donald 🦀 Trump  would be different.

Full article;

 
Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Cares About Two Things: Empire & The Stock Market (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-09/trump-cares-about-two-things-empire-stock-marke)

Agelbert NOTE: Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) KNOWS the Saudis were only minimally engaged in funding a tiny part of 911 (the scapegoat Saudi 🐵 🐒 pseudo highjackers) and certainly DID NOT plant and detonate the explosives in those WTC towers. The Israelis, however, WANT Trump to always point towards AYrab Boogeymen whenever 911 is discussed. The "war on Terror" is scam that required a "Pearl Harbor" (i.e. 911, 2001) to get kick started. The main beneficiaries of this monstrous treason are the Israelies and Military Industrial Complex. This comment sheds light on why Trump says, and does, what he does.

Quote
marcusfenix
Come on guys, trump is amazing, incredible deal maker, big business brain and his foreign policy decisions are beyond criticism and reproach.

I predict he will go down in history as the greatest US president ever, in fact you should all be so lucky as to have him sit in that Oval Office for life. Don’t be so negative,cause from where I’m sitting he is doing an exceptional job and has exceeded my wildest hopes and dreams.

here is to your good health and four more years just imagine what we can accomplish with your leadership!

warmest regards,

Tel Aviv


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee) This video will clear up ANY confusion you may have about Israel and 911:

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Christopher Bollyn DC 9/11/2017 “The War on Terror among Truth Seekers”

https://youtu.be/PuOsiMVlMBw

http://911tv.blogspot.com/2017/09/christopher-bollyn-dc-9112017-war-on.html
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 11, 2019, 02:35:15 pm
Bernie Beware: Packed Primary May Let Superdelegates 😈 Screw Progressives Again (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-16271224.gif&hash=c2a9bfbff23e2414975829eb4b3655af12eb02cc)

https://youtu.be/4fdkj5kk7_E

Read more: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

Packed Primary May Let Superdelegates Screw Progressives Again (http://https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/packed-primary-may-let-superdelegates-screw-progressives-again-3eb00fe7c7c)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 11, 2019, 02:49:02 pm
Cenk Uygur Debates Glenn Greenwald | They Both Get Trump/Russian Sanctions Wrong 👀
4,233 views

https://youtu.be/GmPwOoXR-Jw

Jamarl Thomas

Streamed live on Apr 5, 2019

Support the stream: https://streamlabs.com/jamarlthomas

Cenk Uygur Debates Glenn Greenwald | They Both Get Trump/Russian Sanctions Wrong

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Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 11, 2019, 09:33:12 pm
Daniel Ellsberg On Assange Arrest: The Beginning of the End For Press Freedom

April 11, 2019

"This is the first indictment of a journalist and editor or publisher...And if it's successful it will not be the last."

https://youtu.be/tw8yf6Luwo4

https://therealnews.com/stories/daniel-ellsberg-on-assange-arrest-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-press-freedom
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 13, 2019, 07:39:23 pm
SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2019

Ocasio-Cortez (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) 👍 Is Winning the Battle Against GOP 🐉🦕🦖 Sexists


WILLIAM RIVERS PITT, TRUTHOUT

Those who cling to the idea of ornamental baby-making women existing in silence to please and flatter men are proving the point from the old saying: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." They are well into the fighting portion of the process regarding Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I have no doubt, however, that AOC will emerge the winner in the end. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-060518153110.png&hash=39d587c31b7f7e66b30d7e59bb560e2ad0662eee)


Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/ocasio-cortez-is-winning-the-battle-against-gop-sexists/) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 15, 2019, 02:23:09 pm
“Stunning and Revealing” – DCCC  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Demands Loyalty Oath From Political Consultants  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183404.bmp&hash=dc40a133c761f80036b08ef0f6c0427aaa7e9f4b) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818204546.gif&hash=ffeafdfa24208fe5070639ffa682bb2ad041737c)

April 15, 2019

As Jeff Cohen points out, political fear of progressives and corporate power have pushed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) towards strategies for stopping primary challenges
https://youtu.be/7Q2aZyTBx6w

Story Transcript

MARC STEINER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I’m Marc Steiner. Great to have you all with us for our weekly look at the news. In this segment, we are going to tackle what’s happening to progressive politicians in this country. The Right is threatening people with death in some of their tweets and more against several Congresswomen, especially women of color in Congress, which we’ll talk about. But the story that is not being told a lot is about the D.C.C.C., the Democratic campaign committee, that says it is trying to stop progressive politicians from challenging established politicians in primaries. What’s that all about? Well, we’re here once again with Jeff Cohen who is co-founder of RootsAction.org, founder of the media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, and author of Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media, and Jacqueline Luqman who is Editor-in-Chief of Luqman Nation and a regular contributor to The Real News. Let’s just jump into this right away. In this piece here that we have, they have a form from the D.C.C.C. that came out that you have to sign if you are going to do any kind of work with the D.C.C.C. or any candidates. In one segment it says and they have to sign this, “I understand the above statement that the D.C.C.C. will not conduct business with nor recommend to any of its targeted campaigns, any consultant that works with an opponent of a sitting member of the House Democratic Caucus. And that’s what they have to sign, threatening vendors and threatening people who are consultants, and more. Jeff Cohen, you’re smiling so go ahead.

JEFF COHEN: This is this is so offensive. Some of the exciting members of Congress, they got in there by challenging incumbents. A.O.C. challenged an incumbent in New York, Ayanna Pressley challenged an incumbent in Massachusetts, Ro Khanna, who’s a great progressive in his second term, he challenged an incumbent. So you have Cheri Bustos, the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, telling consultants if they work with these challengers, they won’t be punished, they will be blacklisted. And what’s interesting is Cheri Bustos (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee 👹💵🎩 (the D.C.C.C) She doesn’t tell consultants, “hey, if you work for the pharmaceutical industry, we won’t give you business. If you work for the oil or coal industries, we won’t give you business. It’s just if you work for a progressive challenger, you won’t get business from the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Democratic leadership”. It’s stunning and it’s revealing. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301014183629.gif&hash=15481fa08b581c624351cc14f949b1557f851476)

MARC STEINER: So let’s talk about the stunning and revealing issue around this and what this really means. Jacqueline, I’ll start with you and then come back to Jeff here. So what is the dynamic going on here? We understand the corporate control of the party and what happened in the last election in shutting down progressives and shutting down Bernie Sanders during the 2016 election, but Progressives have taken a huge foothold in Democratic Party politics now and they’re pushing hard. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818180844.png&hash=d74cfbba22967e53f7eb6202dffdd50b3e520fe2) So let’s talk about what the two of you think of the internal dynamics and what’s going on here.

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: Well the internal dynamics are that the D.C.C.C. does not want to relinquish power to a bunch of upstart Progressives. That’s really what this is all about. They don’t want to lose the corporate lobbyist money that come in from these incumbent candidates who not all of them, not all of them, but many, too many incumbent House Democrats are very friendly to very large corporate interests. And we know by now– if we don’t, we should– that corporate interests often run counter to the interests of the people. So what’s shocking about this is that the D.C.C.C is trying to keep power in the House. They’re trying to maintain power. They’re also trying to maintain the corporate money flow coming. Not all incumbent House members are aligned with big money corporate interests, but too many are. And if we haven’t learned by now, corporate interests usually run counter to the interest of the people. So what this really means, why this is so shocking to me, is that the D.C.C.C is limiting the exposure for voters of candidates who might be better, who they might like more than the incumbent candidates, who they feel aren’t doing enough for them and certainly aren’t supporting progressive policies. That’s why this is shocking to me, because it looks like the D.C.C.C is limiting the choice of voters. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-16271224.gif&hash=c2a9bfbff23e2414975829eb4b3655af12eb02cc)

MARC STEINER: And why do you think, Jeff, they feel a threat?

JEFF COHEN: Because Progressives, especially these young women of color in Congress, are (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)raising hell, becoming popular, have huge social media followings.(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-16442135.gif&hash=52927992b43007fa5c5eb6ffcb453ae29948c356) But I believe it’s important to point out that the Justice Democrats, the Progressives, have just put out an e-mail where they said that the D.C.C.C. in the first quarter of 2019, raised $400,000 or more from corporate lobbyists and bundlers. Jacqueline made an important point. Ninety percent of the Democratic districts are true blue. They’re uncontested; they will always be Democratic. You could run a blue dog in November and the Democrats would win. So if constituents don’t have an opportunity to choose between two candidates in the primary, they have no role in Congressional elections. So it really does shut out the voters and that’s the goal of the corporate wing of the Democratic Party. They are afraid of the voters.

MARC STEINER: So what do you both think this means in terms of the power of the Progressive Movement and where it’s going? There are a lot of Progressives who lost in these primaries, who fought very hard campaigns but lost. A number of them won. You’re seeing a battle take place in the State Senate in New York right now around Cuomo saying he was really upset with people who were running in these primary challenges and want you to oppose them, battles taking place in their Caucus, so this is falling down to the states, as well. Something’s afoot here and I want Jeff really quickly to give your analysis. What do you think is afoot politically, Jeff?

JEFF COHEN: I think that the Progressives are showing that they don’t need the corporate money, that they can get online small donations from lots of donors, and that scares the hell out of the leadership of the Democratic Party, which has relied so heavily on corporate donors. There’s a civil war going on in the Democratic Party and the progressive candidates and politicians are with the base. And the corporate Democrats are increasingly isolated and fearful.

MARC STEINER: Jacqueline?

JACQUELINE LUQMAN: That’s absolutely true. That’s absolutely correct. I can’t add anything to that.

MARC STEINER: Well we’ll stay on top of this story. I think it’s a really important story and look forward to interviewing a lot of people who are involved in the progressive politics in this country to really get into this, to understand the depth of this, and where this can be taking us. We’re here with Jacqueline Luqman and Jeff Cohen. In our next segment, we are going to take a look at the power Steven Miller, the rise of nationalist power inside the Trump administration, and what that means. I’m Marc Steiner here for The Real News Network. Don’t miss the next segment.

https://therealnews.com/stories/stunning-and-revealing-dccc-demands-loyalty-oath-from-political-consultants
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 16, 2019, 06:29:21 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Go to 11:50 to hear Ray McGovern expose (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) Mueller as a liar, a crook AND, most significantly, that Mueller, as stated by his own words, is PROUD of the FASCIST POWER the FBI was OFFICIALLY given AFTER 911.

Ray McGovern - Russia-gate: Can You Handle the Truth⁉️
168,207 views

https://youtu.be/ngIKjpucQh8

KODX Seattle

Published on Aug 7, 2018

Talk by Ray McGovern, 27-Year Veteran of the CIA and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, on "Russia-gate: Can You Handle the Truth?" recorded August 4, 2018 at the Common Good Cafe, University Temple United Methodist Church, Seattle.

Category News & Politics

License Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)

(https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/LloI-oVVuixZbtl5c44WagLc0D3FXJzJGzau8zQ7M0D1rkAGqOyzrGKd3XZFqC2Lw5mdluizA99aKd1MtaRHBpj0LhSS866n_GailfNOIEdU0Jn4AS_opEJkC7UPh9w-jMkXgVl00uwacHfEjiUE6L8dIHUlGuuBI42XlaYwbrVF=s0-d-e1-ft#https://d15k2d11r6t6rl.cloudfront.net/public/users/Integrators/BeeProAgency/139576_115486/bush-mueller-650.jpg)
Mueller and Bush after 911

Mueller, FBI head during and after 911, is known as the "clean up man" by the Republican Party.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 16, 2019, 09:06:03 pm
April 15, 2019

SNIPPET:

In Khanna’s words, “You can’t oppose endless wars and then vote to fund them.” Jayapal said: “We need to prioritize our communities, not our military spending. Progressives aren’t backing down from this fight.”

The New York Times described the intra-party disagreement as “an ideological gap between upstart progressives flexing their muscles and more moderate members clinging to their Republican-leaning seats.” But that description bypassed how the most powerful commitment to escalation of military spending comes from Democratic leaders representing deep blue districts — in Pelosi’s case, San Francisco. Merely backing a budget that’s not as bad as Trump’s offering is a craven and immoral approach.

Sen. Bernie Sanders’ staff director, Warren Gunnels, responded cogently days ago when he tweeted: “How can we keep giving more money to the Pentagon than it needs when 40 million live in poverty, 34 million have no health insurance, half of older Americans have no retirement savings, and 140 million can’t afford basic needs without going into debt? This is insanity.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

Full article:

Progressives Demand Democrats Put People Over the 🦍 Pentagon (https://www.truthdig.com/articles/progressives-push-democrats-to-prioritize-people-over-the-pentagon/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 18, 2019, 08:35:59 pm
What's the Worst Thing (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Trump Has Done as President So Far?
2,863 views

https://youtu.be/wMkrcTALOOw

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Apr 17, 2019

Donald Trump has been hurting America since he announced his run for president, by ramping up anti-immigrant sentiment and spreading dangerous rumors of migrants who arrive through our southern border.

Since then, he has tried to ban Muslim people from the country, increased tensions with other countries. He helped Saudi Arabia's campaign against the people of Yemen,  removing any chance of peace in Israel/Palestine and sucks up to Dictators and autocrats, grows the Alt-Right, and come after Black Lives Matter & Anti- Fascists, and much much more.

But which of these is the worst thing that Trump has done? Watch what Thom has to say.

➡️Please Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

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Category
News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 19, 2019, 06:16:01 pm
(https://evilasshole.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/trumpopus.jpg?w=640)

No More Excuses. Donald Trump 🦀 Must Be Impeached.

WILLIAM RIVERS PITT, TRUTHOUT

The Mueller report details the parallel and often cooperative course traveled by Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and the sophisticated Russian operation devoted to his victory. Mueller's report also lays out the myriad ways Trump obstructed justice through his ham-fisted attempts to either take over the investigation or obliterate it entirely. Impeachment is the only appropriate remedy.

Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/no-more-excuses-donald-trump-must-be-impeached/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 19, 2019, 08:42:24 pm
Mueller Report: A Battle Over Maintaining ‘Imperial Hegemony’  (Pt 1/2)

https://youtu.be/JwWJc0Eh5Pg

April 18, 2019

Attorney General William Barr finally released Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, though it remains heavily redacted.

The report consists of two volumes, the first of which deals with Russian interference. The second deals with whether Donald Trump obstructed justice in relation to the Russian interference investigation.

In the course of the investigation Mueller made 14 prosecution referrals, two of which have been acted upon: one against Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen,and one against Gregory Craig, who was a lawyer in the Obama White House. Mueller made no recommendation for prosecution of Trump himself.

The Real News Network's Greg Wilpert spoke to Gerald Horne and Kamau Franklin about Trump’s possible obstruction of justice and Russian interference in a two-part panel on the Mueller report.

Horne explained to Wilpert that in terms of the “big picture,” the origins of this investigation relate to the “battle royale within the U.S. elite as to how to maintain U.S. imperialist hegemony.” As for Russian interference, echoing commentary made before on RNN, Horne stressed that the U.S. regularly interferes with other countries’ elections.

“Washington has made a habit of interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign states all across the globe,” Horne said. “Right now, it's seeking to destabilize Venezuela. It's heightening tensions with Cuba.”

Franklin called the report “much ado about nothing” in terms of its long term effects on Trump's presidency.

“I don't think that there's going to be enough evidence like Watergate where the president is going to be impeached and/or later once he’s out of office charged with a felony,” Franklin said.

He added that the continuing focus on the Mueller report speaks to the Democratic party's ongoing refusal to self-reflect about its own failures during the election.

https://therealnews.com/stories/mueller-report-a-battle-over-maintaining-imperial-hegemony-pt-1-2
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: Surly1 on April 22, 2019, 09:24:29 am

"It Can't Be Warren and It Can't Be Sanders": Wall Street Executives Make 2020 Preferences Known

"Wall Street likes Biden, Booker, Harris, Gillibrand, and Beto. Guess who they hate? Sanders and Warren. All the rest is commentary."

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) greet one another on stage at a rally in Boston in April, 2017. (Photo: Steven Senne/AP)

The first 2020 Democratic presidential primary is still over a year away, but Wall Street executives are reportedly already freaking out about two likely progressive candidates: Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

"It can't be Warren and it can't be Sanders," the CEO of a "giant bank" anonymously told Politico, which reported on Monday that Wall Street executives are "getting panicked" about the presidential prospects of the Senate's two fiercest financial sector critics.

"The best indication of who you should vote for in the Democratic primary if you actually want progressive policy is who Wall Street doesn't like, which essentially means Bernie or Warren."
—Josh Mound, journalist

Warren launched an exploratory committee for president last month, vowing to take on the "corruption" that is "poisoning our democracy." Sanders, for his part, has yet to publicly announce a bid for the White House—but Yahoo News reportedon Friday that the Vermont senator plans to launch his campaign "imminently."

Both progressive senators have placed scrutiny of Wall Street's size, record of large-scale fraud, exorbitant CEO pay packages, enormous political influence, and lack of stringent regulations at the center of their political agendas for years, and deep-pocketed bankers who have profited immensely from President Donald Trump's tenure are worried that one of the two could ascend to the White House and threaten their pocketbooks.

"Bankers' biggest fear," Politico reported, is that the 2020 Democratic presidential "nomination goes to an anti-Wall Street crusader" like Warren or Sanders.

"The result is a kind of nervous paralysis of executives pining for a centrist nominee like Michael Bloomberg," Politico noted, referring to the billionaire former New York City mayor, who is reportedly considering a self-funded presidential bid

According to Politico, Wall Street executives who want Trump out of the White House mentioned "a consistent roster of appealing nominees" they would find acceptable outside of Bloomberg, who the outlet describes as Wall Street's "platonic ideal."

This "roster" reportedly included Democratic Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), and Kamala Harris (Calif.); former Vice President Joe Biden; and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas).

As CNBC reported earlier this month, Harris, Booker, and Gillibrand have all reached out to Wall Street to gauge support for 2020 campaigns. Harris announced that she is running for president last week, and Gillibrand launched an exploratory committee for president earlier this month.

One executive—who Politico described as a hedge fund manager and a top Democratic donor—declared, "If it's Biden and Beto or Biden and Harris, that might make a difference. The good news for Biden is everyone likes him. The bad news is there is not a lot of passion."

Progressives were quick to argue on Twitter that Wall Street's fear of a possible Sanders or Warren presidency constitutes a powerful endorsement of both candidates.

By coming out so strongly against the progressive senators, argued The Daily Beast's Gideon Resnick, Wall Street is "literally giving them a campaign slogan."

In response to Wall Street's largely anonymous attacks on Sanders and Warren, People for Bernie tweeted, "We bathe in your tears."

"The best indication of who you should vote for in the Democratic Primary if you actually want progressive policy is who Wall Street doesn't like, which essentially means Bernie or Warren," concluded journalist Josh Mound.


https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/01/28/it-cant-be-warren-and-it-cant-be-sanders-wall-street-executives-make-2020?utm_campaign=shareaholic&fbclid=IwAR0Y53LW2yzwA3w19SRe_meKeAVPFAFzoWJ3t7zLAWSaBzi8C2-9UT7hWJA
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 22, 2019, 08:50:56 pm
(https://www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_large/public/headlines/warren_sanders_wall_street.jpg?itok=_rs36CVB)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-16442135.gif&hash=52927992b43007fa5c5eb6ffcb453ae29948c356)
Quote
"The best indication of who you should vote for in the Democratic Primary if you actually want progressive policy is who Wall Street doesn't like, which essentially means Bernie or Warren," concluded journalist Josh Mound.

BINGO!
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 23, 2019, 08:09:19 pm
Should Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) Be Committed to a Mental Health Facility? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185040-1659929.gif&hash=0a9ca0c1f083655b821cbf024422e55e009a6d8d)
8,379 views

https://youtu.be/M_Su1taUG_U

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Apr 22, 2019

Donald Trump's campaign opened with shouts of "Lock Her Up" from his followers and supporters. Two years into his presidency calls for impeaching Donald Trump are using that phrase against him. 

Now Dr. Justin Frank, Psychoanalyst, and author of 'Trump on the Couch' joins the Thom Hartmann program to call for locking Donald Trump up in a Mental Health facility, 

Is it time to put Donald Trump in the funny farm?  Is the President's mental health out for lunch? 

📽️ WATCH NEXT: Trump on the Couch -
https://youtu.be/KLbc7EaKKyU 

📕 BOOK: Trump On the Couch - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0735220328?t...

➡️Please Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

SUPPORT THE PROGRAM
► Join us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/thomhartmann where you can also watch a re-run of the three-hour program at any time
 
AUDIO PODCASTS
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ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Thom Hartmann Program is the leading progressive political talk radio show for political news and comments about Government politics, be it Liberal or Conservative, plus special guests and callers

#MoreFromThom
#ThomAndJustinFrank

✔ Amazon links are affiliate links
Category
News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 23, 2019, 08:36:45 pm
Impeachment vs Censure: Can the Democratic Party Save the World From Trump?
1,795 views

https://youtu.be/MXJ_G1FUTa4

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Apr 23, 2019

Some are saying that a censure resolution would be more effective than an impeachment hearing in fear that unsuccessfully impeaching Donald Trump would lead to his victory in the upcoming 2020 elections.

The key is not whether or not impeachment can succeed in the house, but whether or not it can wake up the American people to the crimes of Donald Trump. And impeachment has that kind of ability.

📽️ WATCH NEXT: What Happens if We DON'T Impeach Trump? -
https://youtu.be/FZbyvuSLGpQ

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 24, 2019, 06:45:31 pm
Great videos from Thom Hartmann:

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Apr 24, 2019
 
https://youtu.be/_wuVTIMRFDM

The 2020 Census will include a question that Greg Palast wants every American to skip as a protest against Kris Kobach's policies against voting rights and migrants in the county.

Kobach and Donald Trump have been working to add a question about whether or not someone is a citizen to the 2020 Census and it looks like they have got their way.  Will those who mark no on that question be visited by ICE or local police or will Kris Kobach and the Republicans use this as a way to purge more voters?

Could every American leaving this question blank save the lives the migrants the vote and our country?

📽️ WATCH NEXT: Will Kris Kobach Steal the 2020 Election? -

https://youtu.be/kk67LWy3F7Y

Time for Trump to Follow the Law

https://youtu.be/ZxRgfcqH1i0

The White House has instructed Carl Kline not to testify before Congress. He’s the guy who supervised getting a security clearance, over the objection of the intelligence agencies, for Jared Kushner.

Similarly, Steve Mnuchin has ordered the Internal Revenue Service to defy the law and not give Trump’s tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee. These are all simple and straightforward violations of the law and naked attempts to obstruct justice; this is the behavior of an authoritarian dictator, a person who doesn’t believe in our Constitution or even the simple concepts of democracy.

Elected officials should not tolerate this behavior and prosecute Trump and his co-conspirators to the fullest extent of the law, including impeachment where appropriate.


Yellow Vests at Notre Dame Protest Over Billionaires Donations

Published on Apr 23, 2019

https://youtu.be/wMNUzbi9-0g

After a fire burned the historical Notre Dame building to the ground,  billionaires donated millions overnight to it's restoration. In Response, France's Yellow Vest Movement is protesting against these billionaires and the restoration of the Notre Dame cathedral, believing that the money should go to the people and that the billionaires ability to donate so much so fast was an example of the income inequality that produced this movement from the start.

Cole Stangler joins the program to discuss what why the Yellow Vest ares protesting over Billionaire donations toward Notre Dame.



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 28, 2019, 04:47:05 pm
Can Progressives Stop Biden, the  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) Credit Card Candidate? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163123-16662165.gif&hash=0c278af5ea445d20e48640c4f39f951df986eed6)
8,253 views

https://youtu.be/YoCREko9kRg

The Real News Network
Published on Apr 28, 2019
Joe Biden announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination with waves of patriotic "Stop Trump to save America" propaganda. Norman Solomon and Jacqueline Luqman examine his campaign strategy

Subscribe to our page and support our work at https://therealnews.com/donate.
Category
News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 29, 2019, 11:36:52 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Thom provides a long list of in-our-faces illegal actions by Trump, evidencing how destructive Trump is, but cannot seem to bring himself to accept that the Trump Dictatorial Autocrat will do WHATEVER to stay in power. Trump has NO INTENTION of leaving office. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817134648.gif&hash=d24c66a26329a19150a175d576b631d10f631ee8)


After Trump: How Do We Heal Our Country?
1,143 views

https://youtu.be/0Byp-fe1-Zc


Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Apr 29, 2019

Donald Trump news, he will leave the White House one day, whether through impeachment or because he can't be president forever.

When this happens, America will have to deal with the damage Donald Trump did to the country.

How can America heal after Donald Trump? and as we heal how do we prevent the next Donald Trump from coming into power?

📽️ WATCH NEXT: Donald Trump Impeachment Predicted
https://youtu.be/9RMO2NYGT0c

➡️Please Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

SUPPORT THE PROGRAM
► Join us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/thomhartmann where you can also watch a re-run of the three-hour program at any time
 
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ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Thom Hartmann Program is the leading progressive political talk radio show for political news and comments about Government politics, be it Liberal or Conservative, plus special guests and callers

#MoreFromThom

✔ Amazon links are affiliate links

Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 30, 2019, 12:08:09 pm
The deliberations of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were held in strict secrecy. Consequently, anxious citizens gathered outside Independence Hall when the proceedings ended in order to learn what had been produced behind closed doors. The answer was provided immediately. A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.” (Benjamin Franklin)

“We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings, that ‘except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel; we shall be divided by our little partial, local interests, our projects will be confounded and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a byword down to future ages. And, what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing government by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war, or conquest.” (Benjamin Franklin)

Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters. ” (Benjamin Franklin)

Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.” (Benjamin Franklin)

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty.” (Benjamin Franklin)

“If you would not be forgotten
As soon as you are dead and rotten,
Either write things worthy reading,
Or do things worth the writing.” (Benjamin Franklin)

“I have so much faith in the general government of the world by Providence that I can hardly conceive a transaction of such momentous importance [as the framing of the Constitution] ... should be suffered to pass without being in some degree influenced, guided, and governed by that omnipotent, omnipresent, and beneficent Ruler in whom all inferior spirits live and move and have their being.” (Benjamin Franklin)

“I think with you, that nothing is of more importance for the public weal, than to form and train up youth in wisdom and virtue. Wise and good men are in my opinion, the strength of the state; more so than riches or arms.” (Benjamin Franklin, Letter to Samuel Johnson, August 23, 1750.)

“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” (Benjamin Franklin)

“…there is no form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered.” (Benjamin Franklin, at the Constitutional Convention September 17, 1787.)

“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” (Benjamin Franklin, his motto. This was part of the original proposal for the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States, which depicted the children of Israel being lead by a pillar of fire and Pharaoh's army drowning in the red sea. Instead today we have the familiar pyramid (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c), and all-seeing eye.)

“The refusal of King George to allow the colonies to operate an honest money system, which freed the ordinary man from clutches of the money manipulators was probably the prime cause of the revolution.” (Benjamin Franklin)

https://www.ourrepubliconline.com/Author/21

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-240419131928.jpeg&hash=0ccc89d7d1d35fe44f0a5275ee91184eaec45745)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 30, 2019, 01:42:33 pm
(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/7Iwt1Obw1A9OF4rmgyl-UYRo4MEJDf68gFtbGNW6JHUtpykjdICNc8oASCFbrYsucF5Fg17XbLG86FfHFO8yE4EkX6gjGVlOvmRAD7s5dGscLlHcisQ_pzhkscbiV_-D4oBdJi6nkSe_a2el9qT1VJhzoNSsAEZvHHg=s0-d-e1-ft#https://gallery.mailchimp.com/d1f5797e59060083034310930/images/2f11cead-050f-4018-bfed-c12fb45691e5.png)
Make Nexus Hot News part of your morning: click here (http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa) to subscribe.

April 30, 2019

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-121217195108.png&hash=34ddc1fd5afeb976b36342e73738ef155008be6d)

Republican (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0) Ohio Rep: Starve The Poor So We Can Fund (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emofaces.com%2Fen%2Femoticons%2Fn%2Fnuclear-emoticon.gif&hash=e4e4a2a7087fe69ad666bbc193626b4bf13857a8) Nuclear Industry

Last week, Cleveland.com reported that one of the reasons an Ohio lawmaker supports a bill that would give hundreds of millions of dollars to two nuclear power plants is because it also cuts subsidies that help working class communities pay for energy-efficiency upgrades. Because that, apparently, is a good thing.

“We are already paying for food, heating assistance, cell phones, child support” and other apparently frivolous luxuries, Rep Nino Vitale (R-Urbana) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-080419191019.png&hash=a449294ee6fe2dfdea44c1c501f4439b9ac69c26) wrote in an email to another lawmaker, but we shouldn’t because “a little hunger in the belly or being a little cold on some really cold days is a good incentive. ”
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmemecrunch.com%2Fmeme%2F5L3XX%2Fspiderman-bullshit-detector%2Fimage.jpg%3Fw%3D544%26amp%3Bc%3D1&hash=4825835b92337d62f61a3d37d282105e97ac3ee3)

Yes, according to Vitale, without that hunger or suffering, “what incentive is there for me to ever change and cover my own expenses?”

The Ohio bill, introduced by two Republicans, creates a new clean air program (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718210558.gif&hash=9234ac544277d3924347404eb52489dfe64e3ca4) as an alternative to the state’s existing renewable portfolio standard. But, according to Cleveland.com’s reporting, “at least half” of the $300 million per year the bill would raise from a surcharge on electricity bills “is expected to go toward two northern Ohio 😈 nuclear power plants, Davis-Besse and Perry, that owner 👹 FirstEnergy Solutions plans to soon close unless it can get subsidies.”

If passed, that money will come just in time for FirstEnergy. The company has been aggressively seeking ways to save itself from bankruptcy, including through a now-hopefully-dead federal bailout for coal and nuclear power plants. As InsideClimate News reported in March, FirstEnergy appears to have shifted to a state-based approach, as it poured money into Ohio to try and save its two nuclear plants in the state.

And that’s not the only place where it’s focused. The Energy and Policy Institute recently dug through FirstEnergy’s bankruptcy documents and found that the company also spent millions on lobbying and public relations in Pennsylvania. Of the nearly $36 million that First Energy owes lobbyists Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, over a million is for lobbying work to find “a policy solution… that would enable the continued operation” of its nuclear plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

One wonders why First Energy spent millions of dollars on public relations and lobbying to save its dying nuclear plants when it could have been profiting off of existing subsidies for renewables instead of trying to fight them.

And, of course, there’s the question of why Rep Vitale thinks families should be cold and hungry, but FirstEnergy shouldn’t.

After all, “what incentive is there for [FirstEnergy] to to ever change” and survive in the free market where renewables are winning on price, if it doesn't have “a little hunger in the belly?”
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpm1.narvii.com%2F5869%2F6a64193d6770c3afd17406c78686c0eda32ded1c_hq.jpg&hash=fedf26e48d67cdd1e932380c7336ac18486d3fee)

https://mailchi.mp/climatenexus/beto-rolls-out-climate-plan-impossible-to-get-impossible-burger-more?e=0fd17c5b57

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: Surly1 on May 01, 2019, 09:28:14 am
Just another cut-out and bail out. But the poor always pay.

Next hey'll be claiming that nukes are a "green" solution.
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 01, 2019, 11:51:31 am
Just another cut-out and bail out. But the poor always pay.

Next hey'll be claiming that nukes are a "green" solution.


Yep. These ethics AND reality challenged greedballs are a curse on humanity.  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201604.png&hash=3793102f2f335b7a8fe106d54eac4db31f2674eb)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 01, 2019, 12:52:39 pm
May 1, 2019

Money quote:

Quote
"The idea that we can just reintroduce 2009 policies is not reflective of action that is necessary for now in the world of today," said Ocasio-Cortez. She added that "there is no harm in passing" Pelosi's bill, but ultimately, the GND is what's needed.

  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-060518153110.png&hash=39d587c31b7f7e66b30d7e59bb560e2ad0662eee)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

Pelosi 🐍 Invokes Obama's Legacy To Kill The 'Green New Deal' (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-05-01/pelosi-invokes-obamas-legacy-try-and-stop-green-new-deal)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 01, 2019, 02:21:25 pm
May 1, 2019

SNIPPET:

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) echoed Van Hollen’s call for a new attorney general on Tuesday, in light of Barr’s behavior. “I think that Barr should resign. If he does not resign, he should be facing impeachment proceedings also. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3) He has abdicated on his responsibility. He’s lied,” she told MSNBC.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)


Democrats demand  Barr (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-080419191019.png&hash=a449294ee6fe2dfdea44c1c501f4439b9ac69c26)  step down after misleading Mueller report comments (https://thinkprogress.org/lawmakers-democrats-barr-attorney-general-to-resign-misled-congress-mueller-report-8f5d2ed37895/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tp-letters)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 01, 2019, 10:04:26 pm
Bernie Sanders on Joe Biden :P, Trade, Health and 😈 William Barr
1,134 views

https://youtu.be/s-6CmQBPd0E

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on May 1, 2019

Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders joins the Thom Hartmann Program today to discuss his campaign, Bill Barr, and how his policies on Trade will help improve the lives of working-class Americans.

Sanders also talked about healthcare.

➡️Please Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

SUPPORT THE PROGRAM
► Join us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/thomhartmann where you can also watch a re-run of the three-hour program at any time
 
AUDIO PODCASTS
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ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Thom Hartmann Program is the leading progressive political talk radio show for political news and comments about Government politics, be it Liberal or Conservative, plus special guests and callers

#MoreFromThom
#ThomAndBernieSanders

✔ Amazon links are affiliate links
Category
News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 03, 2019, 08:30:44 pm
May 3, 2019

Barr (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-080419191019.png&hash=a449294ee6fe2dfdea44c1c501f4439b9ac69c26) Made Trump Proud. The Rest of Us (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) Got Screwed, Again.

WILLIAM RIVERS PITT, TRUTHOUT

Comprehensive reputational defenestration is hardly a new phenomenon in the Trump White House. That being said, it is a remarkable thing to watch someone in Attorney General William Barr's lofty position immolate the last tattered shreds of their dignity on live television. He did his job as he understands it, and the people who occupy his atmosphere raised toasts to him when he was done.


Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/barr-made-trump-proud-the-rest-of-us-got-screwed-again/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 05, 2019, 05:27:45 pm
Mueller Stoked Trump-Russia Alarmism, Despite Finding No Collusion

GARETH PORTER, TRUTHOUT

The Mueller report keeps alive the idea that Trump campaign contacts with Russians were a threat to U.S. national security, despite finding no collusion. This continued focus on the collusion narrative plays into the hands of the powerful national security state and diverts attention from real domestic threats to democracy which stem from the Trump administration's anti-democratic policies and the dysfunctional U.S. political system.


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)  Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/mueller-stoked-trump-russia-alarmism-despite-finding-no-collusion/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 05, 2019, 11:01:09 pm
The 👹 DCCC’s Anti-Progressive Policy (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) Might Be Backfiring (1/2) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)
May 5, 2019

In March, the DCCC announced its policy against progressive challengers of incumbent Dems. But the policy has been met with widespread scorn, and may be starting to backfire. Ryan Grim, Eugene Puryear, and Jacqueline Luqman discuss the situation

https://youtu.be/qtgzvNZTNFg

https://therealnews.com/stories/the-dcccs-anti-progressive-policy-might-be-backfiring
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: Surly1 on May 08, 2019, 09:10:51 pm
(https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/59784944_578514895973768_7388040629038612480_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_ht=scontent.forf1-2.fna&oh=b0a24cd31ac4526c2947372b5d991901&oe=5D5F6DB3)
Title: Confederates in his closet proud
Post by: AGelbert on May 09, 2019, 05:43:07 pm
(https://scontent.forf1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/59784944_578514895973768_7388040629038612480_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_ht=scontent.forf1-2.fna&oh=b0a24cd31ac4526c2947372b5d991901&oe=5D5F6DB3)

Surly, you haven't been trying to push the bigoted buttons of a certain (Confederates in his closet proud) Texas Post Turtle (https://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/images/smilies/furious.gif), now have you? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fthumbs.dreamstime.com%2Fz%2Fchinese-emoticon-22648577.jpg&hash=e5f417f773692d246a108dcc451657cb8b2c6e05)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 10, 2019, 04:44:32 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-260914180633.png&hash=2caa418ea42c2a0ea0c364c8a51d87923b8b9507)

What Greed has Done: Chris Hedges ✨
37,457 views

https://youtu.be/6w-DVGWVhIw

Erin Go Bragh
Published on May 1, 2019

Bill Moyers interview with Chris Hedges on the destruction of America's manufacturing base as well as the effect that unfettered and unregulated capitalism has had on the poor and vulnerable.

Category Education

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F3078_Ecocide.png&hash=388038e06080f2600d2d3cc37a77e83405276cab)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080814213147.png&hash=8caa9e70560c86d7f1e8f5c50cee91c97d9859f1)

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: anonymous on May 11, 2019, 05:48:16 pm
(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/bMi5K4CDjFlORKNzbtb8lit774Y1msNFvqsbSgXnjuUWN_dpHltajASyKjxYyLW_EG-St1vg9JhrJR1vAL8SwjJmNeDervxCdhNS7cu1ZyWAx3J0=s0-d-e1-ft#https://truthout.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/truthout_logo.jpg)

SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2019

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Cornered Trump Rat (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-190419235756.png&hash=ddd7a71acf6ff0420a63e797c27fdcad27734e3e)

The Impeachment Process Itself Can Thwart Trump's Obstruction

WILLIAM RIVERS PITT, TRUTHOUT

At this point, the moral and constitutional arguments for impeaching Donald Trump are self-evident, but with the White House actively spurning subpoenas and a long court fight in the offing, the question of how to do it becomes manifest. As it turns out, an official impeachment inquiry appears to be the easiest way to thwart White House obstructionism.

Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/the-impeachment-process-itself-can-thwart-trumps-obstruction/)

(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/bMi5K4CDjFlORKNzbtb8lit774Y1msNFvqsbSgXnjuUWN_dpHltajASyKjxYyLW_EG-St1vg9JhrJR1vAL8SwjJmNeDervxCdhNS7cu1ZyWAx3J0=s0-d-e1-ft#https://truthout.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/truthout_logo.jpg)

SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2019

House Democrats (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27)Subpoena Trump Tax (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Returns

JAKE JOHNSON, COMMON DREAMS

After Treasury Secretary Steve (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) Mnuchin repeatedly refused to comply with requests to hand over President Trump's tax returns, the House Ways and Means Committee late Friday subpoenaed both Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig for the documents. Meanwhile, calls to jail administration officials who do not comply intensify.

Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/house-democrats-subpoena-trump-tax-returns/)

(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/bMi5K4CDjFlORKNzbtb8lit774Y1msNFvqsbSgXnjuUWN_dpHltajASyKjxYyLW_EG-St1vg9JhrJR1vAL8SwjJmNeDervxCdhNS7cu1ZyWAx3J0=s0-d-e1-ft#https://truthout.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/truthout_logo.jpg)

SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2019

(https://evilasshole.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/trumpopus.jpg?w=640)

Democrats Against Impeachment Invite Autocracy and a Loss in 2020 😟 😨 😱

SHAHID BUTTAR, TRUTHOUT *Disclosure: The author is running to represent California’s 12th congressional district in 2020 and was Pelosi’s leading challenger from the left 👍 in the 2018 primary.

Democrats who insist that impeachment is not politically expedient are effectively giving up their responsibility to check the executive branch and emboldening Trump to commit further crimes. These are the same centrists who never saw Trump coming in the first place and appear to have forgotten that it was anti-Trump energy that fueled the Democrats' success in the 2018 midterms.

Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/democrats-against-impeachment-invite-autocracy-and-a-loss-in-2020/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 22, 2019, 10:04:52 pm
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 22, 2019, 10:13:29 pm
Deutsche Bank: Trump’s Money Laundering ‘Criminal Organization’


May 20, 2019

According to an explosive new report in The New York Times, financial specialists at Deutsche Bank recommended that multiple companies controlled by Donald Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner be reported to the Treasury Department on suspicion of money laundering. The transactions, which took place between 2016 and 2017 and involved Russian billionaires, were never reported because the bank's upper management prevented them from being flagged. Tammy McFadden, one of the former Deutsche Bank employees who spoke to the Times for “Deutsche Bank Staff Saw Suspicious Activity in Trump and Kushner Accounts” said that she was fired for having pushed the matter within the bank.

The Real News Network's Sharmini Peries spoke to David Cay Johnston, author of “The Making Of Donald Trump,” about Trump's finances, the potential fallout from the Times' reporting, and Trump's history with Deutsche Bank.

“Deutsche Bank is absolutely central to understanding Donald Trump,” Cay Johnston said. After Trump reorganized his finances and avoided bankruptcy court, the only bank that would lend to Trump was the corrupt and conflicted Deutsche Bank.

“Deutsche Bank has already paid over $600 million in fines for laundering money for Russian oligarchs in Cyprus, Germany, and in the United States,” Cay Johnston said. “I think from an American perspective it's perfectly reasonable to view Deutsche Bank as essentially not a bank, but a criminal enterprise.”

The Treasury Department, the main institution responsible for detecting money laundering, is responsible for looking into Trump, who, as president, oversees the Treasury. Cay Johnston explained that he hopes the Treasury will not be stopped by Trump's corruption: “We should hope that there is enough integrity in the Treasury Department, and particularly the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FCEN—which does the hunt for money laundering and is basically staffed with IRS agents—that they are not going to be stopped by the corrupt people at the head of the Trump administration.”

The only institution that can conduct an independent investigation into Trump is Congress.

“Congress absolutely must investigate this. The first hearing that's been held on Trump's efforts to stop turning over some of his records … and the judge basically made it clear that he doesn't see any reason not to turn over his tax records,” Cay Johnston said. “Later this week, there will be a hearing about the Deutsche Bank and Capital One lawsuit that Trump filed. And I suspect the same thing will happen: Judges will say these are reasonable and proper subpoenas from Congress and the banks must comply.”

Cay Johnson explained that Watergate-style hearings about Trump's finances will be most effective in exposing Trump and telling the public that “the man you saw on television in his TV shows and who Donald Trump really is are completely different human beings. Donald Trump is the third generation head of a white-collar crime family.”

“What we really need here are hearings during Watergate. What changed the views of many people who thought Richard Nixon was being railroaded was night after night of hearings describing the criminal conduct of that administration,” Cay Johnston said. “And Congress needs to stop delaying and being so polite and cautious … they need to get serious about holding hearings getting them televised and educating the American public.”

Story Transcript

SHARMINI PERIES It’s The Real News Network. I’m Sharmini Peries coming to you from Baltimore. Financial specialists at Deutsche Bank recommended that multiple companies controlled by Donald Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, be reported to the Treasury Department on suspicion of money laundering. This is according to an explosive new report in The New York Times that was published on Monday. The transactions took place in the year 2016 and 2017 and are said to have involved Russian billionaires. However, according to The New York Times sources, the flagged transactions were ultimately never reported because the bank’s upper management prevented them from doing so. One of the former Deutsche Bank employees who spoke to The New York Times said that she was fired for having pushed the matter within the bank. President Trump immediately fired off a series of tweets on the matter, saying in one of them, “The mainstream media has never been as corrupt and deranged as it is today. FAKE NEWS,” he wrote, “is actually the biggest story of all and is the true ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! That’s why they refuse to cover the REAL Russia Hoax. But the American people are wise to what is going on…,” he wrote.

Joining me now to discuss these latest revelations about Trump’s finances is David Cay Johnston. He is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and founder of DCReport.org. He is the author of the book The Making of Donald Trump. So good to have you here, David.

DAVID CAY JOHNSTON Good to be here, Sharmini.

SHARMINI PERIES David, in your investigations of Trump’s financial biography, just how important is Deutsche Bank?

DAVID CAY JOHNSTON Deutsche Bank is absolutely central to understanding Donald Trump. In 1990, when I revealed that Trump was not a billionaire and he went around, by the way, for four months calling me a liar until he had to put in the public record documents showing I was right, so his latest tweet storm is no surprise. He had borrowings from many, many banks. He even talked Chase Bank into lending him the entire cost of Mar-a-Lago and more, but not recording the mortgage, which is illegal for Chase to not have done. After his 1990 reorganization of his finances without going to bankruptcy court, no bank would lend him money in any significant sums except Deutsche Bank. Deutsche Bank has already paid over $600 million in fines for laundering money for Russian oligarchs in Cyprus, in Germany, and in the United States. When I was exposing corrupt and sham tax shelters in The New York Times 20 years ago, Deutsche Bank was one of the biggest promoters of these in the United States and I think from an American perspective, it’s perfectly reasonable to view Deutsche Bank as essentially, not a bank, but a criminal enterprise.

SHARMINI PERIES Wow. That’s quite the conclusion there, David. Now, both Trump and Jared Kushner, here, made most of their money through real estate deals. It is generally known that real estate is a business that money laundering prefers to use. Now, explain to us why they use real estate as the vehicle to launder money and why these kinds of transactions are not being flagged by, say, this bank which you say is obviously corrupt, but how else can it be monitored? Who else has the opportunity to catch these transactions?

DAVID CAY JOHNSTON Well, let’s step back a minute and understand what money laundering is. Money laundering is taking ill-got proceeds from drug dealing, from criminal enterprises, from embezzlement, and making them appear to be legitimate money— basically, put them through a washing machine called a bank. Casinos, which Trump was in the business of, by the way, are also an excellent place to launder money. And Trump’s Taj Mahal Casino was fined $10 million for years of money laundering activities. Real estate is attractive because the records in real estate are not hooked up electronically to the kinds of records that the Securities and Exchange Commission, the IRS, and other law enforcement agencies see. In many places, these records are kept separately by county governments and it’s very easy to conceal who’s really the buyer of a piece of property.

Someone comes to you and says I want to buy this piece of property and not in my name, but the name of a company called Snow, Inc. Unless you ask, well is that a ski lodge somewhere or is that a trafficking business, you’re not going to know which it is, and, of course, Donald is never a guy to ask a question like that. So, real estate allows you to move very large amounts of money this way and appears, of course, to be a solid investment. It’s one of the reasons that we have these whole neighborhoods of essentially, expensive new and empty apartment buildings in every major city in the world that has any desirability as a place to live. San Francisco, Melbourne, Australia, Paris, Dubai, Miami Beach, New York City all have this problem of warehoused apartments that are involved often with money laundering or hiding money, in some cases, from tax authorities. Donald is someone who’s repeatedly sold property to people who turned out to be bad folks. The entire floor immediately below Trump’s apartment in Trump Tower—The entire floor was for a number of years a 24-hour-a-day gambling casino run by Russian mobsters. Donald, at the time that the FBI broke up this operation went, [gasps] what? All this gambling going on? I had no idea. I had no idea, whatsoever. If you’ve ever been inside Trump Tower and seen the elevator and the way they control security in that building, that’s absurd. If he didn’t know, it’s because he said, don’t show me, don’t show me.

Then, banking authorities have sophisticated computer systems to track and look at suspicious transactions. We had a death in our family and had to send money several times, for example, to Honduras and we got flagged over sending small amounts of money, $2,500 at a time. We had to go and explain to our banker exactly what we were doing, but Deutsche Bank is notorious for looking the other way. Don’t ask, don’t tell. Through their private banking group, which is where Donald and Jared Kushner do business, they have made a fortune by simply not asking questions for all the money they are moving. Last night, 60 Minutes had a piece about Dankse Bank’s branch in Tallinn, in Estonia, where $230 billion of money was laundered. Almost all of it were Russians— $230 billion in one tiny little branch. Nobody saw anything going on? It was like, really? We had no idea we were doing that.

SHARMINI PERIES Wow. This is not just Donald Trump and Jared Kushner, but this has the potential to crack open a whole bunch of other oligarchs involved in these schemes. Clearly now, though, as far as Washington is concerned, there is a conflict of interest between the main institution responsible for detecting money laundering, the Treasury Department, but it is now under the control and the leadership of the main suspect here, Donald Trump.

DAVID CAY JOHNSTON Right.

SHARMINI PERIES Presumably, Congress is the only institution that can conduct an independent investigation, but I understand that last month Trump filed a case against Deutsche Bank himself to prevent the release of the financial records. So, do you think this will go anywhere, is the question?

DAVID CAY JOHNSTON Well, first of all, we should hope that there is enough integrity in the Treasury Department— and particularly, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, which does the hunt for money laundering and is basically staffed with IRS agents— that they are not going to be stopped by the corrupt people at the head of the Trump administration. That’s step one. We should certainly hope that’s the case, but secondly, yes. Congress absolutely must investigate this. The first hearing that’s been held on Trump’s efforts to stop turning over some of his records involves his accounting firm, Mazars, and the judge basically made it clear that he doesn’t see any reason not to turn over his tax records.

Later this week, there will be a hearing about the Deutsche Bank and Capital One lawsuit that Trump filed, and I suspect the same thing will happen. Judges will say these are reasonable and proper subpoenas from Congress, and the banks must comply. Let’s remember, a bank is a licensed institution. It’s not like you and me. You and me, we have the right to live. A bank exists as a privilege granted by the state and the bank. In particular in this case, Deutsche Bank, has been cooperating with regulators for some time because they don’t want to lose their license. I happen to think that Deutsche Bank should be kicked out of the United States, but in the meantime, they certainly must comply and you’re not seeing the indication that they are fighting complying.

SHARMINI PERIES All right. David, so then, what are the next steps? If Congress and the investigative bodies are serious about taking some actions, what’s next?

DAVID CAY JOHNSTON Well, they will issue subpoenas and let’s remember what subpoena means. It comes from Latin and it means “under force.” They will issue subpoenas for documents and records not only of Deutsche Bank, but of Treasury, which will undoubtedly say no, we’re not going to show those to you, which would be an egregious violation of their duty and grounds on its face for impeachment. They will subpoena witnesses like the woman who was named and photographed in the Times story, and probably the other four current and former anti-money laundering employees at Deutsche Bank who spoke to The Times. They will then go to the other institutions because money going in and out has to go somewhere and come from somewhere, and issue further subpoenas.

What we really need here are hearings. During Watergate, what changed the views of many people who thought Richard Nixon was being railroaded, was night after night of hearings describing the criminal conduct of that administration. Congress needs to stop delaying and being so polite and cautious. I understand they’re being cautious because they’re concerned federal judges may interfere with their investigations, but they need to get serious about holding hearings, getting them televised, and educating the American public so that people understand the man you saw on television in his TV shows and who Donald Trump really is, are completely different human beings. Donald Trump is the third-generation head of a white-collar crime family. He has been involved with mobsters, of all kinds, in the New York real estate where people go, well everybody in real estate had to be involved with mobsters. Actually, the other big families, the really big developers in New York, all went to the FBI and said, you’ve got to get the mob guys out of our pockets. Donald Trump ran to the mob guys. This was back in the late 70s and early 80s.

SHARMINI PERIES I’ve been speaking with David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and the author of The Making of Donald Trump. He also writes in the DCReport.org. Check it out. Thanks so much for joining us, David.

DAVID CAY JOHNSTON Take care.

SHARMINI PERIES And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.

https://therealnews.com/stories/trumps-real-estate-dealings-needed-a-criminal-organization-deutsche-bank
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 01, 2019, 07:20:04 pm
Mueller’s Statement: Why is it Unconstitutional to Indict a Sitting President?

May 29, 2019

Mueller says a legal analysis of a DOJ Policy prevented him from charging the president. Professor Doug Colbert says one objective for Mueller was to put some distance between himself and Attorney General Barr’s representation of his report

https://youtu.be/2FtrvleqzKs

https://therealnews.com/stories/muellers-statement-why-is-it-unconstitutional-to-indict-a-sitting-president
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 03, 2019, 05:56:09 pm
Agelbert NOTE: With so many impeachable offenses being racked up by Mr. Trump, it is hard to keep up. :P

Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Arms Sales to (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Saudi Arabia: An Impeachable Offense?

June 2, 2019

Trump pulled an end run around Congress when he declared a national emergency letting him sell arms to Saudi Arabia. We speak to RootsAction's David Swanson about whether the move is an impeachable offense

https://youtu.be/Bx3aBJIwUQE

https://therealnews.com/stories/trumps-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia-an-impeachable-offense
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 08, 2019, 07:36:40 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)
It's the OLIGARCHY, stupid!

How Wealth Disparity Creates Lobbying & Political Corruption

https://youtu.be/e6-yYhJnQ8g

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Jun 7, 2019

Are the Republicans selling out the country for money? Purposefully not working to fight climate change because their big oil lobbyists are paying them to do exactly that?

How does income inequality impact our democracy, does wealth disparity create a lobbying and political corruption market?
 
And could ending income inequality and wealth disparity end political corruption?

➡️Please Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

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Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 08, 2019, 07:43:19 pm
Will Any 2020 Candidates Take on Military Industrial Complex?
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040817140651.png&hash=c43dc47dbb4ef892fb7c5680dba982b56fdad700)
https://youtu.be/O0ukQ2J6BNk

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Jun 6, 2019

Will the 2020 Presidential hopefuls address the bloated military budget? 

Friend of the show, Morris calls guest Host Jefferson Smith of XRay FM asking if military spending can be cut, if money used by the pentagon could be used instead to fix America's homeless problem 

Do you think cutting the military budge, and stopping the Military industrial complex to fix the homeless problem will work?

Is it a solution Eugene Debs could approve of?

Wanna read the article Morris cited in his question to Jefferson Smith?


Read it here

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/milita...

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Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 09, 2019, 11:53:15 am
Palmer Report » Analysis

James Sullivan | 6:04 pm EDT June 8, 2019

Donald Trump gives another middle finger to Puerto Rico (https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/puerto-rico-middle-finger-trump-don/18512/)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 09, 2019, 12:27:33 pm

Quote
Eva Balek 👍

I have come to wonder if there isn't more to these outlandish tariff threats by Trump. We know he is a crook and would sell his mother for his true passion, money. I think he and his chronies are using tariff threats to manipulate the stock market. His chronies would know when to buy and when to sell because Trump would be playing the market like a piano using tariff threats. Just a thought.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) Eva's logic is flawless.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/fraud-mexico-told-deal-trump/18523/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 11, 2019, 05:28:49 pm
(https://action.needtoimpeach.com/static/img/nti-logo-blue-red.svg)

First Mueller Report hearing, here's the rundown.

Yesterday's House Judiciary hearing confirmed what we already knew: if Trump 🦀 weren't president, he'd be in jail already.

https://youtu.be/2MZbcmz2Oc0

https://action.needtoimpeach.com/join/share/12495
Title: A Koch Real Estate Deal That Should Have Raised Red Flags At The IRS
Post by: AGelbert on June 21, 2019, 04:43:51 pm
Quote
As I tell my Syracuse University College of Law students, anti-corruption laws can end up fostering corruption because every legal sword can be fashioned into a legal shield. --  David Cay Johnston

(https://ui6lfrrydp-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DCR_logo_full-600x138-1.png)

A Real Estate Deal That Should Have Raised Red Flags At The IRS

Part 4: Bill Koch May Have Taken an Illegal Tax Deduction When He Overpaid for a Cape Cod Estate

By David Cay Johnston 👍👍👍, DC Report Editor-in-Chief

SNIPPET:

In this fourth installment of The Koch Papers, we’ll look at Bill Koch’s purchase of an estate to expand his Cape Cod vacation home and a deduction he then took on his personal income tax return. The case raises questions about the diligence of federal tax law enforcement and whether under the Trump administration the IRS shows favoritism to Trump supporters.

William Ingraham Koch wanted to expand his Cape Cod vacation home compound, a lavish estate where he hosted a 2016 campaign fundraiser for Donald Trump. The Florida billionaire, whose primary home is in Palm Beach six blocks from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, wanted the neighboring 26-acre estate so much that, The Koch Papers show, he paid more than twice the $29.5 million appraised value of the property.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

https://www.dcreport.org/2019/06/20/a-real-estate-deal-that-should-have-raised-red-flags-at-the-irs/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: Surly1 on June 21, 2019, 08:43:56 pm
Saw this.

DCReport is becoming indispensable.
Title: So, they just keep laying that pipeline, 499 feet at a time.
Post by: AGelbert on June 21, 2019, 11:07:47 pm
Saw this.

DCReport is becoming indispensable.


Agreed. I hope they do a story on the underhanded, but legal, technique that I was reminded of when I read this quote:

"As I tell my Syracuse University College of Law students, anti-corruption laws can end up fostering corruption because every legal sword can be fashioned into a legal shield." --  David Cay Johnston

The Oil Pipeline Lawyers for the North Dakota Hydrocarbon Hellspawn made sure to limit oil pipeline laying requests to only 499 feet of pipe at a time to the gooberment. That is because these clever bastards found that, for requests below 500 ft of oil pipeline, you do not have to submit an environmental impact statement. So, they just keep laying that pipeline, 499 feet at a time. You just cannot make this stuff up.

Daniel Sheehan took them to court but they are still gaming the system for profit over people, particularly indigenous people, and planet.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-F66PxaSGNyM%2FUsVwtcJMdRI%2FAAAAAAAA9uE%2F2t2MW9yYTrw%2Fs1600%2F11shark-lawyers.gif&hash=b50153c99ab6d382229dee759facb670ee9ead09)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-260217143301.png&hash=d9e2c205c423ed80cf612dbac84f6a589693ceea)

Title: FIBS = Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, Smear is the Trump Playbook he learned from Nixon
Post by: AGelbert on June 21, 2019, 11:14:19 pm
Trump Uses Nixon's Playbook: Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, Smear

https://youtu.be/ylJ9zaN-A64





Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Jun 21, 2019

The two presidents share a lot in common, including their secrets and even personal ties between Trump and Nixon.

Is that why Donald Trump is protecting Nixon's legacy?

Lamar Waldron and Thom Hartmann discuss how Trump is using the same tactics as Richard Nixon F.I.B.S.

Nixon and Watergate resulted in 70 court cases or other legal processes, but it took two years to remove Richard Nixon from office. Nixon crimes and Watergate burglar files are still being withheld, especially those featuring E. Howard Hunt, Roger Stone and others, are being stopped by Trump. Why is Trump protecting the legacy of Nixon?

Is Trump wanting fascism to keep his presidency alive?

How close is Trump to the Mafia mob? And then there is Trump and Russia. Where will this end?

#ThomAndLamarWaldron

➡️Please Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...
Title: Lincoln didn't fight the civil war to free the corporations
Post by: AGelbert on June 26, 2019, 07:17:19 pm
Lincoln didn't fight the civil war to free the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) corporations
35,012 views

https://youtu.be/GDtSSFEZY38

 Thom Hartmann at TEDxConcordiaUPortland

TEDx Talks

Published on May 9, 2014

Thom Hartmann is a progressive syndicated talk show host heard in over a half-billion homes worldwide. He's a New York Times best-selling, 4-time Project Censored Award-winning author of 24 books. One of his books sparked a national debate on ADD/ADHD and neurological differences ranging from giftedness to autism. Another book so inspired a U.S. Senator that he delivered copies of the book to his 99 colleagues in the Senate and read from it extensively on the floor of the Senate.

Thom has spent much of his life working with and for the relief organization, Salem International. He and his wife Louise also founded a community for abused children in New Hampshire, as well as a school for learning disabled and ADHD kids. A Michigan native with strong ties to the Midwest—but currently living on a boat in Washington D.C.—Hartmann is an inveterate traveler and occasional risk-taker and has often found himself in the world's hot spots during pivotal moments in history.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Category Nonprofits & Activism

It's the FASCISM, stupid!
(https://images.dailykos.com/images/604450/story_image/NO45-1024x1024.jpg?1540657700)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 26, 2019, 07:50:18 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100718164155-14511755.jpeg&hash=1c62dd0525852ffbbcbc7f2459189db15d6435c6)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-010319144633.png&hash=290b550d0c55f2244e94fdab3349beb3452bec0f)


Will 😈🦕🦖💵🎩🍌🏴 Republicans Cease to Exist? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)

https://youtu.be/GUN3s02jf5s

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Jun 24, 2019

After supporting the Donald Trump presidency, will the Republican Party cease to exist or will it be brought down with the Trump administration?



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Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on June 27, 2019, 04:33:48 pm
 
(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/7Iwt1Obw1A9OF4rmgyl-UYRo4MEJDf68gFtbGNW6JHUtpykjdICNc8oASCFbrYsucF5Fg17XbLG86FfHFO8yE4EkX6gjGVlOvmRAD7s5dGscLlHcisQ_pzhkscbiV_-D4oBdJi6nkSe_a2el9qT1VJhzoNSsAEZvHHg=s0-d-e1-ft#https://gallery.mailchimp.com/d1f5797e59060083034310930/images/2f11cead-050f-4018-bfed-c12fb45691e5.png)
Make Nexus Hot News part of your morning: click here (http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa) to subscribe.

July 27, 2019  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132422-1692935.gif&hash=94922268ae283c7009e29067ba89220f466726ec)

How'd the debate go?, swampy 🦖 air chief out, & more (https://mailchi.mp/climatenexus/howd-the-debate-go-swampy-air-chief-out-more?e=0fd17c5b57)
Title: Watch the film the Israel lobby didn’t want you to see
Post by: AGelbert on July 02, 2019, 08:14:20 pm
Watch the film the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Israel lobby didn’t want you to see

The Electronic Intifada 2 November 2018

Episode 1 of 4
https://youtu.be/3lSjXhMUVKE


Watch Episode 2 (that one covers, in detail, how U.S. politicians are bought) at the link below (you will also find a link there to Episodes 3 and 4). Also, learn about who banned these videos and why. 👀

https://electronicintifada.net/content/watch-film-israel-lobby-didnt-want-you-see/25876
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 05, 2019, 07:50:32 pm
Is US Democracy Dying a Slow and Barely Visible Death?
19,960 views

https://youtu.be/J8Bsxd4EMpo

The Real News Network
Published on Jul 3, 2019

Ret. Col. Larry Wilkerson examines the dangers that Republican efforts to abridge voting rights and that Trump’s racist and violent exhortations represent to US democracy

Subscribe to our page and support our work at https://therealnews.com/donate.

Category News & Politics
Title: Why Aren't Americans Proud to be American Anymore?
Post by: AGelbert on July 08, 2019, 06:42:32 pm
Agelbert answer:(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-16881856.gif&hash=ef5bd30cec7a50a81f3507f9bd328189dead7aa2)   It's the INCREASING, instead of decreasing, Profit Over People and Panet, STUPID!

Why Aren't Americans Proud to be American Anymore?
https://youtu.be/599uA_-zTn0

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Jul 5, 2019

Fox News asked Why aren't Americans proud to be Americans anymore and the responses are stunning?

Is it  Donald Trump?

The treatment of people at our southern border? 

Are you still proud to be an American or has Donald Trump made you feel less proud?


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Category News & Politics
Title: Do Republicans Believe in Democracy?
Post by: AGelbert on July 08, 2019, 07:56:32 pm
Do (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Republicans Believe in Democracy?
6,796 views

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-200419205434.png&hash=f935da2cb5d2746b1d817ec9a4feb3a04f3f8075)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-010215143525.png&hash=5bd7bd57f7d770273b7d73d29697fe3a0cc11e8f)


https://youtu.be/gF_VfyruAgg

Thom Hartmann Program

Published on Jul 3, 2019

Has the Republican Party become a faction of the the Billionaires, the reactionary rural poor with racial anxieties and christian fundamentalists?

Nixon started it with the Southern strategy and Reagan brought in the Billionaires, but even the Southern Strategy wasn't enough to win elections. 

Instead, the Republican Party went to gerrymandering, crosscheck and changing the outcomes of elections.

Is the Republican party officially the party of the morbidly rich?  even at the price of Democracy?


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Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on July 16, 2019, 06:36:52 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591)

Rep. Ilhan Omar (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-16442135.gif&hash=52927992b43007fa5c5eb6ffcb453ae29948c356) Vows to Hold Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Accountable (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smiley-lol.com%2Fsmiley%2Fexagerent%2Fpolice%2Fenprison.gif&hash=4912c6e4685052e7a6084b2d6740020437d7dae4) for His Crimes

(https://truthout.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2019_0716-ilhan-omar-1200x839.jpg)
Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks at an event outside the U.S. Capitol, April 30, 2019, in Washington, D.C.
WIN MCNAMEE / GETTY IMAGES

BY Jake Johnson, Common Dreams

PUBLISHED July 16, 2019

Shortly after joining fellow members of “the Squad” at a press conference condemning President Donald Trump’s racist attacks, Rep. Ilhan Omar said during an interview on MSNBC Monday night that she and her progressive colleagues will not allow the president’s abusive and dangerous rhetoric to distract from efforts to hold him accountable and pursue a bold alternative agenda.

“We’re going to make sure that not only do we resist him,” said Omar, “but that we insist on furthering policies that are going to guarantee healthcare for people, that are going to provide the proper education that they need, that is going to make sure they are not forever shackled with student debt, that is going to provide the kind of housing that is proper, that is going to take care of our veterans, our disabled, and our most vulnerable, which is our children, and our elderly.”

Omar, a Minnesota Democrat and Somali refugee, has been the target of some of the most vile abuse hurled by the president in recent days. As Common Dreams reported Monday, Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-080419191019.png&hash=a449294ee6fe2dfdea44c1c501f4439b9ac69c26) told reporters on the White House lawn that Omar “hates Jews” and speaks “about how wonderful al-Qaeda is.”(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)

During the Monday evening press conference, Omar refused to dignify such lies with a response.

The Minnesota congresswoman echoed this sentiment on MSNBC Monday night and said she will seize the “opportunity to really talk about what the direction for this country should look like.”

“He’s called on us to go back and fight corruption and fight these countries that have worse leaders and inept leaders. Well, we are living in one,” Omar said. “He is that president. He is corrupt. He is the worst president we’ve had. He is inept and we are going to call him out for it, and we’re going to hold him accountable.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) Omar went on to call for Trump’s impeachment, saying he has “committed high crimes and misdemeanors.”

“It’s about time that we start the process and impeach this president,” said Omar. “We are as members of Congress doing the work that will get us the country we all deserve, one that is truly functioning for all of us, one that sees and values every single person in it.”

Quote
Watch:

We’re not just here to respond to the President’s tweets.

We’re here to hold him fully accountable for his crimes and put forward a bold progressive agenda for this country. 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/3DP3ip4hf5

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 16, 2019

https://truthout.org/articles/rep-ilhan-omar-vows-to-hold-trump-accountable-for-his-crimes/

TD ORIGINALS

JUL 15, 2019 | TD ORIGINALS 

By Natasha Hakimi Zapata —  As the daughter of Iranian and Mexican immigrants, the president’s racist attacks on four congresswomen of color have struck me to my core. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/6wiiFwL8vy_2G_bPWu_EsGHv8-5QiwCCdioPaqf5y8vzelA0dLkATY6xQAzO2ZsLE-YU5Cz1HrLOzIO20OShliS49G-5EmROTDNfWXxZqAABltCBECKenUVF-oTB88zVADN8_4CCbHcWnEY_mIg=s0-d-e1-ft#https://www.truthdig.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/AP_19196814281185-1-750x500-750x500.jpg)
I Know What It’s Like to Be Told to ‘Go Back’ to My Own Country (https://www.truthdig.com/articles/i-know-what-its-like-to-be-told-to-go-back-to-my-own-country/)

https://youtu.be/R_8uNAFfDG8
Title: Robert Reich: How Corporate Welfare hurts YOU
Post by: AGelbert on July 17, 2019, 04:32:49 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Check out how much Corporate Welfare we-the-people are coerced to hand out to the 🦕🦖 Hydrocarbon Fuels 😈 "Industry" Crooks and Liars.

Robert Reich: How Corporate Welfare
 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78)Hurts (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) YOU
32,086 views

https://youtu.be/8Qq8LQqT_bw
👍
Robert Reich 👍👍👍

Published on Jul 16, 2019

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich explains the policies that line the pockets of corporations while hurting ordinary Americans.
Watch More: The Truth of Privatization ►►
https://youtu.be/0wYHRWo2Ins

Category News & Politics

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)
Title: Senator Jeff Merkley Decides Not to Run but Has Bigger Plans
Post by: AGelbert on July 17, 2019, 11:34:47 pm
(https://media.gq.com/photos/5852d4728ba341a6292b9034/16:9/w_1280,c_limit/mitch-mcconnell-satan.jpg)
Fascist Mitch McConnel

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) Senator Jeff Merkley Wants Every 2020 Candidate to Answer THIS Question! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)
1,773 views

https://youtu.be/lZyDL_UxGRA

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Jul 12, 2019

Senator Jeff Merkley wants every American to get involved and get out there and he wants every 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidate to answer this one question

What's your answer to Jeff's question and what do you imagine the responses from the Democratic presidential candidates will be?

📽️ WATCH NEXT: Jeff Merkley Decides Not to Run but Has Bigger Plans
https://youtu.be/JsTA3y7QJnE


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The Thom Hartmann Program is the leading progressive political talk radio show for political news and comments about Government politics, be it Liberal or Conservative, plus special guests and callers

#MoreFromThom

✔ Amazon links are affiliate links
Category News & Politics
Title: Former Congressman Wants to Testify Against 😈 John Boehner's Crimes
Post by: AGelbert on July 19, 2019, 08:26:40 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) Former Congressman (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) Wants to Testify Against (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) John Boehner's Crimes
4,217 views

https://youtu.be/G5yrDb4bIXw

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Jul 18, 2019

Congressman Bob Ney wants to testify before congress on the crimes of John Boehner and tells Thom Hartmann he would do it tomorrow!


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Category News & Politics
Title: Zio-Pedo Probe: Did Estée Lauder Heir Facilitate Jeffrey Epstein's Mysterious Passport?
Post by: AGelbert on July 20, 2019, 10:55:19 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-200719225841.jpeg)

Zio-Pedo Probe: Did Estée Lauder Heir Facilitate Jeffrey Epstein's Mysterious Passport?
28,898 views

https://youtu.be/d6akkm5QRHk

TruNews

Streamed live on Jul 19, 2019

Today on TRUNEWS we continue the discussion about Jeffrey Epstein’s mysterious Austrian passport, and how former U.S. Ambassador Ronald Lauder may have used his deep connections to help coverup an international Mossad child sex blackmailing operation. We also detail the ramifications of Iran’s alleged confiscation of two British oil tankers, and how this potential act of war could start a new international conflict. Rick Wiles, Edward Szall, Doc Burkhart, Kerry Kinsey. Airdate: July 19, 2019

#TRUNEWS #TRUMP #EsteeLauder

Title: Hundreds of Thousands to Protest as Puerto Rico Governor Refuses to Resign
Post by: AGelbert on July 22, 2019, 07:30:00 pm
(https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/bMi5K4CDjFlORKNzbtb8lit774Y1msNFvqsbSgXnjuUWN_dpHltajASyKjxYyLW_EG-St1vg9JhrJR1vAL8SwjJmNeDervxCdhNS7cu1ZyWAx3J0=s0-d-e1-ft#https://truthout.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/truthout_logo.jpg)

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019

Hundreds of Thousands to Protest as Puerto Rico (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201903.png&hash=f7b1f3e1f363fe16e0e17f9c2d82b60fa83b8731) Governor (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201722.png&hash=5299cc10ee42beae76e4d3b7c79dbf5f4c0addac)
 Refuses to Resign

JAKE JOHNSON, COMMON DREAMS

As mass street protests demanding his immediate resignation intensified over the weekend, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo 😈 Rosselló stepped down as head of his party on Sunday and announced he will not seek re-election in 2020 -- but stopped short of leaving his post.

Read the Article →

https://truthout.org/articles/hundreds-of-thousands-to-protest-as-puerto-rico-governor-refuses-to-resign/

Title: Proof Donald Trump Conspired to Violate Campaign Finance Laws
Post by: AGelbert on July 22, 2019, 11:32:21 pm
Proof Donald Trump Conspired to Violate Campaign Finance Laws
4,199 views

https://youtu.be/gZOjNuUBmeg

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Jul 19, 2019

Is it time to impeach Donald Trump? 

Proof that Donald Trump has conspired to violate campaign Finance laws is now available

Will this help Nancy Pelosi get enough votes in the house to start impeachment proceedings?


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Category News & Politics

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200117112553.png&hash=ba1663916552c8f166ff86d2dabbb356a693bc54)
Title: The Most Important Moment in Robert Mueller's Testimony!
Post by: AGelbert on July 25, 2019, 10:18:01 pm
The Most Important Moment in Robert Mueller's Testimony! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185040-1659929.gif&hash=0a9ca0c1f083655b821cbf024422e55e009a6d8d)
8,230 view

https://youtu.be/1bb8wtGK-uM

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Jul 24, 2019

Did Robert Mueller lay the groundwork for charging Donald Trump after his presidency?

Jefferson Smith filling in for Thom Hartmann plays the single most important part of Mueller's testimony today that could pave the way for impeachment and even criminal charges against Donald Trump! 

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Category News & Politics
Title: Puerto Rico's Fight Agains Police Repression Continues
Post by: AGelbert on July 26, 2019, 07:37:33 pm
(https://truthout.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2019_0726-puerto-rico-protest-1200x800.jpg)
Protesters demonstrate near a police barricade on a street leading to the governor's mansion on July 24, 2019, in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES

Rosselló's Gone, But Puerto Rico's Fight Against Police Repression Continues

PUBLISHED July 26, 2019

MARISOL LEBRÓN AND MARI MARI NARVÁEZ, TRUTHOUT

Demonstrators seeking the resignation of Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló have been met with daily violence from Puerto Rican police, who have used tear gas, rubber bullets, unlawful detention and harassment to discourage nonviolent political protest. These actions are part of a long and brutal history of repression at the hands of police on that island. For the demonstrators, Rosselló's departure is only the beginning of the changes they are demanding.

Read the Article → (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

https://truthout.org/articles/rossellos-gone-but-puerto-ricos-fight-against-police-repression-continues/
Title: Epstein and the Explosive Crisis of the Deep State
Post by: AGelbert on July 28, 2019, 07:47:37 pm
Quote
The upstarts in the Deep State have united to declare open war on the degenerates and their enablers, who are everywhere in the Deep State: the media, the intelligence community, and on and on. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718204530.gif&hash=2e7c5022efc700a555c2e328644b7448b6dda789)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200415182528.png&hash=5d93c84b5a4e9e43a375761a6d1af5dde083ea6c)

👹 Epstein and the Explosive 💥 Crisis of the Deep State

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Charles Hugh Smith

SNIPPET:

I have long held that there is a camp within the Deep State that grasps the end-game of Neocon globalism, and is busy assembling a competing nation-centric strategy. There is tremendous resistance to the abandonment of Neocon globalism, not just from those who see power slipping through their fingers but from all those firmly committed to the hubris of a magical faith in past success as the guarantor of future success.

Michael Grant described this complacent clinging to what’s failed in his excellent account  The Fall of the Roman Empire (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760769990?ie=UTF8&tag=charleshughsm-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0760769990), a short book I have been recommending since 2009:

There was no room at all, in these ways of thinking, for the novel, apocalyptic situation which had now arisen, a situation which needed solutions as radical as itself. (The Status Quo) attitude is a complacent acceptance of things as they are, without a single new idea.

This acceptance was accompanied by greatly excessive optimism about the present and future. Even when the end was only sixty years away, and the Empire was already crumbling fast, Rutilius continued to address the spirit of Rome with the same supreme assurance.


This blind adherence to the ideas of the past ranks high among the principal causes of the downfall of Rome. If you were sufficiently lulled by these traditional fictions, there was no call to take any practical first-aid measures at all.

The faction within the Deep State that no longer accepts traditional fictions is gaining ground, and now another fracture in the Deep State is coming to the fore: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201302.png&hash=1e849526e5e1fde614fb21346869666fd34fa3dd)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201722.png&hash=5299cc10ee42beae76e4d3b7c79dbf5f4c0addac) the traditionalists who accept the systemic corruption of self-serving elites and those who have finally awakened to the 💣 mortal danger to the nation posed by (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) amoral self-serving elites.

The debauchery of morals undermines the legitimacy of the state and thus of the entire power structure. As I recently noted in Following in Rome’s Footsteps: Moral Decay, Rising Inequality (https://www.oftwominds.com/blogjune19/romes-footsteps6-19.html) (June 29, 2019), America’s current path of moral decay and soaring wealth/power inequality is tracking Rome’s collapse step for step.

Enter the sordid case of Jeffrey Epstein, suddenly unearthed after a decade of corporate-media/elitist suppression. It’s laughable to see the corporate media’s pathetic attempts to glom onto the case now, after actively suppressing it for decades: Jeffrey Epstein Was a Sex Offender. The Powerful Welcomed Him Anyway.  (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/13/nyregion/jeffrey-epstein-new-york-elite.html)(New York Times) Where was the NYT a decade ago, or five years ago, or even a year ago? >:(

Of all the questions that are arising, the signal one is simply: why now? There are many questions, now that the dead-and-buried case has been dug up: where did Epstein get his fortune? Why did he return to the U.S. from abroad, knowing he’d be arrested? Why was the Miami Herald suddenly able to publish numerous articles exposing the scandalous suppression of justice after 11 years of silence? Years later, victims recount impact of Jeffrey Epstein abuse (https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article232636792.html).

Here’s my outsider’s take: the anti-Neocon camp within the Deep State observed the test case of Harvey Weinstein and saw an opportunity to apply what it learned.

Full article: 👀
https://washingtonsblog.com/2019/07/epstein-and-the-explosive-crisis-of-the-deep-state.html
Title: Going Beyond Impeachment to Get to Real Democracy
Post by: AGelbert on July 29, 2019, 09:24:19 pm
Going Beyond Impeachment to Get to Real Democracy
1,891 views

https://youtu.be/K9HGOl_QldQ

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Jul 26, 2019

Is impeachment too small a goal for the growing progressive movement in the United States?

Or should we set our sights not just at impeaching Donald Trump but fixing some of our nation's deep-rooted problems?

Jefferson Smith filling in for Thom Hartmann, thinks that our problems go further than Donald Trump, do you agree?

What would you aim for if you could lead the progressive politics of the United States?

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Category News & Politics
Title: Trump’s 🦀 Attack on Baltimore and Rep. Cummings Are 2020 Campaign Warning Shots
Post by: AGelbert on July 30, 2019, 03:00:28 pm
Trump’s 🦀 Attack on Baltimore and Rep. Cummings Are 2020 Campaign Warning Shots
July 29, 2019

Baltimore City Councilman Zeke Cohen responds not only to Trump but looks at why America's Baltimores exist and how you fight back and respond politicall

https://youtu.be/v3xPzF1JAdY

Story Transcript

MARC STEINER Welcome to The Real News Network. I’m Marc Steiner. Good to have you all with us.

Over the weekend, my wife came up with this name, two names actually— Elijah and Ratso— describing the events that began with these Trump tweets. It struck me that Elijah Cummings, son of sharecroppers who imbued their children with the American dream, going to college, believing in this democracy whose reality for them was oppression and terrorism against the black community, were the real Americans. The ones who represent the best of who we are. Ratso is the man in the White House, given millions by his racist father who was mocked by Woody Guthrie, who represents all that is the worst within us. But what is the real Baltimore and how does the Trumpian debasement of our city figure into the plan, his plans to be re-elected? What’s this really all about? And we’re going to talk about that and more and this city with Baltimore City Councilman Zeke Cohen, who represents the 1st District, which is on the east side of this town. And those of you around the country and world who don’t know where that is, that’s not important. But, Zeke, welcome. Good to have you with us.

ZEKE COHEN Thank you. It’s good to be here.

MARC STEINER So let me begin this way. You know, when you— What really struck me is how deep this goes to the heart of both human emotions and race and racism and what it does to people. Let me play this first clip here. And this first clip is from a news anchor at CNN who was born and raised in Baltimore, Victor Blackwell. And let’s watch this for a moment.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN NEWS ANCHOR The president says about Congressman Cummings’s district that “no human would want to live there.” You know who did, Mr. President? I did from the day I was brought home from the hospital, to the day I left for college. And a lot of people I care about still do. There are challenges, no doubt. But people are proud of their community. I don’t want to sound self-righteous. But people get up and go to work there. They care for their families there. They love their children who pledge allegiance to the flag just like people who live in districts of congressmen who support you, sir. They are Americans too.

MARC STEINER So that really struck me when I saw just how emotional that was and on the heels of this, of Trump’s tweet, “Why is so much money being sent to the Elijah Cummings district when it’s considered the worst run and most dangerous anywhere in the United States? No human being would want to live there. Where is all this money going? How much is stolen? Investigate this corrupt mess immediately!” Trump tweets. It’s a real dichotomy here. So I’m curious, Zeke, just  for you to weigh in here. You represent a very multiracial district.

ZEKE COHEN Yes.

MARC STEINER Mostly white, multiracial, Latinos, blacks, white folks, some of the new younger people moving in, young professionals. It’s a really mixed community.

ZEKE COHEN Right.

MARC STEINER What affected you by all this? How did you react to it? And what did the people say to you that you represent?

ZEKE COHEN Yeah. So you know, let me begin by saying that I’m also one of those people who has chosen to spend my life in Baltimore. This is a city that I was not born in, but they really adopted me. They took me in and it has made me the human and the person and the man that I am. It’s where I fell in love with my wife. It’s where I had my child. It’s where I feel incredibly proud to be raising a baby who is a product of a multiracial marriage. And so, I think what President Trump does when he tweets that we are rodent and rat-infested and that no human would choose to live here, is I think he’s tapping into a really deep and really old well of hatred and bigotry and dehumanization that’s been used. I mean, the trope is not new. It was used — it was deployed against us as Jews, calling us rats and rodents and vermin. The, sort of, same choice was used against Tutsis during the genocide in Rwanda.

To me, it is a really dangerous and alarming first move to dehumanize people and to draw an us versus them. And I think the president assumes that this can be a rallying call to his base and that it can really rile up some folks too who also share in his dislike of predominantly black cities. But my fundamental belief is that it will not work. The fundamental decency of Baltimore and Representative Cummings, who I consider a hero and a mentor of mine, will win out. And this country will prove to be better than what this president is, I would say, effectively deploying against his own countrymen.

MARC STEINER So you said that you don’t think it’ll be effective and I’m going to talk about that in a minute or two. But I mean, this, we are at a—We’re living in a city that clearly has a lot of issues of deindustrialization and poverty and those things run very deep.

ZEKE COHEN Yeah.

MARC STEINER You know, one of the things that struck me when I watch this, I remember the article that ProPublica published in 2017, I think it was, where they talked about his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. His 9,000 homes, whatever it is that he owns in Baltimore and rents, are the very ones that are rat-infested.

ZEKE COHEN Yes.

MARC STEINER I’d love to be able to say to Trump, “What about your son-in-law? How many rats live in the homes that he owns in this city and other cities in this country?” How do you get to the bottom of that? How do you use that to raise consciousness and fight back?

ZEKE COHEN That’s right. And I think he is profiting off of the very misery that his son-in-law—He is politically profiting off of the same misery that his son-in-law has financially and economically profited off of. The creation of slum dwellings, what Alec MacGillis in that piece called “Kushnervilles,” where we have folks living in essentially tenement conditions with not only rats and rodents, but mold and lead and all sorts of other uninhabitable conditions. Just the irony, the cruel hypocrisy of this man wielding the conditions that his own family helped to create as a cudgel against our city I think is astounding. But I think that there is also a danger in, sort of, the impulse toward civic boosterism, which I think is important and I think we should stand up and celebrate our city.

But at the same time, we shouldn’t use this as an opportunity to minimize the pain that so many communities, particularly communities of color, really are feeling in Baltimore— the generational poverty, the white supremacist public policies, like redlining, like the War on Drugs, like mass incarceration. The pain is real in our city. And I don’t think that we who love Baltimore should, sort of, try to tweet ourselves out of this or create some hashtag in order to say we’re not the thing that the president says we are. I think that we need to define ourselves and we need to do the work of really confronting the types of policies and the types of slum landlords like Mr. Kushner that still inhabit so much of our city.

I think one point that sometimes gets left out is that Jared Kushner isn’t the only slum landlord in Baltimore who’s profiting of misery. We have tons of them. I have them in my district where folks in Bayview, in Highlandtown have multiple families, usually immigrant families, living sometimes four or five to a room, who are not doing any sort of upkeep, who are not taking care of their property, who still have lead and mold. And so, while I think Trump gives us just a vile sort of example of someone to resist against, I also think we need to look internally and think about the policies that we as a city have deployed, and where we are, and not just gloss over and pretend like West Baltimore and East Baltimore aren’t suffering.

MARC STEINER I absolutely could agree with that and I want to play this one piece before we conclude. And this is Rush Limbaugh on Fox News and I think it goes to the heart of what you’re saying about how you respond to this. Let’s look at this. This is an important piece for us to watch.

RUSH LIMBAUGH This is what you get if you elect Democrats and there’s no opposition. There’s no pushback. There’s no balance of power. This is exactly what it—Because the Democrats want people in need. The Democrats need people unable to provide for themselves. The Democrats need a permanent underclass of people that are incapable of self-reliance. And so these situations are allowed to fester. The Democrats get to claim that they are compassionate and that they care, but they never do anything that actually improves the quality of the lives of their constituents. Their constituency is unhappy today as they were 50 years ago. The Democrats take every one of these minority groups votes for granted and it’s about time somebody pushed back against the real human misery that results from unchecked, Democrat leftist control and power.

MARC STEINER All right, so I want to focus on two quick things here before we have to go. A, is what he said. This to me is, A, the argument they’ll be using in this election: If you want America to look like a rat-infested Baltimore, vote the Democrats who don’t care about people of color in this country. And the second part of that question is, how do you fight back against that? It seems to me in some ways have the Democrats lost their ability to fight, to respond, and not just tweet?

ZEKE COHEN Right. Yes. So you know, I think to begin with, it’s worth acknowledging that we actually have a Republican Governor who through his public policies has slashed funding for mass transit— the East-West Red Line that was a big $3 billion investment in truly like a transit-challenged city— who’s cut funding for education, for youth jobs, for **** kits. So I think it’s important to situate that we do have a Republican Governor in the State of Maryland who is very powerful. But this is not a partisan thing because I do think that Democrats have not always served this city well either. It was under a Democratic mayoral administration that we mass incarcerated over 100,000 of our citizens, that we fought and lost the failed War on Drugs. Democrats have often participated in policies that have harmed working-class and poor black and brown people in some ways just as much as Republicans. So I really don’t think it’s about partisanship or party.

I think it’s about what kind of a city do we want to live in and what are the policies that can get us to a Baltimore where everybody— not just my family, but every family— feels proud to be here. And to me that’s about prioritizing racial equity. President Brandon Scott has a racial equity bill that we passed that’s about identifying and grappling with the trauma that so many of our children and families face. We know that 56% of kids in Baltimore have experienced one or more major trauma. It’s why I’m proud to be working on the Baltimore Trauma Responsive Care Act, a law that will actually make us a trauma responsive city. We need to prioritize affordable housing. Councilman Bullock just did a big bill to charge a surcharge on development to fund our affordable housing trust fund. I really think it’s a time where we need to put up in a big way. And when we say, “We stand for Baltimore,” that has to really mean something. That has to mean we stand for our black and brown communities that have long been left off the map as our city has moved forward.

MARC STEINER So very quickly because you have to run and you have a press conference coming up. You got to get out of here and we have to end this anyhow. But I’m curious, very quickly, how you translate that to the national campaign? I mean, you are a Democrat. You’re part of the Democratic Party. There’s going to be a battle coming up in 2020 for who’s the next president. What happens in the next four years is critical to this country. So how do you translate what you said into a pushback and build in this election coming up? What do you think?

ZEKE COHEN Yeah. So I think first off, it cannot be about soundbites, it cannot be about sort of meaningless tweets, and it can’t just be defining ourselves as not Trump because I think that’s the—That was part of the mistake that the Hillary Clinton campaign made was that they didn’t really have a message. They didn’t—I wasn’t clear, and I paid pretty close attention, what the vision was and I think that we need an affirmative positive vision that again really prioritizes our base, which is working-class people, which is black and brown people, which are the same immigrant communities that President Trump has relentlessly attacked in my district in southeast Baltimore. I think that through policy— not just through words and soundbites and tweets— we need to define — redefine ourselves as a party. And that’s what I’m looking for in the national presidential election, is who is serious about pushing back on behalf of our most vulnerable and marginalized citizens and community members in this country. Because that’s who I’m going to stand with on election day.

MARC STEINER We’ve been talking with Zeke Cohen. Zeke Cohen is the 1st District Councilman here in Baltimore. This is a companion piece really to the one done by my colleague, Taya Graham, with Dr. Lawrence Brown as we look at these Trump tweets about this city that we broadcast from and what they mean. Thank you for joining us, Zeke. Thank you for being with us. Appreciate you taking the time.

ZEKE COHEN Honored to be with you, Marc.

MARC STEINER Good to have you here. And I’m Marc Steiner here of The Real News Network. Thank you all for joining us. Please let us know what you think. Take care.

https://therealnews.com/stories/trumps-attack-on-baltimore-and-rep-cummings-are-2020-campaign-warning-shots
Title: Our new ad drills home the moment Robert Mueller tells Congress NO -- he did NOT exonerate Trump.
Post by: AGelbert on July 30, 2019, 05:07:26 pm
Our new ad drills home the moment Robert Mueller tells Congress NO -- he did NOT exonerate (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59) Trump.

https://youtu.be/-eCB9YwteBg

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/pccc_ad_mueller
Title: Joe Biden Proves That There’s Nothing Moderate About 'Moderates'
Post by: AGelbert on August 02, 2019, 08:26:52 pm
TruthDig

AUG 01, 2019

Joe 👹 Biden Proves That There’s Nothing Moderate About (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) 'Moderates'

By Norman Solomon —  If Joe Biden is a “moderate,” the adjective obscures grim realities

Read more (https://www.truthdig.com/articles/joe-biden-proves-that-theres-nothing-moderate-about-moderates/)

Agelbert COMMENT: Most of those Crooks and Liars trying to pass as "Democratic Candidates for President" are corporate bullshit artists positioned there for the express purpose of reducing the microphone time of Senator Sanders AND watering down his message with anti-Sanders defamation and right wing scaremongering hyperbole.

As the article here clearly states, Biden is NOT a "moderate" unless you think supporting the MURDEROUS government funded status quo that is trashing the biosphere, perpetuating wars and Corporate Welfare Queen HANDOUTS on behalf of the  🦕🦖 Hydrocarbon Hellspawn (and other MIC PARASITIC bastards) "profits", society impoverishing, inequality enhancing, and Wall Street babying is "moderate".

The Democratic Party is trying to undermine Senator Sanders. Don't let them get away with it. DEMAND that Sanders (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-16442135.gif&hash=52927992b43007fa5c5eb6ffcb453ae29948c356) be given 5 TIMES the air time as anybody else in that crowd of disguised Republicans. He has EARNED IT. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

Those SAME media outlets gave Trump BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF FREE TIME in 2016! Don't believe any BULLSHIT about "costs" from those corporate media BASTARDS!

Doubling Down: The Military, Big Bankers and Big Oil Are Not In Climate Denial, They Are in Control and Plan to Keep It That Way. (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/hydrocarbon-industry-skullduggery/hydrocarbon-crooks-evil-actions/msg12839/#msg12839)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 02, 2019, 09:31:42 pm
What 2020 Presidential Election Reveals about Our Democracy :(
2,664 views

https://youtu.be/4JxnnLlSCTQ

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Jul 31, 2019

The 2020 Election and the fact that Donald Trump is president currently, says a lot about how our democracy is functioning.

And so far, no one is talking about voting rights.

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Category News & Politics
Title: 📢 SIGN NOW: TELL CONGRESS: WE MUST EXPAND AND PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY, NOT DESTROY IT
Post by: AGelbert on August 03, 2019, 01:35:29 pm
Agelbert NOTE: I signed. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

(https://actionnetwork.org/user_files/user_files/000/010/176/original/SocialSecurityWorks-Logo.gif)

📢 SIGN NOW: TELL CONGRESS: WE MUST EXPAND AND PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY, NOT DESTROY IT

(https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/petitions/photos/000/140/633/original/Koch.jpg)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F780_9adc777a0e08428257b76ece69d18ee52006bb5e39d60d966bb2440d29d17641.jpeg&hash=4d8f2f9ea7b952c63ad0441a4619e9b370ddcb0a)

The 🦕🦖 Koch Brothers are gearing up for another attack on Social Security.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300614160245.gif&hash=26cf0af4ea082bdb608bb7b2656d54ec7199969b) Sign our petition (https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-now-tell-congress-we-must-expand-and-protect-social-security-not-destroy-it/)to tell Congress “Expand, don't privatize Social Security!”

At a time of increasing income and wealth inequality, disappearing pensions and unstable 401(k)s, Social Security is more important than ever for retirees, children, surviving spouses, veterans and people with disabilities.

We must stand together to immediately stamp out all efforts to privatize, cut, and destroy Social Security.

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-now-tell-congress-we-must-expand-and-protect-social-security-not-destroy-it/



Title: Why Puerto Rico is America's Fantasy Island
Post by: AGelbert on August 07, 2019, 07:38:20 pm
Why Puerto Rico is America's Fantasy Island
1,168 views

https://youtu.be/fXPpHpdRfiU

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Aug 6, 2019

A crucial, clear-eyed accounting of Puerto Rico's 122 years as a colony of the US.

Two years after Hurricane María, Puerto Rico is still reeling from the storm's physical destruction and the ensuing infrastructure collapse. The devastation compounded the harmful effects of over a century of exploitative US economic, political, and social policies, including the trauma inflicted by its $72 billion debt crisis.

In Fantasy Island, Ed Morales traces how, over the years, Puerto Rico has served as a colonial satellite, a Cold War Caribbean showcase, a dumping ground for US manufactured goods, and a corporate tax shelter. He also shows how it has become a blank canvas for mercenary experiments in disaster capitalism on the front lines of climate change, hamstrung by internal political corruption and the US federal government's prioritization of outside financial interests.

Taking readers from San Juan to New York City and back to his family's home in the Luquillo Mountains, Morales shows us the machinations of financial and political interests in both the US and Puerto Rico, and the resistance efforts of Puerto Rican artists and activists. Through it all, he emphasizes that the only way to stop Puerto Rico from being bled dry is to let Puerto Ricans take control of their own destiny, going beyond the statehood-commonwealth-independence debate to complete decolonization.

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Category News & Politics
Title: Puerto Rico gets third 🐍 governor in a week, braces for more turmoil
Post by: AGelbert on August 08, 2019, 05:13:41 pm
THINKPROGRESS

aUGUST 8, 2019

Puerto Rico gets third 🐍 governor in a week, braces for more (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-190119153601.gif&hash=336ba78f7f18ff5829ef3722f89b4258d2315284) turmoil

Wanda Vázquez, who had been the justice secretary, was sworn in as Puerto Rico’s new governor on Wednesday despite initially saying she was not interested in the post. Her policies are seen as being the same as those of former Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, who was forced to resign after weeks of protests on the island of 3.2 million people.

The man Rosselló had chosen as his successor, Pedro Pierluis, was disqualified when Puerto Rico’s highest court decided unanimously that he had been placed in the job unconstitutionally, without Senate confirmation.

Vázquez might not last long in the position, as some key players — including Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz — have already declared their support for others to fill the role.

Full article:

https://thinkprogress.org/puerto-rico-gets-its-third-governor-in-a-week-braces-for-more-turmoil-ab0ad199de3c/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-071117175342.jpeg&hash=ac6ea3788a581a5a6111d7143ed677cfdf6c2c5b)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 08, 2019, 05:24:49 pm
THINKPROGRESS

CASEY MICHEL AUG 8, 2019, 10:48 AM

SNIPPET:

The German bank is at the heart of ongoing questions pertaining to Trump Organization financing: It had issued loans to the Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Organization when all other financial institutions refused. Deutsche Bank was recently outed as a key player in a massive, $20-billion Russian money laundering scheme, and questions remain about where it got the capital to help finance Trump’s previous projects.

Read more: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

 
Banks just handed over documents that may be related to Trump’s 🦀 financial ties to Russia (https://thinkprogress.org/major-banks-just-gave-investigators-documents-relating-to-trump-russia-b794b2a62de1/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tp-letters)
Title: How 🦍 Cowboys & 😈 Capitalism are Ruining the American West
Post by: AGelbert on August 08, 2019, 08:51:33 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-161218193528.png&hash=638de94da4704f04462bf03a8a6af48a526382b3)

How 🦍 Cowboys & 😈 Capitalism are Ruining the American West
1,943 views

https://youtu.be/F6VX-yu2TYg

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Aug 8, 2019

Thom Hartmann reads a section from This Land: How Cowboys, Capitalism, and Corruption are Ruining the American West by Christopher Ketcham.

From the publisher
"Journalist Christopher Ketcham has been documenting the confluence of commercial exploitation and governmental misconduct in this region for over a decade. His revelatory book takes the reader on a journey across these last wild places, to see how capitalism is killing our great commons. Ketcham begins in Utah, revealing the environmental destruction caused by unregulated public lands livestock grazing, and exposing rampant malfeasance in the federal land management agencies, who have been compromised by the profit-driven livestock and energy interests they are supposed to regulate.

He then turns to the broad effects of those corrupt politics on wildlife. He tracks the Department of Interior's failure to implement and enforce the Endangered Species Act--including its stark betrayal of protections for the grizzly bear and the sage grouse--and investigates the destructive behavior of U.S. Wildlife Services in their shocking mass slaughter of animals that threaten the livestock industry.

Along the way, Ketcham talks with ecologists, biologists, botanists, former government employees, whistleblowers, grassroots environmentalists and other citizens who are fighting to protect the public domain for future generations. "

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The Thom Hartmann Program is the leading progressive political talk radio show for political news and comments about Government politics, be it Liberal or Conservative, plus special guests and callers

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Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 10, 2019, 07:30:34 pm
(https://images.dailykos.com/images/705942/large/2CBE8D59-3485-4AF6-BFBB-24B1DAD8C3E1.jpeg?1565465230)

Also this:

Democrat calls for congressional investigation into Epstein death (https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142353055)

EXCELLENT quotes from the above linked thread:

Quote
RockRaven (3,808 posts)

7. Look at this from the outside. Trump/Barr/DOJ/FBI have absolutely NO credibility here.

Whether or not Epstein really killed himself, whether or not he was enabled or neglected in the course of doing so, this looks to the entire world like dictator-gangster stuff. This is the sort of thing we expect in Russia, Saudi Arabia, etc.

No matter what their findings, the already announced FBI investigation will be seen as a cover-up. Even if the findings are damning of certain people, the question will always remain: if that's what they said, what worse (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F3104_shit%2520bitmap.png&hash=13c3368bd73680b8cbcbaaa8e306e42cb17d4d41) were they covering up?

Congress MUST perform oversight and issue their own report.

Quote
Star Member MyOwnPeace (6,283 posts)

18. And I've gotta' ask.........

along these same lines, did ANYBODY actually ever see the "dead" body of "Kenny Boy" - Kenneth Lay of ENRON fame and "acquaintance" of G W Bush?
Funny how these special people just seem to have "problems" when they are in a position to enlighten others regarding past "experiences."

Quote
Star Member calimary (53,323 posts) Response to MyOwnPeace (Reply #18)Sat Aug 10, 2019, 01:31 PM

22. I've always been suspicious of that one.

Another “convenient” “death.”

Read more:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142353055
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 10, 2019, 07:43:25 pm
Quote
Sat Aug 10, 2019, 05:03 PM
choie (2,639 posts)

Epstein's "suicide" and the sickening feeling I have...
No, I'm not grieving the death of that amoral criminal, however, it does leave me feeling very hopeless. Hopeless in the way one feels when it becomes even more clear that Trump and his fellow rich and powerful "friends" will not feel the sword of justice on their necks.

Somehow, someway these rat bastards get away with their actions. Be it Bush and Cheney et al and their war crimes or Trump, Barr, Epstein and their innumerable crimes from (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/styles/renewablerevolution/files/5482_label%20for%20the%20word%20rape.png), pedophilia to the destruction of our democracy. They never seem to have to face justice. And now, with Epstein silenced, another fellow criminal is no longer available to spill the beans. Accountability and justice is once again thwarted.

Read more;

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212368244


(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0f/ae/f2/0faef295adf720eacc921adb67ac74cd.jpg)
Title: Powerful Dem & Republicanss breathing a huge sigh of relief—as well as a Harvard professor or two.”
Post by: AGelbert on August 10, 2019, 09:20:47 pm
Morning Joe Scarborough just said what a lot of people are thinking about Jeffrey Epstein’s death

Bill Palmer | 7:40 pm EDT August 10, 2019
Palmer Report » Analysis

Donald Trump’s old friend Jeffrey Epstein has died in jail from what the SDNY is dubbing an “apparent suicide.” There are those who believe Epstein may have indeed finished himself off, and then there are those who suspect Epstein may have been taken down by the rich and powerful people whose secrets he held. You can count “Morning Joe” co-host Joe Scarborough among the latter.

After Jeffrey Epstein’s death was reported, Joe Scarborough – whose weekday morning MSNBC show doesn’t air on Saturdays – took to Twitter to express his initial reactions. Suffice it to say that he sees something amiss. He ended up tweeting this missive:

“A guy who had information that would have destroyed rich and powerful men’s lives ends up dead in his jail cell. How predictably…Russian. He reportedly tried to kill himself two weeks ago. And is allowed to finish the job now? Bullshit. Powerful Democratic and Republican figures breathing a huge sigh of relief—as well as a Harvard professor or two.”


What stands out is that you don’t usually hear MSNBC hosts jumping straight to the ugliest interpretation of still-unfolding evidence. So did Morning Joe jump the gun, or is he on to something? Perhaps more importantly, will he still be talking like this by the time he’s back on MSNBC on Monday morning, or will he edit his thoughts to make them “safe” enough for television?

Help fund Palmer Report's editorial takedown of Donald Trump!

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/morning-joe-scarborough-sounds-ala-jeffrey-epstein/19946/

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 11, 2019, 05:44:02 pm
The Life and Crimes of (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) George Herbert Walker Bush (w/ Lamar Waldron)
320,042 views

https://youtu.be/NTOVpNjNrIg

Thom Hartmann Program
Premiered Dec 7, 2018

This week marks the burial of the 41st president of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush.

In the week since his passing, many in the press have taken this time to describe President Bush as a model president, statesmen and in contrast to Donald Trump.

But in looking at the past with rose-tinted eyes we ignore how the Bush Crime family led us to Donald Trump, and it is in that spirit that Lamar Waldron joins Thom Hartmann to go over the life and crimes of George H.W. Bush.

The Real story that is not being told on the corporate media.

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#MoreFromThom
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✔ Amazon links are affiliate links

Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 12, 2019, 02:30:19 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-010519192158-2201430.jpeg&hash=e912e1f5bdc041c35e217478b14ba3f7960e2037)
Quote of the day (for the linked article):

Quote
insufferably insouciant

Ahh, the old "institutional incompetence" trumps "nefarious motive" gambit...

As my old boss used to say, the first one is frequently used to cover up the other

... , let’s not forget that where one spots a conspiracy, there can just be plain incompetence. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16) (https://stickershop.line-scdn.net/stickershop/v1/product/1451400/LINEStorePC/main.png) (https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-12/ep-bern-gold-wein-franken-stein)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmemecrunch.com%2Fmeme%2F5L3XX%2Fspiderman-bullshit-detector%2Fimage.jpg%3Fw%3D544%26amp%3Bc%3D1&hash=4825835b92337d62f61a3d37d282105e97ac3ee3)
Title: Trump 🦀 Goes Full Karl Rove 🐍 Strategy #3
Post by: AGelbert on August 12, 2019, 03:11:16 pm
Political (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) strategy (http://variable-variability.blogspot.com/2015/08/karl-rove-strategy-weakness-of-mitigation-sceptics.html)

It is also a political strategy. One that works. It is strategy #3 (i.e. Accuse others of doing what you did and/or are doing) on the list of USA Republican political strategist 😈 Karl Rove. If you see two groups basically making the same claim, it is hard to decide who is right. That requires going into the details, investing time and most people will not do that. They will simply select the version they like most and go on with their lives.

I must admit that I did not see a good way to respond the #3 nonsense and typically simply ignored it rationalizing that these people were anyway too radical, that communication with them is useless. However, that makes no sense, because communicating with the political extremists at WUWT & Co. never makes sense; it is futile to hope to convince them. You communicate with these people for the lurkers (if there are normal people around). For the lurkers it may be less clear who is wrong and for the lurkers it may be less clear that this is a pattern, a strategy.

Thus I was happy to finally have found a suggestion how to reply. Art Silverblatt—professor of Communication and Journalism—and colleagues have developed strategies to neutralize the strategies of Karl Rove.

Their response strategy is to make clear to the public how strategy #3 works and deflect it with humor.

For example when Ronni Earle was attacked by 🐍 Tom DeLay using strategy #3, his response strategy was:
Earle put the into perspective for the public, saying, "I find they often accuse others of doing what they themselves do.”

[Earle] chose to discuss the tactic in terms of how it denigrated the political process and, ultimately, the voters. "This is about protecting the integrity of our electoral system and I couldn't just ignore it."

Earle took a humorous approach, so that he wasn't thrown off-stride by the attacks.

"Being called vindictive and partisan by Tom DeLay is like being called ugly by a frog."



Agelbert NOTE: So, what does Rovian Republican SCUM Strategy #3 have to do with 🦀 Trump? SEE BELOW:


Bill Palmer | 9:40 pm EDT August 10, 2019
Palmer Report » Analysis

SNIPPETS:

This afternoon Donald Trump retweeted two different lunatics who had each floated the deranged claim that Bill Clinton had Jeffrey Epstein murdered. Nevermind that Clinton would have had to somehow magically pull this off while Epstein was in the custody of the Trump regime.

Congressman Ted Lieu was quick to point out that to Trump that “you were friends with Jeffrey Epstein and were at parties with him. His death happened under your watch.

But as is so often the case, it was actor, activist and humorist George Takei who won the internet. He turned the conspiracy theory tables on Donald Trump with this quip: “Trump will be giving a statement on Epstein’s death. Aides aren’t worried he’ll sound inauthentic because he’s been rehearsing it since yesterday.”

Full article:
https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/piles-on-trump-epstein-deranged-conspiracy-theory/19954/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-050819214220.jpeg)
Title: Jeffery Epstein's Mysterious Suicide Raises More Questions
Post by: AGelbert on August 14, 2019, 07:43:13 pm
👹 Jeffery Epstein's Mysterious Suicide Raises More Questions
1,281 views

https://youtu.be/CC28Cyj_OLQ

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Aug 14, 2019

Jeffrey Epstein's suicide in custody is leading to many speculating that something strange happened.

Don Siegelman says that there would be nothing in the cell of Jeffrey Epstein that he could use to commit suicide. He questions why he was taken off suicide watch.

He believes that if Epstein committed suicide, it was with the complicity of ‘someone’ and that it couldn’t have happened by ‘accident’.

He also talks about Bill Barr and his opinion.

Former Governor Don Siegelman (D-AL) and former Secretary of State joined Thom.

📽️ WATCH NEXT: Congress Has a Culture of Harassment It's Bigger Than Roy Moore
https://youtu.be/57gbPJc2OHo
Title: Epstein May Be Just One Part of an Intricate Network of Sex and Power
Post by: AGelbert on August 16, 2019, 07:24:17 pm
👹 Epstein May Be Just One Part of an (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) Intricate Network of Sex and Power
108,139 views

https://youtu.be/4A78Zu9ZgT8

The Real News Network

Published on Aug 15, 2019

Journalist Whitney Webb's MintPress series looks at the sordid history tying together mobsters, oligarchs, and government intelligence agencies in a web of blackmail, exploitation, and profit

Subscribe to our page and support our work at https://therealnews.com/donate.

Category News & Politics
Title: It took ELEVEN "plebiscites" to RIG the Hawaiian "vote for" Statehood.
Post by: AGelbert on August 23, 2019, 07:14:28 pm
THINKPROGRESS

AUG 23, 2019, 8:00 AM

By CASEY MICHEL

If you want to look for a precedent, examine how the U.S. 🦍forcibly annexed Hawaii.

(https://i0.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/GettyImages-901594954.jpg?w=1920&ssl=1)
The "vast majority" of native Hawaiians opposed U.S. annexation, but that didn't stop Hawaii from becoming "the first sovereign nation to become a casualty of America's imperial outreach." CREDIT: DE AGOSTINI PICTURE LIBRARY / GETTY

One of the most unexpected turns of Donald Trump’s presidency came this week, when revelations spilled out about the president’s serious consideration of the purchase Greenland from Denmark. According to the Washington Post, senior administration officials mulled possibly offering some $600 million in annual subsidies to the Danish territory, alongside a “large one-time payment” to Denmark for the transfer. Trump even joked about trying to swap Greenland for Puerto Rico, the latter of which remains an American territory.

The idea, at least as of right now, remains a farce, and isn’t yet a tragedy. However, there’s a clear historic legacy Trump’s tapped into — one that reaches directly into America’s Gilded Age of imperialism, buttressed by clear strains of white supremacy and neo-colonialism.

Greenland, after all, would be far from the first island acquisition Washington lawmakers havs pursued. During the 1850s, the U.S. began its run of island-based imperialism through a series of annexations of so-called Guano Islands, a series of Caribbean and Pacific outposts Washington could use to harvest guano — bird droppings — as fertilizer.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-4W4P7YjQqas%2FT2NM6pK9viI%2FAAAAAAAAEkU%2FrROBn9rNy0E%2Fs400%2Fserving.jpg&hash=42f3d64a7b51c303eb43bc70dee68997dbcf8e58)

Over the years, the portfolio of islands continued to accrue. An 1899 agreement with Germany brought the American Samoa island chain to the U.S. The Spanish-American War landed the U.S. Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam. And while American attempts — stemming especially those based out of the slave-holding South — to annex Cuba eventually faltered, the U.S. managed to further cement its Caribbean holdings with the purchase of the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1917.

None of these holdings, of course, came with the consent of the governed. Rather, they were the fruits of agreements between Washington and Madrid, or Washington and Berlin, or Washington and Copenhagen. And that lack of consent from local populations immediately — and sometimes violently — manifested itself. The American acquisition of the Philippines, for instance, rapidly morphed into the so-called Philippine Insurrection — a Filipino war for independence, in essence. As the “most careful study” of the American-Filipino War found, “about 775,000 Filipinos died because of the war,” with Americans torturing, and setting up concentration camps for, Filipinos along the way.

This isn’t the first time concentration camps have appeared on American soil

Not that there would have been much reason to consent to American annexation at the time, after all. Puerto Ricans had to wait nearly twenty years to obtain formal American citizenship, while those in Guam — annexed to the U.S. only when Americans explained to their Spanish counterparts on the island that Washington and Madrid were, in fact, at war — had to wait over a half-century for American citizenship to finally come to them. And American Samoans are still waiting.

There’s no indication Greenlanders would be any different. With the island moving toward ever-greater autonomy from Denmark, the likely next step for Greenland would be outright independence, rather than American territorial status. As Paul Musgrave recently wrote in Foreign Policy, “Right now, there’s reason to think that Greenland may well be on a path to full independence, not simply switching one protectorate for another.” And as others have pointed, the move to sell the territory to Washington would be akin to the U.S. auctioning off, say, Texas or Arizona to the highest bidder — without residents’ consent.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/styles/renewablerevolution/files/5519_Greenland%20RUIN%20Trump%20Plan.png)

Quote
The idea of "selling Greenland" makes as much sense as Trump "selling Texas" or better yet "selling Arizona" with the Hopi and Navajo nations resident there. If we deeply reject the premise of colonialism then we have to reject the language of it too. - Naunihal Singh (@naunihalpublic) August 21, 2019

Kingdom come

None of these incidents of island imperialism, though, are comparable to the egregious conquest the U.S. brought about in its best-known island annexation to date: Hawaii.

By the early 19th century, the Hawaiian kingdom was already warding off multiple Western colonizing powers, all eager to access the islands. The appeal was easy to see: Not only did Hawaii’s position in the central Pacific present an ideal location for everything from whaling ships to coaling stations, but its climate proved fruitful for a sugar industry that, in time, blossomed into one of the world’s greatest. As such, French, German, British, and Russian diplomats eyed the islands as a potential jewel in a Pacific crown.

All of these countries, it’s worth noting, recognized Hawaii as a sovereign, independent nation — as did the U.S. Lorenz Gonschor, who received his doctorate at the University of Hawaii, told ThinkProgress that dozens of countries carried on diplomatic relations with Hawaii, far outpacing other nominally independent North American regions like Texas.

Texas' independence was recognized by five others: US, UK, France, Belgium, & Netherlands. Hawaii, meanwhile, had diplomatic relations with: pic.twitter.com/v8wyd5j7rn
— Casey Michel 🇰🇿 (@cjcmichel) January 11, 2017

Still, those diplomatic relations did little to stop the U.S. from pursuing annexation — regardless of how native Hawaiians felt. By 1887, American missionaries and businessmen had accrued sufficient power that, backed by an armed militia, they managed to force the Hawaiian monarch to rewrite the country’s constitution. The so-called “Bayonet Constitution” earned its name from the fact that the Hawaiian monarch was forced, as National Geographic wrote, to consent to the new constitution “at gunpoint.” It was, added historian Steven Hahn, a “successful coup” — one that was finalized with the “goal of annexation” in mind.

A few years later, the process continued. As the University of Hawaii’s Davianna McGregor wrote, American minister John Stevens conspired in 1893 “with a small group of non-Hawaiian residents of [Hawaii], including citizens of the United States, to overthrow the indigenous and lawful government of Hawaii.” Stevens and a U.S. naval representative sent over 160 “armed naval forces of the United States to invade the sovereign Hawaiian nation,” with the U.S. then proceeding to recognize the conspirators as Hawaii’s lawful government. The new government ignored U.S. President Grover Cleveland’s request to restore Hawaii’s monarch, Queen Liliʻuokalani, to the throne. Instead, they forced her to “sign a statement of abdication” — a statement she later renounced.

As 🦍 Teddy Roosevelt thundered, “We ought to take Hawaii, in the interests of the White race.

Shortly thereafter, a massive petition drive began circulating among native Hawaiians opposing American annexation. Thousands of native Hawaiians put their names forward resist American acquisition. As Julia Siler wrote in Lost Kingdom, her overview of the annexation, the “vast majority” of native Hawaiians signed the petition, many of them “don[ning] black armbands in protest.”

But by then, the momentum toward American annexation was impossible to slow. In Washington, annexation fever — buoyed by outright white supremacy — gripped the capital. As Teddy Roosevelt thundered, “We ought to take Hawaii, in the interests of the White race.”

In 1898, the Americans formalized their annexation of the islands, holding a formal transfer ceremony in Hawaii itself. But even that event came with clear opposition from the native population; as one observer said, the band of native Hawaiians slated to perform at the event “threw away their instruments and fled around the corner out of sight and hearing… Some wept audibly and were not ashamed.”

All told, added Siler, “1.8 million acres of land now worth billions of dollars was seized from native Hawaiians and claimed by American businessmen… Hawaiians lost their country, the first sovereign nation to become a casualty of America’s imperial outreach.” The rank imperialism behind the annexation, though, was too much for some even in Washington to stomach. As Cleveland would write, “Hawaii is ours… as I contemplate the means used to complete the outrage, I am ashamed of the whole affair.”

Back in Hawaii, the outrage was just as tangible. Yet again — in a nod to Trump’s musings about purchasing Greenland without any consent of Greenlanders — America had annexed a series of islands without bothering to ask the inhabitants for their thoughts.

Might, to Washington at least, made right. As the deposed Hawaiian queen would write, “Time may wear off the feeling of injury by and by — but my dear flag — the Hawaiian flag — that a strange flag should wave over it. May heaven look down on these [Americans responsible] and punish them for their deeds.”

https://thinkprogress.org/heres-how-trumps-greenland-plans-fit-in-a-long-history-of-american-island-imperialism-3d0eeb9b255b/

Agelbert Hawaiian historical NOTE: The above article is correct, but, in regard to Hawaii, it stops at 1898. There is another, even more low down despicable bit of Imperial series of activities by the U.S. in regard to Hawaiian "statehood".

Do YOU think that Hawaiians "voted" to become a U.S. State? If you do, you are the victim of Imperial BULLSHIT. Hawaii became the 50th state on August 21 1959, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed its statehood bill.

Here's the part you did not learn in high school (OR COLLEGE!) American IMPERIAL history. The, oh, so democratic idea was that the kindly U.S. 😇 would ask the Hawaiians, in a plebiscite (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plebiscite) (i.e. a vote by voting age people living in Hawaii), if they wanted to become a State.

The REASON(S) the U.S. wanted Hawaii to become a state had everything to do with Corporate agricultural products and, of course, having a place the Japanese bombed to station a lot of warships. The Hawaiians understood that perfectly.

The average (happy talk propagandized)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F813_aa28eb9ab39c78912e1c15ec82f81633.jpeg&hash=2d9a2bc5bea9c54924d548d10c601c0117005c0a) person in the continental USA understood pineapples and Pearl Harbor, period. What they were given the thorough mushroom treatment about was the FACT that the governments of the world were being pressured to de-colonize. The U.S., in customary hypocritical fashion, was Johnny-on-the spot to "urge" France, England, Germany, (and so on) to "free" all their colonies in the name of "democracy" (https://stickershop.line-scdn.net/stickershop/v1/product/1451400/LINEStorePC/main.png).

BUT, the very same U.S. was activly demonizing, jailing and killing pro-indepence movement supporters in Puerto Rico and Hawaii (there weren't enough people in Alaska to make much noise about independence, but the natives there did NOT want statehood - Alaskan "votes" were already rigged by big oil, so statehood there was every bit as much a done deal as it would be for Greenland, if Trump's 🦀Hydrocarbon 🦕🦖 and Mineral Mining ☠️ Havoc dream comes true.).

It just didn't look good on the world stage for the U.S. to continue lording it over Puerto Rico and Hawaii, so the old "democracy" trick was called upon. In Puerto Rico, it took the form of the "Free Associated State" (see: Colonial PIG LIPSTICK) through a "plebiscite" every now and then, of course.

In Hawaii, the U.S. was in a hurry. This is how it was (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) done.

1. A pelbiscite was held so Hawaiians could decide if the wanted Statehood. They said (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251) .

2. Shortly thereafter, another plebiscite was held so Hawaiians could decide if the wanted Statehood. They said (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-1625583.gif&hash=a2eb9b0838b0a6c6a52f7ffe11949f008333d97a).

3.. Shortly thereafter, another plebiscite was held so Hawaiians could decide if the wanted Statehood. They said (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185040-16582181.gif&hash=0d99dd3e7a01101b8b7d5d1d810050efa1fc13df).

4. Shortly thereafter, another plebiscite was held so Hawaiians could decide if the wanted Statehood. They said (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718211017.gif&hash=1b5b289486b9429bdbdcb938b21ef1a2b66d30fc).

5. Shortly thereafter, another plebiscite was held so Hawaiians could decide if the wanted Statehood. They said (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185039-1650578.gif&hash=f338daee4cd9cad66dc5bc5437615c9725fbc67d).

6. Shortly thereafter, another plebiscite was held so Hawaiians could decide if the wanted Statehood. They said  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-200419205214.png&hash=4c5b9ca97c84607da003becdf6282716bcdf1800).

7. Shortly thereafter, another plebiscite was held so Hawaiians could decide if the wanted Statehood. They said (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201722.png&hash=5299cc10ee42beae76e4d3b7c79dbf5f4c0addac).

8. Shortly thereafter, another plebiscite was held so Hawaiians could decide if the wanted Statehood. They said (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202548.png&hash=e826b35fcbeed154112b9cac6fdded08f76ee8e3).

9. Shortly thereafter, another plebiscite was held so Hawaiians could decide if the wanted Statehood. They said NO.

10. Shortly thereafter, another plebiscite was held so Hawaiians could decide if the wanted Statehood. They said no.

11. Shortly thereafter, another plebiscite was held so Hawaiians could decide if the wanted Statehood. The turnout for this ELEVENTH "PLEBISCITE", which had been going down for each subsequent "plebiscite", was the lowest of all. A majority of those who voted in this one wanted statehood. "Democracy" won. The USA gracefully agreed to the "enthusiastic" request by Hawaiians to get a place on Old Glory. Colonies? What colonies?  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16) The USA ain't got no (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-080419191019.png&hash=a449294ee6fe2dfdea44c1c501f4439b9ac69c26) colonies. 
Title: Get corporate money out of the DNC
Post by: AGelbert on August 24, 2019, 07:58:52 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-16881856.gif&hash=ef5bd30cec7a50a81f3507f9bd328189dead7aa2) 
 Get corporate money out of the DNC

https://youtu.be/jhl1quli2Mk

Watch Tom’s speech, then share this link with someone who cares about ending corporate corruption.

As president, Tom will make sure the Democratic National Committee does not accept a dime from any corporation. If we hope to clean out the corporate corruption in Washington, how we win is just as important as winning this election.

Let’s return our party and our democracy to one that is of, by, and for the people — not corporations.

Join Tom and add your name. (http://clicks.tomsteyer.com/wf/click?upn=cBSXlkRq21E9V5onLqLCBguGO1iUd2XLcKbWoq181-2BX6q1bTB-2FY0LMe0RbSVyT5q7jc-2F3-2BZNxElaRsNp9oQV1aT9cf64wF4xiMBpqxHTT-2F-2BtIsdSyT2y7XKdhr2LtQ-2FkBCXzQctjAiEhKFCv0t8-2FkwBu-2B0PPK7qURPb2lnoEj3uKb1yLZ3ncDoRPk7O91ZA82-2FU0axp2lpPQzNvDDT9tdAbCpXtcHgiWcFm60Qvk2pM-3D_U7z7oSqRMSwdl2rYt9JJ4wDLPEbI52-2BkcBksF-2FDBNkKSGpE9jId-2B7zqvVIT8jOBboqTah429WF9M9giEO5G9T3RUy9FnXW61n2YflEoO3JJizNM5YxSIVe9NRxStE5pz-2FkLNRiPqK9XFXlzL8VVdB5c8v3leR24h-2FvAEh3BwgXHlYAAHV1WAdrvADP-2FzJoTxQBH5eHGtlLfZaHH9OPjlVdWV6N4wqkjvgViHA0Lmxny5w4lkkjpUckn1oZJ-2Fos1RUYjQZFJKJUSoRs0YhgAqPhjTy3qS7nbub90AplvUYOrof702Yg06tbyWrYf1nPYFbx1ec-2BM-2F4UdSikVbyccI1ZeEzTM1tf0pvmbpORDck5WTbfB8vGVMXYSAwfnztyJN45Yz9BYcnZbOeok2Cv6jA6-2FeLLgvwDxfq2LSSHhkm299ISbp-2FoYJRXjy7gOdk4LX7OC-2BfLhfJ25Um1zIjuIXeg-3D-3D)
Title: Joseph E. Stiglitz: Many 👹 Despotic Dark Figures Today
Post by: AGelbert on August 24, 2019, 09:18:38 pm
Joseph E. Stiglitz: Many Despotic Dark (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) Figures Today
https://youtu.be/ht6WHhPDUy4

HD | Jun 25, 2019 | 554 views | by Central European University

Nobel laureate economist Joseph E. Stiglitz was awarded the CEU Open Society Prize on June 24, 2019. We sat down with Stiglitz to discuss growing income inequality.
Title: Alarming number of local governments are “dangerously dependent on punitive fines and fees," 😠
Post by: AGelbert on August 26, 2019, 03:44:45 pm
CleanTechnica
Support CleanTechnica’s work via donations on Patreon or PayPal!

Or just go buy a cool t-shirt, cup, baby outfit, bag, or hoodie. (https://cleantechnica.com/shop/#!/)

August 26th, 2019 by Jennifer Sensiba

Speed traps are set up to collect unusual amounts of revenue by (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0) tricking motorists into violating the law. 😠

(https://cleantechnica.com/files/2019/08/Map.png)
A screenshot of the map, showing how widespread the issue is, and how it’s also a bigger problem in some regions. Screenshot from Governing.com.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

Small Towns Across The US Are Trading The Environment For Revenue (https://cleantechnica.com/2019/08/26/small-towns-across-the-us-are-trading-the-environment-for-revenue/)

Agelbert NOTE: A fellow air traffic controller I knew had previously been a Georgia State Trooper. He explained, back in 1974, smirking frequently, how they were quite selective about who they ticketed (i.e. people of the "wrong" color and, of course, anyone, regardless of color, with out of state plates). He even said drivers would pay "extra" ;) if the trooper "allowed them" to pay the fine then and there, instead of going straight to court (Going straight to Traffic Court was a, and probabaly still is, Georgia State "policy" for all out of state ticketed folks). He said he pocketed a lot of extra money that way. He was just trying to help those drivers save some time, of course. Y'all have a nice day! I didn't bother to ask him if that was illegal. Whether it was or wasn't, the Traffic Court Judges and those clever Wynken, Blynken and Nod legislators in Georgia who crafted the "out of state" traffic fines "procedure" obviously approved of this patrolman bribe "subsidy".

I told him the only time I had driven through Georgia was at night through heavy fog. I was not stopped at any time. He said I had been lucky there was a lot of fog. I agreed.     

Selective enforcement of laws is the American way, don'tcha know? Ethics? What Ethics? 😈 We don't need no silly librul ethics in the USA... 

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F3000_Things%2520can%2520only%2520get%2520worse.png&hash=ab123778b20b45534127f64e8dd831d22c0cb12e)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on August 27, 2019, 06:16:11 pm
Economic Update: Working Class History and the 2020 Election
61,307 views

https://youtu.be/XODoZEq_-GU

Democracy At Work
Published on Aug 19, 2019

[S9 E32]  Working Class History and the 2020 Election

**We make it a point to provide the show free of ads. Please consider supporting our work. Become an EU patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/economicupdate

THIS WEEK'S TOPICS

This week on Economic Update, Professor Wolff explores the historic parallels of the U.S. working class and politics in the U.S. He begins by exploring how and why the Great Depression of the 30’s married the U.S. working class to FDR's Democratic Party and then explains how that led to both the Democratic and Republican parties becoming pro-capitalist - which has led to both parties presiding over the exponential growth of income and wealth inequalities along with the political power the richest 10% have, and exploit, over the working class in the U.S. today. Professor Wolff goes on to show that because of this, Trump landing in the White House was a result of the working class’ disgust with both parties. Professor Wolff ends with a discussion about the implications of this history for the upcoming 2020 election.
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Category News & Politics
Title: Is it Cynical to Believe the System is 🦕🦖💵🐉🎩🍌🏴‍☠️😈 Corrupt?
Post by: AGelbert on August 31, 2019, 02:15:38 pm
Is it Cynical to Believe the System is 🦕🦖💵🐉🎩🍌🏴‍☠️😈 Corrupt? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163125-16722324.gif&hash=fd301340fefe90d81ed8826dfa0568be12a1c0d8)
10,547 views

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100718163723-14441014.png&hash=e17315a1c85cb0fa319accdc7a8e104affae967e)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-010215144153.png&hash=cb7da018cde919e11130c32b40331f5d9405e537)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-010215143525.png&hash=5bd7bd57f7d770273b7d73d29697fe3a0cc11e8f)


The Real News Network
Published on Aug 30, 2019

While a new poll shows most US citizens believe the political and economic system is rigged against them, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren also echo this sentiment. Some conservatives are now pushing back. But what says the evidence? Bill Black analyzes the situation

https://youtu.be/69I_6tVhrPE

Subscribe to our page and support our work at https://therealnews.com/donate.

CategoryNews & Politics

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201645-1486464.jpeg&hash=bfa44b2ee2b1d6d1ea71a024b1bd6e9cf1328326)

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Title: Exposing Why The News Won't Talk About Climate Change
Post by: AGelbert on September 06, 2019, 05:12:28 pm
Exposing Why (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100718164155-14511755.jpeg&hash=1c62dd0525852ffbbcbc7f2459189db15d6435c6) The News Won't Talk About Climate Change
2,690 views

https://youtu.be/0llZsNNYqVU

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on Sep 4, 2019

Hurricanes are in the news a lot right now, but the media won't talk about the cause of these hurricane's power, global climate change!

So how do we get the media to report on Climate change?

Our very way of existence could depend on a media willing to report on things the 🦕🦖 Fossil Fuel (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) industry doesn't want them to.

 
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200914193029.png&hash=728bdda741ba73675753acf67d5deb8e6f9e3ef0)

Title: Truth as a Common Good with Robert Reich
Post by: AGelbert on September 08, 2019, 04:39:14 pm
Truth as a Common Good with Robert Reich
38,991 views

https://youtu.be/Axkvo0PHIa0

University of California Television (UCTV)

Published on Apr 8, 2017

(Visit: http://www.uctv.tv/) Economist Robert Reich, the Clinton-era Labor Secretary and prominent Democratic pundit, gives a rousing talk on how the intersection of politics and economics led to the rise of (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59) Donald Trump and describes the concerns he shares with Republicans  who fear (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163125-16722324.gif&hash=fd301340fefe90d81ed8826dfa0568be12a1c0d8) that Trump’s way of governing is harming American institutions.

Reich is the featured speaker at UC Berkeley's  Goldman School of Public Policy’s Board of Advisors Dinner held in March 2017.

 Recorded on 03/29/2017. Series: "The UC Public Policy Channel" [4/2017] [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 32116]

Category Education
Title: North Carolina Did What 🐍🐊🦎🐍🐲 SCOTUS Wouldn’t – Ended GOP Gerrymandering 🌞
Post by: AGelbert on September 08, 2019, 05:36:20 pm
North Carolina Did What 🐍🐊🦎🐍🐲 SCOTUS Wouldn’t – Ended 🐘 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9)  GOP Gerrymandering (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163125-16762116.gif&hash=dcf93619f3c0ebb651977b3dae2d1398f7705823)

September 6, 2019

https://youtu.be/WMN_OuWZ3og

A North Carolina state court panel stopped the GOP’s gerrymandering plan by ruling that the maps drawn for GOP-dominated voting districts were in violating of the state's constitution, and of the rights of North Carolina voters

https://therealnews.com/stories/north-carolina-did-what-scotus-wouldnt-ended-gop-gerrymandering
Title: The EPA is going full Orwell on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Post by: AGelbert on September 09, 2019, 12:59:04 pm
The EPA is going full Orwell on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/pHFyrKGlFB6LYcRapOwTeyUJdoccUwtuQ8RMFDjdtA9PnoaAz_DK7yrQEnNsFxVTbz80J2FTqmhLhp3JPWe5_WJbC30adCFqMCV0m1WUW_sulV7qsqXkOn_ANAab1FQGo9YWyzOzJGReXbE=s0-d-e1-ft#http://media.lion.com/9281/Shared/Newsletter%20-%20New%20Images%202018/EPAMoneyImage.jpg)

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Roger Marks


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) EPA PROPOSES 20 HIGH PRIORITY CHEMICALS FOR TSCA RISK EVALUATIONS

SNIPPET:

First 20 High Priority Chemicals

EPA’s list of twenty high-priority chemicals—the same chemicals EPA identified in a March 21 notice—includes:

►  7 chlorinated solvents;

► 6 phthalates;

► 4 flame retardants;

► Formaldehyde;

► A fragrance additive; and

► 1 polymer precursor.

Full article: (https://www.lion.com/lion-news/august-2019/epa-proposes-first-20-tsca-high-priority-chemicals?trk_msg=O4D73O36F8IKB0J6694GJQ5L2S&trk_contact=20N5E94RP9RUJGSH8AQ37FDO9O&trk_sid=BDENMHTF6R6VGKKBJ319U9JCVC&utm_source=blast&utm_medium=email&utm_term=KEEP+READING&utm_campaign=Newsletter_090319) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

Agelbert NOTE: The current Orwellian verion of the EPA is probably the most crooked, bought and paid for, "business friendly" bunch of fascist lackeys the USA has ever been cursed with. If you think they are going to protect the public from exposure to toxic chemicals in consumer or other profitable chemical product crap produced by the chemical polluters 'R' US, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. The EPA has dragged it's fascist (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59) Trumpian feet as much as possible to delay obeying the LAW passed in 2016. It should have had that 20 chemical list produced and under scrutiny in 2017, but is just now posting a list as the deadline for the 2016 LAW requirements approaches.

Expect nothing but happy talk BULLSHIT from this 😈 EPA. >:(

The EPA will NOT limit the production of these dangerous chemicals, all of which are manfactured in the USA. >:(

The EPA will make a show of "regulating" them  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16), publishing rules and regulations that lack any legal teeth whatsoever.  >:(

The EPA will NOT force the polluters to label all products containing these toxic, carcinogenic chemicals with appropriate warnings. >:(

As far as product safety, We-the-people are ON OUR OWN 👀, thanks to the Fascist takeover of our government. 😟

Do your own research to protect you and yours. The government is now more of a front for (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) liability free corporate profits from toxic products than it has ever been. 👎👎👎🤬

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241216151049.png&hash=78206393ea158485b779ed06d0fb0f84172b645d)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216142007.png&hash=84ef2c6fc002fc0b4bc9940ee16d0728d50cc9b5)
Title: Second Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated lawsuit accusing Trump of Violating Constitution Emolumen
Post by: AGelbert on September 13, 2019, 03:24:20 pm
AXIOS

September 13, 2019

Federal appeals court reinstates Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) emoluments case (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe) (https://www.axios.com/trump-emoluments-clause-lawsuit-second-circuit-083b5ade-c983-4566-af9c-50e30aedf7a6.html)

Zachary BasuMay 16, 2019

Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) made at least $434 million from his business in 2018 (https://www.axios.com/trump-2018-financial-disclosures-6a2603b1-0a20-4d59-a960-fd390ff5b96b.html)  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216142007.png&hash=84ef2c6fc002fc0b4bc9940ee16d0728d50cc9b5)
Title: This 🦀 president has been 💵 🎩😈 "wetting his beak" all along.
Post by: AGelbert on September 13, 2019, 04:04:07 pm
By HEATHER DIGBY PARTON

SEPTEMBER 9, 2019 1:20PM (UTC)

Mandatory stops at Trump resorts are the tip of the iceberg. This president (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) has been "wetting his beak" all along


We're starting to see the scale of Trump's (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) personal corruption — and it's massive (https://www.salon.com/2019/09/09/were-starting-to-see-the-scale-of-trumps-personal-corruption-and-its-massive/)
Title: 🔥 The progressive case for impeaching Donald 🦀 Trump
Post by: AGelbert on September 13, 2019, 04:44:26 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241216151049.png&hash=78206393ea158485b779ed06d0fb0f84172b645d)

🔥 The progressive case for impeaching Donald 🦀 Trump 🔥 (VIDEO) (https://act.credoaction.com/go/35493?t=17&akid=34051%2E14150318%2E85SHeF)

Title: Robert Reich: The Real Political Battle in America
Post by: AGelbert on September 17, 2019, 04:38:19 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)

Robert Reich: The Real Political Battle (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718204530.gif&hash=2e7c5022efc700a555c2e328644b7448b6dda789) in America
14,938 views•Published on Sep 17, 2019

https://youtu.be/hkM_NG6HkqY

Robert Reich
147K subscribers

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich explains why the real political battle in America isn't right and left -- it's oligarchy versus democracy.

Watch More: America Actually Has Six Political Parties ►►
https://youtu.be/oopF6pqA8sU

Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 19, 2019, 03:07:02 pm
Agelbert NOTE: This pretty much reflects how decent peole in the USA feel now. There are looking for hope but see ZERO evidence for it. The mood is dark. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-231218145827.png&hash=8d3bbb761cf17fcddac83f24088d26e316b65e33)

Quote
Star Member Paladin (20,175 posts)

40. Gotta love the mindset we've gotten into, regarding trump.

He's a complete psycho and scofflaw, far-and-away the worst "president" we've ever had.....

And we the opposition now view him as invincible.

Wonderful world we're living in, these days.....

Response to Paladin (Reply #40)Thu Sep 19, 2019, 01:10 PM
Star Member Bettie (7,214 posts)

41. What else can we think?

Please, I'm actually begging you, give me one small piece of hope that something will stick to this piece of garbage some day.

That there is one decent Republican out there who will not enable him.

That there is any chance of our side ever holding him accountable for anything.

It is despair, because we went through a mild version of this with W and nothing happened. No one was held accountable for anything.

It is happening again, but this time it is far worse. The despair comes from wondering how much worse the next one will be.

Response to Bettie (Reply #41)Thu Sep 19, 2019, 01:20 PM
Star Member Paladin (20,175 posts)

42. I can't give you any comfort or hope.

By and large, I think we're fu cked. The worst aspect of trump's reign is discovering just how many malignantly stupid people there are in this country. I always knew there were some of them; I never dreamed there were enough of them to send this country down the toilet, with the help of a timid and inept Democratic leadership. Sorry for the lack of good cheer.

Response to Paladin (Reply #42)Thu Sep 19, 2019, 01:22 PM
Star Member Bettie (7,214 posts)

43. It also helps to know I'm not alone

in my feelings.

If our leadership wasn't so timid, I'd feel a lot more hopeful.

Response to Bettie (Reply #43)Thu Sep 19, 2019, 01:51 PM
Star Member Paladin (20,175 posts)

45. This too shall pass. Hang in there.

Something will bring trump down, probably something unexpected and initially underestimated. I'm still hoping for a massive, coast-to-coast, multiple-day victory party, once we're rid of him. I have a good bottle of scotch set aside for the occasion---maybe that's what constitutes hope, these days.....

Read more: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

Donald Trump Whistleblower Complaint: Likely Evidence of 'Gross Abuse of Power' (https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142369742)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281017143754.jpeg&hash=fe73ef4c943000d185b60debf584571781719038)
Title: Trump admin caught hiding 1,400 internal studies on climate change, hiding info from farmers
Post by: AGelbert on September 22, 2019, 08:10:49 pm
Senate Democrats release list of climate studies buried by 🦀 Trump administration

By HELENA BOTTEMILLER EVICH 09/19/2019 01:48 PM EDT Updated 09/19/2019 02:57 PM EDT

Senate Democrats released on Thursday a report outlining dozens of times the Trump 🦕🦖 administration has censored or minimized climate science across the federal government at agencies including the EPA and the Department of Homeland Security.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, also publicly released a list of more than 1,400 climate studies that Department of Agriculture researchers have published during the current administration after POLITICO reported that USDA buried its own research and failed to release its plan to study the issue. The matter is increasingly urgent for farmers and ranchers dealing with erratic and extreme weather.

The trove of studies by USDA researchers carry warnings about climate change that the government is largely not communicating to farmers and ranchers or the public. The list published includes research showing that climate change is likely to drive down yields for some crops, harm milk production, and lead to a drop in nutrient density for key crops like rice and wheat. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818204546.gif&hash=ffeafdfa24208fe5070639ffa682bb2ad041737c)

“These studies show how climate change is affecting crop production, disrupting how food is grown and increasing risk to communities,” Stabenow said during a press conference on Thursday. Stabenow also serves as chairwoman of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, the research arm of Senate Democrats.

The Michigan Democrat called it “outrageous” that “critical information for communities, for farmers, for those of us who care deeply about what’s happening to agriculture, these are not being shared with the people who need to know but they are being paid for by them, as taxpayers.”

A spokesperson for the Agriculture Department said it's "false" to suggest that the department is suppressing science. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718202127.gif&hash=acc63221521ebaf3f238088fd92d1ae3a08b6e48)

“We have repeatedly provided the Senate Agriculture Committee with evidence to the contrary, and the department has been transparent and communicative to the committee in response to their questions on research," the spokesperson said, in an email. "The list of studies linked in the report were provided by the USDA to the committee and are all publicly available."

The move comes as climate change is becoming an increasingly prominent issue in the Democratic presidential primary. The report was released ahead of several planned climate protests Friday and the United National Climate Action Summit in New York this weekend.

In their report, Senate Democrats allege that the Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) administration has repeatedly gone out of its way to undermine climate science. (https://media3.giphy.com/media/kHmINzGsY6xbwgSo3J/source.gif)

The report pointed to President Donald Trump falsely claiming that Alabama had been under threat from Hurricane Dorian and his subsequent insistence on overruling the forecasting of NOAA scientists. It also noted the government released the Fourth National Climate Assessment — which warned of billions in damages and sweeping effects to public health and infrastructure — the day after Thanksgiving when most Americans are not paying attention to the news.

The roundup includes numerous instances where agencies, including FEMA, EPA, Department of Homeland Security and Interior Department, have dropped mention of climate change from key reports or websites.

“Frankly, this is just an overview because it’s being done every day,” Stabenow told reporters. (https://media.tenor.com/images/aefc857b17366c1a4e85eefb2d502b5f/tenor.gif)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/19/climate-studies-hidden-by-trump-administration-1753631

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241216151049.png&hash=78206393ea158485b779ed06d0fb0f84172b645d)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 22, 2019, 09:12:57 pm
By Terry H. Schwadron, DCReport Opinion Editor  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/1/3-221218194351-18032254.jpeg)

Once Again, Trump Displays His Utter Contempt for the Law and the Constitution (https://www.dcreport.org/2019/09/21/the-washington-whistleblower-case-its-called-abuse-of-power/) (https://media.tenor.com/images/aefc857b17366c1a4e85eefb2d502b5f/tenor.gif)
Title: Trump’s New Worldwide Autocratic Alliance
Post by: AGelbert on September 23, 2019, 06:49:42 pm
Trump’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) New (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Worldwide Autocratic Alliance
945 views•Published on Sep 23, 2019

https://youtu.be/ei1T3FJG6Vo

Thom Hartmann Program
180K subscribers

Donald Trump is making deals with not just Russia but the oligarchs in countries all over the world. 

Could Trump’s Network of autocrats help him secure an election in the 2020 presidential race, and how much a threat are these international oligarchs to democracy and world peace?

Seth Abramson joins us to discuss the ramifications of Donald Trump's powerful friends running the world.

📽️ WATCH NEXT: Did Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59) Commit Treason ... Again? 
https://youtu.be/1A-TuMAvXsw

📕 BOOK: Proof of Conspiracy   https://www.amazon.com/Proof-Conspira...


➡️Please Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...
Title: Impeachment of 🦀 Trump is now ON the table 👍
Post by: AGelbert on September 24, 2019, 05:13:53 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-210614221847.gif&hash=54129e3b65760aaddc6f2d7f42b34a7d839d2f27) Impeachment of (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59) Trump is now ON the table (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

(https://images.dailykos.com/images/675018/story_image/TrumpNotWorried.jpg?1557628726)

https://youtu.be/25wwNoOxAG4

Ukraine Is Only PART Of The Whistleblower Complaint (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/general-discussion/doomstead-diner-daily/msg13721/#msg13721)

Title: Bill Weld: It's time for Trump to be tried for treason and face the death penalty
Post by: AGelbert on September 24, 2019, 07:45:31 pm
(https://www.sourcepolitics.com/content/images/2018/06/logo_high_resolution.png)

23 Sep 2019

Bill Weld: It's time for Trump to be tried for treason and face the death penalty

Republican presidential candidates Mark Sanford, Joe Walsh, and William Weld, who are challenging Trump for the GOP primary, were on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Wednesday.

Joe Walsh called for his impeachment, but Governor Weld, a former U.S. Attorney, is taking things much more serious.

"Governor Weld, you went a little bit further than just impeachment in your prior comments, and I just want to continue with that a bit," Elise Brown said.

"You said that Donald Trump has committed treason and the penalty for treason under American law is death. What's the legal framework here? Have you looked into this? How do you see this proceeding?"

"The legal framework is under the U.S. criminal code. The only penalty for treason is death, it's spelled out in the statute. Under the constitution, as you know, grounds for removal of office, impeachment are treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors. We don't have to worry about bribery anymore, although I think he's committed that. we don't have to worry about other high crimes and misdemeanors, although I think he's committed many, he's such a lawless man," he said.

"We have treason. We don't have to dribble around the court, we can go right for the hoop. This president has been trying to cancel this election for months. He tried to cancel the New Hampshire first in the nation primary. That went over like a lead balloon in New Hampshire because they're not stupid. The people in New Hampshire were the first ones to stand up to President Trump this year.

"It's well past time for this guy, in my opinion, to be colloquial, to be carted off to save us all. He's daring us all to let him be totally lawless. He has no respect for the law. He has no knowledge base under any issues. Why do we want this man as president of the United States? I don't get it. Now the path is clear. it's a whole new level, and we have to count noses among the Republicans in the Senate.

"And if they won't say this is a bridge too far for us, then they really, as Congressman Walsh said, I totally agree with him, they have no chance at the ballot box next year. Not just President Trump, but those members of the Senate."

(VIDEO) 👍 (https://www.sourcepolitics.com/bill-weld-its-time-for-trump-to-be-tried-for-treason-and-face-the-death-penalty-video/)



Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 25, 2019, 12:11:06 pm
Ukraine Is Only PART Of The Whistleblower Complaint

People need to remember that as the rest gets swept down the daily rathole. Of some optimism is the Senate's unanimous vote yesterday to refer the complaint to the relevant committees. We shall see.

Agreed.

Here's some just released Trump stuff. If this is what Trump is releasing, imagine 👀 what he is covering up...
(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/eOaj6eYmcac1UXbanPOJ-q0-ZQ5qvZPPxri-XgGDIew5ss380dXhUCU5Xc6EUJo1qM3TK5uL7fPh1IzwQMa4CRR5QbCOHLVIHi7eLjGBaHetZoAb83sV=s0-d-e1-ft#https://s3.amazonaws.com/ak-kharris/images/kdh-190925-trump-memo.png)
(https://comedycentral.mtvnimages.com/images/shows/crankyankers/crankyankers_03_0308_niles.jpg?quality=0.85&width=381&height=216&crop=true)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-250919115958.png)

Bill Palmer | 11:11 am EDT September 25, 2019

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132401-16881856.gif&hash=ef5bd30cec7a50a81f3507f9bd328189dead7aa2)THAT’S NOT A TRANSCRIPT (https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/thats-not-a-transcript/21110/)

Bill Palmer | 10:30 pm EDT September 24, 2019

SNIPPET:

Unnamed officials in the Donald Trump administration are now telling the Washington Post tonight that they spent weeks actively trying to prevent Donald Trump from cutting off aid to Ukraine, and from calling the president of Ukraine. These officials are accusing Rudy Giuliani of having steered Trump down this path, in spite of their objections and their best efforts.

Read more:

Donald Trump’s own people begin throwing him under the bus as it becomes clear that his whistleblower scandal is going to take him down (https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/own-people-bus-donald-trump-whistleblower-down/21092/)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on September 25, 2019, 12:16:08 pm
The Intercept

September 24 2019, 6:36 p.m.

By Ryan Grim

Quote
That grassroots anger was translating into primary challenges, he noted, and needlessly furious constituents. Rep. 🙉 Cheri 😈 Bustos, the chair of the Democratic ::) Congressional Campaign 🐉💵🎩🦕 Committee, and a champion of doing nothing when it came to 🦀 Trump, had recently counted as many as 111 primaries, far more than a typical cycle.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

WHY THE HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS WAS ABLE TO MOVE SO RAPIDLY TOWARD IMPEACHMENT (https://theintercept.com/2019/09/24/impeachment-inquiry-donald-trump-nancy-pelosi/)

Agelbert NOTE: It is important to keep score here. For those who want to know who supports impeachment and who doesn't, these sources are kept current:

Find out where your representative stands on Impeachment (https://www.needtoimpeach.com/congress-map/?emci=eabca06f-00df-e911-b5e9-2818784d6d68&emdi=7fe16113-01df-e911-b5e9-2818784d6d68&ceid=1788404)

From yesterday to today, several more Democrats have joined the Impeachment bandwagon 👍. As it stand today, 46% of Congress (200 of 236 Democrats, 1 of 1 Independents, 0 of 199 😈 Republicans) supports the Impeachment of (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Trump.

IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY TRACKER (https://impeachmentinquiry.org/?link_id=0&can_id=f6a3d966836d5b36db494f1237d9b97d&source=email-a-major-update-on-your-impact&email_referrer=email_626639&email_subject=a-major-update-on-your-impact)
Title: The Inspector General has filed a criminal complaint against 🦀 Donald Trump
Post by: AGelbert on September 25, 2019, 03:58:36 pm
The Inspector General has filed a criminal complaint against Donald Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-190419235756.png&hash=ddd7a71acf6ff0420a63e797c27fdcad27734e3e)

Bill Palmer | 10:47 am EDT September 25, 2019
Palmer Report » Analysis

Yesterday, Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats announced that they’re moving forward with Donald Trump’s impeachment, due to his attempt at using money to extort the president of Ukraine into helping him alter the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. As a reminder, impeachment does not require a crime to have been committed. But it turns out someone in the Trump regime thinks Donald Trump did commit a crime.

Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson referred a criminal complaint against Donald Trump to the Department of Justice last month, according to Shimon Prokupecz of CNN. The criminal complaint specifically seeks to determine whether Trump’s actions were a “violation of campaign finance law.” There are far larger crimes at play here, such as espionage, extortion, and conspiracy against the United States. But campaign finance crimes tend to be far easier to get a conviction on.

The key here is that the Intelligence Community Inspector General is a Trump appointee. While he has a greater degree of independence than a lot of other appointees, the reality is that Donald Trump chose this guy, and now this guy believes Trump’s phone call with Ukraine may be felonious in nature. This disproves any argument that Trump might try to make about impeachment being a witch hunt. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132421-16902.gif&hash=deba9f0f91ecd7d65bbdeb78786bef4a98cb1a7e)


In addition, this criminal complaint from the Inspector General to the Department of Justice would have ended up landing on Attorney General Bill Barr’s desk. It’s a given that Barr tried to bury it – which means that Barr has been caught red handed committing obstruction of justice – and that Barr is toast. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/criminal-complaint-inspector-general-filed-against-donald-trump/21107/
Title: o how much is missing?
Post by: AGelbert on September 25, 2019, 04:13:41 pm
If this is what Trump is releasing, imagine 👀 what he is covering up...
(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/eOaj6eYmcac1UXbanPOJ-q0-ZQ5qvZPPxri-XgGDIew5ss380dXhUCU5Xc6EUJo1qM3TK5uL7fPh1IzwQMa4CRR5QbCOHLVIHi7eLjGBaHetZoAb83sV=s0-d-e1-ft#https://s3.amazonaws.com/ak-kharris/images/kdh-190925-trump-memo.png)
(https://comedycentral.mtvnimages.com/images/shows/crankyankers/crankyankers_03_0308_niles.jpg?quality=0.85&width=381&height=216&crop=true)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-250919115958.png)


Bill Palmer | 1:10 pm EDT September 25, 2019

This “summary” of Donald Trump’s Ukraine phone call cuts out three-quarters of the most damning stuff (https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/three-quarters-summary-donald-trump-ukraine/21112/)
Title: "Trump Call to Ukraine was a CLASSIC MAFIA SHAKEDOWN" - Intel Committee Chief Schiff
Post by: AGelbert on September 25, 2019, 04:42:14 pm
"Trump Call to Ukraine was a CLASSIC MAFIA SHAKEDOWN" - Intel Committee Chief Schiff
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-250919115958.png)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-191017143841.jpeg&hash=21f142befe4ed82f10ef0bdba11c22bbd3051289) Begin at 13:00 mark:

https://youtu.be/sJE_u-4Rt4Y

Wednesday September 25, 2019 · 1:38 PM EDT

House committee chairs say White House readout confirms worst fears: 'This was a shakedown' (https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/25/1887834/-House-committee-chairs-White-House-readout-confirms-our-worst-fears-This-was-a-shakedown) (https://media.tenor.com/images/aefc857b17366c1a4e85eefb2d502b5f/tenor.gif)
Title: Trump’s Impeachment Will Be a Political War That Can Be Won
Post by: AGelbert on September 25, 2019, 06:26:16 pm
Trump’s Impeachment Will Be a Political War That Can Be Won (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)
688 views•Sep 25, 2019

https://youtu.be/rlXMfPPNX5Q

The Real News Network
353K subscribers

The Nation’s Elie Mystal and By The People’s Alexandra Flores-Quilty look at the political struggle around impeachment as a battle for the soul and future of the nation.

Subscribe to our page and support our work at https://therealnews.com/donate.

Category News & Politics
Title: Could Mike Pence Be Impeached For His Part in Trump's Treason? YES!
Post by: AGelbert on September 25, 2019, 06:52:31 pm
Could 🦕 Mike Pence Be Impeached For His Part in Trump's Treason? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121424.gif&hash=384c17a4d2be4831084933b91808f8a60f73f7f5)
854 views • Sep 25, 2019

https://youtu.be/FX3Q_-fvPuc

Thom Hartmann Program
181K subscribers

Could Vice President Mike Pence be a guilty  in the same treason Donald Trump committed by asking a foreign government to get dirt on Joe Biden?

If he is could Pence face impeachment along with Donald Trump?

Thom Hartmann reveals why he thinks Mike Pence might be looking at a guilty verdict too

➡️Please Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tho
Title: “We’ve Reached Critical Mass”: Rep. Al Green on Pelosi Vow to Impeach Trump for “Dastardly Deeds”
Post by: AGelbert on September 25, 2019, 07:06:16 pm
“We’ve Reached Critical Mass”: Rep. Al Green on Pelosi Vow to Impeach Trump for “Dastardly Deeds”
11,102 views•Sep 25, 2019

https://youtu.be/JRwCJ8xnrMw

Democracy Now!
584K subscribers

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has launched a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump following allegations from an intelligence community whistleblower that Trump sought help from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 25 phone call to investigate Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

On Tuesday, the Republican-controlled Senate unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution calling for the Trump administration to release the whistleblower complaint to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.

We get response and look at next steps with Congressmember Al Green, Democrat from Texas, who in 2017 was the first congressmember to call for President Trump’s impeachment from the floor of the House of Representatives.

We also speak with John Nichols, political writer for The Nation and author of the book, “The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders’ Cure for Royalism.”

#DemocracyNow

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream 8-9AM ET: https://democracynow.org

Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today: https://democracynow.org/donate

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Category News & Politics
Title: We cannot afford to put 🦀 Trump under the "let's look forward, not back" RUG.
Post by: AGelbert on October 01, 2019, 05:34:54 pm
October 1, 2019 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718204530.gif&hash=2e7c5022efc700a555c2e328644b7448b6dda789)

Quote
John M. R. Borders 👍

It is great to see the Democrats and their institutional allies stay laser focused on their "Prime Directive" (impeaching and removing Donald Trump). Because that is what will bring the entire criminal 'Wall' of the Republican/Russian conspiracy crashing down into a bottomless pit. Republicans & their rogue alliances are ferociously trying to propagandize America into a state of utter chaos, distraction and confusion to deflect focus away from themselves. They are BUSTED! As a result, they have gone nuclear in their criminal conspiracy to shield all of the evil schemes they embedded within "Trumpism".

You have the arch criminal Bill Barr stealthily creeping around world capitals; breaking the law; being a naked traitor; and criminally attempting to create wicked scams & lies to discredit evidence (like the Mueller Report/Steele Dossier) and future testimony against Trump and all of his co-conspirators (including himself). You have swamp monsters like Rudy Giuliani and Mike Pompeo cruising through the sewers of international capitols doing the same thing, while triggering every single alarm system in the process. You have the odious and loathesome Liz Cheney and other supernaturally evil GOP creatures from the netherworld like Lindsey Graham, Congressman "GYM" Jordan and several treasonous GOP Senators trolling the Nation with lies, wicked distortion and cozy 'arms length' treason, in the naked support Russia's attack on their country.

I could go on; but I suspect everyone (especially the Palmer Report faithful) get the point. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-1624479.gif&hash=92c92575625c10582f9c1c6f9db969ad24bf62a8)

Democrats are FOCUSED on crushing that one brick in the wall of this massive conspiracy against America, that will knock the whole wall down. And the cracking and crumbling bricks & pillars from that collapsed wall will destroy all of those modern day Philistines (like those mentioned above and their fellow traitors). Democratic Presidential Candidates must stay just as focused and avoid the traps of extending their opportunities to low hanging fruit like Kavanaugh, Stormy Daniels & other lewd entrapments. The crumbling 'Wall' will take care of that (in the cleanup phase).

Associated post:

Bill Palmer | 11:00 am EDT October 1, 2019

Rudy Giuliani screws up badly after getting subpoenaed (https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/rudy-giuliani-screws-subpoena-badly/21360/)

September 30, 2019

By David Remnick

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301014181553.gif&hash=c09667beb656b25086c168adcdaddcba59abf858) The Floodgates Open on 🦀 Trump (https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-floodgates-open-on-trump)
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/68/96/fb/6896fb1793cb18e0cf313794254ff36f.jpg)

Agelbert NOTE: For those wondering why I addded that tiger planning to have a juicy fat laden Trump lunch, please remember that the tiger symbol is associated with Asia. Please remember that Moscow Mitch's wife, though from the Chinese dragon persuasion, is a well known 🐯 tigress. Yes, she is an evil oligarch. Yes, she is a willing particpant in Trump's Cabinet of swamp creatures.

However, whether she admits it or not, I maintain that she is NOT a happy camper when it comes to Trump's tariff war with China. She LOVES China. Her Chinese connections MADE HER RICH! Do you think that has gone away? Do you think MONEY is no longer NUMERO UNO for her? Neither do I. I am convinced that she is quietly convincing her husband that it is time for Mr. Trump to go away.

I believe that Moscow Mitch is surreptitiously trying to take Trump down in order to prevent the loss of a  Republican Party majority and the Right wing Swamp Creatures 'R' US influence in U.S. foreign and domestic policies. 

The "Civil War" Trump is "warning" about is just more Trump psychological projection. 

The ACTUAL Civil War is the one going on within the 🐘 Republican  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201302.png&hash=1e849526e5e1fde614fb21346869666fd34fa3dd)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201722.png&hash=5299cc10ee42beae76e4d3b7c79dbf5f4c0addac) Party. It has nothing to do with ethics or principle or preserving the rule of law; it's about the realization among around 30% of those crooks and liars that they need to dump Trump in order to retain their (fraudulently orchestraded) "legitimacy" in the public eye.

China wants Trump to go away. China is using all of its considerable influence in U.S. politics ((https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Frapgenius%2F1375371542_tumblr_m7jevgcaFm1qzqdem.gif&hash=1a2fe8d9567770e89661ad82a4e03b115e0f5358)) to get Trump dumped.

All China wants is 😈 business as usual oligarchic corruption in the USA. So, they will favor letting Trump go with a slap on the wrist (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183404.bmp&hash=dc40a133c761f80036b08ef0f6c0427aaa7e9f4b). The USA is TOAST if we do not put Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smiley-lol.com%2Fsmiley%2Fexagerent%2Fpolice%2Fenprison.gif&hash=4912c6e4685052e7a6084b2d6740020437d7dae4) and his ENTIRE wrecking crew, and his enablers in the media, and his enablers in the House and the Senate, in prison (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smiley-lol.com%2Fsmiley%2Fexagerent%2Fpolice%2Fboulet.gif&hash=d7b4519fc185b666c4c74a5bc63d4d0a70c0ad21). So, while I welcome China's repudiation of Trump, don't you believe for one second that just because Trump is no longer in office, everything's gonna be nice.

This craven, cowardly, buck passing, future WORSE corruption fostering BULLSHIT that Ford, Carter, Clinton AND Obama pulled in refusing to jail the treasonous bastard Republican Presidents and their coterie of murderous crooks and liars has GOT TO STOP NOW. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)

We cannot afford to put Trump under the "let's look forward, not back" RUG. If we don't RID OUR HOUSE of ALL OF THESE TREASONOUS TERMITES, we are TERMITE FOOD! (https://media.tenor.com/images/f6d166aa141a9ddfccd2d56b56ebdf71/tenor.gif)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-290216142646.png)

Stay tuned.
 
Title: Sen. Ron Wyden Exposes Secret NRA Connection To Russia!
Post by: AGelbert on October 01, 2019, 09:26:33 pm
Sen. Ron Wyden Exposes Secret  😈 NRA Connection To Russia!
2,035 views•Sep 30, 2019

https://youtu.be/FLw1kdBo1W0

Thom Hartmann Program
182K subscribers

Was the NRA working for Russia?

Senator Ron Wyden joins the Thom Hartmann Program to expose the NRA's connection to the Russian government and Russian Oligarchs.

What is the connection between the NRA, the Republican Party, and Russia? Why was there access to the US political system? The NRA needs to be investigated up by the IRS and their tax-exempt status, according to Senator Ron Wyden.

Senator Ron Wyden is co-chair of the Whistle-blower Caucus and says that the current whistleblower is very credible on the Trump call with the President of Ukraine.


➡️Please Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 02, 2019, 09:57:19 pm
Why (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) New Conservatives Put Money Before Democracy!
1,694 views•Oct 2, 2019

https://youtu.be/bl05pLFcwqY

Thom Hartmann Program
182K subscribers

Conservatives of the past would never approve of Donald Trump. So why are these conservatives doing it now?

Thom pulls out the history of the start of these Trump conservatives going all the way back to Nixon!

➡️Please Subscribe to Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...
Title: U.S. Supreme Court tosses challenge to Republican-drawn Ohio congressional maps
Post by: AGelbert on October 07, 2019, 07:41:03 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-071019193745.jpeg)

U.S. (https://images.dailykos.com/images/604450/story_image/NO45-1024x1024.jpg?1540657700) Supreme Court tosses challenge to Republican-drawn Ohio congressional maps
Source: Reuters
(https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/458746798270447616/U-eXuzjf.jpeg)


SUPREME COURT OCTOBER 7, 2019 / 10:47 AM / UPDATED 5 HOURS AGO
U.S. Supreme Court tosses challenge to Republican-drawn Ohio congressional maps
Lawrence Hurley
3 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday threw out a challenge to Republican-drawn congressional districts in Ohio that Democrats said were drawn to unlawfully diminish their political clout, a move that follows a major ruling by the justices in June that foreclosed such lawsuits.

The court’s action in the case involving a practice known as partisan gerrymandering means that 16 U.S. House of Representatives districts will no longer be reconfigured, as a three-judge panel had ordered in May.

The Supreme Court had put the panel’s ruling on hold ahead of its rulings, issued the next month, in two major gerrymandering cases from Maryland and North Carolina.

The justices in June dealt a major blow to election reformers by saying in its June 27 ruling that federal courts have no role to play in reining in electoral map manipulation by politicians aimed at entrenching one party in power.

The ruling gave the Ohio challengers little option but to concede defeat.....

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-gerrymandering/us-supreme-court-tosses-challenge-to-republican-drawn-ohio-congressional-maps-idUSKBN1WM1K7

(https://zh-prod-1cc738ca-7d3b-4a72-b792-20bd8d8fa069.storage.googleapis.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_desktop/public/inline-images/pitchforks-and-torches-e1546221601913_7.jpg?itok=1CaQJw4i)
Title: The Moral Crisis of Our Age
Post by: AGelbert on October 13, 2019, 02:32:51 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-131019142923.png)
Title: How to Break Through To Trump's Cult!
Post by: AGelbert on October 15, 2019, 04:54:23 pm
How to Break Through To 🦀 Trump's Cult!
11,465 views•Oct 14, 2019

https://youtu.be/3MXMpHjbPrY

Thom Hartmann Program
184K subscribers

Donald Trump acts like a cult leader and his followers are acting like they are stuck in a cult.

How can we save people from Trump's Cult?  Steven Hassan, the author of The Cult of Trump, and Combating Cult Mind Control, joins the Thom Hartmann Program to discuss how cults function and how we can confront people and get them out of Donald Trump's grasp.

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(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-131019142923.png)
Title: Robert Reich: Should the 🎩 🍌 Supreme Court Be Reformed? AND HOW!
Post by: AGelbert on October 15, 2019, 09:28:34 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-260718150100.jpeg&hash=00f25fb4f05b52767255a460eb1efa3742d5c738)

Robert Reich: Should the 🎩(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae) Supreme Court Be Reformed?

13,297 views•Oct 15, 2019


https://youtu.be/LxsOXTdCUaw
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-071019193745.jpeg)

Robert Reich
157K subscribers

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich breaks down five possible remedies to reform the Supreme Court and protect it against the damage caused by (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59) Donald Trump and (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) Mitch McConnell.
Watch More:  🦀 Trump's Takeover of the Courts ►►
https://youtu.be/l014xi25v7Y

Category News & Politics
Title: 📢 FOUR TIMES MORE 😈 lobbyists in 🦀 TRUMP government jobs than in Obama administration 🤬
Post by: AGelbert on October 18, 2019, 04:45:58 pm
PROPUBLICA

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281216181536.jpeg&hash=faeff8739580c0d370dfafe6e6378077218a7ed2)

by David Mora, Columbia Journalism Investigations Oct. 15, 5 a.m. EDT (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

The exact opposite of draining the swamp: A "staggering" 281
 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) 😈 lobbyists have worked in the Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) administration
(https://www.propublica.org/article/we-found-a-staggering-281-lobbyists-whove-worked-in-the-trump-administration)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-16271224.gif&hash=c2a9bfbff23e2414975829eb4b3655af12eb02cc)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241216151049.png&hash=78206393ea158485b779ed06d0fb0f84172b645d)
Title: What Will Become of Worker's Rights Under 🦀 Trump's 🐍 Supreme Court?
Post by: AGelbert on October 18, 2019, 07:11:49 pm
What Will Become of Worker's Rights Under 🦀 Trump's (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Supreme Court?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho_piz6_l64

Thom Hartmann Program
186K subscribers


📕 BOOK:  Hidden History of The Supreme Court - https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-History...

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Title: How The 👹🎩🍌 Supreme Court Ended Democracy
Post by: AGelbert on October 18, 2019, 07:49:28 pm
How The 👹🎩🍌 Supreme Court Ended Democracy
1,784 views•Oct 18, 2019

https://youtu.be/OseZFVkrSP0

Thom Hartmann Program
186K subscribers

Did a series of Supreme Court decisions giving corporations the rights of people turn our democracy into a constitutional Republic?

Thom Hartmann reveals the long history of the Supreme Court's snatching of Democracy!
Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 22, 2019, 08:49:12 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0) Amazon Spends $1.45m to Buy Votes >:( in One City (w/ Kshama Sawant (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-16442135.gif&hash=52927992b43007fa5c5eb6ffcb453ae29948c356))
1,392 views•Oct 22, 2019

https://youtu.be/IHAbgCvyh4s

Thom Hartmann Program
187K subscribers

Councillor Kshama Sawant is angered by Amazon trying to buy the election on Seattle City Council with $1.45m spent to swing the election. >:(
 
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She claims that Amazon and Jeff Bezos are using Seattle as a testbed to see how they can influence moving politics to the right. Big corporations vs socialism are becoming a real issue.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191329.bmp&hash=4764bfbe6bb0e11ca61102efa97a932a824f47e0) Corporate activity in elections is rife, despite there having been laws to try and prevent it over the years.

📽️ WATCH NEXT: Can Bold Progressives (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-300919160022-2281531.png) Win the 2020 Election?
https://youtu.be/351iuOTGZww

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Title: Is War on the 🦀 Menu for 2020 Elections?
Post by: AGelbert on October 23, 2019, 06:43:25 pm
Is War on the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59) Menu for 2020 Elections?
1,862 views•Oct 22, 2019

https://youtu.be/fdSK9sYUnWk

Thom Hartmann Program
187K subscribers

The Democratic Peace theory says that democracies rarely go to war but after Trump is the US a democracy?

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Thom Hartmann breaks down the Democratic Peace Theory before asking if Donald Trump will take us to war to win the 2020 election.

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 24, 2019, 06:47:50 pm
Exposing 👹💵🎩 Billionaires' Bias On Broadcast News (w/ Pam Vogel)
2,073 views•Oct 23, 2019

https://youtu.be/gBRHPRiLT8k

Thom Hartmann Program
187K subscribers

Radio and TV stations are bound by FCC regulations, but are some bending the rules to promote political views and candidates?

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Pam Vogel from Media Matters joined Thom to talk about the fairness doctrine and what Sinclair Broadcasting is doing.

Sinclair Broadcasting had only one commentator, Boris Epstheyn who used to work for the Trump campaign and was briefly in the administration. He is now their chief political commentator. This gave just one editorial voice, and this gave no editorial balance.

Is Sinclair Broadcasting bending the FCC rules on station ownership and content?

Should radio and TV stations be politically independent? Let us know in the comments.

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https://youtu.be/5WS0JcvfhzA

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Title: Putting Profit Over Democracy! 😠
Post by: AGelbert on October 24, 2019, 07:17:32 pm
Putting Profit Over Democracy! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-300919160019-22721213.gif)

1,141 views•Oct 24, 2019

https://youtu.be/o9Fx5lhWync

Thom Hartmann Program
187K subscribers

How long before the principle of profit erodes Democracy completely? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-150715183719.png&hash=7b222546f30a032efc31223d85eea0535ed42a49)


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Why are American companies giving into authoritarian governments around the world instead of supporting the protesters in Hong Kong fighting for democracy?

The simple answer is profit! But how do we get them to care about democracy again?

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 27, 2019, 08:08:34 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1103-toons%2Fdoral2.jpg&hash=cf1fc6fb9ebd2bc0ee0750ea2ea77a9c70e59503)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 27, 2019, 08:41:35 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1103-toons%2Fphony-constituion.jpg&hash=ca1007d9391e8e35876e957526a027f6ca8590af)
Title: Trump's next massively Corrupt Quid Pro Quo = Washington DC hotel sale scheme
Post by: AGelbert on October 27, 2019, 09:37:08 pm
(https://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/intelligencer/2018/03/30/magazine/trump-hotel.nocrop.w710.h2147483647.jpg)

Why it’s such a big deal that Donald (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Trump is suddenly selling his Washington DC hotel

Cheryl Kelley | 4:43 pm EDT October 27, 2019
Palmer Report » Analysis

By all accounts Donald Trump’s DC hotel is one of his most profitable assets. Not coincidentally, it’s a convenient way for lobbyists and foreign governments to give money to Trump. They simply get a large contingent of people to stay at the hotel and spend lavishly while they are there. So why sell such a goldmine?

If you look at the situation in its entirety, Trump really has to sell it now to maximize the asset, and the reasons why are the same types of conflicts the emoluments clause and ethics rules are designed to prevent.

Trump’s DC hotel is profitable specifically because he is President and lobbyists and foreign leaders have spent millions at the hotel in the last three years. If Trump were not President who knows if the hotel would ever have turned a profit at all. The Huffington Post reported in 2017 that the hotel was indeed losing money before he won the election.

Most valuation methods use the last three years of profits to calculate a return on investment (ROI). This means that right now is the first time the inflated and illegally-gotten profits from the Trump hotel will be completely calculated into the equation to determine the value of the hotel, and time is ticking. By the time Trump is a lame duck President, just one year from now, fewer lobbyists and foreign officials will be willing to spend at his hotel to buy influence.

Even more dramatic in terms of inflating the value of this asset is the straight-up pay-to-play bribery potential of such a sale. Let’s assume the market value of the hotel, if Trump had never become President, is $250 million. Now let’s assume Mark Zuckerberg wants the government to agree to not impose tighter regulations on Facebook for two years – saving him billions. Zuckerberg could, through shell companies, agree to purchase the Trump hotel for $500 million, and Trump could, in turn, delay regulating Facebook. A straightforward bribe that could be surprisingly difficult to prove.

Now imagine, instead of Mark Zuckerberg, wanting deregulation, the potential buyer is the Saudi Arabian prince wanting US military action. This is why it really matters that the President of the United States divest him or herself from business interests that can present a conflict of interest or be used as vehicles to facilitate bribery.

So, the original question was why would Trump want to sell his most profitable asset right now? The answer is as simple as it is awful: that asset will never be more valuable than it is now. No one will be banging down his door to funnel large amounts of bribery money to him when he is no longer president, and if he is not imprisoned, he will be too much under a microscope to continue laundering large amounts of money. For Donald Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) the time to cash in is now, while he still has (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) power to 😈 trade.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/hotel-selling-dc-donald-trump-big-deal/22394/
Title: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Under Fire for Link to Giuliani's Indicted Associates
Post by: AGelbert on October 27, 2019, 11:20:53 pm
🐘 Florida Gov. 🐍 Ron DeSantis Under Fire for Link to (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) Giuliani's (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Indicted Associates

THOMAS KENNEDY, TRUTHOUT

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has never shied away from presenting himself as a loyal acolyte of President Trump and his extremist far-right agenda. Now, like Trump, he is under scrutiny after recently uncovered photographs showed him consorting with two associates of Rudi Giuliani indicted for allegedly circumventing federal campaign finance laws to funnel foreign and dark money to political candidates in exchange for influence.

Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/florida-gov-ron-desantis-under-fire-for-link-to-giulianis-indicted-associates/)
Title: The story of 👹 Jeffrey Epstein’s death takes a surreal new turn
Post by: AGelbert on October 31, 2019, 01:07:57 pm
(https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/07/11/us/politics/09dc-trumpspstein1/09dc-trumpspstein1-articleLarge-v2.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)
"Birds" of a CRIMINAL CHILD RAPIST "feather"

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270115141816.png&hash=9e5b9256040e731f025e15fd44bffae1fc05d7c7)

The story of 👹 Jeffrey Epstein’s death takes a surreal new turn

Bill Palmer | 3:40 pm EDT October 30, 2019
Palmer Report » Analysis

With just about everything going wrong for (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) Donald Trump that can possibly go wrong for him right now, the last thing he needs is his child molester friend Jeffrey Epstein back in the headlines, right? So naturally, Epstein is back in the headlines today. Even worse, the headlines are talking about Epstein having possibly been murdered.

Before anyone gets too carried away, keep a few things in mind. The forensic pathologist hired by Jeffrey Epstein’s family is merely pointing to some broken neck bones that are more consistent with murder than suicide. This isn’t even necessarily something new, as these broken bones were discovered in the original autopsy. This pathologist is simply arguing that the coroner may have made the wrong conclusion.

Further, the pathologist made his case this morning exclusively on Fox & Friends, one of the very least reputable shows on the least reputable cable news network. In fact the only logical reason someone would choose to appear on the laughably disreputable Fox & Friends is if they’re trying to get a message to Donald Trump, who is a devoted viewer.

In fact that may be Donald Trump’s biggest problem here. Jeffrey Epstein’s family is suddenly sending someone on Trump’s favorite TV show to promote months-old information about inconsistencies in Epstein’s autopsy. Why? Is this to send some kind of a message to Trump? Does Epstein’s family know more about Trump than they’re letting on? Stay tuned, because whatever is going on here, it’s probably just getting started.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/jeffrey-epstein-death-tak-surreal-new-turn/22493/

Quote
Patricia Caron 👍
I firmly believe that Donald J. Trump was just as much a child sexual predator as was his good friend Jeffrey Epstein. They rode together many times in the same airplane and I just don't see Trump as someone who will stroke his chin and decide that hitting on a child sexually is something immoral. I think he was a very active participant in all his glory when he was taking advantage of a vulnerable child who could not fight back. That's his kind of challenge being the cowardly buffoon that he is.

Dan DePrez 👍
The most interesting comment to me was the former medical examiner's statement that in all his years of work, he has never before seen a case where a suicide occurred in a cell when both guards were asleep at the time and security cameras just happened to not work at that same moment.
Title: Donald Trump nominee goes berserk during confirmation hearing
Post by: AGelbert on October 31, 2019, 03:08:12 pm
Donald 🦀 Trump 😈 nominee goes berserk during confirmation hearing

Ron Leshnower | 11:10 am EDT October 31, 2019
Palmer Report » Analysis

While announcing on Sunday that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed, Donald Trump took delight in inventing a detail that no other government official could back up, claiming that al-Baghdadi was “whimpering” and “crying.” While this appears to have been one of Trump’s millions of small lies, the tears and whimpers that came from a 🦀 Trump nominee at a Senate confirmation hearing today were quite real.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General 😈 Lawrence VanDyke, who is being considered to be a judge on the Ninth Circuit, shamelessly broke down when presented with a letter from the American Bar Association to the Senate Judiciary Committee deeming him “Not Qualified” to serve. The letter, which was based on 60 interviews with current and former colleagues, was like a powerful mirror reflecting a disappointing and disgraceful career.

The ABA found that a “substantial majority” of its Standing Committee members reached their conclusion after reviewing the interviews as well as material such as certain emails, news reports, and opinion pieces. Despite having an impressive background on paper, VanDyke was widely known to be “arrogant, lazy, an ideologue, and lacking knowledge of the day-to-day practice including procedural rules.” The letter also exposed VanDyke as conducting himself without humility but with a strong sense of entitlement, while having a lack of an open mind and an unreliable commitment to being truthful.

The one positive remark in the letter, that VanDyke “is clearly smart,” was mentioned only in the context of explaining that despite this attribute, VanDyke still managed to miss “issues fundamental to the analysis of the case” and also appeared to do a better job when he was personally or politically interested in a particular case.

Not surprisingly, when Republican Senator John Hawley questioned VanDyke today about the ABA letter, he categorized it as “full of all kinds of, frankly, hearsay” while attacking the ABA for having conflicts of interest and failing to offer due process. When Hawley brought up a part of the letter indicating that interviewees accused VanDyke of not being fair to members of the LGBTQ community, he broke down.

Through tears and whimpering, VanDyke insisted that it’s “a fundamental belief of mine (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c) that all people are created in the image of God, and they should all be treated with dignity and respect.”

The scene was eerily reminiscent of Brett Kavanaugh’s (https://stickershop.line-scdn.net/stickershop/v1/product/1451400/LINEStorePC/main.png) disgusting confirmation hearing. Both men are highly unqualified 🦀 Trump nominees who just could not bear the thought of “losing” something they claimed to be theirs. Senator Hirono’s tweet 👍 this evening summed it all up perfectly: “Lawrence VanDyke is among the worst of the worst. He’s attacked civil/human rights, opposed reproductive rights, and undermined gun safety regulations, and more. He doesn’t belong on the 9th Circuit.

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/nominee-berserk-confirmation-hearing-donald-trump/22526/
Title: Exposing Republican's 😈 Malicious Christmas Plans
Post by: AGelbert on October 31, 2019, 07:18:15 pm
Exposing 🐘 Republican's 😈 Malicious Christmas Plans (https://media3.giphy.com/media/kHmINzGsY6xbwgSo3J/source.gif)

9,265 views•Oct 30, 2019

https://youtu.be/uu68vZ8Hx-k

Thom Hartmann Program
188K subscribers

What are Republicans planning for Christmas? Thom Hartmann exposes the Frightening Plans Republicans have for Christmas that could leave you seeing double.

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Will the Republican Two Santa Theory work on the America people, letting the billionaires get coal bailouts for the holidays or will the American people see through it. 

Judd Wanniski's Two Santa Clause Theory has been a Republican tactic since the 1980s and it looks like they are up to their old tricks again.

Share this video with your friends to let them know about the upcoming Republican scheme to steal your social security, cut social safety nets and blame it all on the Democratic Party.

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Title: Trump & GOP Bribe Morbidly Rich With More Tax Cuts
Post by: AGelbert on November 06, 2019, 08:30:38 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Trump & GOP  Bribe Morbidly Rich With More Tax Cuts
2,130 views•Nov 5, 2019

https://youtu.be/nU1i5P4pH3Q

Thom Hartmann Program
190K subscribers

Donald Trump and the Republican party are working to bribe corporations and the rich with even more extreme tax cuts!
 
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: Surly1 on November 07, 2019, 09:27:29 am
"Morbidly Rich" is a perfect descriptor, in my book.
Title: The World Has Gone Mad": Albert Edwards Shows How "Trickle Down" QE Works In One Chart
Post by: AGelbert on November 07, 2019, 12:58:00 pm
"Morbidly Rich" is a perfect descriptor, in my book.

Yep, that wealth stolen out of the pockets of we-the-people is quite literally killing this country's middle and lower class. Reasonable, dignified living standards of those classes that do 99.999% of ALL THE WORK has ALWAYS been the only thing that preserves national stability.

This article by Zero Hedge, of all places (gold is where you find it! ;D), clearly shows how destructive this continuous wealth transfer up to the morbidly rich is. Except for the last sentence, where it makes a false equivalence between the real Sanders populist (and the non-populist Democrat Warren) with the 🦀 Trump FAKE populist, the article is prophetic of coming extremely violent upheavals (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418195803.png&hash=2ff05bac59ce8d16643fd4159b563943ac729a6f) targeting TPTB. The (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) American Fascists 'R' US oligarchs had better pay attention. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-190419235756.png&hash=ddd7a71acf6ff0420a63e797c27fdcad27734e3e) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201112.png&hash=679f4583d6861313c256e8762c40929af1ac667e)

"The World Has Gone  Mad": Albert Edwards Shows How "Trickle Down" QE 💵🎩😈 Works In One Chart

by Tyler Durden
Thu, 11/07/2019 - 11:52

It's been a year of record equity outflows...   :o (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163125-16722324.gif&hash=fd301340fefe90d81ed8826dfa0568be12a1c0d8)

(https://zh-prod-1cc738ca-7d3b-4a72-b792-20bd8d8fa069.storage.googleapis.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_desktop/public/inline-images/equity%20bond%20flows%20oct%202019_0.jpg?itok=nuH9wkDy)

... and yet the S&P 500 is trading at all time highs. How is that possible? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301014182447.gif&hash=58fbc1dfd905f79b3d4bacde8e89a935c2b859ac)    (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714191404.bmp&hash=007a2c20b76f970316a559a6e27cfd70c11f5998) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163123-16662165.gif&hash=0c278af5ea445d20e48640c4f39f951df986eed6)

Perhaps instead of trying to explain or justify it, one should just go with the flow and indeed, Albert Edwards starts off his latest letter by pointing out the obvious: "the world has gone mad." Here's why:

it’s not just equities rising to record highs… Christie’s US recently sold two pairs of late 1990s tortoiseshell sunglasses for $2,750, massively outstripping their $200-300 estimate. The ‘Not-QE4’ liquidity splurge has sent risk assets bananas, so the economic narrative has become one in which the US economy is “robust”. No it isn’t. And labour’s fightback has a recessionary downside.

While the simple answer why equities continue to soar even as investors liquidate their equity exposure is thanks to nearly $4 trillion in buybacks...

(https://zh-prod-1cc738ca-7d3b-4a72-b792-20bd8d8fa069.storage.googleapis.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_desktop/public/inline-images/total%20flows%20buyback_1.jpg?itok=nS11LGTR)

... Edwards finds a more apt culprit: "The surge in equity markets has come on the back of the Fed (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae) hosing liquidity into the banking system via repos and T-Bill purchases." So is it QE or is it "not QE"? Here is Edwards snarky answer:

Remember this is not QE4, as the Fed has repeatedly assured us. Tell that to the equity market, which is certainly reacting as if it was as it as forges to new all-time highs. We have heard these Fed denials before. Remember Bernanke assured investors that QE was different to monetisation because everybody knew with certainty that the Fed was going to take all the QE back. Well, that worked well, didn't it? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-010519192158-2201430.jpeg&hash=e912e1f5bdc041c35e217478b14ba3f7960e2037)

To this all we can add is that "Not QE" is adding between $60 billion and $100 billion in liquidity every month. So, yeah, there's that.

Ok, fine, it is QE, but is that really bad? Well, yes. Here's Edwards:

In my opinion QE is totally discredited. I believe it had only a marginally positive impact on economic growth (mainly by driving exchange rates down, most notably in the eurozone and Japan). But the damage QE did in terms of wealth inequality compounded years of painful income inequality.

Oh, and here is the CEO of the world's biggest hedge fund, Ray Dalio, sounding just like this website in 2009 (and every year after):

money is essentially free for those who have money and creditworthiness, it is essentially unavailable to those who don’t have money and creditworthiness, which contributes to the rising wealth, opportunity, and political gaps. Also contributing to these gaps are the technological advances that investors and the entrepreneurs that I previously mentioned are excited by in the ways I described, and that also replace workers with machines. Because the “trickle-down” process of having money at the top trickle down to workers and others by improving their earnings and creditworthiness is not working, the system of making capitalism work well for most people is broken.

Going back to Edwards, the SocGen strategist notes that "investors are desperate to believe this is a rare mid-cycle pause. The ‘markets’ write the economic narrative so the S&P's surge to all-time highs is prompting commentary that the economy is doing just fine. No it's not." Not surprisingly, Edwards urges readers here to read Ray Dalio's recent comment.

Dalio thinks the world has gone mad and if Christie's recent auction is anything to go by, he is right. The good news: as I show inside, labour is fighting back hard to get its rightful share of national income. The bad news: the fightback has triggered a savage corporate profit margin squeeze that is already severe enough to trigger an investment-led recession.

Here Edwards points to the following chart to demonstrate where in the business cycle corporate profit margins are right now:

(https://zh-prod-1cc738ca-7d3b-4a72-b792-20bd8d8fa069.storage.googleapis.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_desktop/public/inline-images/corporate%20margin%20squeeze.jpg?itok=dt5bTM4d)

Of course, the fact that S&P earnings have been negative Y/Y for the past three quarters, and are expected to drop again in Q4, merely confirms this. It is also why nobody is believing the market at all time highs represents anything besides another massive liquidity injection by the Fed and, of course, continued record buybacks.

Which then brings us to the punchline - in response to Dalio, shouldn't QE have "trickled down" at least a bit? The answer is no, as Edwards shows so vividly in the chart below, and explains: "The proverbial "Jo six-pack" isn't stupid. He/she can fully understand how trickle-down has really worked (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) (see slide below)."

(https://zh-prod-1cc738ca-7d3b-4a72-b792-20bd8d8fa069.storage.googleapis.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_desktop/public/inline-images/how%20qe%20works%20in%20practice.jpg?itok=J0p_fe1B)

And so, in a world that is once again crushing the middle class, Edwards' conclusion is spot on:

No wonder the US looks poised to elect another populist: Warren 👍, Sanders 👍 or 🦀 Trump ((https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-16181943.gif&hash=0b93e71ee5e24bbe02555e0d648a1283e0e9651d) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)) -
what's the difference? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-200419205434.png&hash=f935da2cb5d2746b1d817ec9a4feb3a04f3f8075)


https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/world-has-gone-mad-albert-edwards-shows-how-trickle-down-qe-works-one-chart

Agelbert NOTE: Maybe the morbidly rich will continue to believe the half truth (pun intended ;D) that they "can always hire half the people to fight (vote against, cheat, abuse, lie to, kill, etc., you get the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) Jay Gould (http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/33148.html) idea) the other half". That "works" ONLY when the government has the consent of the governed. Otherwise, it does not. We are almost there. If (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591) Trump stays in office, we will BE 💥 THERE.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-081019223703.jpeg)
Title: How Wall Street Demolished the American Dream!
Post by: AGelbert on November 11, 2019, 07:24:57 pm
How (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Wall Street Demolished the American Dream! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf)

3,164 views•Nov 11, 2019

https://youtu.be/6-MUX55LB5Q

Thom Hartmann Program
192K subscribers

Homewreckers: How a Gang of Wall Street Kingpins, Hedge Fund Magnates, Crooked Banks, and Vulture Capitalists Suckered Millions Out of Their Homes and Demolished the American Dream!

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From the publisher, In Homewreckers, Glantz recounts the transformation of straightforward lending into a morass of slivered and combined mortgage “products” that could be bought and sold, accompanied by a shift in priorities and a loosening of regulations and laws that made it good business to lend money to those who wouldn’t be able to repay. Among the men who laughed their way to the bank: Trump cabinet members Steve Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross, Trump pal and confidant Tom Barrack, and billionaire Republican cash cow Steve Schwarzman. Homewreckers also brilliantly weaves together the stories of those most ravaged by the housing crisis. The result is an eye-opening expose of the greed that decimated millions and enriched a gluttonous few.

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Title: 📢 Right Wing ☠️ Oligarchs[/color] Behind Bolivian Coup Exposed!
Post by: AGelbert on November 13, 2019, 07:09:54 pm
📢 Right Wing ☠️ Oligarchs Behind Bolivian Coup Exposed!
2,038 views•Nov 12, 2019

https://youtu.be/rfLqELNUZ3U

Thom Hartmann Program
193K subscribers

A Coup just took place in Bolivia, orchestrated by right wing militants and oligarchs looking to get rich off Bolivia's natural resources.
 
🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

President Evo Moralas resigned and fled from La Paz the capital of Bolivia and arrived in Mexico. The vice president and several other in succession have also resigned from the Bolivian government.

How will this affect Latin America and the US? The increasing authoritarian control in parts of Latin America and South America is worrying.

Gullaume Long from Ecuador joined Thom to enlighten us on what is going on in La Paz Bolivia.

⭐ Join our Membership and Support the Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...
Title: BLACK BEAR NEWS: Bolivian Coup - Hong Kong
Post by: AGelbert on November 13, 2019, 08:50:28 pm
BLACK BEAR NEWS: Bolivian (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Coup - Hong Kong (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-190119153601.gif&hash=336ba78f7f18ff5829ef3722f89b4258d2315284)
272 views•Nov 13, 2019

https://youtu.be/HWQj9qllPzY

Black Bear News
2.47K subscribers

#FridayGasStrike #ExtinctionRebellion #ClimateStrike
#GretaThunberg #ClimateChange #CompassionateDegrowth
#BlackBearNews

Bolivia opposition leader declares herself president after Evo Morales’ resignation
https://www.foxnews.com/world/bolivia...

Hong Kong Police Open Fire On Protesters, Shooting One As Chaos Erupts
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hong-k...

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Title: US-approved Bolivian president an appalling racist & absolute dimwit budget version of 🐵 Sara Palin
Post by: AGelbert on November 14, 2019, 12:57:24 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quickmeme.com%2Fimg%2Fbe%2Fbead363502f8e7564038c7072c490cfc0da55bf30c42bb1f04983157e9ae7125.jpg&hash=d1cd0fdeefcea255c8c08d44a2972681ba3c90a3)

"No, No, You Guys; This US-Backed Military Coup Is Perfectly Legitimate!" (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-010519192158-2201430.jpeg&hash=e912e1f5bdc041c35e217478b14ba3f7960e2037)
Thu, 11/14/2019 - 10:48

Authored by Caitlin Johnstone (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-16442135.gif&hash=52927992b43007fa5c5eb6ffcb453ae29948c356) via Medium.com,

I just keep tripping on how dumb this latest US-backed military coup (https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/msm-adamantly-avoids-the-word-coup-in-bolivia-reporting-3df1752ca0e0) is. It’s in Bolivia in case you’ve lost track, which would be perfectly understandable since US-backed coups have become kind of like US mass shootings — there’s so many of them they’re starting to blend into each other.

I mean, for starters the justifications for this one are so cartoonishly reachy and desperate it boggles the mind a bit. The main argument you’ll see in favor of the coup is that Evo Morales was elected after Bolivia’s high court ruled that he could run for a fourth term, but the (democratically elected) court ruled against a 2016 referendum on presidential term limits.

That’s it. That weird, pedantic appeal to a particular interpretation of bureaucratic technicalities is the whole entire argument in support of a literal military coup backed by the United States.

And make no mistake, that’s exactly what this was: the military ousting a government is precisely the thing that a coup is. The coup’s Christian fascist leader Luis Fernando Camacho openly tweeted that the military was actively pursuing Morales’ arrest prior to the ousted leader’s escape to Mexico, a tweet he later deleted presumably because the admission makes it much harder to call this military coup anything other than the thing that it is. The Grayzone has published an article documenting this coup’s many ties to Washington. Put it all together, and you’ve got a US-backed military coup.

Caitlin Johnstone ⏳
@caitoz
Camacho has deleted the tweet Golinger links to openly admitting that the military were pursuing the arrest of ousted Bolivian president Evo Morales. Luckily it's been archived here: http://archive.is/iSq8U  https://twitter.com/evagolinger/status/1193704121565696000 …

Twitter
archived 11 Nov 2019 02:32:20 UTC

archive.is
Eva Golinger

@evagolinger
Fascist coup leader Luis Camacho confirms arrest order for Evo Morales. Says the police and military are going after him in his hometown of Chapare. This is fascist persecution, arbitrary arrest and a sign of the repressive, racist and dictatorial regime the coup is installing. https://twitter.com/LuisFerCamachoV/status/1193696877155356672 …

146
7:45 PM - Nov 13, 2019
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110 people are talking about this


As happens every single time the US tries to overthrow a government these days, social media is currently swarming with small, brand-new and suspicious-looking accounts, many of which are publishing the same words verbatim, all defending and supporting the coup. Some of them try to argue that Morales rigged last month’s election, but that’s totally bogus and evidence-free. Others try to claim that “the people” of Bolivia opposed Morales, strongly implying that he was universally loathed, but that claim is invalidated by the election results and the massive demonstrations against the coup.

So the only actual argument really boils down to “Well he ran for another term, and yeah he won, and yeah the democratically elected high court ruled he could run again, but a loud and violent minority of Bolivians don’t want him to be president. What choice do you have in such circumstances other than to support a literal military coup?”

Which is just so crazy. That’s how low the bar has sunk for supporting the toppling of a government today. They don’t have to claim he’s starving his own people. They don’t have to claim that he’s using chemical weapons. They don’t have to claim that he’s governing without the consent of the voting populace. Just “Yeah well some of us don’t like him and there’s some paperwork we disagree on.”

I mean really, how much lower can the bar get for when a US-backed military coup is justified? “Oh, that government needed to be toppled because the leader got a parking ticket once”? “Well the president wore white after Labor Day, and that’s a fashion atrocity”?

So the Morales-supporting line of succession has been ousted and many of his supporters in the government arrested by masked men, and now the US-approved interim president is an appalling racist and absolute dimwit who calls to mind a very low-budget Bolivian version of 🐵 Sarah Palin.

Caitlin Johnstone ⏳
@caitoz
Bolivian Sarah Palin is the nation's new US-approved interim president. https://twitter.com/historic_ly/status/1194758297334755328 …

Historic.ly
@historic_ly
Replying to @historic_ly
Case and point: I dug up this old video where you can see she is an utter moron
(https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1194758214484672512/pu/img/45KQvMljTXsQNjpN?format=jpg&name=medium)

Embedded video (at article link) (https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/no-no-you-guys-us-backed-military-coup-perfectly-legitimate)

388
8:18 PM - Nov 13, 2019
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168 people are talking about this


It’s absolutely amazing how many people all across the political spectrum have been sucked in by this ridiculousness. How lost do you have to be to believe that this US-backed military coup is different from all the others? How many times is Charlie Brown going to run up and try to kick Lucy’s football?

(https://zh-prod-1cc738ca-7d3b-4a72-b792-20bd8d8fa069.storage.googleapis.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_desktop/public/inline-images/1_czLFO6B0ttWMkQu6SEXliQ.png?itok=JbC7KaHp)
That **** is never gonna let you kick that goddamn football, Charlie Brown. And this US-backed military coup isn’t going to be any more moral, legal or beneficial than all the others.

*  *  *

Thanks for reading! The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for my website, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking me on Facebook, following my antics on Twitter, checking out my podcast on either Youtube, soundcloud, Apple podcasts or Spotify, following me on Steemit, throwing some money into my hat on Patreon or Paypal, purchasing some of my sweet merchandise, buying my new book Rogue Nation: Psychonautical Adventures With Caitlin Johnstone, or my previous book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what I’m trying to do with this platform, click here. Everyone, racist platforms excluded, has my permission to republish or use any part of this work (or anything else I’ve written) in any way they like free of charge.

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https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/no-no-you-guys-us-backed-military-coup-perfectly-legitimate
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on November 15, 2019, 04:53:07 pm
Quote

Toni Smith 👍
I am so happy to read this about McCabe. Of all the heinous things the 🦀 orange mussolini has done to people and there are scores... I was so galled and angered by his baseness in scheming to take the man's pension by having him fired one day prior to his retirement. You have to be the biggest ass hole the universe ever bred to do another human being like that. I can only hope that all the seeds this evil man has sown will bear fruit that will rain down on his head like boulders. Karma always gets hers in the end.

November 14, 2019

Palmer Report » Analysis

Faced with having to admit that there is no case against McCabe, and having to turn over its own records which will surely reveal that McCabe was improperly targeted to begin with, the Trump regime is now basically trying to drop the whole thing. Accordingly, Politico says that the judge is now demanding that the Trump regime explain what’s really going on here. (https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/andrew-mccabe-stunt-trump-just-blew-up-face/22938/)

Title: What Is Left Of the Republican Party?
Post by: AGelbert on November 16, 2019, 04:59:02 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1104-toons%2Fmonkey-business.jpg&hash=13728c81060bc6b8b8675eea92f7483ad0db8b45)

What Is Left Of the  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) Republican Party?
4,633 views•Nov 14, 2019

https://youtu.be/2SmZ4jWYs-Y

Thom Hartmann Program
193K subscribers

Does the Republican Party stand for anything outside of Billionaires and corporate money?

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Will the GOP survive Trump?

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Title: 🐘 GOP: Where there is smoke, there's, uh, mirrors....
Post by: AGelbert on November 16, 2019, 05:15:44 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1106-toons%2Fgop-defense-mirrors.jpg&hash=bccec1df526fca00e8598a3d7867d9ec38c98eb3)
Title: 📢 Making America Radical Again!
Post by: AGelbert on November 16, 2019, 05:39:56 pm
📢 Making America Radical Again! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202709.png&hash=7503265ec59e4c28d735afb762bc39f4674bd838)
1,213 views•Nov 15, 2019

https://youtu.be/aNce4r26bDg

Thom Hartmann Program
193K subscribers

How can Americans take hold of their history and make America radical again?

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Title: On Contact: Resistance & the Left with Paul Street
Post by: AGelbert on November 18, 2019, 11:23:39 pm
On Contact: Resistance & the Left with Paul Street
20,093 views•Nov 9, 2019

https://youtu.be/67YZ7gNFAO4

RT America
1.03M subscribers

Journalist Chris Hedges 👍 talks to Paul Street 👍 , author and political commentator, about the failure of the American Left, new forms of resistance, democracy, and the deep roots of America’s ruling oligarchy. (This interview was taped in June 2018)
Title: tyranny overreach modus operandi...
Post by: AGelbert on November 19, 2019, 01:07:34 pm

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-071019193745.jpeg)

Chief Justice Gives Trump Temporary Reprieve in Financial Records Case (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/18/us/politics/trump-supreme-court-tax-returns.html)

nytimes.com - No stay from the Supreme Court was needed in the Manhattan case because prosecutors there had agreed not to seek immediate release of the records in exchange for a prompt request for Supreme Court re…

(https://d38hokjm2drjyk.cloudfront.net/?url=s.yimg.com%2Fuu%2Fapi%2Fres%2F1.2%2FqLrLb625ouZn9KAJzhkYuw--~B%2FaD01MTI7dz03Njg7c209MTthcHBpZD15dGFjaHlvbg--%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen_us%2FNews%2Fafp.com%2Fe293a9a577f39d11e3063bc75945db314582b7a9.jpg&w=300&h=190&secure=yes&token=d9b5770f76853bc77714d8794842aa89b78eb724)

In new pro-Israel shift, US no longer calls settlements illegal (https://news.yahoo.com/pro-israel-shift-us-no-longer-calls-settlements-214449306.html)

news.yahoo.com - Washington (AFP) - The United States no longer believes that Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories are illegal, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday, in the latest pro-Israel …

Read more Doomstead Diner Daily 11/19/19 (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/general-discussion/doomstead-diner-daily/msg14478/#msg14478) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-16281948.gif&hash=bde76e8c89cdf209aecaf236a316ba025ef35835) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

So, Chief 🐍 Fascist Justice Roberts ("No Republican judges here" (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718202127.gif&hash=acc63221521ebaf3f238088fd92d1ae3a08b6e48)) came through for tax-dodging crook (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Trump, as predicted by anyone with a lick of sense. 

I read this quote today. It referred to the stock market. I agree, but I think it also applies to all other actions by Trump and his wrecking crew, including Pompeo's bullshit about the West Bank Israeli (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) "settlements" being "legal".

Quote
"Like walking a skittish full grown bull elephant across a frozen lake of fraud." -- nsurf9 (https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/nomura-explains-whats-behind-relentless-bid-stocks-and-why-bond-selling-over)

Fascists just do not know when to back off from their tyranny overreach modus operandi...

(https://alchetron.com/cdn/madame-defarge-009c39b0-69df-4c58-aa94-d33ea5e6a56.webp)
Madame Defarge's knitting team
Title: But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Post by: AGelbert on November 19, 2019, 01:36:31 pm
Quote
For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor.

Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
--
James 2-7 King James Version (KJV) (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2&version=KJV)

Political and Social Conflict Is Accelerating: Here's Why
November 19, 2019

All the status quo "fixes" only hasten the collapse of the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) status quo.


That economic, social and political conflict is accelerating is self-evident. What's open to debate are the core drivers of conflict / disorder /unraveling.

Here's the core self-reinforcing dynamic in my view:

1. The status quo elites can no longer mask soaring costs of essentials nor soaring wealth / income inequality between the top .01% (Oligarchs), the top 9.99% who enrich the Oligarchs with their discretionary spending and technocratic/managerial labor, and the bottom 90% who are rapidly losing ground on all fronts: economic, social and political.

2. The elites' "fixes" to the social / political conflicts unleashed by the rigged financial system and winner take most economic order are politically expedient, meaning they don't actually address the sources of conflict, they merely paper them over with PR as a means of preserving the elites' wealth and power.

3. The elites' fundamental financial "fix" is to create trillions in newly issued currency and distribute it to the banks, financiers, super-wealthy families and global corporations-- the top .01% Oligarchs.

4. This "fix" accelerates the asymmetric distribution of wealth by enabling the already-wealthy to buy more productive assets, fund stock buybacks, etc., while forcing the bottom 90% to borrow money from the Oligarchs to make ends meet: the rich get richer, the poor get more indebted.

5. The only possible output of these inputs (political expediency to preserve the elites' wealth and power, the creation and distribution to the Oligarch class of trillions in new currency) is the acceleration of the very erosion that fueled social / political conflicts in the first place. In effect, the elites' "fixes" are accelerating the conflicts that will ultimately lead to their downfall.

This is why the unraveling cannot be reversed or stopped: all the enormous efforts being expended by the elites to maintain the status quo exactly as it is now, with the vast majority of wealth and power in their hands, preclude the structural changes needed to re-set the status quo onto a more sustainable (i.e. more transparent, productive, efficient and decentralized) and less rigged-to-benefit-the-few path.

All the status quo "fixes" only hasten the collapse of the status quo. My longtime colleague Gordon T. Long has laid out the stages of this inevitable descent into conflict and collapse in a series of charts which we discuss in our latest video conversation Coming Era of Political & Social Conflict (29:13).

These stages are predictable because human nature is predictable. That elites will follow a pathway of expediency to preserve their wealth and power is predictable, and this pathway includes the debauchment of currency (printing ever greater sums to add to their wealth and placate the masses), the substitution of credit for capital, the political disenfranchisement of the masses, increasingly oppressive financial repression and social / political conflicts that spiral out of control as the inherently unstable financial house of cards collapses.

(https://www.oftwominds.com/photos2019/conflict-Gordon-Long11-19.png)

Since the elites won't allow an orderly re-set that reduces their wealth and power, the re-set will result from spiraling conflicts and the collapse of all that is viewed as permanent, i.e. the financial and political status quo.

Don't think it won't happen just because it hasn't happened yet.

https://www.oftwominds.com/blognov19/confict-accelerating11-19.html

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-081019223703.jpeg)

Title: Update on Forgotten Political Prisoners
Post by: AGelbert on November 19, 2019, 02:35:56 pm
Eddie Conway’s 👍 Update on Forgotten Political Prisoners

November 19, 2019

Former political prisoner Eddie Conway hosts this special episode of Rattling the Bars highlighting political prisoners that are still imprisoned (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-200714183404.bmp&hash=dc40a133c761f80036b08ef0f6c0427aaa7e9f4b) after several decades.

https://youtu.be/hRKQnXAhEPM

https://therealnews.com/stories/eddie-conway-update-forgotten-political-prisoners
Title: 🦀 Trump is Hiding The Truth About JFK (w/ Lamar Waldron)
Post by: AGelbert on November 26, 2019, 11:41:23 pm
🦀 Trump is Hiding The Truth About JFK (w/ Lamar Waldron)
36,777 views•Nov 22, 2019

https://youtu.be/T-I8Rd3-hrk

Thom Hartmann Program
194K subscribers

On the anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination, Thom Hartmann reveals Donald Trump's role in hiding what happened with JFK.
 
🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

🔥 WATCH NEXT: What The Secret JFK Files Reveal -
https://youtu.be/CfuHRO8x738

📕 BOOK:  The Hidden History of the JFK Assassination  - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B079K6MHG8?t...
Title: How 😈👹💵🎩 Oligarchs Could Start A Second 🏴‍☠️ Civil War!
Post by: AGelbert on November 27, 2019, 12:01:44 pm
How 😈👹💵🎩 Oligarchs Could Start A Second 🏴‍☠️ Civil War!
6,712 views•Nov 26, 2019

https://youtu.be/lPT7Sf0NFRw

Thom Hartmann Program
194K subscribers

Oligarchs could ignite a second American civil war?

🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

What will become of the remains of our democracy if the oligarchs turn it into a police state?

⭐ Join our Membership and Support the Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

🔥 WATCH NEXT:  Discover more about The American Oligarchy - (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5gNz_FycX95_c9RyAHjamAq4PzYJSiPj)
Title: a politicized U.S. EPA has been doing all that it can to make life easier for polluting industries—
Post by: AGelbert on December 04, 2019, 02:48:41 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-100718164155-14511755.jpeg&hash=1c62dd0525852ffbbcbc7f2459189db15d6435c6)

NRDC

(https://assets.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/styles/full_content--retina/public/media-uploads/gettyimages-875956750_2400.jpg?itok=wUsvtHJr)
Kena Betancur/VIEWpress via Getty Images


Quote
It’s no secret that under the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) Trump administration, a politicized U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been doing all that it can to make life easier for polluting industries—first under disgraced former administrator Scott Pruitt and now under his successor, Andrew Wheeler. Rollbacks of our country’s environmental regulations have been streaming out of the agency since 2017.

November 15, 2019 by Jeff Turrentine  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

The EPA Says It Wants “Scientific Transparency.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_9HT4xZyDmh4%2FTOHhxzA0wLI%2FAAAAAAAAEUk%2FoeHDS2cfxWQ%2Fs200%2FSmiley_Angel_Wings_Halo.jpg&hash=13281f1944b60773bf12b29387b70be77cc1fe16) What It Really Wants Is 😈 Control Over Research. (https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/epa-says-it-wants-scientific-transparency-what-it-really-wants-control-over-research?source=conf)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-241216151049.png&hash=78206393ea158485b779ed06d0fb0f84172b645d)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216142007.png&hash=84ef2c6fc002fc0b4bc9940ee16d0728d50cc9b5)
Title: Why Aren't Democrats Fighting Anti Medicare Lobbying? (w/ Alex Lawson )
Post by: AGelbert on December 05, 2019, 08:27:12 pm
Why Aren't Democrats Fighting 👹 Anti Medicare Lobbying? (w/ Alex Lawson )
1,707 views•Dec 3, 2019

https://youtu.be/-BCdWjrCaUw

Thom Hartmann Program
199K subscribers

What is Social Security and Medicare - and why do we need it? What happens if it goes away?

🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa says that social security needs to be discussed ‘behind closed doors’, out of public view. This is designed to cut your social security, before you know it has happened.

Alex Lawson joined Thom to explain.

🔥 WATCH NEXT: Profiting From Breaking Social Security (w/ Alex Lawson )
[/size]
https://youtu.be/SVnP2Gd30vo

⭐ Join our Membership and Support the Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...
Title: What Happens When Fools Run Government? ( w/ Michael Lewis )
Post by: AGelbert on December 05, 2019, 08:36:43 pm
What Happens When Fools Run Government? ( w/ Michael Lewis )
8,779 views•Dec 3, 2019

https://youtu.be/upDbprrZre4

Thom Hartmann Program
199K subscribers

The death of government with Trump and his team is paralysing America. Trump fired most of the transition team wen he won the election. The man is indifferent to the needs ot people and the country.

🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

Michael Lewis, author of The Fifth Risk joined Thom to discuss what happened and whether it cn be fixed.

🔥 WATCH NEXT: The Biggest Danger of the 🦀 Trump Administration Revealed -
https://youtu.be/NTUcvDy625U

📕 BOOK: The Fifth Risk
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1324002646?t...

⭐ Join our Membership and Support the Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...
Title: An Impeachable Offense that happened under BOTH Obama AND Trump
Post by: AGelbert on December 06, 2019, 06:36:15 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Hero Janitor Tom Kiefer fought against an 😈 Obama era IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE THAT 🦀 TRUMP CONTINUES TO THIS DAY. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817134648.gif&hash=d24c66a26329a19150a175d576b631d10f631ee8)

Los Angeles Times

(https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/211eafd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7434x7705+0+0/resize/840x871!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F29%2F88%2F8534365b4217a71490f266c61218%2Ftom-kiefer-pain-relief-2017.jpg)
Tom Kiefer (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac) began collecting items seized from migrants while he was working as a janitor at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility near Ajo, Ariz.(Tom Kiefer / Redux Pictures)

DEC. 2, 2019 7 AM

By MAKEDA EASTER STAFF WRITER 

SNIPPET:

More than 100 of his photos make up the exhibition “El Sueño Americano / The American Dream: Photographs by Tom Kiefer” on view at the Skirball Cultural Center until March 8.

Some photos are large. One features 15 heavy-duty, black plastic bottles wrapped in remnants of clothing or blanket. In another, 32 CDs labeled with titles including “Super Sappy Songs for Issa 2,” “Brown Pride” and “Boogie Nights” have been evenly spaced on top of a bubble-gum-pink background.

Smaller photos — of a love letter, pieces of jewelry, a rabbit’s foot keychain — show individual items seized and discarded by border officials.

Throwing away the personal belongings “underscores the cruelty of the tentative punishment that the government feels the need to levy against these people,” Kiefer said. “It’s clear the majority of which are decent, contributing and who want nothing more than a better life for themselves or for their family.

Full article with more poignant :'( pictures: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

🦍 Border Patrol threw away migrants’ belongings. A janitor saved and photographed them (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132421-16902.gif&hash=deba9f0f91ecd7d65bbdeb78786bef4a98cb1a7e) (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2019-12-02/tom-kiefer-exhibition-el-sueno-americano)
Title: How White Collar Criminals Get Away with Murder
Post by: AGelbert on December 06, 2019, 08:19:08 pm
How White Collar Criminals Get Away with Murder
3,378 views•Dec 6, 2019

https://youtu.be/sWZTKWQZ4NA

The Real News Network
370K subscribers

White-collar crime prosecutions are at a 33-year low. Corporate leaders can cause environmental disasters, economic crashes, and the deaths of thousands and still walk free. But there's a way out.

Subscribe to our page and support our work at https://therealnews.com/donate.

Category News & Politics
Title: Trump Declared War on the Poor--And the Poor Are Fighting Back
Post by: AGelbert on December 06, 2019, 10:39:41 pm

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301216165623.jpeg&hash=1ccfee6aaf9d939cca294a849774cff11e462e59) Trump Declared War on the Poor--And the Poor Are Fighting Back
7,653 views•Dec 6, 2019

https://youtu.be/4NBdEgCr8d0

The Real News Network
370K subscribers

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced plans to cut SNAP benefits that could drive millions further into poverty. Liz Theoharis of the Poor People's Campaign and Karen Dolan of IPS join us to discuss the implications.

Subscribe to our page and support our work at https://therealnews.com/donate.
Category News & Politics
Title: "Congressional Republicans have adopted the Putin line, ..."
Post by: AGelbert on December 08, 2019, 02:22:59 pm

Anyone with critical thinking skills can see that the standing ovation Mr. Netanyahu got in our U.S. Congress some years ago evidences the pernicious effect the Israel "Lobby" has had for several decades (at least!) on the career of U.S. politicians that dare to criticize Israeli fascist murder and mayem, from the 1967 attack on the Liberty to the ruthless land theft mixed with targeted killings and bombings of the Palestinians. This is NOT about American Jews writing op-eds that damage politician futures; this is evidence of a BLACKMAIL MODUS OPERANDI to keep that U.S. money flowing to Israel.

Anyone that thinks Epstein is the only perverted tool the Mossad has in the USA is in La La Land. Anyone that thinks that the power of the Israel "Lobby" in the USA is based mainly on pro-Israel K Street think tank activities involving political campaign hit pieces against those they want out of politics is also in la la land. That's just the excuse they use to crow about their political power. Without the honey trap MO, they would NEVER have gotten away with coercing our politicians to keep voting to approve multi-billion dollar handouts to Israel annually, while studiously looking the other way when Israeli fascists commit still another in a LONG series of war crimes against the Palestinians.


No truer words written in this space.

And as you look to how Congressional Republicans have adopted the Putin line, it seems evident that Russia is using Mossad time-tested techniques. As Exhibit A look no further than the metamorphosis of Lyndsay Graham, who should wipe the trump off her face before her next public appearance.


Thank you for the compliment and your added words of wisdom. You are right. Robert Reich just sent out a letter that inderscores what you just said:

(https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/V_Alw5LFrOFtYMJt0LTCIyimIyjXsO_U3VzTT2Zbwb795sDmQm694m1UUy_RJiPvtatP3O4ifIPH-dEXdhAFxCMPBnaJkAMycuDBXS48ZxPwMvU6Rv9sLObsyv8X5UA1gG51wwM9GvZ8T6KExqCcRDmor9b9aoLFm2c=s0-d-e1-ft#https://gallery.mailchimp.com/d8dff8da914c62f2bf56ec165/images/9063f78c-97ce-490d-8e7d-6333cccabf3c.png)

The Anti-Democracy Decade (https://mailchi.mp/inequalitymedia/trump-is-the-kid-caught-with-his-hand-in-the-cookie-jar-1987085?e=1eade5835e)

December 8, 2019

Dear Anthony,

We’re coming to the end of what might be called the anti-democracy decade. It began on 21 January 2010 with the Supreme Court’s shameful decision in Citizens United vs Federal Election Commission, opening the floodgates to big money in politics with the absurd claim that the first amendment protects corporate speech.

It ends with Donald Trump in the White House, filling his administration with corporate shills and inviting foreign powers to interfere in American elections.

Trump is the consequence rather than the cause of the anti-democratic decade. (https://inequalitymedia.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d8dff8da914c62f2bf56ec165&id=f4f69b456a&e=1eade5835e) By the 2016 election, the richest 100th of 1% of Americans – 24,949 very wealthy people – accounted for a record-breaking 40% of all campaign contributions. >:(

Big corporations and the super-wealthy lavished their donations on the Republican party because Republicans promised them a giant tax cut. As Lindsey Graham warned his colleagues, “financial contributions will stop” if the GOP didn’t come through.

The investments paid off big. Groups supported by Charles and the late David Koch spent more than $20 million promoting the tax cut, which will save them and their heirs between $1 billion and $1.4 billion every year.

The tax cut has contributed to record corporate profits but almost nothing has trickled down. Companies have spent most of their extra cash on stock buybacks and dividends. This has given the stock market a sugar high but left little for average workers.

Such workers have been shafted. Despite the longest economic expansion in modern history, real wages have barely risen. The share of corporate profits going to workers still isn’t back to where it was before the 2008 financial crisis. Never in the history of economic data have corporate profits outgrown employee compensation so clearly and for so long.

The so-called “free market” has been taken over by crony capitalism, corporate bailouts and corporate welfare.

Meanwhile, confidence in political institutions has plummeted. In 1964, just 29% of Americans believed government was “run by a few big interests looking out for themselves." By 2013, 79% believed it. In Rasmussen polls in autumn 2014, 63% thought most members of Congress were willing to sell their vote for either cash or a campaign contribution and 59% thought it likely their representative already had.

Enter Trump.

“Big business, elite media and major donors are lining up behind the campaign of my opponent because they know she will keep our rigged system in place,” he charged at the Republican convention in 2016.

He then rode the rigging all the way into the Oval Office. A second Trump term could make the anti-democracy decade a mere prelude to the wholesale destruction of American democracy.

Thanks for reading,

Robert Reich

P.S.: If you'd like to support our work, please consider making a donation to Inequality Media Civic Action (IMCA)* (https://inequalitymedia.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d8dff8da914c62f2bf56ec165&id=b5b4f9006d&e=1eade5835e)
*Contributions to IMCA are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
Title: Patriot Act author: Using phone records as impeachment evidence is 'abuse of power'
Post by: Surly1 on December 10, 2019, 07:07:10 am
"What's good for you is in no way appropriate for me, because my flow of rubles and other kickbacks is none of the business of you peasants."

And for a brief review of the resume of this rebuke ratfucker, Sensenbrenner, remember his body of work under the Cheney administration?

He shut the lights off in the congressional house and the CSPAN cameras so democrats could not have hearings on voter manipulation and theft at precincts across the country and forced them into the basement so CSPAN couldn’t hold the live hearings! They had to use their phones to record the hearings.

Patriot Act author: Using phone records as impeachment evidence is 'abuse of power'

Advertisement

Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) wrote the law authorizing warrantless wiretaps. Now, he's mad GOP Rep. Devin Nunes' phone records got caught up in legally subpoenaed evidence.

Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) is accusing House Democrats of "abuse of power" after they found and released phone records showing that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) was in communication with an indicted businessman caught up in the impeachment investigation — raising questions about what role Nunes himself had in the alleged quest to force Ukraine to investigate Donald Trump's rivals.

"We're talking a lot about abuses of power here in the White House and the Executive Branch. Here I see a clear abuse of power on the part of the people who are prosecuting this impeachment against the president of the United States," Sensenbrenner said, referring to how Nunes' phone records were part of the House Intelligence Committee's report on evidence found as part of the impeachment inquiry. "They should be ashamed of themselves."

To some, it might be ironic that Sensenbrenner finds it offensive and wrong that a lawmaker's phone records were found in the course of the impeachment investigation via legally authorized subpoenas for evidence. That's because Sensenbrenner is the author of the PATRIOT Act, which made it easier for the government to "spy on its own citizens," according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which strongly opposes the law.

However, Sensenbrenner clearly could not see that irony, instead comparing Democrats to the late Joe McCarthy, the disgraced senator who blacklisted people accused of being communists — often falsely and without any evidence.

"Folks, you have made Joe McCarthy look like a piker with what you've done with the electronic surveillance involved," Sensenbrenner said. "It is something that has to be put a stop to now, it is something that has to be fessed up to now."

However, nothing Democrats did to find out that Nunes was having phone conversations with a key figure in the impeachment inquiry was illegal.

Nunes' conversations with Lev Parnas — an indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani who helped lead the smear campaign against former United States Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch — were found via legal subpoenas.

And the fact that Nunes would be talking to Parnas is germane to the impeachment investigation — as Nunes was the ranking Republican on the committee who did the fact-finding for the impeachment investigation, and it turns out Nunes may have played a role in the very issue he was investigating.

Nunes, for his part, has had a difficult time explaining why he was talking to Parnas at all, with his explanation constantly changing. Instead, he's lashed out at reporters who ask Nunes why he was speaking to Parnas, who faces federal charges for allegedly violating campaign finance laws.

House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, for his part, suggested Nunes may have been "complicit" in Trump's effort to force Ukraine into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.

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(https://americanindependent.com/jim-sensenbrenner-impeachment-hearing-donald-trump-patriot-act-phone-records-devin-nunes-wisconsin-gop/?fbclid=IwAR3nVtNPFb7C1yKwzNAjTvQxkulOUnTzRsFQBvNl3HFBZspfwQVHG-HY7zk[/url)
Title: They have two good reasons for objecting to changes. In the first place exposure to light and air ki
Post by: AGelbert on December 10, 2019, 04:14:11 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae)

The times, they are tragic 😟

Dec 9, 2019

Today is the day that you can officially say the United States has become a Banana Republic. When the president says and is supported by his lackeys like Jordan, Meadows and Rand Paul, that it is OK to knowingly break a federal law by exposing a whistleblower. Then I believe it is impossible for those people to say they support the Constitution. We are a nation of laws. The whistleblower complaint has been verified under oath by multiple people and is no longer open to questioning the facts. It is deeply disturbing the drafter dodger president continues to slander and demean long serving ambassadors and Purple Heart awarded soldiers with no push back from veterans. Inexcusable!

Two of the president’s closest supporters have been proven to lie. Three people have now testified that they told Pompeo that the lady ambassador was being forced out, and he still said with a straight face he did not know about it. The “acting secretary of state,” Ruday Giuliani, has been revealed to have been paid more than $500,000 by a Ukrainian company for advice. He said that is OK, but not OK for Biden’s son? Beyond belief!


Hypocrisy is just part of the skill-set. Speaking of that "Libertarian™" sock-puppet, Rand Paul, that most beloved by the late and unlamented Golden Oxen, you should be aware of the following:

Rand Paul moves to ban collection of congressional phone records after Nunes was caught calling Giuliani associates (https://www.rawstory.com/2019/12/rand-paul-moves-to-ban-collection-of-congressional-phone-records-after-nunes-was-caught-calling-giuliani-associates/)

By Matthew Chapman December 9, 2019
On Monday, Politico reported that Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is pushing to change congressional rules to prohibit subpoenas from committee chairmen from seeking the phone records of members of Congress, as well as those of journalists.

This comes directly after a subpoena served to AT&T revealed that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) had been covertly communicating with indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, as well as right-wing reporter John Solomon, who was responsible for disputed reports attacking former Vice President Joe Biden’s son and former Ukrainian Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.

“Nobody should get your phone records,” said Paul in conversation with reporters. “This is a big deal, this is a huge deal.” He then warned that those reporters should be pushing back against House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), or they could be next.

Schiff has denied GOP accusations that the Intelligence Committee subpoenaed phone records for Nunes or Solomon, asserting that they were simply discovered during a narrower investigation into the phone records of Parnas specifically.

You know, these fascists have a track record of carefully studying how they got caught doing their skullduggery and taking steps to take that enforcement tool away from government. Back in the 1970's after the Church Committe uncovered much of the despicably illegal skullduggery of the CIA, the reputation and career of every politician with integrity on the Church committee was methodically destroyed. Also, steps were taken before that to make sure the process taken by the House to impeach Nixon would be severely hampered in the future (as long as the POTUS was a Republican, of course). That's where that "You cannot prosecute a sitting POTUS" bullshit came from. That's why the impeachment of Clinton NEVER alluded to "crime" per se. That's why Graham talked all that ya-yada-ya during the Clinton Impeachment about Impeachment "not being about breaking the Law". As you said, hypocrisy is an integral part of the skillset of these lying, doubletalking, fascist BASTARDS.

So, it is par for the Orwellian course for Senator Rand Paul, an inveterate crook and liar, to engage in the old fascist whack-a-mole (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) of the lawful tools that can be used to prosecute crooks like him, Nunes, Giuliani and Trump (etc. long Trump Administration list, but you get the idea).

Right after WWII, the German fascist industrialists, who had run the cartels to build up NAZI Germany under Hitler, joined with their pals in the USA and South America (the rest of western Europe came a decade or so later into the "New Capitalist" fascist fold) to make sure they were NOT unprofitably "penalized" by the U.S. Court System for their MANY War Crimes during WWII. They KEPT their patents and strengthened the cartelization of industry, the exact opposite of what the history books say happened to Germany after WWII. They did all this through whack-a-mole (by 🎩😈 rich, influential fascist sympathisers in the USA) of inconvenient laws AND making sure the "right" people were running the chemical and oil indistries in the USA. A HUGE debt Germany had was "forgiven" by the USA while countries like Haiti, that never killed off millions of people and who's only "crime" was to fight a European power for their independence, continued to be forced to pay a debt to France (for over a CENTURY!) that should never have been imposed.

It's an old story. Orwell had their number.

The brave fellow, James Stewart Martin, who wrote the book explaining, among other things, how the fascist modus operandi works, described their total dedication to fascism with a metaphor. The metaphor applies TOTALLY to our NOW hollowed out Government Institutions. Hollowed out structures collapse without warning. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-310119164115.gif&hash=1f6e8c58bc6dac8dbce60f7d9ba64fb0f0f62cca)

This quote from the book, "All Honorable Men", pretty much sums up WHY these SCUM enjoy such a corrosive influence on human society:

Quote
Termites are able organizers, and thoroughly attached to their way of life. The area they occupy is small in relation to the house (just the heavy underpinnings). They object vigorously to outside interference from the people who live in the other parts of the house. They object especially to structural changes, which they are bound to consider unwarranted.

They have two good reasons for objecting to changes. In the first place exposure to light and air kills them. In the second place any movement of the underpinnings ruins the whole structure of tunnels and channels which their enterprise has built within the framework of the house.

We hated to disturb them. They looked busy and enterprising. They seemed to want nothing more than a comfortable existence in accordance with their way of life.

We cleared the termites out to save the house, but I think I know how they looked at the whole matter. At the end of the Second World War I spent two and a half years in Germany dealing with some people who must think pretty much the same way. http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/geopolitics/key-historical-events-that-you-may-have-never-heard-of/msg12774/#msg12774
Title: Ravaged Puerto Rico Robbed By 🦀 Trump 😈 Administration!
Post by: AGelbert on December 10, 2019, 06:19:18 pm
Ravaged Puerto Rico Robbed By 🦀 Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Administration!
2,003 views•Dec 9, 2019

https://youtu.be/5AoUx4EuM7k

Thom Hartmann Program
200K subscribers

Donald Trump administration is holding money from Puerto Rico with no legal standing to do so and it all comes down to racism!
 
🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

How can we help Puerto Rico fight against the neocolonialism of Ben Carlson and Donald Trump?

⭐ Join our Membership and Support the Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...
Title: The devastation compounded the harmful effects of over a century of exploitative US economic, politi
Post by: AGelbert on December 10, 2019, 06:29:57 pm
Why Puerto Rico is America's Fantasy Island  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-16181943.gif&hash=0b93e71ee5e24bbe02555e0d648a1283e0e9651d)

2,090 views•Aug 6, 2019

https://youtu.be/fXPpHpdRfiU

Thom Hartmann Program
200K subscribers

A crucial, clear-eyed accounting of Puerto Rico's 122 years as a colony of the  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) US.


Two years after Hurricane María, Puerto Rico is still reeling from the storm's physical destruction and the ensuing infrastructure collapse. The devastation compounded the harmful effects of over a century of exploitative US economic, political, and social policies, including the trauma inflicted by its $72 billion debt crisis.

🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

In Fantasy Island, Ed Morales traces how, over the years, Puerto Rico has served as a colonial satellite, a Cold War Caribbean showcase, a dumping ground for US manufactured goods, and a corporate tax shelter. He also shows how it has become a blank canvas for mercenary experiments in disaster capitalism on the front lines of climate change, hamstrung by internal political corruption and the US federal government's prioritization of outside financial interests.

Taking readers from San Juan to New York City and back to his family's home in the Luquillo Mountains, Morales shows us the machinations of financial and political interests in both the US and Puerto Rico, and the resistance efforts of Puerto Rican artists and activists. Through it all, he emphasizes that the only way to stop Puerto Rico from being bled dry is to let Puerto Ricans take control of their own destiny, going beyond the statehood-commonwealth-independence debate to complete decolonization.

⭐ Join our Membership and Support the Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: Surly1 on December 11, 2019, 06:06:39 am
What this Trump criminal grift has done to Puerto Rico is appalling, but as adduced above, it's nothing new. It's almost as if the FSoA treats PR as a colonial possession.
Title: Republicans Block Commonsense Legislation To Secure Our Elections, Protect Americans’ Health Care, A
Post by: AGelbert on December 19, 2019, 03:27:15 pm
In Senator 🐘 Mitch McConnell’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-200419205214.png&hash=4c5b9ca97c84607da003becdf6282716bcdf1800)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) Legislative Graveyard , Senate (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Republicans Block Commonsense Legislation To Secure Our Elections, Protect Americans’ Health Care, And Safeguard Pensions Earned By Working Americans

November 5, 2019

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans have turned the Senate into a legislative graveyard, refusing to take action on critical legislation that already has bipartisan support. More than 250 House-passed bills are buried in Leader McConnell’s legislative graveyard, and that number continues to grow.

Republicans have kept the Senate at a standstill while urgently needed bills to protect our elections against the threat of foreign interference, protect Americans’ health care, shield survivors of domestic abuse, and meaningfully address the gun violence epidemic languish in Leader McConnell’s legislative graveyard,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. “Senate Republicans need to remember why they came to the Senate in the first place, make a U-turn, and allow the Senate to work for the people.”

On the Senate floor, Republicans have repeatedly blocked legislation to secure our elections, protect Americans’ health care, support workers, and take action on climate change. And Leader McConnell is refusing to allow the Senate to debate critical issues like universal background checks and prescription drug pricing. Democrats are ready to tackle these challenges and get to work for the American people. It’s time for Leader McConnell to stop standing in the way, because Americans deserve a Senate that is working for them.

SEE LIST OF REPUBLICAN BLOCKED LEGISLATION as of November 5, 2019 (there's more since then): (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817134648.gif&hash=d24c66a26329a19150a175d576b631d10f631ee8) (https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/in-senator-mitch-mcconnells-legislative-graveyard-senate-republicans-block-commonsense-legislation-to-secure-our-elections-protect-americans-health-care-and-safeguard-pensions-earned-by-working-americans)

Agelbert NOTE: Keep watching Fox News, and you will never be told any of the above hard truths about who is REALLY hurting your pocketbook and your future. Keep watching Fox News and you will keep being SUCKERED out of house, home, job and health by the American Oligarchs that OWN the Republicans (and a significant amount of Democrats), Fox News and most, if not all, of the Mainstream Media. For your own good, and that of your loved ones, (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185039-1654984.gif&hash=ab230d9ffbd9a35d8cab33b596c366a0718cb7ec).

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818215621-15692431.jpeg&hash=608b7ae8d851bb57ff3c22f842c306060400a6e2)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-191219175846.png)

LEADER McCONNELL HAS PROUDLY PROCLAIMED HIMSELF THE “GRIM REAPER” FOR 🦅 LEGISLATION TO HELP  THE MIDDLE CLASS:
Quote
“The one thing I get to do that the other 99 don’t get it do, is decide what we’re going to do.” [Remarks at Susan B. Anthony List, 6/3/19]
 
“Donald Trump still in the White House, and as long as I'm 🐘 Majority Leader of the Senate, I get to set the agenda, that's why I call myself the Grim Reaper.” [Fox News Hannity, 5/9/19]

“🐘 If I'm still the majority leader of the Senate, think of me as the Grim Reaper. None of that stuff is going to pass. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-200419205214.png&hash=4c5b9ca97c84607da003becdf6282716bcdf1800) None of it.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) 😈 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) [Remarks in Owensboro, KY via CNN, 4/22/19]

🐘 Leader McConnell (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) and (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) Senate Republicans have blocked efforts by Democrats to pass commonsense bills on the Senate floor, including:

Election Security

S.2238/H.R.2722, Securing America’s Federal Elections Act, legislation to help safeguard elections from foreign interference, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

S.2242, Foreign Influence Reporting in Elections Act, bipartisan legislation to require presidential candidates to report contact from foreign state actors to the FBI.

S.1247, Duty to Report Act, legislation to require candidates to report offers of assistance from foreign state actors to the FBI and FEC.

S.1540, Election Security Act, legislation to require paper ballots and provide election security grants.

S.2669, SHIELD Act, legislation to prevent foreign interference in elections.

S.1356, Honest Ads Act, bipartisan legislation to apply the existing rules on disclosures in political ads on TV to those on social media platforms.

S.949, For the People Act, a sweeping package of pro-democracy reforms that aims to make it easier, not harder, to vote; end the dominance of big money in politics; and ensure that public officials work for the public interest.

S.890, Senate Cybersecurity Protection Act, bipartisan legislation to provide cybersecurity assistance to the Senate.

S.1834, Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Protection Act, legislation to stop practices designed to prevent Americans from voting.

Health Care

S.1556, No Junk Plans Act, legislation to overturn the Trump administration’s expansion of junk health insurance plans.

H.R.986, Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

S.Res.18, a resolution authorizing the Senate Legal Counsel to intervene in the federal court case that would undermine protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions.

S.Res.94, a resolution asking the Department of Justice to protect individuals with pre-existing conditions.

S.1905, ENROLL Act, legislation to help Americans find a quality health care plan.

S.916, MOMMA’s Act, legislation to reduce the maternal and infant mortality rate.

Worker Protections

H.R.7, Paycheck Fairness Act, bipartisan legislation to empower women to challenge pay discrimination in the workplace, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

S.2598, Pension Stability Act, legislation to protect workers’ and retirees’ pensions.

S.2254, Butch Lewis Act, legislation to protect workers’ and retirees’ pensions.

S.27, American Miners Act, legislation to protect coalminers’ pensions.

Climate Change

S.J.Res.9, bipartisan legislation calling on the United States and Congress to take immediate action on climate change.

S.Res.97, legislation to establish a Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

Other Critical Issues

H.R.2486, FUTURE Act, legislation to reauthorize funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges, and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, which passed the House on a bipartisan voice vote.

H.J.Res.77, a bipartisan resolution opposing President Trump’s removal of US troops from northern Syria, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

S.2625, Syrian Allies Protection Act, legislation to make visas available to Kurdish Syrians supported to US armed forces in Syria.

H.R.549, Venezuela TPS Act, legislation to protect Venezuelans from deportation, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

S.2603, RELIEF Act, legislation to eliminate the green card backlog.

🐘 LEADER MCCONNELL HAS BURIED COMMONSENSE, BIPARTISAN PROPOSALS PASSED BY THE HOUSE IN HIS LEGISLATIVE GRAVEYARD.

More than 250 bills passed by the House are awaiting legislative action in the Senate, including:

H.R.986, Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.987, Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act, legislation to counteract the Trump administration’s efforts to sabotage the healthcare system, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.8, Bipartisan Background Checks Act, legislation to enact the common sense, widely-supported expansion of background checks for gun purchases, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.1112, Enhanced Background Checks Act, legislation to close the “Charleston Loophole” for gun purchases, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.1, For the People Act, a sweeping package of pro-democracy reforms that aims to make it easier, not harder, to vote; end the dominance of big money in politics; and ensure that public officials work for the public interest.

H.R.2722, Securing America’s Federal Elections Act, legislation to help safeguard elections from foreign interference, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.4617, SHIELD Act, legislation to prevent foreign interference in elections.

H.R.2513, Corporate Transparency Act, bipartisan legislation to crack down on money laundering by Russian oligarchs, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.582, Raise the Wage Act, legislation to increase the federal minimum wage, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.7, Paycheck Fairness Act, bipartisan legislation to empower women to challenge pay discrimination in the workplace, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.397, Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act, bipartisan legislation to protect workers’ and retirees’ pensions, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.1585, Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.777, Debbie Smith Act, bipartisan legislation to help end the backlog of untested ra pe kits, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.5, Equality Act, legislation to prevent discrimination against the LGBTQ community, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.1500, Consumers First Act, legislation to strengthen the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

H.R.1994, SECURE Act, legislation to help workers save for retirement, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.1423, Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act, legislation to eliminate forced arbitration clauses in employment, consumer, and civil rights cases, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.J.Res.77, a bipartisan resolution opposing President Trump’s removal of US troops from northern Syria, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.6, American Dream and Promise Act, legislation to protect Dreamers and those with Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure by ensuring they have a path to citizenship, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.549, Venezuela TPS Act, legislation to protect Venezuelans from deportation, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.2486, FUTURE Act, legislation to reauthorize funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges, and Minority-Serving Institutions, which passed the House on a bipartisan voice vote.

H.R.9, Climate Action Now Act, legislation to hold the administration to the United States’ commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.1146, Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act, legislation to block oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.1941, Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act, legislation to ban offshore drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.205, Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act, Republican-sponsored legislation to ban offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

H.R.1644, Save the Internet Act, legislation to restore net neutrality, which passed the House with bipartisan support.

 
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Title: "..., we are playing with a stacked deck of gross immorality and ethical incompetence."
Post by: AGelbert on December 20, 2019, 02:49:56 pm
(https://www.christianitytoday.com/system/img/logos/ct_tagline.svg)

Trump Should Be Removed from Office

It’s time to say what we said 20 years ago when a president’s character was revealed for what it was.

MARK GALLI

DECEMBER 19, 2019

SNIPPET:

The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president’s political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.

The reason many are not shocked about this is that this president has dumbed down the idea of morality in his administration. He has hired and fired a number of people who are now convicted criminals. He himself has admitted to immoral actions in business and his relationship with women, about which he remains proud. His Twitter feed alone—with its habitual string of mischaracterizations, lies, and slanders—is a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and confused.

(https://www-images.christianitytoday.com/images/114421.jpg?w=940)

Trump’s evangelical supporters have pointed to his Supreme Court nominees, his defense of religious liberty, and his stewardship of the economy, among other things, as achievements that justify their support of the president. We believe the impeachment hearings have made it absolutely clear, in a way the Mueller investigation did not, that President Trump has abused his authority for personal gain and betrayed his constitutional oath. The impeachment hearings have illuminated the president’s moral deficiencies for all to see. This damages the institution of the presidency, damages the reputation of our country, and damages both the spirit and the future of our people. None of the president’s positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character.

This concern for the character of our national leader is not new in CT. In 1998, we wrote this:

The President's failure to tell the truth—even when cornered—rips at the fabric of the nation. This is not a private affair. For above all, social intercourse is built on a presumption of trust: trust that the milk your grocer sells you is wholesome and pure; trust that the money you put in your bank can be taken out of the bank; trust that your babysitter, firefighters, clergy, and ambulance drivers will all do their best. And while politicians are notorious for breaking campaign promises, while in office they have a fundamental obligation to uphold our trust in them and to live by the law.

And this:

Unsavory dealings and immoral acts by the President and those close to him have rendered this administration morally unable to lead.

Unfortunately, the words that we applied to Mr. Clinton 20 years ago apply almost perfectly to our current (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) president. Whether Mr. Trump should be removed from office by the Senate or by popular vote next election—that is a matter of prudential judgment. That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-060518153110.png&hash=39d587c31b7f7e66b30d7e59bb560e2ad0662eee)

To the many evangelicals who continue to support Mr. Trump in spite of his blackened moral record, we might say this: Remember who you are and whom you serve. Consider how your justification of Mr. Trump influences your witness to your Lord and Savior. Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump’s immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency. If we don’t reverse course now, will anyone take anything we say about justice and righteousness with any seriousness for decades to come? Can we say with a straight face that abortion is a great evil that cannot be tolerated and, with the same straight face, say that the bent and broken character of our nation’s leader doesn’t really matter in the end? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-TzWpwHzCvCI%2FT_sBEnhCCpI%2FAAAAAAAAME8%2FIsLpuU8HYxc%2Fs1600%2Fnooo-way-smiley.gif&hash=b8545bd420b1e2f2c7b9f665d2093523e4ad2251)

We have reserved judgment on Mr. Trump for years now. Some have criticized us for our reserve. But when it comes to condemning the behavior of another, patient charity must come first. So we have done our best to give evangelical Trump supporters their due, to try to understand their point of view, to see the prudential nature of so many political decisions they have made regarding Mr. Trump. To use an old cliché, it’s time to call a spade a spade, to say that no matter how many hands we win in this political poker game, we are playing with a stacked deck of gross immorality and ethical incompetence. And just when we think it’s time to push all our chips to the center of the table, that’s when the whole game will come crashing down. It will crash down on the reputation of evangelical religion and on the world’s understanding of the gospel. And it will come crashing down on a nation of men and women whose welfare is also our concern.

Mark Galli is editor in chief of Christianity Today.

Read more:  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-060914180936.jpeg&hash=5e39d70fafe4e7190a6eebce34b740c58721de3f)

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/december-web-only/trump-should-be-removed-from-office.html

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 20, 2019, 04:48:08 pm
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(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1111-toons%2Felection-meddling.jpg&hash=a5783f86b5e20e995a4212a746aaf5ed8c352935)
Title: it leaves its viewers too misinformed to fulfill their most basic responsibilities as citizens to ma
Post by: AGelbert on December 20, 2019, 05:36:12 pm
DIRECT eZine News

December 19, 2019

7. Garrett Graff: Fox (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162655-14231561.gif&hash=98b427175ee380f6d3c313520cc8668c10f2172a) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) News Is Now a Threat to National Security

The idea that Fox News represents a literal threat to our national security, on par with Russia’s Internet Research Agency or China’s Ministry of State Security, may seem like a dramatic overstatement of its own—and I, a paid contributor to its competitor CNN, may appear a biased voice anyway—but this week has made clear that, as we get deeper into the impeachment process and as the 2020 election approaches, Fox News is prepared to destroy America’s democratic traditions if it will help its most important and most dedicated daily viewer.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-201219172222.jpeg)

The threat posed to our democracy by Fox News is multifaceted: First and most simply, it’s clearly advancing and giving voice to narratives and smears backed and imagined by our foreign adversaries. Second, its overheated and bombastic rhetoric is undermining America’s foundational ideals and the sense of fair play in politics. Third, its unique combination of lies and half-truths has built a virtual reality so complete that it leaves its viewers too misinformed to fulfill their most basic responsibilities as citizens to make informed choices about the direction of the country.

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The network’s pantheon of Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura In, Lou Dobbs, and the rotating couch-cast of Fox & Friends’ morning show dunces-by-choice together represent a level of ill-informed demagoguery that would make Father Coughlin and Huey Long wince.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1111-toons%2Flies.jpg&hash=fd8c28f9e1122280b059d4b5e4e79ed5aaadc73a)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818215621-15692431.jpeg&hash=608b7ae8d851bb57ff3c22f842c306060400a6e2)

More than simply embarrassing themselves by spouting obvious falsehoods, though, Fox News’ incendiary, fanatical rants serve to delegitimize to its viewers the very idea of a political opposition. Every Democrat is evil. Every person who disagrees with President Trump is an enemy of the state. Every career federal employee is a member of a deep state opposition.

Let’s hope that Fox News today, unlike in Orwell’s world, doesn’t manage to succeed in transforming our country from a functional democracy into an authoritarian cult. https://www.wired.com/story/fox-news-is-now-a-threat-to-national-security/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-191219175846.png)

Read more DIRECT eZine #1111 News (http://www.directzine4dems.com/) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)
Title: “The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous.”
Post by: Surly1 on December 21, 2019, 06:45:36 am

“The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous.” George Orwell

(https://capricornscience.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/FB_IMG_1570709371614.jpg)

Americans have been at war 93% of the time – 222 our of 239 years – since 1776, according to Global Research. All US presidents can be technically considered “war presidents”. The US has never gone a decade without war,
Title: The Trillion Dollar Sacred Bull in the America's Poverty-Stricken Room
Post by: AGelbert on December 21, 2019, 02:28:29 pm

“The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous.” George Orwell

(https://capricornscience.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/FB_IMG_1570709371614.jpg)

Americans have been at war 93% of the time – 222 our of 239 years – since 1776, according to Global Research. All US presidents can be technically considered “war presidents”. The US has never gone a decade without war,

Yep. Orwell knew what the big plan was. I think we arrived at the point Orwell describes below on September 11, 2001. We are still there. The only dynamic is an increasing percentage of the American public is poverty-stricken (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf)because of the ruthless Capitalist/Fascist American Oligarch Crooks who bribe politicians to coerce we-the-people to fund the 🦍 Militarty Industrial Complex.

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(https://portside.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/spending-by-country.jpg)(https://sharedsecurity.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/military-industrial-complex-cartoon.jpeg)
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Title: The Neoliberal priniciple of bailing out the failing rich crooks and PUNISHING everybody else
Post by: AGelbert on December 22, 2019, 12:49:55 pm
Agelbert NOTE: Though this interview of David Harvey is nearly two years old, it is of vital importance to listen to today. In addition to detailing the history of exactly how Capitalists conspired to get us to the present 'endless bailouts for the bankster 1% and debt peonage for the masses' government deficit spending mess we in now, he exposes the unceasingly CRUEL Neoliberal mens rea modus operandi (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) entrenched in our UNJUST political system.

David Harvey Talks about the Crimes of Capitalism

25,695 views•Dec 5, 2019

https://youtu.be/u5zLfhGIR0c

The Intercept
132K subscribers

Subscribe to the Intercepted podcast: https://theintercept.com/podcasts/int...

This interview originally aired on January 17, 2018.

For the past year, we’ve all experienced an intense sort of political or news vertigo. It’s making us dumber by the day. Of course, part of this is due to the fact that Donald Trump is president and he constantly scoops the story of the latest outrage about himself by performing yet another outrage just as we start discussing the previous one. It’s exhausting and brain melting.

But this is also because major media organizations have all chosen to constantly chase the rabbit. In a way, all of us in media are complicit. When we’re constantly on the run, it’s very difficult to take stock of where we are and where we’ve been. To take a good look at the big picture becomes a luxury that none of us seem able to afford.

And this is going to have serious consequences. Our brains are actually being altered. The way we process news and information, our ideas about what constitutes resistance and what constitutes tyranny. In general, we live in a society that doesn’t study its own history — its unvarnished history. And often current events are analyzed in a vacuum that almost never includes the context or history necessary to understand what’s new, what’s old, and how we got to where we are. We’ve become detached from our own reality and our own work.

David Harvey is one of the leading Marxist thinkers in the world and an authority on Marx’s “Das Kapital,” which turned 150 years old late last year. Harvey is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Geography at the City University of New York and he was one of the pioneers of the discipline of modern geography.
 David Harvey has a new book out. It’s called “Marx, Capital and the Madness of Economic reason.”

Listen to the full episode: https://interc.pt/2mN1ksq

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Category News & Politics

(https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Opposecapitalism5.jpg)
Title: Chris Hedges on the Rot Within the American System
Post by: AGelbert on December 23, 2019, 05:13:41 pm
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Chris Hedges on the Rot Within the American 🦍 System

58,172 views•Dec 5, 2019

https://youtu.be/7A-ILh3h1Kc

The Intercept

132K subscribers

Subscribe to the Intercepted podcast: https://theintercept.com/podcasts/int...

This interview originally aired on November 7, 2018.

The journalist Chris Hedges has spent the last decade and a half trying to ring the alarm about the dangers of the U.S. political system and he writes about a corporate and financial coup d’etat that happened long ago in this country.

Now before Hedges embarked on this mission, he was a longtime war correspondent for The New York Times. In fact, he was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team that covered the 9/11 attacks and the aftermath. Hedges’ book “War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning” remains a classic work for studying war journalism. Chris Hedges quit the New York Times after being reprimanded for his public denouncement of the Bush administration’s invasion of Iraq. And that largely ended Chris Hedges’ relationship with large, powerful media organizations.

He’s currently a columnist at Truthdig, he hosts a show on Russian television on RT America, and he teaches a college class at a state prison in New Jersey. In 2012, Hedges sued President Barack Obama in a case known as Hedges v. Obama over Section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act. Hedges said that that act would allow for the detention or rendition of US citizens. Hedges won an injunction in that case, but the decision was ultimately overturned on an appeal filed by the Obama administration.

Chris Hedges has written 12 books including the bestsellers “Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt,” “American Fascists: The Christian Right and The War on America,” and “War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning.” His latest book is “America: The Farewell Tour.”

Listen to the full episode: https://interc.pt/2SRcDhz
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Category News & Politics
Title: 📢 Top 5 Congressional Oversight Important 🦅 Victories in 2019
Post by: AGelbert on December 26, 2019, 04:56:44 pm
Agelbert NOTE: The only quibble I have with this reasonably, though rather sparse, good news is that I do not think it is possible to embarrass (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) big bank CEOs about the unethical behavior that they methodically and persistently engage in. THAT is who they ARE. They belong in prison for grand larceny, fraud and serial cruel exploitation.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718204530.gif&hash=2e7c5022efc700a555c2e328644b7448b6dda789)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2019

📢 Congressional Oversight Claimed Important 🦅 Victories in 2019. Here Are the Top 5.

ALEXIS GOLDSTEIN, TRUTHOUT

(https://truthout.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019_1226-big-bank-ceos-1200x800.jpg)
The (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) CEOs of the largest Wall Street banks are sworn in before they testify before the House Financial Services Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on April 10, 2019. MANDEL NGAN / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES


After a new Democratic Party majority in the House came to office, 2019 saw significant congressional oversight of both the Trump administration and powerful corporations. The top five oversight actions included holding Betsy DeVos accountable for harmful student debt policies, embarrassing the CEOs of big banks for paying low wages, pressuring financial institutions to withdraw support for private prisons, Rep. Ilhan Omar's grilling of war criminal Elliott Abrams, and the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/congressional-oversight-claimed-important-victories-in-2019-here-are-the-top-5/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=f1ae7413-dfcf-4d6b-a750-24241cd48a1e) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201112.png&hash=679f4583d6861313c256e8762c40929af1ac667e)
Title: 🦀 He pulled the wool over our eyes': ...
Post by: AGelbert on December 29, 2019, 08:58:40 pm
🦀 Trump 🦕🦖🐍 Administration Removes Federal Database That Tracked Pollution 😠 (https://www.ecowatch.com/pollution-database-trump-toxmap-2641963037.html)

🦀 'He pulled the wool over our eyes': (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) workers blame (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591)  Trump for moving jobs overseas (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/10/trump-workers-jobs-overseas-factories)

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U.S. Steel announces up to 1,545 layoffs at plants near Detroit starting next year (https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/12/us-steel-announces-up-to-1545-layoffs-at-plants-near-detroit-starting-next-year.html)
Title: Voter 😈 suppression has long been a central strategy of the 🐘🐍 Republican party.
Post by: AGelbert on January 04, 2020, 06:33:03 pm
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By Amy Goodman
Columnist

JAN 03, 2020   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-310119164317.gif&hash=870c66e6ad21133a740ba1583280577f05ccb4ac)

America Is a Democracy in Name Only (https://www.truthdig.com/articles/america-is-a-democracy-in-name-only/)

Agelbert (ranty) COMMENT: Well, yeah. It is no accident that women and Native Americans (African Americans had the right to vote rigged out from under them until 1964 - and things haven't gone well AT ALL for them after 1964) DID NOT GET THE VOTE until the CORK (year 1911) was put in the maximum number of Representatives in the House.

I wrote the following rant in 2014 when I still believed there was some hope for Democracy in the USA. I am sad to say I no longer harbor that hope.

Yep. The issue is FASCISM. Our "Jews" just happen to be African Americans and the poor of all colors. But the Evil in Fascism is ALWAYS a growth industry and those pretending they will not be eaten alive by this predatory profit over people and planet fascism are just plain Wishful Thinking COWARDS.

We are in the throws of Inverted totalitarianism. Chris Hedges explains that in detail. I think you are familiar with that but if you want to refresh your mind, just Google it and Chris Hedges.

And YEP, it IS a police state but it is CLOAKED with the Color of LAW (see definition of Color of Law) with all the trappings (pure theater) of a representative republic.

Around the year 1800, the power of a (white, land owner) American citizen's vote was reasonable (if all the adult citizens had been allowed to vote). At that time a NEW Rep could be added to a state if the Congressional district exceeded 60,000 population. In 1911 the COUNT of reps was UNCONSTITUTIONALLY frozen.

You'll never get a lawyer to fight that, either. The historical record is quite accurate as to the unconstitutionality of that legislation. You probably know all about how the unconstitutional income tax was pushed on us. But the BIG BETRAYAL was the frozen rep count. This assured a fascist takeover because corporations would get MORE influence while the individual voter would get less. At present your vote is worth one SIXTEENTH of what it was in the year 1800! Representative Republic, my ARSE! 

And if some learned counsel would pound the table about the "progressive reform" of electing senators during the same period (early 20th century) so state legislators couldn't be bought by big wig money bags types, then tell them that it was a FICTION.

Why? Because it was ACCOMPANIED by freezing the rep count! What's that got to do with it? Tell said learned counsel to look up the word "senate". The Senate is NOT, and never was, a democratic, representative or otherwise, of the PEOPLE; it is a representative of the wealthy ELITE Powers That BE.

It is BALANCED (at least in theory) by the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Remember it has the SAME power as the House (except it isn't supposed to be able to INITIATE legislation - like it unconstitutionally DID in 2008 with the bailout!) with one third less members when this country got started.

As the number of reps got greater and greater from a population increase, the elite influence increased on a senate with less and less members in relation to the exploding population of the states. I.e. LESS DEMOCRACY in an already undemocraric senate - concentration of POWER in fewer hands!

In order for the proper balance to have been preserved with the, admittedly more democratic process of electing senators instead of having state legislators "elect" them, they HAD TO keep the same ratio of senators to representatives! They did not do that! They pulled a fascist one-two punch (one-two-three if you count the Federal Reserve ripping the power to print money away from the gooberment).

Keeping the, already pro-elite senate at two per state made it EASIER to BUY THEM. Freezing the house count did the same thing.

I wrote an article explaining all that several years ago. Here it is.

I'm talking about the sound bite of all sound bites, "No taxation without representation". We can all agree that representation is essential in a representative form of government, right?

Yes, we are a republic and the founding fuckers abhorred pure democracy. But they did write into the Constitution that for every 30,000 citizens, NO MORE THAN ONE representative would be elected to the House (but AT LEAST ONE per state). You can see this is dated stuff. The constitution needs to be CLARIFIED to reflect modern technology.

The constitutional clarification/amendment would be:

1) AT LEAST ONE representative for every 31,000 citizens.

2) The 'AT LEAST ONE representative per state' can be dropped because it is ridiculous and outdated to even consider a state with less than 30,000 citizens.


The corporatocracy would fight this tooth and nail because this amendment would make our House of Representatives a democratic organization for the first time EVER (in 1787 Native Americans, women and African Americans were excluded - In 1911 when they UNconstitutionally froze the rep count at 436, Native Americans, women and most African Americans could not vote).

Since 1911 we have been in a time warp where corporate power grew as our population grew. The fix was IN.

Now do the math. Assuming 2/3 of the population can vote, that means 200,000,000 votes. If you get one rep for every 31,000 voters, the House gets 6451 representatives.

Consider, for a moment, how your vote has been watered down through the years. The 65 reps back in 1787 represented about 2 million white men. In 1911 the 337 or so that voted to freeze the upper bound of the number at 436 represented 90 million mostly white men - NO WOMEN.

Now DAMNIT, PEOPLE! That was one of the most corrupt congresses we have ever had! That was THE Rockefeller congress! That was the Railroad baron congress! That was the congress that, in 1913, brought the federal reserve crooks into being!

We went from one rep for every 30,000 white men in 1787 to one rep for every 500,000 voters in 2010. Think about that. YOU and 15 other voters have the same power that ONE WHITE MAN had in 1787! And with the Citizens United Supreme treason, you are ACTUALLY getting one rep for every (assuming 10,000 public and private large corporation pacs) 22 rich corporations. THIS IS THE REALITY.

There is no valid argument for limiting the number of reps. NONE.

 We want a representative republic. We don't have one. This is not a 'progressive' issue. This is about DEMOCRACY! 

agelbert November 3rd, 2010 10:12 pm

I wish to add that every single issue of importance to the people in the USA which has been ignored, disdained, ridiculed or trashed by the media and/or the government owes its' continued repression to our lack of representation in congress.

The single argument against it is very old. I cede the floor to Patrick Henry:

"But we are told that we need not fear; because those in power, being our representatives, will not abuse the powers we put in their hands. I am not well versed in history, but I will submit to your recollection, whether liberty has been destroyed most often by the licentiousness of the people, or by the tyranny of rulers.

I imagine, sir, you will find the balance on the side of tyranny. Happy will you be if you miss the fate of those nations, who, omitting to resist their oppressors, or negligently suffering their liberty to be wrested from them, have groaned under intolerable despotism!

Most of the human race are now in this deplorable condition; and those nations who have gone in search of grandeur, power, and splendor, have also fallen a sacrifice, and been the victims of their own folly. While they acquired those visionary blessings, they lost their freedom."


I imagine that Patrick Henry, who is famously quoted as saying he smelled a rat in Philadelphia (the constitutional convention), would have preferred one elected representative for much fewer voters than 30,000. He wanted to keep a sharp eye on the reps way back when. He would probably be outraged and leading a revolution today.

Today we have the technology for an electronic congress. This congress would not be the pampered tools for corporations we have now. Their numbers would make OUR voices stronger than corporate voices. They would be more approachable and more willing to listen to us with the 31,000 voters per district. We would HAVE A VOICE!

Our reps would rule for us.

Patrick Henry's rat was eaten by a Rockefeller T-Rex. We need to kill this dinosaur. The damned thing will kill us all and then start on it's own tail.


"People talk sometimes of a bestial cruelty, but that's a great injustice and insult to the beasts; a beast can never be so cruel as a man, so artistically cruel. The tiger only tears and gnaws, that's all he can do. He would never think of nailing people by the ears, even if he were able to do it."
 Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov


"I think the devil doesn't exist, but man has created him, he has created him in his own image and likeness." 
 Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov


"If you were to destroy in mankind the belief in immortality, not only love but every living force maintaining the life of the world would at once be dried up. Moreover, nothing then would be immoral; everything would be lawful, even cannibalism."
 Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov


"We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values… when machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism are incapable of being conquered."
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. April 4, 1967


The wheels of "fascist progress" were turning fast and furious in those first 20 years of the 20th century. But we had Bernays to put lipstick on that fascist BOOT in our face. The media was instrumental in keeping the lipstick in place throughout the 20th century and this century (see 911 lock step dumb playing). The lipstick is coming off.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 07, 2020, 04:13:07 pm
Serial Corruption by (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Trump (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-300919160019-22721213.gif)

7,378 views•Jan 5, 2020

https://youtu.be/flBkDx_NLyM

Thom Hartmann Program
202K subscribers

Donald Trump financed and refinanced his business through a multiplicity of banks from around the world.

People don't trust Donald Trump especially as he continues to hide his tax returns.

🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

And now we have the attack and in Iraq. If this turns to endless war, who will pay for it?

Thom outlines some of Trump's finances and discusses the situation in Iran with Wisconsin Congressman, Mark Pocan.
 
🔥 WATCH NEXT: It's All About Trust - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5gNz_FycX96MF07WDZtHxrKUkmhx0_Ux
Title: 'Approximately 100 percent' of tariff costs have fallen onto Americans, new research shows
Post by: Surly1 on January 11, 2020, 07:02:43 am
"We are shocked, shocked..."

'Approximately 100 percent' of tariff costs have fallen onto Americans, new research shows (https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/all-tariff-costs-fallen-onto-americans-pay-new-research-shows-2020-1-1028797514)

donald trump flagJoshua Lott/Getty Images


President Donald Trump falsely claims that China and other nations have paid the tariffs he levied on thousands of products over the past two years. But "approximately 100 percent" of those costs have fallen onto American buyers, according to a new National Bureau of Economic Research paper. 

"Using another year of data including significant escalations in the trade war, we find that US tariffs continue to be almost entirely borne by US firms and consumers," the economists — Mary Amiti of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Stephen J. Redding of Princeton, and David E. Weinstein of Columbia University — wrote in a paper that was circulated this week. 

A 10% tariff is associated with about a 10% drop in imports for the first three months, according to the economists, and this relationship becomes more intense as time goes on. So the effects of tariffs, which were increased this fall, may have not yet been fully seen. 

The paper, which uses customs data through October 2019, reflects a series of similar independent findings that have been circulated over the past year.

"The continued stability of import prices for goods from China means US firms and consumers have to pay the tariff tax," New York Federal Reserve economists Matthew Higgins, Thomas Klitgaard, and Michael Nattinger wrote in a November study

The US and China plan to sign this month to sign an interim trade agreement, which was reached in October as the two sides sought to defuse tensions. That stalled several planned escalations, but tariffs were kept on thousands of products shipped between the two largest economies.

Title: It is more than tragic
Post by: AGelbert on January 11, 2020, 01:38:51 pm
"We are shocked, shocked..."

'Approximately 100 percent' of tariff costs have fallen onto Americans (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf), new research shows (https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/all-tariff-costs-fallen-onto-americans-pay-new-research-shows-2020-1-1028797514)

The US and China plan to sign this month to sign an interim trade agreement, which was reached in October as the two sides sought to defuse tensions. That stalled several planned escalations, but tariffs were kept on thousands of products shipped between the two largest economies.

Yep. The 🦀 Trump Train Wreck continues true to form, as Pulitzer Prize Winner Journalist David Cay Johnston accurately predicted.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-231219160925.png)

🦀 Trump is not simply a stupid, incompetent greedball; Trump is simply an (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) Evil Bastard. IOW, Trump is, and has been since he was knee high to a grasshopper, a (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) PSYCHOPATH. Puerto Rico still hasn't gotten all the disaster aid money approved from 2017 Hurricane Maria damages. This cruelty is part of the "fun" for Trump. Disaster aid money denied is just the tip of that heinous modus operandi turdburg.

On January 7, 2020, there was a large earthquake in Puerto Rico (http://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/general-discussion/non-routine-news/msg15104/#msg15104). Many houses, culturally important old biuldings and school buildings made of concrete were severely damaged. Trump refused to send a nickel to Puerto Rico, despite this earthquaqe qualifying under the Disaster Declaration protocol for aid money.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-070120130945.png)

Natural structure at Guayanilla beach area before the quake:

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-110120130304-23521392.png)

After the January 7, 2020 EARTHQUAKE.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-110120130121-23511680.png)

(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRzeuf1aT9QiCrKyI3MFNejcA42Q0a9ZE5X2zlVl2EjNXtKaPpBWg&s)(https://i1.wp.com/www.sopitas.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ventana-al-caribe-puerto-rico-sismo-terremoto-fotos-derrumbe-01.jpeg)
(https://cdn.heraldodemexico.com.mx/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/06090103/sismo-puerto-rico-derrumbes.jpg)(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTG7XyPDypvqAt06IIN-cNaHJ96mlM8Q7csb_YTNibdJDElm9Ru9g&s)

(https://www.tn8.tv/media/uploads/2020/01/07/p2.jpg)

Today, January 11, 2020, there was another large earthquake in Puerto Rico resulting in even more severe damages to hundreds of concrete structures, leaving hundreds more homeless. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) Trump is probably cheering.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-110120145437.png)
USGS Puerto Rico area latest Earthquakes  (https://prod-earthquake.cr.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/#%7B%22autoUpdate%22%3A%5B%22autoUpdate%22%5D%2C%22basemap%22%3A%22grayscale%22%2C%22feed%22%3A%227day_m25%22%2C%22listFormat%22%3A%22default%22%2C%22mapposition%22%3A%5B%5B17.53536817152554%2C-67.3736572265625%5D%2C%5B18.22674258246203%2C-66.0552978515625%5D%5D%2C%22overlays%22%3A%5B%22plates%22%5D%2C%22restrictListToMap%22%3A%5B%22restrictListToMap%22%5D%2C%22search%22%3Anull%2C%22sort%22%3A%22newest%22%2C%22timezone%22%3A%22utc%22%2C%22viewModes%22%3A%5B%22settings%22%2C%22map%22%5D%2C%22event%22%3A%22pr2020011010%22%7D)
Title: How is 🦀 Donald Trump viewed in Canada?
Post by: AGelbert on January 13, 2020, 02:31:03 pm
How is 🦀 Donald Trump viewed in Canada?

Victoria Napora 👍

I have not entered the USA since 2016 and have no plans to ever cross again.

I and millions of other rational, thinking Canadians, were stunned that such a vulgar, lying, cheating, scamming, self-serving, crude, bigoted bully got elected. I had checked into his past and could not find ONE single redeeming factor that would cause one to vote for this wannabe dictator. I watched his hate-fest rallies and could not believe my eyes with his rabid crowd shouting ‘lock her up’ and ranting against anyone who didn’t fall down and worship the Hitler wannabe. But here we are……

I was absolutely incensed when the tinpot dictator implemented tariffs on Canadian steel & aluminum with the ridiculous excuse that Canada was a ‘security threat’. During the NAFTA negotiations, trump & his lackeys said there was a ‘special place in hell’ for us Canadians. And Mad King Donald didn’t want to negotiate with Ms. Freeland because ‘he didn’t like her’.

Trump also ragged on Canada (and other NATO countries) for not paying ‘our share’ of the NATO standard of 2% GDP for OUR own defenses. He even had the temerity to present Chancellor Merkel with an ‘invoice’.

He has called our PM two-faced, mean, nasty and a cowardly — all PERFECT description of trump himself.

Most disheartening was all the shouts of “YEA trump…you tell ’em potus” etc. and all the comments disparaging our government leaders and Canadians in general by his now entrenched KULT.

They forget that it was the Canadian Embassy personnel that protected, hid and assisted in the evacuation of the US Embassy workers during the Tehran uprising. (I’m talking to you, Ben Affleck and your Movie ‘Argo’ which basically ignored all the Canadians who risked their own lives to protect the US citizens). They have forgotten how the people of Gander NFLD took in and sheltered and fed hundreds of stranded US citizens in the aftermath of 9/11.

They ALL forget that ONLY one country has ever invoked Article 5 of the NATO agreement. That country was the USA after 9/11 and every single NATO country stepped up with support and even troops for the USA. Trump has refused to sign on to Article 5 and continues to demean NATO countries… WHY?? Because NATO was formed to present a unified front against Russian aggression. Anyone who doesn’t think that this pile of dog excrement isn’t Putin’s puppet is delusional to say the least.

The list goes on. I am horrified and dismayed at what is happening in the USA. When trump ‘stole’ the election, I predicted that the USA would end up a familial dictatorship or in a civil war. It is looking like I was not so far off with that prediction.

Even more stupefying are the actions and total DERELICTION of the sworn oaths of office of the members of the new ‘party to protect dictator trump’, formerly known at the republican party. I’ve always felt that one had to have pretty low standards to become a politician (in any country), but the blatant, open and ongoing corruption, self-serving, lies and deflections by these spineless sycophants in order to support and defend the most corrupt, lying, cheating, scamming, self-dealing, ignorant, vulgar, petty, vindictive, cruel, bigoted, unamerican, unchristian, power abusing, tyrannical wannabe dictator is beyond my comprehension.

Welcome to the banana republic of trumplandia. To me it is becoming more and more obvious that the USA is a failed experiment in democracy. :(( :((

Please note: I do not post these things because I have TDS, or I am ‘mean’ or upset because HRC didn’t win - you are 100% WRONG! I get a sick feeling every time I turn on the news and see that latest debacle happening in the USA, because what happens to our closest neighbour will surely affect us and right now, it is looking pretty darn frightening.

WOW! Thanks to you all who took the time to comment & upvote my reply. It gives me some hope that all is not lost and that the USA can actually recover from this trainwreck/sh***show of trump & his court of clowns, court jesters and ‘enforcers’. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)

https://www.quora.com/How-is-Donald-Trump-viewed-in-Canada

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 17, 2020, 07:02:57 pm
(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/nWnv3Cg8fXN-WqJaHNP-iw4zpAfIbMwr7z-_T0YCEpMXOrT9A3sWkSTKMhWHXQiUW3lp7LKdh9mXCocAjVC3VeYzJrbOaXQ9bkOgNo2hmB_ngru1SgkdLtxy0EdAlwQkJKcX14f__RZxBt0=s0-d-e1-ft#https://go.passmedicareforall.org/page/-/MFA_Callout-McConnell-No-MFA-Quote_20190711.jpg)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-170120121441.png)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 17, 2020, 07:38:46 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1115-toons%2Fcongress-declare-war.jpg&hash=6b44eeb184dda37628adb806258800cc3a2e8efd)
Title: Debate: Do Libertarians Want The Freedom To Starve?
Post by: AGelbert on January 20, 2020, 09:46:17 pm
  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418202144.gif&hash=428452d9f67a5253ca122e59a06c9b3c9434e50e) Debate: Do 😈 Libertarians Want The Freedom To Starve? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185039-165118.gif&hash=d4c03722f828ea55fbad2e41b19fa8b3562f5539)
4,161 views•Jan 17, 2020

https://youtu.be/QMHg5rGV0UM

Thom Hartmann Program
203K subscribers

Libertarian and Thom discuss freedom and the role of government, leading to a debate you will not want to miss.
 
🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...

What is the role of government and what is freedom? Thom Hartmann has a different understanding of freedom than our libertarian friend, what is your idea of freedom and how best can we reach it.

Do libertarian economics ever make sense?

⭐ Join our Membership and Support the Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhart...
Title: Lindsey Graham is the Most Shameless Man in American Politics
Post by: AGelbert on January 24, 2020, 03:23:20 pm
Lindsey Graham is the Most Shameless Man in American Politics
2,511 views•Premiered 8 minutes ago
https://youtu.be/knMIXTTVKx4

The Intercept
141K subscribers

The South Carolina senator once put a lot of effort into cultivating an image of a reasonable, sober, sensible, moderate Republican, willing to reach out across the aisle, willing to stick up for his principles, willing to denounce Donald Trump. But today, there is no position he won’t abandon, no U-turn he won’t perform, no lie he will not tell.

Hear more commentary from The Intercept's Mehdi Hasan on the "Deconstructed" podcast: https://theintercept.com/podcasts/dec...
Category News & Politics
Title: When Did Tyranny Begin In America?
Post by: AGelbert on January 30, 2020, 11:37:45 pm
When Did Tyranny Begin In America?
896 views•Jan 30, 2020

https://youtu.be/EBvHEBYZq8k

Thom Hartmann Program
204K subscribers

We are looking at tyranny in America thanks to Donald Trump but when did it start?  Was it Nixon's treason, Reagan's treason or Jeb Bush's Treason?

🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhartmann

And will Tyranny in America end when Donald Trump is out of Office? 

Thom Hartmann offers a scathing critque and history of Tyranny and shows us how to stop dictatorship.
Title: 🐘 Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on January 31, 2020, 07:34:05 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1117-toons%2Fdefense-fairy-tale.jpg&hash=78156c747bea7f22d1fa29a74e7231436c7b4f48)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1117-toons%2Ftrump-obstruction.jpg&hash=de47bf779060054f9318b38b7399f90996a9b8b1)

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(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1117-toons%2Fgaslighting.jpg&hash=b3feaeb1c9dfb7257730dd53134606f3a21278f3)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1117-toons%2Fno-witnesses.jpg&hash=438b84cfa1c7fa1b29b5345d230f0cdbc66427b0)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1117-toons%2Fgop-fire-warning.jpg&hash=64b4d1d4745204923d44b484f01d039a2a95f33d)

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(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1117-toons%2Fevidence-level.jpg&hash=874f7acf1df7f36ab02beabe79bb6721d1726893)

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(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1117-toons%2Fevidence.jpg&hash=bd871413bb6975839d1bf2b576ef768d3ab4b3bb)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1117-toons%2Ffair-trial.jpg&hash=738fdfad4620db310822186b8ef281a39c7c40ca)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1117-toons%2Ftrumps-invisible-defense.jpg&hash=b602836ff3639fb352b97684ff93bd91d5fe943f)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1117-toons%2Farlington-vs-senate-gop.jpg&hash=8718ba76159ed90368664df0e832106ff880c552)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-5RW5fqOUW-A%2FUgBvfpbfOcI%2FAAAAAAAAAG0%2FX8s1iRySYsQ%2Fs1600%2Fcartoons-text-the-end-porky-pig-looney-tunes-warner-bros.-HD-Wallpapers%255B1%255D.jpg&hash=9be34e4ad4b0a8db9a004b75663a06cf07a7783b)
Title: Secret Wars, Forgotten Betrayals, Global Tyranny. - Who Is Really In Charge Of The US Military?
Post by: AGelbert on February 03, 2020, 09:46:23 pm
(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/oztYq5AbpB26Ma6wSysP0TG81oB4JfFRUar2JRIZG865ap6Q4b5cyLf9iyb2wUDtIXTgjcgYmiFWfRQU4sgizDoj5REMoGoO9nNxdCAdl3rI2F9XvUKtLcrmm6GtPnS9AnQ3T6CRq9TFK4fRbFE3wAuCnYvZBQV2zmQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://gallery.mailchimp.com/33602bebba8fb7dd6e71fb413/images/0bb0ece7-9ce7-4ab4-9a36-6f3ca6a7db37.png)

(https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/p67sVXI3ZtvRc5C15xkVGhFTtcUT7Z4gbKpMfZIwDxA_0Pl48UmycnZiFWqEQqxEVeeHCA_9pSGAIo63shCK3kzQ1YgPMNZcb-n6kwQl627hZFf2wO9TBQev91w307d1qoXrRIaChv4LFF7SKFmD4Ao=s0-d-e1-ft#https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2020/02/maxresdefault-3-150x150.jpg) Who Is Really In Charge Of The US Military?

By Cynthia Chung, Strategic Culture.

In order to assess such situations, we cannot lose sight of the whole picture, and righteous indignation unfortunately causes the opposite to occur. Our focus becomes narrower and narrower to the point where we can only see or react moment to moment with what is right in front of our face. We are reduced to an obsession of twitter feeds, news blips and the doublespeak of ‘official government statements’. Thus, before we may find firm ground to stand on regarding the situation of today, we must first have an understanding as to what caused the United States to enter into an endless campaign of...
-more- (https://popularresistance.org/who-is-really-in-charge-of-the-us-military/) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)
Title: How 💵🎩 Capitalism's Structural and Ideological Crisis Gives Rise to 🐍🦍 Neo-Fascism
Post by: AGelbert on February 05, 2020, 03:00:18 pm
How 💵🎩 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae) Capitalism's Structural and Ideological Crisis Gives Rise to (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) Neo-Fascism (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf)
2,654 views•Feb 5, 2020

https://youtu.be/1rHrmmW8hao

The Real News Network
384K subscribers

Globalization sociologist William I. Robinson explains how global capitalism has been mired in a structural crisis since the 1970s, but especially since 2008, which has also led to a crisis of legitimacy, giving rise to neo-fascism around the world.

Director: Will Arenas
Audio Engineer: Adam Coley
Chase Producer: Genevieve Montinar

Subscribe to our page and support our work at https://therealnews.com/donate.
Category News & Politics

https://therealnews.com/stories/capitalism-structural-ideological-crisis-neo-fascism

Quote
"Capitalist ideology claims that the world is perfectly ordered and everybody is in their place (i..e. everybody gets what they deserve). This self (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-200419205214.png&hash=4c5b9ca97c84607da003becdf6282716bcdf1800) legitmating aspect of Capitalism is Socially Catastrophic. This is the Victorian view of the world." Rob Urie - Author " Zen Economics"

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-161218193528.png&hash=638de94da4704f04462bf03a8a6af48a526382b3)

Title: The Well Funded Movement to Stop Democracy
Post by: AGelbert on February 05, 2020, 10:48:48 pm
The Well 💵🎩 Funded 👹 Movement to Stop Democracy
320 views•Feb 5, 2020

https://youtu.be/_AqZVBGiCYE

Thom Hartmann Program
205K subscribers

Democracy is in danger and this well funded movement is behind it, Jefferson Smith shares how corporate personhood has infected the judiciary!

🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhartmann.

Will the Democratic primary be able to move forward even with all the controversy over delayed poll results?

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Title: Those who acknowledge the truth—beginning with the stark fact that we are no longer a democracy—wand
Post by: AGelbert on February 06, 2020, 02:52:35 pm
Quote
Those who acknowledge the truth—beginning with the stark fact that we are no longer a democracy—wander like ghosts around the edges of society, reviled as enemies of hope.

Truthdig

February 3, 2020

By Chris Hedges 🕯️

SNIPPETS:

If what happens in courtrooms across the country to poor people of color is justice, what is happening in the Senate is a trial. If the blood-drenched debacles and endless quagmires in the Middle East are victories in the war on terror, our military is the greatest on earth. If the wholesale government surveillance of the public, the revoking of due process and having the world’s largest prison population are liberty, we are the land of the free. If the president, an inept, vulgar and corrupt con artist, is the leader of the free world, we are a beacon for democracy and our enemies hate us for our values. If Jesus came to make us rich, bless the annihilation of Muslims by our war machine and condemn homosexuality and abortion, we are a Christian nation. If formalizing an apartheid state in Israel is a peace plan, we are an honest international mediator. If a meritocracy means that three American men have more wealth than the bottom 50% of the U.S. population, we are the land of opportunity. If the torture of kidnapped victims in black sites and the ripping of children from their parents’ arms and their detention in fetid, overcrowded warehouses, along with the gunning down of unarmed citizens by militarized police in the streets of our urban communities, are the rule of law, we are an exemplar of human rights.

The rhetoric we use to describe ourselves is so disconnected from reality that it has induced collective schizophrenia. America, as it is discussed in public forums by politicians, academics and the media, is a fantasy, a Disneyfied world of make-believe.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-060220144801.png&hash=c67a30889d90f30f59dbec33e2433c62437f8151)

The worse it gets, the more we retreat into illusions. The longer we fail to name and confront our physical and moral decay, the more demagogues who peddle illusions and fantasies become empowered. Those who acknowledge the truth—beginning with the stark fact that we are no longer a democracy—wander like ghosts around the edges of society, reviled as enemies of hope. ... ...

The embrace of collective self-delusion marks the death spasms of all civilizations. We are in the terminal stage. We no longer know who we are, what we have become or how those on the outside see us.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-230815160919.gif&hash=e606a53bb5dc82bbd50eb8f079b9becc20109263)

It is easier, in the short term, to retreat inward, to celebrate nonexistent virtues and strengths and wallow in sentimentality and a false optimism. But in the end, this retreat, peddled by the hope industry, guarantees not only despotism but, given the climate emergency, extinction.

Full article:

America: Land of Make-Believe (https://www.truthdig.com/articles/america-land-of-make-believe/) (https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/304fa75d7ed32d56ae1ff3a796933cb65eac738511bb960bc4a77bb2f67c0af6.gif)



Title: 5 Ways 🦀 Trump Has NOT Drained the Swamp with Robert Reich
Post by: AGelbert on February 11, 2020, 08:45:27 pm
5 Ways (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Trump Has NOT Drained the Swamp with Robert Reich
16,596 views•Feb 11, 2020

https://youtu.be/bYTe9spo9QU

Robert Reich
194K subscribers

It seems like forever ago when Donald Trump promised to “Drain the Swamp” if elected president. Well, it turns out this was one of the biggest whoppers in modern American politics. Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich breaks down five ways Trump has made the swamp even swampier.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-281216181536.jpeg&hash=faeff8739580c0d370dfafe6e6378077218a7ed2)

Watch More: 🦀 Trump's Emoluments Mess ►►
https://youtu.be/xw3GLhIxjVU
Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 16, 2020, 01:53:20 pm
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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 16, 2020, 02:14:38 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1119-toons%2Fimpeachment.jpg&hash=8be23ed742cf1a274a888f7a0241ca9c05fb0d70)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1119-toons%2Fmity5.jpg&hash=b197d34bc349c59ca39371c119b5a20ea2a87cb5)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1119-toons%2Flesson.jpg&hash=334fa798cd499c800ff9efa788217e6288cd6dd7)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1119-toons%2Frevenge.jpg&hash=78c2550e4cf938f8ad644b8f50eda1e52e16d651)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1119-toons%2Fcheaters-win.jpg&hash=58999d6a344b7743202692eb19ec3aa33195a197)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1119-toons%2Facquittal.jpg&hash=b36e6e7f104386d0987b1343d2018a3756efd9a3)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.directzine4dems.com%2F1119-toons%2Fsotu-strongman.jpg&hash=eb9fc423bddcd1a75f7498f76cac8b69d313946c)
Title: Of course, McCarthy — whose right-hand man, Roy Cohn, mentored the young Trump — wasn’t the first to
Post by: AGelbert on February 16, 2020, 05:16:11 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-200719225841.jpeg)


Trump's Acquittal Has Ushered in a New Era of McCarthyist Purges  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817134648.gif&hash=d24c66a26329a19150a175d576b631d10f631ee8)

February 16, 2020

By Sasha Abramsky, TRUTHOUT

🦀 Donald Trump, the reality TV star who specialized in firing his victims on "The Apprentice," is using the power of the soft purge -- the destruction of people's livelihoods, careers and reputations (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf), as opposed to the bloody violence of Soviet or Nazi purges -- to enforce a culture of absolute loyalty and to deliberately break the power of independent agencies and bureaucracies. Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-acquittal-has-ushered-in-a-new-era-of-mccarthyist-purges/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=b1b07bf3-6719-40ef-afa2-3f9156fe3c04) 👀
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on February 20, 2020, 01:55:46 pm
BACK CHANNEL: HOW (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) SEAN HANNITY CAME TO BELIEVE “EVERY WORD [ASSANGE] SAYS”

February 19, 2020/9 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe /by emptywheel

In a pre-hearing hearing in London today, a lawyer for Julian Assange said they’d call a witness who would testify that Julian Assange was offered a pardon if he would say that Russia wasn’t behind the 2016 hack.

This has led to people discovering for the first time the abundant evidence that Assange and the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) Trump Administration were discussing pardons in a bunch of different contexts. They weren’t all, at all, an exchange for Assange’s false testimony about his ties to Russia. That’s just the only legally convenient one Assange can mention, because the others involve extortion (either a quid pro quo for the initial campaign dirt, or an offer to limit the damage of the Vault 7 leak in exchange for immunity) that would easily reach the bar for extradition.

As I’ve noted repeatedly, one of the most interesting questions Robert Mueller failed to get Trump to answer in good faith pertained to pardon discussions starting even before the inauguration.

Did you have any discussions prior to January 20, 2017, regarding a potential pardon or other action to benefit Julian Assange? If yes, describe who you had the discussion(s) with, when, and the content of the discussion(s).

Trump’s answer did not cover the transition, when — testimony from his trial made clear — (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) Roger Stone was already working on a pardon.

Quote
I do not recall having had any discussion during the campaign regarding a pardon or action to benefit Julian Assange. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c)

The record shows that discussions of an Assange pardon — for any of a variety of reasons — continued from late 2016 through early 2018.

But now that Assange is preparing to unpack one point of blackmail he has against Trump — and given the abundant effort we’ve seen that various people (including but not limited to 😈 Paul Manafort) use Sean Hannity as a back channel to the 🦀 President — it’s time for folks to reconsider the Sean Hannity interview of Julian Assange from early January, 2017, just days after Roger Stone was known to be pursuing a pardon for Assange.

https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/02/19/back-channel-how-sean-hannity-came-to-believe-every-word-assange-says/

Agelbert NOTE: And today, Stone gets a slap on the wrist sentence of 40 months (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-1649349.gif&hash=17e5f9a00437fbab9a49c6ce2bd7d563eb15ed9c) when he should have gotten at least 10 years. Maybe the judge is trying to game theory Trump into NOT isssuing a pardon for Stone. Whatever her motive is, a sentence of 40 months is more evidence that we are living under a barely disguised (until just after the November elections) fascist dictatorship.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-180220135406.jpeg)

February 20, 2020

NowThis News
511K subscribers

https://youtu.be/gx0VCNYxGD8


Quote
Cece Olszewski
25 minutes ago
Stone as in Mason gets 3 years and 4 months. As in the 3&4 the compass and square. Just more Masonic propaganda and predictable programming.

Bella Marie
12 minutes ago
Love that tRUMP RAT statue. To be accurate it should have $h!t coming out of it’s mouth.

Title: Leahy: Do you believe a president could lawfully issue a pardon in exchange for the recipient’s prom
Post by: AGelbert on February 20, 2020, 03:38:30 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-200220153109.png)

February 20, 2020/29 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe /by emptywheel 

SNIPPETS:

Quote
Leahy: Do you believe a president could lawfully issue a pardon in exchange for the recipient’s promise to not incriminate him?

Barr: No, that would be a crime.

Quote
..., Stone lied specifically to protect the president, to avoid explaining all those calls with Trump about WikiLeaks, to avoid describing what role Trump had in any success Stone had in optimizing the release of the John Podesta emails. He even told Randy Credico that he had to plead the Fifth because Stone couldn’t, because of his ties to Trump.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)

BILL BARR’S PAST STATEMENTS SAY PARDONING ROGER STONE WOULD BE OBSTRUCTION (https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/02/20/bill-barrs-past-statements-say-pardoning-roger-stone-would-be-obstruction/)
Title: The Golden Age Of White Collar Crime
Post by: AGelbert on February 22, 2020, 10:20:37 pm
(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/oztYq5AbpB26Ma6wSysP0TG81oB4JfFRUar2JRIZG865ap6Q4b5cyLf9iyb2wUDtIXTgjcgYmiFWfRQU4sgizDoj5REMoGoO9nNxdCAdl3rI2F9XvUKtLcrmm6GtPnS9AnQ3T6CRq9TFK4fRbFE3wAuCnYvZBQV2zmQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://gallery.mailchimp.com/33602bebba8fb7dd6e71fb413/images/0bb0ece7-9ce7-4ab4-9a36-6f3ca6a7db37.png)


Quote
According to a study by the Federal Judicial Center, four out of five judges in federal courts (where the vast majority of white-collar cases are decided) are white. A 2010 survey found that they have an average age of nearly 70. Their base salary is $210,000 per year.

It is, as one of those high-priced lawyers might say, improbable that these demographic and economic facts exert no influence whatsoever on judges’ rulings. In a 2012 review of sentencing data in Florida, researchers found that “high-status” white collar criminals, such as doctors scamming Medicaid, were 98.7 percent less likely to receive prison terms than welfare fraudsters. A 2015 study found that judges showed increasing mercy as fraud offenders moved up the income scale: Criminals who stole more than $400 million got sentences that were less than half of the minimum recommended by federal guidelines. Criminals who stole $5,000 or less served sentences well over the minimum.

“When you zoom out, you see all the ways that bias accumulates throughout the system,” said Justin Levinson, a University of Hawaii professor and the editor of “Implicit Racial Bias Across The Law.” Sentencing guidelines prescribe lighter punishments for first-time offenders and criminals who can afford to pay restitution. Evidence rules make it nearly impossible to seize records or computers from corporations. Jury selection weeds out the poor, the less educated and minorities.

(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/7j5vUDe5GV0xrLeEPe4MSKxkfo8MBZs5V3btcdT7niLxbu7a_RNLclouSzkhpLzwgdMuxK2O9pNBD9KjrsMQiTSDnicbHw3cWQ0BUSRJyVOm3RLskFiMyfzWqNpVFWL2K3RCBqDLemsnFRTwZ1Hb4K315xihutTquGEDGQel=s0-d-e1-ft#https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2020/02/screenshot-79-e1582325066744-150x150.png) The Golden Age Of  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-200419205214.png&hash=4c5b9ca97c84607da003becdf6282716bcdf1800) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) White Collar Crime (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300115234833.gif&hash=20e82f36f361174e6f8f07e11c36330842502bab)

By Michael Hobbes, Huffpost.com

February 21, 2020 | EDUCATE!

Over the last two years, nearly every institution of American life has taken on the unmistakable stench of moral rot. Corporate behemoths like Boeing and Wells Fargo have traded blue-chip credibility for white-collar callousness. Elite universities are selling admission spots to the highest Hollywood bidder. Silicon Valley unicorns have revealed themselves as long cons (Theranos)... -more- (https://popularresistance.org/the-golden-age-of-white-collar-crime/) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132422-1692935.gif&hash=94922268ae283c7009e29067ba89220f466726ec)
Title: 🦀 Donald Trump - Once a Bully Always a Bully
Post by: AGelbert on February 23, 2020, 12:59:33 pm
🦀 Donald Trump - Once a Bully Always a Bully
4,547 views•Feb 19, 2020

https://youtu.be/uNbH6-0yknU

Thom Hartmann Program
209K subscribers

Donald Trump - Once a Bully Always a Bully.

🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhartmann

⭐ Join our Membership and Support the Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhartmann
Title: Ed Morales: Puerto Rico “symbol of marginalized communities all over the U.S. and the world"
Post by: AGelbert on February 23, 2020, 06:23:16 pm
BY Laura Flanders, Truthout

PUBLISHED February 23, 2020

SNIPPET:

Was it never self-sustaining? Never could’ve been self-sustaining, or was it created [to be] not self-sustaining, which is to say dependent?

Morales: Yes, it was never self-sustaining because, well first of all, Puerto Rico was a colony of Spain for 400 years before the United States, and they were collaborators with the Spanish colonialism as well, and they were the ones who had most of the property in the sugar industry.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-4W4P7YjQqas%2FT2NM6pK9viI%2FAAAAAAAAEkU%2FrROBn9rNy0E%2Fs400%2Fserving.jpg&hash=42f3d64a7b51c303eb43bc70dee68997dbcf8e58)

But when the U.S. came in, they adjusted the tax laws to favor outside interest, and the U.S. sugar companies were able to take over most of the best land for sugar, and the U.S. economy started to dominate the Puerto Rican economy, and it was never really allowed to grow on its own. The Jones Act [made] it impossible for trade to happen. The U.S. set up Puerto Rico as a free-trade zone in the early 20th century, as a prelude to NAFTA in a way, by just … there were no duties charged to the U.S. for imports from Puerto Rico, and then the U.S. dumped all of its consumer stuff, that it wasn’t selling in the U.S., onto Puerto Rico.

Talk about the … is it called the Downes Bidwell case, that determined the status, and contextualize that a little bit for us?

Morales: What happened in the 19th century, with a lot of territories that the U.S. acquired, which were put on the road to statehood, like a lot of the places in the middle of the country and in the West … those were thought of as incorporated territories, which meant that they were on the paths [to] statehood. But at the end of the 19th century, when the U.S. decided to start this … colonial empire and expand beyond its borders to maybe create a security zone in the Caribbean and to the South…. Fighting the war with Spain, they acquired these territories filled with people who they mistrusted, or were just outright racist towards, because they were not white, they were mixed. There’s a lot of prejudice against mixed people as well. They would say things like, “Mixed people have the worst aspects of both white and Black,” so they did not consider Puerto Rico, or the Philippines, as candidates for statehood.

And they created this new category called unincorporated ;) territory. And  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) Downes v. Bidwell, which was decided on by two of the same Supreme Court (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c)  judges that decided on Plessy v. Ferguson, which established 😈 separate but equal, they said that Puerto Rico was belonging to, but not a part of, the U.S. And so, what that allowed them to do was treat Puerto Rico in ways that was [an] advantage to the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) United States. For instance, they gave Puerto Rico the title of state so that it couldn’t declare bankruptcy. They did it that way, but when it was to their advantage to consider Puerto Rico a foreign area, then they consider it as foreign and that’s 👹 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-200419205214.png&hash=4c5b9ca97c84607da003becdf6282716bcdf1800) constantly (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) still being done. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-120716190938.png&hash=01feab1c7345a4e98764e0f9d24b2d69171b93c2)
 


Full article with video:

Puerto Rico’s Uprisings (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-190119153601.gif&hash=336ba78f7f18ff5829ef3722f89b4258d2315284) Have Empowered a New Leadership Among the Oppressed (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-080515182559.png&hash=d4dfa952fa0f817bf30a8059a4c88d6fb05ee1bf) (https://truthout.org/articles/puerto-ricos-uprisings-have-empowered-a-new-leadership-among-the-oppressed/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=0e5f9a13-1e1f-4f5a-9d7f-a1a454824086)
Title: A Look at 🦀 Trump’s Proposed 2021 Budget
Post by: AGelbert on February 24, 2020, 05:11:48 pm
A Look at (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Trump’s Proposed 2021 Budget (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf)
Feb 24, 2020

https://youtu.be/38NwwevkszE

NowThis News ✨👍
516K subscribers

Billions in funding for anti-immigration efforts and billions in cuts for health care and student loan forgiveness — here's what's in Trump's proposed 2021 budget.
» Subscribe to NowThis: http://go.nowth.is/News_Subscribe
» Sign up for our newsletter KnowThis to get the biggest stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox: https://go.nowth.is/KnowThis

In US news and current events today, Trump’s 2021 budget shows his priorities for governing:

- $2 billion for the wall Mexico was supposed to pay for a border wall

- $15.6 billion for the Customs and Border Protection agency an increase of 7%

- $9.9 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement an increase of 23%

- $1 trillion for infrastructure spending over 10 years including $200 billion for ‘nationally significant’ projects

- $465 billion in cuts to Medicare providers

- $700 billion in cuts to Medicaid over the next decade with new work requirements for Medicaid, food stamps and housing assistance

- Federal disability insurance cut by $70 billion

- Student loan forgiveness cut by $170 billion

- 21 percent cut from foreign aid spending


The plan calls for extending Trump’s tax cuts to 2035 at a cost of $1.4 trillion and to pay for it, they propose various cuts.

For more on 🦀 Trump's proposed 2021 budget (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf), watch this full recap.

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NowThis is your premier news outlet providing you with all the videos you need to stay up to date on all the latest in trending news. From entertainment to politics, to viral videos and breaking news stories, we’re delivering all you need to know straight to your social feeds. We live where you live.

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Category News & Politics
Title: Jim Acosta Slams President 🦀 Trump for Accusing CNN of Lying
Post by: AGelbert on February 26, 2020, 05:28:20 pm
Jim Acosta Slams President (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-080419191019.png&hash=a449294ee6fe2dfdea44c1c501f4439b9ac69c26) Trump for Accusing CNN of Lying | NowThis
49,295 views•Feb 25, 2020

https://youtu.be/lrcJsEV_DpA

NowThis News
519K subscribers

Mr. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) President, I think our record on delivering the truth is a lot better than yours sometimes’ — CNN’s Jim Acosta was not afraid of standing up to Trump after he accused the network of lying. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817121649.png&hash=4554f7e59701d12857946aece16bceb973c997b3)

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In US news and current events today, Pres. Trump didn’t like being questioned about appointing a political ally to be Director of National Intelligence.

Trump fired acting intel chief Joseph Maguire after he briefed Congress on new Russian efforts to interfere in the 2020 election. Trump then appointed a political ally with no intelligence experience, the search for a permanent intel chief is ongoing.

Trump still denies the proven efforts of Russia to help his campaign. U.S. officials also warned Bernie Sanders that Russia was trying to help him. When the news broke, Sanders response was a little different.

Watch the Jim Acosta vs Donald Trump moment from a White House press conference here.

For more on the Trump administration and U.S. politics, subscribe to NowThis News.

#JimAcosta #Trump #CNN #News #NowThis #NowThisNews

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NowThis is your premier news outlet providing you with all the videos you need to stay up to date on all the latest in trending news. From entertainment to politics, to viral videos and breaking news stories, we’re delivering all you need to know straight to your social feeds. We live where you live.

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Category News & Politics
Title: Coronavirus 😈 Capitalism — and How to 🦅 Beat It
Post by: AGelbert on March 16, 2020, 09:33:03 pm
Coronavirus 😈 Capitalism — and How to 🦅 Beat It
8,264 views•Premiered 4 hours ago

https://youtu.be/niwNTI9Nqd8

The Intercept
154K subscribers

Governments around the world are busily exploiting the coronavirus crisis to push for no-strings-attached corporate  bailouts (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) and regulatory rollbacks (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-200419205214.png&hash=4c5b9ca97c84607da003becdf6282716bcdf1800) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4).

“I've spent two decades studying the transformations that take place under the cover of disaster,” writes Naomi Klein. “I’ve learned that one thing we can count on is this: During moments of cataclysmic change, the previously unthinkable suddenly becomes reality.”

In recent decades, that change has mainly been for the worst — but this has not always been the case. And it need not continue to be in the future.

This video is about the ways the still-unfolding Covid-19 crisis is already remaking our sense of the possible. The Trump administration and other governments around the world are busily exploiting the crisis to push for no-strings-attached corporate bailouts and regulatory rollbacks. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is moving to repeal financial regulations that were introduced after the last major financial meltdown, as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act. China, for its part, is indicating that it will relax environmental standards to stimulate its economy, which would wipe out the one major benefit the crisis has produced so far: a marked drop in that country’s lethal air pollution.

But this is not the whole story. In the United States, we have also seen organizing at the city and state levels win important victories to suspend evictions during the pandemic. Ireland has announced six weeks of emergency unemployment payments for all workers who suddenly find themselves out of work, including self-employed workers. And despite U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden’s claims during the recent debate that the pandemic has nothing to do with Medicare for All, many Americans are suddenly realizing that the absence of a functioning safety net exacerbates vulnerabilities to the virus on many fronts.

This crisis — like earlier ones — could well be the catalyst to shower aid on the wealthiest interests in society, including those most responsible for our current vulnerabilities, while offering next to nothing to the most workers, wiping out small family savings and shuttering small businesses. But as this video shows, many are already pushing back — and that story hasn’t been written yet.

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Category News & Politics
Title: What's Missing From the Coronavirus Bill with Robert Reich ✨ 👍
Post by: AGelbert on March 17, 2020, 01:36:03 pm
What's Missing From the Coronavirus Bill with Robert Reich ✨ 👍
10,971 views•Mar 17, 2020

https://youtu.be/bTRX76Vo3V4

Robert Reich
225K subscribers

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich explains what's missing from the House of Representatives' coronavirus relief package, including:

—Guaranteed paid sick leave for ALL employees

—Extended Medicaid

—Immediate payments of $1,500/adult and $500/child

—Suspension of Trump's “public charge” rule so immigrants don't fear using social programs


Watch More: The Real Deal with Medicare for All ►►
https://youtu.be/-GB8nq6CW-8
Category News & Politics
Title: Is Joe Biden really winning?
Post by: AGelbert on March 17, 2020, 10:02:13 pm
Is 🐵 Joe Biden really winning? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132422-1694957.gif&hash=0bc3d0238a5d0f215f6edc6c0bd62395e93be065)  - Oil tanks - Will we get UBI?
23 watching now•Streamed live 50 minutes ago

https://youtu.be/ramhBEW-eJY

Black Bear News
2.62K subscribers

Ohio blocks Tuesday’s presidential primary in ‘health emergency’ as 3 other states vote
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-03-16/coronavirus-outbreak-primaries-florida-arizona-ohio-illinois

BREAKING: Biden Wins Illinois?! TV Station Declares Biden The Primary Victor Day Before Election!! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817122018.gif&hash=74d86c1f35e2f61ea38c9bfa392f84a92631b96e)
https://www.rokfin.com/post/10237

Earth Just Experienced Second-Hottest Winter Ever Recorded
https://sputniknews.com/environment/202003161078587397-earth-just-experienced-second-hottest-winter-ever-recorded/

U.S. airlines seek billions in aid as outbreak cripples travel
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/u-s-airlines-seek-billions-in-aid-as-outbreak-cripples-travel

U.S. Airlines Spent 96% of Free Cash Flow on Buybacks
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-16/u-s-airlines-spent-96-of-free-cash-flow-on-buybacks-chart

#FridayGasStrike #ExtinctionRebellion #ClimateStrike
#GretaThunberg #ClimateChange #CompassionateDegrowth
#BlackBearNews

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Category People & Blogs
Title: A Coronavirus Bailout Will Save Corporations, Not Workers
Post by: AGelbert on March 18, 2020, 04:34:25 pm
A Coronavirus Bailout Will Save  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) Corporations, Not Workers
March 18, 2020

https://youtu.be/6hFrsn-IKUg

What happened to the cash from the last bailout? Industries spent it all on stock buybacks and are now looking for billions more in relief from the impact of coronavirus.

Story Transcript
This is a rush transcript and may contain errors. It will be updated.

Kim Brown: Welcome to The Real News. I’m Kim Brown. As the world scrambles to contain AND deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, governments around the world are not only struggling to save lives, but to deal with an economic slowdown that has left millions of people without work at this time. But make no mistake, capitalism is trying to claw back the billions of dollars it has lost since the global economic slowdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, and many industries in recent memory, who were the beneficiaries of federally taxpayer-funded bailouts, are lining up once again with their hands out, these same bailouts that left many American workers and workers around the world holding the bag. To get more information and some analysis on this, we’re joined today with Bill Black. He is the author of the book titled, The Best Way to Rob a Bank Is to Own One. He is also a professor at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, and the University of Minnesota. He joins us today from Bloomington. Bill Black, thank you so much for being here.

Bill Black: ✨👍 Thank you.

Kim Brown: So Bill, hourly wage workers and the gig economy workers are feeling the crunch and the sudden impact of the economic slowdown. Obviously here in the United States, and many states within the US have shut down bars, restaurants, casinos, schools, universities, everything is closed, and people who depend on working hourly are definitely experiencing the brunt of this, and we’re going to get to their plight in just a moment. However, companies, industries, are telling Washington that if they don’t get billions in federal assistance, they will go bankrupt, that they will not survive. And we’re talking about the airline industry, the hospitality industry, the cruise ship industry, even casinos and fossil fuels. So Bill Black, are these industries being truthful that their survival depends on federal intervention, or is this a lot of hyperbole?

Bill Black: Well, some of both. It depends on the circumstances. So simultaneously, with this incredible drop in the stock market and with the strong expectation that there will now be a global recession due to the pandemic, the Russians and the Saudis also [inaudible 00:02:35] was stage a price war on petroleum. Most shale oil production was already very marginal and often losing money, and the price of oil has basically been cut in half, and those companies most assuredly would go out of business, as they should. But of course, you recall these are the same people horrified, horrified by the concept of socialism, the government sending money to people and doing things, not so much if it’s going to major donors. So this is not about saving the economy and it’s not about saving lives, this is all about saving the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Trump presidency and the reelection efforts.

Kim Brown: Professor, the Trump White House coronavirus response team held a briefing in the White House, on Tuesday where Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin pledged that workers who have been displaced either by their industry shutting down, i.e. restaurant and bar workers, could expect some financial relief coming from the White House. Let’s take a listen to what he had to say.

Steven Mnuchin: The payroll tax holiday would get people money over the next six to eight months. We’re looking at sending checks to Americans immediately. And what we’ve heard from hardworking Americans, many companies have now shut down, whether it’s bars or restaurants, Americans need cash now, and the president wants to get cash now, and I mean now in the next two weeks.

Speaker 4: How much?

Steven Mnuchin: I will be previewing that with the Republicans. There’s some numbers out there. They may be a little bit bigger than what’s in the process.

Kim Brown: So professor, what is your response to what Mnuchin had to say there?

Bill Black: Okay, so to put it in context, you have to back up to Friday. Trump makes his big announcement, everything’s wonderful, kumbaya. The stock market very briefly goes up 2000 points. He’s signing copies of a graph showing this, giving it to Lou Dobbs, taking personal credit for it, and the market just absolutely tanks, and it tanks globally. So again, they figured out, “Oh my God!” If you recall, last Friday, the Republicans in the Senate under Mitch McConnell were saying, “The Democrats have way too much money in this stimulus package, and they’re going to try to protect workers from layoffs, and from sick leave and such. That’s all outrageous! We need to make this package smaller!” And now Trump has reversed it, because the biggest thing he thinks he has going for his reelection is the stock market. So this is all about getting a really big surge in the stock market, which by the way, the gains go overwhelmingly to very, very wealthy people and corporations. That’s who’s most heavily invested in the stock market.

And given the failure of his last efforts, they’ve decided to go big. And this is the old thing, go big or go home, home, not to the White House, but back to Florida or wherever he’s decided to live, if he gets defeated for reelection. So Mnuchin is now promising payment to workers. Remember before, they didn’t want to do that. They didn’t want to have sick leave protection for workers and such, but they figured out, “Hey, our base in the critical states particularly, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and such, really wants these kinds of direct payments. So let’s, even though we as Republicans opposed them in 2008 in the Obama stimulus, now we love them,” and they’re going to compete obviously to see how big they can make them. So yes, there will be direct paychecks, and you can see that both the Republicans and the Democrats will support this legislatively, and probably do so on a very quick basis.

Kim Brown: Professor, I’m going to lean heavily on your financial expertise here, because Secretary Mnuchin in this address from the White House on Tuesday, he made some specific claims about what the Fed is willing to do to boost the economy. Let’s have a listen to what secretary Mnuchin had to say there.

Steven Mnuchin: The first, I would say is earlier today, I sent a letter to Fed Chairman Powell approving his request to use 13(3), and what that will do is the Fed will be setting up a special purpose vehicle, which the treasury will invest $10 billion in, from one of our funds, that will enable the Fed to guarantee the purchase of A1/P1 commercial paper going forward. That is a $1 trillion market and is critical to American workers, it’s critical to American business, and it’s critical to American savers, who have a lot of that money in money market funds. So we heard loud and clear there were liquidity issues. This is very significant, and we’ll create, I don’t think we’ll need to use it all, but we have the ability to have the Fed purchase up to $1 trillion of commercial paper, as needed. That has already created significant stability in the market today.

Kim Brown: So professor, I can tell you I understood very little of what was just said. All I understood was $1 trillion. Can you please decipher what Steve Mnuchin is talking about and how that will impact average workers, if at all?

Bill Black: It won’t affect the average workers at all, if it works as intended. What they were concerned about is the kind of breakdown in markets that occurred in September 2008, and then like dominoes, cause what we call systemic failures, systemic risk, where one failure triggered another. And so the specific part of the plan that he was talking about there, has to do with trying to fix recurrent problems over about the last three months in the short-term borrowing markets, which are used almost entirely by Wall Street and its largest corporate customers. So it has not much of anything to do with any of us.

Now, in the further context, remember the Republicans who were all for central bank independence and you should never have political influence, but of course, Trump in ways that we’ve never seen in America, has been hammering Powell, his own appointment to run the Fed, to reduce rates to the lowest in the world. Well, they haven’t quite done that, but they’ve reduced rates essentially to zero. So that’s the broader context. They’ve used up all the monetary tricks that they have in terms of stimulus.

Then they try to deal with the liquidity problem, and the way they did that is say, “Hey, we’ll be the buyer of last resort up to 1 trillion bucks out of the Fed.” So that’s the liquidity, and then they said what economists had been saying for some time, “Hey, there’s not that much effective you can do with these circumstances with monetary policy. You really need a fiscal stimulus. Remember the Republicans, about how fiscal stimulus was insane in 2008 with president Obama?” Now they’re all for it, of course, and so that’s the three pieces of this pie.

But in addition to these stimulus, then you’re just playing good old crony capitalism payoffs to your biggest political supporters, right? So particularly in casino industries, these are Trump’s greatest friends, and political supporters and contributors, the investment banking folks, the hedge funds and such, that particularly support Trump, all of these folks are going to be the huge beneficiaries, and mind you, consider the number. The number they’re throwing around for allegedly sending to people, and remember most of that will probably go to richer people, but total that goes to people is 250 billion. Obviously this can change legislatively, but this authority to fix a liquidity problem is a trillion dollars, so four times as large, and then there’s all this other stuff from the Fed plus this incredible reduction in interest rates. So all of these things really help the folks that borrow a huge sums of money, and again, that’s corporations and in particular, Wall Street

Kim Brown: Professor, but this is what pisses a lot of people off, because when we hear the ease and the quick response from the White house, and this is really either White House, Trump, White House, Obama White House, Bush White House. When Wall Street needs money, oh, we can make a trillion and a half dollars appear out of nowhere, but when average Americans, working people, poor families are asking for a student loan bailout, for example, or Medicare for all, it’s like, “Oh, where are we going to find the money? Oh, we don’t even know where that money is.” So clearly this money is accessible to someone, but not to the people who clearly need it the most.

Bill Black: Yes. I mean, this is the part that Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were absolutely right about, right? That whenever it’s for folks who are major contributors and the biggest political contributors of any industry in America, are finance, and after that comes a whole list of the folks that are the recipients of this proposed bailout. Whenever (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) they want public money, suddenly it’s not socialism, suddenly it’s capitalism. And allegedly, these are the folks that save jobs, except that obviously, they’re not saving the jobs. In fact, it’s these precise companies.

Well, why don’t they have as much cash? Why are they in such a vulnerable position that even a month or two would destroy them? Because they’ve been using their cash to buy back their own shares. They use the corporate cash to buy back the corporation’s own shares. They don’t use it to invest in research and development, which is why our productivity gains have been cut in half, right? And why do they do this? Because the CEOs alone own a lot of stock. And what happens to stock prices when you buy back, and the corporation buy back stock? The stock price goes up, and you make the CEO a lot richer. That’s why they’re short of cash, not just because of the coronavirus crisis. So we’re bailing them out for running their companies imprudently in ways that hurt productivity, hurt economic growth, hurt the ability to get wage increases, and it’s insidious socialism for the rich.

Kim Brown: And we can look back retrospectively on the most recent bailouts, federally taxpayer-funded bailouts done at the very tail end of George W. Bush’s administration, going into the first term of Barack Obama’s administration. I mean, when we look at the General Motors bailout, for example, 10 years onward, GM has laid off tens of thousands of employees, they have shuttered factories in some of the most economically vulnerable communities here in the United States, but the banks also got a huge bailout in 2008, 2009, and I wanted to play a clip from then Senator and democratic candidate Barack Obama. He sat down with CBS’s Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation, and this is what he had to say about the TARP bailout. Let’s have a listen.

🐍 Barack Obama: First of all, I think we have to understand this was a urgent situation and is an urgent situation, and by the end of the week, I think everybody recognized that something needed to be done. What I’m pleased about is that it appears, at least, and I haven’t reviewed the actual language, is that some core principles that I set forth at the beginning of this crisis, were incorporated. The issue of making sure that we had strong oversight, the insistence that taxpayers share in the gains, if there are any, when the market recovers, the insistence that homeowners get additional relief so that there’s some reciprocity. If in fact, we’re bailing out or helping banks, they in turn, have to help rework mortgages for people who are potentially facing foreclosure. And the final thing, the issue of executive compensation, making sure that taxpayer money is not going to pad bonuses or golden parachutes. It appears that those principles have all been incorporated into the core agreement, and I’m going to be reviewing the language over the next day, to make sure that those provisions actually stick. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-030815183114.gif&hash=2bf1553e87e8605311feb874231953d5fb88ee9c)


Kim Brown: So professor, listening to what the Senator had to say now, it almost seemed like perhaps he was naive in his expectations, because really none of those things actually took in response. Many bank CEOs of banks big and small, walked away with tremendous compensation packages, while home mortgages, and rather, home foreclosures just jumped exponentially. So many people got kicked out of their houses. So when we look at a bailout, all I can think of is for one, we’ve done this before, for two, this did not end well for the workers, and three, surely, surely we can’t be considering this again.

Bill Black: Oh yeah, we’re not just considering, it’s going to happen. So there were actually three things involving that at… Well, let’s do them real quick. The interview was September 28th. At that point, that’s the original TARP plan, and that too was in the midst of a presidential election. John McCain, Republican candidate announced, “I’m suspending my campaign efforts. I’m going to come to Washington D.C. in my role as Senator, and provide leadership,” right? Because he was behind in the polls to Barack Obama, and so all the senators back, McCain, in fact shows no leadership. The TARP proposal was literally three and a half pages, and it had absolutely nothing in it that Senator Obama talked about, and that was all made up. That was all false.

In any event, Congress actually said no to that. And you ask, the broader reason why these things happen, is as soon as Congress rejected the first TARP plan, the stock market crashed, and everybody came together and on a bipartisan basis said, “Oh my God, we can’t have the economy cratering, we need to do this!” So then you got a broader TARP, and instead of being a TARP that was potentially going to help households, it removed centrally all the stuff that protected households. Then the third thing was the Obama stimulus, and that’s actually the one that was the primary thing for auto workers, not Bush, so that’s pretty much an Obama plan. Indeed, they were very, very proud of the auto bailout as saving this kind of industry, and in fact, experts go back and forth on that. But what is assuredly true, is the bottom line that you said. In both TARP and the Obama stimulus package, the money went overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly, like 95 plus percent to the wealthy and not to homeowners.

Kim Brown: I don’t even know what to say, Professor Black, because I am so disgusted, number one, at that piece of history that we all endured and lived through, and a lot of people suffered in, just to consider that we could be entertaining, and are seriously entertaining, likely to move forward on a similar stimulus and bailout package that will benefit exclusively the wealthy, while workers just get crumbs, perhaps not even a month’s worth of expenses. But unfortunately professor, we’ve run out of time, so we’re going to have to leave it there. We’ve been speaking with Professor Bill Black. He’s also an author. He is the most fun person that you will ever listen to talk about economics. So definitely, if you go to University of Missouri at Kansas City or University of Minnesota, you need to take Professor Black’s class. We appreciate your time today, Bill. Thanks a lot.

Bill Black: Thank you.

Kim Brown: And thank you for watching The Real News Network.

https://therealnews.com/stories/coronavirus-bailout-corporations-workers-unemployment

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(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-081019223703.jpeg)
Title: US 😈 Senators Profiting Off COVID-19 Pandemic!
Post by: AGelbert on March 21, 2020, 05:39:52 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smilies.4-user.de%2Finclude%2FSpiele%2Fsmilie_game_017.gif&hash=e8548890f80af23241a1d43a1ab1ca8031301f20) US Senators (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) Profiting Off COVID-19 Pandemic!
3,514 views•Mar 20, 2020

https://youtu.be/uSLdQHgHCTo

Thom Hartmann Program
214K subscribers

US Senators have moved their stocks after hearing classified information that COVID-19 was coming... Knowing that it would slow down the economy.
 
🔴 Subscribe for more clips like this: https://www.youtube.com/user/thomhartmann

Does this count as insider trading?  What did these senators do to protect the American people, instead of their own money?

How can the American people hold them accountable?

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Agelbert NOTE: DINO 😈 Senator Feinstein is one of these opportunistic CAPIITALIST CROOKS! Stop covering for 😈 DINOS, Thom! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-300919160017-22191429.png)
 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-190119153601.gif&hash=336ba78f7f18ff5829ef3722f89b4258d2315284)

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013200859.png&hash=a7aaaa9f04c1e3e2c948723b5f8c13fe814dacd4) Senators Choose Stock Portfolio Over Public Health
2,584 views•Mar 21, 2020

https://youtu.be/vhrYK5NMXpo

The Real News Network
391K subscribers

NPR obtained a secret recording of Sen. Richard Burr warning the elite Social Hill Club of the dire potential economic impacts of the virus.

Producer: Jaisal Noor
Video Editor: Adam Coley

Subscribe to our page and support our work at https://therealnews.com/donate.
Category News & Politics

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-081019223703.jpeg)
Title: Why Foreign Companies Are Able to Pour Money Into American Elections
Post by: AGelbert on March 22, 2020, 06:31:56 pm
Why Foreign Companies Are Able to Pour Money Into American Elections | NowThis
2,084 views•Mar 22, 2020

https://youtu.be/1pVIiR0jb2w

NowThis News
555K subscribers

‘It turns out that Saudi Arabia can spend money on American elections using Uber, and it’s totally legal.’ — Meet the gaping loophole letting foreign money pour into U.S. elections.
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In US news and current events today, Executive Director for the Center for American Progress Action Fund Navin Nayak explains the loophole that allows foreign cash into U.S. elections. Here's why that's a problem for democracy.

For more on the 2020 election, U.S. politics, and world news, subscribe to NowThis News.

#Election #Politics #News #NowThis #NowThisNews

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NowThis is your premier news outlet providing you with all the videos you need to stay up to date on all the latest in trending news. From entertainment to politics, to viral videos and breaking news stories, we’re delivering all you need to know straight to your social feeds. We live where you live.

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@nowthisnews
Category News & Politics

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-081019223703.jpeg)
Title: The Current Crisis exposes the CORRUPT ELITE FAVORING UNITY of the EMPIRE Party (with two wings)
Post by: AGelbert on March 23, 2020, 07:37:44 pm
Quote
The COVID-19 Caused Economic Crisis exposes the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) CORRUPT ELITE FAVORING, ARROGANT DISDAIN FOR THE WELFARE OF WE-THE-PEOPLE UNITY of the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) EMPIRE Party (with two wings) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163124-16672489.gif&hash=c9e9fcc8de210be9006f5fd3348145e8acef7435)

🦅 Bernie Sanders, Presidential ✨. Where Is Joe Biden!? Wall St & Corporations Are Trying To Rob Us Blind (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-190119153601.gif&hash=336ba78f7f18ff5829ef3722f89b4258d2315284)
656 views•Streamed live 5 hours ago

https://youtu.be/M92dreFAtPY

Jamarl Thomas
27.9K subscribers

Where Is Joe Biden!? Trump Approval Rating Jumps. Wall St & Corporations Are Trying To Rob Us Blind

#WhereIsJoeBiden

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Category News & Politics
Title: Dr. Jill Stein on U.S. Election, Bernie Sanders' setbacks, Coronavirus, Assange & Manning
Post by: AGelbert on March 24, 2020, 11:59:51 am
🦅 Dr. Jill Stein (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185037-16412296.gif&hash=c8a4038d309a0f49ca4a7a464f30f9a340049cac) on U.S. Election, 🦅 Bernie Sanders' setbacks, Coronavirus, Assange & Manning
10,295 views•Mar 12, 2020

https://youtu.be/tOdD-lvjK7k

acTVism Munich
44.7K subscribers

✔ Donate & build independent media: https://bit.ly/2Q4FUW9
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In this interview with physician, activist and former U.S. presidential candidate for the Green Party, Dr. Jill Stein, we talk about the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. In particular we examine the external and internal reasons why the Sanders campaign faced recent setbacks. Furthermore we talk about the Coronavirus and how the U.S. government is dealing with it domestically as well externally with countries such as Iran. Lastly we discuss persecution of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning and what individuals could do to protect press freedom.

Link to the Julian Assange & Press Freedom Protest in London:
https://youtu.be/rSzVjzy7bDs

Note:
Correction at 31:30: Jill Stein meant to say "Chelsea Manning".

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#coronavirus #berniesanders #julianassange #assange #sanders #biden
Category Education
Title: What's in the 🐘 GOP 😈 "Stimulus" Bill
Post by: AGelbert on March 24, 2020, 07:35:04 pm
What's in the 🐘 GOP 😈 Stimulus Bill | NowThis
5,192 views•Mar 24, 2020

https://youtu.be/Wa4GT_9abMs

NowThis News
567K subscribers

Senate Republicans are trying to pass a $500,000,000,000 bailout for corporations that would be controlled by Trump's treasury secretary — we looked at the fine print.
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In US news and current events today, listen to politics expert Nico Pitney explain what's in the U.S. stimulus bill that the GOP senators is trying to push amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic. Listen to this explain to learn about government bailouts and how the stimulus bill would work.

For the latest on the coronavirus and COVID-19 outbreak, and U.S. politics, subscribe to @NowThis News

#StimulusBill #Trump #Coronavirus #News #NowThis #NowThisNews

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NowThis is your premier news outlet providing you with all the videos you need to stay up to date on all the latest in trending news. From entertainment to politics, to viral videos and breaking news stories, we’re delivering all you need to know straight to your social feeds. We live where you live.

http://www.youtube.com/nowthisnews
@nowthisnews
Category News & Politics
Title: 😈 Trump Keeps Making Empty Promises About COVID-19
Post by: AGelbert on March 25, 2020, 02:57:03 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F773_0c9604f5a5b095bd9b9cef8602a0211319abf5b194eb41e5b7a39136f1c19bc5.jpeg&hash=049858dd493719b30abf78c954b8ad7f38bd6d74)


😈 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-080419191019.png&hash=a449294ee6fe2dfdea44c1c501f4439b9ac69c26) Trump Keeps Making Empty Promises About COVID-19, A Supercut | NowThis
9,200 views•Mar 25, 2020

https://youtu.be/ZMlBWeTZTPE

NowThis News
570K subscribers

Trump has been making empty promises as the coronavirus death toll grows steeply in the U.S.
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In US news and current events today, President Trump keeps promising things that aren’t real in his speeches on the coronavirus. There is no official system in place to screen returning passengers some have had their temperature taken in an ‘advanced screening’ but none have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Weeks later, hospitals are still reporting a shortage of tests and many people require a doctor’s approval to get one. Insurance companies have agreed to waive copays for testing and not treatment for COVID-19.

And according to The New York Times, the ‘1,700 engineers’ were just Google employees offering to volunteer ‘if needed.’ The FDA quickly denied the drug had been approved
to treat COVID-19. The Navy confirmed both ships were undergoing maintenance, and neither ship reportedly had a medical crew available.

For the latest on the coronavirus and COVID-19 outbreak, subscribe to NowThis News.

#Trump #Coronavirus #News #NowThis #NowThisNews

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NowThis is your premier news outlet providing you with all the videos you need to stay up to date on all the latest in trending news. From entertainment to politics, to viral videos and breaking news stories, we’re delivering all you need to know straight to your social feeds. We live where you live.

http://www.youtube.com/nowthisnews
@nowthisnews
Category News & Politics
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 25, 2020, 06:27:40 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)

🦅 Bernie Sanders, Act 2!. Historical Context of Movements Dying In The 🐍 Democratic Party.
1,190 views•Streamed live 5 hours ago

https://youtu.be/BFP4chZq7QM

Jamarl Thomas
27.9K subscribers

Support the stream: https://streamlabs.com/jamarlthomas

Bernie Sanders Plan To Victory. Historical Context of Movements Dying In The Democratic Party.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/us...

#Bernie20202 #NeverBiden #WhereIsJoeBiden

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Jamarl Thomas
PO Box 15682
Richmond, Va 23227
Category News & Politics
Title: The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It with Robert Reich
Post by: AGelbert on March 26, 2020, 10:56:05 pm
Agelbert NOTE: The Rigging ROT goes a lot deeper than Reich mentions here. Perhaps he goes into more detail in his book. At any rate, I do not share his optimistic belief that the system can be fixed for the simple reason that those (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) oligarchs have a veritable ARMY of (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9) vicious, greedy bought and paid for foot soldiers out there who scheme, lie to, cheat and in other ways abuse we-the-people 24/7 to make sure the system remains as corrupt as it now is. Part of that army is well represented in the 🐍 20 members of the "Democratic 😉" Party DLC, so the 😈 Republicans have lots of corrupt company.

That said, the video is quite educational 👍, so please watch it and pass it on.

The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It with Robert Reich
81,638 views•Mar 24, 2020

https://youtu.be/Y_sjfchNsiM

Robert Reich
227K subscribers

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich presents the reader's digest of his latest book, The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It. He explores the system of power in America that bails out corporations instead of people, even in times of crisis, and breaks down how we have socialism for corporations and the rich, and harsh capitalism for everybody else.

As power has concentrated in the hands of corporations and the wealthy few, those few have grabbed nearly all the economic gains — and political power — for themselves.

Meanwhile, workers have been shafted.

This isn’t a democracy, where all power is shared. It’s an oligarchy, where those at the top have the power to grab everything for themselves.

But history shows that oligarchies cannot hold on to power forever. They are inherently unstable. When a vast majority of people come to view an oligarchy as illegitimate and an obstacle to their wellbeing — which is happening before our very eyes as this crisis exacerbates — oligarchies become vulnerable.

Order Reich's new book today: https://tinyurl.com/rbreichthesystem
Category News & Politics
Title: Did Bernie Sanders Sell Us Out Over Stimulus Bill? Jimmy Dore, Dylan Radkin, Matt Stoller
Post by: AGelbert on March 28, 2020, 07:00:07 pm
Did Bernie Sanders Sell Us Out (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-16181943.gif&hash=0b93e71ee5e24bbe02555e0d648a1283e0e9651d) Over Stimulus Bill? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163123-16662165.gif&hash=0c278af5ea445d20e48640c4f39f951df986eed6) Jimmy Dore, Dylan Radkin, Matt Stoller
2,381 views•Streamed live 14 hours ago

https://youtu.be/XKCPu4KkQrM


Jamarl Thomas
27.9K subscribers

Support the stream: https://streamlabs.com/jamarlthomas

Did Bernie Sanders Sell Us Out Over Stimulus Bill? Jimmy Dore, Dylan Radkin, Matt Stoller

 #TimesUpBiden #Bernie20202 #NeverBiden #WhereIsJoeBiden

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Jamarl Thomas
PO Box 15682
Richmond, Va 23227
Category News & Politics
Title: Joe Biden & DNC Have Blood On Their Hands.; Unconscionable! They're Refusing To Postpone Elections
Post by: AGelbert on April 02, 2020, 10:25:42 pm
Mr. Fish's Catch of the Day: Lipstick on a Pig
(https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Lr0iVrcj_t7D_ieFOc4wPdrsoX8edtWiMn4xj6R1NQvnozMZzHhVTA9jerzvDCryZ9xHYYxMUnKDpKCIKJDOFQ_rjQ3zNCDZUIOQZwXCZ_4YGv3DF3ztyi-aVEcXDJkg-Im92pdDrk2nGwOI-N1i556hE-taSkPh0nNXlQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://mcusercontent.com/33602bebba8fb7dd6e71fb413/_compresseds/c9036d19-c405-44ed-aa84-d8bf75872f48.jpg)

🐵 Joe Biden & 😈 DNC Have Blood On Their Hands.; Unconscionable! They're Refusing To Postpone Elections
71 watching now•Started streaming 6 minutes ago

https://youtu.be/Dwnxa8B9Vx8

Jamarl Thomas
28K subscribers

Joe Biden & DNC Have Blood On Their Hands,; Pursues Unconscionable Policy To NOT Postpone Elections

#Bernie20202 #NeverBiden #WhereIsJoeBiden

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Category News & Politics


(https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/vWz3tlAJrSlNtjrn_mzPpvVMYtQDy_sUll-HxEcMMoLhGzRogu6d1wabbn6L97XV3uqJLrLWQh5kY5YheyJ2-mzVeuQmEGku3SCwzmjjSGPmxGHWEDlxnFSloxV6ejaRXQirne0LFLoPzdzJqmXN8qIqf0_Xn1k1dI7FSA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://mcusercontent.com/33602bebba8fb7dd6e71fb413/_compresseds/3403be9f-088f-4d48-97b5-762040d81a03.)
Title: Robert Reich: How 😈🎩 CEOs Are Ruining America
Post by: AGelbert on April 07, 2020, 03:30:52 pm
Robert Reich: How 😈🎩 CEOs Are Ruining America
14,535 views•Apr 7, 2020

https://youtu.be/PI2phM7eCVU

Robert Reich
231K subscribers

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich breaks down a core contradiction about corporate executives: In the business of making a profit, they rig our system, then expect to be applauded when they make grand statements about solving the problems they helped cause.

These wealthy business moguls — like Jamie Dimon, head of JPMorgan Chase — claim that they are "patriots before CEOs" because they employ large numbers of workers or engage in corporate philanthropy.

But CEOs are in business to make a profit and maximize their share prices, not to serve America. And yet these CEOs dominate American politics and essentially run the system. Therein lies the problem: They cannot be advocates for their corporations and simultaneously national leaders responsible for the wellbeing of the country.

Watch More — The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It:
https://youtu.be/Y_sjfchNsiM
Category News & Politics
Title: Trump Wrecking Crew Corruption, Corruption and MORE CORRUPTION!
Post by: AGelbert on April 14, 2020, 06:36:45 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F809_84688966.jpeg&hash=7f3e84eea23fef901b7df618784dc2005290f591)

🦖 Trump Says His "Authority Is Total." In Response, 🦅 Governors Are Rebelling. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-190119153601.gif&hash=336ba78f7f18ff5829ef3722f89b4258d2315284)

WILLIAM RIVERS PITT, TRUTHOUT

Do not listen to the president.
Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/trump-says-his-authority-is-total-in-response-governors-are-rebelling/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=ec855254-f504-49a0-9bf5-9c380afb669a)


(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221216141740.jpeg&hash=bc039c277ca3c552a17daf10e9598f51be5e14a0)"You're a Fake" -- Trump Attacks 🦅 Reporter for Questioning His Propaganda Video

CHRIS WALKER, TRUTHOUT

A White House reporter questioned why details were omitted from a propaganda video Trump showcased on Monday.
Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/youre-a-fake-trump-attacks-reporter-for-questioning-his-propaganda-video/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=ec855254-f504-49a0-9bf5-9c380afb669a)


Democratic Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Protect Fauci From Being Fired by 🦀 Trump

CHRIS WALKER, TRUTHOUT

The language of the bill would grant extra protections for directors of the National Institutes of Health.
Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/democratic-lawmaker-proposes-bill-to-protect-fauci-from-being-fired-by-trump/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=ec855254-f504-49a0-9bf5-9c380afb669a)


Stamp Purchases, Congressional Action Urged as Trump Threatens 🦅 Postal Service

JULIA CONLEY, COMMON DREAMS

There is no vote-by-mail if there is no postal service.
Read the Article → (https://truthout.org/articles/as-trump-threatens-postal-service-amid-pandemic-saveusps-urges-bulk-stamp-purchases-and-congressional-action/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=ec855254-f504-49a0-9bf5-9c380afb669a)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on April 22, 2020, 05:44:43 pm
NY Removes Bernie, Ends Primary. Why Is AOC Interviewing Warren?
12 watching now•Streamed live 4 hours ago

https://youtu.be/s0d5ouDYZQ4


Jamarl Thomas
28K subscribers

Support the stream: https://streamlabs.com/jamarlthomas

Progressives, Let Bernie Go! NY Removes Bernie, Ends Primary. Why Is AOC Interviewing Warren? Joined by activist and leader amazon tried to smear for leading a walkout, Chris Smalls.


#Bernie2020 #NeverBiden

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Category News & Politics
Title: David Dayen: The Case Against Donna Shalala
Post by: AGelbert on April 28, 2020, 09:44:43 pm
David Dayen 👍: The Case Against Donna Shalala
965 views•Apr 27, 2020
https://youtu.be/1J1sTb2iQbE

The Zero Hour with RJ Eskow
32.2K subscribers

Subscribe to The Zero Hour with RJ Eskow for more: https://www.patreon.com/thezerohour

If you liked this clip of The Zero Hour with RJ Eskow, please share it with your friends... and hit that "like" button!

Some of the music bumpers featuring Lettuce, http://lettucefunk.com.
Category News & Politics

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-081019223703.jpeg)
Title: Ryan Grim: Dems’ Coronavirus Response Repeats Past Blunders
Post by: AGelbert on April 30, 2020, 05:51:23 pm
Agelbert Comment: "Blunders"⁉️ (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718211017.gif&hash=1b5b289486b9429bdbdcb938b21ef1a2b66d30fc)

They are not stupid; they are evil.

Never attribute to stupidity that which is adequately explained by malice.


Ryan Grim: Dems’ Coronavirus Response Repeats Past Blunders (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-191017140758.jpeg&hash=8c0a35a928dcda3c1a8714ab03f4924a1a775851)
April 30, 2020

https://youtu.be/ye0on1KHRSs

Sanders is out of the race, but the fight over the future of the Democratic part continues, says Ryan Grim, author of We've Got People: From Jesse Jackson to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the End of Big Money and the Rise of a Movement.

https://therealnews.com/stories/ryan-grim-dems-coronavirus-response-repeats-past-blunders

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Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on May 09, 2020, 09:54:48 pm
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Chris Hedges: "Bernie just wanted to be part of the club" & "failed us."
2,547 views•May 9, 2020

https://youtu.be/hbnZLkvEL5Q

acTVism Munich
73.7K subscribers

✔ Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/aMkRjb

This is an excerpt of an interview that we recently conducted with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and best-selling author Chris Hedges. Chris discusses Bernie Sanders' decision to run as a democratic candidate and not an independent despite 2016 DNC corruption. In addition, he examines the Sanders' campaign failure and whether it should be attributed to internal or external factors.

Watch our video with Glenn Greenwald on the same topic:
https://youtu.be/RSSnaGCXanA
Title: America’s Final Descent Into a Failed State
Post by: AGelbert on May 24, 2021, 05:32:22 pm
Agelbert COMMENT: While Umair Haque is correct to point out the danger to American Democracy in the following article, I am convinced he has confused religion with idolatry. What he should have said is, FALSE religion, not disdainfully grouped "religion" (i.e. Christianity) with violence, fanaticism, hate, and cruelty. True Christianity is TOTALLY AGAINST violence, fanaticism, hate, and cruelty. If you have any doubt of that, just read Galatians 5:13-26 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205&version=KJV). Paul makes it crystal clear that the above are works of the flesh, abd those who DO THEM WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. After that he lists the fruits of the Holy Spirit, none of which can be remotely considered deleterious to the workings of a democratic society. In fact, those who WALK in the 🕊️ Spirit IMPROVE social cohesion and harmony through benevolent compassion (i.e. biblical love) for their neighbors. So, while I understand and agree with Umair's legitimate concerns, his blindness to the good that genuine Christians represent to our society shows he thinks we can all just figure this out without God. THAT is the blind spot on the Left that just drives more good people who worship God into the arms of the evil, lying, hypocritical bastards in the NAZI loving Right. 🤦‍♂️ (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-310119164317.gif&hash=870c66e6ad21133a740ba1583280577f05ccb4ac)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180835-16271224.gif&hash=c2a9bfbff23e2414975829eb4b3655af12eb02cc)
   
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Image Credit: Katherine Frey

America’s Final Descent Into a Failed State

A (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-020420165541.png) Radicalized 🐘 GOP is Committed to Destroying American Democracy. Will It Succeed(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-301014182447.gif&hash=58fbc1dfd905f79b3d4bacde8e89a935c2b859ac)

umair haque
May 23, 2021

By now, the contours of what look like a strategy are emerging. A strategy to take revenge on American democracy — this time, successfully. The five elements of this strategy — it’s the GOP’s, of course — go something like this.

One, put in place as party leaders those who’ve basically sworn allegiance to Trump, his movement, and his aims, which seem to be the violent overthrow of American democracy. Two, have them propound the Big Lie that the election was stolen. Three, at the state level, restrict voting rights as severely as possible. Four, elevate a new generation of fanatics and radicals — who openly bask in violence, like Marjorie Taylor Greene — to prominence. And five, of course, block any attempt to investigate the coup on Jan 6th.

All of that adds up to a nightmare scenario, come the next election. This fivefold strategy gives the GOP options. Options of the kind it shouldn’t have. To overthrow American democracy in any number of ways.

Let’s consider a few.

One: the Republicans take the house, and refuse to certify the President, if he or she’s a Democrat. What happens then? Constitutional crisis — of the most severe kind. It ends up at the Supreme Court — which, of course, leans heavily, heavily Republican.

Two: the Republicans lose the election — and attempt another coup. Only this time, they’re successful — remember, last time, America got lucky, and it was a minor miracle political leaders weren’t assassinated, which was the explicit goal of the coup. But this time, Republicans do manage to block vote certification through outright violence. What happens then? Chaos does. The GOP claims they’re the “true” winners — and America’s left in a twilight zone.

Three: the many, many ways the Republicans are attacking voting at the state level pay off. Through a combination of gerrymandering, sympathetic officials who are fanatics, restrictions, and “fraudits,” the Republicans manage to swing the election their way — by simply hacking away at the most basic mechanisms of democracy.

I could go on, but the point is this. Trump may seem “gone” — for now — but American democracy is in grave danger. It may be in more danger now than during the Trump years, in fact.   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163125-16722324.gif&hash=fd301340fefe90d81ed8826dfa0568be12a1c0d8)    Why is that?

Because what all the above means is that the GOP has radicalized. They have made three significant choices, in the last few months, as an institution, as a set of people, as a social group. One, they have doubled down on the idea that if democracy doesn’t serve their ascendance to power, then it’s OK to do away with democracy. Two, they’ve doubled down on the idea that violence is a perfectly acceptable means to take power. Three, they’ve decided that the next election will be one where democracy itself is something to attack and beat — not the opponent, really — in whatever way is necessary to finally take power.

They’ve made those three choices in the service of a fourth. They’ve decided that the aim of taking in power is to force society to drink a weird cocktail of all the different flavours of fascism: the creation of a fanatical, religious, regressive ethno-state, where women and minorities and anyone different is violently repressed, while old hierarchies of race and money and pedigree are what define a person’s level of humanity. In short, the Republicans want America to be like Russia, politically, Iran, socially, and North Korea, culturally — not just a failed state, but to combine the worst aspects of all the kinds of failed states.

Those four choices are incredibly significant. For a very good reason. It didn’t have to be this way. The GOP could have backed down, instead of doubling down, on violence, fanaticism, religion, hate, and cruelty. The GOP could have walked bath to a path of relative sanity instead of tumbling further down the abyss of fascism. Each of the four decisions above — authoritarianism, violence, lies, and hate — are choices.

What’s guiding those choices? Driving them is a better word. The GOP chose to double down instead of back down for a very good reason, too. One that, more often than not, is the prime mover of politics. Because its base wanted it.

The GOP made the four choices above because it’s base was angrily crying out for authoritarianism over democracy, violence over consent, intimidation over comity, lies over truth, and hate over common decency.

It could have resisted, sure — but it would have been risking its own political future as a party. And so it radicalised, at the bidding of an already radicalised Trumpist base.

How radicalised is the Trumpist base? You should know the statistics by now, because they’re truly chilling. 70% of Republicans believe the election was stolen. A majority agree with the idea that “force may be necessary to save the American way of life.”

Where does all this leave America? Walking a tightrope, teetering in the wind. Below lies the abyss of fascism. And one tiny, minor misstep — and all is lost. This is made all the more dangerous, of course, by the false sense of security liberals are feeling now that Biden is in power.

Is this America’s final descent into a failed state? I ask that for a very simple reason. If you think carefully about the dynamics, an inevitable conclusion emerges. If the Republicans are successful at overthrowing American democracy, there won’t be a next time. That’s it, game over. For a very, very long — possibly for good.

And make no mistake — “overthrowing American democracy” is no hyperbole. What else do you call it when a party is systemically paring away voting rights, refusing to condemn and even investigate a violent coup attempt, and propounding a Big Lie, with no basis, that disregards the outcome of a democratic election?

America now faces the prospect of a final meltdown. What do I mean by that? Think of historic moments of social implosion — like the Irani Revolution, or the end of the Soviet Union, or the accession of dictators in countries from Iraq to North Korea.

What a final meltdown means is just such a moment — a turning point at which democracy is shattered, autocracy sets in, and a generation or more finds out the hard way what’s it like to live without freedom, under an iron fist and a boot.

So what I mean by “American democracy faces a final meltdown” is something like this. When Trump was President, fascism had risen to power. But it hadn’t fully seized power yet — corroding every value, capturing every institution. There was a way back — and America got very, very lucky. The coup failed — partly thanks to a handful of brave officers, partly out of sheer dumb luck. Biden became President precisely because the coup — whose purpose was to vote certification — failed. But if it had succeeded — where would America be today? Nobody can say — but Trump would surely have tried to annul the election and probably declared martial law. Last time wasn’t a final meltdown — America got lucky.

This time is different. The GOP wants revenge. It is thinking through the seizure of power — not in a temporary, fleeting way, but in a lasting, permanent one. It is very obviously planning to take power by force if necessary, subvert any remaining semblance of democracy — and make that transformation into authoritarianism more or less permanent. That’s it’s explicit goal — and the vast, vast majority of its base wants that from it.
(https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f269a0531f54fd1c1618278fe0144f1a4c83cc284aa96b523caece2ad390f752.jpg)

The GOP wants America to experience something like an Irani Revolution or a Soviet collapse or a Gaddafi-like ascendance of authoritarianism — not some time in the distant future, but in the next few years, in this election cycle. That is why it’s strategy is now so obvious and explicit — elevate the fanatics, purge the moderates, pledge allegiance to Trump, and if we take the House, well, then we block election certification, and if that fails, we resort to violence all over again. This is our country! We’re the real Americans!

If you’ve lived all this before, or studied it — how societies experience a final collapse into authoritarianism — you’re shuddering right about now, looking at America. This is exactly how it happens. A nation gets lucky — and a coup attempt fails. But that only hardens the commitment of the radicalised base — and the fanatical side — to make it succeed next time, while the silent majority rests on their laurels. To plan carefully, so that the seizure of power doesn’t fail again. To put all the mechanisms in place so that when the time is right — bang!! — the plan goes off without a hitch, and democracy is left a smoking, wrecked ruin.

It couldn’t be more obvious what the GOP wants: the collapse of American democracy. I guess that only leaves one question: why don’t sane Americans see it yet?

Umair
May 2021

https://eand.co/americas-final-descent-into-a-failed-state-b0c4005230f9

"Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil." -- Proverbs 1:31-33 KJV
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Title: MAGA fascist fever is breaking 🤔
Post by: AGelbert on June 08, 2021, 01:38:47 pm
(https://www.nationofchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/logoretina.png)

By Robert S. Becker -June 1, 2021

Seven reasons the MAGA fascist fever is breaking – along with Trump’s martyrdom cult (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-221017161839.png&hash=7d34712243960aa20883775dad728bc2115ed6fe)

Clearly, the runt of underdogs, Trump will never concede, never apologize, and never learn.


SNIPPETS:

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2) All polling, and this unrelenting circular party firing squad, make Trump a long-shot national candidate. Descending approval numbers track his absent political agenda. Trump epitomizes the Party of No – no to pandemic, no to the lawful election result, no to angry critics, and no to genuine opposition to the Biden presidency. Is Trump “for” anything but vanity? Not even provocative sound bites or entertaining put-downs surface. Where is he stronger now than in October? ... ...

4) What adviser, rational Trumper, or party fat cats think that a party branded as undemocratic, against elections and prone to violent uprisings has found the road to power? Contradictions, anyone? Instead of burying its awful, memorable last months, Republicans keep getting bad press for conspiracy with the riotous, Jan. 6 national calamity. Rejecting a bipartisan Commission (with more GOP control than a certain House investigation) exposed both complicity and dread of full exposure. Talk about handing over grenades to the opposition! Nothing threatens rightwing House members more than loyalty to Trump and to the absurd, “rigged, stolen” Big Election Lie. Criminality by rioters is now compounded by unholy Senate Republican collusion to bury lawless chaos. Keep those public votes coming, Democrats.

5) Trump’s only public role is now dividing his own electorate, with misguided pot-shots at queasy Republicans bemoaning steady party woes. Typically dumb Trumpism is railing against those, like Cheney, Romney, and Ryan, with superior reach to independents. Every Trump target holds higher moral ground, making the menace of Mar-a-lago look petty, reactive and deranged. By dividing an increasingly fragile coalition (billionaires, fundamentalists and disadvantaged), Trump fulfills Jennifer Rubin resume summary for “evil lunacy.” No phrase better exposes how Trump hammers away at a sinking ship while sabotaging the lifeboats.

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Full Article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)
https://www.nationofchange.org/2021/06/01/seven-reasons-the-maga-fascist-fever-is-breaking-along-with-trumps-martyrdom-cult/

Title: And so there go public healthcare, media, finance, infrastructure — there go safety nets, retirements, decent jobs.
Post by: AGelbert on August 30, 2021, 01:25:09 pm
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August 27, 2021 By Umair Haque

Why the World is Going Insane

How to Think About the Next Decade


SNIPPET:

It strikes me these days, as it probably strikes you, that the world has gone a little crazy, has lost its bearings. It struck me recently, along those lines, that “insane” is, funnily, a near perfect acronym for the links in the causal chain, the vicious cycle, that country after country is falling prey to. That we as a world are falling prey to. The one leading us into a dark age of extremists, authoritarians, kleptocrats, and throngs cheering it all along.

So. Here we go.

IN stands for inequality. It’s the prime mover of today’s problems. Inequality within countries has skyrocketed — and that’s in every country around the globe, more or less, even well-managed ones, like Canada and Sweden. As inequality jumps, social distance grows. Rich and poor share little in common — not schools, roads, hospitals, and so on — and so a society begins to corrode from within — it loses trust. Politics grow polarized. The civic sphere corrodes. Decent jobs turn into minimum wage gigs, and becoming a CEO turns into a lottery ticket for a fortune that will last generations. Any sense of higher, enduring values decays, degenerates, and everything becomes about money, money, money. As we will see, what is lost when inequality grows is dignity, stability, opportunity, gentleness — a sense, in the end, that a society is a worthy, healthy, vibrant place.

Full article: :'(
https://eand.co/why-the-world-is-going-insane-d7effe996cf2
Title: "Was it all bullshit?" Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power, rhetorically asked of previous statements by cor
Post by: AGelbert on September 14, 2021, 02:36:15 pm
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September 14, 2021

'That’s A Load Of Crap' — Enviros Fed Up With  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418201302.png&hash=1e849526e5e1fde614fb21346869666fd34fa3dd) 🎩 Big Business Doublespeak (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-300919160017-22191429.png) On Reconciliation Package

Big Business (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-200419205214.png&hash=4c5b9ca97c84607da003becdf6282716bcdf1800) 😈 is trying to block the passage of Democrats' $3.5 trillion climate and social spending legislation and environmentalists are pissed (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818204546.gif&hash=ffeafdfa24208fe5070639ffa682bb2ad041737c), Politico reports.

"Was it all bullshit?" Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power, rhetorically asked of previous statements by corporations that claim to support climate action but remain members of trade groups lobbying to tank the package that would be passed through the Senate using the procedure known as budget reconciliation.

“There’s one train," she added, "and you’re either getting on it or we will have a really long, long memory.” Groups like the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable are deploying the full weight of their considerable lobbying apparatuses against the bill, which also includes investments in health care, child care, and racial equity in addition to climate change.

Some (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c)  companies have tried to stake a middle ground, saying they support climate action (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718202127.gif&hash=acc63221521ebaf3f238088fd92d1ae3a08b6e48), while remaining part of groups lobbying to tank the biggest opportunity to meaningfully address the climate crisis in at least a decade over complaints about cost and process. “That’s a load of crap and I think they know it," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818185038-16442135.gif&hash=52927992b43007fa5c5eb6ffcb453ae29948c356) (D-R.I.) retorted. Those companies have been warned, privately, they risk losing their place in business climate coalitions ahead of COP26 in November if they fail to formally distance themselves from the lobbying groups working to undermine climate action.

Environmental groups have also refused to entertain the idea of cutting loose other social provisions of the bill to appease conservative Democrats. “We’re pushing for the full Build Back Better package,” Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president of the League of Conservation Voters, told Politico. “We’re not negotiating with ourselves.” (Politico (https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/13/greens-tighten-vise-on-businesses-to-back-climate-bill-511549?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=159345844&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--sQbyu9Swn3FTMZI94RhAXvb84TqxzvLu_MnfkLiY2UAf4emYtfgRZD4iMdBm2sSIrP-pbnnEL06KmLd4sa71b-N4XHw&utm_content=159345844&utm_source=hs_email))
Title: His explosive story will change the way you look at the U.S. Navy forever.
Post by: AGelbert on September 27, 2021, 04:26:40 pm
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September 26, 2021 by John Konrad

😈 Leonard Francis, aka Fat Leonard, the man behind the Largest Scandal of the Century

SNIPPET:

In FAT LEONARD, Host Tom Wright takes a deep dive into Leonard Francis’ mafia-like organization inside the Navy, corrupting even the top officer at the famed Navy Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) as it started receiving tips about his shady dealings. Details will be divulged around Francis’ videotaping of indiscretions with Navy officers, including the 7th Fleet head of intelligence, creating one of the U.S. military’s worst-ever national security failures. Further, listeners will learn how Francis’ scam was tolerated because he was a trusted intermediary of the Navy, paying bribes on their behalf to gain U.S. access to ports and protecting warships from terrorists. Additionally, Francis will explain the part he played in covert missions against Al Qaeda, using his own warship Braveheart to support Marines, with U.S. diplomatic cover.

Read more: 👀 (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-300115234833.gif&hash=20e82f36f361174e6f8f07e11c36330842502bab)
https://gcaptain.com/fat-leonard-podcast/

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Title: “Every project appears to be involved in an array of deceptive practices.
Post by: AGelbert on September 28, 2021, 12:11:13 pm
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Sep 28 2021, 12:39 AM By Alan J. Keays and Anne Galloway

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-230115195735.png)

‘Aided and abetted’: Newly unsealed records show (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdl10.glitter-graphics.net%2Fpub%2F2491%2F2491210ovie015m90.gif&hash=c2edc7e32994c57779427e0df75cabac786a12bf) state feared its own culpability in EB-5 fraud

SNIPPET:

The newly unsealed documents shed new light on the state’s role in regulating — or failing to regulate — development projects financed through the federal EB-5 investor visa program, which confers permanent residency on noncitizens who invest at least $500,000 in certain job-creating ventures.
The documents show that the  Shumlin (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78) administration was aware in the spring of 2015 that the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205808.gif&hash=5c451456a306c150d3555c49e31a2f47d6f369a9)😈 Northeast Kingdom developers were engaging in fraud — a full year before state and federal officials pulled the plug on the projects — imperiling the immigration status of those who invested in the developments. The records also outline the lengths to which (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-311013201314.png&hash=0715eb72631014310634eb56176ff860c6d542f6) state officials went in (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-200419205214.png&hash=4c5b9ca97c84607da003becdf6282716bcdf1800) concealing the fraud from the public and the press.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-251218182356-2042630.png)

One of the newly unsealed documents, published April 13, 2015, describes in explicit detail how state regulators viewed the Northeast Kingdom developments at the time. The internal and confidential document, penned by an unnamed employee of the state Department of Financial Regulation, reads, “Every project appears to be involved in an array of deceptive practices. Every single additional penny of investor money that moves through the projects will be lost for good. New investors most certainly will not be issued visas as the SEC will act long before the two year job creation period ends.”

Four months later, according to one newly released document, a top Department of Financial Regulation official briefed Shumlin, then-Attorney General Bill Sorrell and others on the evidence the department had collected implicating the developers. The official, then-Deputy Financial Regulation Commissioner Mike Pieciak, included in his August 14, 2015, slide presentation a spaghetti map of bank transactions the developers used to perpetuate the fraud.

The final slide, a spreadsheet titled “Immigration Impact to Investors,” listed a series of projects for which “Immigration Status was Likely to be Negated.” In all, the immigration status of 364 investors, or 42% of the total, were in jeopardy. State regulators made clear that 83 investors in a Burke Mountain Resort hotel, 134 in the Stateside condos at Jay Peak and 147 at a biotech venture in Newport would not be eligible for visas because of the fraud.

Read more: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132422-1692935.gif&hash=94922268ae283c7009e29067ba89220f466726ec)
https://vtdigger.org/2021/09/28/aided-and-abetted-newly-unsealed-records-show-state-feared-its-own-culpability-in-eb-5-fraud/
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on October 01, 2021, 03:49:23 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170218174357.png&hash=296cf589ab13b3bca649d79db1953fa2289b1563)

September 30, 2021 By John Konrad

(https://gcaptain.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/lcs-uss-coronado-assembly_1150.jpg)
The littoral combat ship Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Coronado (LCS 4) is rolled-out at the Austal USA assembly bay on January 9, 2011. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

US Navy Is Both Decommissioning And Building More Of This Failed Ship  (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Fc6492e4b47cfdbd50e74d285fde3c53e%2Ftumblr_inline_mm3g4yCaZc1qz4rgp.gif&hash=4b1cad5ea13f7430a0c01f3065039d21d78da398)

SNIPPETS:

Depite the monumental failure of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) platform – which naval experts have called “A Beautiful Disaster” – the US Navy is constructing 10 more LCS ships right now and have an additional one of these failed platform on order.

Because of the many failures in the program the USS Freedom has served mostly as a test and training ship. According to the US Navy the decommissioning of LCS 1 “supports department-wide business process reform initiatives to free up time, resources, and manpower in support of increased lethality” but most experts cite the true problems as huge cost overruns, mechanical problems, and changing geopolitical trends made this relatively new ship obsolete. ...  ...

What is most shocking about this story is not the utter failure of the LCS platform, nor it’s immense costs. Most shocking is the fact the Navy is still building more. In 2019 the U.S. Navy announced it awarded contracts for another three Littoral Combat Ships, bringing the total number of vessels ordered so far to over 30. 🐽 Austal (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78)eceived two of the awards while 🐷 Lockheed Martin (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78)received the third.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163124-16672489.gif&hash=c9e9fcc8de210be9006f5fd3348145e8acef7435)
https://gcaptain.com/us-navy-decomissioning-failed-lcs/
Title: Pandora Papers definitively show how the super-rich are ripping all of us off and vampirically sucking our societies dry
Post by: AGelbert on October 11, 2021, 02:06:04 pm
The Real News Network

OCTOBER 8, 2021 BY MARC STEINER

PANDORA PAPERS SHOW THE US HAS BECOME ITS OWN TAX HAVEN FOR (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-250817135149.gif&hash=b4a8748d7cf56a31dd0a6aae5828ed2c1ac2815c) SUPER-RICH   (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-200419205214.png&hash=4c5b9ca97c84607da003becdf6282716bcdf1800) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78)

Massive leaks like the Panama Papers and the Pandora Papers definitively show how the super-rich are ripping all of us off and vampirically sucking our societies dry. And they’re not going to change unless we force them to.

🔊 Listen to the podcast exposing this hard, but irrefutable, truth: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-111018132421-16911675.gif&hash=b337cdc73ae0e451ca134d064ea3363d3de56665)
https://therealnews.com/pandora-papers-show-the-us-has-become-its-own-tax-haven-for-super-rich
Title: Our democracy no longer represents the people. ...
Post by: AGelbert on October 24, 2021, 08:35:16 pm
It's the AMERICAN 🦕🦖🐍🦍🐉😈💵💰🎩🍌 OLIGARCHY, stupid! (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-210818163124-16681686.gif&hash=c9573d4cd35d7f32975722353e8362379843aabf)

📢 Our democracy no longer represents the people. Here's how we fix it (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718202127.gif&hash=acc63221521ebaf3f238088fd92d1ae3a08b6e48) 🕯️ Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig
https://youtu.be/PJy8vTu66tE

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818184306-16302042.png&hash=b32964f6121cd80269354273700cf61fabc97dae)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-020818201645-1486464.jpeg&hash=bfa44b2ee2b1d6d1ea71a024b1bd6e9cf1328326)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-050515144544.png&hash=7ee8a9d0ff80a564867eeb5fc64c6c942dec8dee)

Agelbert NOTE: The above video was made 6 years ago. There has been NO reduction in the heinous Banana Republic level of INEQUALITY that we-the-people are forced to endure. The following article makes clear that the elite fascist polluters, not just in the USA, but worldwide, are hell-bent to continue corrupting governments for profit over planet at our expense.

(https://www.nationofchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/logoretina.png)

By Andrea Germanos - October 22, 2021

(https://i1.wp.com/www.nationofchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Getty-australia-fires-climate.jpeg?w=1200&ssl=1)
Photo: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

Leaked docs reveal 🦖 fossil fuel-soaked nations lobbying to 😈 sabotage climate action

“They are using every opportunity to protect their corporate interests and continue with business as usual while the planet burns.”

SNIPPETS:

Just ahead of a key United Nations climate summit, a major leak of documents reveals that some fossil fuel-producing nations are encouraging authors of an upcoming U.N. report to omit an assessment that the world must transition away from oil, gas, and coal to tackle the planetary emergency.

“This is an insight into how a small group of coal, oil, and meat producing countries continue to put the profits of a few polluting industries before science and our planet’s future,” Greenpeace International executive director Jennifer Morgan said in a statement Thursday.

“Rather than phasing out fossil fuels and unsustainable meat production,” she said, “they are using every opportunity to protect their corporate interests and continue with business as usual while the planet burns.”

The comments in question, including from Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Australia as well as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), were in response to a draft report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Working Group 3. ...  ...

The documents show that a small group of nations opposed to ambition action is instead pushing carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies—both of which critics say are dangerous false solutions pushed by industries looking for ways to continue their profit-making. From Unearthed:
Quote
Australia; Saudi Arabia; Iran, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC); and Japan all make variations of this argument, despite the fact that, according to the Global CCS Institute, there is currently only one power station in operation in the world that successfully captures some of its carbon emissions.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)
https://www.nationofchange.org/2021/10/22/leaked-docs-reveal-fossil-fuel-soaked-nations-lobbying-to-sabotage-climate-action/

Title: Middle Class Impoverishing Corrupt Government Interventions To Economic Growth FOR THE RICH
Post by: AGelbert on November 15, 2021, 04:18:05 pm
MONDAY, NOV 15, 2021 - 01:50 PM

Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvice.com

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) Fed Issues Stock Market Warning (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3%2F3-101121203748.png&hash=9b411c1bc4a06f028f2ef4175ea91568f9b18002) As Valuations Surge

SNIPPET:

Before you marvel at the feat of household equity ownership, you need to remember two crucial factors.

1. The 🎩 top 10% of 💵 income earners own 90% of those 💰 assets, and;

2. It took $43.5 trillion dollars of liquidity to (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418203402.gif&hash=b2691028ba683a0039a5811f5775c68d7ccae01c)😈 create that “wealth.”

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3%2F3-151121160111.png&hash=febdb0f95ae5a58b13e0aa0f98c3892cd17af119)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-090221180527.png&hash=c8dfd935e02f102b3bf5614b411ee9f99bfdc9a7)

Given the amount of “liquidity” thrown at the stock market, the (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-250718205137.gif&hash=7a79df8ecf1b29d8599c26fe550e664c6c5e24bd) Fed should take responsibility for investors’ “irrational exuberance.”

Valuations Are Extreme By Virtually Every Measure


Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418200416.png&hash=15d789b29124aa5a1f1ea397ce630913734b20a4)
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/fed-issues-stock-market-warning-valuations-surge

MONDAY, NOV 15, 2021 BY QUOTH THE RAVEN

U.S. Economy Is "Irreversibly Broken" And "Staggeringly (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-270117175421.png&hash=cf39e823dd9156833bfa885808a876bf518bd0d6) Corrupt"
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3%2F3-091121122445.png&hash=32629643f055777736e5deccdf86ec78664732d5)

Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on December 10, 2021, 05:34:16 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3/3-101221155649.png)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-170718172005.png&hash=d5fbe7e986626fa4685326f3eaadabb50ba17b5c)
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3/3-101221172715.jpeg)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/1/3-221218194153-17601564.jpeg)
Title: How (Corrupt anti-Progressive) Democrats Blew It in 2021
Post by: AGelbert on December 31, 2021, 12:06:44 am
The American Prospect

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-221219143548.png)

How Democrats Blew It in 2021 🤦‍♂️

BY ALEXANDER SAMMON DECEMBER 29, 2021

SNIPPETS:

Even a most optimistic gloss on 2021 would say it was a year of high hopes and huge disappointments. All the things that looked to have been chased away in 2020—totalitarian Republicans in control, coronavirus out of control—are either back, or a near-certainty to return imminently. Democrats seized power at the beginning of the year and by its end had proven beyond argument that they, as ever, had no intention of wielding it. My year in review traces a few of those steps. ... ...

“Clintonism’s Zombie”

If Senate Democrats had no real regard for the Democratic agenda by June, House Democrats caught up in August. In this profile of New Jersey “Problem Solver” 🐍 Josh Gottheimer, I traced how the face of legislative sabotage in the House was a true institutional make and model, a product of the Clinton administration from his first day in politics—the very sort of 🦍 centrist, lifetime Democrat who is always accusing progressives of party disloyalty.

Without ever summoning an intellectually legitimate argument, Gottheimer spearheaded the corporate-funded attempt to pass a 🦖😈 fossil fuel–heavy, lobbyist-authored highway bill (“bipartisan infrastructure”) and untether it from the Build Back Better Act, where the entirety of the “Democratic agenda” resided. He didn’t succeed, nor did he win any style points, but it was evidence enough of a growing appetite for self-sabotage that was ready to reveal itself months down the line.

Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-240718213435-14601598.gif&hash=d55f80ee79b668f6fafd534ef6d94b3c0d8992f6)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F2%2F3-310119164317.gif&hash=870c66e6ad21133a740ba1583280577f05ccb4ac)
https://prospect.org/politics/best-of-2021-alexander-sammon/
Title: Martin Luther King Jr. TOLD THE TRUTH!
Post by: AGelbert on January 17, 2022, 02:55:26 pm
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-061019140824-22921685.png)

January 17, 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. DAY

Agelbert NOTE: I'm passing on to you a snippet of what Vermont Congressman Peter Welch sent me in an e-mail today:

January 17, 2022 2:30 PM Peter Welch welchforvermont.com

In 1967 I met Dr. King ✨ at the Ebenezer Baptist Church at the annual Southern Christian Leadership Conference meeting. I had dropped out of college and was a community organizer in Chicago, and hopped on a bus to Atlanta to hear Dr. King speak.

At the Ebenezer Baptist Church I sat and listened to Dr. King preach. After the service everyone left, but I lingered, hoping to meet Dr. King. I saw that the people who remained were going upstairs so I went too, and saw Dr. King was having a press conference about his strong opposition to the Vietnam war. My memory of his fierce speech, and his unwavering courage has stayed with me.

As we remember Dr. King's legacy now in 2022, I feel that today is not a day of rest but of action. In 1957, seven years before the Civil Rights Act was passed, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ✨ went to Washington to speak about voting rights.

He said:

"In the midst of these prevailing conditions, we come to Washington today pleading with the president and members of Congress to provide strong, moral, and courageous leadership for a situation that cannot permanently be evaded. We come humbly to say to the men in the forefront of our government that the civil rights issue is not an ephemeral, evanescent domestic issue that can be kicked about by reactionary guardians of the status quo; it is rather an eternal moral issue which may well determine the destiny of our nation..."
Title: Had Sanders won, ... ..., we wouldn’t be looking at a possible fascist catastrophe in 2024.
Post by: AGelbert on January 30, 2022, 12:37:08 pm
COUNTERPUNCH

JANUARY 28, 2022 BY EVE OTTENBERG 👍

The Left Demobilized: the Usual Suspects Are To Blame

SNIPPETS:

This was all entirely predictable. The Democratic party has mainly functioned since the 1930s to demobilize left movements, and these latest weren’t even movements. (Certainly thin soup compared to the militant communism FDR set out to dilute.) These were platforms in a candidacy. Platforms that the cautious, billionaire-sycophant likes of 🐍 Barack Obama had no intention of ever seeing signed into law – so he 😈 coordinated the withdrawal of all other Dem presidential candidates at a critical juncture to boost 🐍 Biden over Sanders. ... ...

Biden came to power based on many promises to the left. He also said, “Nothing will fundamentally change.” Most of his promises, unsurprisingly, died on the vine, leaving the left fragmented at a historical moment that screams for solidarity. ... ...

So, no massive, left-wing anti-nuclear war movement, as the biggest issue of this or any time threatens to engulf the planet. Similarly, the climate protest, weakened by the ridiculous – but better, I guess, than nothing – COP26 summit, which did absolutely zip, nada, zilch, sputters and stalls.
Full article: (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F1%2F3-120818180836-16292310.gif&hash=65d34088a49b58007544c1988ff312eee541bee9)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/01/28/the-left-demobilized-the-usual-suspects-are-to-blame/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fstyles%2Frenewablerevolution%2Ffiles%2F3116_Owl%2520Scripture.jpeg&hash=a4074beba46909ad576a7e5f21acc88fcec3f0cd)
Title: "…[The] PROMESA [law] has been a mechanism that has revealed the true face of US imperialism."
Post by: AGelbert on February 27, 2022, 04:11:57 pm
COUNTERPUNCH

FEBRUARY 25, 2022 BY W. T. WHITNEY

Puerto Rican Unionists Protest (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-040718162656-14241872.gif&hash=6c39a3206e2b2a3d652adee626b5eee8ab5b15bf) Austerity, Look at 🎩😈(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Frenewablerevolution.createaforum.com%2Fgallery%2Frenewablerevolution%2F3-130418193910.gif&hash=633dd399cd6006279afd7efb5ef953673b96bd78)US Responsibility

SNIPPET:

Puerto Ricans are in distress; 52% of them live below the poverty line, as do almost 60 % of their children. Electricity and water bills are almost 60% higher than they are in the United States; food costs are 18% higher.  The median family income is $20,500. The salary base for teachers – most are women – is $21,000 annually. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-301021140812.gif)

Full article:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/02/25/puerto-rican-unionists-protest-austerity-look-at-us-responsibility/
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-081019223703.jpeg)
Title: "Vladimir Putin did not arrive from outer space on an abalone shell."
Post by: AGelbert on March 16, 2022, 03:56:16 pm
March 15, 2022 by Greg Palast for Buzz Flash

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/4/3-160322152704.jpeg)

How 😈🎩 Billionaires Picked Putin as “Russia’s 🦍 Pinochet”

Vladimir Putin did not arrive from outer space on an abalone shell.

Putin went from the virtually unknown Deputy Mayor of Saint Petersburg to Russia’s President and potentate by winning a weird competition organized by Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky who sought a “Russian Pinochet” to succeed Boris Yeltsin as President.

The competition, dubbed “Operation Successor,” went so far as to send Russia’s “Larry King,” Mikhail Leontyev, to interview General Pinochet for Russian TV while Pinochet was under indictment in Chile on murder charges. Russians were treated to the old dictator’s advice on choosing a leader who could imitate Pinochet’s “strong hand,” a police state, while promoting a hyper-capitalist economy.

And Putin fit the Pinochet profile.

To understand how Russia became, in effect, a military-corporate dictatorship, we have to go back to the 1990s when the former USSR, after the Wall fell, went along with the scheme known as “shock therapy” 😖 — substantially crafted by the 😈 man who would become 🐵 Clinton’s Treasury Secretary, (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/1/3-250718205137.gif) Larry Summers. Yeltsin’s (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-130418203402.gif) oligarchs grabbed 60% of Russia’s state assets for peanuts — including the world’s largest producing oil fields. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-130418193910.gif) (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-200419205214.png)

The “therapy” was ☠️ deadly. The US-designed smash-and-grab pushed 60% of Russians into poverty and half the population into starvation: calorie intake per person fell by almost half. Russian men, who had a longer life expectancy than Americans under the USSR, literally died by the millions — their life expectancy dropped to 57 years.

The suffering and resulting Pinochet fever hit its apotheosis with Russia’s 1998 default on its debts. Ben Judah, author of the must-read Putin biography, Fragile Empire (https://www.amazon.com/Fragile-Empire-Russia-Vladimir-Putin/dp/0300205228/?tag=wwwgregpala03-20), explains the repercussions:

Quote
“It was the moment when the elite got scared and moved over further toward authoritarianism. According to Grigory Satarov, Yeltsin’s former aide, it was then that [Yeltsin] ditched the idea of [“reformer” Boris]] Nemtsov as the successor and decided Russia needed a robust, military man. Intellectuals began to debate the need for a ‘Russian Pinochet’ to defend the market.”

The chance that Yeltsin, a notorious drunk, could get re-elected, was close to zero.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-130418203402.gif) Berezovsky and other oligarchs, in Davos, Switzerland, attending that mating event of the rich and powerful, were horrified that the monied elite were giving their affection to Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the newly re-branded Communist Party of the Russian Federation. Polls showed Zyuganov was certain to defeat Yeltsin in upcoming elections.

Berezovsky and other oligarchs, panicked that Zyuganov would seize their ill-gotten gains, formed what they called the “Davos Pact” to re-elect Yeltsin — at all costs. And that cost a lot: they bought up all the media, all of it, and iced out Zyuganov. Bill Clinton jumped in, sending in an army of US elections and PR consultants.

While Yeltsin wanted to pick one of his US-trained free-market economists as his running mate (for Prime Minister), the oligarchs told him they’d found that Russian Pinochet, the little-known apparatchik named Vladimir Putin. They groomed Putin by having Yeltsin promote him rapidly through several posts including chief of the FSB, the successor of the KGB, where Putin had started his career.

But even that wasn’t enough to reelect Yeltsin. Yeltsin’s “victory” required what in Russia are called, “administrative resources” — wholesale vote theft. Dmitry Medvedev, later Putin’s Prime Minister is quoted in Fragile Empire, saying he didn’t know who won that election, but “it was not Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin.”

In 1999, Russia was falling apart. Literally. While big hunks of the USSR had years earlier scampered away (Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Ukraine and others), smaller regions were now declaring independence, including the Muslim region of Chechnya.

Yeltsin ordered a military expedition to recapture Chechnya. It failed disastrously.

But then Putin took charge, invading Chechnya. But this time, Putin took a page from Pinochet’s playbook: mass slaughter of civilians. When Chechens resisted the Russian invasion, Putin simply leveled their capital city, Grozny, killing, according to Reuters, 25,000 to 50,000 Chechens, most civilians. Notably, 14,000 Russian soldiers died — yet Putin’s popularity soared.

This is a sobering reminder for those who think Putin can’t withstand too many Russian body bags returning from Ukraine.


It is beyond strange to me that some of my progressive friends are playing Putin as a victim, an innocent man “provoked” by US expansion of NATO. Oh, come on! Ukraine applied for NATO membership 14 years ago — and it was laughed off by NATO members.

No doubt, expanding was diplomatic malfeasance, but it never constituted a real threat to Russian sovereignty, certainly not from the non-NATO Ukraine. Let’s not forget that Ukraine transferred all its nuclear warheads to Russia, hardly an act of aggression. (And let’s not forget, as Joe Biden seems to have forgotten, that as part of the transfer of Ukraine’s nukes, the US and Russia guaranteed the safety of Ukraine against all acts of aggression.)

Putin’s power originated from manipulation of an election. Whether you call it, “administrative measures” or “vote suppression,” it’s the endless story of the moneyed at war with democracy.

When, in 1999, Yeltsin was finally pushed to invite Putin to become prime minister, there was still the formality of having to get elected. Yeltsin said that Putin told him, “Elections, I just hate them.”

That surprises no one, least of all the ghost of Pinochet.

Me? I kind of like elections. I stand with democracy. I stand with Ukraine.
https://www.gregpalast.com/how-billionaires-picked-putin-as-russias-pinochet/

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/1/3-161218193528.png)
Title: Re: Corruption in Government
Post by: AGelbert on March 22, 2022, 07:38:48 pm
It is time to take on corporate greed.

https://youtu.be/o57d5aR7oj8

Mar 22, 2022

Senator Bernie Sanders 204K subscribers

At a time of unprecedented greed, the Senate is right now debating giving $53 billion to the highly profitable micro-chip industry and a $10 billion bailout to Jeff Bezos so that he can launch a rocket ship to the moon. I'm LIVE on the floor to oppose it.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-090520201754.png)


Title: It's the Social Darwinism, stupid
Post by: AGelbert on March 25, 2022, 12:46:08 pm
The Class Struggle

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Ralph Nader: The Biggest Business (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-130418193910.gif)in America? (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-130418203402.gif) Defrauding Uncle Sam and (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-200419205214.png) You (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/1/3-120818204546.gif)

SNIPPETS:

The biggest business in America is stealing and defrauding the federal government, Uncle Sam and you the taxpayers. In terms of sheer stolen dollars, the total amount is greater than the annual sales of Amazon and Walmart over the past two years.

Before getting to the real big stuff, start with how much was stolen or not delivered by the contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. Just in one program, John Spoko—Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR), estimated that $30 billion of the $100 billion repairs project was purloined. Despite his many damning reports on what was also wasted—like the $40 million natural gas-powered fueling station (there were no natural gas-powered cars in Afghanistan)—no one was indicted, no one was fired, no one missed a promotion. (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3/thumb_3-101221182823.gif) ... ...

Of the $360 billion in annual billing fraud by the health care industry, over $100 billion is fraud on Medicare and Medicaid.

Turning to the $6 trillion appropriated (without reversing the tax cuts by Trump on the super-rich) by both Trump and Biden since March 2020, government investigators and the media are seeing staggering thefts and frauds. Money was stolen outright by fake companies and fraudulent applications, or taken by profitable companies, law firms and others that these programs were never intended to benefit. ... ...

Neither Congress nor the White House have met this challenge of titanic corruption which should become a major campaign subject in the coming elections. Apart from a few perfunctory hearings, Congress has not held the high profile intense hearings that grab public attention—in part because both Parties have culpability, though the GOP is worse. ... ...

Recent efforts by a long-culpable Congress and a long-neglectful Presidency are not close to catching up with current robberies, not to mention any chance of retrieving stolen monies. Ever since I requested in 1971 that President Richard Nixon set up a commission on corporate crime, the federal government has remained obstinately indifferent to the sheer scale of ‘crime in the suites.” (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-120716190938.png)

Full article: (https://media.tenor.com/images/5423e809b1a22096b6925bf9bc3fd1cb/tenor.gif)
https://ongoingclassstruggle.blogspot.com/2022/03/ralph-nader-biggest-business-in-america.html


AGelbert
Ralph Nader is one of the few voices of reason, objectivity and truth we have left among politicians in the USA. He knows full well that this routine theft from we-the-people is "Business as Usual" in our thoroughly Social Darwinist = Capitalist corrupted government.

There is a long list of elite parasites that defraud we-the-people 24/7, but the top spot on that list belongs squarely to Big Oil. Though Nader did not mention it above, the subsidy SWAG (both visible and invisible "subsidies") the hydrocarbon fuels "industry" has coerced from we-the-people with the help of bought and paid for politicians is the insult to the biosphere degrading pollution injury these (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-250817135149.gif)🦖 psychopaths profit from.

Big Oil talking points are a nothing but a thin economic-sounding pretense for their misanthropic, self-centered rants, that exposes how their 'free-market' punditry is merely plain-old cruelty wrapped in an economic-sounding pretense for prioritizing private polluter profits over public health and the environment (with, as Nancy MacLean documents in Democracy in Chains, a deeper utility in opposing the Civil Rights Act and subsequent racial justice policies).

March 23, 2022 Nexus Hot News 👉 Denier Roundup
Over $50 Million in Funding For Climate 😈 Disinfo 🐍 Organizations Between 2014-2020, Coming From 🦕 Koch And 🦖 Similarly Shady Sources (https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/hydrocarbon-industry-skullduggery/the-koch-brothers-exposed!/msg17389/#msg17389)

Just Me • 2 days ago
The only teeth the IRS has left are only good for chewing up the little people. That's the fundamental problem.

AGelbert > Just Me
Agreed. Thus the wealthy crooks steal more and the rest of us suffer more.

(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-211019205101.jpeg)(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/2/3-090520201754.png)

Adam G. Yoksas • 2 days ago • edited
... If you receive state benefits you aren't entitled to receive, and only receive them due to some untruthful claim, that's fraud, and subject to the criminal code.

But there's a difference between that kind of thing, and, say, the defense contract budget. It's a small difference, but a significant enough difference that makes that kind of fraud a bit more difficult to substantiate.

Government contracts are not entitlements. These are not benefits that a firm is entitled by law to receive. They are, as the name implies, contracts that both parties freely enter into on the basis of some consideration, typically an agreement of a private contractor to do some work the state wants done in exchange for money.

Now I can imagine some scenarios where a government contractor can be prosecuted for fraud. For example, if they were just a shell corporation created and maintained for the sole purpose of extracting graft from the commonweal, that could be fraud, among other things.

But unless it's a situation like that, the best a state can do when a private contractor fails to do what we expect it to do is file suit, at which point the state will have to show that the contractor failed to fulfill the obligations of the contract. But that's a civil matter, and not a part of the criminal code.

I can imagine some scenarios where the contract can be ruled unconscionable or invalid, but that's a pretty tall order for the state to claim. If the contract was so bad, why did the state even allow itself to enter into it in the first place? We assume that the state is competent to enter into agreements like these, and that they do so in the interest of the public. And if they aren't entering into contracts that are in the interest of the public, is that the private contractor's fault? Or is it the state's fault, whereby the remedy is to remove those government officials through elections, appointments, censures, impeachments, and other remedies available under the Constitution?

AGelbert > Adam G. Yoksas
The thorny problem you correctly state of determining agency for fault requires a firmly grounded moral compass. As long as we have too many people in government and in business which live by "situational" ethics, morally bankrupt greedballs, lacking any consciense whatsoever, will write or/and approve contracts that profit said greedballs by defrauding we-the-people. 💩
(https://renewablerevolution.createaforum.com/gallery/renewablerevolution/3-040718162656-14241872.gif)

I remember that old saying, "It's the economy, stupid." Well, I don't think that was true then or now.

What is true, then and now, that clearly shows the irrefutable link between moral bankruptcy and corrupted government, is this saying:
It's the Social Darwinism, stupid.

🦉 "In human society, the amount of inequity is directly proportional to the amount of iniquity." -- A. G. Gelbert