The Weekly Watch

First They Came for Bannon, Jones, and Trump

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I don't care if you like these figures or not, you should be concerned about the perversion of law to attack people who are targets of the "deep state". Isn't it interesting how obviously guilty Hunter skates as the law is used and even stretched to persecute these people on the right. I'm not sure when the deep state/CIA/FBI married the DNC, but "Russiagate", the lack of prosecution of Hillary, and election engineering make obvious the connection. Hillary nor Biden could fill a room, when both Bernie and Trump were filling auditoriums and stadiums. Many Dims accept they were cheated in the 2000 election in Florida, and 2004 in Ohio, but can't fathom that Trump was cheated in 2020. Now I'm not saying he was, but I'm open minded about the possibility.

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I want to be clear. I'm no fan of Trump (and even less a fan of the warmonger Biden). Remember 2016? You know when Bill Clinton talked Trump into running because he thought Hillary could easily defeat him. And as Hillary's emails reveal, the Clintons persuaded their media connections to feature Trump over the other GOP candidates, and he called in to every morning news show almost every day. Then once Trump gets the nomination, suddenly the tone changes (other than Faux News) and for the next five years it is "Trump bad!". And yes he is a narcissistic, self serving, crooked real estate mongol, and game show host, but people liked him more than Hillary, and I can't blame them. I voted for neither.

After the election the Clintons, DNC and deep state connections conspire to sabotage the Trump administration by using the DNC funded BS Steele dossier to promote the fake Russiagate smear which many citizens still believe, especially the Trump deranged. There were two absurd attempts to impeach Trump. The first for not sending weapons to Ukraine to promote the long planned for war there. The second for inciting a riot where mysteriously there was almost no police and absolutely no military presence at the capitol. Trump was the first former president to face trial after leaving office and the only president to be impeached twice. Once again I'm no fan, but this seems a bit excessive and smacks of deep state collusion.

Now I'm not a lawyer, but Robert Barnes is...and a pretty high profile one too. He shares his view on the DOJ raid, the Jones case, Ukraine, and more. An interesting and insightful legal look at these events.

Trump raid, Biden DOJ crosses the Rubicon w/Robert Barnes

Cued to the Trump raid discussion (20+ min)
The 1960's FBI at the 32 min mark including cointellpro
Alex Jones case discussion at the 45 min mark
Ukraine and then Taiwan discussion at the 1 hour 20 min mark
The inflation increasing plan that just passed at the 2 hour 10 min mark
A worthwhile conversation best digested in pieces as it is 2.5 hours in total.

Alex and Alexander followed up on that previous conversation on Saturday. They speculate that Trump may have been holding incriminating evidence on the FBI perhaps it's Russia/Steele dossier collusion dirt, Biden and Hunter's role in Ukraine, and/or maybe spygate. Who knows at present? However, it is an interesting idea. (18 min)

FBI Mar-a-Lago raid, Trump, Charles I of England and a nervous swamp

Jackson Hinkle has an good take too. Similar to my own.

17 min

The great irony here is the dimwits have once again shot themselves in the foot.
Trump Raid Is Sabotaging The Democrats' Campaign

Russell defends Alex Jones. 10 min

A court has ruled Alex Jones must pay $45 million in punitive damages in the case against him regarding his comments about Sandy Hook. So, what does the case against the Infowars creator and so called conspiracy theorist represent?

Isn't it interesting that all three, Trump, Jones, and Bannon were all banned from twitter as the first attack...prior to prosecuting them in court. So step one is censoring, and if that doesn't work take them to court in order to silence them?

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You may think all three are bad (cause that's all you hear on MSM)...I must admit I ain't wild about any of them, but I don't like to see the justice department and government agencies used for political motives. This seems like "Watergate" done openly by the FBI rather than secretly by spies. Both involve breaking into opponents headquarters. But that is only the start. Then they come after anyone who exposes "unacceptable narratives". Once they make censorship acceptable then they come after the left (if there is a left remaining in the US) too.

Ukraine Targets Anti-War YouTubers With Digital Warfare (10 min)
You know all about the Russian troll farms, but have you heard about the Ukrainian troll farms? That’s right, they exist, and some of those busy online bees have been coordinating digital assaults on popular YouTubers who haven’t fallen in line with the dominant narrative on Ukraine – specifically Jimmy Dore and Jackson Hinkle. They’ve had some success in getting Hinkle’s content removed – and gloated over it on Discord.

Chris had an excellent series of clips this week on how media fact checks people to then censor. He starts by looking at Politifact (16 min)

PolitiFact Exposed: No science & Poor Ethics

He then covers AP... Unqualified For The Job: Time To Meet AP's Fact Checkers (17 min)

Then he looks at the people removing information on Facebook...
Facebook's Censorship Exposed: Chris takes on Meta (14 min)

And finally he examines Twitter's murky process of censorship.
Twitter's Censorship Exposed: Anti-Science, Opaque and Petty (19 min)

So the bottom line is unqualified people who suffer from woke group think make these calls about acceptable and unacceptable messages and information.

Canada is a great example where the government vaccine policy committee included no scientist nor doctors.

In a rare move that is sure to surprise Canadians but also serve as a relief, the Federal Court has begun releasing the documents submitted for the trial on vaccine mandates for air travel which pits two residents of Canada against Justin Trudeau. The court decided to do this after an exclusive report by journalist, Rupa Subramanya, which claimed that the government body which was in charge of writing mandates had no one with a medical background as part of the body. Sound familiar?

Following the damning report by Subramanya, the official Twitter account of the Federal Court cited interest in the matter on Friday before going on to release a link to the proceedings. The Federal Court tweeted that the documents filed in Federal Court were public unless there was a confidentiality order. Due to the interest in the matter of Karl Harrison et al. versus the Attorney General, all documents had been posted to the Court’s website.

Normally, people request documents from the court’s registrar though court documents are made public in Canada. Before now, the Federal Court only traditionally broadcasted trial decisions and not ongoing case documents. It was on May 30 that a decision was reached to publish court documents concerning the collection of data by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

(7 min clip)

It is not new to control of the narrative. I suspect the CIA/FBI/deep state became our real government back in the 60's. (1 hour)

The Rise of America's Secret Government: The Devil's Chessboard - Allen Dulles & the CIA
Talbot's book The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government is a biography examining the career of Allen Dulles. According to Talbot, Dulles orchestrated the assassination of Kennedy at the behest of corporate leaders who perceived the President to be a threat to national security, lobbied Lyndon B. Johnson to have himself appointed to the Warren Commission, then arranged to have Lee Harvey Oswald take sole responsibility for the act. The book charges that the conspirators in JFK's death also murdered Bobby Kennedy as they perceived him to be "a wild card, an uncontrollable threat" that would reveal the plot.The book has stirred debate about the history of the CIA. In a review for the San Francisco Chronicle, Glenn C. Altschuler stated, "Talbot’s indictment is long, varied and sensational." Altschuler wrote: "Animated by conspiracy theories, the speculations and accusations in his book often run far ahead of the evidence, even for those of us inclined to believe the worst about Allen Dulles."But the book was praised elsewhere, including Kirkus Reviews, whose starred review, called it "a frightening biography of power, manipulation and outright treason. [...] all engaged American citizens should read this book and have their eyes opened."

We don’t need the CIA - The Chris Hedges Report (34 min)

Chris Hedges and John Kiriakou discuss the CIA, how it has evolved, how it sees its mission, what it does, how it works, and the effects of its clandestine operations around the globe.
John Kiriakou worked for the CIA from 1990 to 2004, first as an analyst, and later as a counterterrorism operations officer overseas in Bahrain, Athens, and Pakistan, where he was the CIA’s Chief of Counterterrorist Operations.He became the sixth whistleblower indicted under the Espionage Act by the Obama administration and was sent to prison for two and a half years.

Today the AI tools of deep state are frightening.

Facial Recognition Replacing Tickets At Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium (6 min)
Facial recognition technology is widely lauded by the technorati for all the convenience it will offer just as the same technology is derided as an Orwellian tool of the security state by advocates of personal liberty. Either way it’s not just coming; it’s already here. The latest example: Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz stadium will be replacing paper or digital tickets for high-end event attendees with a system based on facial recognition.

We continue to goose step closer to a digital fascist police state... Where wrong think is censored and punished, the goal is more power for the elite, and you will own nothing and be happy.

And what’s funny is if you carefully watch the way power moves in the world, you will see that this is pretty much how it works. The most vicious among us are elevated to the top, because all our systems are built in a way which elevates viciousness.

https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2022/08/12/all-our-systems-are-built-to-ele...

Klaus is often cited bragging about Trudeau and his WEF trained cabinet. Most western government leaders have attended the WEF Global leadership training. I caught a discussion of the Great Reset (35 min) this week, and though I don't agree with all the views in the podcast, it was encouraging to see the message and threat of the global plan getting out.

At the World Economic Forum meeting last November, Klaus Schwab, the founder, and chairman of the WEF, Henry Kissinger, heads of state, and other billionaire power brokers determined that by 2030, the little people “will own nothing and be happy.” Today’s guest explains that these ideologies are both dangerous and evil.

Henry Kissinger is quoted as saying, “If you control the food, you control a nation. If you control the energy, you control a region. If you control the money, you control the world.” History tells us this is true.

Mark Moss, author of his new book “Uncommunist Manifesto” says, “Per the UN, it’s estimated 860 million people could starve to death in the next 24 months.”

Hosts Robert and Kim Kiyosaki and guest Mark Moss discuss Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum, and “The Great Reset”.

However even the complicit Kissinger is concerned about US warmongering.
Mr. Kissinger sees today’s world as verging on a dangerous disequilibrium. “We are at the edge of war with Russia and China on issues which we partly created, without any concept of how this is going to end or what it’s supposed to lead to,” he says.

And to augment the surveillance state, how about 87,000 new armed IRS agents targeting those making less than $200,000?

J6, 87,000 IRS agents, and the raid are all connected. They want us divided into those who will comply and those who will not. This is important before they move forward with their plans for The Great Reset. They want lists, so they’re attempting to start a civil war. It’s a cold civil war now, but it may turn hot soon.

The piece continues...

But as more Americans are put on lists and the so-called risk of “domestic terrorism” rises in the form of fearmongering narratives, we will see more 4 am raids on patriots. It won’t just be the high-profile targets like Roger Stone or Peter Navarro. They will be hitting as many average Joe Americans as possible. We’ve seen what happens when nations embrace this police state authoritarianism, and the United States is showing major signs of following suit. The jackboots are coming.

That's why I titled this, First they came for Trump...

We have so many emergencies around the world, but instead of addressing these life threatening issues, we wage more war. (8 min)

A strong United States is the key to world peace and global prosperity. It's the myth that perpetuates the U.S.'s quest for military dominance. But if the U.S. war machine does not stop and the country is always ready to use force to advance its hegemonic interests, how will the world achieve peace?

Why? Profits play a big role. (8 min)

Is the U.S. involvement in Ukraine a defense of democracy or lining the pockets of politicians and businessmen? Which U.S. companies have consistently been among the world's most valuable? America is the world's largest arms exporter by a massive margin. Exactly how much does the U.S. dominate the market? A CGTN special investigates "The Military-Industrial Factor".

The Business of War: Profit from conflict (6 min)

Countries around the world are aware of US bullying to maintain hegemony.

South African minister rejects bullying about Russia from Europe and calls US House bill offensive. Minister of International Relations, Doctor Naledi Pandor hosted U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken on August 8, 2022, for a South Africa-United States Strategic Dialogue. The US House bill mentioned is the Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act.

I like to close these pieces with something positive. There are many inspiring people and projects.
We desperately need to cooperate around the world to, for one thing, address weather weirding.
Europe's rivers are running dry as the climate crisis worsens (9 min). It isn't just in Europe, droughts (or floods) are common wolrd wide including the States. Life to change for 40 million people as Colorado River continues to dry up "This is not a drought, this is aridification," Rhett Larson, a water law professor at Arizona State University, said. "This is not something we can wait out. This is not something we can survive. This is the new world we live in."

So you may be thinking there's no way we can address problems like drought....but we can. People have on a large scale... 5 Most Epic Earth Healing Projects!

Fast forward through the ad in the middle

So you may be thinking, yeah but what can I do as an individual. Look how the host in the previous clip lives on a 1/3rd acre urban lot in Corvallis, Oregon. (30 min)

Turns barren suburban lot into high-yield Microfarm & YT studio
Andrew Millison has spent the past 12 years turning a grassy yard into a high-yielding microfarm with more than enough produce, eggs and honey to feed his family.
Every corner of his front, back, and side yard is covered with fruits, vegetables, cover crops, bee hives, chicken coops, grey water treatment plants, and even a bamboo forest that supplies garden fencing.
He intentionally planted fruit all along the perimeter of his corner lot to feed the neighborhood, as well as plenty of native flowers to encourage pollinators.
Millison, who teaches online permaculture courses at Oregon State, turned an old shed on the property into his home office so he can now take breaks to tend his garden while working:
“For me, it's the perfect relationship between work and garden because I'll be sitting here and I'll think the chickens are being really loud, and I’ll go and see they're out of food or I'll hear the humming of the bees and suddenly be like ‘oh my god my bees are swarming.’ I feel like my work and play relationship is very nice.”

4 min

So to close out, do you really think Trump's "crime" of keeping documents required the extreme, to my mind, over the top, search before using less aggressive measures to procure the paperwork? Do you think it odd the Judge who signed off on the search warrant had been CIA asset Jeffry Epstein's lawyer and an Obama donor? We'll see. Perhaps there will be some world threatening files there. My guess is the arrogant elite overplayed their hand and the episode will reveal, yet again, the incompetence of the Biden administration.

I look forward to your comments, ideas, and thoughts below. Have a good Sunday!

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Comments

It sounds like the corporate government's divide and conquer strategy has progressed beyond going after the populace. Now it is eating itself. This may be a good development? We'll see.

Some Sunday morning tinkle music ..

Thanks for the watch LO!

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Lookout's picture

@QMS

...and shitting on us.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA6XgCt0xSM]
Tulsi Gabbard: There is no turning back

Thanks for the tune and scenery.
Here's one back atcha..
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9zMbkc45KM]

Have a good one!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout

Gives the tune a sense of danger!

Tulsi is great. I guess if one wants to make an imprint on the political circus
it is good to be media based. Like comedians, game show hosts and talking heads.
Or cartoon characters even!

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8 users have voted.

@Lookout is accelerating her rightward drift and is positioning herself for a regular Fox gig, where she can conduct more softball interviews with R officials.

Her comments were a combination of platitudes, buzzwords and overreaction in ways meant to please her Fox audience. Not persuasive in the least.

I was a supporter in the 2020 cycle for her solid anti-regime change stance, alone among Ds as far as office holders seeking the presidency. From what I've seen of her lately, she will no longer have my considerable support as she doesn't seem fully supportive of the concept of no one being above the law and seems more interested in finding a friendly home where the dark forces on the right dwell.

She began her rant with "Regardless of what one thinks of Donald Trump" but conveniently left out a clear expression of exactly what she thinks of Trump outside of the current investigation. Not very courageous but consistent with someone about to transition politically.

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Lookout's picture

@wokkamile

But the get Trump regardless of abuse of power stance, I can't buy. I like Tulsi's take. You don't. Fine we can agree to disagree about this topic.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@wokkamile

Trump, it would water down and distract from her message about our
law-enforcement/intel/justice cabal and it's ominous dip into Stasi-like behavior and rhetoric/threats.

That issue came up a lot in the fifties and sixties, criticize McCarthy and somebody would be sure to snidely ask why one didn't also criticize Russia. The answer is simple - "not relevant". US political discussions seemingly always have been and still are shockingly full of irrelevant material and considerations.

all men are mortal
Socrates is a man
ergo Socrates is mortal
Q.E.D.

But Hey! What about his cheap ass toga, huh?
--- Not Relevant.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris Tulsi will have another opportunity quite soon on her next Fox appearance or the one after to finally come clean about her feelings about Trump, and in a context where she doesn't have to digress. It's always a good time to clarify matters, esp wrt her former backers from the left like me, but also because she is holding herself out as quite the exemplar of rectitude on moral/ethical/legal norms and rights.

Of course, I don't buy her Fox-friendly over-the-top attempt to portray Merrick The Meek as something from the Stasi/Gestapo. Centrist MG strikes me as too cautious and too willing to avoid major controversy, and so I'm fairly confident there is some real there there in the docs, not just innocuous doodling from the Oval. He likely felt at a certain point, after many months, he had no choice but to act, and failure to do so might have led to a major rebellion in the DOJ ranks. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@wokkamile

is no such thing as a centrist, even back in the days of the chamber of deputies. Today it is some flavor of conservative, how conservative varies, but for sure conservative.

I'm reminded of old go along to get along Panetta, moderate to an extreme, worked with both sides and, when made director of the CIA immediately absolved everybody in the agency, past, present and future of any responsibility or culpability for any and all war crimes so long as they said that they thought they were somehow obeying somebody's orders, not a legit defense per Nuremberg, but, we're exceptional.

be well and have a good one

edit, changed blockquotes to italics

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

enhydra lutris's picture

@QMS

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Thanks Lookout.

Much to digest & worthy of comment.

For the moment, here's Ron Paul from 1988 - on the good reasons for abolishing the FBI, CIA,
Federal Reserve and IRS and more - even more relevant today...

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Lookout's picture

@Blue Republic

The selective blindness today is staggering...from COVIDiots, to Ukraine Nazi supporters, and now to cheering on the FBI? What happened? Incompetence reigns supreme these days.

Chime in more often as you browse through today's column, if you like.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

snoopydawg's picture

Here’s more information on it from my local rag

This is the backside of the mountains seen from Ogden and the ski resort that was Utah’s best kept secret till the Olympic came here. Tickets that were $8 a day are now over $100 and the lines are long. But it’s also a great place in the summer with a gondola going up to just below the rocks on the peak on the right. Hiking, biking, horse riding and in the past we rode our motorcycles up to the top. There is also a nice lodge and restaurant just a few yards from the gondola.

The peaks are more impressive than they show cuz of the wide angle lens.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Lookout's picture

@snoopydawg

Did the meteor land or just burn up?

We once worked our way up the Rockys from Glacier up to Jasper NPs. Loved riding the gondolas and hiking. So different from the hills we call mountains. Switzerland really has that gondola/hiking/skiing thing down.

Thanks for the booming news. Hey to Sam!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

snoopydawg's picture

@Lookout

But the article talks about how much money the rocks could be if people find them. The boom was heard in a large area including the Uintas where I’ve been camping 100 miles away and even in Idaho. People didn’t know what it was until others started sending in video. Lots of ring cameras captured the meteor across the state. I didn’t hear it cuz I sleep with ear plugs and have a fan on high. I did hear the earthquake because I think the shockwave preceding it woke me up. It sounded like a big gust of wind in the trees.

From the picture it looks like it passed just north of me. I’m just a bit south of the peak on the left. I can be in the foothills in about 5 minutes depending on if I have to stop for the light. Lots of hiking and biking trails scattered through the hills. Also the mountain is much steeper than shown. Much.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Lookout's picture

@snoopydawg

Some are worth big money especially the iron based ones, but you can buy common ones for a hundred or so.
https://www.meteorite.com/meteorites-for-sale/

The Antarctic and arctic are prime collecting sites because they are easy to spot out on the ice.

Thanks for the spacey story!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

that it seems highly improbable that any major reprioritizing of our so called “national security” strategy will happen. There seems to be no ‘Plan B’, only to continue with the current program of the violent taking of the resources and assets of lesser nations, eventually including its own people’s as well, in the ongoing effort to prop up our failing economic system and our massive national debt.

Until the global economic system embraces a multi polar configuration and leaves the US$ to its inevitable death spiral, there will be little chance of even a moment of Peace On Earth.

It didn’t need to be this way.

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Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes

Lookout's picture

@ovals49

Alex last week talked about the way everything has backfired on the collective west...from sanctions to the Putin regime the change. We end up reaping what we sow/project. So he continues saying the collective west espouses exporting democracy to Ukraine, but in the mean time is becoming corrupt, fascist Ukraine. Everything has backfired.
USD supremacy is already crumbling as the Brics+ nations begin using one another's currencies. You gotta admit it is interesting, this end of empire ride.

Take care and be well.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

I'm sitting here watching Face the Nation and they are all complaining about people losing faith in our system and institutions. Blaming everything on Trump and his language. They have continuously propagandized everyone for decades to turn on each other, never believing that they won't eventually turn on them. Not a fan of Trump's but he called the FBI the biggest illegal organization. No truer words were ever spoken.

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Lookout's picture

@Enchantress

ammo to the shitlibs. But as you suggest, it is beginning to backfire. Blaming their repeated failure on him has less and less impact. Taibbi suggests in his book, Hate,Inc, the Clinton telecommunication bill set up the selective news media, starting with Faux news carving out the rethugs and MSDNCIA going for the shitlibs. It was also the start of 24/7 news rather than just an AM and PM summary by the likes of Walter Cronkite et al. No more shared experience but your own selective bubble of reality.

Thanks for the visit!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout @Lookout

Thanks.

be well and have a good one

edit fixed type in subject line

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@Enchantress @Enchantress and thank you for Facing and saving the rest of us from the agony. I haven't watched any of the commercial TV programs for at least 5 years, probably longer. I quit watching cable TV when my provider decided to encrypt and require me to "lease" a settop box to unscramble the signal. Somehow I considered paying for "commercial-free" TV (as promised during the raygun years) and getting an excess of those commercials to be a breach of contract.

But then cable doesn't have to follow FCC guidelines... another raygun gift. As Lookout points out this "deregulation" was reinforced by the guy who was supposed to be on my side as I listened to the sucking sound of my jobs heading off to far away shores.

But I digress, sorry.

I believe that anyone with even a modicum of history education and critical thought has to immediately recognize that Trump was not the cause of this situation but the result of it. The conditions for the people living in the plantation shacks caused them to become very unhappy with those in the plantation mgmt structure. Trump was their rallying cry.

Unfortunately for the raygun educated, Harvard Business School ethics standards, cabal they will never allow that to happen. Now get back in the fields that you used to own and sharecrop for the owners.

As I said before... this is NOT a left-right issue. It is a top and the downtrodden issue.

I'll try not to let myself become as upset as I have been since the scuba days. (added on edit: I most definitely was not scuba)

I might add a little picture I stumbled upon as I wandered thru the "right-wing" socialist internets (as someone who was there in the beginning, it was socialistic)...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FZkXwK0UYAAIDfc?format=png&name=small

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Lookout's picture

@exindy

And I'll paste in your picture...

FZkXwK0UYAAIDfc.png

Thanks for the addition!

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17 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout I haven't done any commenting anywhere for quite a while, just lurking and reading. Trying to cope.

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Lookout's picture

@exindy

just jump into the conversation when you're motivated. You are always welcome on this every Sunday column, and I'm sure anywhere in the c99 community.

Welcome!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

mhagle's picture

They sent us a letter this week . . .

"Record high temperatures and high fuel costs charged to us by our supplier, continue to impact cooperative electric bills. The month of July had 25 days of temperatures at 100 degrees or higher. Power costs fluctuate monthly and have been especially high this summer. As the largest natural gas producing state in the U.S., Texas has been exporting natural gas to other countries at a higher price than what it would sell for here, due to the ban on Russian natural gas in European countries. Due to Federal Regulations, drilling for natural gas has slowed down and the resulting shortage is driving prices higher. Therefore, all electric utilities across the state are experiencing the same increase in costs.

As your member owned, not for profit cooperative, we are here to help you get through this tough time. If you are struggling to pay your electric bill, you may call one of the agencies listed here and on our website to see if you qualify for assistance. You may also consider enrolling in Budget Billing for a more consistent bill amount. Budget Billing averages your monthly bill amount based on past usage. Call the office and see if you qualify for this option."

At the end they list four agencies offering financial assistance.

Wow. Corporate Greed again. Not a very well thought out plan when nobody can afford their electric bill. Ours was $550 in May, $710 in June, and $759 in July. Our monthly budget does not even come close to allowing for this rise in cost. For many years I have budgeted $350/mo for electricity. Usually, it is much less than that. Last month we started serious conservation and used our savings to install some solar. Solar companies are price gouging in a major way as well as the cost was based on $710/month rather than $350/month. Still waiting on our electric company to install the new meter so not enjoying the benefits of solar yet.

What will be the unintended consequences of the greatly increased cost of electricity in Texas? Family in the upper-midwest have not seen raised electricity prices. Is it only Texas?

121 degrees is the highest I saw on our outdoor thermometer in the sun. We have one in the shade as well which is usually 5 - 10 degrees lower. I have been trying to keep some things alive in the garden, but now vow I will never garden this way again here. Controlled climate is the only way to go as I see it.

Dr. Deb Tolman is building an underground greenhouse using Earthship technology. I volunteered to come over and help with the tire-filling stage and that should probably happen this week. My husband bought a backhoe attachment for his tractor this past year and you can get smaller solar kits on eBay for not much $$. Still would use hay bales as a growing medium. I'm thinking out loud here.
TSPNewsletterAug22(5).png

Comments? Advice?

Thanks so much Lookout for another wonderful, informative Weekly Watch!

I-m so happy

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Lookout's picture

@mhagle

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvk7Sszh6fg]
This week, we tour the walipini, or pit greenhouse here at Red Gate Farm.

We may have to build our houses this way too to buffer winter cold and summer heat.

Sorry about your high power bills. We get power from TVA nukes through a rural coop, and luckily for us pay only $130/month for both the house and barn meters. Good luck with your solar project. My understanding is the new dim inflation increasing bill includes tax credits for solar, so maybe it will help with this years taxes?
https://www.leafscore.com/blog/the-federal-solar-tax-credit-is-now-30-un...

Stay cool and hope y'all finally got some rain!

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10 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

mhagle's picture

@Lookout

That's another design to consider. Thanks!

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2 users have voted.

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

@mhagle

the existing one, on our electric bill. Same kinda do-do. Your energy bill will double in a couple of months. So why do we sell our gas and oil overseas? Profit. Who pays for shortages? We do.
We also subsidize the domestic extractors to the tune of zillions. Go figure.

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8 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@QMS

In the UK many are refusing to pay.

Don’t Pay UK campaign: What happens if I refuse to pay my energy bills?

A new campaign aims to persuade one million people to stop paying their bills if energy prices aren’t cut.

UK charities are warning people of the severe consequences of not paying their energy bills, as a campaign to stop payments from October gains momentum.

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11 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@mhagle @mhagle can be bought out without a vote, or sell energy outside the co-op without a vote. nobody on the board is stupid enough to do that. They are all local businessmen and women, and they do not want the animosity from their localities that would ensue.
I know many retirees and disabled who live on $700 per month. Those electric bills would ruin them in a matter of months.
I am glad you went solar, even if on some small scale. I got the estimates, and in my situation, this is something I should have done 10 years ago. No way I will live long enough to get to break even, would never see a savings.
I dream of retiring in 2 or 3 years, but it getting to be just a pipe dream. Every call to my office in the last 2 weeks has asked the question, "will you take your fees in payments?" I haven't done that since 2007. But, I did take a couple of new cases in, did accept a payment in increments.
Fair is fair.

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7 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

ggersh's picture

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WM_R-6AKHE]

https://www.theautomaticearth.com/2022/08/debt-rattle-august-14-2022/

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10 users have voted.

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

Lookout's picture

@ggersh

I love this song by friend (deceased) Dennis Dunn, FL songwriter
Little Gray Mockingbird

Say Civil War often enough and you're libel to bring it on. It seems almost on purpose perhaps to create violence no matter what, even if it takes a false flag event, in order to cancel/postpone the elections?

Loved your image from the other day...
StarterPack.jpg

Hope all is well in your world!

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10 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

ggersh's picture

@Lookout

Say Civil War often enough and you're libel to bring it on. It seems almost on purpose perhaps to create violence no matter what, even if it takes a false flag event, in order to cancel/postpone the elections?

Everything is good here, thanks.....and it's all good by you too hopefully.

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6 users have voted.

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

enhydra lutris's picture

@ggersh

thanks, be well and have a good one

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8 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

ggersh's picture

@enhydra lutris thanks for that and be well

Why we need Wolve's

https://twitter.com/mikehudema/status/1558292815628718080

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10 users have voted.

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

@ggersh Reminds me of the "rewilding" of the a farm in UK. Much of 1,400 acres were left to itself.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knepp_Wildland

Sorta long video.

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7 users have voted.
ggersh's picture

@MrWebster without human interference. Mother Nature always knows best, not "Father"

Nice video, it is well worth listening to regardless of whether you own land or not, thanks for sharing!

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4 users have voted.

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

remember how the media was accused of helping Trump get elected because of the non stop coverage of every PT Barnum-esq utterance that he bloviated? Well, here we are again, Trump living rent free in the heads of both sides of the political aisles. Trump garnered massive free publicity from the media and talking heads and it looks like it's happening again.

I peruse the comment sections of a few right wing sites to keep abreast of the thoughts that are knocking around in their propaganda soaked noggins. I do the same for the left wing sites and their propaganda soaked noggins as well. I consider it due diligence.

There were many right wingers that were upset with Trump and had jumped ship. The reasons? Trumps promotion and his fast tracking of the MNRA vaccines and his statement about taking guns first and due process afterwards, which lead to a widening of the red flag laws. That's the two biggies with them. They very much reminded me of how many on the left were disenchanted with Clinton and Obama, not for the same reasons mind you, but still disaffected to the point of not voting anymore or voting for someone other than their party. The Mara Lago raid has fired their base back up and brought the naysayers back into the fold along with many that would never have voted for Trump. BIG TIME!

My take: IMHO, I've learned not to take anything at face value anymore. There's a war going on in the US. It's a war for your mind.

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12 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@JtC

The dimwits have set him up to win again in '24, IMO.

One reason we need to use our critical thinking skills...

There's a war going on in the US. It's a war for your mind.

Slowly, slowly, then all at once. So the empire falls. Y'all take care and have a lovely Sunday!

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13 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

really see bundling Alex Jones with Bannon and Trump. The latter two were clearly targets of a politically motivated vendetta and witch hunt. They're both contemptible, but, nonetheless were the victims of improperly motivated persecutions and prosecutions that were unrelated to any actual criminality they may have indulged in.

Alex Jones is an entirely different matter what he willfully and maliciously did in the pursuit of enhanced profits crossed a clear line, he got sued and he, quite predictably lost and now gets to pay the victims of his action a tiny fraction of what his behavior earned him. It's not like his narrative was the product of some investigative reporting, or an innocent mistake of fact. There is no way in hell he is in any way a victim in this matter.

I think the only thing linking the 3 of them is hubris. Alex Jones came to think that he could say anything and everything whatsoever about anybody and everybody, for profit, and that nobody could ever do anything about it. If he didn't know better, he should have, and if he didn't have couinsel, he should have.

Bannon was a grifter who thought he would never get caught and, given entry into the Trump inner circle, also came to believe that if he did get caught Trump would bail him out. An unrelated Democrat political conspiracy swept him up as a trump minion, his house of cards tumbled and Trump didn't save him. Some sort of extension of the "fruit of the tree" doctrine could arguably apply in his case but how much, how far and to what. It's sort of like you get rousted and jacked up by the cops because you flipped them off but are carrying contraband, stolen goods, counterfeit money and the take from an armed robbery you just committed at the time. You try to run, dropping the swag, which spreads out across the sidewalk, and get caught, just as the victim of the strong arm comes running up. How much is tainted? Should you walk completely? Maybe you should've been a tad more circumspect, maybe not, hard to say, but you're clearly a victim, although also a perp.

Trump, another grifter also overstepped a bit. Yes, victim and persecuted and all that as part of the great Democrat conspiracy. The bust is one thing that may be valid. Trump signed a law while in office, probably aimed at HRC, that applied to him. Beyond that it sounds like he would've violated some already existing ones. The feds get really torqued anytime you take home, even innocently, stuff covered by any kind of confidentiality, even shit simply stamped "for official use only". If they know or reasonably suspect you did so, they will come after you and it, and like as not they will give no warning in advance to keep you from ditching it. That applies all up and down the food chain. That triggered some outcry as to the whole history of the war on Trump, which is good, but if appears that as to this one event, he overreached and it bit him in the ass.

So, up until a week or two ago, Bannon and Trump were both long-standing victims of long running multiple abuse of process shenanigans for which the abusers should be brought to justice and the victims should at least be pitied if not even granted a bit of a pass because "fruit of the tree". The raid on M-A-L might or might not be connected with that, it depends on how it was initiated and whether the appropriate is were dotted and ts crossed and all that shit.

The Dems need to be held to account but I don't know how. Hunter and Papa Joe need to be dealt with to the extent of the legal facilities available, seemingly involving at least special prosecutors, impeachment, FCPA and other je ne sais pas, though the FCPA is worthy of mockery (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act).

Rash Limbo Alex Jones, however, used a hatchet on somebody, willfully and without coercion or cause and that kind of shit costs unless one is Carrie Nation. C'est la vie. The government may not censor one's speech in advance, but juries very much can extract vengeance after the fact. It is totally unrelated to the ongoing war on those who say bad things and indulge in wrong thinking.

be well and have a good one

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7 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Lookout's picture

@enhydra lutris

on the legal issues of the Jones case IMO
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM_qVQdAjyo&t=2690s]

Although Jones admits he was wrong about Sandy Hook and has apologized, a fine for suffering might be appropriate. However the award seems excessive to me. The goal is to destroy his program "Infowars" and eliminate his point of view. I must admit to never having watch the show, just clips others have curated. Again, to my mind, using courts for political purposes.

Of course YMMV.

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9 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout

not a government prosecution. The goal of the jury, I'm pretty sure, was more to make the sob pay for what he did than to shut down infowars. It would take a ton more than that to shut down infowars.

be well and have a good one

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6 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

snoopydawg's picture

up
9 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Lookout's picture

@snoopydawg

what a colossal structure and collapse. Wonder if they called it the American Empire?

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9 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

snoopydawg's picture

Gestapo the Steal

To America’s political Left, serving its masters in the runaway deep state, reality itself must be portrayed as “baseless,” as in nothing to see here, folks. Is it any wonder, then, that half the country has gone mental. The reality they don’t want you to see is that the intel-and-surveillance agencies of our Republic have taken on a rogue life of their own as a dominant “fourth branch of government,” and that some time ago they embarked on a crime spree against anyone threatening their operations.

That would include especially target number one: Donald Trump. For a masterful explication of how this amazing clusterfuck developed, I commend you to The Conservative Treehouse website where the writer who styles himself as “Sundance” put together a four-part report on how the original sin of RussiaGate metastasized into the stage-four cancer of institutional necrosis that culminated in this week’s raid on Mar-a-Lago.
….

Despite all attempts to disable him in office, Mr. Trump, as president, got to see an awful lot of classified material, including all the evidence of Hillary Clinton’s Russia Collusion hoax, abetted by the FBI, the DOJ, CIA, and DOD, plus all the lawless shenanigans that took place in the FISA court. A lot of it was assembled when, late in the game, Mr. Trump was finally able to appoint Directors of National Intelligence he could trust — Ric Grenell and then John Ratcliffe — who wrested many documents out of the foot-dragging agencies. Further maneuvers by artful Attorney General William Barr — the appointment of John Durham as Special Counsel and his drawn-out investigations — kept Mr. Trump from releasing any declassified RussiaGate material ever since. The catch was: he still had bales of that evidence in his possession among the personal papers he took with him from the White House.

Now, it also happens that in March of this year Mr. Trump filed a lawsuit in Florida against Hillary Clinton and many entities and persons who abetted the construction of RussiaGate. The person assigned to preside over the case was magistrate judge Bruce Reinhart, a one-time DOJ attorney who had been involved in the 2007 Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking prosecution, and who then mysteriously switched sides in mid-litigation and signed on as a lawyer for Epstein. Epstein was soon let off of serious charges with a wrist-slap, amid suspicions that he was an intel agency operative who required protection. And, of course, now Mr. Epstein is dead, offed under highly mysterious circumstances while in federal custody.

Bruce Reinhart was involved in the 2013 government defense of IRS officer Lois Lerner, who never answered for targeting conservative organizations for tax punishment and “losing” thousands of emails pertaining to the cases. Bruce Reinhart also left a long record of social media posts denouncing Mr. Trump for one thing or another. Yet, he remained as presiding judge over the Trump lawsuit against Hillary, et al., in Florida since March and then suddenly recused himself on June 22 of this year. Naturally, many of the aforesaid unclassified documents in Mr. Trump’s possession would be introduced as evidence in an effort to prove that Hillary Clinton sought to defame and defraud him over the confected Russia Collusion story.

And so it happened that Bruce Reinhart was just the right person for the FBI to seek a warrant from, though the choice looks ludicrous now. And hence, the desperate raid on Mar-a-Lago to get that trove of evidence, especially with an election looming that could transform congress and lead next year to a raft of investigations into the corrupt intel-and-surveillance deep state. Of course, it’s laughable to imagine there aren’t copies of all that material in other places, so it’s not as though the FBI can make the evidence just disappear. But the apparent object of the move is to hastily convict Mr. Trump in a DC federal district court on any Mickey Mouse charge involving his dispute with the National Archives that would, theoretically, prevent him from running again in 2024.

One must wonder if Mr. Trump did not catch the FBI (and DOJ) in a “rope-a-dope” operation of his own. He’d just come off a successful primary season in which over 90 percent of his endorsees won their races. The midterm elections look increasingly dire for the Democrats, the Party of Chaos, as led by the transcendentally incompetent “Joe Biden.” In June, Mr. Trump had met at Mar-a-Lago with FBI agents and produced many documents requested under a subpoena. Were the FBI and DOJ alarmed by what Mr. Trump handed over then, and did it suggest there was plenty of other material, possibly more damaging, in the former president’s collection headed into court? The momentous lawsuit against Hillary — which gets no coverage in the Left agit-prop news media — is not over.

As for Hunter Biden it’s not only his laptop that is being covered up for the last 3 years it’s also his cocaine use and his gun being disposed of improperly. Joe the dad is sure harsh on anyone in the lower class who uses drugs, but not so for Hunter who was kicked out of the navy for drug use and immediately got a job on board Burisma and lots of other times he’s been photographed being high on drugs.

51 former intelligence agents signed a letter stating that the information about Hunter’s laptop was Russian propaganda and the entire left media squashed the story.

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9 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Lookout's picture

@snoopydawg

and follows the suppositions in the WW today.
Thanks!

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6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

the eyes of the West or the MSM.

Scott Ritter sums it up quite well.

https://www.rt.com/russia/560561-ukraine-nuclear-powerplant-attack/

Ukraine and its Western backers should be held accountable for the ‘suicidal’ attack on Europe’s largest nuclear powerplant

The US secretary of state hoped to make Russia look like a ‘nuclear terrorist’. Instead, he implicated himself

The full article can be viewed at the RT link.

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12 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@humphrey

along with sanctions, regime change, and so on.

Thanks for the update!

up
6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

snoopydawg's picture

@humphrey

https://www.rt.com/russia/560778-zaporozhye-kakhovskaya-nuclear-shelling/

I’m on my phone so won’t excerpt this but good lord what is the pentagon thinking? I don’t think that Biden is so far gone that he’s willing to risk a nuclear accident. Except that it won’t be an accident. Or are they so gung ho to take out Russia that they would do it? Did they get Europe’s permission because if Russia is damaged too much there goes the gas and everything else they get from Russia! Madness and insanity in those running this shit show!

Hmmm….

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10 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Lookout's picture

@snoopydawg

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44fRqnS0SUk]
He takes you to a beautiful orthodox church which I've left in. His discussion begins at the about5m16s mark

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5 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@snoopydawg

Oligarchs controlled by and beholden to "The West" (US) control all of the resources such as hydrocarbons, minerals, infrastructure, etc.

be well and have a good one

up
9 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

karl pearson's picture

This article suggests that Bill Clinton officiated at the marriage of the deep state and DNC.

The original neo-conservatives in the 1970s had failed to drag the Democratic Party back toward the center. But Bill Clinton and the "New Democrats" did just that, in the 1980s and 1990s.

The article provides a concept map for the neoconservative movement beginning after WWII. We are now in the 2nd wave of neoconservatism. The article is almost 20 years old, but provides a "who's who" in this movement. The author thinks this destructive 2nd wave is temporary. Ha! Ha!

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13 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@karl pearson

Thanks for the article and confirmation.

Nice to "see" you this Sunday. Have a good one!

up
7 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

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12 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@humphrey

Thanks.

up
7 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Lookout's picture

Max has an insiders background and has some interesting views.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoMcHAyh_vM]

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7 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

"It cannot be denied that Fascism and similar movements aiming at the establishment of dictatorships are full of the best intentions and that their intervention has, for the moment, saved European civilization. The merit that Fascism has thereby won for itself will live on eternally in history."
- Ludwig von Mises

I prefer a "liberal dictator" to "democratic government lacking in liberalism."
- Friedrich Hayek

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5 users have voted.

you do! Brilliant composition, interesting, well-sourced, covering so many current events of which we all need to stay apprised.
There is just a lot of issues this FBI raid raises that look so staged and timed. Instead of a real show of force, it makes the FBI look like wussy idiots. This has nothing to do with two-tiered justice. It has more to do with police being political tools. I have seen it on a local level time and time again, (arrest an opponent, drag it out, get elected, case dismissed) but at the highest national level, it erodes the integrity of the institution. And the obviousness started with Her and the DNC. Maybe it is a good thing it is being outed.
It is 90, feels like 100. Trees and flowers are dying, and creeks are running dry. The moisture of a 30 minute hard rain is gone by the next day. 90 deg. feels like 100 deg. No rain forecast until some 60% chance next weekend. Talk about a long, hot, summer!
That video of the wolves almost brought tears. There is a beauty and majesty in nature that is unsurpassed by anything mankind has done, or will ever do.
Thanks!

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12 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

Thanks. I hope you catch some rain soon! We went through that one summer...river dried up, forest was wilted, grass would crunch. It is painful and I feel for you.

We've been lucky this summer. Wish y'all the best...cooler temps and some rain.

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7 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout if you will be around during the Thanksgiving holiday. We are still in planning stage. I have some flexibility, courts will not have dockets during that Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's holidays.
I raised cattle and hay during a drought that lasted several years, so I am familiar with the water and lack of rain stuff. I have had the water supply co. telling me when I can water my lawn or garden. This is different, perhaps my age, when I look at trees and bushes in my yard that I planted 20 years ago, see them on the verge of dying. 10 years ago, I would be saddling up 2 horses, giving them a 30 minute workout in my arena, no problem. Now, I can barely sit outside and observe the bird feeders and bird bath. On the other hand, maybe it is not age. It is climate change. 90 deg. once felt like 90. I romp and stomp all day, every day, inside in the a/c.
If I moved north, I would IMMEDIATELY buy a horse.

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6 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

might have been telling the truth.

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2022/08/11/US-warns-of-sa...

The State Department said Thursday it would “vigorously” enforce all US sanctions on Russian and Iranian arms trade, doubling down on previous comments by US officials that Tehran was training Russian officials on drones.

The Biden administration first revealed last month that it had information about Russia and Iran discussing the potential sale of Iranian drones for Russia to use in Ukraine.

“During the last several weeks, Russian officials conducted training in Iran as part of the agreement for UAV transfers from Iran to Russia,” a US official told Al Arabiya English on Wednesday.

Asked about these reports, State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel said the US assessed the Russian officials “recently received a showcase of Iranian attack capable UAVs.”

From 2 sources that I consider reliable we get this.

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/08/iran-confirms-drone-sale-to-russia...

Iran Confirms Drone Sale To Russia - But What Will It Buy In Exchange?
Small birds do not taste well and their small bones makes eating them a fickle. I will have overcome that though as I will now have to eat some crow.

On July 12 Moon of Alabama headlined:

No, Iran Will Not Deliver Armed Drones To Russia

In March this year we were treated to an onslaught of obviously false claims that China would deliver weapons to Russia for the fight in Ukraine.
...
Now an equally stupid claim was launched by the very same liar who launched the fake Chinese weapons claim.

I, like the other Iran-watch writers I quoted, was wrong.

Elijah J. Magnier, who has excellent contacts within the 'axis of resistance' led by Iran, reports:

Iran and Russia had expanded the level of their strategic cooperation in various fields, most recently in space when a Russian rocket launched an Iranian satellite into orbit from the Russian launch facility in Kazakhstan. Iran will undoubtedly benefit from renewing its bank of objectives and identifying more targets related to its enemies based in the Middle East, mainly the US military bases and Israel. Moreover, Russia has signed a contract with Iran to buy 1,000 drones after Iran delivered a few planes and a simulator on which Russian officers trained: they successfully used the first drones in Ukraine. This move is considered unprecedented for a superpower to buy its drones from Iran. Tehran considers this to be recognition of its advanced and effective military industry, achieved despite 43 years of US sanctions on the “Islamic Republic”.

According to well-informed sources in Iran, “the purchase of drones by a superpower like Russia is an important indication confirming the quality and development of Iranian industry, which has succeeded in producing the most advanced drones such as the Shahid 129 which can fly for a period exceeding 24 hours. This is what attracted Russia, especially for use in its war in Ukraine.”

Anything above that, an operational-tactical drone that can stay up for a whole day and night and continuously cover the front of one or more brigades is something that Russia has not had so far.

The Iranian Shahed 129 is an equivalent to the U.S. MQ-1 Predator. It has infrared and day optics, a laser designator for precise targeting and it can carry four precision-guided bombs. Its range is 1,500 kilometer which is significantly more then current Russian drones have. Since 2014 these drones have been used by Iran in Syria so Russia will already have has some direct experience with their battle field performance.

I am sure though that Iran will take several years to deliver 1,000 of those. But that may not matter. A few dozen will be sufficient enough for now to continuously cover the whole 2,000 kilometer frontline in Ukraine at the necessary depths.

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6 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@humphrey

in this propaganda laden world. Thanks for bringing both pieces. The US started drone warfare thanks to Obummer.

up
6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Thank you, Lookout.

It is all so dispiriting I decided not to post until I had something cheerful to talk about.

And here it is:

After years of bumblebees becoming very scarce all over NYC, they have returned in force to my balcony!!

Of course, I am careful when I go out to water because i do not want to scare them.

I'm wondering if they are attracted by the buckets of cosmos I planted this year, along with sunflowers which thrived last year also. It doesn't feel like Lower Manhattan out there with these big plants plus large ferns. So much fun for me and for the wildlife as well.

A few weeks ago a speckled falcon (hawk) sat calmly on the balconies ledge and devoured a small bird. This creature was entirely calm as I brought (him? her?) a dish of water and chatted to it Well, Clearly, you're not hungry. Very bold for such a small creature. In the morning I cleared away the tiny bones.

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11 users have voted.

NYCVG

Lookout's picture

@NYCVG

An osprey dined with us on a trip to the coast.
IMG_7591.JPG

Thanks for coming by and reading. The earth healing project toward the end are pretty encouraging.

Congrats on the balcony garden!

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8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Lookout's picture

It is sad to try to take forest creatures out of the forest.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E52rxz2sjRs]
5.5 min

Sleep well!

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7 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

snoopydawg's picture

MUST WATCH

AMEN, Oliver!

up
11 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@snoopydawg Talk about truth to power!

up
6 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

Thanks for posting this one.

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4 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Pluto's Republic's picture

...just to tell you how much I appreciate your show.

It has become a show, in my mind. The videos were remarkable and the conversations and comments were illuminating. Everyone was so sharp and thoughtful.

We are fortunate to have you here during these unusual times.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
Lookout's picture

@Pluto's Republic
cause the world is nuts, and there's primarily voices of sanity in this community, including yours!

Thanks for reading and watching the "show".

up
2 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”