Kirk Gallaway

I don't put much faith in it, but that is interesting Benjamin. I've always thought Woolsey most looked the part of a tortured CIA chief of any chief in the last 40 years. As I remember the story. During the fall of the Iron Curtain in the early 90's, Nicolae Ceausescu', head of Romania came back from a short trip and found the population had turned on him, then escaped in a car into the countryside and were hunted down. Eventually him and his wife were hung. His wife's final public words. " I was a Mother to you all!" .

I bought a generator a long time ago for power failure up in the Mountains. It works well, but it doesn't give you heat and you have to get an ice chest, for food. It's kind of loud because logistically I can't dig a hole for it. But it's been quite a security blanket.

Cory said: If it is not press, but more of a forum for discussion, it is more like a business and can be regulated by the government. Cory, I first started writing this. Then this thread became so bloody personal. I know you see yourself as a conservative, which doesn't obligate you to dot every "i" and cross every"t". A classic conservative, makes no distinction between the social media platforms and the Press. They are both businesses and the government should keep out of private business-period!. . One criticism by the Left of conservatives as hippocrisy is their insistence of not regulating business but wanting to legislate personal matters of the bedroom. Cory said:It is odd that people are concerned with the government regulating -or nationalization as you call it- speech but fine with businesses regulating speech. Regulation of speech by any entity is still regulation. Europe and Canada are by in large much more regulated than the U.S. Still regulation of free speech and commerce is going on all the time. Cliff brought up an example of a man boy -love club, obviously there are businesses that all parties want to ban. But in mainstream examples. It's much more desirable for private media businesses to regulate themselves involving matters of Free Speech, but if not, they go to the courts. But even in the land of the free, it's all out the widow if the political climate gets tenuous. A lot of people don't know but Lincoln shut down newspapers with Federal troops! But now 160 years later, when private media businesses regulate themselves, people cry bloody murder, when they don't agree. The arguments you're hearing here are that the tech companies are a big cabal controlled by the CIA , invoking age old nostalgic images of "Operation Mockingbird" while providing no real evidence, and I know you're an evidence guy. Even RFK Jr.,who is being given as an example , has never said he was booted off Facebook by the government, but in the clip I saw goes after Facebook, Google, Twitter and curiously Pinterest. But people here claim they know better than RFK Jr. However "regulating themselves" doesn't give license for industry cronies to occupy cabinet posts or as lobbyists, to wholesale write legislation for legislators that they've effectively bought. You'd be surprised at some even covering Wall Street saying that corporations should get out of staking the election process. Getting the money out of politics has support of people at both ends of the political spectrum and could do remarkable things, though the thought is inconceivable to some of the dystopian self fulfilling mindset here for example. It would seem to be the single most sweeping thing that could give the American public a sense of real power. What could they really do? Well over time they can try to maneuver around it. After all it is the right of everybody to have the ear of the congressman, and use the conservative courts, (that's why we have to get rid of Citizens United) It won't stop the corporate owned media from owning those corporations, but the corporations still wont be able to finance the politician's elections, and that's big. This thread became a joke, where people making the allegations are being evasive and won't submit to the basic questions to identify their philosophy and proceed from there. I assume a lot of it is because some are hiding but some don't know their philosophy and are just venting all their frustrations and suspicions, like a lot of them up on capitol hill. And some of that's ok. But one thing they do know is they don't like "the elites." But the truth is, a lot of the elites are grimacing, that this pandemic and matters such as the Texas disaster are happening because they exhibit the need for a strong centralized federal government response, at a time when things were going so well for them and they have been so successful at dismantling the" government administrative state" in their words, for many years. Unfortunately IMO, instead of being a rallying cry, the people's response are still fragmented, as you can see by the responses here, blaming the "deep state government" for everything under the sun and that specific scapegoating is exactly what the elites want, to get the other side to distrust their government to aid their plans to dismantle the government. JMO ****

Steve Bannon believed Trump had dementia and plotted to remove him as president, according to new book I don't know what make of this. But according to former "60 minutes" producer Ira Cohen, this was before Banon got fired by Trump in 2017. But he went to Trump major donor Robert Mercer. The timeline is sketchy, but Banon thought he could assume the Presidency, which means he's also clearly delusional! Banon now denies it. Ira Cohen, in the "Skullduggery" apple podcast, talks about his career. All this stuff about Banon, Mike Wallace being a misogynist, being propositioned for sex by Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for her revealing damaging info about Trump and Clinton? says Epstiens death was definitely not suicide. He talks about all we've known about Meyer Lansky blackmailing JEH with compromising photos of JEH with Clyde Tollson. He talks about the ethical questions about cultivating himself to a source. https://www.businessinsider.com/bannon-said-trump-had-dementia-and-plotted-to-oust-him-as-president-book-2021-2

I came into a radio show in my car where the host said the price in Texas went from 12 cents per kilowatt hour to $9000!! Then I came across this article. The wholesale power price was at the maximum allowable $9,000 a megawatt hour for five days from last Sunday. For a household, that translates to a $9 a kilowatt-hour electricity rate, compared with a typical cost of 12 cents. Then this comment from Gov. Abott. Governor Greg Abbott held an emergency meeting on Saturday with senior state officials and legislators to discuss relief for customers hit by spiking bills. “It is unacceptable for Texans who suffered through days in the freezing cold without electricity or heat to now be hit with skyrocketing energy costs,” said Abbot. Yeah no sh-t Sherlock! He better mitigate it or he's political toast! I'm always amazed how these Republican Governors when their cronies completely fleece you then act like they're doing everybody a big favor! Rick Perry"Texans would willingly go without heat or electricity for days rather than give the federal government any more power...". Like that Rick Perry comment that Ron posted, Like for any Lone Star patriot, suffering without heat or electricity is the least they can do for less Federal regulation of his friends! Next he'd be asking Texas citizens to ante up for the decades of short sighted policies and neglect of his cronies! https://www.ft.com/content/0e746280-e72c-4087-9c0d-df2a7af82b77 Hey W. I hope no airline debris fell on your house!

Cliff: It says here: "The articles are by a team of New York Times correspondents consisting of Tom Wicker, John W. Finney, Max Frankel, E.W. Kenworthy and other Times staff members. " But it's not clear who wrote this. https://www.nytimes.com/1966/04/25/archives/cia-maker-of-policy-or-tool-survey-finds-widely-feared-agency-is.html

Dononvan had a string of hits,none were the same, all different styles, moods, instrumentation and arrangements. He did have a touch. He was on the Smothers Brothers a lot in the 60's. "Electrical banana"-- I remember some friends and I heard a rumor and smoked some of the inside peel of a banana trying to get high, but didn't feel anything. Some interesting visions from inside the writhing, belly buttoned Buttholes, Cliff!

Again, invoking the New York Times Jeff? Is there anything they won't do to pressure the social media companies to take away our rights? But...Then I realized it's undoubtedly indelibly printed into your youth. And now it's alright, it's okay And you may look the other way We can try to understand The New York Times' effect on man Maybe....maybe I was looking the other way. I... I think I understand now.. Really Jeff, I didn't see you like that. I didn't know you were quite that stylish. but that's cool! no...really Hey lighten up!. Sure it's contentious sometimes, but everybody's been doing a pretty good job of keeping it under control, except of course, Chris.

Wow, I just came in here. Well there goes the self marketing plan Chris! In this interplay, Your mind has become a cesspool of accusatory pissy little insults. All Cliff has done is turn it on you to see. But obviously you're not even aware of it, but anybody who reads the transcript of it can see it. You owe him an apology. You have no facts, but just your feelings. Screw your feelings! You thought if you wrote enough words, you could magically establish that the government kicked RFK Jr.off facebook, and you assert that Cliff is not very smart for not recognizing that, but in fact you never came close to producing any evidence. Cliff is right. So you're assuming things while producing no evidence then insulting Cliff that he's still asking for the evidence? And every time he asks you for the evidence , you just reel more out of control. If you can't see this. I'd say sorry about your ambitious failure to take the forum by storm. I'd blow off that dream about making it in America, They'd just chew you up and spit you out.

Ron,I've always thought your governor was a douche bag. It was just a feeling, so I felt like who am I to opine, it is your state and you are an informed citizen and I'm not. Have you heard his denials , to Texas citizens, he's blaming it on logistics breaking down for natural gas, but when he goes on Fox News, he's blaming iti on AOC and the "Green New Deal, even though wind power is only 10% of your energy output and talks his Bible of big oil, because that's where his buddies have always made the most profit.. We in California got screwed by, was it Enron price fixers, 15 years ago, we paid exorbitant prices for energy that made it possible the recall of the Governor and the eventually installation of the terminator for a mediocre 1 term. Vital industries such as energy and home heating have to have greater regulation and the citizens shouldn't be mislead that they are better off with a system whose main attribute is greater profits for the already wealthy. It might run into a second segment with Beto. https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-brazen-lie-chris-hayes-calls-out-gov-abbott-fox-news-for-texas-power-grid-lies-101204037611

Just in: Rush Limbaugh's dead at 70! https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/media/rush-limbaugh-obituary/index.html

I know, I heard that Dave. He was easily appointed, got caught trying to gut our postal service during an an election in a pandemic. And we're still hearing his name? How come he's not out of here? **** Agreed W. I think there's at least one person in your last thread whose a climate change denier who thinks it's a scam perpetuated by the elites.

Kirk Said:You should be careful what you wish for. As an anti vaxxer or maybe you see yourself as a vaxxer truther,You should be careful what you wish for. As an anti vaxxer or maybe you see yourself as a vaxxer truther, do you really think you will have more freedom to express that under a government that's pursuing a public policy of vaccination in order to stem the tide of a pandemic and spur an economic recovery. You didn't answer, Dennis. This is an overview question. Cliff's asked specific questions, and you've done nothing but go off on a rant where you throw out everything but the kitchen sink. You're being asked questions about your own proposals where it would seem you're way over your head, and not prepared for the consequences of these proposals.. It's apparent you don't know how things got to be the way they are. This question below is an engaging question any Political Science teacher could ask you. Cliff:You’re avoiding the question. Should the US Government require Instagram — in the name of free speech — to carry RFK Jr.’s anti-vax message? It's not that you haven't brought a couple of valid points in your meanderings. But it was you who've made the proposals, and you're continually not answering them.

Yeah, I do see a lack of detail and context here, particularly from people outside U.S. sometimes about U.S. incursions, but that's understandable. It's not their country. But of course, we can't overlook Clinton trying to take out Bin laden in Sudan!

I agree Cliff, these "strong counter arguments" just disintegrate into retreat. Has Chris defended one point? I've been wondering whether to comment on this. I'll start with W. You know I love your contributions. It's an interesting topic , but you lose focus with 2 paragraphs. The first one I get the impression you want to segue again into expounding about 911, and Benjamin didn't take the bait. The second one is mentioning Litwin. Di Eugenio's obsession with Litwin over the years is like Trump trying to undermine Obama. In the past he's talked about trailing Litwin to other websites. What other authors do that here? WhoTF is Fred Litwin anyway??? If Litwin's books are a commercial success, it's a travesty, and I can understand a professional jealousy. But so much of Litwin is so off the mark. Why are we discussing him at all, except for Jim's obsession? I cringed when I saw Jim starting another thread about him. Just about every other topic is more interesting. IMO W: An example of this approach would be Fred Littwin's latest Warren Commission propaganda being pre-emptively labelled and debunked by James DiEugenio. W. We've discussed 4 years of propaganda much more insidious, much more monumental than this. In fact isn't that what makes your piece timely? 4 years of Trump? How could a small time wimp like Litwin get a mention? ***** Benjamin's right in that the single most offensive policy to elites is Trump's trade policies with China. Still Trump was bungling, corrupt and inept with that. He came into the Presidency owing China Bank 211 million dollars. He actually tried to get Xi to investigate Biden too! Do you think that comes with no strings attached? So he was even prepared to cave at least partially in on that! And about the Mideast, talk about getting sucked into superficial symbolism. Maybe the defense establishment didn't like his rearrangement of deck chairs but they're all still there. It's basically if you like the Saudis and Netanyahu, you're happy and if you're Iranian or Palestinian, you're sad! **** Jimmy Carter was 4 years without a war. Cliff do you remember the first 4 years of Clinton?

My condolences to you guys.That's really raw out there. Yikes, I can barely conceive of Houston's weather! The coasts are always a moderating influence. It's good to see MSM give national attention to the problems in the so called "flyover" middle states. It seems like if there's any major weather news not involving hurricanes or tornadoes, it's always about the Northeast. Yes there is a great population there. But it's always the one weather commiseration story every year. They talk about MSM news being biased to the bi coastal. That's true, but we in the West have always thought that particularly weather and sports have always had an East Coast bias. Everything is just completely normal here. I'm in Morro Bay, midway between LA and SF, and it was in the 60's today.

Dennis, Cliff's right, You should be careful what you wish for. As an anti vaxxer or maybe you see yourself as a vaxxer truther, do you really think you will have more freedom to express that under a government that's pursuing a public policy of vaccination in order to stem the tide of a pandemic and spur an economic recovery, whether you believe that or not? If I started a social media business, and I decide I don't like the content you're providing, I can tell you to go walk, just as it is not a God given right that you can post on twitter. You can choose to try to sue me. If my business becomes so big, and I have no moderation policy, so anybody can say whatever they please(because after all, that's more business for me ,right?) And then a group, starts spreading lies about another group, and say, starts fomenting and coordinating violent attacks on another group. Then soon people are redressing the government to regulate me because I'm perceived as a business whose only attention is to profit and I don't care what happens because the bucks are rolling in. At a certain point I will have to decide that for better public relations and to not have the government come in and regulate me. I will have to regulate myself, clamp down and tell the troublemakers to leave. People can cry about it all they want. Go to another site!.

That's interesting Bob,when they talk of 67 % of Republicans that believe that the election was stolen. Is that registered Republicans? If so,registered Republicans are really only 25% of the population. That would mean that the % of Republicans who believe the election was stolen is really only 16-17% of the total population.

Jeff, I don't think anybody here disagrees with most of your examples. Of course there's always the obligatory mention of "Russia spy gate". I'm sure the Russians would never think of doing such an awful thing that they could do with so little money and effort, with almost certain impunity, because after all, It wouldn't be fair, right? I'm sure no investigation by any number of nation sources corroborating would impress you. Fine. I'm sure it will dog you as your menace, Navalny! heh heh---Ok enough! You're quite the crowd pleaser, Jeff. Who here, wouldn't agree about an article conflating Pizza Gate with the JFKA? But as I sort of said earlier, you're off in your ivory tower about the "intelligentsia". Do you realize how much of America really read that article? My guess is maybe 1%. Do you think those columns are all that powerful, much less to be trendsetting in thought ? Since you've responded to my comments, on the other hand, how many people have been exposed to"pizza gate'. In the tens of millions at least, Jeff! Sean Hannity ran with it for months straight! A person on this very forum ran with it! I'll confess to you the inexcusable Jeff, I read a NYT summary, try to open certain pieces and I'm asked to subscribe and I just move on. Sometimes, when I care enough , which isn't often. I can finagle it through indirect means. Those are my priorities. Whereas you spend a lot of time reading articles about articles. Just different priorities! What we're talking about is the day to day news reality of living in the U.S. I can see where you might be out of touch being a Canadian. In these 2 posts, the point I'm making includes everything, the poisoning of fact based reality to the great masses by Social Media, as well as the erudite commentary to top few % effete that you think so important. So I guess we can agree about that.

6 of Roger Stone's Bodyguards have been found to have breached the Capitol https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/roger-stone-capitol-riots-oath-keeper-b1802276.html Just a thought. If Roger Stone was to face trial again. and a group of anti Warren Report/ JFKA Conspriracy people were to arrive with signs saying we denounce JFKA conspiracy opportunists such as Stone and all Trump conspiracies, how would MSM react to that story? The thought is almost funny, but you may be surprised that the perceived novelty could be the greatest attention getter for the cause as any story in recent years. Though in the present, as all of us, I'm hoping for the most possible success for Destiny Betrayed. ******* Richard says: If the Republicans can thwart an economic recovery under Biden, we will soon be in an untenable place. Boy that's right Richard. And that would inevitably would have been the case if Mitch Mac Connell was running things. The fact that the Democrats narrowly got control is everything, but now they have to deliver.

Glad I'm finally getting some support on this. Yes the JFKA conspiracy movement has been damaged. But it's not by an establishment lead cabal. Call it the egalitarian quality of the social media age. The people making up and zombie spamming this crap up are political partisans who are trying to foment doubt, and distrust with crazy theories to the point that nobody has any fact based faith in anything anymore, to incense then batsh-t crazy people to do they're bidding for them. Including new pseudo experts in "plan"or "pan-demics", vaccinations, climate change, stolen elections, you name it!

The Democrats controlled the process. There was never a witness called in either of these impeachment hearings. They could admit as many witnesses as they want to and deny witnesses to the Republicans if they chose to. But of course they have to be seen as approaching some modicum of fairness. So they didn't. As I said, I think they should have just waited and let the evidence against Trump accrue. But they chose to have the trial. So the Democrats caved, There's no doubt that even having Beutler by Zoom would have had a strong effect but having her testify in person would have had a stirring effect. But the reality is, it may have pushed one or two more GOP Senators to convict but not change the outcome. I suspect the Dems came in that morning with the set position that they'd end up reading the text of what Beutler has said and get it over with quick, because ...... everybody just wants to go home!!!. Keep in mind Trump's base never had a political agenda and was never expecting any sort of tangible political performance by Trump, he's just there to express their personal and cultural frustrations and grievances. As to any substantial evaluation of Trump, they curiously look to the Democrats and the more hot and bothered and the more obsessed the Democrats are to want Trump's hide is the barometer by which they devote themselves to Trump. The best thing the Democrats can do now is just not talk about Trump, but talk about the future,talk about administering relief from the covid pandemic and it's economic displacement, and an infrastructure bill, and do their best to pull it off. Ted Lieu did say it right, the Democrats don't need to worry about Trump winning an election in 2024, but the Republic has to worry about Trump losing in 2024. But even though he controls the majority of the Republican party, now I think he's been sufficiently damaged that even that won't happen. Trump's never been able to hold consistently over 40%. Even with a social media presence, without the bully pulpit, he can't provide a diet of himself every day to everyone anymore. What's he going to do? Some of these people are going to have to move on with their lives just out of necessity. The more people live in their own skin, and start living their own reality, rather than looking to a politician. The more Trump fades into the background.

So the impeachment now won't be settled today. The Democrats have undertaken to change the equation and call for GOP Congress woman Herera Beutler to testify as to Kevin Mc Carthy account to her of his phone call with Trump. They took a vote and 5 Republicans voted with the Dems to take testimony. The usual Collins, Murchowsk, and Romney, but now with Ben Sasse and surprisingly Lindsey Graham, who I would assume is voting to flood the hearings with GOP witnesses to try to expose the hearings as a sham, including according to GOP counsel, the possibility of Nancy Pelosi! But the Democrats for now, want one witness. Who would be next for the Dems, Mike Pence? This certainly is the stuff JFK wrote about. Is this the "Profiles in courage" moment for Kevin Mc Carthy from Bakersfield? Will he do the right thing? Ha ha ha ...joke! This would not have gotten off the ground if the Democrats didn't sweep in the January Georgia runoff and thus control the Senate. But the irony of this is you have to assume the 2 chambers aren't like fortresses and there is some cross talk between them. It looks as if Mc Carthy may have told of his phone call with Trump to several GOP Congressman, maybe a month ago. If Beutler who voted to impeach was included among the GOP congress Mc Carthy talked to, he must have talked to many house GOP! Which of course further exposes the sham Q&A responses by Republicans yesterday in the Senate, where they shoot back that the case the house managers made didn't include an investigation into Trump's "dereliction of duty" while we have to assume most the GOP jurors in the Senate have to heard about Mc Carthy's conversation with Trump and were going to acquit Trump anyway! The GOP counsel Michael van der Veen was understandably upset at the prospect of calling witnesses because he was expecting to wrap this all up today. When he argues rather constipatedly , as he did today, he looks kind of like Jack Klugman!

Yes, the conspiracy hearings have gone into a whole new realm of Republican denial, and in no less than the bottom of the 9th! The sources are Republicans who were told by Kevin Mc Carthy of his phone call with Trump, begging for Trump to send the National Guard.This is really damning of Trump. Trump is caught willfully denying help to Congress in distress. Trump:"Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are," Trump said, according to lawmakers who were briefed on the call afterward by McCarthy. McCarthy insisted that the rioters were Trump's supporters and begged Trump to call them off. Trump's comment set off what Republican lawmakers familiar with the call described as a shouting match between the two men. A furious McCarthy told the then-President the rioters were breaking into his office through the windows, and asked Trump, "Who the f--k do you think you are talking to?" according to a Republican lawmaker familiar with the call. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/538714-trump-told-mccarthy-that-rioters-more-upset-about-the-election-than-you-are Mc Carthy's first statements were somewhat condemning of Trump. But then he ended up going to Mar Lago a couple of weeks ago to patch things up. So of course, now there's no hope Mc Carthy could ever testify before the impeachment trial , because he would have to admit that he ended up just caving in and selling out to Trump all over again.. Not that there was ever much hope of him testifying. But it just goes to show you, the Democrats should have taken their time with this proceeding. Mc Carthy becomes the Josh Bolton of the second impeachment! History could never judge these people fondly, but that doesn't do anything for us now!

It's a bit more complicated than railing against "Corporate conspiracies" or the "Intelligentsia". These are private companies They have every right to boot you off. Right now, they're being scrutinized by the government. In the U.S. elements of both parties are mirroring a public perception of these entities as money grubbing whores who'll let any kind of irresponsible posting from any wacko groups , racist groups or people advocating violence, and they're numerous instances throughout the world where lives have been lost, groups persecuted and murdered! So they are choosing, under pressure to regulate themselves. At the heart of the matter is the philosophical question, are these online sites now so ubiquitous. Are they really like the World Town Square, and hence should be regulated, much as a public utility? The idea of Facebook becoming so ubiquitous is almost beyond my belief, as I think the format completely sucks, as well as almost everything about it. It's a shame because I think I'd welcome such a tool, if it was done right. But the fact is, many my age use Facebook, It's become a habit.. I'm being asked all the time to become friends with people with people that I actually shudder at the idea. And actually I like people. This is what my limited exposure to Facebook has done to me! Unfortunately as I've warned for years now the JFKA is now being lumped in with the great proliferation of truly wacko conspiracies. The Trump Presidency has helped popularize this even more. So now Stone's film might be viewed by Netflix with greater scrutiny. It's a shame, and it could just as easily be reflected in everyday discourse with middle of the road people more apt to "roll their eyes' at any topic approaching "conspiracy talk". That's the legacy of the era we're living through. Everybody with a new slant or an original outlook about these matters suffers. Unfortunately the proliferation of a general conspiracy prone throng gravitating toward the JFKA conspiracy probably is not going to add as much new content as it will generally soil the public perception and will end up lumping the original JFK hallmark conspiracy into an endless barrage of conspiracy theory that will eventually make the everyday person just tune it out as they do campaign ads. Now I hear the right lamenting about the financial losses incurred of "my pillow Guy" Mike Lindell being "conspiratorily banished by Corporate America!" That is laughable, he made himself a controversial figure with his Trump wacko conspiracy theories, and now people don't want to be associated with him. This sort of thing has been going on since the beginning of time. Why do you think corporations or celebrities often avoid bringing up politics? I would have thought Stone would have had a niche with Showtime, as they were the first to do Stone's 12 part was it "Unauthorized Biography of America" as they did with Stone's 8 hour interview with Putin. I regrettably suspect they could fear, because of the general climate that this content is too controversial now.