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Everything posted by Joe Bauer
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I like first hand accounts of the reality of Ukraine life in the context of Bob's posting above. His wife and her children's experiences right there in the now holds rational weight imo.
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Watched some Fox news coverage of the hearing with Laura Ingraham last night. There were permanent subtitles shown with her reporting that proclaimed the Democrats and their charges "Collapsed" and "Witness Burnout" in the hearing and other hyperbolic and completely biased screen scrolls. I hardly ever watch Fox news, but their coverage of the hearing was so alternate reality biased I realized it truly is the epitome of a "Wag The Dog" propaganda machine. The Fox News hearing coverage presentation was so far out of "Fair & Balanced" reporting context it is truly disturbing. Carl Bernstein said recently that he believes we are in a "cold civil war" sparked by the creation and wide spread societal influence of Fox News. Watching them last night regards the Congressional impeachment hearings, I saw this in spades first hand.
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During the hearing today the time line of when the military aid funds to Ukraine were reinstated was discussed. The Republican questioner was trying to establish the Trump defense that the aid was reinstated before Zelensky actually did anything that Trump had supposedly asked him to do earlier before Zelensky could get these funds. So, in this time frame scenario, there was no extortion/bribery because Zelensky didn't start a Hunter Biden corruption investigation and publicly announce this on CNN before the funds flowed. AH HA ! But it was established that Trump's team reinstated the funds soon and only after the whistleblower outed the scheme and just two days after Congress had actually begun the Ukraine investigation. These two facts explain the true reason Trump's people finally ( after a 55 day hold ) released the funds. The extortion intent of this shadow diplomacy scheme was not excused because Zelensky didn't get to doing what Trump wanted. However, Zelensky "had agreed" to do this. The circle of the extortion action was legally complete once Zelensky simply "agreed" to his extortionist's demands. A democratic Congressman asked Taylor and Kent if "attempted extortion" and "attempted bribery" were crimes. They both deferred not saying either way. However, if you look up the legal definition of attempted crimes versus fully enacted ones ( regards extortion and bribery ) there are interpretations of both beings crimes with some exceptions regarding attempted actions. The Repub defense of saying since Zelensky didn't actually go through with the Biden corruption investigation quid pro quo demand before he got the military aid funds there was no crime, is ridiculous. This shadow diplomacy action by Trump/Guiliani of by passing our constitutional bound state department protocols is so dangerous on it's face in undermining established American diplomatic authority and credibility and is a clear and dangerous abuse of power. The best questioning with the best presentation was from Washington State Representative Denny Heck imo.
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The Irishman: A Crushing Disappointment
Joe Bauer replied to James DiEugenio's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
Fortunately we have our own nonprofit, community group owned, independent theater here in Monterey, CA. It is called "The Osio." 5 or 6 small theaters with seating from 30 to 100. My wife thrives on her weekly fix seeing thoughtful films there you would never see in the big boom box multiplex movie theaters. These threads about film and it's importance and value in our society are fascinating. It's a much appreciated aspect of this forum. -
Warren is the most feared candidate over all others. The status quo wealth candidates from both parties are going all out to get her out of there. When you see Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Bloomberg and every large corporate wealth entity going on national TV and demonizing her as if she is the second coming of Lenin you can so easily see what is going on. Warren has hardly any baggage like Hillary and if nominated will beat Trump. The controlling 1% know this. Right now a good part of their battle plan is to try to convince America she is not going to be the Dem nominee. It's a lulling mind game. And to divide the party base. Even confuse them. Bloomberg has entered the race to block Warren. Warren is the biggest threat to win the 2020 election and the super wealthy in both parties know this and are united in their efforts to get her out of there. Gabbert's candidacy is in this block Warren game also and I think Hillary C. sensed this early and decided to confront her. IMO.
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Beware Mike Baden enters Epstein case
Joe Bauer replied to James DiEugenio's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
Do any of you here believe the story of the Royal Family successfully influencing ABC or any other major U.S. media giants to bury the Epstein story to protect Prince Andrew and their own public image as well? And if true, isn't this just another outrageous example of our MSM being influenced by self-interest protecting super wealthy groups and individuals to the detrimental extent of compromising the reporting of important truths to average citizens? A major historical question is how much this type of influence has been exerted on our U.S. major media since JFK times through today and how successful has this type of influence been in compromising the integrity of our 4th estate and their almost sacred goal of protecting the public with full truth informing in a democratic society? Personally I believe most of our main steam media has been compromised like this in spades since JFK and even today regards their downplaying of the truly outrageous divisive, inciting and abuse of power damaging behavior of Trump as President and in honestly reporting not just this reality but also his corrupt background which is much more extensive than the average citizen could imagine. Through peripheral reporting study one does learn of Trump's corrupt career, but most of our MSM keeps this buried and downplayed imo. Just Trump's massive efforts at keeping his tax history from public view is an obvious tip off of nefarious doings on his part and if our MSM really honored their democracy protecting precepts they would be much more demanding of their release. You don't see any Trump career corruption expose's on 60 Minutes. Yet there's more there by far than what the Clinton's were accused of and 60 Minutes had no problems reporting on theirs. Honestly it's amazingly disturbing how silent our MSM generally is regards Trump and his unprecedented conflict and anxiety creating behavior, words and actions and how much this has negatively effected our entire society. With Trump it's like we all are being subjected to a constant angry shouting match via his thousands of angry Twitter tweets, rally speeches and yelling over his helicopter noise press meets where all he does is angrily attack his critics and often with added personal insult name calling. And this constant anger display of Trump's seems to be making so many in our society angry as well with it's accompanying anxiety. It's like one big ANGER FEST! What an embarrassing and tragic legacy to leave as President ... constant angry and anxiety causing shouting that carries into our national daily discourse and mind set. Only one newspaper has front page called for Trump's resignation. The Hartford Conn. Post? Hard to believe only one has done so. Connecticut newspaper calls on Trump to resign, citing ... https://thehill.com › media › 463489-connecticut-newspaper-calls-on-trum... Sep 28, 2019 - One of Connecticut's largest newspapers on Friday published an editorial calling on President Trump to resign, citing “damning evidence” that ... Missing: hartford | Must include: hartford -
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The Irishman: A Crushing Disappointment
Joe Bauer replied to James DiEugenio's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
Jim D. & Joseph McBride; You must see film critic John Simon and JFK national comedian/conspiracy advocate Mort Sahl go after each other on this episode of the Dick Cavett show in 1970. The tension is electric. As much as I consider Mort Sahl a hero of the JFK truth mission, critic John Simon actually had the more reasoned comebacks as Sahl was going off with just too much anger imo. Although Sahl has always felt that the JFK murder and cover-up should make us angry. That most of us were sedated in regards to dealing honestly and responsibly with the greatest crime in our history. John Simon Dick Cavett 1970 - YouTube https://www.youtube.com › watch ▶ 1:55:48 Oct 3, 2019 - Uploaded by Archy L Mort Sahl, Rita Moreno, Alice Playten, Rosalyn Drexler, Erich Segal, Robert Kaufman, Little Richard. John Simon - The Dick Cavett Show -
If the Mayflower descendant New England WASP Bush/Pierce bloodline considered the Kennedy's "vulgar" and neuveau rich, one can wonder what they think of the initial cheap housing, tax cheating and unsavory perhaps even money laundering character associating wealth acquiring Trump clan and especially the constantly cursing and bragging Donald Trump? By far the crudest, most vulger, amoral and insecurely self-promoting and self-obsessed President this country has ever seen or heard! * And one of the least intellectual ( GW wasn't real bright either but he didn't talk like a threatening street thug ) and who personally directed his dark trademark junior high school bully taunts and insults at Jeb Bush himself on 2016 primary national TV ..."you're weak Jeb"... WEAK! Maybe your mother should be running? Educated, well read, high plane witty Kennedy versus low brow WWF cursing, trash talking and personally insulting Trump? HA! Profiles In Courage JFK versus draft dodging "Pu$$y Grabbing" bragging Trump? The ultimate "classy versus crude" comparison analogy. We have our own on stage crazy hyperbole yelling Hulk Hogan in the White House now. With an accompanying almost daily twitter and/or staged rally insult circus. It's all a national and even international disgrace and an embarrassment to us all. And very unfortunately this no respectful proprietaries boundaries president's election reflects the mentality, character and values of half our citizens. A very sad and even tragic fact. What say the elitist Bushs about the Kennedys now ... after Trump? * End note. LBJ was as vulgar, crude and amoral, but he at least kept this side of him in a private realm versus the public one.
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Clint Hill riding at the back of the presidential limo
Joe Bauer replied to John Butler's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
Wealthy and famous women have had affairs with their bodyguards throughout history. Most well known is Patty Hearst. -
Clint Hill riding at the back of the presidential limo
Joe Bauer replied to John Butler's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
It's been mentioned here that Hill stated he was ordered off JFK's limo. Then why would he violate that order 4 times in the course of the motorcade parade? Was Hill that willfully disrespectful of his superiors orders or even of JFK's? Or was he simply that obsessively over-protective of Jackie to the point of disobeying such orders? Did any agent riding shotgun on the Queen Mary besides Hill ever once consider going as far as Hill did in this endeavor in their mutually protective mission of protecting not just Jackie Kennedy's backside but JFK's as well? One must at least wonder why Hill's enthusiastic commitment in going farther in this protective measure never inspired his security detail counterparts to do the same regards JFK himself ? On a side note, looking at the motorcade route one can't help notice the clear illogicality of having JFK's limo turn off through TWO slowing 90% turns from a massive huge crowd packed Main Street onto the sparsely attended Houston/Elm Street dog leg, even taking into consideration of this risky action making an expressway entry to the Trade Mart easier. Especially considering the many sniper possibilities Dealey Plaza offered with an accompanying slowing down and 90% turning of JFK's car twice under three unchecked open window high rise buildings ( with the Texas School Book Depository being a fully facing head on one for several seconds ) followed by hundreds of feet of elevated and unsecured tree canopy camouflage hiding places just feet from the limo on the right. If I was planning security for JFK and his open Limo top downtown parade ride I believe I would have caught these clearly more obvious physical shooter threat dynamics in the Dealey Plaza turkey shoot fish bowl as I made a test run of the motorcade route through there. And I have no training in that field at all! While reading Vince's comprehensive research compendium of so many SS agents relating their glowing appraisals of JFK and his thoughtful and respectful treatment of them and their instructions, I still have to consider the juxtaposed reality that many agents hated JFK for his racial stances, his indulged and reckless philandering and perhaps his actions regards the Bay Of Pigs and General Walker and the Mississippi school integration riot, etc. And we also know that several agents had their own troubling issues such as over-drinking, violating agency rules such as curfews and drinking, marriage problems and as most everyone else in underpaid employment positions, debt problems. These very real human character and stress issues regarding at least some of JFK's Praetorian guard snaps you back into a more reasonable reality view of their over-all credibility in their statements regards JFK and their views and true feelings of him publicly and privately. -
"NOT EVER TO BE RELEASED TO ANYONE!" I wonder why?
Joe Bauer replied to Vince Palamara's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
Denny, I agree. -
"NOT EVER TO BE RELEASED TO ANYONE!" I wonder why?
Joe Bauer replied to Vince Palamara's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
Vince, who wrote that notation/order on the back of the photo? And how did the photo get into the public realm despite that written command? Seeing Jackie Kennedy in this and the other iconic swearing in photo always brings forth outraged anger in me at whoever compelled devastated Jackie to attend this impromtu ceremony. Look at her face! Her trauma, shock and grief is so powerful it's hard to look at her without feeling the horror yourself. She looks almost catatonic. She needed medical and emotional support desperately. IMO I swear Jackie Kennedy's eye expression changed from that day to her dying one. I always saw a bit of traumatized shock and grief in her eyes versus her much more innocent and relaxed eyes before 11,22,1963. -
Does the following news report sound as if the Trump "bombshell" meet up plan for the British parents was anything other than a PR disaster that left the parents in a worse grieving state than before they flew out here? The family of a British teenager killed in a wrong-way crash involving the wife of an American diplomat said President Donald Trump dropped a "bombshell" during a meeting at the White House, revealing that the woman was waiting to meet them in the room next door, NBC News reported. Their lawyer said the way the meeting was proposed was "so wrong." Harry Dunn, 19, was killed after his motorcycle was hit by Anne Sacoolas, who admits driving on the wrong side of the road near a British military base used by the United States. Sacoolas, 42, whose husband is an American diplomat assigned to the United Kingdom, said she cooperated with the police but flew back to the U.S. three weeks later. The case has sparked a transatlantic dispute about whether she still has diplomatic immunity from prosecution. "The bombshell was dropped not soon after we walked in the room: Anne Sacoolas was in the building and was willing to meet with us," Dunn's mother, Charlotte Charles, told reporters in Washington afterward. "We made it very clear that as we've said all along … we would still love to meet with her but it has to be on our terms and on U.K. soil." She said such a meeting should involve "therapists and mediators in the room."
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Stephen Kinzer on Frank Olson
Joe Bauer replied to David Andrews's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
Just read this review. What a diabolical world we have lived in. -
In just the last few weeks Trump has created 4 majorly humiliating leadership gaffs that are worse than embarrassing, and that in total should be receiving much more media coverage as a reflection of his never ending presidential office incompetence. The parents of the young British man killed by an American diplomat's wife driving on the wrong side of the road in England were furious at Trump's shameless attempt to have them meet their son's killer without prior notice when they were brought into the White House. They felt they were being used in a self-promoting photo-op ploy by Trump. They went back to England feeling more depressed and angry over this than before they made the initial trip to the U.S.! How embarrassing. How stupid. The brazenly self-promoted Trump Mar-A-Lago scheme blew up as it should have and was headlined in the national media until it was quickly withdrawn. Another humiliating and embarrassing Trump gaff. The spontaneous withdrawal from Syria announcement by Trump was met with such outrage even by our own military that he and his team had to immediately create and initiate a damage control campaign that was just frantic. What a diplomatic disaster and mess that situation still is. When Trump finally went to and presented himself in person at a large audience venue of non-screened citizens, he was greeted by the loudest booing and jeering response any President has ever received at such a major event like the World Series. Thousands even shouted "LOCK HIM UP!" to add to his humiliation. He earned that negative response. This "lock him up" chant was a reference to Trump's own "lock her up" sound bite (referring to Hillary Clinton ) and that he created and constantly encouraged his angry rally crowds to yell and repeat over and over for years by not ever telling them to stop. All this craziness in just one month!? Trump's presidency has been one after another of these humiliating and embarrassing leadership failures ... for years. Hundreds of them! Obama never had "one" of these embarrassing incidents ... in 8 years! However, Trump is still loved by his base, regardless of his constant incompetent leadership failures. We are in a precarious state with half our country pretending nothing's wrong with this high anxiety causing President.
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Robert Wheeler Posted 14 hours ago That's how we talk in New York. Your opinion is quaint.
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Honestly trying to stay the course of this wonderful JFK truth seeking forum by tempering my burning and highly concerned desire to post about Trump, but this thread's content has compelled me to the breaking point. I believe we are in the midst of a battle over the perception of right and wrong reality in the minds of our collective societal citizenry regards Trump personally and his political agendas and policies pitting his unmovable support base against those of us who find Trump a morally repulsive, pathologically lying, dangerous fear and hate mongering, self obsessed egomaniac disaster. It is so disturbing to me how Trump's support base ( especially the millions of supposedly "Christ teaching and following" evangelicals) is purposely ignoring and downplaying the realities of his unprecedented non-presidential even unchristian bad character traits, actions and words and the truly real divisive damage he and they are doing to our nation as a whole. They actually believe non-condom wearing, extensive philandering Trump gives a hoot about abortion? They pretend that Trump's extensive sexual predator and philandering history, shady business dealings with shady customers, tax cheating and tax hiding, extorting foreign leaders to aid his own personal political interests, favoring murderous despots who make him money etc.etc, and almost daily obsessive anger inciting public comment attacking of anyone criticizing him with the crudest most base language, insults and taunts that Americans have ever heard from a President is just not that important in judging the moral and emotional character qualifications we expect from our highest elective office holder. Seriously, regarding not just his daily rants via his 60 million followers Twitter account but also his super hyperbolic rally ones, it's as if our President is one of those crazy, over-the-top World Federation Wrestling characters who come out on stage yelling Trump like insults against their also crazy yelling ring opponents to work up their stupid audiences into a Roman Colosseum blood lust type frenzy. Trump: my critics are my enemies and are scum, traitors, XXXXX, losers, degenerates, rats, stupid, weak, corrupt criminals ( "lock her up") lynching bastards, dogs, ugly and on and on and on. No sitting U.S. president has ever been this loudly verbally attacking, abusive and crude with no filter or boundaries daily in public forums ( rallies, press statements, tweets ) to an almost psychotic yelling street person level ... until Trump. This crude and bully minded circus is shameful and even perverse in so many ways. It's sickening coming from a President and 10's of millions of Americans like me are sick of it. And most of our main stream media is letting Trump get away with this crazy extreme almost daily demonizing and hugely society damaging and divisive trash. Every news site ( internet, TV, radio, newspaper, magazine ) should be condemning this destructive Presidential behavior as outrageously wrong and damaging as often as it is spewed...on a daily basis. And in response to anyone downplaying Trump's crude, always conflict creating and inciting and nation dividing daily rhetoric as just typical New York City brashness, I say ... that is Judge Judy "RIDICULOUS!" Only thuggish NYC gangsters and angry street people talk like Trump. And for those who claim the super loud audience majority booing of Trump during his World Series appearance simply reflected the Washington DC liberal hatred of Trump I again say hogwash. Look at the ethnic make up of the crowd in attendance. You hardly saw any blacks who make up the majority of that District's population. The huge majority of that booing crowd were non-Hispanic whites and not residents of DC. Ethnic composition. According to 2017 Census Bureau data, the population of the District of Columbia, was 47.1% Black or African American, 45.1% White (36.8% non-Hispanic White), 4.3% Asian, 0.6% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
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Clint Hill riding at the back of the presidential limo
Joe Bauer replied to John Butler's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
I've always believed SS agent Clint Hill was in love with Jackie Kennedy. He spent more time with her than his own wife ( his marriage was strained ) during his years long assignment to be Jackie's closest personal bodyguard. His account of such in his book "Mrs. Kennedy And Me" reveals observations of her that imo are so detailed in a personally close reflective way that they reveal feelings of intimacy on his part more than a strictly platonic and detached professional relationship. Hill was close to Jackie K. in very personal times when she would be relaxed and herself versus the highly formal doings of her first lady duties under the scrutiny of the press. Yet it is clear that a real connection was established between them early on. In the course of a car ride to Virginia, with Mr. Hill sitting in the front passenger seat smoking and the first lady alone in the back, she suddenly asked that the car pull over. The agent expected to be reprimanded for smoking, but she promptly invited him to move into the back seat with her and asked him to light a cigarette for her. That was the first of many private conversations they had in the car, relates Mr. Hill. He gives no details of such chats. What he does describe is how they learned to communicate with their eyes at public events. The agent would send a questioning look checking her mood, and he recalls how her eyes would respond with a grateful acknowledgment. And he acknowledges he would “give anything” to hear once more her trademark amused exclamation of “Oh, Mr. Hill!” when he reacted with his customary impassivity to what he saw. He also wryly recalls the occasion when she tried to teach him to play tennis. His ferocious style with a racquet drove her to observe tartly that the objective of the game was to hit the ball to her so she could hit it back to him. Sharing cigarettes and private conversation in the back seat of Jackie's chauffeured car together? Hill's missing of Jackie's soft voice ( same have described her manner of speaking as sexy ) saying.."Oh, Mr. Hill?" Playing tennis together and Jackie being playfully amused at Hill, even one time? Playfully picking up John John on recreational walks to the beach or wherever with Jackie and no JFK present which was often? Riding along with Jackie on sailboat ventures on the bay? Exchanging "knowing glances" with Jackie in crowd visiting events? Traveling the world in exotic locations with and close to one of the most beautiful young women on Earth? Sounds at least somewhat similar to the Kevin Costner/Whitney Houston script in Costner's film "The Bodyguard." I traveled in those indulged luxury circles for just a very, very brief time in my 30's. When I had to come back to my low wage hard physical work reality life existence back here in the states, I realized how seductive that lifestyle could be. And my luxury indulged experience lasted just two to three weeks! I wonder if Hill struggled at all leaving that lifestyle and coming back down to Earth after JFK's assassination. I could never have been that personally close to the beautiful early 30's Jackie for years ( to smell her perfume ) and not have fallen in love with her myself. Heck, I was in love with her anyway even being a universe away from her. Did any other SS agent leave the Queen Mary to mount the back of JFK's limo during the Dallas motorcade which Hill did ... 4 separate times !? It seems Hill was much more security concerned ( specific to Jackie Kennedy in protecting her left rear) and quick to exhibit this concern physically versus his Queen Mary SS counterparts and their non-action in the JFK limo rear mount leaping area. -
I told you Tulsi's the one!
Joe Bauer replied to James DiEugenio's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
When my wife lost her job after 25 years a few years back, she and I both lost health care coverage under her job benefits. We went on Obama Care until she finally found health care providing work again. The ACA was a bridge that kept us from being totally uninsured. I remember watching one of the early televised Republican primary debates in 2012 when all the candidates participated. Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, Perry, Paul, Et al. During this debate (in South Carolina I believe ) and in a pause in the speaking regarding health care policies and the uninsured in this country an audience member shouted out loud enough for all the candidates and us television viewers to hear ... "LET EM DIE!" That extremely cruel and callous shout out stopped the candidates and even the moderators for several seconds. What struck me to the core and something I still remember about that moment was how NOT ONE of the Republican presidential candidates felt the need to instantly condemn such a cold blooded sentiment statement like that about one's fellow Americans who were without health insurance. "LET EM DIE!" They never did. A new unrelated question restarted the debate. The Republican candidates lack of courage to respond to that heartless shout out with a defense of all Americans deserving something more than nothing regards health care and a "let em die" sentiment left me feeling that the Republican party and voter mentality regards the uninsured was closer to that sentiment than the average citizen would think. I still feel this. -
I told you Tulsi's the one!
Joe Bauer replied to James DiEugenio's topic in JFK Assassination Debate
Yes. It was disturbingly amazing to see how major elements of our main stream media could turn a simple late night tired campaign victory yell by Dean into the rantings of a crazy man and have it so instantly and widely reported. I remember seeing the front page cover of one of our weekly national magazines ( Newsweek-Time? ) displayed prominently right in front of our supermarket checkout lines with a picture of a fractured face portrait of Howard Dean, accompanied by the ominous title "Doubts About Dean" just after Dean's Iowa victory. He was clearly and instantly being framed as a whacky, screaming nutcase. I see a similar scary "Boogie Man/Woman" demonizing campaign already developing towards Elizabeth Warren. She's being portrayed as a dangerous socialist extremist who wants to lead a charge ( with planted code word hints of violence ) against our upper class and corporate/banking structure. And an enemy of our military and police forces to boot. With unlimited funds, exaggerated wag-the-dog false boogie man realities like this can take hold. Willie Horton, commie/hippie loving George McGovern, screaming loon Dean etc. -
If these true events are not in mainstream history books, why not? And will they ever be?
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Trump and the small minority group of people he represents with a 90% priority over the rest of us, have the White House executive branch. They have the Senate. They have the Supreme Court. They have the Attorney General. They have the FBI. They have the military for all practical purposes. AND imo, they have the main stream media. With only MSNBC, somewhat CNN and NPR and Democracy Now as the only true Trump truth telling news outlets. That leaves the Congress alone and on their own against these other equal government power groups and the mentioned accessory areas of influence. Congress is surrounded on all three sides and then some. Our main stream media...the biggies CBS,NBC,ABC etc should be calling for Trump's removal or resignation daily...front page stuff. Like the 150 major newspapers across the country that called for Clinton's impeachment back in the 1990s on their front pages, including even the San Francisco Chronicle! Trumps 100X worse...than Clinton.
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Yes.
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Isn't it this natural resources agenda that explains the basic motivation of many if not most of our non-defensive heavy commitment military actions since the fifties and sixties and still today? Alan Greenspan was referenced once as saying our invasion into Iraq was to secure their vast oil reserves and keep them under our control, lest Saddam H. favored selling his oil to China and Russia? And not really to topple Hussein and "free" the Iraqi people from his brutality and finding and destroying WMDs. We have been fighting over natural resources for decades. I also read where Viet Nam was also a battle over their resources...rubber, oil, etc. Since we have spent what...7 to 9 TRILLION dollars securing these natural resources rich locations since 2003...I wonder if the profits from these resources to our corporations who manage and sell these resources has ever come close to reimbursing American tax payers for this mind boggling expense? And think what 7 to 9 TRILLION dollars infused back into our domestic needs could have accomplished? It could have paid for free college education ( 4 years and even room and board ) for millions of our young people for 10 years easy. As well as rebuilding our social security system, supplementing our national health care , creating a massive and meaningful opioid prevention and healing structure, physical infrastructure rebuilding everywhere including new energy systems, highways, train travel, schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, water and sewage systems, programs for educating more doctors, teachers, etc. And all this positive and real world productive spending would result in the creation of millions of good paying jobs with this massive dollar amount infusion back home where we really need it. Young people with better opportunity jobs than MacDonalds, 7-11 and Target are much more likely to be distracted from idle mind drug use. Since WWII we have been fixated on a massive and ever increasing military spending rich orgy agenda with a real social need neglectful result. Fact is, we are military rich ... and socially poor. That is why we have fallen so far behind in dozens of World Health organization standard of living indexes when we should be at the top of all of these ... and especially with our young people losing out in areas of education, career and financial opportunity, physical and mental health, etc. imo.