The inevitable end result of our last 56 years

[Jeff Carter]

It’s almost two years since the last U.S. federal election and Trump remains the number one topic of conversation and public hysterics. How could this be? I would wager that no American public figure has ever faced such vast cascades of flung mud: major accusations of malign foreign influence, major accusations of election chicanery, major accusations of financial impropriety, two impeachments, continual federal and state level investigation… all amplified to level 10 by an endless parade of hostile political, bureaucratic, and especially media mouthpieces.

It looks from the outside that a pertinent motivating issue is that Trump, unbelievably, remains a potent political force and all the flung mud only makes his supporters dig in deeper rather than abandon the cause. How could this be? Why do Trump’s political opponents continue to fling mud when it has been an ineffective if not counter-productive strategy?

The first inklings of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane file, directed at the Trump campaign beginning August 2016, began to creep into the light in late 2017, notably in several prescient articles by the late Robert Parry. Although the direct mechanics of this program are not yet publicly known, it has been established that the Clinton campaign, and possibly the Obama White House, worked with partisan assets in the FBI and DOJ to disrupt the Trump campaign, including planting stories alleging untoward influence by an adversary government. The brief Sussmann hearing a few months ago effectively confirmed that program. Trump filed a lawsuit last March directed at persons affiliated with Crossfire Hurricane (https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.610157/gov.uscourts.flsd.610157.1.0.pdf).

What Trump’s supporters are saying is that the documents stashed at Mar-A-Lago were all relevant to the Crossfire Hurricane file, and were declassified by Trump via legal executive decisions - which is why the affidavit had to rely on the Espionage Act. They are saying that the FBI office responsible for the document raid is the same office that ran the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. If this becomes confirmed, it seems the massive partisan divide will be ever more entrenched and the political warfare ever more intensified.

When word started in late 2017 that the Trump campaign had been placed under FISA surveillance via a sketchy predicate during the 2016 campaign, it appeared as potentially one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history. It may yet achieve such status. It appears to have occurred in a milieu whereby Clinton was assured the presidency and so these machinations would never come to light. The decision to publish, in early 2017, the Intelligence Community assessment of malign foreign influence appears to have been part of an effort to upend Trump early in his term - as publicly acknowledged by John McCain - also confident of success. It was not successful, and served to ultimately reveal Crossfire Hurricane and the massive mess caused by all of this continues to paralyze U.S. politics present and future.

Disclaimer: I do not admire Trump, support his policies, or even really care or fixate on him. One has to follow the facts, wherever they lead. Trump should have been easily handled politically, not through skullduggery. It’s really late Roman Empire stuff going on.

[W. Niederhut]

Gee, Jeff, we haven't heard anything from you about Trump since you were busy denying Trump's January 6th coup attempt earlier this year-- before the J6 hearings revealed all of the damning evidence.

I'm going to respond to your latest bizarre comments in red, below.

Jeff wrote:

It’s almost two years since the last U.S. federal election and Trump remains the number one topic of conversation and public hysterics. How could this be?

Well, it could have to do with all of the current investigations into Trump's criminal activities, by Congress, the Fulton County DA, NY DA, and DOF/FBI/NARA records case.  Just a thought.

I would wager that no American public figure has ever faced such vast cascades of flung mud: major accusations of malign foreign influence, major accusations of election chicanery, major accusations of financial impropriety, two impeachments, continual federal and state level investigation… all amplified to level 10 by an endless parade of hostile political, bureaucratic, and especially media mouthpieces.

I'll accept your wager and double it, on the grounds that no American public figure has ever engaged in such widespread fraudulence and criminality-- collusion with a hostile foreign power to gain public office in 2016, massive election chicanery in 2020, the staging of a violent coup attempt on January 6th, long-term tax fraud, emoluments violations, and illegal handling of classified government documents. 

It looks from the outside that a pertinent motivating issue is that Trump, unbelievably, remains a potent political force and all the flung mud only makes his supporters dig in deeper rather than abandon the cause. How could this be? Why do Trump’s political opponents continue to fling mud when it has been an ineffective if not counter-productive strategy?

It isn't "mud," it's truth, and justice.  Trump is a criminal who needs to be held accountable for his crimes against American democracy and society.  The fact that he still controls the Republican Party makes this all the more imperative. His sociopathic conduct has only been worsened by the fact that he hasn't been held accountable previously.  In effect, the Republican Party has enabled his criminal conduct.

 

The first inklings of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane file, directed at the Trump campaign beginning August 2016, began to creep into the light in late 2017, notably in several prescient articles by the late Robert Parry. Although the direct mechanics of this program are not yet publicly known, it has been established that the Clinton campaign, and possibly the Obama White House, worked with partisan assets in the FBI and DOJ to disrupt the Trump campaign, including planting stories alleging untoward influence by an adversary government. The brief Sussmann hearing a few months ago effectively confirmed that program. Trump filed a lawsuit last March directed at persons affiliated with Crossfire Hurricane (https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.610157/gov.uscourts.flsd.610157.1.0.pdf).

Trump's Russia-gate scandal came to light in 2017 after the FBI began questioning Michael Flynn about his illegal December 2016 phone calls with Kisylak, to undermine U.S. sanctions for Russian meddling in our 2016 election.  Robert Mueller was appointed as a Special Prosecutor only after Trump tried to shut down the FBI investigation of Flynn by firing James Comey and Andrew McCabe in 2017.  It had nothing to do with Crossfire Hurricane, Steele, or Sussman.

What Trump’s supporters are saying is that the documents stashed at Mar-A-Lago were all relevant to the Crossfire Hurricane file, and were declassified by Trump via legal executive decisions - which is why the affidavit had to rely on the Espionage Act.

What Trump supporters are you referring to?  And what executive decisions?  On the contrary, 18 former Trump officials have already debunked Trump's claim about de-classifying the documents at Mar-a-Lago.  The concerns about espionage, apparently, have to do with Trump holding Top Secret documents about clandestine informants.

They are saying that the FBI office responsible for the document raid is the same office that ran the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. If this becomes confirmed, it seems the massive partisan divide will be ever more entrenched and the political warfare ever more intensified.

The "massive partisan divide" is a Trump media chimera, used to deflect attention away from Trump's felonious mishandling of classified documents.  He was given multiple opportunities to obey the law.

When word started in late 2017 that the Trump campaign had been placed under FISA surveillance via a sketchy predicate during the 2016 campaign, it appeared as potentially one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history. It may yet achieve such status. It appears to have occurred in a milieu whereby Clinton was assured the presidency and so these machinations would never come to light. The decision to publish, in early 2017, the Intelligence Community assessment of malign foreign influence appears to have been part of an effort to upend Trump early in his term - as publicly acknowledged by John McCain - also confident of success. It was not successful, and served to ultimately reveal Crossfire Hurricane and the massive mess caused by all of this continues to paralyze U.S. politics present and future.

Disclaimer: I do not admire Trump, support his policies, or even really care or fixate on him. One has to follow the facts, wherever they lead. Trump should have been easily handled politically, not through skullduggery. It’s really late Roman Empire stuff going on.

What pettifoggery!  Any alleged "skullduggery" about Trump's crimes is, basically, telling the truth about his conduct.  It's entirely warranted.

And the FISA "Obama-gate"/Crossfire Hurricane Trumpaganda has been repeatedly debunked.

Meanwhile, we are just learning more details about how Bill Barr lied about the Mueller Report, and blocked Trump's prosecution for multiple counts of obstruction of justice, as detailed in the Mueller Report.

[Matt Allison]

If Trump could stop criming for just a bit, people wouldn't have to fixate on him, would they? I guarantee you Merrick Garland does not appreciate all the extra work Trump has plopped on his desk.

[Douglas Caddy]

[Benjamin Cole]

7 hours ago, Mark Knight said:

Ben,

You just totally set me off.

The VA?

My son was a normal twentysomething when his Army Reserve unit was sent to Iraq. He came home from Iraq with a serious problem that he started self-medicating with alcohol. THANKS to the VA, he is now nearly a year SOBER. They facilitated his recovery status. The GI Bill education benefits has him current taking college classes, he has a job, he and his girlfriend have reconciled, and he's even a volunteer coach in an adult softball league.

I will NOT agree with you that the VA is something that needs to be abolished. Our leaders send our young abroad to fight wars in the name of our nation. When they come home broken either in body or in mind, we have an OBLIGATION as a nation to do our best to make them whole once again. And the VA is our tool for doing this.

That's not a Republican position. That's not a Democrat position. That's my position as an AMERICAN. 

Any thoughts you have to the contrary are invalid, in MY world.

MK-

The VA now has a $268 billion budget, and rising in double digits. That is one cost of having a global military posture, and getting ensnarled in places like Iraq. 

You should not be angry at me, but the people who sent Americans to fight in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

On a personal level, there are people in my family with alcohol issues.  I hope all works out for the best. 

 

[Benjamin Cole]

6 hours ago, Jeff Carter said:

It’s almost two years since the last U.S. federal election and Trump remains the number one topic of conversation and public hysterics. How could this be? I would wager that no American public figure has ever faced such vast cascades of flung mud: major accusations of malign foreign influence, major accusations of election chicanery, major accusations of financial impropriety, two impeachments, continual federal and state level investigation… all amplified to level 10 by an endless parade of hostile political, bureaucratic, and especially media mouthpieces.

It looks from the outside that a pertinent motivating issue is that Trump, unbelievably, remains a potent political force and all the flung mud only makes his supporters dig in deeper rather than abandon the cause. How could this be? Why do Trump’s political opponents continue to fling mud when it has been an ineffective if not counter-productive strategy?

The first inklings of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane file, directed at the Trump campaign beginning August 2016, began to creep into the light in late 2017, notably in several prescient articles by the late Robert Parry. Although the direct mechanics of this program are not yet publicly known, it has been established that the Clinton campaign, and possibly the Obama White House, worked with partisan assets in the FBI and DOJ to disrupt the Trump campaign, including planting stories alleging untoward influence by an adversary government. The brief Sussmann hearing a few months ago effectively confirmed that program. Trump filed a lawsuit last March directed at persons affiliated with Crossfire Hurricane (https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.610157/gov.uscourts.flsd.610157.1.0.pdf).

What Trump’s supporters are saying is that the documents stashed at Mar-A-Lago were all relevant to the Crossfire Hurricane file, and were declassified by Trump via legal executive decisions - which is why the affidavit had to rely on the Espionage Act. They are saying that the FBI office responsible for the document raid is the same office that ran the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. If this becomes confirmed, it seems the massive partisan divide will be ever more entrenched and the political warfare ever more intensified.

When word started in late 2017 that the Trump campaign had been placed under FISA surveillance via a sketchy predicate during the 2016 campaign, it appeared as potentially one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history. It may yet achieve such status. It appears to have occurred in a milieu whereby Clinton was assured the presidency and so these machinations would never come to light. The decision to publish, in early 2017, the Intelligence Community assessment of malign foreign influence appears to have been part of an effort to upend Trump early in his term - as publicly acknowledged by John McCain - also confident of success. It was not successful, and served to ultimately reveal Crossfire Hurricane and the massive mess caused by all of this continues to paralyze U.S. politics present and future.

Disclaimer: I do not admire Trump, support his policies, or even really care or fixate on him. One has to follow the facts, wherever they lead. Trump should have been easily handled politically, not through skullduggery. It’s really late Roman Empire stuff going on.

"What Trump’s supporters are saying is that the documents stashed at Mar-A-Lago were all relevant to the Crossfire Hurricane file, and were declassified by Trump via legal executive decisions - which is why the affidavit had to rely on the Espionage Act. They are saying that the FBI office responsible for the document raid is the same office that ran the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. If this becomes confirmed, it seems the massive partisan divide will be ever more entrenched and the political warfare ever more intensified."---JC

 

If true, that is amazing. 

Of course we have reached the stage where we cannot believe official statements, nor what Trump says. A fine kettle of fish. 

After the Russiagate Hoax, the Wuhan lab leak censorship, the Brian Sicknick fictions, and the Hunter Biden censorships, we cannot trust anything in the M$M either. 

I liked Trump's policies on trade with China and securing the southern border. 

Side note:

Quite the conundrum: Should a US President be able to unilaterally declassify documents? 

I say "yes."

Otherwise is it the Deep State who decides what gets classified or not, while our elected US president becomes impotent. 

Really? An elected US President says, "This is something the public is entitled to  know," but the Deep State says, "No, we will decide what the public gets to see." 

This key issue, which resolves itself in Trump's favor, of course is not even treated in the M$M. 

The New Donk-M$M standard is that the Deep State decides what is classified. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Benjamin Cole]

10 hours ago, Steve Thomas said:

The FBI has had to issue terror alerts and warnings of violence against its employees.

Then the IRS.

Then ordinary election workers.

Now it's employees of the National Archives.

Librarians for  Christ's sake!

How long are we going to be held hostage by this Mafia gangster?

Steve Thomas

 

Steve:

 

You do not suspect, rather, that any loony can send an e-mail with a threat?

Then the state can claim there are "massive threats" to justify repressive actions? Bigger state police budgets?  

Is this a way to demonize Trump supporters? 

Reminds me of all the left-wing talk that a civil war is imminent. Where? 

But it makes you scared. Willing to trade liberty for security. 

[Kirk Gallaway]

 

Except Trump can't keep a secret,  and hasn't been forthcoming about anything yet.

And you haven't been right about anything yet.

including the fact that it's actually been the right that's been calling for a civil war.

But will they be willing to trade their liberty for the greater security? We'll see how that goes.

heh heh

Ben:But it makes you scared.

You're always scared. And we always have to hear about it.

I knew you and Wheeler were a match made in heaven.

 

[Ron Bulman]

I've come to believe over the years JFK's assassination was sanctioned by what has been called the power elite or later by Dr. Scott the Deep State.  To me, at that time it also represented Wall Street as in Donald Gibson's Battling Wall Street, and the Council on Foreign Relations.   This corporate takeover of our government led to where we are today.

Profit margins and return on investment rule our lives.  Not elected officials.  They are pawns dependent on corporate benefactors for donations to get elected, thus compromised. 

I write this in protest of my electric bill as well as the price of gasoline.  I'm glad gas has gone down locally from a high of $4.89 a gallon to $3.22.  It saves me $8.35 per hundred miles, a small but much needed savings as I drive 6-700 miles a month or more (my daughter in Malibu was calling friends to tell them Ralph's in LA was under $5 while it's still over $6 after a high of over $7). 

No matter how this article tries to explain or justify it profit margins in the context of record profits to me is price gouging.

Why gas prices are so high and oil companies enjoy record profits | Stever Robbins

The savings on gasoline do not offset my electric bill.  A new record this month of $475, after last month's record of $411.  Which here in Texas is based almost entirely on the price of natural gas, also seeing record profits.  I understand supply and demand, passed Eco 101/102 though not my strong suit.  I believe in capitalism, but unrestricted it is an invitation for exploitation by the unscrupulous and will eventually eat itself. 

US Natural Gas Exporters Make a Killing Selling to Europe As Prices Soar (businessinsider.com)

Though it will soon be buried I needed to get this out, somewhere.  As explained, I think it relates to the JFKA.  My rant for the night.  

  

[Benjamin Cole]

8 minutes ago, Ron Bulman said:

I've come to believe over the years JFK's assassination was sanctioned by what has been called the power elite or later by Dr. Scott the Deep State.  To me, at that time it also represented Wall Street as in Donald Gibson's Battling Wall Street, and the Council on Foreign Relations.   This corporate takeover of our government led to where we are today.

Profit margins and return on investment rule our lives.  Not elected officials.  They are pawns dependent on corporate benefactors for donations to get elected, thus compromised. 

I write this in protest of my electric bill as well as the price of gasoline.  I'm glad gas has gone down locally from a high of $4.89 a gallon to $3.22.  It saves me $8.35 per hundred miles, a small but much needed savings as I drive 6-700 miles a month or more (my daughter in Malibu was calling friends to tell them Ralph's in LA was under $5 while it's still over $6 after a high of over $7). 

No matter how this article tries to explain or justify it profit margins in the context of record profits to me is price gouging.

Why gas prices are so high and oil companies enjoy record profits | Stever Robbins

The savings on gasoline do not offset my electric bill.  A new record this month of $475, after last month's record of $411.  Which here in Texas is based almost entirely on the price of natural gas, also seeing record profits.  I understand supply and demand, passed Eco 101/102 though not my strong suit.  I believe in capitalism, but unrestricted it is an invitation for exploitation by the unscrupulous and will eventually eat itself. 

US Natural Gas Exporters Make a Killing Selling to Europe As Prices Soar (businessinsider.com)

Though it will soon be buried I needed to get this out, somewhere.  As explained, I think it relates to the JFKA.  My rant for the night.  

  

Ron B--

I am woking on a special story on the Council on Foreign Relations, the JFKA and 1/6. 

Do not worried about getting buried. I read your stuff, and think it over. We usually disagree, but so what? 

 

[Ron Bulman]

19 minutes ago, Ron Bulman said:

I've come to believe over the years JFK's assassination was sanctioned by what has been called the power elite or later by Dr. Scott the Deep State.  To me, at that time it also represented Wall Street as in Donald Gibson's Battling Wall Street, and the Council on Foreign Relations.   This corporate takeover of our government led to where we are today.

Profit margins and return on investment rule our lives.  Not elected officials.  They are pawns dependent on corporate benefactors for donations to get elected, thus compromised. 

I write this in protest of my electric bill as well as the price of gasoline.  I'm glad gas has gone down locally from a high of $4.89 a gallon to $3.22.  It saves me $8.35 per hundred miles, a small but much needed savings as I drive 6-700 miles a month or more (my daughter in Malibu was calling friends to tell them Ralph's in LA was under $5 while it's still over $6 after a high of over $7). 

No matter how this article tries to explain or justify it profit margins in the context of record profits to me is price gouging.

Why gas prices are so high and oil companies enjoy record profits | Stever Robbins

The savings on gasoline do not offset my electric bill.  A new record this month of $475, after last month's record of $411.  Which here in Texas is based almost entirely on the price of natural gas, also seeing record profits.  I understand supply and demand, passed Eco 101/102 though not my strong suit.  I believe in capitalism, but unrestricted it is an invitation for exploitation by the unscrupulous and will eventually eat itself. 

US Natural Gas Exporters Make a Killing Selling to Europe As Prices Soar (businessinsider.com)

Though it will soon be buried I needed to get this out, somewhere.  As explained, I think it relates to the JFKA.  My rant for the night.  

  

Like I said.

[Matt Allison]

29 minutes ago, Ron Bulman said:

The savings on gasoline do not offset my electric bill.  A new record this month of $475, after last month's record of $411. 

And yet Texas will re-elect Greg Abbott.

There are many good people in Texas among the deplorables, and I truly feel sorry for them.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Ron Bulman said:

I've come to believe over the years JFK's assassination was sanctioned by what has been called the power elite or later by Dr. Scott the Deep State.  To me, at that time it also represented Wall Street as in Donald Gibson's Battling Wall Street, and the Council on Foreign Relations.   This corporate takeover of our government led to where we are today.

Profit margins and return on investment rule our lives.  Not elected officials.  They are pawns dependent on corporate benefactors for donations to get elected, thus compromised. 

I write this in protest of my electric bill as well as the price of gasoline.  I'm glad gas has gone down locally from a high of $4.89 a gallon to $3.22.  It saves me $8.35 per hundred miles, a small but much needed savings as I drive 6-700 miles a month or more (my daughter in Malibu was calling friends to tell them Ralph's in LA was under $5 while it's still over $6 after a high of over $7). 

No matter how this article tries to explain or justify it profit margins in the context of record profits to me is price gouging.

Why gas prices are so high and oil companies enjoy record profits | Stever Robbins

The savings on gasoline do not offset my electric bill.  A new record this month of $475, after last month's record of $411.  Which here in Texas is based almost entirely on the price of natural gas, also seeing record profits.  I understand supply and demand, passed Eco 101/102 though not my strong suit.  I believe in capitalism, but unrestricted it is an invitation for exploitation by the unscrupulous and will eventually eat itself. 

US Natural Gas Exporters Make a Killing Selling to Europe As Prices Soar (businessinsider.com)

Though it will soon be buried I needed to get this out, somewhere.  As explained, I think it relates to the JFKA.  My rant for the night.  

  

Where I am we have the most expensive electric in Europe. People will choose between heat and food this winter. 😞 

We’re experiencing it everywhere in the west, as sensational as it sounds, the war is on us and everything that we’ve accumulated. The 0.01% will take it all if permitted. The only way it ends is people waking up and protesting the decisions of our politicians, withdrawing consent.The trouble is; the more people become dependent on the state, the more they are at their mercy.

———————

“.... another helpful procedure for the growth of state power is; the hollowing out of money, which in the near future will make all savings illusory. The state takes over responsibility and enslaves every individual for its own ridiculous schemes. All this is done by what one calls inflation. Money value is fast becoming a fiction guaranteed by the state. Money becomes paper and everybody convinces everybody else that the little scraps are worth something because the state says so.” 
 

Carl Jung - The Symbolic Life

 

[Ron Bulman]

2 hours ago, Matt Allison said:

And yet Texas will re-elect Greg Abbott.

There are many good people in Texas among the deplorables, and I truly feel sorry for them.

Our blue numbers are growing.  I try to have faith.  Ronnie Woods on steel. 

 

[Benjamin Cole]

The right-wing joins the left-wing in apocalyptic visions...

Graham predicts ‘riots in the streets’ if Trump prosecuted over classified docs

BY JULIA MUELLER - 08/28/22 10:09 PM ET

 

I tend to doubt it, but I have lived offshore for 10 years.

Americans rioting over a Trump prosecution?