The inevitable end result of our last 56 years

[Matt Allison]

On 2/6/2022 at 1:48 AM, Benjamin Cole said:

Matt A-

There are "prediction markets," I think mostly located in the UK, in which you can wager your convictions. 

You will make a handsome return betting on Democrats to retain control of the House and Senate, if that prediction bears fruit. 

I wouldn't mortgage the house, but if you feel quite certain, then maybe wager your retirement nestegg. 

Ben- yes, it is currently illegal for us here in the U.S. to bet on our political elections, which is a drag.

I didn't get the hoped for indictment today, but I remain very confident on my Congressional prediction. I am also convinced Donald Trump will not be the Republican on the ballot for President in 2024. I'd bet hundreds on that if I could.

[Benjamin Cole]

1 hour ago, Matt Allison said:

Ben- yes, it is currently illegal for us here in the U.S. to bet on our political elections, which is a drag.

I didn't get the hoped for indictment today, but I remain very confident on my Congressional prediction. I am also convinced Donald Trump will not be the Republican on the ballot for President in 2024. I'd bet hundreds on that if I could.

Matt A.--

Through the miracle of the internet I am sure you can figure out a way to bet on the 2022 elections. Maybe you have to open a Brit bank account, and fund the wagering from that. 

Anyway, I will place a gentlemen's bet with you.

Though early, and political lifetimes should be measured in dog years (no offense to our canine friends) I think the 'Phants will retake the Congress from the Donks in 2022. 

I suspect the 'Phants will turn the weaponized impeachment process on Biden. (And the 'Phants first weaponized impeachments with the Clinton follies). 

Political theater is a great distraction. 

 

[Matt Allison]

59 minutes ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Matt A.--

Through the miracle of the internet I am sure you can figure out a way to bet on the 2022 elections. Maybe you have to open a Brit bank account, and fund the wagering from that. 

Anyway, I will place a gentlemen's bet with you.

Though early, and political lifetimes should be measured in dog years (no offense to our canine friends) I think the 'Phants will retake the Congress from the Donks in 2022. 

I suspect the 'Phants will turn the weaponized impeachment process on Biden. (And the 'Phants first weaponized impeachments with the Clinton follies). 

Political theater is a great distraction. 

 

Both houses? My goodness. Well, I absolutely will take that gentlemen's bet

9 months is a lifetime in politics tho...

[Benjamin Cole]

5 minutes ago, Matt Allison said:

Both houses? My goodness. Well, I absolutely will take that gentlemen's bet

9 months is a lifetime in politics tho...

Indeed. 

 

 

[W. Niederhut]

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Matt A.--

Through the miracle of the internet I am sure you can figure out a way to bet on the 2022 elections. Maybe you have to open a Brit bank account, and fund the wagering from that. 

Anyway, I will place a gentlemen's bet with you.

Though early, and political lifetimes should be measured in dog years (no offense to our canine friends) I think the 'Phants will retake the Congress from the Donks in 2022. 

I suspect the 'Phants will turn the weaponized impeachment process on Biden. (And the 'Phants first weaponized impeachments with the Clinton follies). 

Political theater is a great distraction. 

 

Forget the popcorn.

Donald Trump and a number of his GOP accomplices have, apparently, committed some very serious crimes.

This is not a fabricated scandal, like Benghazi, or like Kenneth Starr and Brett Kavanaugh's five year White Water "investigation" of Bill Clinton's private life.

[Paul Brancato]

2 minutes ago, W. Niederhut said:

Forget the popcorn.

Donald Trump and a number of his GOP accomplices have, apparently, committed some very serious crimes.

This is not a fabricated scandal, like Benghazi, or like Kenneth Starr and Brett Kavanaugh's five year White Water "investigation" of Bill Clinton's private life.

The question is will Trump and his helpers pay for their crimes? 

[Benjamin Cole]

22 minutes ago, W. Niederhut said:

Forget the popcorn.

Donald Trump and a number of his GOP accomplices have, apparently, committed some very serious crimes.

This is not a fabricated scandal, like Benghazi, or like Kenneth Starr and Brett Kavanaugh's five year White Water "investigation" of Bill Clinton's private life.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/you-might-not-like-it-but-hunter-bidens-shenanigans-are-real-news

[Benjamin Cole]

19 minutes ago, Paul Brancato said:

The question is will Trump and his helpers pay for their crimes? 

Paul B.-

1. First, I would like for Trump, like any other citizen, to have the benefit of a trial, with sturdy defense counsel, before we convict him of a crime.  Trump, unlike most, will probably be able to spend enough money to field a defense against state prosecution.  If Trump is found guilty in a court of law, then I will consider him guilty.

In contrast, the 1/6 congressional investigation and some headlines...well, we have been down that road with HUAC, the Clinton Impeachment, the Mueller meltdown, etc. Congressional investigations are political theater.  Even the (mostly) well-intentioned HSCA was a flop in terms of getting to the real facts. 

2. The 1/6 scrum and occupation of the Capitol was a crime (although most occupiers cannot afford a true defense, and plead guilty on advice of lawyers, as in most criminal cases). But there has not been a shred of evidence connecting Trump to the occupiers of the Capitol. Although cellphones were monitored, and texts retrieved etc., and hundreds of convictions obtained...not one link between the occupiers and Trump. The 1/6 scrum was either spontaneous, or perhaps triggered by federal assets. Why Capital security was so light...well, you tell me. 

Yet, there seems to be a sloppy, conflated narrative afloat that Trump must be guilty due to the Capitol occupation. 

OK, back to the Trump "plotted to overturn the election" thesis.

Non-administration lawyers drafted dubious yet non-violent legal and constitutional arguments for Pence to not count certain electoral votes, on the grounds citizen voting had been fraudulent in certain states. Trump may even believe those half-baked legal-constitutional arguments.  But, in fact, nothing happened. Pence honored all state electors. 

Did Trump break the law?  Let's see what a jury decides. I still prefer the "innocent until proven guilty in a trial of peers" standard of justice. 

 

 

[Kirk Gallaway]

Yes the odds are for a Republican sweep. Ben, in your gentleman agreement , you should in all fairness, give Matt 60-40 odds.

The problem for the Democrats is that there is no  margins for error.. But It's not as overwhelming as some would say.

1. A lot would change for a normal life free of covid, and covid controversy. Even  if there are new variants, and they continue to become less virulent, and now there is a consensus that we have to live with Covid. That works a lot for Biden. People will forgive previous policy mistakes for normalcy.

2. The economy is experiencing the first wage inflation in decades, which is great, particularly for new workers and is a plus for Biden. But the overall inflation is especially bad for those living on fixed income.  Some are now projecting the Fed will raise rates 5 or 6 times maybe into next year. I think it will be more like 3. I tend to think inflation's peaking over the next couple of months.

3. Logistics, In the Senate, there  are 34 seats coming up for election, 20 of them are Republican, and only 14 are Democrat. So the Dems have less to lose. There are 6 retiring seats in the Senate, and 5 of them are Republican seats.  Since incumbents are most often elected, this is another advantage for the Democrats.

There's more of a chance for a Republican victory in the house where if only 7 democrats turn Republican the house will turn over. The Republicans have focused more on local elections than the Democrats. It's a tough road to hoe for the Dems.

The tendency is for heavy Trump candidates to do well in the primaries and to lose in the general election, but I don't think the Dems can count on that, as now there will be candidates like Youngkin in purple districts  who will  not ruffle Trump's feathers but not ask him to campaign for them either. If they can walk the tightrope they get the party out of power advantage. 

Expecting a major sea change concerning Trump because of his scandals could be disappointing because to Trump followers, anything short of Trump going to jail will be seen as a Trump victory. I don't think Trump will go to jail, but I do think Trump could reach the point of national disgrace that gradually his viability as candidate could begins to fade,. as people will see the resistance against him will be so great, the party will gradually disengage.

There is a twist of course. and that's some protracted war with Putin and Russia, which would make current energy prices soar, but avoiding that would be a Biden plus. 

With so much talk here about the MIC, I'm not sure  anybody really noticed the biggest MSM /MIC attempted coup in years happened right under our noses. It actually prompted an  old worker in the  Bush administration, Nicole Wallace to say, " that "95% of the people like Biden's pulling out of Afghanistan and 95% of the press is against it."  I would say that was true, and still Biden went through with it, and despite execution problems, I think the fallout from that 3 years from now will be almost zero. And he may even get some credit for  ending a long war. What happens to Biden if he should run in 2024, ( can you imagine?) will be determined by  his next 3 years in office.

However you interpret the MSM huffing and puffing and the government saber rattling, nobody really is egging for a war over the Ukraine.

 

Edited February 8, 2022 by Kirk Gallaway

[W. Niederhut]

45 minutes ago, Benjamin Cole said:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/you-might-not-like-it-but-hunter-bidens-shenanigans-are-real-news

Geez, Ben... Hang it up, already.

More of your typical false equivalence.

Hunter Biden has had some serious problems, including cocaine addiction and the traumatic death of his mother at a young age.

He's not the POTUS, and he didn't incite a violent attack on the U.S. Congress or try to steal a U.S. election.

[James DiEugenio]

I just did a lecture followed by a Q and A for Peter Kuznick's class at American University. Peter was the co author with Oliver of Untold History. 

I spoke about the process of making the documentary, how it happened and some of the things we tried to accentuate in the film.  Then the students asked questions.  The last question was something like, why are you still doing this 60 years later? What do you hope to accomplish.

Fair enough question I guess from a young student.  Here was my reply:

1. As we show in the film, Kennedy was exiting Vietnam.  LBJ consciously reversed that policy and tried to cover it up.  As a result, about 3.8 million people died there.  If one includes Cambodia, that is another 2 million. In 1965, Sukarno was overthrown and Suharto started an extermination of the PKI.  As you will see in the long version, this would not have happened under Kennedy.  Low estimates, about 500,000 dead.  So combined, its about 6 million.

2. The Vietnam War was the most divisive, most polarizing conflict in America since the Civil War.  It lasted ten years.  Not only did 58,000 Americans perish needlessly, but it led to a loss of faith in both government and the media. Some say it contributed to the whole  escape into drugs and hard rock epitomized by Woodstock.

3. The fact that the WCR covered up for the JFK case, IMO, this contributed to the success of the consequent murders of Malcolm X, MLK and RFK.  I said, the RFK case is even more easily provable a conspiracy than the JFK case is.

4. The end result of those four cases is that instead of having a nation led by John Kennedy, Malcom X, King and Robert Kennedy, we had a nation led by Johnson, Nixon, Mitchell and Kissinger. I was around back then and I will take the first four over the second four any day of the week.

5. The premature killing off of the sixties stopped and turned back not just a more suitable foreign policy, but a more progressive domestic policy.  I said, I do not know what you paid for college, but I did not pay anything. And I went to a private college for the first two years.

6. This regressive change, and loss of belief in our institutions, over time has resulted in what Matthew Arnold called ignorant armies clashing by night on a darkling plain. The latest example being the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol which resulted in nine deaths, and 140 serious injuries.  That kind of thing would have been unimaginable back then. 

As Joe McBride says, it was an unsuccessful coup as what happened in 1963 succeeded.

Edited February 8, 2022 by James DiEugenio

[Benjamin Cole]

1 hour ago, Kirk Gallaway said:

Yes the odds are for a Republican sweep. Ben, in your gentleman agreement , you should in all fairness, give Matt 60-40 odds.

The problem for the Democrats is that there is no  margins for error.. But It's not as overwhelming as some would say.

1. A lot would change for a normal life free of covid, and covid controversy. Even  if there are new variants, and they continue to become less virulent, and now there is a consensus that we have to live with Covid. That works a lot for Biden. People will forgive previous policy mistakes for normalcy.

2. The economy is experiencing the first wage inflation in decades, which is great, particularly for new workers and is a plus for Biden. But the overall inflation is especially bad for those living on fixed income.  Some are now projecting the Fed will raise rates 5 or 6 times maybe into next year. I think it will be more like 3. I tend to think inflation's peaking over the next couple of months.

3. Logistics, In the Senate, there  are 34 seats coming up for election, 20 of them are Republican, and only 14 are Democrat. So the Dems have less to lose. There are 6 retiring seats in the Senate, and 5 of them are Republican seats.  Since incumbents are most often elected, this is another advantage for the Democrats.

There's more of a chance for a Republican victory in the house where if only 7 democrats turn Republican the house will turn over. The Republicans have focused more on local elections than the Democrats. It's a tough road to hoe for the Dems.

The tendency is for heavy Trump candidates to do well in the primaries and to lose in the general election, but I don't think the Dems can count on that, as now there will be candidates like Youngkin in purple districts  who will  not ruffle Trump's feathers but not ask him to campaign for them either. If they can walk the tightrope they get the party out of power advantage. 

Expecting a major sea change concerning Trump because of his scandals could be disappointing because to Trump followers, anything short of Trump going to jail will be seen as a Trump victory. I don't think Trump will go to jail, but I do think Trump could reach the point of national disgrace that gradually his viability as candidate could begins to fade,. as people will see the resistance against him will be so great, the party will gradually disengage.

There is a twist of course. and that's some protracted war with Putin and Russia, which would make current energy prices soar, but avoiding that would be a Biden plus. 

With so much talk here about the MIC, I'm not sure  anybody really noticed the biggest MSM /MIC attempted coup in years happened right under our noses. It actually prompted an  old worker in the  Bush administration, Nicole Wallace to say, " that "95% of the people like Biden's pulling out of Afghanistan and 95% of the press is against it."  I would say that was true, and still Biden went through with it, and despite execution problems, I think the fallout from that 3 years from now will be almost zero. And he may even get some credit for  ending a long war. What happens to Biden if he should run in 2024, ( can you imagine?) will be determined by  his next 3 years in office.

However you interpret the MSM huffing and puffing and the government saber rattling, nobody really is egging for a war over the Ukraine.

 

"95% of the people like Biden's pulling out of Afghanistan and 95% of the press is against it."  I would say that was true, and still Biden went through with it, and despite execution problems, I think the fallout from that 3 years from now will be almost zero. And he may even get some credit for  ending a long war.--Kirk G.

Agreed. In fact, there was no fall-out in the real world about one week after Biden pulled out Afghanistan. I give 100% credit for this Biden decision. 

I just wish he would pull out of Syria, and maybe a dozen other places also. 

 

 

[Benjamin Cole]

1 hour ago, James DiEugenio said:

I just did a lecture followed by a Q and A for Peter Kuznick's class at American University. Peter was the co author with Oliver of Untold History. 

I spoke about the process of making the documentary, how it happened and some of the things we tried to accentuate in the film.  Then the students asked questions.  The last question was something like, why are you still doing this 60 years later? What do you hope to accomplish.

Fair enough question I guess from a young student.  Here was my reply:

1. As we show in the film, Kennedy was exiting Vietnam.  LBJ consciously reversed that policy and tried to cover it up.  As a result, about 3.8 million people died there.  If one includes Cambodia, that is another 2 million. In 1965, Sukarno was overthrown and Suharto started an extermination of the PKI.  Low estimates, about 500,000 dead.  So combined, its about 6 million.

2. The Vietnam War was the most divisive, most polarizing conflict in America since the Civil War.  It lasted ten years.  Not only did 58,000 Americans perish needlessly, but it led to a loss of faith in both government and the media. Some say it contributed to the whole  escape into drugs and hard rock epitomized by Woodstock.

3. The fact that the WCR covered up for the JFK case, IMO, this contributed to the success of the consequent murders of Malcolm X, MLK and RFK.  I said, the RFK case is even more easily provable a conspiracy than the JFK case is.

4. The end result of those four cases is that instead of having a nation led by John Kennedy, Malcom X, King and Robert Kennedy, we had a nation led by Johnson, Nixon, Mitchell and Kissinger. I was around back then and I will take the first four over the second four any day of the week.

5. The premature killing off of the sixties stopped and turned back not just a more suitable foreign policy, but a more progressive domestic policy.  I said, I do not know what you paid for college, but I did not pay anything. And I went to a private college for the first two years.

6. This regressive change, and loss of belief in our institutions, over time has resulted in what Matthew Arnold called ignorant armies clashing by night on a darkling plain. The latest example being the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol which resulted in nine deaths, and 140 serious injuries.  That kind of thing would have been unimaginable back then. 

As Joe McBride says, it was an unsuccessful coup as what happened in 1963 succeeded.

The six million SE Asians dead figure, which may be conservative, is just depressing. And for what.

The 1963 regime-change has been further institutionalized in following decades.

The globalist-Deep State is more powerful than ever, now controls both parties, the media, the financial system, Silicon Valley, Wall Street.  The surveillance state is 100 times more powerful than in 1963. The national security state has ballooned in every direction. 

In 1963, a global enterprise was Freeport Sulphur. That was the globalists in the 1960s: the resource-extraction and farm companies. Powerful, but by today's standards, small. 

Today the globalists are BlackRock, with $10 trillion under management and heavily invested in China. Apple, with a $3 trillion market cap and factories in China. WalMart and Amazon, which source globally. Tesla, which just opened up a factory in China. Disney, with amusement parks in China. GM, which has a Buick plant in China.  Wall Street, Hollywood and Silicon Valley love the CCP. 

Foreign, trade and military policy is made by globalists. 

As Kirk G. said above, 95% of people wanted out of Afghanistan and 95% of the (globalist-controlled) media wanted in. After 20 years of losing. That is how divorced elites are from the average people. And from common sense. 

A few lifetimes ago, someone said "What is good for General Motors is what is good for America."  Yes, hyperbole---but GM hired in the US, and sold products in the US. Good wages too. 

Now, the elites say, "What is good for globalists is what is good for America." 

The Donks and 'Phants salute. 

 

 

 

 

[Kirk Gallaway]

Wow!, a Russian Colonel General wrote a public address to Putin, about the buildup on the Ukrainian border. The link is at the bottom. Some of his charges to Putin I put in bold print.  It's a very sweeping indictment! I wonder how long he has to live!

 

 

MUST READ: Colonel-General Ivashov Leonid Grigoryevich wrote an Address to the President and citizens of the Russian Federation “The Eve of War”:

 

 

And what threatens the existence of Russia itself today, and are there such threats?  It can be argued that there is indeed a threat – the country is on the verge of completing its history.  All vital areas, including demography, are steadily degrading, and the rate of population extinction is breaking world records.  And degradation is systemic in nature, and in any complex system, the destruction of one of the elements can lead to the collapse of the entire system.

And this, in our opinion, is the main threat to the Russian Federation.  But this is a threat of an internal nature, emanating from the model of the state, the quality of power and the state of society.  And the reasons for its formation are internal: the unviability of the state model, the complete incapacity and lack of professionalism of the system of power and administration, the passivity and disorganization of society.  In this state, any country does not live long.

*******

The acquisition of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia and their non-recognition as Russian by the international community (and, therefore, the overwhelming number of states in the world still consider them to belong to Ukraine) convincingly shows the failure of Russian foreign policy, and the unattractiveness of domestic attempts to “love” the Russian Federation and its leadership through an ultimatum and threats of the use of force are pointless and extremely dangerous.

******

The use of military force against Ukraine, firstly, will call into question the existence of Russia itself as a state;  secondly, it will forever make Russians and Ukrainians mortal enemies.  Thirdly, there will be thousands (tens of thousands) of dead young, healthy children on one side and on the other, which will certainly affect the future demographic situation in our endangered countries.  On the battlefield, if this happens, Russian troops will face not only Ukrainian military personnel, among whom there will be many Russian guys, but also military personnel and equipment from many NATO countries, and the member states of the alliance will be obliged to declare war on Russia.

********

In our opinion, the country’s leadership, realizing that it is not capable of leading the country out of the systemic crisis, and this can lead to an uprising of the people and a change of power in the country, with the support of the oligarchy, corrupt officials, lured media and security officials, decided to activate the political line for the final destruction  Russian statehood and the extermination of the indigenous population of the country.

 

Hey, I wonder if I'll see this story tomorrow on RT?

https://cybershafarat.com/2022/02/06/must-read-colonel-general-ivashov-leonid-grigoryevich-wrote-an-address-to-the-president-and-citizens-of-the-russian-federation-the-eve-of-war/

Edited February 8, 2022 by Kirk Gallaway

[James DiEugenio]

Ben:

Absolutely correct, the globalists won.  And by 1968, it was a clean sweep.

And today, I would say their power is pretty much irreversible.

Which I why the last thing I said was that if there is any hope of constituting any kind of real and honest polity in this country, I think part of it has to deal with a realization of and reconciliation with  what happened in the sixties.