The inevitable end result of our last 56 years

[Benjamin Cole]

Government Disclosed Jan. 6 Activities Of Five Confidential FBI Sources: Defense Lawyer

The U.S. government has acknowledged for the first time that five FBI confidential informants were involved with the Oath Keepers, but prosecutors failed to disclose that none of the sources provided evidence of guilt, a defense lawyer said on Sept. 26.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/government-disclosed-jan-6-activities-five-confidential-fbi-sources-defense-lawyer

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by Benjamin Cole

[W. Niederhut]

37 minutes ago, Benjamin Cole said:

W-

I was a Democrat most of my life. 

In general, I align with people who work for a living or the middle-class, which describes the bulk of my life. 

Then, for a while, if I had to choose, I would choose D in the polling booth. 

Now...I am just not on one side or the other anymore, for the aforementioned reasons. 

The populist wing of the GOP, if it could shed its negative features, is actually the most appealing option out there....

 

 

Ben,

     Don't kid yourself.  The GOP isn't populist.  It's the party of Robber Barons and Kochs.

     If you look at the core policy agenda of the GOP during the past century and a half-- other than the Progressive era of Theodore Roosevelt-- it's always about promoting the interests of the wealthiest Americans at the expense of everyone else.  Eisenhower was, at least, less plutocratic than the Republicans of the past 40 years, when the GOP has shifted to the extreme right.  He supported the New Deal, and butted heads with the John Birchers and Prescott Bush plutocrats of his day.

     Reagan was a vocal opponent of Medicare in the 1960s-- long before he championed the Laffer Curve and Trickle Down economics.

     The Bush family were always discreet champions of their own class-- the Haves and the Have Mores.

     Modern era Republicans, including Trump, have tried to appeal to the 99% of Americans that they don't represent by appealing to white bigotry, (Nixon's "Southern strategy") Evangelical Fundamentalism, and xenophobia.  It's not "populism" based on representing the policy interests of the middle class and the poor, but on racism, tribalism, and "identity politics."

     In that sense, Trump was always a Koch Trojan Horse disguised as a white tribal "populist."

    

[Benjamin Cole]

1 minute ago, W. Niederhut said:

Ben,

     Don't kid yourself.  The GOP isn't populist.  It's the party of Robber Barons and Kochs.

     If you look at the core policy agenda of the GOP during the past century and a half-- other than the Progressive era of Theodore Roosevelt-- it's always about promoting the interests of the wealthiest Americans at the expense of everyone else.  Eisenhower was, at least, less plutocratic than the Republicans of the past 40 years, when the GOP has shifted to the extreme right.  He supported the New Deal, and butted heads with the John Birchers and Prescott Bush plutocrats of his day.

     Reagan was a vocal opponent of Medicare in the 1960s-- long before he championed the Laffer Curve and Trickle Down economics.

     The Bush family were always discreet champions of their own class-- the Haves and the Have Mores.

     Modern era Republicans, including Trump, have tried to appeal to the 99% of Americans that they don't represent by appealing to white bigotry, (Nixon's "Southern strategy") Evangelical Fundamentalism, and xenophobia.  It's not "populism" based on representing the policy interests of the middle class and the poor, but on racism, tribalism, and "identity politics."

     In that sense, Trump was always a Koch Trojan Horse disguised as a white tribal "populist."

    

We have to agree to disagree on this one. 

Trump's policies regarding the import of cheap and illegal workers into US labor markets, and on tariffs on China goods were vital, and were having positive results for people who work for a living in America. 

I was surprised that the usually feckless Trump was so determined on such policies, including even proposing and effecting the construction of a wall on the southern border---against Donk opposition, which has chosen (I think cynically) instead to frame immigration as an ID politics issue. 

In these two regards, Trump was square-set opposed by globalist America, the richest and most-powerful group and class, who want access to cheap labor in America and globally. 

Trump was even called a racist for his China trade policies.  

The populist wing of the GOP is heavily flawed, and I am sure rank insincerity and hypocrisy is rife in the populist wing, as it usually is in both major parties. 

In my view, the populist wing of the GOP offers the best hope, and a slender reed indeed, it is. 

As for the two major parties (and the captive M$M), count me out. 

 

 

[Ron Bulman]

1 hour ago, Ron Bulman said:

Good.  Those relatives of Young calling Fanone a pos need to look in the mirror if they want to see a real or bigger pos.  They're worse than the pot calling the kettle black.

Judge goes off on GOP leaders during Jan. 6 trial for being afraid to stand up to Trump (msn.com)

A heart attack and a brain injury might contribute to PTSD.

Capitol rioter accused of bringing the stun gun that was used on cop Michael Fanone was given one of the harshest sentences yet (msn.com)

[W. Niederhut]

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

We have to agree to disagree on this one. 

Trump's policies regarding the import of cheap and illegal workers into US labor markets, and on tariffs on China goods were vital, and were having positive results for people who work for a living in America. 

Ben,

The scholarly consensus is that Trump's poorly conceptualized trade and tariff policies did more harm than good to American workers.  As with most policy issues, Trump was focused on doing favors for wealthy donors, not on optimizing the public interest.

Trump’s Tariffs Were Much More Damaging Than Thought (forbes.com)

How Trump’s Tariffs Really Affected the U.S. Job Market - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

And Trump had the worst job creation record in modern era Presidential history.

Trump will have the worst jobs record in modern U.S. history - The Washington Post

His grandstanding about the border and the wall was mainly a public relations ploy to garner votes by fear-mongering about Mexicans -- a 21st century variation on the old Know Nothing movement.

Edited September 29, 2022 by W. Niederhut

[Matt Allison]

1 hour ago, Benjamin Cole said:

We have to agree to disagree on this one. 

There isn't a single populist thing about the GOP unless you consider bigotry, hate and racism to be populist issues.

[Matt Allison]

3 hours ago, Benjamin Cole said:

You know, I thought Gaetz likely had an underage girlfriend, and also was a nut with his zany story about his family being blackmailed. 

Shame on me.

Now, the underage charges have been dropped...and the man who was blackmailing the Gaetz family has not only been charged, but found guilty in a court of law and sent to prison. 

In many ways, the follow-on story is much, much bigger than the initial story. 

Why did we give credence to the original story of Gaetz and sex charges?  

Are there lessons in this sordid turn of events? 

Has DC hardball devolved into Third-World style politics? 

There's been no statement from the DOJ that Gaetz has been cleared of anything.

But we do know that Gaetz is 100% aware of the DOJ rule not to act on cases against candidates within 60 days of an election.

So someone in Gaetz' camp lied to a reporter and said Gaetz wasn't being charged, because they know DOJ won't utter a thing to either confirm or deny.

That's the political trick there, Ben.

Edited September 29, 2022 by Matt Allison

[Benjamin Cole]

43 minutes ago, Matt Allison said:

There's been no statement from the DOJ that Gaetz has been cleared of anything.

But we do know that Gaetz is 100% aware of the DOJ rule not to act on cases against candidates within 60 days of an election.

So someone in Gaetz' camp lied to a reporter and said Gaetz wasn't being charged, because they know DOJ won't utter a thing to either confirm or deny.

That's the political trick there, Ben.

I dunno Matt.

The man who had been blackmailing the Gaetz family has been convicted in a court of law and sent to prison. 

That seems real. 

So far, we must assume Matt Gaetz is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

[Benjamin Cole]

Well, this a far leftie guy, named Matt Christman. A socialist, so does not buy into M$M-Donk posturing (and not the GOP, obviously).

His take on Jan. 6 is rather interesting, and I suspect, correct. It was allowed to happen.

Maybe he is right, maybe wrong. But an interesting perspective. 

[Benjamin Cole]

Biden asks if deceased congresswoman is present at White House food insecurity conference

By Maegan Vazquez, CNN

Updated 4:57 PM EDT, Wed September 28, 2022

[Benjamin Cole]

4 hours ago, W. Niederhut said:

Ben,

The scholarly consensus is that Trump's poorly conceptualized trade and tariff policies did more harm than good to American workers.  As with most policy issues, Trump was focused on doing favors for wealthy donors, not on optimizing the public interest.

Trump’s Tariffs Were Much More Damaging Than Thought (forbes.com)

How Trump’s Tariffs Really Affected the U.S. Job Market - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

And Trump had the worst job creation record in modern era Presidential history.

Trump will have the worst jobs record in modern U.S. history - The Washington Post

His grandstanding about the border and the wall was mainly a public relations ploy to garner votes by fear-mongering about Mexicans -- a 21st century variation on the old Know Nothing movement.

From August 2021 to August 2022, real average hourly earnings decreased 2.4 percent, seasonally adjusted. The change in real average hourly earnings combined with a 0.9-percent decrease in the average workweek resulted in a 3.2-percent decrease in real average weekly earnings over this period.--BLS. 

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/realer.htm

I actually don't blame Biden for this. This is a long, long trend in action. 

Real wages indicate US labor markets have been getting softer since 1972. 

The globalists say everything is better than ever. I can tell you living standards are lower (despite some amazing new technologies) in Los Angeles than in the 1950s and 1960s. 

Real wages in the US peaked in 1972 or thereabouts. 

"After adjusting for inflation, however, today's average hourly wage has just about the same purchasing power it did in 1978, following a long slide in the 1980s and early 1990s and bumpy, inconsistent growth since then," he wrote. "In fact, in real terms average hourly earnings peaked more than 45 years ago: The $4.03-an-hour rate recorded in January 1973 had the same purchasing power that $23.68 would today."--2018 Motley Fool 

In other words, labor markets have been soft enough to deny workers real wage increases for 50 years, while other types of real income have soared, such as from rents or dividends. 

For certain owners of capital, for the top professional class able to service large transactions, or for people well-to-do enough to hire maids and gardeners for their homes, globalism has worked (mostly). 

But all over the world, we see populism resurgent, an option to globalism.

Italy is fascinating.

The M$M defines populism as "extreme" or "fascism," or "racist."

But we know who runs the M$M.  

Remember, the Wuhan lab leak story was censored.  Lessons? 

 

 

[Steve Thomas]

"Thought we had a clear window, turns out we did some character building instead."

Lara Trump - wife of Eric Trump

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjDXQvXDhAb/

 

You go mom!

Steve Thomas

[Douglas Caddy]

Alito is a right-wing extremist who poses a danger to a fair and just society.

 

Alito lashes out at critics: 'Questioning our integrity crosses an important line' - Raw Story - Celebrating 18 Years of Independent Journalism

 

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by Douglas Caddy

[Joe Bauer]

12 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

A heart attack and a brain injury might contribute to PTSD.

MIGHT?

Ron, I just had both myself!

9 days ago I suffered a heart attack.

Instant incredible pain in left upper arm, radiating across my left upper chest and shoulder and up into the left part of my neck.

I was hospitalized for 4 days. Lots of CT tests and had an angiogram and ultra sound exam as well.

I was discharged last Friday at 12:PM.

My wife picked me up and 10 minutes later we arrived home.

The mail lady was at our mail box which is across the street from our home.

I got out to greet " Jennifer " and get the mail. My wife drove on down our driveway as I did and went inside our home with my belongings.

I stood talking to Jennifer for 5 minutes, telling her what happened to me and all of a sudden I was overcome with sweat breaking weakness. Jennifer could see my distress. I turned pale as a white sheet, so she offered to help me walk across the street to our driveway.

I was getting weaker by the second. She helped me get to the back of our car where I couldn't go any farther and all I could do was lean over the trunk. Jennifer ran to get my wife.

As they came out the front door I completely fainted and they saw me drop off the car. They said they then heard a "crack" sound. Not a "thud" sound.

I hit my head and was unconscious with my eyes rolled back in my head when they got to me. A minute or two later I came to enough to open my eyes. For two minutes nothing made sense to me. I couldn't move or speak. Jennifer called 911.

Ten minutes later they loaded me up in the ambulance and I was back at our same hospital just 35 minutes after my earlier discharge.

I was now afflicted with a concussion and an extreme case of vertigo as well.

I was just discharged yesterday and am now at home. Much dizziness continues.

My life has changed instantly. Huge changes.

I cannot drive a car and no doctor will tell me when I can drive again.

I can only walk using a walker.

I will need more therapy for the head injuries.

I need to lose 40 lbs ( from 215 lbs to 175 lbs ) due to my overall health stressed conditions including my heart and sleep apnea.

Huge dietary changes.

So, let me tell you. You bet there is extreme PTSD involved in such physical injury trauma.

People involved in bad life and death car accidents all have this the rest of their lives.

At 71, it's even harder to go through traumas like this. Not crying about it, just recounting my recent experience objectively to illuminate it's power and effect relative to what you posted above about it.

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by Joe Bauer

[Richard Price]

Joe, I am so sorry to hear of your recent severe health problems.  I hope you have good doctors, consistent improvement and no further complications.  Best wishes and I hope we continue to hear from you.  As a side note, at nearly 67 and overweight by at least 25 lbs, I am in your same boat to some degree.  While I am now retired (USPS), which helped alleviate stress substantially,  I have finally learned to not hold things in and to accept the many things I cannot change and that has also helped.  I now try my best to live by a rule I should have followed years ago:  Luke 12:25 (NIV)  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life^[a]? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

My best wishes for prolonged good health and happiness to you.