SPONSOR

Vaulted Invest in Gold

Visit this blog’s sponsor. Vaulted is an online mobile web app for investing in allocated and deliverable physical gold: Kunstler.com/vaulted


 

Support JHK on Patreon

 

If you’re interested in supporting this blog, check out the Patreon page or Substack.
 
Get This blog by email:

Attention Movie Producers!
JHK’s screenplay in hard-copy edition

Click to order!

A Too-Big-To-Fail Bankster…
Three Teenagers who bring him down…
Gothic doings on a Connecticut Estate.
High velocity drama!


Now Live on Amazon

“Simply the best novel of the 1960s”


Now in Paperback !
Only Seven Bucks!
JHK’s Three-Act Play
A log mansion in the Adirondack Mountains…
A big family on the run…
A nation in peril…


Long Emergency Cafe Press ad 2

Get your Official JHK swag on Cafe Press


The fourth and final book of the World Made By Hand series.

Harrow_cover_final

Battenkill Books (autographed by the Author) |  Northshire Books Amazon


emb of Riches Thumbnail

JHK’s lost classic now reprinted as an e-book
Kindle edition only


 

Clusterfuck Nation
For your reading pleasure Mondays and Fridays

Support this blog by visiting Jim’s Patreon Page


Perhaps because a weary public was underwhelmed by his indictment last week of thirteen ham sandwiches with Russian dressing, Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller has returned to an old baloney sandwich with American cheese named Paul Manafort, and slathered on some extra mayonnaise to lubricate his journey to federal prison.

The additional charges specify tax evasion and money-laundering shenanigans around Manfort’s activities in Ukraine between 2006 and 2015, a period that included the USA’s active participation in the overthrow of Ukraine’s elected president, Victor  Yanukovych, who had declared a desire to join the Russian Customs Union instead of being shanghaied into an expanded NATO.

Scrupulous observers may note that all this took place well in advance of the 2016 US presidential election, when Manafort was candidate Donald Trump’s campaign manager for several months before being thrown overboard for reasons still publicly unknown — but probably the awareness that Manafort’s personal financial affairs were a smoldering wreck. Meanwhile, Manafort’s business colleague, Rick Gates, has also been charged by Mueller, and this week an associate of Gates, one Alex Van Der Swaan, son-in-law of a Russian billionaire, was persuaded to plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Gates.

All of this suggests that there were fabulous opportunities for American profiteering in the sad-sack, quasi failed state of Ukraine, and that the feckless Manafort circle will be doing Chinese fire drills in the federal courts until the cows come home, but it doesn’t say a whole lot about Russian interference in the 2016 US election. One might surmise that there is enough pressure on Manafort and company to get them to say anything now to save their asses. On the other hand, it could lead in open court to the airing of all sorts of dirty laundry about surreptitious US meddling in Ukraine, and about the corps of camp-following money-grubbing American grifters who raced in after 2014 to steal anything that wasn’t nailed down there by the homegrown kleptocrats.

But it it also raises the question whether Mr. Mueller was invited on the scene to prosecute any old thing that fell in his path. Or why he is ignoring the much more obvious smoking mess around his old FBI colleagues who seemed to have committed manifold acts of criminal misconduct in their pursuit of FISA warrants to gather intel on candidate Trump.

In the end — if this extravagant melodrama ever does end — we are stuck with ourselves and our many serious problems here in the USA, which include especially an unraveling financial system that may leave the nation as economically broken and desolate as Russia was in 1991– but ironically with a far less resilient population unused to real travail, as the Russians were after 70 years of soviet Deep State-ism.

Our own Deep State has rapidly become an entity as sinister as the old Soviet Nomenklatura. It is interesting and dismaying to see so many public intellectuals swallow its self-serving claims when it was not so many years ago that a healthy and natural skepticism about government lying was the order of the day, especially when it came to the dark towers of US Intel.


This blog is sponsored this week by McAlvany ICA. To learn more visit: https://icagoldcompany.com/


New Paintings by JHK 2016 — 2017


Great Winter Reading… JHK’s new book!

“Simply the best novel about the 1960s.”

Read the first chapter here (click) on Patreon

Buy the book at Amazon or click on the cover below

or get autographed copies from Battenkill Books


Other Books by JHK

The World Made By Hand Series:
Book 1:
World Made by Hand
Book 2:
The Witch of Hebron
Buy World Made By Hand Signed and local from Battenkill BooksBuy World Made By Hand on AmazonBuy World Made By Hand at Northshire Books Buy The Witch of Hebron signed and local from Battenkill BooksBuy The Witch of Hebron on AmazonBuy The Witch of Hebron at Northshire Books
Book 3:
A History of the Future
Book 4:
Harrows of Spring
Signed and local from Battenkill BooksAvailable on AmazonAvailable at Northshire Books Signed and local from Battenkill BooksAvailable on AmazonAvailable at Northshire Books
Geography of Nowhere The Long Emergency
Available on Kindle Buy The Long Emergency signed and local from Battenkill BooksBuy The Long Emergency on AmazonBuy The Long Emergency at Northshire Books

Support this blog by visiting Jim’s Patreon Page

 

 


This blog is sponsored this week by Vaulted, an online mobile web app for investing in allocated and deliverable physical gold. To learn more visit:Kunstler.com/vaulted


Order now! Jim’s new book
About the tribulations of growing up

Click here for signed author copies from Battenkill Books

Order from Amazon

Order from Barnes and Noble

Order now! Jim’s other new book
A selection of best blogs 2017 to now!

Click here for signed author copies from Battenkill Books

Order from Amazon

Order from Troy Bookmakers


Paintings from the 2023 Season
New Gallery 15


GET THIS BLOG VIA EMAIL PROVIDED BY SUBSTACK

You can receive Clusterfuck Nation posts in your email when you subscribe to this blog via Substack. Financial support is voluntary.

Sign up for emails via https://jameshowardkunstler.substack.com


About James Howard Kunstler

View all posts by James Howard Kunstler
James Howard Kunstler is the author of many books including (non-fiction) The Geography of Nowhere, The City in Mind: Notes on the Urban Condition, Home from Nowhere, The Long Emergency and the four-book series of World Made By Hand novels, set in a post economic crash American future. His most recent book is Living in the Long Emergency; Global Crisis, the Failure of the Futurists, and the Early Adapters Who Are Showing Us the Way Forward. Jim lives on a homestead in Washington County, New. York, where he tends his garden and communes with his chickens.

450 Responses to “Resist That”

  1. venuspluto67 February 23, 2018 at 9:59 am #

    Better ham and baloney sandwiches than a big ol’ “nothing-burger”, I guess. 🙂

  2. Walter B February 23, 2018 at 10:00 am #

    As the sad “Kapukie” Theater drags on in the media I would remind all that in the end, the US government has proven itself to be completely incapable of solving anything, getting to the root of any problem, of being constructive in any way anymore. This is all a game of distraction like any good magician or shell game operator has mastered. Unfortunately the general public has little defense against distraction, save the few places like this where those who are awake can share what they see. What we all need to at least keep in mind is that the Middle East, and specifically Israel/Syria, is the place to keep on your front page:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV17AW65uLU

    It sure seems to me that the world is gathering its forces in a place where prophecy (believe it or not) calls for a Great Battle to take place. Keep your eyes on Damascus.

    • DrTomSchmidt February 23, 2018 at 11:31 am #

      Self-fulfilling, or prescient? And does it matter?

    • venuspluto67 February 23, 2018 at 11:42 am #

      Um, yeah. I would caution readers who might too credulously click on this link that this YouTube channel also has a video entitled “Fallen Angels Imprisoned In Antarctica And Are Still Alive”. So much like The Economic Collapse blog, you should expect more than a little bit of hair-on-fire hyperbole there.

      • Walter B February 23, 2018 at 5:34 pm #

        Yes, the matter of spiritual beings that exist in an alternate plane of existence should be avoided at all costs by those who choose not to believe in such possibilities. However the buildup that is currently underway in the Middle East and especially in Syria and Israel is something that can be ignored but cannot be denied. Choose whichever you are comfortable with, but in the end, your comfort has little bearing on what really matters in our plane of existence. Nothing personal, the same goes for me and everyone else.

      • Robert White February 24, 2018 at 11:28 am #

        I am a Remote Viewer, venuspluto67. The unsubstantiated claims that there are ‘aliens in stasis aboard a UFO under the ice shelf’ in Antarctica are 100% true as I have actually Remote Viewed them. Moreover, the Russian Federation recently delivered the ‘Arc of Gabriel’ to Antarctica at the request of officialdom at Mecca. Read the basic facts that are known about the case before dismissing it outright reflexively. Moreover, one is fully entitled to question the validity of something as incredulous as this. I realize how credulity is strained here, and in no way am I attempting to get booted off of this very serious blog by admitting that I have Remote Viewed what is going on in Antarctica. Very few people in the world actually believe RV is possible, or even probable. I, for one, know that Remote Viewing is empirically 100% verified scientifically so I’m not embarrassed to admit that I am a Remote Viewer today. Thirty years ago I would not have admitted it to anyone.

        Science is a process of discovery through hypothesis testing and experimental design. Theory is tentatively held up for questioning, and is modified via that evolutionary process over time. Only Quantum Mechanics can explain Remote Viewing, and very few people in the world actually understand Quantum Mechanics.

        RW

        • Robert White February 24, 2018 at 5:17 pm #

          In addition here, the number of ‘aliens in stasis’ has not been disclosed publically yet, but I can assure you that there are three of them in stasis chambers and they are set to be nuked if they exit their chambers in a bad mood.

          From what I witnessed I’m pretty sure they are not going to be happy campers if they ever exit those stasis chambers and find the joint booby trapped with nukes before they have even had a coffee, or a bowl of Cornflakes to think it over.

          😉

          RW

        • Q. Shtik February 24, 2018 at 6:20 pm #

          one is fully entitled to question the validity of something as incredulous as this. – RW

          ==========

          OMG, yet another one who doesn’t understand the word incredulous!

          SomeONE can be incredulous but someTHING cannot.

          Think about it.

          • Robert White February 24, 2018 at 7:02 pm #

            You are right, and I phrased my comment poorly. I meant to say that one is entitled to question the credulity I, as a person, and thinker, represent by making such a statement. The reader undoubtedly reacts to my statement with incredulity.

            I get your point and appreciate it.

            RW

          • Walter B February 24, 2018 at 7:49 pm #

            None are wise enough to know everything and those who consider what may be are those that eventually discover what there is.

        • toktomi February 24, 2018 at 7:40 pm #

          I prefer Flat Earth Remote Viewing with a side of Sasquatch to the plain vanilla flavored version.

          ~toktomi~

          • Walter B February 24, 2018 at 9:35 pm #

            I can see that working well for you. Good choice.

          • Robert White February 24, 2018 at 9:54 pm #

            I have not read up on the ‘Flat Earth’ movement yet. I have just about Remote Viewed everything you can think of under the sun, and well past the sun too. It’s not something I mock or deride, frankly. I have been Remote Viewing since childhood, and the stuff I’ve seen would curl your toes backwards and leave you with PTSD. It’s really not a laughing matter at all, but I know how insane it must sound so I get your side order levity.

            RW

  3. Dumbedup February 23, 2018 at 10:03 am #

    If this is all he has uncovered then there are only 2 possibilities as related to any possible Russia-Trump alliance to affect the outcome of the 2016 election.

    (1) There is nothing there; or

    (2) He is still waiting for someone (Manafort) to turn state’s evidence.

    It still amazes me that France was able to investigate allegations of Russian interference in their election last year in a little over a month. We live in a country that is addicted to melodrama and “The Bachelor” so we have to have a story. If there is not one we make one up. And we will spend years and tons of money doing so.

  4. Georges1202 February 23, 2018 at 10:08 am #

    Jim,

    I get a kind of sinking feeling every time you devote a CF to this fucking nonsense. Especially when you start suggesting that Numbnuts is being picked on.

    Whatever removes that ignoramus from office is fine by me. His recent cowardly stance on guns is just the latest insult in this disaster of a presidency.

    • Walter B February 23, 2018 at 10:12 am #

      You are not accepting violence as a means to an end, are you George?

      • Exscotticus February 24, 2018 at 8:54 pm #

        Kudos for picking up on that hypocrisy. I bet he wouldn’t even mind if guns were involved…

    • DrTomSchmidt February 23, 2018 at 10:23 am #

      What is your rubric for a disastrous Presidency, Georges? Since we are only 1/4 of the way through this one, it’s hard to know the scale. Perhaps: before DJT, who was the most disastrous President?

      FWIW, my number one strike is American lives needlessly ended. My number two strike is American wallets needlessly impoverished, either In economic or social capital. My number three strike is foreign lives needlessly ended.

      How do you evaluate?

      • DrTomSchmidt February 23, 2018 at 10:23 am #

        American WEALTH, not wallets.

      • Walter B February 23, 2018 at 10:46 am #

        Rather than before President Trump, I would say that after JFK everything they have poured into the chair in the Oval Office has been bad to worse, IMHO. But then those who profit from Endless War for Profit require non-entities at the helm since they are they ones doing the steering.

        What I find to be the most offense of their failings is when these radical, violent leftists bitch about Trump after they embraced Obama who not only insulted his own Nobel Peace Prize by stepping up our global wars but perfected drone strikes including those on wedding parties and played the exact same games that Mr. Trump is accused of. But that is how these whining, spoiled babies were raised – when they are in power, anything goes, when they are out, everything makes them whine like the babies that they are. Buck up children, it’s your turn in the barrel, deal with it, we did!

        • DrTomSchmidt February 23, 2018 at 11:22 am #

          I have no idea whether George’s is a whiner, Walter. What I’d like to know is how he measures. We talk about the rule of law: what is the law that he applies?

          I find rubrics and measurements fascinating, and always learn something from how people measure.

          • Walter B February 23, 2018 at 11:27 am #

            Understood. These days I find more and more 30 and 40 somethings that do not measure at all, they simply make demands based upon their emotional requirement at any given time. There are no standards, no norms, only what they want to have happen and if you do not give them immediate gratification, you are the enemy. So I am sort of used to seeing this kind of behavior.

    • Cavepainter February 23, 2018 at 10:23 am #

      Oh Georgie-parghie, if you embrace that logic you’ll have to accept all the conclusions it leads to; for instance, since some men rape women then all male children should be neutered at birth. No, that’s not an affirmation of anything Trump has said, but, rather, a retort to today’s political “Left” in this country who are ” far less resilient population unused to real travail, as the Russians were after 70 years of soviet Deep State-ism”. But we love you in spite of your neutered disposition.

      • SpeedyBB February 23, 2018 at 9:55 pm #

        I was reminded of several of the excellent recollections by Dmitry Orlov of ‘Russian resilience’ after the collapse of the USSR, and how families and townships got by under their own power, so to speak. (These stories were in his blog around 5 years ago.)

        Everybody had a victory garden or kept animals, or traded with someone who did. People’s houses were insulated heavily and folks kept bundled up so no one froze to death. No one perished because their ‘happy motoring’ matrix broke down.

        When I visited my widowed brother-in-law in the beautiful Texas hill country I witnessed the American counterpart first-hand. His lovely house was in a wooded area below Buchanan Dam, but apart from his neighbors nothing was within walking distance. The nearest shopping was about 20 minutes by car, the hospital almost an hour away. Everybody else in the area was in the same boat and therefore accepted this as the ‘natural order’; the notion that it was an extremely fragile system of systems occurred to no one.

        When the blows start coming down there will be a great number of very shocked and bewildered folks.

    • marcus1 February 23, 2018 at 10:53 am #

      All the wining and knashing of teeth by Trump supporters is funny. Remember Whitewater and the dweeb that ran that “witch hunt”? Four years of colonoscopy only to finally charge his prey with lying about a bj. What’s good for the goose…

      So far we know the Russians were very involved in an election that tilted in trump’s favor by about 100,000 votes in a handful of states. We have key advisors and managers in trumps organization lying to the FBI and pleading guilty to various malfeasance.

      So compared to Whitewater this has been a very fruitful and efficient investigation. Let’s give this investigation at least half the time Whitewater took. That sounds fair, yes?

      • miasmo February 26, 2018 at 9:49 am #

        Of course Republicans are hilariously epic hypocrites. On the other hand, many on the supposed “left” are now laughably credulous of any Red Scare nonsense from the same neocon spooks who sold us imaginary WMDs as long as it makes Trump look bad. I view all of it with a great degree of skepticism. I am befuddled by JHK’s assertion of FBI “criminal misconduct… in pursuit of FISA warrants.” That allegation seems every bit as flimsy as the claims of “collusion” by Dems. From what I have gathered, the Nunes memo making those allegations is laughably bogus. Where is JHK getting his info these days? I hope he is not watching Fox “News.”

        • baroto February 27, 2018 at 12:35 am #

          Nunes memo is a summary of the underlying intelligence. Absolutely no one has claimed its bogus. Speaking of “news”, remember when they all collectively lough at Trump when he said he was wiretapped, remember that, well they are not saying that anymore are they.

          • miasmo March 1, 2018 at 8:30 am #

            The FBI sought and received an extension of a FISA warrant on a guy they had been investigating since 2013. Totally legal. There is no “there” there.

    • newworld February 23, 2018 at 12:13 pm #

      I’m all for disarming Democratic voters, imagine a Chicago where the D voters are better managed for non-violent behavior.

      It truly would be great to better manage the low IQ Democratic voting blocs towards non-violence for those low IQ Democratic voters sit on some nice real estate.

      Disarm them, provide birth control and pro choice options failing that, close social worker supervision for “at risk youths” and I mean close and lots and lots of diversity and tolerance education and I mean ceaseless nurture for these low IQ Democratic voters.

      No one including you wants to disarm low IQ and mentally ill Democratic voters than me, no one.

      • newworld February 23, 2018 at 12:17 pm #

        Gun Control the scam works on two levels, first is squid ink to cover up the usual D party corruption, second is a plea for help to disarm the low IQ and mentally unstable amongst the D party coalition.

        I happen to agree.

        • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 12:53 pm #

          NW

          Gun Control, the scam? You mean theoretical Gun Control scam, right? There is no gun control in this Repug run country. Unless of course you mean, that the shop that sold the 19 year old Parkland whack job kid the Armalite AR15, asked to see his license before he walked out. Is that the gun control scam you’re talking about? Or maybe those on the terrorist watch list that can buy any type of fun AR style, high velocity weapon they choose, is that the one?

          And naturally, how could gun control be allowed when the “well organized militia” of citizenry that now owns all these weapons is protecting our rights from the evil Repug run government and our US Military boys. As if the well armed rabble would last more than 2 days against even the rawest of US recruits.

          Which way is it now, does the hard right love the US military now or do they despise them, ergo the need for all the assault rifle weapons? Just wondering?

          JD

          • Q. Shtik February 25, 2018 at 1:54 pm #

            There is no gun control in this Repug run country. Unless of course you mean, that the shop that sold the 19 year old Parkland whack job kid the Armalite AR15, asked to see his license before he walked out. – JD

            ==============

            You should not judge the entire USA based on what goes on in Florida. I can assure you that getting a permit to purchase a gun (and ammo) in New Jersey is a more lengthy and rigorous process. I possess a permit but I have not acted on the privilege and am having second thoughts about doing so. The main reason is that, for a person who wishes to abide by the laws, a gun is useless for personal or family security. It is only good for shooting at targets on a firing range.

            A legal gun owner is not permitted to go around with (i.e. either open or concealed carry) a loaded gun whether at home, in a car, or on foot. A person on their way to a firing range (in my case the nearest one is a 40 min drive) must have the gun locked in one part of the car (such as the trunk) and the clip and ammo locked in another (such as the glove box). Beyond learning the rudiments of a gun’s operation, cleaning, and aiming proficiency, I have zero desire to spend my Saturdays at a range firing at targets at 15 cents a pop (pun intended).

      • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 1:01 pm #

        NW

        Have you considered sending 100% of your pay or SS check directly to the Koch’s, aka “your betters?” With your views, they can surely put it to be use than you can. If you’re not already doing that, it may be worth your consideration, no?

        How does it feel to be, I don’t…. used / abused / bent over maybe, by the 1%? Please share.

        JD

    • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2018 at 1:26 pm #

      So much for due process, presumption of innocence, and the rule of law, eh? Now the Liberals show their true colors. We’re in “He had it coming” territory. That’s why the Blacks let OJ off: Sure he did it, but those Whites had it comin’ cuz they White.

    • lsjogren February 23, 2018 at 2:08 pm #

      So you acknowledge the investigation is fucking nonsense, and you feel it is perfectly hunky dory to hang Trump based on fucking nonsense.

      You are what is known as a totalitarian.

      Sorry, dude, but your mentality is what leads to genocides.

  5. ozone February 23, 2018 at 10:09 am #

    JHK,
    To those paying attention to the twists, turns and opportunistic indictment-slinging of Mueller’s officially sanctioned fishing expedition, the whole exercise is beginning to ring hollow as it veers farther and farther from the original purpose of establishing Trump as Russian puppet.

    It does get more interesting as to what is *missing*, as you aver. If we remember that Mueller was FBI chief under Bush the Lesser, we might be excused for hopping to the conclusion that there may be a “conflict of interest” and a pursuit of ass-covering and diversion from much larger capital criminalities conducted by unaccountable agencies, headed by professional liars. Oopsie.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  6. Petro February 23, 2018 at 10:13 am #

    “It is interesting and dismaying to see so many public intellectuals(*1) swallow its self-serving claims (*2) when it was not so many years ago that a healthy and natural skepticism about government (*3) lying was the order of the day, especially when it came to the dark towers of US Intel.”

    *1. Such as culture- and techno-critics who write bi-weekly blogs?
    *2. Such as corrupt, inept administrations?
    *3. Such as U.S. presidents?

    Boy, that statement sure looks like textbook projection!

    • Walter B February 23, 2018 at 10:26 am #

      Not quite Petro, you see, in the olden days we were actually schooled and trained to question authority and be aware of the fact that those who wangle their way into power are sometime doing so for the wrong reasons, with foul intent. Back then we were aware that those in power often should not have been allowed to get to positions where they could abuse the public trust wither for personal profit or to promote an agenda that would bring harm to the nation.

      For decades now, the youth has been programmed to STFU, do what you are told and go about your business, we shall do the thinking for you so I understand that most Americans cannot understand where people like Jim and I are coming from. This is one of the reasons that we eventually stop breathing, first of all to put us out of our misery and secondly to give those who follow us the opportunity to screw things up even worse. Oh and you will, you will….

    • DrTomSchmidt February 23, 2018 at 10:30 am #

      I remember a radical Left opposed to government power. I guess it was only opposed to government power when that power wasn’t in its hands.

      There are still a few Lefties like this, like the World Socialist Website, lately banned as either a fake news or hate site, I forget which. But it’s shocking to see the center-left, descendants of people like Frank Church, once a senator from Idaho (imagine!), assuming the position in favor of the FBI.

      I think JHK is disillusioned about the dead idealism that was once prevalent on the left in America. It was always a velvet glove hiding the iron fist of power. Can you blame him?

      • Squeeky Fromm Girl Reporter February 23, 2018 at 10:36 am #

        You’re exactly right! The Left cares only about power, and “principles” be damned. They were against 1950s blacklisting, not because “blacklisting” is bad, but because it was against them.

        Now, they blacklist Conservatives like crazy. They were against Religion, because Religion was against them and their proclivities. Preaching was wrong then, and there was no common moral code. Now, they can’t preach enough. It is a constant drumbeat of things we are supposed to believe. They have even developed their very Doctrine of Original Sin, called “White Privilege.”

        The Left is very feminine, and ideas of right and wrong are more matters of how it affects them, personally.

        Squeeky Fromm
        Girl Reporter

        • messianicdruid February 23, 2018 at 11:15 am #

          “We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.”

          – Obrien, ”1984”: part 3, chapter 3

        • Jigplate February 23, 2018 at 11:54 am #

          “They have even developed their very own Doctrine of Original Sin, called “White Privilege.”

          They may be against religion, but they are not above creating Marxist religious parallels- The “original sin” of white privilege can be cleansed through the baptism of “wokeness”. ( I wonder if there is a ceremony for that)

          On a side note, I watched the recent CNN “town hall” , and was disgusted by the treatment of the female NRA representative. CNN is incredibly dishonest in the way they stacked the house, as well as how their producers “fed” questions to the participants. It reminded me of every bad “Burn the witch” movie I have ever seen.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thBwkY81pAI

          As soon as it was over, I logged onto my computer, and joined the NRA.

          • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2018 at 1:31 pm #

            Bravo. Now do you understand the need for an armed populace? Those kids are simply Red Guards and would have torn her apart if allowed to. It will come if we are not able to resist.

          • Elrond Hubbard February 23, 2018 at 2:50 pm #

            Wall Street May Be Rethinking Its Relationship With Guns
            – Week after Florida shooting, a bank ditches NRA credit cards
            – BlackRock, pension funds start to rethink their gun stocks

            https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-23/guns-and-more-guns-will-wall-street-ever-let-go-of-firearms

            “Will Wall Street ever let go of guns?

            “That question has come up before — after the shootings in Newtown, in Orlando, in Las Vegas, and on and on.

            “Now, with the nation’s emotions raw over the killings in Florida last week, evidence is mounting that investors may be rethinking their long, fraught relationship with the firearms industry.

            “On Thursday, the day the head of the National Rifle Association issued a searing rebuttal to calls for stricter gun control, the nation’s largest privately owned bank announced it would stop issuing NRA-sponsored credit cards. Insurance giant MetLife Inc. followed Friday by saying it’d stop offering NRA discounts.

            “The investment giant BlackRock Inc. said it was exploring ways to cull gun companies from the portfolios of clients who no longer wish to invest in them. In Florida, site of the latest tragedy, teachers expressed frustration that their retirement funds own gun stocks, following revelations that holdings included the maker of the assault rifle used to kill 17 students and educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

            “Activists have made similar appeals for years, only to see all the moments pass. Taken together, the recent developments suggest that, at least for the moment, the financial community senses the rising public pressure — and is positioning itself accordingly.”

            The smart money is always paying attention.

          • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 8:25 am #

            J

            Good for you on joining the lobbying arm of the American Gun Manufacturers Association. With your money, they’ll be able to buy more elections / R politicians and continue the lie that they care about “your freedoms” instead of their profits and power.

            Please don’t try to say that banning ARs is a move against the precious 18th century 2nd amendment as that has been effectively, debunked. While you are on the side of the hard right, big money in politics, violence in society, etc. you are clearly on the wrong side of history. Follow the money, major companies (Delta & United among them) are cutting their ties with the lobbing arm. Interesting that high school students are effecting this change and see things so much more clearly than the “adults.”

            In the not too distant future being a member of the NRA will be likened to being a member of the KKK. Welcome to the club!

            JD

        • lsjogren February 23, 2018 at 2:19 pm #

          The fact that America’s left today is evil doesn’t mean it has always been.

          Just because someone today goes by the label “progressive” doesn’t mean they share any heritage with those in the past who were called “progressive”

          And that goes for both the good and bad. Today’s progressives have nothing to do with the noble things past “progressives” achieved such as child labor laws and Social Security.

          But neither do I hold them responsible for past evil by “progressives”, be it eugenics, Woodrow Wilson’s rabid racism, or internment of Japanese Americans.

          Today’s progressives bear neither credit nor blame for past good and evil by others called “progressives” . Today’s progressivism is a brand new political movement. Unfortuntely, a predominately evil one.

        • San Jose February 23, 2018 at 11:05 pm #

          Amen Sister!

          Jen in San Jose

          • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 8:35 am #

            EF

            Those kids are “simply Red Guards.” Where do you dream this drivel up?

            They are not RGs, but kids who don’t want to get shot up! News flash EF: there are no fucking Red Guards anymore! Only Russian gangsters and Oligarchs! The last surviving Red Guards, were the Chinese, who are now world class Capitalists with a capital C!

            As if a bunch of redneck, half-wits with ARs is going to take on the US military headed by our “bone spurred,” draft dodging Commander in Chief.

            One combat ready battalion would take a whole state of those low lifes! Try to get a semblance of a clue, please! Did you read about what the US military did to that gang of Russian Mercs in Syria recently? They had a lot more than ARs and they were decimated. Those Russian gangbangers, tasted true defeat at the hands of our boys.

            J

      • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2018 at 1:29 pm #

        That simply means they’re in power now – so they see things 180 degrees differently. Many who used to be against censorship are now for it, namely the group that runs Publishing.

      • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2018 at 1:33 pm #

        Now look at the vast minority grievance project: Do you really believe the Blacks and Hispanics are interested in a Rainbow Nation? Aren’t they in fact playing White Liberals for fools even as the White Liberals are using them for votes? Many of the White Liberals are sincere in their beliefs but they are very interested in stomping Whites who don’t believe. And the Blacks and the Hispanics want as much power for their respective groups that they can snatch.

        • DrTomSchmidt February 23, 2018 at 1:59 pm #

          The Hispanics are in conflict with the blacks, Janos. Both qualify for affirmative action, but there is a limit to the size of the pot to be split. Why Black Democrats aren’t 100% in favor of limiting immigration (some were) to hold on to their sinecures for their people is beyond me.

          • lsjogren February 23, 2018 at 3:25 pm #

            The vast majority of African Americans support restrictive immigration laws. Polls show this.

            They vote for Democrats DESPITE the Democratic Party being on the opposite side of them on this particular issue.

            Even a majority of Latino Americans support the policies advocated by Trump over those of the Democratic Party. Latino Americans don’t want to have to compete in the labor market with new legal immigrants or illegal aliens any more than any other Americans do.

  7. janet February 23, 2018 at 10:30 am #

    Jim, I think you need to follow the money. Manafort and Gates were Trump’s campaign manager and deputy campaign manager and there was a whole lot of money laundering going on. Mueller is developing the charges step by step, just like in a prosecution of a drug kingpin.

    Trump’s involvement with Russia started before 2016 with his beauty contest in Moscow and his prostitute golden shower activity.

    The 32-count indictment includes charges of bank fraud (Russia related) and lying on tax returns. It alleges Manafort, with Gates’ assistance, laundered more than $30 million and duped banks into lending money. It says the pair used funds from secret offshore accounts to enjoy a life of luxury. Then both Gates and Manafort turn up running the Trump campaign. What a coincidence!

    Are you are missing the Russia-Trump collusion intentionally?

    • DrTomSchmidt February 23, 2018 at 10:35 am #

      “Lying on tax returns?”you do realize you sign that 1040 every year under penalty of perjury, Janet. For anyone above a simple return, there will undoubtedly be errors; that’s human nature. Yet your signature certifies that “they are true, correct…” meaning that, if they want to convict you for an error, they can.

      Manafort seems to be one of those corrupt vermin that infest DC. Trump’s associating with him does not speak well of his judgment.

      • janet February 23, 2018 at 1:09 pm #

        “you do realize you sign that 1040 every year under penalty of perjury, Janet” –DrTomSchmidt

        You do realize, Dr.Tom, there is pay inequity for women? I never made more than $30,000 a year and never had to file anything other than a simple return. So, nice try, but my returns never contained errors. They were always true and correct. If they want to convict me, they CANNOT.

        Your attempt to conflate my returns with Gates and Manafort is shameful.

        • DrTomSchmidt February 23, 2018 at 1:38 pm #

          I wasn’t conflating, Janet. Just pointing out that “lying on one’s tax returns,”especially when facing the IRS with a presumption of guilt, is one of those crimes that essentially everyone CAN be found guilty of.

          My father was a tax accountant. He told me a tale of revenge taken on a man. It seems someone sent in a 1099 to the IRS about him, which of course he knew nothing about. In the end, it was cheaper and faster to pay the taxes and penalties than to fight the IRS.

          I wish I had your faith that they CANNOT. In the land where jailhouse snitches get years off their sentences for turning states evidence on others, you ARE at risk. That’s our system. You’re likely protected by having no assets to go after, but then they also know that you have no assets to defend yourself if they decide to make an example of you.

          Do you trust Donald Trump’s justice department that much?

        • DrTomSchmidt February 23, 2018 at 1:43 pm #

          Btw, given your stated income and the $12k standard deduction under the trump tax plan, you are MORE likely to be audited. The rates for people from 0-25k in AGI are higher by about 25%

          http://time.com/money/3820009/irs-tax-audit-chances/

    • Elrond Hubbard February 23, 2018 at 10:49 am #

      There’s no meaningful doubt that Russia tried to interfere in the 2016 election. The DNC hack that revealed the hilarious backbiting in the Clinton campaign, for example, was almost certainly a Russian caper. In its more confident days, the U.S. political class would have been righteously (if hypocritically) pissed about it, but they never would have let it get under their skin the way they are now.

      Again, Russia tried to interfere. Does that mean Trump and/or his campaign actively colluded with them? My gut, FWIW, says no. There was that meeting Trump’s son and son-in-law took with a Russian lawyer, but it was the Russians who initiated that — Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner were simply out of their depth, and clueless about how that would look later on. There’s just enough there to provide endless fodder for the Democrats to play Joe McCarthy. They really have become the Republicans of old, while the Republicans have gone altogether Looney-Tunes.

      What Trump, his family, and their cronies do have is a long history of smelly dealings with Russian oligarchs, some of which have come back to bite Manafort and Gates and are likely to be what flips them to testify against Trump when the time comes. Trump always treated his campaign as a PR exercise, meant to burnish his brand; he felt he could brush off demands that he release his tax returns. Only he actually did fall ass-backward into the Presidency, and is now exposed to the kind of scrutiny and pushback that even an oligarch can’t hold off. In the end, this won’t be a story about collusion for political reasons, but about a corrupt businessman laundering money for other corrupt businessmen. There’s little doubt in my mind that he has plenty to hide.

    • Ol' Scratch February 23, 2018 at 10:54 am #

      Have you seen the indie film Icarus yet lil j-bot? I know it would be right up your alley.

      #bullshit
      #lying bullshit
      #fantasy bullshit

    • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 8:44 am #

      IMMIGRANTS ILLEGALLY IN the U.S. collectively contribute nearly $12 billion each year to state and local tax coffers, according to a new report that challenges recent election cycle rhetoric.

      The US can’t afford to get rid of the immigrants! After DJT gave all those tax breaks to your betters (the 1%), the US is bust!

      “Regardless of the politically contentious nature of immigration reform, the data show undocumented immigrants greatly contribute to our nation’s economy, not just in labor but also with tax dollars.”

      You know who really loves illegal immigrants? Corporate fucking America! They by all their crap, work for next to nothing and don’t vote! The vary people you support on the hard right are the ones he allow it to continue.

      The wall? Shit. If big US business wanted that border secure, it would have been secured decades ago. Big US business, gets what big business wants. Period.

      Also, a minor problem. 30 foot wall easily compromised with a 33 foot ladder. DJT’S big beautiful, simple mined wall, is going to have to be much more than brick and chain link or whatever the hell he is designing. What a dipshit!

      JD

  8. DrGonzo February 23, 2018 at 10:47 am #

    The ‘Deep State’ that I’m most concerned about is the control that Corporate America has over our Congress, our news media, our health care system, our schools, our public policy-making. All kinds of things that a majority of Americans support, from universal single-payer health care to sensible gun control laws to breaking up the banks that are presumably “too big to fail” are DOA in a congress that’s bought and paid for by Bank of America, Pfizer, Exxon Mobil, Verizon, Amazon, the NRA and the Koch Brothers.

    Meanwhile, Kunstler seems to be falling farther down the rabbit hole of shadowy Deep State conspiracy theories. I don’t think it’s all that complicated. Just follow the money, and the puppet-masters will be revealed in all their corrupt glory, like naked swimmers when the tide goes out.

    And that’s what Mueller’s team is doing, carefully, systematically: following the money swirling around a secretive and suspiciously hostile and uncooperative billionaire crime family. If it doesn’t eventually lead right to Jared Kuschner’s front door, I’ll eat my hat.

    • LagingRunatic February 23, 2018 at 12:40 pm #

      Gonz, when the right talks about fear of the “Deep State” and the left talks about fear of “Corporate America,” I fear we’re talking about the same groups of folks, agendas, etc., but because we’re feeling different parts of the same elephant, and therefore using different words, we fail to notice that the tail and the trunk are attached to the same beast. And so we fight one another over the labels that have come factory-issued, instead of getting to know one another as unique individuals and working together against our would-be Corporate American Deep State overlords.

      • cbeard February 24, 2018 at 6:43 am #

        There is only one America. It IS corporate America. The deep state and corporate America are one and the same.

        • Robert White February 24, 2018 at 10:17 am #

          The Deep State & corporate America are indeed the same ball of wax. Both are completely bankrupt, and both are reliant upon
          completely false notions of macroeconomics, fake metrics, fake news, and sociopaths running the Whore House.

          Take ownership of the lie that is America and then short the lie for profit because profits are really all that matters to the Giant Vampire Squid et al. General Smedley Butler warned us all about this many moons ago when Hooverville was a thriving village of disenfranchised USA stakeholders with skin in the game. He warned the crowds of disenfranchised Americans that corporate America & the Deep State were the number one tyrants of the entire world, and that they would not stop their collective inhumanity towards humanity at any time.

          He advised us to fight the bastards just as Eisenhower advised us to fight. Neither Eisenhower or Butler were traitors to America, or Americans.

          RW

      • sprawlcapital February 24, 2018 at 9:52 am #

        Nice screen name Runatic.

        I too am fond of saying things like “rucking fight!” and “suckle your beatbelt”.

        This practice is indicative of either high IQ or dangerous sociopathy.

      • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 11:23 am #

        LG

        I like and agree with the way you think.

        JD

    • marcus1 February 23, 2018 at 1:12 pm #

      Exactly! Listen to the NRA shill Wayne LaPierre talking about how the country is moving towards socialism when the fact is we’re are a de facto fascist state controlled by corporate money. Just arm the teachers! What could go wrong? It’s laughable, just keep selling more guns and keep the gun manufacturers money flowing, that’s the plan.

      If you want to get insight into Kunstler’s possible motivation it may have to do with the shekels he gets from the king of Chicken Little sites “Zerohedge.” Another fear-mongering troll farm that’s been predicting the end of society for the last fifteen years that re-posts JHK red meat.

      Mueller is a focused, intelligent, and productive compared to Ken Starr , and how long did the “right” keep that dog and pony show going to try to get the “evil” socialist Clinton?

      “Deep State” paranoia comes from a populace that doesn’t have the capacity for “deep thinking.” Just keep the fear and hatred of the radical “left” current and the general populace won’t even feel the shearing they’re getting. The stupidity of this society is the only “deep” phenomena.

      • lsjogren February 23, 2018 at 3:33 pm #

        ” Listen to the NRA shill Wayne LaPierre talking about how the country is moving towards socialism when the fact is we’re are a de facto fascist state controlled by corporate money ”

        And exactly what is the difference between the two?

        • marcus1 February 23, 2018 at 4:01 pm #

          Socialism is be based on majority rule. Fascism based on rule by oligarchs.

          • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 11:25 am #

            M

            Yep.

            JD

      • James Howard Kunstler February 23, 2018 at 11:05 pm #

        Marcus—
        I receive zero,pay from zero hedge or any other website that poaches this blog. If you make any more scurrilous assertions about me, I will,kick you off this blog.
        —JHK

        • marcus1 February 24, 2018 at 3:47 pm #

          No assertion made Jim. Glad you clarified that . Just seems to be a correlation between your drift away from the safe habor of reason toward the miasma of propaganda and paranoia based on speculation and rumors similar to writings seen on zerohedge, since your posts started appearing in zerohedge.

        • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 11:34 am #

          JHK

          With all due respect Jim, maybe you could clarify your recent lurch to what, to many of us, seems like the hard right, conspiracy theory view of things. Considering your background and past writings, it does seem very much out of character. I think it’s a fair question, no? Zero Hedge is, afterall, a real alt-right nest of vipers.

          Thank you

          JD

          • GreenAlba February 25, 2018 at 12:53 pm #

            JD
            This isn’t to do with JHK, but I think the alt-right likes the narrative of societal breakdown, but for their own nefarious purposes.

            Years ago when I started taking an interest in peak oil, the concept got very little traction on mainstream media or among mainstream political groups. The only ‘political’ group who picked it up and ran with it were the knuckle-draggers of the British National Party, because they saw a chance. The BNP is now defunct – a bunch of them moved to UKIP and the most rabid ones to organisations like the English Defence League and Britain First. You really wouldn’t want to come across any of these people up a dark alley.

            They just love the idea of a civil breakdown where their racist fear-mongering will get them scared followers looking for scapegoats. Europe has of course seen it all before – and it didn’t end well.

      • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 12:36 pm #

        M

        Indeed!

        JD

    • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2018 at 1:36 pm #

      You manage to misunderstand completely: hundreds of Corporations stopped doing business with Trump in the first month of his campaign. He lost hundred of millions. The Big Power is against him, and that includes most Republicans. And of course he’s not as pure as the wind driven snow, but compared to them? He is.

      • marcus1 February 23, 2018 at 2:07 pm #

        So I won’t think I’m talking to someone with a crack pipe in their hand, where is the evidence that “hundreds of Corporations stopped doing business with Trump” and “He lost hundred of millions.”?

        And was I talking about Trump? Has Mueller targeted Trump? Mueller is investigating Russian interference in our elections.

        Approximately half the adult population in this country has been contacted on social media by these Russian trolls. Mueller uncovered that fact. Mueller’s investigation has been productive.

        I’m lot trying to lynch Trump, Trump will probably do a good job of that by himself.

      • DrGonzo February 23, 2018 at 7:13 pm #

        If you think that Trump is any less in bed with Wall Street than his predecessors, you haven’t been paying attention to his cabinet appointments, or his financial systems oversight appointees.

      • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 11:41 am #

        JS

        Very misguided. Trump brings chaos wherever he goes and it won’t end well for the US and certainly not for the Repugs. This guy is dangerous, chiefly because he’s so stupid. I admit he is savant like in attracting the disaffected blue collar white crowd, who do have legitimate grievances, but their vehicle of choice, this congenital, narcissistic liar, is most unfortunate for all of us.

        Banana Republic and Long Emergency, here we come at 100 mph!

        JD

    • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 8:55 am #

      DG

      Bravo! Absolutely fucking positively… BRAVO! I have new found hope (albeit a small amount) that the entire readership here at ClusterFuck has not fallen into the dimwitted hard right wing. Thank you for restoring a small ray of hope!

      I am forever amazed at the very people who scream “USA, USA, USA” or “Lock her up!, lock her up!” are the very ones who have bought hook line and sinker into this big business backed cock and bull, hard right, HOG WASH! There are none so blind as those who will not see….

      Please, try to see that, despite what they say, the 1% are not your friends. Unless you are one of them (bottom rung = $10mm minimum net worth) you are just another despised sucker, ripe for the milking.
      They are LAUGHING at you for goodness sakes!

      Wise up.

      JD

  9. Ol' Scratch February 23, 2018 at 10:52 am #

    Given the undercover actions of the deep state and their countless official, unofficial, and mere useful idiot agents, as well as our famously lying and/or just plain incompetent MSM, who among us can possibly decipher the truth of any of this? The only thing that we can be sure of is that someone’s interests will eventually be served, those interests most definitely will not align with the larger public’s, and whatever “truth” that eventually comes out will be mired in controversy for the rest of our lives, no matter how much the media tries to promote or discourage it. Welcome to the brave new world of utter and complete corruption all of the time. There’s no turning back from here.

    • Walter B February 23, 2018 at 11:09 am #

      So good to see you and read your wise thoughts my friend. When I was born, the Russians (and the Chinese) were our arch enemies, then they were our friends. Then we started dealing and talking to them, now it is treason and we must die for our sins. So many idiots out there are so easily steered and seem to always buy into whatever line of bullshit they are fed by those who need a Bad Guy in order to justify more War for Profit and more death. Is it not a great paradox that those who oppose firearms in the hands of the general public also promote war and mass death against the Enemy De Jour (though THEY will never do any of the fighting). I think they are driving me from anger to sadness, and perhaps I shall go off and have a good cry now. It seems appropriate.

    • JustSaying February 23, 2018 at 11:25 am #

      I think there was always utter and complete corruption, only now the curtain has been pulled back.

      As for the truth:

      It was a leak not a hack (William Binney)
      RussiaGate was a Brennan job (Seymour Hersh)
      The FBI was in all the whole thing (corrupt as always)
      The “meddlers” were marketing click-baits
      This whole event is taken from a Soros Color Revolution (remember the purple on the day after election)

      Any major business player or politician is dirty (Trump, Clinton, Biden, Podesta, that’s just par for the course)

      As JHK says and I have to agree 100% – a complete waste of time and money when we have much bigger problems to solve.

      As for the “intelligentsia” – there ain’t no life nowhere!

    • ozone February 23, 2018 at 12:52 pm #

      Scratchy,
      As well as a remembrance of very real press collusion with agency agenda promotion (Operation Mockingbird)….
      Do we really want to know about origins, motives and murderous warrants?

      Only those with old-time attention spans should try this one. 2 parts for the Eww-tube link:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQouKi7xDpM

      Kevin Shipp, former (now in recovery) See Eye Eh officer. Some dots connected.

    • Robert White February 23, 2018 at 4:22 pm #

      My old man told me it was a ‘mug’s game’ back in the early 60s, Ol’ Scratch, and then Nixon closed the gold window to follow whatshisface from the Chicago School of Economics.

      The so-called ‘Deep State’ can lick my balls in deference to my intellect & intelligence over their own. Corruption has been around longer than the so-called ‘Deep State’ by a longshot. Corruption predates civilization & mythology.

      RW

  10. FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 11:06 am #

    While Herr Mueller is at it, why doesn’t he indict Larry Summers who, during Russian Financial crisis of 1998, actively participated in lightening Russian Federation’s dollar portfolio with the help of suitcases filled with hundred-dollar bills.

    I’m sure the photos of Larry carrying those suitcases occupy an honorary place in Putin’s family album.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  11. FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 11:14 am #

    Is it just a coincidence that Mueller shares his family name with the Nazi Germany chief of Gestapo – Heinrich Müller, or are they related?

    • FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 11:19 am #

      Old saying of KGB spies working in Nazi Germany:

      We all are under the Mueller’s hood!

  12. fred February 23, 2018 at 11:29 am #

    “On the other hand, it could lead in open court to the airing of all sorts of dirty laundry about surreptitious US meddling in Ukraine, and about the corps of camp-following money-grubbing American grifters who raced in after 2014 to steal anything that wasn’t nailed down there by the homegrown kleptocrats.”

    Ummm, like Hunter Biden, perhaps????

  13. FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 11:41 am #

    An open secret is that 95% of Russian “oligarchs” got there fortunes from the hands of Clinton’s emissaries who were giving away Soviet property for pennies on the dollar while occupying consultant positions in ALL ministries of the Russian Federation.

    Trump will have to work hard with Putin on draining not only Washington’s, but Moscow’s swamp as well.

    I estimate that up to 60% of the Russian property is still in the hands of the Clinton’s clan.

  14. RocketDoc February 23, 2018 at 11:42 am #

    As a lapsed Democrat, like our host, I tend to agree with Marcus1. Spending 60 million on a real estate deal that ended up uncovering a BJ, why not just allow Muller to keep fishing just for the entertainment value?
    My own timeline of recollection concerning the election events is imprecise because I am not researching a news story but the reason we are interested in Russian meddling is as some payoff for investment by some oligarchs to “support” Trump deals. Dirty businessman indeed. The meddling is important because it favored the Donald, not because Russians shouldn’t try influencing our elections, we do it in other countries all the time. B

    • RocketDoc February 23, 2018 at 11:50 am #

      But in the run-up to the election voters already knew this and voted for Trump anyway!
      Isn’t Hunter Biden in Ukraine? Didn’t Hillary make money on Russian deals? There appears to be enough corruption to go around and it all ends up being a distraction from addressing anything of real substance.

    • janet February 23, 2018 at 12:35 pm #

      “we do it in other countries all the time.” –Rocketdoc

      Besides, being a first grader’s excuse, do you support our meddling in other countries’ elections? If not, then why give the Russians a pass for meddling in ours? “He hit me first” is an elementary school excuse, just like saying “everyone does it” does not excuse criminal or traitorous behavior. Mueller has Trump dead to rights.

  15. FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 11:55 am #

    The deal between the Clinton’s and Russian “oligarchs” was that the Russians were given the cheap loans to buy Soviet property for penny on the dollar but it was not REALLY there property, just given to them into temporary management under conditions that all profits would be converted into dollars and kept in US banks – made it easy for the Americans to keep’em under tight control – after all, you always could freeze or arrest those assets for some “humanitarian reasons”.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  16. FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 11:58 am #

    Go ahead Mr. Mueller, let’s bring ALL DIRT to the surface!!

    • FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 12:01 pm #

      I think that Mueller is working for Putin, too!

      • janet February 23, 2018 at 12:37 pm #

        So, you admit Putin wants to bring down Trump. And I thought they were BFF.

  17. newworld February 23, 2018 at 12:07 pm #

    Clinton that idiot was guilty of a process crime lying to the FBI over a stupid affair, he was stupid.

    The impeachment trial was chaired by Henry Hyde who hired a Chicago Democratic insider lawyer (Shippers) who amassed a trove of indictable charges that were for some reason classified information not available to the public and had to be stored in a classified vault that senators could not remove or talk about once viewed.

    Years later Shippers wrote a book about how shocked he was at the corruption of the Clintons.

    Yes I want Manafort to talk about all the insider hacks that helped loot the Ukraine.

  18. FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 12:23 pm #

    Now you should understand why US was on a brink of a nuclear war with Russia in 1999 and why “drunk” Yeltsin threatened Bill Clinton with Russian Nuclear triad from Beijing.

    He must have, for a minute, a second, a half-minute, forgotten what Russia is. That Russia is equipped with a full arsenal of nuclear weapons. He forgot about this. And so he decided to flex his muscles, as we say

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKNJQG7Pcgc

    Now try guessing from 3 attempts who brought down the Twin Towers and how George Bush saved the Nation by discovering a soul in the Putin’s eyes.

  19. Robert White February 23, 2018 at 12:35 pm #

    The United States of America is infinitely more fucked financially than the Russian Federation was in 1991. QE Infinity is the only way ‘Merica can buy time before the whole global Ponzi finally implodes. The Russian Federation was a bastion of solvency compared to the current state of affairs in the USA. Serial bubbles of US led Financialization & Securitization schemes have imperiled the USA to the point of complete collapse of the Dark Pool Derivatives Universe valued roughly at $1.8 quadrillion USD. When that deflates the Federal Reserve conflates, and then the Treasury Secretary obfuscates, and his trophy wife opts to separate.

    Margaret ‘The Milk Thief’ Thatcher enticed the Soviet Union into the Giant Vampire Squid Financialization & Securitization Ponzi scheme
    in 1990s at the behest of her crony capitalist cohort in the Chicago School. We now know that that was a mere stopgap measure to keep the fake economy inflated with debt worldwide. Today, not one country can service their debt due to overleveraged debt-to-gdp. The only possible solution is the obvious end of the Fed, and a reset based upon systemic failure globally due to the short-termism of the Giant Vampire Squid planners.

    RW

    • FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 12:55 pm #

      You’re over-complicating things, RW.

      How ’bout we take Alaska, Seattle with the Boeing factories and California and call it even?

      Ok, ok, fuck the California. Just Alaska and Seattle.

      Just kiddin…

      • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2018 at 1:42 pm #

        There was a great old movie where rogue elements in the US government launched a strike at the Soviet Union. They were able to shoot down most of the planes, with our help, but one got through and nuked Moscow. The Russian Premier gave the US a choice: all out nuclear war or the sacrifice of one of our Cities comparable in size. Can’t remember the name of the movie.

        • unirealist February 23, 2018 at 3:05 pm #

          Janos, that would be “Failsafe.”

    • DrTomSchmidt February 23, 2018 at 1:49 pm #

      Ignore the debt. Do we have more or fewer real assets than Russia had in 1991? Or has the finanialized economy not only wrecked social comity, but also undermined the real asset base of the American economy?

      That’s the real issue as the debt bomb explodes or implodes. What do you think?

      • Robert White February 23, 2018 at 2:07 pm #

        The Stock Market is at least 50% overvalued, and USA infrastructure is in a third world banana republic state of affairs.
        The Russian Federation has infinitely more natural resources than the USA does, and we all know that the Russian Federation is stockpiling gold bullion whereas ‘Merica won’t audit the FED or Fort Knox bullion reserves. ‘Merica also has over 800 military bases that require funding in spite of the intractable deficits that cannot be serviced. ‘Merica owes every asset they have on their books to pay for the liabilities it has worldwide.

        ‘Merica was built off of debt that will never be paid back, and it was built off the backs of the working class that can no longer afford to buy goods at the company store, or pay the rent on their Potter’s Field of dreams n’ nightmares.

        In my opinion, ‘Merica has transferred the asset base to private hands so it can no longer be included in the liability mix.

        Too-BIG-to-Fail, Nail, or Jail, has resulted in monopoly control that renders free market Capitalism defunct going forward. FAANG controls ‘Merica, and what’s left of the dwindling assets that are by no means transparent as time goes by.

        Bottom line is that I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop for at least 8 years now. I’m glad I did not hold my breath waiting, frankly.

        RW

        • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 3:04 pm #

          RW,

          Everything you wrote seems abundantly reasonable to me.

          “Bottom line is that I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop for at least 8 years now. I’m glad I did not hold my breath waiting, frankly.” Me too, me too (longer than 8 years).

          JD

        • unirealist February 23, 2018 at 3:09 pm #

          Me, likewise. I began raising the alarm like Paul Revere when the national debt was 3.5 trillion dollars, and I estimated that the total liabilities amounted to 20 trillion.

          LOL.

          • Robert White February 23, 2018 at 9:37 pm #

            Total liabilities today is well over $400 trillion, and the unsecured liabilities are almost getting to be stratospheric and unimaginable.

            I did not really start screaming bloody murder until after the 08 crash. You most assuredly started screaming first at 3.5 t.

            Being a Cassandra is no fun anymore after this long a wait IMHO.

            RW

        • DrTomSchmidt February 24, 2018 at 1:37 pm #

          Yeah, we didn’t dispute here’s a lot of debt. That wasn’t my question. Assets was the question.

          You answered that Russia has more natural resources than the USA, good.

          Now, the question is other assets. Sure, they’ve been rehypothecated a million times. The question is: assume all debts disappear, and the only thing we have left is the assets in society. Are we wealthier than the Russians are with those assets, or no?

          I see, as you do, that the debt is unpayable. My assumption is that almost all of it goes away at some point soon. When that happens, how much real materiel (and social capital, and knowledge) is left to support life? Has the scamming after debt destroyed much of the real asset base of the USA?

          • Robert White February 24, 2018 at 2:45 pm #

            Let us assume that we are constructing a qualitative & quantitative assessment of known facts. Clearly, the USA has more of a so-called ‘wealth concentration’ if we factor in the asset class of billionaires and their concomitant RE & art holdings, plus PMs they likely have stacked in their combined portfolios. We can also assume that the Russian Federation has a similar weighting of oligarchs, billionaires, et cetera so that can essentially cancel each other out in the assessment of assets.

            Even if ‘Merica has better portfolios & quantitatively more billionaires, we can assume that the Russian Federation literally blows the doors off of the USA on the asset class of natural resources by a country mile. Technologically, the Russian Federation could not possibly be as advanced as the USA is presently with the likes of MIT kicking BIG time technological butt for decades on end worldwide. So, if we include the technological superiority of good old USA knowhow and global dominance on the academic side of the asset class of tertiary education we can surmise that the USA still dominates on tech, and will likely keep dominating on tech if they can get their combined shit together which is impossible given the facts of economic fragmentation across the good old USA.

            Real assets will disappear when the NYSE finally blows fat tails to mean reversion on the at least 50% overvaluations. The entire house of cards will collapse when the bond market & stock market naturally goes mean reversion. It is a statistical fact, and collapse is certain. In addition, with certain collapse imminent, and a bureaucracy in complete denial that a reset is imminent we have no real reason to think that the assets you are referring to will be quantitatively the same assets after the collapse is petered out and attempts at restoration of a collapsed economic system are addressed theoretically by all remaining survivors of the obvious Thermodynamic ‘Hot’ World War Three that will parallel the economic collapse as it happens real world time.

            What we need to assess is not what assets will be remaining after the crash, or into the reset. The world will be in such a state of disrepair at that juncture in history that we will literally have no resolve but to take the view that it will be every man for himself until civilized society can be reformed after the Nuclear Winter that will manifest when China, Russian Federation, North Korea, and the good old USA decide to duke it out for the heavyweight title of the world.

            As a betting man my money is on a paradigmatic shift to the upper paleolithic hunter gatherer era whereby nomadic existence will be a better means of survival after the crash & war manifest. Assets will take on a whole different meaning when chaos ensues and people all over the entire world start fighting over diminishing means of survival whether food, energy sources, water, or medicine. America will be like Venezuela after Venezuela implodes because the system is dependent upon Venezuela as a part of the overall system of economics throughout the world.

            Assets will be best if they are portable IMHO. Will Americans be better off after the crash than the Russians in the Russian Federation? When WW3 manifests China, Russian Federation, and North Korea, will all target the good old USA just as the good old USA is likely targeting them right now in the very last Zero Sum end game of civilization as we once knew it.

            I hope that answers the question, but by all means elaborate if you feel it does not.

            RW

          • DrTomSchmidt February 24, 2018 at 8:33 pm #

            It gives a sense. I’m using JHK’s model where the USA has collapsed and in a world made by hand, people live off whatever real assets exist to support life.

            I asked a stupid question, I realize, as debt is also considered an asset. But when financial assets disappear, what’s left still has to support human life. Russia has far more land per capita, but the cost to wildlife in, e.g. the Russian Far East was high.

            Upper Paleolithic means 95% of us dead. Returning to the world of 1850means only 70% dead. I doubt we could live like 1850any more, though. That resiliency is the biggest cost of the financialized economy.

            I wish you well, and thanks for answering.

  20. janet February 23, 2018 at 1:00 pm #

    By the way, former Trump campaign official Rick Gates pleads guilty today to two criminal charges related to Russian meddling into the 2016 presidential campaign and related activities. Another day, another indictment, another guilty plea. Trump is not using the word “hoax” anymore to refer to his collusion with Russia. Trump is feeling the heat… he cannot avoid it because it is real. Whole lot of meat in that so-called “nothing burger”! And I have a feeling Mueller is just getting started. Reagan has 137 corrupt criminals in his administration. Trump may break that record!

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • janet February 23, 2018 at 1:20 pm #

      Mueller filed in Virginia. If Gates and Manafort are also guilty of violations of state tax laws, then there is no possibility of a presidential pardon… because Trump’s power has a limitation: a presidential pardon does not apply to charges from state and local authorities, like in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, etc.

      • FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 1:32 pm #

        He should’ve filed in Kiev, Ukraine.

        With half-drunk jury in colorful Ukrainian dresses we’d have a real circus with ponies! Ratings through the roof!!

  21. ohhnoo-latepayment February 23, 2018 at 1:12 pm #

    It’s more than meets the eye. Social media has a bigger role than anyone can imagine. Russia is what matters at the moment so many of the social media sites we visit continue to create a side that you can choose to be for or against.

    It’s the comments that count more than the provocation provided by the propaganda. The voting class universally believes whatever they read in the press, no matter how easy to disprove.

  22. Elrond Hubbard February 23, 2018 at 1:20 pm #

    Hogwash, and worse than hogwash. Welcome to the party, pal!

    • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2018 at 1:45 pm #

      Hogg wash? Like this you mean?

      https://www.newscientist.com/article/2161867-ancient-dark-skinned-briton-cheddar-man-find-may-not-be-true/

      Big science has betrayed us too – just like big everything else. It’s very hard to uncover skin color sometimes. They’ll probably get it eventually, but it’s still a work in progress.

      • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 2:47 pm #

        You find it hard to believe that migrants from Africa, who lived for 1,000s of years in gloomy and snowy Europe developed light skin and blue eyes because they no longer needed all that Melanin (from Greek: “black, dark” is a broad term for a group of natural pigments found in most organisms.) It seems very plausible to me… unless we are trying to make a case that the whites somehow just appeared by the grace of god or something….

        • messianicdruid February 23, 2018 at 4:43 pm #

          Look up the word – awdawm – and learn.

        • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2018 at 7:07 pm #

          Sure, it’s possible – it happened at some point. But possibly earlier, maybe much earlier. There are other theories you know – like the one where we developed into modern men outside of Africa from the various races of Homo Erectus who had been outside for a very long time. And of course, they and then we may have mated with other type of early men, like the Neanderthals.

          • Tate February 24, 2018 at 12:18 pm #

            I studied that picture some and that Cheddar man looks a lot like my Uncle Mike when he was in his forties except in blackface and a fright wig.

            But they done gone and taken away his white privilege so he can’t do that no mo’ lol…

      • Elrond Hubbard February 23, 2018 at 3:14 pm #

        Look at you, Janos! Linking to a reputable science journal, like a sane person. You must have put on your big-boy pants this morning.

        It’s a premium article, so all I get is the headline and the first one and a half paragraphs. The operative word? “May” not be true. Oh, okay, so science doing what it does best: putting facts to the test, and (and this is key) abiding by the results. The opposite of bigotry, in other words. And when the debate is finally settled, we’ll all know something we didn’t know before.

        Keep paying attention, Janos. You might learn something by accident.

        • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2018 at 7:09 pm #

          Listen to you! As if you and your ilk hadn’t tried to make political bank of Cheddar having dark skin. As if you only cared about the Truth. As if this wasn’t a political stunt to make it seem like Harry marrying that mulatto was just business as usual and not the end of the Shaolin Order.

          • Elrond Hubbard February 23, 2018 at 11:38 pm #

            Every word and deed, Janos — a truth universally acknowledged.

          • GreenAlba February 24, 2018 at 8:04 am #

            “As if this wasn’t a political stunt to make it seem like Harry marrying that mulatto was just business as usual and not the end of the Shaolin Order.”

            *sigh* OK, I know this isn’t going to do any good, but just for the sake of it, I’ll point out – again – that ‘mulatto’ isn’t a term we use in the UK (where both events are happening) to describe people.

            Meghan Markle isn’t ‘that mulatto’. If you need to be precise for specific reasons, she’s a person of mixed race. For the majority of people in the country where she’s going to be living, she’s just a *person*. And because of that, it’s fine for her to marry another *person*, in this case Prince Harry. And, hopefully, they’ll have a happier marriage than his mother and his various royal aunts and uncles.

            You already brought it up in a previous post, a propos of nothing at all. They are getting married Janos. The sky isn’t going to fall. Let it go…

            Now if you want something to get upset about, how about the fact that Windsor and Maidenhead Council is planning to fine homeless people and try to remove them from the streets so that the place doesn’t look a mess when the wedding is happening. Because fairy tales have to be preserved.

          • JustSaying February 24, 2018 at 1:57 pm #

            Mulatto was a term used to describe a bi-racial person in the fifties and sixties. I think Janos is just showing his age. My husband on occasion will refer to someone as being mulatto and I jokingly correct him. When one attains a certain age, it is very common to go time tripping and one understands that social norms are transitory.

          • GreenAlba February 24, 2018 at 4:12 pm #

            Thanks for the explanation, JS. My beef with Janos isn’t the political correctness of his vocabulary, though, it’s the fact that it chokes him to credit this young woman with just being a young woman like any other. A week ago he called her ‘Cheddar Man’.

            From reading a number of my posts on the matter, people will have picked up that royalty isn’t high on my list of things that matter, but I don’t wish any of them any harm personally and it just annoys me that the only thing Janos can see about this young woman is her race. To me she looks practically white, but to me it doesn’t matter anyway. I wish them well, on a personal basis – they boys lost their mother way before they should have.

          • Q. Shtik February 24, 2018 at 5:48 pm #

            As if this wasn’t a political stunt to make it seem like Harry marrying that mulatto was just business as usual… – Janos

            Meghan Markle isn’t ‘that mulatto’. If you need to be precise for specific reasons, she’s a person of mixed race. – GreenAlba

            ===============

            Isn’t it interesting how use of the word ‘that’ rather than ‘a’ makes such a huge difference. And where, when, and how did it ever become such a negative to use the word mulatto. I will guess it happened about the same time as hermaphrodite became intersex and drunkard became a person who suffered from substance abuse.

            It just so happens that my wife’s best bud is half black and half white and refers to herself as a mulatto. Her white mother was born and raised in Paris France. I don’t know the circumstances leading up to her mother meeting and marrying an American black man. This mulatto woman (who I will refer to as GD to protect the innocent) is an absolute dynamo. She holds a high administrative position at Rutgers U (not as a Prof). GD herself married a white man and together they have 3 children who I have heard her refer to as quadroons. To meet these kids (all in their 20s with college degrees), skin-color-wise you would not know whether they contained some black blood or just had a nice tan.

            GD is unaffected by the slavery of politically correct labels because she is so confident in her abilities and comfortable in her own skin.

            This business of considering the term ‘mixed race’ as more precise is simply ridiculous. Has there ever been a DNA test whose result didn’t show mixed race to one degree or another? ‘Mixed race’ is probably the MOST IMPRECISE of all possible racial descriptions.

          • GreenAlba February 24, 2018 at 5:56 pm #

            Well done on entirely missing the point, Q.

          • GreenAlba February 24, 2018 at 5:58 pm #

            Which is, in case you’ve missed it again, that she’s called Meghan Markle. She has a name. She’s not ‘that’ anything.
            Sorry you have so much trouble with simple concepts.

        • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 8:13 pm #

          MD

          “Look up the word – awdawm – and learn”

          Interesting, possible, I suppose, but above my pay grade so to speak and unverifiable in any event. Not relevant in my estimation, but who knows, you may be correct. I will be supremely surprised if it turns out that there was such an entity capable of creating Awdawm.

          JD

          • messianicdruid February 24, 2018 at 8:11 am #

            He is not a “was” but an is.

            This answers all the facts.

          • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 9:09 am #

            MD

            Actually, that remains to be seen.

            The founding fathers were generally of the mind that he “was,” at least as far as we are concerned, e.g. off on new and exciting projects somewhere else. I, at least have an open mind and will reserve judgement, that he or she may be an is.

            Deists include Washington (whose dedication to Christianity was clear in his own mind), John Adams, and, with some qualifications, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was more influenced by the reason-centred Enlightenment than either Adams or Washington.

            1. Deists belief in the existence of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation (distinguished from theism ). 2. belief in a God who created the world but has since remained indifferent to it. Origin of deism.

            Not at all settled fact MD
            JD

  23. BuckP February 23, 2018 at 1:22 pm #

    The only known corroborated, known conspiracy surrounding the 2016 election was the deliberate sabotage of the Bernie Sanders’ campaign by the DNC in favor of Hillary. Whether you agreed with Bernie or not, he at least had a message and took a stand, as did Trump. Hillary just championed more of the same old bromides. Russian trolls planting fake news stories on Facebook for a gullible, inattentive, divided American public pales in comparison.
    However, with the defense budget swellng to $700 billion, the difference between Trump and Hillary, unfortunately, now seems minuscule. The corporate oligarchy is still in charge, regardless of who sits in the Oval Office!

    The following is excerpted from Paul Steen’s article in Truthdig.com entitled “The World Will Not Mourn the Decline of U.S. Hegemony”

    “…From the start, the ‘American Century’ had nothing to do with advancing democracy. As numerous key U.S. planning documents reveal over and over, the goal of that policy was to maintain and, if necessary, install governments that favor ‘private investment of domestic and foreign capital, production for export and the right to bring profits out of the country,’….”

    • GreenAlba February 25, 2018 at 11:04 am #

      I just read your Truthdig article (it’s been great finding out about some decent new American news and opinion sources on here, as an antidote to the endless rabid quotes from ‘AmRen’ et al).

      This quote from George Kennen is particularly chilling:

      “We have about 50% of the world’s wealth, but only 6.3% of its population. … Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity. … To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality… We should cease to talk about vague and … unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of the living standards, and democratization. The day is not far off when we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better.”

      Even leaving aside the chilling sentiments with regard to the rest of the planet, how could a country with 50% of the globe’s wealth for only 6.3% of its population not even manage to give all of those 6.3% decent healthcare without bankrupting them, when other countries with far less could do it? Even Iraq, for goodness sake, before it was flattened by the 50 percenters, with the help of its transatlantic poodle (to our shame).

      • BuckP February 25, 2018 at 2:44 pm #

        Excellent comments!
        In America, it seems like anything done by government on behalf of the people is considered to be welfare and a plunge into the depths of socialism. However, government welfare for banks and other corporations is modus operandi and acceptable. Survival of the fittest in the jungle for the common man; government riches and security for the oligarchs! We are not too far removed from being a “banana republic”. I guess a $700 billion defense budget needed to maintain our kingpin status doesn’t leave room for much else.

        A teacher recently died with the flu because she didn’t feel like she could afford the $200 ER copay. What a country.

    • ZrCrypDiK February 25, 2018 at 7:19 pm #

      WTF is this Russian Hacking BS NE- *waze* ?!? Let’s be honest, for over 2 decades the FBI/CIA/HLS have totally *TRUMPED* this $100k facebook fiasco.

      It’s so totally nonsensical. *That* ‘s their *endgame* ?!? Piss-poor at *WORST* .

      • ZrCrypDiK February 25, 2018 at 7:25 pm #

        HowDF I left the *NSA* outta dat sh! – I dunno….

  24. Elrond Hubbard February 23, 2018 at 1:23 pm #

    How Manafort’s inability to convert a PDF file to Word helped prosecutors
    Former Trump campaign manager allegedly emailed doctored docs to his assistant.

    https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/02/how-manaforts-inability-to-convert-a-word-doc-to-pdf-helped-prosecutors/

    “Yesterday, federal prosecutors unsealed a new indictment against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. The indictment contains new evidence that Manafort hid millions of dollars in overseas income from US authorities, and it charges Manafort and his associate Richard Gates with numerous counts of tax and bank fraud.

    “The indictment also suggests that Manafort’s lack of technology savvy helped prosecutors build a case against Manafort and Gates. The pair allegedly submitted a variety of fraudulent documents to lenders in order to borrow money against properties purchased with overseas funds—funds that were never reported to the IRS. One reason prosecutors were able to build a paper trail against the pair: Manafort needed Gates’s help to convert a PDF document to Word format and back again.

    “In 2016, Manafort allegedly wanted to create a fake profit-and-loss statement for his company, Davis Manafort Partners, in order to inflate his income and qualify for a loan.

    “‘Manafort emailed Gates a .pdf version of the real 2016 DMI P&L, which showed a loss of more than $600,000,’ the indictment claims. ‘Gates converted that .pdf into a Word document so that it could be edited, which Gates sent back to Manafort. Manafort altered the Word document by adding more than $3.5 million in income.’

    “Then, according to the indictment, Manafort ‘sent this falsified P&L to Gates and asked that the Word document be converted back to a .pdf, which Gates did and returned to Manafort.’

    “By sending these documents back and forth by email, Manafort and Gates made it easy for prosecutors to pinpoint exactly who changed the documents and when.”

    Two criminal masterminds at work.

    • FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 1:40 pm #

      A lesson to be learned: don’t be a douchebag and buy the latest version of Microsoft Word, you could afford it.

      PDF conversion is build-in. Mueller’s quietly sobbing on the side. Movie at 11.

      • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 3:11 pm #

        While they are world class money grubbers and dirt bags (a la their patron DJT) they are fairly dim bulbs in the grand marquee, as is he.

    • Q. Shtik February 23, 2018 at 1:48 pm #

      This is the way my own scams will eventually be brought down. I am sooo technically challenged that I don’t know how to use FaceBook and never learned how to use a VCR. This is true, I’m not shittin’ you.

      My wife (of all people) had to teach me how to send a text message on my cell phone. In fact, 99% of the phone’s capability is a complete mystery to me.

    • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2018 at 1:50 pm #

      He’s no Fortinbrass, that’s for sure. Dedicating your life to making money is a corrupt activity to begin with. These guys must ALWAYS be watched. Money is their god and they will do anything to get it. Anything.

      Vaisyas, or businessmen, are below the two higher castes, the Ksyatrias or Warriors, Kings, and Administrators, and Brahmins, the Intellectuals and Priests. By definition they should have no political power. None. Trump is half way decent because he’s obviously a Ksyatria who ended up in the wrong caste – or a half and half. Many people have elements of two of the castes.

    • DrTomSchmidt February 23, 2018 at 1:53 pm #

      That’s too funny, EH. Cockroaches are supposed to know to stay in the dark.

      • KesaAnna February 23, 2018 at 2:09 pm #

        Regine Pernoud ( more than ) rang a bell in my noggin.

        Never read the book you mentioned.

        I’m dieing of curiosity ; did you ever read his book on Joan of Arc ?

        If so , what did you think of his ( all but stated ) conclusion that Joan of Arc was the real deal ?

        • DrTomSchmidt February 24, 2018 at 1:42 pm #

          Regine is a woman. And dead now, I think. I never read her book on Joan of Arc. Worht the time?

          Those Terrible Middle Ages is funny, patient, and informative. She speaks directly to the young people of the 70s, now the retirees of today, and shows them how like our world much of the Medieval Period was. You wind up no longer able Tol.erate know-nothing slander.

          • Sean Coleman February 24, 2018 at 3:51 pm #

            Your linked article from the last thread was most interesting. The Renaissance offered nothing new except in art, and buried everything else under an avalanche of signs and allegories, he argues.

          • DrTomSchmidt February 24, 2018 at 8:48 pm #

            I found that years ago at LewRockwell, which led me to JHK, Sean. There was a lot of useful stuff in the “Renaissance,” even if there really wasn’t such a thing.

            That article set me down the road to debunking myths about the medieval era (it was, as far as we can tell, as filthy and grubby as it’s made out to be). Recent book was The Medieval Machine, which discusses and documents many inventions that we thought only started much later. Did you know that the French had joint-stock corporations operating mills on the same river in the 13th century, and that legal cases supported corporate law. There was also lawfare, using the legal system to drive competitors out of business. Truly nothing new under the sun.

            What happened was a climate disaster in the early 14th century that set off population crises, followed by the Black Death. That blew apart that society’s support for science and reason, and led to the superstitious and cruel world that followed into the modern era. We are facing our own series of crises. One hopes we react better.

      • Robert White February 23, 2018 at 4:02 pm #

        They don’t have frontal cortex so their memory is dependent upon their spinal cord instead of the reticular formation or frontal cortex.
        In other words, they have no planning ability given that they don’t have frontal cortex and cannot plan. Their programming is based on what light they are exposed to, and their epistemological ability is nil because they don’t actually know anything and merely react to environmental conditions.

        Heck, the CIA is supposed to know to stay in the dark too, but like cockroaches they error when the lights go on and scramble for dark corners as well.

        Are cockroaches smarter than CIA personnel?

        RW

    • tucsonspur February 23, 2018 at 3:09 pm #

      If Manafort did the conversion on his own, wouldn’t there still be something traceable on the seized computers, even if more difficult to detect?

      • Elrond Hubbard February 23, 2018 at 3:47 pm #

        Quite possibly, though not a mortal lock. Certainly the FBI has the capacity to do a thorough forensic analysis. Modern software is complex (to put it mildly) and there are innumerable ways for traces to be left behind.

        If I were trying something like this (not that I would), I sure wouldn’t do it by converting from PDF to Word and back. Digital copies are pristine, but not when you’re converting back and forth between two complex and dissimilar formats. You lose fidelity at every step, because the two programs just don’t work the same way. This is the equivalent of a second- or third-generation copy of an old-style cassette tape — no wonder the bank could tell it was doctored.

  25. Q. Shtik February 23, 2018 at 1:26 pm #

    Hahaha, I love a good rant!

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 2:18 pm #

      Let’s see how much you are laughing after the 2018 midterms in November.

  26. Robert White February 23, 2018 at 1:39 pm #

    Great synthesis on the blog commentary, I agree. JHK is way too smart to be regurgitating right-wing rhetoric that emanates out of the Whore House under the Pimp-in-chief Orange Jesus et al. I am as perturbed as you seem to be.

    Methinks the right-wing of the USA is way too frightened to think clearly instead of reactionary, and fascistic.

    JHK must have ingested some of the Kool-Aid the Whore House is serving up.

    RW

    • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 9:10 am #

      RW

      Absolutely. Well said!

      JD

  27. Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2018 at 1:43 pm #

    You are a reactionary element – a bot gone bad who must be brought in for repair.

    • Robert White February 23, 2018 at 2:29 pm #

      Are you from the Factory, Janos?

      RW

    • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 2:49 pm #

      He may be from “the farm,” as I may be.

      • Robert White February 23, 2018 at 3:50 pm #

        ‘the farm’???????????

        I’ve heard of ‘Maggie’s Farm’ of which Bob Dylan said he ain’t workin’ no more, and I’ve heard of Orwell’s Animal Farm, but I ain’t done heard of ‘the farm’ yet in my miserable existence thus far, jdhines.

        ‘the farm’ does not compute on the software I’m running?

        RW

        • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 4:24 pm #

          Camp Peary is an approximately 9,000 acre U.S. military reservation in York County near Williamsburg, Virginia. Officially referred to as an Armed Forces Experimental Training Activity (AFETA) under the authority of the Department of Defense, Camp Peary hosts a covert CIA training facility known as “The Farm”, which is used to train officers of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, as well as those of the DIA’s Defense Clandestine Service, among other intelligence entities.

          JD

        • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 4:32 pm #

          RW,

          By the by, I doubt very much that Janos is from the farm, but I would wager dollars to donuts that there are those who have passed through the farm who are commenting on this blog.

          JD

      • Robert White February 23, 2018 at 5:15 pm #

        Thanks for explaining what ‘the farm’ is, jdhines. I tried to get into Intelligence back in 97, but they said no at that time. Last year they asked me to teach Financial Intelligence and I reminded them that I asked them for a job back in 97 and they said no.

        Intelligence would have been BIG time FUN for me pre-George W. Bush Torture Regime. I read Jane Mayer’s The Dark Side and decided that intel had crossed the line for moi. I was working with M. E. P. Seligman about a year before he entertained the CIA at his home pre-Mitchell & Jessen debauchery for a home lecture on Learned Helplessness.

        I’m very adept at Remote Viewing too, and I would love to have a chat with the Behaviour Science Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigations some day soon, but I doubt that I’ll ever find that opportunity given how screwed up bureaucracy is today.

        P.S. I’m pretty sure I have Remote Viewed ‘the farm’ antics in a couple of instances. I Remote Viewed OPs for the WTC controlled demolition, and I’m positive of CIA involvement. How the USA Security apparatus can genocide their own people en masse is beyond moi?

        911 was just way too over the top shit that Wolfowitz mistakenly thought would work out with his overarching plans for Empire. Like Richard ‘the gorilla’ Fuld Wolfowitz & the CFR bet the farm on the poorly planned out Wolfowitz Doctrine that precipitated the downfall of Bear Stearns & Lehman Brothers that would allow for the George W. Bush Torture Regime administration to walk out of the White House with their collective heads held low in worldwide shame & embarrassment due to their combined incompetence forever recorded in the historiography of failed administrations.

        Thanks for filling me in on ‘the farm’, JD.

        RW

        • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 8:15 pm #

          RW

          Sure thing.

          JD

  28. DrTomSchmidt February 23, 2018 at 1:55 pm #

    You believe that the great tax cut benefits anyone other than the rich and corporations?

    Actually, most corporations got a corporate tax increase as a result of the tax bill. Mine did.

    • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 2:34 pm #

      Dr. Tom,

      Yes, that is correct because most corporations are “micro” corporations (Sub S, small C, PC, etc.) and don’t have the clout of the very few (comparatively) large / huge global corporations that hire lobbyists and donate big (obscene) money to the political class. A small PC, such as yours, is just another one of the middle-class tax donkeys abused by the real players, as am I. That is why I maintain that it is lunacy to side with them unless you are one of them. Minimum = $10MM NW to be “poor rich.” Not many around like the Koch’s, et al and their highly paid lackeys. Who elected the Koch brothers anyway?

      On a separate note, the NRA is really the lobbying arm of the huge corporate interest behind the gun industry. They are really not an organization for the hunting yokels and target shooters. It’s only about the money / power for the NRA. Think about how much has been made on selling ammunition and AR15s, AK47s, Bushmaster’s and a whole host of (high velocity firing) military grade rifles over the past decade at about $1,000+ a pop. Think about the death and destruction brought about by these money grubbers. Hint, they don’t cost near a $1,000 to manufacture. “M16, it’s swell and made by Mattel!”

      Best,
      Dr. JD

      • messianicdruid February 23, 2018 at 4:58 pm #

        “The government encouraged the manufacture and importation of military firearms for the criminals to use. This is intended to foster a feeling of insecurity, which would lead the American people to voluntarily disarm themselves by passing laws against firearms. Using drugs and hypnosis on mental patients in a process called Orion, the CIA inculcated the desire in these people to open fire on schoolyards and inflame the anti-gun lobby. This plan is well underway and so far is working perfectly. The middle class is begging the government to do away with the 2nd Amendment.”

        The Secret Government, William [ Bill ] Cooper ( a Naval Intelligence Officer ) page 225

        This book was written in 1991 [ 27 years ago !! ]

        • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 5:56 pm #

          Not to do away with the second amendment at all, just do away with high velocity assault firearms, which I agree are fun as hell to shoot. It is simply too dangerous to allow any civilian, 18 yo kid to get a killing machine and see how it feels. And we expect deputies to go after him with a .38 or, maybe a Glock or Sig? Not really a fair fight, wouldn’t you agree? I wouldn’t want to go up against an AK or AR with my pistol (even both of them). No thanks, I was never into suicide missions. Really, the only civilian use is as a fun play thing and a means to make millions by the manufactures (and kill unwitting civilians), but we have to say “stop the insanity.” It is simply a canard that banning true assault weapons is an attempt to get rid of the second amendment. It’s a nice argument, but totally false. Wise up.

        • messianicdruid February 23, 2018 at 8:57 pm #

          “Wise up” is good advice. [ 8:44pm ]

          • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 9:12 am #

            MD

            Thank you.

            JD

  29. ricksinger February 23, 2018 at 2:01 pm #

    I’m not a troll. I have been a loyal reader of JHK since the 1990s. Why are you guys all lining up to agree with everything the exalted JHK utters? Check his track record. He’s been wrong more often than note. More importantly, his analysis doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Perhaps you don’t do your research. I confess that I was like you guys and gals. I was lazy and didn’t do my empirical research. Now before I share my opinion, I evaluate. both sides of an argument

    Apparently, the confirmation bias is at work on Clusterfuck Nation. Loyal readers live in a filter bubble of our choosing.

    • BuckP February 23, 2018 at 2:05 pm #

      What is JHK wrong about, exactly ? Examples?

      • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 2:56 pm #

        Where to start. The world is going to run out of oil in 1994. The stock market will crash in 2012… Trump is a victim instead of a perpetrator. Money laundering is a “made-up” charge? He believes when Putin says he never, ever meddled in US elections. I use to be a Democrat and I REALLY don’t like DJT, but….. Russia should be free to annex any country they wish (a la Ukraine) as it use to be theirs and it’s not our business anyway. I guess Mexico should feel free to annex Texas without repercussion. Need more?

        • Elrond Hubbard February 23, 2018 at 4:28 pm #

          Don’t forget Y2K!

          Don’t get me wrong: if I didn’t think JHK had valuable insights I wouldn’t be here. But as they say, he has predicted a dozen of the last two calamities. Keep your feet on the ground.

          • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 4:40 pm #

            EH

            Without question, he does have valuable insights and is a very engaging writer to boot. I just, for the life of me, after reading this blog for years and years, cannot fathom his present position concerning DJT, Russia and the FBI. It simply does not compute for a man who has the intellect of our faithfull blogger. Has JHK been compromised and forced to print this drivel? Stranger things have happened.

            JD

        • BuckP February 23, 2018 at 6:15 pm #

          The world’s conventional oil reserves are rapidly being depletd world-wide with new easy-to- access finds being rare. The EROI on extracted tight oil from shale is 5:1. In addition, fracking uses large volumes of water which could become a problem in many drought-threatened western stateS Drilling for deep deposits of oil in the Gulf if Mexico resulted in the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

          If Russia didn’t hack the voting machines, then how did how they swing the election. The DNC paid for research that led to ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele’s Russian dossier on Trump. No party comes out unstained in this one. The French concluded their investigation into Russian meddling in one month. The election was swung by voter apathy, the DNC’s sabotage of Bernie, voter suppression tactics, Hillary’s history and Emails, etc. not the Russians. BTW, Israel’s AIPAC is a lobby that donates to candidates and nobody has a problem with that. When did Russia become an enemy again, anyway? They are a mostly Christian country ruled by a corporate oligarchy, like us!
          Russia is being surrounded by NATO at our behest. Why wouldn’t they push back? If they struck a military alliance with Mexico, we would push back. We lost our mind over Cuba and then Nicaragua.
          The economy did crash in 2009, if I remember correctly. It is presently being propped by the Fed’s printing press (computer entries). Hyperinflation has been averted by the use of the petrodollar, the drug trade and other central banks doing the same thing. Someday the rubber will hit the road, reality will set in, and the ruse will be up.
          Meanwhile, I’ll keep reading JHK’s essays because he facilitates my understanding of complex issues by making them understandable. His use of the English language is beyond peer.

          • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 8:30 am #

            BP

            I don’t know, gas is and has been pretty damn cheap, if it’s in such short supply why doesn’t the price reflect that?

            The DNC continued paying for the MI6 agent’s file. However, it was commenced by a Right Wing group trying to thwart DJT.

            So now we look to the French to set our standards. I thought they were a shithole country after not letting us fly over during some bombing run. The whole “Freedom Fry’s” thing.

            I believe the American Israel Political Action Committee is an AMERICAN organization based in the USA. I am pretty sure the Russian organization is based in St. Petersburg, Russia and is not filling documents with the US authorities. A bit of a difference, no?

            I believe Russia has been an enemy since 1917. Yes, they are Christian, kind of of sort of like us (Russian Orthodox), but their oligarchy is a bit more “gangster like” than ours, killing journalists, jailing rivals, disappearing people… oops what happened to that reporter, politician, business man… he must have slipped in the shower…. gosh…. that’s odd. Really? You think we are like that?

            I don’t deny your comments on the reason the Russian’s push back against NATO, nor the Fed’s printing press, nor do I wish to convince you to stop reading JHK’s essays. I will continue to read, for the time being.

            But can he stop being such a Russian / Trump lackey / running dog and stop undermining our institutions in favor of dipshits and criminals? I know he’s fed up with the SJW’s but, for the love of G_d and all things holy, does he have to throw in with fascist, gangster, white supremacist, gun nuts led by a congenital, con man liar? I think not.

            JD

    • Walter B February 24, 2018 at 5:48 pm #

      Gee whiz rick, don’t you think that people come here because they like what Jim has to say? That they agree with his ideas and like his style? I can’t speak for anybody but me, but I do not go to sites that I don’t like or don’t agree with and when I check out a place that I don’t like, I leave. I do not understand why anyone would hang out in a place where they were at odds with the site or those that visited it. Perhaps I should ask janet why anyone would do this. It seems counterproductive.

  30. jdhines February 23, 2018 at 2:10 pm #

    Gates to plead guilty. Eat you vegetables, make your bed and don’t lie to the FBI. Words to keep you free…

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • akmofo February 23, 2018 at 5:41 pm #

      When is Andrew McCabe to plead guilty?

      • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 8:32 pm #

        For what? Being a Repuglican?

        “FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe did not vote in the 2016 presidential general election, but did vote in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, according to two Virginia campaign consultants — one Republican, one Democratic — with access to the Virginia campaign participation rolls.”

        • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 8:33 pm #

          …and by default, not a Democrat and not a Trumpanzee.

        • akmofo February 23, 2018 at 9:00 pm #

          For falsifying documents and 302 testimony to the US FISC.

          • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 9:41 pm #

            Prove it and indict him if true, but we both know that’s BS don’t we? McCabe is no more a bad guy than Mister Rogers is. Get a fucking grip. These guys are boy scouts for Gods sake. Trump is the lying scumbag that belongs behind bars; this is plain for all to see. Just listen to him for 5 minutes!

            The only reason you are behind DJT is because he conned you into thinking he’s a gun loving, socialist hating, rich ass kissing Repug. You can’t see how plain as fucking day that is? You were / are his mark / sucker. That’s all.

          • akmofo February 24, 2018 at 7:16 am #

            Well, your CNN hysterics and foul language don’t impress me in the least. If you were not so busy watching CNN, their commie propaganda, and parroting it here, you would have known all about Andew McCabe and the 302 forgeries. As for putting your “Mr Rogers” in jail, this corrupt FBI director Andrew McCabe who has been forced to resign, I suspect the FISC judge will see to it soon enough. That is, if the FISC judge is not corrupt and compromised, which is a big question mark in my mind given the history of the FISC FBI requests.

            Btw, I don’t care about either of the establishment parties and their staged false dialectic. Only idiots like yourself believe in anything they say. Trump-ism exposed some of the corrupt establishment and the shadow gov mafia. I’m all for much much more of such exposure.

          • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 8:48 am #

            AM

            Believe me, you are no one I care to impress. You are sadly mistaken if you believe that CNN is anything but a good old fashioned, money grubbing, capitalistic business. McCabe forced to resign? You mean retired three months early with pay, don’t you? That is quite different.

            I would put up Andrew McCabe’s record against Donald “Flat Foot” Trump, draft dodger and fucking day of the week.

            “if the FISC judge is not corrupt and compromised, which is a big question mark in my mind given the history of the FISC FBI requests”

            Oh yeah, the whole government is out to get the patriot DJ Trump. Give me a fucking break, your Gang, the GOP, IS the fucking government. Take a look, pal, you have the majority of the state houses, the governorships, the congress, the senate and the white house for god’s sake! Who do you think runs the government? Some underpaid, tax donkey working for the federal bureaucracy?

            This is the best government that can be bought by the Koch assholes, the Mercer dipshits and that Marv Addeleson nut case, et al. and they will continue to fuck everything, and ever American, completely up, until the much less fucked-up Dem’s (as bad as they are) come into right things.

            As I said, you are just one of their sad marks / saps who is too dumb to know any different. Try to wise up.

            JD

          • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 11:45 am #

            AM

            By the way, should my language really be an issue on a blog named ClusterFuck Nation? I’m just saying…

            JD

  31. wm5135 February 23, 2018 at 2:18 pm #

    Georges1202

    We have these regularly occuring events in the United States, they are called elections. We also have a Constitution that outlines the process for dealing with persons who fail the Constitution.

    We put up with the egocentric sphincter Obama for eight, now get a copulative grip and get yourself out on the street and protest and get involved with your community to look for a valuable candidate.

    Just for your info, I voted for the previous occupant of the Oval Office twice. That does not change the fact he was as destructive, to the nation, as any president since and including Mr.Truman. His complete failure to insure we are a nation of law and not individuals will mark him in history as a failure. Oh, but he was good at the killing thing.

    Progessives are rudderless and do not represent the Left.

    • tucsonspur February 23, 2018 at 3:01 pm #

      Here’s Osama Obama back in ’05: A real Hahved hipster, slickster, and trickster.

      https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4656370/sen-barack-obama-illegal-immigration

      • tucsonspur February 23, 2018 at 3:20 pm #

        He’s got the Bill Cosby eyes.

        Back in the day, when Cosby was all the rage, I told my wife and others that this man wasn’t right. I was insistent, and laughed at all the more.

        News broke. Chest went from M to L.

        But I don’t gloat. Most people don’t believe as I do, that most of us are born reprehensible and only get worse with each passing day.

  32. 4014HAMPHEDGE February 23, 2018 at 2:19 pm #

    Too few in this phalanx of replies has the background/wisdom to fathom Jerusalem has once again become the center of the World Putin is regarded as a methodical Chess-Playing sort of strategic mastermind -up to now… As happened in the past, meddling about in close proximity with Israel can go awry with alacrity. DEBKAfile can be dismissed as a propaganda page, but following newsfeed from that source reveals pretty high batting average. Combat coverage is DEBKA’s forte’, and interest in Middle East military affairs finds reliable newsfeed at DEBKA.

    Walter B up at 10:00 AM brings Damascus into the picture… Get a good look at Damascus; soon it shall be no more. Russian dalliance in Istrael’s neighborhood will have a bad end. We have it on good authority, and Mr. Putin with his Christian roots is without excuse. Putin will be well remembered in Russian History, and on his present course, the memory will be of a regrettable & contemptible saga, for what he brings on Russia.

    Jim Kunstler writes books and articles leaning on slow-motion financial debacle, and gives detail. Please, Jim, see and report on William Forschen’s book ONE SECOND AFTER. Insights on what happens in America thanks to disregarding the strategy off preemption.

    • FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 3:41 pm #

      Wait a sec,

      Whom are you going to believe – Debka file or C-400 lying radars? What is Mattis to do – send B-52s on a suicide mission?

      Wanna turn the Golan Heights into a new MiG Alley?

    • messianicdruid February 23, 2018 at 5:18 pm #

      “Get a good look at Damascus; soon it shall be no more.”

      Same for Jerusalem.

      https://www.gods-kingdom-ministries.net/teachings/books/the-revelation-book-6/chapter-12-jerusalem-and-babylon/

      • Janos Skorenzy February 23, 2018 at 7:12 pm #

        You wouldn’t happen to know the chapter in Behold a Pale Horse where he talks about the coming school shooters would you?

        • messianicdruid February 23, 2018 at 8:44 pm #

          Haven’t read that one. Do you believe that “assault weapons” are just a beginning?

          1929: The Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929-1953, 20 million dissidents rounded up and murdered.

          1911: Turkey established gun control. From 1915-1917, 1.5 million Christian Armenians rounded up and exterminated.

          1938: Germany established gun control. From 1939-1945, 13 million Jews and others rounded up and exterminated.

          1935: China established gun control. From 1948-1952, 20 million political dissidents rounded up and exterminated.

          1964: Guatemala established gun control. From 1981-1984, 100,000 Mayan Indians rounded up and exterminated.

          1970: Uganda established gun control. From 1971-1979, 300,000 Christians rounded up and exterminated.

          1956: Cambodia established gun control. From 1975-1977, 1 million educated people rounded up and exterminated.

          In the 20th Century more than 56 million defenseless people were rounded up and exterminated by people using gun control.

          • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 9:21 am #

            MD

            Please stop with the false argument. Banning ARs does not qualify as gun control, not even close. Assuming ARs are banned, you will still have a large basket of goodies, even more than were available when the sanctified amendment was enacted and enshrined in the US constitution.

            Let us at least, be honest, no one wants to take you fucking guns, simply your very dangerous, military grade ARs. Please do not generalize to confuse those who believe the lobbying arm known as the NRA actually cares anything about them. The NRA and their patrons care about one thing: hard cold CA$H. At least let us be intellectually hones, even if we don’t like the “ugly” truth.

            By the way, would Jesus be an NRA member and AR toting citizen? I’m just asking……

            JD

          • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 9:23 am #

            Actually, being an NRA member, AR toting citizen seems more like a Roman Centurion than Jesus to me, no?

            JD

  33. BackRowHeckler February 23, 2018 at 2:29 pm #

    Oddly enough, Manafort used to be a neighbor; I can see his old house from my driveway. It was a case of local boy made good. I’d see him around town and thought he was a pretty good guy.

    brh

    • PeteAtomic February 23, 2018 at 2:49 pm #

      He’s got an interesting resume, that’s for sure

  34. PeteAtomic February 23, 2018 at 2:43 pm #

    Manafort is a real swamp monster. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Manafort

    He’s been involved with dictators and dirty deals for many decades.

    I don’t know if he’d ever make it trial. Look at this guy’s contacts. It’s like he has been sitting on the Grand Council of Evildoers. I don’t think it would be Trump that would do him in, either. He wouldn’t have to.

    When Manafort kicks it, I bet it will have CIA fingerprints all over it. What do you think he knows about the Bush family? Or Reagan?

    I think any Mueller-Manafort interrogation would go like this:

    Mueller: “So, what do you wanna tell us about Russian involvement in the Trump campaign?”
    Manafort: “…ahhh, it wasn’t that bad. I mean Trump wasn’t that bad. H.W. used to fuck 3 boys in the basement of the White House before breakfast.”
    Mueller: “..umm, Mr.Manafort, stick to President Trump please… “

    • BackRowHeckler February 23, 2018 at 2:46 pm #

      I think your right about that, Pete.

      His family had a company that pulled down unused and vacant industrial sites. There was plenty of work here in Connecticut, believe me. Half the state was gutted.

      brh

  35. BackRowHeckler February 23, 2018 at 2:44 pm #

    The strange thing about this, and Jim hints at it, if I remember correctly, didn’t the US State Department interfere with Ukraine’s presidential election in 2012, trying to get our guy in, and Russia’s guy out?

    brh

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • Walter B February 23, 2018 at 7:19 pm #

      Oh course, but the Progressives will either ignore this and not respond to the accusations at all or simply claim that whatever they do is ok and whatever anyone else does is a crime against humanity. The are so self-righteous and so obnoxious that few if any will stand against them and many who will cave into them to shut them the flock up! However there is nothing that can be done to shut them the flock up. This is their power and they love to use it. You see much of it here twice a week.

      • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 9:56 pm #

        WB

        Walter, Walter how flocking misguided can you be? You don’t see that the right is nothing but a party for furthering the goals of America’s rich? The USA has always been by the rich, for the rich. But, unless you are really rich (a minimum of $10MM Net Worth), you are an absolute schmuck for supporting them. A real sucker.

        I hope you haven’t bitten on the complete nonsense that the NRA cares about your second amendment rights. Tell me you haven’t bought into that horseshit please. The NRA is just the lobbying arm of the gun manufacturers association / Arms Dealers Association. While working in Africa I use to see their good (ARs) all over. Now the average per capita income was something like $300 per annum, but yet every dude seemed to have an AR.

        If you really do believe all that BS, just admit that the rich are your betters and you must support them for whatever sick reason instead of putting on this charade that the Right cares about American values, Religion & God and traditional values. Admit that they just care about stockpiling as much flocking money as they can for the greedy flocking needs.

        • Walter B February 23, 2018 at 11:08 pm #

          Really jd you cannot be so unobservant or so simple to believe that just because a person can see the evil and the corruption that the one side has, that they buy into the bullshit of the other side of the coin, can you? Surely you have seen me write here continuously that the D’s and the R’s are simply different flavors of the same turd, have you not? The left, the right what does it matter, for the truth and what is right and decent is always in the middle. I am no Trump lover and I am no Obama hater. I see what is for what it is though it is sad that so many other poor unfortunate souls have not the ability to see though the bullshit and have to choose one side or another. Divide and conquer, it has worked though recorded time and it will work until time ends because there are fools on either side to attack those of us who dwell in the middle, where reality still lives, at least occasionally.

          • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 7:12 am #

            WB

            I am afraid I must agree with you whole heartedly. I do now recall that your comments were along the lines that the D’s and R’s are “simply different flavors of the same turd,” which is so very true and so well put.

            Please allow me to backtrack on my erroneous assertion that you may have bought into all the right wing hog wash, simply because you don’t agree with the left’s BS. I stand corrected and I salute your enlightened outlook on political reality.

            JD

        • Walter B February 24, 2018 at 11:14 am #

          Excellent jd, thank you. Now help me out with a problem. Knowing this, what are we to do with it? If we spread it and it becomes widely understood to be true, they will know we are onto them and who knows how they will react. I doubt that either two “parties” will ever go away, and a third or additional parties will really not work, I do not think. So what to do? Perhaps they know that the understanding is spreading and that is why they fear us and are distracting some of us more and more every day. Do we just accept it and do nothing? There are many like me that cannot do that and besides wading into my local government swamp and battling it out in my own Township I wonder what else we can or should do. Your thoughts?

          • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 1:58 pm #

            WB

            It is a dilemma I have pondered frequently. I think you are correct that the two parties are hard-wired in, and will be exceedingly difficult to dislodge. A third or fourth party only seems to hand “it” to one gang over another. No good. I’m with you on slogging it out in my local government; I’m out.

            I frequently ask myself if there is any solution and if we are simply consigned to watch the whole experiment disintegrate, as JHK so eloquently writes about. That, it will disintegrate, I have no doubt, I just don’t know how long it will be drawn out; months (doubtful) years (maybe), decades (most probably), but it’s anyone’s guess. “Predictions are tough, especially when it comes to the future:)” I often think about how long it took for the fall of the Roman empire to finally end in total collapse with Rome becoming nothing but a village a few/several centuries after the vandals sacking.

            I do want to be a force for good and not let my anger over come me Walter, but it is most discouraging. I echo your comment “I wonder what else we can or should do.” It is, really, THE question, and while I cannot answer it, I believe the answer should be pursued.

            Thank you for your thought provoking insights.

            JD

          • Walter B February 24, 2018 at 2:19 pm #

            If our government could do what you and I just did here, America would be on fire with success and prosperity for everyone. Thank you.

  36. KesaAnna February 23, 2018 at 3:01 pm #

    ” … you used to see things clearly. But you’ve turned into a Right Wing Nut Job and have lost all credibility. I don’t know what has turned you, ”

    My guess would be that at least once or twice he had a run -in with the old iron fist in a velvet glove.

    Like , I could spend hours , days , weeks , months , trying to explain that I was actually happier in a country where people were publicly shot , and even the dumbest asshole understood that the Prince of fucking Darkness ran the country , than I am in country where everyone claims to be so loving and caring, but all around me I see people being quietly destroyed.

    But i don’t make a dent . Who is fucking dumber than a spoiled rich kid ?

    Happily though , sooner or later Rattlesnakes dressed up like Mary Poppins show up and do their thing.

    And that does the trick.

    Better than I possibly ever could.

  37. jdhines February 23, 2018 at 3:21 pm #

    KA,

    That could very well be. That would certainly explain it. Unexpected visits from unknown, yet obviously knowledgeable and frightening individuals can lead to a change of heart, as it were. In light of that, perhaps I’ve been too harsh on our faithful blogger? Perhaps not… It gets complicated.

    JD

  38. KesaAnna February 23, 2018 at 3:48 pm #

    The “founding father ” , as it were, of the FBI was a Right-winger who wore womens panties , and at least two presidents stated publicly that he was a blackmailer…..

    yet ;

    ” Eat you vegetables, make your bed and don’t lie to the FBI.”

    I suppose reconciling those two gets very , very , very complicated,

    Or not at all.

    • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 5:04 pm #

      KA,

      Please don’t assume am an apologist or fan of the FBI. I am well aware that the FBI was founded by a panty & dress wearing, right wing, freak of mediocre intellect. And further, that they have caused much mischief, suffering and grief in this world along with the CIA and their ilk. However, compared to the Russkies, they are choir boys. How can anyone have faith in the present administration, when one considers their proclivity for “pissing in the tiger’s face” (like it or not the FBI does have certain powers) or pick continuous fights (whether the press are angels or devils) with those who used to buy ink by the barrel. This is usually unwise for the most part.

      For me it boils down to the lesser of two evils: The FBI with all their faults or the dumb as fuck, Republican led, DJT and rich 1% ass kissing party in control along with the Russkies whom are clearly, not any American’s friend. At least there are those in the FBI, CIA, NSA, DOD, etc. who try to do right for our flawed country and at least they are, by-and-large, Americans.

      • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 5:08 pm #

        And yes KA, you suppose correctly, that it is very, very complicated and difficult to reconcile. There are many variables, blind alleys, head-fakes and the game is extremely long with a lot of money and power at stake. JD

  39. akmofo February 23, 2018 at 3:59 pm #

    China’s New Silk Road | DW Documentary
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-ybBZgN154

    What I don’t understand is what does China want with Europe?

    • FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 4:47 pm #

      I am pretty sure to turn them into a gay theme park. $150 for a day’s visit, includes all you can screw.

      • akmofo February 23, 2018 at 5:28 pm #

        I see. Now the Paki grooming gangs and the alliance with Pakistan make sense.

  40. BackRowHeckler February 23, 2018 at 4:19 pm #

    (Its a) good time to visit your local gunshop, show it some love, buy a few boxes of ammo, some accroutments, etc. at least buy something.
    Its a tough time right now. And sign up a friend for the NRA, the oldest civil rights organization in the US (1871)

    brh

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 5:13 pm #

      Jesus god, wake up! Just send them 100% of your pay or social security check. You’d make it so much easier. Your betters need the extra cash for buying more elections and getting republican politicians, of which you appear to be a strong proponent, in their pocket. Say a prayer for them at the same time and don’t worry, they’ll fuck this country over yet as they do every time they get in power. Go fascists!

  41. bukowskisghost February 23, 2018 at 4:34 pm #

    Hey Dr Gonzo,I will personally provide you with a Make America Great Again hat and a fine choice of condiments to help that hat go down your throat easy when they DON’T show up at Kushner’s from door. Maybe the man in the big yellow hat will save the day for you and Curious George.

    • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 5:29 pm #

      Can you say “Money Laundering?” Do you really think that the Trump connected punk with a jail bird father is not looking for or already tapped illicit funds to save his precious 666? That’s really naive if you buy that. I happen to know quite a bit about money laundering and the case for DJT money laundering is a fucking slam dunk! Guaranteed. Steven Bannon, despite his numerous flaws, is very perceptive and well read. He thinks it’s as clear as “the hair on your face” that Trump will fall due to money laundering. I am quite sure you used to be a strong proponent of Mr. Bannon, no? Not so much anymore as he wised up and decided not to go down with the ship. Better keep that MAGA hat hidden as it’s likely to get shoved up your ass. That wouldn’t be comfortable at all.

      Dr. JD

      PS Bukowski is a pretty a good read.

  42. thenuttyneutron February 23, 2018 at 4:52 pm #

    For the price of a new top tier AR, you could buy a machine that allows you to build your own AR receivers.

    https://ghostgunner.net/

    You can also buy anodizing kits online along with different color dies to get what ever color that you desire.

    There are AR lower kits for sale online or in some retail stores that include everything needed to turn a bare stripped lower into a complete lower. You could then put what ever upper you want on the firearm.

    I also recommend buying a reloading press with the dies required to resize cases, prime the cases, and press bullets in. If you want, you can also swage your own bullets from junk lead. I recommend powder coating them to prevent them from fouling the lands in your rifle barrel.

    • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 5:17 pm #

      Wonderful, just fucking wonderful. I wish you could spend 30 days TDY in a hot war zone and we’d find out what a warrior you are. Better bring plenty of fresh undies tough guy.

      • thenuttyneutron February 23, 2018 at 5:28 pm #

        I respect your 1st Amendment Rights to say what is on your mind. It does not make any sense to me but you have a right to say it.

        I simply replied to Backrowheckler about other options rather than go out and buy a gun. I never said anything about how one should use it.

        Lets be real here. If you go TDY to a hot war zone, it is not going to be for 30 days. It more likely will be for 6 to 12 months.

        • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 5:38 pm #

          Well, all right, but TDY by definition, means Temporary DuTY. and 17 dead kids added to the 100s of people before, that does make good sense to you? Men’s toys are that important to you? Really? No one wants your guns, just your high velocity, corporate money making, military (non-civilian) weapons meant for killing people rifles. Just those true assault weapons. Pistols, shotguns, hunting rifles, muskets absolutely no problem. Second amendment, still fully intact. Just no LAW rockets, flamethrowers, hand grenades, landmines, 50 cal. machine guns, attack gunships, C4 explosive, tanks or high velocity, flesh ripping, 30 mag, assault rifles, etc. Is that asking too much?

          • thenuttyneutron February 23, 2018 at 5:55 pm #

            It is obvious that you are not good with numbers.

            Why don’t you go protest car ownership? There are about 264 million cars in the USA that kill many more people each day than firearms. Roughly 100 per day.

            http://www.iihs.org/externaldata/srdata/docs/sr5203.pdf

            We don’t have exact numbers but there are an estimated 300 million guns in America. Firearms are used in about 13,000 homicides a year. Roughly 35 a day.

            Simply put, cars are more dangerous than firearms. You don’t agree with the 2nd Amendment rights and I get that. If you want to change it, there are methods to amend the US Constitution. I suggest you go after banning cars that kill more people every day at triple the rate compared to guns.

          • elysianfield February 23, 2018 at 6:43 pm #

            “high velocity”

            jdhines,

            You seem fixated with that term…used it in several posts…what exactly do you mean?

          • GreenAlba February 24, 2018 at 9:17 am #

            NN

            “Simply put, cars are more dangerous than firearms. …I suggest you go after banning cars that kill more people every day at triple the rate compared to guns.”

            Using that logic, people on this thread who claim to be terrified of the threat from Islamist terrorism in their country would have to admit they look pretty stupid.

            https://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/03/us/terrorism-gun-violence/index.html

            “For every one American killed by an act of terror in the United States or abroad in 2014, more than 1,049 died because of guns.”

            Deaths from firearms on US soil from 2001-2014: 440,095

            Deaths from terrorist attacks on US soil: 3412 (including 9/11 – without that it’s 369).

            And of course you have to remember that “Since Trump took office, more Americans have been killed by white American men with no connection to Islam than by Muslim terrorists or foreigners.”

            https://www.vox.com/world/2017/10/2/16396612/las-vegas-mass-shooting-terrorism-islam

            And yet, the fear of Islamic terrorism is a repeated meme on these threads.

            Here’s why people don’t do sensible risk analysis:

            https://qz.com/898207/the-psychology-of-why-americans-are-more-scared-of-terrorism-than-guns-though-guns-are-3210-times-likelier-to-kill-them/

            The psychology of why 94 deaths from terrorism are scarier than 301,797 deaths from guns.

            Same principle between cars and guns.

            On a lighter note, I like Dara O’Briain’s take on crime figures falling while the fear of crime is rising: ‘zombies are at an all-time low, but the fear of zombies…’.

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMvMb90hem8

          • GreenAlba February 24, 2018 at 9:29 am #

            And the point remains (can’t remember who made it above, sorry) that cars aren’t designed to kill, while guns are – it’s a side effect of their use by fallible humans.

  43. FincaInTheMountains February 23, 2018 at 5:29 pm #

    For a long time I did not have such a good laugh!

    The boys in the choir are hooligans.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2WQoC8WpSU

    • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 8:57 pm #

      EF

      Good question. As a missile passes through tissue, it decelerates, dissipating and transferring kinetic energy to the tissues; this is what causes the injury. The velocity of the projectile is a more important factor than its mass in determining how much damage is done; kinetic energy increases with the square of the velocity. In addition to injury caused directly by the object that enters the body, penetrating injuries may be associated with secondary injuries, due for example to a blast injury. High-velocity objects are usually projectiles such as bullets from high-powered rifles, such as assault rifles[5] or sniper rifles.

      Ask any ER surgeon (who has treated an AR gunshot wound) or military corpsman how a “high velocity” AR round compares to a low / medium velocity round. Night and day difference. High velocity rounds will tumble, turn, reenter, create huge cavities and generally tear your ass up. They are definitely not pretty. After seeing the difference, you would definitely prefer to be shot with a low velocity round.

      You could inquire of any Vietnam / Iraq / Afghanistan vet who was shot with an AK47 round and ask him how it was? There are a quite a few of them out there. One of the guys I am familiar with has 22 feet of plastic tubing where his guts used to be. It’s been a bitch, but he made it.

      JD

      • thenuttyneutron February 23, 2018 at 11:36 pm #

        ” high-powered rifles, such as assault rifles”

        This proves that you don’t know what you are talking about. I doubt many people knowledgeable about guns would ever consider a high velocity .224 caliber round to be high powered. I will also point out that the AR-15 is not an assault rifle. Assault rifles are defined as having a select fire capability. Unless you have a pre-1986 registered AR-15 lower that was modified to include an auto sear, the plain old AR-15 is only a Marksmanship Rifle or a Modern Sporting Rifle.

        I would put the cut off for a high power rifle round to be in the realm of 150 grain bullets going at least 2,500 fps. At the lower end of that is the 7.62×51 or Winchester 308. Both of them have the same dimensions but the 308 has a bit more power to it due to a slightly larger case capacity. The 308 should never be used in a 7.62×51 rifle. Using a 7.62×51 in a 308 rifle however is perfectly fine. Hell I can get .223 velocities with a .30-06 from my M1 Garand equiped with an adjustable gas system using 150 grain bullets. There is no way anyone knowledgeable person would consider the 5.56×45 or .223 a high power rifle caliber.

        Velocity does indeed go up by the square of the velocity but momentum is more important for knockdown power. Momentum is the product of mass and velocity. If you were to wear body armor and get hit, the momentum transfer of the round is what you feel and that is what causes the injury.

        The 5.56×45 is an intermediate caliber. The main reason why it is used in the AR-15 is that it is not a full power rifle cartridge and allows the user to fire without much recoil. If they were to put a full power round in the light weight AR-15, it would require a lot more training to operate effectively.

        You are right about the tumbling though causing massive damage and the bullet requires a high velocity to reliably tumble. Once it does tumble, the bullet will tear itself apart and transfer all of the energy and momentum to the surrounding tissues in a small volume. If the round slows to about 2,600 fps, the tumbling disappears and it will just poke a hole in you. This is why the shorter barrel of the M4 limits the effective range where a 20″ barrel will still be effective at far greater ranges. Also important to point out is the fact that Vietnam rifles had a 1 in 12 twist and the bullets were a lot more unstable at that rifle rate. The 1 in 12 will work in warm air but will keyhole at less than 100 yards in cold dense arctic air. Without that tumbling, most of the kinetic energy would simply exit through you with the small caliber round.

        Tumbling small caliber bullets can’t compare to what a polymer tipped hunting round can do from a high powered rifle. I have seen Hornady .308″ hunting bullets mushroom out to more than double their original diameter and leave wound cavities in a deer that are much worst than anything an AR-15 can do.

    • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 10:12 pm #

      NN

      Actually, I am quite good with numbers, particularly Linear Algebra and Statistics. You see NN, there is a fundamental difference between a good produced to kill humans (an assault rifle) and a good manufactured to transport people (an automobile).

      Surely you would agree that automobiles, despite their obvious dangers and pollution problems, are not designed to create accidents, injuries and/or death. Those negative outcomes are simply an unfortunate externality associated with their ubiquitous use, but they were not designed for that. Au contraire.

      The AR was and is designed for maximum killing and maiming effect, that is the difference and regardless of my mathematical abilities, that fact doesn’t change.

      Dr. JD

      • thenuttyneutron February 23, 2018 at 11:55 pm #

        ” particularly Linear Algebra and Statistics.” *rolls eye* ok. What does being knowledgeable about linear algebra and statistics have to do with this discussion? Does that fact that I earned a bs degree in nuclear engineering and took mathematics courses beyond linear algebra and statistics (tensor calculus) really amount to anything in this discussion about firearms?

        Ok back to the original program! The fact that the AR-15 is a firearm and that firearms are weapons is irrelevant. The right to bear arms is a protected freedom every bit as much as the 1st Amendment rights or any other rights. I am going to debate anyone that makes false statements in support of stripping me of my constitutional rights and I will not back down.

        The US Supreme Court has already rendered decisions that support my stance here. Heller vs DC, McDonald vs Chicago and Obergefell vs Hodges were some of the best SCOTUS decisions by the court in the recent past in support of our civil liberties. Best of all, two of them came out on my birthday. Only two of these cases affected me because of my desire to exercise my 2nd Amendment rights. The other was just a win for civil rights in general.

        If you feel so strongly against the 2nd Amendment, push for amending the US Constitution rather than trying to illegally restrict our civil liberties. I will debate anyone the same way if they are trying to deprive me or anyone else of any civil rights.

        • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 7:58 am #

          NN

          You are the one who brought up numbers concerning your comment that automobiles should be banned, as AR weapons should be and that I am therefore not good with numbers. I was merely trying to assert, that while I am better than most with advanced mathematics, your point that math or numbers demonstrates your argument really doesn’t hold any water as it is based on faulty assumptions, e.g. like goods.

          I can see you are quite knowledgeable about firearms. I can certainly agree that there is a difference between high powered rounds and high velocity rounds. Further, I concede the point that a .224 round is not high-powered, but rather high velocity.

          Can we agree that the rounds that took out 95 individuals recently in Las Vegas and 17 recently in Parkland and many others where an AR style weapon was used, were indeed high velocity rounds? I think we can, right? We can also agree that, no matter the math concerning kinetic energy, all things being equal, high velocity rounds are pretty bad news if you are struck by one, right?

          Anyway, my point is that NO ONE wants to take away your constitutional 2nd Amendment rights, just your right to have a military grade weapon in a civilian setting.

          you wrote: “If you feel so strongly against the 2nd Amendment, push for amending the US Constitution rather than trying to illegally restrict our civil liberties. I will debate anyone the same way if they are trying to deprive me or anyone else of any civil rights.”

          Hunting, target shooting, collecting, etc., civilian guns (e.g. wheel guns, semi autos, shotguns, high powered hunting rifles, muskets, etc.) are perfectly fine. Knock yourself out. Have as many as you want and crates full of ammunition.

          While the 2nd amendment does talk about a well regulated militia, as far as I can tell, the 19 year old whack job who shot those 17 kids up in Parkland with an AR15 was not part of any militia, let alone a well regulated one (unless we count the white supremacist outing he had in Northern Florida as a “well regulated militia”).

          Also, “the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that the right belongs to individuals, while also ruling that the right is not unlimited and does not prohibit all regulation of either firearms or similar devices.” However, setting that all aside, can’t your precious freedoms be guaranteed with all manner of firepower save high velocity assault rifle type weapons which have clearly been a nemesis to this country?

          We had an assault rifle ban in the past and I believe everyone still “enjoyed” their second amendment rights, no? Don’t innocent civilians have the right not to be slaughtered by military grade weapons in their schools or at concerts, etc.?

          Is that not reasonable while still protecting your precious rights from the 18th century? Surely you don’t think the second amendment gives you the god given or constitutional right to possess Rocket Propelled Grenades do you? How about Light Anti Tank Weapons? Stingers?

          Is it really such an affront to add high velocity military assault rifles to the banned list? I know they are fun to play with and all, but this military shit is best left to solders, no? If you can’t see that, then there is nothing more to be said to you. There are none so deaf as those who will not hear….

          • elysianfield February 24, 2018 at 10:37 am #

            jdhines,
            It seems to me that you conflate high velocity rounds with the types of weapons they are employed in. You, perhaps, would object to high velocity rounds in semi-automatic weapons…such as the Remington 742(four round magazine)? Or the fine Remington 40X(bolt action) with a 26″ barrel, providing fewer rounds per minute but with significantly greater muzzle velocity than the .224 rounds in the Armalite varieties?

            Your argument seems to boil down to magazine capacity and rate of fire…high velocity at the muzzle or the terminus may not be the issue.

            Finally, velocity is relative to the cartridge in question…what is high velocity in a .22lr is in no way high velocity in a 220 Swift with a “sporty” loading.

          • thenuttyneutron February 24, 2018 at 9:56 pm #

            I completely disagree with you about the 2nd Amendment being for sporting uses. The Second Amendment is a design feature of our Republic.

            The USA was never supposed to have a standing army and there was a need to have the ability to raise in army for common defense. Most people don’t know this fact; the unorganized militia is still a legal facet of our republic. Any free male between the ages of 17 years old 45 years old and not in an organized militia like the Guard are members of the unorganized militia.

            I have recently returned to Texas from Ohio and regained citizenship of the state. The Texas State Constitution defines the unorganized militia as being free males between the ages of 17 years old and 45 years old. The local sheriff also has the legal power to call upon the services of the unorganized militia to uphold the peace, repel invasion, and suppress rebellion. Events like Harvey provides us with the present day reasons to have this ability.

            The primary reason why the Second Amendment was written was to guarantees the ability for free citizen to own the weapons commonly used by the regulars of the professional army. This would mean that M-16s and M-4s with select fire capability should be legal for me to buy. The NFA does allow me to buy these firearms but I have to find someone that has a pre-1986 registered machine gun for sale (not cheap) and then apply for the stamp tax (6 to 9 month long process). Putting additional restrictions on people to buy AR-15 is in opposition to the purpose of the second amendment.

            You clearly know nothing about the purpose of the second amendment or the true purpose of it. Sporting uses of firearms are at best tertiary reasons to have firearms. The top 2 reasons are for common defense and self defense.

            I am also going to call BS on your mathematical abilities. There are more guns than cars and cars cause more deaths. Simply make a PRA model for your risk of death between firearms and cars and you will clearly see firearms are a small risk to you if you choose not to own them. Most firearm deaths are self inflicted either by accident or suicide. Not owning a gun reduces most of the risk. The risk of death from one of these horrific mass shootings is extremely small. You would make a better argument to ban fists than AR-15s if your goal was to save lives.

          • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 9:36 am #

            NN

            If you think, that a few redneck, ridge running low lifes, with ARs are going take on the battle hardened US military, even if led by our “bone spur” commander and chief, with even a modicum of success, you are sadly, sadly deluded. God bless you and may the force be with you. Get a fucking grip, nut case!

            And further, I decline to build any type of quantitative model at your behest as my hard work would only be wasted on someone who believes in fantasies. Like I said, there are none so deaf as those who will not hear. Please, wake the FUCK up!

          • thenuttyneutron February 25, 2018 at 7:30 pm #

            “If you think, that a few redneck, ridge running low lifes, with ARs are going take on the battle hardened US military, even if led by our “bone spur” commander and chief, with even a modicum of success, you are sadly, sadly deluded.”

            -Jdhines

            Who said anything about fighting the US Military? When I took the oath of office, I swore to uphold and defend the US Constitution again all enemies foreign and domestic. The militia is going to follow all of the legal orders given by the President. The only way a president can be removed from office is impeachment and that is a legal process beyond the scope of any concerns of the militia. Read the constitution and the divisions of power. Congress funds, disciplines and trains the militia. The President is the Commander in Chief. The battle hardened US military would make up people fighting along side with a militia in defense of the country.

            Battle hardened US military vs low lifes? Talk to the people that fought over in Iraq after Bush told them “bring it on!”. A bunch of “low lifes” made the Army’s life pure hell with shape charges in IEDs and other nasty tricks. Don’t ever underestimate the capability of a bunch of people defending their home land. The military loves their toys but they learned the hard way that cheap asymmetric weapons could disable the most expensive combat machines. Hell I bet 5 lbs of rust and aluminum powder placed in the right location would be enough to disable any hardware used by any military force. The second this is forgotten, things have a way of jogging memories after the fact in painful ways.

            I will end with this. You have no command of the facts nor do you even have an idea of what you are talking about then it comes to risk and numbers. You spout opinions based on charged emotions that are contrary to the facts and the math presented. Making a PRA model for gun risk vs other risk is easily performed with a simple fault tree and should take no more than 5 minutes by a competent person with any math skills. It is not “hard work” because it is an incomplete model that only looks at the risk of death from a gun vs everything else. The hard work for you here would be looking at the facts and accepting them rather than getting wound up over horrific events that are played out on the media over and over. Get control of your emotions and look at the facts.

  44. Ishabaka February 23, 2018 at 5:51 pm #

    If anyone had told me, 25 years ago, that the American Left would worship the FBI, NSA, and CIA, I’d have wondered if they were psychotic.

    • Walter B February 23, 2018 at 6:04 pm #

      Excellent observation Ishbaka – post of the day! Yes those predicting such nonsense would certainly be arrested or institutionalized back then. I think this point is sold proof that these desperate Progressives will get in bed with anyone anytime and will switch sides to suit their mood. It is easy to do once you have thrown out your moral compass (if they ever had one that is).

      • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 9:22 pm #

        WB

        Post of the day? Nah, surely you just. Just the ranting of some pathetic Repug that currently thinks the Russkies are the good guys and has not one wit of an idea of what they are really like.

        We could also say “If anyone had told me, 25 years ago, that the American Right would worship the Russians, a dimwitted pathetic liar of a president, who happens to be a savant at attracting other dimwits over the FBI, NSA, and CIA, I’d have wondered if they were psychotic.”

        That is the unhappy place we find ourselves today. The right is psychotic and has been sucking on the glass dick of Fox Noise for too many years to know and better. Their brains are shot.

        JD

      • Ishabaka February 24, 2018 at 8:20 am #

        Actually, I grew up in a Leftist family, where Tailgunner Joe McCarthy was regarded as Satan incarnate. Now it the American Left who worry about Reds under their beds.

        • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 2:15 pm #

          I

          Joe McCarthy was a pretty bad actor and was not a force for good in this country. Also, he had a lot of help from attorney Roy Cohn (a particularly vile homosexual), who was Trump’s early mentor. Odd how it has come full circle, eh?

          At any rate, I don’t think the Left is looking for Reds under our beds any more, but rather ill intentioned, pesky and powerful oligopoly and crime prone, Russians that nose around in our affairs with ill intent.

          By the way, are you aware that the Russians are big supporters / donors of the NRA, but do not allow free weaponry in the own country? It’s interesting…. and suspicious.

          JD

          • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 2:17 pm #

            I

            Oh, kudos to your dear parents on their spot on insights, which were quite hazardous to articulate in those days. Brave folks.

            JD

    • KesaAnna February 23, 2018 at 7:35 pm #

      I guess you didn’t get out much ?

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Davis#/media/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-L0911-029,_Berlin,_Erich_Honecker_empf%C3%A4ngt_Angela_Davis.jpg

      Just a single example. if i listed even half the examples I know of off the top of my head I’d be here all week.

      • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 9:26 pm #

        KA

        For Gods sake, what is that supposed to mean?

        JD

    • daveed February 23, 2018 at 9:05 pm #

      “If anyone had told me, 25 years ago, that the American Left would worship the FBI, NSA, and CIA, I’d have wondered if they were psychotic.”

      Me too. That was the domain of the American Right.

      And if anyone had suggested back then that the Right, in the 21st Century, would be snuggling with Reagan’s nemesis, the Evil Empire, I’d have thought them daft, as well.

      • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 9:27 pm #

        Exactly correct.

        JD

      • Janos Skorenzy February 24, 2018 at 4:13 am #

        It makes perfect sense: they are the Power Structure now. They never loved freedom – they merely hated not having power. Now that they have it, they were worse than those they criticized. Four legs good, two legs better.

        And Russia in contrast, has regained its legs under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, throwing many of the Oligarchs out and keeping the rest in line. At last the Russian People are in charge of Russia again. So the Right should be friends with this Great Power now that they are Christian Capitalists again, more or less.

        Furthermore, I say Semitic Carthage (and of course the Cult of Moloch – Abortion) must be destroyed. Why? Contemplate this as you sink into your Ottoman, drink in hand.

        When the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II Fatih (The Conqueror) captured Constantinople and brought the Byzantine Empire finally to an inglorious end in 1453, his armies broke into the city through one of the Jewish quarters and with the assistance of the local Jewish population who, as at Bursa and Edirne, were overjoyed at the opportunity to throw off their Greek oppressors. So also at Buda and Pest in 1526, on the island of Rhodes in 1522, at Belgrade (1526), in Azerbaijan (1534), Iraq and Iran (1534-35, 1638). Yemen (1628) and elsewhere, Jews welcomed the conquering forces of Suleyman the Magnificent, and in each case they were rewarded with tax exemptions, concessions for trade and exploita­tion of minerals, repair or expansion of old synagogues, and even free houses and shops to meet the needs of the increasing Jewish populations.

        Source: “The Jews of the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic” by Stanford J. Shaw.

        • Janos Skorenzy February 24, 2018 at 4:15 am #

          In other words, the Jews opened the gates for the Muslim army – again and again.

    • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 9:14 pm #

      The American left doesn’t worship the FBI et al. Are you nuts? They just are smart enough to realize that the ruthless, gangster like, Russians are definitely not our friends.

      Having had occasion to compete against Russian nationals, I can say that in many ways they are very impressive. They are disciplined, educated and tough. They also have a need to be led by authoritarian leaders, have learned to get along in very corrupt systems and will do whatever it takes to win. They can be ruthless and cruel in achieving their ends. They don’t mind seeing or causing others to suffer. They see it as, just the way it is, and better someone else than me.

      Compared to typical suburban Americans, they are jackals. The typical American is much like a boy scout compared to a seasoned Mafioso. Check out some articles on the Russian mob and see some of their handiwork. Shit, the entire country is nothing but one large criminal enterprise run by an ex-KGB col turned into an international crime boss. And the Russkies love and fear him for it.

      Think long and hard before you decide the Russkies are better than the FBI CIA. If you were to be “caught” by one of the intelligence services, would you rather be in the hands of the FBI or the GRU (KGB)? No contest, the FBI would be so much better….

    • Janos Skorenzy February 24, 2018 at 4:00 am #

      America and the Soviet Union have exchanged identities. Now we’re the Reds exporting Revolution (ruled by the Jews in other words) and they’re the Christian Republic (or trying to be, at least self image wise).

      Much of the money for the Revolution came from America to begin with. Now our chickens have come home to roost.

      • thwack February 25, 2018 at 11:23 am #

        A mind is a terrible thing if your chickens don’t hatch.

      • GreenAlba February 25, 2018 at 6:08 pm #

        “Now we’re the Reds exporting Revolution (ruled by the Jews in other words)”

        Could you please help me out here, Janos, and break that down into chunks I can understand, providing:

        (1) some concrete evidence* that the US is now ‘Red’

        (2) some concrete evidence* about the US exporting ‘Red revolution’

        (3) some concrete evidence* about how you are ruled by ‘the Jews’ AND how ‘the Jews’ are ‘Red’ (remember they can’t be communists and predatory capitalists at the same time without a rational person’s head exploding).

        Thanks. You’ll have to forgive me – my mind has liked logical reasoning above meaningless drivel since the age of about 8.

        Alternatively, you can just say ‘sorry, I was talking out of my backside’.

        *Evidence:
        noun: the available body of *facts* or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.

  45. hineshammer February 23, 2018 at 6:18 pm #

    This record keeps skipping. Can someone please hit the needle.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 9:28 pm #

      HH,

      Maybe try digital?

      JD

  46. elysianfield February 23, 2018 at 6:25 pm #

    jdhines,
    Please allow me to hold your hair whilst you embrace the porcelain goddess….

    • jdhines February 23, 2018 at 8:25 pm #

      EF

      That’s very kind of you, but I couldn’t possibly accept. I will however, be more than happy to assist you, since you were kind enough to offer.

      JD

      • elysianfield February 24, 2018 at 10:44 am #

        JD,
        If I feel the need to disembogue my last meal due to various outrages posted on this site…I will gladly accept your offices.

        • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 9:39 am #

          EF

          Then please visit the nearest gender neutral restroom. Just brilliant, fucking brilliant.

          JD

  47. davidreese2 February 23, 2018 at 6:32 pm #

    What an unholy mess.

    The government can do anything it likes as far as I’m concerned. Nothing surprises me or shocks me any more.

  48. Pucker February 23, 2018 at 6:32 pm #

    Whatever happened to “War Bonds” as a vehicle for financing war?

    Ulysses S. Grant slaughtered his men, but he made money for the war bond holders. Grant was a former Slave holder who married into a Kentucky slaveholding Family. The Civil War wasn’t about enlightened white People freeing the negro slaves. It was about the War Bonds and the spoils of territory going to the railroads. Lincoln was a corporate railroad lawyer. Lincoln must have done something to piss off his corporate sponsors though because they pulled his Pinkerton security guards and shortly thereafter Lincoln was assassinated. Two days after MLK’s anti-Vietnam Speech, LBJ pulled Dr. King’s FBI protection. Everybody knew what that meant.

    “After the outbreak of the American Civil War, Morgan traded Union bonds, which seesawed with the outcome of each battle. After the Union army was routed at Bull Run, bonds plunged, then rebounded sharply when Union troops stopped the Confederate advance at Antietam Creek. Sending a telegram via Nova Scotia, Pierpont alerted his father to Vicksburg’s fall in July 1863—in time for the elder Morgan to profit from a sudden rise in American securities.”

    Ron Chernow
    The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance

  49. Pucker February 23, 2018 at 6:48 pm #

    It looks like the Panic of 1857 was the first financial crisis caused, in part, by Globalism? It looks like the bankers got out of the financial crisis via the bloody US Civil War?

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_of_1857

  50. Pucker February 23, 2018 at 7:05 pm #

    Before the Battle of Shiloh (1862), General Beauregard confidently dropped the name “Austerlitz” and predicted a quick Confederate victory. But, in a new modern industrial Northern economy, a “Quick Victory” ain’t gonna do it for the Bankers to pull them out of the hole that they’d dug because of their bad investments. They needed a long, bloody industrial meat grinder War financed by lots of War Bonds?

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Austerlitz

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • Janos Skorenzy February 24, 2018 at 4:06 am #

      The Klan terrified the ignorant Negroes who thought they were the ghosts of Civil War Soldiers. One of them used to pretend to drink a bucket of water (actually funneling it into something hidden in his robes), and then saying, “I hadn’t had a drop of water since the battle of Shiloh.”

      • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 8:55 am #

        JS

        Sound like such great fun….

        JD

  51. Pucker February 23, 2018 at 7:24 pm #

    Can we create a new form of perpetual energy just using the Earth’s rotation?

    Or harness the caloric stored energy of stupid fat people?

    Herd the stupid fat people into giant holding pens to await the arrival of a high IQ, contemptuous, condescending black person who hates low IQ black people to come and throw the switch?

  52. Robert White February 23, 2018 at 9:52 pm #

    Maybe JHK is self-actualizing and transcending himself, and his old persona?

    JHK likes to play trickster with the reader I’ve noticed from time to time. I don’t really think he believes his own stuff sometimes, but he does enjoy making the reader fall for the straw man argument most of the time.

    He’s a drinker too, eh, so he could be developing a mild form of senile dementia from the booze hound behaviour.

    RW

    • James Howard Kunstler February 24, 2018 at 7:47 am #

      As it happens, I’m not a drinker. Anymore scurrilous remarks like this and I’m kicking you out. —JHK

      • thwack February 24, 2018 at 8:42 am #

        without the benefit of clergy

      • elysianfield February 24, 2018 at 10:53 am #

        Mr, Kunstler,
        With all respect…RW is a “remote viewer”…he may have been hovering in some dark corner watching whilst you imbibed some beverage he thought alcoholic.

        • Robert White February 24, 2018 at 12:36 pm #

          Quite honestly I have Remote Viewed JHK when he took that photo of himself standing between two trees, and I Remote Viewed him when he was invited to give a lecture at a university where he was chastised by five professors/teaching instructors for not being politically correct in terms of one view expressed. He mentions that incident in writing on a blog article where he talks about their combined myopia with regard to political correctness. At no time have I ever viewed him imbibing. And I only Remote Viewed him those two times which was a long time before I knew exactly who he was or that he had a blog. I only remembered Remote Viewing the photo when I saw it for the first time here on the blog. Likewise for the other incident of RVing. And I only signed on to this blog because I respect his writing ability from articles I saw on ZH.

          sincerely, Robert

        • Tate February 24, 2018 at 2:10 pm #

          roflmao

    • Walter B February 24, 2018 at 11:20 am #

      This place for me RW, is one of the very few places I can find decent intelligent conversation and exchange of ideas. Yes there are a couple of angry, self-righteous types but those who resort to personal insults and progressive smear tactics have no place here and should STFU and find other venues for their rantings. I think you owe our host and all of us an apology friend.

      • Robert White February 24, 2018 at 12:01 pm #

        I most sincerely apologise to all, and especially JHK. My comment was indeed inappropriate and antagonistic as well as socially unacceptable. I am normally one that is prosocial and I realize the error of my commentary with a view to amending the inappropriateness of such comments in the future. I have already apologised to JHK via email this morning, and I extend my apologies to all here now without reservation.

        I fucked up, and I am truly sorry for the offense caused.

        sincerely, Boob

        • Walter B February 24, 2018 at 5:26 pm #

          Thank you. The people I deal with today seem to have some kind of rule where nobody ever admits guilt so apologies are far and few between, but where and when I came from someone that could admit to an error and apologize for it was a person of dignity and deserved the respect that comes with it. You have mine. When I was a young man I and those who served with me were given four possible responses to any upperclassman,

          Yes sir,
          No sir,
          No excuse sir,
          Sir I do not understand

          It was amazing how this strange but simply operating system made us think first, respond accordingly, and accept the consequences of our actions. You have done well Mr. White, carry on.

          • Robert White February 24, 2018 at 7:38 pm #

            You are a very gracious man, Walter B. I respect what you have said, and you are right. I keep forgetting that I’m not on ZeroHedge anymore. Being indoctrinated over on ZH is like being indoctrinated by feral animals. I was not raised that way and remembering my manners is paramount after ZH.

            Thanks for understanding.

            RW

          • Q. Shtik February 25, 2018 at 1:00 am #

            few and far between

        • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 9:42 am #

          RW

          Spoken like a true gentleman RW. Well done.

          JD

  53. Pucker February 23, 2018 at 11:13 pm #

    It seems that the British Royalty and British Banking were enamored with George Peabody (the founder of JP Morgan), upon Peabody’s death eulogizing him in Britain ostensibly because of his lavish philanthropy to London’s poor and wretched. But I wonder what was the real connection was between JP Morgan and the City of London?

    The official story doesn’t make any sense.

    • DrTomSchmidt February 24, 2018 at 8:58 pm #

      Read Ron Chernow, the House ofMorgan. Interesting stuff, and he seems to have done his work.

  54. KesaAnna February 23, 2018 at 11:14 pm #

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Davis#/media/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-L0911-029,_Berlin,_Erich_Honeck…

    ” KA

    For Gods sake, what is that supposed to mean?

    JD ”

    Which , the caption or the fucking visual aid ?

    • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 12:19 pm #

      KA

      Are you trying to illustrate / suggest that:

      Erich had a thing for Black Power chicks?

      That Angela and Erich are Fellow Travelers?

      That Herr Erich and Ms. Davis are “a thing?”

      That Angela thought, she and her movement, were real communists?

      That Angela and co. are responsible for the election of Bill and Hillary in 1992?

      That the East German Stasi funded the Black Panthers back in the day?

      Please, you tell me.

      JD

  55. Pucker February 23, 2018 at 11:19 pm #

    The South was betting that Britain would intercede on behalf of the Confederacy because Britain had an interest in stymying a new rising American power, but it never did. Maybe American and British Finance Cut-a-Deal?

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  56. Pucker February 23, 2018 at 11:42 pm #

    In order to defeat the Confederacy, it was critical that: (a) Britain did not intercede to aid the South; (b) that there be an available purchaser of Union War Bonds to finance the war; and (c) the North needed German Hessian mercenaries, which since the American Revolution had been mercenaries of the British Empire. The Yankees cut-a-Deal with the City of London.

    • thwack February 24, 2018 at 8:44 am #

      Is that an example of Freemasonry in action?

  57. KesaAnna February 23, 2018 at 11:54 pm #

    ” Think long and hard before you decide the Russkies are better than the FBI CIA. If you were to be “caught” by one of the intelligence services, would you rather be in the hands of the FBI or the GRU (KGB)? No contest, the FBI would be so much better…. ”

    Ok , I’ll think about it !

    Hmmm, would I rather be fucked and murdered by this guy or that one ?

    ” No contest, the FBI would be so much better…. ”

    No, no contest, you clearly have never been remotely close to that situation.

    By the way ……….anyone wanna take a stab at explaining to this East German how it is that , if Americans generally , usually , are so wonderful ,

    why it is that generally , usually , I can’t trust them with AK-47’s ?

    • elysianfield February 24, 2018 at 11:32 am #

      “By the way ……….anyone wanna take a stab at explaining to this East German how it is that , if Americans generally , usually , are so wonderful ,

      why it is that generally , usually , I can’t trust them with AK-47’s ?

      Kesa,
      This mistrust is born a fallacy that might be closely held in countries other than the US…there are untold millions of AK’s and their variants currently in the hands of the American Public…where are the outrages?

      It is as fallacious as Americans thinking East Germans don’t wear shoes and eat with their mouths open…there may be some truth to this, but I will accept that it is not 100% accurate….

    • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 12:28 pm #

      KA

      Well, then our fantasy it’s settled! I’ll take incarceration with the FBI in the good old USA and you can go to the Gulag or whatever the hell they call it now in Mother Russia. I’ll venture to say that I will walk out sooner, in better health, than you. But, I may be wrong as you, being an ex-USSR satellite citizen, may be eligible for “Eastern Bloc” benefits that I’m not aware of. Maybe, perhaps, I hope so….

      JD

  58. tucsonspur February 24, 2018 at 12:53 am #

    ALERT! ACHTUNG! ATENCION!

    It seems now that it was four Broward county deputies that did not enter the school right away. Some of the Coral Springs police were stunned and dismayed.

    On Tucker Carlson last night, the fact was brought out that many police officers say that their first duty is to return home safely.

    It was also stated that the US Supreme Court has already ruled that the police are not required to protect you.

    So remember this: In any emergency, when danger is about and lives are on the line, YOU are the first responder!

    • elysianfield February 24, 2018 at 11:01 am #

      Tucson,
      When I was on the OPD in the late 60’s, you could be charged with, and fired for cowardice. If this is not cowardice ( remember that we are not hearing their side of the story), it is at least extremely poor judgment.

      It’ was like a Coast Guard motto that I am familiar with…”They say you gotta go out…but they don’t say you gotta come back….”

      • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 12:48 pm #

        EF

        Well then, there are many new, well trained combat troops in their first few firefights whom are guilty of cowardice then. As for bad judgment, can we say that judgment of any kind exists while said troops (resource officers) are in the throes of an extreme adrenalin rush of fight or flight and in need of a serious wipe?

        I don’t know, maybe better to restrict high velocity killing devices to the military, rather than rely on soon to be retirees or teachers to “take the bad guy out?” What do you think? Would that ruin your precious 18th century, g_d bestowed, constitutionally enshrined right? Remember, you still get the whole basket of other goodies to do with as you please: Semi Auto pistols and wheel guns, hunting rifles (yes, high powered, SA with small clips) shotguns, muskets, etc. Seems reasonable, right? Let us not be obstinate in the face of reason…

        JD

    • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 12:35 pm #

      TS

      You wouldn’t mind going up against an AR15 with your Glock? You’re are just about to retire and you think you should give up your life for the NRAs bullshit stance on ARs? This poor devil probably never so much as pulled his service revolver before and after he heard the first cracks of the AR15 was probably pissing his pants, his heart racing, his mind going a 1,000 mph. Yeah, let’s get in the and kill that bad guy! Please, at least try to get real.

      JD

      • elysianfield February 24, 2018 at 4:37 pm #

        JD,
        Glock? In the late ’60s, we had revolvers…and ballistic vests were not yet invented. I am not suggesting a frontal assault, but rather a cautious effort to locate the shooter(s) using corners and other obstructions…and then engage if able. You might still have the element of surprise. This is not a “high noon” engagement…you would shoot him without warning. The shooters attention would be drawn from the students to the threat if not successful on the first shot. A win-win for the potential victims. It is a question of judgment. If he was an infantry trained shooter, versed in fire and maneuver…things would get “sporty”.

        We were VERY well paid in 1968…our base pay was just short of $1000 per month(JHK take note). We always said they do not pay us for what we do…but rather what we may have to do. This is not hollow bravado…it was part of the job description. Any officer refusing to enter that building, threat notwithstanding, would be terminated for cowardice.

        “Please, at least try to get real.”

        Ask Stelmo about rushing into a fully invested burning building…get real, indeed.

        • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 8:20 pm #

          EF

          Yes, that approach does make infinitely more sense than a frontal assault, but I think he might end-up a dead hero as opposed to a coward who lives to fight another day. I’m just thinking, let’s say our nut case shooter is not a 19 yo kid, but a seasoned Navy SEAL (who went berserk for some reason)… not good for our retiree. All most certainly the retiree would attain “dead hero” status. But, I do understand what you are saying, if you sign up for the gig, be willing to do what it takes. Fair enough.

          JD

          • elysianfield February 25, 2018 at 2:43 pm #

            ” let’s say our nut case shooter is not a 19 yo kid, but a seasoned Navy SEAL (who went berserk for some reason)”

            In that case, many would die. It is not for nothing that these scenarios are, by definition, “dynamic”….

  59. FincaInTheMountains February 24, 2018 at 1:36 am #

    What is happening now in American politics can not be called anything but chaos.

    Moreover, this chaos is a reflection of the crisis of American politics, which was created by the election campaign of 1992, when Bill Clinton, or rather Hillary Clinton, who in this family is the bearer of the balls of steel, pulled the Ross Perot spoiler out of her sleeve, which violated all conceivable and inconceivable gentlemen’s agreements of the American elite that allowed it between elections to develop a national agenda at least on foreign policy issues.

    Ross Perot, as an independent candidate, took 20% of George Bush Sr. votes, which led the Clintons to the White House, and this drove the US political system into a state of shock, from which it did not come out until now. Shock is all the more dangerous because the 1992 elections were an election about how the world will look in which the US turned out to be the only superpower.

    George Bush Sr. was the last of the old guard of politicians who knew the true history of the confrontation of the Soviet Union vs the United States and not the propaganda soup cooked up by the joint efforts of the professional disinformers of both sides.

    Moreover, he, after his retirement, repeatedly said that he had a plan for the so-called victory in the Cold War, different from the unrestrained highway robbery and, most importantly, the humiliation of Russia, and the growth of a large police baton to a planetary scale.

    Meanwhile, that’s exactly what we saw in the 1990s, when the Clintons celebrated the notorious victory in the Cold War with military operations in Bosnia, Macedonia, Haiti, the Central African Republic, Kuwait, Iraq, Albania, Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Guinea- Bissau, Kenya, Tanzania, Afghanistan, Sudan, Liberia, East Timor, Kosovo, and Serbia, and began discussing punishment of Russia for reluctance to give freedom to the hands of the terrorist authorities in Chechnya.

    And one can only wonder at the hypocritical impudence of the Clintons, who, despite this list, reproach George W. Bush for a disproportionate response to the events of 911.

    The aforementioned trick with Ross Perot combined with the transition of Senator McCain from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party not only allowed the Clintons to make out of world politics what we have been seeing for the last twenty-five years, but also deprived the Democratic and Republican parties of a distinctly expressed political philosophy, position of the competitor in the elections, which turned the political struggle into a purely tactical action, the meaning of which voters do not understand, partly because it is not there anymore.

  60. tucsonspur February 24, 2018 at 1:39 am #

    I think that this guy could use some dental work, among other things.
    Bright brain Indian, loves America I’m sure, made his fortune here.
    Wants the land, the oceans, and his privacy.

    I remember a profound line from the “Sopranos”:
    “Cock sucking motherfucker, mother fucking cock sucking scumbag mother fucker”! Here he is:

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/1fd814b0-23f8-3b0f-a28e-a5f44dac27a0/ss_billionaire-vinod-khosla.html

    Didn’t someone here once say, “kill all the billionaires”?

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  61. FincaInTheMountains February 24, 2018 at 7:05 am #

    The buttocks of Bastinda are usually hidden, thank God, but could she have hidden the Perot “trick” all these years? == tucsonspur

    I have already written about how the disappearance of the USSR – the geopolitical and, even more importantly, worldview opponent of the United States – led to the disappearance in US of party ideology and the demoralization of the party struggle.

    This was manifested in the use of the spoiler of the Republican Party, Ross Perot, in the 1992 elections, who took 20% of George Bush Sr. vote – twice as many as ever from an independent candidate or candidate from the third party – that led to Republican loss.

    This, undoubtedly, enraged the establishment of the Republicans, cancelled out all the gentlemen’s agreements, and led to the fact that from the very first moment of the Clinton Presidency, the Republicans immediately began a lot of investigations, the purpose of which was not only impeachment, but also the Clintons’ imprisonment.

    And the commander in chief of these attacks and investigations was former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. And the first dragon killed by this knight was the health care reform program, called Hillary-Care, due to the fact that it was led by President Clinton’s wife Hillary Clinton.

    It ended with a series of suicides in the Clintons’ immediate surroundings and the Congressional struggle to find a definition of the meaning of the words “sexual relationship”.

    And the degree of demoralization of the political struggle in the USA was manifested when the Republicans used such an unworthy and shameful reason for the country, and a large part of the democratic party, knowing full well that Bill Clinton, having no character to refuse to answer rather vile questions, committed a grave crime – perjury under oath, – nevertheless found it necessary to support their leader.

    But the true apotheosis, this demoralization and the corresponding political crisis manifested itself in the 2000 elections, when the center of power, represented by the Clintons, decided to transfer power over the world to Vice-president Al Gore. As a result of the struggle without rules, including the Ralph Nader spoiler, the “butterfly ballots”, “pregnant or dimpled chads” and manual recount in Florida, where the governor was the brother of presidential candidate George W. Bush, the world for several months did not know who would be the president of the only superpower and the final decision was as a matter of fact made by the judge of the Supreme Court of Florida.

    And it is these elections that are one to one resembling what is happening in the US and in the world today. Full déjà vu.

  62. capt spaulding February 24, 2018 at 8:54 am #

    I agree as well, WB. I pretty much followed the same trajectory that you did with the same results. With people on both sides in the pockets of the billionaires, there isn’t a lot of hope out there. I was thinking of forming a moderate death squad, but we can’t decide who to kill.

  63. FincaInTheMountains February 24, 2018 at 8:58 am #

    Trump’s Reads “The Snake” Again to CPAC

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PylTYpahfUE&t=3920

    Personally, I understand by the President’s Snake allegory the way the Nazi ideology carriers got incorporated into the American society along with NSDAP Bormann party gold after WWII and, having merged with their seeming opposite – Liberals – turned into LiberNazis – Liberal on the surface, but still Nazi in their essence.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7QRiKIc9vM

    • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 1:01 pm #

      FM

      Really, that whole snake story is the most fucked-up nonsense anyone could spew. I’m sure that imbecile didn’t even understand what Stephen Smith prepared for him to read. … “we took poor, downtrodden immigrants in, only to help them and then, those evil immigrants and slaves turned on us and did us poor white folk dirt?” Good grief, for the love of g_d and all thing holy, is all I can say!

      That whole CPAC or CCrap, whatever it is, has turned into one Right Wing monkey fuck on acid. And to think it’s all being led by and ex New York city, liberal Democrat, con man, serial harasser, heathen for whom the good Christian Repugs all line up to, well…. you know what…..

      JD

      • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 1:38 pm #

        correction, I was referring to this weasel, not Smith:

        “Stephen Miller is an American far-right political activist who serves as a senior advisor for policy for President Donald Trump. He was previously the communications director for then-Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions.”

        “Julia Ioffe described Miller as a “deeply unsettling figure, even to many in his own party.” This profile also teaches you that Miller, who has worked “for some of the most politically fringe figures on the Hill” and is so racist his opinions “raised the eyebrows of even conservative Republicans,” is not particularly cool or well-liked.”

        “even conservatives like Lindsey Graham think Miller is difficult to work with and kind of sucks. Graham said Miller had “been an outlier for years” when it comes to immigration, but it’s also possible that Miller is an outlier in other situations, like the situation where most people have at least one friend and he seemingly does not.”

  64. janet February 24, 2018 at 10:47 am #

    “ALERT! ACHTUNG! ATENCION! It seems now that it was four Broward county deputies that did not enter the school right away.” –tucsonspur

    So… “to stop a bad guy all you need is a good guy with a gun” turns out to be another NRA lie.

    Not even true with four experienced, well-trained, and armed good guys.

    • elysianfield February 24, 2018 at 11:10 am #

      “four experienced, well-trained, and armed good guys.”

      Janet,
      The argument becomes qualitative…but enroute to the scene suppose they were told to not enter the building by their Watch Commander? Then the issue of judgment becomes viable. Eventually we will see what shakes out of all of this.

      • janet February 24, 2018 at 3:34 pm #

        Yeah, obey the Watch Commander and let the kids bleed out

        • elysianfield February 24, 2018 at 4:41 pm #

          Janet,
          No, obeying the Watch commander in this case would be a failure of judgment…active shooter….

    • My Point of View February 24, 2018 at 12:15 pm #

      They couldn’t go in after the bad guy…because….bone spurs…

      • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 1:13 pm #

        Right!!! LOL, too funny!!!

    • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 1:03 pm #

      J

      Indeed.

      JD

    • messianicdruid February 24, 2018 at 2:21 pm #

      Can you not see what is right before your face?

      They are not good guys!

      • janet February 24, 2018 at 3:12 pm #

        The county sheriff is not a good guy? I thought you militia types believed the ultimate legal authorities in the land are the county sheriffs, and to hell with state and federal law enforcement.

        • messianicdruid February 24, 2018 at 8:22 pm #

          “By their fruits you shal know them” not their titles.

        • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 3:48 am #

          Nobody named “Scott Israel” is likely to be a good guy, especially a Sheriff so named.

          • GreenAlba February 25, 2018 at 1:17 pm #

            Could you spell that one out for me, Janos, just to be clear? And remember where you are while you do it. Thanks.

          • GreenAlba February 25, 2018 at 3:54 pm #

            Still waiting, Janos…

    • Walter B February 24, 2018 at 5:41 pm #

      It is very difficult to have to listen to drivel from someone that knows little to nothing about what they are talking about. How I have to patience to deal so well with you is beyond me.

      When these mass shootings first started we were very critical of the Law Enforcement personnel who showed up at the scenes, circled the wagons and waited until everybody was dead before venturing into the structures. The counter argument was that it was “protocol”, but we still called it bullshit! As a member or two local CERT Teams, I have had the good fortune to have attended three Active Shooter classes given by the Lieutenant that runs our County SWAT Team. In comparing notes afterward, I thanked him because one of the first things that was covered was that the LE people had studied these shootings and changed their “protocol” because they realized that the only chance they had to save anybody was to get there ASAP and even if there was only one responder, it was his duty to enter and attack immediately, not to wait even for backup.

      Now I do not know how it may be elsewhere but if the LE in Florida have not evolved to the point where we have in NJ, they certainly will. Cowardice will always be a potential problem and after all, who would fault anyone in that situation, but I assure you, that the men who are pledged to stop these kind of assaults are evolving their tactics so that YES, the good guys with guns will be sent to the rescue. Even if firearms are confiscated some day, these kinds of attacks will continue, look at Chicago. Good guys with guns will always be required.

      • messianicdruid February 24, 2018 at 8:25 pm #

        False Flags are to generate body counts and distract. They were “just following orders”.

        • Walter B February 24, 2018 at 9:50 pm #

          Unfortunately, that possibility can never be discounted.

  65. thwack February 24, 2018 at 11:48 am #

    Off topic:

    Somebody gave me a powerful juicer.

    Does anyone have a good cheap juicer recipe?

    After some experimentation Ive settled on:

    Carrots

    Celery

    Green apple

    Garlic

    Ginger root

    howamidoin?

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • janet February 24, 2018 at 3:20 pm #

      Get Dick Gregory’s book, Cooking with Mother Nature

    • Janos Skorenzy February 24, 2018 at 3:53 pm #

      Recipe? As in some combinations of things, some blends, are better than others? Isn’t that what you reject as a principle in regards to genetics?

      What is your criterion: taste or health? If taste, then party on with as many bizarre smoothies as you like.

      • thwack February 24, 2018 at 4:22 pm #

        What is your criterion: taste or health?

        ******************

        actually its health, economy and taste, in that order.

        That way I can drink my veggies, and put the pulp in my pancakes, which is poor people food.

        btw, do you even lift bro?

    • elysianfield February 24, 2018 at 4:44 pm #

      Thwack,
      Here is the best advice I can give you regarding your ingredients;

      Put all ingredients in the blender…double up on the Garlic and Ginger root…add one egg. Blend for a full five minutes. Remove contents of blender and discard…eat the blender.

  66. volodya February 24, 2018 at 11:51 am #

    No point naming names as the names are well known but there’s a lot of smoldering wrecks of the financial sort out there leaching toxins into the body politic, most of them deemed out of bounds of law enforcement because of their party affiliation.

    It’s not just judges that have become political, their dispensation of rulings giving the lie to an impartial and dispassionate judiciary, it’s also investigative agencies too that align themselves by party and act accordingly. But there it is.

    My question is this, if the USA continues along this slippery slope, if judges meddle in political and policy decisions, then it’s a small step for politicians to interfere in court rulings. And if it’s ok for cops to harass people on the basis of their politics, then it must be ok for politicians to interfere in police investigations.

    Banana republic? You see one forming right under your nose.

    • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 1:12 pm #

      V

      Without question, the Banana Republic is well along in it’s development. The election of the “perfect (authoritarian) one” was the final piece that marked the realization that, yes, the USA is on the road to Banana Republicanism. Sad thing that, but very true (“believe me… and I’ll make the very best Banana Republic imaginable… believe me…oh yes, don’t worry….”)

      JD

  67. volodya February 24, 2018 at 1:13 pm #

    Putting things to rights sometimes involves bullets in foreheads. The problem here is it’s the wrong foreheads you know, like school kids. Not just a few times either but many.

    I hear a lot of talk about guns being the last guarantee. OK, well there are hundreds of millions of guns and many millions of gun-wielding Americans. Did any of them notice the all-seeing surveillance state, the subversion of American and foreign political bodies for the advantage of a handful of families and individuals, that China was built up into a global adversary by Americans, that the fortunes and livelihoods of tens of millions of Americans were ruined by those same subversive individuals and families? And all with the active complicity of the same surveillance state. No? Yes?

    If all this happened with no armed response by those afflicted, what would it take? What good were the guns?

    I’ll tell you if you don’t know, the guns were of NO use and NO good, quite the opposite in fact. The example of the deputies outside the school while Cruz was shooting it up wasn’t a one-off.

    Gun rights? Bah. Put the guns in a pile at the center of town and melt them down.

    • messianicdruid February 24, 2018 at 2:24 pm #

      That will speed things up.

      • volodya February 24, 2018 at 2:30 pm #

        Maybe but if it’s going there anyway why waste time?

        • messianicdruid February 24, 2018 at 9:45 pm #

          A chemistry professor at a large college had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt. The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country’s government and install a new communist government.

          In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, ‘Do you know how to catch wild pigs?’ The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. ‘You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come every day to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again.

          You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat; you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught.

          Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.

          The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America. The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc. While we continually lose our freedoms — just a little at a time.

          • Q. Shtik February 25, 2018 at 1:42 am #

            That’s all well and good but what about the fuckin’ bullet in his back?

          • volodya February 25, 2018 at 1:50 pm #

            MD, In America the pigs are armed to the teeth yet it hasn’t done a stitch of good in ameliorating the loss of freedom. Not only the loss of freedom but the loss of livelihood and prospects. Even JHK’s website has got government employed trolls. Freedom of speech? What about freedom of speech without government interference?

          • messianicdruid February 25, 2018 at 8:52 pm #

            I think you got it backwards. The pigs [ wild ] are the ones eating the free stuff. The pig corrallers are the hired help working for the ones wanting to catch [ corral ] the pigs and domesticate them [ keep them from being free pigs ].

    • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 8:46 pm #

      V

      Extremely well said and insightful, particularly “for the advantage of a handful of families and individuals,” but I am with you on the entire statement. Thank you.

      JD

  68. FincaInTheMountains February 24, 2018 at 3:36 pm #

    I can say that all these cries of surprise in connection with the election of Trump are a complete hypocrisy.

    They all knew: the fact that Trump is supported by an absolute majority of voters; and the fact that Hillary had seized power in the country; and the fact that she forges the results of the polls and was preparing to forge the results of the elections.

    And they are surprised that, despite this, she lost the election.

    And it can only be explained by the fact that on the night of the elections, when I peacefully fall asleep with my hands on computer, there was a counter-revolution in the USA and the power/militant component of the Hillary Clinton coup d’état was liquidated, and her ability to forge the election results was substantially limited.

    New York, where two headquarters of a lightening-fast, but not completely bloodless civil war, as a result of which Trump came to power were less than a mile away from each other, but it’s impossible to say what really happened this night in this city by the sea, which, as now becomes clear, is really described in the Apocalypse.

    And I am convinced that the plan for this war, this counter-coup, was conceived and largely implemented by President Barack Obama!!!

    And what brought me to this idea is a comparison of these two videos, the first of which, Barack Obama laughs in the face of those who, as he already knows, conceived to secretly overthrow him and then blame him for the beginning of the Third World War.

    And on the second clip, he explains to the European leaders who were part of this conspiracy that Hillary has already been removed from power, and that they should not decide in the last remaining two months to arrange some kind of a vile provocation under her private guarantees, since participation in such a conspiracy generally speaking are casus belli, and not only in the eyes of Russia.

    On the first clip, Obama gives a “humorous” speech for the last time (humor must be said is black, blacker than coal), he greets the press at the annual reception at the White House, the press, which, as he already knows, will be the main drive for the Hillary Clinton coup d’état which will happen a month after this reception.

    And on the second clip he gives a joint press conference with Angela Merkel after a visit to the EU in November 2016, after elections, and I made it so that the video starts from the place where Obama reminds Europeans that they are spinning a flywheel of a new cold war and that they “won” in the Cold War, only through an alliance with the United States, and if they now try to do something like this on their own, then the US will hardly support them, and secondly, the case for them may end badly.

    Especially I advise you to pay attention to how, on the first clip, Obama at the very end throws a microphone and how he complains that over these eight years he has become much older compared to his wife, and also that on the second clip it is clear that in the six months that separates these two videos, he has aged five years.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxFkEj7KPC0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GemwiIFtTM8&t=2794

    • tucsonspur February 24, 2018 at 4:29 pm #

      He may have just lightened up on the hair dye. Smoother than “slick Willie”.

      Think about this: Hillary wins in 2008. Obama runs against Trump in 2016. Who’s president now?

      MAGA not MAKA.

    • FincaInTheMountains February 24, 2018 at 4:44 pm #

      This post is sponsored in part by the CIA Pension Fund.

      To learn more please visit https://www.cia.gov/

  69. tucsonspur February 24, 2018 at 3:51 pm #

    JD

    He couldn’t play dead now could he?

    “The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have saved my life”. Here’s the full of it:

    Falstaff:
    To die is to be a counterfeit, for he is but the counterfeit of
    a man who hath not the life of a man; but to counterfeit dying,
    when a man thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but the true
    and perfect image of life indeed. The better part of valor is
    discretion, in the which better part I have sav’d my life.

    Self preservation is basic instinct. Takes a lot to overcome it.
    You make a good point but so does EF.

    It takes the “right stuff”. You have it or you don’t. In my mind he would be “giving up his life” for the young children being slaughtered, not for the “NRA’s bullshit stance on ARs”.

    • janet February 24, 2018 at 4:00 pm #

      “It takes the “right stuff”. You have it or you don’t.”

      Really don’t think that’s the primary consideration. Those who put on the uniform mouth the words “protect and serve”… but they are not willing go into the school to save the kids… they are more focused on the paycheck, benefits, and pension. If they don’t have the “right stuff” then they shouldn’t put on the uniform.

      • tucsonspur February 24, 2018 at 4:36 pm #

        “Really don’t think that’s the primary consideration”. And then your last sentence makes it so.

    • jdhines February 24, 2018 at 8:40 pm #

      TS

      Most assuredly if the good retiree did give his life, it would be much better to think about it in terms of “trying to save the children.” Absolutely agreed. I would go further and say, that it is probably how the retiree would think about it as well (whether he went in or not), not the NRA BS stance on ARs.

      I believe you are correct, it does take the “right stuff” and that is to be respected and admired, no matter the circumstances. Thanks for the Shakespeare / Falstaff, I had forgotten those lines.

      JD

  70. FincaInTheMountains February 24, 2018 at 4:52 pm #

    Think about this: Hillary wins in 2008. Obama runs against Trump in 2016. Who’s president now?

    Putin.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • Walter B February 24, 2018 at 5:42 pm #

      If Hillary won in 2008 do you think there would have been a 2016?

      • FincaInTheMountains February 24, 2018 at 5:53 pm #

        That’s exactly what I meant.

        The war has started in 08.08.08.

        When the USS Mason, an Evarts-class destroyer that is part of the U.S. missile-defense system, dock in Georgia, for the first time in 25 years, Russia raised 20 strategic Tu-160 and Tu-95 bombs with a full combat load of 180 X-555 and X-101 cruise missiles (indistinguishable from the X-102).

        Compared with this, the Cuban crisis, and all that happened after that – a fight in the children’s sandbox.

        With what I congratulate you.

      • FincaInTheMountains February 24, 2018 at 6:07 pm #

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mynzbmrtp9I

  71. Elrond Hubbard February 24, 2018 at 5:03 pm #

    Wakanda forever!

  72. Pucker February 24, 2018 at 7:21 pm #

    When the nation’s finances go-all-to-Hell, just issue a bunch of War Bonds and then have a big war. Problem solved…. It doesn’t matter which side wins or loses, as long as there’s no default on the debt payments. Even if you bet on the losing side, you still reap a huge profit as long as the losing side does not default. The number of dead kids is irrelevant.

    “Pour me another drink, Floyd. You’re the best of ‘em, Floyd! The best God Damn bartender from here to Portland, Maine. Or, Portland, Oregon, for that matter.”

    • Pucker February 24, 2018 at 7:24 pm #

      “Floyd, pour General Grant another drink!”

  73. Pucker February 24, 2018 at 8:11 pm #

    Diversity….

    Today’s Topic: Acceptance and Making the World a Better Place

    Would you trust a gay prisoner to do your hair and suck your cock?

    Do you think that gay convicts should be given a second chance?

    Are you one of those charitable blokes who thinks that everyone should be given a second chance?

  74. janet February 24, 2018 at 8:36 pm #

    Wakanda Forever!

    #Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

    https://momsdemandaction.org/

  75. KesaAnna February 24, 2018 at 8:42 pm #

    @ Elysianfield —

    In hindsight I think my question was a bit , or very , garbled.

    So I will re-phrase ;

    As you know , I really don’t give a shit about your country , and many Americans , individually , I don’t really like.

    I think republicanism , Jacobinism , and the rights ethic ( as opposed to the obligation ethic ) are a hoot.

    Yet, I trust the average American with an AK – 47.

    ( By the way, I won’t touch a gun. If it came to war , I would rather go out on the field of battle armed with a ……thermometer and bandages. In more mundane cases where deadly force is regrettably necessary , I suppose I would just be fucked. )

    How is it that , in contrast , these people who claim to like , or even love , their fellow Americans ,

    And who honor liberty ,

    DO NOT trust their average neighbor with an AK – 47 ?

    It seems to me that THIS IS THE QUESTION.

    And , further , if you cannot trust the average person with an AK – 47 ,

    THEN WHAT THE HELL CAN YOU TRUST THEM WITH ?

    How can you trust them with ANYTHING ?

    And if the answers to those questions are in the negative , then since KGB and FBI are essentially otherwise just average people in funny costumes ,

    this choice between KGB and FBI is a bogus choice , no choice at all. Instead of Santa Claus in the sky , it’s Santa Claus in a Blue and White , or some such.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • elysianfield February 25, 2018 at 2:56 pm #

      “And , further , if you cannot trust the average person with an AK – 47 ,

      THEN WHAT THE HELL CAN YOU TRUST THEM WITH ?

      How can you trust them with ANYTHING ?

      Kesa,
      We understand that our neighbors will be armed…it is taken as a given, and it is an odd occurrence if they are not. We trust them, generally to be responsible, until they prove otherwise. It is never a focus of our concern.

      People from other cultures who view America from an arms length may not understand this…ethic…they view the gun as an anomaly…they focus on the guns.

  76. janet February 24, 2018 at 8:47 pm #

    At CPAC Trump announced he is replacing Emma Lazarus poem with this:

    “Give me your successful, attractive caucasians from anywhere in northern Europe yearning to invest in a golf course or tacky casino.

    Bring us your Russian trolls to interfere in our elections, your mail order brides, and your South American beauty pageant winners, too. P.S. No fatties.

  77. KesaAnna February 24, 2018 at 8:52 pm #

    ” KA

    Are you trying to illustrate / suggest that:

    Erich had a thing for Black Power chicks?

    That Angela and Erich are Fellow Travelers?

    That Herr Erich and Ms. Davis are “a thing?”

    That Angela thought, she and her movement, were real communists?

    That Angela and co. are responsible for the election of Bill and Hillary in 1992?

    That the East German Stasi funded the Black Panthers back in the day?

    Please, you tell me. ”

    Once again I have to reply with a question ;

    Are you in some confusion as to what post I was responding to ?

    there was this little arrow – thingie as a visual aid to clue you in that the post was a response to a previous indicated post.
    But never the less , it seems you don’t know ?

  78. KesaAnna February 24, 2018 at 9:47 pm #

    ” I’ll take incarceration with the FBI in the good old USA and you can go to the Gulag or whatever the hell they call it now in Mother Russia. I’ll venture to say that I will walk out sooner, in better health, than you. ”

    Interesting point , which I have pondered ever since I walked into an American Middle School and was labelled a Nazi — never mind the kiddies , but by college graduates , who , presumably , can’t tell the difference between field grey and stone grey.
    ( FEMALE college graduates no less , who are supposed to be better at color recognition and differentiation. But , oh well…. )

    Is it better to live like a coolie , or die like a hero ?

    ( That is what you are talking about. Fuck your euphemisms. )

    That was a long time ago , but I’m STILL thinking about it , and the jury is still out !

    And is it a greater virtue to destroy someone , but leave them alive , or kill them ?

    the jury is not out on that one.

    They are either EQUAL ,

    or ,

    well, speaking personally as to my own savage instincts , it does not seem to me that the worst I could do to a person is kill them.
    whether there is a Heaven , or nothing at all, either way , the dead have no woes. Whereas the living , I do not have to speculate , have no potential limit to the degree they can suffer.

    That is to say, if I REALLY wanted to fuck someone over , I would leave them the “mercy” of life.

    That is to say , if by your “mercy ” you think you demonstrate some sort of humanity or respect for others ,

    Make no mistake ; You are convincing me of the opposite.

    • jdhines February 25, 2018 at 10:17 am #

      KA

      I can well understand your dislike of the US and many of its citizens. There is plenty to hate. It’s a puzzling place in so many ways. I grew up here, but after traveling the world and living on two continents saw how supremely fucked-up this place really is. I am not one who believes that the US is some white knight going around spreading goodwill around the world. The US is “convenient” and it’s easy to earn enough jack to live comfortably along with some other benefits I suppose, but it is not “lily white.” Au contraire.

      I agree that one could inflict much more suffering by letting an individual live, as opposed to ending it quickly. And yes, the dead have no woes whatsoever.

      I think somehow, we are missing the point, the other is trying to make. What caused me to comment on this blog, after many years of simply reading, was the distressing tendency of hard right wing hog wash and horeshit that is being spewed.

      Now, I don’t think the left / dems / progressives are any great shakes, but they are, to me, a damn sight better than the Repugs, whom I no for certain, do not have my not rich interests at heart.

      Does that clear anything-up KA? I hope so.

      yours,
      JD

  79. Pucker February 24, 2018 at 10:20 pm #

    The US Civil War resulted in the merger of British and American Capital? 1776 was the War of Independence. The Civil War was the War of De-Independence?

    “AS Junius Morgan’s Wall Street agent for thirty years, Pierpont moved with the massed power of British capital behind him. A Wall Street jest said that his yacht, the Corsair, flew the Jolly Roger above the Stars and Stripes, and the Union lack above both. (Throughout his life, Pierpont would slyly hint at descent from the pirate Henry Morgan.) The young Morgan resembled a burly roughneck with a coat of British polish.”

    Ron Chernow
    The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance

  80. Pucker February 24, 2018 at 10:34 pm #

    Why is it that the Bankers insist upon wage labor rather than other forms of labor, such as Slavery or Serfdom? Why is it that the Bankers can make a profit from wage labor, but can’t make a profit from Slave labor or serf labor? Slave labor was immensely profitable in the antebellum South. Is it because that a Slave earns no wage, by default, the Slave cannot Service his debt to the bank?

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  81. Pucker February 24, 2018 at 10:54 pm #

    For better or worse, Slavery and the agricultural economy of Jefferson may have been the economic foundation of American independence? The British and the Yankees may have had a mutual interest in destroying this?

    • thwack February 25, 2018 at 12:34 am #

      Once the British, thanks to their global empire, had their contract coolie labor system in place; it was time for them to ban the slave trade so they would have the labor advantage.

      Just sayin

      • KesaAnna February 25, 2018 at 12:53 am #

        cynicism is the safe bet .

      • GreenAlba February 25, 2018 at 9:51 am #

        “Once the British, thanks to their global empire, had their contract coolie labor system in place; it was time for them to ban the slave trade so they would have the labor advantage.”

        Statements like these, while they provide a simplistic feel-good factor for anyone not of the nationality being criticised at the time, assume that ‘the British’ were one homogeneous entity, which is no more sensible than suggesting that ‘the Russians’ are responsible for gangster capitalism or ‘Americans’ are responsible for the invasion of any number of countries their governments chose to invade.

        It wasn’t the slave owners who did their sums and decided the game wasn’t worth the candle. It was the British public (including some ex-slaves in Britain who were in the abolitionist camp themselves) who fought behind moral leaders like William Wilberforce, for the abolition of slavery. The anti-slavery movement was started by Quakers, who played a major role throughout the campaign.

        The slave owners basically had to be bought off. They were paid huge amounts of compensation for the loss of their slave-owning rights and many massive industrial fortunes were made through the application of that compensation to industrial enterprises.

        • GreenAlba February 25, 2018 at 9:52 am #

          And please don’t take that as any kind of approval of British colonialism, because it isn’t.

          • thwack February 25, 2018 at 10:47 am #

            What you describe is true GreenAlba; but you gotta admit The Crown had a new hard labor system ready to replace slavery right around the time they decided to outlaw it?

            The teachers union is against home schooling.

            The cafes are against “food trucks”

            See how that works?

            Once I get mines, I wanna prevent you from getting yours by doing what I did.

            Just sayin

          • GreenAlba February 25, 2018 at 1:32 pm #

            I don’t deny the powers that be had other options, but I think that was more coincidental than deliberate timing. I just mean that the anti-slavery movement was, above anything else, a moral movement based on (primarily Christian) indignation at the idea of treating human beings as slaves (despite excuses about Jesus not condemning slavery in the bible).
            The slave owners only ceded to filthy lucre (from the public purse) – if it had been an economic decision for them to give up slave-owning rights because other options looked equally attractive, the filthy lucre wouldn’t have been necessary.

            I totally accept cynicism and the ‘I’m all right, Jack’ sentiment in all sorts of situations. Up to and including traditional black cabs and Uber…

          • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 2:24 pm #

            Now tell them the rest: about how Whites made Black Africans and Muslims give up slavery. We are their moral superiors in every way.

          • thwack February 25, 2018 at 7:52 pm #

            except when it comes to which bathroom to use.

            Just sayin

          • GreenAlba February 26, 2018 at 7:01 am #

            Thwack
            I did some quick research, which confirmed what I said.

            Saying slavery was abolished ‘because of’ the availability of alternative coolie labour is a bit like saying that British forces could be sent to fight the Nazis in WWII *because of* the ability to start employing women to work in factories to replace them. The order is entirely the wrong way round, so, in the case of the abolitionists, the imperative remains a moral one (and it was public protests – around the world as well as in Britain – that ended coolie indentured labour too.

            There are many articles explaining the progression from black slavery to indentured Asian labour. This (fully referenced) one, while looking primarily from the POV of developing legal structures, makes the point quite clear:

            https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.co.uk/&httpsredir=1&article=1139&context=faculty

            ” Emancipation caused an immediate crisis for the planters,
            who perceived their success as being founded upon a critical ratio between abundant land and cheap labor-a ratio which slavery had served well and which after abolition needed to be replaced by “a new system of slavery.”

            “Initially, the planters secured the right to the labor of ex-slaves for twelve years, who would be bound in forms of mandated apprenticeship. Then planters attempted to employ ex-slaves as formal wage labor. Planters’ unchanged attitudes towards ex-slaves, however, ensured a rapid post-emancipation movement of ex-slaves away from estates.

            “After abolition, sugar production dramatically decreased and the market value of Caribbean estates declined. Planters saw the labor shortage as the heart of the problem, and soon initiated various immigration schemes, including the introduction of Africans “liberated” from other nations’ slave ships and brought directly from other Caribbean islands or Africa.

            “For various reasons, the planters found none of these groups suitable. The planters demanded, instead, a wholly controllable, extremely cheap workforce that was accustomed to agricultural labor. Enter colonial India…”

      • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 2:10 pm #

        Well said, Thwack. The Chinese never needed it – what slave could compete with their work animals, the Chinese peasant? Being a servant was a huge step up from that. Thus their Elite got all the benefits without having to feed them. And the South’s famous rejoinder to “Free you slaves first” was spot on.

      • Sean Coleman February 25, 2018 at 4:51 pm #

        Thwack

        What you say about the free availability of coolie labour (in Asia) is my understanding too. I got it from the late Irish economist Ramond Crotty. Slavery was no longer profitable so it could be outlawed.

  82. thwack February 25, 2018 at 12:32 am #

    You can’t send a kid to volleyball practice or a church sponsored swimming pool trip without written consent forms,most of the time.

    But a ((( Nationally Prominent Media Platform))) is allowed to just go grab 14 to 17 year olds off the sidewalk,stick a mike in front of their airish little head,and then broadcast whatever bubbles float out of,like,their mouths,like…. Without telling Mom and Dad first,and making damn sure to get a “yeah,sure” in writing.

    What about race?

    What WHITE parent would be comfortable having a news reporter stopping their teenage child, shoving a mic in their face and questioning them about race?

    What if they accidentally say the wrong thing? it goes viral on youtube and they start getting death threats?

    Knowing what I know about mass media, I would NEVER want any teen child of mine to be interviewed by a news station; because I know how the editing process can be manipulated so it appears they said something they didn’t.

    Anyone have any background or experience with media? I have no idea if I’ve raised a decent point or not,and if someone out there knows,please chime in.

    • KesaAnna February 25, 2018 at 1:01 am #

      I ‘m not sure if you are referring to a specific incident —

      — First rule of thumb ; whenever possible , read the news ten years later , and don’t trust it even then —

      So I have no idea whether they got parental release forms or not.

      Anyway —

      Another rule of thumb ; If the subject is smelly , hairy , wrinkly 50 year olds , it’s maybe safe to think nothing of it.

      But if the subject is children ( you know , those folks who are merely transitioning into smelly , hairy , wrinkly 50 year olds anyway )

      Doubt the message first , and let them prove otherwise if they can.

      ” 17 dead children ” for example ; think of the children as candy , and the messenger as the stranger =

      It’s strangers with candy.

  83. Pucker February 25, 2018 at 2:02 am #

    I guess that for the Bankers to make a big profit in the antebellum South and dominate it, the Bankers would have to be able to make the Slave owner’s big debtors to the banks? The Banks would have to be able to lend large sums to the Slave owners and take security over the Slave owners land and slaves? The banks could get security over their land easily enough, but not the slaves. Thus, the Bankers had to take away the Slave owners’ Slaves in order to dominate the South?

    The former slaves became basically serfs.

    With current levels of technology such as the Blockchain it may be feasible for banks to take security over people’s bodies? For example, a healthcare company takes a security interest in a 3D printed liver that the patient pays off over time? People lease new organs from the bank?

    • pequiste February 25, 2018 at 9:18 am #

      You have just given the Evil Fuckers some devilishly good ideas for utilizing the Blockchain. Well done.

    • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 2:23 pm #

      Mick Jagger was in a movie about just such “organ jacking”, but I never saw it. I’m still stuck back with Repo Man and the benefits of massive radiation.

  84. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2018 at 7:20 am #

    Really, that whole snake story is the most fucked-up nonsense anyone could spew== jdhines

    I want to remind the CFNers how Hillary Clinton attempted on 11 September 2013 to organize a congressional vote allowing the bombing of Assad’s Syria, which Obama refused to allow by his authority alone, and at the same time she organized march on Washington of million of Muslims who protested against the accusations of Islam in organizing terrorist attacks.

    And Obama ruined these plans by organizing a march of 2 million American bikers against the march of Islamists on Washington.

    And now it is quite clear to me that this million Muslims desperately need passionate, disciplined, trained in terrorist tactics leaders, like goats to a flock of sheep going to the slaughterhouse, in order to turn them into a formidable force that is not afraid of the bikers.

    And somebody is trying to bring these leaders to the US from the ME, and Obama then and Donald Trump now are trying to disrupt those plans.

    • janet February 25, 2018 at 9:59 am #

      “American bikers against the march of Islamists”

      Hey, finca, these Russia-bot created dvisions do not exist.

      We are one people, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We are proud, pluralist, and patriotic. Your Russian attempts to divide us by manipulating social media, including all these bot-generated CFN posts of yours, will fail.

      There are Muslims who are bikers, with chapters all over the country. There are 3 million Muslims in the USA, not one million. Neither the bikers nor the Muslims are monolithic blocks. We are all Americans.

      http://unitedmuslimbikers.org

      • FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2018 at 10:09 am #

        We are one people, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all

        Thank you for pointing this out – I have already noticed.

        • janet February 25, 2018 at 10:37 am #

          Yes, you probably also noticed that Congress voted almost unanimously to pass a bill last year that punished Russia for its meddling in the 2016 US election and aggression in east Ukraine.

          • thwack February 25, 2018 at 10:49 am #

            “meddling”

            LOL

            hoodwinking

            flim flamming

            bamboozling

          • FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2018 at 10:59 am #

            Indeed they did, on the day that Republican congresspeople were used for target practice on the baseball field.

  85. pequiste February 25, 2018 at 9:25 am #

    Contemplating the missive I come away with two political concepts at opposing ends of the spectrum.

    As stated by Thomas Jefferson:

    “Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.”

    or this from the Techno-Narcissists:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyenRCJ_4Ww

    Which philosophy shall prosper?

    Place your bets.

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  86. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2018 at 10:07 am #

    LiberNazi Europe punished “city that is too white”

    In addition to its unpronounceable name, the Cathedral of St. Istvan and the Garden of Ruins, the Hungarian town of Székesfehérvár will go down in history as the first European city officially punished for having too many white and happy people.

    This definition was issued by the jury of the competition for the title of “European Capital of Culture-2023”, in which all participants had to submit videos about their cities.

    The video of the Hungarian town of Székesfehérvár was rejected with indignation by the commission members as a “propaganda film of white and Christian Europe”. And the city itself is excluded from the competition.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBxN78CPIQY

    Fourth Reich to the Rest of Europe: Diversity or War!!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q94syUDDhxA

    • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 2:21 pm #

      And they’re Nazis because they hate Whites, right? Sowing confusion is your greatest joy.

      At other points, you expressed your full approval of Duginism, and doing exactly the same thing to Russia.

      • FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2018 at 3:10 pm #

        They are Nazis because they believe in transmitting of human virtues ONLY through a sexual intercourse.

        • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 3:46 pm #

          Then the Nazis weren’t Nazis since they believed in long and intensive training of children, including the inculcation of virtue.

          He is confusing but not confused. The Dark Force is strong in this one.

  87. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2018 at 10:46 am #

    The great patriotic army of the Second Amendment Militia

    That is how bikers who returned from the march on Washington call themselves on Tompkins Square, NYC.

    And they claim that there were not 800,000 of them, as the police say, and not even a million two hundred thousand, as they themselves claimed, but more than a one and a half million. If we consider that this was indeed a highly organized army led by experienced commanders of platoons, battalions and regiments, then I can imagine that these figures were not pulled out of their ass.

    And the number of participants was calculated not only for propaganda purposes. This of course was a test of organization and a demonstration of strength. It is enough to pay attention to motorcycles with the flag: one flag is platoon commander, two – battalion, three flags – regiment.

    All my old links to the videos and pictures of the 2013 Bikers March are censored out from the YouTube.

    Anybody could point out to remaining videos somewhere?

    • FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2018 at 10:51 am #

      One of those missing videos really shocks with the detailed description of Truman’s coup d’état, which with the help of Senator McCarthy really replaced virtually the entire Roosevelt’s state apparatus and stamped out America that fought against Nazism.

      There was a huge amount of clues in this clip about where to find factual material about Roosevelt America, which I unsuccessfully sought.

  88. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2018 at 12:36 pm #

    Executive Brief regarding Current American Political Situation

    Yesterday’s and today’s news tapes are shockingly lacking any substantial news reminding the adage “The best news is no news”.

    A little less than a month ago, I wrote a post in which I said that the style of the Media attacks on Trump “softened” and that this is a sign of strengthening of Trump’s position in American politics. And soon after that a scandal erupted with the publication of a memorandum by the chairman of the congressional commission for intelligence Devin Nunes, who put on the agenda the arrest of many Flying Monkeys led by Bastinda the Great and Terrible.

    Indeed, the Nunes’ Memorandum described how a number of senior Obama administration officials, including the chief of the FBI counterintelligence, during the election campaign, falsified evidence that allowed them to fraudulently obtain warrant to wiretap Trump’s election campaign members and his transitional administration.

    As a result of this criminal scheme, General Michael Flynn, former Trump’s National Security adviser, talks with Russian Ambassador Kislyak were eavesdropped. The results of this wiretap allowed the Flying Monkeys in Congress to obtain the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the links between the Trump election campaign and the Russians.

    Bastinda is certainly a great sophist, and her manipulation of semantics can not but cause admiration, but this time she was in the position of a rat pushed into a corner, and the media felt it.

    This once again proves the importance of the stylistic analysis of the press.

    Now the media is clearly aware of something, and this something that causes their inner voice to demand a reduction in the intensity of anti-Tramp rhetoric. And only the Washington Post and the New York Times are blowing the old horns, and there is nowhere to put a proof of golden content on them.

    I think nothing now will save these editions and within a year Trump will bankrupt them safely.

    And this time it’s not just a reduction in the heat – the anti-Tramp propaganda has clearly lost the real-time inner unity, as if Bastinda stopped giving valuable instructions, which suggests that the problem of Bastinda after the shooting of Russian citizens in the Khusham trap in Syria has found its final solution.

    But I do not think so, because such a finale will give this drama a character of an operetta, and this Director will not be put to shame.

    The point is that, unlike the generally accepted view, the struggle between Trump and Hillary is not of a situational nature, but of a principled one, I would even say Apocalyptical.

    Trump, having won the primaries and without even receiving the Republican Party nomination, immediately offered Hillary a discussion on international politics, but Bastinda refused to discuss and brought objections down to Trump’s personal shortcomings while simultaneously disseminating through the closed channels negative information about him of a fundamental nature.

    One such “information” was the question of the so-called moral equivalence, the inadmissibility of which is the corner stone not only of attacks on Trump but also of the American policy during the Cold War, to which it was imported from Nazi Germany by Allan Dulles.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_equivalence

    The essence of this cornerstone is that the US is good by definition, not because they behave well, but the USSR is bad because they are bad, no matter how well they behave, and anyone who now says that Russia’s actions in East Ghouta, is necessary to evaluate according to the same moral criteria as the US actions in Libya, is a traitor to Democracy, Western civilization and the United States of America.

    It was these accusations that were thrown at Trump when, in response to a question about Russia’s monstrous crimes in Ukraine and Syria, he said that the United States was also killing people. And they did not even talk about the cadres and nobody discussed that as a result of the overthrow of Hussein, Gaddafi and Yanukovych, the account of the victims goes to millions, and as a result of the bombing of Aleppo and eastern Ghouta, the number of deaths is counted in hundreds, among them more than half – soldiers of ISIS, Al Nusra and similar al-Qaidas, which, if survive, would add to the aforementioned millions quite a lot.

    This is from the point of view of the adherents of ISIS and other ideologists of Islamism, which is the state religion of Saudi Arabia.

    One of the consequences of application of this principle is the Americans’ conviction that NATO is not creating any additional threat to Russia by building radars in Poland and Romania, and Russia is creating a threat to NATO by counteracting these threats by the deployment of Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad region and the T-57 super-jet in Syria.

    Well, how this principle was used in Nazi Germany, I will not describe in this post – if you wish, you can easily find plenty information about it, but let me note that the inscription on the buckles of the German soldiers God is with us differs in principle from the inscription In God we trust on a dollar bill.

    To be continued…

  89. BackRowHeckler February 25, 2018 at 1:29 pm #

    A few days ago an illegal jose stole a truck from the suburbs and drove it back into Hartford (the promised land) To make a long story short he T boned a passenger car in front of Trinity College (tuition: $71,000 per year) killing one and crippling another. That same night a lunatic in Middletown, CT loaded up his car with jugs of gasoline, doused himself in gas, set himslf alight, and drove the whole flaming wreck into the doors of Middlesex hospital emergency room. Needless to say the hospital was shut down for the day, maybe longer. This is just two days worth of festivities, and Im not counting the guy in the projects who stabbed his 16 year old niece to death for reasons unknown but can probably be guessed at.

    It stands to reason I’ll be out in front of the AAA offices, protesting the criminal use of automobiles, and raising hell at walmart, who most likely sold the knife to the dear uncle, now in jail.

    That’s how we roll now. A scapegoat must be located, whether it be somebody who made a pass at his secretary 40 years ago, or a Republican presidential candidate who surprises everybody by winning an election.

    brh

    • PeteAtomic February 25, 2018 at 2:07 pm #

      Wow BRH, you’ve got a busy area there.

      My question is is how long can a population remain stable in the face of what appears to be a cycle of increasing insanity?

      My area along the placid & rocky shores of Lake Superior may as well be Hobbiton & the Shire compared to what you’ve just described.

      • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 2:14 pm #

        That’s cuz you White. The presence of minorities changes everything – including driving good Whites half crazy sometimes and of course dragging White youth down to the rap culture.

        • PeteAtomic February 26, 2018 at 9:05 am #

          I think it has more to do with the fact its too cold for most people to really wanna live here.

          But yes, this area is largely European or Ojibwe, so its largely culturally homogenous.
          There is a small black population, but they are like what used to be called an IDP after WWII– internally displaced people. They are people who largely are escaping the urban warfare in places like BRH describes there. They live largely in a couple of government subsidized neighborhoods, work in the fast food restaurants, and move away in a couple years (cuz its too cold for them too) for points south.

      • BackRowHeckler February 25, 2018 at 2:15 pm #

        Thats not to mention two arson fires in Hartford last night, Pere, set at the same time so as to throw off the fire department and cause maximum damage. Couple dozen people left homeless, will probably be dumped in dive motels that line the Berlin Turnpike. Come to think of it with all the Puerto Rican, Syrian and Afghan refugees here, plus previous arson fires, those motels must be about filled up.

        brh

        • tucsonspur February 25, 2018 at 3:41 pm #

          It’s heaven out here by comparison. For the most part, we live with our own kind.

          I was very young and actually “helped out” in a tobacco field in the early fifties. Coming out of the city, I really enjoyed it up there. All my people are gone, so I only have left the little I remember.

          What stands out though, is while on the way up there one time driving out of the city (not our car), this black guy was staggering down the street totally, I mean totally, covered in blood somewhere in upper Manhattan.

          I guess the folks couldn’t get to the country fast enough.

          • thwack February 26, 2018 at 12:44 am #

            Just don’t forget that sans niggers, you still have the whole Cain and Abel thing to deal with?

            Just sayin

      • Q. Shtik February 25, 2018 at 3:38 pm #

        My area along the placid & rocky shores of Lake Superior – PeteA

        ============

        Which shore would that be, northern or southern? And where exactly if I may be so nosy as to inquire. I may be coming your way this summer on my return to the place of my military service, Duluth, MN.

        • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 4:01 pm #

          The best time in your life? Before the ball and chain? When you flew the adding machine for Uncle Sham?

          On your ride, beware the Moors.

          • GreenAlba February 25, 2018 at 6:20 pm #

            Don’t visit England, Janos. The Yorkshire Moors and the Newcastle Town Moor are the stuff of nightmares.

        • PeteAtomic February 26, 2018 at 9:14 am #

          Yes, its still here Q.

          If you enjoy fishing, you can rent a charter boat pretty reasonably for a half day and catch some really nice looking salmon out there. Or if you don’t wanna do that, you can take a cheap Vista Fleet cruise there and tour around the harbor and up the north shore a bit there.

          Hopefully the temperatures this summer will hit 70 degrees. Makes a depressing year when they don’t.

  90. BackRowHeckler February 25, 2018 at 2:11 pm #

    Apparently the AR15, over 60 years old now, has acquired some sort of mystical power to make people do bad things in a way previous service rifles — the M14, the Garand, Springfield 03 and the Krag Jorgeson — did not. It posses an evil spirit that says, take hold of me and commit mass murder.

    brh

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 2:17 pm #

      My rifle speaks to me in the dead of the night, coming into my dreams where it becomes a staff and a serpent, the same one that Moses carried and that ate the other serpents.

  91. Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 2:30 pm #

    Billy Graham knew about the insidious rise of Jewish Power as is clear from his taped conversations with Nixon. Yet he did not blow his Trumpet as the Watchman must. Thus he failed in his duty where Father Coughlin did not. He could have done more since Father Coughlin was silenced by the compromised Church whereas Graham was under no such discipline.

    He does not deserve the honors being given to him. In fairness, the “media priest”, Fulton Sheen, did not teach it either, although he commented on many things, and was a deeply learned man. It’s hard to believe he didn’t know, but we have no direct evidence as far as I know.

    • GreenAlba February 25, 2018 at 3:34 pm #

      BIlly Graham sounds like a very decent man.

      https://www.truthdig.com/articles/last-real-evangelical/

      “Thus he failed in his duty…”

      His duty most assuredly wasn’t to you and your ilk.

      • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 3:43 pm #

        And you think it was a coincidence that the Cheddar Man was made public right at this particular moment?

        One could connect all the dots but one and you would be unable to finish the figure. No willingness and therefore no ability to reason outside the box whatsoever.

        • GreenAlba February 25, 2018 at 6:34 pm #

          “And you think it was a coincidence that the Cheddar Man was made public right at this particular moment?”

          God Almighty, Janos. Get a grip.

          Antisemitic fuckwittery doesn’t interest me any more than moronic racist douchebaggery.

          I hope my sentiments are clear. You wouldn’t know ‘reason’ if you fell in a lake full of it.

          • thwack February 26, 2018 at 12:49 am #

            The Ginger Bread Man

            The Boogy Man

            The Hoochy Coochy Man

            The Back Door Man

            and now the Cheddar Man?

            and they are all brown?

            Whats next?

            The Pot Liquor Man?

            Please make them stop; you’re scaring the children

      • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 3:58 pm #

        No, both he and Nixon hated the rising Jewish power. Of course both were too cowardly to speak, and much later Graham publicly apologized for whispering those things in a private conversation with Nixon. Who can doubt Jewish Power after that?

        T.S Elliot said as much too – in print even. Ask one of your literary friends. It’s kept quiet. The Elite sometimes deal with things like that. Or read Dostoyevsky’s Prison Journals – if you can find them. He was no fan. Old Tom Elliot was a great poet but no hero. He shut up too when it became forbidden to criticize.
        Remember what happened to Lord Haw Haw, the incomparable William Joyce. Before his martyrdom, he had a vision of the risen Christ.

        • GreenAlba February 25, 2018 at 6:25 pm #

          “Remember what happened to Lord Haw Haw, the incomparable William Joyce. Before his martyrdom, he had a vision of the risen Christ.”

          You are actually a talking a*se, Janos. Apologies to present company besides yourself, but really, there are no limits to your evil bullshit. You are a despicable Hitler apologist and my patience is running out.

      • thwack February 26, 2018 at 8:31 am #

        Billy Graham Cracker

        • GreenAlba February 26, 2018 at 10:01 am #

          To eat with Cheddar Man cheese…

  92. tucsonspur February 25, 2018 at 2:39 pm #

    Is he tired of asking what’s in everybody’s wallet, while stuffing his?
    This jig, who lately must have been beaten non stop with several ugly clubs, goes street on the president:

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/samuel-l-jackson-shreds-apos-065954281.html

    Racist to the core.

    • elysianfield February 25, 2018 at 3:13 pm #

      Tucson,
      Do you remember his bit part in “Goodfellas”? One of his earlier roles, I would expect.

      • tucsonspur February 25, 2018 at 4:08 pm #

        Can’t say that I do, but I’ll look for it next time with some nice Amarone with pasta and meatballs.

        Oh, and plenty of garlic.

    • Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 3:40 pm #

      How about those commercials where Whites talk but in his voice? A jig needs a gig, but this is ridiculous.

  93. Janos Skorenzy February 25, 2018 at 3:38 pm #

    This is vintage Hogg:

    https://www.prisonplanet.com/david-hogg-defends-coward-officer-who-wants-to-go-down-the-barrel-of-an-ar-15.html

    Our savior is so merciful: he encourages people to live on their knees and would never be so cruel to make them stand up and do their duty.

    It’s hard to believe he was ever in any danger. One girl in a locked classroom heard the door tried and then a voice say, “Try another classroom.”

  94. FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2018 at 3:40 pm #

    Executive Brief regarding Current American Political Situation

    To all appearances, those who are trusted by the US with their money, have decided to give the country a chance to repent of controlled chaos, color revolutions, the end of history and the victory in the Cold War, but Trump does not want to publicize all these shameful pages of American history that America has become accustomed to be proud, forgetting about its true glory – an alliance with historical Russia during the Great Patriotic War.

    He always tries to defeat Hillary, without making it public that at 27 she forced the US president to resign because he had erased 3 hours of his talks with his assistants, allegedly exposing him as the organizer of the Democratic party’s break-in at Watergate, and herself erased tens of thousands of her letters, exposing her as the creator of ISIS and the organizer of the assassination of US Ambassador to Libya Stevens for wanting to expose the organized by her shipments of Gaddafi arms to Syria.

    Instead, he tries to put Bastinda in jail as his most important election promise given during the election campaign, exposing her flying monkeys as organizers of illegal wiretapping of their election campaign. And since the FBI and the so-called US intelligence community are sabotaging his orders, he is trying to achieve this by creating a second special prosecutor’s office to investigate the aforementioned wiretapping of his election campaign and fabricating the evidence on the basis of which Mueller’s special prosecutor were created.

    And on the eve of the “execution of PMC Wagner” as well as the shooting of students in Florida, he almost succeeded!

    This became known when the judge investigating the case of Michael Flynn ordered to return his back a case in which General Flynn six months ago pleaded guilty, and all leading experts of the powerful US bar association said that this happens very rarely when there are very good reasons to believe that the witness was forced to confess his guilt by illegal means.

    And since the shooting of the Wagner PMC in the vicinity of the Syrian city of Khusham was beyond any doubt an attempt to provoke Russia’s retaliatory measures that could be deployed against President Trump, who continues to talk about cooperation with Russia, it is natural to assume that the shooting of schoolchildren in Florida was somehow if not organized, then provoked by the flying monkeys in order to divert attention from Syria.

    Moreover, the strength and size of the fist that was used by Americans against Russians who had fallen in Syria under Khusham said that the Russians were many, very many, so many that it is not a provocation for the sake of Trump’s impeachment but provocation of the Third World War. Nuclear World War.

    And when Trump, despite these circumstances, still called Putin to express his condolences in connection with the fall of the plane in Domodedovo, and they “at the same time” discussed the events in Syria, for those who attempted to start a nuclear war it became necessary to distract attention from the fact that it did not take place.

    And for this scumbag, no children in Florida are of any consequences.

    And along the chain, all the other executions of children are connected with Bastinda, but such suspicions are no longer Shakespeare and not Lady Macbeth, this is Herod and the Revelation of John the Apostle.

    Especially when you consider that after the Massacre of the Innocents in Florida, when it became clear that despite the number of victims under Khusham the World War in the near future will not happen, the main blow to Trump was caused by well-organized children demanding the repeal of the second amendment to the US Constitution, which very much reminds Alexei Navalny in Russia, who used schoolchildren a year ago to organize riots in Moscow.

    And this brings us back to the beginning of the post, which talks about the importance of stylistic analysis for geopolitics.

  95. Pucker February 25, 2018 at 6:01 pm #

    Any more news about either The Clinton Foundation, the Weiner Laptop, or the missing US$21 Trillion?

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
    • FincaInTheMountains February 25, 2018 at 6:28 pm #

      My prediction – the PedoGate will never go mainstream media – it’s just too shameful for the country.

      Pedophile rings are, and will be, quietly taking out by spec op guys and specialised local police units, without too much media fuss.

      Probably, same is true regarding the Clinton Foundation – after Hillary will be effectively taken out by one method or another, the rest will be swept under the rug.

      Americans are just not ready to face the full scale of corruption that happened in the country over the last 25 years.

  96. akmofo February 25, 2018 at 6:25 pm #

    Med Breaks:
    https://youtu.be/8VWUd7Bz3f8

    Resist That!

  97. Pucker February 25, 2018 at 6:35 pm #

    They’re all crazy. They used to issue War Bonds to finance war. You could pump-and-dump the price of War Bonds by manipulating the vicissitudes of war like rigging boxing matches or football games?

  98. BackRowHeckler February 25, 2018 at 9:40 pm #

    One of our Senators, Richard Blumenthal D CT, stated on a local news program this morning that Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was an act of war akin to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and we should respond the way we responded in 1941. He said this with a straight face, with no sense of irony. He also stated within 2 weeks President Trump would be charged with obstruction of Justice.

    The interviewer did not press him on any of these revelations.

    brh

    • shabbaranks February 25, 2018 at 11:01 pm #

      The fact that senior Democrat leaders will say this sort of fictional rubbish simply reveals the extent of their despair over losing the election. Yet their choice of a feckless, lying, shape-shifting witch like Hillary Clinton rightfully delivered the Democrat party to the self-imposed hell of powerlessness.

      The press is complicit with the Democrat party in the latter’s effort to stall, corrupt or otherwise compromise the Trump administration. So far they have almost nothing to show for their “efforts.”

      • FincaInTheMountains February 26, 2018 at 7:36 am #

        The fact that senior Democrat leaders will say this sort of fictional rubbish simply reveals the extent of their despair over losing the election

        I think it reveals the fact that their Workmen’s compensation policy includes the Presidential suite in the luxury fallout shelter in New Zealand.

  99. janet February 25, 2018 at 11:26 pm #

    Trump’s approval rating fell five points over last month to 35 percent, lowest approval rating of any president in the history of the USA. Trump’s approval rating has slumped to the lowest of his presidency.

    70 percent oppose Trump’s support of NRA positions. Instead, they support stricter gun laws, for example 76 percent believe that people who have been treated for mental illness should be prohibited from owning guns.

    #Never Again
    #Me Too
    #Dump Trump

    Blue tsunami coming for midterm elections and Trump’s era ends in November 2018. Democrats celebrated another state legislative victory reclaiming a Kentucky State House seat where President Trump received 72 percent of the vote in the 2016 presidential election. The victory is the 37th flip from Republican to Democratic control of a state legislative seat since the inauguration of President Trump in January 2017.

    • janet February 25, 2018 at 11:26 pm #

      76% … Resist that!

  100. FincaInTheMountains February 26, 2018 at 7:42 am #

    Syria war: New UN truce plea as deaths in Eastern Ghouta mount
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43195707

    Officially there are no Americans in Eastern Ghouta, and Trump refused to save the unofficial ones.

    Even Steven?

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. ‘Resist’ This! – iftttwall - February 23, 2018

    […] Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

  2. 'Resist' This! - Sell The News - February 23, 2018

    […] Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

  3. 'Resist' This! - Telzilla - February 23, 2018

    […] Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

  4. 'Resist' This! – Wall Street Karma - February 23, 2018

    […] Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

  5. 'Resist' This! – Wall Street Karma - February 23, 2018

    […] Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  6. 13 Ham Sandwiches With Russian Dressing-Times of News Russia - February 23, 2018

    […] Source: Kunstler.com […]

  7. ‘Resist’ This! | Real Patriot News - February 23, 2018

    […] Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

  8. ‘Resist’ This! | CENSORED.TODAY - February 23, 2018

    […] Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

  9. 'Resist' This! - Investing Matters - February 23, 2018

    […] Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

  10. 'Resist' This! – TradingCheatSheet - February 23, 2018

    […] Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

    Support this blog on PatreonSupport this blog on Substack
    Support this blog via Patreon or Substack
  11. ‘Resist’ This! – TCNN: The Constitutional News Network - February 23, 2018

    […] Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

  12. ‘Resist’ This! – TCNN: The Constitutional News Network - February 23, 2018

    […] Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com, […]

  13. Resist That – Olduvai.ca - February 24, 2018

    […] Resist That […]

  14. Breaking News And Best Of The Web - DollarCollapse.com - February 25, 2018

    […] admin withdrawal from UN migrant agreement – New American 2/26    Resist that – James Howard Kunstler 2/26    China seeks to repeal term limit, opening way […]