Jan 172025
 
 January 17, 2025  Posted by at 10:57 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,  Add comments


Jean-François Millet The Gleaners 1857

 

Netanyahu’s Office Confirms Gaza Deal Signed by Israel, Hamas, US, Qatar (Sp.)
Trump Played Key Role In Gaza Ceasefire Deal – Times of Israel (RT)
Hamas Denies Netanyahu’s Claims On Violating Hostage Deal (RT)
UK To Sign ‘100 Year Partnership’ With Ukraine (RT)
UK and France Secretly Discussing Troops For Ukraine – Telegraph (RT)
UK Promises To ‘Explore Options’ For Military Bases In Ukraine (RT)
Denmark’s Repeated Threats Over Greenland’s Independence Bid (Sp.)
Moscow Slams West For ‘Fantastic Hypocrisy’ (RT)
In Farewell Address, Biden Brags (ZH)
Pam Bondi’s Confirmation Hearing for Attorney General (ET)
Trump Team Planning Roadmap To Ease Russia Sanctions – Bloomberg
Far Left UK Government Proposes BANNING “Controversial” Conversations (MN)
Sen. Ramaswamy? Vivek Emerges As Dark Horse Successor To Vance (JTN)
Pete Hegseth Confirmation Vote Expected After Inauguration (JTN)
Trump Names Three Legendary Actors As ‘Special Envoys’ To Hollywood (RT)
The British Attack On The Skripals Didn’t Kill Them (Helmer)

 

 

 

 

Popok

Granddaughters
https://twitter.com/i/status/1879738402633101535

Yilongma
https://twitter.com/i/status/1879592734580953158

Leavitt

Sachs

Joe 2016

Bessent
https://twitter.com/i/status/1879934087064088636

1871

 

 

 

 

Let’s see you break it.

Netanyahu’s Office Confirms Gaza Deal Signed by Israel, Hamas, US, Qatar (Sp.)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has confirmed that Israel, Palestinian movement Hamas, the United States and Qatar have signed a deal on a ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post newspaper reported on Friday, citing the office. The prime minister gave instructions to convene the security cabinet and then hold a government meeting to approve the deal, the report added.On Thursday, media reported, citing an Israeli official, that the Israeli security cabinet will meet to vote on the ceasefire deal on Friday, while the Israeli government is expected to vote on the agreement on Saturday.

Israel and Hamas, with the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the United States, agreed on January 15 to a 42-day ceasefire and declared their intention to finally end the hostilities that have claimed the lives of 46,000 Palestinians and about 1,500 Israelis over 15 months, spreading to Lebanon and Yemen and provoking an exchange of missile strikes between Israel and Iran. The first stage provides for a partial exchange of prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli troops to the Gaza borders and humanitarian aid. The second and third stages are yet to be agreed upon. Under the deal, the guarantors of the agreement — Qatar, Egypt and the United States — will establish a coordination center in Cairo.

Alon Piskas

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“..Trump’s envoy pick managed to achieve more “in a single sit-down” than President Joe Biden’s administration had in a year.”

Trump Played Key Role In Gaza Ceasefire Deal – Times of Israel (RT)

US President-elect Donald Trump’s team has played a deciding role in mediating a ceasefire deal between Israel and the Gaza-based militant group Hamas, the Times of Israel reported on Wednesday, citing two Arab officials. Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has reportedly managed to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to the truce’s terms in just one meeting. On Wednesday, Trump announced that West Jerusalem and Hamas had reached an agreement securing the release of the remaining hostages. According to multiple media reports, the deal struck in Qatar involves a 42-day truce and an exchange of prisoners, including all Israelis taken captive in the October 7, 2023 Hamas incursion. Witkoff has been in Qatar’s capital, Doha, for the past week and has taken an active part in the hostage release talks, according to the Times of Israel.

Last Saturday, he also flew to Israel for a meeting with Netanyahu. It was during that meeting that he reportedly swayed the Israeli prime minister to accept the key provisions of the deal, two Arab sources told the news outlet. Two days after the meeting, both sides told the mediators they have accepted the draft deal in principle, the sources added. Neither Witkoff, nor the Israeli prime minister’s office responded to the Times of Israel’s request for comment. The paper also stated that Trump’s envoy pick managed to achieve more “in a single sit-down” than President Joe Biden’s administration had in a year. After the deal’s announcement, both Trump and Biden claimed credit for it. The president-elect called it an “epic ceasefire agreement that could only have happened” because of his election victory in November.

Biden called it a result of “dogged and painstaking American diplomacy” as well as pressure exerted on Hamas and the weakening of Iran. The outgoing president nonetheless credited the role played by his successor, saying that “for the past few days, we have been speaking as one team.” Trump’s team responded on X by claiming that Biden could not have gotten the deal done without the intervention of Trump and Witkoff. The US State Department also recognized Trump’s role in the development. “The involvement of President-elect Trump’s team has been absolutely critical in getting this deal over the line,” its spokesman, Matthew Miller, told journalists.

On Thursday, Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of “reneging” on key points of the deal, claiming the Palestinian group had created “a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement.” The militants denied the accusations, saying they were “committed” to the deal. West Jerusalem intensified its airstrikes across Gaza shortly after the announcement of the truce deal. At least 32 people were killed in “heavy Israeli bombardment” on Wednesday evening, according to Reuters. On Thursday, the IDF accused Hamas of firing a rocket into the Jewish state, adding that the incident had caused no casualties.

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Two more days before it’s active.

Hamas Denies Netanyahu’s Claims On Violating Hostage Deal (RT)

Palestinian armed group Hamas has rejected claims by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that it is creating a last-minute “crisis” in finalizing the deal to release the hostages held in Gaza. On Wednesday, US President-elect Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had struck an agreement securing the release of the remaining hostages. According to multiple media outlets, the agreement approved in Qatar involves a 42-day truce and an exchange of prisoners, including all Israelis taken captive in the October 7, 2023 Hamas incursion into the country. “Hamas is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators,” Izzat al-Risheq, a senior member of the group’s political bureau, said in a post on Telegram on Thursday.

The statement came shortly after Netanyahu’s office accused the Palestinian group of “reneging on the understandings” reached as part of the hostage deal and “creating a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement.” “The Israeli cabinet will not convene [to approve the deal] until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement,” it stressed. Israel intensified its airstrikes across Gaza shortly after the ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced, Reuters reported, citing the civil emergency service and residents in the enclave. The attacks came as people in Gaza took to the streets to celebrate the truce, which is expected to start on Sunday. At least 32 people were killed in “heavy Israeli bombardment,” especially of Gaza City, late on Wednesday, the agency said.

The strikes continued early on Thursday, with homes being destroyed in Rafah in southern Gaza, Nuseirat in central Gaza, and in northern Gaza, it added. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) blamed Hamas for firing a rocket into Israel on Thursday, with the incident causing no casualties. Israel began its military operation in Gaza 15 months ago in response to the cross-border raid by Hamas, in which around 1,200 people died and 250 others were taken prisoner. At least 94 of them still remain in captivity. Nearly 47,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 104,000 wounded in Israeli attacks in the enclave, according to the latest data from Gaza’s health ministry.

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The Brits still have a sense of humor.

UK To Sign ‘100 Year Partnership’ With Ukraine (RT)

The UK and Ukraine will sign a 100-year partnership agreement during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first trip to Kiev since taking office, London has said. The British government announced the planned deal on Thursday, shortly before Starmer arrived in the Ukrainian capital on a surprise visit. The agreement that the prime minister and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky are expected to sign will formalize “the unbreakable bonds” between the two countries, further expanding bilateral ties in defense and other areas, the government statement read. The treaty would “deter ongoing Russian aggression” against Ukraine and commit London and Kiev to increase defense cooperation, including on maritime security in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov, it stated.

Moscow has control of the whole Sea of Azov coastline after the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and Kherson and Zaporozhye regions officially became part of Russia following referendums in the fall of 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials have since then described it as Russia’s “inland sea.” As part of the deal, a UK-built Grain Verification Scheme will be launched in order to track down on what London called “stolen grain,” referring to the crops produced in Russia’s new territories. “We are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level,” Starmer claimed before his trip. The UK has been one of Ukraine’s prime backers since the escalation between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022. It has committed 12.8 billion pounds ($16 billion) in military and civilian aid to Kiev and trained 50,000 Ukrainian troops on British soil.

However, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that officials close to Zelensky have privately expressed disappointment in Starmer for months over what they described as his cautious approach to Ukraine. According to the agency, the Ukrainian leadership has also questioned why it took the British prime minister, who assumed office more than six months ago, so long to visit Kiev. Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously said that Britain’s continued support for Ukraine is a sign that the UK government “clearly does not seek to resolve the conflict [between Moscow and Kiev]. They are doing everything possible to make it drag on, thus prolonging the suffering of the Ukrainian people.”

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There are still some warmongers left.

UK and France Secretly Discussing Troops For Ukraine – Telegraph (RT)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have discussed sending soldiers into Ukraine as a peacekeeping force, the Telegraph has claimed citing anonymous sources. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky first mentioned the idea last week, and said he would discuss it with Starmer when he visits Kiev. According to the British outlet, however, Starmer is not fully on board yet. “There are challenges over what we could support, what would we want to support, and the broader question about the threat that those troops may be under and whether that is escalatory,” the Telegraph quoted a Whitehall source as saying on Wednesday evening. Spokespeople for 10 Downing Street and the Elysee Palace did not deny that Starmer and Macron discussed the peacekeeper possibility last week at the Chequers estate in the UK, but gave no details about the conversation.

Starmer was in Kiev on Thursday, promising a “100-year partnership” pact with Ukraine. One of the rumored plans US President-elect Donald Trump might propose after taking office next Monday involves Western troops deployed as peacekeepers along the demilitarized zone between Russia and Ukraine, supposedly running along the current line of conflict. No US forces would be involved, only “European” soldiers not acting under NATO command, according to media reports that have been impossible to verify. Macron reportedly brought up the idea of “European” peacekeepers with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk last month, but Warsaw said it was “not planning any such actions.” Earlier this week, Zelensky wrote on social media that he had discussed with “key allies” the “practical steps” for the implementation of the peacekeeper idea.

“We are getting slightly ahead of ourselves. We are not there yet,” one British official told the Telegraph. Putting boots on the ground in Ukraine has been endorsed by former PM Boris Johnson, former Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt, and two ex-defense ministers, Grant Shapps and Gavin Williamson. The UK has given 12.8 billion pounds ($16 billion) in military and civilian aid to Kiev since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated in February 2022, and reportedly trained 50,000 Ukrainian troops on British soil. The British government’s continued support for Kiev means London “clearly does not seek to resolve the conflict,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said recently, accusing the UK of “doing everything possible to make it drag on, thus prolonging the suffering of the Ukrainian people.”

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Russia will love this part…

UK Promises To ‘Explore Options’ For Military Bases In Ukraine (RT)

London has revealed details of a long-term partnership agreement with Kiev, which includes broad plans for military infrastructure development and defense cooperation over the next century. The document suggests the potential establishment of military bases in Ukraine, with an emphasis on aligning these initiatives with NATO standards for maximum effectiveness.The 15-page declaration, signed on January 16, 2025, lays out a framework for cooperation between the United Kingdom and Ukraine across various sectors, with a primary focus on military collaboration. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky formalized the deal during a ceremony in Kiev on Thursday. “The Participants will explore options for deploying and maintaining defence infrastructure in Ukraine, including military bases, logistics depots, reserve military equipment storage facilities and war reserve stockpiles,” the document states.

The agreement also emphasizes maritime cooperation, particularly in the Black Sea region. The UK has pledged to enhance Ukraine’s interoperability with NATO in the maritime sphere through joint naval operations, port visits, and the development of Ukrainian naval bases. “We will work together to ensure NATO learns the lessons from Ukraine’s experience in the Black Sea to inform its development of future maritime capabilities. We will promote the development of naval bases on the territory of Ukraine,” the document reads. Another section highlights plans to “deepen cooperation on long-range strike capabilities,” integrated air and missile defense, and the stockpiling of complex weapons to bolster “deterrence.” Additionally, London has committed to providing Ukraine with annual military assistance of no less than £3 billion until at least 2031, and “for as long as needed to support Ukraine.”

While the agreement lacks detailed, binding commitments beyond promises to expand, intensify, and facilitate collaboration across multiple sectors, Zelensky hinted at potential “secret” components within the pact. The UK has been one of Ukraine’s prime backers since the escalation of conflict between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022. It has committed 12.8 billion pounds ($16 billion) in military and civilian aid to Ukraine and reportedly trained 50,000 Ukrainian troops on British soil. Russia has sharply criticized London’s continued support of Kiev as a sign that the UK government “clearly does not seek to resolve the conflict.” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously said “they are doing everything possible to make it drag on, thus prolonging the suffering of the Ukrainian people.”

Meanwhile, reports suggest that US President-elect Donald Trump, set to take office next Monday, may propose deploying Western troops as peacekeepers along a demilitarized zone between Russia and Ukraine. The rumored plan reportedly excludes US forces, relying instead on “European” soldiers acting outside NATO’s command structure. London remains cautious about the idea of sending British troops to Ukraine as part of any peacekeeping force, even though Starmer is said to have discussed the matter with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to The Telegraph.

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“Almost No One in Greenland Wants to Join the US.” I don’t believe that for a second. They’re tired of Demark.

Denmark’s Repeated Threats Over Greenland’s Independence Bid (Sp.)

For years, Denmark has been threatening Greenland every time the issue of independence is raised, the leader of the island’s largest opposition party, Naleraq, and former Greenlandic Foreign Minister Pele Broberg told RIA Novosti. “Every time we talk about independence, they [the Danes] threaten us. They say, ‘If you do this, you will never come to Denmark again; you will have no education, etc.’ We always hear threats when we talk about independence,” Broberg said. For example. He added that when his party ran for parliament seats in 2018 and he mentioned the plan to gain independence, the Danish prime minister addressed national media, saying that it was unrealistic. “Even to this day, Danish politicians say, ‘No, no, we will never do anything like that [give Greenland independence].'”

They don’t even seem to respect the self-government law as far as independence is concerned. But we have a problem in that there are political parties that are publicly in favor of independence without any plans but don’t really want it,” the official noted. In addition, Naleraq has a very clear plan to leave the Kingdom of Denmark, which is that if the party wins the 2025 parliamentary elections, it will submit an application for an independence referendum on the same day, Broberg added. “It may take two days, it may take two months, it may take two years. The plans we have developed are based on how we left the EU in the 80s. We voted in 1982, and we left in 1985. Brexit also took three years, and that is why we keep saying that the discussion is about a three-year period. The most important thing for us is to start the process itself,” the ex-minister said.

Washington has no chance to bribe the Greenlandic government to annex the island, the former minister added. “No,” Broberg said in response to a corresponding question. US President-elect Donald Trump, who is due to assume office on January 20, has called it an “absolute necessity” for the United States to own Greenland. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, responded by saying that the island was not for sale. Greenland was a colony of Denmark until 1953. It remains part of the kingdom, but in 2009 it received autonomy with the ability to self-govern and make independent choices in domestic policy.

Almost No One in Greenland Wants to Join the US. Only 0.0001% of people in Greenland want to become part of the United States, while 75% support the idea of independence from Denmark, Pele Broberg pointed out. US President-elect Donald Trump, who is due to assume office on January 20, has called it an “absolute necessity” for the United States to own Greenland. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, responded by saying that the island was not for sale. On January 7, Donald Trump Jr., the son of the president-elect, visited Greenland. Following the visit, Trump confirmed in a post on Truth Social that his son and members of his team visited the nation, adding that “the reception was great.” The president-elect posted a video in which people wearing baseball caps that read “Make America Great Again” responded in the affirmative when asked if they wanted Trump to buy Greenland.

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Still diverting attention away from Nordstream?

Moscow Slams West For ‘Fantastic Hypocrisy’ (RT)

The West is spinning incidents in the Baltic Sea as purported evidence of a Russian threat, while putting a smoke screen on real attacks that undermine European energy security, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. The EU and NATO have alleged that Moscow was behind multiple cases of power and communication cables being damaged in recent months. Western officials have argued that they justify bolstering NATO regional presence and imposing sanctions against the so-called ‘shadow fleet’ – ships allegedly involved in Russian oil exports in defiance of unilateral restrictions issued by Western nations. Western claims that Moscow is waging a sabotage campaign in the Baltic Sea fit a wider pattern of baseless accusations against Russia, Zakharova said. She told a regular media briefing: “Accusations directed against our nation are being habitually voiced before the circumstances of what had happened are established. We have seen this many times.”

She accused the West of “fantastic hypocrisy,” pointing to what she described as the “non-investigation” of the September 2022 attack on the Nord Stream pipelines. The energy links built under the Baltic Sea were intended to deliver Russian natural gas directly to Germany, before being blown up in what Moscow calls a “terrorist attack.” The US benefited the most from the incident and was likely behind it directly or through a proxy, Russian officials have claimed. In early 2022, US President Joe Biden declared that “there will be no Nord Stream,” if Russia used military force against Ukraine.

Zakharova criticized Brussels for swiftly demanding action against Russia over the cable incidents after showing no such reaction to the Nord Stream sabotage. “It seems that since Biden said that he would destroy this project, the EU believes that what happened was all proper,” she said. She also condemned the EU for reacting meekly to Kiev’s drone attack on a Russian compressor station last week. The facility pumps natural gas under the Black Sea to Türkiye and multiple consumers in Southern Europe. Attacks like that are seemingly being “condoned by the part of the EU, which has been acting against the interests of their own people for many years,” she stated. Such people would rather stoke fear in Europe over the “myth” of supposedly dangerous Russian ships than address genuine security threats, she added.

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Please go away.

In Farewell Address, Biden Brags (ZH)

Five days before leaving office, President Joe Biden delivered a live primetime farewell address to the nation, highlighting his accomplishments and warning of emerging threats, including oligarchs and a “tech-industrial complex.” His speech, delivered from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening, not only marked the end of his presidency but also the conclusion of his five-decade political career. “After 50 years of public service, I give you my word, I still believe in the idea for which this nation stands, a nation where the strengths of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure,” Biden said before ending his speech. “Now, it’s your turn to stand guard.” As Emel Akan reports for The Epoch Times, Biden’s political career, which spanned decades and included serving as a senator from Delaware and as vice president under President Barack Obama, will come to an end on Jan. 20 when he hands the reins to Republican President-elect Donald Trump.

“In the past four years, our democracy has held strong, and every day, I’ve kept my commitment to be president for all Americans through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history,” Biden said. Ahead of Biden’s farewell speech, the White House released a fact sheet outlining his administration’s record, highlighting a long list of actions, starting with the efforts to combat the pandemic. “Millions of Americans now have the dignity of work. Millions of entrepreneurs and companies creating new businesses and industries, hiring American workers, using American products,” Biden said. “Together, we’ve launched a new era of American possibilities.” Biden is leaving office with his approval rating at the lowest point of his term, according to a recent CNN poll. Only 36 percent of U.S. adults say they approve of how Biden handled the presidency, with particularly low marks on issues like immigration, foreign affairs, and the economy.

Biden stated that although a positive impact of his policies and spending priorities may not be felt right away, he believes they will produce lasting benefits in the years ahead. “You know, it will take time to feel the full impact of all we’ve done together but the seeds are planted. And they‘ll grow and they’ll bloom for decades to come,” he said. In his nearly 17-minute speech, Biden did not mention his successor by name but wished success to the incoming administration. “I’m so proud of how much we’ve accomplished together for the American people. And I wish the incoming administration success because I want America to succeed,” Biden said. Presidential farewell addresses are a longstanding tradition in American politics, offering presidents a final chance to reflect on their time in office, list their accomplishments, and provide parting advice to the nation.

As Ronald Reagan famously remarked in his 1989 farewell address, “There is a great tradition of warnings in Presidential farewells.” This tradition is a key feature of farewell addresses, where outgoing leaders look to the future and warn of potential dangers facing the nation. Biden’s farewell address followed the same pattern. “I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern,” Biden said. “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.” Biden referred to Dwight Eisenhower’s iconic 1961 farewell address where he warned the nation about the dangers of the “military-industrial complex.” “The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist,” Eisenhower said during his speech.

“Six decades later, I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country,” Biden said. “Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling. Errors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact-checking.”Biden recently expressed disapproval of Meta’s decision to do away with its current social media fact-checking program, calling it “really shameful.” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg justified the decision last week in a video statement by saying that fact-checking has become “too politically biased,” resulting in censorship and a loss of trust. He also warned of dangers of AI, saying that it’s crucial for people to govern this new technology. “As the land of liberty, America, not China, must lead the world in the development of AI,” Biden said.

Biden also hinted in his speech at charges his Department of Justice made against Trump. “We need to amend the Constitution to make clear that no president, no president, is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office,” Biden said. This marked the president’s fifth and final address from the Oval Office since taking office. The president last spoke from behind the Resolute Desk on July 24, when he addressed the nation to explain his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Farewell addresses are a key opportunity for presidents to shape the narrative of their time in office, according to Tom McArdle, former White House speechwriter for President George W. Bush. “Presidents use farewell addresses primarily to try to write history before the historians do, and they rarely succeed,” he told The Epoch Times.

Their efforts often fail because the true measure of a presidency is shaped more by actions than words, McArdle said. It’s inevitably Biden’s performance that will define his legacy, he said. The president’s farewell speech comes on the heels of a breakthrough in the Middle East, as Israel and Hamas reached a deal for a hostage and prisoner swap, along with a six-week ceasefire, set to take effect on Jan. 19.Before he began his farewell speech, Biden took credit for his work in brokering the deal in the Middle East. “After eight months of non-stop negotiation by my administration, a cease-fire and hostage deal has been reached by Israel and Hamas,” Biden said. “This plan was developed and negotiated by my team, and it will be largely implemented by the incoming administration.”

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She was impressive.

Pam Bondi’s Confirmation Hearing for Attorney General (ET)

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi fielded questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 15 as part of her confirmation process to serve as the next attorney general of the United States. During the hearing, both sides of the aisle focused on concerns about the weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ), which Bondi pledged not to engage in. Democrats tended to focus on Bondi’s ties with President-elect Donald Trump and her willingness to maintain the DOJ’s independence from the White House. She also encountered questions about illegal immigration, national security, and FISA warrants. While the Senate is expected to confirm Bondi, Sam Dorman, via The Epoch Times, lays out some of the main topics addressed during the hearing:

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi fielded questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 15 as part of her confirmation process to serve as the next attorney general of the United States. During the hearing, both sides of the aisle focused on concerns about the weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ), which Bondi pledged not to engage in. Democrats tended to focus on Bondi’s ties with President-elect Donald Trump and her willingness to maintain the DOJ’s independence from the White House. She also encountered questions about illegal immigration, national security, and FISA warrants. While the Senate is expected to confirm Bondi, here are some of the main topics addressed during the hearing:

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They don’t work anyway.

Trump Team Planning Roadmap To Ease Russia Sanctions – Bloomberg

Advisers to US President-elect Donald Trump are developing a sanctions strategy to push Russia-Ukraine peace talks which could involve easing restrictions on Moscow, Bloomberg claimed on Thursday. Last week, incumbent US President Joe Biden unveiled a “sweeping” new round of sanctions on Moscow, targeting two major Russian petroleum producers, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz, associated entities, as well as 183 vessels involved in transporting Russian crude oil. These new measures have already caused world oil prices to surge; Brent futures have gained almost $5 per barrel since they were announced. Citing people familiar with Trump’s plans, Bloomberg has claimed that the future president’s team is currently considering two main approaches to future US sanctions.

In the first scenario, if Washington sees that the Ukraine conflict could soon be resolved, limited sanctions relief may be granted to Russian oil companies as a gesture of good faith. The other option, however, is to take a more aggressive stance by intensifying restrictions in a bid to put more pressure on Moscow and increase US leverage in negotiations. According to the outlet, the easing of sanctions against Moscow could include raising the ceiling on Russian oil prices above the current limit of $60 per barrel. Meanwhile, tougher restrictions could involve strengthening secondary sanctions or measures against ships that allegedly transport oil from Russia. Bloomberg’s sources noted that these plans are still in their early stages and depend on how Trump himself chooses to proceed.

Moscow has vehemently condemned Biden’s last round of sanctions, calling them “illegal,” with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warning that they could destabilize global energy markets. Responding to Washington’s move, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also suggested that the outgoing president’s legacy would be defined by the “mess” he leaves behind. Meanwhile, Trump has said that a meeting between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently being set up. with Moscow also expressing an openness to negotiations with the future US leader.

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Careful what you say anywhere.

Far Left UK Government Proposes BANNING “Controversial” Conversations (MN)

The leftist Labour government in Britain has proposed radical reforms to the rights of workers that could include classing ‘sensitive’ topics of conversation in the workplace such as religion, women’s rights, or transgenderism as ‘harassment’. The proposed legislation would force employers to prevent workers from being subjected to such subjects by third parties, such as customers. If they are found to have failed to do so, they could face lawsuits under the legislation. Watchdog The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned that if it comes into the force next year, the proposed law could significantly impact freedom of expression and even be applied to “overheard conversations” such as those between two or more people in a pub.

The EHRC has noted that applying the harassment law in cases involving a “philosophical belief” could lead to problems owing to the fact that many employers do not understand such topics are protected by equality law. “The legal definition of what amounts to philosophical belief is complex and not well understood by employers. It is arguable that these difficulties may lead to disproportionate restriction of the right to freedom of expression,” the watchdog warned. A spokesman for the British Beer and Pub Association said in comments to The Times “Any legalisation must be carefully drafted to make sure it does not have unintended consequences, such as pub workers expected to decide whether private conversations between customers constitute a violation of law.”

Sir Tim Martin, founder and chairman of the pub chain Wetherspoons urged that the proposal “sounds like Big Brother thought control which would be a bureaucratic nightmare to enforce.”Martin added, “All beliefs which challenge the status quo are contentious. Newton’s law of gravity and Einstein’s theory of relativity were contentious at one point. Or Alexander Fleming creating the biggest-ever advance in medicine from mould.” “Humanity has progressed through these challenges and their subsequent debate,” he further emphasised, adding that “The cancellation of ideas is, in effect, a new religious commandment by those who think they’re not religious.” Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK remarked “Every pub is a parliament. It is where we discuss the world. If that is restricted they might as well all close.”

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“Trump himself had privately urged him to accept the post. Should he do so, he may not be able to work with Musk at DOGE.”

Sen. Ramaswamy? Vivek Emerges As Dark Horse Successor To Vance (JTN)

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy disappeared from social media in recent weeks, amid reports that he could fill Vice President-elect JD Vance’s Senate seat. The reports come as something of a reversal as he previously removed himself from consideration for the post after Trump put him in charge of a planned new department. Originally named the co-chair of President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Ramaswamy was set to prioritize sweeping cuts to government spending alongside co-chair Elon Musk. The pair spoke boldly about finding $2 trillion in waste to help the country balance the budget and drastically reduce the size of the federal government. But Ramaswamy fell off the grid in the wake of a contentious and public debate between incoming Trump administration figures over the H-1B visa program.

Ramaswamy’s defense of the program and comments about the way Americans raised their children drew intense backlash from the MAGA wing of the Republican Party and led to pronouncements that he had killed his political future. But mounting reports suggest that he may find a viable escape route through the upper chamber and that Trump himself had privately urged him to accept the post. Should he do so, he may not be able to work with Musk at DOGE. Politico reported this week that Ramaswamy had met with Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, to discuss the prospect of him replacing Vance. The Ohio-based Republican is one of the state’s most high-profile politicians not currently in office and has attracted speculation over a possible gubernatorial run as well.

Ramaswamy gained traction in the Republican primary, however, primarily as an advocate for reforming American foreign policy in favor of a more reserved approach. During that contest, he regularly traded barbs with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and railed against the party’s neoconservative wing. He also developed a reputation as conservative firebrand on an array of domestic issues. DeWine, for his part, is widely regarded as a moderate and establishment Republican, making Ramaswamy an unexpected choice to succeed Vance. But the prospect of a Ramaswamy gubernatorial campaign evidently has the governor mulling a Senate appointment, to clear the way for Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, to take over DeWine’s post. “DeWine isn’t incentivized to pick Ramaswamy for Senate, but Vivek is also the one roadblock to Husted,” one source told Politico.

Trump has not discussed the matter publicly but has reportedly encouraged Ramaswamy behind closed doors to accept the position, largely due to a consensus among Musk, the president-elect, and Ramaswamy himself that DOGE will need a stalwart advocate in the Senate. Ramaswamy would also fill a void left by Vance as a stalwart voice against hawkish interventionism amid the largely neoconservative upper chamber GOP. While an appointment from the governor would not put Ramaswamy before the state’s electorate for two years, his arrival in the Senate may not be well-received by some members of the chamber or Trump’s base. The tech mogul’s campaign saw him spar repeatedly with the establishment GOP, going so far as to use his opening remarks in a primary debate to call on then-RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel to step down.

Should he emulate Vance on foreign policy, moreover, he is likely to become a thorn in the side of hawkish leadership like his predecessor. His comments on the H-1B debate, moreover, are likely to make him less than palatable to some immigration hawks and MAGA stalwarts. Ramaswamy weighed in weeks ago in support of the visa program, contending that employers needed to look abroad for qualified manpower due to an American culture that he said valued “mediocrity over excellence.”

“Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer),” Ramaswamy said. “A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.” Ramaswamy’s initial X post was widely shared online and attracted tens of thousands of comments, largely negative, and accusing him of solely looking to defend the importation of cheap labor. Trump himself spoke in defense of the H-1B visa, calling it a “great program,” but his own remarks have not quelled the anger of his base over Ramaswamy’s comments.

Read more …

He did well.

Pete Hegseth Confirmation Vote Expected After Inauguration (JTN)

Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker on Thursday said the final vote to confirm Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth will likely take place in the days following President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. The senate committee held its hearing on Hegseth on Tuesday, where he clashed with Democrats, and denied allegations of sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement. But Republicans appeared to rally around the conservative, including Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, who endorsed the nominee following the hearing. Wicker did not specify what day the vote would take place, but said it could be as late as next Thursday if Senate Democrats do not allow the chamber to speed up the confirmation process.

“I expect our Democratic friends will delay it to the extent to which they are free to do under the rules. Wednesday, Thursday perhaps,” Wicker told reporters, per Politico. “This is not something that needs to drag out. He’s got the votes.” Senate Democrats have not stated whether they intend to delay the vote, which would leave the Pentagon without a confirmed leader, but the committee’s ranking member Jack Reed said the chamber needs more information before voting. “We’ve made it clear we feel that there’s more information that should be provided, and not just for our benefit, but for our Republican colleagues too,” he said.

If the confirmation is delayed, it is not clear who would fill in for Hegseth after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin leaves office. But the move is not unprecedented, as President Joe Biden had to wait two days after his inauguration for the Senate to confirm Austin in 2021. The potential delay also comes after Republicans insisted that Trump’s national security team should be confirmed as quickly as possible, citing recent national security concerns, including a terror attack in New Orleans.

Read more …

The industry’s imploding through woke and DEI. Maybe not a bad idea to try and save it.

Trump Names Three Legendary Actors As ‘Special Envoys’ To Hollywood (RT)

US President-elect Donald Trump has named movie icons Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone as his “special ambassadors” to Hollywood, a position apparently invented by the incoming president on Thursday. ”It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday. “They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!” he continued, adding that the three men will serve as his “eyes and ears” inside the film industry.

It is unclear what the position, which has never existed before, will entail. However, all three actors are outspoken supporters of Trump, making them rarities in a Democrat-dominated industry. Voight was a vocal supporter of Trump during the latter’s first term in office, and received a National Medal of Arts from then-President Trump in 2019. Gibson came out in support of Trump before November’s election, describing his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, as someone with “the IQ of a fence post.” Stallone spoke at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate after the election, praising the Republican as “a really mythical character” and “the second George Washington.”

Hollywood has been mired in a downturn since the Covid-19 pandemic, with competition from foreign countries and streaming services chipping away at profits and forcing multiple studios – including Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, and NBCUniversal – to announce layoffs over the last year. The number of US productions during the second quarter of 2024 was down 40% on the same period in 2022, and fell another 5% in the third quarter of last year, according to figures from ProdPro and Film LA. The US box office take fell to $8.7 billion last year, a 3.3% drop in 2023 and a 23.5% drop from 2019, according to Variety.

Read more …

“Weapon, crime scene, victim, killer, motive – all have been faked.”

The British Attack On The Skripals Didn’t Kill Them (Helmer)

The war to destroy Russia has been an evil in which the British, Americans, Germans and French have combined for more than a century now. In the present stage on the Ukrainian battlefield, every weapon and force fielded by the Anglo-Americans and their allies has been defeated; the Ukraine itself, territorially and politically, has been destroyed. No serious Russian believes this war will be over when the incoming US president claims the personal credit for negotiating end-of-war terms short of the US side’s capitulation. About men like him and negotiations like his, it was the Irishman Edmund Burke who in his 1770 essay “Thoughts on the Present Discontents” issued this warning: “When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”*

In the present war against Russia, the bad men have combined across the Atlantic and the Pacific. Against them on the information war front, there are very few good men – not one in the mainstream media, almost none in the alternative media. The power of state repression is only half the reason. The other half is the competition for money. In competing for internet media subscribers, even those tempted to be good will be motivated not to associate, to compete against each other instead, and thereby “fall, one by one in the contemptible struggle.” In propaganda war, the bad men must convince their paymasters more than their audience that they are winning. Reaching this point today has required a series of confidence-building, warmaking preparations – the putsch in Kiev of February 2014; the shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine in July 2014; and the Novichok attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, England, in March 2018.

The official narrative of Novichok, the Russian chemical warfare weapon allegedly used against the Skripals, has just reached its climax in London. A state-sponsored report will be published in a few weeks’ time. It will conclude that President Vladimir Putin had the means, opportunity and motive to kill the Skripals, and is guilty of attempted murder on English soil. But the forensic evidence which has slipped into the public record from the British intelligence and security services, the chemical warfighters at Porton Down, and the Whitehall staffs advising the prime minister proves the narrative and the indictment are false. Weapon, crime scene, victim, killer, motive – all have been faked. By the Anglo-American and Canadian law standards of reasonable doubt and balance of probabilities, the prosecution of the case against Russia should have collapsed. Except, of course, that in the present state of war, this hasn’t happened.

The new book, Long Live Novichok! The British poison which fooled the worldis the lone voice to explain for the time being at least; it is also the only platform to defend Sergei and Yulia Skripal as political prisoners of the British for the past seven years. Because they didn’t die after they had been sprayed with a British poison, they have been kept in hospital under forced sedation and tracheostomy; then held under guard, in isolation, incommunicado. Their telephone calls to family in Russia, made in a hurry and in secret, stopped five years ago. For the first time the book documents the British presentation in public of the poison weapon itself, revealing the clue of the colour of Novichok. This is the evidence that the murder weapon wasn’t Russian, it wasn’t Novichok at all. In today’s podcast from Canada, Chris Cook and I discuss the reasons for the failure of Novichok to kill anyone, and its success at brainwashing everyone, or almost everyone.

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Jeremy Kuzmarov, John Helmer January 15, 2025 by Chris Cook

Jeremy Kuzmarov and counting down to The Donald’s return; John Helmer and spitting out the red, white, and blue Skripal pills in the second half.

Read on Substack

Read more …

 

 

 

 

MAHA

 

 

Freeman


Nap time

Stray

Pastor

 

 

Support the Automatic Earth in wartime with Paypal, Bitcoin and Patreon.

 

 

 

 

 

Home Forums Debt Rattle January 17 2025

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 95 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #179565

    Jean-François Millet The Gleaners 1857   • Netanyahu’s Office Confirms Gaza Deal Signed by Israel, Hamas, US, Qatar (Sp.) • Trump Played Key Role
    [See the full post at: Debt Rattle January 17 2025]

    #179567
    oxymoron
    Participant

    I wrote a heavy track about the legal walls of the kill box that Katherine Watt has uncovered through US Law called Kill Box. RFK Jnr has been informed of the same things as I have by Sasha Latypova but I am a nobody and he is a somebody so I imagine there are forces moving against him I do not encounter. I hope he gives it his best shot. We need the military industrial complex to back the fuck off and they wont do it willingly.

    It’s also for the vaccine injured and coerced. Part rock, part Shakespeare, part Trap, part rap. Don’t know how to put a genre on it but all the streaming services ask for one.
    https://open.substack.com/pub/thumbnailgreen/p/kill-box?r=nv8me&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

    #179568
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    @DrD
    regarding your comment #179561 from the close of yesterday

    Now what are you doing to DO about it?

    Good situation analysis. Great questions. A bit shy in the answers department.

    I think most of the answers, however, are going to come from our ostensible adversaries, both individually (Russia, China, India) and en masse in the form of BRICS+.

    As for what we Americans do about it, both individually and en masse as a nation (and I use the term loosely) is practically mysterious. I guess we’re about to discover that answer the way we always have … the hard way.

    #179569
    Oroboros
    Participant

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    #179570
    Oroboros
    Participant

    The Supreme Supine Leader

    The Ritual Humiliation of Duh’merica

    This senile buttplug lorded over the Empire of Lies the last four years and Duh’mericans ate it up with a spoon.

    An his Satanic Spawn cashed in on it and skipped out without ANY accountability.

    Mission Accomplished

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    Still Cashing In

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    #179571
    Oroboros
    Participant

    The Empire of Lies Military Mafia

    On the Job and At Your Service, SIR!

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    #179572
    Oroboros
    Participant

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    #179573
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Paying for a Do=Over

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    #179574
    Oroboros
    Participant

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    #179575
    Oroboros
    Participant

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    #179576
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Demonrats Grill Trump Appointees

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    #179577
    Oroboros
    Participant

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    #179578
    Oroboros
    Participant

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    #179579
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Psychotherapy

    Who are you?

    The Egg Blot Test

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    (5): OTHER

    #179580
    Oroboros
    Participant

    The Patterns of Nature are Beautiful and Awe Inspiring

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    #179581
    Dr D Rich
    Participant
      If the confirmation is delayed, it is not clear who would fill in for Hegseth after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin leaves office

    Holyeee Christ!
    Hahahahaha!

    Did D write that? There’s no one else other than fuckboi Pete and the health-challenged Lloyd the floyd Austin to fill the shoes of SecDef. Really?
    The comedy writes itself.
    Suddenly Pete and Tulsi have gravitas.
    Who’s next for a gravitas infusion?

    I hear Ozempic and Adrenochrome are going for the same premium as Gravitas.

    Well, then it goes to show you just how unimportant the job is, ceremonial to say the least

    I can identify 4500+ guys and gals more qualified than Sexy Pete Hegseth….oops….Mr. Hegseth

    #179582
    Oroboros
    Participant

    I’m All Ears

    In the Empire of Lies Even the Toys have Turned Orwellian

    .

    #179583
    Dr. D
    Participant

    “London Council Orders Staff To Stop Using The Term ‘Christian Name’

    What a relief. I’m glad they have priorities.

    What was that in history? On the day the barbarians came into the gates of Rome, the Senate was arguing whether angels were male or female and how many could dance on a pin? What was that weird rumor the people of Rome let them in just to shut the Senate up?

    “Against Russia Forever: UK, Ukraine Leaders Sign ‘Landmark’ 100-Year Pact
    ..commits £3 billion of British support each year, to be continued indefinitely”

    Wow, Britons are really gonna love that! Well, no more money for police in Rotherham, no home heating aid and 5.000 dead grandmas, no National Health. Priorities, I say!

    This seems quite worth the read: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/technocratic-blueprint-century-making

    “”Humans are now hackable animals. The whole idea of free will… that’s over. Today we have the technology to hack human beings on a massive scale. Everything is being digitized, everything is being monitored. In this time of crisis, you have to follow science. It’s often said you should never allow a good crisis to go to waste, because a crisis is an opportunity to also do ‘good’ reforms that in normal times people would never agree to. But in a crisis, you have no chance, so you better do what we – the people who understand – tell you to do.” — Harari

    “Religion Without Revelation” (1927), Huxley didn’t merely suggest replacing traditional faith – he outlined a new religious orthodoxy with Science as its deity and experts as its priesthood. … “trust the science” becoming the modern equivalent of “trust in faith.” This blind deference to scientific authority… has transformed science from a method of inquiry into a system of belief.

    Aldous Huxley explained how rapid technological change could overwhelm populations, making them “lose their capacity for critical analysis.” His description of “control through overwhelm” perfectly describes our current state

    “Most crucially, Huxley emphasized the importance of “gradual” implementation -… mirroring the Fabian Society”

    When Cecil Rhodes died in 1902, he left more than just a diamond fortune. His will outlined a roadmap for a new kind of empire – one built not through military conquest, but through the careful cultivation of future leaders who would think and act as one. Carroll Quigley, in his influential work “Tragedy and Hope,” provided insider insights into the power structures he observed, noting how “the powers of financial capitalism had another far-reaching aim, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country

    Rhodes envisioned creating an elite network that would extend British influence globally while fostering Anglo-American cooperation.”

    Yeah, I know. But others don’t. This guy is very placid and factual, which is not my approach, although I wish it was.

    “Biden decisions expending Trump’s polical capital rather than” … Doing something for the American people. That’s their true and only enemy.

    “Fire Erupts At California Battery Storage Plant

    What a coincidence. Just like destroying unions that caused a derailment in Ohio, like sapping the oil reserve we must refill, like 6 chargers at $1B a piece, like $25B for one mile of railroad, one coincidence after another.

    “If the US defaulted on its debt … the Bank of England would be the debt collector “

    Huh. Now who would want us to to bankrupt? Burn down the U.S. so we do? Gee, dat weird.

    “• Netanyahu’s Office Confirms Gaza Deal Signed by Israel, Hamas, US, Qatar (Sp.)

    Note Israel and Nutsy are indistinguishable from London as far back as Balfour. Break it? In Lebanon, their ceasefire was indistinguishable from the war, “keep fighting”. The only thing they were attacking was the good faith of Hezbollah and the world. Hope it was worth it.

    “• UK and France Secretly Discussing Troops For Ukraine – Telegraph (RT)

    Who is this discussion and leak for? Feckless retards? Oh wait: for the UKRAINIANS, all clear now. They have no men, and they are not sending any. The 5k or whatever they already sent are dead. You’d think, 3 or 5 or 10 years in, they’d get wise that they’re being screwed by the sensations up their -ss. Why anyone puts up with Anglos, shucked if I knowd. Wouldn’t you be wise to them by 1650 in King Phillip’s War?

    “• UK Promises To ‘Explore Options’ For Military Bases In Ukraine (RT)

    Promises promises. So this is the base that can’t be reached by Oreshnik? Newsflash, retards: there’s no such thing as a “Base” anymore. A “Base” is a place you are safe.

    “a nation where the strengths of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure,”

    For whatever reason these eternal liars still constantly tell the truth. What he’s saying is, America is merely the Permanent Bureaucracy, and his priority is defending it: those are “his people”. They must endure prevail at all costs. Yeah, we know. American has nothing to do with law or with Liberty, unmentioned.

    “Biden stated that although a positive impact of his policies and spending priorities may not be felt right away,”

    I mean, no effect over all four years, but you just wait! By the time your kids graduate college, we might have some relief for buying diapers now.

    ““Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.”

    Yeah, we know. You gave them all Medals of Freedom in the same meeting. No one else was permitted to speak or bid on contracts.

    “Six decades later, I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country,” Biden said.

    So concerned, in fact, he gave them all medals and hundred-billion dollar contracts, like Amazon.

    ““We need to amend the Constitution to make clear that no president, no president, is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office,” Biden said”

    Uhhhh, I am unaware of this. Is that not the literal definition of “Impeachment”? You were also dragging up non-crimes occurring outside of their Office.

    Anyway, Biden is so wonderful he’s already considered the worst President in 250 years, against some stiff competition. He says that’s because the American people are deplorable retards, and if only he could arrest more of them by skin color, they’d change their minds.

    “• Pam Bondi’s Confirmation Hearing for Attorney General (ET)

    Shocked at the unexpected. She could actually PAY ATTENTION to them while they were speaking. I hadn’t noticed that everyone more or less ignores and diverts from Congress, because they’re so stupid and vulgar, they’re not worth a few seconds of your valuable time. You know, like I do, since I respect myself. So her ACTUALLY listening really stood out. Then, therefore, she was able to respond to them actively and accurately, while the rest of us would be like FML, what evil constellation of choices has led me to this terrible end?

    “• Trump Team Planning Roadmap To Ease Russia Sanctions – Bloomberg

    Why would you want to do that? They make Russia stronger. So removing them will get you in political trouble at home, while fighting to make Russia weaker. Why bother? Put it as priority #997. Like, sure we do it ‘cause it’s the right thing, but I wouldn’t spend a nickel of political capital on it even if it DOES help the U.S. (it would). We can do other things without the price.

    So what have we learned? Trump is just an ordinary guy. Ordinary douchebag politician, doing ordinary douchebag things. Surprise! What is it I’ve been saying for +10 years now? The Battle Royale (pun intended) is to do JUST ordinary level, douchebag, non-mass-murdering psychopathic things. Like to merely get UP to that level.

    This is what you’d get out of a Tulsi or whatever. She MIGHT just tell them to knock off the illegal-for-1,000-years mass torture war crimes campaign, but she won’t actually indict anyone for it. That’s a pretty low bar, but all the other candidates around her are remarkably worse. Yeah, um, we MIGHT need to do better than that to get anywhere right now? Like Overton is now “We torture everyone we can think of, and that is unquestionably good and right” So moving it one chess square to the right isn’t really fixing anything.

    What gets me is, not like PNAC and everyone didn’t know this for GWoT and their Reichstag coming out party. I think they might have openly published it. So piddling around the edges only back to SLOW Socialism, Fabian Socialism word domination of unelected murdering elites isn’t a win, it’s a loss. You need to shove them so far back they fall off the edge of the earth, so aggressively they don’t know what hit them. So deep back under the rock they came from no one dares lift it for 100 years. Even yet, no one is in the mood.

    The mood for what, Herr Docktor? “To do what must be done.” Oho! What a tasty slogan! Whatever do you mean by that, you jackbooted fascist! Now you’re doing what we like and understand! What must be done, then, ho ho?

    I mean to have FAIR JUSTICE, in an open court of law, whereby the criminals guilty of well-known war crimes and genocidal crimes against humanity, are all punished according to the law and due process, whereupon they are all taken out and shot by the hundreds, just as law and justice require. Then never thought of again.

    You know, revolutionary stuff of mindless agitators. That we would ever have law, courts, evidence, process, and consequences again. This is what you won’t get from a Tulsi, but you might get the first step that allows the second. At the moment, we still need the first.

    • Far Left UK Government Proposes BANNING “Controversial” Conversations (MN)

    Everyone knows this has long been true, they are just making it official.

    “in case the conversation you are talking about offends someone.”

    Offends WHO? I am offended they’re NOT offended. Offended, I say! Don’t I get to decide? Oh I SEE! Both sides would report and the GOVERNMENT picks which side they prosecute. According to what suits and empowers GOVERNMENT. Got it.

    “Labour view everyone in the pub as horrible, racist, xenophobic bigots… part of the crackdown on freedom of speech!”

    Oh, no sir. What I’m saying above is far, far worse. IF ONLY that was the reason and result.

    “• Sen. Ramaswamy? Vivek Emerges As Dark Horse Successor To Vance (JTN)

    Well I certainly trust Vivek less than Tulsi. I actually believe Tulsi has good faith, but is a deadly normie. Vivek I wouldn’t bet isn’t a direct, known, mole. Dr. Rich will be certain to say I said the direct opposite of this, and Musk too, about five minutes from now. ‘Cause: Make Stuff Up!!!

    “• Pete Hegseth Confirmation Vote Expected After Inauguration (JTN)

    Can Hegseth now appoint his #2 and take 4 years vacation? Thanks. Someone like Chelsea Manning or Glenn Greenwald.

    “• Trump Names Three Legendary Actors As ‘Special Envoys’ To Hollywood (RT)

    Huh. Good idea. Why not? What otherwise, just cede it because there are sinners there? Firebomb all the cameras because a pedo used them once? F– that, take their stuff and the territory.

    • The British Attack On The Skripals Didn’t Kill Them (Helmer)

    Actually there was no attack and no Skipals. They just moved to Newcastle upon Tyne in a Uhaul. Everything else was just made up theatre distracting us all from, say, rounding up Starmer and the King and executing them. Worked great!

    Same with us: Greenland! Cat Laser! Jewish space drones!

    “stray dog carries a stray kitten outside the highway”

    Just you, me, and the camera.

    The Prophesy? Yeah, and that other Mark guy too. USA-Hunter. Here’s the thing: You guys are a joke. All those attacks are bunch of senseless vandalism. Arm the American people and let them figure it out, all solved in a weekend. Oh a couple get through? We’re 330 MILLION people over 3.5 million square miles. Come at me bro. So your master plan in to bomb one streetcorner in one city in one state and we hand you the keys ‘n s–t? How about no. How about you just pissed us off and we track you all down in the tunnels you come from?

    Btw, the immoral killing of Soleimeni is how you get yourself open to this s–t. “Demonic curse” as Mark would describe it. If you’ve been perfectly moral, for whatever reason, you are protected, but you start jag off immoral actions, whatever they may be, the protection is lifted. Trump still has no adherence to the moral, like Cyrus, and is fading away from his death-scare. That’s okay, if he were at all Moral, the American people would disown him. But that means we get to take our punishment until we pick “Moral” again. #Logos, or #AntiLogos, your choice.

    Anyway, his terrifying description makes me laugh. I feel like a young Marine hoping I’ll be the one who gets the .50 cal on top.

    Did I miss adding this the other day?

    “President Joe Biden is to remove the US designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a prisoner release deal, the White House said on Tuesday.”

    Gosh I hope so. Biden gets to do all the things Trump would get in trouble with. Noting that Trump is backed by the party of oil. Oil will be knocked out if they can’t combine the light gasses we’re now down to producing with some source of heavy oil such as Venezuela. The money will be in the refinery, so that needs to be here too. So at the time they were trying to steal Ven – or die —

    ““The president-elect appears ignorant of the fact that there’s been an ‘external revenue service’ since July 31, 1789,”

    Doubt it. What he’s doing is SELLING it, to us, as a concept. We are in the paradigm that all citizens must die, from the IRS, that’s good and right, and any other plan is crazy. That’s the same as if/when people point out the IRS isn’t real (quite possible, even probable) but it is absolutely behaving with no Constitutional due process. Anywhere. We’ll see if Exxon reigns them in,but from 100 years of data, the answer is no. They do not seem to be part of the U.S. Government, under oversight of Congress. Everyone says so, everyone knows so. So. How do you swap it? Ron Paul said end then, and that went great, problem is, there’s a brick wall at like 30%. You’ll never erase it and restore rule of law with that.

    What if 70% of our taxes were Tariffs (he’s already said) and the IRS was a rounding error, as we were during Harding? (he has also said) Then who cares if we burn down the IRS or roll it into the “External Revenue Service” aka Customs. Which DOES behave as if it’s the U.S. government and DOES obey the rule of law.

    This goes into the “U.S. Corporation” theory where the IRS was created to have income pledged to Fed Reserve bonds. Then the “U.S. Corporation” is bankrupt (again) and needs to turn back into a government. I think that’s crazy HOWEVER, they actually act that way, and this is one example. IF they are bankrupt and ceased to exist then we don’t need the mega-structures of the Corporation running around: they were designed to sap money out the U.S. TO somebody. Apparently we overcame that somebody, so we don’t need a fleet of boxcars to collect and deliver their money. That’s the IRS. So I don’t understand this part because it makes no legal or administrative sense, WHILE all their actions do indeed suggest this nonsense, this unnecessary fantasy is true. Hey, who’s at above-government-level who can tell me what actually goes on there? Not me.

    #179584
    Dr. D
    Participant

    Wait, he made up what I said even before I said it!

    “Good job, Brownie!”

    #179585
    Dr. D
    Participant

    Mr. Rich: Makin’ stuff up and killin’ allies, and I’m all out of allies!

    Gee, now why we no be able to get a leg up in this war? So mysterious. Must be some ethnic group or somethin’. Stabbing everyone in the foxhole makes the foxhole STRONGER!

    #179586
    zerosum
    Participant

    Confirmation hearings:
    1. to verify that you think like me
    2. to verify that you will not change what I don’t want you to change
    3. to verify that voter’s wishes will/will not be respected/enacted.

    4. to verify that you can oppose/dismantle “Trump Proofing season 2: ” ( diverting attention away from required changes)
    5. To be able to Discover the “Secrets and Lies”
    ————–

    Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has reportedly managed to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to the truce’s terms in just one meeting (starting sunday,19 feb., before, monday, inauguration day of 20 feb.)
    the agreement approved in Qatar involves a 42-day truce and an exchange of prisoners

    Nearly 47,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 104,000 wounded in Israeli attacks in Gaza.

    https://swentr.site/news/611031-trump-key-role-gaza-ceasefire/
    • Trump Played Key Role In Gaza Ceasefire Deal – Times of Israel (RT)
    ————
    The 20th of Feb. 2025 is going to be freezing cold.
    ———
    Moscow has vehemently condemned Biden’s last round of sanctions, calling them “illegal,” with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warning that they could destabilize global energy markets.
    ———–

    #179587
    kultsommer
    Participant

    Presidential farewell warning tradition.
    Sadistic ritual in which they are allowed to let the stone go of their chest by addressing the problem that they were not allowed to fix.

    #179588
    Oroboros
    Participant

    “Remote Work”

    The genius of ‘work from home jobs’.

    .

    #179589
    Oroboros
    Participant

    .

    #179590
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Oh Canazida, Oh the Humanity!

    .

    #179591
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Limeyland Revisited

    Words of Wisdom from Orwell’s Disciples

    .

    #179593
    Germ
    Participant

    From Bat Shit Bonkers Britain …

    This could be the toughest winter in NHS history. Here’s a simple way we can all help
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/17/toughest-winter-nhs-history-hospital-trolleys-nurses

    Some gems within …

    “Patients are dying on hospital trolleys, and nurses are treating them in corridors. The very least we can do is get vaccinated

    Only 18.4% of staff had their Covid booster – yet they are the ones who have seen so many Covid deaths in the last two winters. Surely they know that vaccinations reduce hospitalisation from infectious diseases

    Sorry darling. What these staff have seen is a death vaxx holocaust.
    That’s what they know.

    TVASSF

    #179594
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Haven’t hear much from the TAE Peanut Gallery on this subject.

    Any random thoughts?

    The neighborhoods in LA that burnt down will never reform or be rebuilt again

    .

    #179595
    Germ
    Participant

    They know …

    TVASSF

    #179596
    Germ
    Participant

    Come on Deagel …

    Ivermectin, SV40, McKernan, …
    Terrific interview.
    Get ‘yer learnin’ on…

    https://x.com/BrokenTruthTV/status/1880049921166045244

    TVASSF – yes, they really are. Tick … tock … tick . tock …

    #179597
    jb-hb
    Participant

    TBOC from yesterday

    jb-hb, what is your hat size?

    hahaha how IS YOURS, man? You then try to bury me with a list, right, that if I “don”t know” because it isn’t – you assume – my Lived Experience then I have no access to my own reality or others. I get it, bro:

    which one of you purchased your home for cash? had the assets to self insure your mortgage? are without homeowners insurance or some type of property or casualty insurance?
    understand pooled risk and actuarial tables?

    Hat size, bro? ALL THE MORE REASON, man. All the more reason to NOT have this web of bureaucracy and overly complex infrastructure everyone is left dependent on, which actively prevents individuals from working solutions. HOW COULD IT HAVE BEEN ANY WORSE, the houses are ashes.

    Bro. BRO. I will start simply for you. The houses were made of WOOD. The fences were made of WOOD. They need to STOP BUILDING SHIT WITH WOOD.

    Stop freaking out that I might not be empathizing enough or do no have the right Lived Experience. Fire burns things. Wood is one of those things. Fire is a real actual thing in reality that actually destroyed thousands of real actual peoples homes. Apart from your abstract dogma.

    Layers of government authorities need to back the fuck off and let people build simple, effective, non flammable houses. You can drop all those codes requiring special products, space-age materials, and methods if the house is made of adobe and the fence is cinderblock. I’m not proposing new requirements, I’m giving an example of something so stupidly simple, easy, cheap, and obvious that it SHOULD get a bell ringing in your head on just how bad the current state of affairs is.

    you can be anti-marxist all damn day, does not mean you understand capitalism or liability or the cascade of debt or the fragility of the social contract.

    Gee, like, 5 levels of self-avowedly marxist leadership just burnt down a city, so yeah, I think all of us can be marxist all day long and not run out of reasons to be.

    the system is not exploding due to exterior forces it is imploding from the mass of unfunded liablities acrued since 1945. Debt to GDP, ring a bell? The economic vacuum and debt created during the offshoring of industry and corporate raiding of the remaining carcass.

    “The System” prevented and still prevents anyone from building a cinderblock wall or cheap, simple non flammable structure and then made marxists burn down the city. Sure.

    Again, if there’s a debt crunch, if there’s a degradation of industries and infrastructure, ALL THE MORE REASON to devolve power and problem-solving down to individuals who could have a fireproof passively-energy efficient home, preferably with some permaculture gardening in the backyard.

    BTW, I’ve several HUNDRED in-depth conversations with Californians in the past few weeks regarding their homes, the fires, and their home insurance. Have you? I mean, if we’re going to have to engage in conversation-via-dick-measuring or something?

    Why and how did you self-identify with my description of someone cunningly trying to defend marxism indirectly – which was clearly a response to kultsommer?

    #179598
    Germ
    Participant

    For Dr. John Day, and other smart sciency folks here …

    The improvement of the polybasic furin cleavage site explained

    https://www.rintrah.nl/the-improvement-of-the-polybasic-furin-cleavage-site-explained/

    TVASSF – Deagel, it’s coming, tick … tock … tick … tock …

    #179599
    jb-hb
    Participant

    Kultsommer from yesterday

    Has nothing to do with ideologies.

    You’ve always dodged away from saying specifically what you believe. Because that would open it up for discussion an there shall be no discussion. But you always jump in to, obliquely, defend current-year marxism

    And of course there was that time when you scolded phoenixvoice for having the same beliefs as you but not getting into the fight. OH, so there’s a fight to get into! And people who like communism have a duty to join you in that fight.

    But it’s not about ideology. Is this some sort of attempt at application of “hold-them-to-their-rules?” What’s the rule I have to have amnesia about you? Explain it to me for DISCUSSION.

    Anyway,

    I am just trying to save you from the embarrassment, that’s all.

    See, you cannot stand on your own feet and argue your case. All you can do is try to re-frame perecption.

    Given that we are currently dealing up with the tragedy that befallen on the tight communities of homes,

    Hit them with “Community” amirite? Just keep repeating the word like it automatically makes them anti-community and you pro-community. Imply lack of empathy.

    Gee. ALL THE MORE REASON to build non flammable affordable homes if you care about people being able to have houses and a community.

    has anybody on this site tried to visualize the street-scape of the lined-up structures that you, with the mind just percolating the “ideas”, propose without thinking it all-the-way-through?

    You really cannot let go of the dream of planned, top-down central authority can you? Just IMAGINE what a bunch of houses made by people who decided for themselves would look like.

    Communists don’t want the people to have power, they just want the power someone else has. That’s why they never make anything of their own. Devolving power down to individuals would shatter the very thing you covet.

    Yes, instead we behold the inevitable endgame of communists like yourself – nice tidy rows of ashes. Clean, pure, and uniform.

    #179600
    Noirette
    Participant

    Thx to John Day, prev. thread, for posting a substack piece by Alex Krainer (who was on a Zoom Call with Bannon and wrote about it.)

    https://drjohnsblog.substack.com/p/anticipation

    I had forgotten about Krainer. I listened to an interview of him by Nima (Dialogue Works), 1 H 5 mins, Jan 16.

    Krainer sees a ‘grand strategy’ behind Trump, his nominations, his aims, etc. Krainer fits seemingly scattered statements / actions into a ‘comprehensible’ mold, roughly, Globalists against Nationalists. Re. for ex. Israel, reigning it back in, to preserve it. ( = not controversial.)

    He also says that Trump, as evidenced by Musk’s attacks on Starmer, the UK Gvmt, ruling establishment, will return to / join ‘a multi polar world’ abandoning the British ‘alliance’, ‘colonial system’, with its headquarters in London. More at link.

    https://tinyurl.com/yck6sstm

    It is appealing because it makes sense of what others see as disorganised lashing out, infighting, leading to *at best* terminal decay, loss of power, etc. (USA.) Or much worse.

    #179601
    Oroboros
    Participant

    @jb-hb

    Building codes are merely an extension of politics and ‘special interests’

    Big Yawn, ho-hum

    Nothing will change in any building code unless ‘special interests’ get their piece of the cake.

    Wood should have been banned from construction in LA decades ago.

    Cement, steel reinforced adobe, metal and thick tiled roofs, etc….blah, blah blah

    It’s not like this is high tech knowledge just discovered.

    I’ve personally built several houses over the years, like nailed them together with my arm and a hammer, no nail guns.

    Including hippie geo-domes in the early 70’s.

    Sustainable housing is old hat and old school.

    I gave up convincing people and contractors and building departments decades ago.

    The ones not locked into conformation building bias are on ‘the take’ from special interests.

    The Lumber Industry would NEVER allow LA county to ban wood as a structural building material, like EVER NEVER.

    Quit being stupid about suggesting they do without slaying the lumber industrial complex.

    Statrt lobbying for that in LA and you will find yourself buried in a shallow grave up in the hillsides somewhere.

    Good Day

    #179602
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    @Noirette

    for ex. Israel, reigning it back in, to preserve it.

    What an elegantly concise bit of eloquence. I wish I had said it, because if I had then I would be tempted to brag. You just wrote an astute 10 page political analysis of Trump’s Israel policy in just 10 words. Wow.

    #179603
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Just like Maui, Black Rock et al will vacuum up all the burnt out LA real estate for pennies on the dollar.

    And make a gated, guarded exclusive elite compound out of choice LA real estate.

    Tended by illegal migrant labor thank you.

    Poor white trash need not apply for employment in the New LA

    .

    Oh and by the way, Women of LA, listen up….your future beckons

    .

    #179604
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    @oroboros

    I’ve personally built several houses over the years, like nailed them together with my arm and a hammer, no nail guns.

    I just KNEW there was something special about you that I liked even more than your TAE contributions (which I also like a lot). You’re a black thumb builder! Me too!

    Except at 77 the hammer has been mostly retired in favor of a DeWalt battery op framing nailer. One must must adapt to survive, ya know?

    #179605
    Oroboros
    Participant

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    #179606
    Oroboros
    Participant

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