Jan 182025
 
 January 18, 2025  Posted by at 10:25 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,  Add comments


Alfred Eisenstaedt The kiss (V-J Day in Times Square) 1945

 

‘Obstacles’ To Ceasefire With Israel Removed – Hamas (RT)
Steve Witkoff: The Real Estate Investor Who Sealed The Gaza Ceasefire (MEE)
Trump Inauguration Forced Indoors (RT)
Authorities Preparing For “Worst Case Scenarios” Ahead of Trump Inauguration (MN)
Some State Governors Order Flags Up For Trump Inauguration (JTN)
Trump Holds ‘Very Good’ Call With Xi (RT)
Trump Teases TikTok Decision (RT)
Greenland Responds To Trump’s Acquisition Proposal (RT)
Greenlandic Lawmaker Reveals Five Possible Options in Status Referendum (Sp.)
Trump Must Not Flunk His Litmus Test (Paul Craig Roberts)
Can the US Justice System Be Reformed to Serve Justice? (Paul Craig Roberts)
EU Faces Up To €1 Trillion Loss For Cutting Russian Gas (RT)
EU’s Kallas Rules Out Lifting Russia Sanctions (RT)
Biden Commutes Sentences for Nearly 2,500 Non-Violent Drug Offenders (ET)
Biden Considered Pardoning Trump – NBC (RT)
Joe Biden: An Assessment (Jim Kunstler)
Pakistan’s Imran Khan Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison (ZH)

 

 

President Donald Trump will become the first president since Ronald Reagan in 1985 to be sworn in indoors, breaking from the traditional outdoor inaugural ceremony. Reagan’s second inauguration was moved to the Capitol Rotunda due to brutal weather conditions, with temperatures dropping to 7°F and a windchill of -25°F.

Similarly, President Trump announced on Friday that his inauguration would take place indoors at the Capitol Rotunda, citing forecasts of severe winter weather. Temperatures in Washington, D.C., are expected to hover in the upper 20s on Monday, accompanied by ferocious winds that could make outdoor conditions unsafe for attendees. The indoor ceremony will include Trump’s inaugural address, along with prayers and speeches, offering a more controlled and comfortable setting amid the harsh weather.

 

 

Pam

Kristi

Self deportation

Mike Davis

Tucker Sean Davis

Watters LA

Sachs Biden

 

 

 

 

The big “inflection point” in the Gaza talks came last week, Jan 10, when Trump, on Truth Social, without any comment, posted a video of Jeffrey Sachs labeling Netanyahu a “deep, dark son of a bitch”. That’s how Trump let Bibi know.

‘Obstacles’ To Ceasefire With Israel Removed – Hamas (RT)

Hamas and Israel have been able to remove the roadblocks to the comprehensive ceasefire deal reached earlier this week, the Palestinian group has said. In a statement on Friday, Hamas said that “the obstacles that arose due to the occupation’s failure to abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement were resolved at dawn today.” It did not elaborate on the nature of the hurdles, but noted that “the movement sought a national exchange deal from all factions and members of our people.” The group added that it became possible thanks to “generous efforts of the mediators.” While it did not name the countries, Qatar and Egypt have been particularly deeply involved in facilitating the peace process. The group also noted it would soon publish the lists of Palestinian prisoners to be freed as part of the first phase of the exchange deal.

On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire in a bid to end their 15-month conflict in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of over 1,100 Israelis and 46,000 Palestinians.The deal, which was mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, is split into three phases. During the first phase, which is to last 42 days, Hamas expected to release 33 hostages, including children, female soldiers, wounded and sick, in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinians. The latter stages, which have not yet been worked out in detail, will presumably see the release of the remaining hostages and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, according to US President Joe Biden. Following the announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of backtracking on parts of the agreement and trying to “extort last-minute concessions.” Hamas has stressed it remains committed for the deal while accusing West Jerusalem of launching an attack on “a place where one of the female prisoners of the first stage of the ceasefire deal was located.”

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Trump selected a real estate man, like himself, for this task. Because in his view they are the best negotiators.

Steve Witkoff: The Real Estate Investor Who Sealed The Gaza Ceasefire (MEE)

On Saturday, Gaza ceasefire talks were down to the wire, and President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy wanted to hash out the deal once and for all with Benjamin Netanyahu, but the Israeli leader’s office said he could not be roused during Shabbat. Steve Witkoff allegedly gave a “salty” reply, making it clear he didn’t care if it was the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest. In the words of one report from Haaretz, Witkoff said Trump expected Israel to agree to the ceasefire, and “things that Netanyahu had termed life-and-death issues…suddenly vanished”. So, who is Witkoff, Trump’s new man in the Middle East?

Witkoff is a Republican and a billionaire Jewish-American real estate developer. His soft, slightly nasally voice masks his reputation as a hard-charging negotiator who developed the nerve for leveraged loans as a teenager betting at the racetrack. When he was starting off in the cut-throat world of New York City real estate in the 1990s, he wore a handgun strapped to his ankle, according to a Wall Street Journal expose from the time. Witkoff has been praised for pushing the ceasefire across the finish line. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani credited him in a speech announcing the deal on Wednesday, albeit one usurped by Trump’s earlier proclamation that an “EPIC” ceasefire had been reached. It is important to note that Witkoff was mentioned before the sitting Biden administration’s envoy, Brett McGurk.

The New Yorker turned south Floridian has no official training as a diplomat and his appointment epitomises Trump’s disdain for traditional bureaucrats and policy wonks, who are steeped in area expertise and boast graduate degrees in international relations but lack private sector experience. “We have people that know everything about the Middle East, but they can’t speak properly…he is a great negotiator,” Trump said at a press conference in January, praising his friend. There, Trump reiterated his now infamous pledge that “all hell will break out” in the Middle East if the hostages held in Gaza were not freed by the time he takes office on 20 January. “You know what that means, do I have to define it for you,” he barked at a journalist, who pressed for details.

[..] Witkoff doesn’t speak much in public, but when he does, he is measured and deliberate. Appearing on Fox News in January, he said Trump’s “strong stance, his certitude in asserting that ‘all hell would break loose’ is moving people”, when asked about the ceasefire talks. He added: “They (the hostages) are living in terrible conditions, and it’s time for everybody to come back.” His remark that “There will be plenty of Palestinians who will be released as a result of this and they will go home to their families,” did not elicit a response from Fox News host Sean Hannity. With Trump saying he will use the hostage deal to expand the 2020 Abraham Accord agreements, Witkoff is likely set to delve deeper into the world of Gulf politics and the Israel-Palestine conflict.

He has also said he wants to solve tensions with Iran over a nuclear weapon “diplomatically…if people are willing to adhere to their agreements”, but, ever the negotiator, he did not show too much of his hand: “We are not going to have a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.”

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Bit of a shame.

Trump Inauguration Forced Indoors (RT)

US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he will give his inauguration speech inside the Capitol, citing the extremely cold weather that could be dangerous to his supporters and security personnel alike. US presidents traditionally take their oath of office outside the Capitol, with a crowd of onlookers stretching down the National Mall. “January 20th cannot come fast enough!” Trump said on Friday in a post on his Truth Social platform. “It is my obligation to protect the People of our Country but, before we even begin, we have to think of the Inauguration itself.” Trump cited the “Arctic blast” sweeping the US and the weather forecast for Monday in Washington calling for “severe record lows” with wind chill, to argue that this would create dangerous conditions for “hundreds of thousands of supporters that will be outside for many hours,” as well as police and their service dogs and horses.

With that in mind, the president-elect said, the inauguration address, prayers and other speeches will be delivered inside the Capitol Rotunda, just as President Ronald Reagan did in 1985, also because of the cold. “This will be a very beautiful experience for all, and especially for the large TV audience!” Trump said in the social media post. “In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly!” he added. The ceremony will be broadcast live from the nearby Capital One Arena, the basketball and hockey venue about six streets away. The venue has already been reserved for Trump’s Victory Rally on Sunday afternoon, and he said he intends to join the crowd there on Monday, after he takes the oath of office. “Everyone will be safe, everyone will be happy, and we will, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” the president-elected said.

For much of US history, presidents who won the election in early November would have to wait until March 4 of the following year to be sworn in. The 20th Amendment, enacted in 1933, moved the inauguration date to January 20. The ceremony is traditionally attended by members of Congress, justices of the US Supreme Court, and former presidents and their spouses, along with foreign ambassadors and any special guests invited by the new US leader. A number of Americans who receive special tickets through their members of Congress are allowed to enter the designated area of the Capitol grounds to observe the inauguration, while the general public can congregate at the National Mall, where the ceremony is usually broadcast on large screens. President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration was carried out with tens of thousands of National Guard troops around the Capitol and no members of the public allowed, as the incoming administration claimed there was a risk of an “insurrection” due to a riot by Trump supporters at the same location two weeks prior.

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“..nuclear irregularities..”

Authorities Preparing For “Worst Case Scenarios” Ahead of Trump Inauguration (MN)

Authorities in Washington DC are scanning for “nuclear irregularities” while the Secret Service preps for “worst case scenarios” as security preparations kick into high gear ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. Trump will be sworn in for his second term in office on Monday, January 20th. A report by CBS News reveals how Department of Energy helicopters are flying in grid patterns around the city from only 150 feet in the air in order to “scan for radiological or nuclear irregularities.” Officials are attempting to map a “blueprint” of normal radiation readings over Washington in order to detect anything unusual like potential dirty bombs. Any slight variation in readings sets off an alarm which is then investigated by the pilots. The U.S. Secret Service, which has faced criticism for its previous lax security measures around Trump, is also roleplaying “worst case scenarios” that could interrupt the inauguration process.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1880078644644855900

According to Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Thomas, security measures for Trump’s inauguration will eclipse anything previously seen. This includes the presence of 25,000 law enforcement officers and military personnel, including 7,800 National Guard soldiers. 30 miles of ‘anti-scale’ fencing around the site of the inauguration will also provide a “ring of steel” to protect the event and its 250,000 attendees. More than 25 Coast Guard vessels are also in position to patrol the area. During last month’s concern over mystery drones seen flying around the United States, one theory was that the drones were being flown by the U.S. Military to scan for missing nuclear material. Trump continues to face a heightened threat after facing three assassination attempts over the last 6 months, with some of his supporters urging him to not even attend the inauguration in person.

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How many half-staffs will be left by Monday?

Some State Governors Order Flags Up For Trump Inauguration (JTN)

Governors in multiple states plan to raise U.S. flags at state facilities for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. President Joe Biden ordered flags flown at half-mast nationwide after former President Jimmy Carter’s death on Dec. 29. The traditional 30-day mourning period will overlap with Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Trump said he wants flags flying high for his return to the White House. In addition to some governors, House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered that flags at the U.S. Capitol fly at full-staff for Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Most of the governors raising flags are Republicans, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a prominent Democrat, has joined in with an order for his state to raise flags for the inauguration, according to a Fox News report.

Biden was asked if he would raise the flags for his rival’s inauguration, but his press secretary said last week that Biden had no plans to do so. Idaho Gov. Brad Little ordered U.S. and Idaho flags at half-mast after Carter’s death, but said flags should go back to the top of the pole from sunrise to sunset on Jan. 20 for Trump’s inauguration. North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong also directed the U.S. and North Dakota flags to be flown at full staff on Jan. 20 at the North Dakota Capitol and all state buildings in celebration of the inauguration. Armstrong said the state should honor both men. “The inauguration of a U.S. president is a time to celebrate, and the Stars and Stripes should fly high as a symbol of freedom and democracy on such a momentous day for our nation,” Armstrong said.

“We will continue to honor the life and legacy of President Carter, as we should, by returning flags to half-staff on Jan. 21 as a mark of respect and reverence.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was on the receiving end of Trump’s mockery for more than a year during his presidential run, said his state also can honor both presidents. In a memo, DeSantis called it a “unique occasion, where we simultaneously celebrate the service of an incoming president and commend the service of a former president.”

Alabama will also raise flags for the inauguration. Gov. Kay Ivey ordered flags returned to full staff “on the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol Complex in Montgomery and at state buildings throughout Alabama” on Jan. 20. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have issued similar flag proclamations for Trump’s big day. Trump previously criticized Biden’s flag decision and the Democrats who support it. “The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in a recent post. “They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our Country, they only think about themselves.”

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“President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!”

Trump Holds ‘Very Good’ Call With Xi (RT)

US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping by phone. According to Trump, the two leaders discussed trade, fentanyl, and the impending sale or shutdown of TikTok. “I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday, adding that “the call was a very good one for both China and the USA.” “It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects,” Trump continued. “President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!” Chinese state media confirmed that the call had taken place, but provided no further details.

Trump and Xi have not spoken since the end of Trump’s first term in 2021. Relations between Washington and Beijing were strained during the president-elect’s first stint in the White House, with the US sanctioning Chinese tech giant Huawei and sparking a trade war by setting tariffs on Chinese imports. Trump has also accused China of failing to crack down on the export of fentanyl – a deadly synthetic opioid – to the US, and has vowed to levy an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese imports until Beijing “follows through” on punishing fentanyl dealers and manufacturers. The call took place two days before TikTok is set to go dark for millions of American users. Legislation signed by President Joe Biden last year requires ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest from its US operations by January 19, 2025, or be blocked from US internet infrastructure and app stores.

The US Supreme Court has yet to issue a ruling on TikTok’s appeal against the law, while Trump – who credits the app with helping him win the youth vote in November – is reportedly mulling an executive order to delay the enforcement of the ban. Despite Trump’s multiple grievances with Beijing, the incoming president has repeatedly boasted of his “special relationship” with Xi. Trump invited Xi to his inauguration, and while the Chinese president will not attend Monday’s ceremony, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that Vice President Han Zheng will travel to Washington to watch Trump be sworn in. “We stand ready to work with the new US government to enhance dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly pursue a stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relations and find the right way for the two countries to get along with each other,” a ministry spokesperson said.

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It doesn’t appear as urgent as some suggest.

“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!”

Trump Teases TikTok Decision (RT)

US President-elect Donald Trump has said that he will make a decision on whether to enforce a ban on TikTok in the country “in the not too distant future,” after the Supreme Court upheld a law blocking the app, should its Chinese parent company not sell to an American firm by Sunday. In a decision announced on Friday, the court’s nine justices all agreed that Congress did not violate the US Constitution’s protection of free speech when it ordered the sale of the app last year. “There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement and source of community. But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary,” the court said, referring to a presumed threat from China.

While enforcement of the ban will fall on the last full day of President Joe Biden’s term in office, a White House official told multiple US media outlets on Friday that the decision would be left to Trump, who will be inaugurated on Monday. “The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday. “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!” Trump – who credits the app with helping him win the youth vote in November – is mulling an executive order to delay the ban coming into effect, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

During his first term, Trump attempted to ban TikTok, citing national security risks due to its Chinese ownership. However, during his recent presidential campaign he changed his mind, stating: “For all of those who want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump. The other side is closing it up, but I’m now a big star on TikTok.” TikTok has repeatedly denied allegations that it shares user data with the Chinese government. Commenting on existing TikTok bans for government employees in the US, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has accused the US of “abusing state power to suppress foreign companies.” Trump reportedly met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last month. Shou will attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday, as will Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

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“But we want to… be clear. We don’t want to be Americans. We don’t want to be a part of the US..”

Says who? Go ask them. After Trump makes his offer.

Greenland Responds To Trump’s Acquisition Proposal (RT)

Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede has rejected Donald Trump’s proposal to buy the Arctic island, asserting that Greenlanders do not want to be Americans. However, the Danish autonomous territory will always remain “a strong partner” of the US, he added. In an interview with FOX News on Thursday, Egede addressed Trump’s renewed interest in “acquiring” Greenland from Denmark, citing national security concerns. “We are close neighbors, we have been cooperating in the last 80 years, and I think in the future we have a lot to offer to cooperate with,” Egede said, insisting that Greenland would always be a part of NATO and “a strong partner of the US.” “But we want to… be clear. We don’t want to be Americans. We don’t want to be a part of the US,” the prime minister emphasized.

He said islanders “do not want to be Danes” either. “We want to be Greenlanders,” he added. Trump had initially suggested buying Greenland from Denmark in 2019 during his first presidential term, but the ambitious plan fell short at the time due to strong opposition from the authorities both in Copenhagen and in the autonomous territory. Earlier this month, speaking at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, the president-elect refused to rule out using economic measures or military action to achieve this goal.Officials in Denmark have also rejected the possibility of selling the island. “Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future either,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said earlier this month.

The Arctic island, which has a population of around 57,000, hosts the US Pituffik Space Base, which plays a significant role in NATO defenses due to its strategic location. Greenland became an autonomous territory of Denmark in 1979 after 70.1% of voters supported the Home Rule Act. The island – which has its own government while Denmark retains control over foreign affairs and defense – has been gradually seeking more sovereignty. A 2019 poll suggested that nearly 68% of Greenlanders supported independence from Denmark within the next two decades.

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Denmark has not been treating Greenland well. A referendum will reflect that. Plus, Trump will present a very good offer.

Greenlandic Lawmaker Reveals Five Possible Options in Status Referendum (Sp.)

Greenland has captivated the world’s attention amid Donald Trump’s remarks about acquiring the island, and statements by authorities in Nuuk and Copenhagen that Greenland is “not for sale.” Sputnik reached out to a top pro-sovereignty MP in Prime Minister Mute Egede’s coalition to learn more about what Greenland wants, and how it plans to get it. Denmark “de facto annexed Greenland in 1951” and lied to Brussels about the existence of the island’s Inuit peoples, and it will be up to Greenlanders to choose their future in a referendum with up to five possible options, Kuno Fencker, a pro-independence Siumut Party lawmaker in Prime Minister Egede’s ruling coalition government, told Sputnik. The options are: keeping the status quo, new commonwealth status with Denmark, or a free association arrangement with Copenhagen, Washington, or both, Fencker, a member of the Greenland parliament’s Foreign and Security Policy Committee, explained.

Greenland is “absolutely are aware that we can’t be fully independent,” Fencker said. “We are looking positively in regards to how can we become a sovereign state that can cooperate with other states,” he noted, emphasizing that in today’s world, even Denmark itself isn’t independent from the political, economic and defense institutions it’s engaged in. The current relationship with Denmark doesn’t suit Greenlanders, Fencker stressed, pointing out that Trump’s recent threats to use tariffs to pressure Copenhagen into submission on the question of Greenland “is actually not that much different [from] from what Denmark is doing to us.” Specifically, “every time we want independence or statehood, they will fearmonger us in regard to taking away the block [grant] right for Greenland and our right to education and healthcare in Denmark.”

Greenland “has always been an important geopolitical factor, and it’s always been important” to the US with its Pituffik Space Base in the island’s northwest, Fencker said. “With the melting ice of Greenland, we absolutely are aware” that the US will seek to shore up its military and intelligence capabilities. An independent Greenland will therefore “require payment for any military presence in Greenland,” the lawmaker said. Ultimately, Greenland’s “value” in relations with partners “is not something you can put money on, but we are absolutely open for business and open for negotiations on how we as a sovereign state can cooperate with the other states on equal terms,” Fencker emphasized. “We are rising up here in Greenland again and we want our right to external self-determination…We want to become a sovereign state, which is non-negotiable, which you can also say [means] we are not for sale.” the lawmaker summed up.

President-elect Trump’s talk of acquiring Greenland from Denmark has reignited pro-independence passions on the island ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for April. Polling in 2016 and 2019 found that up to two thirds of Greenlanders support independence, although a 2017 survey found that the majority is not ready to sacrifice living standards for the sake of independence. The question of whether Copenhagen gets more back from Greenland than it pays in the form of subsidies has been hotly debated. Despite being ruled by Denmark from the early 18th century, Greenland’s living standards and quality of life measures remain significantly lower than those of Denmark, with the island suffering higher unemployment, higher poverty levels, and average lifespan that’s nearly 8 years shorter.

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Trump will make sure it gets done on a case by case basis.

Trump Must Not Flunk His Litmus Test (Paul Craig Roberts)

Trump’s litmus test awaits him on the Oval Office desk. The litmus test is the pardon for every one of the wrongly indicted and wrongly prosecuted January 6 Trump supporters–which means all of them–who attended the rally and were persecuted for doing so. If Trump fails to immediately issue a full and unconditional pardon to all, he will lose the support of MAGA Americans. If Trump waits, the Establishment will erode the prospects of pardons. “Don’t embarrass Justice Department prosecutors and create an unwelcome environment for the new Attorney General.” “Let bygones be bygones.” “Let sleeping dogs lie.” Crises will appear. More urgent topics will pile on top of the pardons.

To help Trump stand by his supporters, Gary Heavin is working with American Patriot Relief, a 501(c)4 foundation and has marshaled private jet airplanes to return to their homes the pardoned from prisons located at great distances from their homes. Volunteers will be waiting outside 75 prisons in 35 states to deliver the J6 patriots to their homes. In cases where imprisonment caused the loss of their homes, housing will be provided until they are back on their feet. Some have suffered so severely at the hands of the most evil regime in American history that permanent care might be needed. The project will work with other January 6 support groups such as J6 Pardon Project, American Gulag Chronicles, Stophate, J6 A Road Home, Stand In The Gap, Patriot Mail Project, Condemned USA. Gary Heavin describes the support efforts that are in place in yesterday’s appearance on Ron Paul’s program.

All of us can be part of this historic event of overturning government injustice by donating here: http://givesendgo.com/FREEDOMSAMBASSADOR. This is not a political fundraiser. All funds go to the aid of the persecuted J6 Americans. In my view, full pardon for all is just one-third of what needs to be done. Another one-third is restitution for all expenses, lost income, and stress from being wrongly prosecuted and locked away from family, friends, and career in prison. In some cases the vile Democrats imprisoned the wrongly convicted great distances from their communities, thus depriving them of support from visits from family and friends. Some were kept in solidary confinement. Others were tortured. There is some concern that prison officials will have “misplaced” some of the wrongly convicted in order to hold on to them longer while they look for where they relocated them with confusing transfers. The vileness of Democrats has no limit.

The remaining one-third is actually the most important one-third. The DOJ, FBI, and White House officials responsible for the indictments, prosecutions, and imprisonments must be indicted, prosecuted and sentenced. By weaponizing law for propaganda and political purposes and by using false indictments for the purpose of suppressing the powerful evidence of massive vote fraud in the 2020 presidential election, high law enforcement officials committed felonies. They must be held accountable for their crimes. Otherwise, legal precedents are created that are fateful for democracy, the rule of law, and accountable government. Once precedents are established that high officials have immunity for using law not to enforce justice but to create injustice, the rule of law and accountable government cease to exist. How can Trump permit the government officials who intentionally framed innocent people for political and propaganda purposes to walk away unpunished?

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“Faced with the risks of a trial at the hands of Democrats and the cost of attorneys, most of the falsely accused self-incriminated.”

Can the US Justice System Be Reformed to Serve Justice? (Paul Craig Roberts)

The Biden regime is the most corrupt regime in American history, and Biden knows it. That is why he talks of large numbers of “preemptive pardons.” A preemptive pardon is an invention of the Biden regime. No such thing exists in US law. Its purpose is to preempt indictment for a crime. That Biden is considering preemptive pardons means that Biden knows his officials committed crimes, and he wants to protect them from being held accountable for their crimes. Remember the vile and corrupt way the majority of the J6 convictions were obtained. Of course, it was with politicized Democrat jurors, politicized Democrat prosecutors, and politicized Democrat judges in Democrat jurisdictions who understood that they were serving their party’s political propaganda and not justice.

But I am speaking of the methods. The privacy of American citizens was violated in order to ascertain who attended the rally. Once a victim was chosen, a rigged indictment was brought. Prosecutors made it clear to the victim and attorney that contesting the charges in court with a trial would result in an add-on charge that carries a long prison sentence, whereas if they agreed to self-incrimination with a plea deal, prison time would be waived or greatly reduced. All the Democrats wanted was a bunch of “convictions” to support the propaganda of insurrection. Faced with the risks of a trial at the hands of Democrats and the cost of attorneys, most of the falsely accused self-incriminated. This abuse of law and defendants has become the main avenue of conviction in America today.

Only about 3% of the convicted are convicted by a jury of their peers. 97% are convicted by self-incrimination to avoid the risks and expense of a court trial. Consequently, the evidence against the defendant is never tested in court. The police and prosecutors can make up whatever charge they wish as they know the defendant will not have his day in court. In most cases the defendant will admit to a different crime than the one he is indicted under, neither one of which will actually have been committed. Plea bargains save the prosecutor’s and judge’s time, maximize the prosecutor’s conviction rate which he uses for reelection or to move into higher office, and reduces prison time and cost for the defendant. As I demonstrated in my book, The Tyranny of Good Intentions, the American “justice system” is corrupt and desperately requires reform.

The reform of this corrupt system would be far more important to the American people than Washington helping Israel achieve Greater Israel or the enhancement of the military/security complex’s power and profits with wars wherever Washington can invent an excuse. The American government is far removed from the interests of the American people. Perhaps Trump will take a first step with an immediate full pardon of all J6 American patriots. Making America Great Again does not mean expansion of the empire into Canada, Greenland, and Panama. It means the restoration of justice in the legal system and the restoration of respect for the truth. Without truth and justice, neither of which exists in today’s America, America cannot be made great again.

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Suicide in all its glory.

EU Faces Up To €1 Trillion Loss For Cutting Russian Gas (RT)

The loss of Russian gas could cost the EU over €1 trillion ($1 trillion), according to Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). Speaking at the Future Minerals Forum in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, Dmitriev said the EU’s economic growth had slowed significantly since halting Russian gas imports, while Russia’s economy continues to demonstrate resilience. Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the EU prioritized reducing its reliance on Russian energy. Some members voluntarily stopped importing Russian gas, while others, such as Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Italy, continued gas imports from the country. However, these flows ceased earlier this month after Kiev refused to renew its gas transit deal with Moscow.

“Europe is suffering from not receiving Russian gas, with expected losses of more than €1 trillion,” Dmitriev stated. He previously attributed these losses to the high cost of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which the EU has imported in greater quantities to replace Russian supplies. Dmitriev added that neither losing the EU as a gas buyer, nor sanctions aimed at destabilizing the Russian economy, have had a significant effect on it, while the EU has borne the brunt of the economic fallout. “The Russian economy is in good shape, with growth expected at 4% by the end of 2024, while Europe showed 1% or less.

If one looks at the overall attempts to limit the Russian economy, 4% growth does not look so bad,” he said. The RDIF chief projected a potential slowdown in Russia’s growth to 2-2.5% next year but stressed that the outcome would depend on the central bank’s monetary policies, which he described as “critical for the continued growth of the Russian economy.” Despite extensive international sanctions placed on Russia in connection with the Ukraine conflict over the past three years, the country’s economy has adapted effectively, according to many observers.

The IMF recently raised its 2024 growth forecast for Russia to 3.6%. In contrast, the body downgraded its growth outlook for the euro area to 0.8%. The EU, meanwhile, has been facing sluggish economic growth and energy challenges. The loss of Russian gas has forced member states to turn to more expensive alternative energy sources, and the shift has driven up costs for businesses and households, strained manufacturing sectors, and fueled inflation. The European Commission recently reduced its 2025 growth projection for the Eurozone to 1.3%. Germany, the bloc’s largest economy, recorded its second consecutive year of contraction in 2024, a first in over two decades, the federal statistics office Destatis revealed earlier this week.

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I kid you not: Euroclear, where most Russian assets are held hostage, is located in Belgium. Now EU geniuses have found an 80-year old WWII decree that the Belgian king can evoke to block transfers of any assets out of the country.

EU’s Kallas Rules Out Lifting Russia Sanctions (RT)

There is no reason for the EU to drop its sanction “leverage” against Russia, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said as Hungary’s potential veto looms over their extension. Brussels has imposed 15 rounds of restrictive measures against Moscow since the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. Extending the sanctions past January 31, however, requires a unanimous vote by all EU member states. “We definitely need the sanctions in place. This is our leverage, and it would be very strange to give it away,” Kallas told reporters on Friday. “Things haven’t changed. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin hasn’t changed his goals and nothing has changed on the ground. So there is no basis for lifting the sanctions,” she added.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has refused to commit to extending the sanctions until he can discuss them with US President-elect Donald Trump, who is scheduled to be sworn in on Monday. In his weekly interview with Hungary’s Kossuth Radio on Friday, Orban argued that the EU needs to adapt to the fact that “a new era is beginning” with Trump coming back to the White House. “It is time to throw the sanctions out of the window and establish a system of sanctions-free relations with Russia,” he said. “That is a long way off, but we have to work on it.”

At the moment, however, “the signs coming from Brussels are not encouraging,” Orban added. Trump initially vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict as soon as he takes office, but recent comments from his team have indicated a longer time frame. “Whatever the negotiations then we will be in a much weaker position” if the sanctions are lifted, Kallas argued. “I also don’t think that it’s in the interest of the US to give up the sanctions now.” The outgoing administration of President Joe Biden has tried to “Trump-proof” the sanctions by moving some of the targeted persons and entities from a blacklist declared by the executive branch to one enacted by Congress, with the goal of making them much harder to lift.

Kallas was the prime minister of Estonia before she was tapped to head the EU’s foreign policy division last fall. Along with the other two Baltic states and Poland, she took a hard line on Russia and in support of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Orban has called for peace talks, refused to provide any weapons or ammunition to Kiev, or allow military supplies through Hungarian territory. EU leaders are concerned that if Hungary succeeds in letting the sanctions expire, Russia could recover almost €200 billion ($205 billion) in frozen central bank assets held by the Belgium-based Euroclear. The bloc is reportedly considering having the Belgian king invoke a 1944 decree to block any transfer of assets from the country, putting Belgium in legal jeopardy rather than the EU.

Read more …

In a country where some people serve multiple years for smoking a joint, maybe not that crazy.

Biden Commutes Sentences for Nearly 2,500 Non-Violent Drug Offenders (ET)

President Joe Biden said on Jan. 17 that he is commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals, marking the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The latest pardons are being granted to people who were convicted of non-violent drug offenses and who are serving “disproportionately long” sentences compared to those they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice, Biden said in a statement published by the White House.Biden pointed to two pieces of legislation: the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which reduced the disparity in sentences for crack cocaine and powder cocaine offenses from a weight ratio of 100 to 1 to 18 to 1, and the First Step Act of 2018, aimed at reducing the size of the federal prison population while promoting rehabilitation.

The previous weight ratio of 100 to 1 meant that 5 grams of crack cocaine, for example, was treated as equivalent to 500 grams of powder cocaine for sentencing purposes. “Today’s clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes,” Biden said. “As Congress recognized through the Fair Sentencing Act and the First Step Act, it is time that we equalize these sentencing disparities,” Biden said. With this latest action, Biden has now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history. “This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars,” Biden said.

“I am proud of my record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons.” In December 2024, Biden said he was pardoning 39 people and commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 others who had been convicted of nonviolent crimes such as drug offenses. The president said at the time that these commutation recipients were placed in home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and “have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance.”

In a separate statement, the White House said many of those impacted by December’s pardons and commutation were parents, veterans, health care professionals, teachers, advocates, and engaged members of their communities who had “used their experiences in the criminal justice system to inspire and encourage others.” Also in December, Biden announced he was commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 individuals on death row, reclassifying their penalty to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Biden has advocated for an end to the death penalty at the federal level in the United States except for limited cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. When he first took office, he imposed a moratorium on federal executions while the Justice Department reviewed policies and procedures surrounding the practice.

He commuted 37 sentences, leaving three federal inmates facing execution: 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; Dylann Roof, who shot and killed nine people at a church in South Carolina in 2015; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018. Earlier in December, Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who had been criminally convicted and was facing sentencing in two separate cases involving tax evasion and illegal possession of a firearm. Biden is set to leave office on Jan. 20. His successor, President-elect Donald Trump, has vowed to expand executions for federal inmates in order to “protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters” and restore law and order.

Read more …

“According to NBC, he will leave office with “a nation divided, a party in tatters,” and Americans questioning his commitment to the rule of law..”

Biden Considered Pardoning Trump – NBC (RT)

Outgoing US President Joe Biden reportedly thought about pardoning his successor, Donald Trump, before leaving office, NBC News has reported, citing a White House source. Trump faced a flurry of federal felony charges levied by Biden’s Department of Justice in the run-up to the 2024 election, which he described as political persecution intended to prevent him from returning to office. Biden “privately mused” about the idea of pardoning Trump after his victory in the 2024 election as “a magnanimous move,” NBC reported on Friday, citing a person “directly familiar” with his comments who wished to remain anonymous. However, a White House official said that “to our knowledge, this was not raised.” The federal cases against Trump had already become untenable after the US Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity in July.

Trump went on to win the popular vote and the Electoral College in November, sweeping all swing states to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden officially won the 2020 election with the most-ever votes in US history. Trump contested the vote, claiming rampant irregularities under the cover of the Covid-19 pandemic measures. Biden initially pledged to be a one-term president and pass the job on to Harris, but ultimately decided to run for reelection. Democrats pressured him to bow out of the campaign in July after Trump survived an attempt on his life. Biden eventually endorsed Harris to replace him. According to NBC, he will leave office with “a nation divided, a party in tatters,” and Americans questioning his commitment to the rule of law. On Friday, Biden commuted the sentences of 2,500 drug offenders, arguing they were serving “disproportionately long sentences” under current laws.

“I have now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in US history,” he said in a statement. Biden’s most controversial pardon was granted to his son, Hunter, convicted last year of breaking federal gun and tax laws. The pardon covered offenses which Hunter “has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024,” a period that extends far beyond the time the gun and tax offenses took place and encompasses Hunter’s time on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma. Citing a trove of emails and messages found on Hunter’s laptop in 2020, Republicans accused Hunter of selling access to his father, who was US vice president at the time.

Read more …

“Go back to Delaware and sit in the dim light of your room with the curtains drawn so you won’t have to hear about the gruesome discoveries to come of what you left behind.”

Joe Biden: An Assessment (Jim Kunstler)

The four years of “Joe Biden’s” term-in-office that followed have induced the most severe disordering of the collective American mind in our history, lost in a fog of perfidious mendacity unmatched in scope by the Civil War, or any other national crisis. “Joe Biden’s” government went to war against the people of this land, at the same time it sold-out our vital national interests to the CCP, the WEF, the WHO, and other parties seeking our nation’s destruction. For years, we have been forced to swallow absurdities such as unsafe and ineffective vaccines, drag queens in the grade schools, borders wide-open to saboteurs (declared to be “secure”), and a stupid war against Russia that has destroyed the sad-sack nation of Ukraine.

“Joe Biden” has been a disaster and an embarrassment, easily the most damaging character to ever creep onto the US political scene. His one talent was for fakery. Even with sclerosis eating through his brain, he was able to go through the motions of faking it, reading his script off the teleprompter — though he was no longer up to casual questions in a news conference setting. The slime trail of crimes he leaves behind would be easy to follow by law enforcement officials actually interested in crime. He’s likely to pardon himself at the last moment, and pardon a long roster of federal officials who have committed crimes with and behind him. One way or another, they are going to be found out, even if many manage to evade prosecution. But at least we are going to learn a lot more about who was pulling “Joe’s” strings, and exactly what they did, and how — including the trick of making the news media hostage to their crimes.

So, adios, “Joe Biden,” you miserable, treasonous bastard. History will record you as the one president so far who was consciously a villain outright, in true self-knowledge of his own wickedness. You left your country a wreck in every dimension: in national security, national bankruptcy, national pride, and national confidence. Go back to Delaware and sit in the dim light of your room with the curtains drawn so you won’t have to hear about the gruesome discoveries to come of what you left behind. And when the day arrives for your funeral, be advised that it will not be much better than your campaign stop in Darby, PA, in June 2020, when you maundered pointlessly to a nearly empty room. . . before going out for ice cream with your secret service detail.

Read more …

I’ve said before that Khan’s case is quite a lot like Trump’s. Just more. There are 170 legal cases against Khan, vs ‘only’ 94 against Trump. Now people want Trump to help him, but it’s not clear what he could do. He can get him free, but Khan’s enemies won’t let him stay in the country and pursue politics again. And that is what he swears he will do: “I will neither make any deal nor seek any relief.”

Pakistan’s Imran Khan Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison (ZH)

The unfortunate saga of Pakistani state persecution against former Prime Minister Imran Khan continues, as a Pakistani court on Friday sentenced Khan and this wife to 14 and seven years in prison after finding them guilty of corruption. He had already been held in jail for a couple years, despite many months of huge protests in various places by supporters demanding his release, after he and his wife were accused of accepting a gift of land from a real estate tycoon in exchange for laundered money, amid many additional pending graft investigations. Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party reject the allegations, and the former prime minister had pled non-guilty in the case. “Whilst we wait for a detailed decision, it’s important to note that the Al Qadir Trust case against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi lacks any solid foundation and is bound to collapse,” PTI’s foreign media wing asserted in a statement.

PTI plans to challenge the verdict in higher courts, with Khan pledging after this conviction: “I will neither make any deal nor seek any relief.” Khan has meanwhile insisted that his arrest in 2023 was simply politically motivated, designed by his rivals and enemies to keep the popular politician from power. According to a review of the last couple years of turmoil which has gripped Pakistan over Khan’s fate: “While imprisoned, Khan has been facing dozens of cases ranging from charges of graft and misuse of power to inciting violence against the state after being removed from office in a parliamentary vote of confidence in April 2022. He has either been acquitted or his sentences suspended in most cases, except for this one and another on charges of inciting supporters to rampage through military facilities to protest against his arrest on May 9, 2023. His supporters have led several violent protest rallies since the May 9 incidents.”


During Trump’s first term in office, via AFP

He’s gotten some international support and backing amid the saga, with a United Nations panel of exports having announced last year that his detention “had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for political office”. Importantly, Khan’s supporters are expressing hope that Trump will use his influence to free him. According to the NY Times on Friday: Supporters of Imran Khan, the imprisoned former prime minister, are now pinning their hopes on getting him freed — however fanciful — on the wild card among the three: the incoming administration of Donald J. Trump. Mr. Trump has said nothing publicly to indicate that he plans to intervene in Mr. Khan’s case. Once he is sworn in as president on Monday, Pakistan is unlikely to rank high among Mr. Trump’s foreign policy priorities.

But a series of posts on social media by one of Mr. Trump’s close allies has inspired almost messianic certainty among Mr. Khan’s followers that the once and future American president will help secure his freedom. PTI had made a better than expected showing in February 2024 parliamentary elections and had decried that this was all a conspiracy to prevent his return to office by the military-run deep state. There are ultimately a whopping 170 legal cases against Khan. Current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who emerged victorious in the last elections while Khan had languished in jail, was seen more as the “military’s man” in Islamabad, while Khan’s legacy has sought to be erased by those same elite powers.

Read more …

 

 

 

 

Lynch
https://twitter.com/i/status/1879984839753101588

 

 

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Home Forums Debt Rattle January 18 2025

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 40 total)
  • Author
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  • #179675

    Alfred Eisenstaedt The kiss (V-J Day in Times Square) 1945   • ‘Obstacles’ To Ceasefire With Israel Removed – Hamas (RT) • Steve Witkoff: The Rea
    [See the full post at: Debt Rattle January 18 2025]

    #179679
    EoinW
    Participant

    Did I miss something or did Kristi Noem spend 2 minutes talking and didn’t even flirt with answering the question she was asked?

    #179680
    Germ
    Participant

    Good Morning :-))

    There’s a new category on the card aisle …

    TVASSF

    #179681
    aspnaz
    Participant

    David Lynch? Never heard of him.

    #179682
    oxymoron
    Participant

    David Lynch had a big impact on me and fir anyone not familiar – take yourself there. His furniture was remarkable and his advice. Sage

    #179683
    Dr. D
    Participant

    You know They found those two from the photo and interviewed them.

    “Biden Commutes Sentences For Nearly 2,500 Americans Convicted Of Non-Violent Drug Offenses

    We’ll have to look into them, but at last something good! Saving money AND making room for all the criminals Trump needs to arrest.

    “The FTC Suing John Deere Is a Tipping Point for Right-to-Repair” WIRED

    Also good news.

    Well that aged badly: The 2024 DNC ad where Trump dies in office and Vance creates a dystopian nightmare where Elon becomes immortal.
    Ad
    https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec155602-cb55-4940-b764-5d187aee0821_623x350.png

    What??? Your insurance would be canceled then your whole city burned down??? For the love of God, vote Newsom today! We must keep Trump out so this won’t happen!

    “first president since Ronald Reagan in 1985 to be sworn in indoors”

    If you needed more convincing they have weather control. No riots. Secret Service safety.

    “All of President Trump’s nominees are exceptional, and I believe every single one will be confirmed.”

    Remember this is Ted Cruz talking. That means all of them are barely tolerable. And their approval by Congress only reinforces how mid to awful they are.

    “The self-deportations of illegals has begun.”

    But, but, it’s impossible to deport them! It’s impossible to enforce any laws!

    Note: IF all governments are directed by fools and discredited, who remains standing? A: Stateless multinational corporations. Which we’ve seen are already trying to run things. Badly. Almost a reverse Fascism. The Black Sun and Black Rock said they wanted this.

    “He will make those declassified Crossfire Hurricane records public…”

    Note, he barely did that last time, why would I believe? Well, everything he did they just refused and countermanded direct executive orders. WHO did that? Roughly speaking the Administrative State. Top to bottom. The Bureaucracy put in since Wilson, defending their power OVER all electees and OVER the vote, all Democracies. Ever see “Yes, Minister”? So Trump fired them…Nope, they refused this and the courts helped. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVYqB0uTKlE

    So at that point, are you a leader if no one – literally no one – will obey all and any direct orders? A: No.

    Now, smarty-pants, what’s your solution??? What’s your next move? Shuddap the complaining about it, whatcha gonna DO about it? Cry?

    Trump took it out a level, he needs US, the PEOPLE to demand their immediate firing. And this is actually correct and the only choice according to our principles. And if we refuse to demand this, well, I guess we lose and the American experiment is over. If America isn’t in the hearts of the people, that’s that. Subtext: therefore this approach can only be to TAKE FIRE, so that we we can SEE what’s going on and who they are and choose.

    And so this has happened. Does anyone think he’s going to have the same level of trouble firing people? I mean, we’re not at firing EVERYONE yet, as we must, and what DOGE is going to point at, but he will now be able to fire SOMEONE. Then a few someones, then over time many someones. Then discuss arrests.

    The key is to get the first, the support and the precedent.

    Again, this sucks. We all hate the f—k out of it. Would you like a Civil War instead? You want to look like Donbas, are you THAT impatient and frustrated? Or is just winning okay? I mean, do you like your dog, or do you want your dog and house to look like L.A.?

    “It’s been six months since the Butler assassination attempt and we still know nothing”

    Administrative State stonewalling. So we’ll see how that goes. From everyone’s actions, he has them by the balls over this and is “blackmailing” or leveraging it. That’s fine, great, but that’s not even 1/100th. If those are the crimes we suspect, they must be all found and shot in accordance with the law.

    “Trump selected a real estate man, like himself, for this task. Because in his view they are the best negotiators.”

    That’s true, but I’m going to stand behind you with a hammer because Gaza is really a land grab to put up expensive condos by murdering everyone. Chinatown. Prove to me that’s not what’s going on. Make me believe it. Work, really, really hard.

    Why use helicopters? Seems inefficient. Don’t we have those gravity-defying hoverdrones? Why map it at all if infinity-fast gravity drone can just zip in? It’s pointless, so explain. Make me believe.

    “US President-elect Donald Trump has said that he will make a decision on whether to enforce a ban on TikTok”

    If it’s a law he has to enforce it. Impeach him. Tiktok also IS a danger, even if this is the wrong solution. Fix that.

    “He said islanders “do not want to be Danes” either. “We want to be Greenlanders,”

    Excellent. I appreciate that. One problem: how are you going to defend yourselves? Canada? You too. Tell you what: we’ll hand out 30 million guns for free and give you a start. We won’t even miss them.

    “• Trump Must Not Flunk His Litmus Test (Paul Craig Roberts)

    You can now think of them as veterans of the Bastille. The oubliette. These are required in a war/revolution, sorry. That’s why they told you all not to show up, if you showed up anyway, you sort of volunteered. Knowing their story may have won the war, what do you think they would say? Let’s ask.

    “Faced with the risks of a trial at the hands of Democrats and the cost of attorneys, most of the falsely accused self-incriminated.

    This process is probably unavoidably legal. However, the attorneys should also be prosecuted and jailed for it. In the sense that you can argue open malice, get the directive emails, etc. At least run them through courts with the threat of prison for the next 5-10 years. That’s about equal.

    “There is no reason for the EU to drop its sanction “leverage” against Russia, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said as Hungary’s potential veto looms”

    No, by all means keep going. It’s working great so far.

    “• Biden Commutes Sentences for Nearly 2,500 Non-Violent Drug Offenders (ET)

    My thought was “Only 2,500? Are they the 2,500 MS13 members while 8,000 normal people wait?” But I’m an optimist like that. It would be way funnier to make Kamala release all drug offenders, including her own. Problem, is she’s sociopath with no conscience and wouldn’t even notice. Convicted, released; guilty, innocent: these words have no meaning for her.

    Here’s one though: make Biden release every prisoner put under Biden’s “Arrest all Black Men” crime bill. That’ll do.

    Power is the capacity to compel loyalty and obedience, under conditions of duress. Authority is the capacity to inspire loyalty and obedience, under conditions where free will obtains — Aimee Terese

    Similarly: rape and consent.

    “The slime trail of crimes he leaves”
    The Slime of Crime.

    “You left your country a wreck in every dimension: in national security, national bankruptcy, national pride, and national confidence. Go back to Delaware and sit in the dim light of your room”

    Not what I want. If crimes were committed – And I think they were – then the law requires to arrest and hang him. With the additional step in his case of open impeachment. Hey, open all the books, lay out all the evidence and let the American people decide.

    Pakistan has the option of ceasing to exist, as impossible as it seems. There is also the prophesy of nuclear happening for no reason in a place no one expects. Although that’s impossible by definition (eg there are only a few nuclear states, easy to expect them all) Pakistan is top contender. You see the map not of Pakistan but their cohesive ethnic states? Kashmir vs Pushtun? Why CAN’T they all go their own way? What DOES the central office of Pakistan confer or add for them? They’re a corrupt, useless, PITA, obviously hating hate people as much or more than here via the President.

    David Bowie was inside, talking about the “Black Sun” and other stuff. Now was he inside trying to get it out, or inside trying to support it? It’s not that simple. These scene is one of those “How much can we reveal” stuff. Now why and how was Twin Peaks made at all? I’m glad it was, but No one got it.

    “Did I miss something or did Kristi Noem spend 2 minutes talking and didn’t even flirt with answering the question she was asked?”

    You win the Prize!! She wins politician of the year! Come on dowwwwwwwn!

    #179684
    kultsommer
    Participant

    Contrary to yesterdays condescending “assertion” that “nobody cares”, apparently RIM do care and posted snippets of man’s thoughts and work.

    This beautiful language called cinema….and the moment it’s over people want turn it into words….despite having all they need to understand the movie.

    Brilliant.

    #179685
    zerosum
    Participant

    USA Arrogance: The meaning of ARROGANCE is an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.
    WAR # 1: Expand NATO
    WAR # 2: Greater Israel
    WAR # 3: Cina
    ————
    HOPE
    https://swentr.site/news/611105-trump-xi-phone-call/
    “President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!”

    • Trump Holds ‘Very Good’ Call With Xi (RT)
    “I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday, adding that “the call was a very good one for both China and the USA.”

    “It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects,” Trump continued. “President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!”
    ————–
    • Trump Must Not Flunk His Litmus Test (Paul Craig Roberts)

    Trump’s litmus test awaits him on the Oval Office desk. The litmus test is the pardon for every one of the wrongly indicted and wrongly prosecuted January 6 Trump supporters–which means all of them–who attended the rally and were persecuted for doing so.

    To help Trump stand by his supporters, Gary Heavin is working with American Patriot Relief, a 501(c)4 foundation and has marshaled private jet airplanes to return to their homes the pardoned from prisons located at great distances from their homes. Volunteers will be waiting outside 75 prisons in 35 states to deliver the J6 patriots to their homes. In cases where imprisonment caused the loss of their homes, housing will be provided until they are back on their feet. Some have suffered so severely at the hands of the most evil regime in American history that permanent care might be needed. The project will work with other January 6 support groups such as J6 Pardon Project, American Gulag Chronicles, Stophate, J6 A Road Home, Stand In The Gap, Patriot Mail Project, Condemned USA. Gary Heavin describes the support efforts that are in place in yesterday’s appearance on Ron Paul’s program.

    https://www.givesendgo.com/FREEDOMSAMBASSADOR
    a massive effort underway to make sure that any January 6th protesters pardoned by incoming President Trump are not simply dropped into the street with no food, clothing, or shelter.
    Across the country – in nearly every state – Americans are mobilizing to help the wrongly detained American political prisoners arrested after January 6th, 2021.

    —————-
    Pardons
    The pardon covered offenses which Hunter “has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024,” a period that extends far beyond the time the gun and tax offenses took place and encompasses Hunter’s time on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma.
    Citing a trove of emails and messages found on Hunter’s laptop in 2020, Republicans accused Hunter of selling access to his father, who was US vice president at the time.

    Outgoing US President Joe Biden reportedly thought about pardoning his successor, Donald Trump, before leaving office, NBC News has reported,
    —————
    He’s, (Biden), likely to pardon himself at the last moment, and pardon a long roster of federal officials who have committed crimes with and behind him.
    One way or another, they are going to be found out, even if many manage to evade prosecution.
    But at least we are going to learn a lot more about who was pulling “Joe’s” strings, and exactly what they did, and how — including the trick of making the news media hostage to their crimes.
    ————

    #179686
    Oroboros
    Participant

    I’m thinking of ‘upping’ my game with an upgrade myself

    Oh the Times They Are a Changin’

    .

    #179687
    phoenixvoice
    Participant

    Biden and all of his “commendable” pardons and commutations…I keep thinking, okay, when will he add in the pre-emotive pardons for all of the Dem lackeys, HRC, etc. He might even throw one in for DJT, to try to blow some smoke to cover pardons for the Dem lackeys. Only 2 days left, so we shall see….

    #179688
    Dr. D
    Participant

    Breaking:

    “Announcement: The Babylon Bee To Shut Down As There Will Be Nothing To Make Fun Of During The Perfect Trump Administration” The Babylon Bee · Jan 17, 2025

    Well, that’s that!

    #179689
    Dr. D
    Participant

    pic
    “Obama To Divorce Michelle After Discovering She’s Actually A Woman” –BBee

    Oh. Snap.

    #179690

    I read Kunstler’s rant with interest. So many good points delivered in original entertaining English as well!

    Whilst I agree with most everything noted, I couldn’t help but comment on the big black gaping hole in his condemnation. Yes, the Gaza genocide situation. He is an ardent supporter of the Israeli Zionist agenda and does not tolerate any light being shone that way.

    Just sayin. Nobody gets it all right all the time I guess. Still, this AE mouse needs to call him out ……

    #179691
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Solving “gender confusion” in the Public Space

    Yeh, it’s gotten that ridiculous

    .

    #179692
    Dr. D
    Participant

    “Gavin Newsom Rushes Into Burning Building To Inform Fire Victim Trump Is Bad “ –BBee

    However, he was not strong enough, so that man better get his own self out.

    “To Avoid Prosecution In Britain, Neil Gaiman Joins Islamic Grooming Gang “

    He started wearing brownface, so it’s all good.

    Trudy
    https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/nationalpost/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/blackface.jpg

    Yes that’s a turban, not a watermelon, if I need to point it out. He can be offensive to two races at once! And the Sikhs! A hat trick!

    SikhandYeShallFine
    https://i.imgflip.com/2588qc.jpg

    Never forget this one though. This was was AFTER the previous 20 dress up black face scandals. He ran this by this Media team, and they said all good. …They’d fit it in between standing ovations for SS Soldiers and the arresting of actual Sikhs who are truck drivers.

    #179693
    Oroboros
    Participant

    An observation on the Ritual Humiliation of the core tenets of a culture like the Empire of Lies

    Politics is downstream from Culture, Politics flows from Culture, politics reflects Culture, it doesn’t produce it.

    “Politics’ trying to produce Culture is Tyranny

    .

    #179700
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Regardless of the merits of the claim, the graffiti has changed quite a bit from my youth.

    In my day it would have said something like:

    “Call Sally for a good time 785-3469”

    .

    #179701
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Speaking of Politics & Culture

    .

    #179702
    Oroboros
    Participant

    A Deep Cultural Truism

    Even little kids get it before the brainwashing of Public School

    .

    #179703
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Cultural Devolution Produces Dependency

    .

    #179704
    Oroboros
    Participant

    Somethings only change slightly over time

    .

    #179705
    Oroboros
    Participant

    A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

    A good Meme is worth a thousand pictures

    .

    #179706
    Noirette
    Participant

    What is going on with Jared K. ?

    As Ceasefire Nears, Jared Kushner’s New Investments Could Boost Israeli Settlements.

    “Just before the Israel-Hamas war ceasefire deal, Donald Trump’s son-in-law doubled his stake in an Israeli firm that stands to gain from expanding Israeli settlements.”

    Jan 16, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/bv86fmw

    Albania approves luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner’s company.

    Jan 16, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/mufsvhvs

    Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners and Eagle Hills have agreed to build a luxury hotel and apartment complex in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade

    https://tinyurl.com/mufsvhvs

    Sazan Island. https://tinyurl.com/yc6my9nc

    more….Idk…

    #179707
    Dr. D
    Participant

    You know I follow local prophesy, so here’s an important one if you’re in Greece:

    https ://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zHKwE-fCJFg (didn’t show)

    Now this is the 80s and 90s, but there are a handful of others back though time.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Sower_(novel)
    “Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower Written in 1993, it takes place in 2025 with raging fires in LA, and a new elected dictator, whose motto is “Make America Great Again”.

    #179708
    kultsommer
    Participant

    Jesse Ventura’s deep thoughts that came with the age, as he had said. Of course it is impossible to implement it but many of us have to admit, deep inside, that he has a point. Think of it what you will.

    #179709
    Michael Reid
    Participant

    #179710
    WES
    Participant

    When the loss of our freedoms began:

    Remember when the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall fell?
    That is the very moment, when we started to lose our new freedoms!

    How are these two events connected together?

    As long as the threat of communiism existed, our masters had to constantly bribe us with ever greater freedoms.
    Once the Iron Curtain fell, our masters no longer felt the need to let us be free.

    Instead, our masters, have been steadily removing our freedoms, one by one.
    They have been busy imposing new laws to increase their level of control over our lives.

    Today, we live in an ever increasing government/corporate fascist dictatorship.

    #179711
    WES
    Participant

    TicTok:

    It looks like TicTok is going dark on Sunday.
    Not even Zerohedge is mentioning this event.
    Just another loss of freedom.

    #179717
    poppie
    Participant

    It was a long private conversation so no details here. Mr Kuntsler and I argued for days on the morals of zionism. It may have ended as a draw. I will read his work if Ilargi prints it. No other. And I will never mention it again.

    #179718
    poppie
    Participant

    But if you have a zionist friend that likes to start the calendar at whatever point looks bad for palestine. Ask them how many terrorist attacks were there prior to Londons Mandate For Palestine in 1920.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_Palestine

    #179719
    D Benton Smith
    Participant

    @poppie

    But if you have Zionist friend that likes to start the calendar at whatever point looks bad for Palestine. Ask them how many terrorist attacks were there prior to London’s Mandate For Palestine in 1920.

    James Kunstler’s cherry picking start dates that support his repellant opinion doesn’t come as much of a surprise. He probably includes some false or misleading purported facts into his argument as well, not to mention a few true facts that get routinely omitted. That’s the expected behavior of people when they’re wrong. They hide it any way they can. If they stand stand to lose something by admitting the truth, they lie about it. That’s humans for ya. The only solution with any chance of success is to just keep calling them out and keep rubbing their noses in the facts. Think of it as a war of attrition against bullshit.

    #179720
    Michael Reid
    Participant

    #179721
    zerosum
    Participant

    Reaching the Debt Ceiling result in no more/increase of spending.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/her-last-official-act-yellen-warns-us-will-hit-debt-ceiling-one-day-after-trump
    In Her Last Official Act, Yellen Warns US Will Hit Debt Ceiling One Day After Trump Inauguration
    And speaking of debt issuance suspension, total US debt will now remain frozen at around $36.2 trillion for the next ~6 months, until the next debt deal is reached, at which point the debt issuance will “catch up” to where it was supposed to be, and surge by almost $2 trillion overnight.
    While nothing new to those familiar with the periodic song and dance when the US enters its debt ceiling crunch, Yellen advised that the Treasury’s extraordinary measures would begin by redeeming a portion of, and suspending full investments in, the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund. It will also suspend additional investments of amounts credited to the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund.
    Those funds will be made whole after Congress acts on the debt ceiling, Yellen said.
    She gave no indication how long the accounting measures and Treasury’s cash balance would last.

    https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/yellen%20last%20letter%20to%20congress.jpg?itok=6ORHsjrS
    ———-

    #179722
    Dr D Rich
    Participant

    You first have to get to first…..organically I suppose.
    Oh God
    Why did I read it when I promised myself not to?

    Here’s Glenn Greenwald nuancing for, of course, Tulsi Forelock Gabbard.
    Damn, I didn’t mean nuancing. I meant preapologizing for The White Forelock’s 702 Nuance.
    Don’t be disappointed just yet.
    Give it a chance.
    Never be a negative nabob of negativity becoz I heard yesterday some guy thinks pessimism is tantamount to propaganda…paraphrased of course.

    Shit’s getting deep in ‘Har’.

    #179723
    zerosum
    Participant

    Ding,Ding,Ding,Ding
    Let Doge shutdown the government, and those laid-off can get Unemployment Insurance.
    🙂

    #179724
    aspnaz
    Participant

    Elon Musk lying about being a brilliant video game player ,,, how insecure and weak. He’s an insecure crook, but he will fix your government. Who is he working for?

    #179725
    Michael Reid
    Participant

    #179726
    WES
    Participant

    Dr. D. Rich:

    We both know there are many folks who are better qualified for various positions in government than the current nominated folks are.

    I think the problem we both run up against is that Washington/Ottawa are cities full of corrupt criminals who like nothing better to do, than to run honest folks out of town on the rails.
    Only like thinking criminals, are welcomed!

    So, if somebody is way better qualified for a government position, they are also probably smart enough to know that there is no personal upside for them or their family and love ones.
    You won’t enjoy trying to work with these government swamp creatures.
    They all want to drowned you in the swamp!

    So rightly, good people steer well clear of swamps like Washington/Ottawa for all the right reasons!

    Since politics is a blood sport, a rational normal person will say life is too short to put up with such sh*t!

    So we are sadly left with only the hammer wielding phyco monkeys to chose from.

    As my Father used to say, the only honest politician is a broke one!

    #179729
    zerosum
    Participant

    I expect Democrats senators to vote for the unqualified.

    #179758
    John Day
    Participant

    @aspnaz: My son in law, a video-gamer, said the same thing last week, about a video of Musk obviously faking his play on a new and difficult/complex video game. He was a novice, claiming to be an advanced master of the game, which was painfully obvious.

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