Fra Filippo Lippi The Virgin Mary 1450-65
Putin: who even are you?
https://twitter.com/i/status/1709967555668881522
Putin Germany
Putin on the resumption of gas supplies to Germany via Nord Stream: One branch of Nord Stream 2 is being preserved. It is intact and can supply 27.5 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe. This is only the decision of the German government. Do not need anything else. Today is… pic.twitter.com/cMCycRoU0n
— Victor vicktop55 (@vicktop55) October 5, 2023
Macgregor
The American Military is inflicted with stage 4 cancer, much like the political structure and I would argue the economy as well.
Most of the people at the top are among the least impressive I can remember is all the years I have served.pic.twitter.com/2ccbA9d5c6
— Douglas Macgregor (@DougAMacgregor) October 6, 2023
Biden past
Biden has been lying for decades. How did he become President? WATCH pic.twitter.com/VxmuDtH6sf
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) October 5, 2023
Yank my licence
https://twitter.com/i/status/1709882701799428571
Mar-a-Lago 1986
New York AG Letitia James Has Officially Valued Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Home At $25 Million But Back In 1980 The Media Said The Property Was So Expensive Not Even The United States Government Could Afford It…
“During the 70s, the federal government held it as a presidential… pic.twitter.com/YGbMEyz0lw
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) October 6, 2023
Greg Price: Just so we’re keeping score: The Biden DOJ is suing SpaceX for not hiring refugees, the DOJ and SEC are investigating Tesla, the EEOC is also suing Tesla, the FTC demanded @elonmusk hand over internal Twitter comms and the SEC is now investigating Elon’s purchase of Twitter.
Travis_in_Flint: Judge Engoron has ordered that Trump and members of his family must disclose all entities they own to a court monitor. The court monitor is Bill Clinton appointed former Judge Barbara Jones. NY AG Leticia James and Judge Engoron are able to work together and completely take control over the assets of Donald Trump and his two sons for a simple civil infraction when he doesn’t even get a day in court or present and defense. This is the worst case of injustice we’ve witnessed in this country. If they can do this to a former President and his family, imagine what they’ll do to you!
leslibless: Biased NYC Dem Judge Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over Trumps civil trial, just blocked Trump & his family from transferring their money or property to any entities. They also must provide a list by next week of every entity they own and to ‘what extent any third party may have in ownership or interests of their entities.’ This is a complete abomination of the Justice system!
“The Kiev regime – headed by a Nazi-saluting Jewish puppet president – has committed atrocity after atrocity to smear Russia, thanks to the indulgence of the Western propaganda media.”
• Biden Calls for More War, Putin Calls for Peaceful World (SCF Op-ed)
Ukraine’s slaughter is the culmination of this historical destructive process. The association between Western self-proclaimed “democracies” and a corrupt NeoNazi regime in Kiev is the ultimate organic outcome of the fascism that lies at the heart of Western imperialism, with its pseudo-liberal face. The present conflict in Ukraine is the historical nemesis of Western imperialist power. The Second World War was but a punctuation mark that lapsed into the Cold War and eventually its revival which the world is now being subjected to again. President Putin presented a positive and hopeful vision of the world this week during a speech delivered at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi. He portrayed “harmonious coexistence” and peace based on principles of equality and justice between nations. In that regard, Putin was reiterating the foundational vision of the United Nations established in 1945 following the devastation of the Second World War.
“The Ukraine crisis is not a territorial conflict,” said Putin. “The issue is much broader and more fundamental and is about the principles underlying the new international order.” Biden and his Western vassals and their mendacious media keep repeating the baseless lie that Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine is an “unprovoked aggression”. This narrative is a brazen denial of the history of the CIA-backed coup in Kiev in 2014 and the NATO weaponization of a NeoNazi regime that was killing ethnic Russians in former Ukraine for nine years. The Kiev regime – headed by a Nazi-saluting Jewish puppet president – has committed atrocity after atrocity to smear Russia, thanks to the indulgence of the Western propaganda media. The Bucha massacre in March 2022, the missile attacks on Kramatorsk in April 2022, Poland in November 2022, and in Konstantinovka last month.
This week saw a massacre of 51 people in the village of Hroza in Kharkov region that was immediately blamed on Russia, but which has the hallmarks of another Kiev false-flag provocation. This is the kind of filthy and fiendish regime that epitomizes the U.S.-led NATO war machine. Putin laid out clearly how a peaceful international order can be achieved by repudiating “artificial geopolitical associations” and Cold War-style “blocs” being “forced onto the world”. “Lasting peace will only be possible when everyone feels safe and secure, understands that their opinions are respected and that there is a balance in the world where no one can unilaterally force or compel others to live or behave as a hegemon pleases even when it contradicts the sovereignty, genuine interests, traditions, or customs of peoples and countries,” said the Russian president.
Putin added: “Russia was, is and will be one of the foundations of this new world system, ready for constructive interaction with everyone who strives for peace and prosperity, but ready for tough opposition against those who profess the principles of dictatorship and violence. We believe that pragmatism and common sense will prevail, and a multipolar world will be established.” The world is literally changing before our eyes and by our own hands, as Putin also noted. The emergence of a multipolar world, the G20, the BRICS+, and so on, are the fulfilment of a vision for international peace, justice, sovereignty, equality and development.
“When Uncle Sam does a runner, and he will, the game is finally up for him and all his vassals. The great unravelling of Western imperialist power is underway and is accelerating.”
• And So It Begins… The Great Unravelling (Finian Cunningham)
The biggest fear among America’s vassals in Europe, Canada, Japan and elsewhere is that Washington will abruptly jettison the failed proxy war in Ukraine. Not out of principle, but rather political expediency, thereby leaving them high and dry. The United States and the European Union have committed up to $200 billion in military and other economic aid to Ukraine since the conflict with Russia erupted 20 months ago in February 2022. Europe has been impacted much more badly than the U.S. from the loss of Russia’s energy supplies and from the influx of millions of Ukrainian refugees. Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, asserts that Europe will continue to support Ukraine even if the United States were to halt its aid. Borrell is indulging in delusional fantasy.
Already European NATO members are becoming leery and reluctant about the endless financial largesse doled out to prop up the corrupt Kiev regime. Hungary and now Slovakia are vowing to cut off the weapons supply and other funding. Mass protests are occurring in Germany and other EU countries against the NATO-fueled war. European political leaders are increasingly seen as feckless Yes-Men for Washington and betraying their national interests. Biden and the warmongering U.S. establishment are deeply committed to the proxy war against Russia. The war function is the engine of American capitalism and imperialist ambitions. But if the economy is fundamentally broken – and it surely is with an unsustainable $33 trillion national debt – the reality of bankruptcy and political/public opposition becomes untenable.
Biden’s “assurances” to the NATO vassals are embarrassingly worthless after he was blindsided by the ensuing chaos in his own Congress. The American president is in no position to pledge anything. The Pentagon and the European militaries are also complaining they don’t have any more weapons to give to Ukraine, their arsenals having been depleted by reckless donations to the squandering, incompetent Kiev regime. The already nervy Europeans and other NATO partners are no doubt having flashbacks of the treacherous way that Biden and Washington abruptly and unilaterally pulled the plug on Afghanistan. The NATO allies were stunned by that fast move to exit the quagmire. Biden didn’t even give them a heads-up, never mind consulting with them.
For eight decades after the Second World War, NATO and later the European Union were always a handy vehicle for American imperialism. The vassals were held together by the relative strength of the U.S. empire. That empire is now unravelling from endless wars, bankruptcy and endemic corruption in Washington. The last episode of the historic failure is being played out in the fraudulent proxy war in Ukraine – sold to the Western public by the lying mainstream media as yet another “noble cause” to allegedly defend democracy (how absurd!). The ultimate degeneracy is evident from the “moralizing”, “superior” Western powers being found in bed with a Nazi regime. And along with that degeneracy, financial debts are off the charts and a grievous insult to the onerous democratic needs of the Western public. When Uncle Sam does a runner, and he will, the game is finally up for him and all his vassals. The great unravelling of Western imperialist power is underway and is accelerating.
“There’s no situation when something can threaten the existence of the Russian state. No sane person would consider the use of nuclear weapons against Russia.”
• Putin and the Magic Multipolar Mountain (Pepe Escobar)
It was clear to the overwhelming majority of analysts at Valdai that the concept of Russian civilization is an “existential challenge” to the collective West. Especially because it includes, historically, the radical universality of the Soviet Union. Now is time for Russian thinkers to work hard on refining the internationalist aspect. Alexander Prokhanov came up with another startling formulation. He compared the Russian dream with a cathedral on the top of a hill, whereas the Anglo-Saxon dream is a fortress on the top of the hill, engaged in constant surveillance. And if you misbehave, you “will receive some Tomahawks”.
The conclusion: “We will always be in conflict with the West”. So what? The future, as I discussed off the record with Grandmaster Sergey Karaganov, one of the founders of Valdai, is in the East. And it was Karaganov who arguably posed the most challenging question to Putin. He stressed how nuclear deterrence does not work anymore. So should we lower the nuclear threshold?” Putin replied, “I am well aware of your position. Let me remind you the Russian military doctrine has two reasons for the possible use of nuclear weapons. The first is if nuclear weapons are used against us – as retaliation. The response is absolutely unacceptable for any potential aggressor.
Because from the moment a missile launch is detected, no matter where it comes from – anywhere in the world’s oceans or from any territory – in a retaliatory strike, so many, so many hundreds of our missiles appear in the air that no enemy will have a chance of survival, and in several directions at once.” The second reason is “a threat to the existence of the Russian state even if only conventional weapons are used.” And then came the clincher – actually a veiled message to the characters whose dream is “victory” via a first strike: “Do we need to change that? Why? I see no point. There’s no situation when something can threaten the existence of the Russian state. No sane person would consider the use of nuclear weapons against Russia.”
“..the sobering moment when all the preposterous, mendacious, criminally insane propositions of recent years stand nakedly exposed. That’s when “Joe Biden” begins to be seen as a dancing skeleton.”
• Comes the Dancing Skeleton (Kunstler)
This Halloween month, America looks super-busy preparing for the death of something, maybe itself. Surely many now live in terror of the malevolent blob that the US government has become, led by a very paragon of ghouls, “Joe Biden.” This week, the blob declared in a “leak” to Newsweek magazine, that supporters of Donald Trump, the Golden Golem of Greatness, are now officially deemed to be enemies of the state. So, the blob that has lately subsumed the state, explicitly targets Trumpists (the MAGA crowd) for wholesale persecution, cancellation, de-personing, and incarceration. That is, opponents of the blob regime organizing for the coming election will be systematically neutralized and / or liquidated, taken off the game-board one way or another, by any means necessary.
The blobistas would do well to take heed of those Halloween lawn displays. A stupendous, howling rage is building across this land in revolt against the blob’s monumental insults to a once proud and productive people. Soon, that plastic totem army of stock mythological monsters cavorting in the front yards will be superseded by real flesh-and-blood Americans aiming to shred the blob and scatter its quivering tatters to the four winds — as John F. Kennedy once remarked of the CIA in 1962, before it killed him in retaliation.
Coincidentally, a scion of the JFK generation now running for president on an as-yet-to-be-specified independent party seeks to do exactly what his uncle promised to do. As you gaze on this developing battlefield, you will now see two sizable armies marshaling against the unholy hosts of blobbery — Mr. Trump’s MAGAs and Bobby Kennedy’s emerging division representing the old stoic virtues betrayed by vicious blob tyrants. The plausible outcomes on this battlefield are in flux thirteen months before the election. But it looks a little like the blob is outflanked; hence, its growing desperation.
The psychodrama in the House of Representatives this week looked like a possible inflection point in the blob’s war against the American people. Mr. Gaetz evicted the quisling Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a rather brave gambit, opening up the possibility of unifying his party against the programmatic wickedness of the post-Covid-19 era — the suicidal spending, the insane and unnecessary Ukraine proxy war, traitorous refusal to control the southern border, the official DOJ lawfare waged against half the citizenry, the disgusting official censorship campaign, and the ongoing criminal conspiracy between the pharma companies, the US public health officialdom, and shadowy globalist forces embedded in the World Health Organization, the World Economic Forum, and scores of sinister multinational organizations ranging from George Soros’s Atlantic Council to the Sinaloa Cartel.
In the background of all that — a true-life horror — lies the crumbling bond market, the foundation of the money-and-banking system that is supposed to support the on-the-ground economy that produces things of value like food and roofing shingles. The bond market is wobbling badly. As rates rise, banks’ collateral melts away and they go bust, liquidation moves to stock markets, derivatives implode, and the vast reservoirs of capital vanish. There’s your stealth true Halloween psychodrama sneaking up on the scene. Gradually, then all at once, the quarreling nation finds itself stone broke, and even the blob shrinks from the scene in horror. It will be hard to gaslight the country anymore when that happens. That will be the sobering moment when all the preposterous, mendacious, criminally insane propositions of recent years stand nakedly exposed. That’s when “Joe Biden” begins to be seen as a dancing skeleton.
“ust imagine powerful missiles hitting 300 kilometers deep inside Russian territory. Do you think that the Russian president and military will be calmly watching this?”
“Once again, some fools think they’ll stay safe across the ocean..”
• US Escalation Pushes Russia To Take Extreme Measures – Lukashenko (TASS)
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said that escalation on the part of the United States is pushing Russia to use extreme measures. “The fanning of tensions and escalation will lead to a situation where they [Russia] will take the red button and put it on the table,” Lukashenko said during a visit to the Defense Ministry’s training facility Resistance Node in the Brest Region, the Telegram channel Pul_1, close to the presidential press service reports. It explains that the Belarusian leader thus pointed out it was the United States that was pushing Russia to use extreme measures. He has an impression that the Americans are “pushing the Russians to use the most terrible weapons.”
“Vladimir Zelensky and his army may be armed with long-range missiles. Let it be even those with a range of 300 kilometers. Just imagine powerful missiles hitting 300 kilometers deep inside Russian territory. Do you think that the Russian president and military will be calmly watching this?” Lukashenko asked. The BelTA news agency quotes him as saying “the response will be colossal.” “Once again, some fools think they’ll stay safe across the ocean. They’ll drag the whole world into this grave war,” the Belarusian leader warned. Earlier, Lukashenko urged the US and Europe not to supply modern weapons to Ukraine. He emphasized that it was the US that had initiated all military conflicts in the European region and benefited from them.
“..the US’ 45-day budget solution, which does not include aid for Ukraine, means Kiev will not be able to continue the hostilities and will lead to the “fall of the regime.”
• Ukrainian Forces Acknowledge Total Dependence On US (TASS)
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are totally dependent on the US, and further arms shipments are extremely necessary, says Ukrainian General Staff Colonel Gennady Kovalenko. On Thursday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky connected Washington’s reduction in support to Kiev to the growing “political storm” in the US and urged EU nations to act independently in these circumstances. However, EU High Representative Josep Borrell has already said that the EU will not be able to compensate for the aid suspended by the US. “We are 100% dependent on the United States,” Kovalenko told The Washington Post. According to the colonel, the Ukrainian Army requires continued and probably even expanded arms shipments from the US, as he believes hostilities are not likely to end any time soon.
Meanwhile, the former Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavel Klimkin told the newspaper that regular Ukrainians are tired of the conflict. According to the ex-minister, in 2022, the Ukrainian people were gung-ho going into the conflict, but now everyone realizes that the hostilities are being carried out to attrition. Western media increasingly frequently report that Kiev’s allies are growing weary of Ukraine, and in particular of leader Vladimir Zelensky. On October 4, Le Monde noted that the “Zelensky magic” is fading, as his words now either fall on deaf ears or annoy partners who are tired of hearing that they are not giving enough. During the October 4 Warsaw Security Forum, Chair of the NATO Military Committee Rob Bauer stated that the stockpile of weapons for Ukraine is running out. Meanwhile, some analysts say that the US’ 45-day budget solution, which does not include aid for Ukraine, means Kiev will not be able to continue the hostilities and will lead to the “fall of the regime.”
Zero corruption in Ukraine. It’s all just a story.
• Juncker Spreads ‘Russian Narrative’ – Zelensky (RT)
Allegations of rampant corruption in Ukraine are a “Russian narrative” designed to erode Western support for Kiev, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky claimed on Friday. Speaking after the summit of the bloc’s leaders in the Spanish city of Granada, Zelensky accused former president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, of spreading Russian propaganda about Ukraine. Earlier this week, Juncker said Ukraine was plagued by corruption “at all levels of society” and should not be accepted into the bloc any time soon. Zelensky insisted that “not a single dollar was stolen from our partners” amid the conflict with Russia, but admitted that there were “different people and cases.”
“First of all, it is the well-known Russian narrative about corruption. They understand that they cannot split the overall unity of Europe and support for Ukraine. The US and its intelligence services learned about the roots of the idea, how to undermine society, support in the world,” Zelensky said. Instead of spreading the purported “Russian narrative” about Ukraine’s corruption, Juncker should have personally done more for Ukraine, Zelensky suggested. “That is of no interest for him? Now he decided to write some Russian narratives since everyone has forgotten who he is? I think it’s stupid,” Zelensky said.
Juncker, who chaired the European Commission between 2014 and 2019, made the controversial remarks in an interview with Germany’s Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper, published earlier this week. He argued that Ukraine should undergo “massive” reforms before it can join the EU, while Brussels “should not make any false promises to the people in Ukraine who are up to their neck in suffering.” “Those who have dealt with Ukraine know that this is a country that is corrupt at all levels of society,” Juncker had said.
Either backtrack or look stupid.
• Von der Leyen Backtracks On Ukraine Pledge (RT)
Countries aspiring to join the EU must follow the “merit-based” accession process and reach the milestones outlined by the bloc’s rules, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday. The EU chief made the remarks during a press conference following a summit of the bloc’s leaders in the Spanish city of Granada. Von der Leyen touched upon the accession process of prospective members, stating that all of them must follow due procedures. “The process is merit-based,” the EU Commission head explained. “There are clear rules, there are milestones that have to be achieved.” Such a stance was included in the joint declaration that was adopted during the summit.
While the document reiterated the bloc’s readiness to “continue to support Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes,” it also warned that potential new members will be given no shortcuts during the accession process. “Aspiring members need to step up their reform efforts, notably in the area of rule of law, in line with the merit-based nature of the accession process and with the assistance of the EU. In parallel, the Union needs to lay the necessary internal groundwork and reforms,” the declaration reads. While the document did not provide any timeframe for when an expansion will actually happen, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, said the bloc should be ready to expand by 2030.
“What’s important is to stop procrastinating,” he said during the press conference. The remarks by the top EU officials come in contrast to earlier statements about the prospects for Ukraine’s accession. In mid-September, for instance, von der Leyen said Ukraine would “complete” the bloc and claimed that the move would not necessarily require an amendment to the Treaties of the European Union, the legal foundation for its existence. Joining the EU has been a key talking point for pro-West Ukrainian politicians for decades, yet little actual progress on that path was achieved before the conflict between Kiev and Moscow broke out in February 2022.
However, the hostilities have seemingly re-invigorated the process, with top Ukraine officials repeatedly demanding the country be accepted into the bloc as soon as possible due to its perceived role in defending the EU from an allegedly looming Russian invasion. However, in recent weeks, numerous current and former EU officials have warned against fast-tracking Ukraine’s admission, arguing, for various reasons, that it might do more harm than good to the bloc itself. Perhaps the most damning opinion was voiced by Jean-Claude Juncker, a former president of the European Commission, who argued that Ukraine was simply way too corrupt to join the EU anytime soon. “Those who have dealt with Ukraine know that this is a country that is corrupt at all levels of society,” Juncker said in an interview with Germany’s Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper.
“..amazement over Polish politicians’ apparent willingness to be led along like sheep..”
• Backing Ukraine Bid for EU Membership Simply Suicidal – Polish Journo (Sp.)
Anonymous diplomats told media this week that Brussels is preparing to kick off formal talks on Ukraine’s accession into the European Union, with an announcement on the matter expected as soon as December. The news has prompted senior serving and former EU officials to give contradictory views on the potential consequences of such a radical move. Ukrainian membership in the EU would fundamentally undermine Poland’s economic interests and constitute a form of political suicide, independent Polish journalist and commentator Lukasz Warzecha has warned. “Please imagine this: in a few years, in the perspective new budget, Poles will be made to pay not only gigantic amounts of money due to the EU’s absurd climate policy, but be informed that tens of billions of euros’ worth of our money will be flowing to Ukraine, which will be our direct rival in the bloc,” Warzecha wrote. “The course of supporting Ukrainian membership is simply suicidal, and goes against Polish interests. Moreover, these is no trace of debate on the matter in our country,” the journalist added.
Pointing to media revelations this week that the EU would have to dole out €186 billion to Kiev to fill the massive holes in Ukraine’s budget if it became an EU member, which would turn Eastern European net recipients of EU aid into donors, Warzecha expressed amazement over Polish politicians’ apparent willingness to be led along like sheep, “without a trace of reflection about the consequences for Poland, to immediately begin to support Ukraine’s admission, which would bring the greatest benefit for Germany.” Warzecha’s warning comes amid reports that EU leaders plan to green light talks for Ukraine’s accession into the European Union, and news that the bloc may be preparing to unfreeze €13 billion euros in monies owed to Hungary by Brussels over a “rule of law” dispute, in exchange for Hungarian support for Kiev. Budapest has called the blockage of funds attempted “blackmail.”
I think the opposite is happening. Finally people are standing up against RINOs.
• McCarthy Mutiny Reveals Cracks in Constellation of Pro-Trump Universe (RCW)
While lining up support for his bid for speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago, all but endorsed Donald Trump, and sat with congressional allies of the former president. The California Republican spoke admirably of Trump, who offered his blessing at the 11th hour earlier this year and who had even bestowed on him a not entirely negative nickname. But when the McCarthy mutiny began in earnest, Trump didn’t ride to the rescue of “My Kevin.” The larger pro-Trump constellation was split as the right flank ran McCarthy out of office: Some groups condemned the mutiny, at least one worked behind the scenes to pull it off, but most said nothing as the latest populist vacuum enveloped the Grand Old Party.
For his part, the former president only offered tepid support, writing in a social media post: “Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves, why aren’t they fighting the Radical Left Democrats who are destroying our country?” The statement did nothing to quell passions, and it didn’t give Republicans on Capitol Hill any indication of what Trump preferred. Some insisted he was more candid in private. His conversations, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz told Laura Ingraham on Fox News, “I’m going to keep to us, but I think I’m in pretty good stead with the former president.” Added the architect of the McCarthy mutiny, “You will see me on the campaign trail with him soon.” Just hours earlier, Gaetz filed a motion to vacate. With the unanimous support of Democrats and eight Republicans, it passed 216 to 210.
McCarthy became the first speaker removed from office. He lasted nine months. Even Stephen Miller had warned Republicans not to do this. Miller worked in the Trump White House as a senior advisor, and the founder of America First Legal remains close to the former president. His message to those mulling the mutiny: “I understand all the emotions that are playing out right now.” But Miller added during the interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, “For the love of God, we are losing this country, and we are losing it fast.” Miller and others stressed the most basic political reality: Republicans only control the House. With a slim majority, hardliners would “have to agree to spending levels you might not like, but to get the policy that you want.”
This kind of compromise was untenable for Russ Vought, a former White House colleague and ideological ally of Miller. It was Vought’s ultra-conservative Center for Renewing America that served as a nerve center for the foot soldiers of the first McCarthy mutiny. It was Vought who handed rank-and-file conservatives a strategy used to force McCarthy into making key concessions to become speaker. Less than 24 hours after the midterms failed to produce a wide majority for Republicans, he said that the hardline House Freedom Caucus “was made for this moment.” In the weeks that followed, CRA offered both parliamentary advice and public cover for the revolt.
“What is ironic is to watch Amanpour and Clinton denounce the right for reckless rhetoric and anti-democratic sentiments as they voice voice intolerant and inflammatory views.”
• Deprogramming the “Deplorables”: Hillary Clinton (Turley)
Hillary Clinton has caused another stir by suggesting that the millions of Trump supporters may require a “formal deprogramming” in a CNN interview. It was a moment clearly enjoyed by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, who previously suggested that the FBI should have stopped Trump from making certain campaign statements. Even former FBI Director James Comey balked at Amanpour’s suggested censorship. Now, Amanpour has clearly found a kindred spirit. My concern over the comment is less whether Hillary Clinton is serious. (I really do not know). I am more concerned by the continued reckless rhetoric from national leaders. I previously objected to other comments by Trump. Yet, the media rarely applies the same level of scrutiny to such comments or personal attacks from figures on the left.
Discussing the recent vacating of the position of the Speaker by all of the Democrats and eight Republicans, Clinton said that Democrats had to groom selected Republicans while treating the rest as sick cultists: “[S]adly, so many of those extremists, those MAGA extremists take their marching orders from Donald Trump, who has no credibility left by any measure. He’s only in it for himself. He’s now defending himself in civil actions and criminal actions. And when do they break with him? Because at some point, you know, maybe there needs to be a formal deprogramming of the cult members, but something needs to happen.” It appears that the “basket of deplorables” are now a cabal of cultists due to “emotional, psychological needs and desires.”
Amanpour was clearly bemused by the suggestion, but the combination of the two is chilling for those of us concerned about free speech in this age of rage. Many countries have historically treated dissenters as mentally ill or requiring reeducation. The media has long embraced the need to educate the public to accept its views. Former President Barack Obama joined a number of journalists in discussing how to reeducate the public. Obama denounced “anger-based journalism while promoting an advocacy-journalism model in which the media shape the news for citizens who supposedly need help to properly frame ideas. The fact that Amanpour elicited these comments only magnified the unease over the underlying intolerance for opposing viewpoints. In an interview with James Comey, Amanpour pressed Comey on why the FBI did not “shut down” President Donald Trump’s “hate speech” during the 2016 presidential election.
Comey correctly pushed back on Amanpour by noting that she was suggesting something grossly improper and unconstitutional: “That’s not a role for government to play. The beauty of this country is people can say what they want even if it’s misleading and it’s demagoguery.” Neither CNN nor Amanpour ever addressed a CNN host suggesting the use of the FBI to shutdown political debate. Now, however, Amanpour has found a leader who is willing to treat political opponents as sick cultists. The sense of smug superiority is precisely why Hillary remains one of the least popular political figures in America. What is ironic is to watch Amanpour and Clinton denounce the right for reckless rhetoric and anti-democratic sentiments as they voice voice intolerant and inflammatory views.
Video here: pic.twitter.com/nzjiofCdP2
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) October 6, 2023
Back to the plea deal the judge laughed out of court.
• Hunter Biden Claims Immunity, Seeks Dismissal of Federal Gun Charges (Sp.)
Hunter Biden, the businessman son of US President Joe Biden, has pleaded not guilty to federal gun charges, telling the judge he would seek their dismissal due to an earlier plea agreement. The charges allege Biden lied to the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) by claiming he had no addiction, when he was actually struggling with a cocaine habit. Biden faces a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted on all three charges. According to a Thursday filing in a Delaware US District Court, Biden’s lawyers argued that a July plea deal or “diversion agreement that both parties signed remains in force, and he will seek to dismiss the indictment against him pursuant to the immunity provisions of that agreement.”
Officials further argue that special counsel David Weiss was only “permitted to bring” one charge against Biden: the misdemeanor tax charges that have already been dismissed as a consequence of the collapse of the plea deal.
“If the special counsel no longer wishes to pursue that charge, it has the right to do that,” Biden’s lawyers wrote. According to that deal, Biden would have pleaded guilty to two tax misdemeanors and entered a diversion program on the gun charge, in which he would have performed community service and accepted other limitations, such as a curfew, for a duration of time. It would also have given him broad immunity from further charges.After two years of probation, the deal would have expunged Biden’s record. However, Weiss argued in another filing on Wednesday that the “proposed diversion agreement” hadn’t been signed by a court official, so “it did not enter into effect.” Pre-trial motions are set for November 3, although it’s unclear when Biden’s next court appearance will be booked. The trial has begun amid a congressional impeachment investigation focused in part on the relationship between President Biden and Hunter Biden’s business life and suspicions about unethical behavior. No charges have been recommended in the probe thus far.
A nothingburger the size of a submarine.
• Trump Accused of Leaking Submarine Secrets (RT)
Former US President Donald Trump has reportedly been accused of discussing sensitive information about the nation’s nuclear submarines while chatting with an Australian businessman at his Mar-a-Lago country club in Florida. The conversation with billionaire Anthony Pratt occurred in April 2021, three months after Trump left office, and it allegedly included references to how many warheads US submarines carry and how close they can get to a Russian vessel without being detected, ABC News reported on Thursday. Pratt, who runs packaging company Pratt Industries, allegedly shared the information with more than a dozen Australian officials, as well as journalists and some of his employees, the outlet said, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.
ABC conceded that it’s not clear whether Trump’s comments about US submarines were accurate; nor did the outlet’s anonymous sources specifically claim that the information was classified. However, US prosecutors and FBI agents have interviewed Pratt at least twice this year about his conversation with Trump, and investigators urged the businessman not to spread the information any further because it was potentially sensitive. The allegations were reported to US special counsel Jack Smith’s team of investigators. Smith is prosecuting Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents and has filed a separate indictment against the ex-president for trying to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election. The indictment on handling of classified documents didn’t include any allegations related to Trump’s conversation with Pratt.
Earlier this year, CNN aired a recording of Trump allegedly discussing US military secrets at his New Jersey country club. The outlet also reported in May that Trump had admitted to retaining a classified document detailing the US military’s plans for a potential attack on Iran. Pratt, a Mar-a-Lago member, told investigators that he was trying to make conversation with Trump when he brought up US nuclear submarines. The billionaire suggested that Australia should start buying its submarines from the US. Trump responded by making claims about the capabilities of the US vessels. Pratt added that Trump didn’t show him any government documents.
The conversation came at a time when Australia was negotiating with President Joe Biden’s administration to buy US nuclear-powered submarines. The deal was completed earlier this year, with Australia agreeing to purchase three of the subs. Pratt said he told others about the conversation with Trump to show how he was advocating for Australia’s interests in the US. A Trump spokesperson denied any wrongdoing on the former president’s part, ABC reported. The accusations concerning the conversation with Pratt lack “proper context and relevant information,” the spokesperson said.
Sources tell CBS News there is no indication former President Trump shared sensitive records with an Australian billionaire + no charges have been filed by the Special Counsel through their alleged discussion about US Nuclear subs was investigated. pic.twitter.com/oPvDIpyeNN
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) October 7, 2023
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