Book on my Service in Vietnam, Written in 1996


From the Introduction in the book …

The following account is written from notes I made while in the hospital in San Antonio recovering from wounds I received while in Vietnam and from communications I had with 5th Special Forces Group when I was stationed at Fort Campbell in 1968 and 1969. More recently I read several books on Vietnam (in 1992), listed in the Bibliography, which aided me in the geography of the area and which put the fighting I was involved with in Phuc Long Province in context of what was happening in the country as a whole.

In 1993 I joined the Special Forces Association, Cleveland Chapter XLV, and I am currently the Secretary of the Cleveland chapter. Some of the former SF troopers in that organization read drafts of this account and helped me to clarify this work (especially the parts relating to operations in Vietnam) prior to the final copy. Their help was greatly appreciated.

In 1994 the Cleveland Chapter of the Special Forces Association (Jim Cole, President) was the host Chapter for the national convention, which was held at the Rockside Holiday Inn. During that convention I met Steve Sherman, also an ex Special Forces trooper, who is compiling a history of Special Forces people and activities. I acquired from him a set of the “Green Beret” a magazine published by the 5th Special Forces in Vietnam from 1966 to 1970. In addition, I re-viewed other material he had that allowed me to expand on the work I had been doing to write this book.

Lastly I have used the National Archives section of the Smithsonian Institute in College Park, Maryland. The military records of that period are now declassified and available for re-search. I have found many reports and references to the military action I was involved with by using this valuable resource. This has probably been the since most important resource to me and I do want to thank the researchers there who were able to dig out the records I needed with the limited information I was able to give them.

Every attempt has been made to accurately state what happened to the team, the camp and me. My original notes were done while recovering from severe wounds in the hospital and at the time there were things I could not remember (there were several weeks were I was in a delirious state and it took many months to get back to close to normal), especially some names of people. Materials I read in 1992 and 1994 brought back some of this loss. Sherman’s work with Special Forces personnel missing in action (MIA) or killed in action (KIA) when compared to the dates and times of some of the battles I knew of gave me a way to place some other names back in. I will state that although everything that I tell about in this book is accurate to the best of my knowledge it is possible that some of the patrol activity is not in the proper time sequence, I don’t think so but it is possible.

This is me in the Jungle in Vietnam in October, 1967

The link below will allow you to download the book, if you want, and at no cost.

Bu Dop 1967

Book on Economics, Written in 1994


From The introduction to my book …

I first had the idea of writing a book such as this about ten years ago. It seemed to me that each of us learns something of value as we go through life, but most of us do not succeed in passing along our knowledge to others before we die. This, then, is my attempt to pass on to others what I, over my fifty-odd years, have come to believe are the truths of life and what I believe may be a path into a better future. Much of what I write about involves economic issues, since I am an economist by training. Economics, however, is a social science, and my excursions into other areas of the social sciences are therefore not totally out of line.

I have had a great deal of “life” experience (both educational and professional) and this book thus covers many subject areas. While analyzing these subjects, I have tried to be logical and objective (as I have tried to be all my life), and hopefully this proclivity is reflected herein. You, the reader, will probably disagree with some or much of what I have written. That’s fine if your disagreement is based on fact; it’s unacceptable, however, if your disagreement is the result of prejudice and preconceived ideas.
Throughout this book, I have included editorial writings, which I felt were astute, and which help to illuminate my ideas. In each case, I have credited the author and distinguished his/her writing from my own.

Much of what I write about could be construed as anti-religious; it is not. It has not been my intention to support or deny the existence of God or a Supreme Being.
A thought that should be kept in mind when reading this book is that virtually nothing we do today is done as it was in the past. By this I mean the “near past”–remember that radio was invented only ninety-nine years ago, and it has been only ninety-one years since the first powered flight. Most of the technology that we now take for granted has been developed in the past fifty years. The corollary to this is that our ideas and attitudes must also be different from those of the past. Try to imagine how people will regard the “absurdly primitive” last decade of the twentieth century in the year 2045 (when all that we know today will have been gone for fifty years). The point is to keep an open mind, don’t pre-judge, and don’t be too certain about anything.

We live in a world of fantastic ideas if only we can keep an open mind!

The link below will allow you to download the book, if you want, and at no cost.

Power Economics

Second Scope Memo – Rosenstein Authorizes Mueller to Target Michael Flynn Jr…


The original authorization for the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller was May 17th, 2017.  However, the recently released Weissmann report shows there were two additional scope memos authorizing specific targeting of the Mueller probe.  The first scope memo was August 2nd, 2017, OUTLINED HERE, and is an important part of the puzzle that helps explain the corrupt original purpose of the special counsel.

The second scope memo was issued by Rod Rosenstein to Robert Mueller on October 20th, 2017.  The transparent intent of the second scope memo was to provide Weissmann and Mueller with ammunition and authority to investigate specific targets, for specific purposes.  One of those targets was General Michael Flynn’s son, Michael Flynn Jr.

As you review the highlighted portion below, found on pages 12 and 13 of the Weissmann report, read slowly and fully absorb the intent; the corruption is blood-boiling:

This second scope memo allowed Weissmann and Mueller to target tangentially related persons and entities bringing in Michael Cohen, Richard Gates, Roger Stone and Michael Flynn Jr.  Additionally and strategically (you’ll see why), this memo established the authority to pursue “jointly undertaken activity“.

With Paul Manafort outlined as an investigative target in the original authorization and the first scope memo, the second scope memo authorizes expansion to his business partner Richard Gates and their joint businesses.   This memo also permits the investigation of Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen and all of his interests; and in ultimate weasel sunlight, Rosenstein authorizes an investigation of his boss, AG Jeff Sessions.

Before getting to more targets, notice the underlined passage about starting with a lot of investigative material because the special counsel was picking up a Russian interference  investigation that had been ongoing for “nearly 10 months.”

I would also note that our CTH research indicates all of the illegally extracted FISA-702(16)(17) database search results would be part of this pre-existing investigative file available immediately to Weissmann and Mueller.  However, in order to use the search-query evidence, Weissmann and Mueller would need to backfill some alternate justification; or find another way to “rediscover” the preexisting results….. I digress

The four identified targets within the original July 2016 investigation, “Operation Crossfire Hurricane”, were George Papadopoulos, Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort and Carter Page. (See HPSCI report):

General Flynn was under investigation from the outset in mid-2016. The fraudulent FBI counterintelligence operation, established by CIA Director John Brennan, had Flynn as one of the early targets when Brennan handed the originating electronic communication “EC” to FBI Director James Comey.

The investigation of General Flynn never stopped throughout 2016 and led to the second investigative issue of his phone call with Russian Ambassador Kislyak in December 2016:

Back to the Page #12 October 20th Scope Memo:

The first redaction listed under “personal privacy” does not appear to represent an individual, rather it’s an organization. However, The second related redaction is a specific person, Michael Flynn Jr.

In combination with the October timing, the addition of Flynn Jr to the target list relates to the ongoing 2016/2017 investigation of his father, General Michael Flynn, for: (1) possible conspiracy with a foreign government; (2) unregistered lobbying; (3) materially false statements and omissions on 2017 FARA documents; and (4) lying to the FBI.

This October 20th, 2017, request from Weissmann and Mueller aligns with the time-frame were special counsel team lawyers Brandon LVan Grack and Zainab N. Ahmad were prosecuting Michael Flynn and attempting to force him into a guilty plea

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Getting Rosenstein to authorize adding Mike Flynn Jr. to the target list (scope memo) meant the special counsel could threaten General Flynn with the indictment of his son as a co-conspirator tied to the Turkish lobbying issue (which they did) if he doesn’t agree to a plea. Remember: “jointly undertaken activity“.

The October 20th, 2017, expanded scope memo authorized Mueller to start demanding records, phones, electronic devices and other evidence from Mike Flynn Jr, and provided the leverage Weissmann wanted.  After all, Mike Flynn Jr. had a four month old baby. 

The amount of twisted pressure from this corrupt team of prosecutors is sickening.  A month later, General Flynn was signing a plea agreement:

And don’t forget, Andrew McCabe was also likely the person who leaked the content of the Mike Flynn phone call between Flynn and Russian Ambassador Kislyak.  A massive leak of classified information:

Within the case against Michael Flynn…. Prosecutor Brandon Van Grack filed a cover letter attempting to explain the reason for the Flynn interview on January 24th, 2017, and the official filing of the interview notes (FD-302) on February 15th, 2017, and then again on May 31st, 2017.

To explain the FBI delay, Van Grack claimed the FD-302 report “inadvertently” had a header saying “DRAFT DOCUMENT/DELIBERATIVE MATERIAL” (screen grab)

What the special counsel appeared to be obfuscating to the court was there was factually a process of deliberation within the investigative unit, headed by FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, surrounding the specific wording of the 302 report on the Flynn interview.  Likely how best to word the FBI notes for maximum damage.

In late 2018 Prosecutor Brandon Van Grack was attempting to hide the length of the small group deliberations within the FBI. It seems he did not want the court to know Andrew McCabe was involved in shaping how the Flynn-302 was written.

We know there was a deliberative process in place, seemingly all about how to best position the narrative, because we can see the deliberations in text messages between Lisa Page and Peter Strzok: See below (note the dates):

The text message conversation above is February 14th, 2017.

The Michael Flynn FD-302 was officially entered into the record on February 15th, 2017, per the report:

Obviously the interview took place on January 24th, 2017. The FD-302 was drafted on January 24th, and then later edited, shaped, and ultimately approved by McCabe, on February 14th, then entered into the official record on February 15th.

It was a deliberative document from the outset. Thanks to the Strzok/Page text messages we know the cover letter from the Special Counsel is misleading.  The Feb 15th, 2017, date was the day after McCabe approved it.

May 17th, 2017, Robert Mueller was assigned as special Counsel. Then, the FD-302 report was re-entered on May 31st, 2017, removing the header; paving the way for Mueller’s team to use the content therein.

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This level of overt corruption, and corrupt intent within the special counsel, is one of the many reasons why Rosenstein apologists and the ‘trust the plan’ crew should be collectively slapped across the face with a cold fish.  

Moving on….

♦ Another issue is reconciled today on Page #13 of the Weissmann/Mueller reportsurrounding why FBI Director Chris Wray asked DOJ-NSD head Dana Boente to become chief legal counsel of the FBI.

Look at the investigative structure as outlined by the Weissmann report:

Technically the 40 FBI agents remained under FBI supervision at all times.  Additionally the assigned FBI attorney worked under the FBI legal supervision; not the supervision of the special counsel.

[ie. Mueller retains plausible deniability for criminal investigative wrongdoing]

Initially in May 2017 this meant FBI chief legal counsel James Baker, part of the original small group, was coordinating the FBI roles and legal responsibilities.  However, by the end of 2017 James Baker was in trouble as congress highlighted his corrupt endeavors.

Remember what was going on in late 2017?  In addition to the FBI issues with Lisa Page and Peter Strzok surfacing internally, by December 2017, immediately after Michael Flynn signed the guilty plea… all hell broke loose.

Can you imagine an institutional idiot like FBI Director Chris Wray watching all of the information about McCabe, Strzok, Page, Kortan and Baker start erupting in the headlines and all around his office?… and simultaneously he has 40 corrupt FBI investigators attached to the corruptly organized Weissmann/Mueller detail?

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That reality is exactly why Chris Wray needed to get one of the corrupt DOJ insiders to take over as FBI legal counsel.  Director Wray saw the need for massive ass-covering; and the perfect man for the job was the guy who participated in the FISA application fraud, Dana Boente.

Exactly six months later FBI Director Christopher Wray was telling a national audiencethere was no political bias, misconduct or corruption within the FBI; but hey, we’re going to go through bias training because we’re good enough, strong enough, and doggone it – people like us… or something.  [IG Report June 14th, 2018]

ps.  I would be remiss if I did not point out that every person identified in this outline is still in their position of authority to this day.  Including the 40 FBI agents who participated in three years of corrupt investigations of a non-existent Russia conspiracy.

But hey….

TheLastRefuge@TheLastRefuge2

Rod Rosenstein authorized Andrew Weissmann and Robert Mueller to investigate “Michael Flynn Jr”. [2nd paragraph page 12]

This was the strategic pressure point to gain leverage over General Michael Flynn. Sickening.

cc: @GenFlynn , @BarbaraRedgate , @JosephJFlynn1

View image on Twitter

Joseph J. Flynn ⭐️⭐️⭐️@JosephJFlynn1

Yes and let it be known that Jr’s baby had been born 4 months prior to this … maximum fucking pressure… also no info on Strock Page texts had been released they sat on it for months we had just launched LDF … facing massive legal fees …context of time is everything

244 people are talking about this

TheLastRefuge@TheLastRefuge2

Our enemy right now is the media. We have approximately two weeks to get every ounce of detail from Weissmann/Mueller rpt; and overlay it with 2+ years of granular research & documents. If we get material to congress, in advance of Mueller appearance. the soft-coup will implode.

371 people are talking about this

 

Mark Levin and Byron York Discuss Weissmann/Mueller Report and Two Years of Nonsense…


I’m on my fifth 4×8 whiteboard overlay, now formatted into a timeline sequence; and I’m determined to have a massive amount of material for both the House and Senate to confront former special counsel Mueller if he complies with requests for appearance.

Believe me, this ain’t Mueller’s construct; it’s from the original small group: 19 lawyers, 40 current FBI officials and their Lawfare assistants.  They have no idea how much their own hubris has positioned themselves at the precipice of their own grave.

In my opinion, the Mueller appearance and a well armed Republican panel should be the ignition spark for The Big Ugly.  There is enough material evidence manifest within the 448-page Weissmann report to collapse three-years of intense intelligence abuse and destroy the Democrat party for decades…. Thus an unfortunate suspicion, Mueller will never present himself for questioning.

Taking a brief break, here’s Levin and York:

Mueller Outlines Rosenstein August 2nd, Scope Memo – Investigate Claims in Steele Dossier…


On Pages #11 and #12 of the Weissmann/Mueller report, the special counsel team outlines the purpose and intent of the probe as delivered by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.  Within these pages Mueller outlines the August 2nd Scope Memo that has previously been hidden and remains redacted through today.

Read the highlighted portion carefully to understand the scope of the instructions.  Note the careful wording “the Special Counsel had been authorized since his appointment to investigate allegations”… This means from Day #1 of the special counsel, the scope of the probe was always to investigate the claims within the Ohr/Steele Dossier:

The August 2nd Scope Memo additionally authorized the investigation of “certain other matters” specifically relating to Manafort (financial crimes), and Papadopolous and Flynn (FARA violations).

These paragraphs tell us a great deal about what originated the purpose of the FBI investigation and the continued purpose of the special counsel.  Remember, the special counsel was a continuance of the FBI counterintelligence operation which officially began on July 31st, 2016.  [The unofficial beginning was much earlier]

Understanding now that Mueller is saying from Day One he was investigating the Steele Dossier; here’s where we all need to question the assumptions.

From the beginning most people have thought the Fusion-GPS objective was to dig up dirt on Trump for political exploitation.  However, with all the recent information outlined there’s actually a more significant role for Fusion.

The overall intelligence apparatus of the U.S. government was already conducting political surveillance on their political opposition.  The systems of the intelligence apparatus such as FISA-702(16)(17) databases searches were being exploited months (if not years) beforehand.  When NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers discovered the use of the database he shut down contractor access on April 18th, 2016.

When Fusion GPS was hired by the DNC and Clinton team, also in April of 2016, it now appears the purpose was to provide cover for government surveillance already taking place.  Perhaps part of that motive was fear of what NSA Mike Rogers might do.

The Obama administration (U.S. government intelligence apparatus) needed an external source of information that could cover their domestic surveillance and spy operations. That’s why Fusion GPS was hired, and why emphasis was put on using European and Australian intelligence contacts to create the plausible process to continue surveillance that was always taking place.

This corrupt weaponizing of the U.S. intelligence apparatus is MUCH BIGGER than anyone currently absorbs. The Steele Dossier was an eventual part of the cover-story.

When Peter Strzok and Lisa Page were discussing the “insurance policy” in August 2016, they were not discussing insurance from the perspective of their success, ie. Clinton elected; they were discussing insurance from the position of: if they failed.

If Clinton was elected, great; everything continues as normal. However, if Clinton was not elected the weaponization of government needed a cover story, a plausible legitimate reason for why political surveillance/spying was taking place.  This is the insurance policy need…. This is why they needed the Steele Dossier.

Regardless of anything happening to stop them, the intelligence community was conducting surveillance of their political opposition.  To validate that surveillance the intelligence community needed a plausible FBI counterintelligence operation.  That’s where John Brennan (CIA) comes in.

Brennan manufactured the plausible excuse for an FBI operation to begin through the use of “unofficial channels” via Joseph Mifsud, Stefan Halper and eventually Alexander Downer via an Australian intelligence asset Erika Thompson; who was working in London with U.S. intelligence assets Terrence Dudley and Greg Baker, ie. the “Papadopoulos operation”.

While the overseas operation was working to create plausible explanation and start Crossfire Hurricane, back in the U.S. Fusion-GPS was contracted to supplement the appearances for a domestic parallel track.  Fusion ran operations for the Russian appearances inside the U.S., ex. Trump Tower meeting.

For their effort, Fusion was using previously extracted FISA-702(16)(17) results to create more supportive evidence and plausible material.  That Fusion effort led to the Steele Dossier.

However, in a similar way the Brennan operation needed the Australian Diplomat Alexander Downer to cross from “unofficial” into “official” channels, the Steele Dossier  needs a way to cross from ‘unofficial opposition research‘ into official investigative status.

Enter the Steele Dossier.

The Steele Dossier is the investigative virus the FBI needed.  To get the virus into official status, they use the FISA application as the delivery method and injected it into Carter Page.  The FBI already knew Carter Page; essentially Carter Page was irrelevant, what they needed was the Dossier in the system {Go Deep}.

With the communication from Alexander Downer (foundation for the EC), in conjunction with the Steele Dossier (foundation for the Page FISA), the CIA and FBI now held a plausible -albeit fraudulently obtained- basis to explain/justify all of their 2015 and 2016 political spying and surveillance activity.   This is their insurance policy.

Andrew Weissmann was/is one of the DOJ participants who is well aware of the status of the operations as they proceed.  In 2016 and 2017 Weissmann is being briefed by DOJ official Bruce Ohr who is carrying messages from Fusion-GPS and Chris Steele into the FBI.

If Hillary wins the election, everything just evaporates into the ether.  However, if Hillary loses the election – the fraudulent investigative evidence now protects all of the players for their role in weaponized intelligence spying and surveillance operations.

Fraudulent justifications.

Just like the Susan Rice justification Memo, fraudulent justifications are what’s behind those paragraphs in the Rosenstein scope memos as delivered to Weissmann and Mueller.

Fusion GPS was not hired to research Trump, the intelligence community was already doing surveillance and spy operations.  The intelligence community needed Fusion GPS to give them a justification for already existing surveillance and spy operations.

See the difference?

Fusion-GPS gave them the justification they needed with the Steele Dossier.

That’s why the Steele Dossier is so important in the scope memos.

.

 

An Hour With VDH: Mueller Probe Could Backfire on Those Who Fabricated Russia-Collusion Narrative…


Historian Dr. Victor Davis Hanson, who recently published the book “The Case for Trump”, appears for a lengthy discussion on the Mueller report and the potential ramifications for those who participated in a soft-coup.

Epic – President Trump Responds to Romney’s Spitefulness…


After Utah Senator Mitt Romney went out of his way yesterday to cast aspersions toward the president, President Donald Trump responds with a video highlighting Romey’s inability to win:

“If Mitt Romney spent the same energy fighting Barack Obama as he does fighting Donald Trump, he could have won the race (maybe)!”

Embedded video

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

….”LOOOSER”

 

“Unofficial Channels” – Reconciling Mueller’s Strategically Worded Origin of Operation Crossfire Hurricane…


Early May 2016

After the third reading of the strategically worded Weissmann/Mueller report, we are able to reconcile some issues. This outline reconciles the oddly worded Weissmann/Mueller claim to the origin of the FBI counterintelligence operation known as “crossfire hurricane” on July 31st, 2016.

It must be first noted that Devin Nunes has outlined the two-page “Electronic Communication” or “EC” from CIA Director John Brennan to FBI Director James Comey was not from official intelligence channels. Meaning the intelligence used to originate Crossfire Hurricane did not come through officials Five-Eyes intelligence communication.

When we reviewed the documents recently released by the Australian government, there was a disparity between the dates of George Papadopoulos meeting Australia’s High Commissioner Alexander Downer. The Weissmann report seemed to put the meeting as May 6th, 2016, but Papadopoulos and Downer (Australian docs) put the London meeting on May 10th.

Here’s the excerpt from Special Counsel Weissmann/Mueller report that describes the events.  Note Weissmann assigns a meeting date of May 6th, 2016:

[Page #89, Muller Report]

The paragraphs and the footnote direct the reader to assume a meeting between Papadopoulos and Downer on May 6th, and later the communication from Downer on July 26th, as the impetus for Crossfire Hurricane.  However, there’s some strategic conflation in the presentation because Downer and Papadopoulos didn’t meet until May 10th.

Andrew Weissmann and Robert Mueller carefully word the paragraphs because they don’t want the background of the May 6th, 2016, event attached to western intelligence.

Sneaky.

When Weissmann/Mueller write: “On May 6th, 2016, 10 days after that meeting with Mifsud, Papadopoulos suggested to a representative of a foreign government“… they are not writing about Alexander Downer.

They are writing about an aide to Downer, Erika Thompson.

As noted in Papadopoulos’ book:

After meeting with Downer’s aide, Erika Thompson on May 6th, she sets up a meeting between George Papadopoulos and her boss for May 10th.  The meeting is put on the official schedule for the Australian Ambassador to the U.K:

[Note in the meeting schedule the dates/times are listed in both Australian and U.K. time zones.]  On May 10th, 2016, Ms Erika Thompson and Mr. Alexander Downer then meet with George Papadopoulos.

After the meeting, Ambassador Downer reports back to the Australian government on his conversation with Papadopoulos. [As noted in the recent document release]:

The details of the conversation, and how Alexander Downer viewed the information from Papadopoulos is heavily redacted.  Essentially, he writes out what the Trump foreign policy seems to be from the perspective of George Papadopoulos.  This would be typical for any government to assemble the views and perspectives of a potential presidential nominee.

Additionally, Downer was a major supporter of Bill and Hillary Clinton; but in general terms, any personal bias is irrelevant for the purposes of outlining information from the Trump campaign that might be useful later on in understanding how the relationship between Australia and the U.S. might evolve.

As noted in the Weissmann/Mueller report, it is from this May 10th, 2016, meeting where  later communication from Ambassador Downer, July 26th, 2016, is referenced as the origin of Crossfire Hurricane.  However, here’s where it gets interesting.  Notice how Mueller presents the May 6th conversation as confirmation of the information from Joseph Mifsud, and not May 10th.

Weissmann and Mueller are saying the information: “that the Trump campaign had received information from the Russian government that it could assist the campaign through the anonymous release of information that would be damaging to Hillary Clinton”, came from Erika Thompson on May 6th, 2016.

Weissmann/Mueller are NOT saying that information came from Alexander Downer, despite the connection to the footnote that now appears to be intentionally conflating the origin of their claim.  They are “technically” saying the information came from Erika Thompson.

This makes sense, because Downer has denied that Papadopoulos ever brought up anything about Clinton “dirt”, or Clinton emails with him in the May 10th meeting.

Now the origin of this set-up takes on a new understanding.

Remember, a large portion of the CIA’s foreign agents work overseas as members of various U.S. embassies.  The U.S. State Department is the cover for a lot of CIA work; reference the “Benghazi Consulate” etc.

Rather than keep writing “U.S. intelligence officers”, and/or “U.S. intelligence assets”, let us just use the word “spies” to make things more honest and easier to understand.

Also consider “unofficial channels” as useful to a set-up; and “official channels” as part of a needed legitimacy for this operation.

George Papadopoulos was contacted by two members of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA),Terrence Dudley and Greg Baker, working out of the U.S. embassy in London.  Two American spies working in London put Papadopoulos in contact with their ally/counterpart in the Australian Embassy, Erika Thompson. [ie. ‘unofficial channels’]

Erika Thompson takes it from there… and sets up the meeting with Alexander Downer which will later be used to take an ‘unofficial channel’ and turn it into an ‘official channel’.

Now, which one did the CIA/FBI use: “unofficial” or “official”?   For the answer look at what Weissmann and Mueller say in their report.

The May 6th, 2016, Erika Thompson’s unofficial channel is cited for the quotation as to what Papadopoulos was claimed to have said…. as Papadopoulos is referencing information from Maltese Professor Joseph Mifsud, another unofficial channel.

See how that set-up was played?

And then there’s this:

The FBI Director of Counterintelligence, Bill Priestap, just happened to be in London on the exact same dates the ‘unofficial’ operation was happening… Now things really come into focus.

Remember, this is all happening in May, long before the official launch of the “official” FBI counterintelligence operation known as Crossfire Hurricane, July 31st, 2016.

What happens two days after Crossfire Hurricane is launched? …back to London: On August 2, 2016, Special Agent Peter Strzok and another agent at the Federal Bureau of Investigation met with Alexander Downer in London to discuss his conversation with Papadopoulos further. Strzok then received reading materials, which he texted about to Lisa Page.

Now does this make sense (April 2018):

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He Is Risen


.

Gospel LK 24:1-12

At daybreak on the first day of the week
the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus
took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb;
but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were puzzling over this, behold,
two men in dazzling garments appeared to them.
They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground.
They said to them,
“Why do you seek the living one among the dead?
He is not here, but he has been raised.
Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners
and be crucified, and rise on the third day.”
And they remembered his words.
Then they returned from the tomb
and announced all these things to the eleven
and to all the others.
The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James;
the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles,
but their story seemed like nonsense
and they did not believe them.
But Peter got up and ran to the tomb,
bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone;
then he went home amazed at what had happened.

Happy Easter – But Why Do We Call it Easter


Easter is historically the most confusing holiday. Besides the calculation being complex, the traditions are also a blend of various different cultures. I have written how New Year’s Eve is really a Roman tradition celebrating the god Janus who was pictured with two faces one looking back and the other to the future. Christmas is December 25th was selected because it was a pagan festival for the sun god Sol. Today, like Veteran’s Day, the original meaning fades into history and people just enjoy the day off. More or less, December 25th was just embedded in the culture so it was easier to just rename it Christmas than outlaw the holiday.

Then there is the tradition of Easter. Where does the word even come from? Was this too a pagan ritual transformed into Christianity? The holiday was originally called Eostre as late as the 8th century. It is mentioned by Saint Bede who was an English Benedictine monk at the monastery in the Kingdom of Northumbria of the Angles. He noted the native Anglo-Saxon calendar in De Temporum Ratione (On the Reckoning of Time) had named April as Eostremonath after the goddess Eostre who he tells us she was associated with the spring and was a time when “feasts were celebrated” in her honor.

In Germany, there was Jacob Grimm, known for his fairytales.  He seems to have borrowed the Anglo-Saxon goddess calling her Ostara explaining that she was “the divinity of the radiant dawn, upspringing light, a spectacle that brings joy and blessing.” In Christianity, Easter is preceded by Lent, which was to reflect a period of fasting in memory of Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness. Nonetheless, in medieval times, this was also a period of ending winter when the food stored from the summer was naturally running low. The spring fever we tend to feel is also felt by animals and this is when hens to start laying and cows begin to give milk. Easter was a natural feast celebrating the end of winter’s hardship.

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie

We know that Easter is associated with the lamb which comes from Jewish tradition at Passover and of course, Jesus and his disciples celebrated with their Last Supper. The date is also tied to the Jewish festival of Passover. So Easter is not a pagan ritual historically as was Christmas. But it is still a blend of cultures that seem to have all come together to form what we call Easter retaining the Anglo-Saxon goddess name.

Now we have to understand where did the bunny laying eggs come from or the traditional Easter Egg hunt that they even practiced on the lawn of the White House. The earliest documented mention of decorating eggs for Easter comes in 1290 England. There, buried in the household accounts of King Edward I for 1290, we discover records for the purchase and decoration of 450 eggs that were dyed and some were gilded with gold probably for the special guests. The English tradition was for children to play with their “pace-eggs” by rolling them on the ground before eating them. Hence, the Easter eggs are rolled on the lawn of the White House, which seems to be a tradition that began in 1878.

The tradition of a bunny rabbit seems to have begun in Bavaria (southern Germany). There appears to be the origin of a hunt for children to find eggs that were hidden in the garden. They were supposed to have been placed there by a rabbit or hare. There are some accounts dating back to the early 17th century where they also eat the rabbit. This may be part of the spring feast. Accounts are not very clear from that period in time. But we know there was a hunt looking for eggs placed there by a rabbit, which they may have eaten as well. We do know that in England they would hunt rabbits and eat them for the spring which dates back to the 16th century.

An Easter tradition of eggs makes sense insofar as it was the symbol of life. The rabbit seems to be just the traditional meal after winter. Thus, Easter is a curious blend of customs that are connected with celebrating spring and the end of a hard winter, with the resurrection of Christ and thus the egg being life, the lamb is the sacrifice, and the rabbit was just a good meal.