Europe’s voters have spoken. The establishment parties have lost big time and the ant-EU parties have made major gains as have the Green parties. This was the highest turnout ever in European elections. The ant-EU parties won in the UK, France, Italy, and even in the Netherlands. This is a very clear message for Brussels that Europe must reform if it is to survive. Will the EU Commission listen since they do not stand for election.
I was surprised to see this post. While I can understand from a dollars and cents perspective you may be for global trade and globalism itself, the American worker and American domestic businesses have suffered greatly in the last twenty years since jobs and companies moved to China and then sell us cheap stuff with zero tariffs.
Case and point, wages have stagnated. You don’t feel that because you are wealthy. Any job attached to a computer has fled to China and also India in search of cheap labor – leaving us unemployed. I have been laid off 6 times, and no there was nothing wrong with my performance. I am an overachiever and my performance reviews have always been glowing.
I don’t think it is worth the sacrifice of Americans lives and our economy, the sacrifice of the middle class, the throwing of millions more into poverty so China can have some of our jobs. Let them figure themselves out how to grow their own economy. They will have to discover the rule of law and individual freedoms more if that is to happen because from what I have read the people in China cannot afford to buy the products they make in their own factories their wages are so low. They have to enable their own people to afford to purchase things to drive their own economy vs stealing from us.
I support Trump in the trade war. The war has been going on a long long time Marty, you failed to acknowledge that. China has been taking us to the cleaners for a long long time. Why didn’t you state this fact?
I was surprised by how you did not even mention that in this post.
Perhaps you need more coffee to wake up? 😉
Thanks for the blog
A
ANSWER: I understand what you are saying but at the same time you are looking at only one side on the coin. Keeping products artificially higher means that the consumer is asked to subsidize that extra cost and that lowers their standard of living. If we really care about jobs, address the fact that we are overtaxing labor. Address the healthcare costs, not with something stupid like Obamacare which was a Ponzi scheme to force the youth to buy insurance they did not need or want. You can easily lower healthcare costs by addressing tort reform. Even Bernie’s ideas sound nice, but they will blow up in everyone’s face. He compares the US to systems overseas but neglects to point out that the doctors are public employees and there are no crazy lawsuits. If we want an even playing field, then address the over-taxation of labor and the cost of healthcare.
Even the Post Office hires part-time workers, for if they work less than 40 hours a week, they are not entitled to benefits. If you try to grow lettuce in the desert and it costs $10 per head, do you prevent the people from importing that for 50 cents?
It is called comparative advantage (see David Ricardo). We should import what China can produce more efficiently and we should encourage people to seek education and employment in a field in which we have a competitive advantage. Shipping out computer development overseas works in some areas, but others it results in far more development time, granted at a lower per hour cost. But most of that takes place because there is a shortage of talent in the United States in these areas.
It is important to look at this also from the consumer’s viewpoint – not just union labor.
QUESTION: Marty, at the Rome WEC you put up that chart that showed historically private sector yields have gone below public. That really demonstrated your point on this shift from public to private. Now with Deutsche Bank on the ropes, here in Denmark, even mortgage bonds are going negative. Is this the real panic you were speaking about with the EU elections?
I’m coming to Orlando too. This is getting really dangerous here.
KA
ANSWER: Yes. Just look at this from a practical standpoint. If the government is the culprit and the crisis in banking is driven by this policy of Austerity, then you want to put your money where you just preserve it. This is what I was talking about. When confidence in government collapses, people turn to the private sector. It makes perfect sense that some capital will shift domestically into private mortgages for they are at least backed by property. If they go bust, you get something. If government defaults, you get nothing.
At some point, the government must address the structural reforms I outlined in the report we handed out – the Fate of Europe.
Former U.S. Attorney to the District of Columbia, Joe diGenova, discusses the declassification of intelligence documents relating to political surveillance; and the origin of the database abuses outlined by FISC Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer…
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With President Trump returning from Japan tomorrow (5/28); and with the upcoming state visit to the U.K. coming June 3rd; a declassification “window of opportunity” opens between this Wednesday 5/29 and Saturday 6/2.
Given last weeks visit to Main Justice by congressman Mark Meadows; and considering the visit was specifically to review unredacted Page-Strzok-McCabe messages; it could be surmised the first series of declassified documents might be those communiques. Additionally, John Solomon has stated “Bucket Five” is likely the first release prior to the IG report:
Bucket Five – Intelligence documents that were presented to the Gang of Eight in 2016 that pertain to the FISA application used against U.S. person Carter Page; including all exculpatory intelligence documents that may not have been presented to the FISA Court. Presumably this would include the recently revealed State Dept Kavalac email; and the FBI transcripts from wiretaps of George Papadopoulos (also listed in Carter Page FISA).
Now that we have significant research files on the 2015 and 2016 political surveillance program; which includes the trail evident within the Weissmann/Mueller report; in combination with the Obama-era DOJ “secret research project” (their words, not mine); we are able to overlay the entire objective and gain a full understanding of how political surveillance was conducted over a period of approximately four to six years.
This is likely why there is institutional panic.
Working with a timeline, but also referencing origination material in 2015/2016 – CTH has tried to show how the program operated. The exploitation of government collected information explains an evolution from the IRS Files in 2010 to the FISA Files in 2016.
More importantly, research indicates the modern political exploitation of the NSA database, for weaponized intelligence surveillance of politicians, began mid 2012.
The FISA-702 database extraction process, and utilization of the protections within the smaller intelligence community, was the primary process. We start by reviewing the established record from the 99-page FISC opinion rendered by Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer on April 26th, 2017; and explain the details within the FISC opinion.
I would strongly urge everyone to read the FISC report (full pdf below) because Judge Collyer outlines how the DOJ, which includes the FBI, had an “institutional lack of candor” in responses to the FISA court. In essence, the Obama administration was continually lying to the court about their activity, and the rate of fourth amendment violations for illegal searches and seizures of U.S. persons’ private information for multiple years.
Unfortunately, due to intelligence terminology Judge Collyer’s brief and ruling is not an easy read for anyone unfamiliar with the FISA processes outlined. The complexity also helps the media avoid discussing, and as a result most Americans have no idea the scale and scope of the issues. So we’ll try to break down the language.
For the sake of brevity and common understanding CTH will highlight the most pertinent segments showing just how systemic and troublesome the unlawful electronic surveillance was.
Early in 2016 NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers was alerted to a significant uptick in FISA-702(17) “About” queries; these are searches using the FBI/NSA database that holds all metadata records on every form of electronic communication.
The NSA compliance officer alerted NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers who then initiated a full compliance audit on/around March 9th, 2016, for the period of November 1st, 2015, through May 1st, 2016.
While the audit was ongoing, due to the severity of the results that were identified, Admiral Mike Rogers stopped anyone from using the 702(17) “about query” option, and went to the extraordinary step of blocking all FBI contractor access to the database on April 18, 2016(keep these dates in mind).
Here are some significant segments:
The key takeaway from these first paragraphs is how the search query results were exported from the NSA database to users who were not authorized to see the material. The FBI contractors were conducting searches and then removing, or ‘exporting’, the results. Later on, the FBI said all of the exported material was deleted.
Searching the highly classified NSA database is essentially a function of filling out search boxes to identify the user-initiated search parameter and get a return on the search result.
FISA-702(16) is a search of the system returning a U.S. person (“702”); and the “16” is a check box to initiate a search based on “To and From“. Example, if you put in a date and a phone number and check “16” as the search parameter the user will get the returns on everything “To and From” that identified phone number for the specific date. Calls, texts, contacts etc. Including results for the inbound and outbound contacts.
FISA-702(17) is a search of the system returning a U.S. person (702); and the “17” is a check box to initiate a search based on everything “About” the search qualifier. Example, if you put a date and a phone number and check “17” as the search parameter the user will get the returns of everything about that phone. Calls, texts, contacts, geolocation (or gps results), account information, user, service provider etc. As a result, 702(17) can actually be used to locate where the phone (and user) was located on a specific date or sequentially over a specific period of time which is simply a matter of changing the date parameters.
And that’s just from a phone number.
Search an ip address “about” and read all data into that server; put in an email address and gain everything about that account. Or use the electronic address of a GPS enabled vehicle (about) and you can withdraw more electronic data and monitor in real time. Search a credit card number and get everything about the account including what was purchased, where, when, etc. Search a bank account number, get everything about transactions and electronic records etc. Just about anything and everything can be electronically searched; everything has an electronic ‘identifier’.
The search parameter is only limited by the originating field filled out. Names, places, numbers, addresses, etc. By using the “About” parameter there may be thousands or millions of returns. Imagine if you put “@realdonaldtrump” into the search parameter? You could extract all following accounts who interacted on Twitter, or Facebook etc. You are only limited by your imagination and the scale of the electronic connectivity.
As you can see below, on March 9th, 2016, internal auditors noted the FBI was sharing “raw FISA information, including but not limited to Section 702-acquired information”.
In plain English the raw search returns were being shared with unknown entities without any attempt to “minimize” or redact the results. The person(s) attached to the results were named and obvious. There was no effort to hide their identity or protect their 4th amendment rights of privacy:
But what’s the scale here? This is where the story really lies.
Read this next excerpt carefully.
The operators were searching “U.S Persons”. The review of November 1, 2015, to May 1, 2016, showed “eighty-five percent of those queries” were unlawful or “non compliant”.
85% !! “representing [redacted number]”.
We can tell from the space of the redaction the number of searches were between 1,000 and 9,999 [five digits]. If we take the middle number of 5,000 – that means 4,250 unlawful searches out of 5,000.
The [five digit] amount (more than 1,000, less than 10,000), and 85% error rate, was captured in a six month period.
Also notice this very important quote: “many of these non-compliant queries involved the use of the same identifiers over different date ranges.” So they were searching the same phone number, email address, electronic “identifier”, or people, repeatedly over different dates. Specific people were being tracked/monitored.
Additionally, notice the last quote: “while the government reports it is unable to provide a reliable estimate of” these non lawful searches “since 2012, there is no apparent reason to believe the November 2015 [to] April 2016 coincided with an unusually high error rate”.
That means the 85% unlawful FISA-702(16)(17) database abuse has likely been happening since 2012. (Again, remember that date, 2012) Who was FBI Director? Who was his chief-of-staff? Who was CIA Director? ODNI? etc. Remember, the NSA is inside the Pentagon (Defense Dept) command structure. Who was Defense Secretary? And finally, who wrote and signed-off-on the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment?
Tens of thousands of searches over four years (since 2012), and 85% of them are illegal. The results were extracted for?…. (I believe this is all political opposition use; and I’ll explain why momentarily.)
OK, that’s the stunning scale; but who was involved?
Private contractors with access to “raw FISA information that went well beyond what was necessary to respond to FBI’s requests“:
And as noted, the contractor access was finally halted on April 18th, 2016.
[Coincidentally (or not), the wife of Fusion-GPS founder Glenn Simpson, Mary Jacoby, goes to the White House the next day on April 19th, 2016.]
None of this is conspiracy theory.
All of this is laid out inside this 99-page opinion from FISC Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer who also noted that none of this FISA abuse was accidental in a footnote on page 87: “deliberate decisionmaking“:
This specific footnote, if declassified, would be key. Note the phrase: “([redacted] access to FBI systems was the subject of an interagency memorandum of understanding entered into [redacted])”, this sentence has the potential to expose an internal decision; withheld from congress and the FISA court by the Obama administration; that outlines a process for access and distribution of surveillance data.
Note: “no notice of this practice was given to the FISC until 2016“, that is important.
Now, consider this footnote, and then reference THIS from 2012:
December 17, 2012
The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr.
Attorney General of the United States
United States Department of Justice
Washington, DC 20530
Dear General Holder:
Recently, the “Wall Street Journal” (WSJ) reported you granted the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) new powers to store dossiers on United States citizens, even if said citizens are not suspected of any criminal activity.
With these new powers, the NCTC would have the ability to copy entire government databases holding information on flight records, casino-employee lists, the names of Americans hosting foreign-exchange students, as well as other data.
The WSJ goes on to report the new rules allow the NCTC to keep data about innocent United States citizens for up to five years and to analyze it for suspicious patterns of behavior. Previously, both were prohibited.
If the WSJ report is accurate, these new powers represent a sweeping departure from past practices, which barred the NCTC from storing information about ordinary Americans unless a person was a terror suspect or the information sought was related to an investigation.
If the WSJ report is accurate, it raises numerous concerns and questions. As elected Representatives and members of the House Judiciary Committee, we are concerned such sweeping, fundamental changes would be made to existing policy without public input and Congressional approval. Changes, which fundamentally alter the relationship between the government and the governed, should only be made with input from the people by and through their elected Representatives. (more)
Summary of this aspect: The FISA court identified and quantified tens-of-thousands of search queries of the NSA/FBI database using the FISA-702(16)(17) system. The database was repeatedly used by persons with contractor access; who unlawfully searched and extracted the raw results without redacting the information; and shared it with an unknown number of entities.
The outlined process certainly points toward a political spying, surveillance, and file-building operation; and we are not the only one to think that’s what this system is being used for.
Back in 2017 when House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes was working to reauthorize the FISA legislation, Nunes wrote a letter to ODNI Dan Coats about this specific issue:
SIDEBAR: To solve the issue, well, actually attempt to ensure it never happened again, NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers eventually took away the “About” query option permanently in 2017. NSA Director Rogers said the abuse was so inherent there was no way to stop it except to remove the process completely. [SEE HERE] Additionally, the NSA database operates as a function of the Pentagon, so the Trump administration went one step further. On his last day as NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers -together with ODNI Dan Coats- put U.S. cyber-command, the database steward, fully into the U.S. military as a full combatant command. [SEE HERE]
There is little doubt the FISA-702(16)(17) database system was used by Obama-era officials, from 2012 through April 2016, as a way to spy on their political opposition. Quite simply there is no other intellectually honest explanation for the scale and volume of database abuse that was taking place.
When we reconcile what was taking place and who was involved, then the actions of the exact same principle participants take on a jaw-dropping amount of clarity.
All of the action taken by CIA Director Brennan, FBI Director Comey, ODNI Clapper and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter make sense. Including their effort to get NSA Director Mike Rogers fired.
Everything after March 9th, 2016, was done to cover up the weaponization of the FISA database. [Explained Here] Spygate, Russia-Gate, the Steele Dossier, and even the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (drawn from the dossier and signed by the above) were needed to create a cover-story and protect themselves from discovery of this four year weaponization, political surveillance and unlawful spying. Even the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel makes sense; he was FBI Director when this began.
The beginning decision to use FISA(702) as a domestic surveillance and political spy mechanism appears to have started in/around 2012. Perhaps sometime shortly before the 2012 presidential election and before John Brennan left the White House and moved to CIA. However, there was an earlier version of data assembly that preceded this effort.
Political spying 1.0 was actually the weaponization of the IRS. This is where the term “Secret Research Project” originated as a description from the Obama team. It involved the U.S. Department of Justice under Eric Holder and the FBI under Robert Mueller. It never made sense why Eric Holder requested over 1 million tax records via CD ROM, until overlaying the timeline of the FISA abuse:
The IRS sent the FBI “21 disks constituting a 1.1 million page database of information from 501(c)(4) tax exempt organizations, to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” The transaction occurred in October 2010 (link)
Why disks? Why send a stack of DISKS to the DOJ and FBI when there’s a pre-existing financial crimes unit within the IRS. All of the evidence within this sketchy operation came directly to the surface in early spring 2012.
The IRS scandal was never really about the IRS, it was always about the DOJ asking the IRS for the database of information. That is why it was transparently a conflict when the same DOJ was tasked with investigating the DOJ/IRS scandal. Additionally, Obama sent his chief-of-staff Jack Lew to become Treasury Secretary; effectively placing an ally to oversee/cover-up any issues. As Treasury Secretary Lew did just that.
Lesson Learned – It would appear the Obama administration learned a lesson from attempting to gather a large opposition research database operation inside a functioning organization large enough to have some good people that might blow the whistle.
The timeline reflects a few months after realizing the “Secret Research Project” was now worthless (June 2012), they focused more deliberately on a smaller network within the intelligence apparatus and began weaponizing the FBI/NSA database. If our hunch is correct, that is what will be visible in footnote #69:
Additionally, Matt Gaetz appears to have seen “a memo held in the Congressional Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) that contained previously-undisclosed information involving the Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) and Department of Justice (DOJ).” [LINK] Which sounds like the MOU in the footnote, and the memo that Trey Gowdy and Jason Chaffetz inquired about.
How this all comes together in 2019
Fusion GPS was not hired in April 2016 to research Donald Trump. As shown in the evidence provided by the FISC, the intelligence community was already doing surveillance and spy operations. The Obama administration already knew everything about the Trump campaign, and were monitoring everything by exploiting the FISA database.
However, after the NSA alerts in/around March 9th, 2016, and particularly after the April 18th shutdown of contractor access, the Obama intelligence community needed Fusion GPS to create a legal albeit ex post facto justification for the pre-existing surveillance and spy operations. Fusion GPS gave them that justification in the Steele Dossier.
That’s why the FBI small group, which later transitioned into the Mueller team, are so strongly committed to and defending the formation of the Steele Dossier and its dubious content. The Steele Dossier contains the cover-story and justification for the pre-existing surveillance operation.
During a rather innocuous podcast discussion panel April 12th, 2019, one of President Trump’s personal lawyers Jay Sekulow mentioned the FBI had three FISA applications denied by the FISA court in 2016. [Podcast Here – Note comment at 25:05] The denials were always suspected; however, until now no-one in/around the administration has ever confirmed.
If Sekulow is accurate, this adds additional context to the actions of the FBI in the aftermath of Admiral Mike Rogers and an increased urgency in gaining legal justification for surveillance and spy operation unlawfully taking place. A valid FISA warrant would help the FBI cover-up the surveillance. The likely targets were Manafort, Flynn and Papadopoulos…. but it appears the DOJ/FBI were rebuked.
These FISC denials would then initiate institutional panic dependent on the election outcome. An insurance policy would be needed. The Steele Dossier becomes the investigative virus the FBI wanted inside the system. To get the virus into official status, they used 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 FISA warrant and the Dossier in the system {Go Deep}.
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 plausible justification for already existing surveillance and spy operations.
Fusion-GPS gave them the justification they needed for a FISA warrant with the Steele Dossier. Ultimately that’s why the Steele Dossier is so important; without it, the DOJ and FBI are naked with their FISA-702 abuse as outlined by John Ratcliffe.
No-one really knows the extent of the current documents and/or information that may be subject to the AG Bill Barr declassification. However, this is the original list as outlined in September 2018, and the agencies who would be involved in the declassification process:
All versions of the Carter Page FISA applications (DOJ) (DoS) (FBI) (ODNI).
All of the Bruce Ohr 302’s filled out by the FBI. (FBI) (ODNI)
All of Bruce Ohr’s emails (FBI) (DOJ) (CIA) (ODNI), and supportive documents and material provided by Bruce Ohr to the FBI. (FBI)
All relevant documents pertaining to the supportive material within the FISA application. (FBI) (DOJ-NSD ) (DoS) (CIA) (DNI) (NSA) (ODNI);
All intelligence documents that were presented to the Gang of Eight in 2016 that pertain to the FISA application used against U.S. person Carter Page; including all exculpatory intelligence documents that may not have been presented to the FISA Court. (CIA) (FBI) (DOJ) (ODNI) (DoS) (NSA)
All unredacted text messages and email content between Lisa Page and Peter Strzok on all devices. (FBI) (DOJ) (DOJ-NSD) (ODNI)
The originating CIA “EC” or two-page electronic communication from former CIA Director John Brennan to FBI Director James Comey that started Operation Crossfire Hurricane in July 2016. (CIA) (FBI) (ODNI)
♦ President Trump can prove the July 31st, 2016, Crossfire Hurricane counterintelligence operation originated from a scheme within the intelligence apparatus by exposing the preceding CIA operation that created the originating “Electronic Communication” memo. Declassify that two-page “EC” document that Brennan gave to Comey. [The trail is found within the Weissmann report and the use of Alexander Downer – SEE HERE]
♦ Release and declassify all of the Comey memos that document the investigative steps taken by the FBI as an outcome of the operation coordinated by CIA Director John Brennan in early 2016. [The trail was memorialized by James Comey – SEE HERE]
♦ Reveal the November 2015 through April 2016 FISA-702 search query abuse by declassifying the April 2017 court opinion written by FISC Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer. Show the FBI contractors behind the 85% fraudulent search queries. [Crowdstrike? Fusion-GPS? Nellie Ohr? Daniel Richman?] This was a weaponized surveillance and domestic political spying operation. [The trail was laid down in specific detail by Judge Collyer – SEE HERE]
♦ Subpoena former DOJ-NSD (National Security Division) head John Carlin, or haul him in front of a grand jury, and get his testimony about why he hid the abuse from the FISA court in October 2016; why the DOJ-NSD rushed the Carter Page application to beat NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers to the FISA court; and why Carlin quit immediately thereafter.
♦ Prove the Carter Page FISA application (October 2016) was fraudulent and based on deceptions to the FISA Court. Declassify the entire document, and release the transcripts of those who signed the application(s); and/or depose those who have not yet testified. The creation of the Steele Dossier was the cover-up operation. [SEE HERE]
♦ Release all of the Lisa Page and Peter Strzok text messageswithout redactions. Let sunlight pour in on the actual conversation(s) that were taking place when Crossfire Hurricane (July ’16) and the FISA Application (Oct ’16) were taking place. The current redactions were made by the people who weaponized the intelligence system for political surveillance and spy operation. This is why Page and Strzok texts are redacted!
♦ Release all of Bruce Ohr 302’s, FBI notes from interviews and debriefing sessions, and other relevant documents associated with the interviews of Bruce Ohr and his internal communications. Including exculpatory evidence that Bruce Ohr may have shared with FBI Agent Joseph Pientka. [And get a deposition from this Pientka fella] Bruce Ohr is the courier, carrying information from those outside to those on the inside.
♦ Release the August 2nd, 2017, two-page scope memo provided by DAG Rod Rosenstein to special counsel Robert Mueller to advance the fraudulent Trump investigation, and initiate the more purposeful obstruction of justice investigation. Also Release the October 20th, 2017, second scope memo recently discovered. The Scope Memos are keys to unlocking the underlying spy/surveillance cover-up. [SEE HERE and SEE HERE]
Tokyo Japan is 13 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern timezone. As a result, much of the diplomatic activity for the final day of the state visit happens in the late night hours.
Today is the final day of the official visit which included the first state visit hosted by the Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to celebrate the new imperial era of “Reiwa”.
The visit has been a resounding success for Japan and the United States of America.
Today, the President and First Lady will honor the military. Specifically and purposefully the President will showcase the strategic U.S-Japan military alliance, and deliver remarks to commemorate Memorial Day. At the conclusion of events the President and First Lady will bid farewell to our good friends in Japan.
9:15am (Tokyo) / 8:15pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY participate in a Farewell Call with Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, Tokyo, Japan
9:35am (Tokyo) / 8:35pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY depart the Palace Hotel en route to the Hardy Barracks Landing Zone, Tokyo, Japan
9:45am (Tokyo) / 8:45pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY arrive at the Hardy Barracks Landing Zone, Tokyo, Japan
9:55am (Tokyo) / 8:55pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY depart Hardy Barracks Landing Zone en route to JS Kaga Landing Zone, Tokyo, Japan [JS Kaga (DDH-184) is a helicopter carrier (officially classified by Japan as a helicopter destroyer) and the second constructed ship in the Izumo class of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF)]
10:20am (Tokyo) / 9:20pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY arrive at JS Kaga Landing Zone, JS Kaga
10:20am (Tokyo) / 9:20pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY visit JS Kaga with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, JS Kaga
10:45am (Tokyo) / 9:45pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY depart JS Kaga Landing Zone en route to USS WASP Landing Zone
10:55am (Tokyo) / 9:55pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY arrive at USS WASP Landing Zone, USS WASP [USS Wasp (LHD-1) is a United States Navy multipurpose amphibious assault ship, and the lead ship of her class.]
11:00am (Tokyo) / 10:00pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY participate in a Memorial Day address to the troops aboard USS WASP, USS WASP [Likely Broadcast Live]
12:05pm (Tokyo) / 11:05pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY depart USS WASP Landing Zone en route to Haneda Airport, USS WASP
12:20pm (Tokyo) / 11:20pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY arrive at Haneda Airport, Tokyo, Japan
12:30pm (Tokyo) / 11:30pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY depart Tokyo, Japan, en route to Washington, D.C., Tokyo, Japan
2:15pm (Tuesday, U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY arrive at Joint Base Andrews, Joint Base Andrews
2:25pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY depart Joint Base Andrews en route to the White House, Joint Base Andrews
2:35pm (U.S. EDT) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY arrive at the White House, South Lawn
~ Japan State Visit Concluded ~
I will say without reservation, the bond between both nations has grown closer than ever before in our history. President Trump and Prime Minister Abe have also expressed a very visible geopolitical and strategic economic alliance.
The nature of the Trump-Abe engagement over the past several days extends far beyond trade and regional politics. Through deliberate and open messaging each nation has affirmed the principles of sovereign respect, the value of freedom, and a purposeful Indo-Pacific alliance. The entire region was paying close attention. This is big stuff.
This was a very consequential visit for the region.
Without directly noting the purpose of confronting communist China, the joint-alliance message was very clear. Remarkable things will begin happening as a result of this purposeful strategy; and by extension the Southeast Asia region of allies will benefit.
This commitment to joint values, including trade and commerce, will enhance the scale of respectful influence; and a successful outcome will produce prosperity in Japan and in the United States.
Chrystia Freeland has presented the initial procedural process for the Canadian Parliament to take up a bill to pass the USMCA. However, the Canadian window is short, if they don’t ratify the trade pact by the end of June, the Canadian parliament will go into legislative recess until after the general elections October 21st, 2019.
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada took a first step toward ratifying the new North American trade agreement on Monday just three days ahead of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence’s trip to Ottawa to discuss the passage of the treaty.
Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland presented what is known as a “ways and means motion” to the House of Commons, which opens the way for the formal presentation of a bill.
The United States struck deals on May 17 to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico, removing a major obstacle to legislative approval of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the trilateral trade deal to replace the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement. (read more)
It will be interesting to watch what happens. Factually and ideologically, throughout the entire trade discussion, the Trudeau administration has put anti-Trump politics ahead of the Canadian economy. The economic stagnation in Canada is a direct result.
On-one-hand Princess Freeland and Prince Sparkle Socks need to get their economy back on track; however, that means proceeding with ratification of the USMCA which is against their ideological interests.
On-the-other-hand Freeland and Trudeau do not want to support President Trump in any manner or form. The hatred of Trump is palpable and visible. Their hatred of Trump, and public pronouncements therein, is also part of their re-election strategy. They want to run for re-election using the “orange-man-bad” resistance approach.
However, with the scale of investment withdrawal from Canada if they don’t ratify the USMCA Trudeau won’t have much of an economy left to manage…. And that becomes a problem for Justin/Freeland and their ideological best friend Nancy Pelosi.
After all the 2017 and 2018 shenanigans pulled by Freeland and Trudeau; and specifically after their G7 stunt last year; President Trump is essentially done with them – I doubt President Trump would even take a call from Justin from Canada. And forget about USTR Robert Lighthizer…. he’s a thousand times more angry than Trump.
The U.S. relationship with Canada is fundamentally fractured, destroyed, unrecoverable, so long as Trudeau/Freeland are present and pushing their elitist, globalist, multinational agenda. The relationship is so bad, if a hostile nation was to threaten Canada, it would take some convincing to get President Trump to express any intent to defend.
As a consequence, once Trump arrives back in DC (Tuesday night) Vice President Mike Pence will go to Canada on May 30th to act as an emissary.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi doesn’t want to give Trump a win. Trudeau and Freeland don’t want to give Trump a win. However, if Trudeau and Freeland don’t quickly ratify the USMCA they’re screwed come October (elections). As a result, ratification in Canada will put Pelosi in a pressured pickle…. and would likely lead to the U.S. House taking up similar ratification.
Amid all the chaos, there’s an apex predator guy who thrives in the fray. His world-leading economy is firing on twenty-trillion cylinders…. and he’s lining up tankers of boost.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump become the first guests of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace.
The formal state dinner is the first of the era of Reiwa and intended to highlight an even stronger bond and alliance between the United States and Japan. The formal dinner included toasts from each nation and the Imperial Household Orchestra playing the ceremonial anthems of both nations.
The dinner menu: •First Course – Consommé a la Royale, •Second Course – Turbot a la Meunière Sauce Tomate, •Third Course – Cote de Boeuf Rotie, •Fourth Course – Salade de Saison, •Fifth Course – Glace Mont Fuji, •Sixth Course – Dessert of melon and grapes.
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During remarks by U.S. President Trump he called the unique relationship between the United State and Japan a “treasured alliance” and quoted ancient Japanese poetry.
“It also reminds us that in times of change, we can take comfort in our inherited traditions. In the fifth book of the Manyoshu where the term Reiwa originates, the writings of two poets offer important insights.”
Potential and possibilities of spring.
“The second poem, a good friend of the first reminds us of our solemn responsibilities to family and future generations. Both are beautiful lessons passed down from ancient wisdom. Today we embrace the limitless potential before us.
We also remember that our lives [are] a rich inheritance, that we must pass onto our children just as the sons and daughters of Japan … In the spirit of beautiful harmony may we celebrate the many possibilities, and may we protect the cherished bond. Thank you and our very best wishes to you, the imperial family and all of Japan for a peaceful and prosperous reiwa era.”
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“In the spirit of beautiful harmony may we celebrate the many possibilities, and may we protect the cherished bond. Thank you and our very best wishes to you, the imperial family and all of Japan for a peaceful and prosperous Reiwa era.”
A fascinating press conference from the standpoint of President Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s united position toward the dynamic of North Korea.
It is obvious that Trump and Abe have a strategy for the next step in engagement with Chairman Kim Jong-un. Notice how PM Abe gives prepared remarks specifically about direct talks, face-to-face talks, with Chairman Kim, facilitated by President Trump opening the door:
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Obviously President Trump trusts Prime Minister Abe as a strategic ally; and a big component of this state visit is the two leaders coordinating regional security issues. China confronted/contained, and simultaneously both partners working on the hostage rescue of Chairman Kim is incredibly consequential.
The strategic value of this state visit is much more than surface appearances.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will be visiting U.S. service members stationed aboard the U.S.S. WASP today as part of their Memorial Day remembrance. The President is scheduled to deliver remarks at 10:00pm EDT:
Today all across this great land we call America, we pause to remember those who have fallen. We give thanks for their final sacrifice, for their love of country, and we say prayers for them, for their families, for the country they serve. We fly flags to honor their service, to observe our own dedication to America. However, being the ever optimistic Americans we are, we have turned this day formerly known as Decoration Day into a nation wide party, a celebration of patriotism, family, summer’s promise, and just any old other thing we choose it to be, but in some places like our little town Memorial Day is still about the fallen servicemen and women who gave their lives for our country.
Tracking the origins of Memorial Day proves to be a somewhat difficult task. Some attribute it to former African slaves paying tribute to fallen Union soldiers. There is strong evidence that women of the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War. On May 30, 1868, flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. By 1890 all the northern states were observing the day. The South would not observe the same date until after World War I, when it became more than an observance recognizing those fallen in the Civil War.
So, it took another war to unite Americans in remembrance of those fallen heroes. Stubborn aren’t we? Here in the South, I grew up visiting the cemetery on birthdays, holidays, and whenever my mother felt a need to connect with those gone from her – but never forgotten. Each visit to the cemetery (my mother never let us call it a graveyard) was a fascinating experience to me as a child.
Always walk around the plots, never step on one. Wander away as my mother knelt in the grass coaxed lovingly into growth in the red Georgia clay. Look first for relatives, those my mother spoke of, and those strange names I was unfamiliar with. Look for the little stone with the lamb on top – the resting place of my mother’s baby sister, Carole. Look for more lambs and little angels – they were dotted around the older section with alarming frequency, something I noticed even as a child. Take note of all the flowers.
It was a fine thing for a family to have many who remembered to honor their dead. I also very vividly remember the little American flags stuck in the ground on days such as Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. Not too long ago, I found a small cemetery with a mass grave of Confederate soldiers who mostly died of an outbreak, possibly flu, during the war. Those little flags had been put in the ground around the few individual markers. I wondered if they minded that 50 star flag, or if they were grateful to be remembered, honored, prayed over.
It was something I lived with as a child, this presence of the dead. I never thought much about it until recently. Here you literally cannot stray far outside your own yard without encountering some reminder of the war fought on this soil, and those fallen. As a child, many of our parents remembered grandparents who fought in the war. It is alive for us, and so has colored how we honor our dead, those who have fallen in battle, and those who in the words of many a fire and brimstone preacher, “The LORD has called home to be with HIM.” Believe me, no disrespect intended, just an indication of a little local flavor.
And so, I find myself wondering. Is this a southern thing? Is it an American thing? Or is it something common to all of us, this need to return to the place we left our loved ones for the final time on this earth? Is it a regional custom, tied deep in the roots we are so tangled in, or a need born with our souls? I think it must be the latter, with a twist of regional observances that may vary from place to place, but sooth the heart of those who wait here, on this side. Perhaps, after all is said and done, it meets our needs more than just paying respect to the dead. We wander there, among those peaceful plots, wondering, imagining, where are they? How is it there? When will my time come? Will I be with them again? Then, that most human of all questions. Who will honor me in my time, when I lay beneath the grass coaxed lovingly into growth in the red Georgia clay?
I hope you enjoyed the video of my hometown. I couldn’t be more proud to live in a place like this little town. Volunteers work for several weeks to place the poles and crosses. You can even get a list of names and locations so that families can locate the cross for their own loved one. We Remember, we honor, we celebrate. I sure hope we always will.
I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
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