Category Living in a Potemkin Village

Apr 23 2023

Neil Oliver – ‘Nice Life You’ve Got There, It’d be a Shame if Something Happened to It”….


Posted originally on the CTH on April 22, 2023 | Sundance 

Neil Oliver returns from a few weeks of holiday to hit this monologue out of the park.  It’s almost as if Neil and I had sat down and shared a cup of tea.

Comrades, in this wake-up monologue Oliver hits on the key dynamic we have discussed, we are in an abusive relationship with government.  We are being oppressed and held captive by our inability to come to terms with the nature of this relationship.  We are suffering through battered citizen syndrome, thinking that if we just bear through the next round of beatings the abuser will change.

Neil Oliver hits another key point, something you also might find familiar.  The gaslighting around us that feeds and maintains the nature of the abusive relationship is based on the entire community around us “pretending” we are not being abused.  Oliver then folds in the bigger picture and agenda behind, Build Back Better. WATCH:

It’s desperately necessary for our survival that we become disillusioned–and quickly.

Think about that word: Dis-illusioned. Having illusions exposed and removing them from the decision-making process.

Getting disillusioned quicky is important, because when illusions are defended, protected and argued for, instead of being exposed, they will always take us to default decisions that are inherently based on non-reality. This is where the pretending comes from.

Isaac Newton said that passivity in objects was predictable. Perhaps passivity in troubled humans is predictable as well.

Newton said it this way with regard to objects: “An object that is at rest will stay at rest unless an unbalanced force act upon it.”  So, it appears we need an unbalanced force to act upon these passively willing objects that are content to remain at rest.  That unbalanced force is Donald J Trump.

Apr 22 2023

INTERVIEW – WORLD WAR 3 IS WHAT “THEY” WANT AND ARE ON TRACK TO GET IT


Armstrong Economics Blog/Armstrong in the Media Re-Posted Apr 22, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Apr 21 2023

About The New “Affordable Housing” Fees on Mortgages that Punish High Credit Borrowers


Posted originally on the CTH on April 20, 2023 | Sundance 

Stop looking at the Washington DC Potemkin village; start looking at the financial system behind it that controls it.

You may recently have seen this story:

WASHINGTON DC – Homebuyers with good credit scores will soon encounter a costly surprise: a new federal rule forcing them to pay higher mortgage rates and fees to subsidize people with riskier credit ratings who are also in the market to buy houses.

The fee changes will go into effect May 1 as part of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s push for affordable housing, and they will affect mortgages originating at private banks across the country. The federally backed home mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will enact the loan-level price adjustments, or LLPAs.

Mortgage industry specialists say homebuyers with credit scores of 680 or higher will pay, for example, about $40 per month more on a home loan of $400,000. Homebuyers who make down payments of 15% to 20% will get socked with the largest fees. (read more)

If you focus on the DC Potemkin Village, you view this move through the prism of Biden’s FHFA creating a policy to favor low-income (nonwhite) voters by punishing stable credit worthy borrowers.  That’s what the powers who control the levers, and create policy, want us to focus on.  That’s not what is going on.

Biden doesn’t control anything.  Biden is a puppet to the multinationals that control DC policy.  When Biden was installed, the people who control the money and wealth (Blackrock, WEF assembly etc.), the people behind the Potemkin Village, knew what the larger economic agenda would create.

{GO DEEP}. 

They knew BBB, or Green New Deal policy, combined with excessive govt spending would generate inflation.  They moved their money from inflation sensitive liquid and paper assets, into real estate.  Inflation raged, liquid assets depreciated, real assets (real estate) surged.   25% of housing was bought with investment dollars by institutional investors, housing prices skyrocketed – their investments increased accordingly.

The financial control operators avoided the consequences of the government policy they controlled.

Now, those same institutions need to turn those appreciated real estate assets into capital outcomes.  They need to sell the real estate.  However, the assets are now at maximum appreciation and dropping as a result of the central banking moves to raise borrowing rates.

How do they exit the investment?  They need a mechanism – a new policy to create the financial instrument that transfers the increased investment wealth back into their hands.

They need buyers.

How do they get buyers?  They create new policy.

That’s what is behind this new FHFA rule.  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will create a new category of buyers that allows the investors to sell the real estate assets at higher appreciated values and exit their investment.  They will transfer the depreciating loss of the asset to the new buyers, like a game of hot potato.

Learn to look behind the Potemkin Village to the institutional financial operators who control the laws, rules and regulations.  This is all a continual game of wealth transfer and redistribution.  There are trillions at stake.

Look at who moves the money around and how they position govt policy for the shifts into and out of the financial system they control.   All of this is being controlled, and Joe Biden has no idea what is happening beyond the talking points that are put in front of him.

Apr 20 2023

New York Judge Tells Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg His Office Must Testify to Congress


Posted originally on the CTH on April 20, 2023 | Sundance

Political DA Alvin Bragg was smacked down pretty hard by a New York judge Wednesday, telling his office there is no legal mechanism to avoid accountability and testimony before congress.

The DA office took federal funds to prosecute Donald Trump, the DA office is interfering in a federal election, the DA office has openly stated their intentions are politically motivated, and therefore the DA office has no standing to try and avoid federal legislative scrutiny.

As Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil clarified to Bragg’s team, she has no standing to block a legislatively authorized congressional subpoena.

New York – […] “The sole question before the Court at this time is whether Bragg has a legal basis to quash a congressional subpoena that was issued with a valid legislative purpose.  He does not,” Vyskocil wrote in her decision Wednesday.

Bragg, a Democrat, has accused Jordan of pursuing the subpoena to score political points while supporting Trump, a Republican. Vyskocil said the dispute appeared political, but said that did not impact her decision.

“In our federalist system, elected state and federal actors sometimes engage in political dogfights,” Vyskocil wrote in her order, noting that Bragg is an elected official. “Bragg complains of political interference in the local DANY case, but Bragg does not operate outside of the political arena.”

“Jordan, in turn, has initiated a political response to what he and some of his constituents view as a manifest abuse of power and nakedly political prosecution, funded (in part) with federal money, that has the potential to interfere with the exercise of presidential duties and with an upcoming federal election,” Vyskocil wrote.  “The Court does not endorse either side’s agenda.”

The subpoena to Pomerantz demands his appearance before the Judiciary Committee on Thursday. It is unclear if he will appear. A spokesperson for Bragg said Wednesday, “We respectfully disagree with the District Court’s decision and are seeking a stay pending appeal.”

Vyskocil denied Bragg’s request for a stay Wednesday night. (read more)

Apr 20 2023

NIH and CDC Directors TestiLie to Congress


Posted originally on the CTH on April 19, 2023 | Sundance 

♦ National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Lawrence A. Tabak officially took office on December 20, 2021. Previously Tabak served as the Principal Deputy Director and the Deputy Ethics Counselor of NIH since August 2010. Today he was asked about the origin of SARS-CoV-2, commonly known as Covid-19. Mr. Tabak claims he has no idea where the virus came from.

– Non pretending version: Tabak knows exactly where it came from and is protecting Anthony Fauci.

♦ Rochelle P. Walensky, is the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Today Ms. Walensky was asked if her prior claims of vaccinated people not being able to spread or transmit the COVID-19 virus were accurate. Walensky clams the statements were accurate at the time they were made (March ’21).

– Non pretending version: the entire predicate of the govt vaccination mandate rests on the vaccine stopping the spread of COVID-19.  The vaccine stopping transmission was a lie when Walensky said it in March ’21, and it is a lie she must maintain in 2023 because the OSHA mandate could not have existed without it. WATCH:

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Apr 20 2023

The Bloom Is Off The Ruse – President Trump Gains Ten More Florida Republican Congressional Endorsements, DeSantis Has One – Rep Greg Steube Explains Why


Posted originally on the CTH on April 19, 2023 | Sundance 

Another three endorsements for President Trump today from the Florida congressional delegation, bringing the total so far to ten with more anticipated.  Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is in Washington DC seeking support.  DeSantis is warmly greeted, but President Trump gets the endorsements.  What’s going on?

Republican Congressman Greg Steube gives an explanation below about the Ron DeSantis Floridians know, but nationally most do not.

DeSantis is an out-of-touch aloof persona, who generally projects himself as better than others.  In person he projects an arrogance and condescending personality trait also carried by his insta-selfie supporters and ‘influencers.’ It comes through the camera lens.  Everything constructed around DeSantis is fake, even the fake blue-collar handshakes that have to be photo-shopped to give a common man impression.

The donors are pouring in hundreds of millions to pay for the fake DeSantis constructs, Top Gov brand imaging and Madison Avenue illusions, but you cannot purchase authenticity, and you cannot rewrite the history of who DeSantis is.  Greg Steube explains:

[I]n a brief interview last night [Steube noted] that DeSantis has never once reached out to him during his five years in Congress nor replied to his multiple attempts to connect. He recalled a recent news conference dealing with damage from Hurricane Ian where the governor’s aides initially invited him to stand alongside DeSantis, only to tell him that he wouldn’t be part of the event when he showed up.

Trump, on the other hand, was the first person Steube remembers calling him in the ICU to wish him well after he was injured in a January tree-trimming accident. “To this day I have not heard from Gov. DeSantis,” he said.

Things suddenly changed last week, Steube said, as Trump started rolling out his Florida congressional backers. ”For the first time ever, I hear from DeSantis’s political person,” he said, referring to aide RYAN TYSON, who reportedly contacted other Florida Republicans about their endorsements.

For Steube, the outreach was too little, too late. And he continues to have sharp words for DeSantis, criticizing him for his robust political travel schedule amid a busy legislative session and just months after winning a new four-year term.  “Floridians want him focused on Florida,” he said, “which is the job they elected him to do.” (read the entire article)

Like I said last year, once people get to see Ron DeSantis up close, his disdain for people just jumps out at you.  He loves standing at the podium telling you what’s wrong with you, and what is brilliant about himself; however, he just doesn’t like people in an authentic or natural way you would expect from executive leadership.

The same disconnected snobbery applies to everyone his team has recruited.

Ken Cuccinelli and Jeff Roe are two of the biggest self-important jackasses in national politics. They don’t carry an ounce of humility or introspection.  They are always right, and the problem is it just takes too long for everyone to come around to admitting how great they are.  This is the character of DeSantis that flows through everyone he associates with.  Here’s an example from one of the ‘influencers” a few days ago.

This Twitter account is connected to both Representative Thomas Massie and DeSantis campaign official Christina Pushaw:

That tweet encapsulates the worldview of the average Ron DeSantis supporter in Florida.

This is why the overwhelming majority of the Florida Republican delegation, will not endorse him.  These outlooks are toxic and elitist.  Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis did not wear elbow length silk gloves at the noon-time inauguration day event accidentally.  Casey already went shopping with Cindy McCain and has her 2024 tiara picked out.

As I keep saying, there are not enough people who take Instagram pictures of their lunches to make Ron DeSantis a viable candidate. The polo club, cocktail party circuit of people who eat crustless triangle cucumber sandwiches and look down their noses at everyone else, is just not a large enough coalition to win DeSantis the nomination.  It means he will have more money; however, factually, the professional donor class is annoying with the level of self-righteousness and condescension they promote.

WASHINGTON DC – […] In yet another blow to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s not-yet-official presidential bid, two more Republican members of Congress from his own state are gearing to endorse Donald Trump for another term. Reps. Gus Bilirakis and Carlos Gimenez are each planning to announce their support for the former president this week, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell TIME.

Their pledges continue something of a downward spiral for DeSantis, who has been steadily losing ground in the endorsement battle for legislators from his own backyard. The development is even more noteworthy after his political team recently tried to stop the bleeding by asking Florida Republicans to refrain from endorsing Trump.

Bilirakis and Gimenez have also committed to be at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach on Thursday night, as the former President hosts members of the Florida delegation who have already endorsed him, including Reps. Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna, Cory Mills, and Greg Steube. It’s not clear yet whether Reps. Byron Donalds and John Rutherford, who have also endorsed Trump, will be at the gathering.

Neither Bilirakis nor Gimenez responded to requests for comment. Rep. Brian Mast, another Florida Republican, has also told associates he plans to formally back Trump in the coming days. And on Wednesday, Rep. Vern Buchanan officially thew his weight behind Trump. TIME reported last week that Buchanan was planning to endorse Trump in the coming days.

All of their endorsements will bring Trump’s tally of members of Congress from Florida to ten, whereas DeSantis has just one, Rep. Laurel Lee, who announced her support for the governor on Tuesday. Before winning her House seat last year, Lee served as DeSantis’s first Secretary of State. (read more)

Lance Gooden (R-TX) – “Today, after careful consideration and a positive meeting with Governor DeSantis, I have decided to endorse President @realDonaldTrump for 2024.”

Rolling Stone – […] “Over the past few years, the Florida governor has risen to Trump’s top internal rival without even declaring his candidacy. And part of that rise has been fueled by his pull with the GOP’s megadonor class, who prefer him to Trump because, while he brings a similar set of MAGAfied policies, he has not, to date, attempted a coup. That wellspring of financial support has been instrumental in fueling his rise, but the investments are predicated in large part on a belief that he can take down Donald.

That belief seems to be wavering, as the donor revolt has been brewing since at least last month. And it’s not just skittish donors like Richard Uihlein or Thomas Peterffy, who went public with his complaints last week. Several other top donors to DeSantis were livid about the governor referring to the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine as a “territorial dispute,” with at least one major donor calling DeSantis to urge a walk-back, a source with knowledge of the outreach and another person briefed on it say. “My understanding is that the message was: ‘If we wanted a fucking MAGA candidate, we would donate to Donald Trump,’” the second source says.

[…] Those polling troubles may be giving some megadonors second thoughts. Sources familiar with Schlitz Brewing heir and shipping titan Richard Uihlein’s thinking told NBC News that the “brakes are pumped” with the megadonor’s DeSantis giving after the governor’s lackluster polling has given some “pause” about his viability.

Other conservatives have taken to predicting that DeSantis is potentially the second coming of Scott Walker, another Republican governor and conservative-media darling who many thought would be the favored candidate in a presidential primary — only to flame out before any ballots were cast. (read more)

Apr 16 2023

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Takes a Pass on 2024


Posted originally on the CTH on April 15, 2023 | Sundance

Given the nature of the club plan, we can probably expect to see the field thin much faster as it gets closer to Ron DeSantis launch date.

The South Carolina folks (Haley and Scott) will remain, and Asa Hutchinson is likely to hang out as the club player for Iowa, but pulling the other noise away from DeSantis will be a priority.  Also, no one will enter the contest after DeSantis.

With Trump surging, Team RdS needs every part of their 20% to remain as the floor.  The Big Club handlers can’t afford the optics of Ron DeSantis polling dropping further because it will make his pre-planned entry look weak and more transparent.   As such, Youngkin taps out before he reaches the ring.

(Via New York Times) –  Virginia’s governor is putting the presidential hoopla on ice.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, the Republican whose surprising election in a blue-trending state set off instant talk of a presidential run, has tapped the brakes on 2024, telling advisers and donors that his sole focus is on Virginia’s legislative elections in the fall.

[…] “Listen, I didn’t write a book, and I’m not in Iowa or New Hampshire or South Carolina.” Instead, he said, he is putting his full focus on November’s statewide Virginia election, when all 140 seats in both chambers of the General Assembly are on the ballot. A decision to enter the 2024 campaign in November would be historically late, well past the first Republican debate in August.

[…] “I am wholly focused on the Commonwealth of Virginia, and I’m looking forward to these elections,’’ Mr. Youngkin said during an appearance to promote Virginia’s agricultural exports. [T]he governor, 56, said that gaining majorities in the legislature “is what this year is all about.”  (read more)

It’s likely the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) helped influence this decision.

Apr 15 2023

Suspicious Cat’s Correct – Johnson and MacGregor Give Details


Posted originally on the CTH on April 14, 2023 | Sundance

In an era of universal deceit, it should not be a surprise for the suspicious cats to be more accurate.

Semi-related context for scope of fraud:  We know with demonstrable certainty that Hillary Clinton, the DNC, Fusion GPS, Chris Steele, DOJ, FBI and SSCI collaborated to create the fictitious premise called broadly “Trump-Russia collusion and interference in the 2016 election.”  The entire thing was bogus soup-to-nuts, all of it… make believe; none of it real.  So, how the hell did Mueller, Rosenstein and Weissmann indict Russians?

Now… Fast forward to the current classified intelligence leaks with the scale, scope and background of everything above in mind.  WATCH:

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In the next segment Douglas Macgregor gives his view, and makes some really good emphatic points about the facts within the intelligence leaks proving the United States government, OUR GOVERNMENT, is completely lying about Ukraine and other matters.

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What we think of as Washington DC is a Potemkin village.

All of it is a fabrication.

The real seat of power controlling government is the part we do not see.  The Fourth Branch of Government!

Apr 14 2023

Credit Where Due, Glenn Greenwald Nails This Discussion of Media and the U.S. Intel Leaks


Posted originally on the CTH on April 14, 2023 | Sundance 

There are times when CTH and the perspective of Glenn Greenwald do not align. This is not one of those times. {Direct Rumble Link Here}

In this segment with Tucker Carlson, Glenn Greenwald nails the agenda, motives and outcomes of the U.S. media as they relate to the recent classified intelligence leaks. This is a solid three-minute encapsulation of the problem. WATCH:

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