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Mar 9 2022

Biden Announces Ban on Russian Oil Imports, Simultaneous With US Gasoline Prices Hitting Record High


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on March 8, 2022 | Sundance 

line hit $4.173, according to the American Automobile Association, with many regions now far exceeding that price.  It is not uncommon to see $5/gal gasoline in many areas.

Against this backdrop, Joe Biden announced today that his administration is banning the import of oil, liquified natural gas (LNG) and coal from Russia.  [We do not import LNG or coal from Russia, so that political point is moot.]  You can read the executive order HERE.

The executive order also bans any U.S. entity from investing or facilitating the investment of Russian energy development.  That section explains why there were earlier reports of Oil companies withdrawing from Russia.  They were obviously given a heads up.

The way the order is currently written, and a lot of it has to do with extremely generous interpretations by the U.S. Treasury Dept., it would appear that any energy company currently operating in the U.S. cannot simultaneously be operating in Russia (or be part of the subsidizing and insurance network that supports energy development in Russia).  The Treasury interpretations here are fraught with complexity.

The part that matters is boiled down in this section:

(i)    the importation into the United States of the following products of Russian Federation origin:  crude oil; petroleum; petroleum fuels, oils, and products of their distillation; liquefied natural gas; coal; and coal products;

(ii)   new investment in the energy sector in the Russian Federation by a United States person, wherever located; and

(iii)  any approval, financing, facilitation, or guarantee by a United States person, wherever located, of a transaction by a foreign person where the transaction by that foreign person would be prohibited by this section if performed by a United States person or within the United States.

     (b)  The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or license or permit granted prior to the date of this order.  (LINK)

The European Union cannot cut themselves off from Russian oil and natural gas.  Europe relies on imports for 90% of its gas and 97% of its oil products. Russia supplies 40% of Europe’s gas and a quarter of its oil. {source}  Essentially, China and the EU will continue to be the largest purchasers of Russian energy.

The White House is looking to replace Russian oil by purchasing from Venezuela, Iran and, to a lesser extent, Saudi Arabia.   In some ways, you can look at this oil purchase shift as a continuation of President Obama’s intent to exfiltrate American wealth.  Iran and Venezuela become the favored nations again, as they were in the Obama-Biden administration 2009-2017.

Ideologues who have always operated in the background of Biden are working on the same program to consign the U.S. economy as a permanent “service driven economy.”  The difference now is the rapid speed of their policy outcomes, because Biden is disposable.

Biden-Obama, and all that come with them, are working through an ideological plan.  All of these consequences and outcomes are features, not flaws.

$7/gal gas is likely this summer (if not sooner), that’s around $180 to $200 barrel oil price.

$10/gal gas appears to be their ‘Build Back Better‘ target price with oil around $250/barrel.

The Russia-Ukraine ‘crisis’ just helps them justify and speed up the process they already had underway.   I would argue the speed of their action is driven by their concern of a mid-term election outcome that might impede the bigger objective.

White House Press Release HERE –  Executive Order HERE

Sep 16 2021

The Democrat’s Veterans Crisis


Armstrong Economics Blog/Gov’t Incompetence Re-Posted Sep 16, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

COMMENT: I just need to vent. I use to be a Democrat but will never vote for one again. I am a Vet and under Obama, we were treated as second-rate citizens. Many would die waiting for a doctor. Under Trump, he turned the VA upside down. If they cannot see you, they have to pay for outside doctors to take care of you. He streamlined their paperwork which was outrageous. All these people do is hate Trump for everything. They even had to build the wall they called him a racist over that. Now the COVID is back. You are not allowed visitors anymore. Biden figures we should have died on the battlefield alone so why should we die with family now?

GD

REPLY: I know your frustration. I have a Vietnam Vet friend here who goes to the VA hospital at St. Pete. You now line up in your car to get even the flu vaccine. They told him he had to quartine for four days before entering the hospital for a procedure. He said the same thing. Trump reversed the Obama VA crisis, and now the Democrats are disrespecting Vets all over again. Interestingly, Hitler began exterminating WWI Vets because they were deemed “useless” under the same philosophy — So what have you done for me lately?

Trump vowed to do more for the veterans when the Democrats cut everything they could in the VA and military for social programs. The Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014 was a reported pattern of negligence in the treatment of the United States military veterans. Obama was confronted by reports of a total meltdown of the VA by members of his own party. Even the New York Times, back then, said Obama “gave in to the pressure and performed the sort of ritual Washington sacrifice…”

Sep 13 2021

Sheriff’s Office Releases Alarming Video From Brevard, FL, Police Shooting


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on September 12, 2021 | Sundance | 241 Comments

Sheriff Wayne Ivey in Brevard County, Florida, releases shocking video of an officer involved shooting that took place August 30th.  The video was released September 10th and shows just how dangerous it is to be a police officer.

During a traffic stop a career felon with outstanding warrants was a passenger seated in the rear of the vehicle.  When the officers instructed him to exit the vehicle, the suspect immediately pulls out a short barrelled rifle and starts shooting at the officers.   A total of 61 shots were fired in the exchange.

Jun 21 2021

Does Formal Education Prevent Critical Thinking? A North Korean Defector Weighs In


Armstrong Economics Blog/Education Re-Posted Jun 21, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

Click here to watch Yeonmi Park’s commentary.

Yeonmi Park, a North Korean defector, compared her experience at Columbia University to life in the “hermit kingdom.” Education (i.e., indoctrination) in North Korea is designed to teach children from a young age how to think, what to think, and not to question the status quo. “History is forgotten in North Korea,” Park stated, adding she was excited to learn the true facts of history while studying in the land of the free.

To her dismay, she quickly discovered that her American ivy league college participated in the same behavior. After stating that she enjoyed Jane Austen and classical works, her teacher quickly corrected her for adoring books written by authors who were “bigots” with a “colonial mindset.” Students cheered for communism and socialism without regard for past events, such as the millions of lives lost under Mao Zedong’s rule. “They are dying to give their rights and power to government…they take it for granted. They don’t know how hard it is to be free,” Park stated. She failed to understand how students paying tens if not hundreds of thousands for education could cry oppression.

The most confusing part for Park is that Americans, unlike North Koreans, have access to the internet, books, and a plethora of information, yet they “choose to be brainwashed.” She concluded by determining that education is designed to prevent people from critical thinking. “The future of our country is as bleak as North Korea’s if we don’t rise up right now,” Park warned.

Jun 21 2021

Can Shareholders Bring Suit Against Dorsey for Securities Fraud?


Armstrong Economics Blog/Rule of Law Re-Posted Jun 21, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

In July 2015, then CEO Dick Costolo departed Twitter, and Jack Dorsey assumed the role of interim CEO. Twitter was created by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams in March 2006 and launched in July 2006. By 2012, the platform had more than 100 million users. I am surprised that they have not figured out that Dorsey can be personally sued for securities fraud since he marketed Twitter as being the platform for “freedom of expression,” whereby he has personally taken charge of the company and did exactly the opposite of what was said when they went public.

If I raised money and said we would invest in BioTech, but then after getting the money I invested in real estate, that would be securities fraud. We cannot count on the SEC to defend the people. They get their marching orders and will never cross paths with someone like Dorsey. Worse still, if you take a public corporation and you flip it around for personal use, that too is actionable. Dorsey is obviously incompetent as a CEO.

Jun 9 2021

Parent Fights Back – Resistance is not Futile


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Jun 8, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

Carmel NY Board of Education Out of Control

Jun 9 2021

Active Engagement Continues, Parents and Teachers Begin Standing Up Against Virginia School Boards


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on June 8, 2021 | Sundance | 53 Comments

Parents across the nation are beginning to recognize just how infected local school boards have become with the advancement of Critical Race Theory (CRT).  More and more parents and students are uniting to push back against the politicization of schools by ideologues within the school administration.

In Loudon County Virginia the school board is confronted by concerned parents.  One teacher from Fairfax County traveled to support the parents in Loudon County and sends a message of support to parents and students.   It is great to see a teacher confront the machine…

We need more teachers like her…  GREAT JOB !

If the education fractures or cleaves between Red States (Freedom, Patriotism) and Blue States (Indoctrination, Sheep), we will likely see an even greater intellectual diminishment amid the Democrat orthodoxy which is dependent on communal thought.

One example of the parent’s message:

Jun 5 2021

Founder of Moderna Canceled by Twitter for Confirming Truth


Armstrong Economics Blog/BigTech Re-Posted Jun 4, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

t is time that the people DEMAND the end to censorship. The immunity given to platforms was to prevent them from being sued for posts of others. Not that they are now the Censors of society. They are endangering people’s lives and they should be dragged out of their offices and put on trial for sedition. This is supposed to be a government by and for the people – not World Economic Forum, Bill Gates, and politicians lining their pockets to create concentration camps to reduce CO2 and the population.

The Democrats are protecting this consortium and not the people!

May 28 2021

Why BigTech are State Actors & Violate our Civil Rights


Armstrong Economics Blog/BigTech Re-Posted May 27, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

As many know, I lived in London years ago. At the upper end of Hyde Park by Marble Arch, there is Speakers’ Corner. That is where anyone could stand up and talk about anything that they wanted. You were free to listen or just walk away. There would often be a crowd, and that was not an indication that they agreed. It simply meant that the topic was curious, worth listening to or just entertaining crazy talk.

Speakers’ Corner even shows up on Google Maps, showing that this is indeed a landmark. What is important about this is that Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, especially those who claim to be public forums, also claim they have the right to censor what you say or even think. Section 230 only gave them immunity from suit because someone posted something another did not like. In that context, it was a reasonable grant of immunity. It would be like suing the city of London because someone at Speakers’ Corner said something that offended you.

You cannot be a public forum by deleting people and canceling anyone you do not like. Speakers’ Corner in London is what these forums were supposed to be. If someone is a Nazi and hates Jews, so be it. They have a right to say that just as the rest of us have the right to shake our heads and walk away as in Hyde Park. It used to be an easy world. If someone was talking to themselves walking down the street, we just looked at them as being strange. We didn’t run to the police screaming we were offended by what the crazy person said. Today, people are walking down the street and talking perhaps to themselves, but then again, maybe they have an earpiece for a phone. Life has become much more complicated. Now it seems the crazy people are in charge of the forums in BigTech and they are saying we no longer have the right to free speech.

Facebook whistleblowers have leaked documents detailing the effort to censor vax concerns on a global scale secretly. None of this is legal for Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube all have connections to the left side of government and that means that they are acting in violation of the Constitution under the pretense of being private when in fact they are acting as agents of the state. This needs to go to trial and the jury will decide if these people are state actors. If so, then they are violating every principle of the Constitution.

The removal of Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier from the U.S. Space Force this month after he publicly stated his opposition to Marxism and Critical Race Theory is part of a very dangerous new wave of censorship that is transforming the United States into East Germany under the Communists. Speakers’ Corner was the very core of a free society which once stood in contrast to Communism and authoritarian forms of government. This is precisely what these people are resurrecting — the worst of human history.

May 28 2021

Twitter Warns Indian Government to “Respect Freedom of Expression” – Beyond The Hypocrisy, Big Tech is Now Telling Global Government What is Permitted Propaganda


Posted originally on the conservative tree house May 27, 2021 | Sundance | 129 Comments

Comrade citizens, pay no attention to the blatant propaganda inherent in this latest expression from the almighty Big Tech globalist alliance unit at Twitter.

Ignore the stunning hypocrisy of telling a foreign government to respect the “freedom of expression” from a platform that arbitrarily censors and deletes the “expressions” that do not align with their politics.

Be a good comrade and do not pay attention to the scale of hubris for a company to threaten a foreign government and publicly take the position that Big Tech Twitter is more important and powerful than the billion plus citizens and elected government of a sovereign state.

All your governments are belong to us.  Yes, quite remarkable but completely in-line with their outlook of self-importance.

(New York Post) – Twitter on Thursday said it is worried about the safety of its staff in India and called for the government to respect freedom of expression, days after Indian police visited its office in New Delhi over its labeling of a tweet by a governing party spokesman as “manipulated media.”

Twitter has been involved in a tense battle with the Indian government, which has often asked it to restrict content alleging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is trying to silence criticism, including of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Twitter said it has “concerns with regards to the use of intimidation tactics by the police” and “the potential threat to freedom of expression for the people we serve.”

India’s IT ministry called Twitter’s statement “totally baseless, false and an attempt to defame India.” It said Twitter should “comply with the laws of the land” instead of “dictating what India’s legal policy framework should be.” (read more)