The Thirst For Truth – Big Picture Explanation of What Happened in the Past 15 Years That Flipped the Social, Cultural, Media, Leftist and Govt Relationship


Posted originally on the CTH on May 27, 2023 | Sundance 

Last night I participated in a conversation. This article is written as an outcome of that conversation, as requested by those who participated.

Essentially, the framework of the conversation, as I initially listened, is best described as a series of questions amid a group of smart intellectual types who are very understanding of the nature of our current situation.

In various forms they were asking each other the same question.  What happened in the last several years that caused Democrats, leftists and the traditional political left to switch positions on their advocacy?

Liberalism literally went from railing against Big Govt, to embracing corrupt Big Govt. Why and how did this happen?

In short, it was the same line of questioning I have seen asked by Tucker Carlson, Glenn Greenwald, Tulsi Gabbard and various traditionally liberal people as well as people on the right side of the continuum.

Why and how did traditional liberalism so suddenly flip from being, big picture – ‘anti-government’, to suddenly embracing corrupt government enterprise, and supporting the intelligence apparatus, federal govt (writ large), institutional oppressive law enforcement and FBI etc.?  What happened?

After listening to this conversation quietly, as I am prone to do, my remarks -with citations and examples- silenced the room.

At the conclusion of my remarks, everyone asked me if I had ever written about this, and if not – why not?   I did not have an answer, so consider this a promise fulfilled.  Perhaps you might find value.

In the 50 years that preceded 2008, traditional leftists, media activists, left-wing community organizing agencies, Democrats, liberals, progressives, or whatever label you want to assign, essentially railed against the U.S. government and all that it represented.  However, now, if you were to look at the issues from the 30,000-foot perspective, those same groups currently support the oppressive & weaponized system of government they formerly despised.

In the 50 years that preceded 2008, those same groups had an approach of distrust toward government, and the media apparatus had a very distinct supportive and cynical outlook, favorable to the leftist anti-government perspective.  Now, all of that has reversed – seemingly flipped.

In the 50 years that preceded 2008, media pushed a one-way narrative in defense of those who were “targeted” by the institutions and mechanisms of government.  As the activists railed against the regime, the media framed narratives to excuse the transparently guilty. Now, that entire dynamic has reversed.  Now we see the media pushing a narrative in support of weaponized government targeting, and – here’s the kicker – framing the transparently innocent.

The activists went from accusing government of wrongdoing and defending the transparently guilty – to aligning with government, excusing government wrongdoing, and helping to attack the transparently innocent.

As some continue to say with jaw agape, WTF happened?

The answer “why” is not complicated…. not complicated at all.

In 2008, the ‘activists’ took control of government.

In January of 2009, the leftists, community organizers and activists took control of the systems they had opposed for the preceding 50+ years.

In January of 2009, and inflection point took place; an inflection point that no one realized in forethought, scale or consequence.

Starting in 2009, all of the systems of federal government were now under the control of the people who previously fought against the systems of federal government.  Everything since is an outcome of that inflection point; that’s why everything flipped.

All of it, and I do mean every scintilla of the thing; every single granular detail and example you can put in front of me can be traced back to that moment when the activists were no longer outside government railing against the corrupt system they hated.

Starting in January of 2009, the activists took power over the United States government, and every outside institution, including media, necessarily and ideologically followed that inversion.

Starting in 2009, the systems and institutions of the U.S government now came under the control of the radical activists.

In the eight years that followed, the mission of every institution was changed.  Government was weaponized on behalf of the leftist activists who now took control of it.  Everything thereafter is a consequence of this change.

When I use the word “suddenly”, it is only for understanding the inflections point that came as a consequence.  In actuality, the severity of change inside each institution took place over several years.  That’s why the intensity of the weaponized and corrupt systems became worse over time.

As each institution was infiltrated to become more aligned with the mindset of the activists, the institutions became more radical in their targeting and weaponization.

The activists went from being outside government to being inside government.

Suddenly, the left-wing supportive media changed mission priority from railing against corrupt government, to defending the corrupt weaponization of govt.

Suddenly, the FBI went from targeting domestic threats, to targeting only the domestic threats defined as against the interests of the left-wing activists.

Suddenly, the outside activists went from being defined as social elements creating turmoil, to social elements now being defended and even promoted.

This is why we see outside activist groups like the Dream Defenders, New Black Panthers, Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street and more recently ANTIFA, as protected and supported by the activists inside government now in control of the systems and institutions.

All of the social, cultural and political dynamics that changed traditional “liberalism” are easily understood once you realize and accept that activists took control of the power centers of the U.S. government.

Everything that followed, including our current state of social and political turmoil, is simply a natural conclusion of that fundamental change.

The radical activists are now in control of the institutions of power.  This core shift is what created the dynamic of a very visible two-tiered justice system.  Each institution was weaponized and continues to be weaponized against those who are not aligned with the activist ideology.

The Dept of Justice has been weaponized against people who are not in alignment with the radicals.

The federal police, known as the FBI, have been weaponized against We The People.

The Intelligence Community is now under the control of the radical activists.  The mission priorities change accordingly.

When Tucker Carlson, Glenn Greenwald, Tulsi Gabbard or any other person posits the question about ‘why’ the ideology of the left and media has shifted so suddenly, there is your answer.

It is not a complicated understanding.   Once you accept this fundamental change took place, everything seemingly falls into place….

…. At least that’s what the “ah-ha” audience told me.

The Neocons Have been Planning for War with Russia For a Long-Time


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted May 28, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The Second Edition of The Plot to Seize Russia will be in major retailers in a few weeks. We will let you know as soon as our publisher releases it. I have done my best to follow the breadcrumbs since I found myself in the middle of this and they tried to get me to invest $10 billion to fund this operation. I refused. We have a right to the truth especially when they send our children off to die in foreign lands for their insane world dominating agenda.

You Have 8.6 Years Left – Politics of Fools


Armstrong Economics Blog/ECM Re-Posted May 27, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Dear Martin,
DeSantis announced his run for the Republican candidacy. You’ve mentioned several times he would be eaten by the career politicians in Washington. What if he becomes Trump’s running mate? Would that be a good course?
Sincerely, Martijn

ANSWER: That would be the only way I would see DeSantis as having any real influence. As I have said, I was asked if I would talk Trump out of running and join the advisory team for DeSantis last year. I declined. I replied that everything has changed and that they would just eat him for lunch as they did to Trump when he first walked into Washington.

Washington has declined so much so, that the fools on the Hill now think just switching to a Republican will make it all better. The Biden administration has inflicted so much political damage as well as division among the people, the USA must fall. It cannot stand as one nation with such division. And it is not even Biden – who is the real symbol of the Fool on the Hill. He is only the puppet just like the last emperors of Rome.

I do not care that the propaganda claims the election of 2020 was not rigged. Of course, it was, but not by the Democrats. They too are naive. The Deep State is in full control. The CIA convinced Trump to delay the release of JFK files until after the election. They played Trump like a fiddle. When Biden got in, he granted their perpetual stay to cover up their involvement. The FBI was out to prevent a Trump victory. Anyone who thinks that the CIA, NSA, or FBI cannot change the vote is an even bigger fool. They should grab a gun and go fight for Zelensky.

NONE of this from war to climate would have taken place under Trump. I said I had gone to Mara Largo in March 2020 for dinner and that is when Trump actually impressed me. He said he would pull the troops out of Afghanistan because he was tired of writing letters to parents explaining their son died for God and their country. He said they were fighting over borders that for 1,000 years. What difference are we going to make?

Perhaps you will remember in January 2019, Iran shot down an American drone. There is no question that John Bolton, Trump’s national security adviser at the time, was provoking Iran-U.S. tensions. He wanted another war. Quite frankly, Bolton would invade Canada to hunt down a Russian. Trump fired the Neocons, and rightly so. There is NO WAY they will allow a free election in 2024 and as a last resort they will assassinate Trump for now he understands the real game in Washington. They can now freely assassinate him since they are moving to digital currency and won’t have to look at his face on a coin or dollar bill.

Trump is clearly the better choice because he knows the real game now in Washington. They will eat DeSantis for lunch and spit him out. The Deep State is in full control. And for those who hate Trump, don’t be fooled. Sorry, Dorothy, you are not in Kansas anymore. Party politics is DEAD! This is the decline and fall of the United States and Western Civilization. You have 8.6 years left. In Washington, this has become the politics of fools. The more they lose control, the more totalitarian they will become.

The World Health Organization (WHO) can make recommendations after the declaration of a global emergency. It has no definitive control over any nation’s decisions. However, as we saw with COVID, countries bow to the WHO and that included the Biden Administration. The left zealots love to scream loudly that conservatives falsely claim that amendments proposed by the Biden administration to existing global health regulations, and a new WHO pandemic treaty, will threaten U.S. sovereignty. They are actually correct, but not that the WHO will have absolute control. That would be UNCONSTITUTIONAL. But the Biden Administration wants to push for “voluntary” compliance and surrender our policy to conform to that of the WHO.

Trump was correct – NATO and the WHO should be defunded. They are both power-hungry organizations that exert only their own self-interests. When Communism fell, there was no longer a need for NATO. The days of Kruschev were gone. Putin, Yeltsin, and Gorbachev were never interested in invading Europe to spread communism. That boast died long ago.

The American NEOCONS adopted the opposite view that they would conquer the world and spread their version of “democracy” which is really their pretend version of a free government since they are never elected. NATO had no purpose but kept the idea that Russia wanted to conquer the world. They have always promoted war – never peace.

From the very beginning of the UN, they too have dreamed of becoming the one-world government. This remains the agenda and they too promote war in hopes of rising in their glory to become the great peacemaker and solidify their power. This is why the exercise of power at the WHO is surfacing and it is all promoted by the World Economic Forum which is the Marxist brainchild of Schwab.

Week-in-Review: Americans Reject Biden—Show Huge Support for RFK Jr/Anyone-Else, World Revolts Against US Hegemony, Feinstein Shielded by Clinton/Pelosi—Why? | SYSTEM UPDATE #89


Glenn Greenwald Published originally on Rumble on: May 26, 7:00 pm EDT

The Debt Ceiling = Pi $31.4 Trillion


Armstrong Economics Blog/Sovereign Debt Crisis Re-Posted May 24, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

COMMENT: Hello Martin,
The debt ceiling is pi!! = 31.4 trillion $
Coincidence? 😜
Best regards from Vienna and thanks for what you are doing.
Ralf

REPLY:  Yes, very interesting. This is no doubt the major turning point on debt and this is on a global scale. It is not the collapse of the debt just yet nor the dollar.

The GOP’s Debt Ceiling Demands


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted May 24, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The Republicans and Democrats are refusing to agree on the debt ceiling crisis. The government will be unable to pay its bills and the US will default if an agreement is not reached. Yellen has reached out to every media outlet and large corporation in the US to warn of the “catastrophic” consequences. Of course, they’ve always managed to increase the limit in the past as America cannot afford to default on its debt obligations. The Democrats insist on spending with no end in sight, while the Republicans are demanding some sort of budget. Biden and McCarthy met on Monday to discuss, but neither side will budge.

Biden said the GOP is taking an “extreme position,” but what are they demanding? The GOP wants to set discretionary federal spending at $1.47 trillion for the next fiscal year, with an increase of only 1% in future years. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said this would reduce the deficit by $4.8 trillion in the next decade.

The promise Biden made to students must be repealed for the Republicans to accept the ceiling. Biden implemented this policy to buy young votes and had no fiscal plan in place to finance such a lofty goal. The GOP believes student loan payments are being unfairly subsidized by millions of American taxpayers, many who already paid off their own student debt. Biden’s plan also does nothing to address continually rising tuition costs. The CBO believes this cut will save taxpayers about $460 billion over the next decade.

Biden’s IRS Army must also be defunded. The GOP wants to rescind the $71 billion that the Biden Administration used to hire 87,000 new IRS agents. We never had a need for so many agents in the past, and it is unlikely that they will shakedown $71 billion from average American families.

The Republicans also want to take back unobligated COVID relief money. Six separate bills were passed between 2020 and 2022 and the government is still shelling out money for a pandemic that has ended. The CBO stated this would save the US $30 billion in spending over the next 10 years.

The climate change agenda is costly. Republicans are demanding that Biden eliminate some of the tax breaks his administration provides to green-friendly companies. They’re negotiating exactly how to position some of the perks for biofuel. In general, the CBO believes this will save the US $570 billion over the next 10 years.

Increasing America’s ability to become energy dependent is crucial. Biden ripped away America’s ability to function without energy exports on his first day in office. The country needs coal, natural gas, and oil to function and energy inflation remains a serious problem. The energy bill, labeled HR1 as it is of top importance, would also boost production of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other minerals.

The Republicans would also like to limit social programs and government handouts. Able-bodied adults under the age of 50, without dependents, must work a minimum of 20 hours a week or they may lose their SNAP and food stamp benefits. Those who are unemployed but on Medicaid and able-bodied will also be required to work a part-time job. The CBO stated 15 million Medicaid recipients would be required to work part-time, and 1.5 million could risk losing federal funding.

Unsurprising since the neocons are on both sides, no one has asked Biden to end the blank checks to Ukraine. America has sent hundreds of millions to Ukraine and is receiving nothing in return. Our own border is overrun and yet we just pledged another $300 million of American taxpayers’ money to secure Ukraine’s border. The funding for this war will create unprecedented inflation and cripple our economy.

Trudeau Fails to Explain Democracy to Meloni


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics RePosted May 23, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni tuned out Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as he attempted to explain to her “democracy.” Is democracy when you jail peaceful protesters and lock them and their associates out of their bank accounts? Is democracy when you force all citizens to stay inside and force them to receive a vaccine to enter or exit the country? Perhaps democracy is when you set up the best-disguised eugenics program in the modern world. Justin mounted his high horse to discuss LGBTQ rights in Italy.

Naturally, Italy is a Catholic nation engrained in traditional values. “Canada is concerned about some of the positioning that Italy is taking in terms of LGBT rights, but I look forward to talking with you,” Trudeau reprimanded Meloni at the recent G7 meeting. Meloni later called Trudeau a “victim of fake news.” Italian newspaper Libero ran an article the following day featuring Trudeau in his famous Arabian nights blackface costume entitled “Questo Buffone Vuole Darci Lezioni” meaning “This Buffoon Wants to Teach You Lessons.” Clearly, the Italian people do not want a woke leader to change their values.

Gay marriage is legal in Italy. However, the government only considers the biological parent in a same-sex union to be the parent. Additionally, the government has condemned the woke agenda. “Being a man or a woman is rooted in who we are, and can’t be changed,” Meloni said. Meloni also called surrogacy a form of “slavery” and controversially said that children need a mother and a father.

The people of each nation should choose who leads them. Meloni’s government is what the majority wanted and Trudeau has no place changing Italian values. Italy has undergone numerous measures this year to prevent it from being pulled into this concept of a one-world government and culture. Italy banned the use of synthetic or cell-based cuisines and bugs “to safeguard our nation’s heritage and our agriculture based on the Mediterranean diet,” Meloni’s Health Minister Orazio Schillaci stated. Only in 2023 would we need to ban bugs in food. The nation also passed a ban on Anglomania or English words and reiterated that Italian must be the country’s primary language. Abortion is legal within the first 90 days of pregnancy in Italy, but medical providers can choose not to perform them for religious reasons. In Canada, you can abort yourself once you turn 18 through MAID.

Nations that wish to retain their individual identities will need to fight. The European Union is anything but united because each nation is still holding on to its personal identity. The people at the top, the WEF global elites like Young Leader Trudeau who support the Great Reset, actually think we can erase history and Build Back Better to be one united world. It’s not happening.

The Close Mind of Those in Power


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted May 23, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Let’s make one thing clear. Russia is NOT flying jets over Ukraine – it sends in missiles and drones. Why is Biden sending the Jets to Ukraine? Zelensky swears they will not be used to invade Russia. However, they will be used to attack Crimea where the people there are Russian and have always been. They are not Ukrainian and this is a territorial grab for the sole purpose of starting World War III. I have actually heard that Russia must be destroyed because they are an orthodox Christian nation that opposes LGBTQ.

BudLight is the classic example of WOKE Management. I stopped in a restaurant and at the bar, a guy said to the woman next to him – you better not order a Bud. She said “Hell no!” And people started clapping.

It is one thing if this LGBTQ is about ending discrimination. What seems to be happening is people are starting to find this offensive and the net result is it is increasing discrimination – not eliminating it. The whole thing – don’t ask don’t tell was reasonable.  It is just as offensive if someone is trying to convert you to their religion regardless of what it might be. Everyone is entitled to their own space and beliefs. When you start to force them upon others, all that will emerge is confrontation.

To actually hear that Russia must be conquered because it reject LGBTQ, is now asking for World War III over this issue?

The  Biden Administration is perfectly fine if Ukraine uses the F16s to attack Crimea, which is exactly what they intend to do. Russia has already made it clear that an attack on Crimea is an attack on Russia. This is precisely what the American Neocons are hoping for so they can claim that Russia is the aggressor – not them. They want Russia to attack the USA or NATO and then they will launch nuclear war against Russia.

France to Confiscate All Private Land by 2025


Armstrong Economics Blog/France Re-Posted May 23, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: I am writing to you today to seek your expert advice on a much-discussed topic in France: the Lagleize Law. As you probably know, this law, if passed, could radically change the way property ownership is structured in France.

The Lagleize law proposes to separate the ownership of the building from the land on which it is built. This means that a buyer could become the owner of his home without owning the land on which the property is built. In exchange for occupying the land, the owner of the building would pay rent to a freehold land agency (FLO).

I am particularly interested in the potential impact of this law on the French property market. Do you think that the Lagleize law could lead to a decrease in property prices, as some suggest? Or do you think it could have other effects, such as creating new investment opportunities or solving some of the problems in the current property market?

In addition, I would also like to know your views on how this law compares with similar legislation in other countries. For example, the UK has a long tradition of “leasehold” where land and buildings are often held separately. Do you think that the Lagleize law could have similar effects to those observed in the UK or in other countries with similar legislation?

I would be very grateful if you could share your thoughts on these issues. Your expertise would be invaluable in informing my understanding of this law and its potential implications.
I thank you in advance for your time and look forward to reading your response.
Yours sincerely

ANSWER: Europe is a Marxist paradise. The left has dominated Europe and when you just look at our Real Estate Index for each country, there is just no comparison. Of course, the left will always interpret the way to stop inflation they cause is to always confiscate property.

The entire “Commune” project began in France. They convinced Marx that Communism is the answer to stop the business cycle. We can see how that devastated human society in Russia, Eastern Europe, and China. Nevertheless, this Lagleize Law is in line with this same thinking but they are trying to do it just for landownership. As Socrates has written: “Keep in mind that given the dramatic decline of 70% from the last high established during 2015, that if we continue to move in the same direction after one target, then the move will not subside until the next target in time is reached. We have elected 2 Bearish Reversals from the last high thus far to date.”

We have not elected any Yearly Bearish Reversals in US property. It is highly questionable that the government could even try that since the 5th Amendment states plainly in what is known as the Takings Clause:

“nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

Whenever we analyze the law, we MUST look at the historical reason for its creation. The genesis of the Takings Clause can be found in Section 38 of the Magna Charta, which declared that land would not be taken without some form of due process.  King John (1166–1216), who signed that document, almost immediately denounced this undertaking to his barons.  However, that promise eventually made its way into the coronation oaths taken by kings, and, in England, it became a protection against the confiscation of lands without some form of a hearing.

I had to study international law in order to even be in a position to advise clients on global investment. On this subject, I found Sir Edward Coke (1552-1634), who was the Lord Chief Justice of England, really defined the English Common Law. He wrote the Petition of Right,” which established specific rights, of alleged ancient provenance, against the powers of the King to prevent tyranny.  He eventually compiled everything in the law and prepared a full-volume series called the Institutes of the Laws of England,” which set out his views on the role of the common law in protecting ancient rights against royal power.

Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780) wrote a four-volume series entitled the Commentaries on the Laws of England,” which was used as a foundation for legal education in England. However, the founding of the United States relied upon his Commentaries to establish the American foundation of law. I would refer to his Commentaries to seek an understanding of the intent behind the Constitutional provisions as do US Supreme Court Justices from time to time.

You must understand the basic differences in law between nations before you dare step foot into that jurisdiction. The #1 mistake is to assume your legal tradition will apply in a foreign jurisdiction. For example, under common law, a wife or clergy cannot testify against a defendant. However, children can be forced to testify against a parent. Under French Civil/Canon Law, no family member can be forced to testify against another even a brother-in-law. The Canon Law recognized the sanctity of the family unit whereas the English King did not.

There is no constitutional prohibition against confiscating all the land in France and handing it to the State. In Fact, during the 1789 French Revolution, they confiscated all the land of the Catholic Church. On November 2nd, 1789, in the midst of the early enthusiasm for the Revolution and to solve the fiscal crisis of the Monarchy, the French Constituent Assembly passed a law to confiscate all Church property and to redistribute it by auction. The Assignat notes of the French Revolution were issued from 1790 – 1796.  To buy the land, you had to exchange coins for these notes.

So as you can see, history repeats. They confiscated land before, so the same idea resurfaces once again.

Rotterdam Blitz 1940


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted May 22, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Regarding WWII Who Bombed Cities First
How does the bombing of the historical center of Rotterdam/Netherlands in May 1940 fits the picture? It seems Germany started bombing civilian targets.
Kind regards, Marco

ANSWER: The bombing of Rotterdam was different. There the Germans invaded and troops were fighting in the city.  The stories that were put out of 100,000 civilians dead were fake news. The civilian population had already fled because there was an invasion and the troops on both sides were battling it out in the city in a gorilla-style warfare.

The Germans subjected Rotterdam to heavy aerial bombardment by the Luftwaffe to support the German troops fighting in the city, and to force the Dutch army to surrender which was using the buildings in gorilla-style warfare. The bombing began with the start of hostilities on May 10th for four days into May 14th. Many have called this the Rotterdam Blitz. When the facts were sorted out, the official list published in 2022, revealed that at least 1,150 people were killed and 85,000 more were left homeless – a far cry from the fake news of war that 100,000 civilians dies in the bombing. As I have said, the first casualty of war is always the truth.

Nevertheless, at the end of the day, there are always more civilians who die in war than soldiers. That is the reality of all wars. The Iraq invasion was no different. This is why many consider the real war criminals to be the leaders who begin wars.

The “gentlemen’s agreement” did not apply to a troop invasion. The French bombing of the Siemens factory on June 7th, 1940 took place during the Battle of France (May 10, 1940 – Jun 25, 1940). However, it was targeting a military target. France and the Low Countries were conquered, ending land operations on the Western Front until the Normandy landings on June 6th, 1944.

The British bombing of Berlin was a retaliation that went too far and was meant to instill fear in the German population much as the US nuclear bombs dropped on two cities in Japan. I do not believe we will see a gentlemen’s agreement in World War III. I would bet that the capital cities will be attacked on both sides.