Tag Archives: Dan Rather

Aug 11 2023

X-Corp CEO Linda Yaccarino: “If it is lawful but it’s awful, it’s extraordinarily difficult for you to see it, and you get labeled”…


Posted originally on the CTH on August 10, 2023 | Sundance 

X-Corp, formerly known as Twitter, CEO Linda Yaccarino appeared on CNBC to discuss the new direction of the platform and affirm her complete autonomy to control the decision making within the corporation.

It’s important to note the timing for the first CEO appearance of Yaccarino against the backdrop of CTH financial analysis of the company.  According to my calculations X-Corp will run out of working capital, the actual cash needed to pay expenses, in mid to late October; roughly two months from now.  At that point Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino will need to go back into the market for more cash.

After asserting her complete unilateral control over all decision making within the company, Yaccarino then went on to discuss how information will be defined according to new operational standards she is helping to implement.  The pertinent part of the conversation happens at the 01:16 point of the video segment below. WATCH: 

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…”if you are going to post something that is illegal or against the law, you’re gone. Zero tolerance. But more importantly, if you are going to post something that is lawful, but it’s awful, you get labeled.  You get labeled, you get deamplified, which means it cannot be shared, and it is certainly demonetized. … So, they [advertisers] are protected from the risk of being next to that content.”… 

The position essentially seems reasonable, I guess. However, I still don’t trust any of the cattle car valets with DHS authorizations and credentials.

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Aug 10 2023

Elon Musk Partners with Global Disinformation Index, the Progressive Disinformation Specialists, to Diminish Advertiser Fears


Posted originally on the CTH on August 9, 2023 | Sundance 

The Global Disinformation Index (GDI) is the group who define the content on platforms according to their ideological worldview and then blacklist sites who do not align their content to support the GDI perspective.   According to the Washington Examiner, Elon Musk has just partnered with them in order to enhance the advertising portfolio of Twitter and find ways to make it lose less money.

CTH has previously said to watch the economics of the Musk situation, because that will determine the outcome of the decisions. The hiring of NBC-Universal executive Linda Yaccarino was explicitly to lure the advertising side of the issue back onto the platform.

Once you are reliant on the advertising, you must then comply with the content terms of the companies who control the advertising.   Joining with a group to define “disinformation” is an outcome.

WASHINGTON – Elon Musk’s X, the social media company formerly known as Twitter, signed an exclusive partnership with a “misinformation” tracker linked to a government-funded group blacklisting conservative media outlets, records show.

On the heels of Musk in July describing how the social media company had negative cash flows due to a 50% drop in advertising revenue, X is teaming up with Integral Ad Science, an ad-verification company, for a “brand safety” initiative. That same ad group, which uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to rate alleged “misinformation,” is affiliated with the Global Disinformation Index, a British group with two affiliated U.S. nonprofit groups that the Washington Examiner revealed is covertly feeding blacklists of conservative websites to advertisers to defund disfavored speech.

“I am completely against GDI in any form,” Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), who sits on the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs committees and has launched investigations into the British group over its alleged censorship efforts, told the Washington Examiner. “This new partnership with a group connected with GDI would only amplify the coercive and destructive powers targeting free speech.”

The partnership between X and IAS appears to undercut Musk’s touted commitment to free speech. The X owner has notably released “Twitter Files” documents to journalists, including Matt Taibbi, from Jack Dorsey’s time running the platform that show the company’s apparent coordination with the government to thwart right-leaning voices online. (read more)

I don’t want to say I told you so, but….

…”There is no such thing as “disinformation” or “misinformation”.  There is only information you accept and information you do not accept.  You were not born with a requirement to believe everything you are told; rather, you were born with a brain that allows you to process the information you receive and make independent decisions.”… 

Keep in mind, long before people realized the Dept of Homeland Security (FBI, DHS, CISA etc.) had a portal into Twitter, I was explaining how transparently obvious it was. {Go Deep – Jack’s Magic Coffee Shop} In part, the transparency of the problem is driven by CTH understanding of the costs associated with Twitter as a very unique platform in the sphere of social media. {Go Deep – Understand the Costs}

With the latest revelations we shared about the financial position of Twitter {Go Deep on FINANCIALS}, all of the moves now underway make sense.  Musk was on track to hit a date in/around October of this year where Twitter would be insolvent. If you had read those previous “Go Deep” links, you will easily see the problem.

In 2021, Twitter generated $5.1 billion in revenue, according to the Wall Street Journal.  According to the New York Times, in 2023 that revenue has dropped to around $1 billion per year.

Musk stated during public conversation that Twitter was essentially break even at $4 billion, which was the position in 2022 just prior to his taking over.  [2022 costs around $4.5 billion and revenue around $4 billion +/-, per public financial statements and reporting].   Musk cut approximately $500 million in expenses from realignment and staffing reductions.

Musk has a $1.5 billion debt service on the loan he took out, per his own admission: that’s more than $100 million per month.  The debt service alone is higher than his revenue.  As I noted last month, Twitter is losing somewhere around $300 million per month.  With $1 billion liquid in the bank, as of June (per Musk), that only gets him to September; by October, he needs another influx of cash, or else.

There is no business model, even with paying subscribers, for Twitter to exist without a major increase in revenue (Yaccarino) or a major decrease in costs.  As the business grows (more users), the costs increase (more simultaneous users), and the costs to subscribers would grow.  Twitter Blue subscriptions are around 180,000 users, paying $11/mo.  That’s around $2 million a month- a pittance in comparison to what he needs.

On March 2, 2023, the people in control of the Joe Biden administration officially announced that government control of internet content was now officially a part of the national security apparatus. [White House Link] If you have followed the history of how the Fourth Branch of Government has been created, you will immediately recognize the intent of this new framework.

The “National Cybersecurity Strategy” aligns with, supports, and works in concert with a total U.S. surveillance system, where definitions of information are then applied to “cybersecurity” and communication vectors.  This policy is both a surveillance system and an information filtration prism where the government will decide what is information, disinformation, misinformation and malinformation, then act upon it.

In part, this appears to be a response to the revelations around government influence of social media, the Twitter Files.  Now we see the formalization of the intent. The government will be the arbiter of truth and cyber security, not the communication platforms or private companies.  This announcement puts the government in control.

All of the control systems previously assembled under the guise of the Dept of Homeland Security now become part of the online, digital national security apparatus. I simply cannot emphasis enough how dangerous this is, and the unspoken motive behind it; however, to the latter, you are part of a small select group who are capable of understanding what was in this announcement without me spelling it out.

…”There is no such thing as “disinformation” or “misinformation”.  There is only information you accept and information you do not accept.  You were not born with a requirement to believe everything you are told; rather, you were born with a brain that allows you to process the information you receive and make independent decisions.”… ~ SUNDANCE

Jul 31 2023

Propaganda – Scrubbing the Internet of the Truth


Armstrong Economics Blog/Press Re-Posted Jul 31, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Any article about Ukrainian War Crimes against Russians is being removed from the internet. Once again, we are witnessing propaganda on a grand scale. In any war, there are always war crimes on both sides. The fact that the West is scrubbing the internet and threatening anyone who dares to print the truth is really getting out of hand.

Russia-Ukraine war: Ex-French soldier accuses Kyiv of …

Republic Worldhttps://www.republicworld.com › russia-ukraine-crisis

May 14, 2022 — A volunteer and a former French soldier, Adrien Boke, said Ukraine’s forces are conducting “crimes” that are completely different from the …

https://web.archive.org/web/20220514070320/https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/russia-ukraine-crisis/russia-ukraine-war-ex-french-soldier-accuses-kyiv-of-war-crimes-i-was-shocked-dot-articleshow.html

May 23 2023

WWII Who Bombed Cities First?


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

QUESTION: Hi Marty,
May I ask your indulgence? Am trying to come to terms with my own ignorance of real history and figured that if someone as smart as you made the same error as I, wouldn’t feel as bad (good company and all that).
The German Blitz, the bombing of London, is a classic historical reference to the evil Hitler and the stoic peaceful Brits. Some claim that Churchill ordered the bombing of German cities first, and Hitler retaliated.
So here goes (no peeking):
Which of Great Britain or Germany was the first to bomb the cities/civilians of the other country during WWII?
Now, you may infer the answer b/c of the setup, but did you know that? I sure didn’t. Feeling a bit gaslit.
How about you?
All the best,
Greg

ANSWER: Yes. History is written by the victor – not the loser. It is not politically correct, to tell the truth. The only way to confirm the truth is to resort to contemporary reports before history is assembled. As I have explained, governments will engage in physiological warfare and this goes back to ancient times.

Augustus’ confrontation with Mark Antony was sold to the people that Antony was under some spell of the evil Cleopatra. He was actually telling the truth, for Cleopatra funded Mark Antony and pushed for civil war so that Egypt would thus conquer Rome. When Augustus (Octavian) defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium and invaded Egypt, he issued a coin announcing his victory. Look closely. It simply displays a crocodile on the reverse announcing Egypt is captured – not that he defeated a fellow Roman. Emperor Claudius was born to Drusus, brother of Emperor Tiberius, and Antonia Minor, the daughter of Mark Antony.

Perhaps the most daming confirmation of Cleopatra’s plot was that she struck Roman denarii with her and Antony’s portrait. These were certainly not struck in Rome or by any official Roman mint. They were part of her campaign to conquer Rome just as the West has always been seeking to conquer Russia which had the largest gold reserves of any nation up until the Communist Revolution of 1917.

We must always look closely at war for indeed the first casualty is always the truth. There was a gentlemen’s agreement that all sides would only bomb military targets and not cities at the start of WWII. Yes, Hitler also agreed. Modern history portrays Hitler as just evil in every respect. There were rules to warfare that everyone adhered to at the beginning of the war.

The first air raid on the German capital city of Berlin was actually carried out at night by an antiquated French bomber which had been a cargo plane converted for bombing. As it approached Berlin at midnight on June 7th, 1940, the city was fully illuminated thanks to the gentlemen’s agreement. The pilot, Henri Yonnet, pretended to act as though they were landing at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport. As they neared the field, they overflew and headed at a very low altitude to the real target – the Siemens factory. It was a daring maneuver for the plane was vulnerable and could even be impacted by the blast at such a low altitude.

On August 17th, 1940, the German Luftwaffe dropped bombs on a factory in Southwestern London which was unfortunately in a residential neighborhood. On August 25th, 1940, the British RAF launched its first raid on Berlin in retaliation for the German bombing of London apparently using the excuse that some residential properties were hit. The gentlemen’s agreement was null-and-void. Hitler responded by unleashing the Blitz, (September 7th, 1940–May 11th, 1941), with a relentless intense bombing campaign of London. For eight months the Luftwaffe dropped bombs on London and other strategic cities across Britain. The attacks were authorized by Germany’s chancellor, Adolf Hitler after the British carried out a nighttime air raid on Berlin. The offensive came to be called the Blitz after the German word blitzkrieg (“lightning war”).

Sep 14 2021

The 5th Horseman


Armstrong Economics Blog/Censorship Re-Posted Sep 13, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

Jul 23 2021

CNN Struggles With Even Modest Push-back Over Their Adoration of Anthony Fauci


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on July 22, 2021 | Sundance | 197 Comments

The look on the panel’s faces as they get intentionally gentle push-back over their sycophantic worship of Dr. Fauci is a little funny.

The CNN crew seems emotionally hurt at the suggestion that Dr. Fauci may be less than honest.  WATCH:

Jun 9 2021

New York Times Public Relations Attempts Clean Up, Fails Miserably


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on June 8, 2021 | Sundance | 209 Comments

The Backstory IS HERE

Someone might want to tell the New York Times there’s actual video of Ms. Gay’s statement.

(Source)

Apr 16 2021

CNN Deliberately Manipulating Public


Armstrong Economics Blog/Press Re-Posted Apr 16, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

Jeff Zucker was named Chairman of WarnerMedia News and Sports in March 2019. He has also served as president of CNN Worldwide since 2013. If I were Zucker, I would hire an army to protect myself and my family. He is engaged in overthrowing the United States and trashing everything generations have fought and died for over the centuries. What he has done is no different than manipulating the people by creating false flags, as did Adolf Hitler, regardless of whether his end goal to dominate Europe or just the United States. He may be Jewish and does not have the same goal to eradicate Jews as Hitler did, but he is focused on Republicans.

Apr 16 2021

Comrade James O’Keefe Becomes Official Dissident – Permanently Suspended From Twitter for Subversion of State and Big Tech Interests


Posted originally on the conservative tree house April 15, 2021 | Sundance | 75 Comments

Comrade James O’Keefe exposed the agenda of CNN with a brilliant undercover sting operation.  After assembling hours of footage of CNN Technical Director admitting to the biased and ideological agenda of the network, Big Tech has moved-in to circle the wagons and protect the media wing of the administrative state.

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[WESTCHESTER N.Y. – Apr. 15, 2021]Project Veritas Founder and CEO James O’Keefe issued a statement today, following the suspension of his personal Twitter account by the big tech giant. 

“I am suing Twitter for defamation because they said I, James O’Keefe, ‘operated fake accounts.’ This is false, this is defamatory, and they will pay. Section 230 may have protected them before, but it will not protect them from me. The complaint will be filed Monday.” (link)

Apr 16 2021

U.S. Intelligence Now Says Story of Russian Bounties on American Troops Likely False


Posted originally on the conservative tree house April 15, 2021 | Sundance | 104 Comments

After the media blew up a story about Russian military putting bounties on American troops in an effort to shape a Russian collusion narrative against the administration of President Trump, the U.S. intelligence community now says that story was likely false.

(Via Daily Beast) – [O]n Thursday, the Biden administration announced that U.S. intelligence only had “low to moderate” confidence in the story after all. Translated from the jargon of spyworld, that means the intelligence agencies have found the story is, at best, unproven—and possibly untrue.

[…] According to the officials on Thursday’s call, the reporting about the alleged “bounties” came from “detainee reporting” – raising the specter that someone told their U.S.-aligned Afghan jailers what they thought was necessary to get out of a cage. Specifically, the official cited “information and evidence of connections to criminal agents in Afghanistan and elements of the Russian government” as sources for the intelligence community’s assessment. (read more)