Tag Archives: #JobsNotMobs

May 29 2019

Steve Bannon Discusses EU Election Victories and President Trump’s Strategic Visit to Japan…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on May 28, 2019 by 

Steve Bannon is in Paris, France as the nationalist wins in the EU parliamentary election results fill the headlines.  Additionally, Bannon gives his opinion on the strategic importance of President Trump’s recent state visit to Japan.

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“Economic security is national security“… I would emphasize the strategy within the multi-layered geopolitical economic reset is all President Trump.  The restoration of a sovereign U.S. economy, and the increases in Main Street American wealth, is Donald Trump’s primary agenda item.  The President listens to advisers on a variety of economic and trade matters, but the America-First policy strategy is all his.

May 29 2019

Home Safe From Japan – Marine One Landing…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on May 28, 2019 by 

Excellent video of President Trump and First Lady Melania returning to the White House following a three-day state visit in Japan.   The video is even better if you play “Ride of the Valkyries” in the background:

May 29 2019

MAGAnomics – Consumer Confidence Jumps in May – Main Street Defies Wall St…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on May 28, 2019 by 

Despite the professional doomsayer predictions from the professional financial class of Wall Street investment punditry, Main Street is upbeat and consumer confidence is strong.

Tariff-Man Winning

“Consumer Confidence posted another gain in May and is now back to levels seen last Fall when the Index was hovering near 18-year highs,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “The increase in the Present Situation Index was driven primarily by employment gains.

Consumers expect the economy to continue growing at a solid pace in the short-term, and despite weak retail sales in April, these high levels of confidence suggest no significant pullback in consumer spending in the months ahead.” (more)

Never is the disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street more visible than in the predictions -vs- reality for the growing/strengthening American middle-class.

The professional financial punditry can’t explain it.  Flummoxed academics run around bumping into walls amid economic numbers that continue to defy expectations.  All caused by a simple return to common sense ‘America First’ MAGAnomics.

Low unemployment (3.6%); wages growing (+3.2%); inflation stable (1.6%). These measures all have a cumulative impact on paycheck-to-paycheck Americans. Prices for durable goods are stable and wage growth is exceeding inflation. That means more disposable income in the middle-class…DUH. Which, when combined with the increased pay from lower middle-class tax rates, is exactly the intended outcome of MAGAnomics.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Consumer confidence jumped in May as households grew more upbeat about the labor market, suggesting the economy remained on solid ground despite signs that activity was slowing after being temporarily boosted by exports and a build-up of inventories.

The surge in confidence reported by the Conference Board on Tuesday came despite an escalation in tensions in the 10-month trade war between the United States and China, which sparked a sharp sell-off on Wall Street. It mirrors strength exhibited by another sentiment surveys in the middle of this month. (more)

May 29 2019

The “Secret Research Project” – an IRS List, an NSA Database, and Resulting “Files” on Americans…


Re-Posted from the conservative Tree House on May 28, 2019 by 

A carefully redacted footnote within a report by FISA Court Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer has always appeared to be a clue to a domestic surveillance program.  Now details behind the redactions tell a concerning story.

A brief refresher is needed for those new to the story. In April 2017 Judge Collyer wrote a highly critical FISA Court opinion following discoveries by Director Admiral Rogers of government contractors accessing the NSA database, and extracting illegal search results from the electronic records of every American.

The scale of abuse was incredible [SEE HERE] and the surveillance issues had been covered up for years.  Collyer cited the Obama administration as having “an institutional lack of candor” in their responses to her and the FISA court.  The judge focused her criticism after a review of the period 2012 through April 2016.

Using the non-compliant admissions by NSA Director Mike Rogers and the results of the compliance audit, Judge Collyer used the period of November 2015 through April 2016 to gauge the scale of abuse at 85 percent. Eighty-five percent of all database search queries were unlawful, and she extended her analysis to say:

“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 period coincided with an unusually high error rate”.

Also this very important:

“many of these non-compliant queries involved the use of the same identifiers over different date ranges.”

Eight-five percent of all use/extraction of the NSA database was unlawful; and they were searching many of the same Americans (“identifier”), repeatedly, over different dates. This means specific Americans were being targeted, tracked and monitored… unlawfully.

Within the 99-page opinion from Judge Rosemary Collyer  she noted none of this FISA-702 database abuse was accidental. In a key footnote on page 87: Collyer outlined the years of unlawful violations was the result of “deliberate decisionmaking“:

This specific footnote, is key to peeling back the onion.

Note the phrase: “([redacted] access to FBI systems was the subject of an interagency memorandum of understanding entered into [redacted])”.  This sentence exposes an internal decision; withheld from congress and the FISA court by the Obama administration; and outlines a process for access and distribution of surveillance data. Note: “no notice of this practice was given to the FISC until 2016“.

We feel confident we’ve now found the source of the “memorandum of understanding” that lies at the heart of the issue [Raw Doc Guidelines].

In March 2012 the Obama administration through Attorney General Eric Holder made changes to the exploitation of intelligence databases as noted in this Wall Street Journal article later in the year:

(December 2012 – WSJ) Top U.S. intelligence officials gathered in the White House Situation Room in March to debate a controversial proposal. Counterterrorism officials wanted to create a government dragnet, sweeping up millions of records about U.S. citizens—even people suspected of no crime.

Not everyone was on board. “This is a sea change in the way that the government interacts with the general public,” Mary Ellen Callahan, chief privacy officer of the Department of Homeland Security, argued in the meeting, according to people familiar with the discussions.

A week later, the attorney general signed the changes into effect.

The rules now allow the little-known National Counterterrorism Center to examine the government files of U.S. citizens for possible criminal behavior, even if there is no reason to suspect them. That is a departure from past practice, which barred the agency from storing information about ordinary Americans unless a person was a terror suspect or related to an investigation.

Now, NCTC can copy entire government databases—flight records, casino-employee lists, the names of Americans hosting foreign-exchange students and many others. The agency has new authority to keep data about innocent U.S. citizens for up to five years, and to analyze it for suspicious patterns of behavior. Previously, both were prohibited. Data about Americans “reasonably believed to constitute terrorism information” may be permanently retained.

The changes also allow databases of U.S. civilian information to be given to foreign governments for analysis of their own. In effect, U.S. and foreign governments would be using the information to look for clues that people might commit future crimes.  (more)

The 2012 changes, instituted by Eric Holder, permitted files of specific Americans to be generated under the auspices of potential terror threats.  The NSA databases could be exploited by the National Counterterrorism Center to extract content that would be contained within these files on targeted Americans.

Keep in mind this is early 2012, John Brennan is Deputy National Security Advisor and Asst. to President Obama for Homeland Security.

When Attorney General Eric Holder empowered the National Counterterrorism Center with this new authority, the office assigned to the data-collection was the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC).  The founder of the TTIC was John Brennan:

On 1 May 2003, the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC) opened its doors. Led by its first Director, John Brennan, TTIC filled its ranks with approximately three dozen detailees from across the US Government (USG) and was mandated to integrate CT capabilities and missions across the government. (link)

Also note the date of this DOJ Memorandum is March 2012:

Under the new rules issued in March, the National Counterterrorism Center, known as NCTC, can obtain almost any database the government collects that it says is “reasonably believed” to contain “terrorism information.”  (link)

The March 2012 date is right before the IRS scandal hit the headlines.

The IRS targeting scandal 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 spring 2012.

Here’s how it looks:

♦ In 2010 Eric Holder asked the IRS to send him the records of 501(c) non profit groups and individuals representing conservative voters. [LINK] Lois Lerner sent the DOJ 1.1 million pages of 501(c)(4) tax filing data. Including a very specific set of “33 Schedule B attachment files”. The Schedule B’s were specific to Large Conservative 501(c)(4) groups operating and organized to oppose the agenda of President Obama. The Schedule B’s include the donor lists of specific people and sub-groups attached to the 501(c)(4).

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)

♦ In 2012 Eric Holder authorizes the use of government databases to search records of Americans and assemble “files” on potential targets. [Link] “The agency has new authority to keep data about innocent U.S. citizens for up to five years, and to analyze it for suspicious patterns of behavior.”

♦ In the period of 2012 through April 2016, According to FISA Judge Rosemary Collyer, there were tens of thousands of illegal (“non-compliant”) search queries of the NSA database targeting Americans.  The search results were unlawfully “extracted” to unknown entities.  Eighty-five out of every hundred searches were illegal (85% non-compliant rate).

Consider purposeful actions, as a political targeting operation, by weaponizing the systems of government.  Steps:

  • First, identify the targets (IRS Database).
  • Second, research the targets (NSA Database).
  • Third assemble files on the targets (DOJ Authorization).
  • Fourth use the files to leverage/destroy your opposition.

We now have evidence of the first three steps; and my hunch is if we apply hindsight a lot of unusual activity will now make sense.  We have been living inside the fourth step for a few years.  We noticed the consequences… but we only had suspicions, until now.

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 the Obama administration 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 surveillance and database abuse.

At 12:15pm on January 20th, 2017, Obama’s outgoing National Security Advisor Susan Rice wrote a memo-to-self.  Many people have called this her “CYA” memo, from the position that Susan Rice was protecting herself from consequences if the scheme against President Trump was discovered.  Here’s the email:

On January 5, following a briefing by IC leadership on Russian hacking during the 2016 Presidential election, President Obama had a brief follow-on conversation with FBI Director Jim Comey and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates in the Oval Office. Vice President Biden and I were also present.

President Obama began the conversation by stressing his continued commitment to ensuring that every aspect of this issue is handled by the Intelligence and law enforcement communities “by the book“.

The President stressed that he is not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective. He reiterated that our law enforcement team needs to proceed as it normally would by the book.

From a national security perspective, however, President Obama said he wants to be sure that, as we engage with the incoming team, we are mindful to ascertain if there is any reason that we cannot share information fully as it relates to Russia.

[Redacted Classified Section of Unknown length]

The President asked Comey to inform him if anything changes in the next few weeks that should affect how we share classified information with the incoming team. Comey said he would.

Susan Rice ~ (pdf link)

May 28 2019

Day #3 Schedule – President Trump State Visit to Japan….


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on May 27, 2019 by 

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.

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May 28 2019

Canada Begins First Steps Toward USMCA Ratification….


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on May 27, 2019 by 

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.

Funny that.

May 28 2019

President Trump and First Lady Melania Attend Imperial Palace State Dinner Hosted by Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on May 27, 2019 by 

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.”

Perfect!

May 28 2019

President Trump and Prime Minister Abe Hold Joint Press Conference…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on May 27, 2019 by 

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.

May 28 2019

President Trump Memorial Day Address – USS Wasp, 10:00pm Livestream…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on May 27, 2019 by 

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:

UPDATE: Video Added

White House Livestream – RSBN Livestream Link – GST Livestream Link

 

Embedded video

U.S. Forces Japan@USForcesJapan
A huge crowd of Marines and Sailors are ready for the arrival of their Commander in Chief @POTUS @realDonaldTrump aboard the @USSWaspLHD1
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Catch it here LIVE at 1100 JKT

18.6K

May 27 2019

Why is BREXIT Important to USA?


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics

Re-Posted May 26, 2019 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Why is Brexit important to USA?

HN

ANSWER: Besides the fact that the political turmoil in Europe has been sending capital fleeing to the USA making the dollar king, the political trends in Britain has always been linked to the United States. Margaret Thatcher was first elected in 1979 and that trend appears in the USA during 1980 with the election of Ronald Reagan. Tony Blair was elected the Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1997 and served until 2007 while Clinton was elected in 1992 and served from 1993 until 2001. The trends between the USA and Britain have been deeply linked from inception. Therefore, it is wise to pay attention to politics in Britain more so than most other nations.