Posted originally on Dec 18, 2023 By Martin Armstrong
A Donald Trump win would be a complete disaster for the Neocons. He repeatedly stated that withdrawing from the war in Ukraine would be his first priority on day one in office. Trump threatened to leave NATO and was a harsh critic of the organization as he did not see the benefits for the US. Congress cannot take that chance again and has voted to ban any president from withdrawing from NATO.
The measure received bipartisan support and the effort was led by Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The United States provided $821 million to NATO in its FY 2022 budget. NATO members agreed to spend 2% of their GDP on the alliance back in 2014 when fears of Russian aggression were spreading. Only three other nations adhered to that target, and as of July 2023, only 10 of the then 31 members were meeting their target.
The United States contributes more than any other NATO member. The United States, United Kingdom, and Germany pay for over 40% of NATO’s budget. NATO continually expands, also expanding the threat of war. Everyone knows the rules of Article 5 – if one nation is attacked, all nations must respond. Yet they are strategically growing NATO by welcoming countries that are a hop, skip, and jump away from “unfriendly” nations. This is precisely what the Russian government wanted to prevent, as they felt backed into a corner by NATO aggression.
Many decades ago, Russia wanted to join the alliance under Yeltsin, who worked to defend his country from the old hardline Communists. NATO declined as they needed an enemy as an excuse to maintain their alliance. To the Neocons, Russia will always be the USSR and the Communist enemy along with China. In 1997, the same year Yeltsin was reelected, then-Senator Joe Biden begged NATO to welcome all the Baltic nations. That was two years before Putin came to power, as Russia has always and must always be the enemy.
America has been the world’s war financier since WW2. Congress effectively welded international foreign interests with domestic policy by forcing the nation to back NATO indefinitely. I say indefinitely as Neocons are on both sides of the political arena and would never vote to leave NATO.
Posted originally on Dec 18, 2023 By Martin Armstrong
Russian President Vladimir Putin believes his nation is leading the battle against Ukraine. In a four-hour televised press conference on December 14, the Russian president said he believes that the war will end once Russia achieves its goals. “Either we get an agreement or we solve this by force,” Putin stated.
Russia will spend $11 billion (1 trillion rubles) annually on maintaining reclaimed land. “Ukraine’s whole southeast has always been pro-Russian because these are historically Russian territories,” Putin claimed. “What does Ukraine have to do with this? Neither Crimea nor the Black Sea’s whole northern coast have anything to do (with Ukraine). And Odesa is a Russian city,” Putin said after announcing that Russia would not surrender any annexed land in Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, or Donetsk.
The televised event was the president’s first time addressing the public at large since February 2022, and comes days after announcing he will seek a fifth term in March. Putin took questions from the audience and journalists during the event. Some of the questions were pre-screened to allow Putin the opportunity to provide the public with the intended messaging. However, they also televised various text messages from the public that were critical of the government and world. “Why is your ‘reality’ at odds with our lived reality?” one message read.
The Russian people want the war to end as hundreds of thousands have already died. Putin claimed Russia does not plan to send additional troops into battle at this time, as over 600,000 are currently on the ground. He assured the people that better days are ahead, claiming GDP will rise in 3.5% in 2023 and unemployment will reach a historic low of 2.9%. One citizen asked about food inflation and cited eggs in particular as they have spiked over 40%. “I apologize for this, but this is a failure of the government’s work,” he stated. Inflation in Russia is running at around 7.5% despite the central bank targeting 4%.
Now the people of Russia want the war to end and Putin wants to win the favor of the people ahead of the election. “There will be peace when we achieve our goals,” Putin again reassured the public. Yet, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg made a speech around the same time urging nations to continue supporting Ukraine. Stoltenberg said that Russia will not stop at Ukraine if it achieves its objectives. “If Putin wins in Ukraine, there is real risk that his aggression will not end there. Our support is not charity. It is an investment in our security,” he said.
As long as the money continues to flow to Ukraine, the war will continue.
Posted originally on the CTH on December 13, 2023 | Sundance
In a three-page opinion and order [pdf Available Here], DC District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan outlines that she may be forced to pause the case against President Trump until the appellate court, and then likely the Supreme Court, make a decision on presidential immunity.
Within this opinion/order, we find the reason for Special Prosecutor Jack Smith to jump over the appellate court and ask the Supreme Court to expedite a review and determination on the issue.
The jurisdictional issue on the specifics of the pre-trial appeal is likely to slow down the trial dates being pushed by Special Prosecutor Smith. Overall, this has been a very bad day for the Lawfare team, as they run into judicial processes that cannot be facilitated by politically motivated higher courts.
Posted originally on the CTH on December 13, 2023 | Sundance
Two of the charges against Donald Trump are centered around 18 U.S. Code § 1512(c)(2), part of the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act. As noted by Julie Kelly, “The statute was meant to close a loophole in other obstruction laws related to the destruction of evidence but left open to interpretation the terms “corruptly” and “official proceeding.”
In addition to Donald Trump, this federal statute meant to target organized crime and financial crimes has been used against 300 J6 defendants. Three J6 defendants have appealed the use of this provision to charge them with obstruction. A DC trial judge originally agreed with the argument and dismissed the framework of the Lawfare effort. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed the dismissal order.
J6 Defendants Edward Lang, Garrett Miller and Joseph Fischer appealed to the Supreme Court, which has now agreed to take up the case, U.S. v Fischer. In one way, this can be looked at as the Supreme Court reviewing the charges against Donald Trump, without ruling on the charges against Donald Trump.
There is a strong possibility the twisted Lawfare use of 18 USC 1512 by the DOJ will be rejected by the court, thereby removing two of the charges against Trump.
Washington — The Supreme Court said Wednesday that it will hear a court fight involving the breadth of a federal obstruction law that has been used to prosecute scores of defendants for their alleged actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, as well as former President Donald Trump.
An eventual decision from the Supreme Court in the case known as Fischer v. U.S. could have far-reaching impacts, since the Justice Department has charged more than 300 people under the obstruction statute in cases related to Jan. 6.
Most significantly, special counsel Jack Smith has charged Trump with a single count of corruptly obstructing and impeding an official proceeding, namely Congress’ certification of the Electoral College results on Jan. 6. The former president has pleaded not guilty to that offense and the three others he is facing in the case related to the 2020 presidential election. A trial in Trump’s case is set to begin in March.
Arguments before the Supreme Court will take place next year, with a decision, which could threaten Trump’s charge, expected by the end of June. (read more)
As we have noted from the outset, Lawfare is a construct, a twisted manipulation of law, specifically intended for media consumption with the end goal to influence public opinion.
Special Counsel Jack Smith has applied twisted interpretations of law to his cases. The ability of the constructs to withstand judicial scrutiny has only just begun.
Posted originally on the CTH on December 13, 2023 | Sundance
This stuff is so predictably pathetic it can make your skin crawl, or you can laugh at it. Choose the latter.
Chris Christie and Ron DeSantis both chased the ‘coveted‘ Chris Sununu endorsement in New Hampshire. However, as predictably predicted, Nikki Haley became the #1 best hope of the professionally Republican political class to challenge President Donald Trump. After all other efforts were exhausted by the billionaires and multinationals, they have collapsed into the Alamo Nikki Haley represents. Meanwhile, the vulgarian horde, the unwashed masses of deplorables, deconstruct their schemes and defenses.
The result – Chris Sununu falls into place and gives Haley his 0.05% polling boost with an official endorsement. Haley jumps from 7% to 7.05%, lolol.
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu endorsed Nikki Haley for president on Tuesday night, giving the former South Carolina governor a boost in a key early state.
“You bet your ass I am,” endorsing Haley, an energetic Sununu said to a cheering crowd packed into a ski lodge here.
“When you look at the poll numbers and you look at the ground game that Nikki has laid, it has been absolutely unbelievable,” Sununu said. “To see her out there, to see her connecting with folks, to feel that momentum — it is real, it is tangible.”
A beaming Haley walked out to a standing ovation and accepted Sununu’s endorsement with a warm embrace.
“It doesn’t get any better than this,” Haley said. “To go and get endorsed by the ‘Live Free or Die’ governor is about as rock-solid of an endorsement as we could hope for.” (read more)
Too funny.
It was always going to be Nikki despite the full-throated first wave of support for Ron. Why was this prediction below so transparently obvious? Simply, because DeSantis sucks as a candidate, and at a certain point the management cannot overcome the candidate weakness. The principal has to stand alone, and Ron DeSantis is not the guy to be able to handle that responsibility; he’s just too weak and controlled.
So yeah, it was always going to be Nikki as the hopeful GOPe nominee to block Trump. CHECK DATE:
Posted originally on Dec 12, 2023 By Martin Armstrong
After threatening to send American troops to die in Ukraine if Congress did not approve the latest blank check for Ukraine, Biden has invited Zelensky to travel to the White House today. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the invite will “underscore the United States’ unshakeable commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s brutal invasion.” Who has unwavering support for Ukraine besides the Neocons? Joe Biden’s approval continues to decline as his support for Ukraine rises. Our elected officials have repeatedly voted to cease funding. And yet, our president has chosen to dismiss the wishes of the people and their representatives.
America has already sent Zelensky over $111 billionto fight this proxy war. Billions have gone missing from the Pentagon since the war in Ukraine began, and there is no telling how much the government actually gave to Zelensky. Biden’s latest check would be worth $61.4 billion, bringing the US closer to having spent $200 billion on Ukraine since 2022. The entire Ukrainian government is on the US payroll on top of the endless funding to combat Russian aggression.
Do the people not see how offensive Zelensky’s visit is to US democracy? The people said no, the elected officials said no, but the “big guy” at the top is acting as a dictator and dismissing the wishes of the people. The American public has had a significantly lower standard of living since Biden took office, and I cannot think of anyone who wants to pass off our money to a foreign government to fight an undefeatable war.
Zelensky’s presence in Washington is an absolute disgrace to democracy. If the president of the United States cared about his country, he would invite the US Customs & Border Patrol to the White House and focus on redirecting funds to fix America’s broken border. Americans simply want to afford groceries and housing again, but the Biden Administration is DELIBERATELY making it harder for everyone to stay afloat.
Posted originally on the CTH on December 11, 2023 | Sundance
For those confused. There are two bills to modify the FISA702 reauthorization in the House. (1) HR 6611 from the House Intel Committee and (2) HR 6570 from the House Judiciary Committee. The intel committee bill expands domestic surveillance authority under the modifications; the judiciary committee bill requires the DOJ to get a search warrant before they can look at the incidental collection of American citizens.
Both bills came out of committee and were scheduled for a floor vote tomorrow, which has been cancelled due to public outcry (good job). Speaker Mike Johnson initially planned to let both bills get voted tomorrow and the bill with the most votes advances to the Senate. That’s a hot mess.
The House Intel Committee bill organized by Chairman Mike Turner is absolutely horrible. It expands FISA702 surveillance and makes things much worse. The House Judiciary Bill organized by Chairman Jim Jordan is not structurally that much better, but it does put strong curtailments on the 702 surveillance authority by forcing the DOJ to get actual court approved search warrants on American citizens.
It should not come as a surprise to see a panel of 46 experts in Deep State weaponization come out in support of the Intelligence Committee bill, and then decry the insufferable 702 limitations put into place in the Judiciary Committee bill. The bad guys want the House Intel version.
That’s a who’s-who list of 46 Deep State weaponization operatives, all supporting the Mike Turner version.
Turner lied when he said his HR 6611 bill was supported by John Ratcliffe and Devin Nunes. It’s not, and they don’t. Both Nunes and Ratcliffe support a panel within the process who have eyes on everything that is being done and can conduct immediate oversight. Chairman Mike Turner is a big fibber, and y’all can tell him I said that.
The Deep State folks love the Turner bill (6611) because it makes the surveillance even easier by granting even more authority in their warrantless searches. The Deep State folks do not like the Jordan bill (6570) because it requires a search warrant to look at the material, which means a predicate justification must exist.
Both bills suck, but the Jordan bill sucks less.
Speaker Johnson abandoned the competing same-day floor vote effort, and no one is sure where it goes from here; but that’s probably why the Deep State guys are writing a letter trying to influence Johnson on what bill to permit a vote.
In the meantime, the current FISA-702 authorization will likely be “short-term” renewed through April 19, 2024, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), while congress figures out which long-term reform bill to send to the Senate.
It’s all a hot mess.
We The People just don’t want to be under surveillance, but we have no representation.
Posted originally on the CTH on December 8, 2023 | Sundance
Before watching this short statement by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy {Direct Rumble Link}, let me remind everyone of the baseline truth.
Democrats want power; Republicans want money. Threaten Democrats power, they get vicious. Threaten Republicans money, they get vicious. Democrats use money to get power; Republicans use power to get money. The ideology of the democrats drives their donor activity. The donor activity drives the republican ideology.
This is the core and essential difference between both wings of the DC UniParty, two wings of the same vulture. This is the truth of the thing. Underline it, put it on Post-It notes, remind yourself of this baseline in all review of both parties. This is the core motive behind everything!
To hammer this point home, listen to this soundbite from Kevin McCarthy speaking at Oxford University, U.K. WATCH:
Why does Kevin McCarthy only see rich white republicans? Because Kevin McCarthy only sees rich, white republicans.
Get it?
The MAGA base is invisible to Republicans.
The MAGA base is the most diverse coalition in U.S. political history. MAGA cuts across all races, national origin, color and creed definitions. MAGA is a massive cross section of every American segment. MAGA is pure American! The republican party cannot see it, because the republican party cannot see it.
In many ways, We The People are in an abusive relationship with government.
If you do not agree with the agenda as it is controlled by a small a powerful self-described elitist class, then we become the problem.
The division is not determined by our definitions, the conniving and corrupt administrators of the system are the ones creating the division we are accused of perpetrating. However, there is no division in a social context as clear as the division between the working class and the investment class rulers who consider themselves above such arbitrary labels.
When you peel the issues down to their essential core, what you will always find, always find, is the money of the thing.
The created system of control is maintained through economics, and any America-First policy that threatens to close the divide between the ‘haves and have-nots’ is viewed against their interests. This is the essential core of the opposition we face.
A thriving middle class is a powerful political balance. But a working class struggling for scraps doesn’t have the time to deliver accountability. This division of wealth is what the Washington DC UniParty exploits. Despite their pontificating lies to the contrary, all of the DC systems are created to take advantage of the wealth gap.
The social structures which create and maintain society are easier to control with a divided nation.
President Trump and the coalition of MAGA represents a true existential threat to this perpetuated system of division. The America-First economic agenda created exclusively by Donald Trump is the main problem at the heart of all MAGA opposition.
Quite simply the America First agenda puts *their* money at stake, and collectively that amounts to trillions of dollars in multinational globalist financial control. The scale of the money behind the MAGA opposition is really the biggest challenge; it is almost unfathomable, and that scale is represented within the size of the war chest they assembled for Ron DeSantis.
The top of this financial pyramid holds a grip on political power that is threatened by the worldview, outlook and economic nationalist policy of Donald Trump. The top this system will not ‘lose’ with America-First Trump; however, they will gain at a slower rate. This group will not leave their throne, they only see a slower assembling within their vaults.
The Blackrock, Vanguard, State Street and World Economic Forum crews will follow the America-First policy and invest in America, they will just hate doing it. They will hate the best-play of slower gains because the returns are not as lucrative, expedient or fraught with the simple indulgences of their custom.
However, underneath that top-tier, there are many layers of vested financial interests at lesser but more generational risk. The Cornwallis crowd will see a much more difficult time advancing their influence and affluence with America-First in place. For this tier of powdered wigs, a loss for them could really change things. This reality is why you see demographic polling showing the more affluent the respondent, the less supportive of MAGA their responses.
It’s not a class war, per se’, it is something far deeper within the psyche and outlook of people. The need for control is a reaction to fear. Losing influence and affluence is the fear behind the division. If we make the totalitarians a better sandwich, if we reach across the aisle and afford benefit of high-minded doubt, maybe our professional abusers will permit us to keep a little more… Ultimately, the chase for scraps.
This sensibility, this triggering of selfish fear, is a powerful tool. This is exactly what is being intentionally and purposefully triggered by those who are professionally political, and they are doing it for their own benefit. It is not necessarily about creating a class war; it is more akin to controlling the wealth of a nation and then forcing groups to position themselves for what remains.
The ‘us -vs- them‘ scenario is not Republicans -vs- Democrats, it’s We The People, represented by MAGA, -vs- the totalitarian rulers in both parties.
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This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
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