Armstrong Economics Blog/Rule of Law Re-Posted Oct 12, 2020 by Martin Armstrong

COMMENT: I live in Wisconsin. There has been an anti-mask group on Facebook that has been a good resource for posting and messaging about mask mandates etc etc etc. Overnite, Facebook deleted the entire Group, which had at last count over 50,000 active members. I suspect for political reasons. There was nothing on there that was objectionable at all. Mainly business owners and individuals standing up for their rights. Just DELETED THE ENTIRE GROUP OVERNITE. I attempted to contact the White House on there link to share Social Media Censorship but its no longer taking new cases. This is the worst censorship I ve ever seen in my life, that I m aware of. Blatant political move. Gotta shut down this company for these types of abuses.

MM

REPLY: I believe it is wrong to allow private censorship. There was a recent case,  MANHATTAN COMMUNITY ACCESS CORP. ET AL. v. HALLECK ET AL, where the Supreme Court has ruled that a nonprofit running public access channel wasn’t bound by governmental constraints on speech. The First Amendment expressly states that “Congress shall make no law” that would prohibit free speech. This has been viewed as not applying to non-government entities.

In a court decision that was a split 5–4 ruling, concerned a Manhattan-based nonprofit tasked by New York City with operating public access channels in the area. The organization disciplined two producers after a film led to complaints, which the producers argued was a violation of their First Amendment speech rights. The case turned on whether the nonprofit was a “state actor” running a platform governed by First Amendment constraints.

In a decision was written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which ruled that the First Amendment constraints didn’t apply to the nonprofit, which they considered a private entity. Providing a forum for the speech wasn’t enough to become a government actor, the justices ruled. This has emboldened the social media platforms to restrict political speech to whatever they ascribe to. The government cannot act in that manner.

Social Media was never discussed in this decision. The idea that the decision could be used to penalize social media companies was raised by groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The groups argued that too broad of a decision could prevent other private entities like YouTube and Twitter from managing their platforms by imposing new constraints them. The Internet Association, a trade group, said last year that such a decision could mean the internet “will become less attractive, less safe and less welcoming to the average user.”

Nevertheless, this decision appears to make those concerns vanish. The conduct of these organizations and Social Media is now suppressing public comment. Nothing in the First Amendment allows private people or companies to suppress public opinion and put out propaganda.

The dissent, written by Justice Sotomayor, viewed correctly that “This is a case about an organization appointed by the government to administer a constitutional public forum. (It is not, as the Court suggests, about a private property owner that simply opened up its property to others.) New York City (the City) secured a property interest in public access television channels when it granted a cable franchise to a cable company.”

The granting of any license is the surrender of constitutional rights. Registering with the SEC means you waive your 4th Amendment Rights and they can come to search your office without a warrant. Congress can easily propose a law that expressly prohibits censorship and the Supreme Court would uphold that. This case turned on whether it was a government actor, but it was non-profit. There is plenty of room here to tackle a very important issue of free speech.

Armstrong Economics Blog/Rule of Law Re-Posted Oct 12, 2020 by Martin Armstrong

Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett intends to honor her mentor, the late Justice Antonin Scalia in her opening speech to the Senate. As I have explained, candidates for the Supreme Court NEVER appeared before the Senate until 1925 when one senator objected because he was being investigated.

Judge Amy Coney Barrett before the Judiciary Committee is a former law clear to former Justice Scalia who has invoked his judicial philosophy that she tries to mirror. According to her opening statement, Judge Barrett is stating clearly that she learned a critical lesson from Scalia to “apply the law as written, not as the judge wishes it were.” Of all the Supreme Court decisions I have read which are far too many to even number, no other legal mind ever impressed me so much as Justice Scalia. He was truly an unbiased person and applied the law as a strict constructionist.

Judge Barret states: “Justice Scalia taught me more than just law. He was devoted to his family, resolute in his beliefs, and fearless of criticism. And as I embarked on my own legal career, I resolved to maintain that same perspective. There is a tendency in our profession to treat the practice of law as all-consuming, while losing sight of everything else. But that makes for a shallow and unfulfilling life. I worked hard as a lawyer and a professor; I owed that to my clients, my students, and myself. But I never let the law define my identity or crowd out the rest of my life.”

While Michael Bloomberg was offering to pay all felon’s fines in Florida if they would vote, what he failed to understand is that Trump is liked by prisoners for he is the first president to reform the laws. Under Obama, he deported more people than Trump ever dreamed of. The Clintons signed in the harsh drug laws that extended the time for blacks. But even more against these assumptions that Democrats are for the people and Republicans are only for the rich, the greatest reform in the drug laws was championed by Justice Scalia.

In Apprendi v New Jersey, this decision championed by Justice Scalia was based upon strict construction. It was a 5-4 opinion delivered by Justice John Paul Stevens, along with Souter, Thomas, Ginsberg, and Scalia. Steven was put on the court by a Republican President as was Scalia, Thomas, and Souter while Ginsberg was appointed by Clinton. Justices Rehnquist, Kennedy, and O’Conner were appointed by Ronald Reagan and Justice Breyer was also appointed by Clinton. That court was 7 republican appointees v 2 Democrat. That decision demonstrates that all this yelling about Barreett will tip the court 6-3 and the world will come to an end we have heard so many times and it is just nonsense.

In the Apprendi decision, the dissent written by Justice O’Connor conceded: “Today, in what will surely be remembered as a watershed change in constitutional law, the Court imposes as a constitutional rule the principle it first identified in Jones.” She was correct. But under her view, the government need not apply law and judges should be free to sentence you to whatever they think is appropriate in their mid. That is the reestablishment of tyranny.

I am comfortable that Judge Barrett will defend the constitution which is actually NEGATIVE not positive! I would love to collaborate with lawyers who have the guts to challenge that fundamental principle. In Harris v. McRae, 448 U.S. 297 (1980), the Supreme Court of the United States held that states participating in Medicaid are NOT required to fund medically necessary abortions for which federal reimbursement was unavailable. The Court also held that the funding restrictions did not violate the Fifth Amendment or the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Effectively, the Bill of Rights is a negative restraint upon government rather than a list of positive rights of the individual.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Fifth Amendment

The Bill of Rights is written in a NEGATIVE tone, whereby it is a restrain upon government. Courts now allow people to waive every right. Can you then be sentenced to 18 months and state you waive your right to life and wish to be executed? No judge would grant that motion. Yet they hold you can waive your right not to be tortured by waiving your right to remain silent. In a case Braswell v US, they held that corporate officers can be denied their Fifth Amendment rights because the corporation has none.

Clearly, under strict construction, there is NO power of government to create even lockdowns. The Harris court held: “Where, as here, the Congress has neither invaded a substantive constitutional right or freedom, nor enacted legislation that purposefully operates to the detriment of a suspect class, the only requirement of equal protection is that congressional action be rationally related to a legitimate governmental interest. ” The death rate of COVID-19 is no greater than the Flu. There is NO legitimate governmental interest at stake.

I would roll the dice with Judge Barrett and believe she would be on our side. It does not matter if a Republican or a Democrat appoints a justice. They do NOT always vote based upon their Party lines.

Posted originally on The Conservative Tree House on October 11, 2020 by sundance

Yesterday the White House physicians released a statement outlining that President Trump is no longer a threat to shed the coronavirus and his recovery is excellent.

President Trump called-in to Maria Bartiromo earlier this morning to discuss his health, plans to restart rallies, the 2020 campaign and other issues in/around Washington DC.

How Dare He Recover 

Trump returned to the White House yesterday and I happened to be listening to CNN. I was not surprised to hear an anchor railing against the president. We all know that the Fake News will sharply criticize Trump no matter what he does, but when he caught the virus, I was dismayed to see so many on the left wishing for his death. Many ’news’ outlets had him in grave condition. Wishful thinking on their part.

The CNN anchor didn’t wish Trump’s demise, but he was very angry. I was busy drawing and thought I was listening to Jake Tapper, the failed cartoonist who now caricatures the news in an unctuous and sanctimonious tone. When I heard him say ‘bullshit’ live on the air followed by taking the Lord’s name in vain I was surprised. I didn’t think Jake would stoop so low as to start cussing. I looked up and discovered it wasn’t Tapper, but rather Chris Cuomo. “Oh, that explains it,” I thought. 

Trump handled the virus with aplomb. He rose above the negativity of the lowlife Deep State Marxist Swamp and walked back into the White House. 

—Ben Garrison

Posted originally on The Conservative Tree House on October 9, 2020 by sundance

Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel interviews President Trump on Tucker Carlson Tonight. Within the interview President Trump explains how he felt when initially diagnosed with the coronavirus, the subsequent treatment and his current recovery.https://www.youtube.com/embed/b8dGSyHnGF0?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent

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Posted originally on The Conservative Tree House on October 9, 2020 by sundance

Earlier this afternoon President Trump held a radio rally with Rush Limbaugh and an estimated 50 million audience members tuned-in to listen and participate.

Rush Limbaugh has made the Ditto Cam broadcast and transcript of the event available to the public.  It was an incredible event.

WATCH HERE – With Transcript

Armstrong Economics Blog/Opinion Re-Posted Oct 9, 2020 by Martin Armstrong

Fear not! Stay in bed, wear a mask, order only takeout that is delivered, don’t bother working so you won’t need to pay taxes, sell your car to save the planet, only use electric heat when desperately needed, and perhaps you can live forever to help bankrupt Social Security and make Gates and Schwab very happy!

Perpetually apathetic non-voters are one untapped group that can turn a Red Wave into a Trump Tsunami

Re-Posted from the Canada Free Press By Mark Gray —— Bio and Archives—October 8, 2020

The final weeks of the US Presidential campaign are certain to be an emotional roller coaster because if Fake News exists, and it does, it will burst into even greater panic as it’s persuasive capability plummets. Its increasingly shrill, illogical, and totalitarian messaging will thankfully find fewer and fewer friendly ears. Sure, they’ve managed to make a huge mess of 2020, but payback for the intellectually corrupt media will begin November 4, and it will be brutal.

Forget about polls showing Biden well out in front. Numerous polls prior to the 2016 Presidential election had the chance of Hillary winning at over 90%. It is amazing that the pollsters who proved themselves Fake, or at minimum, grossly incompetent still exist today and worse, are still treated as respectable sources of “information”.  It’s another testament to the power that Fake News wields.

The polls are as irrelevant today as they were then, and you can safely ignore them as another baseless emotional tactic. Instead, if you want to get a feel for which direction the political winds are blowing, find away around the media to see what people themselves are doing because the Trump’s support is bursting at the seams.

The #WalkAway Movement

Former liberal Brandon Straka’s #WalkAway movement serves as a case in point. Social media is rife with videos of long time Democrats walking away from the ideologically driven divisiveness and hatred embodied by the progressive Fake News media/political establishment. The Red Wave is real and growing.

The corrupt establishment has been dividing people into victim groups for decades, and once there, they have successfully converted their victimization into votes. However, those votes have NOT translated into better lives, instead delivering decades of poverty and misery, which itself becomes proof of further victimization. This cycle has repeated for decades.

However, more and more women, blacks, Latinos, LGBT and others are tired of waiting for promises to be fulfilled and are waking to the fact that each group’s victim status is more important to those in power than the people in the group are. They’re awake, they’re done, and they are never going back.

Voting Blocks

The press loves to talk voting blocks and have a habit of treating everyone in those blocks as if they share the same brain cell. It allows them to feed the news cycle with analytical opinions that just happen to support their ideological desires.

The impact of education, colour, orientation, and the like can all be tossed this election. Those subgroups are not monolithic in nature and are only treated as such by those who need to feed a narrative. So, we’ll skip subgroups for now to focus on the three biggest voting blocks; partisans, independents, and the largest of them all, the apathetic who typically do not vote.https://lockerdome.com/lad/11136804967644006?pubid=ld-11136804967644006-671&pubo=https%3A%2F%2Fcanadafreepress.com&rid=canadafreepress.com&width=336

The impact of draconian government COVID-19 responses and the manufactured “race” riots will be felt at the ballot box

Partisans are people who can be counted to vote along ideological or party lines, regardless of pretty much every other consideration. They’ve chosen a team and are sticking with it come hell or high water.

Independents are those who prefer to vote for policy and people and will switch sides depending on whose plans they feel best serve their interests. All truly undecided voters fall into this category.

The Apathetic have, for whatever reason, chosen to withdraw from the electoral process completely. This group is massive, historically coming in around 40 to 50 percent of the voting population.
Of course, it makes zero sense for political parties to woo people who have no desire to vote, so this group is entirely ignored.

The impact of draconian government COVID-19 responses and the manufactured “race” riots will be felt at the ballot box, and what follows is the logical supposition that spells doom for Fake News and the corrupt cabal they serve.

For the most part, it makes sense that Libertarians fall into the Independent voting block, ready to help elect those who will respect their commitment to the principles they value most, freedom and liberty.

Its safe to assume that a large number of Libertarians can’t in good conscience vote for a party continually threatening to lock them down or allow their businesses and neighbourhoods to be destroyed by rioters. It is doubtful they will accept the vile subjugation of their most cherished beliefs, so this group is likely to swing hard towards President Trump. https://e35a34d1bee93a4492423c93235e3958.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

The Apathetic Stir?

I surmise there exists among the large group of Apathetic a significant proportion of “Independents” who don’t vote because they’ve decided it makes little difference in which party is running the show. They prefer to focus on improving their lives within whatever political framework is presented to them, simply doing their best to insulate themselves from overarching governance.

However, 2020 is not your normal election year because of the COVID response that destroyed jobs, businesses, and the economy plus the continuing riots that looted business, razed neighbourhoods, and killed Americans. The Apathetic’s somewhat detached, withdrawn lifestyle is now at great risk so many will re-evaluate their voting habits.

They will look for a meaningful difference in electoral choices and they will find it in President Trump, the outsider who has thankfully broken all the political rules. They will see the totalitarian future that the lockdown and riot supporting Democrat’s are determined to deliver and they will compare it to message of hope and freedom that Trump espouses, and some will be motivated to vote.

Over 130 million Americans voted in the 2016 Presidential election, meaning nearly 100 million eligible voters didn’t.

If only 5% of the Apathetic are disturbed enough by what they’ve witnessed this year to vote, it will likely add another 4 to 5 million to Trump’s vote totals. Considering the large numbers of #WalkAway and independent voters already prepared to vote for Trump, adding another 5 million votes to the Red Wave will turn it into a Trump Tsunami.

More COVID-19 is Fake News Evidence

The reaction to Trump’s Walter Reed trip and subsequent “don’t fear the COVID” message has been beautiful to watch, and for those who know how Fake News works, completely expected.

Those most appalled with Trump’s post COVID cure are those who’ve swallowed and believe Fake News’ “we’re all gonna die” narrative. As their beliefs defy reality, reality and those like President Trump who stick to it, become an existential enemy to their worldview. Hence, the panicked, vituperative hatred launched in defense of their beliefs.

For the media who’ve promoted the “we’re all gonna die” narrative, news of Trump’s alleged quick cure is an existential problem. The entire COVID response is predicated on a single pillar of deceit, the scientific models that projected terrifying death totals. Everything that followed in response also rests on this single deceit.

Trump’s post COVID actions directly threaten that pillar, which means he threatens the entire COVID narrative and the media/political establishment that promoted it. Fake News is staring at their own destruction, and they know it, which is why they’re so frantically trying to discredit him.

It won’t work, and when the Trump Tsunami recedes, among the detritus washed away will be the Fake News propagandists. Even better, it will expose the staggering scale of the global Deep State and then maybe, just maybe, we can cleanse the world of its tyrannical evil and allow a new, free world to emerge from the COVID chrysalis.