Tag Archives: Shadowbans

Dec 26 2019

Scientific Survey Finds Voters of All Parties, Ages, and Genders Are Broadly Misinformed


At a recent “get-out-the-vote” rally in Las Vegas, former first lady Michelle Obama declared that people don’t have to be informed in order to vote. All they need, she said, is to “be a citizen,” “have opinions,” and want “a say in what happens.” She emphasized, “I’ve been voting since I was 18 years old—and trust me—I didn’t know nothing about nothing at 18 years old.”

In contrast, James Madison—the father of the Constitution and primary author of the Bill of Rights—stressed that voters “must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” Failure to do this, he said, will produce government that is “a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps both.”

The results of a new scientific survey indicate that voters of all ages, political parties, and genders are following Obama’s lead instead of Madison’s. Moreover, the survey shows that many voters are not only uninformed about major issues—they are positively misinformed.

Those are the findings of an annual, national poll commissioned by Just Facts, a non-profit research and educational institute. The poll was conducted by an academic research firm that used sound methodologies to assess U.S. residents who regularly vote.

While most surveys measure public opinion, this unique one measures voters’ knowledge of issues that affect their lives in tangible ways—such as education, taxes, healthcare, the national debt, pollution, government spending, Social Security, global warming, energy, and hunger. Every year, the poll includes a new question about a prevalent, controversial issue. This year, the question is about rape.

Results for All Voters

For each question, voters were offered a selection of two or more answers, one of which was true. Voters also had the opportunity to say they were unsure.

On average, voters gave the correct answer 40% of the time, gave an incorrect answer 53% of the time, and said they were unsure 7% of the time. A majority of voters gave the correct answer to only six of the 24 questions.

The highest levels of misinformation were found on questions related to child hunger, tax burdens, landfills, health insurance copayments, and Social Security finances. For these questions, 25% or less of voters provided the correct answer.

Results by Age, Gender, and Politics

The survey also recorded voters’ ages, genders, and political party preferences. This allows the poll to pinpoint segments of society that are most and least informed about specific issues.

The results show deep partisan and demographic divides, with different groups being more or less knowledgeable depending upon the questions.

In total, the rates at which voters gave the correct answers varied from a high of 47% for Republican voters to a low of 34% for Democrat voters:

  • 47% for Republican voters
  • 43% for males
  • 42% for 35 to 64 year olds
  • 41% for 18 to 34 year olds
  • 38% for 65+ year olds
  • 38% for third-party voters
  • 37% for females
  • 34% for Democrat voters

The questions, answers, full survey results and methodologies are below.

Education

Question 1: Relative to other nations, how do you believe U.S. fourth graders rank in terms of their reading and math ability? Are they in the bottom 50% or in the top 50%?

Correct Answer: Top 50%. In international tests administered to students in dozens of nations, U.S. fourth graders rank in the top 30% of nations for reading and for math. Confusion about this issue may stem from the fact that the relative performance of U.S. students declines over time, and by the age of 15, they drop to the bottom 50% in reading and to the bottom 20% in math. This suggests that the problems of the U.S. education system may occur in the later years, not the early years, as many have claimed.

Correct answer given by 44% of all voters, 42% of Democrat voters, 46% of Republican voters, 41% of third-party voters, 47% of males, 41% of females, 52% of 18 to 34 year olds, 45% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 41% of 65+ year olds.

Question 2: On average across the United States, how much do you think public schools spend per year to educate each classroom of students? Less or more than $150,000 per classroom per year?

Correct Answer: More than $150,000. The average cost to educate a classroom of public school students is about $315,000 per year. Department of Education data shows that the average inflation-adjusted spending per public school student has risen by more than three times since 1960.

Correct answer given by 33% of all voters, 20% of Democrat voters, 44% of Republican voters, 33% of third-party voters, 39% of males, 26% of females, 35% of 18 to 34 year olds, 33% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 32% of 65+ year olds.

Question 3: In your mind, what portion of 17- to 24-year-olds in the U.S. are unqualified for military service because of weak educational skills, poor physical fitness, illegal drug usage, medical conditions, or criminal records? More or less than half?

Correct Answer: More than half. According to various agencies within the Department of Defense, two-thirds to three-quarters of all 17- to 24-year-olds are unqualified for military service because of weak educational skills, poor physical fitness, illegal drug usage, medical conditions, or criminal records.

Correct answer given by 43% of all voters, 37% of Democrat voters, 46% of Republican voters, 49% of third-party voters, 40% of males, 46% of females, 38% of 18 to 34 year olds, 45% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 40% of 65+ year olds.

Question 4: When conventional public schools are subject to school choice programs that allow students to leave for private or charter schools, do you think the children who remain in the public schools academically decline?

Correct Answer: No. At least 21 high-quality studies have been performed on the academic outcomes of students who remain in public schools that are subject to school choice programs. All but one of the studies found neutral-to-positive results, and none of the studies found negative results. This is consistent with the theory that school choice stimulates competition that helps public schools to improve.

Correct answer given by 44% of all voters, 37% of Democrat voters, 46% of Republican voters, 49% of third-party voters, 45% of males, 41% of females, 39% of 18 to 34 year olds, 46% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 40% of 65+ year olds.

Taxes

Question 5: The average U.S. household spends about $29,000 per year on food, housing, and clothing combined. If we broke down all combined federal, state, and local taxes to a per household cost, do you think this would amount to more or less than an average of $29,000 per household per year?

Correct Answer: More than $29,000. In 2017, federal, state and local governments collected a combined total of $5.0 trillion in taxes or an average of $40,000 for every household in the U.S.

Correct answer given by 46% of all voters, 39% of Democrat voters, 50% of Republican voters, 58% of third-party voters, 47% of males, 45% of females, 58% of 18 to 34 year olds, 49% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 40% of 65+ year olds.

Question 6: On average, who would you say pays a greater portion of their income in federal taxes: The middle class or the upper 1% of income earners?

Correct Answer: The upper 1%. The Congressional Budget Office, the U.S. Treasury, and the Tax Policy Center have all documented that households in the top 1% of income pay an average effective federal tax rate of about 34%, while middle-income households pay about 13%. These tax rates account for nearly all income and federal taxes. Claims to the contrary—which are often voiced by politicians and the media—are based on misleading calculations that exclude large portions of people’s taxes and/or incomes.

Correct answer given by 22% of all voters, 9% of Democrat voters, 37% of Republican voters, 17% of third-party voters, 27% of males, 16% of females, 25% of 18 to 34 year olds, 24% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 18% of 65+ year olds.

Spending

Question 7: Now, changing the subject from taxes to spending, suppose we broke down all government spending to a per household cost—do you think the combined spending of federal, state and local governments amounts to more or less than $40,000 per household per year?

Correct Answer: More than $40,000. In 2017, federal, state and local governments spent a combined total of $6.6 trillionor an average of $52,000 for every household in the U.S. For reference, the average U.S. household spends about $44,000per year on food, housing, clothing, transportation, and healthcare.

Correct answer given by 44% of all voters, 38% of Democrat voters, 51% of Republican voters, 35% of third-party voters, 47% of males, 40% of females, 47% of 18 to 34 year olds, 46% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 40% of 65+ year olds.

Question 8: Do you think the federal government spends more money on social programs, such as Medicare, education, and food stamps—or does the federal government spend more money on national defense, such as the Army, Navy, and missile defense?

Correct Answer: Social programs. In 2016, 63% of federal spending was for social programs, and 18% was for national defense. In 1960, the opposite was true, and 53% of federal spending was for national defense, while 21% was for social programs.

Correct answer given by 34% of all voters, 12% of Democrat voters, 60% of Republican voters, 23% of third-party voters, 37% of males, 32% of females, 28% of 18 to 34 year olds, 33% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 37% of 65+ year olds.

National Debt

Question 9: What about federal government debt? The average U.S. household owes about $122,000 in consumer debt, such as mortgages and credit cards. Thinking about all federal government debt broken down to a per household basis, do you think the average federal debt per U.S. household amounts to more or less than the average consumer debt per U.S. household?

Correct Answer: More than $122,000. Federal debt is now $21.6 trillion or $171,000 for every household in the United States. Such levels of debt can have far-reaching negative effects on wages, living standards, healthcare, and financial security.

Correct answer given by 74% of all voters, 72% of Democrat voters, 78% of Republican voters, 76% of third-party voters, 73% of males, 74% of females, 72% of 18 to 34 year olds, 78% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 67% of 65+ year olds.

Question 10: From the time that the Great Recession ended in 2009, which do you think has grown at a faster rate, the U.S. economy or the national debt?

Correct Answer: The national debt. From the time that the Great Recession ended in 2009, the national debt grew by 88%, while the U.S. economy grew by 42%.

Correct answer given by 80% of all voters, 85% of Democrat voters, 74% of Republican voters, 88% of third-party voters, 80% of males, 80% of females, 81% of 18 to 34 year olds, 79% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 81% of 65+ year olds.

Global Warming

Question 11: Would you say the earth has become measurably warmer since the 1980s?

Correct Answer: Yes. According to both satellite-measured data and ground-level thermometers, the earth’s average temperature has increased by about 0.6 to 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1980s. This increase is greater than the range of measurement uncertainty. Providing a sense of scale for this change, a temperature analysis of a glacier in Greenland found that it was about 22ºF colder during the last ice age than it is now.

Correct answer given by 67% of all voters, 95% of Democrat voters, 38% of Republican voters, 77% of third-party voters, 64% of males, 71% of females, 78% of 18 to 34 year olds, 63% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 71% of 65+ year olds.

Question 12: Again, thinking about the whole planet, do you think the number and intensity of hurricanes and tropical storms have generally increased since the 1980s?

Correct Answer: No. Comprehensive global data shows that the number and intensity of cyclones and hurricanes has been roughly level for the past four-to-five decades. This data was originally published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters in 2011 and updated this year. Likewise, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported: “There is low confidence in any observed long-term (i.e., 40 years or more) increases in tropical cyclone activity (i.e., intensity, frequency, duration), after accounting for past changes in observing capabilities.” Various media outlets have spread false claims to the contrary by ignoring wide-ranging facts and cherry-picking timeframes, geographical locations, and the opinions of certain scientists.

Correct answer given by 30% of all voters, 6% of Democrat voters, 55% of Republican voters, 20% of third-party voters, 35% of males, 23% of females, 18% of 18 to 34 year olds, 36% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 22% of 65+ year olds.

Pollution

Question 13: Now, just thinking about the United States, in your opinion, is the air generally more polluted than it was in the 1980s?

Correct Answer: No. EPA data shows that ambient levels of all criteria air pollutants have declined significantly since the 1980s. Criteria air pollutions are those that are deemed by the administrator of the EPA to be widespread and to “cause or contribute to air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare….” Likewise, combined emissions of hazardous air pollutants have declined by about 50% since the 1990s. Lower pollution levels can improve human health and reduce problems like learning deficits and behavioral disorders.

Correct answer given by 54% of all voters, 44% of Democrat voters, 69% of Republican voters, 42% of third-party voters, 63% of males, 44% of females, 43% of 18 to 34 year olds, 59% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 50% of 65+ year olds.

Question 14: If the U.S. stopped recycling and buried all of its municipal trash for the next 100 years in a single landfill that was 30 feet high, how much of the nation’s land area would you think this landfill would cover? Less than 1%, 1% to less than 5%, or more than 5%?

Correct Answer: Less than 1%. At the current U.S. population growth rate and the current per-person trash production rate, the landfill would cover 0.06% of the nation’s land area. More realistically, the actual area in use will be an order of magnitude smaller, because:

  • the U.S. recycles, burns, or composts 48% of its trash.
  • landfills can be more than 200 feet high.
  • after 30 to 50 years, landfills are often covered and used for purposes such as parks, golf courses, ski slopes, and airfields.

Correct answer given by 9% of all voters, 6% of Democrat voters, 13% of Republican voters, 6% of third-party voters, 12% of males, 5% of females, 5% of 18 to 34 year olds, 10% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 7% of 65+ year olds.

Energy

Question 15: Without government subsidies, which of these technologies do you think is the least expensive method for generating electricity? Wind turbines, solar panels, or natural gas power plants?

Correct Answer: Natural gas power plants. Determining the costs of electricity-generating technologies is complex, but data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that natural gas is considerably less expensive than wind, and wind is considerably less expensive than solar. Affordable energy has many important benefits, and for poorer people, it can mean the difference between life and death.

Correct answer given by 37% of all voters, 23% of Democrat voters, 53% of Republican voters, 35% of third-party voters, 46% of males, 26% of females, 41% of 18 to 34 year olds, 39% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 32% of 65+ year olds.

Question 16: Without government subsidies, which of these fuels do you believe is least expensive for powering automobiles? Gasoline, ethanol, or biodiesel?

Correct Answer: Gasoline. Data from the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Energy Information Administration show that in 2017, the unsubsidized cost of ethanol was 32% more than gasoline, and the unsubsidized cost of biodiesel was 119% more than gasoline.

Correct answer given by 48% of all voters, 38% of Democrat voters, 61% of Republican voters, 31% of third-party voters, 53% of males, 41% of females, 40% of 18 to 34 year olds, 49% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 47% of 65+ year olds.

Question 17: Worldwide, which of these technologies generates the most electricity? Solar panels, natural gas power plants, coal power plants, or nuclear power plants?

Correct Answer: Coal power plants. Due to the low cost and widespread availability of coal, coal power plants generate about 40% of the world’s electricity, as compared to 22% for natural gas, 11% for nuclear, and 1% for solar.

Correct answer given by 34% of all voters, 32% of Democrat voters, 36% of Republican voters, 25% of third-party voters, 43% of males, 23% of females, 36% of 18 to 34 year olds, 37% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 29% of 65+ year olds.

Hunger

Question 18: On an average day, what portion of U.S. households with children do you believe will have at least one child who experiences hunger? Less than 1%, 1% to 10%, or more than 10%?

Correct Answer: Less than 1%. Per the latest data from the USDA, on an average day, less than one fifth of one percent (0.14%) of households with children have a child who experiences hunger. Those who claim that child hunger is more common often falsely equate the term “food insecure” with “hunger,” but most food-insecure households never experience hunger during any point of the year.

Correct answer given by 14% of all voters, 5% of Democrat voters, 24% of Republican voters, 10% of third-party voters, 17% of males, 10% of females, 11% of 18 to 34 year olds, 14% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 14% of 65+ year olds.

Social Security

Question 19: Do you think Social Security’s financial problems stem from politicians looting the program and spending the money on other programs?

Correct Answer: No. By law, all Social Security taxes and revenues can be used only for the Social Security program, and the federal government has never failed to abide by this law. What some call “looting” is actually a legal requirement (established in the original Social Security of 1935) that all of the program’s surpluses be loaned to the federal government. The government is required to pay back this money with interest, and it has been doing this since 2010. Social Security’s financial problems primarily stem from the fact that the ratio of workers paying taxes to people receiving benefits has fallen by three times since 1955 and is projected to fall further.

Correct answer given by 16% of all voters, 19% of Democrat voters, 13% of Republican voters, 12% of third-party voters, 17% of males, 14% of females, 22% of 18 to 34 year olds, 16% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 13% of 65+ year olds.

Question 20: Some policymakers are proposing that individuals be allowed to save and invest some of their Social Security taxes in personal accounts instead of paying these taxes to the Social Security program. In your view, do you think such proposals generally improve or harm the finances of the Social Security program?

Correct Answer: Improve. As shown by analyses conducted by the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration and a bipartisan presidential commission, proposals to give Social Security an element of personal ownership generally strengthen the program’s finances. Although some tax revenues that would have gone to the program instead go to people’s personal retirement accounts, these tax revenues are more than offset by the savings of not paying these individuals full benefits.

Correct answer given by 24% of all voters, 10% of Democrat voters, 37% of Republican voters, 19% of third-party voters, 27% of males, 20% of females, 31% of 18 to 34 year olds, 26% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 19% of 65+ year olds.

Health Care

Question 21: In 1960, governments paid for 24% of all healthcare costs in the U.S. Do you think governments now pay a greater portion or a lesser portion of all healthcare costs in the U.S.?

Correct Answer: A greater portion. In 2016, governments paid for 49% of all healthcare expenses in the United States.

Correct answer given by 55% of all voters, 43% of Democrat voters, 69% of Republican voters, 41% of third-party voters, 58% of males, 50% of females, 50% of 18 to 34 year olds, 56% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 54% of 65+ year olds.

Question 22: When health insurance copayments are high, people tend to spend less on healthcare. Do you think that this reduced spending typically has a negative impact on their health?

Correct Answer: No. Multiple studies have shown that when copayments are high, people generally spend less money on their healthcare without negatively impacting their health. This is because when people directly pay for more of their healthcare bills, they are more likely to be responsible consumers and use only those services that actually benefit their health. An exception to this rule is the poorest 6% of the population, who do experience negative effects when copayments are increased.

Correct answer given by 15% of all voters, 6% of Democrat voters, 24% of Republican voters, 10% of third-party voters, 18% of males, 12% of females, 23% of 18 to 34 year olds, 13% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 16% of 65+ year olds.

Question 23: In 2010, Congress passed and President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.” This law uses price controls to save money in the Medicare program. Do you think these price controls will worsen Medicare patients’ access to care?

Correct Answer: Yes. As explained by Medicare’s actuaries, the price controls in the Affordable Care Act will cut Medicare prices for many medical services over the next three generations to “less than half of their level under the prior law.” The actuaries have been clear that this will likely cause “withdrawal of providers from the Medicare market” and “severe problems with beneficiary access to care.”

Correct answer given by 47% of all voters, 17% of Democrat voters, 75% of Republican voters, 56% of third-party voters, 47% of males, 47% of females, 41% of 18 to 34 year olds, 49% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 46% of 65+ year olds.

Rape

Question 24: What portion of adult females living in the U.S. say that they have been the victim of an act that fits the legal definition of rape? Less than 1%, 1% to 5%, or more than 5%?

Correct Answer: More than 5%. A nationally representative scientific survey conducted by U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that 11.5% of adult females say they have been the victim of acts that constitute forcible rape. These findings are consistent with other rigorous studies. Politicians, journalists, and activists have spread a lot of misinformation about rape in general, college rape, and false allegations of rape. A detailed analysis of the latest credible data on these topics is available here.

Correct answer given by 56% of all voters, 78% of Democrat voters, 33% of Republican voters, 65% of third-party voters, 51% of males, 61% of females, 64% of 18 to 34 year olds, 57% of 35 to 64 year olds, and 51% of 65+ year olds.

Methodology and Full Results

The survey was conducted by Triton Polling & Research, an academic research firm used by scholars, corporations, and political campaigns. The responses were obtained through live telephone surveys of 1,000 likely voters across the United States during October 2–13, 2018. This sample size is large enough to accurately represent the U.S. population. Likely voters are people who say they vote “every time there is an opportunity” or in “most” elections.

The margin of sampling error for the total pool of respondents is ±3% with at least 95% confidence. The margins of error for the subsets are 5% for Democrat voters, 5% for Republican voters, 11% for third-party voters, 4% for males, 4% for females, 10% for 18 to 34 year olds, 5% for 35 to 64 year olds, and 5% for 65+ year olds.

The survey results presented in this article are slightly weighted to match the ages and genders of likely voters. The political parties and geographic locations of the survey respondents almost precisely match the population of likely voters. Thus, there is no need for weighting based upon these variables. The complete weighted and unweighted results are available here:

Dec 24 2019

France Bans Nativity Scene from Pubic Property


Armstrong Economics Blog/Religion

Re-Posted Dec 24, 2019 by Martin Armstrong

France has banned the display of any Nativity scenes from public property which has many French quite upset that because of the large Muslim population, the very culture of France has been changed. It is interesting that normally people migrate because they want to be part of that culture. That has not been the case in Europe. Even Muslims I know who grew up in Europe before these refugees are upset. This was never part of their goals either.

When you go to Asia, even Ronald McDonald greets customers in the tradition Buddhist manner. In the case of the Refugee invasion of Europe, they have brought there own culture and even demanded that their communities should be ruled by their own set of laws not those of Western culture. This has been alienating the pre-existing Muslim community.

The US Air Force allows Menorah and Nativity scenes to be side-by-side. They have denied atheiststo display some sort of protest display which makes sense for if they believe in nothing, they have no right to protest against other’s belief systems.

It just seems that mutual respect is dying. Are we losing culture and the basis of civilization altogether? Religion was banned in Russia under Marxism. It seems we are headed to the same result because of intolerance. This idea of being so politically correct as to not offend anyone means we lose our own culture. We now even had unisex clothing so we do not offend anyone who does not like the gender into which they were born. It seems like society has just lost its mind.

Categories: Religion
Dec 21 2019

The Unmaking of Star Wars: Why Progressives Killed It and How


149K subscribers

The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters this weekend, and Bill Whittle sees nothing rising — but rather an epic unmaking of a once-great story. Here’s why Progressives killed everything good in the hero’s journey, and how they replaced it with a collectivist, feminist dream…and it wasn’t just Rian Johnson and Kathleen Kennedy. Learn how this effort will backfire and why it matters to conservatives. Bill Whittle Now with Scott Ott comes to you 20-times each month thanks to our Members. Join them now at https://BillWhittle.com/register/ Join Bill Whittle and Scott Ott for live conversations like these on the high seas when we set sail on a Royal Caribbean cruise in May 2020. Find out more, and reserve your cabin for just $75 and take until February to pay at https://BillWhittleCruise.com Listen to the the podcast versions of these shows: http://bit.ly/BWN-Podcasts
Dec 21 2019

Cruel and Usual: Supreme Court Lets Homeless People Sleep on Sidewalk


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The U.S. Supreme Court refuses to review a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that Boise, Idaho, violated the 8th Amendment rights of homeless people by levying a small fine for sleeping on the sidewalk. Is keeping public spaces clear of vagrants “cruel and unusual punishment” if no suitable homeless shelters exist? Join Bill Whittle, Scott Ott and Stephen Green on a Royal Caribbean cruise in May 2020. Live versions of our shows and informal chats, punctuate the sunny delights of the Bahamas and life on the open sea. Get details and reserve your cabin at https://BillWhittleCruise.com Bill Whittle Now with Scott Ott comes to you 20-times each month thanks to our Members. Join them today and find your people at https://BillWhittle.com/register/ – We’re grateful to our friends at The Patriot Post for their support. Visit them now: http://bit.ly/2P81bgf – Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/billwhittle – Listen to our shows on the go with your podcast app: http://bit.ly/BWN-Podcasts – Watch us now on Amazon’s Fire TV by downloading the Bill Whittle Network app. http://bit.ly/BWN-FireTV – Ask your Amazon smart device, “Alexa, play Bill Whittle Network on TuneIn radio.” – We’re on Bitchute too: http://bit.ly/BWN-Bitchute
Dec 4 2019

Conspiracy Against Trump


Armstrong Economics Blog/Conspiracy

Re-Posted Dec 4, 2019 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Are you familiar with Qanon and if so what are your thoughts.
KJF

ANSWER: No I do not believe it. That is a conspiracy theory that there is a worldwide cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who rule the world, essentially, and they control everything. They control politicians, and they control the media. They control Hollywood, and they cover up their existence, essentially. And they would have continued ruling the world, were it not for the election of President Donald Trump. I do not agree with this idea. I think it goes way over the top.

This is again using labels very loosely. Pedophilia is a sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Ephebophilia is the primary sexual interest in mid-to-late adolescents, generally ages 13 to 17 post-puberty. Jeffrey Epstein was engaged in Ephebophilia but perhaps for reasons people have overlooked. He seems to have ensnared famous people into this act for the reason of having power over them in terms of blackmail. If he were truly a pure Ephebophilia for himself,  it is unlikely he would have been so open about it bringing in people like Bill Clinton and other high profile people.

Epstein is dead BECAUSE he would have implicated so many people and most likely the prosecutor did not understand what he was stepping into. Being a simple Ephebophilia in al single personal context would have been a feather in the prosecutor’s cap. The law does not distinguish between Pedophilia and Ephebophilia. However, Epstein had way too many blackmail cards in his deck he believed provided him with protection. They came back on him for there was no way to bargain his way out after being publicly charged in such a manner. The government could NEVER put him on trial so he just had to go.

From this perspective, the plot to power is still that of an individual – Epstein. I have never encountered any group with designs of controlling the world. That is the stuff for megalomania characters in fictional action movies. So why do they have to be Satan-worshiping pedophiles is beyond me. That seems to be just a tactic to dehumanize the people they are talking about.

Pedophiles tend to be sick people, to begin with to the point I seriously doubt they would be able to even fathom controlling the world. Underage post-puberty girls/boys does not involve pedophiles – that is children like 5 to 10-year-old children. That is more of a mental disorder. I believe Epstein was probably into blackmail more than anything else for strategic reasons. I seriously doubt that if Epstein was engaged in pedophilia he would have had as many people joining him. For strategic blackmail reasons, he merely sought to get people involved in Ephebophilia and then used that perhaps to get favors and money. I seriously doubt that many can tell the difference between at 17-year-old girl and a 19-year-old just looking at them these days. So I would think he was deliberately trying to get girls under 18 to provide the means for blackmail.

I think this Qanon conspiracy is just spinning things too far. There are people out to get Trump, absolutely. But I do not see them as Satan-worshiping pedophiles, just power corrupt individuals.

 

Nov 26 2019

Australians Losing All Freedoms to Socialism


Armstrong Economics Blog/Australia & Oceania

Re-Posted Nov 26, 2019 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: I live in Australia but seriously considering living elsewhere as our freedoms continue to be eroded, our economy artificially supports to stop property prices corrected as top 4 banks carry estimate 80% exposure, etc, etc.

I love living in Sydney beaches for climate, beaches + surf, incredible quality of raw ingredients for food and a healthy lifestyle. But I believe we are on a downward spiral which may well last a generation or longer.

I’m location independent economically with both Australian and UK passport.

Where my best options to move and make a home where the next 20 years will flourish rather than suffer?

I’m very open to suggestions?

DF

ANSWER: The UK will most likely adopt a worldwide income tax. As an Australian resident, you are taxed on your worldwide income. This means you must declare all income you receive from foreign sources in your income tax return. You might want to look at moving to Thailand. They are outside of the CRS and a very reasonable country, if not the most reasonable in SE Asia. It is hard to say what will unfold there going forward. However, the only thing that is certain is that the West is in the decline & fall mode. The financial power will shift to Asia post-2032.

We have to understand that all the promises of socialism are crumbling to the ground. The governments will become much more aggressive to enforce taxation in a desperate attempt to retain power. That will fail. The only thing this is causing is rising separatist movements and inevitable violence

Nov 24 2019

Charlie’s Angels Remake Flops Because Men Won’t Watch Hot Chicks Who Kick A$$


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The new Charlie’s Angels film remake flops, a failure that director Elizabeth Banks attributes to the “fact” that men don’t go to see women do action movies. Have men actually decided they no longer enjoy watching “hot chicks who kick a$$”, or are audiences just tired of being force-fed a feminist lecture when they paid to see a fun movie? Bill Whittle, Stephen Green and Scott Ott are three men unashamed of their delight in strong-female action films. They’ve been analyzing culture and news for 11 years thanks to the Members who fund this enterprise. Our Members engage in vibrant conversation at our website, where they have exclusive access to several features that encourage civil dialogue, rational thought and a lot of fun. You can see the full archive of Right Angle there right now: https://BillWhittle.com Listen to Right Angle on the go with your podcast app: http://bit.ly/BWN-Podcasts
Nov 24 2019

86-Year-Old Justice Ginsburg Back in Hospital…


Re-Posted from The Conservative Tree House on November 23, 2019 by 

US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 86, has been admitted to hospital suffering chills and a fever, the Supreme Court said in a statement:

SCOTUS – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, last night after experiencing chills and fever earlier in the day. She was initially evaluated at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. before being transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital for further evaluation and treatment of any possible infection.

With intravenous antibiotics and fluids, her symptoms have abated and she expects to be released from the hospital as early as Sunday morning. Further updates will be made when available. (link)

Nov 23 2019

Monty Python’s Politically Correct


Blog/Conspiracy

Posted Nov 22, 2019 by Martin Armstrong

 

Nov 13 2019

When Justice Isn’t


by Tabitha Korol

A letter written by a local elementary school teacher, I’ll call “Mrs. Krieg,” was brought to my attention by a mutual acquaintance.  In light of the notice that honor classes will be discontinued, she thoughtfully agreed that equity (defined as fairness and impartiality) in the schools should benefit all students.  Regrettably, she has been influenced by terminology that has been devalued and redefined to become a tool for social engineering among students.  Such revisionism has been applied to Equity, Diversity and Social Justice, and comes at the expense of freedom and true justice.

Honors classes were designed to challenge students academically.  The advanced work, faster pace, and higher course-credit weight have provided for smarter, happier, well-rounded children who had the opportunity to flourish according to their capabilities and not misbehave out of boredom.  But now, the authorities have determined it best to cancel the honor courses across the country because of a “lack of diversity” – that is, more Caucasian and Asian students were engaged than Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans.  Instead of also providing honors classes that meet the interests of the low-energy students – perhaps music, theater, artisanal handicrafts – the Department of Education has decided to close the achievement gap by lowering the bar and expectations and discontinuing all incentives.  Mrs. Krieg did not foresee that by eliminating the incentives and opportunities, the resulting “equity” would be mediocrity and the loss of exceptional achievement.

Now the Department of Education will generate equity in boredom, discontent, resentment, truancy and delinquency.  Academia is not unaware of these inevitabilities.  Their purpose is not an improved education but the decline of achievement and the elimination of the exceptional. Former President Obama expressed a similar derogatory outlook when he denounced high-achieving Americans with, “You didn’t build that.”

Diversity in the schools no longer describes a richness of ideas, course studies, or specialty careers, but defines and categorizes the students themselves, by race, religion, ethnicity, financial status, sexual orientation, and however else the students choose to differentiate themselves.  As with the term “equity,” the meaning of “diversity” has been corrupted, as it now implies division, divisiveness, and discord, the opposite of E Pluribus Unum – Out of many, One.  These differences have led to a totalitarian-style monitoring and bullying – called Speech Control, necessitating “Diversity Officers” with doctoral degrees, credentials in counseling and inclusion techniques, and six-figure salaries reflected in higher tuition costs.  The officers’ mere presence confirms the growing disharmony, isolation, discrimination, harassment, and violence that characterize the socialist strategy.  These points are significant:

  • Many schools have implemented a policy of discouraging the bonding between classmates, beginning with Kindergarten, alleging that “best friends” keep the students from mingling with This is false and destructive.  Best friends are a mutual support system, as they learn to agree, compromise, comfort, accommodate, and be reliable, traits needed throughout their adult lives.
  • Schools now place students at their computers for hours, removing eye contact and discussion opportunities with others, disallowing autonomy over time scheduling, reducing writing and penmanship with its inherent creativity. Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris said she would increase daily school time by three hours, thereby seriously reducing home and family activities, personal growth, and individual achievement.
  • Academia has introduced “intersectionality” to diminish the self and encourage victimhood by race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, family class; the more the classifications, the higher their status.  Instead of a unitedness with school and pride of citizenship in their own country, they are now tribalistic, divisive, and intolerant.
  • Bigotry against Jewish students and staff (antisemitism) is on the rise and spreading.  History has shown that Jews are always the first, but never the only ones, to be attacked.  The hostility is growing to include whites (white supremacy), extending to our founding and history by the socialists and Sharia-compliant; and towards boys (toxic masculinity), diminishing their self-worth and ambitions, and damaging their  God-given purpose of contributing to our nation’s growth and defense.  Boys must become men: marry and support their families, be strong fathers and teach morality to the next generation.
  • The removal of God from the schools and population’s psyche has produced a plethora of new definitions that facilitate a ruling class, convince the public to tolerate lawlessness over sovereign borders, and to submit to the measured demands of sharia made by the Muslim Brotherhood and affiliates on campus and in the media.
  • The Common Core standards introduced new courses: intentionally convoluted math that prohibits parental participation; dystopian and uninspiring literature that offers limited creative vocabulary and replaces inspiration with fatalism; inaccurate and indoctrinating history lessons that misinform students about our growth and successes and secretes the truths about Islam; and social studies that support a political agenda.
  • With individuality stifled, the children are indoctrinated to think alike, falter alike, and expect equal return for widespread mediocrity.  This equity in communist countries has produced  stagnation in education, the economy and real income; slow improvement in everyday services and medical care; shortages of goods; rising criminality and corruption, along with an increase in alcoholism, particularly in Russia.  Socialism kills the spirit of personal endeavor.
  • The introduction of transgenderism is ruining the lives of many children, psychologically and physically, wrecking all opportunities for happiness in marriage and family, leading some to suicide.
  • The threat of climate change, perhaps the greatest hoax, is the extensive control over all life, which would bring a scarcity of energy, failing manufacturing firms and  retail operations, vilified consumerism, diminishing food supplies, curbed transportation for people and food distribution.  The environmentalists purposely falsify the data about climatic conditions in order to throttle human activity – which they hate – to produce their worshipped green planet.
  • In short, the goal of the left is to crush the human spirit.  Pride in accomplishment must be stifled, progress discouraged, and the dispirited population reminted into the globalists’ compliant working class.

Contrary to Mrs. Krieg’s understanding, the term “diversity” was invented to con the populace into accepting all incoming non-citizens.  Regardless of criminality, disease, or hatred for the American flag, they must be housed, fed, clothed, educated and medicated.  Multiculturalism is already the downfall of several European countries due to cultures that are too disparate for assimilation.  Muslims come to replace their hosts’ laws with their sharia and establish yet another oppressive totalitarian Islamic state.

Justice becomes injustice when the word needs a modifier.  “Social justice” means a revision of laws to accommodate a socialist agenda.  True justice is served only when the interests of Americans are considered, when Americans can, of their own volition and in their own time, partake of the promise of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”  The authoritarian government seeks total/totalitarian control over the masses to forcibly produce identical workers, taught and indoctrinated to comply with the needs of the regime.

The final outcome is not unknown to mankind.  We have seen countries fall to socialism, fascism, and Islam, and the vulnerable children are always the first to feel the effects of the increasing control.

Now is the time to act if we are to avoid Orwell’s dire warning: If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.

Tabitha Korol

https://tinyurl.com/y7e6z63d