There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
To avoid accountability before the God who plainly reveals Himself, sinful humanity replaces the truth of God with a lie we can live with. Today, R.C. Sproul considers the idolatry at the heart of atheism and unbelief.
“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose . . . ’”Read More
The only true God will succeed in his glorious purpose for his stubborn people. stand firm. God calls his people to a bold trust in his sole deity and sovereign ways. recall it to mind. Mental focus on who God is must be renewed, for the idolatrous culture of the world erodes clarity. transgressors. The natural thoughts of the human mind resist the truth about God. the former things of old. The record of God’s faithfulness in the past. declaring. . . saying. . . calling. God calls for a wholehearted trust in his unfailing word. a bird of prey from the east. Cyrus.
2. Acts 17:26–27
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us . . .Read More
One man refers to Adam, in whom all people find their ancestral unity, an idea that would appeal to the Stoics’ strong sense of human brotherhood. Paul thus affirms the historicity of Adam and the descent of the entire human race from him. This also rules out any kind of racism, since the various ethnic groups come from one man. Having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place indicates God’s sovereignty over the histories of nations.
Feel their way toward him implies a kind of groping around in darkness, without really knowing how to find God, though they hoped that they would. The verbs translated “feel their way” and “find” are in the optative mood in Greek, suggesting possibilities considered uncertain of realization. Not far from each one of us implies God’s omnipresence and also implies that God hears people’s prayers and knows their hearts (including these philosophers in Athens). God’s providence leads people to seek God, with the goal that they might perhaps. . . find (i.e., worship) him, but all people fall short of seeking God wholeheartedly and successfully, as Rom. 1:18–3:20 teaches. Paul is being inviting here. There is a God to find, and he is not hard to find, having revealed himself to us through the story Paul prepares to tell.
3. Ephesians 1:11–12
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.Read More
Obtained an inheritance seems the best rendering of the Greek verb that normally means “to allot [a portion].” Some believe the meaning is that God has claimed his own portion, the believing Jews (see Eph. 1:14). predestined. Making those who believe in him heirs with Christ was not an ad hoc event; God had planned it from all eternity. By definition God is sovereign, directing all things freely according to his royal counsel. This is in sharp contrast with the pagan gods of the time, who were understood to be often fickle or bound by an inscrutable and arbitrary fate. God’s predestination gives his people tremendous comfort, for they know that all who come to Christ do so through God’s enabling grace and appointment (see Eph. 2:8–10). Who works all things according to the counsel of his will is best understood to mean that every single event that occurs is in some sense predestined by God. At the same time, Paul emphasizes the importance of human responsibility, as is evident in all of the moral commands later in Ephesians (Eph. 4–6) and in all of Paul’s letters. As Paul demonstrated in all of his remarkable efforts in spreading the gospel (Acts 13–28; cf. 2 Cor. 11:23–28), he believed that doing personal evangelism and making conscious choices to obey God are also absolutely essential in fulfilling God’s plan. God uses human means to fulfill what he has ordained. With regard to tragedies and evil, Paul and the other biblical writers never blame God for them (cf. Rom. 5:12; 2 Tim. 4:14; also Job 1:21–22). Rather, they see the doctrine of God’s sovereignty as a means of comfort and assurance (cf. Rom. 8:28–30), confident that evil will not triumph, and that God’s good plans for his people will be fulfilled. How God’s sovereignty and human responsibility work together in the world is a mystery no one can fully understand.
4. Genesis 50:18–20
His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”Read More
Probably encouraged by news of Joseph’s reaction to their message, the brothers also came and fell down before him. Once again, their obeisance and words, Behold, we are your servants, fulfill Joseph’s dreams (Gen. 37:5–10). Echoing what he had said previously (see Gen. 45:5–9), Joseph stresses that God transformed their evil into good and that as a result, many people have been kept alive. This principle that God ultimately overrules human sin for his glory and the ultimate good of mankind is important in Scripture. The crucifixion is the prime example of it (Acts 3:13–26; Rom. 8:28). Joseph’s gracious, forgiving attitude unites the family. Like the lives of Jacob and Esau, Joseph’s life was marred by deadly hatred between brothers. In both cases the story ends with the offended brother’s offering full forgiveness to those who had mistreated him (Gen. 33:4).
5. Psalm 103:19
The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.Read More
His throne. . . his kingdom refers to God’s universal rule over all creation. The marvel of being God’s people is that the one whose kingdom rules over all offers the privilege of gratefully embracing his rule.
6. Matthew 10:29–31
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.Read More
Sparrows were customarily thought of as the smallest of creatures, and the penny was one of the least valuable Roman coins (cf. Matt. 5:26). apart from your Father. God is sovereign over even the most insignificant events.
Fear not, therefore. Since the heavenly Father gives constant sovereign supervision even to seemingly insignificant creatures, surely he will also care for his disciples in their mission to proclaim the good news of the kingdom.
7. Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.Read More
God weaves everything together for good for his children. The “good” in this context does not refer to earthly comfort but conformity to Christ (Rom.8:29), closer fellowship with God, bearing good fruit for the kingdom, and final glorification (Rom 8:30).
8. Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”Read More
God is completely sovereign. He knows all things even before they happen, so he knew Jeremiah even before he was formed in his mother’s womb. God’s plan for Jeremiah was that he be consecrated, or “set apart,” for preaching God’s word. Jeremiah’s ministry is to be a prophet to the nations, not just to Israel (Jer. 25:1–14; Jer. 46:1–51:64).
9. Proverbs 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.Read More
“Casting lots” involves the random selection or distribution of objects in order to make a choice uncontrolled and unbiased by the participants. In Israel it was typically performed “before the Lord” (see Josh. 18:8) in order to receive his direction. from the LORD. Not only the careful plans of the heart (Prov. 16:1, 9) but also the apparently random practice of casting lots falls under God’s providential governance.
10. Psalm 104:27–30
These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.Read More
All creatures everywhere depend on the Lord’s provision. Each living thing on the land and sea (these all) depends on God to supply their food in due season and their very breath, in order to continue their lives; they also depend on God to renew the face of the ground, i.e., to give success to their reproduction. In keeping with this entire psalm, the God on whom all depend is generous (they are filled with good things), someone safe on whom to rely.
When called to serve or to suffer, we take stock of our strength, and we find it to be less than we thought and less than we need. But let not our heart sink within us while we have such a word as this to fall back upon, for it guarantees us all that we can possibly need. God has strength omnipotent; that strength He can communicate to us; and His promise is that He will do so. He will be the food of our souls and the health of our hearts; and thus He will give us strength. There is no telling how much power God can put into a man. When divine strength comes, human weakness is no more a hindrance.
Do we not remember seasons of labor and trial in which we received such special strength that we wondered at ourselves? In the midst of danger we were calm, under bereavement we were resigned, in slander we were self-contained, and in sickness we were patient. The fact is that God gives unexpected strength when unusual trials come upon us, We rise out of our feeble selves. Cowards play the man, foolish ones have wisdom given them, and the silent receive in the self-same hour what they shall speak, My own weakness makes me shrink, but God’s promise makes me brave. Lord, strengthen me “according to thy word.”
“The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter…” Luke 22:61
All around was chaos. Jesus had been betrayed by a follower, then shackled by soldiers and led away from the peaceful garden. He now stood before religious authorities intent on putting Him to death. Peter had heard Jesus’ prediction of his own betrayal but had hotly denied that he would ever leave his Savior. Now he stands in the courtyard within sight of Jesus’ first appearance before His accusers and—just as Jesus had forecast—Peter vehemently three times denies that he knows Jesus.
And then the rooster crows. Peter immediately remembers Jesus’ words: Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times. Peter looks over to where Jesus stands, perhaps expecting an outburst from Jesus: “I told you so, Peter.” Or maybe “It’s just what I expected from you, Peter.” We have no words of Jesus recorded, but Peter’s immediately reaction to Jesus’ look was sorrow: He went outside and wept bitterly. Because of Peter’s later life, I believe he saw sorrow, acceptance, compassion and love.
Often we cringe when we think God is looking on us. We transfer our own judgmental attitudes onto Him, finding it difficult or impossible to believe that His looks are full of grace and truth. That His forgiveness is ready and that He has plans for us almost beyond comprehension. The psalmist wrote it beautifully:
“How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; They outnumber the grains of sand. And when wake up, you are still with me!” Psalm 139:17-19 (New Living Translation)
Lord, I do love you. I do trust you. But I often want to hide myself from your penetrating gaze. Help me “look full in your wonderful face” and there find forgiveness and love.
Describe how you think God is looking at you. How does your description influence the way you look at others?
“Is there any such thing as Christians cheering each other up? Do you love me enough to want to help me? Does it mean anything to you that we are brothers in the Lord, sharing the same Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic at all? Then make me truly happy by loving each other and agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, working together with one heart and mind and purpose” (Philippians 2:1,2). “Happy are those who strive for peace – they shall be called the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Few individuals are more pleasing to our Lord than those who seek to promote peace. He is our great example since He is the author of peace. He is called the Prince of Peace, and He promises, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27, KJV).
When you and I think of peacemakers today, we think perhaps of national leaders who have made great efforts toward international peace, or of negotiators who have served as intermediaries, attempting to eliminate strife between management and labor.
But more is involved in this beatitude – certainly more of a spiritual nature. You may know, or have known, as I have, members of churches whom the Lord has been able to use as peacemakers – those who calm fears and help to unruffle feathers when the inevitable quarrels arise.
Peacemaking is something that requires work. It does not come easily. Basically, man is hostile toward himself, toward his neighbor and toward God. The peacemaker is one who can build bridges of love and understanding and trust.
Friends, neighbors, men of influence, lawyers, physicians, may do much to promote peace, and certainly homemakers within families can make a great difference in the harmony of a home. Long and deadly arguments can be resolved by a simple expression of love and a kind word at the right moment.
Our strife-worn world, from the individual home to the international centers of influence, is in need of children of God who are peacemakers – committed to being ambassadors of the Prince of Peace.
Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 13:11-14
Thought: Through the enabling of God’s Holy Spirit, I will seek ways to become a peacemaker in building bridges of love, trust and understanding where there is now conflict, discord and even hate.
Israeli gov’t approves deal to free 50 hostages in exchange for 4 days ceasefire The Israeli government approved a deal for Hamas to release 50 of the 240 hostages thought to currently be held in captivity in Gaza, in exchange for 4 days of ceasefire in the ongoing war. The government confirmed the details of the agreement negotiated with the Hamas terror organization through American and Qatari mediation during a meeting that began Tuesday night and stretched into the early morning.
Jesus Sees And Soon The Entire World Will Witness His Dramatic Intervention As we wait for the Lord’s appearing we can be sure He sees what’s happening in this world and His response is already on the way. Perhaps it’s closer than most people can imagine. One thing for sure, He is not silent. Unless the perpetrators of the evil around us turn to the Savior, they will feel the full force of God’s “cup” of wrath both in this life and in eternity. What then accounts for the silence in so many churches? Why are most shepherds deaf to the alarms that Jesus is sounding to alert the world of the approaching Tribulation?
Air Force warns troops to avoid pro-Trump ‘patriot’ rally: United States military leadership at the Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota recently sent service members a text message warning them that their “continued service” could be in jeopardy if they attended a local rally featuring a speaker from an organization that has historically been supportive of former President Donald Trump. The event mentioned by Air Force leadership was the “Dakota Patriot Rally,”
NSA Promotes Anti-White Racism Among Employees, Leak Reveals A copy of the NSA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Glossary, published in May 2022, was recently obtained by The Daily Wire. The glossary defines 327 “social justice” terms and explicitly promotes Critical Race Theory (CRT) and LGBT ideologies. It defines “settler colonialism” as enforcing codes of superiority such as “white supremacy.” Examples include “white European occupations of land in what is now the United States, Spain’s settlements throughout Latin America, and the Apartheid government established by White Europeans in South Africa.”
MAGA! Political outsider Javier Milei won Argentina’s presidential election over the weekend, in a development that’s shocked the world. Though his policy prescriptions are different than Trump’s in many respects, Milei is basically the Argentinian version of Donald Trump because of his anti-establishment, “drain the swamp” rhetoric. You can liken Milei’s election to Trump’s 2016 election and Brexit. It’s a popular rejection of globalism and the neoliberal global order.
Courts Pave Way For New York Quarantine Camps: Plaintiffs’ Attorney I hope you are sitting down when you read this article. The NYS Supreme Court Appellate Division’s Fourth Judicial Department has issued their ruling in our quarantine lawsuit against Governor Hochul and her Department of Health, and they have ruled against the will of the people! If you feel like you just got sucker-punched in the gut, join the club, my friends. The court has dismissed our lawsuit, not because we are wrong in our arguments… no, no, indeed we are dead-right. In fact, the court did not even touch the merits of the case. How could they? Instead, the court unbelievably ruled that my plaintiffs somehow do not have standing to sue!
“This Is Going To Expose Everything”: Mike Lindell Says Georgia Voting Machine Ruling “Opened The Door That No Man Can Shut” MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has vowed to ‘expose everything’ following last week’s massive ruling by an Obama-appointed judge in Georgia, Amy Totenberg, who agreed with Lindell’s legal team that electronic voting machines used by the state of Georgia have substantial flaws. What’s more, in a footnote within her 135-page ruling, Totenberg said the evidence in the case “does not suggest that the Plaintiffs are conspiracy theorists of any variety.”
‘Pseudo-Intellectual’ justifications legitimize antisemitic incidents on a global scale The streets of countries spanning the globe are witnessing a surge of unrest, and antisemitic incidents are rapidly escalating. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, there has been a five-fold increase in global antisemitic incidents, according to the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. A significant proportion, about one-third of these incidents, have taken place in the United States, as well as countries including the UK, Germany and France.
Some 10 out of 24 Hamas battalions ‘significantly damaged’ The terrorists’ field command level sustaining massive damage; terror army struggling to implement commands from Sinwar. In some battalions, we eliminated hundreds of Hamas terrorists,” said the source, who estimated that thousands of terrorists have been killed. Most of the battalions in question are in the northern Gaza Strip.
Hamas Threats to ‘Cut Off Heads,’ ‘Slit Throats,’ and ‘Slaughter Every Jew on the Planet’ Were Ignored in 2019 Hamas’ massacre of Israelis on October 7 shocked everyone in Israel and abroad. So did the brutality of the attack, the cruelty of the murders, and the inhumanity of the torture. But there were warnings, and the slaughter of at least 1,200 Israelis, the wounding of more than 4,800, and the kidnapping of at least 238 hostages should not have come as a surprise.
Shin Bet interrogations break open Hamas strategy, operations Separately, the Shin Bet and IDF have established both a system that constantly updates information about the October 7 invasion, as well as a new physical apparatus in the South to assist with ongoing targeting and IDF counter-invasion maneuvering operations.
Netanyahu pledges Gaza war to continue as cabinet debates partial hostage deal “We have a difficult decision before us tonight, but it is a correct decision,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of the meeting. Opponents of the deal have warned that it will harm Israel’s ability to secure the release of all the hostages and complicate Israel’s military campaign to oust Hamas from Gaza. They have also warned that it will be difficult to resume the war once it has been temporarily halted.
NBC fires Jerusalem journalist arrested for inciting terrorism A journalist based in eastern Jerusalem employed by NBC, Marwat al-Azza, was dismissed by the news network following her arrest by Israeli police. She was charged with inciting terrorism for four Facebook posts mocking victims of the October 7th
Iron Beam laser intercepts Hamas rocket from Gaza Israel made history in recent days with the first operational use its “Iron Beam” laser defense system during its war with Hamas, Channel 14 reported on Monday. The laser beam successfully intercepted an incoming rocket fired by terrorists in the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory.
1 million new olim expected because of rise in antisemitism The number of Jews exploring the option of making aliyah to Israel increased by 81% in North America and 149% in France. The chairman of the Jewish Agency, Major General Doron Almog told N12 on Tuesday that he expects to see one million new olim as a direct result of the dramatic rise of antisemitism.
Female boxer steps down from Quebec championship fight after being told opponent is a man A female boxer withdrew from a Quebec championship fight after learning that her competitor was a man claiming to be a woman. On November 15, Dr. Katia Bissonnette revealed why she stepped down from the 2023 Provincial Golden Glove Championship in Victoriaville, Quebec upon discovering that her opponent, “Mya” Walmsley, is a biological male “My coach suddenly took me aside and told me that my opponent was not a woman by birth. research showed that “a male blow has 163% more impact than a women’s, even adjusted for weight.”
Iran-backed terrorist Houthi movement in Yemen threatens further attacks until ‘demise of Israel’ Ali Al-Qahhoum, a political bureau member of the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist movement in Yemen, took the threat even further in his remarks on Monday, declaring that the Houthis will continue their attacks until the “demise of Israel.” “We will not stand idly by in the face of the Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people and the international and American outcry in support of the [Zionist] entity
Heavy day of fighting in northern Israel, multiple drone infiltration attempts by Hezbollah During another busy day of fighting between Israel and the Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah, the IDF retaliated with attacks throughout southern Lebanon after multiple drone infiltrations and other attacks against Israel. IDF reportedly kills senior Hamas commander in Lebanon airstrike
Hostage deal could bring ‘disaster’ on Israel, warns Ben-Gvir Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned on Tuesday that an emerging deal to secure the release of some hostages in exchange for a ceasefire in the war against Hamas could backfire. Ben-Gvir said he was “very concerned” that the exact details of a potential agreement were not being divulged, and that members of the government are “not being told the truth.”
100 Harvard profs come out against efforts to stop campus antisemitism A letter to Claudine Gay, Harvard’s president, co-signed by more than 100 Harvard faculty described feeling “astonished” that donors and alumni had allegedly tried to “silence faculty, students and staff critical of the actions of the State of Israel.”
Cross-country storm spans over 1,500 miles as Thanksgiving travel woes continue A powerful storm system that moved across the U.S., brought rain, high winds, snow and severe storms to over 30 states during the Thanksgiving Day week. The sprawling storm made travel occasionally difficult for the 55.4 million Americans traveling by road or air. FlightAware reported 47 flights with destinations either in or out of the U.S. were canceled, with hundreds delayed.
Severe storms hit Turkey, leaving 9 dead and 11 missing from sunken cargo ship In the wake of destructive storms that hit northwestern Turkey on November 19, 2023, search efforts are underway for 11 missing crew members of the Kafkametler, a cargo ship that sunk off the Black Sea coast. The Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, confirmed the recovery of one body from the ship, which was among several maritime and land emergencies caused by the severe weather. These incidents have led to at least nine fatalities, including deaths from flooding and structural damage in various parts of the country.
Cuba Lights Up with Palestinian Flag at Pro-Hamas ‘Concert for Peace’ The Castro dictatorship in Cuba held an anti-Israel concert “for peace in Palestine” in support of the genocidal Hamas terror group on Friday, less than two months after Hamas jihadists slaughtered 250 people at a peace music festival in Israel.
UPDATE: FCC Approves Plan To Give Government Control Of Internet The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday approved the Biden administration’s plan to give the federal government full control of the internet under the guise of preventing “digital discrimination.”
NTSB Proposes Dystopian Technology To Limit Your Driving Speed …In a press release last week, the federal agency outlined how ISA “uses a car’s GPS location compared with a database of posted speed limits and its onboard cameras to help ensure safe and legal speeds.”
Media Blackout: Alarming Salafist Mega-Project Aims to Establish Mosques in Every Swedish City The ‘Vi Mår Bra’ initiative is not just about building mosques; it symbolizes a sweeping Salafist-led movement seeking to establish an Islamic theocracy, vehemently challenging the bedrock of liberal democratic principles. As mosques multiply, the imminent threat of democracy-hostile forces seizing prominence becomes increasingly tangible.
Biden Govt Gifts Another $10 BILLION… to Iran. The Biden government will allow the terrorist-supporting Iranian government to access at least $10 billion more from hitherto frozen funds held in Iraq.
Dr. William Deagle: Chemtrails contain mycobacteria, viruses, Pseudomonas bacteria and human plasma During a speech in 2006, Dr. William Deagle spoke about chemtrails. He said that chemtrails contained barium salts, mycobacteria, viruses, Pseudomonas bacteria and human plasma. Dr. Deagle said he was the doctor of the pilots from the United States Department of Defence’s National Security Agency (“NSA”) and Fort Carson who were flying the aircraft that were spraying chemtrails. Also, in the chemtrails are Morgellons, he said. He explained that Morgellons are silicon-based nanomachine life forms that do not originate on planet Earth.
Covid injections are discontinued in Iceland In early October, a conference titled ‘Let the Science Speak ‘ was held in Reykjavik, Iceland. Speakers at the conference talked about covid injection harms and the World Health Organisation’s power grab. Sasha Latypova was one of the six speakers at the event. Six weeks later, the organisers of the conference informed Latypova that the Icelandic government announced that from next week covid injections would no longer be available in Iceland.
Genetically Altered Food – Beware! Science has, during the last few decades, presented us with a steadily increasing and apparently endless variety of moral dilemmas and practical threats. The subject of genetic engineering is a perfect example of how politicians have betrayed us all and are, through their refusal to take on big industry, threatening our very future.
Another Crisis “Much Worse than Covid”, Paralysis of Power Supply, Communications, Transportation. The WEF “Cyber Attack” Scenario The World Economic Forum (WEF) which represents the Western financial elites, played a key role in the launching of the March 11, 2020 corona lockdown, which was conducive to a Worldwide process of economic and social chaos. It also played a key role in the launching of the Covid-19 vaccine in November 2020, which (amply documented) has been conducive (Worldwide) to an upward trend in mortality and morbidity. And now they are “promising” us a Crisis which is “Much Worse than Covid”, says Professor Michel Chossudovsky
EU’s Digital Identity Wallet Is An Electronic Leash With Which Brussels Wants To Control Its Citizens The agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on the EU Digital Identity Wallet is open to abuse and gives Brussels the ability to deny people rights and control them. According to the new European legislation, the wallets, which are to be voluntary for the time being, will include digital versions of all ID cards, driving licenses, degree certificates, and medical documentation.
US Navy Spy Plane Overshoots Runway Into Waters Off Hawaii A US Navy reconnaissance jet overshot a runway and ended up in the waters off the Hawaiian island of Oahu on Monday. Local media outlet Hawaii News Now reported that the aircraft involved in the incident was a Boeing P-8 Poseidon, which was conducting a “routine training” exercise at the time.
“The Army (considering the irritable state it is in, its suffering and composition) is a dangerous instrument to play with.” —George Washington (1783)
EDITOR’S NOTE
In observance of Thanksgiving, we take a brief leave for the rest of the week to be with our families.
As always, we will be updating our Right Opinion page every day. Our regular editions will return on Monday, November 27.
Nate Jackson Managing Editor, The Patriot Post
Fellow Patriots, on this day in 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald. His death has been the subject of controversy ever since. But it’s worth remembering one of his most famous statements — something today’s Democrats would do well to remember: “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” —Mark Alexander
In a letter to discharged Soldiers, the Army is obviously trying to shore up its huge recruiting shortfall.
Nate Jackson
Of all the indignities and outright tyranny forced on the American people during the coronavirus pandemic — lockdowns, school closures, masking, leaving people to die without loved ones permitted to be by their side — mandating that young, healthy military personnel choose between COVID vaccination or discharge was very high on the list.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin officially rescinded the military-wide vaccine mandate on January 10, 2023 — too little too late after roughly a year and a half of requiring it, and then only after congressional Republicans forced his hand.
Notably, the U.S. Army recently sent a letter to roughly 1,900 discharged unvaxxed Soldiers all but begging them to come back. The Air Force sent a similar letter.
The Army letter outlined “new Army guidance regarding the correction of military records for former members of the Army following the rescission of the COVID-19 vaccination requirement.” It notified recipients, “As a result of the rescission of all current COVID-19 vaccination requirements, former Soldiers who were involuntarily separated for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination may request a correction of their military records from either or both the Army Discharge Review Board (ADRB) or the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR).”
In other words, Oops, sorry we ruined your military career. Please come back, baby, it’ll be different this time, we swear.
Joe Biden’s military is certainly suffering a recruitment and readiness crisis. The Army is at its smallest since 1940, and missed its recruitment goal for the last two years. “In the fiscal year that just ended,” reports The Washington Times, “the Army brought in about 55,000 recruits — 10,000 short of its goal of 65,000.” The Navy and Air Force face similar troubles.
Part of that shortfall is because fewer Americans are physically healthy enough to serve (a double irony given the vax mandate on those who did clear that bar). The Pentagon blames other factors, too, like Biden’s supposedly fantastic economy providing other opportunities. Blame goes everywhere but the Biden administration’s woke DEI initiatives and “white supremacist” witch hunts that are turning off the most obvious military recruits.
On the one hand, the administration claims to be inoculating the troops against a virus. On the other hand, Team Biden is hell-bent on pushing its social contagion.
During a recruitment crisis, it’s probably not a great idea to tell healthy young people they can’t enter service or continue to serve without the jab.
As for removals, a couple of former Soldiers who publicized the letter over the weekend claimed, “Around 8,000 soldiers were kicked out for not getting the vaccine, which is a lot even if you don’t take the context of the recruiting crisis into account.” The difference between 8,000 and the 1,900 letter recipients is likely the meaning of “kicked out” — many more Soldiers voluntarily resigned rather than wait to be, as the letter put it, “involuntarily separated.”
“Thousands of troops unsuccessfully sought religious exemptions from the inoculation,” reports Fox News, “including 8,945 soldiers, 10,800 airmen and guardians, 4,172 sailors, and 3,717 Marines.” The religious claims were arguably dubious — unless it meant opting out of the Covidian cult — but it was the only resort many thought they had.
Finally, inquiring minds might want to know if any Soldiers took up the Army’s offer. Prior to the letter, just 43 former personnel had requested rejoining any branch. Something tells us begging won’t help the Pentagon regain any honor.
As our team prepares to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, we are grateful to you — our readers and supporters — who stand with us to preserve the freedoms our Founders fought so hard to win.
To our readers who have financially supported us, and to those who have written kind notes explaining their inability to do so — thank you. Your commitment to Liberty is not measured by a financial contribution.
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Israel’s hostage deal: To the great relief of many Israeli families, a hostage-for-prisoner swap and a temporary cease-fire between Hamas cutthroats and the Israel Defense Forces is going forward. The cease-fire reportedly will begin tomorrow morning and will last four days. As Fox News reports: “Qatar’s government said in a statement last night that both sides ‘have agreed to this deal after weeks of intense negotiations’ and that it ‘led the mediation efforts in coordination with the United States and regional partners, for whom we express our gratitude.’” Egypt apparently also played a key role in the negotiations. But whereas Fox News reported yesterday that the 3:1 ratio would be hostages-to-prisoners, in fact it’ll be the reverse: For every hostage released by Hamas, Israel will release three Palestinian prisoners. Nearly 240 people are still being held by Hamas, and they include somewhere around 10 Americans. The volume of the initial transfer will be excruciatingly small: only 10 or so hostages will be released, and that tiny group is expected to be women and children. As for all the rest, more torment lies ahead, but with a glimmer of hope.
The IRS postpones a middle class tax hike: Perhaps they didn’t want to rain on our Thanksgiving Day parade. Or perhaps the folks at Joe Biden’s Internal Revenue Service took a look at their boss’s abysmal polling numbers and figured they ought not add fuel to his presidential bonfire. In any case, as The Wall Street Journal reports, the most hated agency on the planet has pushed back the implementation of “a $600 reporting threshold for payments received via online platforms such as Venmo, eBay and Airbnb.” Recall that this new IRS revenue stream was crammed into Biden’s ill-conceived and misleadingly named American Rescue Plan. Recall, too, that the new $600 threshold for annual Form 1099-K reporting of transactions had originally been $20,000. What a mess. As the Journal rightly notes: “The $600 threshold would ensnare millions of Americans who occasionally use online platforms to sell household items or repay friends for a dinner. Cash wedding gifts received through peer-to-peer platforms might get reported too.” Apparently, Democrats think the real reason we’re nearly $34 trillion in debt is because folks who moonlight as Lyft drivers or who Vrbo their cabin via during the summer months are dodging their taxes. Oddly enough, Hunter Biden could not be reached for comment.
Maybe we’re NOT doomed: In a bit of good news, CNBC has announced that it will be shuttering its climate desk. That’s right — no more full-time entity at the cable news outlet endlessly churning out climate change doom and gloom prognostications that strangely never seem to materialize. According to the media outlet, the reason for the decision is cost-cutting, which is a strange thing to say in light of the pending end of the world. Of course, the reality is the climate cult has little to with the climate and more to do with attacking capitalism in favor of socialism. It turns out that alarmist agenda-pushing isn’t paying the bills.
Rich emitters: Speaking of the climate cult and capitalism, those at the top 1% of wealth also happen to be the biggest emitters of carbon emissions. According to a report from the left-leaning Oxfam, “The richest 1 percent of the world’s population produced as much carbon pollution in 2019 [as] the five billion people who made up the poorest two-thirds of humanity.” That should surprise no one since the most economically advanced nations have become so by developing efficient energy production made possible only by fossil fuels. Indeed, without fossil fuels, very few would be wealthy, and the vast majority of the world’s population would be relegated to live in dire poverty. While there are some wealthy elite hypocrites like John Kerry and Al Gore who deserve castigation for their outsized carbon footprint as they jet around the globe decrying the very fossil fuels that made their wealth possible, if it wasn’t for wealthy entrepreneurs, we would all be in a much worse shape.
Feds targets faith-based trucking company: One of America’s largest trucking companies, Covenant Transport, has been hit with a $700,000 fine. Why is the Biden administration going after the faith-based company headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee? Well, according to the federal government, it’s due to Covenant Transport having supposedly engaged in “unfair hiring practices.” Evidently, the trucking company attentively follows the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which requires employers to preferentially hire American citizens over noncitizens. Furthermore, under a 1986 addition to the INA, employers are required to retain Employment Eligibility Verification for every employee on their payroll. Covenant Transport required all non-U.S. citizen employees to regularly provide updated Permanent Resident Cards or other official U.S. government documentations of immigration status in order to maintain their employment. The Biden administration is calling foul, calling it unfair discrimination when it’s really due diligence to the Rule of Law.
Sexually deviant Thanksgiving parade: The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will proceed as, er, normal through downtown Manhattan, but this year will feature the promotion of the LGBTQ agenda. Despite the objections of thousands, and a petition that garnered nearly 40,000 signatures calling on the parade to remove “this liberal nonsense,” no changes to the agenda will be made. The petition raised by One Million Moms states: “The non-binary and transgender extravaganza on display this Thanksgiving will be brought to you by Macy’s during their annually sponsored Thanksgiving Day Parade. Unless they are forewarned about it, this year’s holiday parade will potentially expose tens of millions of viewers at home to the liberal LGBTQ agenda.” While this is not the first year a self-described “non-binary” performer will be featured, the increased celebration of this gender-bending deviancy is alarming. So, maybe folks shouldn’t tune in to watch Macy’s parade this year; it would certainly save them and their children from having to view sexual deviancy on Thanksgiving Day.
American Spirit — A Thanksgiving tale: It’s not unusual for folks to open up their Thanksgiving dinner table to others, especially those who have no place else to go for the holiday, but the story of two Arizona strangers — Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton — is especially heartwarming. As Fox News reports, their story began in 2016, when Dench sent a text message meant for her grandson that instead went to Hinton. Thus, instead of inviting her grandson to Thanksgiving dinner, she invited a total stranger. “[You’re] not my grandma,” Hinton replied with a laughing emoji. Then, after Dench texted him a photo to “prove” she was his grandma, he sent her back a selfie of his own. If ever there was a case of mistaken identity, this was it. And yet, as Fox continues, Dench “asked if he could stop by for dinner anyway.” Dench then welcomed Hinton with open arms, and the two have been celebrating Thanksgiving together ever since.
Headlines
House Republicans subpoena prosecutor in Hunter Biden investigation (National Review)
Three of the trans people eulogized by the Biden administration died attacking innocent strangers (The Federalist)
Woke museum claims notorious Roman emperor was transgender, will use female pronouns (Daily Wire)
“Settled science”: Mask study published by NIH suggests N95 masks may expose wearers to dangerous level of toxic compounds linked to seizures and cancer (Daily Mail)
Here we go again: Federal judge says Pennsylvania mail-in ballots should still count if dated incorrectly (NBC News)
Federal appeals court strikes Maryland handgun rule (The Hill)
Sam Altman to return as OpenAI CEO after his tumultuous ouster (Reuters)
Ford to scale back planned $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan (Washington Examiner)
Biden administration gave $3 billion loan to solar company accused of scamming elderly (Washington Free Beacon)
Humor: Millions of Americans excited to host ‘mostly peaceful’ protests on Thanksgiving (Genesius Times)
Joe Biden panders to the LGBTQ crowd with his recognition of the “Transgender Day of Remembrance.”
Thomas Gallatin
This past Monday, November 20, was the 24th annual “Transgender Day of Remembrance.” Of course, no one but members of that tiny “community” of gender-benders had ever heard of the day — that is, prior to Joe Biden taking office and his administration’s decision to elevate sexual deviance at every conceivable opportunity.
Recall the White House was lit up in rainbow lights last December as Biden signed the erroneously titled Respect for Marriage Act. If the “good Catholic” Biden truly had respect for marriage, he’d be calling for legislation to officially define marriage as a covenant relationship between one man and one woman, the way God established with the creation of humanity.
And remember his garish flag display this past June at an event complete with a dude flashing his prosthetic breasts for a picture in front of the White House.
Back to Monday, when Biden once again pandered to the gender-benders by officially recognizing “Transgender Day of Remembrance.” He did so by repeating a ridiculous assertion from the leftist Human Rights Campaign (HRC) that gender-benders are suffering from an “epidemic of violence.”
HRC claims that this past year, 33 gender-confused individuals have been killed, and the majority of them were “people of color.” (The White House said 26 were killed.) To check off another one of the woke Left’s hobby horse grievances, HRC noted that most of these 33 individual were killed with guns. Yet another anti-Second Amendment dig.
“The epidemic of violence against transgender and gender-nonconforming people is a national tragedy and a national embarrassment,” HRC President Kelly Robinson lamented. “Each of the lives taken is the result of a society that demeans and devalues anyone who dares challenge the gender binary.”
Biden echoed Robinson’s claims by stating, “While each one of these deaths is a tragedy, the true toll of those victimized is likely even higher, with the majority of those targeted being women of color.” (He means men pretending to be women, and it is true that black men kill other black men at a far higher rate than any other demographic.) He also took the occasion to blast Republican-led states that have passed legislation to protect children from sexualization in schools and medical gender mutilation. Calling such efforts “anti-trans,” he pontificated, “We must never be silent in the face of hate. As we mourn the loss of transgender Americans taken too soon this year, we must also recommit ourselves to never stop fighting until all Americans can live free from discrimination.”
Well, except conservatives discriminated against on social media, or the unvaxxed who lost jobs thanks to Biden’s discriminating mandate, or whites and Asians who miss out on the college of their choice because of discriminating DEI quotas. We could go on, but we digress.
HRC’s claim that there is an “epidemic of violence” against gender-bending individuals just doesn’t hold water. According to HRC, 335 “transgender” identifying individuals have been killed over the past decade. Even that number appears dubiously inflated as the FBI’s official tally of “transgender” identifying individuals killed as a result of a hate crime over that same time span is just 21. Either way, the “transgender” homicide rate is infinitesimally small compared to the overall murder rate — and especially, as we alluded to already, the rate of black men killing black men.
Any murder is of course a terrible hate crime and should never happen. That includes the six innocent people murdered by a “transgender” individual in Nashville. But that “transgender” tally hardly represents an epidemic level of violence.
Just as with Biden’s ridiculous claim that white supremacy is the “most dangerous terrorist threat” facing the nation, so this claim of an “epidemic of violence” against gender-benders rings hallow. Indeed, HRC’s report even admits that most of the victims were killed by people that knew them — a friend, family members, or a romantic partner.
At least three of them were killed during the commission of crimes. Certainly, each individual had a story to go along with their death that more enlightening that just a statistic about their gender-confusion.
And clearly, no law about books in libraries or boys on girls sports teams played any role whatsoever in a single one of these deaths. Joe “Unity” Biden should be ashamed of implying otherwise.
Nevertheless, when it comes to the Left’s special rights groups, such as the constantly celebrated LGBTQ crowd, narrative always matters more than facts. There’s a simple reason for that: politics.
As commentator Matt Walsh aptly put it, “Their sole purpose, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage, is to further false narratives that demonize anyone in this country who believes in biology, because people who believe in biology tend to vote the wrong way.”
Where investments are concerned, a funny thing is happening on the way to The Great Reset.
Douglas Andrews
Money talks, and ESG walks. Or at least that’s the unmistakable assessment of Wall Street these days, where the erstwhile belle of the ball, the globalist environmental-social-governmental movement, has been unceremoniously kicked to the curb.
“Wall Street’s ESG Craze Is Fading” trumpets the headline of — who else? — The Wall Street Journal, whose subhead says that its investors have yanked “more than $14 billion from sustainable funds this year.”
Ya hate to see it.
“Wall Street rushed to embrace sustainable investing just a few years ago,” writes the Journal’s Shane Shifflett. “Now it is quietly closing funds or scrubbing their names after disappointing returns that have investors cashing out billions. The about-face comes after tightened regulatory oversight, higher interest rates that have slammed clean-energy stocks and a backlash that has made environmental, social and corporate-governance investing a political target.”
Tony Turisch of Calamos Investments states the obvious: “This really is the result of too many managers looking to cash in on increased awareness and demand for ESG investments.”
We saw glimmerings of this glorious development on the horizon late last year, when Elon Musk called out the whole enterprise: “ESG is a scam,” he said back in May 2022. “It has been weaponized by phony social justice warriors.” As we wrote at the time:
ESG, the innocent-sounding acronym of Environmental, Social, and Governance, is an integral part of The Great Reset and represents nothing less than a new way of evaluating the business enterprise. Rather than assessing traditional factors such as revenue, profit, debt, the quality of goods and services, brand loyalty, and other metrics, ESG assesses companies according to their fealty to social justice and other “progressive” causes.
At its core, ESG is about wealth redistribution — a leveling of the economic playing field by moving away from the extraordinarily effective wealth-production model of shareholder capitalism toward a so-called “stakeholder capitalism” model, which turns decent countries into socialist dystopias. Briefly put, ESG is where wokeness meets Wall Street.
Perhaps “sustainable” isn’t as sustainable as Klaus Schwab and the rest of his “strategic partners” at the World Economic Forum had hoped. Perhaps a funny thing is happening on the way to The Great Reset.
One of big “tells” in all this is the behavior of the asset managers themselves. While they were claiming to be all-in on ESG, the dirty little secret was that they were quietly hedging their bets and buttressing their investments with billions in fossil-fuel stocks. Imagine that. Those ESG funds aren’t as “E” as they’re promoting themselves to be.
All this, of course, is great news for the 61% of Americans who own stock. After all, we don’t invest our money to lose it. We don’t plow money into our 401(k)s in order to shrink them.
What a difference a bad investment can make. The Street isn’t even bragging about its ESG bona fides anymore. As the Journal’s Shifflett writes, “Wall Street is quietly scrubbing terms like ‘sustainable,’ ‘global impact,’ and ‘carbon transformation’ from fund names or closing ESG investment products altogether as investors continue to cash out.” He further notes that at least six funds say they’ll “drop their ESG mandates this year,” while 32 others will close altogether. Again, ya hate to see it.
To be sure, $14 billion is a pittance, a mere drop in the big bucket of Wall Street “sustainable” funds, which, according to Morningstar, still has $299 billion in it. But $14 billion is not nothing. ESG is a proven and notable drag on investment, and this shift is an unmistakably encouraging reaction to it.
Indeed, it’s good news, and it’s just one more blessing for which we can be thankful.
Jefferson understood that Madison, only eight years his junior, possessed the skills that made him the ideal successor.
Linda Moss Mines
After eight years in the White House confronted with domestic and foreign policy challenges, Thomas Jefferson supported the candidacy of his protégé James Madison to step into the leadership role. Jefferson understood that Madison, only eight years his junior, possessed the skills — both intellectual and leadership acumen — that made him the ideal successor. Admittedly, Madison had paid his dues and had gained a reputation as a tireless scholar and devoted supporter of the republic.
Madison had grown up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, claiming books as his closest friends even though he had seven siblings. As a child, he demonstrated a gift for classical languages and, before entering the College of New Jersey (later known as Princeton), Madison had already mastered Greek and Latin. After only two years, he had completed his college studies but remained on campus to master Hebrew and delve into philosophical texts.
Upon his return to Virginia, he studied the law but found that the ideas were more inspirational than the actual practice of the law. (Any attorneys out there understand that feeling?) After gaining a seat on the local Committee of Public Safety, the young Madison found himself inspired by the ideas of independence and crafting debate points based on classical concepts of republicanism and liberty. By 1776, he had taken a seat as a delegate to the Virginia Convention and suddenly his future unfolded as he advocated for religious freedom and his philosophical passions became reality. In 1778, Madison was appointed to the Virginia Council of State, the local body that would direct the state’s involvement in the Revolutionary War. That position mandated that he work closely with Thomas Jefferson, then Virginia’s governor, and an alliance was formed that would endure until Jefferson’s death.
Following the revolution and the independence of the colonies, Madison continued writing and serving, but perhaps his greatest contribution would come in the form of the United States Constitution and his recordings of the process by which that document was sculptured. He had persevered in his quest to move the young nation from a confederation to a republic and, while he was one of many who advocated for its creation, his was the most passionate voice. As the ratification process moved through the states, it would again be Madison, joined by colleagues Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, who would use a series of persuasive essays to push toward adoption.
In 1789, Madison earned a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, and his path forward moved quickly as President George Washington’s chief supporter and the mastermind who would guarantee the passage of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. He would eventually break with Washington over the issue of the strong centralized government advocated by Hamilton, his own former constitutional ally. His distrust of the path chosen by the president led him to once again move closer to Jefferson and join in forming the opposition party, the Democratic-Republicans. In a surprise move, he also married the vivacious Dolley Payne Todd, a young widow, who would become his strongest advocate and political partner.
Confession moment: I often portray Dolley Madison during War of 1812 events and confess an admiration for her strength and her devotion to her much-adored Mr. Madison. Additionally, Madison has always been a favorite and, while I have always attempted an impartial evaluation of his impact on this nation, I do admit that a portrait of Madison always was displayed in my classrooms and now in my personal library.
James Madison was true in his belief that a republican form of government was most ideal for the rise of individuals and the strength of union and understood that the republic would only survive through the active, engaged, and informed citizenship of individuals. That belief motivated his opposition to John Adams’s Alien and Sedition Acts and his crafting of the Virginia Resolution, advocating a state’s right to nullify laws in opposition to the U.S. Constitution. (Yes, that issue would reappear again and again throughout our nation’s history.)
When Jefferson appointed him as secretary of state upon assuming the presidency, Madison would support the Louisiana Purchase, going to war with the Barbary pirates, and a strong diplomatic presence in interactions with England and France. In many ways, the partnership between Jefferson and Madison allowed Madison to mold foreign policy during a rapid period of expansion and international involvement — training that would help prepare the younger Virginian for his future role as president.
Next week, Madison is sworn in as the president. How well would he perform as our nation’s chief executive? Well, examine the record and you can have a vote on the final decision.
I’d love to hear from the history lovers out there in Patriot Post world. History is best when shared by friends and nerdy addicts of the past.
Leftists can ruin a holiday gathering, but there are ways to make sure that won’t happen this week.
One of the most-read stories we have ever written was Nate Jackson’s How to Talk to Your Liberal Relatives at Thanksgiving. Penned in the wake of the 2016 election, it clearly resonated. So we took note when political analyst Eddie Scarry offered his own advice on what can sometimes be a contentious holiday.
Major publications each year publish those insipid “how to handle your racist uncle during the holidays” articles. They’re absolutely useless because nobody in America has a racist uncle — and if they do, they aren’t actually worried about him. But here’s something most Americans almost certainly do have: a miserable left-wing relative or close family friend who shows up at least once each year to make everyone uncomfortable.
How should we handle them? Scarry has three pieces of advice for the folks who show up demanding submission to left-wing notions, “depending on the subject’s level of hostility”:
Invite them to relax, cheer up, and share in the joy of the season. Happiness, amusement, and contentment are not the natural disposition of leftists. They prefer anger, self-righteousness, and dismay. The most wonderful time of year quickly approaches, though it makes no difference. But it very well might be because they don’t feel explicitly included by their family and loved ones. After all, leftists are nothing if not self-absorbed, neurotic, and needy. They often require extra attention if it means getting them to cooperate. When one seems ready to initiate a confrontation, perhaps suggest he or she — they/them — spare everyone the more serious topics of conversation and instead breathe a little, have a drink, and talk instead of sports, games, and romance.
With caution, engage the conversation. This option only works if done under the assumption the interaction is sure to become acrimonious. It’s nothing for a liberal to call family members — to say nothing of perfect strangers — racist, bigoted, and uneducated. Those are insults sure to be thrown by the wet blanket of a Thanksgiving guest, and just the same, they’re meaningless substitutes for reasonable debate and logic.
When the conversation, such that it can be called one, reaches that point, it’s best to calmly address the dunce with something like, “I’m glad you got that off your chest,” before turning attention to more interesting, enjoyable guests. There is no matching the emotional agony, anguish, and gloom of a liberal ready for a fight. Their despair is to be dismissed, not disputed. Besides, why should your own delightful spirit be diminished by the perpetually unhappy? It shouldn’t.
Belittle, debase, and denigrate the cheerless sourpuss. This is generally a last resort to cope with the miserable liberals known to repeatedly spread their blight in such gatherings; the ones who can be counted on to radiate discontent and decay, infusing holidays with their unique poison. Their opinions and views are inherently stupid and self-defeating, and they typically fly in the face of all life experiences. To call such assertions ridiculous, embarrassing, and thoughtless is both humorous and factual. It might also be necessary.
Once again, the tortured leftist will likely respond with venom. That’s expected. Wounded animals have no choice but to bite. And once again, there is nothing to be gained in trying to match his spite. It can’t be matched, and the attempt moves the liberal’s victim into his preferred territory: desolation. Simply shift focus to another guest.
And there you have it. “I hope this helps,” Scarry concludes, “and happy Thanksgiving.”
Latest PodcastPopCon #23: Big Tech Pirates Your LifeMeta has released their new Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses equipped with a pair of cameras that can capture your life in first person, and live stream directly to Meta. Join Thomas, Sterling, and Andrew as they explore the implications of this latest gadget along with topics surrounding Big Tech, personal data, and the right to privacy.
Censored and Controlled: The Deep State’s War on Free Speech — “Censored and Controlled” is a documentary detailing the coordinated effort by the government and Big Tech to censor and suppress information on topics such as Hunter Biden’s laptop, COVID-19, and election debates.
KJP Gives Up on Stubborn Americans — White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s response to a question about Joe Biden’s poor polling numbers.
Humans Need Not Apply — Among the many promises of the AI Revolution is the idea of limitless wealth and limitless leisure. The evidence seems to indicate that this is a very, very bad idea.
‘They Don’t Look At Reality’ — Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) tears into Biden administration over Afghanistan withdrawal.
“There’s no alarm happening behind the scenes. I can only speak behind the scenes here. There’s no alarm happening behind the scenes, and I’m certainly not going to comment on everybody who has something to say.” —Karine Jean-Pierre on Democrat consternation over Joe Biden’s age
Unhinged
“He’s not a normal candidate, he is running to end American democracy as we know it. … He led an insurrection against the United States government. … If you wanna be fair then you will frame this as Joe Biden being the candidate that supports American democracy and Donald Trump [being] a candidate who supports a new form of government here that’s authoritarian. … He will do, he will get away with, he will imprison, he will execute whoever he’s allowed to imprison, execute, drive from the country. Just look at his past, it’s not really hard to read!” —Joe Scarborough
Political Futures
“[Joe] Biden may be old and unpopular, but that alone doesn’t guarantee GOP victories. We know this because Biden was old and unpopular during the midterm elections in 2022, when Republicans struggled to recapture the House and surrendered full control of the Senate majority to Democrats. Republicans relying on coasting to wins just based on Biden’s numbers are going to be disappointed, and it will be their fault if they do so with the same loser retreads at the helm who have overseen the last five years of election letdowns.” —Zachary Faria
Fiscal Futures
“Debt has been a major contributor to the decline and in some cases collapse of nations in the past. What makes our country think we can ignore basic economic rules and not suffer similar consequences?” —Cal Thomas
Re: The Left
“‘Intersectionality’ [is] why abortion protesters, gay activists, environmentalists, gun control activists and the entire Left have to support Hamas. But intersectionality is also bait and switch. While gay activists have to support Hamas, the Islamic terrorist group doesn’t have to stop throwing them off buildings.” —Daniel Greenfield
“If you believe the Hamas-loving Left is genuinely concerned about antisemitic content on X, you are an idiot.” —Seth Dillon
For the Record
“It’s time to stop saying ‘People of Color.’ It’s meaningless to classify people by skin color. It needlessly pits ‘whites’ against ‘nonwhites.’” —Vivek Ramaswamy
“Literally every human on Earth is a person of color. There has never been a colorless person. Not even sure what that would look like.” —Matt Walsh
America First
“As for the argument — offered by every America Only advocate — that America must first deal with its own problems before helping any other people on Earth, this simply means that America will never help any other people on Earth. There never was and never will be a time when America is free of domestic problems. … If conservatism succeeds in changing ‘America First’ into ‘America Only,’ you can say goodbye to American exceptionalism, and to freedom on this planet.” —Dennis Prager
Thanksgiving
“America is by no means Paradise, but on this side of eternity few — if any — nations can compare. We Americans inherited a rich and prosperous land founded on the notion of natural rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, paid for with the blood of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and sailors, and strengthened by the bonds of strong civic institutions that unite us despite our differences. We should be proud and grateful to call America home.” —Preston Brashers
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to criticism about the high prices of food as the holiday season approaches, the Biden administration assured American families that the cost of Thanksgiving dinner is actually down significantly this year in comparison to previous years as long as you don’t buy any food.
“The notion that Thanksgiving dinner is more expensive this year is a misrepresentation,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who is both black and gay. “The fact of the matter is that Americans have never been able to save more money on food for Thanksgiving than they can this year. In order to do so, all people need to do is participate in what we are referring to as the ‘Thanksgiving Fast.’ It’s a new American tradition where you don’t buy any food or eat anything on Thanksgiving. It’s an experience the whole family can enjoy together.”
The Biden administration has come under heavy fire as economic woes and inflation continue to plague the country, leaving families to bear a heavier financial burden when purchasing basic necessities, let alone splurging for holiday feasts. “Do you know how hard it is for me to feed four kids on normal days?” asked frustrated citizen Josiah Smith. “Before Biden, my kids were literally swimming in turkey for Thanksgiving. I mean that literally. It was gross. But still, we had plenty of turkey. Now, we’ll all be sharing a few beans like we’re performing Oliver Twist or something.”
At publishing time, The White House also suggested the option for all Americans to join the president by issuing pardons to all turkeys nationwide, saving significant money on Thanksgiving dinner.
Their culture is not your costume. DO NOT appropriate ghost, zombie, or vampire culture this Halloween.
On Wednesday’s “Newsline,” attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing sound off on President Joe Biden’s feud with David Axelrod over his age and corruption. Watch NEWSMAX, an independent news network with a conservative perspective, available in 100M+ U.S. homes.
🔥 MEGYN KELLY: "They're trying to kill X. They cannot stand that there's one platform not controlled by their people. It's very annoying to them that Elon Musk will not bend the knee to them."@megynkelly@elonmuskpic.twitter.com/bc5NIoxeMI
Stocks, houses, and commercial real estate look expensive to the Fed’s economists.
The central bank’s staffers said valuations are stretched and under “notable” pressure.
They issued a positive outlook for the US economy, but flagged risks to the financial system.
Stocks, houses, and commercial property look expensive — and there’s a significant risk their values could fall, the Federal Reserve’s economists said.
“The staff characterized asset valuation pressures as notable. In particular, the staff noted that valuations in equities, housing, and commercial real estate were high,” read the minutes from the Fed’s meeting three weeks ago, published on Tuesday.
Economists at the US central bank noted that both stock valuations and house prices have climbed to historic heights.
“The forward price-to-earnings ratio for S&P 500 companies rose to the top 25% of its historical distribution,” the minutes read. “House prices increased to the upper end of their historical range, relative to fundamentals, despite tight credit conditions in the mortgage market.”
The Fed staffers also warned that commercial-property values seemed excessive. “While CRE prices declined, valuations remained stretched, with capitalization rates remaining near historical lows,” the minutes read.
The in-house economists noted the office sector continued to suffer from the shift to remote working, and delinquency rates on commercial mortgage-backed securities rose as more people failed to repay their office and retail loans on time.
Severalmarketcommentators have warned that asset prices are in a bubble and destined to crash, especially as the Fed’s inflation fight has seen it raise interest rates from virtually zero to more than 5% since last spring.
Higher rates encourage saving over spending and raise borrowing costs, which can sap demand for companies’ offerings, and result in steeper interest payments on their debts. They also boost yields from risk-free assets like Treasuries, slashing the relative appeal of stocks, real estate, and other risky assets.
Moreover, the rate increases have lifted mortgage costs to their highest levels in more than two decades. That’s caused an affordability crisis and frozen the housing market, as priced-out buyers wait for better deals and prospective sellers hang on to the cheaper rates they’ve locked in.
As for the debt-laden commercial real estate sector, it’s faced a painful mix of declining property values, higher interest costs, and a credit crunch as lenders pull back in fear of a surge in defaults or a fresh wave of deposit withdrawals.
Those pressure points led the Fed’s staffers to flag “notable” vulnerabilities in the US financial system, including funding risks and the amount of leverage in the financial sector. They also cautioned of “moderate” vulnerabilities tied to business and household debt.
Still, they don’t anticipate a recession given the economy’s strong growth, low unemployment, slowing inflation, and resilient consumer spending in recent months.
Stocks, houses, and commercial property may be pricing in that positive economic picture – but when the Fed’s own economists say they look expensive and under pressure, investors will certainly pay attention.
Thanksgiving is meant to be devoted to thankfulness for family and the many other blessings in each of our lives. But, as most American families sit down to a Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, they will also be met with a specter looming over their financial life—namely, Bidenomics.
Rising consumer prices, falling real incomes, a slowing economy, and housing costs that are through the roof are all just some of the economic maladies visited on American families this year by way of the economic policies of the Biden administration.
Bidenomics is, tragically, nothing new. It is the doubling down of an age-old approach to economic policy, the idea that the government is better at using your money than you are. Through reckless federal deficits and money printing, the Biden administration has sown the seeds of economic malaise.
The American Farm Bureau Federation annually publishes the price of a “Classic Thanksgiving Dinner” that attempts to capture the experience of a typical American family.
The federation’s reported price, pre-Biden, for a Thanksgiving meal for 10 in 2020 was $46.90, but now, for 2023, it is $61.17—an increase of more than 30.4%.
This price increase puts an astonishing burden on American households. However, that is only one of many price jumps during the Bidenomics era. Across all categories of food at home, prices are up more than 20% from when President Joe Biden took office, while energy prices are up well over 35%.
This rampant level of inflation hasn’t, however, been a random or unforeseeable occurrence. It’s the direct and predictable result of massive upticks in federal spending. Whenever the government spends, it does so by forcefully taking funding out of the hands of hardworking Americans.
When a business or household borrows, it does so because the lender has faith that the borrower will be able to earn enough money to pay back the loan in the future. When a government borrows, however, that isn’t the case.
Governments are not capable of earning money through merit alone. Nationalizing industries or raising taxes are clearly coercive. Printing more money is another form of theft, forcefully pouring water into the wine of every American’s life savings.
Since these methods are coercive, government borrowing is as well. When a government borrows money, it agrees to use its unique power to pay back the loan with someone else’s money.
For decades, the Left has propagated the lie that government deficit spending was a magical free lunch because the government didn’t hike taxes to pay for massive spending increases. As inflation has shown, in the end, there is no free lunch, just the government eating your lunch at the money market buffet table.
As the federal debt has ballooned by 44% from $23.44 trillion to $33.75 trillion during the COVID-19 pandemic, so too has the inflation tax imposed on every American.
With Biden and so many other politicians committed to deficits at such an absurd level, there is only one further policy outcome: hyperinflation or sky-high interest rates that crowd out economic growth.
In early 2022, the Federal Reserve switched course, having let prices jump more than 12% in less than two years, and decided to start increasing interest rates by constricting the money supply. While this has slowed inflation, it by no means has stopped it—or the harm it has done to household finances.
Despite the Federal Reserve’s actions, prices are now up more than 20% since the pandemic started and mortgage rates have spiked from around 3% to 7.5%, pushing that pillar of the American dream, homeownership, even further out of reach for tens of millions of Americans.
This goes to show that if the federal government drives up its deficits and spending, there will be nowhere for families to hide. The following chart shows that as the Federal Reserve stopped printing money to cover federal deficits, it traded an inflation crisis for an interest-rate crisis.
That has dramatically pushed up the first year’s interest cost on a typical mortgage from around $8,500 when President Donald Trump left office to well over $24,000 now.
From Reagan through Trump, annual interest payments on a new mortgage, with 20% down on a median house, were stable.
Under Biden? Up from $8,500 to almost $24,300…over 285% of the level under Trump! Thanks Bidenomics… pic.twitter.com/CegrUuLOW6
We can do better than trading high inflation for high interest rates as the economy is slowly strangled to death. This all speaks to the immortal wisdom of President Ronald Reagan, who said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’”
As the nation comes together this Thanksgiving to be with loved ones and count their blessings, let us recommit to the principles that led us to such prosperity.
May lawmakers reduce the crushing size and scope of the government to allow Americans to keep the fruits of their labors and get back to building a brighter future for generations to come.
Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email letters@DailySignal.com, and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.
President Biden has remarked that Israel needs to observe the “laws of war”. What is this?
The rules of war President Biden was referring to are something known as “International Humanitarian Law” (IHL). The core of IHL is the Geneva Conventions, a set of rules for war negotiated after World War II. IHL attempts to achieve a balance between the necessity of defeating an opponent by winning the war on the one hand, and limiting needless suffering on the other. IHL is grounded in Western (i.e. Judaeo-Christian) understandings of the concept of a ‘just war’.
IHL rules rely on a fundamental distinction between civilians and combatants. They require that military action should always be directed against combatants, never against civilians; civilians should always refrain from fighting; and combatants should act in a way which minimises harm to civilians, for example, by not using civilians as human shields, and when attacking military targets, doing this in a way which minimises disproportionate civilian casualties.
IHL rules also stipulate that if a combatant is taken prisoner, he (or she) cannot be killed for being a combatant, but should be treated humanely, in a way which is consistent with rights determined by IHL.
Let’s consider an example. If Israel wishes to kill a Hamas military leader using an airstrike, it must first weigh up the likely impact on civilians, go about it in a way which minimises the impact, and refrain from proceeding if civilian casualties will be disproportionate to the military advantage gained.
If one side is trying to follow IHL rules while the other side rejects these same rules, the side which rejects the rules will have an advantage in battle. It is much easier to defeat your enemy if you don’t have to count the civilian cost. Consider the example of Mariupol. When the Russians were besieging Mariupol, trying to get rid of the last remaining Ukrainian marines, for a time they allowed no humanitarian corridor for civilians to escape. Why was this?
It was most likely because the more civilians that stayed, the quicker the Ukrainians’ food would be used up, and the quicker their fighters would be forced to surrender. Although IHL rules forbid starving out your enemy when civilians are impacted, the alternative for the Russians would have been that many more of their own soldiers’ lives would have been lost in their attacks on the Ukrainians’ fiercely defended positions. How much blood should following rules of war cost?
In reality, in all the wars in the world over the past century, laws of war have been honoured more in the breach than in the observance. For example, during World War II, both UK and US air forces carried out extensive incendiary bombing raids targeting urban areas of Germany and Japan. These attacks killed hundreds of thousands of civilians. The Allies did this because they believed it would help them win.
It is important to grasp that Hamas completely rejects the IHL framework. More than this, it knows how to exploit Israel’s commitment to follow such rules. But this does not mean Hamas is without rules: its commitment to Islam implies that it is bound to follow Islam’s rules of war, but these are completely different from IHL.
A key point of difference is that the principal distinction Islamic rules of war make is not between combatants and non-combatants, but between adult men on the one hand, and women and children on the other. In contrast to IHL rules, Islamic law allows any men – combatants or not – who are taken prisoner to be killed, and it considers enemy prisoners, whether men, women or children, to be slaves who can be bought and sold. (ISIS proudly did this with its prisoners in Iraq and Syria).
Islamic law also allows the rape of captive females by their owners, and enslaved children can be kept and be brought up as Muslims. (A source of soldiers for Islam in Islamic history has been enslaved boys, taken captive, then forcibly converted, and raised to be fighters.)
Furthermore, Islamic military strategy has always approved of taking hostages and using them as bargaining chips: threatening to kill them, offering to swap them for the other side’s captives, or exchanging them for ransom to fund the jihad. All of this is regulated by the sharia.
Consider this situation. Two men are involved in a firefight, a jihadi and an infidel who has been taught to follow IHL rules. The jihadi knows that if he is wounded or thinks he is losing, all he has to do is throw down his weapon and come out with his hands up. The infidel’s IHL rules of engagement mean he must take the jihadi prisoner without harming him further. But if the infidel surrenders, sharia rules of engagement will permit the jihadi to shoot him dead on the spot.
When one side is fighting by IHL rules, and the other side is fighting a genocidal war by sharia rules, the result is an asymmetrical struggle, with one side having many options which are not available to the other. One side can kill, enslave and rape, while the other side is constrained to treat captives humanely. One side can use terror attacks on civilians, while the other side should only deliberately target combatants.
Of course, Hamas is fully aware of the limitations imposed upon the IDF by its rules of engagement. Indeed, Hamas leaders regard fighting by IHL rules as a sign of weakness.
Add to this inequality the fact that the war with Hamas is not a struggle over land, but a struggle for survival against a genocidal foe. If Hamas laid down its weapons, it would usher in peace. If Israelis laid down their weapons, a great massacre of Jews would result.
How to interpret Hamas’ killings, rapes, taking people captive, and killing children? Are such actions permitted by Islam?
As discussed above, Islam’s rules of law allow men to be killed, and women and children to be enslaved. Using captive women as sex slaves is permitted. Although in principle, killing children or women is not allowed in the sharia, the prohibition on killing women and children is not absolute, and contextual exceptions have been made by Muslim jurists. Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1328 CE) wrote,
“Some (jurists) are of the opinion that all of them may be killed, on the mere grounds that they are unbelievers, but they make an exception for women and children since they constitute property for Muslims.”
Although it is true that Islamic law forbids killing women and children, in reality, this has happened many times in Muslim wars, and when it happens, perpetrators are not punished. Moreover, many rulings from contemporary Muslim scholars have allowed “martyrdom” attacks on Israelis in which men, women and children are targeted indiscriminately.
Islam can be very flexible. Al-Qaida also found a way to justify killing women in the 9-11 bombings, on the grounds of reciprocity, citing Sura 2:194, which tells Muslims to attack the enemy “as he has attacked you”. Al-Qaida argued that Americans could be killed indiscriminately because the US supports Israel, and Israel had killed Palestinian women and children with bombs. It is certain that Hamas will have supplied its fighters with similar arguments when it sent them into Israel on October 7.
In the current circumstances, what does ‘proportionate response’ mean?
For decades, Israel has pursued a policy of deterrence, which meant that after terrorist attacks on Israelis, there would be a violent reprisal to deter future attacks. This idea of deterrence is different from reprisals, in which one side exacts casualties from the other side, as tit-for-tat revenge.
It seems the current Israeli plan to invade Gaza is not meant to be a deterrence. The strategic purpose now is neither to discourage Hamas from killing Israelis, nor to achieve revenge, but to defeat Hamas and destroy it completely. The point of this attack is neither revenge nor deterrence, but victory.
In this light, the question to be asked about the battle for Gaza is not “Is this a proportionate deterrence?” but: “Is this the best and least costly path to victory?” or: “Is this war to achieve victory a proportionate response to Hamas’ credible threat of genocide?”
Pope Francis welcomed a group of transgender women at a recent Vatican lunch who were helped during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Let me start off by saying that if Christian preachers want to invite a group of transgenders to have lunch at the church, I think that’s a great idea if the plan is to show them God’s love and give them Paul’s gospel of repentance at the same time. That’s something I could see NTEB taking a part in one day as an evangelical outreach to lost people. But that’s is absolutely not what Pope Francis did the other day in Rome when he invited a group of transgender women to break bread with him.
“And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:20,21 (KJB)
We reported to you back in 2020 how that Pope Francis was a huge supporter of transgenders in Argentina, writing a letter of encouragement to Sister Monica who worked with them there. The pope wrote to her saying “Dear Monica, God who did not go to the seminary or study theology will reward you abundantly. I pray for you and your girls.” Pope Francis has no interest is seeing transgenders getting saved, in fact he doesn’t even know how that could be accomplished, but what he does have an interest in is confirming the members of the LGBTQ+ community in their sins as he welcomes them as ‘good Catholics’ into the Roman Church.
Transgender woman are men, lost men who desperately need someone to give them the gospel and show them how to be saved. Will you give it to them? Pope Francis will not.
Pope Francis hosts group of transgender women for lunch at The Vatican: ‘People often forget about us’
FROM YAHOO! NEWS: The head of the Catholic Church formed a bond with Torvaianica’s trans community during Italy’s strict Covid lockdown. Sex workers showed up at the church of Rev. Andrea Conocchia, when they lost all source of income. In a video shared by Associated Press, women travelled via coach to from the community to Rome to have lunch with him at The Vatican.
One of the attendees, named Mirta Rios, shared:
“I was not expecting this. I never would have expected this! I am very happy. Thanks to God and to him and all those who helped is un the pandemic when we were in bad shape. On top of that, he is Argentinian like me!”
Another guest, named Jessica Quintero, added: “It’s beautiful for us trans [women] because we are forgotten.
“It’s a great pleasure, and a moral boost for us because people often forget about us.”
Two of the trans women, Claudia Vittoria Salas and Laura Esquival, were amongst those who were given a seat at the Pope’s table. It comes as the latest display from Pope Francis of his support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Earlier this month, it was confirmed transgender people will be able to act as godparents, witnesses at religious weddings and receive baptisms.
In June, the Pope told ayoung transgender person, “God loves us all,” earlier this summer, while he spoke to a group of young people in an episode of The Vatican’s podcast series titled Popecast, He listened to several stories including from someone called Giona. They detailed being “torn by the dichotomy between [their Catholic] faith and transgender identity.”
Pope Francis replied: “The Lord always walks with us… Even if we are sinners, he draws near to help us. The Lord loves us as we are, this is God’s crazy love.”
Since being appointed as the head of the Catholic Church in 2013, Pope Francis has adopted a (comparatively) more inclusive stance towards LGBTQ people than his predecessors. In 2017 he went so far as to say that the Church should “apologise” to gay people. READ MORE
Transgender women go to lunch with Pope Francis
A community of trans women from a seaside town south of Rome has have forged a remarkable friendship with the pontiff.
US bases in Iraq and Syria have been attacked 64 times in the past month since October 18th.
The Institute for the Study of War reported – The Islamic Resistance in #Iraq—a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias—claimed a one-way drone attack targeting US forces at Ain al Assad airbase in Iraq on Nov. 20. The group has claimed 64 attacks on US forces in Iraq and #Syria since Oct. 18.
The Pentagon faced heavy criticism Tuesday from House Republicans after it requested $114 million for the Defense Department’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and accessibility initiatives for the next fiscal year.
Republicans said the request showed the department was more focused on progressive issues than being prepared for a possible war. The request comes amid a United States military recruiting shortage, a week after the department failed its annual audit for the sixth year in a row.
“Last week, the Pentagon failed its 6th consecutive audit,” the House Oversight Committee wrote in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “This week, they requested $114 million for DEI. The Biden Admin’s focus on progressivism over warfighting continues to exacerbate the military recruiting crisis and calls into question our level of military preparedness.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) also accused President Joe Biden of making the department ill-equipped for a future war.
Numerous stories have emerged reaffirming that the Pentagon’s top priorities are injecting leftist politics into the service and funding endless overseas conflicts.
Joe Biden shakes hands with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after delivering his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Official White House photo by Adam Schultz)
A new report from Just the News describes how congressional investigators have accessed video footage from undercover officers from Washington’s Metro department sent to the Capitol during the 2021 protest-turned-riot.
They were there to conduct electronic surveillance and the report explained the video includes events like when Capitol Police officers are hit by the tear gas they fired into the crowd, and plainclothes MPD officers urging rioters to climb scaffolding.
One officer explains to another, “Well, we go undercover as Antifa in the crowd.”
Now one of the more brash members of Congress, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wants ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi subpoenaed to answer questions.
Pelosi infamously set up a commission to investigate the riot that day, refusing to allow GOP nominees to participate. Instead, she chose two Republicans with known agendas opposing President Trump to work with her Democrats in a series of meetings that essentially chose bits and pieces of the evidence to try to cast Trump in a negative light.
That commission notoriously refused even to consider Pelosi’s own potential culpability, since she was integral to refusing Trump’s offer in advance of extra troops to protect the Capitol that day.
The report explains Greene thinks the MPD bodycam footage from that should all be released to the public.
“We all know that undercover police have an important job, and an important role in investigations,” she told the Just the News, No Noise television show Tuesday. “But my question is if the DC police and other law enforcement had been going undercover into Antifa, why haven’t they stopped Antifa for all these years?”
Just the News reported she is doubling down on her goal of creating a new “Select Committee” to investigate the Jan. 6 events, as Pelosi’s committee actually was working to “cover up” the failures that day.
“I think we were owed answers. And I want our new speaker, Mike Johnson, to set up a new special committee to investigate the original January 6 Committee. I want Nancy Pelosi subpoenaed, and I want answers from her as well as different federal agencies and D.C. police,” she said. “America deserves the truth.”
Just the News said it reviewed some of the undercover officers’ footage, and noted that one officer announced, “Well, we go undercover as Antifa in the crowd.”
“The footage showed the officer in plainclothes with a grey jacket. Spotted in the video and identifying him as a police officer is a badge hanging around his neck,” the report said.
The report explained, “Traditional body-worn cameras and portable surveillance cameras carried by uniformed and undercover officers alike have both provided footage that congressional investigators are using to evaluate the police response to Jan. 6. A third type of footage, closed circuit camera videos are being made publicly available by newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, with the first batch released just last week.”
The report said the evidence now confirms police “deployed a massive presence to the Jan. 6 scene, including officers in plainclothes who were part of ‘electronic surveillance teams.'”
Former D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee Jr. previously told the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight and its chairman Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., his department sent nearly 1,500 officers and personnel to the Jan. 6 scene.
He said the teams were to film ongoing criminal activity.
Former Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund told Just the News on Tuesday he was unaware that MPD had deployed undercover surveillance officers.
“During the course of our investigation into the security failures at the Capitol on Jan 6, 2021, we saw many accounts of U.S. Capitol Police officers going beyond the call of duty. I’m grateful to all law enforcement officers who answered Chief Sund’s call to assist in protecting the Capitol on January 6,” Loudermilk explained to Just the News. “However, we have also uncovered videos, such as this one recorded by plainclothes police officers embedded in the crowds that day, which we have verified as Metro Police.
“This is further evidence that there are important questions about who was in the crowd and why they were there without the knowledge of USCP. Not only do the American people deserve transparency and accountability, but law enforcement that acted inappropriately should be held accountable,” Loudermilk added. “That is why we must continue to aggressively investigate and continue to follow the evidence where it leads.”
The report noted that among other issues, there would be the question of officers not knowing that other officers were undercover in the crowd.
That was added to a list of already-known failures, such as that a Capitol door was left open and unguarded during the protest-turned-riot, allowing hundreds of people to go into the building.
When you think of terrorists in diplomatic, not military terms, you can’t win.
The reports of a deal with Hamas brokered by its state sponsors in Qatar are a disaster and a disgrace, but such a deal was tragically inevitable.
A deal with Islamic terrorists is always a mistake. One of the reasons it’s a mistake is because the real terms of any deal give the terrorists control over your decision-making process. That is their goal.
Israel has suffered 30-plus years of escalating terror because it made a deal with Arafat.
Oct. 7 happened because Israel made deals for quiet with Hamas.
When you think of terrorists in diplomatic, not military terms, you can’t win.
Modern nation-states prefer diplomacy to conflict. They use military force as leverage for reaching a diplomatic solution. Terrorists, guerrillas and such however use diplomacy as leverage for military victories.
The failure to grasp this simple point led to the disaster in Vietnam and various defeats against Marxist guerrillas in Latin America. Israel was relatively immune to this until, under pressure from the Bush/Clinton administrations, it began negotiating with the PLO. But rather than bringing peace, Islamic terrorists used diplomacy to expand their sphere of influence, build up their arsenal and attack Israel. When Israel tried to fight them in the international arena, it failed.
Terrorists can only be defeated “politically” when they have no international standing. When they have international support, they can only be defeated militarily. The more Israel tried to win the “war of ideas,” much like our efforts to win the “hearts and minds” of Muslims, the worse things got. Israel’s international status declined and the violence increased.
Exhausted by decades of fighting, Israel decided to ignore them. This was the position of Israeli conservative leaders like Sharon and Netanyahu. Walls were built. Jews were forcibly removed from Gaza. Negotiations dropped off. But while this was a diplomatic success as the world paid much less attention to the terrorists, it was not a military success.
Israel had not defeated the terrorists, it had tried to physically isolate them. And this wasn’t really possible. So the fiction that they could be isolated was propped up by ceasefires and deterrence. Oct. 7 should have ended that.
Any agreement with Hamas puts Israel right back on the diplomatic track at the expense of the military one.
When you negotiate with terrorists, you’re no longer trying to defeat them. And at that point you’re losing both diplomatically and militarily.
The only way to defeat the terrorists is to destroy them.
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