COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Sunday, December 10, 2017

"If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear." Believe that at your peril!

The FBI Is No Friend of Liberty and Justice

The FBI's handling of the Michael Flynn case is disturbing.

One of the unfortunate ironies of the manufactured "Russiagate" controversy is the perception of the FBI as a friend of liberty and justice. But the FBI has never been a friend of liberty and justice.

Rather, as James Bovard writes, it "has a long record of both deceit and incompetence. Five years ago, Americans learned that the FBI was teaching its agents that 'the FBI has the ability to bend or suspend the law to impinge on the freedom of others.' This has practically been the Bureau's motif since its creation in 1908…. The FBI has always used its 'good guy' image to keep a lid on its crimes." (Bovard has made a vocation of cataloging the FBI's many offenses against liberty and justice, for which we are forever in his debt.)

Things are certainly not different today. Take the case of Michael Flynn, the retired lieutenant general who spent less than a month as Donald Trump's national-security adviser. Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in connection with conversations he had with Russia's then-ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, between Trump's election and inauguration. One need not be an admirer of Flynn—and for many reasons I certainly am not—to be disturbed by how the FBI has handled this case.

One ought to be immediately suspicious whenever someone is charged with or pleads guilty to lying to the FBI without any underlying crime being charged. Former assistant U.S. attorney Andrew C. McCarthy points out:
When a prosecutor has a cooperator who was an accomplice in a major criminal scheme, the cooperator is made to plead guilty to the scheme. This is critical because it proves the existence of the scheme. In his guilty-plea allocution (the part of a plea proceeding in which the defendant admits what he did that makes him guilty), the accomplice explains the scheme and the actions taken by himself and his co-conspirators to carry it out. This goes a long way toward proving the case against all of the subjects of the investigation. 
That is not happening in Flynn's situation. Instead, like [former Trump foreign-policy "adviser" George] Papadopoulos, he is being permitted to plead guilty to a mere process crime.
When the FBI questioned Flynn about his conversations with Kislyak, it already had the transcripts of those conversations—the government eavesdrops on the representatives of foreign governments, among others, and Flynn had been identified, or "unmasked," as the ambassador's conversation partner. The FBI could have simply told Flynn the transcripts contained evidence of a crime (assuming for the sake of argument they did) and charged him with violating the Logan Act or whatever else the FBI had in mind.

But that's not what happened. Instead, the FBI asked Flynn about his conversations with Kislyak, apparently to test him. If he lied (which would mean he's pretty stupid since he once ran the Defense Intelligence Agency and must have known about the transcripts!) or had a bad memory, he could have been charged with lying to the FBI.

As investigative reporter Robert Parry explains:
What is arguably most disturbing about this case is that then-National Security Adviser Flynn was pushed into a perjury trap by Obama administration holdovers at the Justice Department who concocted an unorthodox legal rationale for subjecting Flynn to an FBI interrogation four days after he took office, testing Flynn's recollection of the conversations while the FBI agents had transcripts of the calls intercepted by the National Security Agency.
In other words, the Justice Department wasn't seeking information about what Flynn said to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak–the intelligence agencies already had that information. Instead, Flynn was being quizzed on his precise recollection of the conversations and nailed for lying when his recollections deviated from the transcripts.
For Americans who worry about how the pervasive surveillance powers of the U.S. government could be put to use criminalizing otherwise constitutionally protected speech and political associations, Flynn's prosecution represents a troubling precedent.
Why didn't the FBI charge Flynn with an underlying crime? It might be because his conversations with Kislyak were not criminal. McCarthy writes:
A breaking report from ABC News indicates that Flynn is prepared to testify that Trump directed him to make contact with the Russians—initially to lay the groundwork for mutual efforts against ISIS in Syria. That, however, is exactly the sort of thing the incoming national-security adviser is supposed to do in a transition phase between administrations. If it were part of the basis for a "collusion" case arising out of Russia's election meddling, then Flynn would not be pleading guilty to a process crime—he'd be pleading guilty to an espionage conspiracy.
David Stockman shows that the FBI and Special Counsel Robert Mueller themselves indicate the Flynn-Kislyak conversations contained no evidence of criminal behavior.

Flynn spoke to Kislyak to ask that Russia not escalate tensions after President Obama imposed sanctions last December for the alleged election meddling and to ask that Russia not vote to condemn Israel, via a UN Security Council resolution, for its illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land. In other words, not only were Flynn's discussions with Kislyak unexceptional—presidential transition-team foreign-policy officials have spoken with representatives of other governments in the past—but the content of those discussions should have raised no suspicions. Would non-escalation of the sanctions controversy or a UN veto have undermined Obama's foreign policy? I don't see how. (True, the Obama administration abstained on the resolution, but would Obama have objected had Russia vetoed it? By the way, Russia voted for it, and the resolution passed, as it should have.)

The Flynn plea certainly does nothing to indicate "collusion" with the Russians. For one thing, the conversations were after the election. And perhaps more important, Kislyak was not looking for favors from Flynn; on the contrary, Flynn was lobbying the Russians (successfully on the sanctions—Vladimir Putin did not retaliate—and unsuccessfully on the UN resolution.) Where's the evidence of Russian influence on the Trump team? There was foreign influence, but it was from Israel, a regular meddler in the American political process. All indications are that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Trump son-in-law and special envoy to everywhere Jared Kushner to lobby the world to defeat the UN resolution. Kushner, who has helped finance illegal Israeli settlements, then directed Flynn to call every Security Council member, not just Russia.
What about the Logan Act? The Act, enacted in 1799, around the time of the infamous Alien and Sedition Acts, prohibits private citizens from unauthorized "correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."

Right off the bat, the Act appears to violate freedom of speech. And as Parry writes, "That law … was never intended to apply to incoming officials in the transition period between elected presidential administrations."

Note also that only two indictments have been brought in 218 years: in 1803 and 1852. Both cases were dropped. Far more serious contacts with foreign governments have occurred.

In 1968 Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon (with help from Henry Kissinger who was working in the Johnson administration) had a representative persuade the president of South Vietnam to boycott the peace talks President Lyndon Johnson had been arranging with North Vietnam. That decision most likely prolonged the Vietnam war and resulted in combat deaths that would not have occurred. Unlike the Flynn case, Nixon's action undercut the sitting president's policy and, more important, the interests of the American people.
I hold no brief for Flynn, whose conduct while working for Gen. Stanley McChrystalin Afghanistan, his dubious efforts on behalf of Turkey's strongman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and his apparent financial conflicts of interest are enough to make anyone cringe. But that cannot justify what the FBI did in this plea case.
Government law-enforcement agencies should not be allowed to administer credibility tests to Americans or others. If they have evidence of real offenses against persons and property, bring charges. Otherwise, leave us all alone.
This piece was originally published by The Libertarian Institute.

60 comments:

  1. I would suggest that the FBI has evidence of crimes committed by Flynn and his son. So Flynn copped to the lying charge and cooperated in exchange for immunity on the other charges.

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    1. I would suggest it unlikely Flynn would cop a plea if there were no evidence of such.

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    2. .

      I would suggest your answers reflect the problem, speculating on what actually went down with no real idea what actually went down.

      Just as Ash and Bob are speculating, Sheldon Richman is speculating in the article above. His speculation may be informed speculation or it may simply be politically driven speculation. Either way it is still speculation.

      Richman complains about the process and blames the FBI; however, Mueller is not working for the FBI. He is working as prosecutor for the DOJ. And in that position he is doing what every special counsel before him has done. He has been given a big net and he has cast it wide. He is looking for any lead he can get, and yes, manipulates to look for further leads.

      You can't blame Mueller. You can't blame the FBI. You can blame the process, as I have done, but the process has been there since the beginning. The process is rigged against any potential defendant that is questioned by putting up numerous snares in order to catch him up. But in the end, it is the person being questioned who knowingly walks into those snares. As far as I know, all of those questioned have had lawyers to advise them. Mantafort and Gates have denied all charges. Flynn and Papandreao haven't. I haven't seen any assert that Flynn didn't lie to the FBI.

      That is the criminality question. Richman also raises a process question which borders on a charge of entrapment though he doesn't overtly state it in those terms.

      I am sympathetic to this argument and remain critical of the extraordinary ways in which the rights of every American have been compromised by the government in its power grab after 9/11. For many Americans, they can be placed in the same predicament Flynn finds him in based on trigger words and algorithms dreamed up in the NSA.

      It sounds like Richman is making a libertarian type argument and I have to agree with him to a certain extent; however, he is complaining about, in his words, a 'process crime' and yet blaming it on specific people, the FBI. Others are doing the same thing. Yet, what they should be doing is putting the blame where it belongs on the 'process', one that effects all Americans daily.

      One thing we can count on, while there remains the possibility that the process may be subverted under Trump, there is little chance it will get any better. One clue, it the recent discussion about promotions for the current CIA Director, Mike Pompeo, a man who believes the government's attack on individual rights should be expanded not contained.

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  2. Obama’s Meddling in Foreign Elections: Six Examples

    Kenya

    Investigative reporter Jerome Corsi of WorldNetDaily broke this story when he visited Kenya and was able to confirm that Obama, as a U.S. Senator, illegally used a taxpayer-financed trip to campaign for far-left presidential candidate Raila Odinga in Kenya’s 2006 elections.

    Odinga, according to the BBC, was distantly related to Obama and both families belonged to the Luo tribe. Indeed, both of their fathers served in the administration of Jomo Kenyatta in the 1960s. According to a document obtained by Corsi, Odinga promised Kenya’s growing Islamic movement that if elected, he would “rewrite the constitution of Kenya to recognize Sharia as the only true law sanctioned by the Holy Quran for Muslim declared religions.” The secret agreement also called for the creation of Muslim “madrassa classes,” a crackdown on Christian evangelical events and gospel programs, and legal protections for Muslims suspected of terrorism, even international terrorism.

    Obama’s cheerleading for anti-American Odinga (who named his son after Fidel Castro) “was more than reckless,” wrote former U.S. attorney Andrew McCarthy, “it was borderline criminal (and that’s being generous).” McCarthy also said Obama’s intervention was an “outrageous contravention of U.S. policy and, [referring to the Logan Act] probably, federal law.”

    {...}

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      Israel

      During Israel’s 2015 elections, the Obama administration — led by Secretary of State John Kerry — illegally intervened when they attempted to defeat the reelection of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by covertly funneling State Department grants to opposition groups. The Obama administration detested Netanyahu due to his refusal to cave into Palestinian demands, a group that even refused to recognize the existence of Israel.

      Obama’s State Department gave $350,000 to a group called the “One Voice Movement (OVM),” for supporting “peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine.” However, the State Department then used leftover funds to organize an effort against Netanyahu’s reelection. OVM contracted out a group called “V15,” which in turned hired five campaign experts from the U.S., including Obama’s field director from his last presidential campaign. As the Weekly Standard’s Jim Swift wrote, “once the infrastructure was built, it was used in an attempt to topple the government of one of America’s closest allies.”

      An investigation by the U.S. Senate found that the “State Department failed to adequately guard against the risk that resources built with government grants would be deployed for political purposes.” As with most investigations of Obama scandals, emails documenting this illegal election activity were destroyed. And, as usual, no one was held accountable.

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      Macedonia

      The government watchdog group, Judicial Watch, obtained government documents that “show the U.S. government has quietly spent millions of taxpayer dollars to destabilize the democratically elected, center-right government in Macedonia by colluding with leftwing, billionaire philanthropist George Soros.” Indeed, Obama’s ambassador to Macedonia, Jeff Baily, worked to funnel millions of dollars from the State Department and USAID to groups created by Soros which were, according to JW, working to overthrow the conservative government.

      More details about this intervention were exposed by Victor Gaetan in a series of exposés in The American Spectator. Gaetan has confirmed that Soros, in conjuction with the Obama administration, “financed a left-wing agenda to divide the nation and bring a socialist-Muslim coalition to power.” Incredibly, Obama’s USAID “selected Soros’ Foundation Open Society Macedonia (FOSM) to manage $2.5 million in taxpayers’ dollars earmarked for oxymoronic ‘democracy building,’ an amount increased to $4.8 million two years later.”

      This funding was directed to a coalition of socialist groups that work in conjunction with the Social Democrat Union of Macedonia (SDSM), a socialist party with close ties to Soros. The intervention is, incredibly, still ongoing with the result being chaos and disruptive street demonstrations. Gaetan’s investigative work also indicates that Obama’s agencies intervened politically with a number of other Balkan counties, including Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania and Greece. It appears the Trump administration knows little about such interventions since many leftist Obama-appointed ambassadors continue to hold on to their positions. And USAID funds continue to pour into leftist political groups in the Balkans as if Trump never came to power. Indeed, as one Macedonia Member of Parliament quoted by Gaetan said, “Under Obama’s ideological programs, it [USAID] became the super crack of the left.”

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      Libya

      In 2011, Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, not only interfered politically in Libya but militarily as well, by orchestrating a series of policies designed to remove Muammar Gaddafi from power. While it would be a stretch to call Gaddafi a U.S. ally, he was cooperating with the U.S.A. in fighting Islamic extremists and had turned over all his WMDs to American officials. Western investment was flowing into Libya, the country was becoming more westernized and, most certainly, it was no longer a threat to the USA.

      As NR wrote, “all that vanished when Hillary Clinton, Samantha Power, and Susan Rice ordered the bombings that turned Libya into a terrorist paradise.” One explanation for the abrupt attack on Libya was that Gaddafi was a rival to the Saudis over the leadership of the Islamic faith and since the Saudis had contributed at least $10 million to the Clinton Foundation, Secretary Clinton had, as usual, a money motive to intervene in Libya.

      The opposition to Gaddafi’s regime was led by the Libyan Transitional National Council, whose leaders include many radical Muslims such as Abdel Hakim Belhaj. Belhaj also headed an al-Qaeda affiliate called the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), which was designated a terrorist organization by the State Department.

      Nevertheless, Obama spent at least $1 billion to fund a military operation to topple Gaddafi, with American soldiers actually fighting alongside jihadist-dominated rebel groups. Moreover, the Washington Times reported that the “CIA was providing covert assistance to elements of the Transitional National Council,” again, a group dominated by radical jihadists. Under Obama, Libya was transformed from a moderate Islamic regime which posed no threat to the USA, to a violent wasteland dominated by various ISIS and al-Qaeda linked militias.

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      Honduras

      Shortly after Obama was elected, leftist Honduran president Manual Zelaya attempted to illegally amend the Honduran Constitution so as to allow himself to serve as President longer than one term. Incredibly, Zelaya and a mob broke into a military installation where blank ballots were stored and tried to hold a constitutional referendum without the support of the election authorities. As a result, on orders from the Honduran Supreme Court, he was forcefully removed from office as Honduran law calls for.

      Obama attacked Zelaya’s removal, falsely calling it a “coup d’état” and a WikiLeaks cable revealed that Obama backed Zelaya’s reinstatement in order to please Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, who, like Fidel Castro, was an ally of Zelaya. Instead of supporting the right of Hondurans to remove their president for unconstitutional actions, Obama tried to pressure Honduras into reinstating Zelaya by freezing all non-humanitarian aid. That didn’t happen and Zelaya went into exile.

      Eventually, new elections were held and a new president elected, but there’s little doubt that the Obama administration meddled in the Honduran political process in an effort to support the hard left in that country. Indeed, when Obama announced that he supported the return of Zelaya from exile, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen announced “Now that everything is in place for Zelaya’s return, there are no more false reasons for the Obama administration to continue its pressure tactics against those in Honduras who opposed Zelaya’s attacks on their country’s constitution and the rule of law.”

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      Egypt

      Like Libya, the Obama administration encouraged opposition to President Hosni Mubarak and intervened in elections to ensure that a radical Muslim Brotherhood leader, Mohammed Morsi, was elected president. Obama’s State Department even gave political training to MB leaders. Again, similar to Gadhafi, Mubarak was relatively secular and Egypt was becoming increasingly westernized. He was an ally of the U.S.A. and an opponent of radical jihadists.

      And the Obama administration was open about its efforts. The Los Angeles Times reported that the “Obama administration said for the first time that it supports a role for groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, a banned islamist organization…” The MB’s mission statement states, “Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.” Sounds like a group Obama would support. Indeed, one of the Egyptian MB leaders, Gehad el-Haddad, was actually on the Clinton Foundation payroll while working to help bring the MB to power. Once Morsi appeared to win what was likely a rigged election, Obama poured in $1.5 billion in foreign aid.

      The Egyptian people were so upset with Obama’s intervention, they forcefully removed Morsi and installed a pro-American moderate Muslim named Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as president. Morsi was then arrested by the Egyptian military for treason. But even after that, as reported by Western Journalism, Obama’s “State Department hosts Muslim Brotherhood-aligned leaders” in order to “work against this world-be reformer’s government.”

      So there you have it. Surprisingly, a group of Senators led by Mike Lee (R-Utah) has sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, demanding that he conduct a full scale investigation into the use of taxpayer funds to support leftist political movements around the world. As reported in the Washington Free Beacon, Senator Lee said the letter was written because “over the past few months, elected officials and political leaders of foreign nations have been coming to me with disappointing news and reports of U.S. activity in their respective countries” which included “diplomats playing political favorites, USAID funds supporting extreme and sometimes violent political activity, and the U.S. Government working to marginalize the moderates and conservatives in leadership roles.”

      On the House side, a group of Congressmen led by Republican Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), visited the Balkans last month to investigate such blatant political manipulation but have yet to report on their findings.

      Tillerson needs to clean house and expedite the appointment of new Ambassadors before Obama holdovers do any further damage. At the very least, he should cut off all funds to foreign political groups and seriously consider prosecuting State Department/USAID employees found to be involved with illegal political activity.

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    7. The US trade deficit in goods and services is about $500 billion.

      The US trade in hypocrisy is in hyper surplus.

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  3. We could add to the list the toppling of Mohammad Mosaddegh in Iran, Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala, Patrice Lumumba in Congo, João Goulart in Brazil and Salvador Allende in Chile.

    Trump in not immune and told the Venezuelan government that:

    "they were incompetent for many years, and that will soon change".

    "The United States will not stand by as Venezuela crumbles. If the Maduro regime imposes its Constituent Assembly on July 30, the United States will take strong and swift economic actions".


    Is that meddling and interference? Sure sounds like it to me.

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  4. I heard on Fox, that three were arrested for firebombing a Synagogue in Malmo, Sweden.

    On a hunch, I looked for more details:

    Hundreds of Muslims have gathered in multicultural Malmo, Sweden, chanting anti-Semitic slogans and warning “the Jews should remember that the army of Muhammad will return” following U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
    “We have announced the intifada from Malmö. We want our freedom back, and we will shoot the Jews,” vowed demonstrators at the roughly 200-strong rally, Sveriges Radio reports.

    The publicly-funded broadcaster published audio of the event, but a video with crowd-sourced subtitles is doing the rounds on social media.

    P4 Malmöhus tried to ascertain who was the behind the rally, but could not pin down any organisers, with several attendees telling reporters they had gathered spontaneously.

    The incident follows the firebombing of a synagogue in Gothenburg, another Swedish city, and a man with a Palestinian flag smashing the windows of a kosher restaurant with a club in the Netherlands.

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  5. Is there anything more inexplicable than a liberal progressive Jew?

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    1. Maybe but I can't think of something immediately.

      Delete
  6. Quirk, when are you opening your QitCoin Exchange ?

    I hear the speculative value is already soaring.

    I think it's about time BitCoin got some competition !

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  7. Tribalism is to gold as multiculturalism is to Bitcoin.

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    1. That sounds about right.

      QitCoin however is Universe-al !

      Delete
  8. Mueller And His Politically Biased Team Of Prosecutors Need To Go

    As I will document below, Mueller deliberately assembled a team of partisans with a history of political bias who appear determined to undo the results of the 2016 presidential election and drive President Trump from office.

    Because Mueller improperly stacked the deck of his special counsel staff with biased crusaders, he transformed what was supposed to be an impartial investigation into an illegitimate and seemingly corrupt one.

    To restore integrity, Attorney General Jeff Sessions should un-recuse himself from the case for the limited purpose of cleaning up Mueller’s mess. There is no law that prevents the attorney general from doing this....


    https://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2017/12/mueller-politically-biased-team-prosecutors-need-go/

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    1. But Peter Strzok is not the Lone Ranger.

      Eight of the lawyers on the special counsel staff are Democratic donors. Five of them gave money to the campaign of Hillary Clinton. Some have connections to Clinton’s associates and the Clinton Foundation. This cannot be a mere coincidence –it must have been by design.

      It is no surprise that Mueller would be capable of unscrupulous maneuvers. After all, he maneuvered himself into the job of special counsel despite two disqualifying conflicts of interest, which he ignored with impunity.

      Mueller’s Own Bias

      First, Mueller had the audacity to accept his current position one day after being interviewed by President Trump for the job of replacing fired FBI Director James Comey. During the interview, Mueller never told Trump that he was considering investigating the very man who was sitting across from him posing questions. This was deceptive and dishonest....


      If I were President Trump I'd be royally pissed at Sessions too.

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    2. Mueller is one dirty s.o.b. -

      How could Mueller take command of a special counsel probe that involves, in part, the president’s firing of Comey when Mueller was directly involved in the aftermath of that firing?

      This conflict was so obvious and acute that Mueller should have refused to accept the appointment as special counsel the next day when it was offered to him by Acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Unless Mueller had an ulterior motive.

      Delete
    3. As former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell writes in a recent column, one can surmise that Mueller, Comey and Rosenstein (who previously worked for Mueller) “hatched this plan for Mueller to be special counsel – if not prior to Comey’s termination, then immediately after it”.

      Once Mueller seized the reins of power, he summoned the equivalent of a “hit squad,” as Powell describes it.


      Read the whole thing....

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    4. .

      What crap.

      It appears the author has a serious case of the whines.

      A partisan hack singing the blues and crying boo hoo hoo.

      #sadsosad

      Those who would forward this stuff?

      #evensadder


      Sad


      .

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  9. “The IQ Gains Of The 20th Century Have Faltered”

    ....When a later cohort is compared to an earlier cohort, IQ trends vary dramatically by age. Piagetian trends indicate that a decimation of top scores may be accompanied by gains in cognitive ability below the median. They also reveal the existence of factors that have an atypical impact at high levels of cognitive competence. Scandinavian data from conventional tests confirm the decimation of top scorers but not factors of atypical impact. Piagetian tests may be more sensitive to detecting this phenomenon....

    https://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2017/12/iq-gains-20th-century-faltered/

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  10. STAR CHAMBER

    December 10, 2017
    Mueller, Deep State ignore lessons from 17th century England
    By Mark J. Fitzgibbons

    The Mueller “Russiagate” probe is being exposed as a corrupt, partisan fiasco, so much so that it is losing support from one of the deep state’s best cheerleaders, The Washington Post.

    Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s appointment of Clinton loyalists to his team violated every sense of independence, and now we are witnessing the unraveling of this foolish plot. Under the special counsel regulations, 28 CFR 600.7(c) and (d), the Mueller team should be disciplined for misconduct and breaches of ethical duties. The probe itself should be terminated for conflicts of interest.


    I recently likened the Mueller probe to the Star Chamber under English King Charles I of the 17th century.


    That made me reflect a bit more on how that period helped shape not only the founding of America, but the constitutional principles later articulated by the Framers.

    The deep state relies on what Professor Philip Hamburger notes is “prerogative” in his brilliant book, Is Administrative Law Unlawful? Professor Hamburger catalogs and analyzes how the Framers created a system that provides legal checks and balances on government and a separation of powers. These concepts that are vital to liberty are mostly absent in the administrative, aka, deep state.

    The Constitution created not merely a structure of government, but is ourfundamental and paramount law, or what Richard Viguerie and I call The Law That Governs Government, which is the title of an e-pamphlet written during the rise of the Tea Party movement.

    The principles of the Tea Party and constitutional conservative movement go back to Magna Carta, which is celebrated because it is law over -- and limiting -- government.



    But it is the 17th century English experience of the tyrannical reign of Charles I, followed by clearer articulation of these principles in the 18th century, which made America what it is.

    From the Puritan migration to America for religious liberty to the English Bill of Rights in 1689, we can see nearly all the core American principles that we might take for granted, and that progressives embedded within the deep state, Obama, and Hillary would want substantially marginalized and even forgotten.

    These principles of representative government, separation of powers, religious liberty, property rights, freedom of speech and publication, ownership of arms for our individual defense, faithful execution of laws, juries, prohibition of fines and asset forfeiture before convictions, and more are not the brilliant creations of the Framers. The Framers merely guaranteed them over government by written law.

    The abusive Charles I and the Star Chamber operating under his reign eventually succumbed because they became overzealous. Instead of just targeting the political and religious dissent of commoners under the guise of seditious libel against the Crown, they employed searches and seizures of political opponents and their papers. Even the great English jurist Sir Edward Coke, whose Institutes articulated principles of English law over and governing government, had his manuscripts seized.

    The Mueller team, Lois Lerner, James Comey, Susan Rice, Loretta Lynch, and others have used the power of prerogative in favor of the progressive deep state and against those who have challenged the embedded power that is quintessentially at odds with Anglo-American constitutional principles. They are what helped give rise to the constitutional conservative movement, the Tea Party, and Trump’s army of deplorables.

    http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2017/12/mueller_deep_state_ignore_lessons_from_17th_century_england.html#ixzz50ugpe6u5

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  11. Mr Trump has let US down, as was predicted.
    Such an Apprentice that he cannot even control the Executive branch of his own government.

    Of course the whiners don't blame the Apprentice, as his ratings crash.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Only when Jack and Gary J. the Dope Smoker are Prez and Vice Prez will all be well.

    So what if they don't know an Aleppo from dog food ?

    ;)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. The Donald hasn't been President for a year yet.

      He is not a magician.

      I'm happy with a tax cut for starters.

      Delete

    2. Robert "Limp Dick" Peters8 thinks he alone pays taxes
      How comical.
      One must wonder if the Federal taxes he pays exceeds the dollar amount of the welfare payments he receives

      Delete
    3. You've been drinking again, Castrato.

      Be pleasant or go away.

      Delete
  13. Ciao till Jack goes away.

    It ain't worth it.

    Cheers to all you others.

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  14. .

    :o)

    The abusive Charles I and the Star Chamber operating under his reign eventually succumbed because they became overzealous. Instead of just targeting the political and religious dissent of commoners under the guise of seditious libel against the Crown, they employed searches and seizures of political opponents and their papers

    Translation: The lesson learned is 'sure go ahead and stick it to the hoi polio but you better damned well not 'overreach' and get any ideas about attacking the politician's perks and privileges'. That's why we always attached that footnote to all our bills, "This law does not apply to the people who wrote this law."

    .


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    1. COMMENTARY: Pinch me, I think I’m in heaven

      President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

      By Wayne Allyn Root Review-Journal
      December 9, 2017 - 9:00 pm


      Donald Trump promised us we’d win and win and win so much, we’d get sick of winning. Santa Trump has delivered for Christmas.

      Here are a few observations and predictions.

      First, the economy. I said Democrats would never defeat Trump because he was elected to fix the economy. That’s what most middle-class Americans care about. That’s what the Silent Majority cares about. As long as he delivers, he can’t be defeated.

      Well don’t look now, but Trump has turned around the U.S. economy in record time. What’s happening can be described only as The Trump Miracle.

      Gross domestic product for the third quarter was just adjusted upward to 3.3 percent. That’s almost triple the eight-year average under Obama. The Fed is predicting fourth quarter GDP of almost 4 percent. That means in his first year, Trump beat all eight years under Obama.

      The Friday jobs number was fantastic — again. Under Trump, America has created 2.2 million new jobs. The 40,000 new manufacturing jobs in November was the highest number in history. Obama said manufacturing jobs were gone forever. For an anti-business socialist such as Obama, they were. For a smart conservative capitalist such as Trump, they came roaring back. In one year. Amazing.

      My prediction: Democrats will never defeat Trump. No matter how many “trumped-up charges” they invent. Because as James Carville once said, “It’s the economy, stupid.”

      By the way, didn’t liberals claim Trump was a racist? Didn’t they say he hated Hispanics? I wrote a commentary for Fox News back in early 2015 predicting Trump would be the greatest president for Hispanics ever because he would create millions of jobs for Hispanics. Well Hispanic unemployment is now 4.7 percent — the lowest in American history.

      Then there’s Roy Moore. I’ve predicted here in the Review-Journal and on my radio and TV shows for weeks on end that Moore would win the Alabama U.S. Senate race despite the accusations leveled against him from almost 40 years ago.

      But I went a step further. I also predicted at the moment Moore was seated in the U.S. Senate, Al Franken would be gone. Franken resigned on Thursday.

      Here’s another prediction. The U.S. Supreme Court will soon rule in favor of New Jersey on the issue of legal sports gambling, thereby ushering in legalization in many states.

      Long before my political career, I made my living as a sports handicapper, with more than 3 million clients and callers over the years. Back in 1977, the local New York newspapers ran a story about my budding career titled, “The Betting Whizkid.” In that article from 40 years ago, a 16-year old Wayne Root talked about my dream — the nationwide legalization of sports betting. It took a long while, but my lifelong dream is about to be realized.

      I can’t end this column without thanking Trump for officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and starting the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy there. How refreshing to have a politician who actually does what he promised to do on the campaign trail. How remarkable for a politician to do what’s right without worrying whether it offends our enemies.

      It’s amazing how world is changing under Trump. The economy is exploding; taxes are about to be cut dramatically, thereby rewarding taxpayers and job creators instead of punishing them; Obamacare is at death’s door; the wall will be built; the capital of Israel is officially recognized as Jerusalem; Roy Moore is about to join the U.S. Senate; and sports gambling will be legal nationwide.

      I have to wonder: Have I died and gone to heaven?

      Contact Wayne Allyn Root at Wayne@ROOTforAmerica.com. Hear or watch the nationally syndicated “WAR Now: The Wayne Allyn Root Show” from 3 to 6 p.m. daily at 790 Talk Now and at 5 p.m. on Newsmax TV.

      https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/opinion-columns/wayne-allyn-root/commentary-pinch-me-i-think-im-in-heaven/

      Delete
    2. "This law does not apply to the people who wrote this law."

      This comment was not written by anyone with his marbles.

      Delete
    3. Quirk, you might soon to be able to open up a sports gambling racket out of your home !

      Delete
    4. Oops, forgot, you already run a sports gambling racket out of your home.

      Sorry.

      Delete
    5. Look ...
      It's the Limp Dick clan clmoring for an identity

      Delete
  15. BitCoin and Sports Gambling are the ticker -


    Rubin’s Take: The (Bitcoin) Future Is Now
    Bitcoin Futures Promise Wild Ride for Risk-Loving Traders



    The launch of the bitcoin futures represents a milestone for the digital currency. But the new market could be roiled by hacks, technical snafus or manipulation schemes.

    One risk, critics say, is that the underlying markets for bitcoin are largely unregulated and have a troubled history. Mt. Gox, once the largest bitcoin exchange, collapsed in 2014 after being robbed of more than $470 million of bitcoin. Other bitcoin exchanges have faced criminal charges of money laundering.


    https://www.wsj.com/articles/bitcoin-futures-launch-stokes-fears-of-manipulation-hacks-glitches-1512907201

    ReplyDelete
  16. I see a lot of similarities between Andrew Jackson and Quirk.

    Look at how Jackson stopped the Brits at New Orleans.

    Perfect strategy and pure bravery.

    It was a slaughter of the Brits.

    Neither man can stand to have their reputations abused.

    Jackson lived for years with a bullet two inches from his heart.

    Quirk has lived for years with two bullets in his brain.

    This is good thesis material:

    Quirk: Andrew Jackson Reincarnated ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Both men would rather duel than endure an insult.

      Delete
    2. Both in their differing ways have saved the USA !

      Both heroes are controversial today.

      Their legacies shall endure everlastingly in Idaho, even if forgotten elsewhere.

      Delete
    3. Robert "Limp Dick" Peterson makes a personal appearance. The founder of the Limp Dick clan, Robbie lost his manhood early.

      It was back in his early teenage years, when little Robbie first rode the Brokeback Mountain Trail with his Uncle Hank.

      It sissified little Robbie, being rode so hard, at such a young age. His Mamma approved though, she thought the world of Hank.

      Hank, he was the Asst DA, back in the day. Those Peterson boys had a way with the Law.

      Robbie couldn't follow in the family business, he just wasn't bright enough, there just wasn't any light in his eyes.



      Delete
    4. #Real Robert E LeeMon Dec 11, 05:06:00 AM EST

      You'e not Bobbie Lee, Jack, he had honor, you don't. Robert E. Lee would never dead beat dad out on his children, as you did. Robert E. Lee wasn't a War Criminal like you, the worst of all things. Nor was he an out and out LIAR like you. Plus he was great at military strategy, getting all he could out of what he had.

      After he was whipped he went to church - sat by a black man.

      You're no Robert E Lee, Jack.

      Deuce should delete your nonsense every day. It wouldn't take long for him to get you in shape.

      Or, he could put you in the Dunce Box for a week.

      Been drinking again, rat ?

      Sounds like your neurosis is turning into psychosis again.

      Delete
  17. Muzz News

    - “We’re going to shoot the Jews”: Intifada is announced from Malmö :
    https://pamelageller.com/2017/12/malmo-muslims-going-to-shoot-jews.html/

    - VIDEO Israel: Bus station jihad terror stabbing, “I did it for Allah!” :
    https://pamelageller.com/2017/12/muslims-murdering-for-allah.html/

    - Germany: “Martyr Museum” includes Mohamed Atta and Paris Bataclan jihad killer
    along with Martin Luther King and Socrates :
    https://pamelageller.com/2017/12/germany-atta-king.html/

    - Paris Residents Threaten Hunger Strike If Migrants Aren’t Cleared From The Streets
    : https://pamelageller.com/2017/12/paris-hunger-strike-migrant-invasion.html/

    - Czech President: EU 'Cowards' Supporting 'Pro-Palestinian Terrorist Movement' Over
    Israel in Jerusalem : https://pamelageller.com/2017/12/czech-pres-eu-cowards.html/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Germany needs to be added to the travel ban countries, the place is full of Muzzies.
      They staged that 911 attack in Germany.

      But Trump loves the EuroMuzzies at Deutsche Bank and will not take the actions needed to make US safe.

      #MAGA IMPEACH TRUMP

      Delete
    2. #Real Robert E LeeMon Dec 11, 05:11:00 AM EST

      C r a C r a C r a z y, Jack.

      You need sleep, and tranquilizers.

      Without some soon the Police may have you handcuffed in the padded wagon.


      Delete
    3. More trash talk from the EuroMuzzie lovers.

      Those EuroMuzzies at Deutsche Bank own Donald Trump. They have him over a $350 million dollar barrel.

      Trump has been corrupted by the EuroMuzzies at Deutsche Bank.


      #MAGA IMPEACH TRUMP

      Delete
  18. Replies
    1. Those damned Yankees ...

      Delete
    2. You're the crapper's long lost little brother ?

      Are you inbred too ?

      Don't like Yankees, eh ?

      Figger you might try ta blow some of 'em up too ?

      Delete
    3. More trash talk from the EuroMuzzie lovers.

      Trump is failing to stop the Muzzie terrorists from attacking US. He hinself is a EuroMuzzie lover.

      Those EuroMuzzies at Deutsche Bank own Donald Trump. They have him over a $350 million dollar barrel.

      Trump has been corrupted by the EuroMuzzies at Deutsche Bank. It is why he will bot put a travel ban on Germany, which is where the EuroMuzzies prepared for the 911 attacks.

      Stop the EuroMuzzies

      IMPEACH TRUMP

      #MAGA

      Delete

    4. Bobbie Lee Boner is right about one thing,those folks at Deutsche Bank, they do own Donald Trump.

      Although I think they just paid $320 million to control the President's financial future, not $350 million.

      There are rumors that Putin bought the note, which is why, it is said, Trump is oh so deferential to Mr Putin.

      #MAGA IMPEACH TRUMP

      Delete
    5. Hell, Eric told the World that the Russians controlled the Trump purse strings. Back in '09 Eric was bragging to the press about sourcing funds from Russia.

      Those funds flowed through Deutsche Bank.

      #MAGA IMPEACH TRUMP


      Delete
  19. Another thread taken over by Jack filled with impossible drivel of all kinds which can't be logically deconstructed.

    Quirk can work on it. I've other better things to do.

    Ciao

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. written without a hint of irony. you go girl!

      Delete