Sic Semper Tyrannis

For BLM and the Antifa Zoo the Union is the real enemy, not the Rebs.

(Grant)

The statues of long dead Johnnies were easy pickings, low hanging fruit for the revolutionary movements now ravaging the land.

I was in college in Virginia during the Centennial of the US Civil War at a school drenched in the history of that period (VMI).  We had all kinds of distinguished historians come to speak to the cadet corps in Jackson Memorial Hall.  As an outlander new to the South I watched the reaction of the cadets carefully, curious to see how much the tale would stir them.  It did not.  They listened with some level of polite interest but that was the limit of their engagement.  The fire had gone out even then.

Today, with the exception of re-enactors and antiquarian eccentrics involved in the literature of that time, few people care.  That is why there has been no serious or effective resistance to defacing and removing Confederate Memorials.  Few care, certainly not "practical people."

But, pilgrims the Confederate caper was merely a warm-up for the big game, the game intended to smash the present social and governmental  order in the US and replace it with something other, something better in the collective mind of the revolutionary movements.  "White Supremacy" is code for the present forms  of government and economy.  These movements are deeply Marxist, deeply against private enterprise, deeply anti-democratic except for the Soviet definition of the word. "Government ownership of the means of production and distribution."

The insurrectionists are hoping for a collapse of the will to resist, a PTA moment in which the weak willed throw up their hands and surrender.  To get to that point a constant barrage of abusive language and childish behavior is part of the program, something like the way badly behaved children take control of weak parents.

Disbandment of police forces are a necessity long the way.

Weak politicians who in their hearts are filled with guilt over "White Supremacy" are a convenience.   

I would give the insurrectos high marks for their progress thus far.  pl 

A Coupla Things - 29 June 2020

"Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that he’s come up with a plan to cut or transfer $1 billion from the NYPD’s $6 billion budget and would not guarantee the department’s headcount won’t shrink — even as shootings surge across the city.

“I’m excited to say we have a plan that can achieve real reform, that can achieve real redistribution — while at the same time ensure that we keep our city safe, while we make sure that our officers are on patrol around where we need them around this city,” de Blasio said during his daily City Hall press briefing.

“We can do this, we can strike the balance, we can keep this city safe,” he later added.

While Hizzoner offered few details about his spending cuts plan, he would not guarantee that the NYPD’s police force would remain at its current level of roughly 36,000 officers when pressed by reporters.

“We have found a plan that will keep this city safe, that will achieve the billion dollars in savings,” de Blasio claimed during his daily press briefing Monday.

Separately, de Blasio also said his plan would move at least half-billion dollars from the NYPD’s construction and major projects budget to help fund building improvements at youth centers and public housing.

De Blasio and the City Council must reach an $87 billion budget deal by Tuesday that would cut expected spending by an estimated $8 billion overall."  NY Post

https://nypost.com/2020/06/29/de-blasio-plans-to-cut-nypd-budget-by-1b-as-nyc-shootings-spike/

------------------

New York City may become uninhabitable and largely uninhabited.  New York City people love left wing Democrats because they themselves are mostly left wing Democrats.  De Blasio lives in Cloud Cuckoo Land where the necessity to maintain order and find actual money to fund his fantasies is simply unimportant.  The God that De Blasio may or may not believe in will provide in a world filled with benevolent and progressive human beings.    Flight from New York state and city taxes is well underway.  People have discovered that staying home with momma, the kids and the dog is not so bad and you save money on commuting costs.  Hmmm.   And, New York may well be leading a trend away from the cities.  Good . pl

**********

New  Subject.  I just heard someone named Colonel David Hunt (don't know him) tell Bill Hemmer on Foxienews that he doesn't believe the intel people would decide not to brief Trumpy and Pence about the Russia! Russia! Russia! story of marauding GRU men paying the Taliban to kill their joint adversaries (us).  Why?  In Hunt's view because it was sooo important.  I doubt that Hunt IS an intel guy...  As I have tried to explain several times, analysts exist in the IC for the purpose of deciding which of the bits in the flood of raw information that comes to them is true and which are just bits of junk.  Non-intel people really believe that intel analysts functionally and as humans have no value because if they were not losers they would not be intel people.   The media, the operations combat arms people, State Departmet foreign service fops and politicians all generally believe that to be true.  Steven Hayes the journalist is a prime example.  He made his reputation by insisting that information DIA had rejected as false must be true because there was a lot of it.  He had gotten that rubbish from the Office of Special Plans (OSP) in Douglas Feith's DoD empire.  Nobody in OSP had ever worked in intelligence.  They were all neocon former congressional staffers.  In other words, they were ignorant of the process.  Congressional committees  do intel budget, not intel work.  In the same period endless hordes of newly emergent neocon savants (mostly childlike creatures) assured me that nothing I knew mattered because they and their colleagues  were creating a brave new world in which old things and data would be meaningless.  So, pilgrims, bottom line.

If you think a story is BS you do not brief it at the WH where it will spin the president up against the Russians or anyone else.  pl 

Joe Biden should not have control of the Gold Codes and the Football

My thesis here is that Biden is mentally unfit to be Commander in Chief.

The 120 million dead from COVID-19 statement that he made is SO bad, SO bad.  IMO that means that he has no critical reasoning ability left at all.  None.  A truly sentient being would have known instinctively in the moment that it could not be true that 120 million Americans have died of the effects of the virus.  What happened?  Was the teleprompter text that wrong?  In any event a person in touch with reality would have known that was not true and would not have said it.  Joe also said on 25 February in South Carolina that 150 million Americans have been killed in gun violence since 2007.  (See link below)  So, pilgrims, in Joeworld 120 million have been killed by COVID-19 and 150 million by guns.  In Joeworld there are only 80 million of us folks left.

The CinC of the US armed forces (POTUS) has immediate control of the country's nuclear forces.  He/she can launch an attack with those forces without seeking congressional agreement.  We built this crazy system during the Cold War and made sure the Soviets understood it.  We did that to make MAD credible.  So far as I know, we have never taken the system down.

A military person follows the president around with a satchel full of attack options (the football) which the president would use to order an attack by the operating forces. In his wallet the president has a card generated daily with which to positively identify himself/herself on the phone.  The code would be transmitted to SECDEF for verification of identity.  SECDEF also has the daily Gold Code.  After verification the order goes to CJCS and then to the forces.  SECDEF does not have the authority with which to countermand the attack order.  The satchel and the the Gold Code card together are the keys to a door beyond which is Armageddon.  

The argument will be made that Trump as well should not be trusted with these abominable toys.  I am open to that argument.  BUT, Trumpy HAS NOT unleashed Armageddon in the last 3 1/2 years.  IMO that is an argument in his favor.

The MAD launch system controls require both sanity and mental competence.  Joe is not mentally competent.

One can only wonder at the evidence now presented by polling that the American people prefer this demented wreck of a man over Trump.  They dislike Trump that much?  Remarkable.  pl 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Codes

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/biden-150-million-gun-deaths/

“Russia offered bounties to Afghan militants to kill US troops” - TTG

(CNN) - Russian intelligence officers for the military intelligence GRU recently offered money to Taliban militants in Afghanistan as rewards if they killed US or UK troops there, a European intelligence official told CNN.

The official was unclear as to the precise Russian motivation, but said the incentives had, in their assessment, led to coalition casualties. The official did not specify as to the date of the casualties, their number or nationality, or whether these were fatalities or injuries. "This callous approach by the GRU is startling and reprehensible. Their motivation is bewildering," the official said.

This story was first reported by the New York Times.

US intelligence concluded months ago that Russian military intelligence offered the bounties, amid peace talks, the New York Times reported Friday. Citing officials briefed on the matter, the Times reported that President Donald Trump was briefed on the intelligence findings and that the White House's National Security Council held a meeting about it in late March.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement Saturday that the President and Vice President Mike Pence were not briefed "on the alleged Russian bounty intelligence." McEnany said her statement "does not speak to the merit of the alleged intelligence but to the inaccuracy of the New York Times story," which said Trump had been briefed. McEnany did not deny the validity of the reported US intelligence that a Russian intelligence unit offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to carry out attacks on coalition forces in Afghanistan  (CNN)

————

Russia denies the story in its entirety. That’s to be expected. The Washington Post, Wall sStreet Journal, CNN and Sky News back up the NYT reporting through their sources. The White House doesn’t deny the intelligence reporting, but denies Trump was in the loop. McEnany’s insistence that Trump is clueless about this is either a damning indictment of the Trump administration or a damned lie. Either way, it’s not good. At any rate, it does appear this is another serious leak of classified information within the White House. That’s also not good.

So was Trump kept in the dark by his NSC? Did he just refuse to believe the IC reporting? Or did he not know whether to shit or go blind? Did he decide to keep this out of the public eye and quietly confront Putin about this episode in the continuing shadow war. That would be a reasonable response. Totally unsatisfying to me, our military and most of the American public, but reasonable from a realpolitik point of view.

Russia’s alleged action is not near as heinous as it may sound. Remember, we supported and supplied the Mujahideen with weapons to kill Soviet soldiers while they were in the process of withdrawing from Afghanistan. It does show that Russia is not our friend and Putin is not Trump’s friend. It doesn’t mean we have to go to war with each other, but we should realize our relationship is not akin to a herd of glitter fartin’ unicorns prancing across the rainbow bridge. 

TTG

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/27/politics/russia-us-troops-afghanistan/index.html

This is not fair to poor old Joe

"On Thursday, presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden said that 120 million Americans have died from the novel coronavirus, though the current total is over 124,000.

"People don't have a job, people don't know where to go, they don't know what to do," Biden said Thursday. "Now we have over 120 million dead from COVID."

According to a tracker provided by Johns Hopkins University, as of Friday, there are currently at least 124,424 deaths related to the novel coronavirus, which causes the respiratory disease COVID-19, as well as over 2.4 million confirmed cases."  Newsweek

https://www.newsweek.com/joe-biden-mistakenly-says-120-million-americans-have-died-coronavirus-1513696

This poor man needs help.  Someone take him home where he can live in his fantastic past (literally).  pl 

If this goes on the Dems will win it all - poor them.

Just now it looks like the Democrats and their temporarily friendly allied hordes of marxo-anarchists are on a path to win the presidency and both houses of congress in November.

This is a remarkable reversal in the political world since the period immediately before the arrival of the CODIV-19 hysteria with its opportunity for epidemiologists to "be all they could be."  In that long ago era, the US economy was going from strength to strength.  Trump's statements about that lost economy are hyperbolic as usual but correct in their essence.  His re-election seemed assured by that economy and the failure of the Democrats to bring him down intra-term.  God knows they tried!  

Now Trump is seriously down in all the polls, possibly because the citizenry has come to think that he really is a weak man who is unable to understand that the pathetic mobs could be easily cowed into quietude by a significant use of force against them.  Rather than do that, he dithers and seems to embrace the State Department battle cry "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! They'll kill us all!"  The ghost of Kent State is widely invoked in Republican circles as "proof" of the fatal political results of the use of force.  IMO Senator Cotton is right.

The Democrats have embraced the COVID-19 panic inspired house arrest of the country.  It should be obvious to the casual observer that they are doing everything they can to hold down the economy and maintain a high level of misery until they win in November.  The general public panic is being successfully promoted in spite of the low death rates from the disease in the general public.  The agreement of the triumvirs; Cuomo, Murphy and Lamont to close the NY city region to "foreign" travelers from threatening COVID-19 infected areas is an obvious signal that a depressed economy MUST BE MAINTAINED at  all cost (until November)

The wave of anarcho-marxist guerrilla agitprop attacks serves the purposes of the Democratic Party very well.  It reveals Trump to be a timid man.  His base does not like that.   And truth be told the long existing Democrat local governments of the main sites of anti-US street action are in sympathy with many of the goals of the insurgents.  Seattle, Minneapolis, Washington, DC (as a city under Home Rule), Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, Richmond, etc.  The pattern is clear.

The Democrat pols calculate that they can ride the tigers (virus and revolutionary mobs) ravaging the country and then regain control after they win it all.  IMO they are mistaken in that belief.

If they win, the revolutionary tiger will continue to rage and will devour them just as later waves of Jacobins devoured people like Danton and Robespierre in the French Revolution.

And by then the economy will be such a shambles that the people will inevitably turn against the Dems in despair over their poverty and joblessness.  pl

Untangling the Lies About The Obama Biden Coup Meeting of January 5, 2017 by Larry C Johnson

The release this week of Peter Strzok's notes on the 5 January 2017 meeting convened by Barack Obama and attended by his national security and law enforcement chiefs makes it clear that Sally Yates and/or Susan Rice are lying about what transpired and when it happened.

Strzok adds scintillating details to the depth and scope of the plot to try to destroy Donald Trump and his Presidency and, for now, provides the only record of what transpired prior to Obama dismissing Clapper, Brennan and the NSC staff. Here is the problem,  Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates told FBI agents that OBAMA DISMISSED THE GROUP (i.e., Joe Biden, Susan Rice, Jim Clapper, John Brennan and "others" from the National Security Council) and asked Yates and FBI Director Jim Comey to "stay behind."

But that is not what Susan Rice claims. Her now infamous memo to the file (drafted in the final moments of the Obama Administration) notes that she, along with Sleepy Joe Biden, also stayed behind.

Strzok's memo destroys the claims of Yates and Rice about the select group Obama asked to "stay behind."

Yates account is that she only learned of the intercepted conversations between Michael Flynn and the Russian Ambassador after the others left. Channeling the spirit of Inspector Renault from Casablanca (he was shocked to discover gambling in the Casino), poor Sally was surprised and shocked when Obama, on his own, brought up Michael Flynn's conversation with the Russian Ambassador and specifically identified "SANCTIONS" as the substance of that conversation. Obama then said, according to Yates, that he did not want any additional information on the matter, but was seeking information on whether the Obama White House should be treating Flynn differently going forward.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 25 JUNE 2020 by Patrick Armstrong

RUSSIA AND COVID. Latest numbers: total cases 613K; total deaths 8605; tests per 1 million 124K. Russia has done 18 million tests (second after USA); among countries with populations over 10M it's second in tests per million and of those over 100M first. Scientists claim to have a vaccine; tests should be complete by end of July. Putin address: improving but still some bad regions; description of what government did; extension of some special payments. GDP fell 12% in April when "holiday" was begun.

OIL WARS. Seem to be pretty much over. But futures are still low for Saudi Arabia and US fracking.

TAX. For two decades Russia has had a flat income tax of 13% . A brilliant move when introduced, it ended widespread tax evasion almost instantly. But in the speech above, Putin said it will be bumped to 15% for people with incomes over 5 million RUR (US$71K). But still simple and pretty flat.

VICTORY PARADE. Held on the 75th anniversary of the first one. Video. Can't get these numbers out of my head: Germany invades June 1941; three years later Operation Bagration annihilates Army Group Centre; a year later Soviet soldiers sight-see in Berlin. Has there ever been so quick a turnaround? (Well... Napoleon invaded Russia June 1812, the Russian Army entered Paris March 1814 and invented the bistro. Seems to be a historical lesson there...)

VICTORY. A VTsIOM poll shows 95% think that it was the most significant event for Russia of the 20th Century and 69% think the most significant event in Russian history.

SANCTIONS. "We are not asking for sanctions to be lifted. We are simply improving our resilience and self-reliance." And so they have; and the newest US sanctions on Syria will be a gift to Iran.

VISAS. It is reported that the simple e-visas for visitors will be extended to all Russia starting next year. ABCA probably excluded.

A WIN. Two years ago the Russian authorities ordered the social app Telegram to give up its secrets; it refused; the authorities ordered it shut down; people kept using it; the authorities have given up after a sort of compromise.What's the difference? Well, in our part of the world the social media doesn't resist. Yet another of the many reversals of behaviour I've seen since I started in the business in 1984.

INFRASTRUCTURE. Moscow Metro has got quite a bit bigger in ten years.

VIDEO. Short video of Russian scenes and scenery.

PAUL WHELAN. Sentenced to 16 years for espionage; reports that an exchange is being worked out.

WEAPONS. A new Borey-A SLBM Knyaz Vladimir accepted into the Navy. Several new Army weapons shown at the parade. A Ukrainian looked at the equipment on parade and and asked his countrymen how they can believe they're facing that army in the Donbass; sure would notice one of these things.

GAPS. MacDonald uses a car crash to show the attitude gap between Russian elites and the "little people". But he has been arrested and could face 12 years. We'll see.

SKRIPALMANIA. "5 Facts BBC’s 'The Salisbury Poisonings' Forgot to Mention", "the only word for that is a miracle". Propaganda for stupid people with short attention spans.

LESSONS OF THE WAR. Putin's piece published in National Interest. Official text English, Russian. Apart from an unwillingness to acknowledge that territorial acquisitions in 1939 and 1940 were made to gain strategic space, I see nothing wrong with it. All of it was mentioned by AJP Taylor years ago.

HACKING. Don't need cunning Russian hackers when incompetence gets the job done.

START. Talks began in Vienna with a childish stunt by the American side. I wouldn't expect any results: the Americans are fatally deluded. As for the Russians: "We don’t believe the U.S. in its current shape is a counterpart that is reliable, so we have no confidence, no trust whatsoever".Russian has a word for that: недоговороспособны and it's characterised US behaviour since at least this event (in Obama's time). Can't make an agreement with them and, even if you do, they won't keep it.

PUTIN DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. From Canada. Short version: everything we say or do is true; Putin the opposite. ("Mueller indicted Mr. Prigozhin and the Internet Research Agency for 'waging information warfare against the United States of America'". Oopsies! ) From the Baker of the Maidan Don't waste your time on the original, Mark Chapman has done the work for you.

BELARUS. Colour revolution in progress? For what it's worth Lukashenko was in Moscow for the parade and is confident it has been thwarted.

WESTERN VALUES™. Hashim Thaci indicted for war crimes. NATO gave him a country.

© Patrick Armstrong Analysis, Canada Russia Observer

Number of CODIV-19 cases does NOT = number of deaths from CODIV-19

Anyone want to contest that statement or document the facts?  pl 

Showdown in Lincoln Park? - 25 June 2020

The DC mob has communicated (somehow) its intention to remove from its pedestal in Lincoln Park in Washington the statue of Lincoln with a kneeling freedman.  This will be an interesting contest of wills.   The park is 10 blocks due east of the capitol building and about the same distance west of the DC National Guard Armory.  It is deep in the predominately Black residential part of Washington and nowhere near the White House, Lafayette Park, St. Johns Church, etc.

The US Park Police and the single MP Battalion of the DC National Guard will evidently be charged with preventing the action.  The battalion has six or seven hundred people at full strength, but you never take the field at full strength and the unit probably does not have more than three or four hundred that it can field.  

Some people are writing to say that the mere presence of unarmed part time soldiers of the National Guard will intimidate the mob.

The writers cite batons (clubs) and a modicum of tear gas as sufficient deterrent to restrain the miscreants.

OK!  I want to see it!  If this works it would be a convenient expedient everywhere.  pl

More Silliness About The DC Guard.

As I have written here before it is nothing less than murder to place unarmed soldiers on the streets with the mission of guarding anything in the face of mobs who have no respect for government and certainly no respect for soldiers.  

The mob tried to capture and occupy Lafayette Park across the street from the White House last night.  They tried to overturn and demolish the statue of President Andrew Jackson in the center of that park.  Do you think they won't be back?

The District of Columbia National Guard are part time amateur soldiers.    They will be very afraid of the mob.

Esper, McCarthy and that ass, Milley, think this is a good idea?  Incredible.  pl

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/504282-national-guard-deploying-unarmed-personnel-to-protect-dc-monuments

President Obama and Vice President Biden Directly Involved in Coup to Stop Trump (UPDATE) by Larry C Johnson

When it comes to the Michael Flynn case the media, along with vast swaths of the pliant public, are like a stupid dog that reflexively chases a shiny object or a phantom squirrel. The latest development is that the District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruled 2 to 1 to order crooked Judge Emmet Sullivan to accede to the Department of Justice request to drop the case against Flynn. While this ruling merits attention, the real news is that we now have documentary evidence that President Obama and Vice President Biden were involved directly and personally in orchestrating the entrapment and prosecution of Michael Flynn.

A Peter Strzok note, apparently penned on the 4 January 2017, recorded the discussion about Flynn with Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Sally Yates, Jimmy Comey, Susan Rice and Strzok (it looks like Comey took him along specifically as his note taker). Here it is:

The Court of Appeals orders that the Michael Flynn case be dismissed, and the Gleeson appointment be vacated

By Robert Willmann

In a 2-1 decision, the federal Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ordered the trial court judge Emmet Sullivan to dismiss the criminal case against Gen. Michael Flynn.  The order also vacated Sullivan's appointment of John Gleeson as an amicus curiae (friend of the court) to oppose the dismissal and to advise about whether to charge Flynn with criminal contempt of court for perjury.

In the words of a judge on a Texas court of appeals:  "The written judgment is what matters.  The opinion is nice to read".  (That is an over-simplification, but it is still a good line!)  The appellate court's order of today--

https://turcopolier.typepad.com/files/michaelflynn_appeals_court_mandamus_judgment.pdf

The majority opinion by Judges Rao and Henderson is 19 pages, and the dissenting opinion by Judge Wilkins is 19 pages--

https://turcopolier.typepad.com/files/michaelflynn_appeals_court_mandamus_opinion.pdf

As was discussed here on SST, an open issue in the mandamus action was the fact that the trial court judge had not yet decided the motion to dismiss by the Department of Justice, and so it would be premature to issue a mandamus to change a ruling that had not yet been made.  That issue became the basis for the dissenting opinion.  The dissent also took the position that the order appointing Gleeson should not be cancelled and vacated in this situation.

The court papers can be viewed or downloaded for reading.  If a party in interest in a mandamus action does not like the decision, usually there is a new application for a writ of mandamus filed in a higher court, which would request a mandamus of the mandamus. 

UPDATE, Wednesday, 24 June:  A comment by kgbgb below mentioned that he saw a report that John Gleeson had filed a motion about his status and for additional time.  The schedule in the trial court was for Gleeson to file his brief by 10 June (he did); Flynn and the Justice Department were to file their responses to it by 17 June (they did); and Gleeson can file a reply brief by noon today.  Here is the request by Gleeson for a clarification about his ability to file a reply brief and for more time to file it if he is allowed to--

https://turcopolier.typepad.com/files/michaelflynn_gleeson_wants_time_to_reply.pdf

 

Discussion on CW/WBS

There was a statue that stood at Prince and Washington Streets in Alexandria, Virginia.  It stood  there since the 1890s as a memorial to Alexandria's Confederate dead.  As I recall there were 110 names on the pediment.  The city in 1860 had 12,000 inhabitants, 3/4 of them White and the rest mostly slaves but some free Black people, a few of whom owned slaves.  The dead were mostly from the 17th Regiment of Virginia Volunteer Infantry (the Alexandria Regiment).  The regiment had its pre-war roots in the 6th Battalion of Virginia Militia.  The leaders of that militia battalion were local community notables.  The men were a mixed lot of people from the town and the proximate countryside.  Two additional companies were raised for the fight for Virginia independence from the parishioners of St. Mary's Catholic Church, the oldest Catholic parish in Virginia.  George Washington was a sponsor of the foundation of the parish around 1800 although he was an Anglican.  The flags of these two companies of Irish and Italian immigrant laborers were blessed by the Dutch Jesuit pastor at the altar.

The statue and its pediment with the names is gone now, reclaimed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy before the mob inspired by the leftist city council and mayor could ravage and desecrate it.  I drove by the site today.  The city has been disemboweled.

A company from Front Royal was added to to the 17th when it was mustered into the Confederate forces at Manassas.

The subject of the TREASON of the Confederates is now a fresh topic in the context of anarchist attacks, Marxist politics and the ongoing rebellion of the oh, so indoctrinated "Ute"  ("My Cousin Vinnie").

The accusation that they fought to keep Blacks enslaved is also quite current.  

The mobs in the streets are seeking to destroy America as it has been.  The great internal war of the 19th Century and its political context have become relevant to the discussion of who we really are.

I appeal to you all to write up your views and I will post them if they are of any value.  pl 

 

A summary on COVID-19 from "Deap"

"From an alleged media research and review organization: Trust, but verify. COVID-19 - what we now know today Overview According to the latest immunological and serological studies, the overall lethality of Covid-19 (IFR) is about 0.1% and thus in the range of a strong seasonal influenza (flu). In countries like the US, the UK, and also Sweden (without a lockdown), overall mortality since the beginning of the year is in the range of a strong influenza season; in countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland, overall mortality is in the range of a mild influenza season. Even in global “hotspots”, the risk of death for the general population of school and working age is typically in the range of a daily car ride to work. The risk was initially overestimated because many people with only mild or no symptoms were not taken into account. Up to 80% of all test-positive persons remain symptom-free. Even among 70-79 year olds, about 60% remain symptom-free. Over 95% of all persons develop at most moderate symptoms. Up to 60% of all persons may already have a certain cellular background immunity to Covid19 due to contact with previous coronaviruses (i.e. common cold viruses). The median or average age of the deceased in most countries (including Italy) is over 80 years and only about 4% of the deceased had no serious preconditions. The age and risk profile of deaths thus essentially corresponds to normal mortality. In many countries, up to two thirds of all extra deaths occurred in nursing homes, which do not benefit from a general lockdown. Moreover, in many cases it is not clear whether these people really died from Covid19 or from weeks of extreme stress and isolation. Up to 30% of all additional deaths may have been caused not by Covid19, but by the effects of the lockdown, panic and fear. For example, the treatment of heart attacks and strokes decreased by up to 60% because many patients no longer dared to go to hospital. Even in so-called “Covid19 deaths” it is often not clear whether they died from or with coronavirus (i.e. from underlying diseases) or if they were counted as “presumed cases” and not tested at all. However, official figures usually do not reflect this distinction. Many media reports of young and healthy people dying from Covid19 turned out to be false: many of these young people either did not die from Covid19, they had already been seriously ill (e.g. from undiagnosed leukaemia), or they were in fact 109 instead of 9 years old. The claimed increase in Kawasaki disease in children also turned out to be false. Strong increases in regional mortality can occur if there is a collapse in the care of the elderly and sick as a result of infection or panic, or if there are additional risk factors such as severe air pollution. Questionable regulations for dealing with the deceased sometimes led to additional bottlenecks in funeral or cremation services. In countries such as Italy and Spain, and to some extent the UK and the US, hospital overloads due to strong flu waves are not unusual. Moreover, this year up to 15% of health care workers were put into quarantine, even if they developed no symptoms. The often shown exponential curves of “corona cases” are misleading, as the number of tests also increased exponentially. In most countries, the ratio of positive tests to tests overall (i.e. the positive rate) remained constant at 5% to 25% or increased only slightly. In many countries, the peak of the spread was already reached well before the lockdown. Countries without curfews and contact bans, such as Japan, South Korea, Belarus or Sweden, have not experienced a more negative course of events than other countries. Sweden was even praised by the WHO and now benefits from higher immunity compared to lockdown countries. The fear of a shortage of ventilators was unjustified. According to lung specialists, the invasive ventilation (intubation) of Covid19 patients, which is partly done out of fear of spreading the virus, is in fact often counterproductive and damaging to the lungs. Contrary to original assumptions, various studies have shown that there is no evidence of the virus spreading through aerosols (i.e. tiny particles floating in the air) or through smear infections (e.g. on door handles or smartphones). The main modes of transmission are direct contact and droplets produced when coughing or sneezing. There is also no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of face masks in healthy or asymptomatic individuals. On the contrary, experts warn that such masks interfere with normal breathing and may become “germ carriers”. Leading doctors called them a “media hype” and “ridiculous”. Many clinics in Europe and the US remained strongly underutilized or almost empty during the Covid19 peak and in some cases had to send staff home. Millions of surgeries and therapies were cancelled, including many cancer screenings and organ transplants. Several media were caught trying to dramatize the situation in hospitals, sometimes even with manipulative images and videos. In general, the unprofessional reporting of many media maximized fear and panic in the population. The virus test kits used internationally are prone to errors and can produce false positive and false negative results. Moreover, the official virus test was not clinically validated due to time pressure and may sometimes react positive to other coronaviruses. Numerous internationally renowned experts in the fields of virology, immunology and epidemiology consider the measures taken to be counterproductive and recommend rapid natural immunisation of the general population and protection of risk groups. At no time was there a medical reason for the closure of schools, as the risk of disease and transmission in children is extremely low. There is also no medical reason for small classes, masks or ‘social distancing’ rules in schools. The claim that only (severe) Covid-19 but not influenza may cause venous thrombosis and pulmonary (lung) embolism is not true, as it has been known for 50 years that severe influenza greatly increases the risk of thrombosis and embolism, too. Several medical experts described express coronavirus vaccines as unnecessary or even dangerous. Indeed, the vaccine against the so-called swine flu of 2009, for example, led to sometimes severe neurological damage and lawsuits in the millions. In the testing of new coronavirus vaccines, too, serious complications and failures have already occurred. A global influenza or corona pandemic can indeed extend over several seasons, but many studies of a “second wave” are based on very unrealistic assumptions, such as a constant risk of illness and death across all age groups. Several nurses, e.g. in New York City, described an oftentimes fatal medical mis­manage­ment of Covid patients due to questionable financial incentives or inappropriate medical protocols. The number of people suffering from unemployment, depressions and domestic violence as a result of the measures has reached historic record values. Several experts predict that the measures will claim far more lives than the virus itself. According to the UN 1.6 billion people around the world are at immediate risk of losing their livelihood. NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden warned that the “corona crisis” will be used for the permanent expansion of global surveillance. Renowned virologist Pablo Goldschmidt spoke of a “global media terror” and “totalitarian measures”. Leading British virologist Professor John Oxford spoke of a “media epidemic”. More than 600 scientists have warned of an “unprecedented surveillance of society” through problematic apps for “contact tracing”. In some countries, such “contact tracing” is already carried out directly by the secret service. In several parts of the world, the population is already being monitored by drones and facing serious police overreach. A 2019 WHO study on public health measures against pandemic influenza found that from a medical perspective, “contact tracing” is “not recommended in any circumstances”. Nevertheless, contact tracing apps have already become partially mandatory in several countries."  Deap

HARPER: JUDGE CLEARS PATH FOR BOLTON INDICTMENT

Federal District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has cleared the way for John Bolton to be criminally prosecuted for violating his non-disclosure agreement and revealing classified material without authorization.  In a 10-page ruling issued June 20, the former presiding judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court (FISA Court) refused to grant the Trump White House a temporary restraining order and injunction against the publication of Bolton's account of his 17 months as National Security Advisor.  The book, The Room Where it Happened, is being released this week by Simon & Schuster.

Judge Lamberth found that "the barn door has already been opened" by Bolton giving the publisher the go-ahead to produce and distribute thousands of copies of the book, including pre-publication review copies to scores of mainstream media around the world.  Lamberth concluded that the government request for the TRO would be "toothless" given the wide circulation and the impossibility of preventing extensive quotes from the book appearing on social media.

But Lamberth agreed with the Trump Administration that Bolton had included classified information in the final book and he could be sued in civil court and criminally prosecuted for violating his signed agreements to protect classified material.  The White House submitted in camera evidence to the Judge detailing classified material damaging to the national security of the United States.  The Judge agreed.

In his written ruling, Lamberth wrote: "Defendant Bolton has gambled with the national security of the United States.  He has exposed his country to harm and himself to civil (and potentially criminal) liability."

In other words:  Go get him boys.

Bolton was fired by Trump in September 2019.  He signed a contract with Simon & Schuster in November 2019 and submitted a 500-page manuscript in December 2019.  Bolton provided a copy to the National Security Council for classification review, but he gave the publisher the OK to go to print without receiving written clearance from the White House.  

Anyone who has ever written a 500-page manuscript knows that it cannot be completed in a matter of weeks or even months--particularly a memoir which involves intricate details of national security deliberations.  It seems clear to me that Bolton was working on his book even before he was fired--and well before he had the contract with the major publisher.

Bolton was in regular communication with Ellen Knight, Senior Director of Records Access and Information Security Management, for the National Security Council.  He was told in April 2020 that he should receive a letter authorizing the publication of his book after the redactions had been made.  But the letter was never released, due to other officials' concerns about remaining classified material.  He went ahead with publication knowing full well he had not been given the required authorization.  He should be prosecuted for that willful crime.

Open Thread - 22 June 2020

pl

The Other 13th Amendment - TTG

I ran across this series of twitter postings by Susan Simpson, a DC lawyer. She discovered some surprising (at least to me) antebellum congressional documents at the Federal Archives showing how far politicians were willing to go in appeasing the southern states in order to preserve the Union. If those hotheads in Charleston could have controlled their emotions for just a little longer, our Constitution could have been far different than it is today… at least for many decades. 

Given this discovery, the articles of secession of most of the Confederate states, and Stephens’ Cornerstone Address, I am more convinced than ever that preserving the institution of slavery was central to the Confederate cause and abolition was not at all a serious consideration for the Union cause. I don't think proponents of either side wanted these documents to see the light of day again.

————

In honor of Juneteenth, a brief story about the America that almost was. I was at the Federal Archives once, searching for a very different document, when I came across a stack of papers titled "Joint Resolutions Proposing Amendments to the Constitution of the United States." The words "Article 13" were underlined on the page below.

"Oh wow," I thought. "An original draft resolution for the 13th Amendment." I was kind of surprised they had just left it lying around with a bunch of totally unrelated documents. Then I kept reading. "Article 13. The right of property in the labor of any person lawfully held to service in the States [ ], ... shall not be abolished or impaired by Congress[ ]; and the United States shall protect all rights of property wherever federal jurisdiction extends."

It was the original 13th Amendment, introduced in January of 1861. 

A version of it was passed by both the House and Senate by a two-thirds vote. It was signed by President Buchanan, and the states began to ratify it. Then it stalled out, due to the whole Civil War thing.

The amendments that almost were did not get better from there.

The 14th Amendment: "The power to regulate commerce ... shall not be construed to authorize Congress to make any law impairing the right of the Master to remove from one State to another persons held to service[.]"

Congress drafted these amendments in order to preserve what they believed were important Constitutional rights — through these amendments, they would ensure that Americans "shall not be deprived of the right of property in the service or labor of any person."

The would-be 16th Amendment would have imposed harsh penalties on any state interfering with slavery: "If any state shall enact ... any law impairing [the Fugitive Slave Act] such state shall not be entitled to any representation in Congress [ ] until the the repeal of such law."

And then there's the would-be 17th Amendment, in which the Senate would be divided into two classes — the slave-state class and the non-slave-state class — and "a majority of the vote of each class shall be necessary to the passage of the presiding motion, bill or resolutions."

And to ensure the slavery question would be forever settled, one last amendment was needed. The 18th Amendment: "The provisions of ... the several amendments to this Constitution, numbered Articles 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, shall forever be unalterable."

To the proponents of these amendments, what they sought was no more than the preservation of the Union as it had always been, and had always been intended to be: "We ask nothing but that which is in the Constitution itself. The Constitution recognizes slaves as property." The idea that "all men are created equal" had literally meant *all* men was "too absurd to talk about. The men of the Revolution were white men… It was all they meant; it was all they intended; it was all that was understood by any man then living to have been intended by it."

As Senator Wigfall, TX, noted: "What is the fact as to Massachusetts? Why, on the 18th of July, 1776, they published the Declaration of Independence in the Boston Gazette; and, before God, they published an advertisement for a runaway negro, and offered another for sale. [Laughter]"

In the end, these six proposed amendments would not pass in their entirety, because the Northern states could not accept the parts that expanded slavery to new states – thereby upsetting the balance of power with the South. But the other parts, the North was willing to accept.   (@TheViewFromLL2)

————

The discussion continued at Susan Simpson’s Twitter page: @TheViewFromLL2

TTG

Stand Watie - the last Confederate General to surrender

"Watie was born in Oothcaloga, Cherokee Nation (now Calhoun, Georgia) on December 12, 1806, the son of Uwatie (Cherokee for "the ancient one", sometimes spelled Oowatie), a full-blood Cherokee, and Susanna Reese, daughter of a white father and Cherokee mother.^[2] He was named Degataga. According to one biography, this name means "standing firm" when translated to English.^[3] He loosely translated his name as simply "Stand" and combined it with his father’s name to get Stand Watie.^[2] His brothers were Gallagina, nicknamed "Buck" (who later took the name Elias Boudinot); and Thomas Watie. They were close to their paternal uncle Major Ridge, and his son John Ridge, both later leaders in the tribe. By 1827, their father David Uwatie had become a wealthy planter, who held African-American slaves as laborers.^[2]

After Uwatie converted to Christianity with the Moravians, he took the name of David Uwatie; he and Susanna renamed Degataga as Isaac. In his life, Degataga preferred to use a form of the English translation of his Cherokee name, "Stand Firm." Later, the family dropped the "U" from the spelling of their surname, using "Watie." Along with his two brothers and sisters, Stand Watie learned to read and write English at the Moravian mission school in Spring Place, Cherokee Nation (now Georgia).^[2]"

^{------------------}

^{Well, pilgrims, he probably is Oklahoma's favorite Indian (native American).  He was paramount chief of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, a slaveholder (Black slaves of course), a rich planter as his father had been in Georgia before the Great Removal (Trail of Tears).  He raised a regiment of cavalry which he commanded throughout the war in good times and bad.  It is little known that the Confederate government in Richmond reserved seats in their Congress for representatives of the Indian Nations which sided with them; Cherokee, Creek, Chocktaw, Seminole, etc.  Indian inclination toward the CS declined during the war but then, people often drift away from causes facing defeat.}

^{There must be a statue of this man somewhere that can be torn down, and Elizabeth Warren can demand his posthumous expulsion from her tribe.}

^{He would have sought a ticket for tonight's rally in Tulsa.   pl} 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand_Watie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_units_of_Indian_Territory

Oklahoma - 20 June, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbrnXl2gO_k

" ... IT MAY DEPLOY 240 STARLINK CRAFT."

 

 ""If the cost to launch is 1/4 the price of the [Falcon 9] and can carry 4 times the satellites... how is that anything but the right tool for the job?"

Indeed, the Starship is designed to reduce the price of rocket flights by a large amount. In November 2019, CEO Elon Musk said that the operational costs of flying Starship would be around $2 million per flight.

But one of the main issues could be deploying the satellites in space. SpaceX's website shows how the cargo bay could open up to release satellites."  inverse.com

----------------

Well, pilgrims, they haven't managed to get the thing more than a few feet off the ground yet.  Let's see that happen before we celebrate.  pl 

https://www.inverse.com/innovation/spacex-starship-stunning-image-shows-how-it-may-deploy-240-starlink-craft

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_Starship

The Lynching of Officer Derek Chauvin by Larry C Johnson

I am troubled by the lynch mob mentality towards Chauvin. The media and much of the public have concluded that he is guilty and must suffer. One of the worst offenders on this point is Sean Hannity, who has enthusiastically used his radio and TV platform to convict Derek Chauvin of murder. Last I checked I thought there was a presumption of innocence for the accused in the United States. But that Constitutional protection is  certainly not being applied to Officer Chauvin when it comes to discussing the death of convicted criminal and drug user George Floyd. 

 

While I am not arguing that the neck restraint used to subdue Floyd was appropriate, the media and the public continue to ignore the fundamental fact that knee to the neck restraint employed by Chauvin was taught to him by the Minneapolis Police Department. He was doing what he had been trained to do. That type of restraint is described in detail in the Minneapolis Police Department policy manual. Chauvin and others were taught how to apply that method at the police academy in Minneapolis. In fact, it has been an approved technique since 2012. Not my opinion. It is there in black and white.

 

What we do not know is how that technique was taught. Were the police instructed to only apply it for a specific amount of time? Were they taught as the standard of practice to check on vital signs.

 

I think I was the first to point out this fact but it has received little traction. I came across another piece by Gavrilo David today, who not only reached the same conclusion that I did, but he also provided a wealth of additional information and insight. With Gavrilo's permission, here is his post:

Why Derek Chauvin May Get Off His Murder Charge

A deeper look at the policies behind the death of George Floyd

by Gavrilo David

The world has united in protest after a graphic video emerged showing a Black man dying under the restraint of a White police officer. The victim, George Floyd, was in clear distress. He was pinned to the ground by three officers, with one officer — Derek Chauvin — placing a knee on his neck. For over five minutes, he tells the officers that he is unable to breathe. George Floyd died as horrified bystanders told the officers they were killing him.

The video is unquestionably horrific.

But in our rush to condemn an aggressive use of force and pursue justice for George Floyd, we have ignored crucial information which is necessary in judging the conduct of the officers. While nothing can absolve George Floyd’s death, these facts do cast doubt on the appropriateness of a murder charge for Chauvin, and paint a more nuanced picture of the events leading up to the tragic encounter.

 

Security screening of manuscripts

It is the law in the United States that those who have had legal access to the secrets of the government must submit private manuscripts for removal of such secrets BEFORE they are published or even presented to a potential publisher.  Every department of government has an office charged with such work.

I know this process well because my memoir "Tattoo" has been in the hands of the appropriate Defense Department office for nigh on six months.  The book is long, and I was so unlucky as to have DoD shut down its auxiliary services during my wait.  I have thought of withdrawing it from screening but, surprisingly, the screeners tell me it has some worth for those who will come after. So, I will wait.

All this applies to John Bolton, a career State Department man whose adult life has been soaked in government secrets.  I first noticed Bolton as a glowering presence at briefings I gave to selected State Department people with regard to national command authority projects I was running.  His attitude was consistent.  If the idea was not his, it was simply wrong.

Bolton's "kiss and tell" book about Trump is IMO as much caused by wounded ego as a desire to make money.  He submitted the book for security review to DoD and the CIA.  Why not State?  Ah, Pompeo would tear it to pieces.  Bolton evidently grew impatient with the pace of clearance and decided to go ahead with publication without clearance

To do this is a felony.  The release of the book today completes the elements of proof for the crime.

Bolton should be arrested and charged with any of a number of possible crimes.  pl

Jim and Joe's political allies

""Every day that I show up here, I'm not here to peacefully protest," Grayson told the "U.N. Me" filmmaker, who also embedded himself in Minneapolis protests earlier this month.

"I'm here to disrupt until my demands are met," Grayson continued. "You cannot rebuild until you break it all the way down."

STREET PREACHER TELLS SEATTLE PROTESTER: ELECT BIDEN 'TO SEE BLACK MEN GET KILLED'

The CHOP group has blocked off six city blocks in downtown Seattle, where the East Precinct is located, as an act of protest for the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25. On Tuesday, protesters reached an agreement with the city to reduce the occupied area to three blocks and to allow traffic. The agreement came a day after the Seattle City Council voted to ban police from using chokeholds and crowd-control devices like tear gas and pepper spray."

*********** 

"It's not a slogan. It's not even a warning," Grayson said. "I'm letting people know what comes next."

"If the Seattle Police Department turns in their badges, we'll have made a move forward," Grayson said.

The group has published a list of demands for the city council and mayor, including abolishing the police, prisons, courts and criminal justice system "as we know it today."

******

""If there's no change, there might be a lot more destroying until there is!" a hooded man wearing sunglasses and a black face cover, told him, "but I think some destruction and looting kinda sends the message to people and breaking their s--t is justified."

Another said, "'F--k the property. f--k the consumption, f--k capitalism."

A woman then said, "white people owned slaves so f--k them."

https://www.foxnews.com/us/seattle-chop-protest-police-video

----------------

What does Biden say about this or more importantly what does Clyburn say?  ?  Who among you condones this?

I watched video yesterday from the "new country."  Men urinating  and defecating on the streets, some of them with their pants stained with their diarrhea.  The level of drug consumption seems very high.

Ms. Grayson says that she is an African forcefully brought to the US.  Could she be persuaded to return to her ancestral homeland?  Probably not.

Our British and Canadian cousins should not feel smug.  Canada has a colonial past and the treatment of the metis by the colonial Canadian government will be examined in spite of all the modern day BS that claims Canada to be a "metis nation."

Oxford University is taking down a statue of Cecil Rhodes.  Baden Powell's statue is under threat as is a statue of Churchill in downtown London.  Who will be next, Gladstone, Disraeli, Joseph Chamberlain?  Do you think the mob will spare the Albert Memorial, or statues of the Queen Empress herself?

I do not.  pl 

I have Joe by the b--s and you all will be punished ...

"an American politician of the Democratic Party serving as House Majority Whip since 2019.^[1] He is a two-time Majority Whip, having previously served in the post from 2007 to 2011 and served as House Assistant Minority Leader from 2011 to 2019.

Currently in his 14th term as a congressman, Clyburn has served as U.S. Representative for South Carolina's 6th congressional district since 1993. His congressional district includes most of the majority-black precincts in and around Columbia and Charleston, as well as nearly all of a mostly rural region within South Carolina. Clyburn is the current dean of the South Carolina congressional delegation.

Clyburn has been the third-ranking Democrat in the House behind Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer since 2007, serving as Majority Whip behind House Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer during periods of Democratic House control, and as Assistant Minority Leader behind Minority Leader Pelosi and Minority Whip Hoyer during periods of Republican House control. After the Democrats took control of the House following the 2018 midterm elections, Clyburn was re-elected Majority Whip in January 2019 on the opening of the 116th Congress, alongside the re-elected Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer, marking the second time the trio has served in these roles together.  wiki

----------------

Watch the interview linked below.  The interview took place last night on Special Report.

I used to have a high regard for Clyburn, but not after last night.  My analysis is that the underlying truth in his attitude is "Joe Biden's campaign was dead until I brought SC's Black vote to him and caused him to win the primary here.  Joe can't win the presidency without overwhelming Black support.  Only I can bring him that vote.  Joe's record with regard to Blacks is poor in spite of all his BS to the contrary.  Without me he is nothing.  With me he is everything.  When he is president he will do what I tell him and then our grievances dating all the way back to colonization will be be expiated by you White people.

Just look at Clyburn during the interview.  Look at his hostility to Baier.

Clyburn used to describe himself as a Southern Gentleman.  That was then.  This is now.  pl

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=721583178644171

(Left click on the image for sound)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Clyburn

Judge Sullivan created an awkward situation for the DOJ, Michael Flynn, and the Court of Appeals

By Robert Willmann

The audio recording of the oral argument from last Friday, 12 June, in the mandamus action brought by Gen. Michael Flynn in the federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit became available that afternoon [1].  In the dry, almost bland style of most arguments before courts of appeals, it revealed an awkward situation created by Judge Emmet Sullivan for the Department of Justice (DOJ), Flynn, and the Court of Appeals.  But not for himself.

Judge Sullivan has been presiding over the criminal case since Judge Rudolph Contreras recused himself in December 2017 shortly after conducting the hearing at which Flynn pled guilty through a plea bargain with "special counsel" Robert Mueller's group.  In June 2019, Flynn replaced his original lawyers with new ones, and began to dig into what had happened to him as information started to be disclosed about misconduct by the FBI and others in an investigation of the Donald Trump presidential campaign and Russia.  The fascinating developments in Flynn's case have been discussed here on SST after he changed attorneys last year.

The disclosures got so bad that the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, Jeffrey Jensen, was asked by Attorney General William Barr to check the Flynn case going back to its beginning.  Jensen had been both an FBI agent and an Assistant U.S. Attorney before being appointed to his present position.  He began to give exculpatory and mitigating evidence to Flynn which had not been previously turned over by the Justice Department and the Mueller group, as required by law.  Flynn had filed a request to withdraw his guilty plea, which can be done pursuant to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure [2].  What was brought out by Jensen then led to a request by the DOJ to dismiss the case against Flynn entirely.

Normally, this would have ended the whole sordid affair quickly and quietly, since motions to dismiss criminal cases by the government are usually granted; "leave of court" is required for the dismissal [3].  But nothing has been normal about the investigation and prosecution of Michael Flynn.

The Atlanta cop should have due process.

Watch the body camera footage.  This shootee passed out drunk in the drive-thru lane of the Wendy's resto and was blocking the lane.  The management understandably called the police to get him and his car removed.  They could not do business with him there.  The cops woke him up, and gave him several sobriety tests.  He failed all of them.  They decided to arrest him for drunk driving.  He started fighting both of them when they attempted to handcuff him.  He seized one of their TASER weapons and tried to shoot one of the cops.  Then he ran away with the TASER.  One of the policemen shot him as he ran.  

The mayor of Atlanta fired the shooter without a hearing or investigation of his conduct.  The police chief resigned the next day.

This action by the mayor was IMO grotesquely unjust.  He should be re-hired pending an investigation.  Failing that he should sue the city for personal injury.  pl

https://www.insider.com/atlanta-police-footage-show-moments-officer-shot-dead-black-man-2020-6

"The Civil War, a Narrative." Foote

“The Spook Who Sat By The Door” - TTG

Earlier today one of our fellow correspondents, longarch, offered a link to an article on theorganicprepper.com that contends the current unrest is unfolding, step by step, in accordance with a playbook… the US Special Forces Unconventional Warfare Manual. This article by the organic prepper herself, Daisy Luther, asks the question, “who is behind this?” That’s a question deserving a whole discussion by itself. I offer only one comment about that right now. If you think all that’s going on right now requires massive funding and coordination, you’re out of your freakin’ mind.     

That article did remind me of a long ago incident. Back when SWMBO and I were young college students, one of the first movies I took her to see was “The Spook Who Sat By the Door” in late 1973 at a theater in downtown Troy, NY. By that time I had my airborne wings, having attended jump school at Fort Benning the previous Summer, and I began developing a friendship with Master Sergeant Albert H. Rivers, a Green Beret with three tours in Viet Nam and Thailand newly assigned to our ROTC element. I chose this movie because of my growing interest in guerilla warfare. Obviously, I was and remain romantically challenged. SWMBO remembers it as the time we were the only two white people in the theater. 

This movie freaked out the FBI. Theater owners who showed the film were visited by local FBI agents. The film’s distributors were visited by the FBI. Copies of the film were confiscated. It was disappeared. Bootleg copies were still available, but it wasn’t until Tim Reid (yes, WKRP in Cincinnati’s own Venus Flytrap) discovered a negative copy of the film in 2004 that it became widely available again. The FBI missed that one. The film has the feel of those blaxploitation films of the 70s, but it’s much more than that. I implore everyone watch the trailer of “The Spook” and imagine if Spike Lee did a remake of this today. The full film is also available on YouTube if you’re interested. If nothing else, you can see what a failure I was as a suave romantic.

IMO Sam Greenlee, the film’s writer and co-producer, and Ivan Dixon, the director, created a thought provoking masterpiece. The very making of the film was an act of guerilla warfare. Scenes shot in Chicago were done surreptitiously over Mayor Daly's objections. In fact, Sam Greenlee, the film’s writer and co-producer, and Ivan Dixon, the director, used the veneer of blaxploitation to get their creation through the Hollywood studios. True guerilla warfare. The FBI certainly thought so. They collectively pissed their pants. Whites were collectively pissing their pants a lot during those years. A few years before the film’s premier, the NRA, Ronald Reagan and the California State Legislature were all for banning open carry of loaded weapons when members of the Black Panther Party showed up at the California state house carrying shotguns and carbines demanding their Second Amendment rights. The Oakland-based Black Panther Party included this point in their platform.

“We believe we can end police brutality in our Black community by organizing Black self-defense groups that are dedicated to defending our Black community from racist police oppression and brutality. The Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States gives us the right to bear arms. We therefore believe that all Black people should arm themselves for self-defense.”

I guess that’s one solution. Imagine if all those witnesses with smart phones when George Floyd was being murdered also carried weapons. Maybe the cops would have backed down. Most likely there would have been a lot of dead cops and civilians and we would still be in the middle of a nationwide uprising. Americans have not demonstrated the self-discipline or fire discipline to have everyone packing a roscoe. It’s a bad idea, especially now that so many of our cops have their asses pumped up with the “warrior ethic.” We may need cops to be those rough men to allow us sleep at night, but if they can’t turn off that rough man, they should not be cop or we will end up in a widespread guerrilla war.

TTG  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw0TEAadKu0  (the trailer)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s59OaRxN_40  (a decent copy of the film preceded by a half hour of commentary)

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/the-troubling-fate-of-a-1973-film-about-the-first-black-man-in-the-cia (a fairly recent commentary)

UPDATE: Here's a version of the film with a better audio track. Thanks to Enrico Malatesta for providing this version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkyX-Yx-8NM

Another Piece Of The Covid19 Puzzle By Walrus.

At a celebratory lunch last weekend Covid19 was discussed, this was not unusual as our restaurant was operating under pandemic social distancing rules. A friend remarked that they had been warned about Covid19 as a result of a meeting, connected with a sporting club we both belong to, by another acquaintance “between Christmas and New Year’s Eve ”. 

I asked twice about the dates - they were adamant about them. It was before January. The content of the warning was also specific - “potential pandemic and you are not to book the cruise you are contemplating.”

I am familiar with conspiracy theory construction: dancing Israelis, cryptic warnings not to go to work on 9/11, etc. However I had a name and I have checked the profession of the alleged source of the warning - it’s a senior virologist, so that part is credible.

I have not checked the date of the meeting which I might be able to do. However if the dates stack up, there was international professional notice in virology circles of what has become Covid19 before China’s announcement on New Year’s eve.

I imagine that the intelligence community has a much better understanding of exactly what has happened than I do, but if substantiated, this tidbit is further evidence that China has a case to answer for not officially alerting the WHO sooner. The Australian economy is already experiencing the consequences of Chinese Government displeasure for our support for an international inquiry into this matter.

The lunch was excellent. I had two glasses of Torbreck Shiraz.

Minneapolis and Seattle - a tale of two cities

"This past Sunday, a veto-proof majority of the council announced plans to disband its police department and invest in community-based public safety programs.

According to Friday's resolution, the city council will begin a year-long process of engaging "with every willing community member in Minneapolis" to develop a new public safety model.

"We acknowledge that the current system is not reformable — that we would like to end the current policing system as we know it," council member Alondra Cano said.

The council declared it would create a "transformative new model" of public safety in the city.

A "Future of Community Safety Work Group," will be formed and will include staff from city departments, including the offices of violence prevention and civil rights.

The council also voted unanimously on Friday to end the local emergency order that had been declared due to protests in the wake of Floyd's death. "  Forbes

----------------

And then out in Seattle we have the "summer of love" mayor on TeeVee accepting something that looks like a miniature version of the Paris Commune while being framed on one side by "Old Glory" and on the other by Washington State's green flag with the face of George Washington (a prominent slaveholder and planter) featured thereon.  Will it not be necessary to change the name of the state?

To repeat my earlier assertion it seems inevitable that there will be more, many more, "Communes" springing up across the US.  The locale will be all important of course.  I would recommend against trying this gambit anywhere in Texas.  OTOH, just about anywhere in California will be fertile ground and Boston might be welcoming to an "Autonomous" enclave somewhere downtown.  Any Democrat run area is a possibility really.

Trump is at West Point bloviating today.  He has the right instincts concerning the need to maintain public order but he has never learned how to drive the machine of the Executive Branch and his personnel decisions have often been appalling.  

It would be interesting to learn what a President Joe Biden and then the wise woman of color who succeeds him would do with the ongoing development of this situation.  pl

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/06/12/minneapolis-city-council-unanimously-votes-to-replace-police-with-community-led-model/#78964a8471a5

SST

I have been talked into continuing with the blog for a while.  pl 

If Seattle can accept CHAZ' secession, why not San Francisco. LA or Chicago?

"What we do know is that Washington officials have completely lost control of the CHAZ, and they won’t get it back without exerting force. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has tried to negotiate with these protesters without success, and the protesters haven’t shown signs of budging. Peaceful or not, this is anarchy. And the only reason Seattle protesters have gotten away with it is that law enforcement hasn’t been able to challenge them.

This is what happens when you remove policing from the picture. If we do not have a way to enforce our laws, then any number of citizens could do what these protesters are doing and create their own autonomous zones, make up its rules, and force other citizens to obey them. Last I checked, we considered such behavior unacceptable.

And it is, which is why Democrats and other activists should think twice before supporting “defund the police,” a movement that would ultimately like to see law enforcement abolished or at least crippled. If this movement has its way, the lawlessness will not stay in Seattle. It will spread, and it will lead to violence."  Washington Examiner

---------------

The mayor of Seattle says that the seizure and occupation of a portion of downtown Seattle is OK by her.  She predicts that Seattle may now experience a "summer of love" and that Trump should stay in his besieged bunker in Washington and mind his own business.

The "Capital Hill Autonomous Zone" (CHAZ) has defined its present borders, installed border guards and is taxing (extorting) business and people within its territory.  The mayor of Seattle and the governor of Washington State (soon to be renamed) are notorious leftists as are many citizens resident in the city and state.

What is being affected in Seattle is de facto secession from the United States.  This differs from the secession of the Confederate States in 1861 in that it is the states that are the contracting parties in the US constitutional union and not cities or parts of states.  

The US Congress some years ago created US Northern Command with headquarters in Colorado for the purpose of defending the US against threats both external and internal.  It is one of the Unified Commands that are subordinate to POTUS and below him to SECDEF.  Like the other Unified commands it has no troops of its own but has numerous contingency plans under which troops will be made available to it on order.  Nearby at Tacoma there is Ft. Lewis which has most of the 2nd Infantry Division in garrison.  when Trump says that he could take action against the CHAZ rebellion, he has the means.  The question arises as to whether the chain of command would obey him considering that General Milley has expressed the tenderness of his feelings with regard to the use of troops to suppress disturbances.  I have pointed out that federal troops (not the NG) have been used 14 times  since the end of the Indian Wars to suppress unrest but, this is evidently of no concern to Milley or Fightin' Jack Keane who supports Milley.

I ask you pilgrims, if secession is allowed in Seattle, why would various discontented groups not attempt it elsewhere?  pl

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/seattles-lawlessness-will-spread-if-the-defund-the-police-movement-has-its-way

What was this about?

pl

Black Judge Sullivan Believes Every Black Man Falsely Accused of Murder Must Be Charged with Perjury? by Larry C Johnson

Headline got your attention? Good. If I am reading the amicus brief filed by discredited former Federal Judge John Gleeson on behalf of Judge Emett Sullivan, Gleeson and Sullivan are incensed that Michael Flynn had the audacity to withdraw his guilty plea, which Flynn insists was coerced. Gleeson argues that Flynn (and I presume others who have done the same thing) must be charged with perjury for having the audacity to go into court and recant his plea. You do not need a keen sense of irony to appreciate the hypocrisy of Judge Emmet Sullivan, an African American, wanting to throw the book at Flynn for doing what many black men falsely accuse of crimes have done. If the Emmet Sullivan and John Gleeson standard becomes the rule--i.e., once you confess to a crime in court under oath you cannot take back your confession--then there are a bunch of innocent black men we need to round up and put back in the pokey.

Let me introduce you to two black men from Chicago--Kevin Bailey and Corey Batchelor. They were physically coerced by an Area 2 Chicago Police detective into falsely confessing to the June 1, 1989 murder of Lula Mae Woods--Bailey subsequently served 28 years for the crime while Batchelor was imprisoned for 15 years.

According to the Innocence Project:

Bailey and Batchelor eventually sought post-conviction relief, with the Innocence Project and the People’s Law Office representing Bailey and The Exoneration Project and The Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth representing Batchelor. Despite early opposition by the prior Cook County State’s Attorney, attorneys secured DNA testing of the crime scene evidence. Bailey and Batchelor were excluded as the source of all DNA detected. Further, hairs with matching DNA profiles were recovered from (1) the Domino’s Pizza cap worn by the murderer and (2) a bloody towel found near the body. Bailey and Batchelor have been excluded as the source of these hairs. The identity of the person who shed his hair on these key items is still unknown.

“This is yet one more example of detectives from the Chicago Police Department closing murder cases too quickly by coercing false confessions from black teenagers,” said Steven Drizin, one of Batchelor’s attorneys from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth. “This further cements Chicago’s reputation as the ‘false confession capital’.”

Over 120 Black men and women were subjected to torture that was racially motivated and included electric shock, mock executions, suffocation and beatings by now convicted former Police Commander Jon Burge and his subordinates. Although Burge was terminated from the Chicago Police Department in 1993 and convicted for perjury and obstruction of justice stemming from the torture cases in federal court in 2010, scores of individuals continue to languish in prison as a result of confessions based in whole or in part on physically coerced confessions.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 11 JUNE 2020 by Patrick Armstrong

RUSSIA AND COVID. Latest numbers: total cases 502K; total deaths 6532; tests per 1 million 95K. Russia has done 13.8 million tests (second after USA); among countries with populations over 10M it's second in tests per million and of those over 100M first. Moscow city lockdown and ID pass system ended on Tuesday. Russian developers register a drug that may help alleviate the worst symptoms.

COVID COUNTING. The usual suspects are convinced that Russia's lying (the accusation is a pitiful attempt to cover up the failure of the "two best-prepared countries") but I don't believe anything Western outlets say about Russia. But Moscow city has published numbers that may explain things. 15,713 deaths in Moscow in May; three-year average is 9914; therefore excess of 5799. They calculate 2757 had COVID as the main cause of death but it was present in 5260 deaths. Therefore, as I suspected, it's a counting issue: died of versus died with. In any case, even at the larger number, the deaths are far fewer than elsewhere. A new theory to add to the others is that there are fewer old people, thanks to high mortality rates in the Soviet days, and Russians don't generally put them in nursing homes (the source of large proportion of deaths in Western countries.)

CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM. Now set for 1 July. Wikipedia has a summary article and tells us that the vote will be a yes or no on the whole package. Some advertising billboards. Polls suggest the package will pass but not by big numbers.

GENETICS. Putin has told the government to ensure creation of Russian-made laboratory and scientific equipment for research in genetics. Remember the report that the USAF was collecting genetic material of Russians? I think COVID has made Moscow and Beijing rather thoughtful. Teheran too.

OIL WARS. Oil futures are creeping up. OPEC+ has agreed to extend the production cuts to the end of July. So, I guess if there was some attempt by Riyadh to crush US shale and Russian oil, it failed. Who won? Russia did: prices are back in Russia's comfort zone. The Power of Siberia pipeline has sent 1.58 billion M3 of natural gas to China in the last 6 months. The icebreaker LNG ship is on its way to China via the Northern Sea Route.

MONOPOLY. With Dragon's successful docking, Russia has lost its monopoly on taxi service to the ISS.

PERSONALLY I think Moscow is commenting with considerable restraint as the USA learns about colour revolutions first hand. Read this from the Atlantic: "The Trump Regime Is Beginning to Topple". "Regime". Wow, eh?

START. Russia-US talks will begin in Vienna on the 22nd. Beijing says it won't be there. The US side is so deluded that I doubt much will happen. (BTW the US "super duper missile" just failed.)

THE DEATH OF IRONY. Russia Sends More Troops West, Challenging U.S.-NATO Presence Near Borders.

NUGGETS FROM THE STUPIDITY MINE. "Before Donald Trump, Russia Needed 60 Hours To Beat NATO—Now Moscow Could Win Much Faster" Forbes tells us. The assumption is that Russia would grab the Baltics and stop there. I know the author is just shilling for the weapons makers but, if you assume your audience is really stupid, you become stupider – a race to the bottom of the mine.

MH17. It looks as if all the prosecution has is stuff from Kiev and Bellingcat. So much for Kerry's "we observed it". So will the court find the defendants not guilty or continue with the farce? Speaking of "our values and way of life".

CHINA IS THE NEW RUSSIA. You'd think NATO would be busy enough but it's time to add China to the enemy list: the threat posed by China to "our values and way of life".

AMERICA-HYSTERICA. A Republican caucus group from the legislature of "the greatest force for good the world has ever known" has decided that Russia should be named a "state sponsor of terrorism" and hit with "the toughest sanctions ever imposed". But it doesn't accuse Moscow of fiddling elections; I guess that particular sector of the delusion is reserved for the other side of the aisle.

PUTIN DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. Sure, we don't need evidence – there's the "playbook".

EUROPEANS ARE REVOLTING. Germany rejects US extraterritorial sanctions against Nord Stream 2; a German politician suggests Berlin may respond with counter-sanctions. Trump orders a troop pull-out (would be about a quarter of the US troops in Germany).

© Patrick Armstrong Analysis, Canada Russia Observer

HARPER: THE REAL TERROR THREAT THAT TOO FEW UNDERSTAND

President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr have been pilloried for making frequent reference to "Antifa" as a terrorist threat that was involved in much of the violence that accompanied the protests over the killing of George Floyd.  The problem is that there is a genuine growing terrorist threat, Antifa is one manifestation of the threat, and too few people are looking deep enough to see what is actually happening.

The mass protests that exploded following the death of George Floyd provided the perfect opportunity for a long-established network of terrorists to exploit the opportunity to foment violence.  Unlike the past where there were clear lines of distinction between "left" and "right" the New Violence 2.0 is less focused on ideology or outcomes and more focused on accelerating chaos.  There is a movement and an ideology that promotes the use of violence.  Antifa is one group name they have adopted.  Bugaloo Bois is another monacle, which openly promotes violent action to instigate a civil war in the United States. The mass killer in Christchurch, New Zealand, Brenton Tarrants, openly spoke in his Manifesto about seeking to provoke civil war in the United States.

These different groups have mastered the digital revolution as a means of coordinating among seemingly isolated "lone" operatives and small decentralized groups.  How did the vast Western intelligence services miss the telltale warning signs that preceded the emergence of the Islamic State (ISIS)?  Simple answer:  They ignored the sophisticated social media recruitment efforts that ran on a global scale.

A starting point for understanding this new phenomenon is to look back at the 1999 and 2001 riots in Seattle and Genoa around the G-8 events.  A traveling network of highly trained provocateurs showed up at both locations.  At that time, one of the key funders was the late Teddy Goldsmith, a wealthy proponent of the 
"Green Revolution" who bankrolled travel and set up purportedly non-violent training camps in preparation for the mass protests.  Similar financiers and structures exist today on an even more sophisticated, digitally-enabled scale.

There is a need for competent counterintelligence to, in effect, crack the egg and isolate and take action against the hardcore network of trained provocateurs who have the capacity to hijack genuine protest to further their goal:  Chaos and civil conflict as the endgame.

Milley apologized for Trump? He must go.

"America's top general is apologizing for appearing in a photo-op with President Donald Trump after the forceful dispersal of protesters outside the White House last week, saying the move was a "mistake."

Gen. Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also said that he was "outraged" by the killing of George Floyd and added that the protests it sparked spoke to "centuries of injustice toward African Americans."

"As senior leaders, everything you do will be closely watched. And I am not immune. As many of you saw, the result of the photograph of me at Lafayette Square last week. That sparked a national debate about the role of the military in civil society," Milley, said in a pre-recorded speech to a group of graduates from the National Defense University released on Thursday.

 

"I should not have been there. My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics. As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from it," he added.   CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/11/politics/milley-trump-appearance-mistake/index.html

---------------

Does Millet think that this speech leaked to CNN is not "involvement of the military in domestic politics?"

Well pilgrims, Mark Milley does not know his place.  It is not his privilege to denigrate the CinC to anyone in public, much less a group of War College graduates on the occasion of  their commencement.  These fellows will all hold very responsible positions in government and he has spoken to them in such a way as to encourage insubordination in the chain of command.  He should be retired immediately.  He can then go to work for CNN/MSNBC where he can wait for a putative President Joe Biden to appoint him SECDEF or some such thing.

Trump has IMO lost control of the Defense Department.   He should take decisive action to regain that control.   IMO Esper cannot be fired so close to the election, but he and the other "squirrels" in the five sided mix-master have to be limited  in what kind of mischief they can accomplish.

I understand that a retired brigadier general who is a Trump supporter is being placed in OSD as the policy head.  Fine.  To the extent that the "mutineers" do not cut him out of the loop, he can tell Trump what devilment they are up to, but more is needed.

I suggest that a genuine intellect sit in the WH where he can monitor ALL actions and policies proposed by DoD BEFORE they are issued to the world

IMO Victor Davis Hanson is the man for that job.  pl  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Davis_Hanson

 

The labyrinth known as Libya - TTG

When we last visited Libya, we saw the demise of Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi at the hands of various Libyan rebel forces. Those videos are now tagged with a graphic content warning on YouTube. His gruesome death with a knife up his arse, a bullet in his head and his carcass on display in a Misrata grocer’s freezer should have been a warning of what was to come. Even Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, on the day of his capture issued a strong warning to his captors about Libya’s new radical leaders and the risk of internal divisions. Of course he was only talking about particular Islamist leaders among the rebels. Even he didn’t foresee the danger of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  Those jihadists had their moment, but neither of the current warring factions in Libya have any use for them. At least there’s that.

Ah yes. How could I forget Benghazi. We all remember the killing of Ambassador Stevens in Benghazi on 11 September 2012 and the ensuing four years of Congressional investigations. But that’s another story.  

Some time after the killing of Ambassador Stevens, the USG started developing plans to begin rebuilding a new Libyan Army starting in 2015. It definitely would have been a much tougher mission than rebuilding the Lebanese Army in 1983. It would have taken an entire SF Group and various supporting elements fully deployed for several years. Given our existing deployments at the time, I doubt this mission ever got past the initial planning stage… if that far. If we were at all serious about this endeavor, we should have started planning before the first American bomb fell on Qadaffi’s forces.

 

Friend of the court briefs are filed and oral argument is June 12 in the Michael Flynn mandamus action

By Robert Willmann

Oral argument is set for this Friday, 12 June, at 9:30 a.m. on the petition for a writ of mandamus filed by Gen. Michael Flynn in the federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.  The action filed in the appellate court on 19 May 2020 was a new proceeding which asked that an order be issued directing the trial court Judge Emmet Sullivan to grant the request filed by the government to dismiss the criminal case against Flynn--

https://turcopolier.typepad.com/files/michaelflynn_oral_argument_set.pdf

The public attention that has developed about the prosecution of Flynn, and the issues of what discretion a trial court judge has to deny a motion by the government to dismiss a case it brought, and whether a judge can seek to initiate a criminal contempt of court proceeding against a defendant who seeks to withdraw a plea of guilty, have combined to attract written arguments from lawyers not directly involved in the case as "friends of the court" (amicus curiae).  The court of appeals has agreed to allow 11 of those briefs to be filed; seven of them support Flynn's position and four support what Judge Sullivan has done.

Responses to the petition were filed for Judge Sullivan and for the federal government on 1 June 2020.

Any reply by Flynn and any further response by Sullivan or the Department of Justice for the government are to be made by 5:00 p.m. today.

The clerk's office for the court of appeals said that the oral argument may be done remotely by video conferencing, telephone hookup, or a similar arrangement, because of the situation with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.  The arguments are often streamed live on the Internet, but because the hearing might be done remotely, it may not be available live.  However, an audio recording is done of the argument and it may be available at some point Friday afternoon.

 

"Coronavirus vaccine developers are chasing outbreaks before they disappear" Washpost

"The top teams rushing to develop coronavirus vaccines are alerting governments, health officials and shareholders that they may have a big problem: The outbreaks in their countries may be getting too small to quickly determine whether vaccines work

A leader of the Oxford University group, one of the furthest ahead with human trials, admits the reality is paradoxical, even “bizarre,” but said the declining numbers of new infections this summer could be one of the big hurdles vaccine developers face in the global race to beat down the virus.

Even as new cases are growing worldwide, transmission rates are falling in Britain, China and many of the hardest-hit regions in the United States — the three countries that have experimental vaccines ready to move into large-scale human testing in June, July and August."  Washpost

---------------

Well, pilgrims it would seem that the Post staff  does not see the irony in their own writing, or perhaps they do.  There have been scattered evidences of rationality there lately.   Even as Democrat governors and mayors across the country drag their feet on the re-opening of the American economy, infection rates are falling.  In the Faucibirxist view of things everything depends on vaccine development (or herd immunity post holocaust).  But, alas there just aren't enough new, vibrant infections to make development of the vaccines convenient.   What will happen to the flow of government money to these projects if this phenomenon becomes  general knowledge.  Someone at the Post should be disciplined for this indiscretion.  pl 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/coronavirus-vaccine-trials-astrazeneca-moderna/2020/06/09/48f28fea-a414-11ea-898e-b21b9a83f792_story.html

A Picture Is Worth ...

Nancy, Chuck and Stenny Hoyer kneeling in memory of St. George.  I kid you not.  She had to be helped up.  Poor thang!  pl

A note of thanks to the trolls

You keep me in the fight.  Thanks.  pl 

Waves of public hysteria

We seem particularly prone to these in the US.  The Germans tend to this as well.  "Welle." Is that the word in German?  

A few recent cases come to mind:

-The terrible fear of the end of civilized life that preceded the year 2,000.  

- The terrible fear of "the terrorists" that overwhelmed the country in the months after 9/11.  People hid out at home for weeks, refusing to go to work in places like the World Bank in Washington, DC.  People stared hostilely at each other on public transportation if there was anything unusual about a person's appearance.  "If you see something, say something."  Like a beard, perhaps

- The wave of insane trials in the 90s of the staff and owners of child day care centers for child molestation, satanic ritual, etc. on the basis of elicited testimony of three and four year olds.  A sample test question in court was "Is red heavier than yellow?"  Actual answer from a child witness - "Yes."  On the basis of such testimony many were sent to prison for long terms.  The public was quite happy with that.  No, the public was quite enthusiastic about it.

Now we have an MSM and social media induced madness over the death of St. George of Minnesota.  The craziness has led to successful mob demands for the destruction of historic monuments, toleration by business leaders of looting, and such whackiness as the proposed abolition of police forces and a reliance instead on the goodness of mankind.  The public, to include TeeVee executives have now meekly surrendered to the mob and are actually doing things like cancelling profitable programs that are about the police.  What are they going to do in the UK?  Half their programming seems to be about policing.  What will Her Majesty do if deprived of her favorite show, "Midsomer Murders?"

 pl  

Has “The Deep State” Won? By Walrus.

I want to advance a fanciful theory - an extension of Col. Lang’s question; Perhaps money talks. The test is at the end of this post.

Suppose some very rich folks bought the majority of American media. They control that by influencing who is hired, promoted and fired throughout their networks. Smaller players, internet businesses, etc. are dependent on the larger players for content. They are similarly controlled by the big players.

Now suppose there is also a global foundation, operated by the most skilled politicians of their era. Their business model is simple. They control and operate a global influence network. People with money can buy influence from this network. 

The network, which we will call “the respectable tendency”, to borrow Andrew Roberts term, extends deep into worldwide media and perhaps more importantly, public services around the globe. Of course all of this is benign because the purpose of this endeavor is the advancement of planetary human well being. To this end it seamlessly creates or combines with a variety of good causes, to advance its agenda, for example, the advancement of women, minority rights, gay rights, the environmental movement.

Now we come to practical matters.  As the behaviourists posit: “where you stand is where you sit” - Miles Law. The foundation lives by this saying and drives it deep into every organ it touches. Be aware that when the foundation touches you it makes a Faustian bargain. You do something for it, one day it returns the favor. For example,  you might be asked as a civil servant to do something that is perhaps borderline corrupt.  You are found out but no matter; you reappear as a professor at a prestigious University, or a fellow at a think tank, or a media personality on a Tee Vee network or perhaps a judge. The foundation takes great care to ensure it keeps its end of the bargain. It also publicly destroys the careers of those that reject its overtures using whatever weapon comes to hand, for example sexual innuendo, allegations of discrimination, whatever. Fear and greed are its tools.

Lets assume that the foundation has had almost total success in recruiting Congress and the higher ranks of the career public service. There are two exceptions; the first is President Trump who is fireproof against the entreaties of the foundation. More about the other later.

So now let’s look at the events of Trumps Presidency through this lense.

Russiagate - explained.

The illegal and obvious judicial persecution of Flynn and others who have associated with Trump - explained.

The conversion and public recantings of former Trump appointees - explained.

The criticisms of Trump and public professions of love for foundation causes like #metoo and BLM by senior business leaders - explained.

The deliberate frustration of President Trumps agenda by Congress - explained.

The relentless and unjustified criticism of Trump by the media - explained.

As a vignette;  Why even today Trumps decision to pull troops out of Germany is criticized by MSN for breaking up a happy relationship with a German town:

”President Donald Trump’s directive to pull 9,500 troops from Germany hits home hard for friends of America like Edgar Knobloch, whose Bavarian town has been home to U.S. service members for seven decades.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-e2-80-99s-troop-plan-stuns-germany-and-rocks-the-postwar-order/ar-BB158oIy

  ===============

So now we come to recent events. 

The criticism of Trump for his Covid19 response, first not fast enough, then too fast and hard - explained.

===============

So now we come to George Floyd. The black community, deliberately oversensitised by the media to the statistically insignificant problem of Police brutality against blacks, arcs up.  Their lawmakers, sensing the foundations approval, amplify the BLM message. After all, this is a ticket to righteous reelection or maybe a seat in Congress courtesy of the foundation.

The blacks start looting. President Trump calls for the rule of law to be upheld and promises military assistance if necessary. The foundation springs the trap. This is no longer about BLM, this is about HIM. The media comply.

Actions taken as part of this foundation agenda are deliberate and designed to create a climate of fear, uncertainty and doubt in all Americans.

Threats to defund the police in various states are false. What they are designed to achieve is the perversion of police forces into instruments of political control. The first requirement being the suppression of any white backlash against the black mobs. That is about militias and gun control.

Expect to see more media censorship of anything that contradicts BLM, #metoo, or any other foundation pet cause.

Expect to see more lawmakers, public servants and personalities publicly denounce Trump.

Expect to see each and every national business leader pledge fealty to the foundation on penalty of the destruction of their businesses, careers or both. This will then morph into a requirement to “donate” to BLM and similar good causes as is practiced in most third world countries. That is followed by a requirement to hire and promote minority members for no good reason except political safety.

Expect all investigations into possible malpractice by foundation operatives to stop.

All public institutions will be required to pledge fealty to the foundation, the Universities did this thirty years ago.

Trump, if he is even Presidential Candidate is going to be facing Joe Biden and...Michelle Obama.

The more probable Republican candidate is Romney, who will lose.

=================

And now the exception. The United States Defence Forces. The CJCS Gen. Miley, will now be under intense pressure from the foundation to distance himself as far as possible from the President, perhaps to the point of insubordination. This is a “five days in May 1940” moment although we may never know.

The pressure already got to Esper who folded. The pressure on Miley, IMHO, will be coming from his colleagues and the next rank below them and take the form of extreme fear of massive budget cuts foreshadowed by foundation lawmakers unless the defence forces disavow their Commander in Chief.

===============

The test to watch is which way our Rupert Murdoch jumps. He is renowned for his extremely accurate political antennae. 

 

My take on the present situation.

1.  Mayor Muriel Bowser proudly stated that she "pushed the Army away from our city."  The Army she is talking about is the US ARMY and she wants it out of "her" city whether it be the Regular Army (active force) or the National Guard of the various states.  It appears to be her position that in the District of Columbia the US armed forces are foreign forces.  Bowser is also quite self assured in saying that she does not want to see any "exceptional" federal police presence in DC.   Does she have a future referendum on "sovereignty" in mind?  A city state?

2.  The antifa+ forces manipulating BLM, the happy camper crowds, Muriel Bowser et al on the left have now demonstrated the extent of their command and control capabilities.  They brought the crowds in Washington right up to the fence around the WH and then had them leave notes attached to the fence as markers as to the limits of federal government power.  The message is clear. "We bring violence when we wish and we turn it off when we please.  This is the limit of your territorial control, this fence.  We can guide the mob to you from any number of assembly areas, can guide them with free cookies, hot dogs, colored balloons.  Donald Trump you are now essentially imprisoned in the WH.  You can fly in and out of your prison but the streets ..."

3.  The logistical capabilities of antifa+ are also impressive.  They can move people around the country with ease, position pallet loads of new brick,  55 gallon new trash cans of frozen water bottles and other debris suitable for throwing on gridded patterns around cities in a well thought out distribution pattern.  Who pays for this?  Who plans this?  Who coordinates these plans and gives "execute orders?"  AVAAZ?  Maybe.

4.  Antifa+ can create massive propaganda campaigns that fit their agenda.  These campaigns are fully supported by the MSM and by many in the Congressional Democratic Party.  The present meme of "Defund the Police" is an example.  This appeared miraculously, and simultaneously across the country.  I am impressed.  Yesterday the frat boy type who is mayor of Minneapolis was booed out of a mass meeting of radicals in that fair city because he refused to endorse abolishing the police force.  Gutting the civil police forces has long been a major goal of the far left, but now, they have the ability to create mass hysteria over it when they have an excuse.  

5.  The senior civilians in DoD and the US military high command appear to no longer accept their constitutional subordination to the President of the United States.  They countermanded several of his instructions recently and simply ignored others.  IMO they are now de facto allies of Muriel Bowser and antifa+ in thwarting President Trump's ability to manage the street situation in the capital of the US and in confining him to the WH grounds unless he comes and goes by helicopter.  The House of Representatives want to have Esper and Milley testify this week as to their actions and attitudes.  Good!  I want to hear it.

6.  George Floyd.  A minister in Texas eulogized him yesterday and in doing so compared him to Jesus.  Really?  Really?  Perhaps a new religion will spring up based on his martyred sanctity.  Yes.  Chauvin is a brute, but George Floyd was no saint.

Antifa+ and their globalist political allies made a lot of progress recently, a lot.  The questions remain as to where the money, training in planning and logistics come from.  pl 

Shall George Floyd Have a Statue

A question posed by Fred.

Our ancestors raised many statues to men and women of renown. Leaders in war, in peace, in education, in medicine, in governance. In reflecting upon an oration by Charles Francis Adams I read some years past and in light of current events I thought it might be a question worthy of this Committee of Correspondense. He quotes Carlye, as a reference point to his comments:

"Carlyle wrote more than a century ago "Whom do you wish to resemble ? Him you set on a high column. Who is to have a statue ? means. Whom shall we consecrate and set apart as one of our sacred men? Sacred: that all men may see him. We reminded of him, and by new example added to old perpetual precept, be taught what is real worth in man. Show me the man you honor: I know by that symptom, better than by any other-. what kind of man you yourself are. For you show me there half a century ago, so now what your ideal of manhood is : what kind of man you long inexpressibly to be, and would thank the gods, wilt your whole soul, for being if you could.” ¹ 

In this vein I will lay out my considerations, and hope that each of you will consider this when refelcting upon the question, "Shall George Floyd Have a Staute. 

Death of George Floyd in Minneapolis Result of Approved Minneapolis Police Training by Larry C Johnson

The Minneapolis police officers accused of murdering George Floyd are being railroaded and are likely to be exonerated once the full evidence is presented. This does not mean that I approve of or endorse how the Minneapolis cops handled the situation. But the video that has enraged so many people is very misleading.

If you are part of the mob ready to lynch Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the "murder" of George Floyd, you may have to put your rope away. I think Chauvin will be able to prove in court that his use of his knee on the side of the neck of Floyd was a technique he had been trained to use by the Minneapolis Police Department. It is in the training manual and has been on the books for more than eight years. Don't take my word for it, read it yourself:

5-311 USE OF NECK RESTRAINTS AND CHOKE HOLDS (10/16/02) (08/17/07) (10/01/10) (04/16/12)

DEFINITIONS I.

Choke Hold: Deadly force option. Defined as applying direct pressure on a person’s trachea or airway (front of the neck), blocking or obstructing the airway (04/16/12)

Neck Restraint: Non-deadly force option. Defined as compressing one or both sides of a person’s neck with an arm or leg, without applying direct pressure to the trachea or airway (front of the neck). Only sworn employees who have received training from the MPD Training Unit are authorized to use neck restraints. The MPD authorizes two types of neck restraints: Conscious Neck Restraint and Unconscious Neck Restraint. (04/16/12)

Conscious Neck Restraint: The subject is placed in a neck restraint with intent to control, and not to render the subject unconscious, by only applying light to moderate pressure. (04/16/12)

Unconscious Neck Restraint: The subject is placed in a neck restraint with the intention of rendering the person unconscious by applying adequate pressure. (04/16/12)

PROCEDURES/REGULATIONS II.

The Conscious Neck Restraint may be used against a subject who is actively resisting. (04/16/12)

The Unconscious Neck Restraint shall only be applied in the following circumstances: (04/16/12)
On a subject who is exhibiting active aggression, or;

For life saving purposes, or;

On a subject who is exhibiting active resistance in order to gain control of the subject; and if lesser attempts at control have been or would likely be ineffective.

Neck restraints shall not be used against subjects who are passively resisting as defined by policy. (04/16/12)

After Care Guidelines (04/16/12)

After a neck restraint or choke hold has been used on a subject, sworn MPD employees shall keep them under close observation until they are released to medical or other law enforcement personnel.
An officer who has used a neck restraint or choke hold shall inform individuals accepting custody of the subject, that the technique was used on the subject.

The crucial question will be whether George Floyd "exhibited active aggression." The video record of the incident is incomplete. New footage has emerged that shows Floyd in the vehicle and he is not sitting passively. The new video shows evidence of a struggle aka "active aggression."

Will Muriel lead the attack on the White House?

What you are looking at, pilgrims, is a view up 16th St NW from K Street to the White House.  You can see the steeple of St. John's Episcopal Church on the left at the end with Lafayette Park and the White House beyond.

The Democrats are seeking to bring 1 million of their flock (protestors, anarchists and antifa+) to Washington this weekend.  

Muriel Bowser,  (mayor of the autonomous city of Washington) has sent an official letter to Trump requesting the removal of all federal military and security forces from the city.  What the basis for that might be escapes me. The District of Columbia is not a state.  It is an administrative convenience for the federal government.  It never had an elected government until 1973.  That change in government encouraged by LBJ caused what was called the "run for the bridges."

IMO what Bowser has done on 16th Street today is create a clearly marked assembly area for a very large mob.  It is two blocks long and aimed squarely at the White House.

IMO the response should be to bring a rifle company of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (Old Guard) from Ft. Myer or Ft. McNair (divided garrison) and position it on the White House lawn with a big pile of ammunition to await any breach by Bowser's Army.  The rest of 3rd Infantry and the marines at 8th and I can wait in reserve. 

But can we be sure that Esper and Milley will defend the White House?

Let the die be cast.  pl

"Defund the Police!" Start with Blue cities...

"America badly needs to rethink its priorities for the whole criminal-justice system, with Floyd’s death drawing urgent, national attention to the necessity for police reform. Activists, civil-rights organizations, academics, policy analysts, and politicians have drawn up a sprawling slate of policies that might help end police brutality, eliminate racist policing, improve trust between cops and the communities they work in, and lower crime levels.

A more radical option, one scrawled on cardboard signs and tagged on buildings and flooding social media, is to defund the cops. What might that mean in practice? Not just smaller budgets and fewer officers, though many activists advocate for that. It would mean ending mass incarceration, cash bail, fines-and-fees policing, the war on drugs, and police militarization, as well as getting cops out of schools. It would also mean funding housing-first programs, creating subsidized jobs for the formerly incarcerated, and expanding initiatives to have mental-health professionals and social workers respond to emergency calls.

Read: How to actually fix America’s police

More broadly, the demand to divest from policing doubles as a call to invest in safety, security, and racial justice. This week, cops in riot gear teargassed teenagers, Humvees patrolled near the White House, and military helicopters buzzed protesters. At the same time, health workers fought COVID-19 wearing reused masks. This is not serving. This is not protecting."  Anne Lowry at The Atlantic

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How did The Atlantic become so Left?  That happened while I was not paying attention.  Ms. Lowry seems a sincere soul.  I wonder which of the Seven Sisters or the Ivies she flowered at.  Ah! I see now that it was Harvard.  One of my ancestors was a Puritan minister who was among the founders of the place.  Would that have made me a "legacy?  She is married to Ezra Klein whom I have thought a sensible fellow.

"Man is born free and is everywhere in chains."  This quote from Jean Jacques Rousseau seem to lie at the heart of  Ms. Lowry's core beliefs as to the possible nature of human societies.  She believes people to be inherently good and capable of living together without rules or sheepdogs to keep them in line and on the job.

Floyd's death and the media induced hysteria that has followed provide a plausible excuse and platform for people like Lowry to push for a well established meme of the far left, i.e., "Defund the Police!"  

Well, pilgrims, I do not believe humans are innately good, quite the opposite.  But, the experiment in abolition of policemen and their replacement with social workers would be interesting.

If the Lowrys of the world want to try this, they should begin with cities controlled by Ms. Lowry's comrades.  Minneapolis would be the ideal place to begin, followed by Los Angeles, Oakland, California and the like.  Ah, I almost forgot Richmond, Virginia.  pl

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/defund-police/612682/