Month: July 2018

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Is Socialism the Future of the Democrat Party?

Is Socialism the future of the Democrat Party?

Democrat National Committee Chair Tom Perez has stated that candidates such as New York City socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are the future of his party. Ocasio-Cortrz defeated a powerful incumbent, Joe Crowley, who had been seen as a potential successor to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. (Perez himself is a radical left-wing ideologue.) In a Nebraska swing district, progressive neophyte Kara Eastman beat another established Democrat figure. In Maine, Maine Democrat Zak Ringelstein, also a socialist, is running for U.S. Senate. And of course, in the last Democrat primary season, Hillary Clinton, a fan herself of left-wing causes, resorted to dirty tricks to insure her victory over socialist Bernie Sanders.

Considering that the Democrat Party is now strongly influenced, indeed, some might argue led at least partially by socialists, it is remarkable that there has not been a national conversation about the implications of bringing socialism within American government. Dave Nammo, writing for the National Review  reports that “The American Culture and Faith Institute recently conducted a survey of adults 18 and older. It shows not only how deeply divided Americans are on some issues but also how their view of the nation stands in many cases in stark contrast to our nation’s founding principles…The…Institute recently conducted a survey of adults 18 and older…The most alarming result… was that four out of every ten adults say they prefer socialism to capitalism…”

In every inhabited continent, and in every type of nation, socialism has been tried, and produced little more than economic misery and failure.  Some might argue that some nations that have a degree of socialism, such as those in Europe, have not been plunged into bankruptcy.  But the reality is that their economies are facing significant downfalls in the near future, and the avoidance of disaster so far has been dependent on U.S. taxpayers buying their products in uneven trade schemes, and on American taxpayers paying for vital portions of their defense bills. Even China’s powerful economy would collapse without American consumers.
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Despite that, socialism is growing in popularity in America.

As the Russian publication RT notes  “Since its heyday in the early 20th Century, socialism in the US struggled to win even a tiny following. Now candidates are openly calling themselves socialists and winning elections…Clearly, some kind of tectonic shift is underway in American politics, because Ocasio-Cortez is not the only socialist winning elections and ousting establishment Democrats. Four incumbent members of the state legislature in Pennsylvania, a state that narrowly voted for Trump in 2016, were defeated this year in primaries by insurgent candidates – all of them, like Osario-Cortez, members of Democratic Socialists of America, a little-known political group that has suddenly grown in membership from 6000 prior to 2016 to over 40,000 this year. Socialism as a political force has never had an easy time in the US…Now, in part because the Sanders campaign has made socialist ideas like national healthcare and free college education – once not on any Democratic candidate’s campaign agenda – suddenly acceptable topics for political discourse, his millions of enthusiastic youthful supporters from that campaign are openly considering socialism …One sign that this sudden popularity of socialist politics and ideas is not just a short-time phenomenon is that it’s showing up most among younger people, many of whom hadn’t shown much interest in politics before.  A Harvard University study published in April for example, found that 51 percent of those between the ages of 18-29 disliked capitalism, with a majority preferring socialism as a political system.  A year earlier, the conservative magazine National Review wrote with alarm that in the wake of the Sanders campaign, a poll by the conservative American Culture and Faith Institute had found 40 percent of Americans saying they favored socialism over capitalism.”

The Report Concludes Tomorrow.

Illustration: Marx & Lenin (Pixabay)

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Corporate Treason

Both Conservatives and Liberals have expressed unease about corporations that, despite being based within the United States, have little or no loyalty to their home country.  Those fears are justified.

American companies have been forced to give trade secrets to the Chinese government in order to do business in that nation. At times, of course, this has been done at the behest of some politicians.

Roger Vadum, writing for the Capital Research Center  explains: “As president, Bill Clinton essentially wiped out any strategic advantage the U.S. had by selling advanced U.S. missile technology to our enemy, the People’s Republic of China…the Clinton administration accepted millions of dollars from the military and intelligence services of at least one hostile foreign power. All of this was done in exchange for illegal campaign contributions from a massive totalitarian country determined to eclipse the U.S. as a world superpower…President Clinton also lifted security controls, allowing thieves to access other vital military technologies, while disarming his own side and opposing needed defenses…Back in the 1990s… longtime Clinton bagman Terry McAuliffe, now governor of Virginia, set records raising money for the Clintons. In that era congressional investigators unearthed an elaborate Communist Chinese money-laundering scheme.”

While President Clinton’s tenure is now history, the acquiescence of some corporations to transfer data, or kowtow to practices that violate human rights, in order to gain market share within nations ruled by authoritarian governments, China being the prime example, continues.  Fighting this demand by Beijing has been a central issue in President Trump’s fight against unfair practices by America’s trading partners, friendly and otherwise.

Current corporate inappropriate interaction with hostile powers differs from the Clinton-era scandal. A key player in this issue is Facebook. David Shepardson, in a Reuters report notes:

“Facebook Inc (FB.O) said Tuesday it has data sharing partnerships with at least four Chinese companies including Huawei, the world’s third largest smartphone maker, which has come under scrutiny from U.S. intelligence agencies on security concerns. …Chinese telecommunications companies have come under scrutiny from U.S. intelligence officials who argue they provide an opportunity for foreign espionage and threaten critical U.S. infrastructure…”

Within continue reading address tadalafil buy the pages of this ancient testimonial is a reasonable vent for sexual power. These rates fluctuate based upon the technique applied and level of experience by order viagra levitra the doctor, and how results are evaluated. It is the quickest way of buying any levitra cost of medication online is quite simple. A well-known buy sildenafil canada Chinese natural herb, ginseng, has been used for centuries in Asia to treat stress-related health conditions. Google, another major internet-based giant, has proven to be a disloyal corporate citizen for other reasons. The most important military technology battlefield today is in the field of artificial intelligence. However, as reported by Douglas MacMillan in the Wall Street Journal  notes: “Google won’t allow its artificial-intelligence products to be used in military weapons…Google…has recently come under criticism from its own employees for supplying image-recognition technology to the U.S. Department of Defense, in a partnership called Project Maven. Google told employees earlier this month it wouldn’t seek to renew its contract for Project Maven, … that decision in turn was blasted by some who said the company shouldn’t be conflicted about supporting national security…Google’s YouTube, along with Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc., were criticized over the past year for failing to prevent a Russian campaign to use their services to sway the results of the U.S. election…Google was questioned by U.S. lawmakers … who are looking into the company’s relationship with Chinese tech giants. Sen. Mark Warner (D., Va.) on Thursday asked Alphabet Inc. and Twitter Inc. about data-sharing with Chinese vendors, including Xiaomi and Tencent Holdings Google’s relationship with China’s Huawei Technologies Co., part of Washington’s escalating digital Cold War with Beijing.”

According to former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg (and a major information and technology corporate figure himself)  , writing for his eponymous publication, Google has “Walked away from America’s security…Google’s decision not to renew a contract to develop artificial intelligence for the Defense Department was a victory for the employees who had protested it. It was also a defeat for U.S. national security, patriotism, and the cause of limiting civilian casualties in war…Google’s leaders also seem to have forgotten the vital role the government, and especially the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, played in creating the internet and making their company possible in the first place. Yet, from Apple’s refusal to unlock the iPhone of a mass-murdering terrorist to Project Maven, tech firms have repeatedly snubbed law-enforcement, intelligence and defense agencies.”

It’s vitally important to read between the lines.  Are companies like Google, as well as Facebook, reluctant to assist the U.S. government, or give fair access and provide objective search results to pro-defense conservatives in the hopes of appeasing China and gaining access to its vast market?

How dangerous is the impulse by Facebook and Google to appease China? Consider Robert Schlesinger’s comment’s in US News: “the Pew Research Center reported this week that 62 percent of U.S. adults get news on social media.  Fully two-thirds of U.S. Facebook users get news from the site…The role of big social media in news distribution has been top of mind with the recent controversy surrounding Facebook reportedly suppressing conservative content…Robert Epstein and Ronald Robertson of the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology have conducted more extensive research measuring what they call “Search Engine Manipulation Effect” – looking at whether Google, say, could shift votes by tweaking its search engine to favor one candidate. His conclusion is that doing so could “easily shift the voting preferences of undecided voters by 20 percent or more – up to 80 percent in some demographic groups,” as Epstein wrote in Politico last summer – with virtually no one knowing they are being manipulated. Around the world, Epstein and Robertson calculate, Google could flip upwards of 25 percent of national elections if it wanted to wield that power.”

If that power were used on behalf of an American enemy in return for access to that nation’s markets, it could be devastating.

Illustration: Pixabay

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Why Die for Danzig? Part 2

Despite the lessons of history, some have questioned the wisdom of defending the Baltics. James Coyle, writing in The Hill  examines this viewpoint.

“ There are good reasons, however, that the United States should not have involved itself in the defense of these countries. They were part of the Soviet Union for over a half-century, which allowed many residents to develop an affinity for Russia. One-third of the population of Latvia and one-quarter of Estonians consider themselves ethnically Russian… The countries face pressure from Moscow in the energy sector. Lithuania gets all its oil and natural gas from Russia, and Latvia receives the majority of its energy from the same source. Only Estonia has its own supply of shale oil, and ports to bring non-Russian oil into the country by sea.  The Baltics are under threat. According to Lithuanian Army Lt. Col. Algimantas Misiunas, Russian plans to seize the Baltics are more than a wish or desire, but a need. Russia needs a land bridge with Kaliningrad, full access and control of the Baltic Sea, and the restoration of its Soviet-era influence in Europe. Independent Baltic States stand in the way of all these goals… should these countries be abandoned in the face of Russian aggression, it would mean the collapse of the alliance.”

How is NATO defending the Baltics?

The defense of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania is particularly relevant, and difficult. A study by the Center for European Policy Analysis, a non-profit, non-partisan, public policy research institute describes the challenge.

“A 65-kilometer wide stretch of land between Belarus and Kaliningrad— the Suwałki Corridor—…is NATO’s physical link between the Baltic littoral to the north and the European plain to the south. If this Corridor is not fully secured, NATO’s credibility as a security guarantor to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia could be seriously undermined.

“It is a relatively small strip of land that contains only two narrow highways and one railway line, and presents significant impediments to maneuver. If Russian forces ever established control over the Suwałki region, or even threatened the free movement of NATO personnel and equipment through it, they would effectively cut the Baltic States off from the rest of the Alliance. Such an outcome could make reinforcing the Baltic States by land exceptionally difficult. Deterring any potential action—or even the threat of action—against Suwałki is therefore essential for NATO’s credibility and Western cohesion. And in learning how to deter potential Russian aggression, the applicable lessons from Suwałki can and should be applied throughout NATO’s Eastern Flank.

“At the 2016 Warsaw Summit, the Alliance agreed to deploy four multinational battalion battle groups on a rotational basis into Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. These units, often called tripwire forces, are led by the UK, Canada, Germany, and the United States, respectively. Their purpose: to deter Russia and demonstrate that any military action against an ally would automatically trigger the influx of a 40,000-strong rapid reaction force and a full-scale NATO counterassault. This step was welcomed and needed. The current challenge for NATO is how to buttress its existing tripwire capabilities, including troops, transports, logistical support, and infrastructure, for quickly mobilizing reinforcements to defend allies in the event of a crisis. This is the key to providing a fully effective and robust deterrent against future Russian probes of allied solidarity and resolve.

“Despite NATO’s commitments, questions have been raised since the 2016 Warsaw Summit about the overall effectiveness of current tripwire deployments in Poland and the Baltic States. If an opponent knows the location of a tripwire it might simply avoid it. The positioning of military hardware without the permanent presence of U.S. and other allied troops is therefore premised on a two-part assumption:

Assumption 1: In event of attack, national armed forces and civilian reserve corps, together with limited contingents from NATO tripwire forces, will be able to impede or delay an aggressor long enough for;
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Assumption 2: The timely reinforcement by distant NATO units who will prevent a territorial fait accompli at the peace table.

“Recognizing these assumptions, however, Moscow is in a position to exploit the predictable doubts, uncertainties, and political cleavages which could emerge inside the Alliance during a crisis. Consequently, Russia could decide to test NATO’s response in several possible scenarios, whether through a low-threshold “hybrid” probe, a limited or temporary incursion, a rapid thrust to capture territory, or by threatening a wider war if NATO responds forcefully. Some or all of the above operations could be conducted consecutively or simultaneously.

“The Suwałki Corridor is particularly vulnerable given the continued, intensified militarization of Kaliningrad and Russia’s Western Military District. All the while, Moscow is able to use Belarusian territory as either a staging ground for offensive operations against NATO, or for positioning advanced A2/AD (Anti-Access Area Denial) capabilities pursuant to its military-political agreements with Minsk. Either option is a potential threat to Suwałki and the Alliance as a whole. For Russia, closing the Suwałki Corridor is likely to be a part of a broader strategic offensive in the region. In this case, the aim would not necessarily be to hold Suwałki, but rather to deny access to it to NATO and its reinforcements.

“Open source estimates put the number of total active forces in the Western Military District of Russia (e.g., NATO’s eastern border) at 330,000 troops. Moscow’s arsenal of weapons includes multi-layered air defense, mobile coastal defense, land- and sea-based cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic-missile platforms. Moscow has also positioned WMD-capable Iskander ballistic missiles in Kaliningrad. With a striking range of 500 kilometers, these missiles can target critical infrastructure, counterforce assets, troop concentrations, C2 facilities, and civilian populations in a wide arc across Poland and the Baltic region. An additional strategic threat comes from the Russian Baltic fleet, whose ships, in the near term, include Kalibr Land Attack CruiseMissile capabilities. The advanced variant of Kalibr reportedly has a 2,500-kilometer range—effectively reaching most of Europe.4,5

“Although NATO does not have comparable military capabilities in the Baltic zone, it does possess significant assets in Germany and other parts of Europe that can be deployed in the event of a crisis. The question is how rapidly these forces can be mobilized to enter a contested theater. In theory, the speed and strength of NATO’s military response should serve as a deterrent to Russia’s initial aggression, with its effectiveness increased by accelerating recognition, decision, and reinforcement…

“The challenge for NATO is to create the capabilities, including troops, transport, and infrastructure, for quickly mobilizing reinforcements to defend each ally. Such a posture is the key to an effective deterrence. The Suwałki Corridor is particularly vulnerable given the continued militarization of Kaliningrad and Russia’s Western Military District. For Moscow, closing the Suwałki Gap is likely to be a part of a broader strategic offensive. The aim would not necessarily be to hold the area but to deny it to NATO and its reinforcements. Although NATO does not have comparable military capabilities to Russia in the Baltic zone, it possesses significant assets in Germany and other parts of Europe that can be deployed in the event of crisis. The focus must be on guaranteeing that these forces can be mobilized to rapidly enter the combat theater. Indeed, the speed and nature of NATO’s military response should serve as a deterrent to Russia’s initial aggression. In addition to a guaranteed surge of NATO reinforcements, each state bordering Russia requires three fundamental elements: early warning of Moscow’s covert subversion of a targeted area that can be thwarted or contained; capable forces that can respond quickly to an assault on their territorial integrity; and adequate infrastructure and prepositioned equipment to allow for the speedy deployment of NATO troops.”

The Soviet Union’s successor state, Russia, is the last surviving heir of the Nazi-Communist axis of the 20th century that ravaged the world with war and mass murder. Allowing it to turn the clock back and reclaim part of the territory it conquered emboldens Moscow, and Beijing as well, to adopt aggression and war as the keystones of foreign policy.

Photo: Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius met with Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola. The Admiral thanked the Prime Minister for Lithuania’s participation in NATO operations,  (Lithuanian Government)

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Why Die for Danzig

Questions have been raised concerning the wisdom of NATO’s commitment to its Baltic State members, including Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.

The three Baltic states were conquered by the USSR in 1940 during Russia’s alliance with Hitler. They only regained their freedom after the Soviet Union collapsed. Those who fail to see the necessity of defending those countries ignore the lessons of history.

In the runup to World War 2, many questioned whether it was worth the effort to oppose Hitler’s invasion of the city of Danzig (now the Polish city of Gdansk).  In 2014, the same year Obama withdrew U.S. tanks from Europe and Russia invaded Ukraine,  an Economist article reported the concern raised by  some in Poland:  “SEVENTY-FIVE years after the start of the second world war, the West seems to capitulate again to aggression, say Polish intellectuals. Why die for Danzig? – this phrase has become symbolic of the attitude of Western Europe to the war that broke out 75 years ago. The French and British policy of appeasement emboldened the Nazi dictator to invade Austria, occupy the Sudetenland and finally crush Czechoslovakia without any serious consequences for Hitler and the Third Reich. Even when on September 1st, 1939, after the Soviet-German pact had been signed, the Western powers mustered up only enough courage to embark on the so-called phony war. Their belief in being able to save their own skin by turning a blind eye on the destruction of Danzig emboldened Hitler to make the next act of aggression. After that he captured Warsaw, then another European capital, Paris, and not long after that the Nazis started dropping bombs on London.”

The Trump Administration, in a sharp reversal of the Obama White House (which slashed military funding and, as previously, inexplicably withdrew all U.S. tanks from Europe) has increased defense spending and the U.S. commitment to NATO, even while concurrently sharply criticizing many alliance members for not contributing their fair share.

A Brookings Institute study analyzed U.S. defense spending compared to NATO allies.
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“In 2017, the U.S. defense budget of $686 billion equaled 3.6 percent of GDP, by far the largest of any NATO member. The combined defense budgets of all other NATO members totaled $271 billion in 2017. Because most NATO members are small countries, only ten members spent more than $10 billion. In rank order, these are: U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Turkey, Spain, Poland and (just barely) Netherlands…In 2017, the defense budgets of the U.K., Greece, and Estonia—like the U.S.—exceeded 2 percent of GDP. France, Romania, Lithuania, and Latvia all were close—less than 0.3 percent under the two percent target. To meet the 2 percent target…four would increase their spending by $10 billion or more: Germany, Italy, Canada and Spain…if all NATO members had spent two percent of GDP on defense in 2017, the total increase in defense spending would have been $114 billion…”

In testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2017,Lisa Sawyer Samp ,a  Senior Fellow from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) described the relationship with the Baltics:

“Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014, the Baltic States—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—were quickly elevated as a U.S. defense priority. This was due not only to their multiple requests for assistance based on a perceived vulnerability vis-à-vis Russia, but also due to the emerging recognition within Washington that the NATO alliance…had likely underappreciated the need to take appropriate precautions for deterrence and defense in Europe’s own backyard… none could discount the possibility completely given ‘Moscow’s aggressive foreign policy and pattern of military intervention along its borders, combined with the strategic vulnerability of NATO’s eastern allies, particularly the Baltic States…[whose militaries] are small, geographically isolated, and lack mobility, firepower, and air and naval capability.’ …In many ways, the credibility of allies’ Article 5 commitment [which mandates that an attack on one NATO member must be treated as an attack on all] became tied to their response in the Baltic States. The United States became the first to respond by surging air, land, and sea forces into Eastern Europe. The immediate U.S. deployment sent a strong signal of resolve to Moscow, calmed nervous allies, and initiated what would become an alliance-wide reassurance effort that included additional force presence, enhanced training and exercises, prepositioned equipment, and infrastructure improvements. Since that time, the United States and its allies have begun to transition from reassurance-focused measures to those that seek to establish a longer-term credible deterrence.”

The Report Concludes Tomorrow

Photo:  Stalin (Pixabay)

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Political Motives Behind Weakened Border Enforcement

U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) , Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY)- have introduced the “Establishing a Humane Immigration Enforcement System Act.” The legislation would convene a “commission of experts” to provide a roadmap for Congress to implement an altered, and presumably weaker, form of  immigration enforcement. The legislation is cosponsored byRepresentatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Jim McGovern (D-MA), José E. Serrano (D-NY), Adam Smith (D-WA), and Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY).

The bill provides few specific details on what ICE should be replaced with.  That’s probably intentional.

To a significant extent, the measure may be more of a rallying cry to the left. It also appears to be a bid to increase the potential vote on the Democrat line, since most newcomers to the U.S. tend to vote for that party at least until they become vested in the American economic system.

Peter Beinart, who describes himself as a liberal, provided  this analysis in A 2017 Atlantic article of the radical Democrat position  :

“Between 2008 and 2016, Democrats became more and more confident that the country’s growing Latino population gave the party an electoral edge. To win the presidency, Democrats convinced themselves, they didn’t need to reassure white people skeptical of immigration so long as they turned out their Latino base. ‘The fastest-growing sector of the American electorate stampeded toward the Democrats this November,’ Salon declared after Obama’s 2008 win. ‘If that pattern continues, the GOP is doomed to 40 years of wandering in a desert.’…As the Democrats grew more reliant on Latino votes, they were more influenced by pro-immigrant activism….Alongside pressure from pro-immigrant activists came pressure from corporate America, especially the Democrat-aligned tech industry, which uses the H-1B visa program to import workers. In 2010, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, along with the CEOs of companies including Hewlett-Packard, Boeing, Disney, and News Corporation, formed New American Economy to advocate for business-friendly immigration policies. Three years later, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates helped found FWD.us to promote a similar agenda.’”

Shane Savitsky, writing in Axios, gives his view of why democrats have moved left on Immigration:

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The blatantly partisan move by Democrats, and their increased use of soft violence and intimidation against opposition figures has met with stiff reaction. Paul Crookston, writing in the Free Beacon  reports that “Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said…he will not be intimidated by protesters who confront him calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” McConnell had recently been accosted by demonstrators shouting “Abolish ICE” at a restaurant in Kentucky. The Senate Majority leader noted that several key Democrat senators, including Kirsten Gillibrand, (NY) Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Kamala Harris (Calif.) were essentially demanding “open borders.”

A FAIRUS study outlines the role noncitizens play in U.S. elections, a role primarily strengthening Democrats:

“…there is evidence that both foreign nationals who are lawfully present in the United States and illegal aliens have voted in recent elections. … noncitizens have been discovered on voter registration rolls in both Virginia and Pennsylvania…Several past elections – for the presidency and other offices – have been extremely close. Accordingly, ballots cast by noncitizen voters have the potential to improperly alter the outcome of elections…laws requiring voting registrants and voters to establish proof of citizenship have been repeatedly challenged in recent years.  The most frequent objections to these reasonable measures are that voter fraud is a ‘myth’ and that voter ID requirements will unreasonably interfere with the right to vote. However, these claims seem patently unreasonable given that there have been numerous reports of unlawful voting by aliens but no virtually no reports of voters being disenfranchised.

“Marking a disturbing new trend, several municipalities…have begun allowing noncitizens to vote in town…State efforts to extend the franchise to noncitizens undermine the rule of law; blur the distinctions between citizens and noncitizens; and render U.S. elections susceptible to both fraud and foreign influence… In 2014, a study released by a team of professors from Old Dominion University and George Mason University estimated that approximately 6.4 percent of noncitizens voted In the 2008 presidential election. They also surmised that 2.2 percent voted in the 2010 midterm election.20 In addition, the study estimated that 80 percent of noncitizens who appeared to have voted cast their ballots in favor of one party. Noncitizens are believed to have voted in these elections in numbers great enough to have affected the outcome.”

Photo:  Ice apprehending a fugitive (ICE photo)

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How America Disappears

The future survival of the United States, particularly as a Constitutional Republic, grows ever more tenuous each day. The threat comes from within. Now that attention is finally being paid to restore funds to America’s armed forces, the chances of a catastrophic military disaster have been commensurately reduced, but the internal threat metastases.

The United States is, first and foremost, an idea, perhaps even an ideal. The concept of individual rights, of authority that governs on behalf of, not over, each citizen was unique when the country was proclaimed in 1776. Unfortunately, it remains a rarity today as well.  Using a wide variety of excuses, many if not most governments around the world, some overtly and some hiding behind economic, religious, racial or ethnic justifications, ignore individual rights to either limited or significant degrees.

The danger to America rests in the tendency of far too great a proportion of our own political, media and intellectual leaders to buy into those excuses.  They seek to adapt discredited concepts, sharply altering the national character.  Barack Obama stated that he sought to “fundamentally transform” the nation, and in his extraconstitutional acts and ideas, it became evident how serious he was.

The voters rejected his ideas in 2016, but those advocating them are effectively continuing the battle.  They are winning the fight for the future.

Since the United States is a nation based on an idea, the most effective way to eliminate it in any recognizable form is to eliminate that idea.  That’s being accomplished diligently and relentlessly.  It’s being done, in its most insidious way, within our educational system.  History and civics are no longer taught objectively.  From grammar school straight through PH.D. programs, a curriculum heavily based on left-wing views and concepts is the norm.  Studies have indicated the nation’s young both lack adequate knowledge of American history and have been heavily influenced by the totalitarian ideals of Marxists.

Those seeking to examine the socialist concept that holds sway among their academic instructors will find little to guide them otherwise.  Social media and internet behemoths have established algorithms that weed out or obscure contrary perspectives. Entertainment venues are largely dominated by those with leftist perspectives. On a recent visit to an independent bookstore near Harvard, there were numerous hard-left works featured, but almost no centrist or conservative counterparts were visible even after a time-consuming search.

A recent survey found that the number of individuals claiming to be “extremely proud” to be American has dwindled to record lows.  It is a solid indication of how successful the information vacuum created by academia, the majority of news outlets, and Hollywood have been in their steadfast propaganda war against the nation’s central ideals.
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All this occurs, ironically, as the examples of alternative visions of government from across the planet demonstrate how poorly they serve their populations.  The Soviet Union collapsed due to the inadequacy of its own economic system and its rejection of personnel freedom.  Venezuela, once a prosperous nation anticipating a bright future, has descended into chaos, poverty, and near despotism due to its socialist regimes. China, without American consumers, would not have become a powerhouse. Even the relatively prosperous nations of Europe (a prosperity based in part on the United States paying much of its defense bills and providing a major market for its goods) are facing a population that has grown angry about overbearing and overregulating bureaucrats that make a mockery of the democratic ideal.

That particular European problem is a rising tendency in the U.S. as well.  It can be seen in some career bureaucrats thumb their noses at Congress, in executive branch officials seeking to ignore the president to follow their own agendas, and when some judges, particularly those in the Ninth Circuit, base rulings not on the Constitution or established law but instead on their own partisan beliefs.

The U.S. has, for 240 years, provided more prosperity and more freedom than any other form of government ever established.  Like anything designed by humans, it has had significant imperfections, imperfections which it has vigorously worked to overcome.  No other form of rule, no other concept of authority, has been even remotely as successful.

That reality has been obscured, intentionally hidden, and lied about by those who simply can’t accept the concept of individual rights. They are doing an extraordinary job of killing the idea, the ideal, of America. If they succeed, the United States, as it has existed until now, will disappear.

Photo: Pixabay

 

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Young, Pretty, and Pointless

Much is always made when attractive young people, male or female, gain victories in primaries or general elections against older opponents.  It is not, perhaps, a coincidence that many of those emphasizing such “qualifications” are television journalists whose major assets is their appearance or pleasing personality, or Hollywood figures whose looks are their livelihood.

What’s missing in this equation is the actual content of their political message. A clear example comes from the coverage of the upset Democrat primary victory of young, pretty Alexandra Ocasio, a socialist, over Joe Crowley, who was a major powerhouse in Congress.

The extensive emphasis on Ms. Ocasio’s youth drowned out the fact that the political philosophy she espouses, and the solutions she has proposed, are disastrous, with a clear and overwhelming record of utter failure. If you like what’s happening in Venezuela, you’ll love what Ms. Ocasio wants to do in America.

The incumbent Ocasio defeated in a lightly attended primary was, himself, a standard example, albeit much older, of a left-wing empty suit.  He parroted all the clichés of that perspective, but with less zest or appeal.

Ms. Ocasio is not alone. In a Nebraska swing district, progressive neophyte Kara Eastman beat another established Democrat figure.  Others will follow.

For far too long, American politics has had all the intellectual heft of a high school election for prom king and queen. For eight years, the totally cool Barack Obama held the country and the press in thrall, despite his stunningly bad record of economic failure, his massive waste of taxpayer dollars, the most failed foreign policy of any post WW2 president, and a horrible habit of emphasizing racial division.  But he was cool, so none of that really seemed to matter.
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Part of the dilemma is the crossroad Democrat leaders found themselves in. Over the eight years of the Obama Administration, the leftists who had assumed power in the party were able to give their platform a truly substantial chance. It failed and failed utterly. The party had two practical options in its aftermath. One was a return to a more centrist position and become more in line with past leaders such as Presidents Harry Truman and John Kennedy, and senators such as Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Henry “Scoop” Jackson. That would allow it to reclaim its blue-collar base but would have lost the enthusiasm of people like Ms. Ocasio.  It chose to become even more radical, as extremists such as DNC chair Tom Perez and Vice Chair Keith Ellison assumed power. The cool kids stayed on board, but the centrists withdrew.

Much of this tendency arises from the failure of our educational system. In what (very) little substantive instruction in history our students receive in the younger grades, and the biased perspectives they are subjected to in higher education, it is the emphasis on cool rather than on real that pervades. You just don’t see many Ronald Reagan posters in college dorms, but the murderous Che Guevara is often seen, despite both his personal failings and those of the political system he espoused.

Tell the legions of Ocasio and the self-proclaimed ultra-cool ANTIFA supporters about the blatant comparisons of North and South Korea, of East and West Germany, of the USSR and the USA, and you will get an eye-roll and a smattering of bumper-sticker clichés in response. That’s truly worrisome. Cool is perhaps part of growing up when you are young and bear few responsibilities. But sooner or later you have to grow up and comprehend the reality that real world problems require real world solutions that actually work.

Families seeking to put food on the table can’t eat cool, and the aggressive leaders in Moscow, Beijing, and terrorists from elsewhere won’t be kept at bay by young and pretty.

Photo: Ms. Ocasio, from her website

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Quick Analysis

Russia’s Naval Threat

While there has been a delayed, and hopefully not too late, awakening to the extraordinary threat posed by China’s massive leap in naval power in the Pacific, Russia’s significant increase in its seafaring nuclear threat and its aggressive moves in the Atlantic and the waters surrounding Europe doubles the challenges facing the U.S. Navy.

An Atlantic alliance review reports that “Russia is challenging NATO at sea as well as ashore. The rather muted response of the Alliance focuses on more information and new command structures to provide a competitive edge. These measures alone will not be a sufficient deterrent… NATO seems to have neglected the sea as a domain of competition, influence and warfare.”

According to British interests seeking to enhance western responses to the growing Russian threat, “Russian naval activity is now at its highest levels since the Cold War…Putin has given priority to nuclear weapons and development of their delivery platforms. Three of the eight planned Borei class SSBNs are operational and the initial problems with their Bulava SLBMs appear to have been overcome. The Russians also retain nuclear-tipped torpedoes and cruise missiles in their naval inventory, although it is unknown if and when they are deployed. It was revealed in 2015 the Russian are developing the Status-6 (NATO reporting name ‘Kanyon’) nuclear-armed UUV which can be launched from a torpedo tube. Having a range of more than 6,000 miles, it is designed to attack ports and coastal areas by creating a tsunami and contaminating the area with radioactive cobalt-60. This an exceptionally dangerous and hard to counter weapon, immune to Western missile defence systems… Faced with a nuclear-armed power, with a strong, unpredictable leader who will probe for weakness and get away with what he can…politicians must face up to this inconvenient reality.”

According to NATO:

“Moscow has funded, delivered and tested new land attack and naval strike missile systems, new sensor arrays, new platforms and new tactics, all of which appear to have stolen any purported Third Offset that the West hoped to develop itself. These capabilities are designed for use in high intensity war fighting. Russia appears to be using these below the threshold of war, whether hybrid, new generation war, or through an updated version of active measures…the Russian Armed Forces are having significantly more success on the battlefield than NATO; it could be argued that this has resulted in greater political influence and leverage as well from North Africa to the Middle East.

“The aggressive posture and activities of Russia in the Baltic, the Balkans, the Arctic, Syria and Ukraine are well known. The new military capabilities being demonstrated and tested in Syria are stimulating arms sales in the Middle East and Pacific, as well as with NATO Allies. Less well understood are moves by Russia in the Balkans and its active presence in Scandinavia: a well tried and tested doctrine of espionage, deception, subterfuge and sabotage that seeks to undermine Western ideology, NATO cohesion and Alliance credibility.

“At sea, Russia is in the process of rebuilding its naval forces. The age and readiness of its vessels across the Northern, Pacific, Black Sea, Baltic and Caspian Sea fleets are no worse than those across NATO, yet the build programme is aggressive and ambitious, focusing on blue-water high intensity warfighting capabilities. Delivering the 100 additional warships (54 major combatants) and submarines (24 new conventional and nuclear hulls) planned before 2020 will be challenging, but it is a coherent force design that will continue to challenge NATO’s naval power for at least two decades.

This turns the generic levitra vardenafil temperature privileged the scrotum upsurge. Though we, as human beings, control our sexual needs and satisfaction is as important as any discount cialis canada other need such as emotional, psychological or mental. Before you go ahead cialis cipla and buy your preferred ED drug online, you must weigh in the pros and cons of each. It is such a medicine that can be nicely and safely used in place of online discount cialis . “There are three notable aspects of Russian naval force development. First, the continued development of the Russian submarine programme, combining autonomous systems with traditional manned platforms. Second is the evolution of Russian missile technology, covering land attack, naval strike, cruise and short-range ballistic systems capable of overwhelming or defeating Western defences.

“Finally, it is clear that Russian forces are not simply investing in new capabilities and technology. Instead it seems that they see opportunities in combining technologies with high political will, an ability to act unpredictably and to out-think NATO. Russia’s Ocean Multipurpose System Status-6 is a good example of this, combining autonomy, weapon knowledge, undersea expertise and stealth into a potentially lethal combination. It is a clear competitor to DARPA’s upward falling payloads.

“That concept of fighting – marrying high political will with geographic unpredictability, knowledge of key domains and a willingness to act outside Western rules of engagement (legally, ethically and morally) – is a distinct challenge for political and military commanders in NATO. By exercising hybrid, grey zone or threshold approaches to activities short of conflict, Russia has seized the initiative on land, and is doing so at sea.

“Moscow can now disrupt European states with capabilities that threaten undersea cables (power, internet and water), fishing and trade activities, Arctic routes, and potentially dictating the pace and scale of migration flows. Simultaneously, Russian air, surface and subsurface forces distract and discombobulate commands from seeing the entirety of the picture. Actions in the Atlantic, under the ice in the Arctic, the Aegean, the Black Sea, the Baltic and the Mediterranean are all linked in Russian thinking. It is a coherent and masterly plan – if somewhat opportunistic in character.”

In response, U.S. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer announced the re-establishment of the 2nd Fleet. According to the U.S. Naval Institute, (USNI)   this was done to counter  “…a more active Russian fleet and increasing military competition across the world.”  Spencer noted that “Our national defense strategy makes clear that we’re back in an era of great power competition as the security environment continues to grow more challenging and complex…That’s why …we’re standing up 2nd Fleet to address these changes, particularly in the North Atlantic.”

Bluntly, this response, while a welcome recognition of the threat and a necessary step, only provides the paperwork response.  Both U.S. and NATO nations need to do far more to meet the combined Russian/Chinese threat.

Picture: NATO maritime forces strengthen interoperability and increase combined anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capability and capacity, during NATO’s annual Dynamic Manta exercise in the Ionian Sea (March 2018). Pictured: ESPS Victoria; photo by FRAN CPO C. Valverde
© NATO HQ MARCOM

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Quick Analysis

How Republics Die

American politics has taken a worrisome turn.  Those knowledgeable of history will recognize the pattern as one replayed in societies that have devolved from democratic principles into totalitarian regimes.

There are several basic, familiar principles at play: the use or threat of force against rivals, the misuse of governmental powers for partisan political purposes, the disregard for accuracy and truth in public discourse, and finally and most importantly, contempt for basic and fundamental laws.

At times, some of these come into play simultaneously, as it has in the recent actions by  a protestor against Homeland Security head Kirstjen M. Nielsen.  Allison Hrabar, an Obama-appointed paralegal at the Department of Justice, drove her from a restaurant. (later, the protest extend to Secretary Nielsen’s home.) The confrontation, according to the perpetrator, was in response to Administration actions separating some children from illegal alien parents. In reality, that policy was one also carried out during the Obama Administration.  Indeed, some of the inflammatory photos published to illustrate the actions against the Trump White House were actually taken during Obama’s presidency. But the truth apparently didn’t matter, either to the protester, or to either the media or opposition politicians who are content to ignore the reality that this practice, which they did not object to during the prior administration, was not created by the current White House.

The threat of force by those opposed to Trump’s candidacy and subsequent presidency has been a constant.  During the campaign, protesters sought to physically block access to his rallies and events, and after election day, engaged in violent actions in several cities, including Washington, D.C. during his inauguration. Response by media, academia, and key Democrats, all of whom should have condemned the violence (even if they agreed with political views of the participants) has been inappropriately sympathetic.

Disregard for the law by those meant to administer it has also been largely conducted by the American left, both in the courts and in the halls of government. The IRS’s overtly and obviously illegal actions against the Tea Party have gone unpunished.  The Federal Bureau of Investigations’ stunning bias in the 2016 campaign, which included the refusal to prosecute Hillary Clinton either for her email abuses or for her role in the sale of uranium to the Russians (in return for “contributions” to her foundation) and the acceptance of individual agents of cash and jobs for family members during that time period from the Clinton campaign and its allies is only now approaching the question of legal accountability.
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That last line of the defense of freedom, the legal system, has also at times and in some areas fallen under the sway of left-wing partisanship.  Ninth Circuit judges have issued a number of rulings which are based solely on their personal political views, disregarding the Constitution, existing statutes, and legal precedent. A number of leftist attorneys general have engaged in harassing actions against political opponents, attacks not based on their targets’ violating any actual law but merely for having a different point of view. (Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch changed the legal paradigm for the worse when she openly considered prosecuting individuals merely for disagreeing with President Obama on climate change.)

Many of these rather blatant abuses could not have been perpetrated without the willing assistance of a media that remains furious over its inability to persuade the public to agree with its hard-left positions.  It has responded by covering up the misdeeds of those it favors and conjuring up untruthful narratives about those it opposes.

After the first two years of the Obama Administration, in which Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, a clearly disenchanted public removed the left from power first in the House, then the Senate, and finally, the White House.  Along the way, Republicans also gained control of most state legislatures and governorships.

Failure at the ballot box led the left to abandon fair play, civil discourse and the law, replacing those virtues with violence, emotional appeals based on false narratives, and manipulation of the bureaucracy. The world has seen this before, and the results have been disastrous.

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Moon Landing Changed Human History

Today marks 4 9 years, almost half a century, since Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, aboard the “Eagle” Lunar Excursion Module, became the first humans to set foot on another world.  Mike Collins orbited overhead in the “Columbia” Command Module.  Upon touching down on the lunar surface, they reported “Houston, Tranquility Base here.  The Eagle has landed.” Later, as Neil Armstrong set foot on the surface, he stated “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

On television, at least one famous news anchor wiped away tears of pride.  Across the planet, people crowded around televisions, news screens in public places such as Times Square, and other informational sites.  There was no internet, of course, back then. Many music radio stations continuously played moon-themed music.

The Astronauts left a plaque that read “We Came in Peace for All Mankind.”  And, indeed, for just a very brief period of time, and despite the competition for space supremacy between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. much of humanity saw itself as a singular entity, a species evolving into something more.

Earlier this century, Air and Space noted that “it signaled a climactic instance in human history…The flight of Apollo 11 met with an ecstatic reaction around the globe, as everyone shared in the success of the astronauts. The front pages of newspapers everywhere suggested how strong the enthusiasm was. NASA estimated that because of nearly worldwide radio and television coverage, more than half the population of the planet was aware of the events of Apollo 11. Although the Soviet Union tried to jam Voice of America radio broadcasts most living there and in other countries learned about the adventure and followed it carefully. Police reports noted that streets in many cities were eerily quiet during the Moon walk as residents watched television coverage in homes, bars, and other public places. Official congratulations poured in to the U.S. president from other heads of state, even as informal ones went to NASA and the astronauts. All nations having regular diplomatic relations with the United States sent their best wishes in recognition of the success of the mission…Those without diplomatic relations with the U.S., such as the People’s Republic of China, made no formal statement on the Apollo 11 flight to the U.S., and the mission was reported only sporadically by its news media because Mao Zedong refused to publicize successes by Cold War rivals.”

In the years since then, America, despite the extraordinary success of efforts such as the space shuttle program and the construction of the international space station, has had a far less ambitious manned space program.  Barack Obama did everything possible to eliminate NASA’s ability to place astronauts in space, and during his tenure the United States endured the humiliation of depending on Russian craft to place personnel aboard the space station that America had largely constructed. However, that situation is undergoing a sharp reversal, as President Trump has enthusiastically supported NASA’s manned space efforts, and its goal of returning to the Moon and then on towards Mars.

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A Space Foundation report in 2007 found that NASA activities resulted in a net gain of about $180 billion to the national economy, a startlingly large return for a budget that is currently about $19 billion. In 2007, then-NASA Administrator Michael Griffin stated:

“NASA opens new frontiers and creates new opportunities, and because of that [NASA] is a critical driver of innovation. We don’t just create new jobs, we create entirely new markets and possibilities for economic growth that didn’t previously exist. This is the emerging space economy, an economy that is transforming our lives here on Earth in ways that are not yet fully understood or appreciated. It is not an economy in space — not yet. But space activities create products and markets that provide benefits right here on Earth, benefits that have arisen from our efforts to explore, understand, and utilize this new medium… We see the transformative effects of the space economy all around us through numerous technologies and life-saving capabilities. We see the space economy in the lives saved when advanced breast cancer screening catches tumors in time for treatment, or when a heart defibrillator restores the proper rhythm of a patient’s heart. We see it when GPS, the Global Positioning System developed by the Air Force for military applications, helps guide a traveler to his or her destination. We see it when weather satellites warn us of coming hurricanes, or when satellites provide information critical to understanding our environment and the effects of climate change. We see it when we use an ATM or pay for gas at the pump with an immediate electronic response via satellite. Technologies developed for exploring space are being used to increase crop yields and to search for good fishing regions at sea.”

The late, brilliant Stephen Hawking believed that “Sending humans to the moon changed the future of the human race in ways that we don’t yet understand.” He stated, notes the British newspaper The Independent  “I believe that the long term future of the human race must be space and that it represents an important life insurance for our future survival, as it could prevent the disappearance of humanity by colonising other planets.”

Photo: Armstrong on the Moon.  (NASA)