End of Summer and Back to School Mail Bag 2023!

It’s been quite a long time since the last mailbag to say the least. The last one I did was just before the 2022 Midterms (!).

It goes without saying a lot has happened in the 10 months since then. The so-called Red Wave never happened, former president Donald Trump has been indicted four times, Boston and Massachusetts both now offer free Community College, Haiti has descended into lawlessness, the Israeli government has embraced Autocracy and so on.

A lot of has happened for me personally as well. As of August 30, I am now enrolled in Bunker Hill Community College. I will be pursuing two Associate’s Degrees and I anticipate being enrolled at BHCC for the next 3 to 8 years if need be. Each degree will take 2 to 3 years but due to my life experiences since my last time at a college, some of that time will likely be cut by a few years. We’ll see.

If you’ve been following this blog over the last few years, you’re likely up to day on a lot of things. I plan to make a separate post on this but I want to make sure I say this before I get into the Q&A. When I first made this particular blog, I said I would use it to share my thoughts, views and opinions on current events and politics.

Although I never once claimed to be a journalist, I do everything I can to be factually accurate and truthful of things I comment on. In other words, I do what I can to avoid knowingly posting misinformation through this blog. At the same time, I am obviously not afraid to make it clear where I stand on certain positions. I have a few specific topics in mind and they will be covered in this Mail Bag.

 

Here’s a quick reminder of a few things:

• I will use Q&A format.
• Those whose questions were chosen were notified in advance but no names will be mentioned here.
• Similar and repeat questions were merged into one question.
• Some topics featured may be revisited in separate posts in the future.

…Ok, here we go!

 

Q: Who is this “certain someone” you mentioned you were getting to help you a few weeks ago when you announced you were making a new blog?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: I got a lot questions on this though those who follow me on Xitter (@LavonDavis617) should already know the answer. The person I was talking about is Jim Stewartson (@jimstewartson on Xitter). I happened upon him by chance in June when Dr. Steve Hassan retweeted something he posted on Xitter at the time. I looked at some of his recent tweets at the time and suddenly a few inconvenient truths I’d been thinking about made a lot of sense thanks to his info.

Just to give a bit of background, Jim Stewartson is a former film maker turned activist who has essentially made it his personal mission to see “Q” aka Mike Flynn locked up and held accountable for turning on his own country. On that note. Jim was able to do very quickly three years ago what the media and the authorities were largely disinterested in doing: Unmasking the former Xitter entity the world knows as “Q”.

I’ll revisit this topic in later Mailbag questions but if you use Xitter, I urge you to follow Jim. I can promise you will learn a lot of–and excuse the pun–bitter realities about things the media is largely ignoring. I’ve commented on a number of his Tweets over the last two months and let’s just say I’ve made a good impression. His knowledge is reliable and trustworthy. He has his eyes and ears on a lot things the FBI should be keeping tabs on but I’ll get into that a bit later too.

Q: Over the last 10 years, Boston has consistently not been getting much if any snowfall. Meanwhile, most of the west coast is literally on fire almost all year round now. Nevermind Tornado Alley expanding into the Deep South.Why do some people continue to insist Climate Change is some Liberal Hoax?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

 

A: Two words: Money and Pandering. It really is that simple for them.

Q: It’s become much harder to not notice a growing number of pastors, evangelical leaders and online preachers co-opting Right wing political rhetoric in recent years. What do you think is behind this and should we be concerned by certain political views being promoted and echoed by faith leaders?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: I want to be careful with how I answer both questions as both have multiple possible answers. What is definitely true is like everyone else, faith leaders are not infalible or immune to Undue Influence.

What I will say regarding the first question is in most cases, there are good intentions. I don’t mean those who honestly believe what they tell their congregation or audience is true, factual and accurate. I mean those who genuinely believe they have a moral mandate to say what they say. Most of those such people can and should be approached with respect and kindly told what the inaccuracies are. Those who are sincere will not be upset and actually will thank you for correcting them.

To repeat that last paragraph with less words: Most genuinely and sincerely believe they have a moral mandate to say what they say based on the information they have, usually from trusted voices or trusted sources.

As for the second question, yes and more so now. Faith leaders with churches based in rural areas have long elevated themselves as the “standard” churches in suburban and urban areas should adhere to. More so in recent years, churches in cities and many suburbs are looked down on as apostate or “compromised with the world”. Why? Because most of them happen to be in places controlled by Democrats or Liberals politically.

This is how and why many of the more Fundamentalist movements have long gotten away with manipulating Republican voters into basically thinking “the only real Christian Americans are Republican Christians” for generations now. This is to say nothing of churches long warning their congrations of the “evils” of Socialism but not saying a think about the evils of Fascism. Bernie Sanders scared Conservatives in 2016 THAT much but I won’t digress further.

What I will say is people need to start having open and honest conversations within their churches. The problem is too many people want someone else to think for them. I don’t just mean Christians but people in general. The excuse they use is if it wasn’t their idea or plan, they can’t or shouldn’t be held responsible for whatever happens.

 

Q: Based on what you are seeing and hearing, do you still believe there will be a Civil War starting around the 2024 Presidental Election? If so, what do you think will set it off?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: Based on a lot of the chatter coming from the Fat Right Media ecosystem, they are planning for something to happen just before, during or after the 2024 Preidential election. Or more likely a combination of all three.

Jim Stewartson recently shared on Xitter video and text exerpts from some of these American traitors.  They are making plans to assassinate Trump to provoke his base to violence. That tells me they believe they have brainwashed enough people to significantly disrupt this country’s ability to function for a prolonged period of time which is their intent.

This is less of a surprise but those same puppeteers have also said they plan to assassinate Biden shortly after they kill Trump. I hope the Secret Service, FBI and the Department of Homeland Security has eyes and ears on that because they wouldn’t openly say they’re going to kill a sitting president unless they believe they have the means and methods to do it at a time of their choosing.

I’m not going to pretend to know methods and means but DHS needs to do a sweep of everyone working in the White House and everyone on the president’s security detail. We need to find out who has ties however remote to these anarchists and traitors working to destroy their own government. As for why they would want to kill Biden, it would be to stop the government from working.

As Vice President, Kamala Harris would succeed Biden if he dies but I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a plan to keep succession from happening too. They wouldn’t have to kill her. Most likely they would arrange to keep her from being sworn in as acting president meaning kidnapping at least until the rest of their plan is carried out. The conspirators would work with their allies Congress to appoint someone to replace Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House–the Speaker of the House is third in the line of succession on that note–who would then become president due to the vacancies of Biden and Harris. She would then reappear to officially succeed Biden and then it would be on.

I’m talking about a massive conspiracy for that to actually happen. At this point, we can’t afford to have a failure of imagination. I am hoping all this does not happen but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Instead of hoping it does not happen, we need to ensure this does not happen.

 

Q: With all the talk about 80+ year old politicians refusing to step aside lately, do you think this will impact Biden’s re-election campaign?

A: It’s a bigger issue to voters than you’d think and the media is right to keep bringing this up. More so after some health scares involving a few prominent polticians and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who is 83 years old announced she plans to seek relection next year.

It’s not Ageism to want younger politicians first and foremost. It’s not just an issue of an older poltician’s health. It’s an issue of being able to see yourself in your elected officials. This is also why there are growing calls for members of Congress to have term limits. There is a wisdom in stepping aside and giving someone from the next generation the opportunity to step up.

That aside, let’s be honest: Over 60% of Democratic voters want someone other than Biden to vote for in 2024. The only way I see that happening is if Biden’s health suddenly changes, forcing him to resign. A second possability is Biden resigns after securing relectiion, allowing Harris to be president during would would have been his second term.

Harris suddenly being more visible in the media lately is why that second scenario is a real possability. A remote possability but it could still happen. I can already tell Biden has a few cards he’s playing close to the vest and that could be one of them. We’ll probably have a better idea next summer.

Getting back on the topic of Biden’s age with the upcoming election. I’ll say the part that’s becoming politically unpopular to say: Yes, his age IS a liability going into the 2024 election. It is a fact people don’t want to vote for him for that reason alone.

I have serious concerns about how many people actually will vote in 2024 on that note. The 2020 election was decided by only two thirds of voters. About 100 Million Americans who could have voted stayed home. That speaks to the fact a growing number of Americans no longer believe in the Democratic process. They no longer believe in the democratic process in part because for decades, they’ve seem the same people getting re-elected to office and often without someone running agains them. They simply win by default by virtue of no one running against them.

Decades of this is what paved the way for populist candidates and politicians like Trump and Hillary Clinton who legit believe they should be president because many people want them to be. I’m not pulling Bothsidesism in mentioning the 2016 presidental candidates. I’m being blunt. I’ll get into this more and why the Dems are setting themselves up for failure with a related question I’m going to answer a bit later.

 

Q: Elon Musk just revealed he ordered his Starlink Orbital system be shut down last year just before the Ukrainian military was about to launch an attack on Russian naval forces after speaking to someone in the Russian Military. Afterward, Russian forces attacked a town and many civilians were killed. Should the U.S. Government be involved and should the Ukrainian government hold Musk personally responsible?

A: Yes, the U.S. government needs to step in because Musk just revealed he is an enemy combatant. The Ukrainian government suspected it from the beginning but not that it’s been confirmed, they are not beating around the bush. They consider Musk to be directly responsible for prolonging their conflict with Russia. It’s hard to disagree with that at this point personally.

Apparently, U.S. officials long ignored warning signs Elon Musk would try to help Putin with Ukraine. He should not be a free man right now. At the very least, DHS and the FBI need to find out who within the Russian government Musk is in contact with. Not just from last year but right now.

More so since we know the likes of Mike Flynn, Steve Bannon and Alex Jones are working with the Kremlin to destroy America from within. They nearly succeeded on 1/6/2021 and too many Americans don’t understand that. Too many Americans also don’t understand they are going to try again until they succeed or are forcefully put down. There is no third option.

 

Q: Speaking of Elon Musk. What do you think of the online reports the main reason he bought Twitter–now called X–was because his daughter is transgender? Is the related to him making the platform a haven for Far Right rhetoric and propaganda?

A: I’ll be honest: I don’t know how true those reports are but given what he has turned the platform into, there may be some truth to them. On the other hand, Musk DID pay almost three times what Twitter was worth for it just to destroy it. You’d have be an extremely petty, spiteful, narcissistic–and wealthy obviously–person to even consider doing something like that.

Yet that’s exactly what Musk did.

Before his hostile takeover of Xitter, most of the world regarded Musk as a Tony Stark-like genius. Now that he has dropped the facade, what we are seeing now is the real Elon Musk. He basically said Xitter is now “Where Wokeness comes to die”. If the slogan sounds familiar, Ron DeSantis speaks of Florida in the same way. I wouldn’t be surprised if Musk suddenly decides to relocate the headquarters of his three companies–Telsa, Space X and now Xitter–to Florida in the near future.

What I can say for sure is Xitter is now the most dangerous online platform on the planet and most modernized countries are taking steps to push back against the tsunami of disinformation, misinformation and malinformation Musk is encouraging and promoting on Xitter. This is to say nothing of the fact Musk has unbanned everyone the previous owners banned for life for promoting White Nationalist and Antisemetic rhetoric. Things are getting dangerous to say the least.

 

Q: You covered this in a recent post but why do you think most Republican politicians and candidates have so eagerly adopted Trumpism and are promoting Culture/Grievance Politics?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: Because it got Trump into the White House in 2016 first and foremost. Even after being voted out in 2020, Trump is still the indisputed leader of the Republican Party. I’ve said this many times before online as have others but the Republican Party created a monster in can no longer control and now fears in Trump Supporters.

As many Trump-backed candidates learned in 2022, just talking like him will not guarantee you will win an election. That was when we saw a resurgance in election loss denialism. It not only didn’t die with Trump’s loss in 2020 but has grown and spread. As a reminder, the RNC said after the 2020 election the Republican Party is Trump’s party so…yeah.

But wait, it’s about to potentially get worse. In recent days, a growing number of state Republican policymakers are looking into advancing bills that would allow them to legally arrest and prosecute anyone looking to run for office that they don’t approve of. Yes, really.

Coincidentally, this is already the law and is openly practiced in one modernized country: Russia. Ever heard of Alexei Navalny? No? I wrote about the documentary movie CNN aired about him last year. I urge you to watch it if you haven’t. What happened to him is in America’s future if we don’t change course ASAP.

 

Q: We’re about to enter our second Tripledemic year in a row and almost a third of the country is officially anti-vaxx. How do we reach those people and get them to understand vaccines save lives?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: I’ve talked to a lot of people who used to be anti-vaxx over the last six years in particular. That includes before the pandemic. Want to know what made them change their views? They simply got sick and tired of literally being sick and tired. Them and in worse cases their children.

There was a story I read about in 2017 involving a Canadian family that was anti-vaxx. They were part of an online community of hardcore anti-vaxxers until the husband and three of their five kids got sick with the flu. They followed the advice they were given online and were basically urged to do everything but take their kids to the nearest hospital.

When the husband and two of the children took a turn for the worst, the family went to the emergency room. Doctors told the mother if she waited another day, she would have been planning at least two funerals. Her husband and two of her kids–one a few months old–were in critical condition. Thanks to that decision to go to the emergency room, she didn’t lose her husband and two of her kids. They have obviously since recovered.

The mother also got her entire family vaccinated. When she told her online community what happened, they turned on her. They called her evil and weak for “giving in” over her decision to save her family’s life. The mother has since made it her life’s work to warn people of the antivaxx movement that has since gone mainstream in both Canada and the U.S.

The COVID-19 Global Health Emergency may have been declared over early last year but COVID-19 is still around and is still a threat. Last Fall saw an abnormally high number of RSV cases in addition to the Flu. Combined with COVID-19, it was coined a Tripledemic by the media. As it happens, there are now vaccines for RSV. You can get a vaccine for all three right now.

That goes back to my answer to the question: People are going to need to get sick and tired of being literally sick and tired to get vaccinated. Hopefully before it’s too late for them or their loved ones.

 

Q: It just doesn’t make sense for the conspiracy theorists to be knowingly killing their own base by urging them not to get vaccinated. Do you think there’s more than politics at play with the anti-vaxx movement?

A: It’s definitely more than politics now. A growing number of Christian Fundamentalist movements have largely succeeded in convincing many people they don’t need to get vaccinated.

Last week, I got an email from a reliable contact about a Eugenics Conference that was held in the Austin/Fort Worth area. When I read the email, a few things I couldn’t figure out about the anti-vaxx movement suddenly made a lot of sense.

As was the case with QAnon, the modern anti-vaxx movement is a Psyop aimed at getting as many people to stop getting vaccines as possible. They’ve been working behind the scenes since the early 2000s dropping bogus research studies to people they know would believe it and spread it.

This Eugenics faction is playing the long game. They want to trigger a mass extinction of “undesirables” through disease. They have largely succeeded in manipulating Wellness movements, Christian Fundamentalist groups and the Far Right into helping them.

People need to understand something: The Holocaust was the eventual outcome of promoting Darwinism and Natural Selection as fact. While we know Nazi Germany was the first to go that far, they certainly weren’t the last government to carry out a state-sponored mass killing of a people based on race or ethnicity.

We are seeing it again with this Eugenics faction that is clearly allied with White Nationalist groups. They both essentially want the same thing: To rid America and the Western world of people they consider inferior. The difference is methods and messaging.

Thanks to the email I got about the Eugenics Conference, I’m now sure the modern anti-vaxx movement IS a branch of the Eugenics faction. They are playing a long game and are looking to trigger mass die-offs through disease over time by manipulating people into not getting vaccines.

Why?

Because when people don’t get vaccined, they have no protection from diseases. They don’t mind people promoting “Natural Remedies” as an alternative since they know nothing in the natural world can offer the level of protection vaccines do.

Like I said in response to the last question, many will get sick and tired of literally being sick and tired. It’s just a matter of time.

 

Q: Why do some people continue to insist the government is trying to force people to get vaccinated? What can be done to get through to those who feel so strongly, they carry around “Anti-Vaxx” cards or printed notices?

A: For third question in a row, people will get sick and tired of literally being sick and tired. That’s all I can really say at this point.

I talked about it during the pandemic on an almost weekly basis. The reason they feel so strongly is because trusted voices are telling them that and are urging them to stand their ground no matter what. Most of them started claiming it goes against their religious beliefs to get vaccinated during the pandemic. This despite the fact almost every protestant denomination endorsed not just the COVID-19 vaccines but Immunization in general.

The fact of the matter is they don’t understand the longterm implications and consequences of these meritless, baseless and dangerous claims “they’re trying to force people to get vaccinated against their will”. First of all, being forced to do something against your will means you do not or were not given the option of refusing.

Most will admit that much but still want to claim people are being forced to get vaccinated if they want to keep their jobs or get hired, go to restaurants or sports arenas and so on. Like I repeatedly said two years ago, employers and business owners have a thing called a bottom line that they have a duty and an obligation to protect at all costs. Allowing their business to become a spreader venue for a disease that there are vaccines for not only makes no sense and is irresponsible but VERY expensive. I don’t know any business owner or employer who would tolerate an employee or staff member being out sick or having to take time off due to their exposure to a disease they cab but don’t want to get vaccinated against.

Do vaccines prevent you from getting sick? No, but they help your body fight off the disease when you do get sick. Yes it’s true a lot of people who got vaccinated got sick and died anyway. That doesn’t mean the vaccines didn’t work. Look closer and you’ll see prexisting conditions played a role in the person dying despite being vaccinated.

We saw the same kind of thing before the vaccines: People who either had health issues or had unhealthy lifestyles were far more likely to get seriously ill and die compared to those who didn’t. This is why looking deeper at the demographics of those who got really sick or died is so important. In their cases, their health issues or lifestyles played a role in the outcome.

All that said, eventually the unvaccinated are gonna get sick and tired of being literally sick and tired. More so given the same trusted voices telling them not to get vaccinated are themselves fully vaccinated.

 

Q: There’s been increased news reports of White Nationalist groups holding rallies and demonstrations outside of Immigration Processing Centers across the country. What can local, state and federal officials do to discourage people from doing that?

A: Having law enforcement on site would be a big first step. Not saying there needs to be a big presence. Just one or two officers or state troopers could be there and quickly call in backup if these losers and cowards who hide their faces dare to show up.

The media is largely ignoring this for some reason but in addition to rallies, the cowards have set up sound systems that blare prerecorded messages in English and Spanish outside of migrant processing centers in New York City and a few other places. The prerecorded messages basically tell migrants to leave and that they’re not wanted in America. It’s psychological warfare and yes, it is actually legal. It’s protected free speech.

They came in large numbers on the day a Congressional delegation visited one of the processing centers in NYC this month. They were heard shouting “Put American citizens before migrants” and things like that. What they really meant was “Send them back where they came from” but due to the obvious racist overtone of THAT phrase, they say other things to make their point.

I’m pretty sure most if not all of those protesters and organizers are from out of state. These protests double as fundraising events. They also have people on the ground looking for things they can use for propaganda online such as public disturbances and resources being allocated just to address the problem their allies in the GOP created.

On that last point, yes this is a manufactured crisis orchestrated by the GOP over the last few decades. Why? To “Own the Libs”. That is their only concern politically right now and it has been for quite some time.

 

Q: Texas and Florida continue to bus migrants to major cities in the northeast and west coast that are controlled by Democrats. Why hasn’t the Federal government put a stop to this? Will either governor have any political backlash because of their actions?

A: The main reason the Federal government hasn’t been able to head off these migrant buses is because Greg Abbot and Ron DeSantis are not coordinating with the target states’ governors and mayors. They’re simply putting people on buses and sending them to Democratically controlled cities and states in the Northeast, West Coast and Great Lakes regions. No warning or notice is given to the target states, cities and towns.

It’s worth pointing out these trips usually by motorcoach bus are paid for using taxpayer money from the states they’re coming from. State officials in Florida and Texas are putting people on buses–under false pretenses of course–and sending them out of state. They simply tell the drivers to unload the migrants at the destination state’s state house or city hall. The migrants themselves are likely told they’ll be processed wherever they’re dropped off but the problem is the destination cities are not notified in advance when or where to expect these migrant buses.

Fortunately, unlike these and other Republican officials the states receiving migrants are stepping up. As a reminder, Abbot and DeSantis started doing this last summer in an effort to embarrass Biden. This brings me to the second question: Yes, this will backfire on both governors. Hard.

I know people who live in both Texas and Florida. They have been saying for decades Republicans have exaggerated the situation at the Southern Boarder to make it sound like it’s more than it really is. They were horrified by the migrant detention centers and are disgusted by the migrant buses and more so knowing their tax dollars are paying for it.

More importantly, they feel a deep sense of shame and embarrassment as it gives the perception that most Texans and Floridians largely endorse what their governors are doing. Some are rightfully saying they are going to pay a steep price for this evil sooner or later.

As for DeSantis and Abbot, I can only hope this costs them re-election down the road at the very least. Their actions have been condemned by the UNICEF and Human Rights groups from around the world. For those who might not know, White Supremecist groups have been holding demonstrations in suppport of DeSantis ever since he entered the race for president. He has yet to publicly denounce those groups as of this week.

 

Q: Speaking of Boarder Control. What do you think of increased reports of migrants circumventing the Southern Boarder by traveling by boat to Canada and then crossing into the U.S. from the Northern Boarder? Why isn’t that getting as much attention from the GOP as the Southern Boarder?

A: To answer the second question first, it’s a lot more complicated politically compared to the Southern Boarder. The U.S.-Canada boarder is actually the world’s longest international boarder. It’s also largely unguarded compared to the Southern Boarder. As in there is no boarder control from either country patrolling their side of the boarder 24/7.

That’s likely going to change in the near future though. This is where things being complicated comes in. You see, the migrants going to Canada from Mexico are actually trying to get into the U.S. With the Southern Boarder being so backed up, smugglers charge migrants a premium to ferry them on often overcrowded boats to Canada. Assuming they arrive safetly, they then cross into the U.S. from there. Most cross into Montana, North Dakota or Washington state though there have been reports of some crossing into Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. All are states that touch the Canadian boarder.

Closing the U.S.-Canada Boarder for COVID-19 was one thing. It’ll be far more difficult to close the northern boarder for migrants. For one, doing so would break international law. Not that Republicans ever gave a damn about things like that of course. Another issue is this a problem for not just Canada but the U.S. and Mexico. Dealing with this will require all three countries working together on it.

 

Q: House Majority Speaker Kevin McCarthy just announced he has recommended an Impreachment Inquiry into Biden over Hunter Biden’s legal issues. Will this go anywhere and why is he doing this now?

A: No, it will not go anywhere. He knows it’s meritless.

As for why he’s doing this now, the Far Right in Congress that he is beholden to demanded it since they took over during the midterms. McCarthy played with fire and now he’s getting burned. The Far Right is holding Congress hostage once again with the threat of a government shutdown looming.

See, this is the part that pisses off ALL voters and frustrates the hell out of people around the world. You literally have a handful of people holding the whole country hostage. For what? Simply because they can and want to. No other reason.

This is also why I said earlier vote these people out of office. They ran for office specifically to destroy America. In losing to Raphael Warnoff in the Georgia runoff, even Hershel Walker realized he was just being used and manipulated by Trump and the GOP. This what made him accepting his loss such a surprise to people on both sides.

Getting back to McCarthy. The pundits on both sides saying this move is too little too late are right to say so. The Far Right being quick to say announcing an Impeachment Inquiry is a “baby step” for a reason. They will not accept anything less than Biden and Harris being removed and Trump being reinstated as president without an election. They are dead serious about that and nothing but Trump returning to power matters to them. They were clear about this from the beginning.

Q: Utah Senator Mitt Romney just announced via social media that he is not going to seek reelection when his current term ends because of his age. How do you see this impacting the balance of power in the Senate next year? 

A: No question the Far Right will be looking to take his seat ASAP. Utah is a Republican stronghold though it

Romney knew his political career was over the moment he voted to in favor of impeaching Trump back in 2021. He cited his age but that’s just one of the two reasons. The other reason is he knows he would be primaried otherwise. Adam Kinzinger, who served on the 1/6 select committee and is now a CNN political analyst left Congress for the same reason last year. The Far Right is working hard to push out those in the GOP who don’t align with their agenda and bringing in more who think like them.

I actually did meet Mitt Romney in person on two separate occaisions during his time as governor of Massachusetts. With both of those occaisions, my encounters with Romney were job-related in the early 2000s. Regardless of political views and religious differences, Romney’s a decent person.

People need to understand something about Romney getting emotional when he voted to impeach Trump in 2021: He knew Trump had given people permission to be the worst versions of themselves. He also knew he would have to pay a price for voting to impeach Trump not once but twice. I can only his life or the lives of his family are not threatened once he leaves office.

He voted with his heart and with his conscience when it wasn’t the popular thing to do. History will smile on him for that when it’s all said and done.

 

Q: Why, oh why does the media continue to normalize the American Psyop and Cold Civil War in progress? Why does the media continue to push Bothsidesism when they know the truth?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: Both questions have the same answer: Conflict of interest.

On the one hand, there ARE many individual journalists who do speak truth to power to an extent. On the other hand shareholders, ratings and ad revenue are the primary concerns of Corporate Media.

As a medium, the newspaper went extinct in America 10 years ago. That left people to only getting their news from three places: Broadcast TV (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX), Premium TV (CNN, MSNBC, Fox “News”, etc.) and Social Media (Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, etc.). When broadcast TV first came about almost 70 years ago, the Newspaper industry largely laughed it off. They truly believed at the end of the day, most people would still prefer the newspaper as their primary news source. Decades later, they were gradually put out of business and bought out by media empires.

In the early 2010s, Social Media began to largely replace both broadcast and Premium TV as most Americans’ primary news source. Knowing they put the newspaper out of business, the news media empires dug in. Even now they all like to claim “Social media is unreliable compared to what we offer”. There IS some truth to that but when it comes to politics, Corporate Media has largely proven itself to be unreliable at the least, selectively omitting facts at best and pushing certain narratives at best. I’ll get into that in separate posts though.

I look at people like Michael Cohen, Malcolm Nance, Norm Eisen, Joe Trippi, Joe Walsh, Wajhat Ali, Jim Stevenson and Frank Schaeffer who are able and willing to provide for free via Xitter, Podcasts and other platforms what Corporate Media has largely been unwilling to do for decades: Speak plainly about the political discourse, what’s behind it, who’s driving it and how not to get pulled into it.

There are literally no excuses for Corporate Media’s unwillingness to speak truth to power other than the fact they are unwilling to do that. They do not believe they have a moral or professional mandate to do that is why. There is no willingness on the part of journalists in the U.S. to put themselves on the line like that. At least not anymore.

When you go to college for journalism these days, the first thing you’re taught is truth is what the company says it is and what the shareholders want it to be. I’ll just put it like that.

 

 

Q: Corporate America seemed to distance itself from Trump after the 2020 election but now it seems most are once again back to buying the loyalty of Republican policymakers and “Moderate” Democrats in Washington and at the State level. Why are they going back to doing this now? Do they know something we don’t?

A: Companies by design want the freedom to make profit with as few regulations or legal restrictions as possible. Strap yourselves in because this is going to be a long and detailed read.

This might sound unrelated but Employee Unions, OSHA and Collective Bargaining Agreements exist for a reason. It was to put a stop to unsafe business practices and what was basically slave labor in most industries and employment sectors. Not just in the U.S. but gradually around the world.

Before Unions existed, employers could fire you without severance pay if you got hurt on the job. Imagine losing a limb in a construction accident and then finding out you’re out of a job because of that, your replacement in place the next day? How about employers being free to make you walk back to back to back shifts with no overtime pay?

This is to say nothing of increased reports of child labor violations in recent years at factories involving kids as young as nine in the U.S. Some will say “They’re from migrant families” as if that makes them exempt from child labor laws these business owners are WELL aware of.

During my time working for Boston Public Schools, I was also a member of the Boston Teachers’ Union (BTU). Believe me when I say I understand those who like to point out people in unions who play the system. The wrongdoings of a few should not be held against the overwhelming majority of union members who follow the rules.

In recent decades, the costs of living have drastically increased. Corporate profits have also drastically increased but wages for employees union and otherwise haven’t increased with the cost of living. Most of the heads of these often multibillion dollar companies want you and their shareholders to believe most of their profits go to operating costs, paying their employees and advertising.

The problem is that actually isn’t factually accurate. I know people who are shareholders for various companies. Shareholders own stock in a company and get a percentage of the company’s profits. When things are going well, they get a bigger cut of the profits. When things are not going well, you get a smaller cut of the profits. It goes without saying companies want to do well as much as possible for as long as possible to keep their shareholders happy and hopefully increase the number of shareholders they have.

You’ve probably heard this in the news before but economies hate unpredictability. When a business, company or industry’s financial health sharply rises or falls in a short amount of time, that’s a telltale sign of instability. The same is true when either a shareholder sells off all of their shares or a lot of shareholders sell off their shares. That’s a sign to potential investors the company’s not financially viable.

Now that I’ve given you a crash course on Microeconomics, here’s what all of that has to do with the questions: Buying votes and shaping government policy via political donations helps their bottom line. It’s not about being for or against any particular politician. It’s about protecting their financial interests.

The same Mitt Romney I spoke kindly of earlier once imfamously said “Corporations are people too”. Citizens United was what opened the door to elected officials and political candidates being bought by companies. In exchange for taking a certain stance that would benefit their corporate donors, they politician or candidate would get a “generous donation”.

Companies prefer to align themselves with Republican politicians and candidates at the local, state and federal levels. From an economic perspective, the Republican Party has long been about having as little to no regulations for companies as possible and basically giving them tax-exempt status. Just let them do whatever they want as much as they want with no accountanility to anyone. That’s just for starters but you can probably understand why most large national and multinational companies do everything they can to get in bed with Republican politicians or candidates.

On the other hand the Democratic Party has long been about imposing common sense regulations to discourage legalized slave labor, unsafe or unhealthy working conditions and most importantly making companies pay taxes based on how much they actually make. From a business standpoint, it’s not hard to understand WHY a company would view regulations and the other things as threats to their bottom line.

That aside. A some high-profile CEOs and Mllionaires have started saying loudly and more forcefully in recent years that they SHOULD be paying much more than they actually do in income taxes. On the one hand, they’re saying the politically correct thing. On the other hand, they’ve long known the scam that was trickle-down economics championed by Ronald Reagan was designed to ensure most of the wealth stayed in their hand. They finally started to realize their unchecked greed is actually bad for business so…yeah.

 

Q: What do you think of the ongoing union-led strikes in Hollywood and the Auto Industry? Do you think state and federal officials should step in to help with the mediation process?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: I’ll address both areas separately.

I’ll start with the Writers’ and Actors’ Strikes in Hollywood. The stikes have been ongoing for a few months now with no signs of ending. Fall and Winter TV lineups have largely been delayed or pushed into 2024. The same goes for new movie projects that use or are required to use Union Members. Even video games and English Anime dubs are impacted because most of those who do the actual voicework are union members themselves.

The media’s done a surprisingly good job explaining why the unions in Hollywood went on strike. A lot of that has to do with the fact most of those who work behind the camera or on support staff are themselves members of union too. The politically correct things to do is be either neutral or support the unions.

The studios and broadcast companies are leveraging consumers wanting new stuff to watch in the standoff. The price hike with many streaming services is the industry’s way of trying to bring consumers into it. “We have to raise prices due to the strike” is the case they’re looking to make. “This is to help keep the lights on and pay our existing staff” they explain.

The problem is giving the unions what they’re asking for will not bankrupt the studios as they claim. Those in Hollywood, the Atlanta area and a few other places understand this already but the big name actors are the only ones who are multimillionaires who don’t have to worry about money for the rest of their lives. The overwhelming majority of actors such as those who work as extras in the background of scenes and settings actually make very little money and often have to take either multiple gigs or a second job just to make ends meet.

The introduction of streaming services almost 20 years ago opened up a new revenue stream the industry has largely hoarded to now. Both unions want a cut of those profits among other things and they should get it. Netflix opened the door to this when they started producing original programming about 10 years ago. Now every streaming platform has original programming in addition to the catalog of stuff they stream on demand.

 

I haven’t heard much about the Hollywood strike lately which tells me it likely isn’t ending anytime soon. The industry is cool with waiting this out. That’s a popular strategy whenever there is a strike and it’s why it’s actually very rare for there to be strikes of this size and length in the U.S. It’s because it’s actually very financially costly for both sides. The industry can keep itself afloat for a while but it’s a different story for Unions.

This is where a long and drawn out strike eventually favors the powers that be. They will still be making money during the strike. Outside of donations, the Unions will not. Eventually, their funds will run out. Both sides know this and it’s why Union delegates are still trying to negotiate with the powers that be while the strike is going on.

Another favorite negotiating tactic of companies is laying off employees during a strike. They claim they have to lay off people as a cost-saving measure and such layoffs are typically temporary. They do it to put pressure on union negotiators to accept their offer as well as sow discord between union members and those who are laid off.

I was in the Boston Teachers’ Union during my time working as a Paraprofessional with Boston Public Schools. My older brother, who works in construction is in a union as well. Every month, you pay into Union Dues. Those Union Dues are used for good of the Union meaning union members. That is the union’s main source of income as well.

Knowing this, a tactic the industry will use is intentionally extend a strike or make it more financially costly to maintain a strike to make the Union quickly exhaust their funds. Strapped for cash, unions would be far more willing to take an unfavorable deal to end the strike and replentish their coffers via Union Dues. Longterm, this severely weakens and in a growing number of cases breaks up unions. Now stripped of their right to unionize, employees are at the mercy of their employers.

One thing I became aware of when I was in middle school is some teachers only put in the bare minimum for Union Dues mostly so they will have a slightly bigger paycheck. When I first started working for BPS in 2005, the union rep at the first school where I worked told me she put in a quarter of her paycheck for Union dues and had done that her entire career.

Without naming names she referenced specific teachers and paraprofessionals she knew of who paid the bare minimum for union dues, only went to union meetings they were required to attend and sat out protests or picketing events. The union rep made no effort to hide the raw emotion she felt as she recounted situations she was made aware of as a longtime union rep that were only able to be handled because of the BTU’s direct involvement.

I don’t mean collective bargaining-related or pension-related issues. I’m talking about things you wouldn’t normally consider such as a union member, their spouse or child dealing with cancer and having to take months worth of time off of work to deal with that. The BTU and other unions take care of their own to say the least. Some of you may be familiar with a Sunshine Fund. Everyone puts in money so that if something comes up, the funds are already present to help.

In recent decades, unions have found themselves doing a lot more than most would think or expect of them to help their members. Funeral arragnements, fundraising for medical care, I could go on and on. THIS is what the strikes in Hollywood and the Auto Industry are about too.

That brings me to the second question. I think unless they’re asked to, government officials should stay out of both matters. I mentioned this with an earlier question but Republican politicians have long backed companies while Democrats have long backed workers’ rights. This despite the fact union members span the entire political spectrum. I’ve had colleagues who had different political beliefs but when all that was pushed to the side when it came to union solidarity and pride in one’s work.

You know the people who pick up the garbage in front of your house every week? They’re union members. So are police officers, nurses, grocery staff, teachers, firefighters, professional athletes, pilots, flight attendants, hotel staff, factory workers, transit staff (bus drivers, train engineers, etc.), cruise ship staff and more recently, Amazon Warehouse employees.

If every union in America went on strike for just ONE day, this country would suffer irreparable damage in every category. Those of you who live or work in New York City knows when the MTA stops working, the city stops working. It is the same with unions. America is powered by Unions. Full Stop.

I’ve given a much longer answer to these questions than intended because people need to understand this is a fundamental difference the U.S. has from China in particular. China might lead the world in manufacturing but what most people don’t know is it’s basically slave labor.

I’ve been seeing news reports in over the last 8 years of consumers in North America, Europe and Australia opening products made in China finding handwritten notes by workers. The notes mostly tell whoever will listen they make almost no money but work almost 24/7 and basically the “cheap” item they purchased came at the expense of someone far away.

Let’s kid ourselves. Capitalism 101 dictates merchants should buy stock cheap and sell merchandise expensive when possible as much as possible. I’ll get back to this topic with a later question.

Q: It was a meme for almost 20 years but now NASA is seriously talking about investigating aliens on Earth. What do you think of the recent news reports on the subject? Do you think there might be intelligent life beyond earth?

A: Personally, it’s sensationalism. I promise you 100% of those UFPs–that’s short for Unidentified Flying Phenomena–involve aircraft that originated from and were made on Earth.

They’re likely autonomous drones being tested and likely will be used for surveilance or during rescue operations when whoever made them is ready to come clean about it. The fact that the pilots who had near run-ins with them have since gone silent tells me they were likely told what they really were and were told it’s classified information until further notice. That would make the most sense at this point.

As for the second question, we are obviously not alone in the universe. I consider the fact we’ve had no one from another world pay us a visit to be a blessing in disguise. I base that on recent docudramas that explored the likely outcome of such a scenario.

Many astrologers and scientists will tell you the plots for the 1995 movie Independence Day, its 2016 sequel and the 2011 movie Battle: Los Angeles outline the most likely outcome if a super advanced alien civilization paid Earth a visit. They’d come here for Earth’s natural resources and get rid of the only native species that would be a hinderance to that effort: Humans.

Ask any astrologer or physicist and they will tell you: NOTHING we have would be able to scratch anything a civilization that is able to travel across the stars has. Nukes only scratch the paint and that’s assuming their ships aren’t protected by energy shields. Meanwhile, they can sit in their spaceship and take their time deciding how they want to wipe us out. They’d definitely have the tech in place to mostly hide their presence in space from us until they’re ready to make themselves known to us.

What if aliens came in peace? Assuming that is indeed the case, the first question then becomes will we be able to communicate with them (with or without assisting technology). Assuming that’s possible, the next question becomes is their biology compatible with Earth.

That brings me to the next obvious question: Would aliens be able to do things on Earth they wouldn’t have been able to do on their homeworld? That would be something for us to be mindful of. The basic plot of 2017’s The Space Between Us involves a teen born on Mars who visits Earth. Mars has a weaker gravity than Earth’s. When the teen visits Earth, his health begins to deteriorate. He was obviously a human but since he was born and raised on Mars, his body couldn’t handle Earth’s stronger gravity for too long. The movie’s climax involves his long lost father and love interest on Earth helping him get off Earth just to save his life.

I haven’t even gotten into the question of friendly aliens sharing their technology with humans. No doubt they’ve learned of humanity’s centuries of conflict and it will be a question of how much they should share and if what they share might be used for conflict on Earth between humans. If they’re friendly, they would likely help with space exploration and conservation efforts on Earth.

I could go on and on but there’s a mountain of scenarios on this topic.

Q: Speaking of space exploration. How soon do you think we’ll have a running outpost on the Moon? How far away is the first manned mission to Mars? Do you think we will have permanent human settlements on another celestial body within our lifetime?

A: India landed a probe on the Moon last month. That’s a good start. NASA has a longer term plan in mind and that is likely going to succeed. Much of those plans involved SpaceX but given everything going on with Elon Musk, I’m sure those plans will have to change. I don’t expect it to drastically impact NASA’s timeline for America’s return to the Moon. Because this time we’re returning with the goal of establishing a permanent outpost.

We probably won’t have manned missions to Mars until the mid or late 2030s at the earliest. Maybe early to mid-2030s if we’re able to get mining operations on the Moon going. That would likely shave 3 to 5 years off the current timeframe. I do know the longterm plan is to have a permanent settlement on Mars by 2050 the earliest. Most people in their 40s will likely still be alive for that. So, yes it will and should happen within our lifetime.

The first lunar colony is likely at least 10 years from now though.

Q: News broke this past week about Hunter Biden being reindicted after the plea deal fell apart last month. Why does the GOP seem to care so much about Hunter Biden’s legal issues? Will this ultimately backfire on them?

A: No pun intended but this is a witch hunt. This is also why Biden was so open about his son’s drug abuse issues during the 2020 campaign. He knew sick, deranged, evil bastards in the GOP would seize on the opportunity to target his son just to make it as personal as possible.

You see, the GOP think Hunter Biden’s legal issue is win-win situation for them. They made the calculation if they provoke President Biden into getting involved, they will have the excuse they want to publicly legitimize the impeachment inquiry they forced Kevin McCarthy to launch last week. They also believe even if Biden doesn’t get personally get involved in his son’s case they can spin it to make him look like a bad father who’s willing to let his son go to prison.

In other words, the Far Right in Congress thinks they’ve got Biden trapped via his son’s legal issues. This is to say nothing of the very real possability they may be hoping Biden gets so stressed out, he suffers a medical emergency before the 2024 election. I think that might be their real aim since they know Biden will not get involved in his son’s legal case.

All that said, here’s how targeting Hunter Biden will backfire: Most of America has at least one family member who is either dealing with drug addiction or used to themseles. Some of them either have family who got caught up in the legal system or did themselves.

This is a lost cause for the Republican Party. All it’s doing is explosing them as the self-righteous, heartly monsters they really are. The main motivation for doing this is specifically to personally hurt Biden. Not hurt him politically but personally. That’s a line you don’t cross because there are severe consequences that come with it. Even worse is they admit their obsession with Hunter Bidne is political. They will admit behind closed doors they have nothing on Hunter Biden and it’s just about using his legal case to attack his father, who happens to be the current sitting U.S. President.

Pundits on the Right as well as Trump supporters in Congress have long openly said they need to find a way to impeach Biden at least three times because Trump was impeached twice. Looking back on it, Trump’s first impeachment is why the second one with much more serious implications failed. I do think more Republicans would have been willing to vote to impeach Trump after 1/6 if the first impeachment had not happened a few months before the election. Because things went the way they did, the GOP succeeded in convincing enough of their base both impeachments were politically motivated.

Now we have a former president and sitting members of Congress directly interfering with Hunter Biden’s case. Why? Because he happens to be the son of the sitting president. They’re want to hurt him to hurt his father. Anyone with eyes can clearly see that much.

 

Q: There’s been renewed talk of using Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to disqualify Trump from being on the ballot. What do you think of this and do you think it’s something that policymakers should seriously look at?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: It should have been enforced instead of doing the second impeachment first and foremost. It was a missed opportunity for the Dems who likely didn’t know about it because of how rarely Section 3 of the 14th Amendement has been used. All the Democrats had to do was say “Based on just the events of 1/6/2021, Donald Trump is disqualified from running for elected office ever again as outlined in Article 3 of the 14th Amendment.”

If the Dems knew about it at the time and made it the centerpiece of the 1/6 investigation, that would’ve helped bridge the political divide and won over many Republican voters. More so given Trump has been openly saying at political rallies he wants to rewrite the Constitution if he becomes president again. That alone should given even the most dedicated Trump supporters cause for concern but I won’t digress.

Some states have already started looking into the matter on their own. A few states are announcing they will not have Donald Trump on the ballot because of Article 3 of the 14th Amendment and more are expected to follow. I don’t mean Blue states but “Purple” states and even  Red states. Once momentum on this gets going, Trump will likely be forced to drop out. If that happens, he will likely try to make a deal with another candidate in exchange for his endorsement.

The election is 14 months away. A lot can happen between now and then but if this gains momentum and Trump is forced out, the Republican field is suddenly anyone’s game.

 

Q: Why is it considered “Bothsidesism!” for journalists with legit questions to point out the problems in the Democratic Party but openly bashing the GOP is supposed to be not just fine but is being encouraged? How is that not hypocrisy or a double standard?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: Because the Republican Party and their foreign allies are the clear and immediate threat to the American democracy itself on every level. The Democratic Party has flaws and issues of its own too but contrary to what many on the Right like to insist, the Dems and Democratic voters are NOT a threat to the American Experiement.

…The Republican Party is.

The Democratic Party has its issues but real talk, they are NOTHING compared to the GOP’s. Full stop.

You literally have one of the two major political parties conditioning their base to dehmanize everyone who doesn’t think like them.

 

Q: Why do so many in the Far Right as well as a growing number of Conservatives and Evangelicals insist there is a Global Liberal Agenda involving the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, etc. to control the world through socialism, war, disease, famine, poverty, etc.?

A: Because trusted voices and Right Wing Media personalities are telling them this. In many cases, the disinformation has been happening in plain sight for decades. Is there any truth to it? No, of course not.

One thing a growing number of psychiatrists and people who are knowledgable about Undue Influence have been stressing this year in particular is do not attack people who have gone down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. Shoving the truth in their faces and just telling them that they’re wrong triggers Cognitive Dissonance. That will cause them emotional trauma and also push them to simply dig in more.

You have to keep in mind the trusted voices they listen to have already prepped them to expect to be hated and persecuted for their beliefs. You also need to keep in mind those who have been ensnared by these elaborate conspiracy theories are themselves victims of psychological warfare. I’ve said this before on the blog and so have others but Psychological Attacks are most effective when the subject does know or recognize they are being attacked and manipulated psychologically.

The obvious question then becomes “How do I reach loved ones who’ve gone down the rabbit hole?” Ask open-ended questions and make them think for themselves. Ask about clear inconsistencies in what they’re being told or taught with reality. They need learn to think and question what they’ve come to believe to be true and realize themselves they had been deceived. In short, Critical Thinking in general and time are the most important keys.

How long it will take varies from person to person as well as how deeply entrenched in believing the conspiracy theory they are. It can be as quick as a few days or as long as years. A relapse or reindoctrination is also something to watch out for. Someone who has just emerged from the rabbit hole is at the greatest risk of going down the same one or another one. This is also why during what I call the psyological detox process it’s important to keep them distracted from anything or anyone that might disrupt and reinforce the misinformation and disinformation.

Positive reinforcement is also important during this process. Tell them that they can and will have a life after the belief system. Remind them of events and moments from the past that made them happy or they enjoyed. Let them know those positive memories were not “wrong” or “mistakes” and that they can make more meaningful memories if they want to without the belief system they invested so much of their time into.

As for why many Americans believe in these elaborate conspiracy theories that almost always involve the U.S. government, the U.S., Democratic values and so on, some of it has to do with America’s cultural distrust of the government and authority figures. It’s ok and normal to not blindly believe the government and everyone in the government is benevolent at all times. The problem many think is ok is believe exact opposite. That’s even worse as it naturally leads to paranoia and severe anxiety.

 

Q: How are so many people so easily getting pulled into these elaborate Conspiracy Theories? Why are Far Right agents of chaos working so hard to convince their audience Democrats want to traffic their kids, drink their blood and worse?

A: Because it’s psychological warfare first and foremost.

I think I mentioned this in answering an earlier question but Jim Stewartson was the one who revealed to the world Mike Flynn was the online persona known as “Q”. For those who don’t know, Flynn is a firner 3-star General if the U.S. Army. He unofficially met with high-level members of the Russian government in 2013 which included Putin himself.

During the world’s fight against ISIS between about 2010 and 2015, Flynn worked with the CIA to research ISIS’ recruitment and propaganda methods to better understand how it was so effective at recruiting people in Europe and North America via social media platforms into their ideology. What really drew Flynn’s attention was the fact that the propaganda messages especially emphasized the perceived enemy coming after their children. There isn’t a single parent–especually a mother–wouldn’t do everything in their power to protect their children from a perceived threat no matter what it is.

…Doesn’t that part I highlighted sound familiar?

Yes, Mike Flynn altered ISIS propaganda and is using it in a massive psyop against Americans for the sole purpose of overthrowing the same government he once took an oath to defend and protect. THAT right there is conspiracy fact. In the final days of his presency, Obama warned Trump to stay away from Flynn. Trump hired him anyway.

The QAnon movement’s usefulness ended with the 2020 election. Flynn, Stone, Bannon and Alex Jones quickly morphed it into what’s popularly known as “The Big Lie” and set up the events of 1/6/2021. They don’t consider it a failure but a dress rehearsal and a recruitment tool. In recent months, Flynn has been touring America speaking to churches. He is telling people they (Christians, Evangelicals, Conservatives, etc.) are in a holy war against Demons (Democrats, the LGBTQ+ Community, “Wokeness”, Liberalism, etc.) that are working to destroy their country.

Meanwhile, Alex Jones–the same Alex Jones who owes some of the families of Sandy Hook victims millions of dollars–has recently started appearing on Russian State Media outlets remotely. This is all part of the Kremlin’s plan to project to the Russian people that they have “powerful allies” in the U.S.

All this talk about a shadow government that the Far Right alleges is in fact the one the Far Right is creating. They are literally working to build a country within the country but their end goal is toppling the U.S. government.

Q: Lately it feels like every week some Evangelical Leader, Conservative Politician or Far Right Pundit claiming Democrats and Liberals are pedophiles and groomers are themselves getting busted for child porn, sex trafficking or something similar. How are people still willing to go along with what they claim despite the hypocrisy?

A: Cognitive Dissonance like I said before. That’s what it is.

Oh and yes the hypocrisy is something else. I find it very disturbing personally on that note.

Q: Another government shutdown is looming and now seems likely. Why are a handful of people in Congress being allowed to hold the government hostage?

A: It’s as the saying goes: Elections have consequences.

Voter’s Remorse has been rampant in the Republican Party since 2016. Almost half of the GOP in the House has no business being there. I’ll just put it like that. This is to say nothing of a third of Democrats in the House and a third of Senators from both parties who need to retire and let new blood in.

Q: Is there anything more that can be done to show people Climate Change is real?

A: Nope. Anyone still denying it will need to experience its effects for themselves. I don’t just mean temperature changes but natural disasters, conflict, droughts, famine and more.

I have recently talked to a lot of Republican voters who long dismissed Climate Change as a Liberal Hoax. What changed their minds was losing property and loved ones to natural disasters or wildfires. Sometimes within a few years of each other. I’m talking about people who live in rural areas and are mostly self-sufficient. They’re starting to get it now. More so given many are experiencing unprecedented droughts and crop failures year after year.

On that last point. This isn’t getting the attention as it should but America’s ability to feed itself is about to start breaking down. Russia’s war in Ukraine stopped the export of grain needed to deal with the famines in Ethiopia and other East African countries. Putin is obviously well aware of this and he is using that as leverage. It’s a situation in which food is being weaponized.

Now imagine that happening here in the U.S. between states and counties with how politically divided the country currently being in mind. Let’s say every farm in North Dakota, Kansas, Montana, Washington, Oklahoma and Idaho all experience cataustrophic Wheat crop failure two or more years in row. The chain reaction from just that after the second year would probably lead to the deaths of a quarter of the country from hunger and probably at last 1 Billion people worldwide. America would also take 10 to 20 years to recover from a famine that devastating. We know because it happened in the 1920s and 1930s during The Great Depression. That was only 100 years ago.

Food prices across the board would likely quadruple, grain exports would likely stop and states would be forced to heavily regulate the distribution of their own food supply and production. Imagine paying $30 for a 12 ounce bag of kidney beans instead of $5 or $40 for a bag of potatoes instead of $8. If you think $12 to 14 is a lot for a fast food combo now, how about $28 to $34?

That’s just for starters. America is already dealing with chronic food insecurity right now. We are going to see the country descend into anarchy once food becomes scarce and expensive. People do things they normally wouldn’t consider when they’re hungry or worse when their children are literally starving to death.

 

Q: Years ago, I moved from a city to a rural town for the quieter atmosphere and to get away from violent crime. Over the last 10 or so years it feels like there are increased reports of crime and violence in rural areas. What is driving this? Should I have just stayed in the city?

A: If you listen to the racists and pundits on the Right, it’s black people and hispanic people “exporting violence to small towns”. The truth of the matter is rural incidents are simply getting more media attention compared to in years past because it’s so unexpected compared to cities.

There is no Far Left conspiracy to “flood rural areas with their undesirables” on that note. I mention this not just because the Far Right Media ecosystem has been saying it for almost 20 years now but because most people who leave cities for urban areas are doing so for economic reasons.

People are being priced out of their homes in cities–homes that they lived in for decades or were in their families for generations–and are moving to rural areas where the costs of living is lower. Most move to a town or smaller city not far from where they lived though some are moving much further away to a more rural town. As suburban towns develop, property values rise. The problem, which I eluded to earlier is earned wages are not rising as fast as the costs of living.

Nowhere in the U.S. can anyone hold a 1-bedroom apartment on a single income entry-level paycheck. This has encouraged a growing number of landlords and property owners to start renting out rooms in apartments to pull in more rent money even when it would cause overcrowding. They market it is “dorm-style housing” when in truth it’s a regular apartment but all the bedrooms have locks on them.

I witnessed it myself in Boston a few years before the pandemic. More often than not you have whole families of 3 to 5 people renting out a single bedroom in one apartment. Everyone is still sharing a single kitchen and bathroom. Again, this was a few years before the pandemic but I won’t digress further.

Getting back on topic. What I will say for now is most cities are much better equipped to handle violent crime by necessity. Small towns in rural areas are not. This is why when something serious happens–and they don’t cover it up obviously–they typically have to bring in help from a neighboring town, state police, the FBI or a combination of all three. Something big happens in a city, they call in help from other precincts. Only if it’s an extraordinary situation are state or federal law enforcement involved.

So am I saying cities are safer when something happens? Yes, I am. It’s true those who live in rural areas are typically much more self-sufficient mostly by necessity but at the same time there is also a general false sense of security because of that.

I look at the two week manhunt in Pennsylvania for that escaped inmate as a recent example. While his was on the run, many people in rural towns south and southwest of Pittsburgh found themselves doing something they likely never had to think of doing for generations: Lock their doors, windows and vehicles at all times. Simply by being on the loose, that escaped inmate shattered the sense of security many people enjoyed for decades. Fortunately, that situation was resolved without anyone being hurt or killed.

On related note. From what I’ve been hearing, organized crime is definitely moving into rural and suburban areas. They’re going to small towns where people are far less likely to lock their doors and windows at least during the day and where law enforcement is more likely to arrive long after they’ve skipped town. Jewelry stores and department stores in cities are far more likely to have a security guard or two and cameras everywhere compared to their counterparts in rural areas. I’ll just put it like that.

Am I saying it’s much more dangerous to live in rural areas than cities? No, but you shouldn’t allow yourself to embrace a false sense of security. More so these days.

Q: There’s been a spike in organized crime targeting retail chain stores and pharmacies in major cities ever since the pandemic ended. What is driving this? What can be done about it? Is there more law enforcement, retailers and politicians can be doing to discourage this?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: This is a non-partisan issue to say the least.

What’s driving it is actually social media, CraigsList, eBay and online platforms like Discord and Telegram. Crimal elements are using them to organize, plan and target stores in coordinated flash mob-style raids. There are been cases in which employees and bystanders have been injured simply for being in the way so it’s not just about the stolen merchandise and smashed displays.

Some of you might remember the secondhand store CEX. They were forced to close all of their U.S. stores in early 2018 due to an FBI investigation. The reason is because they had become known for knowingly buying stolen property or stolen merchandise.

It’s the same with eBay, CraigsList and Facebook’s Marketplace section as well as Facebook groups: Crime rings post the stolen merchandise on the platform. Unsuspecting consumers end up buying stolen merchandise. The platforms are working with Law Enforcement to get the posts for stolen goods being put for sale taken down and the people responsible arrested but it’s whack a mole. For each one taken down, more pop right back up.

On the retail side, companies have been doing everything they can within reason. You’ve probably gotten used to seeing those anti-theft devices placed on boxes of expensive electronic items. Starting about 15 years ago, pharmacies and supermarkets (as well as stores like Wal Mart and Target) started putting Baby Formula in locked cabinets with strict buy limits. The reason for that is people would buy baby formula in bulk–I mean their whole stock in many cases–for relatives living in other countries. The problem is this creates a shortage for those who live here who need it.

Now we’re seeing everyday items like deodorant and toothpaste getting locked in cabinets. Why? Because of organized crime rings stealing in bulk and reselling via eBay, CraigsList and Facebook. Retailers hate having to do this more than you think because of the optics alone but they do have the right to protect their stock from theft.

I know people who’ve worked security in retail stores and it’s an uncomfortable position to be in. On the one hand, your job is to keep people from walking out without paying for merchandise. On the other hand, you don’t know if the thief is armed or worse has an commplice who definitely is armed working with them. Obviously you’re not gonna risk your life for an $8 roll of deodorant or a pair of designer sneakers.

I’m at the point personally where retailers should start arming their security detail and certain other staff. Nothing will deter petty theft faster than knowing the staff are armed and will shoot if need be. It would also reassure paying customers to know even if it takes time for the police to get there, the store has people trained to handle certain threats.

I’m not saying law enforcement shouldn’t still be involved. It’s about deterrance and unless someone’s life is in danger, they would have strict orders to shoot to injure not kill. If need be, they can simply use rubber bullets which are technically non-lethal.

As for policy makers, they need to denounce this and allocate the funding needed to protect businesses large and small. Crime rings might be aggressively targeting large retailers now but the small and independently owned ones are getting hit too. Few things anger business owners more than seeing politicians drag their feet on this kind of thing or worse, pressure prosecutors and judges to go easy on people.

Yeah, no. The way to deter crime is and always will be to punish those who choose to engage in that. Being addicted to drugs or being poor are not valid excuses to give people light sentences. More so those who are repeat offenders. It sends the wrong kind of message first and foremost.

Q: Democrats have long been criticized by the GOP for supposedly being light on crime and supposedly wanting an “open door” immigration policy. On the other hand, the GOP has long championed for-profit prisons and Conservative judges are known to consistently and disproportionally give the harshest sentances to people of color. Which side has it right or are both just way off?

A: Both are definitely way off but I want to state the obvious about the Democrats on both of these topics: They take both VERY seriously.

 

The thing is the GOP WANTS their base to think what they want them to think on these two topics in particular to the point they want to make it reality. You don’t see any Democrat running for office or reelection advocating for convicted murderers being released or career criminals not being prosecuted for example. The prison and justice systems needing to be reformed are separate issues from that to be clear.

As for Immigration, the Democrats are about helping people who legally come here and helping people who come here as refugees get treated humanely and respectfully. The GOP knows this already so yes they do lie when they say the Dems want an open boarder policy.

On that note Obama, Clinton and Biden have deported more people than Trump and the Bushes combined. That is a fact and feel free to look it up.

Remember those imfamous immigration detention centers and family separation policies? They were actually executive orders from the Obama Administration but for obvious reasons, he refused to enforce those specific parts. When Trump got into office, he didn’t hesitate on that and paid the price politically. I don’t know a single Republican voter who’s ok with people who come to America legally being herded into holding cells like animals for months. That was the Trump Administration’s policy.

More importantly, that’s White Nationalists’ Policy. Only they want to do that to black, brown, Tribal, Latinx, Asian and Muslim Americans. That’s what they want to do, strip everyone who doesn’t think like them of their civil and human rights. They are working to do that as we speak through their allies in government at the state and federal levels.

As for the last question, the GOP’s got it wrong. Full stop.

 

Q: I’m noticing a surge in bot-controlled accounts on Facebook in recent years and they seem to be literally everywhere now. I’ve never seen it this bad before and it’s starting to drive people off the platform. What is really going on with this? Why isn’t Mark Zuckerberg doing anything about it? 

A: This is what happens when a social media platform fires or “reassigns” all of their content moderators. Personally, I see this as Zuckerberg taking out Frances Haugen speaking to Congress two years ago on those who use the platform. Honestly, I think Elon Musk got the idea to turn Xitter into a clubhouse for the Far Right from what Zuckerberg did to Facebook.

Zuckerberg claims he’s put A.I. in charge of content moderation but it’s obviously not working. At all. Nothing being reported is being taken down for starters. I have seen bot-controlled profiles share images, videos and links to porn on a daily basis myself. This is to say nothing of a bot farm run by a hacking ring that’s been aggressively trying to get into two private Facebook groups I’m Admin of for three years now on a daily basis. THAT’S how bad things are.

At this point, I think the FCC and Congress need to step in. There was talk about Facebook being forced to sell Instagram and WhatsApp due to Meta (Facebook’s parent company) violating anti-trust laws by buying its competition several years back. Facebook as a platform should also be forcefully broken up at this point. Enough is enough.

 

Q: Elon Musk just announced he wants to roll out a “Basic Subscription” on Twitter/X. He said it’s to deal the the bots but why do you think he’s really looking to do this? Should people be worried?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: I stopped short of saying it when answering an earlier question but now it’s probably safe to say Elon Musk has revealed himself as essentially a Russian asset and an unapologetic antisemite. He earned that second one due to his eagerness to publicly go at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). For those who might not know, the Anti-Defamation League is a non-profit organization that was founded after the Holocaust to combat Antisemetism mostly through education and when necessary, litigation.

Antisemitism has been growing exponentially in the U.S. since Trump became president back in 2016 to say the least. Things have been complicated a bit by the rise of Fascism in the Israeli government which I’ll get to in a bit but having antisemetism amplified via Social Media is a huge problem. Not just in the U.S. but in Europe as well.

Getting back on topic. The very obvious ulterior motive behind Musk wanting to introduce a subscription for Xitter is so he can sell users’ personal information to the highest bidder AND weaponize users’ personal information to target people who share opinions he doesn’t like or agree with. Those are the two big reasons behind it.

Like I’ve said on Xitter in recent days myself, I miss the days of the early internet when it was a given websites do not ask for your personal info unless you were buying something online, you were using a government service or you were accessing a database. That’s about it.

Facebook changed everything by getting users to do what every government wished they could legally do: Willingly and voluntarily share intimate details about themselves. Facebook knows a lot more about its users than you might expect via its algorithms and now A.I. actively tracking users in real time. The same is true of other social media platforms.

Now Xitter is about to be weaponized against people to the benefit of rogue nations AND domestic terrorists. Those on the Left who have been whining about losing “THE Global Public Square” need to face reality: Twitter is and ALWAYS was primarily weaponized against people more often than not.

I have talked to the families of those who’ve lost family members to suicide because of “discourse” on Twitter going back 20 years. I am talking WELL before Musk bought it last year. Twitter gained a reputation as a breeding ground for cyber bullying well before Trump became president. In the hands of Musk, Xitter is now the most dangerous piece of technology on the planet.

 

Q: In his address to the UN General Assembly in New York City, Ukraine’s president Vlodymyr Zelensky gave a pretty bleak forecast for the world if international aid and military aid for Ukraine is not stepped up. Do you think we might be on the verge of World War III breaking out? Why do a growing number of people in the United States feel so indifferent about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine?

A: If Russia is allowed to succeed in carving up Ukraine, World War III is inevitable. Full stop. China is patiently waiting for Russia’s psyop on the U.S. to turn into civil war so they can invade Taiwan. Meanwhile, Netanyahu is secretly hoping a Republican gets the White House in 2024 so he can carpet bomb Palestine and hide behind the U.S. Military when the Middle East prepares to retaliate.

After it’s done with Ukraine, Russia will militarily annex other non-NATO countries in Eastern Europe. Its military already has a presence in Moldova and Georgia for example. Russia would also likely take over various African nations it used Wagner to launder money from. North Korea would likely invade South Korea and attack Japan.

After it’s annexed Taiwan, China would likely target The Philippines next due to the U.S. military bases there. They wouldn’t need to invade The Philippines on that note. They’d likely just attack the U.S. Military bases there and in Okinawa to devastate U.S. forces in the Pacific west of Hawaii. Of course, the U.S. military won’t do anything because it will be busy dealing with an armed Civil War at home. THAT is the lynchpin Russia and China in particular are pushing to make happen in tandem with Far Right traitors in America.

…Most concerning is knowing the United Nations and NATO will let all this happen on their watch.

For those need a reminder, there was this international coalition called the League of Nations. It was largely created after World War I  ended to prevent WWII. It was quietly disbanded after Nazi Germany invaded Austria, starting World War II. The United Nations was created in 1945 largely to prevent another genocide and unchecked international aggression. There’s been over 30 genocides around the world since 1945, the most recent one happening in Ukraine right now.

NATO was largely formed to act as a hard military check to Soviet-era expansion in Eastern Europe and Western Asia. The conflict in Ukraine has so far proven to be the biggest test for NATO in its history. Honestly, it feels like NATO is doing everything it can to not invoke its defensive obligation to member countries.

Poland suddenly politicking with Ukraine over hurt feelings tells me NATO may indeed be prepared to let Russia have Ukraine. We saw a similar unwillingness to hard check Nazi Germany on the part of Western Europe in the years leading up to WWII. They genuinely believed if they appeased Hitler, they would be able to avoid WWII. Of course, WWII happned anyway and it started on Hitler’s terms. If WWIII is inevitable,  why not make sure it doesn’t happen on Russia and China’s terms?

As for the second question, it’s the same as Western Europe: We have never seen conflict the scale of World War II since then. As a reminder, America hasn’t hosted a ground war involving a foreign power since 1812. This is why after World War II, America was largely unscathed domestically (the exception being Pearl Harbor in Hawaii of course).

As a reminder, many Americans didn’t want to get in either World Wars. In the minds of many who lived at the time of WWI, America had no business getting involved with Europe’s problems. Don’t even get my started on the American Nazi Party in the 1930s. Many said if the U.S. did get involved in WWII, it should be on the side of Germany.

History is repeating itself. Russia has largely succeeded in harnessing many Far Right Anarachists and chaos agents such as Mike Flynn, Steve Bannon and Alex Jones as assets in the U.S. This has been a 10-year plan that has largely succeeded in stoking political unrest in the U.S.

Now these American traitors and others are literally telling their followers Russia is an ally and we should be helping them destroy Democracy. Russia loves this messaging as they replay it on state-controlled TV networks as propaganda for the Russian people to give the impression “many Americans support our special operation in Ukraine and oppose Biden”. Like I said before, these American traitors are doing Russia’s work for them in the U.S.

Q: With Roe v. Wade overturned and the LGBTQ+ Community now being targeted, what do you think the Far Right will go after next?

A: Easy: Loving v. Virginia. That was the Supreme Court case that decriminalized Biraicial Relationships. Did you know that case was just 60 years ago? That was just a generation and a half ago. Most who were around when it became law are still alive now.

People need to understand something: Until that time, you could go to prison just for being in a biracial relationship. The parents of everyone born from a biracial relationship since then would have gone to prison without it. I don’t just mean Black and White but White and Hispanic, White and Asian, White and Native American and so on. They wouldn’t care as much if it was minority races mixing but how dare a minority breed with a White person.

…This is also where the Eugenics and Abortion topics I talked about earlier intersect. White Nationalists don’t have a problem with minority women and white women pregnant from minorities getting an abortion. What they do have a problem with is white women pregnant from white men getting an abortion. They overturned Roe v. Wade to force White women pregnant from White men to carry their pregnancy to term in an effort increase the number of “pure” white babies being born.

What does this mean for Evangelicals and Christian Nationalists who make up the lion’s share of the Anti-Abortion movement? Most of them are largely but willfully ignorant of this inconvenient truth. It’s all about gaining and asserting power by any means necessary as far as those two factions are concerned anyway.

Of course, it’s also hypocritical. They claim to be about “Freedom” but anyone born female is not allowed to have autonomy of their bodies for the sake of ensuring as many “pure” white babies as possible are born. Mind you, the Christian Nationalists want–no, NEED–their base to believe most of those getting abortions are young single women who can’t keep their legs closed. In truth, most of those seeking an abortion are and always have been married or in longtime relationships and often with several kids already.

More often than not, they are pressured by their partner or family members to terminate the pregnancy and this was true before Roe v. Wade as well. It’s never an easy decision to go that route but they do it because they can’t financially afford both the pregnancy and the new baby. 100% of them will tell you without hesitation if it was simply a matter of love, they would have kept the baby. The unfortunate reality is more than love is needed to have and raise a child.

That aside, the Republicans are already on the move and are aggressively going after Obergafel v. Hodges. That was the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized Gay Marriage. It was always target #2 after overturning Roe v. Wade as soon as the decision was announced. I have said this several times this year and last year but they WILL succeed in weakening it if not outright overturning it. There is far more public support for overturning Obergafel v. Hodges than the other side thinks.

 

Q: Wait back up. Why wouldn’t more people choose adoption even if abortion is outlawed nationally? Don’t we already have hundreds of thousands of kids who have in many cases been waiting for years to be adopted already?

A: Yes but wait, both Conservatives AND Liberals don’t want the government taking and raising their kids.

This is to say nothing of the horror stories that make the news involving kids in foster care being abused or running away and who knows how many more such horror stories that don’t make the news. No, most people who already have kids would not feel comfortable going the adoption route so that leaves abortion.

Did you know it’s estimated that over 30,000 wards of the state–that’s the official designation for foster kids on that note–are officially classified as missing across America? Before you freak out, the kids are not actually “missing”. Most of them are actually runaways who are living with a friend relatives until they turn 18. The overwhelming majority of those “missing” foster kids are actually somewhere safe but the state just doesn’t know where they are. If the state did know where they were, even if they were safe they would be placed back in foster care.

Most kids placed in foster care are actually placed temporarily. Usually because one or both parents is either in the hospital, jail or prison and there are no extended family members available who are willing or able to take care of them. I know with those who are hospitalized, they can get their kid(s) back as soon as they’re medically cleared for example.

That aside, it’s not a secret the foster care system is not only broken but overwhelmed, underfunded and understaffed. I mean nationwide and it’s been like this for decades. Why? Because let’s be honest, it’s not something most people really care to think about.

The reason America phased out orphanages in favor of the foster care system is because of the optics and the media reports of orphans living in dirty facilities where disease spread easily and worse. The problem is so far, the Foster Care System hasn’t been much better. Like I mentioned earlier, kids in foster care are literally disappearing. Not just teen runaways but young kids too. This That and the horror stories the media picks up involving kids in foster care being abused or dying are largely why most parents are so scared of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) taking their kids.

On the other hand, there IS also the matter of most people with the money and the means prefer to do an international adoption. If you ask most, they’ll tell you to your face they want to give a child with no hope of a decent life a chance at a good future. Another more realistic reason is there’s no chance of the birth parents later wanting their kid back.

That still doesn’t address the fact WE have a lot of kids in the system who need and deserve families that will love them. These days, most kids in the system already feel depressed and severe anxiety. More so if they have a sibling who’s either living with relatives or was placed separately. They have no sense of consistency, no “home”, no loved ones and in a growing number of cases, losing the will to live. Yes, really and that’s no exaggeration.

It’s no wonder over the last 10 or so years, DCF has started temporarily placing young foster kids in Amish and Mennonite homes. They mostly do it with babies and toddlers and on a temporary basis. The reason is because of their lifestyles, there’s little to no fear of something happening to a child placed in their care. If you ever see Amish at a clinic, hospital or train station in a city, you can safely assume it’s likely DCF-related.

All that said. As a society, we need to do something about this issue. This isn’t something the government can or should be expected to deal with but we, the people. Volunteer your time, donate clothes and backpacks, educate yourself on things. It might not feel like much but it would be a pretty good start.

 

Q: How long do you think Ukraine will be able to hold out if military aid from the U.S. and other countries stops? Do you think Russia will actually use nukes as they’ve threatened to do since the conflict began?

A: It’s easy to now forget U.S. Intelligence was forced to quickly admit they got it wrong when they initially said Kyiv would fall within 72 hours. At this point it’s probably fair to say Ukraine is prepared to fight to the last man if need be in a conflict they didn’t choose or ask for. Based on info from Malcolm Nance and others who have actually spent time with the Ukrainian Military, it’s probably fair to say Ukraine is looking to end this conflict on their terms as they should.

Zelensky said he wants to restore Ukraine’s boarders to how it was before 2014. In other words, he means retake Crimea. This isn’t getting as much attention as it should in the U.S. but the Ukrainian Military has started hitting Russian defenses in Crimea in recent months. They are not messing around and could be months if not weeks away from launching a land invasion into the Crimean Penninsula.

It’s funny: When the conflict began, Russians in Crimea scoffed at the idea of the occupied territory being reclaimed by Ukraine. Now many are fleeing to Russia in droves. If Ukraine is able to retake Crimea in the coming months, they will likely be able to resume grain exports on their own. That would open the door to Europe being more willing to provide them with the tools they need to push the Russian military out of their country.

As for if Russia nukes Ukraine…all I’ll say is read this article from 6 months back if you haven’t. I’ve since showed that article to a few people who are from Ukraine and they said many Ukrainian nationals living abroad would jump on the quickest plane back to Europe and join in the retribution. They would not be able to restrain themselves that’s how personal it would be for them. More so given the bloodless genocide Russia has been committing in plain sight since the conflict began.

I’m talking about taking Ukrainian children into Russia. It’s estimated Russia has so far taken over 300,000 children across the boarder since the conflict began. Children who are likely being indoctrinated to hate Ukraine and love Russia. This is a war crime and is a crime against humanity. Yet the UN is not actually doing anything to stop it other than denounce Putin.

When Russia starts using nukes–yes, I said WHEN–it will not just be against Ukraine. Putin knows using Nukes against just Ukraine will invoke the military wrath the U.S. and Europe. So, it would make sense for him to target those countries in particular.

Once the first nuke has been launched, all bets are off.

Q: What is going on in Haiti, why is the world largely turning a blind eye to it and what can be done?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: Things have gotten so bad, neighboring Dominican Republic recently closed their boarder with Haiti. Haiti is a failed state and has been since the Earthquake in 2010. The country has collapsed and it’s why it descended into anarchy in recent years.

People have been fleeing Haiti in droves ever since three competing gangs took over Port-au-Prince two years ago in the aftermath of the former Haitian president’s assassination. The Haitian Military and the Haitian Police are largely ungunned and outclassed as the Haitian gangs have weapons from the U.S. likely smuggled in via Mexican cartels. The Dominican Republic closed their land boarder with Haiti largely because of smugglers and traffickers on that note. This is to say nothing of Haitian smugglers offering to take people to the U.S. or Mexico by boat with no safety guarantees.

The fact that the U.S. let alone the rest of the world has largely turned a blind eye to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Haiti is shameful but not surprising to me. Americans largely ignored Afghanistan until 9/11 happened after all. America can’t afford to ignore Haiti at this point. More so knowing China is scamming Asian countries into debt and Russia is plundering African countries to finance its conflict in Ukraine. I wouldn’t put it past either of those countries–especially China–stepping in and offering to stabilize the country in exchange for loyalty.

All that said. First things first the UN needs to take over running Haiti. That needs to happen first and foremost. The Haitian government has imploded and lawlessness abounds. That needs to be reigned in before something cataustrophic happens. Personally, I fear human trafficking happening in Haiti real soon. Not just internationally but domestically.

More than even that, I do not want to see Haiti become a place for China to come in and set up either surveilance assets targeting the U.S. in exchange for money and aid to the Haitiian government. That’s something China is becoming known for in Southeast Asia and some African countries in particular. I’m talking Chinese-based companies tricking countries into signing 60 to 120-year leases. In exchange for the money, China prettymuch owns the land they’re leasing from the native country for decades. China gets away with it by putting in writing a clause that if the other party breaks the agreement, the other country must pay them back in full. We’re talking hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars worth of debt.

Haiti went through this with France 150 years ago. France tricked what was then the Western Hemishere’s first African Republic into paying THEM reparations for its own war of independence. After the 2010 Earthquake, some historians said France had a moral obligation to return the money they scammed the Haiti into paying them almost 100 years earlier. Not that the French government doesn’t have its own problems right now.

All that said. Haiti is already a humanitarian crisis for the entire western hemisphere and has been for decades now. It’s soon going to get a whole lot worse unfortunately.

Q: According to various reports, Trump has apparently ordered his allies in Congress to shut down the government in an effort to stop some of his ongoing and pending federal legal cases. Assuming Trump gets his way and there is a government shutdown, how would that impact his cases? Could this “direct order” from Trump be used against him legally if there is a government shutdown?

A: It wouldn’t stop his federal cases first and foremost. No doubt the courts and judges involved are planning accordingly. His state cases in Georgia and New York would obviously not be impacted on that note.

As for the second question, yes absolutely. It could be used against him in ALL of his legal cases state AND federal. This man is willing to shut down America just to escape due process. He has many willing followers actively trying to do that already. Let that sink in.

 

Q: A recent CBS News report highlighted how easily Mexican Cartels are getting their hands on guns made in America from the U.S. and are smuggling them across the boarder. Most of those interviewed pointed to the ease of access to guns in the U.S. as how and why Mexican cartels are and apparently always will be better equipped than the Mexican Military. What can and should the U.S. be doing to either help Mexico or stop American weapons fro getting in the hands of Mexican Cartels?

A: Edit the Second Amendment. Full Stop. I know that’s a non-starter for the gun lobby and others with our own gun violence crisis but I do think lawsuits would be the next best things to force change. Make it as costly as possible to allow things to continue like they are and watch how fast legislation is introduced at the state and federal levels.

 

Q: We’re seeing the rise of Fascism, Theocratic Nationalism and Totalitarianism in Europe, Israel, India, South America and the U.S. All countries or regions that are Democratic strongholds. What can be done to turn the tide in the other direction? Could we be seeing the end of civilization as we know it?

A: Flood the zone with the truth loudly and firmly. That would be a good starting point.

As for the second question, “as we know it” yes absolutely though weather it will be a sudden event or happen gradually depends on how things play out in the near future–as in several years from now–or in the case of America, what happens over the next 16 months.

For those who don’t know about what’s going on in India, there are increased cases of Muslims being openly harassed and persecuted by Hindus. Much it has to do with India’s longtime territorial dispute with Pakistan going back decades and India’s Prime Minister tying National pride in with Hinduism. To his credit he has publicly denounced the anti-Muslim sentiment but it seems to be getting out of hand.

Meanwhile, Venezuela is a failed state. People fleeing the country mostly for Brazil and Argentina aside, the country’s economy has tanked due to political corruption. People are leaving Venezuela largely because there is no hope for them and they no longer feel safe. They are literally fleeing for their lives. As much as some in the U.S. on both sides of the political divide have chosen take advantage of the situation, I do think Venezuelan refugees should get the same consideration Cuban exiles get because going back would be a death sentance for most of them. We put them to work in the U.S., we get a boost in our workforce across various industries.

As for France, Paris descended into chaos since June with daily protests after its president Emmanuel Macron forced through reforms that stripped workers of their pensions and other economic reforms. He did it despite overwhelming opposition from the public AND French Parilament. France is Europe’s oldest Democracy and will host the 2024 Olympics. If things escalate in France, we could start seeing countries pull out over security concerns.

 

Q: With all the political corruption that has been going on in America for decades, I don’t really see a point in voting. The media and both political parties conspire to select who’s getting elected based on likability more than things that should really matter. The elevate people who have no business being in politics and demonize people who do have America’s interests in mind. Our political system is a bad joke and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Why should I give a damn about politics?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: Because those working to destroy this country DO give a damn. That should be reason enough.

Nothing pleases the Domestic Terrorists and their foreign allies more than to hear and read online from people who’ve checked out of politics and want nothing to do with elections or the process. In the the conspirators’ minds, that gives them justification to flood the zone with elaborate but false conspiracy theories and dismantle the government piece by piece. They are doing both as we speak already.

I eluded to this with my answers to earlier questions but the biggest threat to the American Experiment is from WITHIN first and foremost. Our politicial system’s dysfunction has reached critical mass and one party is actively working with Russia, China, Iran and other foreign governments to disrupt our political system, distract the public with culture wars and ultimately destroy our system of government.

I regularly talk to people who live in countries that are both not as developed as the U.S. but in some regards do not have a lot of the same rights and freedoms we take for granted. This is to say nothing of talking to people whose families legally immigrated to the U.S. from countries where tomorrow was literally not promised.

It’s a culture shock for them when they emmigrate to the U.S. and see how much most Americans take what we would consider basic freedoms for granted despite our country’s recent history and current political events. This is to say nothing of those who are shocked and disturbed by how disinterested most Americans regardless of their politics of the election process or if candidates/politicians are fit for the job.

It’s easy to see why the American Experiment is hanging by a thread now and I’ll leave it there for now.

Q: The so-called “No Labels” Party was quickly exposed as a red herring intended to help Trump’s campaign by drawing independent voters and Republican voters who don’t like Trump. How should Biden or the Democratic Party deal with Joe Manchin over this? Now that the truth out, do you think Manchin’s poltiical career is over?

A: Manchin should be dealt with by the West Virginia voters who keep putting him in office first and foremost. Until they elect someone else or he decides to retire, he’s not going anywhere.

Manchin is sponsored by the Fossil Fuel Industry on that note. It’s why he’s so resistant to efforts by not just the majority of the party but most of the world to invest heavily into renewable energy.

Q: Conspiracy Theorist and Trump-backed presidental candidate RFK Jr. has recently shared and promoted code words that have long been closely associated with White Supremacist movements. Do you think Biden and/or the DNC should publicly denounce this?

A: As was the case with the “No Labels” fiasco, RFK Jr. is there to help Trump. He is there to pull votes from Biden in the primary. Biden and the DNC have largely ignored RFK Jr. because of his last name and also not trying to give him the attention he’s begging for but I feel like at this point silence is no longer an option. Like Hershel Walker, RFK Jr. is clearly mentally ill.

The Kennedy family has largely denounced RFK Jr. for decades largely over his embrace of conspiracy theories. He is largely considered a pariah by the family and an embarrassment. It’s easy to see how this will likely end with him and at this point he needs to be publicly confronted.

 

Q: The 2024 presidental election’s still over a year away but it looks like Corporate Media has finally stopped pretending they don’t want Trump back in the White House–MSNBC and CNN included. After all the attacks against the media as an institution before, during and after being president, why does the media insist on normalizing political dysfunction?

A: Easy: Biden is “too boring” compared to Trump as far as the media is concerned. It’s why even after Biden became president they still dedicated so much time talking about Trump and the Far Right. What they don’t even understand and likely don’t care about is they are helping the GOP by pushing the Bothsidesism.

The Far Right in particular desperately NEEDS bad people on the Left at all times. They NEED it to distract from themselves first and give the Bothsidesism credability second. It’s all about projecting a false equivalency of Biden and the Democrats with Trump and the GOP. The problem is like I said, it’s a false equivalency.

The other problem is the media largely helping to project this false equivalency to make the case “See? There are bad people on both sides!”. This isn’t to say there aren’t corrupt Democrats like Senator Bob Menendez who legit feels what he did was ok. 10 years ago, a scandal like his would’ve ended his political career instantly. Now we have elected officials on both sides who basically thumb their noses at the idea of them being held accountable for their actions.

Getting back to the media’s part in all this. It is a fact overall public trust in the media has likely been permanently shattered when it comes to anything politics related at this point. I mean in general, across the political spectrum and across all age groups. Outside of a few specific people, it’s not the fault of the journalists but the company they work for.

Why? Because people are sick and tired of the political theatre and drama that the media dedicates most of their time to these days. People are just DONE with it and it’s why most people have stopped watching or reading the news entirely. It’s why many have embraced Christian Nationalist ideologies and why many have gone down the rabbit holes of conspiracy theories.

We now have Americans who are literally cheering on and in some cases actively working towards causing the destruction of America. I’ve named some of them earlier and they have a lot of followers too. All that said, those who’ve been saying the American Democracy is on life support are not wrong to be saying so.

Q: Saying the American Democracy could end at any time feels pretty extreme and honestly it sounds like fearmongering. Why do some people insist on saying that?

A: Because it’s the truth first and foremost.

Second, I’m sure everyone is familiar with the phrase “false sense of security” as well as the quote from Benjamin Franklyn “Those who would willingly sacrifice their civil liberties for a sense of security deserves neither”.

Third, most Americans regardless of their politics have closed their eyes to reality thanks in large part to the last 30 years worth of liesure, entertainment and other kinds of distractions. At the same time, most Americans regardless of their politics have felt like they’re in the final days of our Democracy since the early 2000s.

21st Century America is often compared to the fall of Rome and with very good reason. Rome didn’t fall in a day. It happened slowly over a period of time due to a combination of factors from both within and without. By the time the Germanic Barbarians captured Rome in 476 AD, the Roman Empire had been in decline for some time. It basically imploded.

The same thing is going on with America as we speak but the obvious difference is the U.S. doesn’t control a large amount of territory on several continents. The Roman Military was one of the five most powerful militaries in human history on that note. Yet eventually it did fall.

History lessons aside, America’s domestic issues are pretty obvious and well known to most of the world now. A few months into his presidency, Biden recalled meeting with our allies in Europe during a press conference. He told them “America is back!” to which they plainly responded “Yes…but for how long?” Those world leaders weren’t just talking about America on the international stage. They also meant domestically.

While most Americans are pretty ignorant of the domestic affairs of most of the world, most of the world is well aware of the reality of America’s domestic affairs. That aside, it’s not a secret America’s allies do spy on us. We spy on our allies as well. That’s not a big deal and it’s not a secret to all governments involved either.

My point is most of our allies are terrified at the idea of Trump returning to the White House. They could do nothing but watch in horror as Trump turned his back on them and allied himself with Putin and Kim Jong Un. They watched as Trump’s incompetence almost plunged Iran and Iraq into war only a few years after ISIS was dealt with. Now they are watching in horror as a quarter of Americans are working to destroy their own country in his name.

I didn’t mention all the day to day issues all Americans deal with. We have been dealing with crisis after crisis back to back since 9/11. The so-called “War on Terrorism”. The Recession. Natural Disasters. The rise of Trumpism and the 1/6/2021. Racism. COVID-19. Mass Shooting Events. Voter Supression. Social Media. Conspiracy Theories. Artificial Intelligence. I could go on and on but those are just for starters.

Honestly, I’ll be shocked if more than half of Americans actually do vote in the 2024 Presidental election. For once, the media is not exaggerating in their reports about most Democrats not wanting to vote for Biden in 2024 because of his age. I am expecting a lot of Democrats to stay home for that reason alone unless someone else gets the nomination. This is to say nothing of Republican voters having no REAL candidates who are not insane (Trump), power-hungry (DeSantis, Christie and Scott) or crazy (everyone else).

…Yet talking about how much the deck is stacked against ordinary people is being dismissed as “fearmongering”. Give me a break. If you want to close your eyes to reality, that’s your problem. Not mine.

Q: Then let me ask you this: Is there even a point in voting anymore? Or is that just pointless since politicians are actively working to legally rig elections at the State and Federal levels?

A: Definitely vote or keep voting. DO NOT STOP VOTING. The agents of chaos in the GOP and on the Far Right want to take away the right to vote from those they don’t like–anyone who doesn’t vote their way or likely wouldn’t vote their way–which is most of Americans. This is what the overt and aggressive gerrymandering, voter suppression and voter subversion is all about at the end of the day. Basically, what it is in Russia: Your vote is invalid if you don’t vote “the right way”.

For almost 3 centuries, the four most sacred words in America were–and for now still are–“The People Have Spoken”. Just how do we speak in a Democracy? With the ballot box. Once that fundamental right is taken away from ANYONE, we are no longer a Democracy.

For almost 100 years after the Civil War, blacks did not have the right to freely vote in this country. There are people still living right now who vividly remember those days. Before the Voting Rights Act of 1965–which by the way is under attack by GOP since most Black people vote Blue–you could literally be arrested simply for trying to register to vote. For decades, Republican politicians in Red states have been pushing to bring those days back and in recent years they have been making progress with that.

You wanna make these corrupt politicians and crooked candidated respect the people they’re supposed to be serving? Vote them out of office and deny them public office. Every. Single. Election. Not just the big ones but local elections too.

Few things annoy me more than seeing politicians running with no opposition. It’s especially bad in states where one party or the other holds a super majority. This is also why we have politicians in office for decades well into their 70s so much: After a while, people don’t bother trying to run against them because they don’t think anyone would want to see the imcumbent gone. So what if they’re a popular incumbent or candidate and they’re projected to win? Get yourself on the ballot so that voters have at least two options.

The Far Right agents of chaos are running for office as we speak. They are moving to take over America one election at a time. We have a lot of catching up to do.

 

Q: What are your thoughts on the push to make Cannabis/Marijuana legalized for medical and recreational use? Do you think it’s a good idea? Should people who were arrested or imprisoned for Marijuana-related offenses have those charges removed from their criminal records?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: I’ve been following this topic for over 20 years personally. I also have some relatives who’ve smoked weed recreationally for decades. I don’t smoke and I do not use Cannabis products and nor do I ever plan or intend to ever.

You will also never see me encourage people to smoke/use Cannabis. The reason is because more research needs to be done for safety. Contrary to what I know a lot of advocates for it claim, you can get cancer from smoking weed just like you can from smoking cigarettes. When you smoke, you’re forcing HOT air and smoke into your lungs and throat. Smoking weed doesn’t change that fact.

That aside. I know people who ingest or use cannibis products. Some while being monitored by their doctor. I have seen many people have their quality of life drastically improve after they started using Cannabis. That’s all the more reason more research needs to be done on its medicinal usefulness. If we’re going to legalize its use in some forms, it should be HEAVILY regulated for both medical and medicinal uses. Too much of anything is bad for your health no matter what it may be.

As for people who were either charged or did time for Marijuana-related offenses decades ago, I think that should be handled case by case. Let’s be honest, from the 80s to the mid-2000s in particular some people were charged or imprisoned for more than just possession of weed or selling weed. A lot more people committed other crimes in addition to that. This is why I said things should be handled case by case. Blanket releasing everyone locked up with a possession charge without looking at the other factors is just irresponsible and dangerous though.

All that said. I definitely don’t think cannabis in any form should be marketed to persons under 21. It should get the same minimum age limit as alcohol because some of the effects while high on weed is similar to being drunk. At the end of the day you’ll be impaired so…yeah.

 

Q: I’ve followed your blog for a long time and you seem to have a pretty good read on current events and politics. You also seem to have a real talent for explaining complicated subjects in ways that are easy to understand. Have you given any thought to entering politics yourself?

Note: This was actually a compilation of several questions on this topic that I merged.

A: When I was in my early 20s, I thought a lot about running for mayor of Boston once I was in my mid-30s. I’m almost 40 now and I no longer have political aspirations.

I learned a lot about myself over the last seven years in particular. One thing I can say for sure is as things are now, I have no business seriously considering running for political office anytime soon. I’ll just leave it at that for now.

 

Q: Can you provide an update on that Bitter Realities blog you announced last month? When will it be coming?

A: I’m going to push its launch to second or third quarter 2024 and it’s for a very big but good personal reason: I’ve recently enrolled in Bunker Hill Community College. I will be pursuing my Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts on that note. Community College is now free in Massachusetts and Boston as of this past summer so I’m taking advantage of that.

BHCC has a program that allows one to earn credits toward their degree based on certain life experiences and prior work experience. Between that and the 50 credits I got from my time at Mass Bay Community College, there’s actually a real possability I could secure my degree without actually having to take a single class. We’ll see.

That aside and getting back on topic. My college plans aside, I’ll also need the extra time to set things up. I don’t really expect to have the time to do that until April 2024 the earliest, early February the latest. After that’s done, I plan to launch Bitter Realities in Spring or Summer of 2024. I’ll provide more info on this blog between now and then.

Q: How do you find the motivation to consistently write such detailed articles on not one but a dozen blogs? Do you make money from writing all these articles either throw PayPal or Patreon?

A: I do have twelve blogs but more so in recent years, I don’t regularly write content for ALL of them. In recent years I’ve mostly written articles on five of my twelve blogs including this one. I mean consistently since early 2020.

Have I made money off my blogs? No, not really. I’ve dropped the link to my PayPal donation page on the bottom of EVERY article I’ve posted since…I wanna say 2015 or 2016. I’ve even gone back and added the link to some of my older posts from years ago especially when I link back to them. Like the short message below says, any amount you can and are willing to give would be greatly appreciated.

I do have a Patreon page on that note. I set it up earlier this year as another option for generating revenue. I don’t have any subscribers yet but it is public.

If you like anything I’ve written on this blog in particular, I ask for your financial support. You can give a one-time donation or even set up recurring payments via the PayPal Link. You do not need a PayPal account yourself to do this on that note.

 

Q: When will be the next mail bag be?

A: I’m looking at doing the next one early next year. Maybe in February. We’ll see.

While this blog is on hiatus, I plan to focus on writing articles for all of the following blogs:

• Memories from Way Back When
• Aurabolt’s Game Blog
• Aurabolt’s Anime and Manga
• Aurabolt’s Fiction Press
• Proud Worldwide WWE Fans
• MBTA Points of Interest

Feel free to subscribe to them.

 

 

I made this Mail bag VERY long not just because I had a range of topics to cover in depth but for another reason: I’m going to take a hiatus from this blog until at least January 2024.

My college plans aside, I need to take time away from this blog primarily for mental health reasons. One thing I was reminded of from my recent interactions with Jim Stewartson, Wesley Clark Jr. and Dr. Steve Hassan on Xitter is talking about just the political situation in the U.S. is mentally draining. All three of them have made what they do their life’s work and history will speak kindly of them. They have and continue to sacrifice much just to speak truth to power.

I actually do have four or five more articles I planned to write after this one before the end of the year. Two of them will be scheduled to automatically be posted on Thanksgiving Day (U.S.) and Christmas Day or New Years’ Eve, I haven’t decided which yet. What I have decided in advance is what the main topic for those articles will be though.

On that note, I want to end with this: Relative Truth is an illusion. There are and always will be Absolute Truths in this world.

 

If you have enjoyed this post or other posts I have made on this blog, please consider making a monetary donation via PayPal. Whatever amount you can provide would be greatly appreciated.