Selling the Country for Parts

The Russian Mob merges with the USA One

Last year I wrote about the relationship between what our Republican operatives did to the Russians after the collapse of the soviet Union and how that paved the way for them to infiltrate our own government. I titled the post.

“We gave the Russians Oligarchy & now they are giving back"

Well that gift is the gift that keeps giving. There is abundant evidence now that that is exactly what Trump, combined with Trumpist Repubican Grifters, operatives and ₽rivateers, Russian and American, seem to be trying to do.

Experts on Authoritarianism, the mob, like Malcolm Nance or Sarah Kenzior
(and amateurs like me) are pretty sure that this
current shutdown is no accident!

Forget the Wall. Trump is the National Security Crisis

1. Trump's Shutdown is a “a power-grab as a policy proposal”
2. “insert[s] misleading statistics, grisly depictions of violence”
3. Feigns a “fatuous humanitarian framework”
4. Overstates grossly “the threat of Central American migrants”
5. Deflects from the reckless, violent & criminal treatment of refugees
6. and their children

The unsaid words of every Donald Trump demand are the most important,
for they never change: “Or else.”

“Forget the Wall Trump is the National Security Crisis”

Trump is following the rules and protocols of countless dictators to get into power and expand that power until they had total control of the government and could use that power for themselves with impunity. Trump's shutdown is not about the wall now, just as his pre-campaign propaganda strategy was not about Obama's birth certificate. It is the second act in a plot to destroy democracy. His shutdown is part of a campaign of extortion. She writes about Trump's speech Sunday:

“the speech was akin to a hostage video, and American Viewers were his captive audience.” [Sarah Kendzior]

We watch in horror as Trump tries to gin up a “national emergency” and indoctrinate people with sufficient fear and hatred that he can end Democracy in this country. He's also using Trump to destroy NATO, help destroy the European Union, and undermine the entire West, but that is for another post.

“Trump has taunted us with talk of declaring a “national emergency” – an act which gives him the power to do things like kill the internet, freeze bank accounts, and turn military troops into a domestic police force. We watched because Mr. Trump has long applauded death through his praise of dictators and criminals. We watched because the path to American autocracy was laid out upon his election, and we wanted to know which victims were next.” [Sarah Kendzior]

The playbook demands that he “ceaselessly goad” (indoctrinate) people to live in his “noxious fantasy world” with the help of a feckless and enabling media. If we don't stop him and those who actually like his authoritarian, and kleptocratic agenda –soon– we will soon be beyond the point where we can.

I have a lot more to say on this. But I think this is enough for this post.

On this day one has to think of Martin Luther King:

“We gave the Russians Oligarchy & now they are giving back"

http://holtesthoughts.blogspot.com/2017/03/we-gave-russians-oligarchs-now-they-are.html?m=0

Forget the Wall. Trump is the National Security Crisis:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-forget-the-wall-trump-is-the-national-security-crisis/

Malcolm Nance The Plot to Destroy America: How Putin and his Spies are Undermining America, and dismantling the West

With Trump's Help

https://www.amazon.com/Plot-Destroy-Democracy-Undermining-Dismantling/dp/0316484814

Dug in Dugin Traditionalism as Evangelical Heresy

Duginism is Alexander Dugin & Putin's World Wide Fascist Movement

Duginism is an ideology created by Alexander Dugin, in tandem with the Russian State. It is obviously meant to serve as both a domestic and an export ideology. It replaces the Leninist ideology, which at least on its face was intended to be modernist and pro science and technology, with the older "conservative", "nationalist" and "traditionalist" & "Eurasionist" ideologies put on the backburner. Dugin, Putin and the post "Glasnost" Russians have dusted off Russian Chauvinism and tried to fashion it into something new. They may call it "fourth political theory" but it is just fascism rebranded. Fascism was always about manipulating people using ideology, patriotism and emotion. Duginism is just a modern variant.

Is Shutdown a Revolutionary Strategy?

Trump is picking a fight on the wall because he is following his strategy of "break and blame." He is a thoroughly corrupt grifter, but he is also a master of labeling and showmanship. He thinks shutting down the government is win/win, marketing, and that breaking the government will get him reelected. He'd like to institute a one party dictatorship, but mostly he just relishes fighting and causing chaos. His goal is to enrage his base, use violence & overt fraud to shut down the opposition & rule by decree; and his base love it0. The could be just the first step in a break and then claim to fix, strategy. He'll claim that it was his brilliance that reopened the government when it eventually does. Despite the reality that it is his stupidity that shut it down in the first place.

But meanwhile he blames "the democrats" for not giving him his wall. I expect him to call for the power to build his wall by decree. If things escalate, and he thinks he can get away with it, he'll launch incidents to make his claims seem plausible so he can suspend congress & habeas corpus to rule by decree. I hope he never gets the opportunity.

On the other hand I'm hoping he's not that smart and is just being a pig.

Atlas Ignores Science

Rearden Metal - watching Atlas Shrugged continued.

In Atlas Shrugged, rearden metal is supposed to be stronger, lighter, more enduring than ordinary steel. Yet early on in the story its structural integrity is questioned by authorities associated with the Government's Science department. Rand sees this as a plot twist that exposes a sinister plot. Yet in reality metals are tested by scientists, both by the industry & regulator & safety is an objective measure. It is implausible that they'd question the safety and efficacy of "Rearden Metal" unless it failed those tests. So the whole plot twist is absurd.

Anyone can say that their metal is superior. It's like "flex seal" or "My Pillow," part of the sales. Yet safety regulations are part of demonstrating that an assertion is more than a sales pitch. Can you cut a boat in half, seal it with flex tape & then sail it good as new? That is what testing does. Libertarians take the dark view that Ayn Rand describes in "Atlas Shrugged" that science is political.

She paints safety regulations as unnecessary bureaucracy when in fact the testing & replication of science is what makes our lives actually in fact better. In Atlas Shrugged Rearden metal might well have been actually in fact superior to other forms of steel. But in real life, that is a fact that can be proven or disproven with tests. It is something that can be falsified.

False Attribution

Parody Alternative

I was going to write a parody paralel under account where rearden metal turned out to be an alloy made from spent reactor rods, highly toxic & corrosive, and so brittle it would fail the moment sufficient weight was put on it. In that scenario the behavior of the Engineers Union and authorities would have been not only merited but virtuous. The point is the goal is better production actual in fact & scientific based regulation is the business friend not their enemy. Assuming that regulation is the enemy of business, sounds good to those who reject science. But force of will alone cannot make railroads carry the weight of a 50,000 lb locomotive.

Ayn Rand's book is fantasy

In Ayn Rand's book, Rearden metal is truly strong. If she were a realistic writer she'd have had him at least attempt to produce test results in defense of its use. But she was doing propaganda, and "facts aren't facts" when one is promoting an agenda.

Her spiritual successors have banned scientists from discussing issues like global warming, or produced fake studies in order to claim that it is not caused at all by human activity. The anti-science attitude involved in this behavior was planted by Ayn Rand in her cadres of true believers. Ironically science goes into the studies of what messages will fool the public and the people paying to deny global warming, are preparing to a; make money off of it, and b; mitigate its effects on their own fortunes.

The funny thing is that there are people who believe that Rearden metal is a real thing.

Part of a Series

We still need R&D that only government is willing to do!

We still need r&d to develop better technology, especially where testing is needed.
https://youtu.be/K4zFefh5T-8

Trump's Kingpin

Trump's Kingpin has no business having a law license must less as Attorney General

Why Congress must impeach Trump Officials

Dear Esteemed Representative Jerry Nadler.

Just before Christmas I shared my opinion with Speaker Nancy Pelosi that Congress must open impeachment hearings. At that time I suggested that you do so:

“Not initially into the President, but into Whitehouse and Cabinet officials who, past and present, have abused their office.”

Since then you, Rep Jerry Nadler have been conducting hearings that could be turned into an Impeachment Inquiry. We all support and applaud your efforts.

Impeachment as a Prophylactic on Abuse of Power

It is my believe that this needs to be done and is even more urgent now than before.

“The purpose of Impeachment hearings is not merely to focus on the lawbreaking of these officials, which is obvious, but to stop them from committing high crimes and misdemeanors or the President from using his Pardon Power to help them get away with it.”

I believe that a case can be made that the use of the impeachment power should stop the ability of the President to obstruct justice via impeachment. As quoted in the Meme above, the President

“shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”

With the recent evidence of Trump dangling pardon's to people contemplating breaking the law, it is imperative that something be done to block him from using pardons to obstruct justice. See:

“Trump told CBP head he'd pardon him if sent to jail,” CNN

I believe you can make it impossible for Trump to use the Pardon power that way. It is time to open impeachment hearings, starting with inquiries into Bill Barr, Mnuchin and other officials who are violating USA law. Accompanying that I'd suggest you file an injunction with the courts against any impeachments related to those hearings.

Prophylactic Purpose

Time and time again, have gotten pardoned for relatively minor crimes that, however, reflect disregard for rule of law. These people may not have killed anyone, but they have shown that they are not fit for office. Indeed, that is the purpose of impeachment. Not to punish criminal behavior, that is for the courts, but to remove people from government who are a plague to it or a threat to the constitution. Impeachment serves a prophylactic purpose against traitors, grafters, grifters and privateers.

“Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.”

In August 9 1974 Richard Nixon resigned from the Presidency. Soon after that Gerald Ford Pardoned Nixon, which shut down a number of investigations, not only into Richard Nixon, but into Nixon's veritable army of co-conspirators, including some minor players who went on to become republican operatives and into bigger and better crimes. At the time we took this to mean that even the President was not above the law. But some of those minor players came back when Reagan was elected, and the Reagan Administration showed even less respect for congress and the rule of law. Ford was able to pardon Nixon, only because he had not been impeached.

Nobody in the Reagan Administration, nor in the subsequent George HW Bush Presidency. Yet there was an investigation from 1986 to 1992. Despite that investigation being impeded by grants of immunity, deliberate cover-ups and obstruction of justice, that investigation detailed the high crimes and misdemeanors of a continuing program of lawlessness that ran from 1985 til the investigation was shut down after George HW Bush pardoned the perps. They got away with it, because nobody in the Reagan or Bush administrations had been impeached.

In 1992, at least partly on the advice of Bill Barr.

“On December 24, 1992, President George H.W. Bush granted pardons to six defendants in the Iran-Contra Affairs. The defendants were Elliott Abrams, a former assistant secretary of state for Central America; former National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane; former CIA officials Duane Clarridge, Alan Fiers, and Clair George; and former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger.” [Brown Article]

The experience of the Walsh investigation shows why Congress has a DUTY to impeach those responsible for wrong doing and not to look the other way covered by talk of "moving on." Congress has a duty to impeach officials engaged in wrong doing and not rely on prosecutors and courts because the President has Pardon power and only impeachment limits that power. The President has:

“Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” [COTUS: Article 2, Section 2 1st paragraph.]

If we don't want President Trump to pardon his way out being punished for his criminality, then Congress must impeach the officials involved and open an impeachment investigation. This is necessary, not only to ensure the President is brought to justice, but to prevent him from using the pardoning power to avoid responsibility. If he should start to pardon the perps in this case, any such pardons should be challenged in the Supreme Court. Additionally, if there is evidence of congressmen or of Supreme Court Justices seeking to aide him in obstructing justice, they need to be subject to impeachment hearings too.

Giving the President Immunity from Prosecution is Unconstitutional