I’m just flabbergasted at how many people are either oblivious or who just don’t care about what is going on. The last two years have shown me that I’ve given people way too much credit for not only being able to use their brains, but to also do the right thing.
There actually was a law that prevented this. The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948. Passed with huge bipartisan support, in the aftermath of WW2, it prevented the US govt from using domestic media sources to broadcast propaganda or drive narratives inside the US. It was passed, as the legislative history shows, to give assurances to US citizens that what happened in Germany could never happen here.
The law actually worked quite well and stood as a silent sentry for 75 years. But it needed to be gutted, to allow for what was to come. So in 2012 the Obummer administration slipped the gutting into the massive Defense Authorization Act. Which nobody reads and generally passes on a voice vote with little or no debate. Obummer then took the unusual step of signing the bill with no fanfare while on vacation in Hawaii with Big Mike. Before anyone could figure out what had been done.
The changes essentially allowed the government to treat its citizens like they treated citizens of foreign enemies. Using and paying the media to broadcast the messages they wanted you to hear, and censoring opposing views. This was on full display, of course, with the Covid narrative. Hundreds of millions of dollars (that we know about)paid to the media and Big Tech to drive the narrative and suppress dissent.
If you ever wondered how all of that came about the elimination of the Smith Mundt Act protections tells a large part of the story.
"You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you'd better get wise to it. There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted—and you create a nation of law-breakers—and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with."
Gato, you did it again; I cannot unsee what I have seen!
(The mating of Fouci/Walensky, lol!)
Hissing cockroaches running us out of our own kitchens is another issue- let's think, exactly how did Hercules clean the Agean Stables??
Oh yes, he diverted a river! Let's do the same, but with a tidal wave of citizen legislators, free speech advocates, natural medicine practitioners, local food producers, manufacturing inside our own country, and Mom's for Liberty school boards, lol!!
I was permanently banned from TWTR over the weekend without explanation, apparently because I joked that you would get banned for putting some variant of “Dark MAGA” in your profile which was my last post before the ban. Well, I still have Gab and Substack!
I think with the development of AI bots and ubiquitous electronic mass surveillance, no technological public square is fit for purpose. They can all be vectors for spying and co-option. Instead, we must return to forms of life that allow for non-technological social and political solutions. This can only work in decentralized settings, eg small towns or rural areas, with both structured in-person meetings and informal gossip.
In light of everything this administration has done in its two years of rule, I think it's more likely that we're dealing with "Adolph and Heinrich" and not "Bud and Lou."
Wow. Censoring comments about a central bank shows that they are losing. Seems like the powers that be are getting desperate. Paging the Streisand Effect
‘"When you are not with what majority of Americans are, then you know, that is extreme. That is an extreme way of thinking." There is no such entity as, ‘majority of Americans’. The US is a society of individuals wherein there is a broad spectrum of opinions, ideas, behaviour, thought including some at the margins; these is no aggregate of these that produces a single animus with unitary purpose to constitue ‘a majority’. In a free society there is no authoritarian centre which determines what thoughts and ideas may be held and with which all are compelled to comply or be declared heretic and anathema. The Biden administration is very close to reinventing The Inquisition
Indeed they do. With Big Mike, Susan Rice, Tom Perez, Lisa Monaco and a few others playing back up. They told us exactly what they were going to do. And they counted on two things. First, that the media lapdogs would provide the cover. Smith Mundt gutting was part of that. And second, that a huge percentage of citizens are barely functional idiots, incapable of independent or critical thinking. That might hurt. But it is indisputable and Covid proved it. It’s not entirely their fault. 50 years of government run schools, totally infiltrated by Marxists, along with massive over proscribed “downer” drugs have left the bulk of the population unable to use their brains in the way God intended for them to be used. I don’t know how that gets fixed.
I do believe (sadly) that 10s of millions who did not think for themselves and (figuratively) climbed on the cattle car will die in the coming years. Which means thst those of us who have stood in the breach from Day 1 will represent a greater percentage of the population. Will that help. It might if we can stay one step ahead of the Brownshirts.
Within the functioning Constitutional system laws play a critical role. On the other hand, empires are rooted in power and don’t care about laws. They can break laws because they have the might. We cannot solve this problem by introducing new laws, because the power will just ignore them. The solution lies in the power equation. People must gather the necessary power to take away the power from the current ruling set, and slay the empire to bring back what we used to have - an imperfect republic, which can, over time, be improved. Time is running out!
I’m just flabbergasted at how many people are either oblivious or who just don’t care about what is going on. The last two years have shown me that I’ve given people way too much credit for not only being able to use their brains, but to also do the right thing.
Possibly one of your best, and most needed, pieces. Great work.
There actually was a law that prevented this. The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948. Passed with huge bipartisan support, in the aftermath of WW2, it prevented the US govt from using domestic media sources to broadcast propaganda or drive narratives inside the US. It was passed, as the legislative history shows, to give assurances to US citizens that what happened in Germany could never happen here.
The law actually worked quite well and stood as a silent sentry for 75 years. But it needed to be gutted, to allow for what was to come. So in 2012 the Obummer administration slipped the gutting into the massive Defense Authorization Act. Which nobody reads and generally passes on a voice vote with little or no debate. Obummer then took the unusual step of signing the bill with no fanfare while on vacation in Hawaii with Big Mike. Before anyone could figure out what had been done.
The changes essentially allowed the government to treat its citizens like they treated citizens of foreign enemies. Using and paying the media to broadcast the messages they wanted you to hear, and censoring opposing views. This was on full display, of course, with the Covid narrative. Hundreds of millions of dollars (that we know about)paid to the media and Big Tech to drive the narrative and suppress dissent.
If you ever wondered how all of that came about the elimination of the Smith Mundt Act protections tells a large part of the story.
"You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you'd better get wise to it. There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted—and you create a nation of law-breakers—and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with."
- Dr. Floyd Ferris, *Atlas Shrugged*
Gato, you did it again; I cannot unsee what I have seen!
(The mating of Fouci/Walensky, lol!)
Hissing cockroaches running us out of our own kitchens is another issue- let's think, exactly how did Hercules clean the Agean Stables??
Oh yes, he diverted a river! Let's do the same, but with a tidal wave of citizen legislators, free speech advocates, natural medicine practitioners, local food producers, manufacturing inside our own country, and Mom's for Liberty school boards, lol!!
Time to re-up our Investments in the U.S.A.
: ))
Chesterton said "When you break the big laws, you do not get liberty; you do not even get anarchy. You get the small laws."
We've got a crisis of the Big Laws.
Well, thanks a litterbox-load for that Walenfauxi photo horror. Now I will really never sleep again.
¡Muy malo!
I was permanently banned from TWTR over the weekend without explanation, apparently because I joked that you would get banned for putting some variant of “Dark MAGA” in your profile which was my last post before the ban. Well, I still have Gab and Substack!
I think with the development of AI bots and ubiquitous electronic mass surveillance, no technological public square is fit for purpose. They can all be vectors for spying and co-option. Instead, we must return to forms of life that allow for non-technological social and political solutions. This can only work in decentralized settings, eg small towns or rural areas, with both structured in-person meetings and informal gossip.
I believe on Friday, when Brandon walked back his vicious but peaceful anti-MAGA rant, you compared them to "Abbot and Costello."
Well, they've since doubled down on the hate. They meant every word of it: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/biden-doubles-down-tweets-maga-proposals-are-threat-very-soul-country
In light of everything this administration has done in its two years of rule, I think it's more likely that we're dealing with "Adolph and Heinrich" and not "Bud and Lou."
God help us all.
When we build our own, we must screen out the sanpaku eyed sociopaths: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-spot-a-sociopath-part-2
Wow. Censoring comments about a central bank shows that they are losing. Seems like the powers that be are getting desperate. Paging the Streisand Effect
You rock! ❤️
‘"When you are not with what majority of Americans are, then you know, that is extreme. That is an extreme way of thinking." There is no such entity as, ‘majority of Americans’. The US is a society of individuals wherein there is a broad spectrum of opinions, ideas, behaviour, thought including some at the margins; these is no aggregate of these that produces a single animus with unitary purpose to constitue ‘a majority’. In a free society there is no authoritarian centre which determines what thoughts and ideas may be held and with which all are compelled to comply or be declared heretic and anathema. The Biden administration is very close to reinventing The Inquisition
Indeed they do. With Big Mike, Susan Rice, Tom Perez, Lisa Monaco and a few others playing back up. They told us exactly what they were going to do. And they counted on two things. First, that the media lapdogs would provide the cover. Smith Mundt gutting was part of that. And second, that a huge percentage of citizens are barely functional idiots, incapable of independent or critical thinking. That might hurt. But it is indisputable and Covid proved it. It’s not entirely their fault. 50 years of government run schools, totally infiltrated by Marxists, along with massive over proscribed “downer” drugs have left the bulk of the population unable to use their brains in the way God intended for them to be used. I don’t know how that gets fixed.
I do believe (sadly) that 10s of millions who did not think for themselves and (figuratively) climbed on the cattle car will die in the coming years. Which means thst those of us who have stood in the breach from Day 1 will represent a greater percentage of the population. Will that help. It might if we can stay one step ahead of the Brownshirts.
Within the functioning Constitutional system laws play a critical role. On the other hand, empires are rooted in power and don’t care about laws. They can break laws because they have the might. We cannot solve this problem by introducing new laws, because the power will just ignore them. The solution lies in the power equation. People must gather the necessary power to take away the power from the current ruling set, and slay the empire to bring back what we used to have - an imperfect republic, which can, over time, be improved. Time is running out!