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Encore of Revival: America, January 3, 2022

For years, the Left tried to treat its opinions and political stances as some kind of consensus—Earth was warming, no one disagrees, and if you disagree then you are the only person in the universe. The same was true of masks, vaccines, and Mchigan Governor Whitmer’s mail-in ballots that anyone could dupe. Anyone who disagrees with the Left is idiosyncratic. That was their story. But, it’s not holding water like it did even a few months ago.

If quarantine, lockdown, mask, and vax is the consensus, why are the Dutch demonstrating? Then, we have the Biden-bus issue. He was so much better than Trump, until Trump was gone, now he’s just, plain terrible. Even since last week, when the Times pointed this out, challenging Biden went all a buzz on the Left. They change their minds faster than a teenager. But, the adults anticipate which antics are next.

As the myth of consensus passes, the warring electorate is re-shifting its own loyalties. On both sides of the political divide, people are choosing between two, newly-seen core values: those who want to author their own morals to raise up institutional messiahs and those who are learning that we are facing the final showdown of humanity vs global domination. Those in the second group are also divided between fighting with human tools and responding miraculously with peace of mind from the only world king, Jesus Christ. Those who respond to evil with human tools are on the right side, but they’ll have to learn the hard way. It’s a good thing the Believers are there to defend them.

Election

The left is already looking to 2024. Some want to see a Biden primary challenge. // Politico

Divided

34 percent of Americans say violence against government justified // NY Post

Pandemic

Thousands gather to oppose Dutch virus measures despite ban // AP

Fake Vaccine Card Sales a Booming Business as Omicron Surges // TMZ

US Coronavirus: Americans may be faced with a different reality in January as Covid-19 sweeps through the nation, experts warn // CNN

Major staffing shortages at NYPD, FDNY due to COVID surge // fox5ny.com

Southeast U.S. poised for a firestorm of omicron cases, with few safeguards in place // MSN News

NATO Focus

Biden and Putin exchange warnings during phone call amid rising Ukraine tensions // Guardian

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Encore of Revival: America, December 27, 2021

The press is attacking Biden over COVID more than they did Trump. It’s so funny, how much they lauded the savior who honored mask and social distancing rules, but now they toss him under the bus. Even funnier is how CDC big wigs survived two attacked presidencies while they were the supposed professionals actually making the decisions.

Trump supporters will easily blame Fauci since he was the man in charge all this time. Trump fans do that, especially since The Apprentice and Trump’s famous line, “You’re fired.” Trump supporters know who and how to fire. At least, they think they do.

Anti-Trumpists, however, now have an inescapable contradiction to face. Biden was the savior because he followed the mask rules, and the media heads even said so—until he wasn’t and they didn’t. Anti-Trump sentiment was based largely on the notion that COVID proved who was right and wrong as a president. That idea can’t hold water anymore, for either purpose or any other purpose.

Whether right or wrong, Trumpists can maintain their story; Anti-Trumpists can’t because to oppose Biden is to support Trump. Trumpists who prophesied Trump’s continued presidency in the name of God already faced that contradiction. Now it’s time for Anti-Trumpists. Sometimes we need our own contradictions to get bad enough before we see the light. But, that’s going for all, regardless of which political candidate they support.

Trump

Donald Trump could face charges for trying to obstruct certification of election, legal experts say // Guardian

Michael Flynn sues Capitol attack committee in bid to block subpoena // Guardian

Pandemic

Inside the administration’s failure to avert a covid testing shortfall // MSN News

Tests popular on Christmas as Florida hits new virus record // AP

Opinion: President Biden is failing on covid-19 // WA Post

Flight cancellations drag on as airlines short-staffed // AP

Pope Francis, in Christmas Message, Laments Pandemic of Loneliness // WSJ

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Encore of Revival: America, November 8, 2021

America is losing trust in Washington. 38% is actually not that low for a sitting president; they all take a dip at times, especially between elections. And, it’s November of an off-election year. But, the recent USA Today poll shows a greater dissatisfaction. Democrats don’t want Biden to run again, and he hasn’t even been in office one year. The only other option is Trump. When a sitting president can run for re-election, but doesn’t, that is very bad for the whole party. But, that’s how upset Democratic voters are with their own people.

Republican voters aren’t too happy with their own party. They never really have been. A large portion of the Trump base is still angry with State Republicans for approving the election against their warnings. Nonetheless, that same, blamed Republican party is looking toward progress in the two approaching elections. That means we will switch from control by one distrusted party to control by another distrusted party.

In many ways, that would be a dream come true for the American founders—that government is best when distrusted by its own people. As bad as things are, there is a silver lining.

Election

Biden approval falls to 38% as midterms loom: USA TODAY/Suffolk poll // USA Today

Joe Biden’s best hope of retaining power is Trump, the ogre under the bed // Guardian

Republican contender in Virginia avoids Trump’s campaign event // Guardian

Virginia GOP sees Youngkin as chance to reverse party course // AP

Foreigners & International Relations

Biden administration rescinds Trump-era policy limiting migrants at legal ports of entry // CNN

Soc Media, Cybersecurity & Tech

Mark Zuckerberg downloaded and used a photo app that Facebook later cloned and crushed, antitrust lawsuit claims // Yahoo News

Experts warn Facebook’s metaverse poses ‘terrifying dangers’ // NY Post

UK’s Online Safety Bill could spell jail time for trolls // Protocol

Markets, Economy & GDP

Big rebound in jobs: America adds 531,000 jobs to the economy in October // CNN

Analysis: Joe Biden and the American economy just got a double dose of good news // CNN

Monopoly, Corptocracy & Big Greed

Bill Gates and other ultra-rich depend on ‘millions of poor people’: billionaire Tom Steyer // Yahoo Finance

Pandemic

Judge suspends deadline for Chicago cops to get vaccinated // AP

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Encore of Revival: America, November 1, 2021

Revelations and research into the election continue from both Republican State Legislatures and from Democratic Federal Congress. But, as the story unfolds trying to indict Trump or his allies for the January 6 overrun of the Capitol, the same to-indict testimony cites evidence or arguments as to why the election may have been illegitimate and should have been reversed back in January. This doesn’t compel us to unseat Biden. Congress chose him under its privileges and powers granted by the Constitution. But with the past in the past, the only reason for Democrats to pursue Trump is that they fear his re-election because they know he would have won were it not for certain factors they don’t want the public to know about—more.

The issue at hand is not even about who should be president now, but rather what Congressional Democrats’ actions show that they know which they are not telling us. Most of all, they seem oblivious to how obvious it is to everyone but themselves.

Trump

Trump lawyer John Eastman said ‘courage and the spine’ would help Pence send election to the House in comments before January 6 // CNN

Capitol attack panel faces pivotal moment as Trump allies stonewall // Guardian

Pandemic

Taipei’s Ko Wen-je touts vaccine passport plan // Taipei Times

NATO Focus

Biden and European leaders say they’re ‘convinced’ Iran deal can be quickly restored // CNN

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Encore of Revival: America, August 30, 2021

The crises that brought down presidents! COVID was the prime excuse to hate Trump in his last year. It has now become the second reason to hate Biden and the reason California’s governor faces recall. Biden mainly faces the challenge of Afghanistan. A member of Trump’s former staff reminds us all.

This is the trouble with trusting politics. Republican voters trusted election polls, until rules were broken, then ignored. Democrat voters trusted the conclusion of Congress to choose Biden; now they have another Democrat in the White House to make people sick of Democrats. The cycle just keeps on.

We are looking at a Republican majority in the midterm election, as usual. Then, a possible Republican supermajority in the next general election, in which Trump will likely run and more likely win. Republicans managed a way to hold the Supreme Court through that time, which is suspicious.

No matter how good and benevolent, power corrupts and none should trust a supermajority within mankind. Fortunately, Trump isn’t seen as the immortal messiah his supporters once thought he was. Democrat voters already learned that lesson with Obama. Now, Republican voters have too.

Trump

Analysis: Kayleigh McEnany is gaslighting America // CNN

Pandemic

Biden in the ‘loneliest job,’ a presidency driven by crisis // AP

How Gavin Newsom went from landslide victory to fighting for his political survival // MSN News

NATO Focus

Biden pays respects to US troops killed in Afghanistan // AP

Pentagon deploys special Hellfire missile to strike ISIS-K in Afghanistan // Task & Purpose

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Encore of Revival: America, May 10, 2021

Social media and elections approach their days of reckoning.

Facebook banned President Trump, supposedly for life, but they aren’t sure, and they have no standards. This is not any problem particular to Facebook, but to software developers at large. They have the power to play judge and jury with their customers—and in many situations they need to. But in their judging, they never took the time to research one of the most basic matters of justice: standards. Facebook seems to think that because they are a company that their customers don’t have any rights unless Facebook gives those rights. China says the same about Xinjiang, and Facebook gets ever closer to being declared a utility, especially with claims like this.

As for the elections, local governments continue to recount, but there was little to no dispute on counting. The disputes were about certifying elections—either at a metaphoric gunpoint like happened with threats in Michigan, or at polling stations with overt rule-breaking. Those are the issues not being addressed, suggesting this is some kind of grand-scale manipulation technique.

Nation-wide reform is inevitable, from government to the private sector.

Trump

Judge orders release of DOJ memo justifying not prosecuting Trump // Politico

Election

The Arizona GOP’s Maricopa County audit: What to know about it // CBS News

Law

Supreme Court Weighs Crack Cocaine Sentencing Disparity // NPR

Soc Media, Cybersecurity & Tech

“so he has no first amendment rights”
Co-chair of Facebook Oversight Board defends decision to uphold Trump ban // CNN

Mark Zuckerberg can no longer deflect blame for Trump’s Facebook suspension // CNBC

The Isles

Scottish nationalists vow independence vote after election win // Yahoo India

NATO Focus

U.S., Russia, China poke each other at U.N. Security Council // Yahoo India

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, January 25, 2021

China thinks they own the American president they helped install. Reportedly, a factory was set up in China to create fake ballots, likely as part of the election fraud network Biden boasted about on TV. But, politicians who steal elections stand against the will of the people by definition. Usually, the public doesn’t find out, which allows those politicians to govern to a limited degree. But, when the public knows a politician willfully stands against the people, that leader can only remain in power with an iron fist.

Iron fists don’t gel with America. That’s something China will eventually figure out the hard way. Biden will figure it out the hard way sooner. China believes chaos in America will work to China’s military advantage. It won’t. When the people turn on Biden, he will turn on China like the forked-tongue politician he is. That will be his attempt to gain unity in the American public against a common enemy. He will pound and shame China harder than Trump would have.

So, in a sense, when the Chinese were set up for disappointment, they not only took the bait; they made it even worse for themselves. They don’t like other countries meddling in their goals, yet they reportedly melded in America’s election. Good old-fashioned honesty and respect would have served them well. Instead, the Chinese gambled on trusting an experienced American politician.

Indo-Pacific

Chinese Survey Ship Caught ‘Running Dark’ Give Clues to Underwater Drone Operations // USNI News

Trade & Tech

Huawei smartphones will lose another Google service soon // GizChina (China)

Trump Halts Huawei Supply in Final China Blow, Reuters Says // Bloomberg

China

Companies are giving up on the United States and betting big on China // CNN

China authorises coast guard to fire on foreign vessels // Aljazeera

PLA troops in South China Sea learn ‘essential’ battlefield English // SCMP

China’s first deep-water oil platform ready to set off for South China Sea // CGTN (China Govt)

Taiwan

U.S. carrier group enters South China Sea amid Taiwan tensions // NBC News

Military Faceoff

US Navy halts deliveries of Freedom-class littoral combat ship // Defense News

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Encore of Revival: America, November 16, 2020

Elections are not decided by news desks. They are decided by the electoral college, which meets in mid December. Electors sent there are chosen by the State based on election results certified by each State. If an election is in doubt, the decision goes to State legislatures, pursuant to the Electoral Count Act (1887) and a Supreme Court interpretation from Bush v Gore (2000).

Judges don’t decide whether election results are certifiable; State legislatures do. The burden is not on the Trump campaign to prove vote fraud to judges. The burden is on the polling stations to prove there was no fraud to State legislatures.

Right now, five key states are in severe doubt concerning polling credibility: Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia. Republicans control the legislatures of all five. And, Trump just backed McDaniel to continue as RNC chair. Perhaps she will have some sway over those Republican legislatures.

Republicans don’t have an option. Gross suspicions of election cheating have caused the Republican base to turn away from Fox News to Newsmax. News networks wouldn’t call Georgia or North Carolina, even though it looked long past the time it seemed reasonable. To Republicans, this is a conspiracy to institute nation-wide political machines, which they can’t accept. In their minds, if they let Democrats steal this election, there will be no more fair elections, and the only way to escape would be an armed revolution. There is no scenario in which the Republican base allows Trump to lose. If Trump gave in, they would turn against him also.

Democratic voters aren’t about to tuck tail and turn. Emboldened by a news industry, that insists on its own ability to declare an election outcome, the DNC base only builds for greater disappointment. They don’t have the power to decide disputed elections, but they think they do. They haven’t already won, but they think they have. Note cautiously, the media does not hope to sway the election outcome, but to sway a revolt for when Trump inevitably wins—a revolt from, of all people, the gun haters.

In order for Trump to lose, he would have to bow out, then Republican voters would take up arms and the RNC, seen as an obstruction, would be dissolved by its base. When he does win, Democrats voters will riot. In either scenario, we are looking at martial law in the coming weeks and months.

But, the question remains: Why was there such gross election ambiguity specifically in states with Republican-controlled legislatures? It’s almost as if the entire election controversy were staged. But, the reason remains yet to be seen, unless the answer is: China.

Trump

Trump Faces Legal Cases After White House Departure // WSJ

Trump CFO’s Family Tax Records Reviewed by New York Authorities // MSN News

Election

Cruz insists Trump ‘still has a path to victory,’ vote count lawsuits could ‘easily’ reach Supreme Court // Fox News

Rudy Giuliani says Trump will not concede election // CBS News

BUSH v. GORE // Cornell Law School

The law is clear: If an election is stolen State legislature can restore the will of the people // Sott.net

Susan Rice: Trump administration not helping Biden transition poses national security threat // The Hill

Trump endorses McDaniel to remain RNC chair, ponders 2024 run // Yahoo News

Chinese yuan after Biden election win, Trump’s trade war // CNBC

Biden carries Arizona, flipping a longtime Republican stronghold // CNN

Trump is reportedly ‘very aware’ he lost the election but is putting up a fight as ‘theater’ // The Week

Republican state AGs ask U.S. Supreme Court to hear mail-in ballot dispute // Yahoo News

Georgia Republican Party head casts new doubt on election transparency // Fox News

GOP backs Trump as he fights election results, transition // AP

After $15 billion and 450 miles, Joe Biden will halt border wall, Trump’s signature project // Seattle Times

Senior Republican senators say Biden should have access to classified briefings // CNN

Republican senator says he will step in if Biden doesn’t have access to intelligence briefings by Friday // CNN

The ‘nonsense’ narrative
Fox News’s Daytime-Primetime Divide on Election Fraud // The Intercept

Top Republicans line up behind Trump election fight, as Biden rips president for not conceding // Fox News

Still this nareative, no mention of vote fraud reports
Donald Trump’s ‘dictator moves’ spark growing alarm as he denies election defeat // CNN

Pompeo doubles down on refusing to acknowledge Biden win // The Hill

Trump allies brace for 30-day legal war as Senate hangs in the balance // Axios

Biden transition team announces coronavirus advisers, including whistleblower Rick Bright // CNN

Donald Trump’s refusal to concede sparks transition sabotage fears // Guardian

Law

Thomas poses mask mandate question during Supreme Court ACA hearing // NBC News

Supreme Court Justice Alito weighs in on Pennsylvania mail-in ballot case // NBC News

Justice Alito: Mail-in ballots received after Election Day in Pennsylvania must be kept separate // Fox News

Justice Alito orders Pennsylvania officials to separate ballots that arrived after Election Day // PBS

News Media, Journalism & Free speech

Glenn Greenwald tears into media, Schiff, other Dems for dismissing Hunter Biden controversy // Fox News

Tucker Carlson SLAMS His Own FOX Network after they Hit ROCK Bottom with their Election Coverage // YouTube @ The Next News Network

Trump eyes starting his own digital media empire to take on Fox News // Axios

Newsmax TV: Trump voters are flocking to a channel that claims Biden is not president-elect // CNN

Fox News cuts away from Trump campaign briefing over election fraud claims // YouTube @ The Sun

Human Rights, Civil Liberties & Privacy

Flashback
One in 11 black residents were evicted from the Seattle area since 2004, researchers say // KUOW-NPR

Science, Weather & Health

US Coronavirus: Expert predicts US could soon hit 200,000 daily cases as the country tops 10 million infections // CNN

Pandemic

Thanksgiving 2020: How to say no in the name of Covid // CNN

San Francisco, long hailed for beating COVID-19, now faces a spike in cases // Yahoo News

Chicago issues stay-home ‘advisory,’ 10-person limit on social gatherings // Chicago Sun Times

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Encore of Revival: America, July 6, 2020

Happy Independence! Americans celebrated their declaration almost 250 years ago on Saturday. The country has coexisted with unseen freedoms in many ways and unheard deafness to its own oppression in others. It serves as a reminder that we live in a Republic only as long as we keep it. It’s not the job of presidents nor judges nor legislators to preserve our freedoms for us.

Chief Justice Roberts made a decision that baffled some, but not those who remember his deciding vote on Obamacare. Arguably, having voted to keep Obamacare on the books was the bail of hay that broke the camel’s back and elected Trump. Now, this election mover has stirred the electorate once again toward a choice that will move us closer to the inevitable reversal of Roe v. Wade.

As we approach “election solstice”, the Left puts out every argument it can drum up to oppose Trump. It seems overdone for a group that claims to believe they will win November. And, they ignore deeper matters that move Trump votes.

Much more is at stake other than abortion. China is taking over with a force to eclipse Japan’s expansion in the 1940s. No one was willing to not capitulate to China except Trump. If he were not re-elected, we might have no discussion on civil rights because the Chinese would be killing everyone in America who is not Han.

But then, America’s military is spread too thin and neither Republican nor Democratic president has worked to reduce our expanding global presence, none except Trump. There’s also the matter of manufacturing and closing the border to China over a virus when Democrats wanted to keep it open.

While our nation is in no position to decide an election on the social issues when basic needs are at stake, we are thankfully forced to address our neglected past. Intolerance over the atrocities of racism won’t shift the election because those lines have already been drawn. By not being distracted with yet another failed political solution to racial healing, we the People will actually have to deal with the wounds of racism ourselves. Maybe something will finally get done.

Trump

Here comes the push…
Rough polling stretch has GOP operatives asking: Could Trump drop out? // Fox News

Election

Theory:
Trump has a plan to stay in the White House if he loses election, former senator says // Independent

Law

Supreme Court: John Roberts sides with liberals to block controversial Louisiana abortion law // CNN

Supreme Court rejects challenge to Justice Department’s efforts to restart federal executions // CBS News

Congress

Speculation unfettered, that’s a big IF
McConnell warns Democrats about changing Senate rules to kill the filibuster // Yahoo News

Federal System

Justice Department considering replacing US attorney in Brooklyn with Barr ally // CNN

Activism, Unrest & Protests

Trump news live: Latest 2020 election updates as US posts record daily coronavirus rise // Independent

Armed St. Louis homeowner speaks out: ‘When I saw that mob … I thought that we would be overrun in a second’ // Fox News

Human Rights, Civil Liberties & Privacy

From the Magazine: ‘It Is Time for Reparations’ // NY Times

Science, Weather & Health

Trump news live: Latest 2020 election updates as president baselessly claims coronavirus will disappear // Independent

NATO Focus

Iran issues arrest warrant for Trump over killing of Qasem Soleimani // CNBC

 

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Encore of Revival: America, February 10, 2020

https://youtu.be/TfNq7TwobhI

Trump's acquittal did not come because of party politics or friends in Washington. It came because he stood fast—he held his ground in a party that tried to denounce him early on. He had many good friends helping, but it was Trump himself that empowered their efforts and directed the flow.

The Republican Party is not what it seems. They hated Trump when he didn't do things in their failing manner, but now they acquit him and act like they have always been BFF from the beginning. Any disagreements in Trump's early days don't matter anymore, even though that's not the tone they used at the time, though a number of those Republicans are out of office.

It's typical. The Republicans held their noses while Reagan gave them success. They passed Democratic-oriented, anti-Conservative laws during the W. Bush years viz the Patriot Act. They objected to Conservative voices in media during the 2005 "Build a Fence" movement viz Senator Lott. Thanks to Trump's inability to be railroaded, they are being gifted more success and clout than they ever didn't earn before.

Senator McConnell stayed true to the colors he flew, which is more than can be said for the late Senator McCain or Senator Romney, who took his unofficial place as "Republican Senate maverick". Senator Romney's departure from the fold could make him a one-term Senator—and not from lack of RNC backing. Senator Graham and many others took their stand for law, order, facts, evidence, process, and truth. The Republican Party stood behind their president, this time. Had former House Republicans not been card-carrying members of the metaphorical "never Trumper" movement, Republicans might still hold the House and none of this ugly impeachment would have happened.

Justice came from Republicans this time; don't get used to it. While Democrats are the party of hate and failed "we wanna' help you" platitudes, the Republicans are the party of treachery. Democrats stand together while Republicans usually don't. It was a strange week in Washington. Things will be fine through the Trump years because they will depend on him. But after that, buckle up.

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, December 2, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJDDexe-URI

Opinions on Asia aren't just flying, but swarming the Pacific. Hong Kongers vote against China in an unmistakable slap to Beijing's face, then Beijing blames the US—because Beijing still thinks that voters only vote how the government tells them to. And, everything is all America's fault anyway, right?

It took a day of silence for Beijing's media machine to figure out how to spin the election. Beijing accused Hong Kong's dissent on violence. But, that doesn't hold since last week's election went uninterrupted. Yet, Beijing sticks to the same script.

A commentator predicts that Hong Kongers don't want independence—even though they already declared independence on October 4. Perhaps Doris Lam's article on Channel News Asia was an attempt to tell Hong Kongers what they should want. Or, it could have been an attempt to tell Beijing to think that Hong Kongers don't want what they want. Either way, it is a delusional olive branch in the form of a typical long-worded think piece. There is a growing trend of commentators who make their articles longer when they know that few readers will accept their opinions.

After Trump signs two laws about Hong Kong—one to define an autonomous region as autonomous, the other to stop exporting police tools for riot-control—Beijing calls it "interference". Then, Trump drops tariffs on China because good ole Benjamin is hard to argue with. Yet, Beijing wants more. Now, as in Chinese business negotiation, China wants to change the deal after everything has been agreed to. They want even lower tariffs in Phase One.

Great Britain wants UN access to Xinjiang.  China wants the world to believe Xinjiang is happy, an Islamic utopia; new documents prove otherwise. China also faces a food shortage, but a good marketing effort is underway for investment in Chinese farming. Stopping any possible abuse of Uyghurs in Xinjiang is interference in Beijing's opinion, but accepting foreign money to build better farms isn't. Perhaps Beijing will call it interference if the rest of the world does not invest in Chinese farms.

Taiwan's election is fast approaching. Though Tsai Ing-Wen, the pro-democracy incumbent president, leads in the polls, many Taiwanese are scared that there are too many voters in the old, beaten-down generation for her to win a second time. Older Taiwanese, like many Chinese, have been so dominated by East Asia's shame culture that they truly believe that "bigness" always wins and therefore they must vote for politicians who will surrender to China. Younger Taiwanese have seen this older generation get its way so many times, even polls can't keep them from being scared. But, as John Maynard Keynes said, "Men will not always die quietly." Few things drive voters to the polls like fear of dying at the hands of politicians who want to surrender. Tsai Ing-Wen is set to win by an even greater margin than she did in her first term—and everyone has something to say about it.

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Cadence of Conflict: Asia, November 18, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgBxpk0zjRA

America and China are getting fed up with China and America being fed up with each other. Americans tried patience and negotiations; that didn't work. China hid its agenda for global domination, denouncing so-called "interference" except when China did the interfering. Now, China's true colors are showing and it looks like a lot of debt. Municipalities and local governments are buried in debt, which is eating at China's central economy like Asian ants on a morning worm.

Amid riots and threats, encroachments by police on university campuses and by China upon Hong Kong rule, the primary issue in Hong Kong is the upcoming revolution election in March. On October 4, Hong Kongers declared the current government already nullified and that interim government elections would take place in March. That election is not the primary concern for most reports coming out of Hong Kong, if it gets mentioned at all. But, that election should be the primary concern of China, the United States, and the current—and denounced—Hong Kong government. Perhaps those upcoming elections have not been taken seriously, and, if so, that would be perhaps the most serious miscalculation.

But, rather than carefully calculating the right way forward, China is more concerned with optics—not with causing good optics, but with countering bad optics with more mere optics.

The same Plague from the Black Death has re-emerged in China's Inner Mongolia province. Historically, whether in 541, 1347, or 1894, the Plague always had its origins in the Far East. Rather than promptly confronting the source, the Chinese are basically doing what the San Francisco government did in the early 1900s: covering it up.

Even Chinese soldiers play the optics game. Chinese Communist PLA soldiers are not allowed to leave their garrisons in Hong Kong without a formal request from Hong Kong's government. But, they did anyway—to clear streets blocked by protestors. They didn't clash with protestors, they simply picked up stuff in the street, mostly bricks. They weren't armed nor did they wear fatigues; they wore running shorts and OD-green T-shirts, the same that they exercise in on a daily basis. But, they weren't invited by the Hong Kong government. As a result, their presence was technically illegal, though seemingly helpful in the minds of some residents who want to drive down the street.

Interestingly, the unarmed, seemingly-harmless soldiers were accompanied by cameras; it was a publicity stunt. Voices in the British Commonwealth are especially concerned because this beautiful, warm, kindhearted photo-op sets a precedent of PLA soldiers breaching Hong Kong illegally. Chinese thinking puts logic before law, which feels like justice at first, but then operates with no standard of conduct, deciding right and wrong from one moment to the next. In other words, Beijing thinks that China's soldiers must not enter Hong Kong uninvited—unless they want to.

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Encore of Revival: America, October 21, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuG1KwVzUeo

Trump is set to redefine historical trends. Every thumbscrew play from the political playbook has been tried on him and every single one has failed except the impeachment in progress, which hasn't failed or succeeded yet. The very impeachment process will only boost his support as already seen in Texas. It's all based on results.

Trump supporters and Conservatives—not necessarily one in the same—respond to and respond with results.

Divisions are solidifying along every line—religion, politics, social justice wars. Two people with opposing views can't reason with each other. Those on the Conservative side tend to be quiet and work and vote. Those on the Liberal side are loud and make anyone who dissents regret it.

The more these divisions and assaults build, the more we see rhetoric face off against results. Loud Liberals in America think they identify with the protesters in Hong Kong. But, it's not being outspoken that makes a protest work, it's the resolve to be left alone.

Many Conservatives would be glad to lift laws that make life difficult for the LGBTQ community. But, the social justice war now seeks to punish people for pronouns. That social justice war will likely lead to a backlash from the Conservatives who could eventually place more restrictions on the LGBTQ community than ever before. Overplaying is a danger for everyone. But, no one can be reasoned with these days.

With Senator Romney pushing against the president in his own party, a president popular among Conservatives and many Democrats, he could be paving the way for a third party two presidents after Trump.

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Encore of Revival: America, August 19, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4_OWHRKUEM

The nation is polarizing even more. The anti-Israel sentiment from some members of Congress is only one part. The Russianewsgategate scandal surfaces more evidence every day, but no one changes heart or mind on the matter. Portland protests have the same non-effect on persuading people to change sides, only mobilizing everyone.

Chris Cuomo is grossly annoyed by Limbaugh's nickname for him. Perhaps he thinks he's the only one allowed to get offended. Senator Lindsey "Gramnesty" wore his like a badge of honor and Andrea "Tarantula" Tantaros welcomed Rush as a guest on her show to explain the good humor of it all. At this point, it's unlikely Rush will be able to grace the ratings of Chris, who seems to be the only one with a nickname the rest of us aren't allowed to use.

While protests and extreme voices raise their volume, the only thing provoking people to switch sides are Liberals in the spotlight. It's not all—neither those in the spotlight or those switching sides. But, some of the dumber and loudest among the Left have made themselves such an embarrassment that many social-minded voters are starting to think that they will get more social justice from the Right.

The election has always been and remains in Trump's favor. China will lose the trade war, as well as the other war it was always going to instigate. Gun laws and abortion laws will strengthen in both directions. While the Right seems to have the advantage for now, neither Right nor Left has any clear path towards domination, only further polarity. There's no stopping it. Buckle up, grab your popcorn, and stay safe.

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