Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, December 6, 2021

At 98 years old, Bob Dole is dead. He ran for president against Clinton in 1996. After losing, Clinton awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Chris Cuomo, also known in some food establishments and to the late Rush Limbaugh as “Fredo”, has been fired from CNN.

Tomorrow marks the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack from Japan. Today, things are very different as Japan looks together with the US toward defending against China. Seeing China as Japan’s adversary, however, has not changed. Bitter roots remain between the two, and those roots will sprout if China tips the apple cart by invading Taiwan.

Big in the West is that naming “Taiwan” fits more in Western news than it did even a month ago. And, Japan is also involved, as it was 80 years ago, when Bob Dole was 18. He went off to war, as many young Americans may do soon.

Russia is amassing troops near the Ukraine. In the context of China’s aggression toward Taiwan, we can expect Russia not to come to China’s defense, but to bust a move while the world is distracted with poster boy “Taiwan” more than with forgotten poster boy “Ukraine”.

This global mayhem is easier to sustain with two variants of COVID, with lockdown, quarantine, and vaccine requirements increasing. It is in this worldwide situation of sustained chaos and control that China and Russia are ready to bust a move. That will awaken the West.

Republicans

Bob Dole, giant of the Senate and 1996 Republican presidential nominee, dies // CNN

News Media, Journalism & Free speech

Lawyer: Chris Cuomo accuser was disgusted by ‘hypocrisy’ // AP

CNN fires Chris Cuomo // CNN

Pandemic

More omicron detected as hospitals strain under delta surge // AP

America and Europe choose divergent pandemic paths as Omicron spreads // Axios

COVID-19: Vaccines mandatory in some sectors // Taipei Times

Australia Confirms Community Transmission of Omicron Variant // Bloomberg

COVID live updates: Queensland to drop quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated interstate travellers from December 13 // ABC News Australia

Australia news LIVE: NSW COVID cases grow, Victoria COVID cases grow, Omicron variant cases grow, TGA approves Pfizer vaccine for children, Gladys Berejiklian considers Warringah seat run at 2022 federal election // Sydney Morning Herald

NATO Focus

Russia planning massive military offensive against Ukraine involving 175,000 troops, U.S. intelligence warns // MSN News

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, December 6, 2021

At 98 years old, Bob Dole is dead. He ran for president against Clinton in 1996. After losing, Clinton awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Chris Cuomo, also known in some food establishments and to the late Rush Limbaugh as “Fredo”, has been fired from CNN.

Tomorrow marks the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack from Japan. Today, things are very different as Japan looks together with the US toward defending against China. Seeing China as Japan’s adversary, however, has not changed. Bitter roots remain between the two, and those roots will sprout if China tips the apple cart by invading Taiwan.

Big in the West is that naming “Taiwan” fits more in Western news than it did even a month ago. And, Japan is also involved, as it was 80 years ago, when Bob Dole was 18. He went off to war, as many young Americans may do soon.

Russia is amassing troops near the Ukraine. In the context of China’s aggression toward Taiwan, we can expect Russia not to come to China’s defense, but to bust a move while the world is distracted with poster boy “Taiwan” more than with forgotten poster boy “Ukraine”.

This global mayhem is easier to sustain with two variants of COVID, with lockdown, quarantine, and vaccine requirements increasing. It is in this worldwide situation of sustained chaos and control that China and Russia are ready to bust a move. That will awaken the West.

Republicans

Bob Dole, giant of the Senate and 1996 Republican presidential nominee, dies // CNN

News Media, Journalism & Free speech

Lawyer: Chris Cuomo accuser was disgusted by ‘hypocrisy’ // AP

CNN fires Chris Cuomo // CNN

Pandemic

More omicron detected as hospitals strain under delta surge // AP

America and Europe choose divergent pandemic paths as Omicron spreads // Axios

COVID-19: Vaccines mandatory in some sectors // Taipei Times

Australia Confirms Community Transmission of Omicron Variant // Bloomberg

COVID live updates: Queensland to drop quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated interstate travellers from December 13 // ABC News Australia

Australia news LIVE: NSW COVID cases grow, Victoria COVID cases grow, Omicron variant cases grow, TGA approves Pfizer vaccine for children, Gladys Berejiklian considers Warringah seat run at 2022 federal election // Sydney Morning Herald

NATO Focus

Russia planning massive military offensive against Ukraine involving 175,000 troops, U.S. intelligence warns // MSN News

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, November 9, 2020

America faces a reckoning. The same quiet giant that awoke at Pearl Harbor and 9/11 now wakes inside the Republican voter base. They rise to stop a problem they created for themselves, still without admitting it. While Republicans will win this round, both sides are right and wrong, and this won’t be the final round.

Blacks have not received justice from police killings—which should be at the rate of zero. Republicans could have solved the problem by a simple law: what happened to George Floyd should result in death by public hanging for both police officers in a public square within one week of the incident. Republicans could have rammed through such a law—just like they rammed through the approval of Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Both would have been good; they only did one.

Democratic voters can’t win this one—not because they aren’t in the White House, but because of the difference in battle cries. Democrats have been protesting for years, then many have been looting and rioting in their name. Republicans are weary. Calling to defund police rather than immediately reform can’t solve the problem and was never going to garner respect. Republican voters won’t allow a mob to burn the neighborhood to the ground because of murders on the loose. Republicans refused to stop the murders because none of their families were victims, yet. That would have stopped the mob. Democrats won’t trust them.

So, Republicans have a calm, cool, apathetic irritation toward the extremists on the Democratic end. Patrick Elkins, also at the Times, calls them “Ravens”. Democrats cry victim, then pour gas on the flames of the duplex next door.

Indeed, the nation wreaks of mass voter fraud from Democrats. Former and disenfranchised Democratic Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich said election fraud was common among Democrats in cities. That may not indicate Democratic ethics, just that both Democratic ideals and political machines seem attracted to cities, allowing the DNC to get practiced and build up a habit. The media is in on it, sending now-proven wrong polls before the election, now forecasting a Biden victory on an election to be decided in court. Fake news coupled with vote fraud is all part of how political machines work. They thought they’d get away with it on a national level. They were wrong.

Republicans are in the wrong for failing to be Good Samaritans to Blacks. They didn’t stop systemic injustice because they don’t see it themselves—they can’t; but Westerners see systemic injustice in Taiwan. We can only see systemic injustice when it happens to us personally. That has injured and insulted the minorities Democrats promise and fail to help.

However justified, crying victim and marching to burn down the neighborhood cannot prevail against an aloof, collected, apathetic giant who stays laced when roused to wrath. That giant rose against Japan to stop Germany; now it’s rising against the Democratic political machine, but that doesn’t make it Jesus Christ. He’s not back yet, if you haven’t read the news.

Election

Wishful thinking
Goodbye, Ivanka. I will never think of you again. // Slate

Still playing games
Election reaction: World leaders congratulate Biden on U.S. election win // CNBC

BREAKING: BATTLE LINES ARE DRAWN, TRUMP’S WAR TO KEEP THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN // YouTube @ The Next News Network

Watch: Joe Biden Is President-Elect, NBC News Projects | 2020 Election Analysis // YouTube @ NBC News

President Trump discusses vote counting at the White House // YouTube @ ABC News

This just got real
Trump warns Dems aiming to take the Senate, doubles down on final victory // Fox News

Wednesday recap
Biden takes big stride to winning presidency, Trump claims fraud // Yahoo News

‘The math is pretty simple’: Trump’s lead shrinks in Pennsylvania // Politico

Error in Arizona Vote Count Estimate Revives Trump Campaign’s Hopes for State // Newsweek

President Trump will win Arizona then Pennsylvania and he will be re-elected // YouTube @ Donald J Trump

Trump campaign: Lawsuit filed in Michigan Court of Claims to halt vote // Detroit Free Press

Trump sues in Pennsylvania, Michigan; asks for Wis. recount // AP

Biden has now received more votes for president than any other candidate in U.S. history // The Week

President Donald Trump & Vice President Mike Pence Election Night Remarks // YouTube @ C-SPAN

No Winner Tonight As Election Race Tightens Between Biden & Trump // Deadline

White House press secretary predicts Trump ‘landslide’ // The Hill

Rank & Defense

USS Kennedy: New Aircraft Carrier Will Operate F-35s Right Away // Popular Mechanics

Soldiers are finally about to receive the Army’s replacement for its Vietnam-era armored personnel carriers // Task & Purpose

Navy To Congress: Here’s Your F-35C Carrier — How Do We Pay For It // Breaking Defense

Markets, Economy & GDP

Bezos sells more than $3 billion worth of Amazon shares // CNBC

Science, Weather & Health

Anthony Fauci: Trump suggests he might fire infectious disease expert after election // CNN

Culture & People

New Political Distinction Rising – Introducing the RAVENS // patrickelkins.pdt.news

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