Tag Archives: Russian hack

Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, February 24, 2020

At what point is a government agency no longer allowed to invent a fake crime that was not committed, investigate people known to be innocent for this known-to-be-fake crime, then imprison those people investigated for taking steps to survive that agency breaking the law?

Afghani peace progressing in the wake of home-bound American troops is carrying Trump to an even greater landslide second term. But, it's not enough to distract from the FBI's damage to its own reputation. With Bernie Sanders as the Democratic nominee apparent, and knowing that his base hates government corruption as much as they want to bring troops home, talk of government agency abuse will be so high in the upcoming election that avoiding fundamental changes to the FBI will be unavoidable. To say the least, Comey overreached.

The American Left, along with the closet Left in the political establishment, is loosing their grip on themselves, now that they've lost their grip on government. They want to accuse a man of something that didn't happen, then call a witness, and, if that witness denies the events of what didn't happen, accuse that witness of lying. Such a witness was about to be thrown in prison, Roger Stone, at the age of 67. People who believe that what didn't happen didn't happen intervened and stopped him from being thrown in prison for alleged lies in an investigation that shouldn't have happened.

Today on the Left, voters and elected officials alike, are angry about Roger Stone not going to prison. His true crime is not lying to the FBI, but being a friend of the president they don't like. The line that distinguishes voters who want him in prison from those who don't isn't a line that runs along boundaries of an FBI investigation, but a line between voters who believe there was Russian corruption with Trump in 2016 and those who do not.

They had their impeachment and trial. They didn't get the outcome they wanted. Now, they are pushing evermore, all the while telling themselves that they are saving the country. Little do they know or realize that it is party politics, and the idea that only an irrelevant few hold a different view, that endangers America. This was supposed to be a country of respect between people who disagree. But, now we see the truth: Christians and non-Christians were never going to be able to get along because the non-Christians wouldn't allow it. And, I'm not defining a Christian as a "Sunday morning attendee". The Bible-based value of "love for enemies" and giving fair treatment to the opposition is unique to Christians. Interestingly, so it is between the Right and Left of America. Perhaps this is a foreshadowing of the coming global conflict and the even greater conflict between God's Holy Angels and the Satanic, fallen rebellion that has lasted thousands of years. continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, January 6, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z5SZQpUoD8

Happy New Year! Free speech is threatened most when it is laid down freely. It is threatened more when public companies are allowed to threaten it. Prior to Hong Kong protests, the term “self-censorship” was tossed around like a fourth-grade sponge ball on a PhysEd parachute. Today, if Facebook doesn’t want someone’s name mentioned—even though the people not allowed to mention the name aren’t involved—then Facebook users won’t mention the name for fear of losing their connection to friends and family.

That is the usual blackmail, right?—friends and family?

Pacific Daily Times will not report the name of an ousted whistleblower unless it either becomes old news and is needed for discussion or there is litigation involving the whistleblower. But, that’s as far as things go. Should enough time pass or the whistleblower file private or civil action over being mentioned—or a disenfranchised social media user were to file private or civil action over being censored or banned—then the name becomes fair game for the Times. For the Times, it’s about being niche and newsworthy rather than alarmist and chasing the most recent fad. We want a name attached to a story that is unusual from what others will report.

But, Facebook, YouTube, and others in mainline media seem to have more in the game than just keeping things relevant and interesting. Banning users and removing content for naming a name already named seems to indicate that they are protecting the whistleblower because they support what the whistleblower did. That stacks up the best, anyway.

At the Times, others being banned for repeating the named name is far more interesting than the name itself. Banning or censoring users for mentioning an ousted whistleblower on publicly listed social media platforms is atrocious. We are headed for public utilitization of social media. The same could be argued for food, drug, and grocery giants, but that’s another editorial for another week.

This raises another question. What is a “whistleblower” anyway? Generally, the term is vernacular, referring to someone who sees foul play and “blows a whistle”. The problem is that whistleblowers wear special clothes to identify themselves, wave flags with bright colors, and make loud noises to draw the attention of an entire stadium. But, ever since Trump threatened an inbred political swamp in one of the most white-collar corrupt graft cities in the world, the term “whistleblower” seems to have been reassigned the definition “accuser in hiding who has a right to accuse without proof, then keep hiding”.

This “whistleblower” isn’t the actual whistleblower but a spectator in the stands. By the standard definition, the real whistleblowers were the Federal agents who acted upon the claims. Misapplying the term “whistleblower” to this anonymous, baseless coward of an accuser has only served to lionize the housecat.

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, December 16, 2019

Revelations about the Russianewsgategate scandal are beyond damning. Why would Comey and friends consciously fabricate a lie, just to scare the president for not meeting with the Intelligence community every day? Generally, the public thinks that they think that their attempted assault against the president would succeed, so they would never have to answer for what they did. Like a failed revolt against Caesar, now they must pay. They didn't think they would get caught, they outreached, then they got caught. That's what the public is generally led to believe.

However, given the levels of flagrant sloppiness, it is difficult to say that getting caught resulted from a mere miscalculation. More likely, they simply didn't think that far ahead because, if they had, they would have prepared contingencies. They had no contingencies and they left a highway of breadcrumbs.

What explains this?—Psychopath?—Ruling class corruption?—Drowning in their own swamp? A simple miscalculation or a belief that they would get away with it doesn't suffice. Somewhere, the Washington elite have gone off the deep end.

The impeachment campaign against Trump is a self-imploding, self-destructing, backfiring bombshell. The Democrats harm themselves with their impeachment proceedings so fast that news can't even keep up with the damage. Their resolve to bring their own demise goes beyond conspiracy—it's self-absorbed madness. No matter how much they can see how much they make themselves lose, they only turn up the temperature and lose more.

The moral of the story is that we should expect even more blunders as the swamp drains and the monsters who thrived there writhe in their last hours of miserable existence. Of course, that could last a few decades before it's all done with.

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, December 2, 2019

"Order in the ranks" of military discipline includes that the president is the commander in chief who always gets his way—in the military. Generals and secretaries in the US Armed Forces have zero preference in any disagreement of decision with the president. As commander in chief, the president can overturn any court-martial conviction and fire or dismiss anyone for any reason. This is intended by the Constitution so that the Armed Forces serve the will of the people. The military does not give orders to the democratically elected president. Anyone in the Armed Forces attempting to circumvent a decision of the president should be discharged and possibly prosecuted for mutiny—based on Article 94 (§ 894)(a)(1) of the 2004 Uniform Code of Military Justice definition of Mutiny or Sedition. It is inappropriate for anyone to claim fowl play in the the Navy secretary's firing.

Kevin Clinesmith from the FBI has been dubbed the title "frontline lawyer". He reportedly doctored evidence in the FISA spy application as part of the Russianewsgategate scandal. If he was not acting under the explicit direction of his "behind the frontlines" superiors, then the Obama administration's FBI, including James Comey, had even bigger problems. "Frontline lawyers" at the FBI are supposed to follow instructions of the director, otherwise the director is AWOL.

As impeachment moves forward, Democrats seal their fate. They've already gone too far. Whether the House votes to impeach, Democrats lose popularity. Either they let down their base or they anger everyone Right of staunch Democratic voters with unnecessary drama. Two unanswered questions remain: Will they choose to lose votes by impeaching or lose votes by not impeaching? And, more mysteriously, are they secretly trying to help President Trump or are have they been operating on kook-directed autopilot so long that they are no longer capable of knowing where they are headed?

The biggest danger Donald Trump always posed was that he would do too well and thus give Republicans a supermajority they couldn't have earned on their own. No one seems to be helping that effort as much as House Democrats. Fortunately for the country, the ever-less-so silent majority doesn't make political decisions on autopilot. And, that majority is growing larger.

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, November 25, 2019

Calling on a foreign government to investigate its own dubious dealings with dubious Americans isn't criminal. Not all political rivalries are trivial. The Bidens should be the political enemy of anyone honest. Trump should be praised for his call to the Ukraine, not impeached. But, it looks like impeachment is where the Democratic train is headed and there is no getting off.

Formally impeaching the president will irritate the American public into voting even more Republican in the next election than already was going to happen. And, it will give subpoena power to Republicans in the Senate. Somehow, Democrats in Washington think that is a victory. But, then Democrats and their most loyal voters have always evaluated by methods rather than results. We shouldn't expect that to change. No matter how much the results hurt, Leftist thinking is generally numb to results.

While the impeachment saga trudges on toward a Republican supermajority, the DOJ continues to pursue criminal charges against the Russianewsgategate coup attempt of 2016. Eventually, that could implicate Schiff.

The world faces a transformative crisis. From defecting Chinese Communists to Hong Kong's autonomy to Taiwan's independence to US impeachment, all the way to Brexit—nations are soul-searching and wrestling with their demons. This is not any result of political "strategery"; it is the result of a praying Church. That worldwide, unofficial Church will only continue to grow and pray more transformation into being.

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, November 18, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HS6OIm1tUY

The trade war with China has hurt American farmers—just as a year of bad weather also hurt American farmers. Notwithstanding questions of why Americans chose to become dependent on Communists as their customer, the larger culprit should be large corporations competing against small farmers, seeking a de facto monopoly. Bigness is set against the small guy in America. Trump's trade war sees the biggest competitor of any American business as the Chinese Communist government itself—since the Chinese government financially supports companies competing against non-government companies in America.

This is a recipe for war. Rather than hating Trump, farmers will blame the Chinese and support the coming war that the fake trade war was meant to lead up to all along. Secretary of State Pompeo certainly is ready.

Few things re-elect presidents like a widely-supported war. Washington Democrats are not playing to win the next election; they are playing for employment. They know that they can't win the presidency or the Senate in 2020 and will most likely lose the House. Everything they have done in 2019, and are continuing to do through this next election, is designed to keep their voters preoccupied and distracted from the approaching failure.

If the Democratic electorate stays singularly focused on victories that will never happen, then enough of them will go to the polls to keep the majority of current Democrats in Washington employed, but Democrats will no longer be the majority in Washington. The entire assault against Trump is a shear distraction, designed by Democratic politicians to dupe their own base into marching toward utter failure so they can keep some of their seats on Capitol Hill.

The most recent episode of Russianewsgategate is a glaring example. Marie Yovanovitch, an Obama-appointed ambassador, was working as if still for Obama even though Trump was president. The Ukraine president didn't like it. She was rightfully fired. Disgruntled, now it's her moment of payback—as a witness in matters she had nothing to do with. The House hearings on Trump are a mere show trial. Don't expect the electorate to respond any differently—those who enjoy the show will keep their plans to vote against Trump and those who don't like the show will vote for him.

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, November 11, 2019

Scandal after scandal, controversy after controversy—America is divided over ideas. For many, their solution is to talk, argue, theorize, analyze, and strategize. While their constant clucking reaches ears outside the hen house, other people in Washington are actually doing something.

The DOJ is pursuing a genuine criminal investigation of the FBI's role with what has become the Russianewsgategate scandal. It started with an accusation about Russia based on the news rather than evidence, then they tried to make it into a scandal, then the fake scandal became a scandal. Now, Comey and Brennan could be looking at jail time, even treason, in an attempted coup.

Typically, Washington Congressional hearings carry clout and intimidation. The political puppets line up around the room on an elevated bench and look down on the witness giving testimony. Behind the witness is a packed crowd with standing room only. That's how confirmation hearings and impeachment hearings and other televised hearings go. That was ENRON, General Motors, Condi Rice, Olly North, Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, even John Kerry's testimony about Vietnam before he was a Senator. It's scary, even spooky, but that's about it.

Lights, camera, action! Congressional hearings are a show designed to stir the pot of voters. As Americans grow bored with the news, Congressional theater is losing whatever power it might have wielded. So, while the actors, performers, and thespians give their show on Capitol Hill, the DOJ is actually doing something substantive. Attorney General William Barr isn't putting on any kind of show trial. This is serious. And, it's moving forward at the speed of law. And, perhaps for the first time, the usual performers will need to lawyer-up.

It doesn't matter so much what people say; it matters what people do. America is divided over ideas. The biggest source of division is whether to perform or whether to actually do something real. Another performance will probably be their defense.

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, October 28, 2019

People must rise up for freedom on their own. Protestors in Hong Kong have stood up for their own freedom; the same should be expected of the Kurds in Syria. If they face persecution, offer asylum or refugee status. There could be a political solution or a referendum that must be honored, like the referendum in Crimea. But, don't fight someone else's freedom war for them. Freedom cannot be bestowed, only fought for and defended by the freed folk themselves.

Democrats seeking impeachment without a vote first sets a precedent for Republicans to more easily oust a Democratic president in the future. Many Democrat-driven laws initially meant to curb Republicans came back to bite Democrats when it was their turn to follow their own new laws. A no-vote impeachment proceeding could also impede Congressional ability to enforce subpoenas against another branch of government or to continue to hold hearings in the basement SCIF.

America faces a Constitutional crisis on two fronts: first, impeachment, subpoenas, no official impeachment vote, and whether a Supreme Justice who offered political comments about the President can preside over a trial in the Senate; second, California's legal authority to enter into an international treaty apart from the Federal Government. By joining the "carbon credits" cult with Canada, California engaged in the kind of international negotiations that the Constitution explicitly prohibits in Article II Section 2 Clause 2, which made the Constitution different from its predecessor, the Articles of Confederation. While California focused on the environment more than the Constitution, it left kindling unattended throughout forests now on fire. Trump warned about the uncollected kindling wood and leaves in the forests of California over one year ago and is suing California for its carbon credit agreement with Canada.

We are in conflict. The nation is in conflict. There are two Americas today, just as there were two types of Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower. The battle in our divided nation rages hotter than California's fires. Stewardship of the economy, national security, and the environment can all play well with rule of law. Whoever understands that the best will come out ahead in this great American conflict.

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, October 7, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4_WDqiEJDg

President Trump has been a role model for America's place in the world: non-interference. Fighting revolutionary wars for others is a bad idea. It has only backfired. Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq are just a few examples. Hong Kong's October 4 declaration of a provisional government is a model of what should be done to help another democratic revolution: nothing. Real democratic revolutions must happen on their own and Trump knows that. He might be the only president in our time to know that.

Even though he does not interfere as presidents before him have, the non-interference fans among Democrats continue to attack him. That, too, is backfiring.

The president has an obligation to investigate criminals. Joe Biden and his son have extremely dubious financial entanglements and possible connection to elements Robert Mueller investigated. If the Mueller investigation was so important, then President Trump ought to pursue loose ends that Mueller and Congressional Democrats didn't. When a foreign country is party to elements of such a serious investigation as Mueller's, as well as extremely dubious dealings of the Bidens, the Attorney General of the United States ought to cooperate with the government of that country through official channels.

Trump asked for just that and no more.

Trump did not ask to connect secret attorneys or organizations. He did not request back door channels. He did not ask for unofficial cooperation. And, the people he wanted to investigate were not without serious suspicions.

Had President Trump not asked Ukrainian President Zelensky for the official cooperation he did, Trump would not have been doing his job as president. As for Biden and the supposed "political campaign rivals" accusation Congressional Democrats conjured, Joe Biden should be aware that running for president doesn't allow a candidate to break the law without being investigated. Biden started his dubious dealings long before he was a presidential hopeful. If claiming "for political purposes" is granted to every candidate under investigation, Democrats could make crime vanish merely by declaring the entire population to be political candidates.

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, September 30, 2019

The latest assault against Trump for a supposed conspiracy with Ukraine is pure demagoguery fluff. Combining a few scary words in a few scary sentences, attaching the label "whistle blower", then the usual "resistance is futile" Borg propaganda—it wreaks of playbook rehashing. Leftovers chef surprise reheated and re-served might fool dinner guests once or twice. But, triggering alarms that have been often false before won't sway Trump's base for one big reason among many: China.

America faces larger threats than what is being alleged with Ukraine. The accusations aren't alarming to ears that favor Trump. Even if they were serious, Democrats have cried wolf too many times to be taken seriously. If a real scandal actually did hit the presses with Trump, no one who mattered would care. That is the greater danger the Democrats are creating. Just how an award is only as valuable as those who receive it, false alarms make people ignore alarms we shouldn't. We haven't ignored real alarms yet, but Democrats are laying in the groundwork for it. Maybe that is the real alarm.

Republicans have nothing to lose in playing along because the truth will win in the end anyway. Of course, Democrats mistake Republican "play-along" for Republican "support"—a miscalculation likely to make a Republican 2020 even bigger.

With bigger issues looming, and with the lines blurring between "whistle blower" and "wolf bellower", the American public is more focused on supporting the president who is stopping China from taking over... well, taking over everything. Whoever can stand up to China these days deserves an acquittal, so the voters think, especially an acquittal for doing nothing wrong.

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

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.

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, July 29, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihdadXvdZ6A

The anti-Trump spin machine is in full swing. It's difficult to believe that 47% of Americans want him impeached by trusting only one pollster—Fox News, which wrongly predicted his non-election. It's even more difficult to believe that polls, in general, aren't being doctored when someone managed to anonymously change the presidential seal on a background screen into a Russian eagle that golfs. These things suggest a concerted effort to undermine the president. But, we already knew about that, didn't we?

Trump can't be labeled as the only source of drama in America. The economy is up, but so are spending and debt. Jobs are returning to America while manufacturing flees China as fast as peace is fleeing Hong Kong—which China blames on the US. The UK has a new prime minister who is just as opposed by the outgoing administration as Trump is opposed by Washington's still outstanding swamp.

The contrived Russianewsgategate fiasco wasn't a bombshell, it was more of a fizzle and pop, and its biggest explosion may be its backfire. Now that the fizzling and popping are finished popping and fizzling, the investigation investigations are starting up; Comey is the lead person of great interest.

Like bad habits, bad people don't go away easily. It takes time and effort. Bad people lie just because they know they can't win any other way. And, it takes having a head in the right place to know when that's happening.

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, July 22, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGcon1V_4dY

Washington is all excited because this week Mueller is scheduled to testify, again, about a report he already handed in. If the report had said enough on its own then there would be no need for him to testify, again. Democrats are all excited, but not as excited as Senator Graham, who plans to launch his own investigation investigation.  While Washington is distracted with theatrics of Russians and the "fab four", a much deeper problem is swelling, one which will not escape Trump's tenure unchanged: social media.

Social media giants are out of control. One current argument on the table is to make Google's "index" public.

This "index" is Google's inside stockpile of information that a "Google search" queries. Right now, it's on lockdown and no one can access it without going through Google. Making it public would allow anyone to use it—if they know the right code, which code monkeys could learn. And, that's where the trouble is...

Publicizing Google's search index would be difficult to prove because it would need a new computer language—or API—to access. What's to keep Google from making that API language too difficult to use? And, what's to ensure the same idiots in Washington who tried to ram SOPA & PIPA down everyone's throats—or wondered if Hillary wiped her server "with a cloth"—would know whether Google is making the API too difficult to use?

It could be done. It would need oversight. It should apply to Yahoo, Microsoft, and any other publicly traded tech giant with a search index. And, it would be a game changer.

According to Bloomberg, Google gets over 90% of all search traffic; Microsoft's Bing at second place gets under 3%. That's a lot of power to be in just one place.

While the current thinkers have "thunk" up this as the way to regulate Google under laws governing "public utilities", there's another important argument to consider. Google's search index isn't an index about Google's own intellectual property—Google's search index is an index about private information owned by everyone. So, the real question is whether it should be legal to "index the public", which is essentially what Google does. If it's legal to "index the public", then of course the public should have access to that index, duh.

continue reading

Standard
Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, June 17, 2019

The US could be looking at war on at least three fronts—as if things heating up in the Far East weren't enough. Two oil tankers were bombed in the Middle East and the Arab Prince blames Iran. The US claims to have evidence. Now, Senator Lindsey Graham is calling for war in Cuba to curb war with Venezuela.

All this international conflict is outshining the Left's ever weakening calls against Trump. But, the Left doesn't give up easily.

The summary of Robert Mueller's argument against Trump is that Trump tried to stop an investigation known to be fake. A group of people started a fake investigation against Trump, they broke the law, along with customary rules and ethical precedent. Mueller thinks Trump tried to stop this lawless, no-rules, fake investigation. Because of that, Trump "interfered with justice"?

Financially, the term for Mueller's side of the argument is called a "hostile takeover". That happens when one company wants to buy another company. The buying company just lies and makes false accusations until the other company is weak, then everyone says, "Well, I guess there is no choice except for the one company to get what it wants and buy the other."

If Trump had a kind of "technical foul" in stopping Mueller's fraudulent investigation, it would be Mueller, not Trump, who would have obstructed justice for creating the unlawful situation in the first place.

Democrats want the documents, hoping that the people won't see the deeper matters of justice and who started the baseless fight, rather than honoring the man who ended a fight that never should have started to begin with.

continue reading

Standard