Let's just call it what it is

I'm just going to start calling racists, the #CultOfTrump, the remnants of the Republican party, and all of the assholes who won't wear a mask and social distance what they are: fascists.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/fascism/Varieties-of-fascism

Reality check: Signed One Pissed Off USMC Veteran

People are throwing hissy fits because they're being asked to wear a mask and social distance. They're rioting in the street because their pub owner was arrested for violating health protocols.

On December 2nd, 2020, almost as many people died of COVID-19 as those who died on 9/11 and we entered into the longest ground war in American history over that. We lost thousands of more lives, permanently ruined the lives of thousands more who suffered TBI and loss of mind and body parts FOR YOU! We wasted trillions of dollars defending YOU!

If you can't stand a little inconvenience for a few more months in defense of your fellow Americans, you make all those lost lives and riches to have been in vain. All of the American troops who have died in the past 20 years or suffered life changing wounds have died and suffered in vain.

So carry your cross around your neck and wrap yourself in the flag. Your faux patriotism means nothing to me and you are not worth fighting for nor defending.

You just can't fix stupid.

Signed,

One Pissed Off, anachist USMC Veteran

Scapegoats for their own misdeeds

We've been seeing this crop up in right wing circles for a spell. Obviously it's being shared in a piss poor attempt to to align the Nazis with the modern day abolitionist movements.

SO LET'S FACT CHECK.

Prior to the 1930's Germany, the police forces were very decentralised and municipal in nature. The nazis in their rise to power instituted reforms to create a police state. The first of these was The Enabling Act 1933 which pretty much gave political power across a very diverse Germany, to the singular state authority. Part of this process was the creation of a unified central command for the police.

They were then placed under the control of the SS, who in turn placed members of the Gestapo and security services within the ranks of the local police forces. Subsequently the focus changed and they began to treat crime as a matter of race. 

All police forces act on the mandate of the state.

Sniveling wimps

I was shooting 500 meter bulls, 10 for 10, every time before most of these sniveling bitches were even born. And I have my SRB to prove it.

The fact remains that the majority of these fat rednecks will only serve as bullet stoppers. The remaining few will either run or die in their bunkers.

I've had it with fascists. Let's see who's dick is longer. Produce your records or shut the fuck up.

Ode to 9/11

Not a single fighter jet ever left the ground on 9/11. Fighters from NAS Norfolk could possibly have intercepted the second plane at WTC (not that there's not any closer) and DEFINITELY could have easily intercepted the (alleged) plane that hit the Pentagon. 

I was stationed all over VA. Hell, there are fighters at Quantico! Thirty minutes by car. And yet no fighters were ever scrambled. In fact, all air space was grounded across the US. Someone explain that shit to this old pissed off Marine.

Criminal Intent

I've been limiting my exposure to news for the past several weeks for reasons I won't go into here, now.

Events of the past few days has penetrated my self-imposed news diet. I'd rather be sharing my own words but I find myself with a lack of them.

However, the whole article which I quote below is well worth a read. 

He knew, and because he knew, my mind is reeling with questions. How many times has he put his own supporters in danger, as they gathered by the thousands without protection, while knowing he was putting them in danger? How many times has he golfed while knowing the pandemic was killing so many people city officials had to dig mass graves? How many times has he ridiculed people for wearing masks, thereby insulting the memory of the dead, while knowing the virus was airborne. How many times has he attacked public officials, whose job is serving the public’s interest, while knowing their service prevented the death toll from being even bigger? Most important of all, how many Republicans understood that a man who commits treason is the kind of man who stands by while Americans die in droves—if that’s what it takes to win?

Give the whole article a read. It feels good to know you're not alone.

US War Crimes at Hiroshima and Nagasaki

As I stood alone at the "Peace Park" museum silently weeping in front a photo of the shadow of a child burned into one of the few pieces of walls left standing in a decimated city, tears streaming down my cheeks at the horror of history I was witnessing, an aged Japanese woman came up beside me and patted me gently on the back saying "Daijōbu, Daijōbu" - It's alright, it's alright.

My high and tight gave away the fact I was a Marine, the branch of the military that operated in the Pacific Theater. This elder who most certainly had family or friends who died there that day had pity ON ME! I still weep silently when I remember this experience, as I am weeping now.

The Japanese people learned something from that horrible tragedy that Americans still haven't learned. It is that all life is precious and no one is beyond redemption. It is a lesson I try to remember every day and a value worth striving toward.

The anniversary of these tragedies weighs heavily in my heart every year. A victim consoling a representative of the perpetrator.  Can you imagine the love and compassion in a being like that?

ANY weapon that kills indiscriminately is a criminal tool. Any person or nation who uses them or condones their use is criminal.

That's my story. Now here is a link to the article:

https://www.fff.org/2020/08/05/trumans-war-crimes-at-hiroshima-and-nagasaki/

The Trump campaign's latest contest is a scam. Here's proof. - Popular Information

On June 24, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued Executive Order 205, which requires people traveling to New York State from states with a high positive test rate to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. 

All travelers entering New York from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% test positivity rate, over a seven day rolling average, will be required to quarantine for a period of 14 days consistent with Department of Health regulations for quarantine. 

Those who violate the order can be fined up to $10,000. Guidance from the New York Department of Health says, to comply with the order, an "individual must not be in public or otherwise leave the quarters that they have identified as suitable for their quarantine." 

The executive order currently requires travelers from the following states to quarantine upon arrival: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Yet, according to Facebook data, the Trump campaign marketed the contest extensively to residents of those states. In one heavily promoted version of the ad, 73% of the impressions were targeted at users in states subject to New York's quarantine order.

There is no legal way for Trump supporters in any of those states to attend the event. 

Read the story here.

Who defends the defenders?

I'm curious about governor's who adamantly insist they DO NOT want federal mercenary forces in their states. I assume many of us are aware that each state has a national guard that is answerable to their state government. If a state is being invaded by a foreign and violent force, why are the national guard not there to protect its citizens from violent outsider attack? Is this a reasonable question?

Trump's 'beautiful' failures

How the US president's salesmanship trumps his statesmanship.

Marwan Bishara by Marwan Bishara 

21 Jul 2020

US President Donald Trump speaks about efforts to curb federal regulations during a South Lawn event at the White House in Washington on July 16, 2020 [Reuters/Jonathan Ernst]

US President Donald Trump speaks about efforts to curb federal regulations during a South Lawn event at the White House in Washington on July 16, 2020 [Reuters/Jonathan Ernst] 

Listening to US President Donald Trump tell Fox News on Sunday that "We won two world wars, beautiful world wars, that were vicious and horrible," one does not know whether to laugh or cry.

It is certainly a shocking statement, but the fact that it is no longer surprising to hear such crudity from the American president is, in itself, disturbing.

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The president boasts of having an Ivy League education and knowing the "best words", but his poor and slurred speech and repetitive use of a very few words like "tremendous", "amazing" and "beautiful", tell a different story.

The use of "beautiful" in this context of world war may be another slip of the tongue, caused by dementia - something psychologists have claimed he may have.

But this is different from "Belgium is a beautiful city" which slipped Trump's tongue in 2016.

It signals something more sinister.

Regardless of whether Trump meant it or not, the record shows his use of "beautiful" may rather be associated with his long history of salesmanship. Well, "used-cars"-style salesmanship to be precise. 

In other words, it is linked to deception.

Trump has boasted of reviving "beautiful clean coal" and called the environmentally controversial Dakota Access oil pipeline "beautiful" as well. He has lamented the taking down of "beautiful" Confederate statues that are associated with the dark past of fighting to maintain slavery in the South, and bragged about his appointment of "brand new, beautiful conservative judges".

Trump has spoken of a "beautiful" healthcare bill to replace Obamacare, although it is yet to materialise as the administration continues its assault on what is left of the much-needed programme amid a pandemic.

Trump has also committed to building a real, high and "beautiful" wall along the border with Mexico, which Congress and most Americans have opposed, prompting the president to declare a national emergency for the sole purpose of paying for it.

Trump has justified his extraordinary decision to build his "beautiful wall" on the grounds of ending undocumented immigration, stopping drugs from coming into the US, and making Mexico pay for it. He has even warned of threats to national security.

In reality, the construction of the border wall has not curbed border crossings, which have recently increased. It is also unlikely to have much effect on drug trafficking, as drugs are mostly smuggled through legal ports of entry. And, last but not least, Mexico is a trade partner, not an enemy - it has not and will not pay for the wall.

Nowhere is the use of "beautiful" more disturbing than in association with weapons and the Middle East.

During his first foreign trip in 2017, Trump boasted in Riyadh of his eagerness to sell "beautiful weapons" worth tens of billions of dollars to Qatar and other rich Gulf countries to create more American jobs and better Gulf security.

But a few days later, Trump sided with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain when they imposed a blockade on Qatar based on false pretexts and fabricated pretences.

Trump soon reversed his position, but has not been able to pressure his Gulf allies to end their siege on Qatar and cease the unnecessary divisions and instability.

Instead, the Trump administration has inflamed regional instability by walking away from the Iran nuclear deal and, along with Israel, escalated tensions with Tehran.

After the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Al Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Trump boasted of spending $2 trillion on arms and threatened to target Iran with "brand new beautiful" weapons.

Trump bragged about these and other Middle East policies to the Israeli American Council, which is subsidised mainly by his own "patron-in-chief", casino owner Sheldon Adelson.

There, he sang the praise of a "beautiful and mighty" Israel and ridiculed Arab and other leaders, who appealed to him not to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or recognise its annexation of the Syrian Golan Heights.

And to top it all off and take it to a whole new level of absurdity, Trump later described the happy reaction of his once personal lawyer and present US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, as that of a "wonderful, beautiful baby".

The preposterousness of the image is matched only by the farcicality of the story behind the decision on the Golan Heights. As Trump tells it, he asked for a "quickie" explanation about the Heights, then "I went Bing! - it was done".

This has all been part of the "big, big beautiful difference" between his and his predecessor's commitment to Israel - one which comes at the expense of its Palestinian and Arab neighbours, and which ended up torpedoing decades of US Middle East diplomacy.

Trump's beautiful policy failures in the Middle East are only matched by his failures in East Asia.

Trump praised and mused about his "love" relationship with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, who apparently sent him "beautiful letters". After their 2018 summit, he declared that Americans can "sleep well at night" knowing that North Korea was prepared to give up its nuclear weapons.

The following year, Trump praised Kim's "great and beautiful vision" for his country which, as anyone who knows anything about the totalitarian regime knows, is a big lie, a political heresy, an utter humbug.

And soon enough, it turned out his buddy Kim has been using their bromance to perfect his vision of North Korea as a nuclear power with long-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

For the record, Trump also said he received "beautiful" letters from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader, Xi Jinping.

Need I say more?

Trump even got a "beautiful birthday card" from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the latter cracked down on royal family members, journalists and human rights advocates.

And so the president with the "beautiful temperament" and "beautiful [some say small] hands" promises to continue to work for a "bright and beautiful" future for the new generations across the Middle East and beyond.

A beautiful man indeed.

The question is: Would you buy a beautiful used car from him?

America, your time is soon

• I, as an American citizen deserve some consideration in policy implementation

• as a former Marine, honorably discharged, I believe I deserve some consideration in policy implementation

• as a former public servant I believe I deserve some consideration in policy consideration

As someone who has been denied these basic considerations and more I am left with one perception only  one conclusion:

America doesn't give a fuck about me or anyone else

And those who perpetuate these lies; fuck you all too.

Living on a prayer

Since I moved back home to redneck ally 20 years ago I have had my life threatened at least every other year by people who I don't know nor know me. They merely know who I am by word of mouth and that I am HIV+. 

With the rise of the dick tater, the orange turd, they have been emboldened in their hate and the attacks have become more frequent, more vicious, and if the GPS on their devices are correct they are coming closer to my remote home.

I was told by a doctor 30 years ago that I probably had 6 months or less to live. I sincerely wish he had been correct. There isn't much left on this plane of existence that I am interested in staying for. Certainly nothing here gives me any level of happiness.

But regrettably I cannot do anything to hasten my departure from this shit hole. I can only hope that at least a pair of these redneck cretins actually do find me here. That way I can have the pleasure of taking at least one of them with me. And since it will all be on security cameras and audio, anyone left standing will receive whatever they have coming.

These "New Patriot Bone Spur Brigade" assholes don't have a clue what patriotism is nor what it feels like to be forced into defending honor. It doesn't feel the way one thinks it might. There is no pleasure in it (unless you're a sociopath), there is only the honor of performing one's duty. And even that doesn't feel good.

So, if anything should happen to me anytime soon just know that it came to me and I finished it...with regret. Not regret for the kids of my own life, but the regret of leaving this world full of suffering.

Bowling for Assholes

New nonviolent game to help reduce your need to punch a rascist in the face:

Bowling.

One back ball against ten white pins with red rings around their neck.

Enjoy!

CNN: Cooper shakes head at Trump remark: 'That is just nonsense'

As Covid-19 cases continue to surge in the US, CNN's Anderson Cooper says President Trump's only plan to fight the pandemic is to gaslight the American people.

See his comments on video at CNN here:

CNN: Cooper shakes head at Trump remark: 'That is just nonsense'. 

Whistleblower says what?

From the desk of Thomas Drake:

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The past several months are certainly surreal times we live in -- locally, regionally, nationally and globally.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a lot of unpleasantness about how people treat each other, and the degree to which blame is thrown around, along with three-second sound bites. But of course, if you are in power you never want to let a good crisis (even a pandemic) go to waste.

Everything is so hyper-polarized and divided these days politically with massive disinformation and propaganda campaigns going on. Or as I prefer to call them -- mistruths or missed truths.

And the baser side of the human condition definitely turns my stomach over more these days, than it has in the past. I am also frankly challenged not to grow too cynical in the face of so much discord and division across the social, civil and political spectrum.

I just don’t think that enough people TRULY appreciate (let alone really understand) what we are losing these past few years (and have lost since 9/11), when it comes to democracy and freedom and speaking out against abuse of power of all kinds from all sides, as well as the steady and alarming erosion of our precious rights and liberties.

Given all the instability and conflict and rancor we hear and see all around us, history does bear eyewitness. And even if history does not always exactly repeat, it certain appears to rhyme!

One example is President Trump withdrawing the U.S. from the Treaty on Open Skies (an arms control treaty) due to alleged violations by Russia. I am well aware of this treaty coming out of the Cold War as a former military service and aircrew member in the Air Force. I had several former military colleagues with whom I served, directly supporting this treaty on specially designated aerial overflights of the former Soviet Union designed to reduce the chance of a terrible accident or misfire -- especially when it involves nuclear arms.

The myopic decision by Trump for unilateral withdrawal out of this treaty for trumped up reasons (pun is definitely intended), risks abandoning arms control and turning it into a free-for-all arms bazaar and race to the bottom. Withdrawing from this treaty actually undermines our national security and the security of the world for self-serving purposes, and also prevents other countries from monitoring the U.S. -- which I think is the larger purpose here behind Trump’s withdrawal as well as his open desire to sell more arms to the highest bidders.

The Open Skies Treaty is an agreement between 35 nations to date that permits each country to fly over the land of the others. Fundamentally this treaty was expressly designed to promote transparency and mutual observation of military developments and not create situations that escalate into actual conflict due to misunderstandings or missed signals.

This is the third time Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from an arms control agreement and each time creates greater instability in his quest to make America “great again” and go it alone.

The other example is even closer to home for me, given my own whistleblowing on the abuse of national security power violating the privacy rights of people through warrantless surveillance post-9/11 for the sake of just getting the data.

This example is centered on the current attempts to reauthorize certain expiring sections of the FISA Amendments Act (based on certain sunset provisions), which simply codified what was already taking place in secret post-9/11 over a number of years when the original FISA was simply tossed aside.

The FISA Amendments Act would not have happened absent the public-interest outing of the over four-year state secret mass surveillance regime approved by Bush/Cheney. The outing came with the blockbuster front page New York Times article in December 2005 that ultimately led the government to target me and others early in 2006.

That multi-year, multimillion-dollar criminal “leak” investigation, launched due to the revelations made by the New York Times, led to the signature Espionage Act case dropped on me in 2010 via a very publicly announced 10-count indictment by the Obama Administration’s Department of Justice.

The original FISA Amendments Act was signed into law in 2008 (and yes, then-Senator Obama voted for it) and has been reauthorized ever since.

The current modest reform bill that was under consideration for the FISA Amendments Act would end the so-called “call detail records” (CDR) program that was kept in a watered-down form under the USA Freedom Act of 2015. It still had the government collecting hundreds of millions of these records every year from providers based on just a handful of orders -- that were really just general warrants of a blanket nature that also still violated the Constitution.

There are also some changes to the business records provision, also known as Section 215 (where a person has no reasonable expectation of privacy because the data is “owned” by a business entity) and the government can just get it, if deemed “relevant” to a national security investigation. The bar for such an order is not probable cause, as is required under even a normal FISA warrant, so this becomes a backdoor loophole to get any information that simply meets the very low bar of satisfying any investigative purpose including location-based information. Location-based information was determined by the Supreme Court (5-4 decision) as having 4th Amendment protection in the Carpenter v. United States case from 2018. These orders also don’t even require that the individual picked up in such an order have any connections to the declared target of an investigation, either!

Whether or not any of this survives or is changed, including restrictions on web-based information, remains up for grabs. Even provisions for improved friend of the court briefs, to provide independent oppositional perspective to the government’s case for such orders, remain up for grabs given the political climate.

In essence, a whole lot of surveillance shell games are getting played out (as the public gets played) to keep the surveillance wheel going, with little concern for even the rights and protections afforded “the people” under the 4th Amendment of the Constitution.

Do find myself worrying more about our own future -- even though I am quite hopeful over the long term circumscribed by the moral arc of the universe, that does bend eventually toward justice, and as I like to add, mercy.

Regards to all. Thanks for your continuing support and please take care of yourselves and each other during these trying and uncertain times.

-- Thomas Drake
_____________________

The United States is the most Dangerous psychotic on the planet

I don't WANT to be critical of the commander in chief of the United States. I'd just like – ONE TIME in my life – to have a leader who is not a con man, mentally deranged, or a war criminal.

I was born in 1959. I vaguely remember the JFK assassination. From all I've learned about him, though he was a personally flawed individual (and aren't we all), he was wildly popular with the electorate – though the arms industry had a dramatically different take on him.

But since then, since a leader I barely remember getting shot, not one single president has NOT been a con man, mentally deranged, or a war criminal – or a combination thereof.

NOT ONE!

This speaks volumes as to who WE are as a nation and a people. Those highly flawed leaders are simply flawed people who we as a people thought would be the best choice to lead us.

And this is what makes us despised laughing stocks on the world stage. We are stupid, weak-minded, selfish, destructive and dangerous.