The Foreign Agents Registration Act, FARA, isn’t a federal law that limits and regulates foreign political influence in the United States, though that’s what it’s supposed to be: a law requiring registration with the attorney general by “anyone who acts on behalf of a ‘foreign principal’ to, among other things, influence U.S.
See also, via a reader on Twitter, this Ukrainian page describing the Yermak-McFaul Group as a project of the Ukrainian government:
"The Group was created at the initiative of the President of Ukraine. The Group is co-chaired by the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, and the former US ambassador to Russia, Stanford University professor Michael McFaul."
Note this part, about the support of the group: "Analytical materials for the Group are provided by KSE Institute."
KSE Institute is a Ukrainian thinktank headquartered in Kyiv, so the provision of materials by KSE constitute material support for the Yermak-McFaul working group.
On a personal note, I think FARA sucks. It's constitutionally and culturally dubious, and I've written before that I thought the arrests of the "Russian agents" from dumb-as-dirt groups like Black Hammer were grossly improper arrests for speech acts.
Michael McFaul has a First Amendment right to advocate for Ukraine. But no one has a First Amendment right to advocate for Russia, somehow. That's the problem.
We don’t need FARA to protect the US from Michael McFaul. Whether you agree or disagree, his activities are very public. Nor should it apply to groups who publicly advocate for positions, but have zero political influence (or, if it does apply, no time or money should be wasted on prosecuting these groins). However, if FARA serves any purpose, you would think that it would be to prevent Hunter Biden and Joe Biden from taking money from Burisma and then causing the US to pressure Ukraine to fire its chief prosecutor who the US had supported. But, the DOJ does not appear interested.
I agree that we don’t need FARA to protect the US from Michael McFaul. But we also don't need FARA to protect us from the African People’s Socialist Party. Your point about the Bidens is a good one. FARA is simultaneously a First Amendment disaster and a useless non-protection.
And remember Maria Butina. She was arrested basically for being a Russian woman WITH SEX APPEAL. In Washington D.C. there is NO GREATER CRIME! Poor Patrick Byrne!
They’d have to charge 3/4 of congress with FARA. To me, they’re all worthless POS, so-called Americans, who’ve sold their souls to the highest bidder, satan.
McFaul's Substack is horrific. No self awareness or understanding the consequences of warmongering. The Cringeman brothers are also on Substack shilling for Ukraine, while one of them is running for Congress. How much of a cut do they take of our taxpayer funded money laundering? 10% for the big guy! https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/alexander-vindman-cringeman-cringestack-kgb
By instructing pro-Ukraine (in this case) propagandists not to register with FARA, maybe so as not create an official definiton of them acting on behalf of foreign powers, the US backers of the war keeps a hold on said propagandists.
If they step out of line further on, their lack of registration can be used against them.
Was reading about Operation Ajax and Kermit Roosevelt and the CIA's actions in Iran, and a lot of it resonated with the Russia/Ukraine situation. It seems the strategy employed in Iran at that time basically was "Lie to everyone and set them against each other, then support the most willing and obedient proxy".
I wonder how well all those dirty dealings are known today. Maybe people will sit around in 2074 and wonder "Did no-one realise what was happening behind the scenes?".
The least they can do is stop saying this is a war for 'democracy'. Ukraine was a quasi-democracy before the war and a well-known vassal-state for the corrupt and criminals and it sure as hell ain't one now. Call me old fashioned but countries that have 'hit lists' for journalists (I know. So do we probably), ban opposition parties, the Church, and elections don't strike me as 'democratic'. Whatever that means anymore given we're trapped in an inverted reality vortex.
This is strictly America - and its lackeys in the West - using Ukraine to get at Russia.
Please,watch the Tucker Carlson interview of Mike Benz to understand that when the tyrants use the word “democracy” it has a completely different meaning than you are using. The tyrant class has redefined the word to mean “any entity that does what we want and keeps us in power.” That is what they mean when they say “our democracy” or “their democratic values.” Preserving “democracy” means preserving institutions like NGOs, UN, WEF, WHO, FBI, CIA, HS, and other formerly democratic countries that are now controlled by the ruling class. Consent of the governed has no role in the current definition of democracy.
good point. I've been saying to folks lately, "democracy" is a myth told to the masses to gain their consent to the antihuman policies of the puppeteers.
Benz essentially defined “democracy” as what your overlords decide is best for you, shut up peasants. It’s agreement among the political class, the security state, NGOs, academia, corporate and media elites. Anyone who knows this and votes anyway, for anyone above school board….lol.
For the last ten years, the CIA have been using Ukraine to build their own military force, outside the scope of US MIL and Executive control.
Using taxpayer dollars, under the guise of foreign aid, the CIA turned Ukraine into a giant forward operating base on Russia’s border.
Ukraine’s military is the Deep State army. Created solely for the purpose of fighting Russia, in the hopes of weakening Russia enough to overthrow Putin, and install their globalist puppet, Navalny. This was their plan. It did not work.
In simple terms; the Deep State took your tax dollars, used them to create a Nazi military in Ukraine, started WW3 with Russia, then lied to you about it when they got caught.
I recall that some of the Antifa-members briefly arrested during the "Summer of Love" were foreign nationals, weren't they? If so, surely they should fall under FARA since Antifa definitely is a group that meets the conditions of the definition.
I think you may have missed a minor detail…you see, there are actually two FARAs…there’s the “Foreign” version, and there’s the “Friends” version.
Ukraine falls under the “Friends” version so it’s OK to represent their interests, but Russia falls under the “Foreign” version and representing their interests is definitely a no-no.
Simply put, "friends" are those who receive American dollars and use them to pay off/enrich the Biden family and their ilk. "Foreign" are those from whom no lucre can be extracted.
Wait a minute….when did the US change its position on the applicability of FARA when working with Ukraine? Or is it just that Paul Manafort didn’t think to form an “independent consulting firm” with his Ukrainian counterpart?
This unequal application of the law reminds me of another recent situation in the news. Now what was that? Scratches head. Oh yes, something about the unauthorized taking and retaining of classified documents. Can’t charge one of the individuals as their current mental and physical state (“a well meaning elderly man with a poor memory”) would be viewed with sympathy by a jury.
Speaking of mysteries, this case of the CHS arrested involving the story of the $10 million in bribes to the Biden’s is pretty curious. He was charged in LA but arrested in Las Vegas. Magistrate in Vegas set him free which I guess pissed off the judge in LA who had jurisdiction so he had him rearrested, brought to LA and is currently being held there. I’ve read some things this guy has connections to Ukraine and is also an Israeli citizen. Hope he doesn’t get the Epstein treatment.
Curious indeed when the fbi arrests witnesses in a criminal investigation against someone whose last name is Biden. Normally arresting witnesses would raise a few eyebrows, but apparently much of the media has had a lot of Botox.
Agreed. And wasn't this guy a reliable CHS for the FBI for over ten years? If so, burning and exposing them says to me the government wouldn't be too upset if this person took a swan dive off of a tall building.
absolutely. And clearly no one thinks it matters one bit. The cabal like fucking with us. I've concluded they've been running the show all along our whole lives. Putting puppets in place and laughing at us that we believe them. "Elections" 🤣😂 Endless literally pointless wars to enrich themselves and kill a bunch of people -- srsly why do we go along with this bs? I'm guessing they're playing the end game now: "how bad and obvious can we make it and they still believe the game?"
The evil ones pulling strings have been at it here in America I think since sometime before the civil war. It’s definitely had some clearly seen ratchet points along the way. The civil war and consolidation of Federal powers with Lincoln, the height of the robber barons later in the 19th century, the early part of the 20th century which was a time for a lot of planning and implementing of things, the upheaval centered around the 60’s when they really started after the youth. Obama’s 3rd term has definitely taken us even further down the road.
As to why we go along with it, well we’ve been conditioned our whole lives to believe the lies. I myself only started to really wake up to the truth of some things a few years after 9/11. Better late than never. Hubby was ahead me, as he saw through the financial ponzi games of our government quite awhile ago. But even he didn’t suddenly realize the lies are embedded in every aspect of our lives.
On a hopeful note, based on my experience and observations, it does seem though if one can break free on just one point of the endless mind conditioning, it allows further truths to come into the light more swiftly, compared to how long it took for just one big truth to shatter an illusion.
yes, and even before that, I'd wager. Historian Matt Ehret says we're still fighting the American Revolution and the same gang we fought then never left ... they stayed to sabotage the republic. Yes, we've been conditioned, absolutely. 9/11 on that day I woke up. I had many side-eye moments prior, but on 9/11, I never believed a word of what the talking heads were saying on the tv. It astonished me that everyone else believed the stories being woven. And yes, that awareness opens the door to seeing the rest of the deceptions and truths.
I like Ehret’s writings. He sees things from a perspective that many overlook. And yes, the tentacles of control from centuries long ago extend far further than we think. A lot of the Russiagate narrative showed how wide & deep the British Intelligence services (and their other 5-Eyes buddies) exert their pull on our decisions here, and the lengths they are willing to go to to keep people in bondage to approved narratives. I’m sure we are only too glad to reciprocate.
I swallowed the 9-11 lies whole until a few years past the actual event, sorry to say. But actually thinking past the talking points did eventually occur thank to others who shared online their conclusions as to what it all really was about, and once that began, there’s been no turning back.
I appreciate the engagement your comments have provided. Thank you for this. And your shared clip was great! I need to look up Ehret’s book.
“Head of Ukraine’s reconstruction agency Mustafa Nayyem…”
I think your concerns are entirely misplaced – positions like this (unilaterally dispensing untold billions to connected contractors) are historically free of any corruption. NYC construction and Iraqi reconstruction are classic examples.
There isn’t any corruption involved in the billions being siphoned off, oops, sent to Ukraine. And to prove it to you we aren’t going to audit or trace the final destination of a single dollar. Government level accounting is way to complex for you rubes.
They've always been good Keynesians with respect to the money they spend. Their spending even has a multiplier effect, ricocheting around the economy to the benefit of practically everybody. It's the money you spend that doesn't trickle down and thus doesn't benefit anyone but you. That's why you need to be taxed to the max so their multipier can work its Keynesian magic.
Our justice system is pure as the wind driven snow. Just ask 'em.
The recent Trump fine of $350 some MILLION dollars has turned my beak back towards some anarchistic-ish views. How about all bodies of law/policy enacting capacity from school boards to the Congress and includes all administrative state executive branch edicts are held in their chambers until they return with a 95% reduction in laws/rules/policies.
I think it was in a Jack Carr novel, or in a podcast I heard him speak, but it was essentially that every American is guilty of committing felonies nearly every day. It was plural.
I think the scariest possible extension of Chris's example here is if we combine this with arcane, useless, old blue laws/policies/regulations--but with Trump, we also see that no victim needs to be present, no negative outcome for any party--means that the Snow White justice system can do to all of Red America exactly what they've done to J6 people. Kristallnacht American Style. A quick turn of the switch.
Man--ever since Sunday night when I learned of Aaron Bushnell--I have been a bit off balance, and this continued evidence of a sideways world isn't helping me stop the world from spinning.
I came home from a yin yoga class--as relaxed & centered as I can be--and I saw a photo and quick clip on X.
It was like I fell into a frozen lake at night. I don't know why that imagery hit me so powerfully, nor why it feels deep in my solar plexus that this act portends much worse, much scarier than I may be ready for.
Control the controllables. Do the small actionable things right in front of me. Start with taking the trash around, gets picked up tomorrow.
We are going to need to take care of each other. We need to push in. We better meet our neighbors. Build a community garden. (I'm really pushing for this in our neighborhood this year). Touch grass. Shake hands. Remember first names. Build community. Even if you live surrounded by blue.
Most of them are not nefarious, they are 1-2 issue voters and way way way too busy to pay attention to politics. Almost no one, except for maybe the Substack crowd across the political spectrum, spends any great deal of time thinking about politics or why they vote for who.
Now, if your neighbor is the local NEA leader or leading trans surgeon or one of these ideologue -- you may want to leave them to their own devices...the true believers, the passionate advocates--I think they may be sociopathic and not good inside the tribe. That is why we created cops.
Thanks Chris. Check this out--it is currently free on Audible. Now, you may need to be a member of Audible which just means having some credits on account.
I was an early adopter of audiobooks, basically saved me from having a simultaneous stroke, aneurysm, and heart attack on I-5 twice a day for a few years.
I have four Substack subscriptions, all paid, because I believe great writing should be rewarded, more so today with mainstream newspapers completely captured and are for the most part unreadable prop. Then I go to comments section and spend hours reading the interesting things people have in their heads that must come out. I don’t agree with all the comments, and some are batshit crazy, but there are real gems I have found, like you, John Geis, Clever Pseudonym, Yuri Bezvenov, and others, who contribute amazing thoughts that stimulate my own thinking and help me examine my own opinions. I try to keep my comments as thoughtful and respectful as possible, but there are times I react emotionally and get all fired up. Keep up what you’re doing, you’re one of the good ones!
See also, via a reader on Twitter, this Ukrainian page describing the Yermak-McFaul Group as a project of the Ukrainian government:
"The Group was created at the initiative of the President of Ukraine. The Group is co-chaired by the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, and the former US ambassador to Russia, Stanford University professor Michael McFaul."
https://sanctions.kse.ua/en/yermak-mcfaul-group/
Note this part, about the support of the group: "Analytical materials for the Group are provided by KSE Institute."
KSE Institute is a Ukrainian thinktank headquartered in Kyiv, so the provision of materials by KSE constitute material support for the Yermak-McFaul working group.
https://kse.ua/kse-department/kse-institute/
Via:
https://twitter.com/ncman4241/status/1762616709742047500
On a personal note, I think FARA sucks. It's constitutionally and culturally dubious, and I've written before that I thought the arrests of the "Russian agents" from dumb-as-dirt groups like Black Hammer were grossly improper arrests for speech acts.
https://chrisbray.substack.com/p/fill-out-your-form-before-you-have
Michael McFaul has a First Amendment right to advocate for Ukraine. But no one has a First Amendment right to advocate for Russia, somehow. That's the problem.
We don’t need FARA to protect the US from Michael McFaul. Whether you agree or disagree, his activities are very public. Nor should it apply to groups who publicly advocate for positions, but have zero political influence (or, if it does apply, no time or money should be wasted on prosecuting these groins). However, if FARA serves any purpose, you would think that it would be to prevent Hunter Biden and Joe Biden from taking money from Burisma and then causing the US to pressure Ukraine to fire its chief prosecutor who the US had supported. But, the DOJ does not appear interested.
I agree that we don’t need FARA to protect the US from Michael McFaul. But we also don't need FARA to protect us from the African People’s Socialist Party. Your point about the Bidens is a good one. FARA is simultaneously a First Amendment disaster and a useless non-protection.
And remember Maria Butina. She was arrested basically for being a Russian woman WITH SEX APPEAL. In Washington D.C. there is NO GREATER CRIME! Poor Patrick Byrne!
They’d have to charge 3/4 of congress with FARA. To me, they’re all worthless POS, so-called Americans, who’ve sold their souls to the highest bidder, satan.
McFaul's Substack is horrific. No self awareness or understanding the consequences of warmongering. The Cringeman brothers are also on Substack shilling for Ukraine, while one of them is running for Congress. How much of a cut do they take of our taxpayer funded money laundering? 10% for the big guy! https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/alexander-vindman-cringeman-cringestack-kgb
The Vindmans are also not FARA-registered, which is interesting.
Tin-foil chewing speculation:
By instructing pro-Ukraine (in this case) propagandists not to register with FARA, maybe so as not create an official definiton of them acting on behalf of foreign powers, the US backers of the war keeps a hold on said propagandists.
If they step out of line further on, their lack of registration can be used against them.
Was reading about Operation Ajax and Kermit Roosevelt and the CIA's actions in Iran, and a lot of it resonated with the Russia/Ukraine situation. It seems the strategy employed in Iran at that time basically was "Lie to everyone and set them against each other, then support the most willing and obedient proxy".
I wonder how well all those dirty dealings are known today. Maybe people will sit around in 2074 and wonder "Did no-one realise what was happening behind the scenes?".
Maybe they have dual citizenship…
Now that is very interesting. The seeds to a lot of evil fruit would appear to have been planted awhile back.
The least they can do is stop saying this is a war for 'democracy'. Ukraine was a quasi-democracy before the war and a well-known vassal-state for the corrupt and criminals and it sure as hell ain't one now. Call me old fashioned but countries that have 'hit lists' for journalists (I know. So do we probably), ban opposition parties, the Church, and elections don't strike me as 'democratic'. Whatever that means anymore given we're trapped in an inverted reality vortex.
This is strictly America - and its lackeys in the West - using Ukraine to get at Russia.
Please,watch the Tucker Carlson interview of Mike Benz to understand that when the tyrants use the word “democracy” it has a completely different meaning than you are using. The tyrant class has redefined the word to mean “any entity that does what we want and keeps us in power.” That is what they mean when they say “our democracy” or “their democratic values.” Preserving “democracy” means preserving institutions like NGOs, UN, WEF, WHO, FBI, CIA, HS, and other formerly democratic countries that are now controlled by the ruling class. Consent of the governed has no role in the current definition of democracy.
good point. I've been saying to folks lately, "democracy" is a myth told to the masses to gain their consent to the antihuman policies of the puppeteers.
^^^This!^^^
Benz essentially defined “democracy” as what your overlords decide is best for you, shut up peasants. It’s agreement among the political class, the security state, NGOs, academia, corporate and media elites. Anyone who knows this and votes anyway, for anyone above school board….lol.
the globalists don't recognize nations, or laws for that matter, unless they need them for their narrative purposes. Excellent example.
another case in point. Interesting take, though I'd wager the globalists see every military as their own, laws being immaterial.
https://x.com/warclandestine/status/1762550620232323503?s=46&t=znhHj6k7FtuUUmbgguP6Eg
tweet:
For the last ten years, the CIA have been using Ukraine to build their own military force, outside the scope of US MIL and Executive control.
Using taxpayer dollars, under the guise of foreign aid, the CIA turned Ukraine into a giant forward operating base on Russia’s border.
Ukraine’s military is the Deep State army. Created solely for the purpose of fighting Russia, in the hopes of weakening Russia enough to overthrow Putin, and install their globalist puppet, Navalny. This was their plan. It did not work.
In simple terms; the Deep State took your tax dollars, used them to create a Nazi military in Ukraine, started WW3 with Russia, then lied to you about it when they got caught.
And they call it “Democracy”.
Ukraine--good! Russia--bad! And that's all you need to know.
Very educational and informative.
I recall that some of the Antifa-members briefly arrested during the "Summer of Love" were foreign nationals, weren't they? If so, surely they should fall under FARA since Antifa definitely is a group that meets the conditions of the definition.
You won't get any answers.
It's a giant money laundering op.
And people are DYING to enrich these scumbags.
I think you may have missed a minor detail…you see, there are actually two FARAs…there’s the “Foreign” version, and there’s the “Friends” version.
Ukraine falls under the “Friends” version so it’s OK to represent their interests, but Russia falls under the “Foreign” version and representing their interests is definitely a no-no.
Simply put, "friends" are those who receive American dollars and use them to pay off/enrich the Biden family and their ilk. "Foreign" are those from whom no lucre can be extracted.
I love that word lucre.
bsn
Unless you go to work for Trump, like Paul Manafort.
Wait a minute….when did the US change its position on the applicability of FARA when working with Ukraine? Or is it just that Paul Manafort didn’t think to form an “independent consulting firm” with his Ukrainian counterpart?
The change was arbitrarily made when they felt like it, is the thing.
Oh, right. Duh.
And we could ask General Mike Flynn about that as well....
This unequal application of the law reminds me of another recent situation in the news. Now what was that? Scratches head. Oh yes, something about the unauthorized taking and retaining of classified documents. Can’t charge one of the individuals as their current mental and physical state (“a well meaning elderly man with a poor memory”) would be viewed with sympathy by a jury.
Hmm, wish I could figure out what this refers to. A mystery!
Speaking of mysteries, this case of the CHS arrested involving the story of the $10 million in bribes to the Biden’s is pretty curious. He was charged in LA but arrested in Las Vegas. Magistrate in Vegas set him free which I guess pissed off the judge in LA who had jurisdiction so he had him rearrested, brought to LA and is currently being held there. I’ve read some things this guy has connections to Ukraine and is also an Israeli citizen. Hope he doesn’t get the Epstein treatment.
Curious indeed when the fbi arrests witnesses in a criminal investigation against someone whose last name is Biden. Normally arresting witnesses would raise a few eyebrows, but apparently much of the media has had a lot of Botox.
Agreed. And wasn't this guy a reliable CHS for the FBI for over ten years? If so, burning and exposing them says to me the government wouldn't be too upset if this person took a swan dive off of a tall building.
It's reached the point where I react to government acronyms the way I react to pipe bombs.
A crystal clear example of “Rules for thee, but not for me” in action.
The “thee” and “me” parts are constantly shifting ground, according to who they wish to promote, or target and ensnare, naturally.
and sometimes folks don't get the memo.
https://youtu.be/2rehq7Gv6fI?si=iLkQET4-hJJ5-_sh
Love Matt Orfalea's work.
Well if that doesn’t show that Biden can’t possibly be in control of his own administration, I don’t know what would.
As my grandma would have said, “Oy vey!”
absolutely. And clearly no one thinks it matters one bit. The cabal like fucking with us. I've concluded they've been running the show all along our whole lives. Putting puppets in place and laughing at us that we believe them. "Elections" 🤣😂 Endless literally pointless wars to enrich themselves and kill a bunch of people -- srsly why do we go along with this bs? I'm guessing they're playing the end game now: "how bad and obvious can we make it and they still believe the game?"
The evil ones pulling strings have been at it here in America I think since sometime before the civil war. It’s definitely had some clearly seen ratchet points along the way. The civil war and consolidation of Federal powers with Lincoln, the height of the robber barons later in the 19th century, the early part of the 20th century which was a time for a lot of planning and implementing of things, the upheaval centered around the 60’s when they really started after the youth. Obama’s 3rd term has definitely taken us even further down the road.
As to why we go along with it, well we’ve been conditioned our whole lives to believe the lies. I myself only started to really wake up to the truth of some things a few years after 9/11. Better late than never. Hubby was ahead me, as he saw through the financial ponzi games of our government quite awhile ago. But even he didn’t suddenly realize the lies are embedded in every aspect of our lives.
On a hopeful note, based on my experience and observations, it does seem though if one can break free on just one point of the endless mind conditioning, it allows further truths to come into the light more swiftly, compared to how long it took for just one big truth to shatter an illusion.
yes, and even before that, I'd wager. Historian Matt Ehret says we're still fighting the American Revolution and the same gang we fought then never left ... they stayed to sabotage the republic. Yes, we've been conditioned, absolutely. 9/11 on that day I woke up. I had many side-eye moments prior, but on 9/11, I never believed a word of what the talking heads were saying on the tv. It astonished me that everyone else believed the stories being woven. And yes, that awareness opens the door to seeing the rest of the deceptions and truths.
https://youtu.be/7JXst_kYib0?si=4r_yRnPE5n7K3CNF
I like Ehret’s writings. He sees things from a perspective that many overlook. And yes, the tentacles of control from centuries long ago extend far further than we think. A lot of the Russiagate narrative showed how wide & deep the British Intelligence services (and their other 5-Eyes buddies) exert their pull on our decisions here, and the lengths they are willing to go to to keep people in bondage to approved narratives. I’m sure we are only too glad to reciprocate.
I swallowed the 9-11 lies whole until a few years past the actual event, sorry to say. But actually thinking past the talking points did eventually occur thank to others who shared online their conclusions as to what it all really was about, and once that began, there’s been no turning back.
I appreciate the engagement your comments have provided. Thank you for this. And your shared clip was great! I need to look up Ehret’s book.
“Head of Ukraine’s reconstruction agency Mustafa Nayyem…”
I think your concerns are entirely misplaced – positions like this (unilaterally dispensing untold billions to connected contractors) are historically free of any corruption. NYC construction and Iraqi reconstruction are classic examples.
I'm sold
There isn’t any corruption involved in the billions being siphoned off, oops, sent to Ukraine. And to prove it to you we aren’t going to audit or trace the final destination of a single dollar. Government level accounting is way to complex for you rubes.
WAY too complicated. WAY too many planes filled with pallets of millions oops billions of dollars. Who can even count that high?
You don't say!
Peripheral point: When did Democrats start believing in trickle down economics regarding how Ukraine aid is spent (“it goes into our economy!”)?
They've always been good Keynesians with respect to the money they spend. Their spending even has a multiplier effect, ricocheting around the economy to the benefit of practically everybody. It's the money you spend that doesn't trickle down and thus doesn't benefit anyone but you. That's why you need to be taxed to the max so their multipier can work its Keynesian magic.
Our justice system is pure as the wind driven snow. Just ask 'em.
The recent Trump fine of $350 some MILLION dollars has turned my beak back towards some anarchistic-ish views. How about all bodies of law/policy enacting capacity from school boards to the Congress and includes all administrative state executive branch edicts are held in their chambers until they return with a 95% reduction in laws/rules/policies.
I think it was in a Jack Carr novel, or in a podcast I heard him speak, but it was essentially that every American is guilty of committing felonies nearly every day. It was plural.
I think the scariest possible extension of Chris's example here is if we combine this with arcane, useless, old blue laws/policies/regulations--but with Trump, we also see that no victim needs to be present, no negative outcome for any party--means that the Snow White justice system can do to all of Red America exactly what they've done to J6 people. Kristallnacht American Style. A quick turn of the switch.
Man--ever since Sunday night when I learned of Aaron Bushnell--I have been a bit off balance, and this continued evidence of a sideways world isn't helping me stop the world from spinning.
I came home from a yin yoga class--as relaxed & centered as I can be--and I saw a photo and quick clip on X.
It was like I fell into a frozen lake at night. I don't know why that imagery hit me so powerfully, nor why it feels deep in my solar plexus that this act portends much worse, much scarier than I may be ready for.
Control the controllables. Do the small actionable things right in front of me. Start with taking the trash around, gets picked up tomorrow.
We are going to need to take care of each other. We need to push in. We better meet our neighbors. Build a community garden. (I'm really pushing for this in our neighborhood this year). Touch grass. Shake hands. Remember first names. Build community. Even if you live surrounded by blue.
Most of them are not nefarious, they are 1-2 issue voters and way way way too busy to pay attention to politics. Almost no one, except for maybe the Substack crowd across the political spectrum, spends any great deal of time thinking about politics or why they vote for who.
Now, if your neighbor is the local NEA leader or leading trans surgeon or one of these ideologue -- you may want to leave them to their own devices...the true believers, the passionate advocates--I think they may be sociopathic and not good inside the tribe. That is why we created cops.
bsn
https://www.encounterbooks.com/books/three-felonies-a-day-how-the-feds-target-the-innocent-paperback/
Where is that emoji for confirmation bias, stupid pride at being right, and hopelessness…
That would be a very complicated emoji.
I should have taken a selfie…
bsn
Thanks Chris. Check this out--it is currently free on Audible. Now, you may need to be a member of Audible which just means having some credits on account.
I was an early adopter of audiobooks, basically saved me from having a simultaneous stroke, aneurysm, and heart attack on I-5 twice a day for a few years.
https://www.audible.com/pd/Three-Felonies-A-Day-Audiobook/1977330851?eac_link=plp0ZunlfUZk&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=1977330851&qid=IECG31DRqs&eac_id=139-7029383-7253369_IECG31DRqs&sr=1-1
You can just add it to your library.
bsn
Brian, you have enough here for a Substack article. I would pony up some dough for a subscription. No pressure.
Hey Brian--what kind words. Thank you.
I edited my response. I think I did a bit TMI on Bray's site. Thank you again.
bsn
I have four Substack subscriptions, all paid, because I believe great writing should be rewarded, more so today with mainstream newspapers completely captured and are for the most part unreadable prop. Then I go to comments section and spend hours reading the interesting things people have in their heads that must come out. I don’t agree with all the comments, and some are batshit crazy, but there are real gems I have found, like you, John Geis, Clever Pseudonym, Yuri Bezvenov, and others, who contribute amazing thoughts that stimulate my own thinking and help me examine my own opinions. I try to keep my comments as thoughtful and respectful as possible, but there are times I react emotionally and get all fired up. Keep up what you’re doing, you’re one of the good ones!