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author

Looking at the last exchange again, it blows my mind how much our most prominent "journalists" have fully internalized the idea that their role is to repeat government statements as truth.

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Oct 13·edited Oct 14Liked by Chris Bray

Well, they are highly compensated to do so. What's that thing about 'getting someone to see the truth if their (very, very, very large) paycheck depends upon them not seeing the truth?'

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

Presstitutes

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It's not just about the compensation.

It's about maintaining the elite status they have built their lives around ... dissention from the Party Line threatens the all-in investment they have made in that status.

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

And those that aren't especially well compensated emulate those that are in the hopes that they can one do Be Just Like Them.

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You nailed it.

When did news organizations start reporting advertisements as news? 1990s or earlier?

I remember my marketing class talking about it. The same day, on the front page of the WSJ was a story on a fat guy who lost hundreds of pounds by just eating Subway.

Not too long ago some Democrats opposed pharmaceutical company advertising drugs on tv. They were concerned the money would influence new stories. One Air America talker pointed out how certain corporations who did not sell to consumers would advertise in the media - it was for leverage over the news being reported on.

ff to the 21st century. Some of these corporations are aligned completely with Democrats. They made deals. Like - Democrats will say nothing about all the plastic pollution and Corportions will push a climate change agenda which enriches both Democrats and Corporations. ActBlue and MoveOn don't need to directly pay the media. They've got Blackrock and Vanguard to do it for them.

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When Pharma started advertising on TV, they and other corporations owned the news from that moment on. They already owned the politicians, which is how they achieved being able to advertise on tv in the first place. They give money to politicians and politicians pass everything that enriches their business. Which is why RHINOS throw in with democrats. Look at the RHINOS campaign contributions and you’ll see they sold their vote. Campaign contributions are basically bribes for votes and corporations own our politicians and therefore our government and now our media. NGO’s should be illegal. I hate that Bush allowed that. What a good little globalist he was. No tax money should be going to NGO’s.

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

It's because in many cases they want to - or have - worked for, and in, said governments, and want to join that revolving door of ever-lucrative consulting and talking-heads gigs. Modern journalism is really just a brothel with teleprompters.

In Canada, the more fetid examples tend to parlay their journalistic careers into seats in our appointed Senate where, believe it or not, they become even *more* useless *and* with highfalutin' titles: Governor General, The Honourable - heh - ex-Journo Hack.

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" Modern journalism is really just a brothel with teleprompters." Scores 1-0!

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"Brothel with teleprompters", I love it! Defines the media perfectly.

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^^^This!^^^

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

I met a Pulitzer Prize nominee (Jon Jeter who had been at WaPo) years ago who told me that it had become common practice to tell news narratives from the point of view of officials, rather than from the view of those who had experienced the flood, the terrorist attack, the earthquake, or the crime. And now, as you rightly point out, these “journalists “ have completely internalized it. Only officialdom is the honest broker. What ever happened to I.F. Stone’s truth that “all governments lie.”

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Oct 15·edited Oct 15Liked by Chris Bray

This all stems from the Kennedy/Nixon era. Woodward and Bernstein changed the social status of journalism, With a few exceptions, it had largely been a blue collar profession, with talented kids from high school taking jobs at local newspapers and learning their trade from seasoned journalists, before hopefully graduating to the major leagues. Woodward and Bernstein changed all that, because it demonstrated journalism had power and cachet. The cultural effect was so broad across the West, it even changed everything across the Pond, here in the UK.

They cover stories from the point of view of officials because they most identify with them. They probably have friends just like them working in State or any number of federal government departments. Americans deny class exists. It does, although America is certainly more porous in terms of changing class. Unfortunately the denial that class exists, makes one singularly incapable of guarding against class prejudice. They speak to the officials because they are more socially comfortable with them.

Educational distinctions make it worse. It introduces a sneering condescension for the illiterati. It also inculcates the belief that voters should be protected from their own poor choices, or disingenuously steered into make the right choices. It's also economically dangerous. Nations can only prosper when the wisdom of crowds prevails. We have enough evidence from history to show that managerial bureaucracies, deferring economics to experts in central planning, invariably leads to poverty and immiseration.

But of course this time they are smarter and wiser- unlike every other time over the past 200 years, without exception.

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It's still true, but we don't pay their wages, so they side with the government that'll bribe them or give them jobs.

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Oct 13·edited Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

Well, such so-called "journalists" get to live with themselves. I don't watch or read their crap. Thanks for reporting.

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Would be nice if Vance turned the tables. "Why do you automatically think, Martha, that officials are telling you the truth, and regular people reporting from where they live aren't?"

Would she blow a gasket?

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founding

Exactly.

Funny how there are no working class censors.

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Turning the tables the way Jordan Peterson turned them on Cathy Newman would be so awesome! That's how you win.

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Yeah - they're too busy working!

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Oct 15Liked by Chris Bray

She wouldn't blow a gasket. I've gone through something like this with multiple far-left-leaning people in my community, as I have personal ties to the disaster area in TN. They simply glaze over like zombies, suddenly can't look me in the eye, and then change the subject immediately to something completely unrelated, and wander off like a toddler. It's happened about half a dozen times and is eerily the same each time. I'm now bringing the subject up repeatedly just to see their reaction.

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Keep at it. Chip away. Cathy Newman manned up and admitted she got caught.

They are an effing cult. But every so often, someone breaks out. :-)

Some day, it may turn into an avalanche.

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Wouldn't that be the absolute best!

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That would have been spectacular.

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The modern left has fully embraced managerialism, and credentialism is how they establish who gets to participate in the bureaucracy that actually runs the country (our elected officials are simply figureheads).

Now that they fully control the system that awards credentials to these “experts” (universities and professional organizations), they can fully control what is “real“ or “unreal“. Once we, the people, accept their version of reality, we aid and abet our own oppression. What a mind f**k!

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Taibbi and Kirn make this point often

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They're being trained in "Trusted sources". This is one of the outgrowths of the Censorship Industrial Complex. If someone says something you don't like, you attack the source, not the actual message (don't like the message—kill the messenger!)

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Bingo‼️

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Oct 14Liked by Chris Bray

Given the overall decline in competence we (those of us more than a few decades old) witness throughout our society, I often think about how much of the media’s shift towards government spokespersons results from general laziness and lack of pride in their work. Ferreting out the truth requires being at the scene, locating witnesses, rubbing shoulders with the unwashed. One can have their secretary call the Mayor’s secretary while they play 9 holes or meet their side piece.

I definately see the extreme abhorrence to Donald Trump, but I have a sense the media shift towards “everything the government says is true” started many years earlier. If Trump wins, they will shift to “everything a former official who spoke on condition of anonymity said is true”. But that formal official will be the person already in the reporter’s contacts, who always picks up when the reporter or her secretary calls. They’re literally “phoning it in” at work.

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founding

They are so irresponsible it looks like there was a 3rd assassination attempt on Trump:

https://nypost.com/

The media might as well be complicit.

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Don't be silly! Didn't you read the article?

"However, law enforcement sources told The Post that the FBI does not believe this was an assassination attempt, and the former president’s life was never in danger."

*Law Enforcement sources* said there was no danger, therefore there was no danger. PERIOD.

/s

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Yeah, I read it and get this...they think it may have been an assassination attempt, yet they released him on $5000 bail. Yikes!

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Sounds like they are complicit.

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

Yes, this is shocking, and one of the root causes of our predicaments.

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Quickest way to lose their jobs is to contradict a government spokesthing.

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Well I think that’s in great part what they get paid to do. That’s how they keep their jobs. They are paid to not do journalism whenever the topic threatens a government propaganda

effort.

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“Martha, do you hear yourself?” is my new go-to line when engaging with a nitwit.

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🤣🤣🤣🤣

Brilliant

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All governments are run by liars and nothing they say should be believed.

I. F. Stone

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It begins as a need for story items that are most easily acquired by engaging with government PR representatives whose job it is to manage the news. This gradually morphs into a need to defend all the prior reporting that was based on the official line. Otherwise as a reporter you'd have to admit error and retract stories.

Those Pulitzers awarded for reporting on Russian collusion - the Russian collusion that Robert Mueller and an army of lawyers and investigators couldn't find - are still sitting proudly on some reporters' shelves. Even the Pulitzer committee can bring itself to retract wrong reporting.

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Libs loved the Chernobyl miniseries because it showed how much Soviet officials lied and covered up a disaster. Now all they do is regurgitate ABC, CNN, NYT to defend the regime’s destruction of Aurora and Springfield. Are they capable of hearinf themselves now?

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No, the Communist takeover is in progress.

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"Are they capable of hearing themselves now?"

NO!

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

Ya think? And there's no evidence of widespread voter fraud. Why? Because no one was willing to look and/or the voting rolls/systems are such a mess there is no way to look!! This is how it works in 2024 'democratic' America. PS I worked the CA polls in 2023 just to see how hard it would be to cheat and go undetected. Let's just say it's a complete 'honor' system with no honor.

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On election day in 2000, I visited my mother in her Alzheimer's care facility. (She would be dead within a few months.) I found her in her daily haze in bed with a "I Voted!" sticker on her gown. The woman across from her was a literal unconscious zombie who also had a "I Voted" sticker on her hospital gown. She would be dead within weeks.

My mother had a faint memory of some nice people coming to visit her early in the morning. I'm sure that her roommate had no memory or consciousness of anything. The roommate "disappeared" (died) shortly thereafter.

Asking at the nursing station, I was told that the SEIU had union workers at the door at 6:59 am who piled in at 7:00 to vote the entire care facility. The care facility was required by state law to allow voting "assistance" which in this case amounted to forced vote harvesting of the sick and dying.

By myself, I can't outvote entire nursing homes. Many are naive about the corruption the bubbles beneath the electoral surface; same day registration with no ID requirement? Why bother having an election at all?

In Mexico, you have to show a picture ID to vote. Somehow, they hold elections. They must be much smarter than us!

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author

Shocked, but not shocked.

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Luckily, when my Mom was in the nursing home part of our hospital (Sorry, I don't remember the actual name of the unit. They're there if they take more care than a Nursing Home gives and only for a month.) I was there when they brought in her ballot. She and I voted it together.

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A nation Of the Dems, by the Dems and for the Dems.

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Wow! Could you share where this happened Richard?

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Nailed it.

I’m sick of Dem/Lib manta of no credible evidence of election fraud & court after court wouldn’t hear cases.

There are reasons that’s so; courts used the no-standing legal term to not hear cases. Nice way to not let credible fraud evidence be presented. Seems TPTB knew they had to keep that evidence out of court.

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Yes, we've allowed the democrats to revise the default premise, when we let them say, "There's no evidence of fraud." That's not how it works or how it's ever worked. Voting is supposed to be completely transparent. The burden of proof is on the government to show every election was on the up-and-up. If they can't, because they used mass mail-in ballots and gave no opportunity for exit polling, that is reason enough to protest. A relative of mine received 5 ballots in his mailbox- one for him, and four for previous tenants. That's it, that invalidates the election. We don't need to prove that someone used one of those erroneous ballots. The burden of proof isn't on us. If you don't follow the rules at the casino, they kick you out. You don't get to say "Sure I put my cards under the table, but you can't prove I cheated."

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

The absolute cuntiness of these people is astonishing. They just can’t help themselves. They radiate almost physical smugness like nuclear bombs. We could end up in full Mad Max mode and they would never, ever drop the attitude. When everything collapses but before we run out of fuel, I hope someone Zambonis this smug bitch.

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

Of course, officials never lie. They never cover up inconvenient facts. They are never self-serving. They are purity and light, the best humanity has to offer. Practically the second coming personified if you will allow a small dose of humility.

The leftist press needs to, has to, must believe this. They might otherwise need to acknowledge their own failures and lack of discernment. And since they are the smartest ones in the room, how would that possibly benefit the world?

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Flint Michigan.. lead laden water. Coverup? One of about 10,000

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That's right. Officials are purely out for the common good and have no interests of their own.

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I’m going to sound like a broken record here ….but WHY do only half of us see what’s happening. ?

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founding

AND they can't figure out WHY we're voting against the expertocrats, elites, media and government.

This article by Chris is a perfect example.

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That’s a version of peer pressure that my personality is unable to grasp . A friend called me an unbridled cynic the other day. For me it feels like common sense. And that I guess , is the rub

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How is it possible to not be cynical when the ruling elites are such a bunch of arrogant, incompetent fuck ups?

People will vote for Harris by lying to themselves that she’s normal and can’t be that bad….after living through a Biden admin that has been shamelessly, proudly terrible.

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That’s the rub for me.

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Why can’t they see it? For the same reason the pro-jab crowd can’t admit that they’ve been injected with a time bomb. Pride, self-esteem & the desire to be with the ‘cool guy’ crowd.

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^^This^^

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It reminds me of the book The Stand by Stephen King. Love his books, hate his politics. In this book, 99.7 % of the population dies of a government invented plague. The remnant of the people find themselves either drawn in dreams to an old lady in Nebraska or to a demon in disguise in las Vegas. The only thing the remnant has in common is that they all had natural immunity to the plague. Why would half of them be drawn to good and half to evil? They’re evenly distributed between smart, dumb, rich, poor, young , old, etc. the question never gets answered. But in the end, the ones in Vegas start escaping because they figure out what they’ve pledged their souls to, and one of the misled people in Vegas somehow gets hold of a nuclear bomb and blows the evil city of Vegas to bits. The end. The good guys start their own new and peaceful world 🌎.

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So King dies in his own book. Brilliant !!!

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Yup in this scenario, based on his dumbass tweets, he’s be in the blown up crowd. Agreed!

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Yeah, it breaks my heart that he's such an asshole.

LOVE his books, have been reading them since the first one (Carrie).

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Same!! I just read Fairy tale, it was amazing! I keep myself in check by only buying his books used of going to the library, at least he’s not getting my money 🤷‍♀️

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I try and find them at the used book store. I prefer paperbacks, easier for me to hold. I used to always to get them as soon as the paperback edition came out. I can't afford that anymore.

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Carrie. . . when I wanted to borrow it from the library (a Swedish translation, and back then the title was bigger than King's name on the cover) mom had to come down there and tell the librarians I could check out whatever book I wanted.

Always thought it a shame de Palma couldn't film the entire final rampage of revenge.

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You love it! 😉 Trying to make sure you didn't have nightmares.

The whole rampage probably would have cost too much. It was awesome!

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Such a perfect ending! 👍

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Moments like this make me believe, and that the master of the universe gave my my sense of humor ! Too good to be true.

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I stopped reading King years ago. I was an avid fan for decades. In my opinion, he just started recycling himself too many times, and he didn’t seem to have any new to say. The last book of his that I really loved was Duma Key. Yes, I hate his politics, and yes, when he talks politics, he’s an asshole.

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The Dark Tower series features Stephen King as a character in his own book.

It was terrible, terrible writing.

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👏👏👏

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In addition to the peer pressure others have mentioned, they have been conditioned from their first day in school to "be nice" and "listen to Teacher".

https://thenayborhood.substack.com/p/cutting-to-the-chase

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When you’re in an abusive relationship with a spouse, you desperately seek out proof that “he’s changed” and believe preposterous lies. The moment you admit you’re in an abusive relationship and this beating won’t be the last, you have to do very hard things to get out of the relationship. We are all in an abusive relationship with our government and only half of us are ready to do the hard things necessary to get out of it before the next beating.

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The question of the century

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We all see it. Polls are manufactured. Legacy media are lying. Independent media is shadow banned and throttled. When you provide support it’s flipped. Folks they (globalists) have 2 options: 1. Win by any means whatsoever. 2. Lose and be executed by world’s peoples. That parasite will have to be captured and physically removed from communications equipment and then dealt with in a private room with closed doors.

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The need to be accepted by their tribe is very strong in about half of the population, I'd say. It overpowers almost every other instinct.

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The other half are intoxicated by free stuff or the illusion of generosity at no cost to themselves.

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

Martha, Jake, CNN, MSDNC, the whole legacy “news” kit and kaboodle are out-Pravda’ing Pravda. It’s like watching that hack standing in front of burning buildings in Minneapolis during the Floyd riots talking about “mostly peaceful protests.” We must curate your news, peasants, otherwise you’ll be misled by Evil Orange Hitler!

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At least Pravda had a gun to their head. These guys voluntarily presstitute themselves.

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Excellent point. These are willing whores.

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Because we have a FREE press! They’re easy, but not cheap!

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They are probably all blackmail-able.

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Its remarkable to the see the TDS, and how they just ignore that a 'handful' of apartment complexes have been taken over for foreign criminal gangs. Like WTF?

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How much is a handful? A couple of apartment complexes? A few Appalachian counties? A hundred people? A hundred thousand? A few million? I don’t want ANY Americans to be in a handful! I want zero handfuls of Americans betrayed by their government.

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Right? How many thousands of Americans have to live terrorized by foreign gangs before the left cares about foreign gangs?

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The answer to your question is:

The number of marginalized people * The square acreage captured by violent gangs / The number of people of oppressive skin tone and/or privilege = N

You take the above formula then filter it through the following decision chart:

If N is near an area where political gain can be made, then take action.

If N is not in an advantageous area and the media has reported on it, then maybe take action.

If Trump says N exists, deny the actual existence of everything and call him a liar.

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Wow. I love that the equation makes sense. I’m also scared that it makes sense.

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As soon as as they take over some nice properties in Malibu and Martha’s Vineyard.

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3.14159 X 10e6

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Get in the kitchen and make me some Pi.

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You certainly got the irrational part.

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After Trump is re-elected, the Republican Mayor of Aurora will be happy to give them a quote about how crime has skyrocketed in his city since Trump took office. For me, one of the saddest parts of this episode in our history has been to learn how many among us are drinking the koolaid in exchange for assurances that Daddy Government has it all sorted out for them.

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No big deal. It’s just a few.

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Oct 13·edited Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

This interview offers a glimpse of the future that those currently in power want.

As you pointed out, they deliberately quibble over the minutia of a statement rather than address the fact that the majority of the statement being made is true. They gaslight the public with a real "appeal to authority" when they completely disregard anecdotal evidence given by people who actually observe an event in favor of the official government stance. In the end, they try to get the media to edit old articles of past events so that it seems as if the government is never wrong; a la 1984.

Unfortunately for them, "the internet is forever" and many of us have the receipts.

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But, now what?

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

Groucho: “Who are you going to believe, me or your own lying eyes?”

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I’ve repeated this a LOT lately

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I said it somewhere else and I'll say it here: of course she doesn't believe and doesn't care that X is happening because it's not happening in her gated community.

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founding

Exactly.

The real white privilege is the privilege to deport migrants within 24 hours of their arrival, like on Martha's Vineyard, without fear or reprisal.

The white plebs are not allowed the same luxury...feed them struggle sessions!

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Yup.

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Exactly!!!

And mass media did not

paper the coverage being critical of the snobbish privileged upper class showing zero concern & compassion for these poor homeless guest.

It was more how dare Gov. of Texas. (Yahoos ya know) spend tax $$ driving them across the country to callously dump them in this lovely area where they certainly don’t believe by.

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Autocorrect that’s incorrect

…….where they certainly don’t belong.

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News flash: possibly third attempt on Trump’s life. Coachella ca rally

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No one in her orbit would ever find themselves living in an apartment complex in Aurora or Springfield.

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

The media are con men and those who do not question them are dupes. Good for JD for calling Martha and the others he has stood up to. He is David to the media’s Goliath.

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Yes, JD is quick enough on his feet to call this kind of thing out immediately. It's refreshing.

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

I've said since shortly after Trump was elected that if he said, "The sky is blue," CNN and MSNBC would cobble together panels of chromatics experts to argue over the various shades of blue just to show ("prove") that he was wrong. And it's only gotten worse.

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author

Mine was, "Trump suggests water is good to drink, news media dies of dehydration."

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One can only hope...

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🤞 Now wouldn't that be nice? 😌 <--- Wistful face.

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founding

Maybe we should use that as a strategy?

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

So the real question i have is WHY? And why with Milton so MUCH coverage? Is the media aware of the resource and land grab and HAARP " conspiracy theories"?

This is EXACTLY why there are"conspiracy theories". Things just don't make any common sense and the media is constantly trying the Jedi mind trick ( which apparently works on MSM viewers).

I remember some reporter telling Trump she wouldn't let him talk about something( the lap top?) because it was patently false and of course it was patently true( no correction made).

Seems mostly like the conspiracies aren't theories .... My tin foil hat is working just fine lol

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Media never once asked Harris or the Biden admin why they didn’t consider using the massive logistical capabilities and helicopter assets at Ft Bragg and Ft Campbell to help the mountain towns that were cut off.

They could have made an immediate difference

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What's the difference between a conspiracy theory and a conspiracy? About 6 months. ;)

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

Somewhere bats are leaving a cave to start the next pandemic; according to government sources.

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author

If they say so, it is true.

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Oct 13Liked by Chris Bray

I've probably mentioned this old anecdote - for certain an "urban legend" but that's not the point, the moral of it is - before:

Italy, late Renaissance, at night. On the street the owner of a telescope is charging a trifle for passers-by to look at the mountains on the Moon. As a Cardinal approaches, he is asked "Look at the mountains on the Moon, monsignor? For you, it is free"

"No, thank you. I do not need to look. His Holiness as made it clear the Moon is perfect smooth sphere."

Allegedly, this tale dates back to at least the 1500s. Point being, denying the evidence is not new, but it is emblematic of any kind of regime that puts its scripture (profane or otherwise) and hierarchy before material reality: eventually, what The Leader or The Authority has said is true, is True.

I see it as a sure sign that the ideas and ideals underpinning said Authority have run their course and are failing due to the world they were once conceived from and for, having changed so much they are now almost non-applicable.

In their place, new ideals will come to be normal. Of course, those new ideals may instead be very old ones, dusted off and resurrected. Maybe there's some written-down source of American ideals you all can unite around and promote, that's better than what the Kamalites are trying to hatch?

PS: In my language, "Dra en vals" means telling a lie. Vals is Swedish for Waltz, and Kamala is Finnish for disaster. Maybe Reality is trying to tell the Americans something about Kamala and Waltz?

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author

An excellent comparison.

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