westernjournal--2020-05-24--After Decades, North Korea Makes Its Biggest Admission Yet

After decades under the Kim dynasty , North Korea is finally making a humbling admission about the despotic family .
The new information came in a Wednesday article in North Korea ’ s state paper Rodong Sinmun , acquired by South Korean outlet Dong-A Ilbo .
According to the article , it ’ s now confirmed that North Korea ’ s leaders don ’ t possess the ability to teleport .
More specifically , the paper shot down the idea that Kim Il Sung , the grandfather of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un , and his lineage can bend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blink of an eye .
The origin of the legend appears to come from Kim Il Sung ’ s time as a guerrilla fighter while the Korean peninsula was under the control of the Japanese Empire .
Rodong Sinmun destroyed this myth by publishing a conversation the late leader had with Korean villagers in 1945 .
Seemingly in awe of his prowess as a mighty warrior , the townsfolk wondered about his ability to teleport great distances with minimal effort .
The leader denied that he possessed the supernatural ability , instead saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people that helped him bring defeat to Japan .
For a dynasty steeped in myths about heroic wartime abilities , otherworldly bonds to nature and even a birth on a legendary mountain , this is a humbling admission .
Experts agree that the move isn ’ t a trivial matter but signals a larger shift in the way the Kims are portrayed in the hermit kingdom .
“ It appears to stress patriotism and love for the people rather than mystification of the leaders , ” a South Korean Ministry of Unification official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyze its implications.
” It appears that the change is moving along with the approval of North Korea ’ s current supreme leader .
“ Mystifying a leader ’ s revolutionary activity and appearance would result in covering the truth , ” Kim Jong Un said in a speech last year , according to Yonhap .
“ Absolute loyalty would spring up when ( they ) are mesmerized by the leader humanly and comradely , ” he said .
While it doesn ’ t look like the Kim dynasty is ready to hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest admission by North Korea proves that the country ’ s leaders are losing their status as mystical god-kings .
Hopefully , it won ’ t be long before all the people of Korea can live free from the tyranny of leaders like the Kims .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

After decades under the Kim dynasty, North Korea is finally making a humbling admission about the despotic family.
The new information came in a Wednesday article in North Korea’s state paper Rodong Sinmun, acquired by South Korean outlet Dong-A Ilbo.
According to the article, it’s now confirmed that North Korea’s leaders don’t possess the ability to teleport.
More specifically, the paper shot down the idea that Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and his lineage can bend spacetime to travel great distances in the blink of an eye.
The origin of the legend appears to come from Kim Il Sung’s time as a guerrilla fighter while the Korean peninsula was under the control of the Japanese Empire.
Rodong Sinmun destroyed this myth by publishing a conversation the late leader had with Korean villagers in 1945.
Seemingly in awe of his prowess as a mighty warrior, the townsfolk wondered about his ability to teleport great distances with minimal effort.
The leader denied that he possessed the supernatural ability, instead saying it was the support of the Korean people that helped him bring defeat to Japan.
For a dynasty steeped in myths about heroic wartime abilities, otherworldly bonds to nature and even a birth on a legendary mountain, this is a humbling admission.
Will Kim Jong Un be the last Kim ruler of North Korea? Yes No
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Experts agree that the move isn’t a trivial matter but signals a larger shift in the way the Kims are portrayed in the hermit kingdom.
“It appears to stress patriotism and love for the people rather than mystification of the leaders,” a South Korean Ministry of Unification official told Yonhap.
“We will further analyze its implications.”
It appears that the change is moving along with the approval of North Korea’s current supreme leader.
“Mystifying a leader’s revolutionary activity and appearance would result in covering the truth,” Kim Jong Un said in a speech last year, according to Yonhap.
“Absolute loyalty would spring up when (they) are mesmerized by the leader humanly and comradely,” he said.
While it doesn’t look like the Kim dynasty is ready to hand over the reins just yet, the latest admission by North Korea proves that the country’s leaders are losing their status as mystical god-kings.
Hopefully, it won’t be long before all the people of Korea can live free from the tyranny of leaders like the Kims.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--White House Asks CDC To Investigate Why Locked-Down LA Is Seeing So Many New COVID-19 Cases

Los Angeles is under federal scrutiny on two fronts over its handling of the coronavirus .
On Friday .
Dr. Deborah Birx , one of the leaders of the White House effort to fight the virus , pointed to Los Angeles as an area of concern in an otherwise improving national picture .
“ You can see we have concerns of where cities have remained closed but still have a persistent high number of cases , ” Birx said , according to KCAL .
Los Angeles was not alone among the nation ’ s cities , she noted .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. has remained closed , Chicago has remained closed , we still see these ongoing cases , ” she said , according to MSN .
Brix said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention needs to work with those areas “ to really understand where are these new cases coming from , and what do we need to do to prevent them in the future.
” Los Angeles County accounts for about 56 percent of California ’ s COVID-19 deaths and almost half of the state ’ s roughly 90,000 confirmed coronavirus cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , Los Angeles , found urban density is a factor in the spread of disease in Los Angeles , according to The Associated Press .
The student found 40 percent of LA ’ s black and Hispanic residents live in tightly packed neighborhoods where the virus can be easily transmitted .
“ It just builds on the vulnerability of these residents and of these ethnic enclaves , ” Sonja Diaz , co-author of the report and director of the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Initiative , told the AP .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this virus because now they live in neighborhoods where they can ’ t stay at home and practice physical distancing , they ’ re hardest hit economically and then they ’ re not getting relief and recovery benefits.
” Los Angeles is also facing federal criticism for what one official called its “ arbitrary and heavy-handed approach ” to stay-at-home orders .
Eric S. Dreiband , assistant attorney general for the U.S. Justice Department ’ s Civil Rights Division , cited comments by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Barbara Ferrer , Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health , hinting that stay-at-home orders could remain in effect for months , according to the Los Angeles Times .
“ Reports of your recent public statements indicate that you suggested the possibility of long-term lockdown of the residents in the city and county of Los Angeles , regardless of the legal justification for such restrictions , ” Dreiband wrote .
“ Any such approach may be both arbitrary and unlawful.
” Garcetti later said that LA officials are “ not guided by politics in this , we are guided by science .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking to industry and talking to business owners and talking to employees and labor groups together with science , the numbers will always guide us forward .
There is nothing else.
” RELATED : Federal Appeals Court Allows California 's Ban on Church Services To Continue Garcetti said there were “ no games ” being played in his approach to the coronavirus .
“ We were able to do this and save lives , ” he said , according to the Times .
“ Now it ’ s time for us to test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proof ’ s in the pudding .
We ’ ve been doing that , we ’ ve been doing it safely and we will monitor those numbers because people ’ s lives are at stake.
” Garcetti , who has gotten national attention for his decisions during the pandemic , also pushed back against Birx ’ s comments .
Los Angeles has shown “ very steady progress , ” he said .
“ We ’ ve got the capacity , the ventilators , the beds available , ” Garcetti said , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen a plateau and we share that data publicly with everybody about the seven-day average .
It ’ s holding where it is , which is dramatically different than where it was a month and a half , let alone two months ago.
” Ferrer also said that Los Angeles was doing just fine in its fight against the virus .
“ Our overall data points are looking pretty good in terms of being on the recovery journey , ” she said , according to the Times .
“ We are moving in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to acknowledge CDC has been a strong source of support for L.A. County since the beginning of the pandemic.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Los Angeles is under federal scrutiny on two fronts over its handling of the coronavirus.
On Friday. Dr. Deborah Birx, one of the leaders of the White House effort to fight the virus, pointed to Los Angeles as an area of concern in an otherwise improving national picture.
“You can see we have concerns of where cities have remained closed but still have a persistent high number of cases,” Birx said, according to KCAL.
Los Angeles was not alone among the nation’s cities, she noted.
“Even though Washington has remained closed, L.A. has remained closed, Chicago has remained closed, we still see these ongoing cases,” she said, according to MSN.
Brix said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention needs to work with those areas “to really understand where are these new cases coming from, and what do we need to do to prevent them in the future.”
Los Angeles County accounts for about 56 percent of California’s COVID-19 deaths and almost half of the state’s roughly 90,000 confirmed coronavirus cases.
A study by the University of California, Los Angeles, found urban density is a factor in the spread of disease in Los Angeles, according to The Associated Press. The student found 40 percent of LA’s black and Hispanic residents live in tightly packed neighborhoods where the virus can be easily transmitted.
“It just builds on the vulnerability of these residents and of these ethnic enclaves,” Sonja Diaz, co-author of the report and director of the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Initiative, told the AP.
Does this show the limits of lockdowns in controlling the coronavirus? Yes No
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“They’re least equipped to deal with this virus because now they live in neighborhoods where they can’t stay at home and practice physical distancing, they’re hardest hit economically and then they’re not getting relief and recovery benefits.”
Los Angeles is also facing federal criticism for what one official called its “arbitrary and heavy-handed approach” to stay-at-home orders.
Eric S. Dreiband, assistant attorney general for the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, cited comments by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County’s director of public health, hinting that stay-at-home orders could remain in effect for months, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“Reports of your recent public statements indicate that you suggested the possibility of long-term lockdown of the residents in the city and county of Los Angeles, regardless of the legal justification for such restrictions,” Dreiband wrote. “Any such approach may be both arbitrary and unlawful.”
Garcetti later said that LA officials are “not guided by politics in this, we are guided by science. We are guided by collaboration. So talking to industry and talking to business owners and talking to employees and labor groups together with science, the numbers will always guide us forward. There is nothing else.”
Garcetti said there were “no games” being played in his approach to the coronavirus.
“We were able to do this and save lives,” he said, according to the Times. “Now it’s time for us to test things moving forward and I think the proof’s in the pudding. We’ve been doing that, we’ve been doing it safely and we will monitor those numbers because people’s lives are at stake.”
Garcetti, who has gotten national attention for his decisions during the pandemic, also pushed back against Birx’s comments.
Los Angeles has shown “very steady progress,” he said.
“We’ve got the capacity, the ventilators, the beds available,” Garcetti said, according to the Times. “We’ve seen a plateau and we share that data publicly with everybody about the seven-day average. It’s holding where it is, which is dramatically different than where it was a month and a half, let alone two months ago.”
Ferrer also said that Los Angeles was doing just fine in its fight against the virus.
“Our overall data points are looking pretty good in terms of being on the recovery journey,” she said, according to the Times.
“We are moving in the right direction, and I want to acknowledge CDC has been a strong source of support for L.A. County since the beginning of the pandemic.”
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Felon Allegedly Chokes Woman During Nature Hike, Leftist Gov’s COVID Policy Had Released Him Early

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic , one of the more controversial measures to control the infection was to release prisoners in order to stop COVID-19 from spreading like wildfire behind bars .
Eventually , almost everyone got on board with the idea that some prisoners needed to be released — but for the left , it was a clearinghouse bonanza , with individuals who clearly had no business being outside a prison wall suddenly walking free and easy around communities nationwide .
The fact that some of them have continued to do exactly what landed them behind bars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some politicians — “ I think it ’ s unconscionable just on a human level that folks were shown mercy and this is what some of them have done , ” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said in an April news conference that would have been wildly hilarious were the subject matter not so serious .
And is the worst of it over ?
Apparently not , if a case out of Washington state is anything to judge by .
According to KCPQ-TV , a former inmate named Matthew Cory is accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trail in Everett , Washington , on May 15 .
Police say the 33-year-old apparently came up behind the woman , who is in her 60s , and began choking her .
She was eventually able to loosen his grip and scream , which scared Cory off , the station reported .
Authorities would eventually find Cory in the woods ; the alleged victim would positively identify him as her attacker .
Cory , you may have guessed , was one of the individuals who was released from state prison due to COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlawful possession of a firearm .
Well , given the fact he was given early release , this was his first offense , right ?
Not necessarily .
He ’ s been in and out of the prison system for some time now , with 11 arrests , seven felony convictions and two misdemeanors on his record .
But , I mean , other than that… Well , at least Washington state was able to keep track of him , right ?
Again , that didn ’ t work so well .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Cory decided that his ankle bracelet was cramping his style so he decided to remove it .
Cory is , of course , innocent until proven guilty , although his defense isn ’ t , ahem , incredibly solid .
According to KCPQ , Cory says he doesn ’ t remember the attack because he ’ d been doing meth for a solid two weeks and had been up for seven days straight .
Check out the KCPQ report here : RELATED : COVID Survivor Was Banned from Flying Trump Flag To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Better The office of Democratic Gov .
Jay Inslee — a far-left liberal who based a run for the Democratic nomination almost entirely on “ climate change ” issues — declined to be interviewed for the piece but put out a statement regarding the attack .
“ The decision to release individuals from DOC was based on weighing the risk to incarcerated individuals and public safety .
These were extremely difficult choices to make , but they were necessary in order to meet our obligations to allow for minimal social distancing in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the statement read .
“ In reviewing individuals for potential release , we focused on those individuals who were incarcerated for less serious crimes and focused more on offenses involving property rather than crimes against persons .
This group was chosen to reduce the risk to public safety , but no choice could be made to guarantee that there would never be a new crime committed.
” This would be sad enough if it were happening in isolation .
It isn ’ t .
In California , one man was arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for car theft — because holding criminal suspects on bail has pretty much become a foreign concept .
In the same state , multiple “ high-risk sex offenders ” have been released , according to one district attorney .
In Washington state , the Supreme Court came within one vote of allowing a wide swath of prisoners out of jail — including , potentially , a serial murderer known as the “ Green River Killer.
” Another sheriff in the state worries what ’ s going to happen in his county .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offenders is of great risk to public safety , ” Lewis County Sheriff Robert Snaza said in an April news release .
“ My fear is this will create additional concerns for local law enforcement as we struggle with the challenges already facing us from the COVID-19 pandemic , and its effect on routine operations.
” For the moment , Matthew Cory is back in jail and the victim of his alleged assault is doing OK , according to KCPQ .
That ’ s the good news .
The bad news is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminals like him who are out on release .
In most cases , these individuals won ’ t re-offend .
“ Most cases , ” however , isn ’ t good enough .
If Cory is guilty of what he ’ s been accused of , that ’ s proof enough .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the more controversial measures to control the infection was to release prisoners in order to stop COVID-19 from spreading like wildfire behind bars.
Eventually, almost everyone got on board with the idea that some prisoners needed to be released — but for the left, it was a clearinghouse bonanza, with individuals who clearly had no business being outside a prison wall suddenly walking free and easy around communities nationwide.
The fact that some of them have continued to do exactly what landed them behind bars is a shock of epic proportions to some politicians — “I think it’s unconscionable just on a human level that folks were shown mercy and this is what some of them have done,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said in an April news conference that would have been wildly hilarious were the subject matter not so serious.
And is the worst of it over?
Apparently not, if a case out of Washington state is anything to judge by.
According to KCPQ-TV, a former inmate named Matthew Cory is accused of attacking a woman on a hiking trail in Everett, Washington, on May 15.
Police say the 33-year-old apparently came up behind the woman, who is in her 60s, and began choking her. She was eventually able to loosen his grip and scream, which scared Cory off, the station reported.
Authorities would eventually find Cory in the woods; the alleged victim would positively identify him as her attacker.
Cory, you may have guessed, was one of the individuals who was released from state prison due to COVID-19 fears. He was serving time for unlawful possession of a firearm.
Should prisoners be released due to the risk of COVID-19 behind bars? Yes No
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Well, given the fact he was given early release, this was his first offense, right? Not necessarily. He’s been in and out of the prison system for some time now, with 11 arrests, seven felony convictions and two misdemeanors on his record.
But, I mean, other than that…
Well, at least Washington state was able to keep track of him, right? Again, that didn’t work so well. Just 10 days after his May 2 release, Cory decided that his ankle bracelet was cramping his style so he decided to remove it.
Cory is, of course, innocent until proven guilty, although his defense isn’t, ahem, incredibly solid. According to KCPQ, Cory says he doesn’t remember the attack because he’d been doing meth for a solid two weeks and had been up for seven days straight.
Check out the KCPQ report here:
The office of Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee — a far-left liberal who based a run for the Democratic nomination almost entirely on “climate change” issues — declined to be interviewed for the piece but put out a statement regarding the attack.
“The decision to release individuals from DOC was based on weighing the risk to incarcerated individuals and public safety. These were extremely difficult choices to make, but they were necessary in order to meet our obligations to allow for minimal social distancing in our more crowded living areas in the prisons,” the statement read.
“In reviewing individuals for potential release, we focused on those individuals who were incarcerated for less serious crimes and focused more on offenses involving property rather than crimes against persons. This group was chosen to reduce the risk to public safety, but no choice could be made to guarantee that there would never be a new crime committed.”
This would be sad enough if it were happening in isolation. It isn’t.
In California, one man was arrested three times in one day — twice for car theft — because holding criminal suspects on bail has pretty much become a foreign concept.
In the same state, multiple “high-risk sex offenders” have been released, according to one district attorney.
In Washington state, the Supreme Court came within one vote of allowing a wide swath of prisoners out of jail — including, potentially, a serial murderer known as the “Green River Killer.”
Another sheriff in the state worries what’s going to happen in his county.
“I feel the release of these additional offenders is of great risk to public safety,” Lewis County Sheriff Robert Snaza said in an April news release.
“My fear is this will create additional concerns for local law enforcement as we struggle with the challenges already facing us from the COVID-19 pandemic, and its effect on routine operations.”
For the moment, Matthew Cory is back in jail and the victim of his alleged assault is doing OK, according to KCPQ. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that there are tens of thousands of convicted criminals like him who are out on release. In most cases, these individuals won’t re-offend.
“Most cases,” however, isn’t good enough. If Cory is guilty of what he’s been accused of, that’s proof enough.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--South Carolina Mail-in Ballots Ending Up in Maryland Raise Questions About Election Integrity

When the vote-by-mail controversy first reared its ugly head at the beginning of April , I didn ’ t know what to think .
After all , I hadn ’ t considered the fact that voting in person might get the panic patrol into a hyperventilating state , but voting by mail could present serious fraud issues .
Why wouldn ’ t the mainstream media just tell me what to believe already ?
Well , thank God , The New York Times stepped into the breach on April 11 and assured me the only reason the Republicans were worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though , um , the most prominent example of voter fraud in recent memory involved absentee ballots .
Experts pointed to “ several documented voting fraud cases of recent decades involving mail or absentee ballots , most recently the race in North Carolina ’ s Ninth Congressional District in 2018 , when an operative who rounded up absentee ballots for the Republican candidate , Mark Harris , was charged with election fraud .
The practice is known as ballot harvesting.
” But seriously , it ’ s not an issue !
The headline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Trump Is Pushing a False Argument on Vote-by-Mail Fraud .
Here Are the Facts.
” Problem solved .
Now , let me just wash my hands of the issue , making sure to sing “ Happy Birthday ” twice as I do it , and … Wait , what ’ s that you say ?
A bunch of South Carolina ’ s primary ballots were found someplace they shouldn ’ t have been this past week ?
Well , I ’ m sure it was just a random misstep and they weren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beaten path .
Where did they end up , anyhow ?
According to the Charleston , South Carolina , Post and Courier , the state is considering breaking ties with a printing firm it uses for absentee ballots after 20 of the ballots ended up a bit further north than they were supposed to .
Those ballots have made their way to the appropriate voters at this point , but this is apparently only the latest problem the state has had with printer SeaChange Print Innovations .
“ Some Greenville County voters received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic presidential primary and a special election for sheriff were held 10 days apart , S.C. Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said , ” the newspaper reported Wednesday .
“ Some Charleston County voters received ballots that were folded in a way that could make them tougher to read by scanning machines , he said .
“ The latest mishap has left the state election agency with little confidence that SeaChange can handle the surge in absentee voting this year as people practice social distancing to avoid contracting the coronavirus , Whitmire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this isn ’ t the first problem South Carolina has experienced with mailed-in ballots .
In November 2018 , Richland County didn ’ t count 1,040 votes , submitting results two days late in the Democratic primary because elections officials realized that they ’ d lost track of dozens of ballots .
Unbelievably , roughly the same thing happened in the presidential primary in March of this year , forcing a recount by hand .
RELATED : DOJ Charges Election Judge for Being Paid To Add Votes for Democratic Candidates Now , let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for candidates in the June 9 South Carolina primary for state and local seats , this isn ’ t going to make too much of a difference .
However , extrapolate this to an entire country during a general election .
This is the system Democrats want — and , along with it , the potential for ballot harvesting , the targeted collection of votes used by Democrats to win a whole panoply of seats in California back in 2018 .
There ’ s also no denying that South Carolina is a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Joe Biden ’ s victory there in the March 1 primary set the stage for his sweeping victories on Super Tuesday , basically winning him the nomination .
The opportunities for fraud are clearly more numerous with a vote-by-mail election , but we ’ re told to ignore this .
We ’ re also told to ignore the logistical concerns of dong this on a massive scale during one of the most important elections in our lifetime .
But yet , The New York Times is willing to vouchsafe to us that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts , ” which means there ’ ll be no fraud , no concerns , nothing like that .
Little critical reporting , too , has been given to the Democrats ’ apparent decision to tie voting by mail to the next coronavirus relief package — although it ’ s been rebranded as “ voting at home , ” according to Fox News .
There ’ s a great irony here , inasmuch as we just came off a presidential election where the media was convinced the Russians were able to affect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s poorly secured email system and by running a few Facebook advertisements .
If it ’ s that easy , though , then surely a vote-by-mail system would be profoundly simple for the bad actors in the Kremlin to take advantage of — unless , of course , the media and Democrats were never really worried about that .
In the meantime , an extremely problematic vote-by-mail system that opens us up to massive electoral fraud and almost no way to check the identity of who ’ s voting is being pushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting in person is just too scary .
( Going to the liquor store remains fine , though . )
Democrats believe vote-by-mail benefits them .
Therefore , no matter what the security concerns , vote-by-mail must be pushed .
What happened with the stray South Carolina ballots will only be the tip of the iceberg if the Democrats are allowed to force “ voting at home ” on Americans in exchange for COVID-19 relief .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards @

When the vote-by-mail controversy first reared its ugly head at the beginning of April, I didn’t know what to think. After all, I hadn’t considered the fact that voting in person might get the panic patrol into a hyperventilating state, but voting by mail could present serious fraud issues. Why wouldn’t the mainstream media just tell me what to believe already?
Well, thank God, The New York Times stepped into the breach on April 11 and assured me the only reason the Republicans were worried about vote-by-mail was because of malfeasance. Even though, um, the most prominent example of voter fraud in recent memory involved absentee ballots.
Experts pointed to “several documented voting fraud cases of recent decades involving mail or absentee ballots, most recently the race in North Carolina’s Ninth Congressional District in 2018, when an operative who rounded up absentee ballots for the Republican candidate, Mark Harris, was charged with election fraud. The practice is known as ballot harvesting.”
But seriously, it’s not an issue! The headline on the article said it all: “Trump Is Pushing a False Argument on Vote-by-Mail Fraud. Here Are the Facts.” Problem solved. Now, let me just wash my hands of the issue, making sure to sing “Happy Birthday” twice as I do it, and …
Wait, what’s that you say? A bunch of South Carolina’s primary ballots were found someplace they shouldn’t have been this past week? Well, I’m sure it was just a random misstep and they weren’t discovered too far off the beaten path. Where did they end up, anyhow?
Maryland? Oh. Hrm.
According to the Charleston, South Carolina, Post and Courier, the state is considering breaking ties with a printing firm it uses for absentee ballots after 20 of the ballots ended up a bit further north than they were supposed to. Those ballots have made their way to the appropriate voters at this point, but this is apparently only the latest problem the state has had with printer SeaChange Print Innovations.
“Some Greenville County voters received the wrong absentee ballots this year when the Democratic presidential primary and a special election for sheriff were held 10 days apart, S.C. Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said,” the newspaper reported Wednesday.
“Some Charleston County voters received ballots that were folded in a way that could make them tougher to read by scanning machines, he said.
Are mail-in ballots an invitation to election fraud? Yes No
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“The latest mishap has left the state election agency with little confidence that SeaChange can handle the surge in absentee voting this year as people practice social distancing to avoid contracting the coronavirus, Whitmire said.”
According to Fox News, this isn’t the first problem South Carolina has experienced with mailed-in ballots.
In November 2018, Richland County didn’t count 1,040 votes, submitting results two days late in the Democratic primary because elections officials realized that they’d lost track of dozens of ballots.
Unbelievably, roughly the same thing happened in the presidential primary in March of this year, forcing a recount by hand.
But yeah, they’re ready.
Now, let’s be real here: Except for candidates in the June 9 South Carolina primary for state and local seats, this isn’t going to make too much of a difference. However, extrapolate this to an entire country during a general election. This is the system Democrats want — and, along with it, the potential for ballot harvesting, the targeted collection of votes used by Democrats to win a whole panoply of seats in California back in 2018.
There’s also no denying that South Carolina is a key state in American politics. Former Vice President Joe Biden’s victory there in the Feb.29 Democratic primary set the stage for his sweeping victories on Super Tuesday, basically winning him the nomination.
The opportunities for fraud are clearly more numerous with a vote-by-mail election, but we’re told to ignore this. We’re also told to ignore the logistical concerns of doing this on a massive scale during one of the most important elections in our lifetime.
But yet, The New York Times is willing to vouchsafe to us that they’ll give us “the facts,” which means there’ll be no fraud, no concerns, nothing like that. Little critical reporting, too, has been given to the Democrats’ apparent decision to tie voting by mail to the next coronavirus relief package — although it’s been rebranded as “voting at home,” according to Fox News.
There’s a great irony here, inasmuch as we just came off a presidential election where the media was convinced the Russians were able to affect the outcome by hacking the Democratic National Committee’s poorly secured email system and by running a few Facebook advertisements.
If it’s that easy, though, then surely a vote-by-mail system would be profoundly simple for the bad actors in the Kremlin to take advantage of — unless, of course, the media and Democrats were never really worried about that.
In the meantime, an extremely problematic vote-by-mail system that opens us up to massive electoral fraud and almost no way to check the identity of who’s voting is being pushed as an antidote to a pandemic because voting in person is just too scary. (Going to the liquor store remains fine, though.)
Democrats believe vote-by-mail benefits them. Therefore, no matter what the security concerns, vote-by-mail must be pushed.
What happened with the stray South Carolina ballots will only be the tip of the iceberg if the Democrats are allowed to force “voting at home” on Americans in exchange for COVID-19 relief.
CORRECTION, May 25, 2020: An earlier version of this article gave an incorrect date for South Carolina’s Feb. 29 Democratic presidential primary.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Watch Pro-Democracy Hong Kong Legislators Getting Dragged Out During Controversial Vote

Pro-democracy legislators were dragged out of Hong Kong ’ s legislature recently as pro-China forces sought to tighten their control over Hong Kong ’ s government .
The issue that incited the violence was the selection of a new leader for a powerful committee in the legislature , according to The New York Times .
Pro-China legislators removed pro-democracy legislator Dennis Kwok , who they claimed had been refusing to move legislation forward that would make it illegal to disrespect the Chinese national anthem .
Although the Chinese anthem technically became that of Hong Kong when it was returned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Chinese anthem is often booed when played in public places such as sporting events .
The legislation that supporters of China want passed would make such activity a crime .
To get that legislation out of limbo , the pro-China group needed to get control of the committee that decides what legislation is voted on and when .
A heated May 18 session to do just that began when pro-China legislator Chan Kin-por was picked to preside over the selection of a new leader .
Opposition legislators wanted to drape a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sat as a protest , but were turned back by security guards .
Legislators brought signs with them , including one that read , “ [ Chinese Community Party ] tramples HK legislature.
” Lam Cheuk Ting , a pro-democracy legislator , tore pages from the legislature ’ s rule book and threw them about .
Several pro-democracy lawmakers were then dragged out , according to the BBC .
“ If Hong Kong was a democracy , we would not need to start scuffles like this , ” said legislator Eddie Chu .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation .
I can foresee more fights within the chamber and outside the chamber , ” he said .
After the legislators were removed , pro-China legislator Starry Lee was elected committee chair .
When the “ pro-establishment camp don ’ t like something , they will do whatever it takes , including breaking the system that we have and the rules that we have , ” Kwok said .
“ The price of freedom is constant vigilance , ” he said .
In analyzing the incident , the BBC ’ s Lam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused the pro-democracy camps of ‘ malicious ’ filibustering , effectively paralyzing the legislature.
” “ What happened inside the chamber is another sign that China continues to tighten its grip on Hong Kong , ” Wai wrote .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Pro-democracy legislators were dragged out of Hong Kong’s legislature recently as pro-China forces sought to tighten their control over Hong Kong’s government.
The issue that incited the violence was the selection of a new leader for a powerful committee in the legislature, according to The New York Times.
Pro-China legislators removed pro-democracy legislator Dennis Kwok, who they claimed had been refusing to move legislation forward that would make it illegal to disrespect the Chinese national anthem.
Although the Chinese anthem technically became that of Hong Kong when it was returned to China in 1997 as a semi-autonomous region, the Chinese anthem is often booed when played in public places such as sporting events. The legislation that supporters of China want passed would make such activity a crime.
To get that legislation out of limbo, the pro-China group needed to get control of the committee that decides what legislation is voted on and when.
A heated May 18 session to do just that began when pro-China legislator Chan Kin-por was picked to preside over the selection of a new leader.
Opposition legislators wanted to drape a black cloth over the dais where Chan sat as a protest, but were turned back by security guards.
Legislators brought signs with them, including one that read, “[Chinese Community Party] tramples HK legislature.”
Order faded rapidly.
Lam Cheuk Ting, a pro-democracy legislator, tore pages from the legislature’s rule book and threw them about.
Several pro-democracy lawmakers were then dragged out, according to the BBC.
“If Hong Kong was a democracy, we would not need to start scuffles like this,” said legislator Eddie Chu.
“Unfortunately we are forced into this situation. I can foresee more fights within the chamber and outside the chamber,” he said.
After the legislators were removed, pro-China legislator Starry Lee was elected committee chair.
Kwok said Lee’s election broke the rules.
Should more be done to support anti-China protesters in Hong Kong? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 98% (59 Votes) No: 2% (1 Votes)
When the “pro-establishment camp don’t like something, they will do whatever it takes, including breaking the system that we have and the rules that we have,” Kwok said.
“The price of freedom is constant vigilance,” he said.
In analyzing the incident, the BBC’s Lam Cho Wai wrote that “Beijing has accused the pro-democracy camps of ‘malicious’ filibustering, effectively paralyzing the legislature.”
“What happened inside the chamber is another sign that China continues to tighten its grip on Hong Kong,” Wai wrote.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Death Metal Drummer Visits Hell While in Coma, Decides Satan Isn’t Quite as ‘Cool’ as He Thought

A death metal drummer who says he had a vision of himself in “ Hell ” while comatose emerged from his experience with a better understanding of what type of character rules the underworld .
Death Angel drummer Will Carroll was put into a coma by doctors after being rushed to the hospital on March 18 , according to an account of the musician ’ s ordeal in the San Francisco Chronicle .
Carroll was originally put under after a coronavirus infection left him fighting for his life .
When he woke up 12 days later , the drummer discovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the use of a ventilator .
The most shocking thing for Carroll was seemingly the fact that he wasn ’ t dead and in the clutches of Satan , but alive and well after a horrific experience .
After being chemically paralyzed , the death metal musician says that he was cast into Hell .
There , he says he met up with the underworld ’ s chief resident .
Instead of an ugly goat-like monster with horns and a tail , Carroll says the satanic being took the form of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indolent and slothful life , Satan transformed the drummer into a grotesque beast , Carroll said .
The musician claims he found himself in a body that looked like that of Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars .
In this form , Carroll says he threw up blood and even suffered a heart attack .
Thankfully , Carroll was ripped from the experience after recovering significantly .
“ I woke up on the hospital bed with tubes coming in and out of me , ” Carroll told the Chronicle , “ and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first words were , ‘ Am I still in Hell ?
’ ” The nurse ignored him , he said .
For Carroll , the experience will definitely change up some of his former habits , but it doesn ’ t appear that the rocker is ready to embrace the teetotaler lifestyle just yet .
The musician said he won ’ t touch hard alcohol and will ease up on his consumption of marijuana , but he ’ ll still partake in lighter spirits and consumable cannabis .
RELATED : Trump Issues Warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To Open “ I ’ m still going to listen to satanic metal , and I still love Deicide and bands like that , ” Carroll explained .
“ As far as for my personal life and my experience of what I went through , I don ’ t think Satan ’ s quite as cool as I used to.
” While the experience may not have turned Carroll into a tithing and dutiful church-goer , it seems to have been an eye-opening ordeal that forced the rocker to examine his old lifestyle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A thrash metal drummer who says he had a vision of himself in “Hell” while comatose emerged from his experience with a better understanding of what type of character rules the underworld.
Death Angel drummer Will Carroll was put into a coma by doctors after being rushed to the hospital on March 18, according to an account of the musician’s ordeal in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Carroll was originally put under after a coronavirus infection left him fighting for his life.
When he woke up 12 days later, the drummer discovered that medical experts had kept him alive with the use of a ventilator.
The most shocking thing for Carroll was seemingly the fact that he wasn’t dead and in the clutches of Satan, but alive and well after a horrific experience.
After being chemically paralyzed, the thrash metal musician says that he was cast into Hell.
There, he says he met up with the underworld’s chief resident. Instead of an ugly goat-like monster with horns and a tail, Carroll says the satanic being took the form of a woman.
To punish him for an indolent and slothful life, Satan transformed the drummer into a grotesque beast, Carroll said.
The musician claims he found himself in a body that looked like that of Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars. In this form, Carroll says he threw up blood and even suffered a heart attack.
Do you think Carroll actually witnessed Hell? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 68% (739 Votes) No: 32% (353 Votes)
Thankfully, Carroll was ripped from the experience after recovering significantly.
“I woke up on the hospital bed with tubes coming in and out of me,” Carroll told the Chronicle, “and there was a nurse right there and my first words were, ‘Am I still in Hell?’”
The nurse ignored him, he said.
For Carroll, the experience will definitely change up some of his former habits, but it doesn’t appear that the rocker is ready to embrace the teetotaler lifestyle just yet.
The musician said he won’t touch hard alcohol and will ease up on his consumption of marijuana, but he’ll still partake in lighter spirits and consumable cannabis.
“I’m still going to listen to satanic metal, and I still love Deicide and bands like that,” Carroll explained. “As far as for my personal life and my experience of what I went through, I don’t think Satan’s quite as cool as I used to.”
While the experience may not have turned Carroll into a tithing and dutiful church-goer, it seems to have been an eye-opening ordeal that forced the rocker to examine his old lifestyle in a brand new light.
UPDATE, June 2, 2020: This article has been updated to reflect that Carroll is in a thrash metal band.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Before and After Photos Show Just How Much Broken Dam Drained Lake in Michigan

Devastation followed the failure of two dams in Michigan last week .
The Edenville Dam failure allowed the waters of Wixom Lake to rush down the Tittabawassee River .
When the raging floodwaters hit the Sanford Dam downstream , it , too , failed .
The extent of the water that flowed out of Wixom Lake was so great that images showed the lake bed where docks still stood , but without any water around them .
Video and pictures on Twitter captured the extent of the flooding , and what was left behind .
The lake was drained to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ christened it “ a giant beach.
” RELATED : Only a Month After Tornado Tore Through Town , HS Seniors Gather for Emotional Class Photo As a result of the flooding , about 11,000 people in and around Midland , Michigan , were told to evacuate .
Beaverton resident Mike Desco admitted he took some persuasion when first told to flee , according to the Detroit Free Press .
“ My neighbor , Big Frank , came pounding on my door , ” he said .
“ He said the dam broke and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ I was like , ‘ No , I don ’ t think I ’ m going anywhere .
I ’ ve heard this story before , ’ ” he said .
Then he looked outside and saw the water rising .
“ Then , I heard the fire truck : ‘ EEE !
EEE !
Evacuate !
Evacuate !
’ ” he said .
“ When I heard that , I ’ m like , ‘ Yeah , I think we ’ ll go.
’ ” Midland resident Rodney Feinauer said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
“ You could hardly row in it , ” he said .
“ I ’ ve done a ton of rowing in my day .
It was intense .
But you got ta do what you got to do .
It was a little hairy.
” Bev Thompson of Sanford returned from evacuation to a scene she never imagined .
“ I just stood there like , ‘ Where is my house ?
’ ” she said .
“ I see my washer and dryer .
But where ’ s my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ I don ’ t believe it .
I ’ m totally in shock .
It used to be right there next to that fence .
There ’ s nothing there .
I don ’ t know where it went .
It could be in the woods back there.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Devastation followed the failure of two dams in Michigan last week.
The Edenville Dam failure allowed the waters of Wixom Lake to rush down the Tittabawassee River. When the raging floodwaters hit the Sanford Dam downstream, it, too, failed.
The extent of the water that flowed out of Wixom Lake was so great that images showed the lake bed where docks still stood, but without any water around them.
Video and pictures on Twitter captured the extent of the flooding, and what was left behind. The lake was drained to the point where the Detroit Free Press christened it “a giant beach.”
Aerial footage shows scale of flooding in central Michigan. Two “catastrophic” dam failures forced 10,000 to evacuate, with the National Weather Service warning of a “life-threatening situation.”https://t.co/wwwGmyK1bM pic.twitter.com/UjWEseFb5h — NBC News (@NBCNews) May 20, 2020
Wixom Lake where my in-laws had a cabin… The lake where the Dam failed ??? pic.twitter.com/YKrtBuaHH8 — Louie G ?????? (@LouGarza86) May 20, 2020
2 dam breaches in Michigan are causing severe flooding, forcing evacuations and threatening a major toxic cleanup site. Here’s the latest. https://t.co/SbgKMnDEgg pic.twitter.com/9baWRJvugr — The New York Times (@nytimes) May 20, 2020
Damage assessments continue after flooding around the Sanford Dam and Edenville Dam, which burst and caused widespread flooding, forcing thousands to evacuate in Midland, Michigan. https://t.co/hXBD7x21cu pic.twitter.com/KG3BDOapzp — ABC News (@ABC) May 22, 2020
As a result of the flooding, about 11,000 people in and around Midland, Michigan, were told to evacuate.
Beaverton resident Mike Desco admitted he took some persuasion when first told to flee, according to the Detroit Free Press.
“My neighbor, Big Frank, came pounding on my door,” he said. “He said the dam broke and we had 40 minutes to get out.”
“I was like, ‘No, I don’t think I’m going anywhere. I’ve heard this story before,’ ” he said. Then he looked outside and saw the water rising.
“Then, I heard the fire truck: ‘EEE! EEE! Evacuate! Evacuate!’” he said. “When I heard that, I’m like, ‘Yeah, I think we’ll go.’”
Midland resident Rodney Feinauer said that battling the flood waters was hard work.
“You could hardly row in it,” he said. “I’ve done a ton of rowing in my day. It was intense. But you gotta do what you got to do. It was a little hairy.”
Bev Thompson of Sanford returned from evacuation to a scene she never imagined.
“I just stood there like, ‘Where is my house?’ ” she said. “I see my washer and dryer. But where’s my house?’
“I lost everything,” she said. “I don’t believe it. I’m totally in shock. It used to be right there next to that fence. There’s nothing there. I don’t know where it went. It could be in the woods back there.”
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Nuclear Weapons, Russia, Cold War and the Deep State

While the term “ Deep State ” is fairly recent , these embedded leftist networks have been around for at least 100 years and have been extremely successful in carrying out their goals of subverting U.S. interests and advancing socialism both here and abroad .
One of the most notorious — and treasonous — Deep State operations was the “ Nuclear Freeze ” movement of the early 1980s .
While this is often portrayed by mainstream historians as a series of harmless anti-nuke protests by “ peaceniks , ” it was far more serious than that .
On the surface @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of well-meaning people around the world to put an end to nuclear weapons .
However , at the time — 1982-1983 — the Soviets enjoyed a significant advantage in nuclear missiles on the European front and Western European leaders were terrified of a future Soviet attack .
Indeed , in 2009 , former Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze stated at a James Baker Foundation dinner that the Soviets had plans to invade Germany should the two Germanies attempt to unify , adding that they seriously considered the use of tactical nuclear weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the relationship he had with President George H.W .
Bush and Chief of Staff James Baker that such an invasion was averted .
When President Ronald Reagan announced in 1981 that he intended to place new missiles in Western Europe to deter a Russian attack on Western Europe , Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev countered by proposing a nuclear freeze .
Right on cue , the Deep State swung into action .
Nuclear freeze groups were formed ; massive rallies and protests occurred all over Europe and Democratic legislators all over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , congressional Democrats made nuclear arms a major issue , shockingly passing a freeze resolution in May of 1983 .
This movement was a classic Deep State effort that involved congressional leaders , media allies , government bureaucrats , Capitol Hill aids , grass roots leaders , leftist foundations , and , incredibly , Soviet front groups such as the World Peace Council and the U.S. Peace Council , not to mention an array of grass-roots disarmament groups that collaborated with them .
While some freeze organizers claimed that both the USA and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only the USA was targeted .
There were no nuclear freeze protests or rallies in the USSR .
Moreover , as a veritable army of former KGB officers will attest , the Soviets initiated this movement because they desperately wanted to freeze into place their nuclear missile superiority .
Gen. Ion Pacepa , head of the Romanian Secret Police and the highest-ranking East Block defector in history , stated in his book “ Red Horizons ” that Brezhnev considered the freeze movement among “ ways to disarm the West.
” Pacepa also said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear arsenal statistics to the nuclear freeze movement , meaning that the real numbers were likely much higher .
In 1931 , Soviet official Dimitry Manuilsky gave a speech before the Lenin School of Political Warfare in which he declared : “ War to the hilt between communism and capitalism is inevitable .
Today , of course , we are not strong enough to attack .
Our time will come in thirty or forty years .
To win , we shall need the element of surprise .
The Western world will have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we shall begin by launching the most spectacular peace movement on record .
There shall be electrifying overtures and unheard-of concessions .
The Capitalist countries , stupid and decadent , will rejoice to cooperate to their own destruction.
” In the wake of massive nuclear disarmament rallies in the Netherlands in 1981 , Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported that Soviet agent Vadim Leonov was deported for his involvement with local disarmament groups and had boasted in a drunken stupor , “ If Moscow decided that 50,000 demonstrators take to the street … then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should know because not only am I daily involved with these clandestine activities , I am also one of those who transmit the orders coming from Moscow.
” RELATED : Walter Block : Is the Coronavirus the Fault of Government ?
While , of course , there were all kinds of garden variety liberal disarmament groups involved in this movement , the key decisions were being made by groups either controlled or heavily influenced by communists .
The idea was to influence public opinion to the degree that it would be politically impossible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promise to increase and modernize our nuclear missiles arsenal in Western Europe .
However , in order to be an effective and growing movement , they needed funding — so the Rockefeller family stepped up to the plate and hosted a confidential meeting on July 7 , 1982 , of the leading leftist foundations and a few key nuclear freeze activists .
By a stroke of good luck , I was given access to documents from that meeting , which occurred in New York City at 777 UN Plaza in the Dag Hammarskjold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris , who advised the group as to which themes would best convince the American people to disarm unilaterally .
Select media representatives also attended , such as Vice President of NBC Jarobin Gilbert Jr. , who , I am confident , promised them all the coverage they wanted .
The funders attending included a who ’ s who of the large liberal foundations , such as the Ford Foundation , J.C. Penny Foundation , the MacArthur Foundation and the meeting ’ s host , the Rockefeller Foundation .
Also present were a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Soviet front groups on different projects .
This group included representatives from the Albert Kunstadter Family Foundation , Stern Fund , Columbia Foundation , Bydale Foundation , Samuel Rubin Foundation , Max and Anna Levinson Foundation , the Scherman Foundation , the CS Fund , J. M. Kaplan Fund , Taconic Foundation , Stanley Foundation , HKH Foundation and the Ruth Mott Foundation .
It should be noted that in Western Europe the disarmament movement was funded by Soviet front groups , as documented in a declassified CIA report .
Probably to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leftist and Marxist foundations gladly played this role in the USA .
There were also a few key activists present , such as Marcus Raskin , the director of the Institute for Policy Studies , which at the time was America ’ s leading pro-Soviet think tank with a history of supporting communist causes and terrorist groups during the cold war .
Also present was Carl Marcy of the American Committee for East-West Accord and adviser to the Center for International Policy , a hard-left group spun off from the aforementioned IPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Melman , a director of SANE , a disarmament group that worked closely with the Soviet front group World Peace Council in the 1980s .
The Youth Project was in attendance and its claim to fame was that it was headed for many years by well-known communist organizer Marge Tabankin , a Saul Alinsky disciple and former SDS leader who supported the communist Vietcong during the Vietnam war .
Also present was Cora Weiss , one of the most visible communists in the USA .
Hailing from a prominent communist family , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds for Hanoi and mocked Vietnamese refugees who had escaped from that communist nightmare .
Indeed , she was involved with dozens of hard-core communist and pro-Soviet groups such as the Women ’ s Strike for Peace and the People ’ s Coalition for Peace and Justice .
She was also involved with founding the IPS .
At a meeting one month earlier , the members of the disarmament movement met to plan a massive nuclear freeze rally in New York City for June 12 , 1982 , which coincided with the UN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Soviets were well represented , with activists from Soviet-funded fronts and pro-Soviet groups such as the Communist Party , USA , World Peace Council , U.S. Peace Council , National Lawyers Guild and Woman ’ s International League for Peace and Freedom .
As the FBI stated in 1982 congressional hearings , the “ U.S .
Peace Council was directly involved in the planning for the June 12 demonstration ” and was “ responsible for actually coordinating and planning the rally.
” The CIA concurred : “ The WPC leadership devoted much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coincide with the second session on disarmament at the United Nations.
” But this broad front included lots of fellow travelers who apparently had no moral qualms about working with the most murderous regime in world history , the USSR — groups such as Mobilization for Survival , American Friends Service Committee , Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign , Clergy and Laity Concerned , Pax Christi , Fellowship of Reconciliation , National Council of Churches , and the War Resisters League .
( The collaboration of the disarmament groups with Soviet front groups is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by Western Goals Foundation and in hearings titled “ Soviet Active Measures ” conducted by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence , House of Representatives , July 13-14 , 1982 . )
At this meeting , a discussion broke out about whether the protest banners , themes , media releases and so forth should equally blame the USSR for the nuclear arms race .
According to an FBI report on this meeting , the “ Soviet-controlled organizations participated at the highest levels of the June 12 Committee and exerted pressure to influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. nuclear weapon policies as opposed to Soviet policies.
” Of course , this would not have occurred without the agreement of many of the supposedly non-communist disarmament groups , but this decision set the stage for promoting the Soviet strategy of blaming the USA for the “ arms rac.
” and ignoring the USSR ’ s superior nuclear arsenal in Western Europe .
This was also reported by Herb Romerstein and KGB defector Stanlislav Levchenko in “ The KGD Against the ‘ Main Enemy ’ — How the Soviet Intelligence Service Operates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romerstein also wrote that a few weeks after the rally , the Communist Party sent a secret memo to its activists boasting that “ The party was extremely active in working to make the June 12th demonstration an outstanding success.
” Over 700,000 people attended this protest and , of course , it was massively covered by US media , which made a herculean effort to avoid mentioning the communist involvement .
Since many large signs and banners at the protest featured the words “ Communist Party ” or “ Socialist Party , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be very careful to avoid photographing them .
Shamefully , not one mainstream media outlet mentioned the involvement of Soviet front groups involved in organizing this rally or the nuclear freeze movement in general .
This Hall of Shame should also include leaders of most of the major mainstream religious denominations , who exploited biblical morality to support disarming our country in the face of our enemies .
The nuclear freeze leaders had no problem working with communists who represented a police state that murdered 50 million of its own people in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It stretches logic to believe that these well-informed leaders did not know that they were advancing the Soviet Union ’ s imperialist interests at the expense of America ’ s national security interests .
We should all be thankful that Reagan ignored the political pressure and the pervasive pro-Soviet propaganda that dominated the media and went ahead and placed new missiles in Western Europe .
When that occurred , it was the beginning of the end of the Soviet empire ; its slow unraveling began not long after .
The nuclear freeze movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hold onto their dream of world conquest .
Had this group of Democrat and pro-Soviet operatives — the Deep State of that era — had their way , those missiles would not have been placed , and Europe may very well have succumbed to communism .
As with all Deep State efforts , the goal of the nuclear freeze movement was to undermine America ’ s national security to the advantage of our enemies .
The Deep State effort to interfere with the 2016 elections with assistance from foreign operatives was treasonous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this is nothing new .
This Op-Ed is the second part of a multi-part series on the Deep State by former California state assemblyman Steve Baldwin .
The first part appeared on The Western Journal on May 10 .
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

While the term “Deep State” is fairly recent, these embedded leftist networks have been around for at least 100 years and have been extremely successful in carrying out their goals of subverting U.S. interests and advancing socialism both here and abroad.
One of the most notorious — and treasonous — Deep State operations was the “Nuclear Freeze” movement of the early 1980s. While this is often portrayed by mainstream historians as a series of harmless anti-nuke protests by “peaceniks,” it was far more serious than that.
On the surface, this movement was an effort by millions of well-meaning people around the world to put an end to nuclear weapons.
However, at the time — 1982-1983 — the Soviets enjoyed a significant advantage in nuclear missiles on the European front and Western European leaders were terrified of a future Soviet attack. Indeed, in 2009, former Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze stated at a James Baker Foundation dinner that the Soviets had plans to invade Germany should the two Germanies attempt to unify, adding that they seriously considered the use of tactical nuclear weapons!
He also said it was only due to the relationship he had with President George H.W. Bush and Chief of Staff James Baker that such an invasion was averted.
When President Ronald Reagan announced in 1981 that he intended to place new missiles in Western Europe to deter a Russian attack on Western Europe, Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev countered by proposing a nuclear freeze.
Right on cue, the Deep State swung into action.
Nuclear freeze groups were formed; massive rallies and protests occurred all over Europe and Democratic legislators all over the US passed nuclear freeze resolutions. Moreover, congressional Democrats made nuclear arms a major issue, shockingly passing a freeze resolution in May of 1983.
This movement was a classic Deep State effort that involved congressional leaders, media allies, government bureaucrats, Capitol Hill aids, grass roots leaders, leftist foundations, and, incredibly, Soviet front groups such as the World Peace Council and the U.S. Peace Council, not to mention an array of grass-roots disarmament groups that collaborated with them.
Do you think the Deep State will try to keep Donald Trump from winning re-election in 2020? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 98% (45 Votes) No: 2% (1 Votes)
While some freeze organizers claimed that both the USA and the USSR were targets, realistically, only the USA was targeted. There were no nuclear freeze protests or rallies in the USSR.
Moreover, as a veritable army of former KGB officers will attest, the Soviets initiated this movement because they desperately wanted to freeze into place their nuclear missile superiority. Gen. Ion Pacepa, head of the Romanian Secret Police and the highest-ranking East Block defector in history, stated in his book “Red Horizons” that Brezhnev considered the freeze movement among “ways to disarm the West.”
Pacepa also said that the Soviet intelligence services fed bogus nuclear arsenal statistics to the nuclear freeze movement, meaning that the real numbers were likely much higher.
In 1931, Soviet official Dimitry Manuilsky gave a speech before the Lenin School of Political Warfare in which he declared: “War to the hilt between communism and capitalism is inevitable. Today, of course, we are not strong enough to attack. Our time will come in thirty or forty years. To win, we shall need the element of surprise. The Western world will have to be put to sleep. So, we shall begin by launching the most spectacular peace movement on record. There shall be electrifying overtures and unheard-of concessions. The Capitalist countries, stupid and decadent, will rejoice to cooperate to their own destruction.”
In the wake of massive nuclear disarmament rallies in the Netherlands in 1981, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported that Soviet agent Vadim Leonov was deported for his involvement with local disarmament groups and had boasted in a drunken stupor, “If Moscow decided that 50,000 demonstrators take to the street … then they take to the street … I should know because not only am I daily involved with these clandestine activities, I am also one of those who transmit the orders coming from Moscow.”
While, of course, there were all kinds of garden variety liberal disarmament groups involved in this movement, the key decisions were being made by groups either controlled or heavily influenced by communists. The idea was to influence public opinion to the degree that it would be politically impossible for Reagan to follow through on his promise to increase and modernize our nuclear missiles arsenal in Western Europe.
However, in order to be an effective and growing movement, they needed funding — so the Rockefeller family stepped up to the plate and hosted a confidential meeting on July 7, 1982, of the leading leftist foundations and a few key nuclear freeze activists. By a stroke of good luck, I was given access to documents from that meeting, which occurred in New York City at 777 UN Plaza in the Dag Hammarskjold lounge.
Also attending was pollster Lou Harris, who advised the group as to which themes would best convince the American people to disarm unilaterally. Select media representatives also attended, such as Vice President of NBC Jarobin Gilbert Jr., who, I am confident, promised them all the coverage they wanted.
The funders attending included a who’s who of the large liberal foundations, such as the Ford Foundation, J.C. Penny Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation and the meeting’s host, the Rockefeller Foundation. Also present were a clique of leftist foundations that had worked with Soviet front groups on different projects. This group included representatives from the Albert Kunstadter Family Foundation, Stern Fund, Columbia Foundation, Bydale Foundation, Samuel Rubin Foundation, Max and Anna Levinson Foundation, the Scherman Foundation, the CS Fund, J. M. Kaplan Fund, Taconic Foundation, Stanley Foundation, HKH Foundation and the Ruth Mott Foundation.
It should be noted that in Western Europe the disarmament movement was funded by Soviet front groups, as documented in a declassified CIA report. Probably to the great relief of the Soviets, the leftist and Marxist foundations gladly played this role in the USA.
There were also a few key activists present, such as Marcus Raskin, the director of the Institute for Policy Studies, which at the time was America’s leading pro-Soviet think tank with a history of supporting communist causes and terrorist groups during the cold war.
Also present was Carl Marcy of the American Committee for East-West Accord and adviser to the Center for International Policy, a hard-left group spun off from the aforementioned IPS. ACEWA’s co-chairman was Seymore Melman, a director of SANE, a disarmament group that worked closely with the Soviet front group World Peace Council in the 1980s.
The Youth Project was in attendance and its claim to fame was that it was headed for many years by well-known communist organizer Marge Tabankin, a Saul Alinsky disciple and former SDS leader who supported the communist Vietcong during the Vietnam war.
Also present was Cora Weiss, one of the most visible communists in the USA. Hailing from a prominent communist family, she also supported the Vietcong and actually raised funds for Hanoi and mocked Vietnamese refugees who had escaped from that communist nightmare. Indeed, she was involved with dozens of hard-core communist and pro-Soviet groups such as the Women’s Strike for Peace and the People’s Coalition for Peace and Justice. She was also involved with founding the IPS.
At a meeting one month earlier, the members of the disarmament movement met to plan a massive nuclear freeze rally in New York City for June 12, 1982, which coincided with the UN’s Special Session on Disarmament. The Soviets were well represented, with activists from Soviet-funded fronts and pro-Soviet groups such as the Communist Party, USA, World Peace Council, U.S. Peace Council, National Lawyers Guild and Woman’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
As the FBI stated in 1982 congressional hearings, the “U.S. Peace Council was directly involved in the planning for the June 12 demonstration” and was “responsible for actually coordinating and planning the rally.”
The CIA concurred: “The WPC leadership devoted much attention to planning a propaganda show to coincide with the second session on disarmament at the United Nations.”
But this broad front included lots of fellow travelers who apparently had no moral qualms about working with the most murderous regime in world history, the USSR — groups such as Mobilization for Survival, American Friends Service Committee, Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign, Clergy and Laity Concerned, Pax Christi, Fellowship of Reconciliation, National Council of Churches, and the War Resisters League. (The collaboration of the disarmament groups with Soviet front groups is well documented in “War Called Peace” by Western Goals Foundation and in hearings titled “Soviet Active Measures” conducted by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, House of Representatives, July 13-14, 1982.)
At this meeting, a discussion broke out about whether the protest banners, themes, media releases and so forth should equally blame the USSR for the nuclear arms race. According to an FBI report on this meeting, the “Soviet-controlled organizations participated at the highest levels of the June 12 Committee and exerted pressure to influence the June 12 Committee to focus on U.S. nuclear weapon policies as opposed to Soviet policies.”
Of course, this would not have occurred without the agreement of many of the supposedly non-communist disarmament groups, but this decision set the stage for promoting the Soviet strategy of blaming the USA for the “arms rac.” and ignoring the USSR’s superior nuclear arsenal in Western Europe. This was also reported by Herb Romerstein and KGB defector Stanlislav Levchenko in “The KGD Against the ‘Main Enemy’ — How the Soviet Intelligence Service Operates Against the United States.”
Levchenko and Romerstein also wrote that a few weeks after the rally, the Communist Party sent a secret memo to its activists boasting that “The party was extremely active in working to make the June 12th demonstration an outstanding success.”
Over 700,000 people attended this protest and, of course, it was massively covered by US media, which made a herculean effort to avoid mentioning the communist involvement. Since many large signs and banners at the protest featured the words “Communist Party” or “Socialist Party,” the mainstream media photographers had to be very careful to avoid photographing them.
Shamefully, not one mainstream media outlet mentioned the involvement of Soviet front groups involved in organizing this rally or the nuclear freeze movement in general. This Hall of Shame should also include leaders of most of the major mainstream religious denominations, who exploited biblical morality to support disarming our country in the face of our enemies.
The nuclear freeze leaders had no problem working with communists who represented a police state that murdered 50 million of its own people in a quest for a socialist “utopia.” It stretches logic to believe that these well-informed leaders did not know that they were advancing the Soviet Union’s imperialist interests at the expense of America’s national security interests.
We should all be thankful that Reagan ignored the political pressure and the pervasive pro-Soviet propaganda that dominated the media and went ahead and placed new missiles in Western Europe. When that occurred, it was the beginning of the end of the Soviet empire; its slow unraveling began not long after.
The nuclear freeze movement was the USSR’s last gasp to hold onto their dream of world conquest.
Had this group of Democrat and pro-Soviet operatives — the Deep State of that era — had their way, those missiles would not have been placed, and Europe may very well have succumbed to communism.
As with all Deep State efforts, the goal of the nuclear freeze movement was to undermine America’s national security to the advantage of our enemies. The Deep State effort to interfere with the 2016 elections with assistance from foreign operatives was treasonous, but we all need to understand that this is nothing new.
This Op-Ed is the second part of a multi-part series on the Deep State by former California state assemblyman Steve Baldwin. The first part appeared on The Western Journal on May 10.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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westernjournal--2020-05-24--Like Trump, Ulysses S. Grant Beat the ‘Elites’ To Win America’s Favor – It Just Took a Bit Longer

The appraisal of Ulysses S. Grant , the nation ’ s 18th president , has been on the rise in recent years , no doubt helped along by new works reexamining his leadership during a pivotal time in U.S. history .
Grant has seen the largest rise of any of the presidents in C-SPAN ’ s ranking by noted historians from 2000 to 2017 , jumping from 33rd place to 22nd .
The most recent survey was completed in 2017 .
Many will likely have their true introduction to the Ohio native on Memorial Day when The History Channel premiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” which is executive produced by Pulitzer-prize winning biographer Ron Chernow and actor Leonardo DiCaprio .
Chernow , author of “ Alexander Hamilton , ” the biography that inspired the wildly popular Broadway musical , has done much to raise the profile of the exploits of this 19th century hero through his 2017 biography , “ Grant.
” However , Frank Scaturro — author of “ President Grant Reconsidered ” ( 1999 ) and head of the Grant Monument Association — was among those drawn to study this former chief executive ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in vogue .
His fascination with Grant began as a young boy studying the presidents and continued during his college years , when he volunteered as a guide at the General Grant National Memorial in New York City while attending nearby Columbia University .
Asked why Grant suffered from such low presidential rankings for so many years , Scaturro said it was mainly based on who tells the story — much as it is in 2020 .
“ The elites of his time , the most literate people , the editors of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligentsia of his time , you can say , were against him , ” Scaturro said .
But he had support of the people , easily winning two terms , first in 1868 and again in 1872 .
Scaturro pointed out it has been a recurring pattern in the nation ’ s history for Americans to turn to top military leaders to secure the peace after a major war .
“ It ’ s actually helped us to have professional soldiers in the White House , if we want to avoid war , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to assert peace through strength , we ’ ve done best in that vein with professional soldiers in the White House.
” In the trailer to the upcoming mini-series , Chernow describes Grant ’ s rise to lead the Union War effort and later become president of the United States as the most improbable of “ any figure in American history.
” RELATED : Dan Crenshaw Reaches Across the Aisle To Echo John F. Kennedy 's Famous Call to Action Grant graduated 21st out of his class of 39 at West Point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to go to the academy , but his father had insisted , liking the price of admission : free .
As a young officer in the Army following graduation , Grant distinguished himself in the Mexican War as a master logistician ; following the conflict , however , he fell on hard times .
He reputedly began drinking heavily while stationed in a remote post in northwest California near Eureka , separated from his wife Julia and two young sons by thousands of miles .
Grant eventually resigned from the Army in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be reunited with his family .
There he unsuccessfully tried his hand at farming and then real estate , ultimately ending up a clerk in his father ’ s leather goods store in Galena , Illinois .
“ During this very bleak period in Grant ’ s life , Julia has a dream that her husband is going to be president of the United States , ” Chernow related to an audience at the National Festival of Books in Washington , D.C. , in 2018 .
“ When she tells her friends and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nothing could seem more preposterous .
This man is struggling to support a wife and four children , ” the author said .
“ Julia knew.
” Grant himself wrote in his memoirs of having a “ presentiment ” while a West Point cadet that he , like hero Gen. Winfield Scott , would one day command vast numbers of troops .
When the Civil War broke out in 1861 , Grant sought to reenter the regular Army but was denied a commission .
He eventually found his way into the Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militia .
Thus began the meteoric rise that took Grant from clerking in his father ’ s leather goods store to commanding the victorious Union forces to the White House in just eight years .
“ He goes from being a failed shopkeeper in Galena to president of the United States .
That ’ s the American dream , ” Dr. Conrad Crane , chief of historical services for the Army Heritage and Education Center , told The Western Journal .
Of course , entire books have been written about Grant ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few highlights include capturing entire Confederate armies on three occasions : at Fort Donelson in Tennessee in February 1862 , at Vicksburg on July 4 , 1863 , and finally at Appomattox in April 1865 .
By comparison , though Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee achieved some impressive wins during the Civil War , he never forced the surrender of entire Union armies .
Vicksburg is perhaps Grant ’ s most celebrated campaign because of the brilliance of how he maneuvered his forces , though fewer in number than his foe in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Confederate stronghold controlling passage on Mississippi River .
“ I ’ ve never seen anything quite as complex as this in terms of you ’ re conquering geography , fighting geography if you will , as well as the Confederacy , ” Donald Miller , author of “ Vicksburg : Grant ’ s Campaign That Broke the Confederacy , ” told The Western Journal .
The Lafayette College history professor emeritus and author of multiple books about warfare explained the win opened the Mississippi up to the Union Navy and effectively cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now the man , ” Miller said .
“ When he is called to Washington after Vicksburg , he is at that point in time easily the most popular man in the country , and I would say the most popular man , I would say , in the 19th Century , far more popular than [ President Abraham ] Lincoln.
” In March 1864 , Lincoln placed Grant in charge of all of the Union armies , and the general used his new authority to ensure all his forces ’ military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Confederate forces .
“ The art of war is simple enough .
Find out where your enemy is .
Get at him as soon as you can .
Strike at him as hard as you can and as often as you can , and keep moving on , ” the self-effacing Grant famously observed .
On April 9 , 1865 , Grant managed to do what none of the previous six generals who had faced off against Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia had done : force the Confederate leader ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned to Grant for leadership at the end of the contentious presidency of Andrew Johnson , who had assumed the presidency after Lincoln ’ s assassination .
Among Grant ’ s most notable achievements , according to Scaturro , was the implementation of the 14th Amendment , which guaranteed blacks the full rights of citizenship and equal protection under the law .
The Republican also championed the passage of the 15th Amendment , which secured the vote for African-Americans .
As commander in chief , he also deployed federal agents and troops to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
C-SPAN , in its book , “ The Presidents , ” noted that historians in its survey have given Grant increasingly high marks in several categories , including moral authority and international relations .
Crane attributes part of his rise to the increasing acceptance in recent years that the Confederacy was , contrary to the “ Lost Cause ” way of thinking , unequivocally on the wrong side of history .
“ There has been a realization that there were definitely good guys and bad guys in the war .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of slavery , ” Crane said .
As much as he respected Lee and the bravery of his soldiers , Grant wrote in his memoirs that the cause of perpetuating slavery “ was , I believe , one of the worst for which a people ever fought.
” The three-part miniseries “ Grant ” will premier on Memorial Day evening on the History channel .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The appraisal of Ulysses S. Grant, the nation’s 18th president, has been on the rise in recent years, no doubt helped along by new works reexamining his leadership during a pivotal time in U.S. history.
Grant has seen the largest rise of any of the presidents in C-SPAN’s ranking by noted historians from 2000 to 2017, jumping from 33rd place to 22nd. The most recent survey was completed in 2017.
Many will likely have their true introduction to the Ohio native on Memorial Day when The History Channel premiers its much-anticipated three-night mini-series “Grant,” which is executive produced by Pulitzer-prize winning biographer Ron Chernow and actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
Chernow, author of “Alexander Hamilton,” the biography that inspired the wildly popular Broadway musical, has done much to raise the profile of the exploits of this 19th century hero through his 2017 biography, “Grant.”
However, Frank Scaturro — author of “President Grant Reconsidered” (1999) and head of the Grant Monument Association — was among those drawn to study this former chief executive’s time in office before it was back in vogue.
His fascination with Grant began as a young boy studying the presidents and continued during his college years, when he volunteered as a guide at the General Grant National Memorial in New York City while attending nearby Columbia University.
Asked why Grant suffered from such low presidential rankings for so many years, Scaturro said it was mainly based on who tells the story — much as it is in 2020.
“The elites of his time, the most literate people, the editors of the largest and most influential magazines, the intelligentsia of his time, you can say, were against him,” Scaturro said.
But he had support of the people, easily winning two terms, first in 1868 and again in 1872.
Do you think Donald Trump will win a second term as easily as Grant did? Yes No
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Scaturro pointed out it has been a recurring pattern in the nation’s history for Americans to turn to top military leaders to secure the peace after a major war.
“It’s actually helped us to have professional soldiers in the White House, if we want to avoid war,” he said. “If we want to assert peace through strength, we’ve done best in that vein with professional soldiers in the White House.”
In the trailer to the upcoming mini-series, Chernow describes Grant’s rise to lead the Union War effort and later become president of the United States as the most improbable of “any figure in American history.”
Grant graduated 21st out of his class of 39 at West Point in 1843. He did not particularly want to go to the academy, but his father had insisted, liking the price of admission: free.
As a young officer in the Army following graduation, Grant distinguished himself in the Mexican War as a master logistician; following the conflict, however, he fell on hard times.
He reputedly began drinking heavily while stationed in a remote post in northwest California near Eureka, separated from his wife Julia and two young sons by thousands of miles. Grant eventually resigned from the Army in 1854 and traveled to St. Louis to be reunited with his family.
There he unsuccessfully tried his hand at farming and then real estate, ultimately ending up a clerk in his father’s leather goods store in Galena, Illinois.
“During this very bleak period in Grant’s life, Julia has a dream that her husband is going to be president of the United States,” Chernow related to an audience at the National Festival of Books in Washington, D.C., in 2018.
“When she tells her friends and family about this dream, everyone laughs. Nothing could seem more preposterous. This man is struggling to support a wife and four children,” the author said. “Julia knew.”
Grant himself wrote in his memoirs of having a “presentiment” while a West Point cadet that he, like hero Gen. Winfield Scott, would one day command vast numbers of troops.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Grant sought to reenter the regular Army but was denied a commission. He eventually found his way into the Union ranks as a colonel in the Illinois militia.
Thus began the meteoric rise that took Grant from clerking in his father’s leather goods store to commanding the victorious Union forces to the White House in just eight years.
“He goes from being a failed shopkeeper in Galena to president of the United States. That’s the American dream,” Dr. Conrad Crane, chief of historical services for the Army Heritage and Education Center, told The Western Journal.
Of course, entire books have been written about Grant’s generalship during the Civil War, but a few highlights include capturing entire Confederate armies on three occasions: at Fort Donelson in Tennessee in February 1862, at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, and finally at Appomattox in April 1865.
By comparison, though Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee achieved some impressive wins during the Civil War, he never forced the surrender of entire Union armies.
Vicksburg is perhaps Grant’s most celebrated campaign because of the brilliance of how he maneuvered his forces, though fewer in number than his foe in the region, to lay siege on the Confederate stronghold controlling passage on Mississippi River.
“I’ve never seen anything quite as complex as this in terms of you’re conquering geography, fighting geography if you will, as well as the Confederacy,” Donald Miller, author of “Vicksburg: Grant’s Campaign That Broke the Confederacy,” told The Western Journal.
This hand-drawn map from 1863 shows the terrain and Confederate fortifications around Vicksburg, Mississippihttps://t.co/KcsFhl1VZp pic.twitter.com/tzkiorj8si — LOCMaps (@LOCMaps) August 8, 2017
The Lafayette College history professor emeritus and author of multiple books about warfare explained the win opened the Mississippi up to the Union Navy and effectively cut the Confederacy in two.
“Grant is now the man,” Miller said. “When he is called to Washington after Vicksburg, he is at that point in time easily the most popular man in the country, and I would say the most popular man, I would say, in the 19th Century, far more popular than [President Abraham] Lincoln.”
In March 1864, Lincoln placed Grant in charge of all of the Union armies, and the general used his new authority to ensure all his forces’ military campaigns were coordinated to place maximum pressure on Confederate forces.
“The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike at him as hard as you can and as often as you can, and keep moving on,” the self-effacing Grant famously observed.
On April 9, 1865, Grant managed to do what none of the previous six generals who had faced off against Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia had done: force the Confederate leader’s unconditional surrender.
The American people turned to Grant for leadership at the end of the contentious presidency of Andrew Johnson, who had assumed the presidency after Lincoln’s assassination.
Among Grant’s most notable achievements, according to Scaturro, was the implementation of the 14th Amendment, which guaranteed blacks the full rights of citizenship and equal protection under the law. The Republican also championed the passage of the 15th Amendment, which secured the vote for African-Americans.
As commander in chief, he also deployed federal agents and troops to crush the Ku Klux Klan in his day.
C-SPAN, in its book, “The Presidents,” noted that historians in its survey have given Grant increasingly high marks in several categories, including moral authority and international relations. Crane attributes part of his rise to the increasing acceptance in recent years that the Confederacy was, contrary to the “Lost Cause” way of thinking, unequivocally on the wrong side of history.
“There has been a realization that there were definitely good guys and bad guys in the war. The South was definitely perpetuating the evil institution of slavery,” Crane said.
As much as he respected Lee and the bravery of his soldiers, Grant wrote in his memoirs that the cause of perpetuating slavery “was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought.”
The three-part miniseries “Grant” will premier on Memorial Day evening on the History channel.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
* Email
* Message
* All fields are required. Success! We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.