pamelagellerreport--2020-03-14--Viacom CBS CANCELS event featuring genocidal Jew-hater Linda ‘Sharia’ Sarsour as part of Women’s His

Viacom CBS CANCELS event featuring genocidal Jew-hater Linda ‘Sharia’ Sarsour as part of Women’s History Month

Why would CBS even consider this ugly racist ?
It ’ s indicative of the inroads these killers have made .
ViacomCBS cancels event with Linda Sarsour as part of Women ’ s History Month “ The fact remains that the folks at ViacomCBS thought that a woman who lauded an anti-Semite like Louis Farrakhan is a symbol of ‘ inclusion , ’ ” Dexter Van Zile , a researcher at CAMERA .
( March 13 , 2020 / JNS ) ViacomCBS canceled an event this week featuring former Women ’ s March leader Linda Sarsour , who is known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement and has been accused of spreading anti-Semitism .
The Women ’ s History Month event on Wednesday was specifically going to be hosted by the multinational media conglomerate ’ s Office of Global Inclusion , a source familiar with the situation told JNS , which first reported on the scheduled event .
ViacomCBS spokesperson Justin Dini told JNS , “ This event was cancelled well in advance of Wednesday.
” Dini did not respond to a request for comment as to exactly when and why the event was cancelled .
Viacom ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted on Facebook on March 5 , “ Join us 3/11 at 4:30 pm EST for a conversation with author and co-organizer of the Women ’ s March , Linda Sarsour !
Check your inbox for RSVP details.
” “ Maybe [ Sarsour ] was too busy being a surrogate for the [ Vermont Sen. Bernie ] Sanders [ Democratic presidential ] campaign to show up , but the fact remains that the folks at ViacomCBS thought that a woman who lauded an anti-Semite like Louis Farrakhan is a symbol of ‘ inclusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a researcher at the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis ( CAMERA ) , told JNS .
Nonetheless , “ they canceled , and they deserve some credit for that , ” he said .

Why would CBS even consider this ugly racist? It’s indicative of the inroads these killers have made.
ViacomCBS cancels event with Linda Sarsour as part of Women’s History Month “The fact remains that the folks at ViacomCBS thought that a woman who lauded an anti-Semite like Louis Farrakhan is a symbol of ‘inclusion,’ ” Dexter Van Zile, a researcher at CAMERA. By Jackson Richman, JNS, March 14, 2020: (March 13, 2020 / JNS) ViacomCBS canceled an event this week featuring former Women’s March leader Linda Sarsour, who is known for her support of the anti-Israel BDS movement and has been accused of spreading anti-Semitism. The Women’s History Month event on Wednesday was specifically going to be hosted by the multinational media conglomerate’s Office of Global Inclusion, a source familiar with the situation told JNS, which first reported on the scheduled event. ViacomCBS spokesperson Justin Dini told JNS, “This event was cancelled well in advance of Wednesday.” Dini did not respond to a request for comment as to exactly when and why the event was cancelled. Viacom’s Women’s Employee Affinity Group posted on Facebook on March 5, “Join us 3/11 at 4:30 pm EST for a conversation with author and co-organizer of the Women’s March, Linda Sarsour! Check your inbox for RSVP details.” “Maybe [Sarsour] was too busy being a surrogate for the [Vermont Sen. Bernie] Sanders [Democratic presidential] campaign to show up, but the fact remains that the folks at ViacomCBS thought that a woman who lauded an anti-Semite like Louis Farrakhan is a symbol of ‘inclusion,’ ” Dexter Van Zile, a researcher at the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA), told JNS. Nonetheless, “they canceled, and they deserve some credit for that,” he said.
The Truth Must be Told Your contribution supports independent journalism Please take a moment to consider this. Now, more than ever, people are reading Geller Report for news they won't get anywhere else. But advertising revenues have all but disappeared. Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they have banned us. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts. But we won't put up a paywall. Because never has the free world needed independent journalism more. Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media won't. We cannot do our ground-breaking report without your support. We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left's war on freedom. Our readers’ contributions make that possible. Geller Report's independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight, too. Please contribute here. or Make a monthly commitment to support The Geller Report – choose the option that suits you best. $25.00 here
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pamelagellerreport--2020-03-14--Gay Male Escort Found with Dem. Governor Candidate Andrew Gillum in meth overdose in hotel room

Florida was thisclose to having Gillum as Governor .
The man who overdosed on crystal meth in a Florida hotel room with Gillum , a Democrat who made an unsuccessful bid for Florida governor , was an openly gay male escort with a profile on the website RentMen.com , Florida ’ s Local10 reported Friday .
Travis Dyson also identified himself as a “ pornstar performer ” who offered services including “ gay massage ” Gillum has been married to wife R. Jai Gillum since 2009 .
Together .
the couple has three children .
The former Tallahassee mayor was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Mondrian South Beach , according to a police report first obtained by the Miami Herald .
Dyson maintains a profile on a website for male escorts and is studying at a nurse practitioner school… …Gillum was too drunk to speak to the police when they arrived at the scene , documents say .
Speaking to the Miami New Times , Dyson said that Gillum did not mention attending a wedding .
In his statement , Gillum referred to Dyson as a “ friend.
” Dyson said that he and Gillum had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the website , “ I personally was not celebrating a wedding .
I don ’ t know if [ Gillum ] was in town for a wedding .
He did not mention that.
” But it gets worse as Heavy continues to report : Dyson maintains at the male escort website , Rent Men .
On that page , Dyson goes by the moniker Brodie Scott .
Dyson told the website in 2018 , “ I go the extra mile by being very aware of what I do in the present and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t make a present decision until I play out how it may in the future.
” During the interview , Dyson said that he came from “ humble beginnings ” in a small town .
Dyson concluded the interview by saying , “ I ’ m not quiet .
I speak my mind .
If I want something I ’ ll work to get it.
” In the midst of the Gillum scandal , Dyson ’ s profile on the website was removed .
In the bio section of the website , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like kissing and foreplay… lots of kissing and foreplay .
I enjoy my nipple rings lightly played with .
Mutual touch and intimacy goes a long way.
” Dyson says that he was formerly in the military .
The profile ends with Dyson saying , “ If it is a dating atmosphere you desire , I definitely have an eclectic taste for dates .
I don ’ t only enjoy one type of fun… but the type of fun we have is definitely up to you .
Let ’ s have fun.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a moment to consider this .
Now , more than ever , people are reading Geller Report for news they wo n't get anywhere else .
But advertising revenues have all but disappeared .
Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they have banned us .
Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts .
But we wo n't put up a paywall .
Because never has the free world needed independent journalism more .
Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not do our ground-breaking report without your support .
We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left 's war on freedom .
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Geller Report 's independent , investigative journalism takes a lot of time , money and hard work to produce .
But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight , too .
Please contribute to our ground-breaking work here .
Make a monthly commitment to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that suits you best .

Florida was thisclose to having Gillum as Governor.
The man who overdosed on crystal meth in a Florida hotel room with Gillum, a Democrat who made an unsuccessful bid for Florida governor, was an openly gay male escort with a profile on the website RentMen.com, Florida’s Local10 reported Friday.
Travis Dyson also identified himself as a “pornstar performer” who offered services including “gay massage.”
Gillum has been married to wife R. Jai Gillum since 2009. Together. the couple has three children.
The former Tallahassee mayor was found vomiting and intoxicated with Dyson at the Mondrian South Beach, according to a police report first obtained by the Miami Herald.
Dyson maintains a profile on a website for male escorts and is studying at a nurse practitioner school…
…Gillum was too drunk to speak to the police when they arrived at the scene, documents say. Speaking to the Miami New Times, Dyson said that Gillum did not mention attending a wedding. In his statement, Gillum referred to Dyson as a “friend.” Dyson said that he and Gillum had been friends since last spring. Dyson told the website, “I personally was not celebrating a wedding. I don’t know if [Gillum] was in town for a wedding. He did not mention that.”
But it gets worse as Heavy continues to report:
Dyson maintains at the male escort website, Rent Men. On that page, Dyson goes by the moniker Brodie Scott. Dyson told the website in 2018, “I go the extra mile by being very aware of what I do in the present and how it affects the future… like I won’t make a present
decision until I play out how it may in the future.” During the interview, Dyson said that he came from “humble beginnings” in a small town. Dyson concluded the interview by saying, “I’m not quiet. I speak my mind. If I want something I’ll work to get it.” In the midst of the Gillum scandal, Dyson’s profile on the website was removed.
In the bio section of the website, Dyson says of himself, “I like kissing and foreplay… lots of kissing and foreplay. I enjoy my nipple rings lightly played with. Mutual touch and intimacy goes a long way.” Dyson says that he was formerly in the military. The profile ends with Dyson saying, “If it is a dating atmosphere you desire, I definitely have an eclectic taste for dates. I don’t only enjoy one type of fun… but the type of fun we have is definitely up to you. Let’s have fun.”
Unfortunately for @AndrewGillum, his “friend” Travis Dyson, has come forth to reveal that he is no friend, but an open male escort. He also claims that he has never heard of the wedding of which Andrew Gillum speaks of. Gillum needs a new alibi. https://t.co/Gck8nklI27 — Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) March 13, 2020
Report: Man in Hotel Room With Andrew Gillum is an Openly Gay “Male Escort” Firstly, Gillum put out an official statement claiming he was in a hotel for a “wedding,” when first responders were called to “assist” one of his “friends.” Well, his friend who was assisted was asked about the “wedding,” and he said he didn’t know anything about this “wedding” – by the way, who goes to a wedding on a Thursday night? The friend also said that Gillum never mentioned this supposed wedding. And also worth noting – this “friend” that Gillum speaks of is actually a gay male escort.
The Truth Must be Told Your contribution supports independent journalism Please take a moment to consider this. Now, more than ever, people are reading Geller Report for news they won't get anywhere else. But advertising revenues have all but disappeared. Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they have banned us. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts. But we won't put up a paywall. Because never has the free world needed independent journalism more. Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media won't. We cannot do our ground-breaking report without your support. We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left's war on freedom. Our readers’ contributions make that possible. Geller Report's independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight, too. Please contribute here. or Make a monthly commitment to support The Geller Report – choose the option that suits you best. $25.00 here
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pamelagellerreport--2020-03-14--Exploiting Irrational Fear, Pelosi Wuhan Virus ‘Deal’ Pushes Thru Taxpayer-Funded Abortion, Welfare

Exploiting Irrational Fear, Pelosi Wuhan Virus ‘Deal’ Pushes Thru Taxpayer-Funded Abortion, Welfare While Abandoning America’s Small and Mid-Sized Businesses

Democrats are doing a Wuhan dance .
They found their bat to attack the President while passing radical legislation that wouldn ’ t ordinarily see the light of day .
I hope a more sober Senate has the spine to reject it .
Why The Pelosi Wuhan Virus ‘ Deal ’ Is A Near-Total GOP Surrender For Blue-Collar Entrepreneurs Friday night ’ s deal includes every Democratic wish except taxpayer-funded abortion and not a single Republican proposal .
Those will come later , we ’ re told .
We ’ re always told that , and it almost never happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Federalist , March 14 , 2020 : WASHINGTON , DC — Washington politicians appear poised to fail the country once again , agreeing Friday evening to a one-sided and partisan coronavirus bill disguised as compromise .
It ’ s not a shock to any conservatives in Washington and probably isn ’ t surprising to Republican voters either .
They ’ re used to betrayal .
But the suffering men and women who run America ’ s small and mid-sized businesses might have hoped they wouldn ’ t be abandoned in a D.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their relief ideas to the table .
Washington Republicans predictably focused on small and mid-sized companies , proposing no-interest loans and a suspension of the payroll tax .
Washington Democrats predictably focused on both workers and an unrelated radical wish list , proposing shored-up unemployment , Medicare and food stamp benefits , paid sick leave , and , amazingly , taxpayer-funded abortion .
Republicans and Democrats roundly agreed on providing free coronavirus testing .
There is good reason to strike an actual bargain on most of these proposals : While both Republicans and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups , both sides are necessary to bring relief to all who need it .
Yet Friday night ’ s deal includes every Democratic wish except taxpayer-funded abortion and not a single Republican proposal .
Those will come later , we ’ re told .
We ’ re always told that , and it almost never happens .
It ’ s not about points here .
While Democrats are right to get money to help people afford to stay home while sick and to get by when they ’ ve been laid off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when small and mid-sized companies with disrupted supply lines and cratering revenue streams go out of business .
Mid-sized businesses — the type you might have never heard of but that employ people all over your town — aren ’ t getting the no-interest loans they need .
Small businesses , which would struggle to get those loans even if they were part of the package , aren ’ t getting the immediate relief a payroll tax-suspension would provide , despite the president demanding it .
These businesses need anything they can cling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ layoffs .
There is nothing for them in this apparent deal , nothing for the blue-collar businessman this country ’ s middle class was founded on .
Even the $ 50 billion President Donald Trump previously announced for Small Business Administration loans are only good for big businesses who can guarantee it , get the lowered 3.75 percent rate , and work the months of accrued debt into their future projections .
These big businesses do not include the entrepreneurs who are bootstrapping to make it for the American dream .
Republicans say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just after they give House Speaker Nancy Pelosi nearly everything she asked for .
“ Both [ Democrat and Republican ] leaders made clear , ” The Washington Post reports , “ that the legislation agreed to Friday … would be followed by further relief measures .
That could , potentially , include some version of the broad payroll tax cut sought by the president.
” Those measures could also include taxpayer funding for abortion , if we ’ re being honest about all that was left on the table .
“ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work on my asks later ” is not how Washington negotiations begin — it is how they end .
“ [ But ] as the crisis spiraled , ” the Post continues , “ lawmakers felt they needed to act quickly to provide economic relief to affected Americans.
” This sense of urgency does not seem to have been felt by Pelosi , who delayed negotiations Friday by pushing for policies that would allow taxpayer dollars to reimburse labs for abortions .
The Hyde Amendment , which blocks taxpayer dollars from funding abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jimmy Carter ’ s administration , and nothing about the pandemic suggests any need to force citizens to pay to facilitate abortion — a mortal sin in the church Pelosi crows her adherence to .
Judging by the results of Friday ’ s negotiations , the Republicans are the ones who felt the urgency — an urgency that caused them to abandon their proposals .
Mitch McConnell ’ s Republican Senate is next up , faced with the option to move quickly or demand their policies be included as well — a delay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politically .
“ While we could have passed this bill on our own , I believe it was important for us to assure the American people that we can work together to manage this crisis , ” Pelosi told reporters .
We should indeed be working together , but this is not that .
It is a surrender and it is a betrayal .

Democrats are doing a Wuhan dance. They found their bat to attack the President while passing radical legislation that wouldn’t ordinarily see the light of day.
I hope a more sober Senate has the spine to reject it.
Why The Pelosi Wuhan Virus ‘Deal’ Is A Near-Total GOP Surrender For Blue-Collar Entrepreneurs
Friday night’s deal includes every Democratic wish except taxpayer-funded abortion and not a single Republican proposal. Those will come later, we’re told. We’re always told that, and it almost never happens.
By: By Christopher Bedford, The Federalist, March 14, 2020:
WASHINGTON, DC — Washington politicians appear poised to fail the country once again, agreeing Friday evening to a one-sided and partisan coronavirus bill disguised as compromise. It’s not a shock to any conservatives in Washington and probably isn’t surprising to Republican voters either. They’re used to betrayal. But the suffering men and women who run America’s small and mid-sized businesses might have hoped they wouldn’t be abandoned in a D.C. “negotiation.”
Both political parties brought their relief ideas to the table. Washington Republicans predictably focused on small and mid-sized companies, proposing no-interest loans and a suspension of the payroll tax. Washington Democrats predictably focused on both workers and an unrelated radical wish list, proposing shored-up unemployment, Medicare and food stamp benefits, paid sick leave, and, amazingly, taxpayer-funded abortion. Republicans and Democrats roundly agreed on providing free coronavirus testing.
There is good reason to strike an actual bargain on most of these proposals: While both Republicans and Democrats have plans to relieve their favorite groups, both sides are necessary to bring relief to all who need it. Yet Friday night’s deal includes every Democratic wish except taxpayer-funded abortion and not a single Republican proposal. Those will come later, we’re told. We’re always told that, and it almost never happens.
It’s not about points here. While Democrats are right to get money to help people afford to stay home while sick and to get by when they’ve been laid off, there will be many more lay-offs when small and mid-sized companies with disrupted supply lines and cratering revenue streams go out of business.
Mid-sized businesses — the type you might have never heard of but that employ people all over your town — aren’t getting the no-interest loans they need. Small businesses, which would struggle to get those loans even if they were part of the package, aren’t getting the immediate relief a payroll tax-suspension would provide, despite the president demanding it.
These businesses need anything they can cling to to stay afloat and delay further layoffs. There is nothing for them in this apparent deal, nothing for the blue-collar businessman this country’s middle class was founded on. Even the $50 billion President Donald Trump previously announced for Small Business Administration loans are only good for big businesses who can guarantee it, get the lowered 3.75 percent rate, and work the months of accrued debt into their future projections. These big businesses do not include the entrepreneurs who are bootstrapping to make it for the American dream.
Republicans say they’ll have their day — just after they give House Speaker Nancy Pelosi nearly everything she asked for. “Both [Democrat and Republican] leaders made clear,” The Washington Post reports, “that the legislation agreed to Friday … would be followed by further relief measures. That could, potentially, include some version of the broad payroll tax cut sought by the president.”
Those measures could also include taxpayer funding for abortion, if we’re being honest about all that was left on the table. “You get everything you want and we can work on my asks later” is not how Washington negotiations begin — it is how they end.
“[But] as the crisis spiraled,” the Post continues, “lawmakers felt they needed to act quickly to provide economic relief to affected Americans.”
This sense of urgency does not seem to have been felt by Pelosi, who delayed negotiations Friday by pushing for policies that would allow taxpayer dollars to reimburse labs for abortions. The Hyde Amendment, which blocks taxpayer dollars from funding abortion, has been the norm since President Jimmy Carter’s administration, and nothing about the pandemic suggests any need to force citizens to pay to facilitate abortion — a mortal sin in the church Pelosi crows her adherence to.
Judging by the results of Friday’s negotiations, the Republicans are the ones who felt the urgency — an urgency that caused them to abandon their proposals. Mitch McConnell’s Republican Senate is next up, faced with the option to move quickly or demand their policies be included as well — a delay Democrats would be sure to capitalize on politically.
“While we could have passed this bill on our own, I believe it was important for us to assure the American people that we can work together to manage this crisis,” Pelosi told reporters.
We should indeed be working together, but this is not that. It is a surrender and it is a betrayal.


pamelagellerreport--2020-03-14--Long Island Muslim Woman Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Providing 150K in Aid to Islamic State

Long Island Muslim Woman Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Providing 150K in Aid to Islamic State (ISIS)

A Long Island woman was sentenced after beig found guilty of laundering more than $ 85,000 through Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies overseas to the Islamic State .
After she laundered the money to people in Pakistan , China and Turkey , federal officials say , she “ planned to travel to Syria and join ISIS.
” She was captured while she was at the New York Airport with a plane ticket to Turkey en-route to to Syria .
For her cover , her day job , was Shahnaz filled in at a doctor ’ s facility specialist in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US on a visa utilized by the relatives of US subjects ….. Long Island Woman Sentenced to 13 Years ’ Imprisonment for Providing Material Support to ISIS Earlier today , in federal court in Central Islip , Zoobia Shahnaz was sentenced to 13 years ’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization , specifically more than $ 150,000 to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham ( ISIS ) , and attempting to travel to Syria to join ISIS .
Shahnaz pleaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Demers , Assistant Attorney General for National Security , Richard P. Donoghue , United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York , William F. Sweeney , Jr. , Assistant Director-in-Charge , Federal Bureau of Investigation , New York Field Office ( FBI ) , and Dermot F. Shea , Commissioner , New York City Police Department ( NYPD ) , announced the sentence .
As set forth in court filings and facts presented at the sentencing hearing , between March 2017 and July 2017 , Shahnaz defrauded numerous financial institutions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loan for approximately $ 22,500 .
Shahnaz also fraudulently obtained more than a dozen credit cards and used them to purchase approximately $ 62,000 in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies online .
Shahnaz then made multiple wire transfers totaling more than $ 150,000 to individuals and entities in Pakistan , China and Turkey that were fronts for ISIS .
Shahnaz accessed ISIS violent jihad-related websites and message boards , and social media and messaging pages of known ISIS recruiters , facilitators and financiers .
She also performed numerous internet searches for information that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ search warrants executed at Shahnaz ’ s residence on Long Island resulted in the seizure of terrorist and jihad-related propaganda , including a photograph of a suicide belt of explosives and a night vision scope .
On July 31 , 2017 , Shahnaz was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens , New York , while attempting to board a flight with a layover in Istanbul , Turkey – a common point of entry for individuals travelling from western countries to join ISIS in Syria .
The government ’ s case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s National Security and Cybercrime Section and Long Island Criminal Division .
Assistant United States Attorney Artie McConnell is in charge of the prosecution , with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Joseph Attias of the National Security Division ’ s Counterterrorism Section .
The Truth Must be Told Please take a moment to consider this .
Now , more than ever , people are reading Geller Report for news they wo n't get anywhere else .
But advertising revenues have all but disappeared .
Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts .
But we wo n't put up a paywall .
Because never has the free world needed independent journalism more .
Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media wo n't .
We can not do our ground-breaking report without your support .
We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left 's war on freedom .
Our readers ’ contributions make that possible .
Geller Report 's independent , investigative journalism takes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work to produce .
But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight , too .
Please contribute to our ground-breaking work here .
Make a monthly commitment to support The Geller Report – choose the option that suits you best .

A Long Island woman was sentenced after being found guilty of laundering more than $85,000 through Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies overseas to the Islamic State. After she laundered the money to people in Pakistan, China and Turkey, federal officials say, she “planned to travel to Syria and join ISIS.”
She was captured while she was at the New York Airport with a plane ticket to Turkey en-route to to Syria.
For her cover, her day job, Shahnaz filled in at a doctor’s facility specialist in New York.
Authorities said that she went to the US on a visa utilized by the relatives of US subjects …..
Long Island Woman Sentenced to 13 Years’ Imprisonment for Providing Material Support to ISIS Department of Justice, Friday, March 13, 2020 Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Zoobia Shahnaz was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, specifically more than $150,000 to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), and attempting to travel to Syria to join ISIS. Shahnaz pleaded guilty in November 2018. John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence. As set forth in court filings and facts presented at the sentencing hearing, between March 2017 and July 2017, Shahnaz defrauded numerous financial institutions to obtain money for ISIS, including a loan for approximately $22,500. Shahnaz also fraudulently obtained more than a dozen credit cards and used them to purchase approximately $62,000 in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies online. Shahnaz then made multiple wire transfers totaling more than $150,000 to individuals and entities in Pakistan, China and Turkey that were fronts for ISIS. Shahnaz accessed ISIS violent jihad-related websites and message boards, and social media and messaging pages of known ISIS recruiters, facilitators and financiers. She also performed numerous internet searches for information that would facilitate her entry into Syria. Court-authorized search warrants executed at Shahnaz’s residence on Long Island resulted in the seizure of terrorist and jihad-related propaganda, including a photograph of a suicide belt of explosives and a night vision scope. On July 31, 2017, Shahnaz was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, while attempting to board a flight with a layover in Istanbul, Turkey – a common point of entry for individuals travelling from western countries to join ISIS in Syria. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section and Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Artie McConnell is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Joseph Attias of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The Truth Must be Told Your contribution supports independent journalism Please take a moment to consider this. Now, more than ever, people are reading Geller Report for news they won't get anywhere else. But advertising revenues have all but disappeared. Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they have banned us. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts. But we won't put up a paywall. Because never has the free world needed independent journalism more. Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media won't. We cannot do our ground-breaking report without your support. We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left's war on freedom. Our readers’ contributions make that possible. Geller Report's independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight, too. Please contribute here. or Make a monthly commitment to support The Geller Report – choose the option that suits you best. $25.00 here
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pamelagellerreport--2020-03-14--WATCH: Boozy Pelosi Slurs Words, Loses Dentures, Struggles to Speak

Pelosi can barely talk while suggesting she and her party of destruction could do better than President Trump…… .
nuts .
Pelosi looked and sounded just like Joe Biden during a presser on the Coronavirus on Thursday .
Pelosi slurred her words and struggled to speak as she fought to keep her dentures from flying out of her face .
Speaker Pelosi raised eyebrows again on Thursday after she could barely spit out a sentence .
I love these ridiculous clowns who contend they can do better than President Trump .
This booze-and-Botox besotted old bag can ’ t manage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Between her and Biden , they can barely manage to put a coherent sentence together .
pic.twitter.com/Ze2mvKpoRp The Truth Must be Told Please take a moment to consider this .
Now , more than ever , people are reading Geller Report for news they wo n't get anywhere else .
But advertising revenues have all but disappeared .
Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they have banned us .
Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts .
But we wo n't put up a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world needed independent journalism more .
Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media wo n't .
We can not do our ground-breaking report without your support .
We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left 's war on freedom .
Our readers ’ contributions make that possible .
Geller Report 's independent , investigative journalism takes a lot of time , money and hard work to produce .
But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight , too .
Please contribute to our ground-breaking work here .
Make a monthly commitment to support The Geller Report – choose the option that suits you best .

Pelosi can barely talk, while suggesting she and her party of destruction could do better than President Trump……. nuts.
Pelosi Stutters, Slurs Words and Struggles to Speak as She Fights to Keep Her Dentures in Her Face (VIDEO) By: Cristina Laila, GP, March 13, 2020: Speaker Pelosi raised eyebrows again on Thursday after she could barely spit out a sentence. Pelosi slurred her words and struggled to speak as she fought to keep her dentures from flying out of her face. Pelosi looked and sounded just like Joe Biden during a presser on the Coronavirus on Thursday. James Woods destroyed the “booze-and-Botox besotted old bag” Pelosi!
https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1238218100178214914
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pamelagellerreport--2020-03-14--Arizona: Muslim lied to FBI about aiding jihadi who attacked Garland Muhammad art exhibit and cartoo

Arizona: Muslim lied to FBI about aiding jihadi who attacked Garland Muhammad art exhibit and cartoon contest

Abdul Khabir Wahid is from Phoenix , where the Garland jihadis Ibrahim Simpson and Nadir Soofi also lived .
Simpson and Soofi were members in good standing of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix .
Was Abdul Khabir Wahid also ?
Has this mosque been investigated ?
Of course not .
The clueless , incompetent , and desperately corrupt FBI needs a top-to-bottom housecleaning .
“ Defendant Sentenced to 5 1/2 Years for Witness Tampering and Lying to the FBI in Garland Shooting Investigation , ” Department of Justice , March 6 , 2020 : PHOENIX , Ariz. – On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District Judge John J. Tuchi sentenced Abdul Khabir Wahid , 54 , of Phoenix , to 67 months in prison for making a false statement to the FBI during an investigation involving international terrorism and tampering with a witness , in violation of 18 U.S.C .
§ 1001 ( a ) ( 2 ) and 18 U.S.C .
§ 1512 ( b ) ( 3 ) , respectively .
Wahid was sentenced to three years of supervised release to follow his prison term .
Wahid ’ s trial was held before Judge Tuchi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 1 , 2019 , after Wahid waived a jury trial .
Evidence at trial showed that Wahid committed the offenses during the FBI investigation of the May 3 , 2015 , ISIS-related attack on the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest in Garland , Texas .
Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi drove from Arizona to Texas to conduct the attack , stopped their car near the contest location , and began firing semiautomatic rifles at security personnel and law enforcement officers .
One of their bullets struck and injured a security guard .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Soofi during the firefight .
Wahid did not travel to Texas and was not involved in the attack .
On May 1 , 2015 , just days before the attack , Simpson instructed Wahid to deliver a key and an envelope to a third person .
During a May 6 , 2015 , interview with FBI agents , Wahid made false statements and concealed those facts , despite having delivered the key and envelope as instructed by Simpson .
Trial testimony revealed the FBI would have pursued additional avenues of investigation had Wahid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unable to do so in a timely manner .
Also , between May 4 and July 8 , 2015 , Wahid tried to persuade Soofi ’ s brother not to speak with the FBI , to lie about seeing Simpson and Soofi with guns , and to lie about observing ISIS propaganda videos in Simpson and Soofi ’ s apartment .
“ Wahid obstructed a terrorism investigation and is no friend of the United States , ” said U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey .
“ I want to thank the FBI for the tremendous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as the brave law enforcement officials in Garland whose quick action during the attack prevented a much larger tragedy.
” …

Abdul Khabir Wahid is from Phoenix, where the Garland jihadis Ibrahim Simpson and Nadir Soofi also lived. Simpson and Soofi were members in good standing of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix. Was Abdul Khabir Wahid also? Has this mosque been investigated? Of course not. The clueless, incompetent, and desperately corrupt FBI needs a top-to-bottom housecleaning.
“Defendant Sentenced to 5 1/2 Years for Witness Tampering and Lying to the FBI in Garland Shooting Investigation,” Department of Justice, March 6, 2020:
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On March 3, 2020, United States District Judge John J. Tuchi sentenced Abdul Khabir Wahid, 54, of Phoenix, to 67 months in prison for making a false statement to the FBI during an investigation involving international terrorism and tampering with a witness, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2) and 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(3), respectively. Wahid was sentenced to three years of supervised release to follow his prison term. Wahid’s trial was held before Judge Tuchi from February 26, 2019, to March 1, 2019, after Wahid waived a jury trial.
Evidence at trial showed that Wahid committed the offenses during the FBI investigation of the May 3, 2015, ISIS-related attack on the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest in Garland, Texas. Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi drove from Arizona to Texas to conduct the attack, stopped their car near the contest location, and began firing semiautomatic rifles at security personnel and law enforcement officers. One of their bullets struck and injured a security guard. Police officers shot and killed Simpson and Soofi during the firefight. Wahid did not travel to Texas and was not involved in the attack.
On May 1, 2015, just days before the attack, Simpson instructed Wahid to deliver a key and an envelope to a third person. During a May 6, 2015, interview with FBI agents, Wahid made false statements and concealed those facts, despite having delivered the key and envelope as instructed by Simpson. Trial testimony revealed the FBI would have pursued additional avenues of investigation had Wahid truthfully disclosed the information, but was unable to do so in a timely manner. Also, between May 4 and July 8, 2015, Wahid tried to persuade Soofi’s brother not to speak with the FBI, to lie about seeing Simpson and Soofi with guns, and to lie about observing ISIS propaganda videos in Simpson and Soofi’s apartment.
“Wahid obstructed a terrorism investigation and is no friend of the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey. “I want to thank the FBI for the tremendous effort that went into the underlying investigation, as well as the brave law enforcement officials in Garland whose quick action during the attack prevented a much larger tragedy.”…


pamelagellerreport--2020-03-14--Video: EU-funded Turkish armored vehicle rips down Greek border fence

The Greek government has released a night-vision video which they claim shows a Turkish armoured vehicle obtained through European Union funding trying to rip down border fencing and allow illegal migrants to penetrate the Greek border .
A statement released along with the video said it was “ depicting a Turkish armoured border surveillance vehicle which tries to pull down part of the border fence with a rope ” , according to Greek newspaper Kathimerini and the Associated Press .
“ This is a HIZAR/ATES vehicle , which is equipped with instruments that allow it to monitor the border ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement claimed .
“ Turkey obtained these vehicles from May to August 2019 , with 75 per cent of the program financed by European funds .
It has a powerful engine and climbing capabilities.
” … The fact that the Turkish authorities have provided transport for migrants , not just from Syria but from all over Asia and Africa , to reach the frontier is not denied , and has even been promoted — but they are also accused of providing violent migrants with tear gas , targetting Greek border guards with tear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the border with the use of drones .
The Turks do not deny firing tear gas at Greek personnel , although they claim this has only been done in response to the Greeks firing tear gas at them .
Turkish interior minister Süleyman Soylu has been fairly clear that his government ’ s current stance is punitive by design , however , telling CNN that he expects by the time one million migrants breach the Greek border — which also forms part of the European Union ’ s common external border — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stock market will tumble , and governments will fall out of office .
President Erdogan has indicated that the current policy will not change until the bloc ’ s stance on Syria changes to his satisfaction .

The Greek government has released a night-vision video which they claim shows a Turkish armoured vehicle obtained through European Union funding trying to rip down border fencing and allow illegal migrants to penetrate the Greek border.
A statement released along with the video said it was “depicting a Turkish armoured border surveillance vehicle which tries to pull down part of the border fence with a rope”, according to Greek newspaper Kathimerini and the Associated Press.
“This is a HIZAR/ATES vehicle, which is equipped with instruments that allow it to monitor the border (day and night),” the statement claimed.
“Turkey obtained these vehicles from May to August 2019, with 75 per cent of the program financed by European funds. It has a powerful engine and climbing capabilities.”…
The fact that the Turkish authorities have provided transport for migrants, not just from Syria but from all over Asia and Africa, to reach the frontier is not denied, and has even been promoted — but they are also accused of providing violent migrants with tear gas, targetting Greek border guards with tear gas directly, and organising mass assaults on the border with the use of drones.
The Turks do not deny firing tear gas at Greek personnel, although they claim this has only been done in response to the Greeks firing tear gas at them.
Turkish interior minister Süleyman Soylu has been fairly clear that his government’s current stance is punitive by design, however, telling CNN that he expects by the time one million migrants breach the Greek border — which also forms part of the European Union’s common external border — Europe’s economies will deteriorate, the stock market will tumble, and governments will fall out of office.
President Erdogan has indicated that the current policy will not change until the bloc’s stance on Syria changes to his satisfaction.


pamelagellerreport--2020-03-15--Saturday Night Cinema: Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life

Tonight ’ s Saturday Night Cinema feature is Ayn Rand : A Sense of Life , a documentary film written , produced , and directed by Michael Paxton .
Its focus is on novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand , the author of the bestselling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged , who promoted her philosophy of Objectivism through her books , articles , speeches , and media appearances .
Whether appearing on the Today Show , the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson or Snyder ’ s Tomorrow Show , Ayn Rand was extremely clear and concise .
Those familiar with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about .
Even those who are agnostic or hostile to her philosophy may gain from seeing her in action through archival material .
Those who are new to Ayn Rand will learn about the philosophy in a general , not pedantic , sense .
Each viewer will learn more about what moved her to create a system of thought so radical , controversial and enduring .
Everyone watching the movie can judge Ayn Rand as she thought , wrote and lived .
( read the whole thing here ) .
Ayn Rand : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Vimeo .
Philosophy : Who Needs It Address To The Graduating Class Of The United States Military Academy at West Point New York — March 6 , 1974 Since I am a fiction writer , let us start with a short short story .
Suppose that you are an astronaut whose spaceship gets out of control and crashes on an unknown planet .
When you regain consciousness and find that you are not hurt badly , the first three questions in your mind would be : Where am I ?
How can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do ?
You see unfamiliar vegetation outside , and there is air to breathe ; the sunlight seems paler than you remember it and colder .
You turn to look at the sky , but stop .
You are struck by a sudden feeling : if you don ’ t look , you won ’ t have to know that you are , perhaps , too far from the earth and no return is possible ; so long as you don ’ t know it , you are free to believe what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pleasant , but somehow guilty , kind of hope .
You turn to your instruments : they may be damaged , you don ’ t know how seriously .
But you stop , struck by a sudden fear : how can you trust these instruments ?
How can you be sure that they won ’ t mislead you ?
How can you know whether they will work in a different world ?
You turn away from the instruments .
Now you begin to wonder why you have no desire to do anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wait for something to turn up somehow ; it is better , you tell yourself , not to rock the spaceship .
Far in the distance , you see some sort of living creatures approaching ; you don ’ t know whether they are human , but they walk on two feet .
They , you decide , will tell you what to do .
You are never heard from again .
This is fantasy , you say ?
You would not act like that and no astronaut ever would ?
Perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most men live their lives , here , on earth .
Most men spend their days struggling to evade three questions , the answers to which underlie man ’ s every thought , feeling and action , whether he is consciously aware of it or not : Where am I ?
How do I know it ?
What should I do ?
By the time they are old enough to understand these questions , men believe that they know the answers .
Where am I ?
Say , in New York City .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s self-evident .
What should I do ?
Here , they are not too sure — but the usual answer is : whatever everybody does .
The only trouble seems to be that they are not very active , not very confident , not very happy — and they experience , at times , a causeless fear and an undefined guilt , which they can not explain or get rid of .
They have never discovered the fact that the trouble comes from the three unanswered questions — and that there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : philosophy .
Philosophy studies the fundamental nature of existence , of man , and of man ’ s relationship to existence .
As against the special sciences , which deal only with particular aspects , philosophy deals with those aspects of the universe which pertain to everything that exists .
In the realm of cognition , the special sciences are the trees , but philosophy is the soil which makes the forest possible .
Philosophy would not tell you , for instance , whether you are in New York City or in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the means to find out ) .
But here is what it would tell you : Are you in a universe which is ruled by natural laws and , therefore , is stable , firm , absolute — and knowable ?
Or are you in an incomprehensible chaos , a realm of inexplicable miracles , an unpredictable , unknowable flux , which your mind is impotent to grasp ?
Are the things you see around you real — or are they only an illusion ?
Do they exist independent of any observer — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Are they the object or the subject of man ’ s consciousness ?
Are they what they are — or can they be changed by a mere act of your consciousness , such as a wish ?
The nature of your actions — and of your ambition — will be different , according to which set of answers you come to accept .
These answers are the province of metaphysics — the study of existence as such or , in Aristotle ’ s words , of “ being qua being ” — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter what conclusions you reach , you will be confronted by the necessity to answer another , corollary question : How do I know it ?
Since man is not omniscient or infallible , you have to discover what you can claim as knowledge and how to prove the validity of your conclusions .
Does man acquire knowledge by a process of reason — or by sudden revelation from a supernatural power ?
Is reason a faculty that identifies and integrates the material provided by man ’ s senses — or is it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man ’ s mind before he was born ?
Is reason competent to perceive reality — or does man possess some other cognitive faculty which is superior to reason ?
Can man achieve certainty — or is he doomed to perpetual doubt ?
The extent of your self-confidence — and of your success — will be different , according to which set of answers you accept .
These answers are the province of epistemology , the theory of knowledge , which studies man ’ s means of cognition .
These two branches are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third branch — ethics — may be regarded as its technology .
Ethics does not apply to everything that exists , only to man , but it applies to every aspect of man ’ s life : his character , his actions , his values , his relationship to all of existence .
Ethics , or morality , defines a code of values to guide man ’ s choices and actions — the choices and actions that determine the course of his life .
Just as the astronaut in my story did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he refused to know where he was and how to discover it , so you can not know what you should do until you know the nature of the universe you deal with , the nature of your means of cognition — and your own nature .
Before you come to ethics , you must answer the questions posed by metaphysics and epistemology : Is man a rational being , able to deal with reality — or is he a helplessly blind misfit , a chip buffeted by the universal flux ?
Are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earth — or is he doomed to failure and distaste ?
Depending on the answers , you can proceed to consider the questions posed by ethics : What is good or evil for man — and why ?
Should man ’ s primary concern be a quest for joy — or an escape from suffering ?
Should man hold self-fulfillment — or self-destruction — as the goal of his life ?
Should man pursue his values — or should he place the interests of others above his own ?
Should man seek happiness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to point out the different consequences of these two sets of answers .
You can see them everywhere — within you and around you .
The answers given by ethics determine how man should treat other men , and this determines the fourth branch of philosophy : politics , which defines the principles of a proper social system .
As an example of philosophy ’ s function , political philosophy will not tell you how much rationed gas you should be given and on which day of the week — it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right to impose any rationing on anything .
The fifth and last branch of philosophy is esthetics , the study of art , which is based on metaphysics , epistemology and ethics .
Art deals with the needs — the refueling — of man ’ s consciousness .
Now some of you might say , as many people do : “ Aw , I never think in such abstract terms — I want to deal with concrete , particular , real-life problems — what do I need philosophy for ?
” My answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deal with concrete , particular , real-life problems — i.e.
, in order to be able to live on earth .
You might claim — as most people do — that you have never been influenced by philosophy .
I will ask you to check that claim .
Have you ever thought or said the following ?
“ Don ’ t be so sure — nobody can be certain of anything.
” You got that notion from David Hume ( and many , many others ) , even though you might never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This may be good in theory , but it doesn ’ t work in practice.
” You got that from Plato .
Or : “ That was a rotten thing to do , but it ’ s only human , nobody is perfect in this world.
” You got that from Augustine .
Or : “ It may be true for you , but it ’ s not true for me.
” You got it from William James .
Or : “ I couldn ’ t help it !
Nobody can help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Hegel .
Or : “ I can ’ t prove it , but I feel that it ’ s true.
” You got it from Kant .
Or : “ It ’ s logical , but logic has nothing to do with reality.
” You got it from Kant .
Or : “ It ’ s evil , because it ’ s selfish.
” You got it from Kant .
Have you heard the modern activists say : “ Act first , think afterward ” ?
They got it from John Dewey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sure , I ’ ve said those things at different times , but I don ’ t have to believe that stuff all of the time .
It may have been true yesterday , but it ’ s not true today.
” They got it from Hegel .
They might say : “ Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
” They got it from a very little mind , Emerson .
They might say : “ But can ’ t one compromise and borrow different ideas from different philosophies according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got it from Richard Nixon — who got it from William James .
Now ask yourself : if you are not interested in abstract ideas , why do you ( and all men ) feel compelled to use them ?
The fact is that abstract ideas are conceptual integrations which subsume an incalculable number of concretes — and that without abstract ideas you would not be able to deal with concrete , particular , real-life problems .
You would be in the position of a newborn infant , to whom every object is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference between his mental state and yours lies in the number of conceptual integrations your mind has performed .
You have no choice about the necessity to integrate your observations , your experiences , your knowledge into abstract ideas , i.e.
, into principles .
Your only choice is whether these principles are true or false , whether they represent your conscious , rational conviction — or a grab-bag of notions snatched at random , whose sources , validity , context and consequences you do not know , notions which , more often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hot potato if you knew .
But the principles you accept ( consciously or subconsciously ) may clash with or contradict one another ; they , too , have to be integrated .
What integrates them ?
Philosophy .
A philosophic system is an integrated view of existence .
As a human being , you have no choice about the fact that you need a philosophy .
Your only choice is whether you define your philosophy by a conscious , rational , disciplined process of thought and scrupulously logical deliberation — or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of unwarranted conclusions , false generalizations , undefined contradictions , undigested slogans , unidentified wishes , doubts and fears , thrown together by chance , but integrated by your subconscious into a kind of mongrel philosophy and fused into a single , solid weight : self-doubt , like a ball and chain in the place where your mind ’ s wings should have grown .
You might say , as many people do , that it is not easy always to act on abstract principles .
No , it is not easy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have to act on them without knowing what they are ?
Your subconscious is like a computer — more complex a computer than men can build — and its main function is the integration of your ideas .
Who programs it ?
Your conscious mind .
If you default , if you don ’ t reach any firm convictions , your subconscious is programmed by chance — and you deliver yourself into the power of ideas you do not know you have accepted .
But one way or the other , your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hourly , in the form of emotions — which are lightning-like estimates of the things around you , calculated according to your values .
If you programmed your computer by conscious thinking , you know the nature of your values and emotions .
If you didn ’ t , you don ’ t .
Many people , particularly today , claim that man can not live by logic alone , that there ’ s the emotional element of his nature to consider , and that they rely on the guidance of their emotions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in my story .
The joke is on him — and on them : man ’ s values and emotions are determined by his fundamental view of life .
The ultimate programmer of his subconscious is philosophy — the science which , according to the emotionalists , is impotent to affect or penetrate the murky mysteries of their feelings .
The quality of a computer ’ s output is determined by the quality of its input .
If your subconscious is programmed by chance , its output will have a corresponding character .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ eloquent term “ gigo ” — which means : “ Garbage in , garbage out.
” The same formula applies to the relationship between a man ’ s thinking and his emotions .
A man who is run by emotions is like a man who is run by a computer whose print-outs he can not read .
He does not know whether its programming is true or false , right or wrong , whether it ’ s set to lead him to success or destruction , whether it serves his goals or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He is blind on two fronts : blind to the world around him and to his own inner world , unable to grasp reality or his own motives , and he is in chronic terror of both .
Emotions are not tools of cognition .
The men who are not interested in philosophy need it most urgently : they are most helplessly in its power .
The men who are not interested in philosophy absorb its principles from the cultural atmosphere around them — from schools , colleges , books , magazines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ etc .
Who sets the tone of a culture ?
A small handful of men : the philosophers .
Others follow their lead , either by conviction or by default .
For some two hundred years , under the influence of Immanuel Kant , the dominant trend of philosophy has been directed to a single goal : the destruction of man ’ s mind , of his confidence in the power of reason .
Today , we are seeing the climax of that trend .
When men abandon reason , they find not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , but that they can experience no emotions save one : terror .
The spread of drug addiction among young people brought up on today ’ s intellectual fashions , demonstrates the unbearable inner state of men who are deprived of their means of cognition and who seek escape from reality — from the terror of their impotence to deal with existence .
Observe these young people ’ s dread of independence and their frantic desire to “ belong , ” to attach themselves to some group , clique or gang .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ philosophy , but they sense that they need some fundamental answers to questions they dare not ask — and they hope that the tribe will tell them how to live .
They are ready to be taken over by any witch doctor , guru , or dictator .
One of the most dangerous things a man can do is to surrender his moral autonomy to others : like the astronaut in my story , he does not know whether they are human , even though they walk on two feet .
Now you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that evil , why should one study it ?
Particularly , why should one study the philosophical theories which are blatantly false , make no sense , and bear no relation to real life ?
My answer is : In self-protection — and in defense of truth , justice , freedom , and any value you ever held or may ever hold .
Not all philosophies are evil , though too many of them are , particularly in modern history .
On the other hand , at the root of every civilized achievement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress , freedom — at the root of every value we enjoy today , including the birth of this country — you will find the achievement of one man , who lived over two thousand years ago : Aristotle .
If you feel nothing but boredom when reading the virtually unintelligible theories of some philosophers , you have my deepest sympathy .
But if you brush them aside , saying : “ Why should I study that stuff when I know it ’ s nonsense ?
” — you are mistaken .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know it — not so long as you go on accepting all their conclusions , all the vicious catch phrases generated by those philosophers .
And not so long as you are unable to refute them .
That nonsense deals with the most crucial , the life-or-death issues of man ’ s existence .
At the root of every significant philosophic theory , there is a legitimate issue — in the sense that there is an authentic need of man ’ s consciousness , which some theories struggle to clarify and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent man from ever discovering .
The battle of philosophers is a battle for man ’ s mind .
If you do not understand their theories , you are vulnerable to the worst among them .
The best way to study philosophy is to approach it as one approaches a detective story : follow every trail , clue and implication , in order to discover who is a murderer and who is a hero .
The criterion of detection is two questions : Why ?
and How ?
If a given tenet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If another tenet seems to be false — why ?
and how is it being put over ?
You will not find all the answers immediately , but you will acquire an invaluable characteristic : the ability to think in terms of essentials .
Nothing is given to man automatically , neither knowledge , nor self-confidence , nor inner serenity , nor the right way to use his mind .
Every value he needs or wants has to be discovered , learned and acquired — even the proper posture of his body .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that I have always admired the posture of West Point graduates , a posture that projects man in proud , disciplined control of his body .
Well , philosophical training gives man the proper intellectual posture — a proud , disciplined control of his mind .
In your own profession , in military science , you know the importance of keeping track of the enemy ’ s weapons , strategy and tactics — and of being prepared to counter them .
The same is true in philosophy : you have to understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared to refute them , you have to know his basic arguments and be able to blast them .
In physical warfare , you would not send your men into a booby trap : you would make every effort to discover its location .
Well , Kant ’ s system is the biggest and most intricate booby trap in the history of philosophy — but it ’ s so full of holes that once you grasp its gimmick , you can defuse it without any trouble and walk forward over it in perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defused , the lesser Kantians — the lower ranks of his army , the philosophical sergeants , buck privates , and mercenaries of today — will fall of their own weightlessness , by chain reaction .
There is a special reason why you , the future leaders of the United States Army , need to be philosophically armed today .
You are the target of a special attack by the Kantian-Hegelian-collectivist establishment that dominates our cultural institutions at present .
You are the army of the last semi-free country left on earth , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tool of imperialism — and “ imperialism ” is the name given to the foreign policy of this country , which has never engaged in military conquest and has never profited from the two world wars , which she did not initiate , but entered and won .
( It was , incidentally , a foolishly overgenerous policy , which made this country waste her wealth on helping both her allies and her former enemies . )
Something called “ the military-industrial complex ” — which is a myth or worse — is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s troubles .
Bloody college hoodlums scream demands that R.O.T.C .
units be banned from college campuses .
Our defense budget is being attacked , denounced and undercut by people who claim that financial priority should be given to ecological rose gardens and to classes in esthetic self-expression for the residents of the slums .
Some of you may be bewildered by this campaign and may be wondering , in good faith , what errors you committed to bring it about .
If so , it is urgently important for you to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You are attacked , not for any errors or flaws , but for your virtues .
You are denounced , not for any weaknesses , but for your strength and your competence .
You are penalized for being the protectors of the United States .
On a lower level of the same issue , a similar kind of campaign is conducted against the police force .
Those who seek to destroy this country , seek to disarm it — intellectually and physically .
But it is not a mere political issue ; politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last consequence of philosophical ideas .
It is not a communist conspiracy , though some communists may be involved — as maggots cashing in on a disaster they had no power to originate .
The motive of the destroyers is not love for communism , but hatred for America .
Why hatred ?
Because America is the living refutation of a Kantian universe .
Today ’ s mawkish concern with and compassion for the feeble , the flawed , the suffering , the guilty , is a cover for the profoundly Kantian hatred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the able , the successful , the virtuous , the confident , the happy .
A philosophy out to destroy man ’ s mind is necessarily a philosophy of hatred for man , for man ’ s life , and for every human value .
Hatred of the good for being the good , is the hallmark of the twentieth century .
This is the enemy you are facing .
A battle of this kind requires special weapons .
It has to be fought with a full understanding of your cause , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fullest certainty of the moral rightness of both .
Only philosophy can provide you with these weapons .
The assignment I gave myself for tonight is not to sell you on my philosophy , but on philosophy as such .
I have , however , been speaking implicitly of my philosophy in every sentence — since none of us and no statement can escape from philosophical premises .
What is my selfish interest in the matter ?
I am confident enough to think that if you accept the importance of philosophy and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is my philosophy that you will come to accept .
Formally , I call it Objectivism , but informally I call it a philosophy for living on earth .
You will find an explicit presentation of it in my books , particularly in Atlas Shrugged .
In conclusion , allow me to speak in personal terms .
This evening means a great deal to me .
I feel deeply honored by the opportunity to address you .
I can say — not as a patriotic bromide , but with full knowledge of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political and esthetic roots — that the United States of America is the greatest , the noblest and , in its original founding principles , the only moral country in the history of the world .
There is a kind of quiet radiance associated in my mind with the name West Point — because you have preserved the spirit of those original founding principles and you are their symbol .
There were contradictions and omissions in those principles , and there may be in yours — but I am speaking of the essentials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history who did not live up to your highest standards — as there are in every institution — since no institutions and no social system can guarantee the automatic perfection of all its members ; this depends on an individual ’ s free will .
I am speaking of your standards .
You have preserved three qualities of character which were typical at the time of America ’ s birth , but are virtually nonexistent today : earnestness — dedication — a sense of honor .
Honor is self-esteem made visible in action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives for the defense of this country .
I will not insult you by saying that you are dedicated to selfless service — it is not a virtue in my morality .
In my morality , the defense of one ’ s country means that a man is personally unwilling to live as the conquered slave of any enemy , foreign or domestic .
This is an enormous virtue .
Some of you may not be consciously aware of it .
I want to help you to realize it .
The army of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : the right to use force , but not as an instrument of compulsion and brute conquest — as the armies of other countries have done in their histories — only as an instrument of a free nation ’ s self-defense , which means : the defense of a man ’ s individual rights .
The principle of using force only in retaliation against those who initiate its use , is the principle of subordinating might to right .
The highest integrity and sense of honor are required for such a task .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieved it .
You have .
West Point has given America a long line of heroes , known and unknown .
You , this year ’ s graduates , have a glorious tradition to carry on — which I admire profoundly , not because it is a tradition , but because it is glorious .
Since I came from a country guilty of the worst tyranny on earth , I am particularly able to appreciate the meaning , the greatness and the supreme value of that which you are defending .
So , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name of many people who think as I do , I want to say , to all the men of West Point , past , present and future : Thank you .

Tonight’s Saturday Night Cinema feature is Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life, a documentary film written, produced, and directed by Michael Paxton. Its focus is on novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand, the author of the bestselling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, who promoted her philosophy of Objectivism through her books, articles, speeches, and media appearances.
Whether appearing on the Today Show, the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson or Snyder’s Tomorrow Show, Ayn Rand was extremely clear and concise. Those familiar with her books will find much to think about. Even those who are agnostic or hostile to her philosophy may gain from seeing her in action through archival material. Those who are new to Ayn Rand will learn about the philosophy in a general, not pedantic, sense. Each viewer will learn more about what moved her to create a system of thought so radical, controversial and enduring. Everyone watching the movie can judge Ayn Rand as she thought, wrote and lived. (read the whole thing here).
Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life from Strand Releasing on Vimeo.
Philosophy: Who Needs It
Ayn Rand, American Fiction Writer
Address To The Graduating Class Of The United States Military Academy at West Point
New York — March 6, 1974
Since I am a fiction writer, let us start with a short short story. Suppose that you are an astronaut whose spaceship gets out of control and crashes on an unknown planet. When you regain consciousness and find that you are not hurt badly, the first three questions in your mind would be: Where am I? How can I discover it? What should I do?
You see unfamiliar vegetation outside, and there is air to breathe; the sunlight seems paler than you remember it and colder. You turn to look at the sky, but stop. You are struck by a sudden feeling: if you don’t look, you won’t have to know that you are, perhaps, too far from the earth and no return is possible; so long as you don’t know it, you are free to believe what you wish — and you experience a foggy, pleasant, but somehow guilty, kind of hope.
You turn to your instruments: they may be damaged, you don’t know how seriously. But you stop, struck by a sudden fear: how can you trust these instruments? How can you be sure that they won’t mislead you? How can you know whether they will work in a different world? You turn away from the instruments.
Now you begin to wonder why you have no desire to do anything. It seems so much safer just to wait for something to turn up somehow; it is better, you tell yourself, not to rock the spaceship. Far in the distance, you see some sort of living creatures approaching; you don’t know whether they are human, but they walk on two feet. They, you decide, will tell you what to do.
You are never heard from again.
This is fantasy, you say? You would not act like that and no astronaut ever would? Perhaps not. But this is the way most men live their lives, here, on earth.
Most men spend their days struggling to evade three questions, the answers to which underlie man’s every thought, feeling and action, whether he is consciously aware of it or not: Where am I? How do I know it? What should I do?
By the time they are old enough to understand these questions, men believe that they know the answers. Where am I? Say, in New York City. How do I know it? It’s self-evident. What should I do? Here, they are not too sure — but the usual answer is: whatever everybody does. The only trouble seems to be that they are not very active, not very confident, not very happy — and they experience, at times, a causeless fear and an undefined guilt, which they cannot explain or get rid of.
They have never discovered the fact that the trouble comes from the three unanswered questions — and that there is only one science that can answer them: philosophy.
Philosophy studies the fundamental nature of existence, of man, and of man’s relationship to existence. As against the special sciences, which deal only with particular aspects, philosophy deals with those aspects of the universe which pertain to everything that exists. In the realm of cognition, the special sciences are the trees, but philosophy is the soil which makes the forest possible.
Philosophy would not tell you, for instance, whether you are in New York City or in Zanzibar (though it would give you the means to find out). But here is what it would tell you: Are you in a universe which is ruled by natural laws and, therefore, is stable, firm, absolute — and knowable? Or are you in an incomprehensible chaos, a realm of inexplicable miracles, an unpredictable, unknowable flux, which your mind is impotent to grasp? Are the things you see around you real — or are they only an illusion? Do they exist independent of any observer — or are they created by the observer? Are they the object or the subject of man’s consciousness? Are they what they are — or can they be changed by a mere act of your consciousness, such as a wish?
The nature of your actions — and of your ambition — will be different, according to which set of answers you come to accept. These answers are the province of metaphysics — the study of existence as such or, in Aristotle’s words, of “being qua being” — the basic branch of philosophy.
No matter what conclusions you reach, you will be confronted by the necessity to answer another, corollary question: How do I know it? Since man is not omniscient or infallible, you have to discover what you can claim as knowledge and how to prove the validity of your conclusions. Does man acquire knowledge by a process of reason — or by sudden revelation from a supernatural power? Is reason a faculty that identifies and integrates the material provided by man’s senses — or is it fed by innate ideas, implanted in man’s mind before he was born? Is reason competent to perceive reality — or does man possess some other cognitive faculty which is superior to reason? Can man achieve certainty — or is he doomed to perpetual doubt?
The extent of your self-confidence — and of your success — will be different, according to which set of answers you accept. These answers are the province of epistemology, the theory of knowledge, which studies man’s means of cognition.
These two branches are the theoretical foundation of philosophy. The third branch — ethics — may be regarded as its technology. Ethics does not apply to everything that exists, only to man, but it applies to every aspect of man’s life: his character, his actions, his values, his relationship to all of existence. Ethics, or morality, defines a code of values to guide man’s choices and actions — the choices and actions that determine the course of his life.
Just as the astronaut in my story did not know what he should do, because he refused to know where he was and how to discover it, so you cannot know what you should do until you know the nature of the universe you deal with, the nature of your means of cognition — and your own nature. Before you come to ethics, you must answer the questions posed by metaphysics and epistemology: Is man a rational being, able to deal with reality — or is he a helplessly blind misfit, a chip buffeted by the universal flux? Are achievement and enjoyment possible to man on earth — or is he doomed to failure and distaste? Depending on the answers, you can proceed to consider the questions posed by ethics: What is good or evil for man — and why? Should man’s primary concern be a quest for joy — or an escape from suffering? Should man hold self-fulfillment — or self-destruction — as the goal of his life? Should man pursue his values — or should he place the interests of others above his own? Should man seek happiness — or self-sacrifice?
I do not have to point out the different consequences of these two sets of answers. You can see them everywhere — within you and around you.
The answers given by ethics determine how man should treat other men, and this determines the fourth branch of philosophy: politics, which defines the principles of a proper social system. As an example of philosophy’s function, political philosophy will not tell you how much rationed gas you should be given and on which day of the week — it will tell you whether the government has the right to impose any rationing on anything.
The fifth and last branch of philosophy is esthetics, the study of art, which is based on metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. Art deals with the needs — the refueling — of man’s consciousness.
Now some of you might say, as many people do: “Aw, I never think in such abstract terms — I want to deal with concrete, particular, real-life problems — what do I need philosophy for?” My answer is: In order to be able to deal with concrete, particular, real-life problems — i.e., in order to be able to live on earth.
You might claim — as most people do — that you have never been influenced by philosophy. I will ask you to check that claim. Have you ever thought or said the following? “Don’t be so sure — nobody can be certain of anything.” You got that notion from David Hume (and many, many others), even though you might never have heard of him. Or: “This may be good in theory, but it doesn’t work in practice.” You got that from Plato. Or: “That was a rotten thing to do, but it’s only human, nobody is perfect in this world.” You got that from Augustine. Or: “It may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.” You got it from William James. Or: “I couldn’t help it! Nobody can help anything he does.” You got it from Hegel. Or: “I can’t prove it, but I feel that it’s true.” You got it from Kant. Or: “It’s logical, but logic has nothing to do with reality.” You got it from Kant. Or: “It’s evil, because it’s selfish.” You got it from Kant. Have you heard the modern activists say: “Act first, think afterward”? They got it from John Dewey.
Some people might answer: “Sure, I’ve said those things at different times, but I don’t have to believe that stuff all of the time. It may have been true yesterday, but it’s not true today.” They got it from Hegel. They might say: “Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” They got it from a very little mind, Emerson. They might say: “But can’t one compromise and borrow different ideas from different philosophies according to the expediency of the moment?” They got it from Richard Nixon — who got it from William James.
Now ask yourself: if you are not interested in abstract ideas, why do you (and all men) feel compelled to use them? The fact is that abstract ideas are conceptual integrations which subsume an incalculable number of concretes — and that without abstract ideas you would not be able to deal with concrete, particular, real-life problems. You would be in the position of a newborn infant, to whom every object is a unique, unprecedented phenomenon. The difference between his mental state and yours lies in the number of conceptual integrations your mind has performed.
You have no choice about the necessity to integrate your observations, your experiences, your knowledge into abstract ideas, i.e., into principles. Your only choice is whether these principles are true or false, whether they represent your conscious, rational conviction — or a grab-bag of notions snatched at random, whose sources, validity, context and consequences you do not know, notions which, more often than not, you would drop like a hot potato if you knew.
But the principles you accept (consciously or subconsciously) may clash with or contradict one another; they, too, have to be integrated. What integrates them? Philosophy. A philosophic system is an integrated view of existence. As a human being, you have no choice about the fact that you need a philosophy. Your only choice is whether you define your philosophy by a conscious, rational, disciplined process of thought and scrupulously logical deliberation — or let your subconscious accumulate a junk heap of unwarranted conclusions, false generalizations, undefined contradictions, undigested slogans, unidentified wishes, doubts and fears, thrown together by chance, but integrated by your subconscious into a kind of mongrel philosophy and fused into a single, solid weight: self-doubt, like a ball and chain in the place where your mind’s wings should have grown.
You might say, as many people do, that it is not easy always to act on abstract principles. No, it is not easy. But how much harder is it, to have to act on them without knowing what they are?
Your subconscious is like a computer — more complex a computer than men can build — and its main function is the integration of your ideas. Who programs it? Your conscious mind. If you default, if you don’t reach any firm convictions, your subconscious is programmed by chance — and you deliver yourself into the power of ideas you do not know you have accepted. But one way or the other, your computer gives you print-outs, daily and hourly, in the form of emotions — which are lightning-like estimates of the things around you, calculated according to your values. If you programmed your computer by conscious thinking, you know the nature of your values and emotions. If you didn’t, you don’t.
Many people, particularly today, claim that man cannot live by logic alone, that there’s the emotional element of his nature to consider, and that they rely on the guidance of their emotions. Well, so did the astronaut in my story. The joke is on him — and on them: man’s values and emotions are determined by his fundamental view of life. The ultimate programmer of his subconscious is philosophy — the science which, according to the emotionalists, is impotent to affect or penetrate the murky mysteries of their feelings.
The quality of a computer’s output is determined by the quality of its input. If your subconscious is programmed by chance, its output will have a corresponding character. You have probably heard the computer operators’ eloquent term “gigo” — which means: “Garbage in, garbage out.” The same formula applies to the relationship between a man’s thinking and his emotions.
A man who is run by emotions is like a man who is run by a computer whose print-outs he cannot read. He does not know whether its programming is true or false, right or wrong, whether it’s set to lead him to success or destruction, whether it serves his goals or those of some evil, unknowable power. He is blind on two fronts: blind to the world around him and to his own inner world, unable to grasp reality or his own motives, and he is in chronic terror of both. Emotions are not tools of cognition. The men who are not interested in philosophy need it most urgently: they are most helplessly in its power.
The men who are not interested in philosophy absorb its principles from the cultural atmosphere around them — from schools, colleges, books, magazines, newspapers, movies, television, etc. Who sets the tone of a culture? A small handful of men: the philosophers. Others follow their lead, either by conviction or by default. For some two hundred years, under the influence of Immanuel Kant, the dominant trend of philosophy has been directed to a single goal: the destruction of man’s mind, of his confidence in the power of reason. Today, we are seeing the climax of that trend.
When men abandon reason, they find not only that their emotions cannot guide them, but that they can experience no emotions save one: terror. The spread of drug addiction among young people brought up on today’s intellectual fashions, demonstrates the unbearable inner state of men who are deprived of their means of cognition and who seek escape from reality — from the terror of their impotence to deal with existence. Observe these young people’s dread of independence and their frantic desire to “belong,” to attach themselves to some group, clique or gang. Most of them have never heard of philosophy, but they sense that they need some fundamental answers to questions they dare not ask — and they hope that the tribe will tell them how to live. They are ready to be taken over by any witch doctor, guru, or dictator. One of the most dangerous things a man can do is to surrender his moral autonomy to others: like the astronaut in my story, he does not know whether they are human, even though they walk on two feet.
Now you may ask: If philosophy can be that evil, why should one study it? Particularly, why should one study the philosophical theories which are blatantly false, make no sense, and bear no relation to real life?
My answer is: In self-protection — and in defense of truth, justice, freedom, and any value you ever held or may ever hold.
Not all philosophies are evil, though too many of them are, particularly in modern history. On the other hand, at the root of every civilized achievement, such as science, technology, progress, freedom — at the root of every value we enjoy today, including the birth of this country — you will find the achievement of one man, who lived over two thousand years ago: Aristotle.
If you feel nothing but boredom when reading the virtually unintelligible theories of some philosophers, you have my deepest sympathy. But if you brush them aside, saying: “Why should I study that stuff when I know it’s nonsense?” — you are mistaken. It is nonsense, but you don’t know it — not so long as you go on accepting all their conclusions, all the vicious catch phrases generated by those philosophers. And not so long as you are unable to refute them.
That nonsense deals with the most crucial, the life-or-death issues of man’s existence. At the root of every significant philosophic theory, there is a legitimate issue — in the sense that there is an authentic need of man’s consciousness, which some theories struggle to clarify and others struggle to obfuscate, to corrupt, to prevent man from ever discovering. The battle of philosophers is a battle for man’s mind. If you do not understand their theories, you are vulnerable to the worst among them.
The best way to study philosophy is to approach it as one approaches a detective story: follow every trail, clue and implication, in order to discover who is a murderer and who is a hero. The criterion of detection is two questions: Why? and How? If a given tenet seems to be true — why? If another tenet seems to be false — why? and how is it being put over? You will not find all the answers immediately, but you will acquire an invaluable characteristic: the ability to think in terms of essentials.
Nothing is given to man automatically, neither knowledge, nor self-confidence, nor inner serenity, nor the right way to use his mind. Every value he needs or wants has to be discovered, learned and acquired — even the proper posture of his body. In this context, I want to say that I have always admired the posture of West Point graduates, a posture that projects man in proud, disciplined control of his body. Well, philosophical training gives man the proper intellectual posture — a proud, disciplined control of his mind.
In your own profession, in military science, you know the importance of keeping track of the enemy’s weapons, strategy and tactics — and of being prepared to counter them. The same is true in philosophy: you have to understand the enemy’s ideas and be prepared to refute them, you have to know his basic arguments and be able to blast them.
In physical warfare, you would not send your men into a booby trap: you would make every effort to discover its location. Well, Kant’s system is the biggest and most intricate booby trap in the history of philosophy — but it’s so full of holes that once you grasp its gimmick, you can defuse it without any trouble and walk forward over it in perfect safety. And, once it is defused, the lesser Kantians — the lower ranks of his army, the philosophical sergeants, buck privates, and mercenaries of today — will fall of their own weightlessness, by chain reaction.
There is a special reason why you, the future leaders of the United States Army, need to be philosophically armed today. You are the target of a special attack by the Kantian-Hegelian-collectivist establishment that dominates our cultural institutions at present. You are the army of the last semi-free country left on earth, yet you are accused of being a tool of imperialism — and “imperialism” is the name given to the foreign policy of this country, which has never engaged in military conquest and has never profited from the two world wars, which she did not initiate, but entered and won. (It was, incidentally, a foolishly overgenerous policy, which made this country waste her wealth on helping both her allies and her former enemies.) Something called “the military-industrial complex” — which is a myth or worse — is being blamed for all of this country’s troubles. Bloody college hoodlums scream demands that R.O.T.C. units be banned from college campuses. Our defense budget is being attacked, denounced and undercut by people who claim that financial priority should be given to ecological rose gardens and to classes in esthetic self-expression for the residents of the slums.
Some of you may be bewildered by this campaign and may be wondering, in good faith, what errors you committed to bring it about. If so, it is urgently important for you to understand the nature of the enemy. You are attacked, not for any errors or flaws, but for your virtues. You are denounced, not for any weaknesses, but for your strength and your competence. You are penalized for being the protectors of the United States. On a lower level of the same issue, a similar kind of campaign is conducted against the police force. Those who seek to destroy this country, seek to disarm it — intellectually and physically. But it is not a mere political issue; politics is not the cause, but the last consequence of philosophical ideas. It is not a communist conspiracy, though some communists may be involved — as maggots cashing in on a disaster they had no power to originate. The motive of the destroyers is not love for communism, but hatred for America. Why hatred? Because America is the living refutation of a Kantian universe.
Today’s mawkish concern with and compassion for the feeble, the flawed, the suffering, the guilty, is a cover for the profoundly Kantian hatred of the innocent, the strong, the able, the successful, the virtuous, the confident, the happy. A philosophy out to destroy man’s mind is necessarily a philosophy of hatred for man, for man’s life, and for every human value. Hatred of the good for being the good, is the hallmark of the twentieth century. This is the enemy you are facing.
A battle of this kind requires special weapons. It has to be fought with a full understanding of your cause, a full confidence in yourself, and the fullest certainty of the moral rightness of both. Only philosophy can provide you with these weapons.
The assignment I gave myself for tonight is not to sell you on my philosophy, but on philosophy as such. I have, however, been speaking implicitly of my philosophy in every sentence — since none of us and no statement can escape from philosophical premises. What is my selfish interest in the matter? I am confident enough to think that if you accept the importance of philosophy and the task of examining it critically, it is my philosophy that you will come to accept. Formally, I call it Objectivism, but informally I call it a philosophy for living on earth. You will find an explicit presentation of it in my books, particularly in Atlas Shrugged.
In conclusion, allow me to speak in personal terms. This evening means a great deal to me. I feel deeply honored by the opportunity to address you. I can say — not as a patriotic bromide, but with full knowledge of the necessary metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, political and esthetic roots — that the United States of America is the greatest, the noblest and, in its original founding principles, the only moral country in the history of the world. There is a kind of quiet radiance associated in my mind with the name West Point — because you have preserved the spirit of those original founding principles and you are their symbol. There were contradictions and omissions in those principles, and there may be in yours — but I am speaking of the essentials. There may be individuals in your history who did not live up to your highest standards — as there are in every institution — since no institutions and no social system can guarantee the automatic perfection of all its members; this depends on an individual’s free will. I am speaking of your standards. You have preserved three qualities of character which were typical at the time of America’s birth, but are virtually nonexistent today: earnestness — dedication — a sense of honor. Honor is self-esteem made visible in action.
You have chosen to risk your lives for the defense of this country. I will not insult you by saying that you are dedicated to selfless service — it is not a virtue in my morality. In my morality, the defense of one’s country means that a man is personally unwilling to live as the conquered slave of any enemy, foreign or domestic. This is an enormous virtue. Some of you may not be consciously aware of it. I want to help you to realize it.
The army of a free country has a great responsibility: the right to use force, but not as an instrument of compulsion and brute conquest — as the armies of other countries have done in their histories — only as an instrument of a free nation’s self-defense, which means: the defense of a man’s individual rights. The principle of using force only in retaliation against those who initiate its use, is the principle of subordinating might to right. The highest integrity and sense of honor are required for such a task. No other army in the world has achieved it. You have.
West Point has given America a long line of heroes, known and unknown. You, this year’s graduates, have a glorious tradition to carry on — which I admire profoundly, not because it is a tradition, but because it is glorious.
Since I came from a country guilty of the worst tyranny on earth, I am particularly able to appreciate the meaning, the greatness and the supreme value of that which you are defending. So, in my own name and in the name of many people who think as I do, I want to say, to all the men of West Point, past, present and future: Thank you.