lewrockwell--2020-09-19--Even Whitmer’s Mask Edicts Have Loopholes

You can drive a bus through Michigan ’ s face mask exemptions .
If you and I took the teleporter to Michigan right now , we might see a lot of obediently masked people , even though Michigan has some of the loosest face mask exemptions I ’ ve ever seen .
While I love to booh the villain in The Perils of Pauline ( 1914 ) as much as the next guy does , looking at Gretchen Whitmer ‘ s face mask order , she is not a villain , and no fully functioning adult reading these pages is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in distress , helpless and in need of saving .
The Case Against Masks ... Heckenlively , Kent Buy New $ 12.99 Here are highlights of the Michigan order .
No Masks Until 5 Years Old A lot of states and localities call for masking starting at 2 years old .
Not Michigan ; it gives you until 5 .
Those Exercising Are Exempt The order contains an exemption if you “ Are exercising when wearing a face covering would interfere with the activity.
” Getting A Shave Or A Facial Or A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exemption if you “ Are receiving a service for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary.
” Getting Identified At A Bank Is Exempt The order contains an exemption if you “ Are entering a business or are receiving a service and are asked to temporarily remove a face covering for identification purposes.
” Public Speaking Is Exempt The order contains an exemption if you “ Are giving a speech for broadcast or to an audience , provided that the audience is at least six feet away from the speaker.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buy New $ 79.99 Pastors Preaching & Officiating Are Exempt The order contains an exemption if you “ Are officiating at a religious service.
” A pastor doesn ’ t need to keep his six feet .
Attending Church Exempts You The order contains an exemption for church attendance , stating “ No individual is subject to penalty under section 8 of this order for removing a mask while engaging in religious worship at a house of religious worship.
” Voters Are Exempt The order contains an exemption if you “ Are at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an election.
” Police Are Exempt The order contains an exemption if you “ Are actively engaged in a public safety role , including but not limited to law enforcement , firefighters , or emergency medical personnel , and where wearing a mask would seriously interfere in the performance of their public safety responsibilities.
” Those Communicating With Deaf People Are Exempt The order contains an exemption if you “ Are communicating with someone who is deaf , deafblind , or hard of hearing and where the ability to see the mouth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While Seated At A Restaurant Are Exempt The order contains an exemption if you “ Are eating or drinking while seated at a food service establishment.
” Master Manipulator : Th ... James Ottar Grundvig Best Price : $ 14.15 Buy New $ 17.78 And The Biggest : The Medical Exemption The order contains an exemption if you “ Can not medically tolerate a face covering.
” Some states won ’ t even offer a medical exemption for vaccines .
If you can not medically tolerate a vaccine , you ’ re out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medically tolerate a face mask in Michigan , Gretchen Whitmer ’ s got your back ( at least according to her order ) .
By the way , Michigan law allows for medical , religious , and philosophical exemptions from vaccines in daycare and preschool through 12th grade , as long as you and your child exercise those rights .
( https : //www.michiganvaccinechoice.org/school-waivers ) This is much like the face mask orders .
There are plenty of rights to be had for anyone who demands those rights be honored .
A philosophical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be amazing , but the good people of Michigan have yet to strike enough fear in the hearts of their minders for that to happen .
Not only does Michigan provide a medical exemption for face masks , it goes a step further and is very clear how you can invoke a medical exemption , going so far as to state what a business may say , so that business owners can be very clear that they are neither violating the law nor bullying people .
Verbal Representation Of Medical Condition Is Enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The order advises on procedure for handling exemptions : “ A business may , however , accept a customer ’ s verbal representation that they are not wearing a face covering because they fall within a specified exception.
” Verbal representation of condition gets the job done .
It says right there that it ’ s okay for Mungo at the compliance checkpoint not to ask for a doctor ’ s note , nor is it necessary for you to have managerial-training-program Karen at the compliance checkpoint conduct some kind of pseudo-medical intake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Vaccine Epidemic : How ... Best Price : $ 7.50 Buy New $ 12.99 The order invites you , as a customer , to say “ I have a medical exemption , ” or some similar statement such as “ I am unable to wear a face mask safely , ” but you don ’ t even need to say that .
“ I am not wearing a face covering because I fall within a specified exemption , ” is enough under the order .
The same order invites the business manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something like “ That ’ s okay .
Thank you for being so clear and polite about it .
I know I won ’ t get into trouble for that , now , which is something we ’ ve been worried about .
Since you said it that way , I ’ m able to now fully comply with the order and allow you to shop in our store.
” Don ’ t Get Me Wrong , It ’ s An Awful Order , But… If you don ’ t exhibit the courage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the order says , the fault is not on the tyrant , but on you .
In a freer place , maybe there would be less tyranny , but never in the history of man has that been a long-lasting aspect of life .
Good leaders turn into awful tyrants , as soon as it ’ s clear that no one else is guarding his grasp on power .
The reason that there are periods of no tyranny in history is because a tyrant was not tolerated .
Once a tyrant is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to get a tyrant .
That ’ s pretty much guaranteed .
If a tyrant is not tolerated , you might still get a tyrant , but the tyrant won ’ t last long .
So the choice is yours , are you going to tolerate a tyrant or not ?
Some smart people can be really negative .
They don ’ t do much with their smartness , but they can be incredibly insightful critics .
Criticism is often a form of procrastination among the smart .
The missed potential is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the specific instance of the power grabs of 2020 , rather than acting to stop a tyrant , some will spend their time proving how right they are .
Cultural Cancer : Treat ... Kane , Daryl Best Price : $ 20.00 Buy New $ 9.95 Those Who Just Want A Story To Tell Some people want a story to tell .
If they have a choice between an easy way for them to go about their business , or if they can choose a complicated path that provides a story , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the complicated and contorted story to be able to tell .
Some will wear the face mask to have a story , others will take their vaccine to have a story .
The story is the primary goal for some , rather than the primary goal of living free or having a joyous life .
I ’ ll trade in a knee-slapping good story for an afternoon of pure liberty any day .
Liberty is not a valid trade-off for entertainment .
People who want freedom , will invoke their freedoms virtually any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitmer Is A Tyrant And Control Freak Who Must Be Stopped At Every Juncture As much as this order compares favorably against many of the other face mask orders , it ’ s worth noting that anyone who would sign an order with this level of detail explaining how one must talk in order to prevent being accosted , beaten , arrested , maimed , fined , or imprisoned is an obvious control freak Karen .
Thank You To Those Who Carried Guns To The Capital This Spring And Summer There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Imagine how bad it could be in Michigan if there weren ’ t brave souls standing up and saying “ No more !
” demonstrating throughout this all that the elected officials were not the omnipotent saviors they fashioned themselves as .
There are so many worse places too .
The worse places aren ’ t worse places because they have worse elected officials .
Elected officials are almost universally awful everywhere .
It ’ s because the worse places have worse leadership among the citizenry .
One data it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than the germ .
Imagine how many more would have lived through Covid in the northeast , had that tyranny not been so well tolerated .
We can ’ t turn back time .
We can impact this moment , and we can impact our own lives , and perhaps even the future .
Do you want to bring an end to this tyranny as much as I do ?
Your actions speak louder than any words .
Send me your stories from the face mask compliance checkpoint , and help me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Best of Allan Stevo

Stop Calling Whitmer A Tyrant If You‘re Being A Mask Coward
You can drive a bus through Michigan’s face mask exemptions.
If you and I took the teleporter to Michigan right now, we might see a lot of obediently masked people, even though Michigan has some of the loosest face mask exemptions I’ve ever seen.
While I love to booh the villain in The Perils of Pauline (1914) as much as the next guy does, looking at Gretchen Whitmer‘s face mask order, she is not a villain, and no fully functioning adult reading these pages is entitled to claim status as a damsel in distress, helpless and in need of saving. The Case Against Masks... Heckenlively, Kent Buy New $12.99 (as of 04:52 UTC - Details)
Here are highlights of the Michigan order.
No Masks Until 5 Years Old
A lot of states and localities call for masking starting at 2 years old. Not Michigan; it gives you until 5.
Those Exercising Are Exempt
The order contains an exemption if you “Are exercising when wearing a face covering would interfere with the activity.”
Getting A Shave Or A Facial Or A Nose Job Is Exempt
The order contains an exemption if you “Are receiving a service for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary.”
Getting Identified At A Bank Is Exempt
The order contains an exemption if you “Are entering a business or are receiving a service and are asked to temporarily remove a face covering for identification purposes.”
Public Speaking Is Exempt
The order contains an exemption if you “Are giving a speech for broadcast or to an audience, provided that the audience is at least six feet away from the speaker.” GEER Head Mask Full Fa... Buy New $79.99 (as of 04:45 UTC - Details)
Pastors Preaching & Officiating Are Exempt
The order contains an exemption if you “Are officiating at a religious service.” A pastor doesn’t need to keep his six feet.
Attending Church Exempts You
The order contains an exemption for church attendance, stating “No individual is subject to penalty under section 8 of this order for removing a mask while engaging in religious worship at a house of religious worship.”
Voters Are Exempt
The order contains an exemption if you “Are at a polling place for purposes of voting in an election.”
Police Are Exempt
The order contains an exemption if you “Are actively engaged in a public safety role, including but not limited to law enforcement, firefighters, or emergency medical personnel, and where wearing a mask would seriously interfere in the performance of their public safety responsibilities.”
Those Communicating With Deaf People Are Exempt
The order contains an exemption if you “Are communicating with someone who is deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and where the ability to see the mouth is essential to communication.”
Those Eating While Seated At A Restaurant Are Exempt
The order contains an exemption if you “Are eating or drinking while seated at a food service establishment.” Master Manipulator: Th... James Ottar Grundvig Best Price: $14.15 Buy New $17.78 (as of 05:25 UTC - Details)
And The Biggest: The Medical Exemption
The order contains an exemption if you “Cannot medically tolerate a face covering.” Some states won’t even offer a medical exemption for vaccines. If you cannot medically tolerate a vaccine, you’re out of luck. If you cannot medically tolerate a face mask in Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer’s got your back (at least according to her order).
By the way, Michigan law allows for medical, religious, and philosophical exemptions from vaccines in daycare and preschool through 12th grade, as long as you and your child exercise those rights. (https://www.michiganvaccinechoice.org/school-waivers) This is much like the face mask orders. There are plenty of rights to be had for anyone who demands those rights be honored.
A philosophical exemption for face masks in Michigan would be amazing, but the good people of Michigan have yet to strike enough fear in the hearts of their minders for that to happen.
Not only does Michigan provide a medical exemption for face masks, it goes a step further and is very clear how you can invoke a medical exemption, going so far as to state what a business may say, so that business owners can be very clear that they are neither violating the law nor bullying people.
Verbal Representation Of Medical Condition Is Enough In Michigan Under Whitmer’s Order
The order advises on procedure for handling exemptions: “A business may, however, accept a customer’s verbal representation that they are not wearing a face covering because they fall within a specified exception.”
Verbal representation of condition gets the job done. It says right there that it’s okay for Mungo at the compliance checkpoint not to ask for a doctor’s note, nor is it necessary for you to have managerial-training-program Karen at the compliance checkpoint conduct some kind of pseudo-medical intake interview at the backed up front door. Vaccine Epidemic: How ... Best Price: $7.50 Buy New $12.99 (as of 06:30 UTC - Details)
The order invites you, as a customer, to say “I have a medical exemption,” or some similar statement such as “I am unable to wear a face mask safely,” but you don’t even need to say that. “I am not wearing a face covering because I fall within a specified exemption,” is enough under the order. The same order invites the business manager to now accept that, perhaps saying something like “That’s okay. Thank you for being so clear and polite about it. I know I won’t get into trouble for that, now, which is something we’ve been worried about. Since you said it that way, I’m able to now fully comply with the order and allow you to shop in our store.”
Don’t Get Me Wrong, It’s An Awful Order, But…
If you don’t exhibit the courage to defend your rights, no matter what the order says, the fault is not on the tyrant, but on you.
In a freer place, maybe there would be less tyranny, but never in the history of man has that been a long-lasting aspect of life. Good leaders turn into awful tyrants, as soon as it’s clear that no one else is guarding his grasp on power. The reason that there are periods of no tyranny in history is because a tyrant was not tolerated.
Once a tyrant is tolerated, well, you’re going to get a tyrant. That’s pretty much guaranteed. If a tyrant is not tolerated, you might still get a tyrant, but the tyrant won’t last long.
So the choice is yours, are you going to tolerate a tyrant or not?
The Negative Smart People
Some smart people can be really negative. They don’t do much with their smartness, but they can be incredibly insightful critics. Criticism is often a form of procrastination among the smart. The missed potential is a tragedy of epic proportion. In the specific instance of the power grabs of 2020, rather than acting to stop a tyrant, some will spend their time proving how right they are. Cultural Cancer: Treat... Kane, Daryl Best Price: $20.00 Buy New $9.95 (as of 04:04 UTC - Details)
Those Who Just Want A Story To Tell
Some people want a story to tell. If they have a choice between an easy way for them to go about their business, or if they can choose a complicated path that provides a story, they invariably opt for the distracting detour of the complicated and contorted story to be able to tell.
Some will wear the face mask to have a story, others will take their vaccine to have a story. The story is the primary goal for some, rather than the primary goal of living free or having a joyous life.
I’ll trade in a knee-slapping good story for an afternoon of pure liberty any day. Liberty is not a valid trade-off for entertainment.
People who want freedom, will invoke their freedoms virtually any way they can figure it out.
Whitmer Is A Tyrant And Control Freak Who Must Be Stopped At Every Juncture
As much as this order compares favorably against many of the other face mask orders, it’s worth noting that anyone who would sign an order with this level of detail explaining how one must talk in order to prevent being accosted, beaten, arrested, maimed, fined, or imprisoned is an obvious control freak Karen.
Thank You To Those Who Carried Guns To The Capital This Spring And Summer
There’s tyranny in Michigan. No doubt about it. Imagine how bad it could be in Michigan if there weren’t brave souls standing up and saying “No more!” demonstrating throughout this all that the elected officials were not the omnipotent saviors they fashioned themselves as. There are so many worse places too.
The worse places aren’t worse places because they have worse elected officials. Elected officials are almost universally awful everywhere. It’s because the worse places have worse leadership among the citizenry.
One data it will be resoundingly clear that the tyranny killed more than the germ. Imagine how many more would have lived through Covid in the northeast, had that tyranny not been so well tolerated.
We can’t turn back time. We can impact this moment, and we can impact our own lives, and perhaps even the future.
Do you want to bring an end to this tyranny as much as I do?
Your actions speak louder than any words.
Send me your stories from the face mask compliance checkpoint, and help me put an end to this tyranny.
The Best of Allan Stevo


lewrockwell--2020-09-19--Shock: Harvard Prof Talks Sense About Lockdowns and Virus

By now I ’ m sure you know Stanford ’ s Dr. Scott Atlas , who is Public Enemy # 1 to the COVID cultists because he takes a reality-based approach to the virus .
He ’ s also now an adviser to the President .
Well , a bunch of his colleagues , not exactly risking anything in this political climate , recently released a letter attacking him .
( The vast majority of these colleagues have donated to Democratic candidates or other left-wing causes , we now know . )
Why , how dare he say children are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because children obviously are essentially at no risk ? )
Toshiba EM131A5C-BS Mi ... Best Price : $ 101.99 Buy New $ 119.99 How dare he suggest that we protect the vulnerable and let everyone else live ?
Why , all should be punished equally !
Now comes Martin Kulldorff , a professor at Harvard Medical School , in defense of Atlas .
“ While anyone can get infected , there is a thousand-fold difference in mortality risk between the old and young , and the risk to children is less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy , Atlas wants to better protect high-risk individuals , while letting children and young adults live more normal lives .
This contrasts with general age-wide lockdowns that protect low-risk students and young professionals working from home , while older higher-risk working-class people generate the inevitable herd immunity.
” Unlike the signatories to the letter , Kulldorff continues , Atlas doesn ’ t ignore the “ collateral damage caused by lockdowns.
” Kulldorff continues : “ Among experts on infectious disease outbreaks , many of us have long advocated for an age-targeted strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate this with any of the 98 signatories.
” And then , knowing just the language to hit them with , he concludes : “ Supporters include professor Sunetra Gupta at Oxford University , the world ’ s preeminent infectious disease epidemiologist .
Assuming no bias against women scientists of color , I urge Stanford faculty and students to read her thoughts.
” [ Emphasis added . ]
Now this is juicy and everything , but the news that has me the happiest over the past 24 hours is this : The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemic racism ” at his university .
So now the federal Department of Education is suing for its money back , since one of the requirements of receiving federal funds is a pledge of nondiscrimination .
Obviously the president of Princeton knows that Princeton University , of all places , must be one of the most accommodating institutions on Earth for nonwhites .
He knows full well there is no “ systemic racism , ” but everyone else in higher education was writing a letter like this at the time , so he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s got to decide .
Either he admits the “ systemic racism ” stuff is b.s.
, or he says : yes , we ’ ve been racist , so here ’ s your $ 75 million back .
The Best of Tom Woods

Shop all books by Tom Woods
From the Tom Woods Letter:
By now I’m sure you know Stanford’s Dr. Scott Atlas, who is Public Enemy #1 to the COVID cultists because he takes a reality-based approach to the virus. He’s also now an adviser to the President.
Well, a bunch of his colleagues, not exactly risking anything in this political climate, recently released a letter attacking him. (The vast majority of these colleagues have donated to Democratic candidates or other left-wing causes, we now know.)
Why, how dare he say children are at essentially no risk! (Um, because children obviously are essentially at no risk?) Toshiba EM131A5C-BS Mi... Best Price: $101.99 Buy New $119.99 (as of 04:17 UTC - Details)
How dare he suggest that we protect the vulnerable and let everyone else live? Why, all should be punished equally!
Now comes Martin Kulldorff, a professor at Harvard Medical School, in defense of Atlas.
“While anyone can get infected, there is a thousand-fold difference in mortality risk between the old and young, and the risk to children is less than from annual influenza. Using an age-targeted strategy, Atlas wants to better protect high-risk individuals, while letting children and young adults live more normal lives. This contrasts with general age-wide lockdowns that protect low-risk students and young professionals working from home, while older higher-risk working-class people generate the inevitable herd immunity.”
Unlike the signatories to the letter, Kulldorff continues, Atlas doesn’t ignore the “collateral damage caused by lockdowns.”
Kulldorff continues: “Among experts on infectious disease outbreaks, many of us have long advocated for an age-targeted strategy, and I would be delighted to debate this with any of the 98 signatories.”
And then, knowing just the language to hit them with, he concludes:
“Supporters include professor Sunetra Gupta at Oxford University, the world’s preeminent infectious disease epidemiologist. Assuming no bias against women scientists of color, I urge Stanford faculty and students to read her thoughts.” [Emphasis added.]
Hahahahaha!
Excellent. Small Black/Silver Wom... Buy New $39.95 (as of 04:17 UTC - Details)
Now this is juicy and everything, but the news that has me the happiest over the past 24 hours is this:
The president of Princeton University recently spoke about “systemic racism” at his university. So now the federal Department of Education is suing for its money back, since one of the requirements of receiving federal funds is a pledge of nondiscrimination.
Now that’s hilarious.
Obviously the president of Princeton knows that Princeton University, of all places, must be one of the most accommodating institutions on Earth for nonwhites. He knows full well there is no “systemic racism,” but everyone else in higher education was writing a letter like this at the time, so he wrote one, too.
And now he’s got to decide.
Either he admits the “systemic racism” stuff is b.s., or he says: yes, we’ve been racist, so here’s your $75 million back.
Too good.
The Best of Tom Woods


lewrockwell--2020-09-19--Will a Military Coup Undo the November Elections, Donald Trump, and the Republic Itself?

On March 20 , I published an article called Why Assume There will be a 2020 Election ?
where I laid out the existential threat of a new Wall Street military Coup which would not only render elections obsolete , but would impose a new fascist hell onto America and the world .
In that article I discussed the importance of General Smedley Butler ’ s strategic decision to expose the Wall Street plot to overthrow the newly elected president Franklin Roosevelt who was in the midst of waging a war on both Wall Street , the City of London @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the great depression .
Butler ’ s congressional testimony put the spotlight on these shadow creatures and gave FDR the breathing space and public supported needed to wage war on America ’ s deep state while pushing a bold healing of the nation under the New Deal .
That article was followed by a sequel on April 3 entitled Standing on the Precipice of Martial Law which featured the story of John F Kennedy ’ s battles with the London-directed Deep State and Military Industrial Complex in depth and also how JFK worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expose these intrigues to the American people by turning the book 7 Days in May into a film ( unfortunately released only after other means were found to depose of the president ) .
That article also dealt with the various PNAC-affiliated “ planning scenarios ” run over a year before September 11 , 2001 which established the groundwork for a new type of Coup d ’ état within America with Cheney ’ s Continuity of Government protocols , the vast expansion of biowarfare infrastructure under the Bio-Shield Act , regime change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America itself .
Professional Grade 170 ... Best Price : $ 22.48 Buy New $ 39.97 After years of ongoing deep state penetration of the USA since JFK ’ s murder , a surprising nationalist dark horse president found himself in the Oval Office in the form of Donald Trump and just two months away from the 2020 elections , the threat of a new Military Coup organized by international financiers is as high as ever .
In his Labor Day press conference , Trump , who has distinguished himself as the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ military industrial complex ” threw down the gauntlet saying : “ Biden … sent our youth off to fight in these crazy endless wars .
It ’ s one of the reasons the military— I ’ m not saying the military is in love with me ; the soldiers are .
The top people in the Pentagon probably aren ’ t because they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the endless wars… .
And I said , ‘ That ’ s good .
Let ’ s bring our soldiers back home .
Some people don ’ t like to come home .
Some people like to continue to spend money.
’ One cold-hearted globalist betrayal after another , and that ’ s what it was.
” This statement should be taken both as a rallying call for patriots to use what is possibly their last chance to save the collapsing republic and avoiding world war three .
Stemless Wine Glass Tu ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Colonel Richard Black ( Former State Senator and Judge Advocate ) delivered a presentation at a Schiller Institute seminar where the colonel warned of the interconnected pattern of statements by former high ranking military officials either openly calling for a military coup ( Lt. Colonels Paul Yingling and John Nagl on August 11 ) or celebrating the anarchist mobs threatening to tear the republic apart .
To the latter group , Col. Black named former Defense Secretary James Mattis , Colin Powell , and Col. John Allen who have all questioned the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belief that Trump would not leave the White House willingly in January 2021 .
The actual source for those concerns didn ’ t come from any actual evidence obtained from reality however , but in fact arose out of “ November chaos scenario war games ” advanced by Soros/Clinton/Neocon-affiliated think tanks like the Transition Integrity Project which ran Event 201-like “ fictional ” scenario “ war games ” .
In one of the June TIP scenarios , Trump wins the popular November vote by a landslide , but due to the slow influx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revealed that Biden is the winner , whereby Trump supposedly locks the doors of the White House refusing to leave .
In the TIP “ game ” , Biden was played by none other than John Podesta .
These scenarios were again replayed more recently by a DNC-connected outfit named Hawkfish funded by Michael Bloomberg which was covered on Axios running a more detailed version of this computer model called “ Red Mirage ” .
Warning of a military coup , Col. Black stated “ The coordinated release of scathing remarks by senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocating a military coup suggests a deep sickness within the Pentagon and within our constitutional structure.
” Nearly Natural 5289 6 ... .
Best Price : $ 89.86 Buy New $ 104.45 As RT reported , between 2008-2018 , 380 high ranking pentagon officials have been hired by defense contractors including 25 generals , 9 admirals , 43 Lieutenant Generals and 23 Vice Admirals… which provides just one sampling of the potential for treachery prevalent within the sick constitutional structure .
Other Soros-affiliated operations have sprung forth on multiple fronts to ensure maximum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beyond the obvious anarchy operations within the streets of America itself , a Canadian-based Soros-funded anarchist group called the Adbusters/Blackspot Collective which claims credit for coordinating Occupy Wall Street in 2010 has unleashed a 60-day “ Lay Siege to the White House ” offensive beginning on September 17 .
The British-Canadian pedigree of this act represents a long-standing tradition of anti-U.S. operations stretching back to the Aaron Burr plot of “ northern secession ” with Canada in 1804 , the Montreal-directed assassinations of Abraham Lincoln AND John Kennedy to name but a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her excellent assessment of this operation : “ other known members of the TIP include David Frum ( the Atlantic ) , William Kristol ( Project for a New American Century , The Bulwark ) , Max Boot ( the Washington Post ) , Donna Brazile ( ex-DNC ) , John Podesta ( former campaign manager – Clinton 2016 ) , Chuck Hagel ( former Secretary of Defense ) , Reed Galen ( co-founder of the Lincoln Project ) and Norm Ornstein ( American Enterprise Institute ) .
” Sambucus Elderberry Ca ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ / Count ) As Webb lays out in her article and as I documented in my April 2020 ‘ Standing on the Precipice of Martial Law ’ , the new “ Continuity of Government ” protocols created in February to deal with the inevitable breakdown of America ’ s governing mechanisms under COVID pandemonium are very much still in effect .
A parallel chain of command under jarhead war hawk General Terrance O ’ Shaughnessy ( head of both NORTHCOM and NORAD ) has been established and members of that parallel government await @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 650 meters under a mountain in Cheyenne , Colorado to “ wait out the COVID-19 crisis ” .
Traitors tied to the Military Industrial Complex , and other NATO-phile unipolarist ideologues among the military are undoubtedly itching for action , and unless extraordinarily creative and speedy maneuvers can be accomplished by Trump and his trusted allies ( who number few and far between ) in tandem with his potential allies among the Multipolar Alliance , then all hope for the republic , and global war avoidance more broadly may be lost .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation .

On March 20, I published an article called Why Assume There will be a 2020 Election? where I laid out the existential threat of a new Wall Street military Coup which would not only render elections obsolete, but would impose a new fascist hell onto America and the world.
In that article I discussed the importance of General Smedley Butler’s strategic decision to expose the Wall Street plot to overthrow the newly elected president Franklin Roosevelt who was in the midst of waging a war on both Wall Street, the City of London and the chaos these financiers engineered during the great depression. Butler’s congressional testimony put the spotlight on these shadow creatures and gave FDR the breathing space and public supported needed to wage war on America’s deep state while pushing a bold healing of the nation under the New Deal.
That article was followed by a sequel on April 3 entitled Standing on the Precipice of Martial Law which featured the story of John F Kennedy’s battles with the London-directed Deep State and Military Industrial Complex in depth and also how JFK worked closely with the film maker John Frankenheimer to expose these intrigues to the American people by turning the book 7 Days in May into a film (unfortunately released only after other means were found to depose of the president). That article also dealt with the various PNAC-affiliated “planning scenarios” run over a year before September 11, 2001 which established the groundwork for a new type of Coup d’état within America with Cheney’s Continuity of Government protocols, the vast expansion of biowarfare infrastructure under the Bio-Shield Act, regime change wars abroad and police state measures within America itself. Professional Grade 170... Best Price: $22.48 Buy New $39.97 (as of 04:18 UTC - Details)
The Trump Factor
After years of ongoing deep state penetration of the USA since JFK’s murder, a surprising nationalist dark horse president found himself in the Oval Office in the form of Donald Trump and just two months away from the 2020 elections, the threat of a new Military Coup organized by international financiers is as high as ever.
In his Labor Day press conference, Trump, who has distinguished himself as the first president since Eisenhower to call out the “military industrial complex” threw down the gauntlet saying:
“Biden … sent our youth off to fight in these crazy endless wars. It’s one of the reasons the military— I’m not saying the military is in love with me; the soldiers are. The top people in the Pentagon probably aren’t because they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy. But we’re getting out of the endless wars…. And I said, ‘That’s good. Let’s bring our soldiers back home. Some people don’t like to come home. Some people like to continue to spend money.’ One cold-hearted globalist betrayal after another, and that’s what it was.”
This statement should be taken both as a rallying call for patriots to use what is possibly their last chance to save the collapsing republic and avoiding world war three.
Stemless Wine Glass Tu... Buy New $15.95 (as of 04:18 UTC - Details) On September 5, Colonel Richard Black (Former State Senator and Judge Advocate) delivered a presentation at a Schiller Institute seminar where the colonel warned of the interconnected pattern of statements by former high ranking military officials either openly calling for a military coup (Lt. Colonels Paul Yingling and John Nagl on August 11) or celebrating the anarchist mobs threatening to tear the republic apart. To the latter group, Col. Black named former Defense Secretary James Mattis, Colin Powell, and Col. John Allen who have all questioned the authority of the President and touted their belief that Trump would not leave the White House willingly in January 2021. The actual source for those concerns didn’t come from any actual evidence obtained from reality however, but in fact arose out of “November chaos scenario war games” advanced by Soros/Clinton/Neocon-affiliated think tanks like the Transition Integrity Project which ran Event 201-like “fictional” scenario “war games”.
In one of the June TIP scenarios, Trump wins the popular November vote by a landslide, but due to the slow influx of mail-in ballots, it is soon revealed that Biden is the winner, whereby Trump supposedly locks the doors of the White House refusing to leave. In the TIP “game”, Biden was played by none other than John Podesta. These scenarios were again replayed more recently by a DNC-connected outfit named Hawkfish funded by Michael Bloomberg which was covered on Axios running a more detailed version of this computer model called “Red Mirage”.
Warning of a military coup, Col. Black stated “The coordinated release of scathing remarks by senior officials coupled with publication of a letter advocating a military coup suggests a deep sickness within the Pentagon and within our constitutional structure.” Nearly Natural 5289 6.... Best Price: $89.86 Buy New $104.45 (as of 04:18 UTC - Details)
As RT reported, between 2008-2018, 380 high ranking pentagon officials have been hired by defense contractors including 25 generals, 9 admirals, 43 Lieutenant Generals and 23 Vice Admirals… which provides just one sampling of the potential for treachery prevalent within the sick constitutional structure.
Other Soros-affiliated operations have sprung forth on multiple fronts to ensure maximum instability leading up to the elections. Beyond the obvious anarchy operations within the streets of America itself, a Canadian-based Soros-funded anarchist group called the Adbusters/Blackspot Collective which claims credit for coordinating Occupy Wall Street in 2010 has unleashed a 60-day “Lay Siege to the White House” offensive beginning on September 17. The British-Canadian pedigree of this act represents a long-standing tradition of anti-U.S. operations stretching back to the Aaron Burr plot of “northern secession” with Canada in 1804, the Montreal-directed assassinations of Abraham Lincoln AND John Kennedy to name but a few.
As Whitney Webb pointed out in her excellent assessment of this operation: “other known members of the TIP include David Frum (the Atlantic), William Kristol (Project for a New American Century, The Bulwark), Max Boot (the Washington Post), Donna Brazile (ex-DNC), John Podesta (former campaign manager – Clinton 2016), Chuck Hagel (former Secretary of Defense), Reed Galen (co-founder of the Lincoln Project) and Norm Ornstein (American Enterprise Institute).”
Sambucus Elderberry Ca... Buy New $15.97 ($0.27 / Count) (as of 04:18 UTC - Details) As Webb lays out in her article and as I documented in my April 2020 ‘Standing on the Precipice of Martial Law’, the new “Continuity of Government” protocols created in February to deal with the inevitable breakdown of America’s governing mechanisms under COVID pandemonium are very much still in effect. A parallel chain of command under jarhead war hawk General Terrance O’Shaughnessy (head of both NORTHCOM and NORAD) has been established and members of that parallel government await the moment to come forth in bunkers 650 meters under a mountain in Cheyenne, Colorado to “wait out the COVID-19 crisis”.
Traitors tied to the Military Industrial Complex, and other NATO-phile unipolarist ideologues among the military are undoubtedly itching for action, and unless extraordinarily creative and speedy maneuvers can be accomplished by Trump and his trusted allies (who number few and far between) in tandem with his potential allies among the Multipolar Alliance, then all hope for the republic, and global war avoidance more broadly may be lost.
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation.


lewrockwell--2020-09-19--Bringing a Bazooka to a Knife Fight

Bringing a Bazooka to a Knife Fight

You heard it here first : Joe Biden will call in “ sick ” to the presidential candidates ’ debate on Tuesday , September 29 , and within days the Democratic Party will be obliged to replace him .
Enough said for now .
Wait for it… .
Onto the election issue du jour : putting out ideological fires set by political arsonists : namely , the “ systemic racism ” hustle cooked up by “ progressive ” anarcho-terrorists to provoke hatred and division in a nation sore beset by propaganda , psy-ops , and seditious subterfuge — not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if those were not enough .
This week , President Trump released an executive order halting all federal agency in-service training programs purporting to address “ critical race theory , ” “ white privilege , ” “ unconscious bias , ” and other hobgoblins of Wokesterism , a scam that has become a multimillion-dollar consulting racket funded by taxpayers .
Russell Vought , director of the Office of Management and Budget , sent a memo to executive branch agency heads directing them to identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either ( 1 ) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or ( 2 ) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil.
” When the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) attempted to defy the order and go forward with training to “ examine the mechanisms of systemic racism , white supremacist ideology , and systems of structured inequality , ” Mr. Vought had to remind the agency to cancel it .
So it goes with “ the Resistance.
” Wearable Fleece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consulting outfit , CAST ( the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking ) has received $ 16-million from the Department of Education .
At its August 2020 conference , attendees ( including DOE staff ) were told the United States has a “ racial contract ” that “ says it ’ s okay for white people to kill blacks with immunity [ sic ] ” ( Did they mean impunity ? )
They also advocated abolishing prisons .
The DOE press secretary says it ’ s investigating .
God knows what kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mudbanks of that agency , but at the top , at least , the department is cleaning up its act .
DOE Secretary Betsy DeVos took aggressive action days ago after Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber sent out an open letter to “ the Princeton community ” stating that “ racism and the damage it does to people of color persist at Princeton ” and that “ racist assumptions ” are “ embedded in structures of the University itself.
” From the DOE to Mr. Eisgruber : Okay , it being the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ racist ” institution , the DOE has opened an investigation into Title VI violations under US Civil Rights law so as to recover the $ 75-million in federal funding Princeton has received since Mr. Eisgruber became president of the institution in 2013 .
Seems fair , dontcha think ?
The DOE has required Princeton to produce electronic records of every conceivable type — memoranda , emails , calendars , text messages , telephone logs , you name it — in order to determine whether Princeton has made false representation of its compliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if it is actually racist as its leadership claims it to be .
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That ought to keep Mr. Eisgruber ’ s subalterns in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion quite busy in the weeks ahead , a monumental Chinese fire drill that can only end badly for the university .
Either they have to come up with proof that Mr. Eisgruber ’ s asseverations are true — that Princeton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long time , a racist school — or that Mr. Eisgruber and his administrative colleagues have constructed a false narrative to please and mollify the “ social justice ” mob among its own faculty and student body .
In the first case , they are strictly evil ; in the second , they are lying cowards .
In either case , Mr. Eisgruber must resign , and several vice-presidents and deans along with him .
Notify the Princeton board of trustees .
Next up : University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that it is “ accepting only applicants interested in working in and with Black Studies ” for the 2020-2021 admissions cycle .
( See official U of Chicago announcement . )
Hmmmm , no studies at all of literature written by white people allowed ?
Sounds a little discriminatory , possibly even racist !
How much funding are they getting from the US DOE ?
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You heard it here first: Joe Biden will call in “sick” to the presidential candidates’ debate on Tuesday, September 29, and within days the Democratic Party will be obliged to replace him. Enough said for now. Wait for it….
Onto the election issue du jour: putting out ideological fires set by political arsonists: namely, the “systemic racism” hustle cooked up by “progressive” anarcho-terrorists to provoke hatred and division in a nation sore beset by propaganda, psy-ops, and seditious subterfuge — not to mention Covid-19 and economic collapse, as if those were not enough. This week, President Trump released an executive order halting all federal agency in-service training programs purporting to address “critical race theory,” “white privilege,” “unconscious bias,” and other hobgoblins of Wokesterism, a scam that has become a multimillion-dollar consulting racket funded by taxpayers.
Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, sent a memo to executive branch agency heads directing them to identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any “propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either (1) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or (2) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil.” When the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attempted to defy the order and go forward with training to “examine the mechanisms of systemic racism, white supremacist ideology, and systems of structured inequality,” Mr. Vought had to remind the agency to cancel it. So it goes with “the Resistance.” Wearable Fleece Blanke... Buy New $23.98 (as of 04:19 UTC - Details)
One consulting outfit, CAST (the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking) has received $16-million from the Department of Education. At its August 2020 conference, attendees (including DOE staff) were told the United States has a “racial contract” that “says it’s okay for white people to kill blacks with immunity [sic]” (Did they mean impunity?) They also advocated abolishing prisons. The DOE press secretary says it’s investigating.
God knows what kind of swamp creatures lie embedded in the lower mudbanks of that agency, but at the top, at least, the department is cleaning up its act. DOE Secretary Betsy DeVos took aggressive action days ago after Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber sent out an open letter to “the Princeton community” stating that “racism and the damage it does to people of color persist at Princeton” and that “racist assumptions” are “embedded in structures of the University itself.”
From the DOE to Mr. Eisgruber:
Okay, it being the case that Princeton officially claims to be a “racist” institution, the DOE has opened an investigation into Title VI violations under US Civil Rights law so as to recover the $75-million in federal funding Princeton has received since Mr. Eisgruber became president of the institution in 2013. Seems fair, dontcha think? The DOE has required Princeton to produce electronic records of every conceivable type — memoranda, emails, calendars, text messages, telephone logs, you name it — in order to determine whether Princeton has made false representation of its compliance with civil rights law — that is, if it is actually racist as its leadership claims it to be.
Alankathy mugs Donald ... Buy New $16.00 (as of 04:19 UTC - Details) Princeton is given 21 “calendar days” (includes weekends) to comply. That ought to keep Mr. Eisgruber’s subalterns in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion quite busy in the weeks ahead, a monumental Chinese fire drill that can only end badly for the university. Either they have to come up with proof that Mr. Eisgruber’s asseverations are true — that Princeton is indeed, and has been for a long time, a racist school — or that Mr. Eisgruber and his administrative colleagues have constructed a false narrative to please and mollify the “social justice” mob among its own faculty and student body. In the first case, they are strictly evil; in the second, they are lying cowards. In either case, Mr. Eisgruber must resign, and several vice-presidents and deans along with him. Notify the Princeton board of trustees.
Next up: University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer, whose graduate school of English Language Studies announced that it is “accepting only applicants interested in working in and with Black Studies” for the 2020-2021 admissions cycle. (See official U of Chicago announcement.) Hmmmm, no studies at all of literature written by white people allowed? Sounds a little discriminatory, possibly even racist! How much funding are they getting from the US DOE?
Reprinted with permission from Kunstler.com.
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The Best of James Howard Kunstler


A Maverick, Literally

And the children shall lead us – since the adults , apparently , won ’ t .
One such is 17-year-old Maverick Stow of Long Island , NY .
He decided to lead by example – and go back to school .
In person rather than virtual – because he ’ s sick of being treated as if he might be sick by people who are sick in the head .
Stow showed up for class – and was promptly suspended , for a year .
He has been excluded from his senior prom as well as graduation .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who have stopped arresting criminals and now arrest kids for showing up to school – and failing to pretend they are sick .
The school says it has a “ zero tolerance ” policy for “ unauthorized people trying to enter our buildings to disrupt the educational process and/or to potentially cause an unsafe environment for our students and staff.
” Power Strip 3 USB 3 Ou ... Best Price : $ 15.63 Buy New $ 16.99 So many italics added .
Where to begin ?
How about with all these possessives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public schools public property , Herr ( or is it Frau ) Gesundheitsfuhrer ?
They are certainly paid for by the public , which includes Stow ’ s parents – who haven ’ t got a say as far as whether to not pay for buildings their kids are forbidden to enter by those who control them .
Perhaps the Stow family is due a refund ?
And our students ?
Interesting that the Herr/Frau Gesundheitsfuhrers also regard the humans they control as their property , too .
Aber , the most loathsome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids who are potentially unsafe .
An assertion which can not be disproved since anyone – kid or adult – is potentially practically anything .
It is a sentence of guilt without even the possibility of establishing innocence – which is the glowing radioactive core of this WuFlu hysteria .
NeeNoNex Trump 2020 wi ... Buy New $ 13.99 Also italicized – to make the point that punishing anyone on the basis of assertions is a pretty solid working definition of “ hysteria.
” Stow isn ’ t sick .
No one has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His actual health status is immaterial .
It is apparently sufficient to assert that he might be sick to punish him for refusing to pretend he is sick .
Consider what this implies – in principle – if it is allowed to be established as the “ new normal ” for restricting and punishing people .
Wait .
It has already been established as the basis for restricting and punishing people .
Many examples , but here are a few : Someone – it doesn ’ t have to be anyone specific ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirely the point – might use a gun to shoot up a school .
People who never shot up anything ( well , other than a paper target at a shooting range ) are restricted and punished because the potential exists that they might shoot up something other than a paper target .
Nearly Natural 6720 in ... Best Price : $ 40.91 Buy New $ 45.35 You go to an airport .
You ’ ve never been to a jihadi training camp .
You aren ’ t wearing a hijab much less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is asserted that the potential exists that you might be a “ trrrist ” – something that requires no proof at all – you are treated as such .
You are out driving – and forced to stop – not because you broke any law or gave any reason to suspect you might be so inclined .
Your presence on the road requires you to prove you are not “ drunk ” – based on the potential that someone might be .
In the last two cases , at least , one can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innocence ( as opposed to the former standard of it being the obligation of the accuser to prove guilt before imposing punishment ) .
You pass the “ drunk ” test – and you ’ re free to continue driving .
You let them jiggle your junk , you are free to board the airplane .
The Best of Eric Peters

And the children shall lead us – since the adults, apparently, won’t.
One such is 17-year-old Maverick Stow of Long Island, NY. He decided to lead by example – and go back to school. In person rather than virtual – because he’s sick of being treated as if he might be sick by people who are sick in the head.
Stow showed up for class – and was promptly suspended, for a year. He has been excluded from his senior prom as well as graduation. He also was arrested by Suffolk County police, who have stopped arresting criminals and now arrest kids for showing up to school – and failing to pretend they are sick.
The school says it has a “zero tolerance” policy for “unauthorized people trying to enter our buildings to disrupt the educational process and/or to potentially cause an unsafe environment for our students and staff.” Power Strip 3 USB 3 Ou... Best Price: $15.63 Buy New $16.99 (as of 04:20 UTC - Details)
So many italics added. Where to begin?
How about with all these possessives? Our buildings? Aren’t public schools public property, Herr (or is it Frau) Gesundheitsfuhrer? They are certainly paid for by the public, which includes Stow’s parents – who haven’t got a say as far as whether to not pay for buildings their kids are forbidden to enter by those who control them.
Perhaps the Stow family is due a refund?
And our students? Interesting that the Herr/Frau Gesundheitsfuhrers also regard the humans they control as their property, too.
Aber, the most loathsome italicized thing is this business of sanctioning kids who are potentially unsafe. An assertion which cannot be disproved since anyone – kid or adult – is potentially practically anything. It is a sentence of guilt without even the possibility of establishing innocence – which is the glowing radioactive core of this WuFlu hysteria. NeeNoNex Trump 2020 wi... Buy New $13.99 (as of 04:20 UTC - Details)
Also italicized – to make the point that punishing anyone on the basis of assertions is a pretty solid working definition of “hysteria.”
Stow isn’t sick. No one has even accused him of being sick. His actual health status is immaterial. It is apparently sufficient to assert that he might be sick to punish him for refusing to pretend he is sick. Consider what this implies – in principle – if it is allowed to be established as the “new normal” for restricting and punishing people.
Wait. It has already been established as the basis for restricting and punishing people. Many examples, but here are a few:
Someone – it doesn’t have to be anyone specific; indeed, the absence of specificity is entirely the point – might use a gun to shoot up a school. People who never shot up anything (well, other than a paper target at a shooting range) are restricted and punished because the potential exists that they might shoot up something other than a paper target. Nearly Natural 6720 in... Best Price: $40.91 Buy New $45.35 (as of 04:37 UTC - Details)
You go to an airport. You’ve never been to a jihadi training camp. You aren’t wearing a hijab much less a dynamite corset. But because it is asserted that the potential exists that you might be a “trrrist” – something that requires no proof at all – you are treated as such.
You are out driving – and forced to stop – not because you broke any law or gave any reason to suspect you might be so inclined. Your presence on the road requires you to prove you are not “drunk” – based on the potential that someone might be.
In the last two cases, at least, one can avoid punishment by proving one’s innocence (as opposed to the former standard of it being the obligation of the accuser to prove guilt before imposing punishment). You pass the “drunk” test – and you’re free to continue driving.
You let them jiggle your junk, you are free to board the airplane.
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Eric Peters


lewrockwell--2020-09-19--What Was Trump Thinking When He Appointed an Enemy To Head the FBI?

As I wrote in 2016 , Trump had no idea who to appoint to his government .
According to FBI Director Christopher Wray , it is Russia , not the Democrats , Antifa , and Black Lives Matter , who “ sows divisiveness and discord ” among Americans .
Wray says that it is the Russians who “ trash Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
” How can Trump hope to survive when he appoints to the FBI , CIA , and Pentagon his enemies ?
He appoints enemies to the Department of Justice who somehow just can ’ t get around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ folks who tried to frame President Trump with Russiagage and Impeachgate .
Patriot ’ s Cave 1 ... Buy New $ 14.99 By falsely allerging that it is Russians who trash Biden , Trump ’ s own appointee to the head of the FBI has , in effect , declared Trump ’ s trashing of Biden to be the work of a Russian agent .
In the Trump Administration , Trump has brought his enemies within the gate .
When you look at Trump ’ s government , he has surrounded himself with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Democrats , and presstitutes are confident that they can remove Trump with a color revolution .
No one in his government supports him .
The people who will re-elect him are unorgnized and can not come to his aid .
Someone should tell Putin that America is set for color revolution in November .
The Best of Paul Craig Roberts

As I wrote in 2016, Trump had no idea who to appoint to his government. According to FBI Director Christopher Wray, it is Russia, not the Democrats, Antifa, and Black Lives Matter, who “sows divisiveness and discord” among Americans.
Wray says that it is the Russians who “trash Democratic nominee Joe Biden.”
How can Trump hope to survive when he appoints to the FBI, CIA, and Pentagon his enemies? He appoints enemies to the Department of Justice who somehow just can’t get around to bringing charges to all the establishment folks who tried to frame President Trump with Russiagage and Impeachgate. Patriot’s Cave 1... Buy New $14.99 (as of 04:21 UTC - Details)
By falsely allerging that it is Russians who trash Biden, Trump’s own appointee to the head of the FBI has, in effect, declared Trump’s trashing of Biden to be the work of a Russian agent. In the Trump Administration, Trump has brought his enemies within the gate.
When you look at Trump’s government, he has surrounded himself with enemies. Little wonder the military/security complex, Democrats, and presstitutes are confident that they can remove Trump with a color revolution. No one in his government supports him. The people who will re-elect him are unorgnized and cannot come to his aid.
Someone should tell Putin that America is set for color revolution in November.
The Best of Paul Craig Roberts


lewrockwell--2020-09-19--The FBI’s Forgotten Crimes Against Richard Jewell

A new movie about Richard Jewell is reminding Americans of one of the forgotten travesties of the 1990s .
When he died in 2007 at age 44 , his New York Times obituary was headlined , “ Richard Jewell , Hero of Atlanta Attack , Dies.
” But his heroism was recognized only after the FBI and the media sought to destroy him .
On July 27 , 1996 , a pipe bomb went off at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta , where the world ’ s athletes and media were gathered for the Olympic games .
The FBI decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had found the bomb and helped clear the area and minimize fatalities , had also planted the bomb .
FBI agents lured Jewell over to their Atlanta office and asked him to help them make a training film about detecting bombs .
The ruse allowed the agents to question Jewell extensively without reading him a Miranda warning — without alerting him that anything he said could be used against him .
As Investor ’ s Business Daily noted , “ Jewell was the bureau ’ s top suspect , a fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for cameras to catch agents poring over Jewell ’ s home.
” FBI leaks led to 88 days of hell for Jewell , who saw his life and reputation dragged in the gutter day after day .
The FBI did nothing to curb the media harassment of Jewell long after it had recognized that he was innocent .
TIMEYARD Decorative Wa ... Buy New $ 27.98 A Justice Department investigation concluded that the training-film scam violated Jewell ’ s constitutional rights .
But in 1997 Senate testimony , FBI chief Louis Freeh denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he did not incriminate himself .
Who knew that only guilty citizens have constitutional rights ?
Freeh did tell the Senate committee that he had instructed FBI agents “ not to use deceptive ploys in getting people to waive their constitutional rights.
” His order was merely aspirational and did not prevent a tsunami of FBI entrapment and other schemes , including the bogus briefing on Russia that FBI agents gave the Trump campaign , as the Inspector General report revealed in December .
As a result of the Jewell debacle , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was suspended for five days without pay .
But as the Washington Times noted , “ No similar disciplinary action was recommended against senior FBI officials in Washington who oversaw the probe and were actively involved in the interrogation , including Mr. Freeh , who took part in the hour-long interview , even suggesting a question.
” The Jewell debacle should have been no surprise , because the FBI Academy explicitly taught agents that subjects of investigations “ have forfeited their right to the truth.
” Freeh admitted in congressional testimony in 1997 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous agency in the country if we are not scrutinized carefully.
” But the vast majority of members of Congress continued giving the FBI far more adulation than scrutiny .
Nothing had changed since 1993 , when Congress responded to the FBI ’ s sending in the tanks for the disastrous final assault at Waco by giving a hefty budget increase to expand the FBI ’ s Hostage Rescue Team .
I blundered into the aftermath of the Jewell debacle in 2001 while vacationing in the mountains of western North Carolina .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea of going to a chalet inn she had seen in a tourist guidebook .
The directions to the inn were lame and after roaming that zip code for half an hour , I pulled into a parking lot in front of a hardware store in Whittier to cuss and recheck the map .
I stepped out of my car and fired up a cheap cigar .
Two minutes later , a big ol ’ bald guy named Dennis came bounding out of the hardware store and asked in a booming voice , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” “ Rockville , ” I replied .
He started chatting me up at race-horse pace , telling me he was from Maryland , been living down here for twenty years , worked as a long-haul truck driver , and had lost $ 5,000 gambling last year at a nearby Cherokee Indian casino .
I was raised in the mountains of Virginia so I wasn ’ t surprised by his palaver but something seemed amiss .
After about 15 minutes , he suddenly announced that he thought I was an undercover federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scruffy beard , railroad cap , and “ just a country boy ” shtick , federal agencies often presume I ’ m a ( harmless ) redneck .
And now the rednecks think I am a fed !
I can ’ t get a break .
I asked Dennis why he suspected I was an undercover agent .
“ Because you ’ re driving a black car with a Maryland license plate , ” he replied without missing a beat .
Guilty on both counts — though I doubted that Ford Contours were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were other signs of federal agents .
“ Ya — they have hidden tracking devices on the underside of the back of the car.
” “ Feel free to check out my car.
” He and I walked to the back of my vehicle ; he got down on his knees and pawed his big hands around the Ford ’ s underside and found no GPS tracker .
After about a minute , he decided I wasn ’ t a G-man , got back up , and gave me a hearty handshake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been suspicious because the FBI had sent hundreds agents to that area to capture Eric Rudolph , who the FBI decided actually carried out the Atlanta bombing .
The FBI arrived full of bluster , promising to speedily take down Rudolph .
Dennis said many of his neighbors came to despise the FBI because they were heavy-handed and condescending .
He said they showed up at a motel and decided to take it over ; agents went around banging on doors and threw every guest out on the spot .
Dennis had heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agents — insisting that they leave their guns outside , knowing they couldn ’ t do that .
The feds pulled out all their tricks to nail Rudolph .
Blue Ridge Outdoors noted that the FBI came in “ with bloodhounds , electronic motion detectors , and heat-sensing helicopters .
They set up listening posts with cameras and hired local scouts to tromp through the woods with gridded maps , ” in addition to putting a million-dollar bounty on Rudolph .
The FBI got nothing .
The Los Angeles Times reported that Rudolph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earning him minor tributes on posters , bumper stickers and T-shirts bearing slogans such as ‘ Eric Rudolph Ate Here ’ and ‘ Eric Rudolph : 1998 Hide and Seek Champion.
’ ” Patrick Crosby , the spokesman for the federal task force , whined , “ It ’ s incredibly difficult .
You can ’ t see squat , and there are sudden cliffs and rocks , and you could get shot or blown up at any time .
It ’ s hot as hell during the day and cold as hell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re in the woods , all bets are off .
This is a guy who plants bombs … and now you ’ re on his turf.
” The poor darlings .
Dennis became more at ease when I mentioned that I ’ d written about federal abuses at Waco and Ruby Ridge and had been publicly denounced by FBI chief Louis Freeh .
I ’ m not sure he believed that last point , but he was far better informed on the details of FBI misconduct in those cases than was the typical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI agents fed him .
We chatted for two hours outside that hardware store before Dennis invited us to spend the night at his house .
I thanked him for the invite but said we wanted to head on to Asheville to hear some great fiddling .
TRUMP 2020 KAG Keep Am ... Buy New $ 18.95 Eric Rudolph was finally captured in 2003 by a local policeman in a small town about an hour from that hardware store .
He pled guilty to the Atlanta bombing as well as multiple bombings of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is now serving a life sentence in federal prison .
Shortly after Rudolph was apprehended after more than four years in the mountains , the U.K .
Independent pointed out that prior attempts to nail him illustrated “ all the shortcomings of a hi-tech , militarized federal force unable to negotiate such alien , not to say hostile , territory.
” That was the lesson I took from Dennis and his story of FBI failures in his neck of the woods .
FBI bosses can swagger in Washington and receive reverential treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But far beyond the big cities and the coastlines , federal authority hinges largely on the consent of local citizens .
Just because rural residents are mostly peaceful it doesn ’ t follow that they will be docile to imperious outsiders .
What would happen if , instead of fruitlessly seeking a single fugitive , a federal task force decides to seize all the AR-15 rifles in western North Carolina ?
The result would be like the classic bluegrass song about the “ revenooer ” who went up Rocky Top mountain and never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed in the crackdowns on gun owners , the feds would very likely have to contend with the long-range .50 caliber armor-piercing bullets from Barrett sniper rifles , developed by a Tennessee boy a few decades ago .
At that point , it would not matter how many editorial pages and cable news channels cheered on the G-men and howled for the blood of those defying government commands .
The game would be over .
Federal jurisdiction on that swath of America would be as illusory as the Afghan government ’ s control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That new movie on Richard Jewell , produced by Clint Eastwood , received a few rave reviews and plenty of hostile responses from the media .
The Washington Post , the hometown paper for the Deep State , fretted that the movie ’ s “ vilification of reporters and the feds ” amounts to “ nearly a second railroading … of Jewell ’ s accusers.
” But some FBI officials and some journalists deserved tarring for their abuse of Richard Jewell .
The media ’ s reflexive rallying around the FBI in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how difficult it will be to spur support to rein in the FBI regardless of how many of its abuses are exposed .
The Founding Fathers wisely did not create a national police force .
However , since Prohibition , federal law-enforcement agencies have multiplied like mushrooms .
Congress has dismally failed to perform its duty in keeping an eye and a leash on federal agencies armed with massive firepower and even more deadly legal authority .
The Richard Jewell saga is a reminder of how long things have been out of control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the July 2020 edition of Future of Freedom .
The Best of James Bovard

A new movie about Richard Jewell is reminding Americans of one of the forgotten travesties of the 1990s. When he died in 2007 at age 44, his New York Times obituary was headlined, “Richard Jewell, Hero of Atlanta Attack, Dies.” But his heroism was recognized only after the FBI and the media sought to destroy him.
On July 27, 1996, a pipe bomb went off at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, where the world’s athletes and media were gathered for the Olympic games. The FBI decided that 33-year-old security guard Richard Jewell, who had found the bomb and helped clear the area and minimize fatalities, had also planted the bomb. FBI agents lured Jewell over to their Atlanta office and asked him to help them make a training film about detecting bombs. The ruse allowed the agents to question Jewell extensively without reading him a Miranda warning — without alerting him that anything he said could be used against him. As Investor’s Business Daily noted, “Jewell was the bureau’s top suspect, a fact that was leaked to the press in time for cameras to catch agents poring over Jewell’s home.” FBI leaks led to 88 days of hell for Jewell, who saw his life and reputation dragged in the gutter day after day. The FBI did nothing to curb the media harassment of Jewell long after it had recognized that he was innocent.
TIMEYARD Decorative Wa... Buy New $27.98 (as of 04:22 UTC - Details) A Justice Department investigation concluded that the training-film scam violated Jewell’s constitutional rights. But in 1997 Senate testimony, FBI chief Louis Freeh denied that Jewell’s rights were violated because he did not incriminate himself. Who knew that only guilty citizens have constitutional rights? Freeh did tell the Senate committee that he had instructed FBI agents “not to use deceptive ploys in getting people to waive their constitutional rights.” His order was merely aspirational and did not prevent a tsunami of FBI entrapment and other schemes, including the bogus briefing on Russia that FBI agents gave the Trump campaign, as the Inspector General report revealed in December.
As a result of the Jewell debacle, two FBI agents were censured and one was suspended for five days without pay. But as the Washington Times noted, “No similar disciplinary action was recommended against senior FBI officials in Washington who oversaw the probe and were actively involved in the interrogation, including Mr. Freeh, who took part in the hour-long interview, even suggesting a question.” The Jewell debacle should have been no surprise, because the FBI Academy explicitly taught agents that subjects of investigations “have forfeited their right to the truth.”
Freeh admitted in congressional testimony in 1997, “We are potentially the most dangerous agency in the country if we are not scrutinized carefully.” But the vast majority of members of Congress continued giving the FBI far more adulation than scrutiny. Nothing had changed since 1993, when Congress responded to the FBI’s sending in the tanks for the disastrous final assault at Waco by giving a hefty budget increase to expand the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team.
James Bovard — G-Man
I blundered into the aftermath of the Jewell debacle in 2001 while vacationing in the mountains of western North Carolina. My wife at the time had the bright idea of going to a chalet inn she had seen in a tourist guidebook. The directions to the inn were lame and after roaming that zip code for half an hour, I pulled into a parking lot in front of a hardware store in Whittier to cuss and recheck the map.
I stepped out of my car and fired up a cheap cigar. Two minutes later, a big ol’ bald guy named Dennis came bounding out of the hardware store and asked in a booming voice, “What part of Maryland you from?”
“Rockville,” I replied. He started chatting me up at race-horse pace, telling me he was from Maryland, been living down here for twenty years, worked as a long-haul truck driver, and had lost $5,000 gambling last year at a nearby Cherokee Indian casino. I was raised in the mountains of Virginia so I wasn’t surprised by his palaver but something seemed amiss.
After about 15 minutes, he suddenly announced that he thought I was an undercover federal agent. Holy crap! With my scruffy beard, railroad cap, and “just a country boy” shtick, federal agencies often presume I’m a (harmless) redneck. And now the rednecks think I am a fed! I can’t get a break.
I asked Dennis why he suspected I was an undercover agent.
“Because you’re driving a black car with a Maryland license plate,” he replied without missing a beat.
Guilty on both counts — though I doubted that Ford Contours were standard undercover issue. I asked if there were other signs of federal agents.
“Ya — they have hidden tracking devices on the underside of the back of the car.”
“Feel free to check out my car.”
“OK!”
He and I walked to the back of my vehicle; he got down on his knees and pawed his big hands around the Ford’s underside and found no GPS tracker. After about a minute, he decided I wasn’t a G-man, got back up, and gave me a hearty handshake.
He explained that he’d been suspicious because the FBI had sent hundreds agents to that area to capture Eric Rudolph, who the FBI decided actually carried out the Atlanta bombing. The FBI arrived full of bluster, promising to speedily take down Rudolph. Dennis said many of his neighbors came to despise the FBI because they were heavy-handed and condescending. He said they showed up at a motel and decided to take it over; agents went around banging on doors and threw every guest out on the spot. Dennis had heard that some restaurants refused to serve FBI agents — insisting that they leave their guns outside, knowing they couldn’t do that.
The feds pulled out all their tricks to nail Rudolph. Blue Ridge Outdoors noted that the FBI came in “with bloodhounds, electronic motion detectors, and heat-sensing helicopters. They set up listening posts with cameras and hired local scouts to tromp through the woods with gridded maps,” in addition to putting a million-dollar bounty on Rudolph. The FBI got nothing. The Los Angeles Times reported that Rudolph became “a local folk figure, earning him minor tributes on posters, bumper stickers and T-shirts bearing slogans such as ‘Eric Rudolph Ate Here’ and ‘Eric Rudolph: 1998 Hide and Seek Champion.’” Patrick Crosby, the spokesman for the federal task force, whined, “It’s incredibly difficult. You can’t see squat, and there are sudden cliffs and rocks, and you could get shot or blown up at any time. It’s hot as hell during the day and cold as hell at night. And once you’re in the woods, all bets are off. This is a guy who plants bombs … and now you’re on his turf.” The poor darlings.
Dennis became more at ease when I mentioned that I’d written about federal abuses at Waco and Ruby Ridge and had been publicly denounced by FBI chief Louis Freeh. I’m not sure he believed that last point, but he was far better informed on the details of FBI misconduct in those cases than was the typical Washington journalist who happily printed whatever hooey FBI agents fed him. We chatted for two hours outside that hardware store before Dennis invited us to spend the night at his house. I thanked him for the invite but said we wanted to head on to Asheville to hear some great fiddling. TRUMP 2020 KAG Keep Am... Buy New $18.95 (as of 04:22 UTC - Details)
Eric Rudolph was finally captured in 2003 by a local policeman in a small town about an hour from that hardware store. He pled guilty to the Atlanta bombing as well as multiple bombings of abortion clinics and a lesbian nightclub; he is now serving a life sentence in federal prison. Shortly after Rudolph was apprehended after more than four years in the mountains, the U.K. Independent pointed out that prior attempts to nail him illustrated “all the shortcomings of a hi-tech, militarized federal force unable to negotiate such alien, not to say hostile, territory.”
That was the lesson I took from Dennis and his story of FBI failures in his neck of the woods. FBI bosses can swagger in Washington and receive reverential treatment in the nation’s media. But far beyond the big cities and the coastlines, federal authority hinges largely on the consent of local citizens. Just because rural residents are mostly peaceful it doesn’t follow that they will be docile to imperious outsiders.
What would happen if, instead of fruitlessly seeking a single fugitive, a federal task force decides to seize all the AR-15 rifles in western North Carolina? The result would be like the classic bluegrass song about the “revenooer” who went up Rocky Top mountain and never came down. If innocent people were killed in the crackdowns on gun owners, the feds would very likely have to contend with the long-range .50 caliber armor-piercing bullets from Barrett sniper rifles, developed by a Tennessee boy a few decades ago. At that point, it would not matter how many editorial pages and cable news channels cheered on the G-men and howled for the blood of those defying government commands. The game would be over. Federal jurisdiction on that swath of America would be as illusory as the Afghan government’s control over the mountains of Tora Bora.
That new movie on Richard Jewell, produced by Clint Eastwood, received a few rave reviews and plenty of hostile responses from the media. The Washington Post, the hometown paper for the Deep State, fretted that the movie’s “vilification of reporters and the feds” amounts to “nearly a second railroading … of Jewell’s accusers.” But some FBI officials and some journalists deserved tarring for their abuse of Richard Jewell. The media’s reflexive rallying around the FBI in the Jewell case is a warning sign of how difficult it will be to spur support to rein in the FBI regardless of how many of its abuses are exposed.
The Founding Fathers wisely did not create a national police force. However, since Prohibition, federal law-enforcement agencies have multiplied like mushrooms. Congress has dismally failed to perform its duty in keeping an eye and a leash on federal agencies armed with massive firepower and even more deadly legal authority. The Richard Jewell saga is a reminder of how long things have been out of control.
This article was originally published in the July 2020 edition of Future of Freedom.
The Best of James Bovard


lewrockwell--2020-09-19--The Meaning of an Oath

The Meaning of an Oath

Editor ’ s Note : Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and his family lived as “ stateless persons ” after the stripping of Solzhenitsyn ’ s Soviet citizenship and his forcible exile to the West in February 1974 .
Solzhenitsyn was a passionate and self-critical Russian patriot but a deadly enemy of the Communist totalitarianism that lay at the heart of the entire Soviet enterprise .
Contrary to legend , he was neither anti-Western ( rather , he spoke critically of “ the weakness of the West ” ) nor unappreciative of American virtues : the magnanimity of its people , its impressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the ample freedom it gave him and his family .
But as this provocative excerpt from Book 2 of his memoir about his years of Western exile ( Between Two Millstones ) demonstrates , Solzhenitsyn finally could not assent to becoming an American citizen when he had the opportunity to do so in June 1985 .
Studying carefully the oath of citizenship in advance of the ceremony , he realized he could neither renounce his attachment to Russia ( not the Soviet Union ) nor take up arms , if need be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ Russian soil may not be accessible to me for a long time to come , perhaps until death , but I can not sense American soil as my own.
” As it was , Solzhenitsyn returned to post-Communist Russia in May 1994 and lived in his homeland until his death on August 3 , 2008 .
Yet as his “ Farewell ” to the people of Cavendish , Vermont in February 1994 made clear , he was grateful to the United States for the refuge it had provided him for eighteen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home it had provided for his sons .
And last but not least , he was impressed by the vigorous local self-government he saw at work in New England during his years of North American exile .
— Daniel J. Mahoney But we were brought low when Alya [ Solzhenitsyn ’ s wife—Ed . ]
fell ill and remained unwell for two whole years .
In April 1986 , on the very day of the Chernobyl disaster , she had serious surgery .
Thank God , it was successful .
But it coincided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fund : a crucial bit of its backbone , a key link in the supply chain of our aid sent into the Soviet Union , had been dislodged in the autumn of 1983 .
In the increasingly terrifying circumstances on the ground , perhaps only Eva [ Solzhenitsyn ’ s “ invisible ally ” Natalia Stolyarova—Ed . ]
could have found a replacement—but , less than a year later , our dear Eva died during a failed operation .
Alya would have to patch up , or even perhaps rebuild , the chain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the “ starting ” links in person , rather than by mail , and that meant trips to Europe .
She ’ d already done this in the autumn of 1983—she ’ d seen Eva in Switzerland ( for the last time , as it turned out ) and Vilgelmina ( “ Mishka ” ) Slavutskaya in Vienna , and the meetings had evidently been noted .
Mishka was searched on the train going back , and when they got home there was a noticeable increase in surveillance of them both .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fault : having no citizenship , she was obliged to request a visa for any trip , and for several weeks the documents would wander around European consulates , from which informers could easily report—and , in that case , all her movements , down to the exact dates , would have been known in advance .
For that reason , the already great risk to our selfless volunteers would have increased many times over .
The only solution Alya could see was to take US citizenship , to which we had already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never acquired .
It would enable rapid , unimpeded travel in the West , without special passports or visas .
However , the spotlights were trained on us at the slightest movement , let alone a step like this , and Alya felt that taking citizenship on her own , without me , was unthinkable—it would look like she was making some kind of point .
( Just then , at the beginning of 1985 , a film attacking the Fund was shown , quite openly now , across the whole of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up , insisting the goal was more important than striking a pose , and I could find nothing to contradict her .
And , really , why stand out like a solitary heron in a marsh ?
We turned to the Vermont branch of the immigration service .
They sent us forms full of little boxes and questions .
I couldn ’ t even be bothered to read them closely—after all , they were rather like the ones we filled in for every visa , in duplicate or triplicate ; I never read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Leonard DiLisio , instructions to fill them all in and , if need be , to come back with questions .
And he did , asking for some biographical information about both Alya and me , nothing more , everything was fine .
We sent them off .
I did know that , as part of the procedure , we would also have to raise a hand to swear an oath of some kind—I ’ d seen pictures , but I thought nothing of it , a mere formality .
They swear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witness .
Some weeks went by—Alya and I were summoned to that same immigration branch office .
An obligatory interview took place , with each of us separately .
We had to answer some very simple questions about the constitution .
We ’ d brushed up .
But the clerk asked me more , about myself .
From lack of practice ( I hadn ’ t conversed in English for years ) I listened intently to understand what she was saying .
Again , please .
— “ Are you willing to bear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Absolutely not !
I hadn ’ t even been expecting the question .
I replied : “ But I ’ m sixty-six.
” — “ But , still , in principle ?
” What is this principle ?
You ’ ve got young men here of an age to be drafted ; they burn their draft cards and get away with it , whereas I , at more than sixty years of age , could be called up ?
I expressed bewilderment .
Then she said that , on the form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed that I was willing .
Wha-a-a-t ?
( DiLisio had filled it in without the slightest hesitation , and hadn ’ t told me . )
I felt sick .
.
.
.
All I could do was mumble , “ Well , in principle , not literally .
.
.
” I had been shockingly lax to miss this—that ’ s how casually I ’ d approached the issue of citizenship .
We went home and now I did read the form and , at the same time , the text @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been sent us as well .

Editor’s Note:Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and his family lived as “stateless persons” after the stripping of Solzhenitsyn’s Soviet citizenship and his forcible exile to the West in February 1974. Solzhenitsyn was a passionate and self-critical Russian patriot but a deadly enemy of the Communist totalitarianism that lay at the heart of the entire Soviet enterprise. Contrary to legend, he was neither anti-Western (rather, he spoke critically of “the weakness of the West”) nor unappreciative of American virtues: the magnanimity of its people, its impressive capacity for democratic and local self-government, and the ample freedom it gave him and his family. But as this provocative excerpt from Book 2 of his memoir about his years of Western exile (Between Two Millstones) demonstrates, Solzhenitsyn finally could not assent to becoming an American citizen when he had the opportunity to do so in June 1985.
Studying carefully the oath of citizenship in advance of the ceremony, he realized he could neither renounce his attachment to Russia (not the Soviet Union) nor take up arms, if need be, against his compatriots. He concluded that “Russian soil may not be accessible to me for a long time to come, perhaps until death, but I cannot sense American soil as my own.” As it was, Solzhenitsyn returned to post-Communist Russia in May 1994 and lived in his homeland until his death on August 3, 2008. Yet as his “Farewell” to the people of Cavendish, Vermont in February 1994 made clear, he was grateful to the United States for the refuge it had provided him for eighteen years, and to the education and home it had provided for his sons. And last but not least, he was impressed by the vigorous local self-government he saw at work in New England during his years of North American exile. — Daniel J. Mahoney
But we were brought low when Alya [Solzhenitsyn’s wife—Ed.] fell ill and remained unwell for two whole years. In April 1986, on the very day of the Chernobyl disaster, she had serious surgery. Thank God, it was successful. But it coincided with agonizing worry about our Russian Social Fund: a crucial bit of its backbone, a key link in the supply chain of our aid sent into the Soviet Union, had been dislodged in the autumn of 1983. In the increasingly terrifying circumstances on the ground, perhaps only Eva [Solzhenitsyn’s “invisible ally” Natalia Stolyarova—Ed.] could have found a replacement—but, less than a year later, our dear Eva died during a failed operation.
Alya would have to patch up, or even perhaps rebuild, the chain of tightrope walkers—and doing so required meetings with the “starting” links in person, rather than by mail, and that meant trips to Europe. She’d already done this in the autumn of 1983—she’d seen Eva in Switzerland (for the last time, as it turned out) and Vilgelmina (“Mishka”) Slavutskaya in Vienna, and the meetings had evidently been noted. Mishka was searched on the train going back, and when they got home there was a noticeable increase in surveillance of them both. Alya was distraught that it was her fault: having no citizenship, she was obliged to request a visa for any trip, and for several weeks the documents would wander around European consulates, from which informers could easily report—and, in that case, all her movements, down to the exact dates, would have been known in advance. For that reason, the already great risk to our selfless volunteers would have increased many times over.
The only solution Alya could see was to take US citizenship, to which we had already been entitled for four years but had never acquired. It would enable rapid, unimpeded travel in the West, without special passports or visas. However, the spotlights were trained on us at the slightest movement, let alone a step like this, and Alya felt that taking citizenship on her own, without me, was unthinkable—it would look like she was making some kind of point. (Just then, at the beginning of 1985, a film attacking the Fund was shown, quite openly now, across the whole of the Soviet Union.) Alya was burning up, insisting the goal was more important than striking a pose, and I could find nothing to contradict her.
And, really, why stand out like a solitary heron in a marsh?
We turned to the Vermont branch of the immigration service. They sent us forms full of little boxes and questions. I couldn’t even be bothered to read them closely—after all, they were rather like the ones we filled in for every visa, in duplicate or triplicate; I never read those either. I gave my secretary, Leonard DiLisio, instructions to fill them all in and, if need be, to come back with questions. And he did, asking for some biographical information about both Alya and me, nothing more, everything was fine. We sent them off. I did know that, as part of the procedure, we would also have to raise a hand to swear an oath of some kind—I’d seen pictures, but I thought nothing of it, a mere formality. They swear on the Bible any time they bear witness.
Some weeks went by—Alya and I were summoned to that same immigration branch office. An obligatory interview took place, with each of us separately. We had to answer some very simple questions about the constitution. We’d brushed up. But the clerk asked me more, about myself. From lack of practice (I hadn’t conversed in English for years) I listened intently to understand what she was saying. Again, please. —“Are you willing to bear arms on behalf of the United States?” Absolutely not! I hadn’t even been expecting the question. I replied: “But I’m sixty-six.” —“But, still, in principle?” What is this principle? You’ve got young men here of an age to be drafted; they burn their draft cards and get away with it, whereas I, at more than sixty years of age, could be called up? I expressed bewilderment. Then she said that, on the form, I’d already confirmed and signed that I was willing. Wha-a-a-t? (DiLisio had filled it in without the slightest hesitation, and hadn’t told me.) I felt sick. . . . All I could do was mumble, “Well, in principle, not literally . . .”
I had been shockingly lax to miss this—that’s how casually I’d approached the issue of citizenship.
We went home and now I did read the form and, at the same time, the text of the oath—it turned out to have been sent us as well.
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