America the Corrupt

Corruption is defined in the dictionary as “ dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power.
” It can no longer be denied that in every area of government and business , present-day America fits this description like a glove .
Throw in a decadent culture , and a beaten-down , largely amoral populace , and you have America 2.0 .
Our legal system is a laughingstock .
I am just starting to write a book about our injustice system , and the statistics and personal stories are stunning .
Cops routinely harass innocent motorists or pedestrians ( but never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prosecutors cling to cases with no real evidence , and push forward to convict those they know aren ’ t guilty .
It ’ s all about winning under our adversarial system .
Juries rubber-stamp dubious cases with guilty verdicts most of the time .
And politicized judges rule over the mess like feudal lords , with bias and inconsistency .
Our medical industrial complex , which I worked for during my entire adult life , is worse than anyone outside of it can imagine .
Arrogant doctors and uncaring nurses provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care .
Big pharma , insurance companies , and wildly overpaid healthcare executives ensure that patients pay outrageous prices for even the smallest things .
Insurance companies charge more each year , and cover less .
Big pharma ’ s deadly products can be obtained in other countries for comparative pocket change .
And yet even those victimized by this horrific system swallow the industry ’ s propaganda that it is somehow superior to single-payer systems .
Survival of the Riches ... Donald Jeffries Best Price : $ 7.29 Buy New $ 11.50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rely upon to expose the corruption and tyranny within our decaying society , is essentially controlled by the state .
There are no investigative journalists left in this country in the corporate media .
What research is done is conducted by people like me , in my books , and in articles like this one , and the many wonderful podcasts and bloggers out there providing alternative views .
But too many Americans still scoff at us , and mindlessly trust the proclamations of the talking heads on television .
Big religion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gullible listeners to send them money , to my Catholic Church that continues to cover up the sexual abuse committed by priests , to the overpaid clergymen of all faiths ( most people don ’ t realize how well paid rabbis are , for example ) , the corruption is obviously there as well .
I ’ ll pay attention when I hear some of them loudly demanding a year of jubilee .
Professional sports are as orchestrated as anything else in our society .
Are we really naive enough to think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in gambling would leave all that to chance ?
Point spreads exist for a reason .
The NFL and NBA , especially , are shady beyond reproach .
The officials in both those leagues can control the outcomes of games by themselves , simply by calling penalties ( or not calling them ) at opportune moments .
As I exposed in my book Survival of the Richest , the vaunted marketplace is utterly rigged against the poor and working class , and what ’ s left of the middle class .
If it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it can bear , failed CEOs like Carly Fiorina wouldn ’ t be given $ 40 million golden umbrellas to go away after being utter failures at their jobs .
The big banks and corporations wouldn ’ t come crawling to the taxpayers for bailouts .
Sports team owners wouldn ’ t threaten to move to another city if the taxpayers didn ’ t pay for their new stadium .
Kind of takes the “ risk ” out of venture capitalism , doesn ’ t it ?
Socialism is only for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders “ representing ” us , they ’ d look out for the interests of the mass of people , at least once in a while .
As the late James Forrestal told Joe McCarthy , before he plummeted to his death from a window at Bethesda Naval Hospital , occasionally they ’ d make a mistake in our favor .
A true statesman , a Mr. Smith gone to Washington , would pop up here or there .
The last politician with national power , who appeared to be the least bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kennedy , had his head blown off in Dallas .
Even if we had real representatives , as the Iowa caucuses showed once again , the votes aren ’ t being honestly counted .
Half the country doesn ’ t even want a voter identification required , which would seem to be the only way to ensure that someone doesn ’ t vote twice , or out of their precinct , or vote for the dead , or vote as non-citizens .
“ Vote early and often , ” as they used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at any large or mid-sized company in America within the past few decades knows just how much hard work , loyalty , and competence matter in the workplace .
In “ right to work ” states like mine , one can be fired for literally any reason .
But at least you can ’ t be forced to join a union .
The combination of “ conservative ” ideology , which puts profits ( and executive bonuses ) first and foremost , and social justice warrior favoritism and double standards ensure that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diverse ” workforce is in place .
The customer is usually wrong in today ’ s business world .
Try to get a company to honor a warranty .
How about those “ bumper to bumper ” car warranties ?
From my perspective , everything is between the bumpers on a car , but these companies invariably find a way to wiggle out of covering something .
It ’ s hard to blame the low-paid retail employees for not having a great attitude .
They aren ’ t rewarded , no matter how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can bet management is .
And ultimately , it ’ s the consumer who gets screwed .
So , take your business elsewhere ?
And get identical prices , and identical service ?
Remember , John D. Rockefeller , one of the titans of capitalism , memorably said , “ competition is a sin.
” Government is certainly no better than business , and probably worse in most cases .
Try getting a government agency on the phone .
After surviving the tortuous automated menu system ( which all agencies and private businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public , in the spirit of Rockefeller-style “ competition ” ) , you will be transferred by one rude , uncaring representative to another , if you ’ re not simply cut off or hung up on .
The mainstream media , including an entertainment industry that features more talentless performers than talented ones , is controlled by a handful of powerful companies .
There is no competition , which would please John D. Rockefeller .
The films , songs , television shows , and works of art are almost entirely forgettable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nothing uplifting .
No real literature can be published in today ’ s America .
To be fair , there probably aren ’ t enough literate readers left to appreciate it .
We are becoming a cultural wasteland , a burgeoning Idiocracy .
We don ’ t even have the trappings of a First World nation any more .
The infrastructure is like every other part of America 2.0- a gigantic , crumbling , figurative pot hole .
But no one addresses it , or has for sixty years .
Instead , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue , regardless of cost , as the wealth of those who are already rich increases , and the poverty of those who are already poor does as well .
And the middle is being squeezed out completely .
Half of America literally has no wealth .
The bottom quarter has a negative net worth .
Everything I write about highlights some kind of corruption , or injustice .
Needless to say , I never run out of things to write about .
We are drifting listlessly in a sea of corruption .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And there are no innocent children to point it out .
You can ’ t leave the people out of this .
As I ’ ve written about before , virtually no one seems to believe in the Golden Rule any more .
They may never have believed in it , but as least they pretended to .
Now , not only do hardly any people treat others as they wish to be treated , most would like to have those they disagree with fired from their jobs , if not prosecuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up , you ’ d need the biggest vacuum cleaner imaginable .
And a massive insertion of honest , competent leaders at all levels of society .
Bullyocracy : How the Social Hierarchy Enables Bullies to Rule Schools , Work Places , and Society at Large – Donald Jeffries The Best of Donald Jeffries

Corruption is defined in the dictionary as “dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power.” It can no longer be denied that in every area of government and business, present-day America fits this description like a glove. Throw in a decadent culture, and a beaten-down, largely amoral populace, and you have America 2.0.
Our legal system is a laughingstock. I am just starting to write a book about our injustice system, and the statistics and personal stories are stunning. Cops routinely harass innocent motorists or pedestrians (but never threaten gang members, for instance). Prosecutors cling to cases with no real evidence, and push forward to convict those they know aren’t guilty. It’s all about winning under our adversarial system. Juries rubber-stamp dubious cases with guilty verdicts most of the time. And politicized judges rule over the mess like feudal lords, with bias and inconsistency.
Our medical industrial complex, which I worked for during my entire adult life, is worse than anyone outside of it can imagine. Arrogant doctors and uncaring nurses provide patients with a Third World level of care. Big pharma, insurance companies, and wildly overpaid healthcare executives ensure that patients pay outrageous prices for even the smallest things. Insurance companies charge more each year, and cover less. Big pharma’s deadly products can be obtained in other countries for comparative pocket change. And yet even those victimized by this horrific system swallow the industry’s propaganda that it is somehow superior to single-payer systems.
Survival of the Riches... Donald Jeffries Best Price: $7.29 Buy New $11.50 (as of 07:10 UTC - Details) Our media, which we should theoretically rely upon to expose the corruption and tyranny within our decaying society, is essentially controlled by the state. There are no investigative journalists left in this country in the corporate media. What research is done is conducted by people like me, in my books, and in articles like this one, and the many wonderful podcasts and bloggers out there providing alternative views. But too many Americans still scoff at us, and mindlessly trust the proclamations of the talking heads on television.
Big religion, from the ridiculous televangelists who somehow get gullible listeners to send them money, to my Catholic Church that continues to cover up the sexual abuse committed by priests, to the overpaid clergymen of all faiths (most people don’t realize how well paid rabbis are, for example), the corruption is obviously there as well. I’ll pay attention when I hear some of them loudly demanding a year of jubilee.
Professional sports are as orchestrated as anything else in our society. Are we really naive enough to think that businesses that can generate billions every year in gambling would leave all that to chance? Point spreads exist for a reason. The NFL and NBA, especially, are shady beyond reproach. The officials in both those leagues can control the outcomes of games by themselves, simply by calling penalties (or not calling them) at opportune moments.
As I exposed in my book Survival of the Richest, the vaunted marketplace is utterly rigged against the poor and working class, and what’s left of the middle class. If it’s all about the market paying what it can bear, failed CEOs like Carly Fiorina wouldn’t be given $40 million golden umbrellas to go away after being utter failures at their jobs. The big banks and corporations wouldn’t come crawling to the taxpayers for bailouts. Sports team owners wouldn’t threaten to move to another city if the taxpayers didn’t pay for their new stadium. Kind of takes the “risk” out of venture capitalism, doesn’t it? Socialism is only for the wealthy.
If we had true elected leaders “representing” us, they’d look out for the interests of the mass of people, at least once in a while. As the late James Forrestal told Joe McCarthy, before he plummeted to his death from a window at Bethesda Naval Hospital, occasionally they’d make a mistake in our favor. A true statesman, a Mr. Smith gone to Washington, would pop up here or there. The last politician with national power, who appeared to be the least bit interested in doing good, John F. Kennedy, had his head blown off in Dallas.
Even if we had real representatives, as the Iowa caucuses showed once again, the votes aren’t being honestly counted. Half the country doesn’t even want a voter identification required, which would seem to be the only way to ensure that someone doesn’t vote twice, or out of their precinct, or vote for the dead, or vote as non-citizens. “Vote early and often,” as they used to say.
Anyone who has been employed at any large or mid-sized company in America within the past few decades knows just how much hard work, loyalty, and competence matter in the workplace. In “right to work” states like mine, one can be fired for literally any reason. But at least you can’t be forced to join a union. The combination of “conservative” ideology, which puts profits (and executive bonuses) first and foremost, and social justice warrior favoritism and double standards ensure that the cheapest, most pliable, but “diverse” workforce is in place.
The customer is usually wrong in today’s business world. Try to get a company to honor a warranty. How about those “bumper to bumper” car warranties? From my perspective, everything is between the bumpers on a car, but these companies invariably find a way to wiggle out of covering something. It’s hard to blame the low-paid retail employees for not having a great attitude. They aren’t rewarded, no matter how well the company does. But you can bet management is. And ultimately, it’s the consumer who gets screwed. So, take your business elsewhere? And get identical prices, and identical service? Remember, John D. Rockefeller, one of the titans of capitalism, memorably said, “competition is a sin.”
Government is certainly no better than business, and probably worse in most cases. Try getting a government agency on the phone. After surviving the tortuous automated menu system (which all agencies and private businesses now employ, despite heartfelt opposition from the public, in the spirit of Rockefeller-style “competition”), you will be transferred by one rude, uncaring representative to another, if you’re not simply cut off or hung up on.
The mainstream media, including an entertainment industry that features more talentless performers than talented ones, is controlled by a handful of powerful companies. There is no competition, which would please John D. Rockefeller. The films, songs, television shows, and works of art are almost entirely forgettable. McCulture, if you will. Nothing uplifting. No real literature can be published in today’s America. To be fair, there probably aren’t enough literate readers left to appreciate it. We are becoming a cultural wasteland, a burgeoning Idiocracy. Bullyocracy: How the S... Jeffries, Donald Best Price: $15.55 Buy New $14.00 (as of 11:47 UTC - Details)
We don’t even have the trappings of a First World nation any more. The infrastructure is like every other part of America 2.0- a gigantic, crumbling, figurative pot hole. But no one addresses it, or has for sixty years. Instead, the nonstop bombings and occupations of other nations continue, regardless of cost, as the wealth of those who are already rich increases, and the poverty of those who are already poor does as well. And the middle is being squeezed out completely. Half of America literally has no wealth. The bottom quarter has a negative net worth.
Everything I write about highlights some kind of corruption, or injustice. Needless to say, I never run out of things to write about. We are drifting listlessly in a sea of corruption. The country is full of naked emperors. And there are no innocent children to point it out.
You can’t leave the people out of this. As I’ve written about before, virtually no one seems to believe in the Golden Rule any more. They may never have believed in it, but as least they pretended to. Now, not only do hardly any people treat others as they wish to be treated, most would like to have those they disagree with fired from their jobs, if not prosecuted.
To begin to clean this mess up, you’d need the biggest vacuum cleaner imaginable. And a massive insertion of honest, competent leaders at all levels of society.
—
Bullyocracy: How the Social Hierarchy Enables Bullies to Rule Schools, Work Places, and Society at Large – Donald Jeffries
Reprinted with the author’s permission.
The Best of Donald Jeffries


lewrockwell--2020-02-14--How Hollywood Killed the Hollywood Star

How Hollywood Killed the Hollywood Star

Some claim the Internet has killed the Hollywood Star .
For me it was a little different .
What killed the Hollywood Star had to do more with : The clearly sick people who end up in Hollywood , Their annoying belief that I want to hear from them about how I should vote or what causes they support , and the mistaken belief that smug delivery of that data is advisable and effective in moving me to action , Their insistence in sneaking in those opinions in the most jarring moments , just as I ’ m about to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m watching , The Switch : Ignite You ... Mr. James W. Clement Best Price : $ 17.60 Buy New $ 17.96 And to deliver that belief with such annoyingly arrogant high-mindedness , Their influence in this regard over the gladiatorial titans of the NFL who I watch for their athleticism , sense of courage , and drive to push the limits of human potential , and who have now started to use their podium as athletes to proselytize to their audience thereby detracting from the experience they peerlessly provide , Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice motifs ( another term for the anti-social , anti-justice , pro-oppression movement called Cultural Marxism ) , motifs that are as enjoyable as the sensation of a mushy paper straw dissolving in your mouth as you try to sip the entire drink before the straw totally dissolves on you as you walk through the more-billionaires-per-capita financial corridor of San Francisco , trying to avoid coming in contact with excrement and spent hypodermic needles on sidewalks , which are merely a few of the many indicators of human misery that Hollywood ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Their use of film to engage in an arms race for what film can be more shocking , Their use of film to see who can lull the viewer into comfort and to surprise the viewer the most times per movie , Their use of music to falsely build anticipation , Their totally manipulative use of dramatic wide-angle shots in a car when someone is about to be blindsided in that car , Their use of dramatic wide-angle shots in a car when someone is not blindsided in that car , Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those camera angles and surprises , The fact that I can feel my heart racing and my stress levels increase , just by writing these sentences on the topic of manipulative Hollywood techniques , Their carelessness around the important distinction between suspense and manipulation , Their inability to distinguish between values and politics , Their demand that everything be political , Their comfort with deriding that for which they have a distaste , often with cheap shots , Their unwillingness to know their audience , Their constantly reinforced insulation of themselves so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasingly hard to accomplish , Their very high ticket prices in the face of immense market pressure , Their lack of economic sense as their audiences dwindle , Their insistence in addressing economic topics without understanding economics , Their lack of recognition for the amazing opportunities that have been handed to them to advance film beyond mere agitprop , Their contempt for the marketplace , Their control over theaters , allowing them to continue free of competition , Their sincerely prideful and unembarrassed attempts to use the courts to control what I watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intellectual property , which is the opposite of property rights , Their cooperation with politicians to attempt to forcefully control all other media that could compete with them , and Their disinterest in and fervent protest against developing new business models , accompanied by their self-righteous insistence on uncreatively relying on a business model that openly depends on the forceful enforcement of those government edicts , and the suppression of the property rights of others in order to function .
And with all of that , realizing that temporarily suspending my disbelief for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself what that meant : that I was exposing myself to these people with an uncritical mind for two hours at a time and only afterwards reminding myself what sick puppies so many of them are , how it perverts the mind to allow Hollywood into the space between your precious ears for two hours , and how unpleasant it could be for the globe if someone with access like that had an agenda .
What if many in Hollywood did have an agenda .
How bad would that be ?
But let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , does anyone seriously think Leonardo DiCaprio or Harvey Weinstein or Roman Polanski have any genuinely useful advice to offer on how to live more virtuously ?
Can they help you in your pursuit of the truth ?
Are these the people to turn to for a solid dose or reason and evidence ?
Is this who you want raising the next generation ?
The Diamond Age : Or , a ... Neal Stephenson Best Price : $ 1.92 Buy New $ 7.00 I ’ d be more apt to ask the homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my window at 2 a.m. for advice on life .
The internet didn ’ t kill the Hollywood Star .
The Hollywood Star had it all , they had the attention of a nation – an uncritical devoted attention of a nation – and they destroyed the gift they were given .
And I can ’ t think of a person who I respect who will be worse off for the loss of Hollywood ’ s influence in their life .
A century worth of quality movies already exist , some of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lecture me .
That is Hollywood ’ s gift to humanity .
If another quality movie is ever made In Hollywood I ’ ll be grateful .
If Hollywood sputters out of fuel tomorrow morning and the studios all crash and burn , I may mourn the potential of it all , but I won ’ t mourn the disappearance of this creepy aberration that has become a net negative for humanity .
Perhaps from its ashes something better rises .
And perhaps the sooner such a crash can come about , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as entrepreneurs and artists collaborate to seek to realize even more of that potential contained in the film industry .
The Best of Allan Stevo

Some claim the Internet has killed the Hollywood Star. For me it was a little different. What killed the Hollywood Star had to do more with:
The decades of pedophilia controversies,
And the casting couch,
The clearly sick people who end up in Hollywood,
The drugs,
The abuse,
Their annoying belief that I want to hear from them about how I should vote or what causes they support, and the mistaken belief that smug delivery of that data is advisable and effective in moving me to action,
Their insistence in sneaking in those opinions in the most jarring moments, just as I’m about to find some relaxation in the entertainment I’m watching, The Switch: Ignite You... Mr. James W. Clement Best Price: $17.60 Buy New $17.96 (as of 10:54 UTC - Details)
And to deliver that belief with such annoyingly arrogant high-mindedness,
Their influence in this regard over the gladiatorial titans of the NFL who I watch for their athleticism, sense of courage, and drive to push the limits of human potential, and who have now started to use their podium as athletes to proselytize to their audience thereby detracting from the experience they peerlessly provide,
Their awful remakes of good movies,
Their tendency to load awful remakes with social justice motifs (another term for the anti-social, anti-justice, pro-oppression movement called Cultural Marxism), motifs that are as enjoyable as the sensation of a mushy paper straw dissolving in your mouth as you try to sip the entire drink before the straw totally dissolves on you as you walk through the more-billionaires-per-capita financial corridor of San Francisco, trying to avoid coming in contact with excrement and spent hypodermic needles on sidewalks, which are merely a few of the many indicators of human misery that Hollywood’s high-minded liberal policies help give rise to,
Their total comfort with propaganda,
Their use of film to engage in an arms race for what film can be more shocking,
Their use of film to see who can lull the viewer into comfort and to surprise the viewer the most times per movie,
Their use of music to falsely build anticipation,
Their totally manipulative use of dramatic wide-angle shots in a car when someone is about to be blindsided in that car,
Their use of dramatic wide-angle shots in a car when someone is not blindsided in that car,
Their total comfort with manipulation, such as those camera angles and surprises,
The fact that I can feel my heart racing and my stress levels increase, just by writing these sentences on the topic of manipulative Hollywood techniques,
Their carelessness around the important distinction between suspense and manipulation,
Their inability to distinguish between values and politics,
Their demand that everything be political,
Their distaste for middle America,
Their comfort with deriding that for which they have a distaste, often with cheap shots,
Their unwillingness to know their audience,
Their constantly reinforced insulation of themselves so that a connection with an audience member is increasingly hard to accomplish,
Their very high ticket prices in the face of immense market pressure,
Their lack of economic sense as their audiences dwindle,
Their insistence in addressing economic topics without understanding economics,
Their lack of recognition for the amazing opportunities that have been handed to them to advance film beyond mere agitprop,
Their constant appreciation for low standards,
Their contempt for the marketplace,
Their control over theaters, allowing them to continue free of competition,
Their sincerely prideful and unembarrassed attempts to use the courts to control what I watch,
Their leadership in the field of intellectual property, which is the opposite of property rights,
Their cooperation with politicians to attempt to forcefully control all other media that could compete with them, and
Their disinterest in and fervent protest against developing new business models, accompanied by their self-righteous insistence on uncreatively relying on a business model that openly depends on the forceful enforcement of those government edicts, and the suppression of the property rights of others in order to function.
And with all of that, realizing that temporarily suspending my disbelief for people like that and then processing for myself what that meant: that I was exposing myself to these people with an uncritical mind for two hours at a time and only afterwards reminding myself what sick puppies so many of them are, how it perverts the mind to allow Hollywood into the space between your precious ears for two hours, and how unpleasant it could be for the globe if someone with access like that had an agenda.
What if many in Hollywood did have an agenda. How bad would that be?
But let’s pretend they don’t, does anyone seriously think Leonardo DiCaprio or Harvey Weinstein or Roman Polanski have any genuinely useful advice to offer on how to live more virtuously? Can they help you in your pursuit of the truth? Are these the people to turn to for a solid dose or reason and evidence? Is this who you want raising the next generation? The Diamond Age: Or, a... Stephenson, Neal Best Price: $1.49 Buy New $4.85 (as of 11:13 UTC - Details)
Absolutely not.
I’d be more apt to ask the homeless guy who screams profanities uncontrollably outside of my window at 2 a.m. for advice on life.
The internet didn’t kill the Hollywood Star. The Hollywood Star had it all, they had the attention of a nation – an uncritical devoted attention of a nation – and they destroyed the gift they were given. And I can’t think of a person who I respect who will be worse off for the loss of Hollywood’s influence in their life.
A century worth of quality movies already exist, some of which were not made by total degenerates trying to lecture me. That is Hollywood’s gift to humanity. If another quality movie is ever made In Hollywood I’ll be grateful. If Hollywood sputters out of fuel tomorrow morning and the studios all crash and burn, I may mourn the potential of it all, but I won’t mourn the disappearance of this creepy aberration that has become a net negative for humanity.
Perhaps from its ashes something better rises. And perhaps the sooner such a crash can come about, the better for humanity that may be, as entrepreneurs and artists collaborate to seek to realize even more of that potential contained in the film industry.
The Best of Allan Stevo


lewrockwell--2020-02-14--Trump Purges 70 Obama-Era Holdovers From Leaky National Security Council Responsible for “Ukrainegat

Trump Purges 70 Obama-Era Holdovers From Leaky National Security Council Responsible for “Ukrainegate” and Impeachment

It ’ s taken President Trump three long years but he finally appears ready to clean out the swamp , as he promised he ’ d do during his 2016 campaign .
Stung repeatedly by deep state careerists who have worked to undermine him and his agenda , as well as be a part of the ongoing effort to depose him from office , the president this week — emboldened by an impeachment acquittal in the Senate — finally made a bold move to rid himself of treasonous actors .
President Trump is making good on his promises to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holdovers from his staffs , especially the critical and recently controversial National Security Council .
Officials confirmed that Trump and national security adviser Robert O ’ Brien have cut 70 positions inherited from former President Barack Obama , who had fattened the staff to 200 .
Against the Left : A Ro ... Llewellyn H Rockwell Jr Best Price : $ 13.57 Buy New $ 8.00 Many of those on the NSC were simply on loan from other agencies and have now been sent back to where they came from , while others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainegate ” affair which House Democrats used as the impetus to impeach President Trump originated within the NSC , created after World War II via the National Security Act just as the Cold War with Russia was getting ready to begin .
One of the more high-profile names to have been dismissed is Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman , who Trump had moved back to the Pentagon .
In addition , the president got rid of his twin brother , Yevgeny Vindman , an Army lawyer who was detailed to the NSC as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rightfully so — by Vindman ’ s testimony as a witness for House Democrats conducting the impeachment inquiry .
The basis for Vindman ’ s testimony was , simply , he didn ’ t like the manner in which Trump was conducting foreign policy with an ally .

It’s taken President Trump three long years but he finally appears ready to clean out the swamp, as he promised he’d do during his 2016 campaign.
Stung repeatedly by deep state careerists who have worked to undermine him and his agenda, as well as be a part of the ongoing effort to depose him from office, the president this week — emboldened by an impeachment acquittal in the Senate — finally made a bold move to rid himself of treasonous actors.
As the Washington Examiner reported:
President Trump is making good on his promises to “drain the swamp” and cut Obama-era holdovers from his staffs, especially the critical and recently controversial National Security Council.
Officials confirmed that Trump and national security adviser Robert O’Brien have cut 70 positions inherited from former President Barack Obama, who had fattened the staff to 200. Against the Left: A Ro... Rockwell Jr, Llewellyn H Best Price: $2.85 Buy New $8.00 (as of 07:59 UTC - Details)
Many of those on the NSC were simply on loan from other agencies and have now been sent back to where they came from, while others left government employ altogether.
The “Ukrainegate” affair which House Democrats used as the impetus to impeach President Trump originated within the NSC, created after World War II via the National Security Act just as the Cold War with Russia was getting ready to begin.
One of the more high-profile names to have been dismissed is Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who Trump had moved back to the Pentagon. In addition, the president got rid of his twin brother, Yevgeny Vindman, an Army lawyer who was detailed to the NSC as well.
Trump was angered — and rightfully so — by Vindman’s testimony as a witness for House Democrats conducting the impeachment inquiry. The basis for Vindman’s testimony was, simply, he didn’t like the manner in which Trump was conducting foreign policy with an ally.
Read the Whole Article


The Natural Law

From his Gifford Lectures two years ago , N. T. Wright offered : The Natural Law : A Study in Legal and Social History and Philosophy , by Heinrich A. Rommen Why begin a post on Rommen ’ s book with a quote from N. T. Wright ?
Forgive the length of the following , from the Translator ’ s Preface ( Thomas R. Hanley ) to Rommen ’ s book : An extensive treatment of moral problems from the standpoint of the natural law or rational ethics often leaves the impression that ethics , as a branch of philosophy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man to perfection and happiness , individual and social .
From such a viewpoint the supernatural order , with its elevation of man , divine revelation , and divine grace , all too often takes on the appearance of something artificial or unnatural , something unnecessary and superfluous .
Mature reflection , however , will show that such an impression is quite unwarranted .
Neither as a science nor as an art is ethics , or the doctrine of the natural moral law in its concrete applications , able of itself to lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual and social good .
Both Wright and Hanley seem to be offering that the Four Natural Virtues ( Prudence or Wisdom , Courage , Temperance , and Justice ) are insufficient to lead a man to his telos of happiness – beatitudo .
It also requires the Three Theological Virtues ( Faith , Hope and Love ) .
However , this does not preclude for non-believers the discovery and understanding of the natural law : Please , no fighting about the dig at non-Catholic Christians… .
Now , on to Rommen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought – as he describes it , The Legacy of Greece and Rome .
The idea of natural law is as old as philosophy .
Even primitive law held that such laws were unchangeable by human ordinance , and it has the same force always and everywhere within a given cultural environment .
In Western culture , this philosophical concept of natural law first made its appearance through the Greeks .
There was a distinction even then – a distinction that continues to this day : This incorporates the idea of the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free contract .
The idea of God is wrapped up in the latter .
Jay Engel has recently written extensively on this mythical idea of man coming out of a state of nature .
Human history just isn ’ t so .
Man is born into a family and a community , with all of the rights and obligations that this entails .
As regarding the broader society , it is from such beginnings that one must work if one is to build a proper narrative of man in relation to his fellow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a framework that any possibility of meaning and fulfillment in life will be found .
Rommen examines the Sophists , noting that it is not easy to judge them fairly .
Their writings have come to us in fragments , and chiefly through Plato ’ s dialogues .
Rommen offers three ideas that came out of their thinking : • There is a natural-law freedom and equality of all mankind – hence a world community that is superior to the city-state • Finally , that the state or polis is nonessential ; it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free contract .
Prior to this , mankind must have lived in a state where pure natural law was in force .
To summarize , they were critical of positive laws , yet per Rommen they juggled ideas and paradoxes which threatened to dissolve the notions of goodness and morality .
Epicurus , who had no room for metaphysics , would counter , doubting that anything can be objectively and naturally right .
Utility and pleasure were the sole principles of ethics for him .
All justice was to be found in positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate ebb and flow ever since .
Socrates would show that there was a knowable objective world of goodness and justice .
Plato and Aristotle would follow , with order – not freedom – as their chief concern .
This explains their pre-occupation with the best form of state government .
Yet to achieve order , an ethical basis for law must be discovered – they held that there was a distinction between what is naturally just and what is legally just .
We know that Plato established the ideas of the forms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these , place the forms in the entity or being .
Plato ’ s archetype was the pure idea ; Aristotle ’ s was to be found in human artistic activity : for example , the architect or sculptor who brings to life the idea in his mind .
And it is here where we will find that some actions correspond to nature and are naturally good ; others are repugnant to nature , and therefore naturally bad .
From this , Aristotle would identify that which is naturally just and naturally unjust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much to say about the content of natural law ; the Sophists , more concerned about the individual , would have more to say on this .
The ideas of natural law would find their way into Roman law , still with little distinction between law and morality .
Concepts like “ worship must be paid to God ” and “ live honourably ” were to be found in the law .
This was driven by the view from even Plato and Aristotle that the sole moral fulfillment of man was to lie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finds in Roman law the finest legal system yet developed in the West – albeit he recognizes that English common law also carries many features of this same natural law .
Roman law further passed this idea of natural law to the new Christian era and to the scholastic philosophers – a “ true philosophia perennis , ” basic philosophical truths that are perennial , enduring , abiding , permanent , eternal .
The Stoics were individualist just like the Sophists , yet not militantly opposed to the polis .
They built upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aristotle : correct knowledge is the basis of ethics ; the unity of knowledge and conduct forms the ideal of the sage .
This ideal would repeat in the Christian ideal of the saint .
The Stoics would pave the way for Christian natural law ; they gave a terminology through which this natural law could flow .
Cicero was its greatest popularizer , and it was mainly through his writings that these ideas would come to the medieval world .
Cicero would write ( along with other similar notions ) : Regarding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rommen cites from An Introduction to Philosophy , translated by E. I. Watkin : The Abolition of Man C. S. Lewis Best Price : $ 4.21 Buy New $ 6.30 This recalls C. S. Lewis , from The Abolition of Man : Returning to Rommen , he offers a hint of hope for our time when natural law ( and , not coincidentally , a life of fulfillment and meaning ) seems furthest from the minds of man : This introduction sets the stage for the Scholastics .
This will come next .
@ @ @ @ @

From his Gifford Lectures two years ago, N. T. Wright offered:
To be an image-bearer is more than just behavior; otherwise we put the knowledge of good and evil before the knowledge of God.
The Natural Law: A Study in Legal and Social History and Philosophy, by Heinrich A. Rommen
Why begin a post on Rommen’s book with a quote from N. T. Wright? Forgive the length of the following, from the Translator’s Preface (Thomas R. Hanley) to Rommen’s book:
An extensive treatment of moral problems from the standpoint of the natural law or rational ethics often leaves the impression that ethics, as a branch of philosophy, is quite sufficient to lead a man to perfection and happiness, individual and social. From such a viewpoint the supernatural order, with its elevation of man, divine revelation, and divine grace, all too often takes on the appearance of something artificial or unnatural, something unnecessary and superfluous. Mature reflection, however, will show that such an impression is quite unwarranted. Neither as a science nor as an art is ethics, or the doctrine of the natural moral law in its concrete applications, able of itself to lead man as he actually is to his individual and social good.
Both Wright and Hanley seem to be offering that the Four Natural Virtues (Prudence or Wisdom, Courage, Temperance, and Justice) are insufficient to lead a man to his telos of happiness – beatitudo. It also requires the Three Theological Virtues (Faith, Hope and Love). The Natural Law: A Stu... Heinrich A. Rommen Best Price: $7.00 Buy New $8.00 (as of 01:18 UTC - Details)
However, this does not preclude for non-believers the discovery and understanding of the natural law:
Rational ethics, founded on the natural moral law, preserves, therefore, its independence and value like any other branch of philosophy. In this way it performs the valuable functions of serving as a basis of understanding and agreement between Catholics and all those who fail or refuse, for one reason or another, to recognize consciously their actual and inescapable incorporation into the supernatural order and their call to actual, full, and living membership in the authentic Church of Christ.
Please, no fighting about the dig at non-Catholic Christians….
Now, on to Rommen. He begins with a history of pre-Scholastic thought – as he describes it, The Legacy of Greece and Rome. The idea of natural law is as old as philosophy. Even primitive law held that such laws were unchangeable by human ordinance, and it has the same force always and everywhere within a given cultural environment.
In Western culture, this philosophical concept of natural law first made its appearance through the Greeks. There was a distinction even then – a distinction that continues to this day:
One is the idea of a revolutionary and individualistic natural law, essentially bound up with the basic doctrine of the state of nature…
This incorporates the idea of the state as a social unit, resting on free contract.
The other is the idea of a natural law grounded in metaphysics that does not exist in a mythical state of nature before the “laws”…
The idea of God is wrapped up in the latter.
Jay Engel has recently written extensively on this mythical idea of man coming out of a state of nature. Human history just isn’t so. Man is born into a family and a community, with all of the rights and obligations that this entails. As regarding the broader society, it is from such beginnings that one must work if one is to build a proper narrative of man in relation to his fellow man; it is only within such a framework that any possibility of meaning and fulfillment in life will be found.
Rommen examines the Sophists, noting that it is not easy to judge them fairly. Their writings have come to us in fragments, and chiefly through Plato’s dialogues. Rommen offers three ideas that came out of their thinking:
Existing laws are artificial constructs that serve class interests
There is a natural-law freedom and equality of all mankind – hence a world community that is superior to the city-state
Finally, that the state or polis is nonessential; it owes its origin to human decision of free contract. Prior to this, mankind must have lived in a state where pure natural law was in force.
To summarize, they were critical of positive laws, yet per Rommen they juggled ideas and paradoxes which threatened to dissolve the notions of goodness and morality.
Epicurus, who had no room for metaphysics, would counter, doubting that anything can be objectively and naturally right. Utility and pleasure were the sole principles of ethics for him. All justice was to be found in positive laws. We have seen the same debate ebb and flow ever since.
Socrates would show that there was a knowable objective world of goodness and justice. Plato and Aristotle would follow, with order – not freedom – as their chief concern. This explains their pre-occupation with the best form of state government. Yet to achieve order, an ethical basis for law must be discovered – they held that there was a distinction between what is naturally just and what is legally just.
The metaphysical natural law of Plato as well as the more realistic one of Aristotle formed the high-water mark of moral and natural-law philosophy in Greek civilization.
We know that Plato established the ideas of the forms – the perfect forms; Aristotle embodied these, place the forms in the entity or being. Plato’s archetype was the pure idea; Aristotle’s was to be found in human artistic activity: for example, the architect or sculptor who brings to life the idea in his mind.
And it is here where we will find that some actions correspond to nature and are naturally good; others are repugnant to nature, and therefore naturally bad. From this, Aristotle would identify that which is naturally just and naturally unjust.
Neither Aristotle or Plato would have much to say about the content of natural law; the Sophists, more concerned about the individual, would have more to say on this.
The ideas of natural law would find their way into Roman law, still with little distinction between law and morality. Concepts like “worship must be paid to God” and “live honourably” were to be found in the law. This was driven by the view from even Plato and Aristotle that the sole moral fulfillment of man was to lie in citizenship:
The virtuous life is the goal of man. But he can achieve this goal only as a citizen of the polis and in obedience to its laws.
Despite this, Rommen finds in Roman law the finest legal system yet developed in the West – albeit he recognizes that English common law also carries many features of this same natural law. Roman law further passed this idea of natural law to the new Christian era and to the scholastic philosophers – a “true philosophia perennis,” basic philosophical truths that are perennial, enduring, abiding, permanent, eternal.
The Stoics were individualist just like the Sophists, yet not militantly opposed to the polis. They built upon the work of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle: correct knowledge is the basis of ethics; the unity of knowledge and conduct forms the ideal of the sage. This ideal would repeat in the Christian ideal of the saint.
The Stoics would pave the way for Christian natural law; they gave a terminology through which this natural law could flow. Cicero was its greatest popularizer, and it was mainly through his writings that these ideas would come to the medieval world.
Cicero would write (along with other similar notions):
If the principles of Justice were founded on decrees of peoples, the edicts of princes, or the decisions of judges, then Justice would sanction robbery and adultery and forgery of wills, in case these acts were approved by the votes or decrees of the populace.
Regarding the philosophy of Aristotle and Aquinas, Rommen cites from An Introduction to Philosophy, translated by E. I. Watkin: The Abolition of Man Lewis, C. S. Best Price: $3.15 Buy New $6.30 (as of 12:15 UTC - Details)
“It is also the evidential philosophy, based on the double evidence of the data perceived by our senses and our intellectual apprehension of first principles….”
This recalls C. S. Lewis, from The Abolition of Man:
This thing which I have called for convenience the Tao, and which others may call Natural Law or Traditional Morality or the First Principles of Practical Reason or the First Platitudes, is not one among a series of possible systems of value. It is the sole source of all value judgements. If it is rejected, all value is rejected. If any value is retained, it is retained.
Conclusion
Returning to Rommen, he offers a hint of hope for our time when natural law (and, not coincidentally, a life of fulfillment and meaning) seems furthest from the minds of man:
Scholastic philosophy has been the place of sanctuary for the natural law when arid positivism has driven the latter out of secular jurisprudence. Yet it has always come back into jurisprudence whenever the human mind, weary of the unsatisfying hunt for mere facts, has again turned to metaphysics, queen of the sciences.
This introduction sets the stage for the Scholastics. This will come next.
Reprinted with permission from Bionic Mosquito.
The Best of Bionic Mosquito


lewrockwell--2020-02-14--More Lies on Iran: The White House Just Can’t Help Itself as New Facts Emerge

Admittedly the news cycle in the United States seldom runs longer than twenty-four hours , but that should not serve as an excuse when a major story that contradicts what the Trump Administration has been claiming appears and suddenly dies .
The public that actually follows the news might recall a little more than one month ago the United States assassinated a senior Iranian official named Qassem Soleimani .
Openly killing someone in the government of a country with which one is not at war is , to say the least , unusual , particularly when the crime is carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both the perpetrator and the victim have friendly relations .
The justification provided by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , speaking for the administration , was that Soleimani was in Iraq planning an “ imminent ” mass killing of Americans , for which no additional evidence was provided at that time or since .
It soon emerged that the Iranian was in fact in Baghdad to discuss with the Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi a plan that might lead to the de-escalation of the ongoing conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew about may even have approved .
If that is so , events as they unfolded suggest that the U.S. government might have encouraged Soleimani to make his trip so he could be set up and killed .
Donald Trump later dismissed the lack of any corroboration of the tale of “ imminent threat ” being peddled by Pompeo , stating that it didn ’ t really matter as Soleimani was a terrorist who deserved to die .
Against the State : An ... Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr. Best Price : $ 2.11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started the killing cycle that eventually included Soleimani consisted of a December 27th attack on a U.S. base in Iraq in which four American soldiers and two Iraqis were wounded while one U.S. contractor , an Iraqi-born translator , was killed .
The United States immediately blamed Iran , claiming that it had been carried out by an Iranian supported Shi ’ ite militia called Kata ’ ib Hezbollah .
It provided no evidence for that claim and retaliated by striking a Kata ’ ib base , killing 25 Iraqis who were in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State ( IS ) .
The militiamen had been incorporated into the Iraqi Army and this disproportionate response led to riots outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad , which were also blamed on Iran by the U.S .
There then followed the assassinations of Soleimani and nine senior Iraqi militia officers .
Iran retaliated when it fired missiles at American forces , injuring more than one hundred soldiers , and then mistakenly shot down a passenger jet , killing an additional 176 people .
As a consequence due to the killing by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidents , the Iraqi Parliament also voted to expel all American troops .
It now appears that the original death of the American contractor that sparked the tit-for-tat conflict was not carried out by Kata ’ ib Hezbollah at all .
An Iraqi Army investigative team has gathered convincing evidence that it was an attack staged by Islamic State .
In fact , the Iraqi government has demonstrated that Kata ’ ib Hezbollah has had no presence in Kirkuk province , where the attack took place , since 2014 .
It is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not welcome and is instead relatively hospitable to all-Sunni IS .
It was , in fact , one of the original breeding grounds for what was to become ISIS .
This new development was reported in the New York Times in an article that was headlined “ Was U.S. Wrong About Attack That Nearly Started a War With Iran ?
Iraqi military and intelligence officials have raised doubts about who fired the rockets that started a dangerous spiral of events.
” In spite of the sensational nature of the report it generally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other mainstream media outlets , letting the Trump administration get away with yet another big lie , one that could easily have led to a war with Iran .
Iraqi investigators found and identified the abandoned white Kia pickup with an improvised Katyusha rocket launcher in the vehicle ’ s bed that was used to stage the attack .
It was discovered down a desert road within range of the K-1 joint Iraqi-American base that was hit by at least ten missiles in December , most of which struck the American area .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack to any particular party and the improvised KIA truck is used by all sides in the regional fighting , but the Iraqi officials point to the undisputed fact that it was the Islamic State that had carried out three separate attacks near the base over the 10 days preceding December 27th .
And there are reports that IS has been increasingly active in Kirkuk Province during the past year , carrying out near daily attacks with improvised roadside bombs and ambushes using small arms .
There had , in fact , been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the American command warning that there might be an IS attack on K-1 itself , which is an Iraqi air base in that is shared with U.S. forces .
The intelligence on the attack has been shared with American investigators , who have also examined the pick-up truck .
The Times reports that the U.S. command in Iraq continue to insist that the attack was carried out by Kata ’ ib based on information , including claimed communications intercepts , that it refuses to make public .
The U.S. forces may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iraqis due to concerns that it would be leaked to Iran , but senior Iraqi military officers are nevertheless perplexed by the reticence to confide in an ally .
If the Iraqi investigation of the facts around the December attack on K-1 is reliable , the Donald Trump administration ’ s reckless actions in Iraq in late December and early January can not be justified .
Worse still , it would appear that the White House was looking for an excuse to attack and kill a senior Iranian official to send some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could easily have resulted in a war that would benefit no one .
To be sure , the Trump administration has lied about developments in the Middle East so many times that it can no longer be trusted .
Unfortunately , demanding any accountability from the Trump team would require a Congress that is willing to shoulder its responsibility for truth in government backed up by a media that is willing to take on an administration that regularly punishes anyone or any entity that dares to challenge it .
That is the unfortunate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation .
The Best of Philip Giraldi

Admittedly the news cycle in the United States seldom runs longer than twenty-four hours, but that should not serve as an excuse when a major story that contradicts what the Trump Administration has been claiming appears and suddenly dies. The public that actually follows the news might recall a little more than one month ago the United States assassinated a senior Iranian official named Qassem Soleimani. Openly killing someone in the government of a country with which one is not at war is, to say the least, unusual, particularly when the crime is carried out in yet another country with which both the perpetrator and the victim have friendly relations. The justification provided by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking for the administration, was that Soleimani was in Iraq planning an “imminent” mass killing of Americans, for which no additional evidence was provided at that time or since.
It soon emerged that the Iranian was in fact in Baghdad to discuss with the Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi a plan that might lead to the de-escalation of the ongoing conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, a meeting that the White House apparently knew about may even have approved. If that is so, events as they unfolded suggest that the U.S. government might have encouraged Soleimani to make his trip so he could be set up and killed. Donald Trump later dismissed the lack of any corroboration of the tale of “imminent threat” being peddled by Pompeo, stating that it didn’t really matter as Soleimani was a terrorist who deserved to die.
Against the State: An ... Rockwell Jr., Llewelly... Best Price: $5.02 Buy New $5.52 (as of 11:35 UTC - Details) The incident that started the killing cycle that eventually included Soleimani consisted of a December 27th attack on a U.S. base in Iraq in which four American soldiers and two Iraqis were wounded while one U.S. contractor, an Iraqi-born translator, was killed. The United States immediately blamed Iran, claiming that it had been carried out by an Iranian supported Shi’ite militia called Kata’ib Hezbollah. It provided no evidence for that claim and retaliated by striking a Kata’ib base, killing 25 Iraqis who were in the field fighting the remnants of Islamic State (IS). The militiamen had been incorporated into the Iraqi Army and this disproportionate response led to riots outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, which were also blamed on Iran by the U.S. There then followed the assassinations of Soleimani and nine senior Iraqi militia officers. Iran retaliated when it fired missiles at American forces, injuring more than one hundred soldiers, and then mistakenly shot down a passenger jet, killing an additional 176 people. As a consequence due to the killing by the U.S. of 34 Iraqis in the two incidents, the Iraqi Parliament also voted to expel all American troops.
It now appears that the original death of the American contractor that sparked the tit-for-tat conflict was not carried out by Kata’ib Hezbollah at all. An Iraqi Army investigative team has gathered convincing evidence that it was an attack staged by Islamic State. In fact, the Iraqi government has demonstrated that Kata’ib Hezbollah has had no presence in Kirkuk province, where the attack took place, since 2014. It is a heavily Sunni area where Shi’a are not welcome and is instead relatively hospitable to all-Sunni IS. It was, in fact, one of the original breeding grounds for what was to become ISIS.
This new development was reported in the New York Times in an article that was headlined “Was U.S. Wrong About Attack That Nearly Started a War With Iran? Iraqi military and intelligence officials have raised doubts about who fired the rockets that started a dangerous spiral of events.” In spite of the sensational nature of the report it generally was ignored in television news and in other mainstream media outlets, letting the Trump administration get away with yet another big lie, one that could easily have led to a war with Iran.
Iraqi investigators found and identified the abandoned white Kia pickup with an improvised Katyusha rocket launcher in the vehicle’s bed that was used to stage the attack. It was discovered down a desert road within range of the K-1 joint Iraqi-American base that was hit by at least ten missiles in December, most of which struck the American area.
There is no direct evidence tying the attack to any particular party and the improvised KIA truck is used by all sides in the regional fighting, but the Iraqi officials point to the undisputed fact that it was the Islamic State that had carried out three separate attacks near the base over the 10 days preceding December 27th. And there are reports that IS has been increasingly active in Kirkuk Province during the past year, carrying out near daily attacks with improvised roadside bombs and ambushes using small arms. There had, in fact, been reports from Iraqi intelligence that were shared with the American command warning that there might be an IS attack on K-1 itself, which is an Iraqi air base in that is shared with U.S. forces.
The intelligence on the attack has been shared with American investigators, who have also examined the pick-up truck. The Times reports that the U.S. command in Iraq continue to insist that the attack was carried out by Kata’ib based on information, including claimed communications intercepts, that it refuses to make public. The U.S. forces may not have shared the intelligence they have with the Iraqis due to concerns that it would be leaked to Iran, but senior Iraqi military officers are nevertheless perplexed by the reticence to confide in an ally.
If the Iraqi investigation of the facts around the December attack on K-1 is reliable, the Donald Trump administration’s reckless actions in Iraq in late December and early January cannot be justified. Worse still, it would appear that the White House was looking for an excuse to attack and kill a senior Iranian official to send some kind of message, a provocation that could easily have resulted in a war that would benefit no one. To be sure, the Trump administration has lied about developments in the Middle East so many times that it can no longer be trusted. Unfortunately, demanding any accountability from the Trump team would require a Congress that is willing to shoulder its responsibility for truth in government backed up by a media that is willing to take on an administration that regularly punishes anyone or any entity that dares to challenge it. That is the unfortunate reality in America today.
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation.
The Best of Philip Giraldi


lewrockwell--2020-02-14--Is Male Circumcision a Violation of Human Rights?

While flipping through the WestJet TV lineup on a recent cross-country flight , I reluctantly settled for a popular daytime talk-show ( my other options included Days of Our Lives and re-runs of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo ) , which saw a panel of 4 diversely opinionated women duking it out to see who could make their co-host seem like the biggest idiot .
Sigh .
More interesting , however , was the subject they were debating about : male circumcision .
Two of the female hosts in particular were taking the stage with polarizing views .
One host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice that lowered the risk of disease while the other saw it as an archaic and highly irrelevant surgery .
In the end , the victor was left undecided .
I , however , was left with an ignited curiosity about a medical procedure that I had never really taken time to question .
I was impressed by the research the anti-circumcision host had prepared for her debate , and it got me thinking intently about the ethics behind the globally rooted practice .
What You Must Know Abo ... Jeffrey Anshel OD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 11.84 How Did Circumcision Come To Be Globally Recognized ?
While the true origins of circumcision are largely obscured , the procedure undoubtedly has ancient roots , as documented in findings from several ethnic groups , including ancient Egypt , Greece , and Sub-equatorial Africa .
It has been proposed that the procedure began for a number of reasons , including serving as a rite of passage marking a boy ’ s entrance into adulthood or as a form of sympathetic magic to ensure virility or fertility .
It could also have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual pleasure , marking those of higher social status , aiding hygiene where regular bathing was impractical , or even humiliating enemies and slaves by symbolic castration .
By the 1890s , it became a popular technique to prevent , or cure , masturbatory insanity .
Clitoridectomies ( removal of the clitoris ) were also performed for the same reason , and were widely practiced in the US until 1925 .
This of course was until someone recognized the absurdity of such an invasive and irrelevant medical procedure .
Yet even still , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of men .
Today , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) has estimated that globally one-third of males aged 15 years and over are circumcised , with almost 70 % of those being Muslims .
To Cut Or Not To Cut Surprisingly , even though circumcision is still performed by most surgeons today , many leading medical institutions show no favour towards the procedure .
Take the New England Journal of Medicine , for example : “ Failure to provide adequate control of pain amounts to substandard and unethical medical practice.
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on circumcision : “ Existing scientific evidence demonstrates potential medical benefits of newborn male circumcision ; however , this data is not sufficient to recommend routine neonatal circumcision.
“ ( AAP 1999 ) “ [ P ] arental preference alone is not sufficient justification for performing a surgical procedure on a child.
” ( BMA 2006 ) Even the Canadian Paediatric Society has its reservations : “ Circumcision of newborns should not be routinely performed.
“ ( CPS 1996 ) Perhaps the reason most medical institutions show no favor towards circumcision has something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s first code of ethics , “ First , do no harm.
” Removing a normal , healthy body part and causing unnecessary pain is in fact doing harm .
“ But the pain only lasts for a minute… ” We know that a baby has nerve endings in their genitals at birth , therefore surgically cutting a newborn ’ s penis undoubtedly causes extreme pain for the baby .
Even if it were only for a ‘ minute ’ ( which it ’ s not ) , such an argument also implies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on an infant , even if only temporarily .
Furthermore , circumcision without anesthesia is inconsistent with ethical guidelines that prohibit performing surgical procedures on live beings without anesthesia .
In her article , “ Circumcision Ethics and Economics , ” author Darcia Narvaez states that her anti-circumcision stance comes down to money , autonomy , and parental intentions .
For one , Narvaez explains how much money we actually waste on the procedure .
Complications indeed , not to mention the average 117 neonatal circumcision-related deaths ( 9.01/100,000 ) which occur annually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Narvaez points out that everyone has a right to bodily autonomy and self-determination , and that the only person qualified to make the medical decision is “ the owner of the penis , as he is the one going to have to live with the results , not his parents.
” Another valid point brought up by Narvaez comes down to the fact that parents ’ “ aesthetic preferences are not valid reasons for circumcision.
” While all of her points speak truth in some regard , there are arguments for circumcision that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most common arguments for circumcision comes down to hygiene and risk of disease .
Increased risk of spreading and contracting HPV , cervical cancer , and HIV are the big ones most commonly mentioned .
However , when one actually takes the time to look at the studies which suggest this correlation , it ’ s extremely easy to see how weak that correlation is ( fortunately ) .
A 2002 paper in the New England Journal of Medicine studied men in Europe , Asia , and Latin America , and found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of penile HPV infection ( this correlation is corroborated by a 2009 study in African men ) , but that there was not a significant correlation between circumcision and incidence of cervical cancer .
When they restricted their dataset to women with only one sexual partner , there was an increased risk of cervical cancer in women whose partners were uncircumcised only if their partner was already considered at high risk for contracting HPV ( as determined by age at first intercourse , number of sexual partners , and sex with prostitutes ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engage in risky sexual behavior , circumcision does offer an advantage for protecting their partners from cervical cancer .
KetoFast : Rejuvenate Y ... Dr. Joseph Mercola Best Price : $ 7.13 Buy New $ 9.64 Yes , circumcision reduces the mucosal surface area , thereby potentially minimizing the interface for abrasion and transmission of viruses , but again , this is a weak reason for surgical intervention .
Women also have many crevices and folds in their genitals , yet we don ’ t automatically assume to surgically remove their labia for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 90-year aberration among hundreds of thousands of years of our time here as homo-sapiens .
Furthermore , manmade traditions have never been the basis for scientific principles , so why have we chosen to hold on to such an archaic way of thinking with regards to circumcision ?
Thankfully , these traditions are on their way out soon , with only 30 % of American boys circumcised in 2009 .
It seems that more and more parents are seeing through the silly traditions of our past while looking to create a more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one day we will look back at a list of all the strange things we once accepted as normal and laugh , with circumcision topping the list of these absurdities .

While flipping through the WestJet TV lineup on a recent cross-country flight, I reluctantly settled for a popular daytime talk-show (my other options included Days of Our Lives and re-runs of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo), which saw a panel of 4 diversely opinionated women duking it out to see who could make their co-host seem like the biggest idiot. Sigh.
More interesting, however, was the subject they were debating about: male circumcision.
Two of the female hosts in particular were taking the stage with polarizing views. One host saw the medical procedure as a hygienic practice that lowered the risk of disease while the other saw it as an archaic and highly irrelevant surgery.
In the end, the victor was left undecided. I, however, was left with an ignited curiosity about a medical procedure that I had never really taken time to question.
I was impressed by the research the anti-circumcision host had prepared for her debate, and it got me thinking intently about the ethics behind the globally rooted practice. What You Must Know Abo... Anshel OD, Jeffrey Best Price: $3.56 Buy New $11.75 (as of 10:45 UTC - Details)
How Did Circumcision Come To Be Globally Recognized?
While the true origins of circumcision are largely obscured, the procedure undoubtedly has ancient roots, as documented in findings from several ethnic groups, including ancient Egypt, Greece, and Sub-equatorial Africa.
It has been proposed that the procedure began for a number of reasons, including serving as a rite of passage marking a boy’s entrance into adulthood or as a form of sympathetic magic to ensure virility or fertility. It could also have been started as a means of reducing sexual pleasure, marking those of higher social status, aiding hygiene where regular bathing was impractical, or even humiliating enemies and slaves by symbolic castration.
By the 1890s, it became a popular technique to prevent, or cure, masturbatory insanity.
Clitoridectomies (removal of the clitoris) were also performed for the same reason, and were widely practiced in the US until 1925. This of course was until someone recognized the absurdity of such an invasive and irrelevant medical procedure.
Yet even still, male circumcision continued onwards unto further generations of men.
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that globally one-third of males aged 15 years and over are circumcised, with almost 70% of those being Muslims.
To Cut Or Not To Cut
Surprisingly, even though circumcision is still performed by most surgeons today, many leading medical institutions show no favour towards the procedure.
Take the New England Journal of Medicine, for example:
“Failure to provide adequate control of pain amounts to substandard and unethical medical practice.“
The American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on circumcision:
“Existing scientific evidence demonstrates potential medical benefits of newborn male circumcision; however, this data is not sufficient to recommend routine neonatal circumcision.“ (AAP 1999)
The British Medical Association:
“[P]arental preference alone is not sufficient justification for performing a surgical procedure on a child.” (BMA 2006)
Even the Canadian Paediatric Society has its reservations:
“Circumcision of newborns should not be routinely performed.“ (CPS 1996)
Perhaps the reason most medical institutions show no favor towards circumcision has something to do with one of medicine’s first code of ethics, “First, do no harm.”
Removing a normal, healthy body part and causing unnecessary pain is in fact doing harm.
“But the pain only lasts for a minute…”
We know that a baby has nerve endings in their genitals at birth, therefore surgically cutting a newborn’s penis undoubtedly causes extreme pain for the baby. Even if it were only for a ‘minute’ (which it’s not), such an argument also implies it is okay to inflict unnecessary pain on an infant, even if only temporarily.
Furthermore, circumcision without anesthesia is inconsistent with ethical guidelines that prohibit performing surgical procedures on live beings without anesthesia.
Money, Autonomy, and Misguided Parental Decisions
In her article, “Circumcision Ethics and Economics,” author Darcia Narvaez states that her anti-circumcision stance comes down to money, autonomy, and parental intentions.
For one, Narvaez explains how much money we actually waste on the procedure.
Medicaid spends $198 million each year on routine infant circumcision in the 33 states that still pay for it, a procedure its own guidelines consider to be medically unnecessary. Private insurance programs are reimbursing an additional $677 million, raising prices for us all (Craig 2006.) In addition to the cost of circumcision itself, correcting its complications are said to double the cost, bringing the total bill to $1.75 billion each year. Is this what we should be spending money on during a recession and at a time when healthcare costs are skyrocketing?
Complications indeed, not to mention the average 117 neonatal circumcision-related deaths (9.01/100,000) which occur annually in the United States.
Secondly, Narvaez points out that everyone has a right to bodily autonomy and self-determination, and that the only person qualified to make the medical decision is “the owner of the penis, as he is the one going to have to live with the results, not his parents.”
Another valid point brought up by Narvaez comes down to the fact that parents’ “aesthetic preferences are not valid reasons for circumcision.”
While all of her points speak truth in some regard, there are arguments for circumcision that should also be looked at.
Risk of Disease?
The most common arguments for circumcision comes down to hygiene and risk of disease. Increased risk of spreading and contracting HPV, cervical cancer, and HIV are the big ones most commonly mentioned.
However, when one actually takes the time to look at the studies which suggest this correlation, it’s extremely easy to see how weak that correlation is (fortunately).
A 2002 paper in the New England Journal of Medicine studied men in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, and found that circumcision was correlated with a decreased risk of penile HPV infection (this correlation is corroborated by a 2009 study in African men), but that there was not a significant correlation between circumcision and incidence of cervical cancer.
When they restricted their dataset to women with only one sexual partner, there was an increased risk of cervical cancer in women whose partners were uncircumcised only if their partner was already considered at high risk for contracting HPV (as determined by age at first intercourse, number of sexual partners, and sex with prostitutes). So, in men who already engage in risky sexual behavior, circumcision does offer an advantage for protecting their partners from cervical cancer. KetoFast: Rejuvenate Y... Mercola, Dr. Joseph Check Amazon for Pricing.
Yes, circumcision reduces the mucosal surface area, thereby potentially minimizing the interface for abrasion and transmission of viruses, but again, this is a weak reason for surgical intervention.
Women also have many crevices and folds in their genitals, yet we don’t automatically assume to surgically remove their labia for hygienic purposes.
It’s called showering.
Facing Reality
Routine infant circumcision is a 90-year aberration among hundreds of thousands of years of our time here as homo-sapiens.
Furthermore, manmade traditions have never been the basis for scientific principles, so why have we chosen to hold on to such an archaic way of thinking with regards to circumcision?
Thankfully, these traditions are on their way out soon, with only 30% of American boys circumcised in 2009. It seems that more and more parents are seeing through the silly traditions of our past while looking to create a more reasonable future for us all.
Perhaps one day we will look back at a list of all the strange things we once accepted as normal and laugh, with circumcision topping the list of these absurdities.
Reprinted with permission from Collective Evolution.