lewrockwell--2020-02-07--The Importance of Melatonin for Optimal Health

Sleeping well is an essential strategy to optimize your health , and at the heart of it is your circadian rhythm .
This is also known as your body clock .
It ’ s a natural , biological timer present in every one of your cells that helps your body recognize sleepiness and wakefulness over a period of 24 hours .
Your circadian rhythm is largely dictated by your pineal gland , located near the center of your brain , which produces melatonin , a hormone that is crucial for the regulation of your sleep cycle .
If you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the daytime , your pineal gland typically starts secreting melatonin around 9 p.m.1 As the amount of melatonin in your brain increases , sleepiness sets in as your body begins to prepare for sleep .
If you stay awake past dark , artificial light — especially that emitted by electronic devices — will inhibit your body ’ s melatonin production , so , ideally , you would stop using electronics at least an hour or two before bedtime to help increase melatonin production and maintain a steady circadian rhythm .
Melatonin Does More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a natural sleep regulator , its biological effects don ’ t end there.2 It ’ s also a potent antioxidant3 that plays an important role in cancer prevention.4 It ’ s also thought to be important for brain , cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health,5 and has been shown to boost your immune function in a variety of ways .
EMF*D : 5G , Wi-Fi & Cel ... Dr. Joseph Mercola Buy New $ 22.49 In one study,6 researchers suggested melatonin may even improve the treatment of bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis .
In another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tool against inflammation and autoimmune diseases , including Type 1 diabetes.7 Melatonin is also an important energy hormone .
As noted in the Stanford University course paper “ Melatonin and Energy Levels : ” 8 In short , if your sleep efficiency is impaired , meaning you ’ re not sleeping as deeply as you should , for as long as is ideal , then your energy level is going to be adversely affected .
Conversely , spending most of your daytime hours in poorly lit rooms , especially if you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , can impair your melatonin production , causing you to not sleep well .
Importantly , the antioxidant activity of melatonin also helps protect your mitochondria , the tiny organelles inside your cells that generate most of the ATP or energy currency of your body .
As noted in a 2007 paper in the Frontiers of Bioscience:9 In fact , melatonin appears to be the most powerful antioxidant in this regard , as it has the ability to actually enter into your mitochondria.10 This is an ability that not all antioxidants have .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ melatonin helps “ prevent mitochondrial impairment , energy failure and apoptosis in oxidatively-damaged mitochondria.
” One of the things that makes melatonin so powerful is that it doesn ’ t just act as an antioxidant in and of itself ; it also interacts with your body ’ s innate antioxidant system where it recharges glutathione.12 However , this brings us back to the importance of sleep .
Since melatonin is only released in response to darkness , and is easily and significantly inhibited by light ( such as regular room lighting and electronic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mitochondrial health will suffer if you do not take steps to optimize your sleep .
Aside from worsening your sleep quality and decreasing your sleep quantity , low melatonin production also increases oxidative stress , speeds up the aging process and raises your risk of degenerative diseases and chronic fatigue , thanks to its influence over your mitochondria .
In my February 2 , 2020 , article “ The Importance of Vitamin D for Optimal Sleep , ” which features my interview with neurologist and sleep coach Dr. Stasha Gominak , I review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your sleep .
A paper13 that will be published in the May 2020 issue of The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology — which I was able to review early , parts of which I ’ m sharing with you here — sheds further light on this connection .
Not only does melatonin enhance vitamin D signaling , the two molecules act synergistically to optimize your mitochondrial function .
As noted in this paper,14 “ The biosynthetic pathways of vitamin D and melatonin are inversely related relative to sun exposure , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposure to the sun .
A hypothesis presented by the researchers is that vitamin D and melatonin “ play an essential role as modulators of mitochondrial function and adaptation to circadian and seasonal variations.
” Additionally , “ both molecules are involved in the homeostatic functioning of the mitochondria , ” the authors point out , stressing that the mitochondria are , in fact , “ the final common target for melatonin and vitamin D. ” Furthermore : According to the 2020 paper in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,15 multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high blood pressure are all examples of diseases that appear strongly linked to and affected by your vitamin D and melatonin status .
KetoFast : Rejuvenate Y ... Dr. Joseph Mercola Best Price : $ 7.13 Buy New $ 9.64 Interestingly , a 2012 study16 pointed out melatonin is “ an overlooked factor in schizophrenia and in the inhibition of antipsychotic side effects.
” Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to a higher risk of schizophrenia,17,18 especially when levels are low during development.19 When combined in treatment , melatonin and vitamin D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Two separate studies20,21 have demonstrated the combination induces apoptosis and inhibits growth and division of breast cancer cells .
In one of them , the combination resulted in “ an almost complete cell growth arrest at 144 hours.
” 22 These effects were attributed ( at least in part ) to enhanced release of transforming growth factor beta 1 ( TGF-β1 ) , a type of cytokine that controls cell growth , proliferation , differentiation and apoptosis .
Melatonin in combination with vitamin D has also been shown to protect against apoptotic ischemia-reperfusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Optimize Your Melatonin and Vitamin D The evidence suggests optimizing your melatonin production by making sure you sleep well at night may be a hidden key to maintaining mitochondrial health , which in turn is paramount for longevity and the prevention of virtually all chronic health problems .
However , while there are likely many benefits to supplementing with vitamin D and melatonin , it makes no sense to do so unless you are seeking to optimize your body ’ s own production .
The good news is it ’ s relatively simple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vitamin D levels .
To optimize your vitamin D , I recommend getting sensible sun exposure on large portions of your body on a regular basis , ideally daily .
For further guidance , see “ The Risks and Benefits of Sun Exposure.
” If for whatever reason you can not get sufficient amounts of sun exposure , consider taking a vitamin D3 supplement ( along with a little extra vitamin K2 to maintain a healthy ratio between these two nutrients ) .
I personally have not taken any oral vitamin D for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are typically over 70 ng/mL , even in the winter , but I have started taking sublingual melatonin as I am now older than 65 , and believe there are benefits for such , even though I sleep in pitch dark and get bright sun exposure around 85 % of the time during the day .
Optimizing your melatonin production starts with getting plenty of bright sunlight during the day , as this helps “ set ” your circadian clock .
Then , as the evening wears on and the sun sets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lighting .
Blue light from electronic screens and LED light bulbs is particularly problematic and inhibits melatonin the most .
If you need lighting , opt for incandescent light bulbs , candles or salt lamps .
The blue light from electronic screens can be counteracted by installing blue-blocking software such as Iris,24 or wearing blue-blocking glasses .
Additionally , an interesting paper25 in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology , published in 2017 , highlights the usefulness of time-restricted eating to improve your sleep cycle .
As noted in this paper : The Best @ @ @

Sleeping well is an essential strategy to optimize your health, and at the heart of it is your circadian rhythm. This is also known as your body clock. It’s a natural, biological timer present in every one of your cells that helps your body recognize sleepiness and wakefulness over a period of 24 hours.
Your circadian rhythm is largely dictated by your pineal gland, located near the center of your brain, which produces melatonin, a hormone that is crucial for the regulation of your sleep cycle.
If you have had enough exposure to bright light in the daytime, your pineal gland typically starts secreting melatonin around 9 p.m.1 As the amount of melatonin in your brain increases, sleepiness sets in as your body begins to prepare for sleep.
If you stay awake past dark, artificial light — especially that emitted by electronic devices — will inhibit your body’s melatonin production, so, ideally, you would stop using electronics at least an hour or two before bedtime to help increase melatonin production and maintain a steady circadian rhythm.
Melatonin Does More Than Control Sleep
While melatonin works as a natural sleep regulator, its biological effects don’t end there.2 It’s also a potent antioxidant3 that plays an important role in cancer prevention.4 It’s also thought to be important for brain, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health,5 and has been shown to boost your immune function in a variety of ways. EMF*D: 5G, Wi-Fi & Cel... Dr. Joseph Mercola Buy New $22.49 (as of 09:53 UTC - Details)
In one study,6 researchers suggested melatonin may even improve the treatment of bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis. In another, melatonin was identified as a potential tool against inflammation and autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 diabetes.7
Melatonin is also an important energy hormone. As noted in the Stanford University course paper “Melatonin and Energy Levels:”8
“… decreasing the melatonin in the blood stream, consistent with the body’s natural response to suppress the secretion in the presence of light, causes the body to function at a higher energy level … An increase in the melatonin levels leads to a subsequent decrease in energy levels.
As such, understanding how to control and optimize the secretion and suppression of the melatonin for optimal hours of the day could help improve the treatment of sleep disorders and positively impact the energy levels of individuals.”
In short, if your sleep efficiency is impaired, meaning you’re not sleeping as deeply as you should, for as long as is ideal, then your energy level is going to be adversely affected.
Conversely, spending most of your daytime hours in poorly lit rooms, especially if you’re also exposed to excessive light after sunset, can impair your melatonin production, causing you to not sleep well.
Melatonin Protects Your Mitochondria
Importantly, the antioxidant activity of melatonin also helps protect your mitochondria, the tiny organelles inside your cells that generate most of the ATP or energy currency of your body. As noted in a 2007 paper in the Frontiers of Bioscience:9
“Melatonin is an ancient molecule present in unicellular organisms at the very early moment of life … The best-known actions of melatonin, currently supported by experimental and clinical data, include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities, some of them involving genomic regulation of a series of enzymes.
Besides, melatonin displays anticonvulsant and antiexcitotoxic properties. Most of the beneficial consequences resulting from melatonin administration may depend on its effects on mitochondrial physiology.”
In fact, melatonin appears to be the most powerful antioxidant in this regard, as it has the ability to actually enter into your mitochondria.10 This is an ability that not all antioxidants have. According to this Frontiers of Bioscience paper,11 melatonin helps “prevent mitochondrial impairment, energy failure and apoptosis in oxidatively-damaged mitochondria.”
One of the things that makes melatonin so powerful is that it doesn’t just act as an antioxidant in and of itself; it also interacts with your body’s innate antioxidant system where it recharges glutathione.12 However, this brings us back to the importance of sleep.
Since melatonin is only released in response to darkness, and is easily and significantly inhibited by light (such as regular room lighting and electronic screens, after dark), your mitochondrial health will suffer if you do not take steps to optimize your sleep.
Aside from worsening your sleep quality and decreasing your sleep quantity, low melatonin production also increases oxidative stress, speeds up the aging process and raises your risk of degenerative diseases and chronic fatigue, thanks to its influence over your mitochondria.
Melatonin Works Synergistically With Vitamin D
In my February 2, 2020, article “The Importance of Vitamin D for Optimal Sleep,” which features my interview with neurologist and sleep coach Dr. Stasha Gominak, I review the hidden influence vitamin D has on your sleep.
A paper13 that will be published in the May 2020 issue of The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology — which I was able to review early, parts of which I’m sharing with you here — sheds further light on this connection. Not only does melatonin enhance vitamin D signaling, the two molecules act synergistically to optimize your mitochondrial function.
As noted in this paper,14 “The biosynthetic pathways of vitamin D and melatonin are inversely related relative to sun exposure,” meaning both are dependent on properly timed exposure to the sun.
A hypothesis presented by the researchers is that vitamin D and melatonin “play an essential role as modulators of mitochondrial function and adaptation to circadian and seasonal variations.”
Additionally, “both molecules are involved in the homeostatic functioning of the mitochondria,” the authors point out, stressing that the mitochondria are, in fact, “the final common target for melatonin and vitamin D.” Furthermore:
“A deficiency of these molecules has been associated with the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, including arterial hypertension, neurodegenerative diseases, sleep disorders, kidney diseases, cancer, psychiatric disorders, bone diseases, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, among others.
During aging, the intake and cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D, as well as the endogenous synthesis of melatonin are remarkably depleted, therefore, producing a state characterized by an increase of oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction …
Mitochondrial dysfunction has been related to the etiologies of many complex diseases where overactivation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), vitamin D deficiency and the reduction of melatonin synthesis converge.
In this sense, experimental and clinical evidence indicates that inflammation, oxidative stress, as in mitochondrial dysfunction, are consistent with low levels of melatonin and vitamin D, and also represent risk factors connected with development and maintenance of prevalent acute and chronic pathologies.”
Melatonin-Vitamin D Combo Produces Strong Synergistic Effects
According to the 2020 paper in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,15 multiple sclerosis, cancer, neuropsychiatric disorders and high blood pressure are all examples of diseases that appear strongly linked to and affected by your vitamin D and melatonin status. KetoFast: Rejuvenate Y... Mercola, Dr. Joseph Check Amazon for Pricing.
Interestingly, a 2012 study16 pointed out melatonin is “an overlooked factor in schizophrenia and in the inhibition of antipsychotic side effects.” Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to a higher risk of schizophrenia,17,18 especially when levels are low during development.19
When combined in treatment, melatonin and vitamin D produce strong synergistic effects against cancer. Two separate studies20,21 have demonstrated the combination induces apoptosis and inhibits growth and division of breast cancer cells. In one of them, the combination resulted in “an almost complete cell growth arrest at 144 hours.”22
These effects were attributed (at least in part) to enhanced release of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), a type of cytokine that controls cell growth, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Melatonin in combination with vitamin D has also been shown to protect against apoptotic ischemia-reperfusion injury in the kidney.23
Simple Ways to Optimize Your Melatonin and Vitamin D
The evidence suggests optimizing your melatonin production by making sure you sleep well at night may be a hidden key to maintaining mitochondrial health, which in turn is paramount for longevity and the prevention of virtually all chronic health problems.
However, while there are likely many benefits to supplementing with vitamin D and melatonin, it makes no sense to do so unless you are seeking to optimize your body’s own production.
The good news is it’s relatively simple and inexpensive to increase your melatonin and vitamin D levels. To optimize your vitamin D, I recommend getting sensible sun exposure on large portions of your body on a regular basis, ideally daily.
For further guidance, see “The Risks and Benefits of Sun Exposure.” If for whatever reason you cannot get sufficient amounts of sun exposure, consider taking a vitamin D3 supplement (along with a little extra vitamin K2 to maintain a healthy ratio between these two nutrients).
I personally have not taken any oral vitamin D for well over 10 years and my levels are typically over 70 ng/mL, even in the winter, but I have started taking sublingual melatonin as I am now older than 65, and believe there are benefits for such, even though I sleep in pitch dark and get bright sun exposure around 85% of the time during the day.
Optimizing your melatonin production starts with getting plenty of bright sunlight during the day, as this helps “set” your circadian clock. Then, as the evening wears on and the sun sets, you’ll want to avoid bright lighting.
Blue light from electronic screens and LED light bulbs is particularly problematic and inhibits melatonin the most. If you need lighting, opt for incandescent light bulbs, candles or salt lamps. The blue light from electronic screens can be counteracted by installing blue-blocking software such as Iris,24 or wearing blue-blocking glasses.
Additionally, an interesting paper25 in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, published in 2017, highlights the usefulness of time-restricted eating to improve your sleep cycle. As noted in this paper:
“The robustness of the circadian clock deteriorates with aging. Two new studies show that aging reprograms the circadian transcriptome in a cell-type-dependent manner and that such rewiring can be reversed by caloric restriction …
Surprisingly, the expression of core clock genes and clock-controlled genes remained unchanged with aging, despite the drastic circadian reprogramming. Thus, the core clock machinery remains largely intact in old age, giving hope for the prospect of reversing aging-associated circadian reprogramming to potentially improve physiological functions.
Indeed, CR-induced robust reprogramming of the circadian transcriptome partially overlaps with the circadian transcriptome in young mice. Thus, the profound physiological impact of CR may be, in part, mediated by the reprogramming of the circadian clock …
Given that aging-associated accumulation of DNA damage in stem cells originates from exposure to mitochondrial stress and that the mitochondrial protective programs are repressed in aged adult stem cells, it is tempting to speculate that reactivating the mitochondrial protective programs may provide a means to reduce the accumulation of cellular damage and reverse aging-associated circadian reprogramming.”
Sources and References
The Best of Dr. Joseph Mercola


lewrockwell--2020-02-08--The Gulag Was More Murderous Than Hitler’s Camps

Seventy-five years after the end of World War II , we remain fixated on some of its worst crimes .
But only some .
The incessant use of Holocaust remembrance has been cynically used by some on the hard right to justify Israel ’ s repression of the Palestinian people and the expansion of the Jewish state .
For example , Israel ’ s rightist government waited until the 75th anniversary celebrations of the liberation of the Auschwitz camp by the Red Army to announce it planned to annex 30 % more of the Palestinian West Bank .
Few outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remember the horrors of the Nazi system .
But what about a far larger , more murderous system that has faded from our memory , the Soviet Gulag ?
Who remembers Kolyma , Magadan , the White Sea Canal , the frigid winter steppes of Kazakhstan , the BAM railroad , and Vorkuta ?
Or the Soviet arctic mines where prisoners had to dig lethal uranium with their bare hands .
American Raj : Liberati ... Eric Margolis Best Price : $ 4.99 Buy New $ 10.00 An estimated 10 million political prisoners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trotsky and Stalin ’ s regimes .
Some leading Russians historians say up to 20 million died in the Gulag .
That ’ s well double the number claimed to have died or been killed in Nazi camps .
This campaign of mass murder and deportation began in the 1920 ’ s and peaked in the 1930 ’ s , though it continued until Stalin ’ s death in 1953 .
Entire peoples like Chechen and Ingush were massacred .
An estimated four million Soviet Muslim citizens died .
The Baltic States were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked to death and starved .
An estimated 6 million Ukrainian farmers were starved to death by Stalin ’ s NKVD secret police and gangs of Red thugs .
The arch criminal who directed genocide in Ukraine , Lazar Kaganovich , was presented a Soviet medal for heroism .
Stalin , speaking to Roosevelt , even called him ‘ my Eichmann ’ after the notorious Nazi killer of Jews .
At that time , according to the late KGB general Pavel Sudoplatov , whose wife was Jewish and related to Kaganovich , Soviet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Secret police and the officials who ran the Gulag .
None of the major Russian criminals who ran the security services ever faced legal charges for their role in the Cheka ’ s terrible crimes .
Some , like Yagoda , Yezhov , Abakumov and Beria , were executed , but for reasons of murderous internal politics .
Kaganovich , the murderer of six million Ukrainian farmers , lived into ripe old age in Moscow .
The Gulag camps were gradually shut down after Stalin ’ s death .
But the draconian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
An important Russian organization , Memorial , still tries to keep alive the frightful history of the Gulag , as have many Russian writers , notably the great Alexander Solzhenitsyn .
War at the Top of the ... Eric Margolis Best Price : $ 1.39 Buy New $ 19.50 But few in today ’ s Russia look back .
Unlike westerners who see nightly programs about Nazi atrocities , Russians don ’ t see much of their past except for heroic programs on World War II .
At least Russians know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Westerners still are falsely told that the Allies won the war at Normandy .
Equally important , the war propaganda keeps on flowing .
At war ’ s end , British propagandists began a major campaign to emphasize the horrors of the German camps in order to divert attention from the horrors of the Gulag .
Now , 75 years later , very few remember the Gulag , but everyone knows what Hitler had for breakfast .
The Allies were ashamed of having been allied to a regime far more murderous and cruel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s crimes were played down while Hitler ’ s were accentuated and endlessly repeated .
In fact , we still have much to learn about the 1930 ’ s and 1940 ’ s as they are still obscured by veils of propaganda and half-truths .
Franklin Roosevelt was fond of calling Stalin ‘ Uncle Joe ’ .
What a fool .
Unlike Roosevelt , Stalin was no fool but a sharp-eyed realist .
He rightly noted that the death of a single person is called a tragedy while that of millions is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the Gulag and Stalinism remain : statistics .
How about a moment of silence to remember the victims of Vorkuta and Magadan or Chechnya ?
An inmate , or ‘ zek ’ sentenced to the Gulag for ten years , was asked what his crime was .
‘ Nothing , ’ he replied .
‘ That ’ s a lie ’ replied another zek .
‘ The sentence for nothing is twenty years.
’ The Best of Eric S. Margolis

Special for LewRockwell.com
Seventy-five years after the end of World War II, we remain fixated on some of its worst crimes. But only some. The incessant use of Holocaust remembrance has been cynically used by some on the hard right to justify Israel’s repression of the Palestinian people and the expansion of the Jewish state.
For example, Israel’s rightist government waited until the 75th anniversary celebrations of the liberation of the Auschwitz camp by the Red Army to announce it planned to annex 30% more of the Palestinian West Bank. Few outside the Mideast took notice.
We rightfully remember the horrors of the Nazi system. But what about a far larger, more murderous system that has faded from our memory, the Soviet Gulag? Who remembers Kolyma, Magadan, the White Sea Canal, the frigid winter steppes of Kazakhstan, the BAM railroad, and Vorkuta? Or the Soviet arctic mines where prisoners had to dig lethal uranium with their bare hands. American Raj: Liberati... Eric Margolis Best Price: $4.99 Buy New $10.00 (as of 05:35 UTC - Details)
An estimated 10 million political prisoners were murdered in the Soviet Gulag during Trotsky and Stalin’s regimes. Some leading Russians historians say up to 20 million died in the Gulag. That’s well double the number claimed to have died or been killed in Nazi camps.
This campaign of mass murder and deportation began in the 1920’s and peaked in the 1930’s, though it continued until Stalin’s death in 1953. Entire peoples like Chechen and Ingush were massacred. An estimated four million Soviet Muslim citizens died. The Baltic States were decimated. Prisoners in the Gulag were worked to death and starved. An estimated 6 million Ukrainian farmers were starved to death by Stalin’s NKVD secret police and gangs of Red thugs.
The arch criminal who directed genocide in Ukraine, Lazar Kaganovich, was presented a Soviet medal for heroism. Stalin, speaking to Roosevelt, even called him ‘my Eichmann’ after the notorious Nazi killer of Jews. At that time, according to the late KGB general Pavel Sudoplatov, whose wife was Jewish and related to Kaganovich, Soviet Jews made up a large percentage of the Secret police and the officials who ran the Gulag.
None of the major Russian criminals who ran the security services ever faced legal charges for their role in the Cheka’s terrible crimes. Some, like Yagoda, Yezhov, Abakumov and Beria, were executed, but for reasons of murderous internal politics. Kaganovich, the murderer of six million Ukrainian farmers, lived into ripe old age in Moscow.
The Gulag camps were gradually shut down after Stalin’s death. But the draconian Soviet prison system remains down to our day. An important Russian organization, Memorial, still tries to keep alive the frightful history of the Gulag, as have many Russian writers, notably the great Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
War at the Top of the ... Eric Margolis Best Price: $1.39 Buy New $19.50 (as of 10:05 UTC - Details) But few in today’s Russia look back. Unlike westerners who see nightly programs about Nazi atrocities, Russians don’t see much of their past except for heroic programs on World War II. At least Russians know that their nation defeated Nazi Germany. Westerners still are falsely told that the Allies won the war at Normandy.
Equally important, the war propaganda keeps on flowing. At war’s end, British propagandists began a major campaign to emphasize the horrors of the German camps in order to divert attention from the horrors of the Gulag. Now, 75 years later, very few remember the Gulag, but everyone knows what Hitler had for breakfast.
The Allies were ashamed of having been allied to a regime far more murderous and cruel than the Third Reich. So Stalin’s crimes were played down while Hitler’s were accentuated and endlessly repeated.
In fact, we still have much to learn about the 1930’s and 1940’s as they are still obscured by veils of propaganda and half-truths. Franklin Roosevelt was fond of calling Stalin ‘Uncle Joe’. What a fool.
Unlike Roosevelt, Stalin was no fool but a sharp-eyed realist. He rightly noted that the death of a single person is called a tragedy while that of millions is merely a statistic. This is precisely what the Gulag and Stalinism remain: statistics.
How about a moment of silence to remember the victims of Vorkuta and Magadan or Chechnya?
An inmate, or ‘zek’ sentenced to the Gulag for ten years, was asked what his crime was. ‘Nothing,’ he replied. ‘That’s a lie’ replied another zek. ‘The sentence for nothing is twenty years.’
The Best of Eric S. Margolis


lewrockwell--2020-02-08--The President Who Was Expelled From His Own Party

In his book Recarving Rushmore : Ranking the Presidents on Peace , Prosperity , and Liberty , Ivan Eland ranked John Tyler as the best American president of all time .
( The Marxist Left that dominates the American academic history profession usually ranks him near the bottom ) .
Eland ’ s ranking is so at odds with the hard-Left history profession because their criteria give higher scores to presidents who spend and tax the most , consolidate the most power in Washington , D.C. , oppress civil liberties the most , centrally plan the economy the most , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wars .
Hence , Lincoln , FDR , and Wilson have long been at the top of their ratings ( although Wilson is recently out of favor after the historians finally acknowledged that he re-segregated the U.S. military ) .
The American history profession sneers at John Tyler and calls him “ the accidental president.
” They do this because of how he became president : He was William Henry Harrison ’ s vice president , and when Harrison died of pneumonia one month after taking office Tyler ascended to the office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ strongly opposed Andrew Jackson ’ s attempt to enforce the “ tariff of abominations ” on South Carolina , among other things .
Because of his dislike of Jackson he left the Democratic Party and joined the Whig Party which at that time was controlled with an iron fist by Henry Clay .
In the 1840 election the Whigs were desperate for Southern votes , so they nominated Tyler as their vice presidential candidate .
After running a succession of former military generals ( Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott ) , they finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the famous campaign slogan of “ Tippecanoe and Tyler Too ” ( Harrison was known for his participation in the Battle of Tippecanoe during the Indian wars in Indiana , where he was governor in 1811 ) .
Recarving Rushmore : Ra ... Ivan Eland Best Price : $ 9.00 Buy New $ 11.50 At the time the Whig Party , formed in 1832 , was the successor of the nationalist tradition of the Federalist Party .
Its platform was Alexander Hamilton ’ s mercantilist platform of high protectionist tariffs , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bank of England , and corporate welfare for road- , canal- , and railroad-building corporations .
Hamilton himself labeled this British-style crony capitalism “ The American System.
” Henry Clay was the successor of Hamilton in this regard , the man who Abraham Lincoln once said was the source of all of his ideas about politics and his “ beau ideal of a statesman.
” In 1840 the Whig Party ’ s beloved Bank of the United States , referred to as the precursor of the Fed by former Fed Chairman Ben @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Andrew Jackson ’ s veto of the re-chartering of the bank several years earlier , something that John Tyler agreed with .
With their man finally – finally !
—in the White House after a fifty-year ( almost entirely unsuccessful ) battle for “ The American System ” the nationalists controlled the House of Representatives under the thumb of the imperious Henry Clay as well as the presidency and the U.S. senate .
Clay , who was known as “ The Prince of Hemp ” because he owned a large Kentucky hemp-growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high tariffs on imported hemp ( and other products ) , corporate welfare for road and canal building to help transport his hemp to market , and a politicized bank controlled by people like himself and his Whig compatriot Senator Daniel Webster to subsidize it all .
( At the time , there were already thousands of miles of privately-financed roads in America , most of which were toll roads known as “ turnpikes ” ) .
Victory was at hand !
Then along came President John Tyler , a Jeffersonian states ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ticket in 1840 only to coax some Southern votes .
His biographer , Oliver Chitwood , wrote that “ what little attention was paid to Tyler ’ s role in the campaign was due mostly to the fact that ‘ Tyler Too ’ rhymed with ‘ Tippecanoe.
’ ” Henry Clay was like a shark with the smell of blood in the water and quickly created new legislation for the resurrection of the Bank of the United States and high protective tariffs .
President John Tyler vetoed all of it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tyler on the part of Clay and the Whigs rivaled only by today ’ s extreme , vitriolic hatred of Donald Trump by the congressional Democrats and their sock puppet media mouthpieces .
Tyler vetoed the bank bill by saying : “ The power of Congress to create a national bank to operate per se over the Union has been a question of dispute from the origin of the Government .
.
.
.
[ M ] y own opinion has been uniformly proclaimed to be against the exercise of any such power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also vetoed protectionist tariffs for the same reason that South Carolinians had earlier nullified the 1828 Tariff of Abominations : It was an obvious plot to plunder the agricultural South for the pecuniary benefit of Northern manufacturers .
The Real Lincoln : A Ne ... Thomas J. Dilorenzo Best Price : $ 3.66 Buy New $ 7.48 Henry Clay and the Whigs became unhinged and deranged , organizing a mob to literally break down the gates to the White House ( the Secret Service was not created until the Lincoln administration ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shouting “ A Bank !
A Bank ” and “ Down with the veto !
” as recounted by Oliver Chitwood ’ s biography of Tyler .
They imposed an early-day version of Guantanamo Bay-style sleep-deprivation torture with incessant shouting , pounding on drums , blowing trumpets and horns , and firing rounds from blunderbusses .
They burned President Tyler in effigy , threw the “ corpse ” out into the street , and expelled him from the Whig Party .
( Willard “ Mitt ” Romney , call your office ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Daniel Webster , who was in the middle of a treaty negotiation .
A letter-writing campaign was organized that resulted in hundreds of letters being sent to the White House that threatened the assassination of the president .
Like today ’ s Democrats , the Whig Party was paralyzed with obscene hatred .
John Tyler also became the first president to be subjected to Articles of Impeachment , which were filled with rather hilarious political bluster .
He was accused of “ arbitrary and despotic abuse of the veto power ” ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Government , ” as though that was a bad thing ; and “ vacillation , weakness , and folly , ” among other absurdities .
The Articles of Impeachment were ultimately rejected .
You know John Tyler was a good man , and that Ivan Eland is probably spot on in ranking him as America ’ s best president ( he reduced the size of the army by one-third , among other things ) since he elicited the hatred of such a cabal of political gangsters , rent seekers , idiots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ beau ideal of a statesman ” Henry Clay .
The Best of Thomas DiLorenzo

In his book Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty, Ivan Eland ranked John Tyler as the best American president of all time. (The Marxist Left that dominates the American academic history profession usually ranks him near the bottom). Eland’s ranking is so at odds with the hard-Left history profession because their criteria give higher scores to presidents who spend and tax the most, consolidate the most power in Washington, D.C., oppress civil liberties the most, centrally plan the economy the most, and are the most belligerent in foreign wars. Hence, Lincoln, FDR, and Wilson have long been at the top of their ratings (although Wilson is recently out of favor after the historians finally acknowledged that he re-segregated the U.S. military).
The American history profession sneers at John Tyler and calls him “the accidental president.” They do this because of how he became president: He was William Henry Harrison’s vice president, and when Harrison died of pneumonia one month after taking office Tyler ascended to the office.
John Tyler was a Virginia statesman who strongly opposed Andrew Jackson’s attempt to enforce the “tariff of abominations” on South Carolina, among other things. Because of his dislike of Jackson he left the Democratic Party and joined the Whig Party which at that time was controlled with an iron fist by Henry Clay. In the 1840 election the Whigs were desperate for Southern votes, so they nominated Tyler as their vice presidential candidate. After running a succession of former military generals (Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott), they finally achieved success with General William Henry Harrison with the famous campaign slogan of “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” (Harrison was known for his participation in the Battle of Tippecanoe during the Indian wars in Indiana, where he was governor in 1811). Recarving Rushmore: Ra... Ivan Eland Best Price: $9.00 Buy New $11.50 (as of 05:25 UTC - Details)
At the time the Whig Party, formed in 1832, was the successor of the nationalist tradition of the Federalist Party. Its platform was Alexander Hamilton’s mercantilist platform of high protectionist tariffs, a national bank run by politicians modeled after the Bank of England, and corporate welfare for road-, canal-, and railroad-building corporations. Hamilton himself labeled this British-style crony capitalism “The American System.” Henry Clay was the successor of Hamilton in this regard, the man who Abraham Lincoln once said was the source of all of his ideas about politics and his “beau ideal of a statesman.”
In 1840 the Whig Party’s beloved Bank of the United States, referred to as the precursor of the Fed by former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, had become extinct thanks to President Andrew Jackson’s veto of the re-chartering of the bank several years earlier, something that John Tyler agreed with. With their man finally – finally!—in the White House after a fifty-year (almost entirely unsuccessful) battle for “The American System” the nationalists controlled the House of Representatives under the thumb of the imperious Henry Clay as well as the presidency and the U.S. senate. Clay, who was known as “The Prince of Hemp” because he owned a large Kentucky hemp-growing slave plantation, wanted desperately to impose high tariffs on imported hemp (and other products), corporate welfare for road and canal building to help transport his hemp to market, and a politicized bank controlled by people like himself and his Whig compatriot Senator Daniel Webster to subsidize it all. (At the time, there were already thousands of miles of privately-financed roads in America, most of which were toll roads known as “turnpikes”). Victory was at hand!
Then along came President John Tyler, a Jeffersonian states’ rights strict constructionist. He had been on the ticket in 1840 only to coax some Southern votes. His biographer, Oliver Chitwood, wrote that “what little attention was paid to Tyler’s role in the campaign was due mostly to the fact that ‘Tyler Too’ rhymed with ‘Tippecanoe.’” Henry Clay was like a shark with the smell of blood in the water and quickly created new legislation for the resurrection of the Bank of the United States and high protective tariffs. President John Tyler vetoed all of it, causing an explosion of apoplectic hatred toward Tyler on the part of Clay and the Whigs rivaled only by today’s extreme, vitriolic hatred of Donald Trump by the congressional Democrats and their sock puppet media mouthpieces.
Tyler vetoed the bank bill by saying: “The power of Congress to create a national bank to operate per se over the Union has been a question of dispute from the origin of the Government . . . . [M]y own opinion has been uniformly proclaimed to be against the exercise of any such power by this Government.” Kaboom! He also vetoed protectionist tariffs for the same reason that South Carolinians had earlier nullified the 1828 Tariff of Abominations: It was an obvious plot to plunder the agricultural South for the pecuniary benefit of Northern manufacturers. The Real Lincoln: A Ne... Dilorenzo, Thomas J. Best Price: $4.25 Buy New $7.48 (as of 07:05 UTC - Details)
Henry Clay and the Whigs became unhinged and deranged, organizing a mob to literally break down the gates to the White House (the Secret Service was not created until the Lincoln administration), throw rocks at the White House while shouting “A Bank! A Bank” and “Down with the veto!” as recounted by Oliver Chitwood’s biography of Tyler. They imposed an early-day version of Guantanamo Bay-style sleep-deprivation torture with incessant shouting, pounding on drums, blowing trumpets and horns, and firing rounds from blunderbusses. They burned President Tyler in effigy, threw the “corpse” out into the street, and expelled him from the Whig Party. (Willard “Mitt” Romney, call your office). Every member of the cabinet resigned except for Daniel Webster, who was in the middle of a treaty negotiation. A letter-writing campaign was organized that resulted in hundreds of letters being sent to the White House that threatened the assassination of the president. Like today’s Democrats, the Whig Party was paralyzed with obscene hatred.
John Tyler also became the first president to be subjected to Articles of Impeachment, which were filled with rather hilarious political bluster. He was accused of “arbitrary and despotic abuse of the veto power”; “open hostility to the Legislative department of the Government,” as though that was a bad thing; and “vacillation, weakness, and folly,” among other absurdities. The Articles of Impeachment were ultimately rejected.
You know John Tyler was a good man, and that Ivan Eland is probably spot on in ranking him as America’s best president (he reduced the size of the army by one-third, among other things) since he elicited the hatred of such a cabal of political gangsters, rent seekers, idiots and tyrants led by Lincoln’s “beau ideal of a statesman” Henry Clay.
The Best of Thomas DiLorenzo


lewrockwell--2020-02-08--The Trial of Joshua Schulte

The Trial of Joshua Schulte

The Vault 7 leaks revealed to Americans an ambitious and venal organization that sees enemies all around it .
When the CIA found out about the leak , along with the rest of the world , on March 7th , 2017 , it was horrified – in part because the leak had occurred a year earlier unbeknownst to the agency , and in part because of the loss of years and billions of US taxpayer dollars invested in the development of secret malware and spytools .
Cyberscoop has some useful articles on the case , just in case no one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joshua Schulte ’ s trial started this week , and the transcript of the first day is interesting .
We learn that the quality of federal government expert witnesses can be hysterically low , and that defense lawyer Sabrina Schroff has a gold standard sense of humor .
We may marvel at the loose security in the CIA – as recently as 2016 – and its sexist and racist banter behind vault doors , and we may wonder at the strangeness of classification and clearance rules that required the FBI , on behalf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court evidence about the CIA cyber tools at a Starbuck ’ s , for the reliable wifi among other things .
Presstitutes Embedded ... Dr. Udo Ulfkotte Best Price : $ 43.07 Buy New $ 31.52 We may tentatively conclude that it is way more fun to be tried for crimes against the state – that you probably did not commit – in the US District Court , Southern District of New York , than it is to be tried by the national security state ’ s wholly-owned subsidiary , the US District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joshua Schulte has been incarcerated since his arrest in August 2017 , on child pornography charges – charges that have since been split out from his current trial .
The US reporting on this case is typical : accusatory Fed-speak and respeak , questionable blogs carrying the torch of righteous patriotism , and a generalized focus on the horrid terribleness of the whole thing from the CIA ’ s point of view , and my goodness , the nasty man is also nuts , trying to sue the government from prison , claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been tortured , and he will work to destroy the US government if he ever gets out of jail .
The situation for Schulte is perilous , whether he is innocent or guilty .
He ’ s behaving kind of like an innocent guy , in the sense that since his arrest he has consistently denied all the charges , and accused his former employer of planting the porn on his computer as a means of justifying his arrest .
The feds clearly don ’ t have the usable evidence they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the charges .
I ’ m sure they will convict , through parallel construction or normal fabrication , but the destruction of Schulte ’ s reputation and tainting any potential jury is typical .
It ’ s how the CIA and FBI deals with its enemies on any normal day .
Of course , the federal government would never put illegal software or distasteful material on your computer .
Julian Assange has been at UK ’ s Belmarsh Prison since last spring , where he has been physically , mentally and chemically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The CIA and its contractors conducted these euphemistically described “ interviews ” for months , seeking passwords , codes , names and encryption keys that would allow the US DoJ and CIA to track down the donors of material to Wikileaks , and arrest or extradite them .
This work was largely complete by the end of the summer , and a number of arrests have been made throughout European countries .
Information tortured out of a stubborn Australian by Americans in Britain – cloaked , ironed , laundered , and dyed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ variety of ongoing and upcoming cases .
These are kangaroo courts , trials conducted by mad submarine captains obsessed with shirttails and strawberries , proposing an Alice in Wonderland world of evidence , like Lewis Carroll ’ s unicorn , “ …if you ’ ll believe in me , I ’ ll believe in you .
Is that a bargain ?
” The Official CIA Manua ... H. Keith Melton Best Price : $ 6.29 Buy New $ 9.99 We know that we are can not know the identities of the five CIA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court proceedings in Assange ’ s brief public appearance last November .
We know that all ongoing and upcoming trials of suspected Wikileaks ’ s contributors are being prosecuted using information gained through the chemical and physical interrogation of the famous inmate the Belmarsh staff nicknamed “ Prisoner Bootsy , ” a play on the UK ’ s ubiquitous drugstore chain .
We know that the CIA and FBI have to tread carefully in any trials relating to Wikileaks , in part because of what might be revealed of the US Government ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of potential whistleblowers , like Tor , the maturation of the US surveillance state , and the sophistication of US information warfare against and manipulation of its own citizens .
The Democratic wing of the US uniparty is not interested in the Seth Rich leaks to Wikileaks , nor is it interested in discovering if their problematic caucus app is bugged , malwared , and accessible in real-time to certain US government agencies .
The GOP wing of the uniparty is likewise uninterested in bringing its celebrated and massive security and surveillance state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dog is even on a leash they hold .
Better to destroy their minds , their sanity and their reputations , and lock them away in Supermax .
While the dystopian plain enjoys the soothing release of a national championship , complete with impossibly fit middle-aged pole dancers , and applaud the Blue and Grey Theater of Impeachment , there is another very different world , where puppetmasters meet to drink and dine , discuss and plot .
Our country is not openly wracked with war , violence and disaster yet .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hot zones , and dead zones , Americans must tread carefully , trust sparingly , and keep our eyes wide open .
The Best of Karen Kwiatkowski

The Vault 7 leaks revealed to Americans an ambitious and venal organization that sees enemies all around it. When the CIA found out about the leak, along with the rest of the world, on March 7th, 2017, it was horrified – in part because the leak had occurred a year earlier unbeknownst to the agency, and in part because of the loss of years and billions of US taxpayer dollars invested in the development of secret malware and spytools.
Cyberscoop has some useful articles on the case, just in case no one saw anything in the mainstream media.
Joshua Schulte’s trial started this week, and the transcript of the first day is interesting. We learn that the quality of federal government expert witnesses can be hysterically low, and that defense lawyer Sabrina Schroff has a gold standard sense of humor.
We may marvel at the loose security in the CIA – as recently as 2016 – and its sexist and racist banter behind vault doors, and we may wonder at the strangeness of classification and clearance rules that required the FBI, on behalf of the DoJ, to gather its court evidence about the CIA cyber tools at a Starbuck’s, for the reliable wifi among other things. Presstitutes Embedded ... Ulfkotte, Dr. Udo Best Price: $38.43 Buy New $34.09 (as of 11:15 UTC - Details)
We may tentatively conclude that it is way more fun to be tried for crimes against the state – that you probably did not commit – in the US District Court, Southern District of New York, than it is to be tried by the national security state’s wholly-owned subsidiary, the US District Court, Eastern District of Virginia.
Joshua Schulte has been incarcerated since his arrest in August 2017, on child pornography charges – charges that have since been split out from his current trial.
The US reporting on this case is typical: accusatory Fed-speak and respeak, questionable blogs carrying the torch of righteous patriotism, and a generalized focus on the horrid terribleness of the whole thing from the CIA’s point of view, and my goodness, the nasty man is also nuts, trying to sue the government from prison, claiming he’s innocent, he’s been tortured, and he will work to destroy the US government if he ever gets out of jail.
The situation for Schulte is perilous, whether he is innocent or guilty. He’s behaving kind of like an innocent guy, in the sense that since his arrest he has consistently denied all the charges, and accused his former employer of planting the porn on his computer as a means of justifying his arrest. The feds clearly don’t have the usable evidence they would actually need to convict Schulte on any of the charges. I’m sure they will convict, through parallel construction or normal fabrication, but the destruction of Schulte’s reputation and tainting any potential jury is typical. It’s how the CIA and FBI deals with its enemies on any normal day. Of course, the federal government would never put illegal software or distasteful material on your computer.
Julian Assange has been at UK’s Belmarsh Prison since last spring, where he has been physically, mentally and chemically tortured by US contractors on US orders. The CIA and its contractors conducted these euphemistically described “interviews” for months, seeking passwords, codes, names and encryption keys that would allow the US DoJ and CIA to track down the donors of material to Wikileaks, and arrest or extradite them. This work was largely complete by the end of the summer, and a number of arrests have been made throughout European countries. Information tortured out of a stubborn Australian by Americans in Britain – cloaked, ironed, laundered, and dyed – is already being used in a variety of ongoing and upcoming cases. These are kangaroo courts, trials conducted by mad submarine captains obsessed with shirttails and strawberries, proposing an Alice in Wonderland world of evidence, like Lewis Carroll’s unicorn, “…if you’ll believe in me, I’ll believe in you. Is that a bargain?” The Official CIA Manua... Melton, H. Keith Best Price: $4.20 Buy New $9.99 (as of 12:00 UTC - Details)
We know that we are cannot know the identities of the five CIA lawyers who repeated advised the magistrate during court proceedings in Assange’s brief public appearance last November. We know that all ongoing and upcoming trials of suspected Wikileaks’s contributors are being prosecuted using information gained through the chemical and physical interrogation of the famous inmate the Belmarsh staff nicknamed “Prisoner Bootsy,” a play on the UK’s ubiquitous drugstore chain.
We know that the CIA and FBI have to tread carefully in any trials relating to Wikileaks, in part because of what might be revealed of the US Government’s compromise of the tools and methods of potential whistleblowers, like Tor, the maturation of the US surveillance state, and the sophistication of US information warfare against and manipulation of its own citizens. The Democratic wing of the US uniparty is not interested in the Seth Rich leaks to Wikileaks, nor is it interested in discovering if their problematic caucus app is bugged, malwared, and accessible in real-time to certain US government agencies. The GOP wing of the uniparty is likewise uninterested in bringing its celebrated and massive security and surveillance state to heel, as if that devil dog is even on a leash they hold.
Better to destroy their minds, their sanity and their reputations, and lock them away in Supermax.
While the dystopian plain enjoys the soothing release of a national championship, complete with impossibly fit middle-aged pole dancers, and applaud the Blue and Grey Theater of Impeachment, there is another very different world, where puppetmasters meet to drink and dine, discuss and plot.
Our country is not openly wracked with war, violence and disaster yet. But like those who live in war zones, hot zones, and dead zones, Americans must tread carefully, trust sparingly, and keep our eyes wide open.
The Best of Karen Kwiatkowski


LRC’s Best-Selling Books

3 ) The Plot to Kill King : The Truth Behind the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. – William F. Pepper 4 ) War is a Racket – The Antiwar Classic by America ’ s Most Decorated Soldier : Illustrated Edition – Smedley Butler 5 ) Left of Bang : How the Marine Corps ’ Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life – Patrick Van Horne 7 ) Swords Into Plowshares : A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity – Ron Paul 8 ) Gun Control and the Second Amendment – Laurence M. Vance 9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He Died and Why It Matters – James W. Douglass 10 ) Presstitutes Embedded in the Pay of the CIA : A Confession from the Profession – Dr. Udo Ulfkotte 11 ) The Switch : Ignite Your Metabolism with Intermittent Fasting , Protein Cycling , and Keto – James W. Clement 12 ) JFK ’ s War with the National Security Establishment : Why Kennedy Was Assassinated – Douglas Horne 14 ) What You Must Know About Food and Supplements for Optimal Vision Care : Ocular Nutrition Handbook – Jeffrey Anshel 15 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spectrum and the Battle between the ‘ Free Left ’ and the ‘ Statist Left ’ – L.K .
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2) Sodium Bicarbonate: Nature’s Unique First Aid Remedy – Mark Sircus
3) The Plot to Kill King: The Truth Behind the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. – William F. Pepper
4) War is a Racket – The Antiwar Classic by America’s Most Decorated Soldier: Illustrated Edition – Smedley Butler
5) Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps’ Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life – Patrick Van Horne
6) Political Class Dismissed: Essays Against Politics, Including “What’s Wrong With Buffalo” – James Ostrowski
7) Swords Into Plowshares: A Life in Wartime and a Future of Peace and Prosperity – Ron Paul
8) Gun Control and the Second Amendment – Laurence M. Vance
9) JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters – James W. Douglass
10) Presstitutes Embedded in the Pay of the CIA: A Confession from the Profession – Dr. Udo Ulfkotte
11) The Switch: Ignite Your Metabolism with Intermittent Fasting, Protein Cycling, and Keto – James W. Clement
12) JFK’s War with the National Security Establishment: Why Kennedy Was Assassinated – Douglas Horne
13) The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer (Bantam Spectra Book) – Neal Stephenson
14) What You Must Know About Food and Supplements for Optimal Vision Care: Ocular Nutrition Handbook – Jeffrey Anshel
15) Killing History: The False Left-Right Political Spectrum and the Battle between the ‘Free Left’ and the ‘Statist Left’ – L.K. Samuels
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lewrockwell--2020-02-08--Conscription Is Slavery: I Know Because I Was Drafted

“ I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist .
I am willing to fight for peace .
Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.
” ~ Albert Einstein–Interview with George Sylvester Viereck ( January 1931 ) As many have noted recently , questions have arisen , and nervousness among the young has escalated , all due to talk of possible conscription concerning an expanded war in the Middle East .
This nervousness is a good sign , as all should denounce conscription , as it is pure unadulterated slavery .
Forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is abhorrent , but forcing the young to kill on demand is especially atrocious .
When government mandates behavior , it is simply prosecuting slavery .
This system of compulsion and conscription is in every situation immoral .
It matters not if it is in the case of mandatory schooling or mandatory military service .
In fact , compulsory schooling where indoctrination is the underlying goal sought , leads to a brainwashed population believing that the state is sovereign , and that the “ greater good ” is supreme to the individual .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ belief in this absurdity allows for the tyrants to choose who should die for the state .
To perpetuate this lie and keep the people in check , those American soldiers maimed and killed , as well as those that do the killing and survive unscathed , are made martyrs and heroes , and are celebrated for their murder and mayhem .
There are no heroes in war , there are only pawns sent to slaughter under the guise of non-existent national defense .
In this process , blatant murder is the result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people become the state ’ s murderers .
War Is A Racket : Origi ... Smedley D. Butler Best Price : $ 3.13 Buy New $ 3.75 I know of these things because I saw it firsthand .
In fact , I was drafted into this slavery in 1971 , and was scared to death of what my fate might be in the future .
I was fortunate to have had a father that taught me to be an individual , to remain independent , and to think critically from a very early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me at the time , as my father was not an intellectual , but his wisdom was immense , as I came to understand later in life .
Most believe that they have no choice other than to obey their “ masters , ” as this has been drilled into their psyche almost since birth .
Even in the small town in which I live , the school system sends out its students regularly to propagandize by placing banners everywhere that say : Support school , community , state , and nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these students by eliminating any value of the individual for the sake of the “ greater good.
” Is it any wonder that this is a nation filled with weak and confused sheep ?
When I was drafted , or better stated , when I was taken as a slave by the state , I had to figure out what to do .
I knew that I would never accept this as others were doing , but after much thought , I came to realize that I had only three viable options available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and escape to Canada , but this did not seem logical .
I had no money , job , contacts , or any place to live out of country , so I felt that this was not for me .
I could flatly refuse to go , but my fate would have been prison , and that was the easiest option to discard , as being caged is inhuman .
So I decided to go into the Army , but not participate in any killing , and in fact cause as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evil military machine during my forced confinement .
It might be helpful to understand that times were much different in the early 70s than they are today .
There was a vast amount of dissent in the country due to great numbers of Americans protesting against the heinous war in Vietnam .
Many of the things I did then would have landed me in prison today .
But due to the fact that the war machine was winding down , and troops were being pulled out of Vietnam and sent home , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of business at the Army reception center in Memphis was to stand and declare openly that I would not kill anyone in Vietnam under any circumstances .
Fortunately for me , even though this outburst caused quite a stir , my rant got swallowed up in the moment and ignored .
I meant what I said , and due to my saying it aloud in such a hostile place seemed to give me more courage as time passed .
I was 20 years old , the oldest in my company when I entered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the hellhole of the Army .
I left there mostly unscathed , but much more educated about the brainwashing techniques being forced on the recruits .
I did not accept any of the lies and indoctrination , and fought against it daily .
This experience only solidified my position of protest and disobedience to so-called authority .
During the rest of my time in the Army , I became such a thorn in the side of any who claimed to hold power over me that I was continually given every dirty detail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any officers and even the base .
This was due to the fact that I gave them no respect whatsoever , and this attitude caused much angst for the lower ranks of sergeants because “ crap ” rolls downhill , something I learned to use to my advantage .
The bottom line of all this is that any can refuse orders , and any can refuse to go into the military or participate in any immoral behavior due to being conscripted .
I did , and I was just a young man with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One must always do what he feels is right and moral , regardless of the consequences .
The alternative is to accept slavery at the hands of the state , and murder innocents on the orders of others when no legitimate or just cause is evident .
The choice is to be free or to be a slave .
It is as simple as that .
The government claims that wars are fought in order to protect freedom .
In the same breath , government claims to have a right to take by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to die for their agenda .
This would indicate that this same government wants to war for freedom while destroying all freedom in the process , and using the young of America as fodder for their cause .
How can freedom be won in foreign wars by eliminating freedom at home , and forcing those supposedly fighting for freedom to give up their freedom in the process ?
The evil that exists in the houses of government , and in the minds of the ruling class is anathema to all that is right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until soldiers refuse to fight , and the rest of society refuses to support the killing .
“ My long-crushed spirit rose , cowardice departed , bold defiance took its place ; and I now resolved that , however long I might remain a slave in form , the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact.
” ~ Frederick Douglass—Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass The Best of Gary D. Barnett

“I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.”
~ Albert Einstein–Interview with George Sylvester Viereck (January 1931)
As many have noted recently, questions have arisen, and nervousness among the young has escalated, all due to talk of possible conscription concerning an expanded war in the Middle East. This nervousness is a good sign, as all should denounce conscription, as it is pure unadulterated slavery. Forced servitude to the state in any form is abhorrent, but forcing the young to kill on demand is especially atrocious.
When government mandates behavior, it is simply prosecuting slavery. This system of compulsion and conscription is in every situation immoral. It matters not if it is in the case of mandatory schooling or mandatory military service. In fact, compulsory schooling where indoctrination is the underlying goal sought, leads to a brainwashed population believing that the state is sovereign, and that the “greater good” is supreme to the individual. This is backward, but a mass belief in this absurdity allows for the tyrants to choose who should die for the state. To perpetuate this lie and keep the people in check, those American soldiers maimed and killed, as well as those that do the killing and survive unscathed, are made martyrs and heroes, and are celebrated for their murder and mayhem. There are no heroes in war, there are only pawns sent to slaughter under the guise of non-existent national defense. In this process, blatant murder is the result, as what were once considered normal people become the state’s murderers. War Is A Racket: Origi... Butler, Smedley D. Best Price: $4.72 Buy New $3.75 (as of 08:05 UTC - Details)
I know of these things because I saw it firsthand. In fact, I was drafted into this slavery in 1971, and was scared to death of what my fate might be in the future. I was fortunate to have had a father that taught me to be an individual, to remain independent, and to think critically from a very early age. This was not so obvious to me at the time, as my father was not an intellectual, but his wisdom was immense, as I came to understand later in life. Most believe that they have no choice other than to obey their “masters,” as this has been drilled into their psyche almost since birth. Even in the small town in which I live, the school system sends out its students regularly to propagandize by placing banners everywhere that say: Support school, community, state, and nation. This campaign is meant to demean these students by eliminating any value of the individual for the sake of the “greater good.” Is it any wonder that this is a nation filled with weak and confused sheep?
When I was drafted, or better stated, when I was taken as a slave by the state, I had to figure out what to do. I knew that I would never accept this as others were doing, but after much thought, I came to realize that I had only three viable options available to me. I could pack up, and escape to Canada, but this did not seem logical. I had no money, job, contacts, or any place to live out of country, so I felt that this was not for me. I could flatly refuse to go, but my fate would have been prison, and that was the easiest option to discard, as being caged is inhuman. So I decided to go into the Army, but not participate in any killing, and in fact cause as much harm as I possibly could to the evil military machine during my forced confinement.
It might be helpful to understand that times were much different in the early 70s than they are today. There was a vast amount of dissent in the country due to great numbers of Americans protesting against the heinous war in Vietnam. Many of the things I did then would have landed me in prison today. But due to the fact that the war machine was winding down, and troops were being pulled out of Vietnam and sent home, a unique environment existed. My first order of business at the Army reception center in Memphis was to stand and declare openly that I would not kill anyone in Vietnam under any circumstances. Fortunately for me, even though this outburst caused quite a stir, my rant got swallowed up in the moment and ignored. I meant what I said, and due to my saying it aloud in such a hostile place seemed to give me more courage as time passed.
I was 20 years old, the oldest in my company when I entered basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, the hellhole of the Army. I left there mostly unscathed, but much more educated about the brainwashing techniques being forced on the recruits. I did not accept any of the lies and indoctrination, and fought against it daily. This experience only solidified my position of protest and disobedience to so-called authority. During the rest of my time in the Army, I became such a thorn in the side of any who claimed to hold power over me that I was continually given every dirty detail possible, and purposely kept away from any officers and even the base. This was due to the fact that I gave them no respect whatsoever, and this attitude caused much angst for the lower ranks of sergeants because “crap” rolls downhill, something I learned to use to my advantage.
The bottom line of all this is that any can refuse orders, and any can refuse to go into the military or participate in any immoral behavior due to being conscripted. I did, and I was just a young man with little life experience at the time. One must always do what he feels is right and moral, regardless of the consequences. The alternative is to accept slavery at the hands of the state, and murder innocents on the orders of others when no legitimate or just cause is evident.
The choice is to be free or to be a slave. It is as simple as that. The government claims that wars are fought in order to protect freedom. In the same breath, government claims to have a right to take by force young men and women into slavery to die for their agenda. This would indicate that this same government wants to war for freedom while destroying all freedom in the process, and using the young of America as fodder for their cause. How can freedom be won in foreign wars by eliminating freedom at home, and forcing those supposedly fighting for freedom to give up their freedom in the process? The evil that exists in the houses of government, and in the minds of the ruling class is anathema to all that is right and moral. Wars will never stop until soldiers refuse to fight, and the rest of society refuses to support the killing.
“My long-crushed spirit rose, cowardice departed, bold defiance took its place; and I now resolved that, however long I might remain a slave in form, the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact.”
~ Frederick Douglass—Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass
The Best of Gary D. Barnett


lewrockwell--2020-02-08--Did Pelosi Just Tear Up the Fabric of the US?

The annual theatre surrounding the President ’ s State of the Union address took another nasty turn in 2020 .
In times past with Nancy Pelosi ( D-Shadow Gov ’ t ) as Speaker of the House we ’ ve seen her grandstand on sending out the invitation .
She ’ s always there to take the spotlight onto herself , make herself the story to detract from President Trump .
This year she didn ’ t disappoint against the backdrop of the greatest political defeat of her career .
Bookending Trump ’ s self-congratulatory speech where he took credit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with and celebrating the starving and terrorizing the people of Iran , Pelosi first made a big show of Trump refusing to shake her hand and then tore up her copy of his speech after making sure the cameras were on her .
But what did she expect from someone who hasn ’ t spoken to her since October and who she hounded with an impeachment that garnered zero support from a single Republican ?
Flowers ?
Remember , Trump called Nasty Nancy a “ Third rate politician ” before she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playing to the cameras with all the sincerity of your average 1990 ’ s late night TV huckster selling steak knives .
She ’ s certainly got the hair color and botox levels adjusted correctly for that gig .
Against the Left : A Ro ... Llewellyn H Rockwell Jr Best Price : $ 13.57 Buy New $ 8.00 And at this point she should actually apply to QVC for that gig .
Because the longer she holds onto the ‘ awesome power ’ of the Speaker ’ s gavel the more damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what ’ s left of its constitutional authority over its people but to the party she ’ s supposedly leading into the 2020 election in November .
In making the State of the Union all about her , Pelosi sent the very strong message to her party operatives that opposition to this President is now their number one priority .
The impeachment was something that she knew would damage the party , but she went along with it and the lies it was built on because she was told to .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Remember , this time last year Pelosi was talking down impeachment .
But , her inability to control the far left within her own party as well as Trump stepping on the third rail of Democratic corruption – the entrenched malfeasance in Ukraine – put her in no position but to try and turn it around on him .
There ’ s plenty not to like about Trump ’ s presidency but it is still his presidency , won against all odds and the kind of under-handed electioneering that was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And Pelosi acting like she doesn ’ t believe that is the height of tragi-comedy .
Because , as I said , she ’ s not that good an actress .
She knows the impeachment was garbage , but she can ’ t say that .
The goal of propaganda is shame .
Getting people to believe something that isn ’ t true puts them into a place where they have to defend it lest they admit to themselves and the world that they were 1 ) wrong and 2 ) a fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during Brexit where the hardest of hard-core Remainers were gaslit into believing things that were simply not true .
And they used those fake facts as justification for treating everyone who wanted to leave the EU as sub-human .
In a remarkable moment , Nigel Farage took a phone call on his radio show the Monday after Brexit where the caller was ashamed of the person he ’ d become during the Brexit fight .
He realized how vile his behavior had been and was self-aware enough and strong enough to admit it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t agree with Brexit but that didn ’ t excuse his treatment of his fellow Britons .
Do we see anything like that coming from the Democrats in the U.S. ?
Even Tony Blair realized the fight was lost and asked everyone to put the bitterness behind them .
Tony “ Mr .
Globalist Himself ” Blair !
Does Pelosi , as leader of the party , realize the damage she ’ s doing ?
Does she understand what message she ’ s sending in her refusal to admit that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fight if you care at all about anything other than yourself ?
I don ’ t think she gives one whit about any of that .
And that ’ s why the U.S. is headed for a real civil war not the internal power struggle of factions in D.C.
It ’ s clear the DNC bosses don ’ t want Bernie Sanders as their nominee .
They will lie , cheat and steal delegates from him to ensure that happens .
We saw this in Iowa as somehow they concocted the outcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plurality of delegates while Bernie wins the popular vote and has no momentum coming into New Hampshire .
This much is a given .
I laid out some of my early thoughts on this in my last article .
This primary season will spell the end of the Democratic Party as a viable political construct after this election cycle .
Hillary is the stalking horse for the nomination .
She ’ ll lose to Trump .
They will alienate Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard in the process , all those voters will either jump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump or sit on their hands .
Amazon.com Gift Card i ... Buy New $ 10.00 Pelosi has signaled her troops to go on the warpath but she also just sent all the centrists that Bernie supposedly has trouble with more forcefully back under Trump ’ s umbrella .
And with the impeachment ’ s end Trump will be free to enact revenge against those who have tormented him for the past three years .
The most deeply despised members of Congress will now fall under investigation .
Trump has the neocons happy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for AIPAC will side with him as long as he keeps things as they are between now and November .
His speech was nothing if not grist for that mill and it ’ s a shame .
It spoke to the civilizational fight that is the backdrop of U.S. foreign policy , which Alistair Crooke touched on in his latest piece here .
It ’ s something that needs changing but it ’ s not going to happen on either Pelosi ’ s or Trump ’ s watch .
It ’ s our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what Pelosi did at the State of the Union tells us what comes next .
She knows now that they can not win in November on ideas , issues or facts .
All they have is emotion and envy .
And envy never wins elections , persuasion does .
So , violence and theft is all that ’ s left .
Pelosi ’ s lack of self-control is the cancer eating at the heart of the political left in the U.S .
It overshadows their real and reasoned criticisms of Trump and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What comes next is full on insurrection against Trump the Impeached .
Nothing he says is valid .
Nothing he wants is reasonable .
And from here to November it will be every decent American ’ s duty to obstruct this illegitimate president and work for his removal from office .
Now you expect some of that metaphorically in an election year .
But I think we ’ re far beyond metaphor and will be looking at outright thievery .
And the vestiges of the Democratic party still exist within the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Brenda Snipes the disgraced Supervisor of Elections in Broward County Florida , as wrenches to openly throw into the gears of an election to ensure their person wins .
If you think Brenda Snipes is bad , imagine multiplying her by a thousand in every ‘ purple ’ county in the U.S .
This isn ’ t a conspiracy I ’ m talking about .
This is pure naked hatred manifest as political action .
This is the stuff pogroms are made of .
It is that which all dying empires face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to decency .
Democracy exists , if it exists at all , on the principle of Loser ’ s Consent .
Without that , societies tear themselves apart .
Pelosi may as well have torn up a copy of the Constitution the other evening .
I ’ ve said for a long time that the U.S. is too big to govern as a single entity .
Maybe Pelosi did us a favor here in the long run , but as a leader she had the opportunity and , frankly , responsibility to rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find a way to communicate something other than vitriol and vindictiveness .
Now we all pay the price for her lack of humility .
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation .
The Best of Thomas Luongo

The annual theatre surrounding the President’s State of the Union address took another nasty turn in 2020. In times past with Nancy Pelosi (D-Shadow Gov’t) as Speaker of the House we’ve seen her grandstand on sending out the invitation.
She’s always there to take the spotlight onto herself, make herself the story to detract from President Trump. This year she didn’t disappoint against the backdrop of the greatest political defeat of her career.
Bookending Trump’s self-congratulatory speech where he took credit for a stock market he has nothing to do with and celebrating the starving and terrorizing the people of Iran, Pelosi first made a big show of Trump refusing to shake her hand and then tore up her copy of his speech after making sure the cameras were on her.
But what did she expect from someone who hasn’t spoken to her since October and who she hounded with an impeachment that garnered zero support from a single Republican? Flowers?
Remember, Trump called Nasty Nancy a “Third rate politician” before she stormed out of the room, again playing to the cameras with all the sincerity of your average 1990’s late night TV huckster selling steak knives. She’s certainly got the hair color and botox levels adjusted correctly for that gig. Against the Left: A Ro... Rockwell Jr, Llewellyn H Best Price: $2.85 Buy New $8.00 (as of 07:59 UTC - Details)
And at this point she should actually apply to QVC for that gig. Because the longer she holds onto the ‘awesome power’ of the Speaker’s gavel the more damage she does not only to the U.S. and what’s left of its constitutional authority over its people but to the party she’s supposedly leading into the 2020 election in November.
In making the State of the Union all about her, Pelosi sent the very strong message to her party operatives that opposition to this President is now their number one priority. The impeachment was something that she knew would damage the party, but she went along with it and the lies it was built on because she was told to.
That much she betrayed by her flip-flopping on it. Remember, this time last year Pelosi was talking down impeachment. But, her inability to control the far left within her own party as well as Trump stepping on the third rail of Democratic corruption – the entrenched malfeasance in Ukraine – put her in no position but to try and turn it around on him.
It failed spectacularly.
There’s plenty not to like about Trump’s presidency but it is still his presidency, won against all odds and the kind of under-handed electioneering that was on full display in Iowa this week. And Pelosi acting like she doesn’t believe that is the height of tragi-comedy.
Because, as I said, she’s not that good an actress.
She knows the impeachment was garbage, but she can’t say that. The goal of propaganda is shame. Getting people to believe something that isn’t true puts them into a place where they have to defend it lest they admit to themselves and the world that they were 1) wrong and 2) a fraud.
We saw this clearly on display during Brexit where the hardest of hard-core Remainers were gaslit into believing things that were simply not true. And they used those fake facts as justification for treating everyone who wanted to leave the EU as sub-human.
In a remarkable moment, Nigel Farage took a phone call on his radio show the Monday after Brexit where the caller was ashamed of the person he’d become during the Brexit fight. He realized how vile his behavior had been and was self-aware enough and strong enough to admit it in public. Sure, he still didn’t agree with Brexit but that didn’t excuse his treatment of his fellow Britons.

Do we see anything like that coming from the Democrats in the U.S.? Even Tony Blair realized the fight was lost and asked everyone to put the bitterness behind them. Tony “Mr. Globalist Himself” Blair!
Does Pelosi, as leader of the party, realize the damage she’s doing? Does she understand what message she’s sending in her refusal to admit that she lost and that there are limits to the fight if you care at all about anything other than yourself?
No.
I don’t think she gives one whit about any of that. And that’s why the U.S. is headed for a real civil war not the internal power struggle of factions in D.C.
It’s clear the DNC bosses don’t want Bernie Sanders as their nominee. They will lie, cheat and steal delegates from him to ensure that happens. We saw this in Iowa as somehow they concocted the outcome they wanted – Pete Buttigieg gets the plurality of delegates while Bernie wins the popular vote and has no momentum coming into New Hampshire.
This much is a given. I laid out some of my early thoughts on this in my last article.
This primary season will spell the end of the Democratic Party as a viable political construct after this election cycle. Hillary is the stalking horse for the nomination. She’ll lose to Trump. They will alienate Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard in the process, all those voters will either jump to their potential independent ticket, back Trump or sit on their hands. Amazon.com Gift Card i... Buy New $10.00 (as of 08:25 UTC - Details)
Pelosi has signaled her troops to go on the warpath but she also just sent all the centrists that Bernie supposedly has trouble with more forcefully back under Trump’s umbrella.
And with the impeachment’s end Trump will be free to enact revenge against those who have tormented him for the past three years. The most deeply despised members of Congress will now fall under investigation. Trump has the neocons happy right now. The Republicans who work for AIPAC will side with him as long as he keeps things as they are between now and November.
His speech was nothing if not grist for that mill and it’s a shame. It spoke to the civilizational fight that is the backdrop of U.S. foreign policy, which Alistair Crooke touched on in his latest piece here. It’s something that needs changing but it’s not going to happen on either Pelosi’s or Trump’s watch.
It’s our job to win that fight.
But what Pelosi did at the State of the Union tells us what comes next. She knows now that they cannot win in November on ideas, issues or facts. All they have is emotion and envy.
And envy never wins elections, persuasion does. So, violence and theft is all that’s left.
Pelosi’s lack of self-control is the cancer eating at the heart of the political left in the U.S. It overshadows their real and reasoned criticisms of Trump and the Republican party and it will destroy them.
What comes next is full on insurrection against Trump the Impeached. Nothing he says is valid. Nothing he wants is reasonable. And from here to November it will be every decent American’s duty to obstruct this illegitimate president and work for his removal from office.
Now you expect some of that metaphorically in an election year. But I think we’re far beyond metaphor and will be looking at outright thievery.
And the vestiges of the Democratic party still exist within the state and local governments. They exist, like Brenda Snipes the disgraced Supervisor of Elections in Broward County Florida, as wrenches to openly throw into the gears of an election to ensure their person wins.
If you think Brenda Snipes is bad, imagine multiplying her by a thousand in every ‘purple’ county in the U.S. This isn’t a conspiracy I’m talking about. This is pure naked hatred manifest as political action. This is the stuff pogroms are made of.
It is that which all dying empires face as ego and self-interest overwhelm the impulse to decency. Democracy exists, if it exists at all, on the principle of Loser’s Consent. Without that, societies tear themselves apart. Pelosi may as well have torn up a copy of the Constitution the other evening.
I’ve said for a long time that the U.S. is too big to govern as a single entity. Maybe Pelosi did us a favor here in the long run, but as a leader she had the opportunity and, frankly, responsibility to rise above this and be better. To find a way to communicate something other than vitriol and vindictiveness.
Now we all pay the price for her lack of humility.
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation.
The Best of Tom Luongo