thewashingtonstandard--2020-04-28--Pope Francis Calls for Relaxation of Sanctions Against Iran

Throughout his papacy , Pope Francis has again and again shown himself to be an enemy of the West and the Judeo-Christian tradition , and a friend of those who oppose and would destroy them .
And so it came as no surprise when the Islamic Republic of Iran ’ s state-controlled Mehr News Agency reported this week that after receiving an appeal from a senior member of the Academy of Sciences of Iran , Ayatollah Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad , Pope Francis has called for the relaxation of international sanctions against Iran .
The Pope issued his call in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blessing on Easter Sunday , saying : “ In light of the present circumstances , may international sanctions be relaxed , since these make it difficult for countries on which they have been imposed to provide adequate support to their citizens.
” The Pontiff didn ’ t say anything about the fact that the Iranian mullahs used the bulk of the billions Barack Obama showered upon them not to improve the economic plight of their people , but to support jihad terror groups worldwide .
He was likewise silent about the likelihood that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would probably spend the money on jihad terrorism yet again .
Why is the Pope siding with those who routinely chant “ Death to America , ” and who likely don ’ t look kindly upon the Catholic Church , either ?
One clue may be in the fact that the Pope has given numerous indications that he really does hate the West and the Christian tradition .
Some time ago , used the French epic The Song of Roland to issue yet another mea culpa to Muslims , saying : “ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me as a symbol , when the Christians defeat the Muslims and line them up in front of the baptismal font , with one holding a sword .
And the Muslims had to choose between baptism or the sword .
That is what we Christians did.
” The Song of Roland is actually a work of fiction , a French epic poem loosely based on the Battle of Roncevaux Pass between Muslim invaders and Christian defenders in the year 778 .
As The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS shows , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years after the battle , The Song of Roland appeared , describing the heroism of Charlemagne ’ s nephew Roland , who is leading the rear guard of Charlemagne ’ s forces and is caught up in the Muslim ambush .
Roland is killed , but Charlemagne vanquishes the Muslims .
It is a story of heroism and courage , but to the Pope , it ’ s just “ Islamophobia.
” And that was no surprise .
In September 2017 , Pope Francis met in the Vatican with Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muslim World League ( MWL ) , a group that has been linked to the financing of jihad terror .
During the meeting , al-Issa thanked the pope for his “ fair positions ” on what he called the “ false claims that link extremism and violence to Islam.
” Nor was that the first time a Muslim leader has thanked the pope for being so very useful .
Ahmed al-Tayeb , the Grand Imam of Cairo ’ s al-Azhar , thanked him for his “ defense of Islam against the accusation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported that the pope “ embraced the grand imam of Al-Azhar , the prestigious Sunni Muslim center of learning , reopening an important channel for Catholic-Muslim dialogue after a five-year lull and at a time of increased Islamic extremist attacks on Christians.
” Why had there been this “ five-year lull ” ?
Because “ the Cairo-based Al-Azhar froze talks with the Vatican to protest comments by then-Pope Benedict XVI.
” What did Benedict say ?
Andrea Gagliarducci of the Catholic News Agency explains that after a jihad terrorist murdered 23 Christians in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decried “ terrorism ” and the “ strategy of violence ” against Christians , and called for the Christians of the Middle East to be protected .
So Pope Benedict condemned a jihad attack , one that al-Azhar also condemned , and yet al-Azhar suspended dialogue because of the pope ’ s condemnation .
Then Pope Francis wrote to the Grand Imam of al-Azhar affirming his respect for Islam , and the Grand Imam warned him that criticizing Islam was a “ red line ” that he must not cross .
That strongly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pope Francis has now reestablished will not be allowed to discuss the Muslim persecution of Christians that will escalate worldwide , especially since an incidence of that persecution led to the suspension of dialogue in the first place .
Francis , for his part , proclaimed that “ authentic Islam and the proper understanding of the Koran reject every form of violence , ” doing his bit to ensure that as many Christians as possible would remain ignorant and complacent about the jihad threat that his precious “ dialogue ” does nothing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Islamic Republic of Iran , one of the most ruthless regimes in the world .
Pope Francis is nothing less than a disgrace to the Church , to Judeo-Christian civilization , and to the free world .
“ Leave them ; they are blind guides .
And if a blind man leads a blind man , both will fall into a pit.
” ( Matthew 15:14 )

Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis has again and again shown himself to be an enemy of the West and the Judeo-Christian tradition, and a friend of those who oppose and would destroy them. And so it came as no surprise when the Islamic Republic of Iran’s state-controlled Mehr News Agency reported this week that after receiving an appeal from a senior member of the Academy of Sciences of Iran, Ayatollah Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad, Pope Francis has called for the relaxation of international sanctions against Iran.
The Pope issued his call in the course of his solemn Urbi et Orbi blessing on Easter Sunday, saying: “In light of the present circumstances, may international sanctions be relaxed, since these make it difficult for countries on which they have been imposed to provide adequate support to their citizens.” The Pontiff didn’t say anything about the fact that the Iranian mullahs used the bulk of the billions Barack Obama showered upon them not to improve the economic plight of their people, but to support jihad terror groups worldwide. He was likewise silent about the likelihood that if sanctions were relaxed, the mullahs would probably spend the money on jihad terrorism yet again.
Why is the Pope siding with those who routinely chant “Death to America,” and who likely don’t look kindly upon the Catholic Church, either? One clue may be in the fact that the Pope has given numerous indications that he really does hate the West and the Christian tradition. Some time ago, used the French epic The Song of Roland to issue yet another mea culpa to Muslims, saying: “A scene from The Song of Roland comes to me as a symbol, when the Christians defeat the Muslims and line them up in front of the baptismal font, with one holding a sword. And the Muslims had to choose between baptism or the sword. That is what we Christians did.”
The Song of Roland is actually a work of fiction, a French epic poem loosely based on the Battle of Roncevaux Pass between Muslim invaders and Christian defenders in the year 778. As The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS shows, in the eleventh century, three hundred years after the battle, The Song of Roland appeared, describing the heroism of Charlemagne’s nephew Roland, who is leading the rear guard of Charlemagne’s forces and is caught up in the Muslim ambush. Roland is killed, but Charlemagne vanquishes the Muslims.
It is a story of heroism and courage, but to the Pope, it’s just “Islamophobia.” And that was no surprise. In September 2017, Pope Francis met in the Vatican with Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, the secretary-general of the Muslim World League (MWL), a group that has been linked to the financing of jihad terror. During the meeting, al-Issa thanked the pope for his “fair positions” on what he called the “false claims that link extremism and violence to Islam.”
Nor was that the first time a Muslim leader has thanked the pope for being so very useful. Ahmed al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Cairo’s al-Azhar, thanked him for his “defense of Islam against the accusation of violence and terrorism.” The Associated Press reported that the pope “embraced the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the prestigious Sunni Muslim center of learning, reopening an important channel for Catholic-Muslim dialogue after a five-year lull and at a time of increased Islamic extremist attacks on Christians.”
Why had there been this “five-year lull”? Because “the Cairo-based Al-Azhar froze talks with the Vatican to protest comments by then-Pope Benedict XVI.” What did Benedict say? Andrea Gagliarducci of the Catholic News Agency explains that after a jihad terrorist murdered 23 Christians in a church in Alexandria 2011, Benedict decried “terrorism” and the “strategy of violence” against Christians, and called for the Christians of the Middle East to be protected.
So Pope Benedict condemned a jihad attack, one that al-Azhar also condemned, and yet al-Azhar suspended dialogue because of the pope’s condemnation. Then Pope Francis wrote to the Grand Imam of al-Azhar affirming his respect for Islam, and the Grand Imam warned him that criticizing Islam was a “red line” that he must not cross. That strongly suggests that the “dialogue” that Pope Francis has now reestablished will not be allowed to discuss the Muslim persecution of Christians that will escalate worldwide, especially since an incidence of that persecution led to the suspension of dialogue in the first place.
Francis, for his part, proclaimed that “authentic Islam and the proper understanding of the Koran reject every form of violence,” doing his bit to ensure that as many Christians as possible would remain ignorant and complacent about the jihad threat that his precious “dialogue” does nothing to mitigate.
And now he has sided with the Islamic Republic of Iran, one of the most ruthless regimes in the world. Pope Francis is nothing less than a disgrace to the Church, to Judeo-Christian civilization, and to the free world.
“Leave them; they are blind guides. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” (Matthew 15:14)
Article posted with permission from Robert Spencer


thewashingtonstandard--2020-04-28--Your Freedoms Don’t Have to Be Muzzled Just Because You’re Wearing a Mask

Your Freedoms Don ’ t Have to Be Muzzled Just Because You ’ re Wearing a Mask Despite all appearances to the contrary , martial law has not been declared in America .
We still have rights .
The government may act as if its police state powers suppress individual liberties during this COVID-19 pandemic , but for all intents and purposes , the Constitution—especially the battered , besieged Bill of Rights—still stands in theory , if not in practice .
Indeed , while federal and state governments have adopted specific restrictive measures in an effort to lockdown the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , the current public health situation has not resulted in the suspension of fundamental constitutional rights such as freedom of speech and the right of assembly .
Mind you , that ’ s not to say that the government has not tried its best to weaponize this crisis as it has weaponized so many other crises in order to expand its powers and silence its critics .
All over the country , government officials are using COVID-19 restrictions to muzzle protesters .
It doesn ’ t matter what the protest is about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , the timing for re-opening the country , discontent over police brutality , etc . )
: this is activity the First Amendment protects vociferously with only one qualification—that it be peaceful .
Yet even peaceful protesters mindful of the need to adhere to social distancing guidelines because of this COVID-19 are being muzzled , arrested and fined .
For example , a Maryland family was reportedly threatened with up to a year in jail and a $ 5000 fine if they dared to publicly protest the injustice of their son ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If anyone had a legitimate reason to get out in the streets and protest , it ’ s the Lemp family , whose 21-year-old son Duncan was gunned down in his bedroom during an early morning , no-knock SWAT team raid on his family ’ s home .
It was 4:30 a.m. on March 12 , 2020 , in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic that has most of the country under a partial lockdown and sheltering at home , when this masked SWAT team—deployed to execute a “ high risk ” search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where 21-year-old Duncan , a software engineer and Second Amendment advocate , lived with his parents and 19-year-old brother .
The entire household , including Lemp and his girlfriend , was reportedly asleep when the SWAT team directed flash bang grenades and gunfire through Lemp ’ s bedroom window .
Lemp was killed and his girlfriend injured .
No one in the house that morning , including Lemp , had a criminal record .
No one in the house that morning , including Lemp , was considered an “ imminent threat ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least not according to the search warrant .
Now what was so urgent that militarized police felt compelled to employ battlefield tactics in the pre-dawn hours of a day when most people are asleep in bed , not to mention stuck at home as part of a nationwide lockdown ?
According to police , they were tipped off that Lemp was in possession of “ firearms.
” So instead of approaching the house by the front door at a reasonable hour in order to investigate this complaint—which is what the Fourth Amendment requires—police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up their flash bang grenades and acted like battle-crazed warriors .
This is the blowback from all that military weaponry flowing to domestic police departments .
This is what happens when you use SWAT teams to carry out routine search warrants .
This is what happens when you adopt red flag gun laws , which Maryland did in 2018 , painting anyone who might be in possession of a gun—legal or otherwise—as a threat that must be neutralized .
These red flag gun laws allow the police to remove guns from people merely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theory it appears perfectly reasonable to want to “ stop dangerous people before they act , ” where the problem arises is when you put the power to determine who is a potential danger in the hands of government agencies , the courts and the police .
Remember , this is the same government that uses the words “ anti-government , ” “ extremist ” and “ terrorist ” interchangeably .
This is the same government whose agents are spinning a sticky spider-web of threat assessments , behavioral sensing warnings , flagged “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity reports using automated eyes and ears , social media , behavior sensing software , and citizen spies to identify potential threats .
This is the same government that keeps re-upping the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) , which allows the military to arrest and detain American citizens with no access to friends , family or the courts if the government believes them to be a threat .
This is the same government that has a growing list—shared with fusion centers and law enforcement agencies—of ideologies , behaviors , affiliations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspicious and result in their being labeled potential enemies of the state .
Let that sink in a moment .
If you believe in and exercise your rights under the Constitution ( namely , your right to speak freely , worship freely , associate with like-minded individuals who share your political views , criticize the government , own a weapon , demand a warrant before being questioned or searched , or any other activity viewed as potentially anti-government , racist , bigoted , anarchic or sovereign ) , you are most likely at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorism watch list .
Moreover , as a New York Times editorial warns , you may be an anti-government extremist ( a.k.a .
domestic terrorist ) in the eyes of the police if you are afraid that the government is plotting to confiscate your firearms , if you believe the economy is about to collapse and the government will soon declare martial law , or if you display an unusual number of political and/or ideological bumper stickers on your car .
Needless to say , if you happen to be passionate about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corruption , you ’ ve already been flagged in a government database somewhere .
Likely , Lemp was , too .
Now Lemp is dead and his family is devastated , outraged and desperate to make sense of what appears to be an insensible act of violence resulting in an inexcusable loss of life .
As usual in these kinds of shootings , government officials have not been forthcoming with details about the shooting : police have refused to meet with family members , the contents of the warrant supporting the raid have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the raid has not been disclosed .
So in order to voice their objections to police violence and demand answers about the shooting , Lemp ’ s family and friends planned to conduct an outdoor public demonstration—adhering to social distancing guidelines—only to be threatened with arrest , a year in jail and a $ 5000 fine for violating Maryland ’ s stay at home orders .
Yet here ’ s the thing : we don ’ t have to be muzzled and remain silent about government corruption , violence and misconduct just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing .
That ’ s not the point of this whole COVID-19 exercise , or is it ?
While there is a moral responsibility to not endanger other lives with our actions , that does not mean relinquishing all of our freedoms .
Be responsible in how you exercise your freedoms , but don ’ t allow yourselves to be muzzled or your individual freedoms to be undermined .
Understandably , no one wants to talk about individual freedoms when tens of thousands of people the world over are dying , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make right now—about freedom , commerce , free will , how we care for the least of these in our communities , what it means to provide individuals and businesses with a safety net , how far we allow the government to go in “ protecting ” us against this virus , etc.—will haunt us for a long time to come .
At times like these , when emotions are heightened , fear dominates , common sense is in short supply , liberty takes a backseat to public safety , and democratic societies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is a tendency to cast those who exercise their individual freedoms ( to freely speak , associate , assemble , protest , pursue a living , engage in commerce , etc . )
as foolishly reckless , criminally selfish , or outright villains .
Sometimes that is true , but not always .
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , there is always a balancing test between individual freedoms and the communal good .
What we must figure out is how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect those who need protecting without leaving us chained and in bondage to the police state .
We must find ways to mitigate against this contagion needlessly claiming any more lives and crippling any more communities , but let ’ s not lose our heads : blindly following the path of least resistance—acquiescing without question to whatever the government dictates—can only lead to more misery , suffering and the erection of a totalitarian regime in which there is no balance .

Your Freedoms Don’t Have to Be Muzzled Just Because You’re Wearing a Mask
“If 2019 was the year of the street protest, of tear gas and rubber bullets, 2020 might be the year the street protest died, or perhaps fell into a deep sleep, and went online.”—Journalist Christopher Miller
Despite all appearances to the contrary, martial law has not been declared in America.
We still have rights.
Technically, at least.
The government may act as if its police state powers suppress individual liberties during this COVID-19 pandemic, but for all intents and purposes, the Constitution—especially the battered, besieged Bill of Rights—still stands in theory, if not in practice.
Indeed, while federal and state governments have adopted specific restrictive measures in an effort to lockdown the nation and decelerate the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the current public health situation has not resulted in the suspension of fundamental constitutional rights such as freedom of speech and the right of assembly.
Mind you, that’s not to say that the government has not tried its best to weaponize this crisis as it has weaponized so many other crises in order to expand its powers and silence its critics.
All over the country, government officials are using COVID-19 restrictions to muzzle protesters.
It doesn’t matter what the protest is about (church assemblies, the right to work, the timing for re-opening the country, discontent over police brutality, etc.): this is activity the First Amendment protects vociferously with only one qualification—that it be peaceful.
Yet even peaceful protesters mindful of the need to adhere to social distancing guidelines because of this COVID-19 are being muzzled, arrested and fined.
For example, a Maryland family was reportedly threatened with up to a year in jail and a $5000 fine if they dared to publicly protest the injustice of their son’s execution by a SWAT team.
If anyone had a legitimate reason to get out in the streets and protest, it’s the Lemp family, whose 21-year-old son Duncan was gunned down in his bedroom during an early morning, no-knock SWAT team raid on his family’s home.
Imagine it.
It was 4:30 a.m. on March 12, 2020, in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic that has most of the country under a partial lockdown and sheltering at home, when this masked SWAT team—deployed to execute a “high risk” search warrant for unauthorized firearms—stormed the suburban house where 21-year-old Duncan, a software engineer and Second Amendment advocate, lived with his parents and 19-year-old brother.
The entire household, including Lemp and his girlfriend, was reportedly asleep when the SWAT team directed flash bang grenades and gunfire through Lemp’s bedroom window.
Lemp was killed and his girlfriend injured.
No one in the house that morning, including Lemp, had a criminal record.
No one in the house that morning, including Lemp, was considered an “imminent threat” to law enforcement or the public, at least not according to the search warrant.
Now what was so urgent that militarized police felt compelled to employ battlefield tactics in the pre-dawn hours of a day when most people are asleep in bed, not to mention stuck at home as part of a nationwide lockdown?
According to police, they were tipped off that Lemp was in possession of “firearms.”
So instead of approaching the house by the front door at a reasonable hour in order to investigate this complaint—which is what the Fourth Amendment requires—police instead strapped on their guns, loaded up their flash bang grenades and acted like battle-crazed warriors.
This is the blowback from all that military weaponry flowing to domestic police departments.
This is what happens when you use SWAT teams to carry out routine search warrants.
This is what happens when you adopt red flag gun laws, which Maryland did in 2018, painting anyone who might be in possession of a gun—legal or otherwise—as a threat that must be neutralized.
These red flag gun laws allow the police to remove guns from people merely suspected of being threats.
While in theory it appears perfectly reasonable to want to “stop dangerous people before they act,” where the problem arises is when you put the power to determine who is a potential danger in the hands of government agencies, the courts and the police.
Remember, this is the same government that uses the words “anti-government,” “extremist” and “terrorist” interchangeably.
This is the same government whose agents are spinning a sticky spider-web of threat assessments, behavioral sensing warnings, flagged “words,” and “suspicious” activity reports using automated eyes and ears, social media, behavior sensing software, and citizen spies to identify potential threats.
This is the same government that keeps re-upping the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which allows the military to arrest and detain American citizens with no access to friends, family or the courts if the government believes them to be a threat.
This is the same government that has a growing list—shared with fusion centers and law enforcement agencies—of ideologies, behaviors, affiliations and other characteristics that could flag someone as suspicious and result in their being labeled potential enemies of the state.
Let that sink in a moment.
If you believe in and exercise your rights under the Constitution (namely, your right to speak freely, worship freely, associate with like-minded individuals who share your political views, criticize the government, own a weapon, demand a warrant before being questioned or searched, or any other activity viewed as potentially anti-government, racist, bigoted, anarchic or sovereign), you are most likely at the top of the government’s terrorism watch list.
Moreover, as a New York Times editorial warns, you may be an anti-government extremist (a.k.a. domestic terrorist) in the eyes of the police if you are afraid that the government is plotting to confiscate your firearms, if you believe the economy is about to collapse and the government will soon declare martial law, or if you display an unusual number of political and/or ideological bumper stickers on your car.
Needless to say, if you happen to be passionate about the Constitution and a vocal critic of government corruption, you’ve already been flagged in a government database somewhere.
Likely, Lemp was, too.
Now Lemp is dead and his family is devastated, outraged and desperate to make sense of what appears to be an insensible act of violence resulting in an inexcusable loss of life.
As usual in these kinds of shootings, government officials have not been forthcoming with details about the shooting: police have refused to meet with family members, the contents of the warrant supporting the raid have not been revealed, and bodycam footage of the raid has not been disclosed.
So in order to voice their objections to police violence and demand answers about the shooting, Lemp’s family and friends planned to conduct an outdoor public demonstration—adhering to social distancing guidelines—only to be threatened with arrest, a year in jail and a $5000 fine for violating Maryland’s stay at home orders.
Yet here’s the thing: we don’t have to be muzzled and remain silent about government corruption, violence and misconduct just because we’re wearing masks and social distancing.
That’s not the point of this whole COVID-19 exercise, or is it?
While there is a moral responsibility to not endanger other lives with our actions, that does not mean relinquishing all of our freedoms.
Be responsible in how you exercise your freedoms, but don’t allow yourselves to be muzzled or your individual freedoms to be undermined.
Understandably, no one wants to talk about individual freedoms when tens of thousands of people the world over are dying, and yet we must.
The decisions we make right now—about freedom, commerce, free will, how we care for the least of these in our communities, what it means to provide individuals and businesses with a safety net, how far we allow the government to go in “protecting” us against this virus, etc.—will haunt us for a long time to come.
At times like these, when emotions are heightened, fear dominates, common sense is in short supply, liberty takes a backseat to public safety, and democratic societies approach the tipping point towards mob rule, there is a tendency to cast those who exercise their individual freedoms (to freely speak, associate, assemble, protest, pursue a living, engage in commerce, etc.) as foolishly reckless, criminally selfish, or outright villains.
Sometimes that is true, but not always.
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People , there is always a balancing test between individual freedoms and the communal good.
What we must figure out is how to strike a balance that allows us to protect those who need protecting without leaving us chained and in bondage to the police state.
We must find ways to mitigate against this contagion needlessly claiming any more lives and crippling any more communities, but let’s not lose our heads: blindly following the path of least resistance—acquiescing without question to whatever the government dictates—can only lead to more misery, suffering and the erection of a totalitarian regime in which there is no balance.
Article posted with permission from John Whitehead


thewashingtonstandard--2020-04-28--While You & I Get Poorer In The US, Super Rich See Exponential Jump of $282 Billion In Just 3 Weeks

While You & I Get Poorer In The US, Super Rich See Exponential Jump of $282 Billion In Just 3 Weeks Due To Scam-demic

I have nothing against actual , real capitalism and a true , lawful free market .
However , what we are witnessing among many of the super rich is not that and we all know it .
That ’ s why a recent report should be shocking to many .
While Americans are told by tyrants they can ’ t work for their own good and the good of the society , something that is clearly Marxist in its approach , America ’ s billionaires have accrued more than $ 282 billion in just the past three weeks .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total prior to 1980 !
Alan Macleod has the story at MintPress News : A new report from the Institute for Policy Studies found that , while tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic , America ’ s ultra-wealthy elite have seen their net worth surge by $ 282 billion in just 23 days .
This is despite the fact that the economy is expected to contract by 40 percent this quarter .
The report also noted that between 1980 and 2020 the tax obligations of America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage of their wealth , decreased by 79 percent .
In the last 30 years , U.S. billionaire wealth soared by over 1100 percent while median household wealth increased by barely five percent .
In 1990 , the total wealth held by America ’ s billionaire class was $ 240 billion ; today that number stands at $ 2.95 trillion .
Thus , America ’ s billionaires accrued more wealth in just the past three weeks than they made in total prior to 1980 .
As a result , just three people – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Gates and Berkshire Hathaway ’ s Warren Buffet – own as much wealth as the bottom half of all U.S. households combined .
The Institute for Policy Studies ’ report paints a picture of a modern day oligarchy , where the super-rich have captured legislative and executive power , controlling what laws are passed .
The report discusses what it labels a new “ wealth defense industry ” – where “ billionaires are paying millions to dodge billions in taxes , ” with teams of accountants , lawyers , lobbyists and asset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in tax havens and so-called charitable trusts .
The result has been crippled social programs and a decrease in living standards and even a sustained drop in life expectancy – something rarely seen in history outside of major wars or famines .
Few Americans believe their children will be better off than they were .
Statistics suggest they are right .
Billionaires very theatrically donate a fraction of what they used to give back in taxes , making sure to generate maximum publicity for their actions .
And they secure positive coverage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news organizations afloat .
A December investigation by MintPress found that Gates had donated over $ 9 million to The Guardian , over $ 3 million to NBC Universal , over $ 4.5 million to NPR , $ 1 million to Al-Jazeera , and a staggering $ 49 million to the BBC ’ s Media Action program .
Some , like Bezos , prefer to simply outright purchase news organizations themselves , changing the editorial stance to unquestioning loyalty to their new owners .
The spike in billionaire wealth comes amid an unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed for unemployment over the last five weeks , and that number is expected to continue to rise dramatically .
While the super-rich are holed up in their mansions and yachts , the 49-62 million Americans designated as “ essential workers ” must continue to risk their lives to keep society functioning , even as many of them do not even earn as much as the $ 600 weekly increase in unemployment benefits the CARES act stipulates .
Many low paid workers , such as grocery store employees , have already fallen sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27-year-old Maryland worker who contracted COVID-19 and died received her daughter ’ s last paycheck .
It amounted to $ 20.64 .
Amazon staff , directly employed by Bezos , also risk their lives for measly pay .
One third of all Amazon workers in Arizona , for example , are enrolled in the food stamps program , their wages so low that they can not afford to pay for food .
The vast contrast in the effect that COVID-19 has had on the super wealthy versus the rest of us has many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poverty of the rest of the world are two sides of the same coin : that the reason people working full-time still can not afford a house or even to eat is the same reason people like Bezos control more wealth than many countries .
Bezos ’ solution to his employees ’ hunger has been to set up a charity and ask for public donations to help his desperate workers .
Billionaires very theatrically donate a fraction of what they used to give back in taxes , making sure to generate maximum publicity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive coverage of themselves by stepping in to keep influential news organizations afloat .
A December investigation by MintPress found that Gates had donated over $ 9 million to The Guardian , over $ 3 million to NBC Universal , over $ 4.5 million to NPR , $ 1 million to Al-Jazeera , and a staggering $ 49 million to the BBC ’ s Media Action program .
Some , like Bezos , prefer to simply outright purchase news organizations themselves , changing the editorial stance to unquestioning loyalty to their new owners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid an unprecedented economic crash ; 26.5 million Americans have filed for unemployment over the last five weeks , and that number is expected to continue to rise dramatically .
While the super-rich are holed up in their mansions and yachts , the 49-62 million Americans designated as “ essential workers ” must continue to risk their lives to keep society functioning , even as many of them do not even earn as much as the $ 600 weekly increase in unemployment benefits the CARES act stipulates .
Many low paid workers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already fallen sick and died .
The mother of one 27-year-old Maryland worker who contracted COVID-19 and died received her daughter ’ s last paycheck .
It amounted to $ 20.64 .
Amazon staff , directly employed by Bezos , also risk their lives for measly pay .
One third of all Amazon workers in Arizona , for example , are enrolled in the food stamps program , their wages so low that they can not afford to pay for food .
The vast contrast in the effect that COVID-19 has had on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us has many concluding that billionaires ’ wealth and the poverty of the rest of the world are two sides of the same coin : that the reason people working full-time still can not afford a house or even to eat is the same reason people like Bezos control more wealth than many countries .
Bezos ’ solution to his employees ’ hunger has been to set up a charity and ask for public donations to help his desperate workers .
The majority of millennials , most of them shut out from attaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to capitalism , taking a dim view of the latter .
The latest news that the billionaire class is laughing all the way to the bank during a period of intense economic suffering is unlikely to improve their disposition .
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media

I have nothing against actual, real capitalism and a true, lawful free market. However, what we are witnessing among many of the super rich is not that and we all know it. That’s why a recent report should be shocking to many. While Americans are told by tyrants they can’t work for their own good and the good of the society, something that is clearly Marxist in its approach, America’s billionaires have accrued more than $282 billion in just the past three weeks. That’s more than they made in total prior to 1980!
Alan Macleod has the story at MintPress News:
A new report from the Institute for Policy Studies found that, while tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, America’s ultra-wealthy elite have seen their net worth surge by $282 billion in just 23 days. This is despite the fact that the economy is expected to contract by 40 percent this quarter. The report also noted that between 1980 and 2020 the tax obligations of America’s billionaires, measured as a percentage of their wealth, decreased by 79 percent. In the last 30 years, U.S. billionaire wealth soared by over 1100 percent while median household wealth increased by barely five percent. In 1990, the total wealth held by America’s billionaire class was $240 billion; today that number stands at $2.95 trillion. Thus, America’s billionaires accrued more wealth in just the past three weeks than they made in total prior to 1980. As a result, just three people – Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffet – own as much wealth as the bottom half of all U.S. households combined.
The Institute for Policy Studies’ report paints a picture of a modern day oligarchy, where the super-rich have captured legislative and executive power, controlling what laws are passed. The report discusses what it labels a new “wealth defense industry” – where “billionaires are paying millions to dodge billions in taxes,” with teams of accountants, lawyers, lobbyists and asset managers helping them conceal their vast fortunes in tax havens and so-called charitable trusts. The result has been crippled social programs and a decrease in living standards and even a sustained drop in life expectancy – something rarely seen in history outside of major wars or famines. Few Americans believe their children will be better off than they were. Statistics suggest they are right.
Billionaires very theatrically donate a fraction of what they used to give back in taxes, making sure to generate maximum publicity for their actions. And they secure positive coverage of themselves by stepping in to keep influential news organizations afloat. A December investigation by MintPress found that Gates had donated over $9 million to The Guardian, over $3 million to NBC Universal, over $4.5 million to NPR, $1 million to Al-Jazeera, and a staggering $49 million to the BBC’s Media Action program. Some, like Bezos, prefer to simply outright purchase news organizations themselves, changing the editorial stance to unquestioning loyalty to their new owners.
The spike in billionaire wealth comes amid an unprecedented economic crash; 26.5 million Americans have filed for unemployment over the last five weeks, and that number is expected to continue to rise dramatically. While the super-rich are holed up in their mansions and yachts, the 49-62 million Americans designated as “essential workers” must continue to risk their lives to keep society functioning, even as many of them do not even earn as much as the $600 weekly increase in unemployment benefits the CARES act stipulates. Many low paid workers, such as grocery store employees, have already fallen sick and died. The mother of one 27-year-old Maryland worker who contracted COVID-19 and died received her daughter’s last paycheck. It amounted to $20.64.
Amazon staff, directly employed by Bezos, also risk their lives for measly pay. One third of all Amazon workers in Arizona, for example, are enrolled in the food stamps program, their wages so low that they cannot afford to pay for food. The vast contrast in the effect that COVID-19 has had on the super wealthy versus the rest of us has many concluding that billionaires’ wealth and the poverty of the rest of the world are two sides of the same coin: that the reason people working full-time still cannot afford a house or even to eat is the same reason people like Bezos control more wealth than many countries. Bezos’ solution to his employees’ hunger has been to set up a charity and ask for public donations to help his desperate workers.
Billionaires very theatrically donate a fraction of what they used to give back in taxes, making sure to generate maximum publicity for their actions. And they secure positive coverage of themselves by stepping in to keep influential news organizations afloat. A December investigation by MintPress found that Gates had donated over $9 million to The Guardian, over $3 million to NBC Universal, over $4.5 million to NPR, $1 million to Al-Jazeera, and a staggering $49 million to the BBC’s Media Action program. Some, like Bezos, prefer to simply outright purchase news organizations themselves, changing the editorial stance to unquestioning loyalty to their new owners.
The spike in billionaire wealth comes amid an unprecedented economic crash; 26.5 million Americans have filed for unemployment over the last five weeks, and that number is expected to continue to rise dramatically. While the super-rich are holed up in their mansions and yachts, the 49-62 million Americans designated as “essential workers” must continue to risk their lives to keep society functioning, even as many of them do not even earn as much as the $600 weekly increase in unemployment benefits the CARES act stipulates. Many low paid workers, such as grocery store employees, have already fallen sick and died. The mother of one 27-year-old Maryland worker who contracted COVID-19 and died received her daughter’s last paycheck. It amounted to $20.64.
Amazon staff, directly employed by Bezos, also risk their lives for measly pay. One third of all Amazon workers in Arizona, for example, are enrolled in the food stamps program, their wages so low that they cannot afford to pay for food. The vast contrast in the effect that COVID-19 has had on the super wealthy versus the rest of us has many concluding that billionaires’ wealth and the poverty of the rest of the world are two sides of the same coin: that the reason people working full-time still cannot afford a house or even to eat is the same reason people like Bezos control more wealth than many countries. Bezos’ solution to his employees’ hunger has been to set up a charity and ask for public donations to help his desperate workers.
The majority of millennials, most of them shut out from attaining the American dream, already prefer socialism to capitalism, taking a dim view of the latter. The latest news that the billionaire class is laughing all the way to the bank during a period of intense economic suffering is unlikely to improve their disposition.
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media


thewashingtonstandard--2020-04-28--Are You Ready For The Great Depression Of The 2020s?

Are You Ready For The Great Depression Of The 2020s ?
For those of you that were expecting just a “ deep recession ” , I am afraid that you are going to be very disappointed .
It took years for the U.S. economy to fully unravel in the 1930s , but now we have witnessed a similar level of economic devastation in just a matter of weeks .
More than 26 million Americans have already lost their jobs , economic activity has come to a standstill , people are lining up for miles at food banks all over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shuttered at a staggering pace .
But the good news is that some states will attempt to “ reopen ” their economies in the weeks ahead .
In most instances , there will be several stages before all of the restrictions are finally lifted , and that means that economic suffering will be stretched out for an extended period of time .
And of course , if cases and deaths start spiking again we could see another wave of strict lockdowns all over the country , and needless to say , that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this moment , so many hard-working people all over America are deeply hurting .
I personally know people that have lost their jobs , and you probably do too .
And because virtually nobody is hiring right now , it is going to be exceedingly difficult for newly unemployed workers to find other jobs .
Because it has an economy that is so dependent on the entertainment industry , Nevada is being hit particularly hard by this downturn .
The New York Times spoke to one Nevada resident named Valicia Anderson , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually working… It has been estimated that the current unemployment rate in the state is “ about 25 percent ” , and that number is almost certainly going to go higher in the months ahead .
Down in Texas , they are also dealing with an oil crash at the same time that they are wrestling with this coronavirus pandemic , and this has created the worst budget crisis that the city of Houston has ever seen… On the same day that the price for U.S. crude oil fell to about $ 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time oil prices had ever turned negative — Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston , the self-proclaimed energy capital of the world , stood before reporters .
His words were grim and muffled by the black mask covering his face .
The mayor announced that city employees would soon be furloughed , but he declined to say how many .
The Houston Zoo , he said , could expect to see funding deferred under what he called “ the worst budget that the city will deal with in its history.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an incredible real estate boom in Texas are now disappearing by the thousands , and it is being reported that many of those that are being laid off are learning the news “ during painful Zoom sessions from home ” … By the way , when did Zoom become such a big thing ?
It seems like so many people are using it now , and I don ’ t understand why it is so popular .
Perhaps my readers will help me to understand this .
Getting back to the economy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is admitting that the unemployment rate will soon be approaching levels that “ we saw during the Great Depression ” … Let ’ s put that into perspective for a moment .
During the last recession , we thought that things were really , really bad when the unemployment rate got up to about 10 percent .
But back in 1933 , the unemployment rate peaked at 25 percent , and now we are being told that we should expect something similar here in 2020 .
And of course , low-income Americans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just check out these numbers… Hopefully , as some states attempt “ reopenings ” it will help to slow down this enormous tsunami of unemployment .
But as I pointed out the other day , millions of Americans are now making much more money being unemployed than they did when they were working , and so that is going to provide an incentive for millions of Americans to stay unemployed for the foreseeable future .
And even if all of the coronavirus restrictions in the entire country were lifted tomorrow , fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be greatly depressed for many months to come .
As I discussed yesterday , the meat processing industry is a perfect example of this .
Meat processing facilities are being shut down all over the nation , and one expert just told NBC News that we should expect shortages of meat in our grocery stores “ around May 1″… So many of the things that we have been warning about for a long time are starting to happen , but most Americans still do not grasp the seriousness of this crisis .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall , and even if the remainder of this pandemic goes much more smoothly than anticipated , it will not fundamentally alter our current economic trajectory .
The “ Everything Bubble ” lasted far longer than it should have , but now that it has burst the pain is going to be absolutely immense .
And it is those at the bottom of the economic food chain that are going to be hit the hardest .

For those of you that were expecting just a “deep recession”, I am afraid that you are going to be very disappointed. It took years for the U.S. economy to fully unravel in the 1930s, but now we have witnessed a similar level of economic devastation in just a matter of weeks. More than 26 million Americans have already lost their jobs, economic activity has come to a standstill, people are lining up for miles at food banks all over the nation, and businesses are being permanently shuttered at a staggering pace. But the good news is that some states will attempt to “reopen” their economies in the weeks ahead. In most instances, there will be several stages before all of the restrictions are finally lifted, and that means that economic suffering will be stretched out for an extended period of time. And of course, if cases and deaths start spiking again we could see another wave of strict lockdowns all over the country, and needless to say, that would greatly escalate this economic downturn.
At this moment, so many hard-working people all over America are deeply hurting.
I personally know people that have lost their jobs, and you probably do too. And because virtually nobody is hiring right now, it is going to be exceedingly difficult for newly unemployed workers to find other jobs.
Because it has an economy that is so dependent on the entertainment industry, Nevada is being hit particularly hard by this downturn. The New York Times spoke to one Nevada resident named Valicia Anderson, and she hardly knows anyone that is still actually working…
When Valicia Anderson starts to count the people she knows in Las Vegas who have lost their jobs, she runs out of fingers fast. Her husband, the breadwinner of her family and a restaurant worker in the Rio casino. All 25 of his co-workers. Her grown son, in a temp agency. The technician who does her nails. The barber who cuts her husband’s hair. Her best friend, a waitress. The three servers and a manager at the TGI Friday’s that is her family’s favorite treat.
It has been estimated that the current unemployment rate in the state is “about 25 percent”, and that number is almost certainly going to go higher in the months ahead.
Down in Texas, they are also dealing with an oil crash at the same time that they are wrestling with this coronavirus pandemic, and this has created the worst budget crisis that the city of Houston has ever seen…
On the same day that the price for U.S. crude oil fell to about $30 below zero — a mind-bending concept and the first time oil prices had ever turned negative — Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston, the self-proclaimed energy capital of the world, stood before reporters. His words were grim and muffled by the black mask covering his face. The mayor announced that city employees would soon be furloughed, but he declined to say how many. The Houston Zoo, he said, could expect to see funding deferred under what he called “the worst budget that the city will deal with in its history.”
The high paying energy industry jobs that fueled an incredible real estate boom in Texas are now disappearing by the thousands, and it is being reported that many of those that are being laid off are learning the news “during painful Zoom sessions from home”…
Thousands of energy workers, some of whom only lately moved to the region to take advantage of the recent prosperity, have been laid off. Many of them were told the bad news during painful Zoom sessions from home. Warning letters from energy companies have been flooding the Texas Workforce Commission about layoffs and furloughs: 3,500 at Halliburton, 223 at Tenaris, 184 at Baker Hughes, 102 at Diamond Offshore Drilling, 95 at Energy Transfer.
By the way, when did Zoom become such a big thing?
It seems like so many people are using it now, and I don’t understand why it is so popular.
Perhaps my readers will help me to understand this.
Getting back to the economy, at this point even the Trump administration is admitting that the unemployment rate will soon be approaching levels that “we saw during the Great Depression”…
White House senior advisor Kevin Hassett says US economy is in “grave situation” and the unemployment rate could be hitting the same numbers seen during the Great Depression due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We’re going to be looking at an unemployment rate that approaches rates that I think we saw during the Great Depression,” Hassett told ABC’ ‘The Week’ on Sunday.
Let’s put that into perspective for a moment.
During the last recession, we thought that things were really, really bad when the unemployment rate got up to about 10 percent.
But back in 1933, the unemployment rate peaked at 25 percent, and now we are being told that we should expect something similar here in 2020.
Wow.
And of course, low-income Americans are being hit harder than anyone else. Just check out these numbers…
Most Americans support stay-at-home restrictions to protect public health. And yet the burden of the country’s shutdown is disproportionately falling on those least prepared to handle it: About 52 percent of low-income Americans say they or someone in their household has experienced job upheaval, compared to 43 percent of the broader adult population, the Pew Research Center found. Only 23 percent of low-income Americans say they have enough emergency funds to last them three months.
Hopefully, as some states attempt “reopenings” it will help to slow down this enormous tsunami of unemployment.
But as I pointed out the other day, millions of Americans are now making much more money being unemployed than they did when they were working, and so that is going to provide an incentive for millions of Americans to stay unemployed for the foreseeable future.
And even if all of the coronavirus restrictions in the entire country were lifted tomorrow, fear of the coronavirus would cause economic activity to be greatly depressed for many months to come.
As I discussed yesterday, the meat processing industry is a perfect example of this. Meat processing facilities are being shut down all over the nation, and one expert just told NBC News that we should expect shortages of meat in our grocery stores “around May 1″…
Beef, chicken and pork could be as scarce as toilet paper soon because so many meat processing plants have been temporarily shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic, industry experts are warning. “We’ve just completed our third week of reduced slaughter and production,” Dennis Smith, a commodity broker/livestock analyst with Archer Financial Services in Chicago, said. “My guess is that about one week out, perhaps around May 1, shortages will begin developing at retail meat counters.”
So many of the things that we have been warning about for a long time are starting to happen, but most Americans still do not grasp the seriousness of this crisis.
All of the economic dominoes are starting to fall, and even if the remainder of this pandemic goes much more smoothly than anticipated, it will not fundamentally alter our current economic trajectory.
The “Everything Bubble” lasted far longer than it should have, but now that it has burst the pain is going to be absolutely immense.
And it is those at the bottom of the economic food chain that are going to be hit the hardest.
Article posted with permission from Michael Snyder


thewashingtonstandard--2020-04-28--On The Right To Keep & Bear Arms

On The Right To Keep & Bear Arms

The Right to keep and bear arms is an essential protection for Life and Liberty .
Samuel Adams wrote in 1792 : “ Among the Natural Rights of the Colonists are these First Life , secondly Liberty , third property , together with the right to defend them in the best manner possible.
” Adams continued by noting that these rights are a direct product of the First law of Nature , the Duty of self-preservation .
Those who would stand for the Right to keep and bear arms do so with the interest of preserving Life and Liberty – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves but for their neighbors .
They support freedom and just government , ensuring that our future generations will able to be a government OF the people , not subject to a government OVER the people .
They train in the skill of defense BECAUSE they love their children , their families , and their neighbors and want to defend the most precious gifts of Life , at their own expense if necessary .
Those who oppose the Right to keep and bear arms , whether intentionally or not , support the opposite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slavery , they support oppression , they support despotic government rule over the people .
Those who ignorantly support disarming the people do so because they have been convinced of one eternal error – that those in power respect the lives and liberties of the people and will protect them .
There is absolutely NOTHING in the history of man that ought to give someone that false delusion of hope .
History is ripe with one oracle of truth – when the people are disarmed they are inevitably enslaved by the more powerful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups .
Disarming the people never ever frees the minority .
To the contrary , in a disarmed society the minority becomes the first to be converted to chattel .
Slavery is not possible in a society where the people are well armed and well trained in the skill of defense and the knowledge of the value of Life and Liberty worth defending .
Those who knowingly support disarming the people do so because they are power hungry , lack respect for Life , and wish to control and dominate Life , Liberty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to motivate the ignorant through the greatest human deception : contrived necessity .
They know how to control the powerless , corral the weak , and convince a morally depleted population to organize and come against their own neighbors .
They are those among us who endeavor to rob the innocent of their God given rights to enrich and empower themselves and endanger most precious gifts of Life and at the fatal cost of a free future .
They are the very spirit that has caused the institutions of slavery and despotism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Younger summed it up best when he said , “ Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom , it is the argument of tyrants , it is the creed of slaves.
” There is a day where every American reflects on who they are , who they want to be , and takes the time to classify themselves .
Are you a slave ?
Are you a tyrant ?
Or are you a freeman ?
John Adams wrote , “ Liberty must at all hazards be defended , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from our maker .
But if we had not , our fathers have bought and purchased it for us at the expense of their ease , their estates and their pleasure and their blood.
” So , first , you stand up FOR the weak and ignorant .
You stand up to say , we will NOT let you be enslaved .
We will defend you as well as our own because that is the call of Liberty that makes America great .
Second , you stand up TO tyrants .
You declare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on July 4 , 1776 – That all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights .
That these rights , being derived from Nature , a gift to all mankind , precede all government and all law ; that all laws must be made to conform to our Natural Rights , or they are no law at all .
You tell the tyrant that you will not allow him to enslave your neighbor or allow him to deny us and our future a Right guaranteed by our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plea : “ America stands armed with resolution and virtue ; but she still recoils at the idea of drawing the sword against the nation from whence she derived her origin .
Yet Britain , like an unnatural parent , is ready to plunge her dagger into the bosom of her affectionate offspring .
But may we not yet hope for more lenient measures !
” You see , it won ’ t be those who defend Liberty who pray violence .
It will be those who have no respect for Life , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who love self more than Liberty and Life – the tyrants and slaves – who will bring violence for violent ends .
Today we stand in defense of our Natural Right to keep and bear arms .
And if you find yourself in opposition to this essential Right , if you find yourself thinking it ’ s necessary to deny us this Right or that someone must control and disarm the people , you have classified yourself… as either the tyrant or the slave .
You see , if we are historically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the gun control discussion : Do you trust that the people in power will never use the force of government to take your Life , Liberty , or Property ?
If the answer to that question is “ NO ” , the discussion is over .
KrisAnne Hall is an attorney and former prosecutor , hosting weekly radio and TV programs and teaching an average of 265 classes each year on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights .
Read full article at krisannehall.com .

The Right to keep and bear arms is an essential protection for Life and Liberty.
Samuel Adams wrote in 1792: “Among the Natural Rights of the Colonists are these First Life, secondly Liberty, third property, together with the right to defend them in the best manner possible.” Adams continued by noting that these rights are a direct product of the First law of Nature, the Duty of self-preservation.
Those who would stand for the Right to keep and bear arms do so with the interest of preserving Life and Liberty – not destroying it – not only for themselves but for their neighbors. They support freedom and just government, ensuring that our future generations will able to be a government OF the people, not subject to a government OVER the people. They train in the skill of defense BECAUSE they love their children, their families, and their neighbors and want to defend the most precious gifts of Life, at their own expense if necessary.
Those who oppose the Right to keep and bear arms, whether intentionally or not, support the opposite of Life and Liberty – they support slavery, they support oppression, they support despotic government rule over the people.
Those who ignorantly support disarming the people do so because they have been convinced of one eternal error – that those in power respect the lives and liberties of the people and will protect them. There is absolutely NOTHING in the history of man that ought to give someone that false delusion of hope.
History is ripe with one oracle of truth – when the people are disarmed they are inevitably enslaved by the more powerful, more able, or more populated groups. Disarming the people never ever frees the minority. To the contrary, in a disarmed society the minority becomes the first to be converted to chattel. Slavery is not possible in a society where the people are well armed and well trained in the skill of defense and the knowledge of the value of Life and Liberty worth defending.
Those who knowingly support disarming the people do so because they are power hungry, lack respect for Life, and wish to control and dominate Life, Liberty, and Property. They know just how to motivate the ignorant through the greatest human deception: contrived necessity. They know how to control the powerless, corral the weak, and convince a morally depleted population to organize and come against their own neighbors. They are those among us who endeavor to rob the innocent of their God given rights to enrich and empower themselves and endanger most precious gifts of Life and at the fatal cost of a free future. They are the very spirit that has caused the institutions of slavery and despotism to rise throughout history.
William Pitt, The Younger summed it up best when he said, “Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom, it is the argument of tyrants, it is the creed of slaves.”
There is a day where every American reflects on who they are, who they want to be, and takes the time to classify themselves. Are you a slave? Are you a tyrant? Or are you a freeman?
John Adams wrote, “Liberty must at all hazards be defended, we have a right to it derived from our maker. But if we had not, our fathers have bought and purchased it for us at the expense of their ease, their estates and their pleasure and their blood.”
So, first, you stand up FOR the weak and ignorant. You stand up to say, we will NOT let you be enslaved. We will defend you as well as our own because that is the call of Liberty that makes America great.
Second, you stand up TO tyrants. You declare your Natural Rights just as we did on July 4, 1776 – That all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. That these rights, being derived from Nature, a gift to all mankind, precede all government and all law; that all laws must be made to conform to our Natural Rights, or they are no law at all.
You tell the tyrant that you will not allow him to enslave your neighbor or allow him to deny us and our future a Right guaranteed by our Creator.
Mercy Otis Warren made this plea: “America stands armed with resolution and virtue; but she still recoils at the idea of drawing the sword against the nation from whence she derived her origin. Yet Britain, like an unnatural parent, is ready to plunge her dagger into the bosom of her affectionate offspring. But may we not yet hope for more lenient measures!”
You see, it won’t be those who defend Liberty who pray violence. It will be those who have no respect for Life, that hold no love for their brother, who love self more than Liberty and Life – the tyrants and slaves – who will bring violence for violent ends.
Today we stand in defense of our Natural Right to keep and bear arms. And if you find yourself in opposition to this essential Right, if you find yourself thinking it’s necessary to deny us this Right or that someone must control and disarm the people, you have classified yourself… as either the tyrant or the slave.
You see, if we are historically honest there is only one question necessary in the gun control discussion: Do you trust that the people in power will never use the force of government to take your Life, Liberty, or Property? If the answer to that question is “NO”, the discussion is over.
KrisAnne Hall is an attorney and former prosecutor, hosting weekly radio and TV programs and teaching an average of 265 classes each year on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Read full article at krisannehall.com.


thewashingtonstandard--2020-04-29--Chief Executive Of Royal College Of Nursing On Live TV:  “We Know That We Haven’t Infected Enough Of

Chief Executive Of Royal College Of Nursing On Live TV : “ We Know That We Haven ’ t Infected Enough Of The Population With This Virus ” ( Video ) Truth or a proverbial “ Freudian slip ” ?
Either way , the chief executive of Royal College of Nursing in England stated on national television that they know they “ haven ’ t infected enough of the population ” with the coronavirus .
Seriously , you can ’ t make this stuff up .
Dame Donna Kinnair is the woman uttering this blather .
How ’ s that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how she is constantly blinking the entire time she is talking .
Personally , it makes me wonder if the woman can keep up with the lies .
Did she mean to say it that way or was it purposeful because she ’ s been given some inside information ?
Does she know that 5G causes these flu-like symptoms and inadvertently spilled the beans ?
She believes healthcare workers should be the ones given healthcare priority too .
I guess all Brits are not made equal after all .
Even more disturbing than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve not infected enough fo the population with the virus is the follow-up to it , in which she says , “ For any lifting of any lockdown to be successful , we need not only to be able to test healthcare workers but also to track and trace patients and people.
” Did you get that ?
This is tied right in with mandatory vaccines , as well as the nonsensical 6-foot social distancing lie .
The social distancing has less to do with spreading a virus that you simply can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognition and targeting .
• The Truth About Viruses : What They Actually Do Will Expose The Lies Of Coronavirus Thankfully , more and more people are waking up to the lies in the UK and around the world , including in the US .
The only question that we await an answer on is : What are the people going to do about it and to the people who have been lying to them through their teeth all this time causing the loss of jobs , lives , families , homes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sons of Liberty Media

Chief Executive Of Royal College Of Nursing On Live TV: “We Know That We Haven’t Infected Enough Of The Population With This Virus” (Video)
Truth or a proverbial “Freudian slip”? Either way, the chief executive of Royal College of Nursing in England stated on national television that they know they “haven’t infected enough of the population” with the coronavirus.
Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up. Dame Donna Kinnair is the woman uttering this blather.
Take a look.
How’s that for in your face? And notice how she is constantly blinking the entire time she is talking. Personally, it makes me wonder if the woman can keep up with the lies.
Did she mean to say it that way or was it purposeful because she’s been given some inside information? Does she know that 5G causes these flu-like symptoms and inadvertently spilled the beans?
She believes healthcare workers should be the ones given healthcare priority too. I guess all Brits are not made equal after all.
Even more disturbing than her claim that they know they’ve not infected enough fo the population with the virus is the follow-up to it, in which she says, “For any lifting of any lockdown to be successful, we need not only to be able to test healthcare workers but also to track and trace patients and people.”
Did you get that? This is tied right in with mandatory vaccines, as well as the nonsensical 6-foot social distancing lie.
The social distancing has less to do with spreading a virus that you simply cannot spread and more to do with facial recognition and targeting.
Thankfully, more and more people are waking up to the lies in the UK and around the world, including in the US.
The only question that we await an answer on is: What are the people going to do about it and to the people who have been lying to them through their teeth all this time causing the loss of jobs, lives, families, homes and businesses?
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media


thewashingtonstandard--2020-04-29--Dr Rashid Buttar: The Coronavirus Agenda – What The Mainstream Media Don’t Want You To Know (Video)

Dr Rashid Buttar : The Coronavirus Agenda – What The Mainstream Media Don ’ t Want You To Know ( Video ) While people continue to fuss about President Trump ’ s lying doctors , namely Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx , they fail to call out the president himself and instead , seek to cover for him giving these un-elected bureaucrats a platform to push policy for an obvious agenda .
Well , many doctors , nurses , nutritionists and bio-physicists are setting the record straight .
From UK nurse/nutritionist and The Sons of Liberty ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MIT graduate Dr. Andrew Kaufman to Dr Shiva Ayyadurai , they are beginning to expose the lies of politicians and the media .
The latest on the scene to do so is Dr. Rashid Buttar , and recently , he appeared on London Real to expose the coronavirus agenda… and yes , it is an agenda .
Dr. Rashid A. Buttar is a graduate of the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences , College of Medicine and Surgery .
He trained in General Surgery and Emergency Medicine and served as Brigade Surgeon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. Army .
Dr. Buttar is board certified in Clinical Metal Toxicology and Preventive Medicine ; is board eligible in Emergency Medicine and has achieved fellowship status in three separate medical societies .
Dr. Buttar was in a video that had over 9 million views that was banned by the gatekeepers at YouTube , but to avoid censorship , London Real live-streamed the interview between Brian Rose and Dr. Buttar .
There ’ s also additional parts of the interview with London Real that are very pertinent that you should view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : There Is An Agenda To Control The Population | Dr. Rashid Buttar THE TRUTH WILL ALWAYS BE REVEALED : We Have To Speak Up & Not Let Fear Takeover | Dr. Rashid Buttar BILL GATES ’ INVESTMENTS in BIG PHARMA , THE WHO & CDC 💉Dr Rashid Buttar on The Coronavirus Truth “ CORONAVIRUS CAN ’ T TRAVEL THROUGH THE AIR ” : Social Distancing Is Being Used To Surveil Where You Are DOES THE CORONAVIRUS EXIST ?
DR. RASHID BUTTAR EXPLAINS THE PECULIAR ORIGINS OF COVID-19 FEAR IS BEING USED TO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Not As Bad As What ’ s Coming Next Sons of Liberty is currently trying to secure Dr. Buttar for the morning radio show which you can view here at 6am EST each weekday morning and our health and wellness show with Kate Shemirani on Saturdays at 8am EST .
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media

Dr Rashid Buttar: The Coronavirus Agenda – What The Mainstream Media Don’t Want You To Know (Video)
While people continue to fuss about President Trump’s lying doctors, namely Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, they fail to call out the president himself and instead, seek to cover for him giving these un-elected bureaucrats a platform to push policy for an obvious agenda. Well, many doctors, nurses, nutritionists and bio-physicists are setting the record straight. From UK nurse/nutritionist and The Sons of Liberty’s health and wellness expert Kate Shemirani to MIT graduate Dr. Andrew Kaufman to Dr Shiva Ayyadurai, they are beginning to expose the lies of politicians and the media. The latest on the scene to do so is Dr. Rashid Buttar, and recently, he appeared on London Real to expose the coronavirus agenda… and yes, it is an agenda.
Dr. Rashid A. Buttar is a graduate of the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Surgery. He trained in General Surgery and Emergency Medicine and served as Brigade Surgeon and Director of Emergency Medicine while serving in the U.S. Army. Dr. Buttar is board certified in Clinical Metal Toxicology and Preventive Medicine; is board eligible in Emergency Medicine and has achieved fellowship status in three separate medical societies.
Dr. Buttar was in a video that had over 9 million views that was banned by the gatekeepers at YouTube, but to avoid censorship, London Real live-streamed the interview between Brian Rose and Dr. Buttar.
Here’s that interview.
There’s also additional parts of the interview with London Real that are very pertinent that you should view.
YOU CANNOT TRUST DR. FAUCI: There Is An Agenda To Control The Population | Dr. Rashid Buttar
THE TRUTH WILL ALWAYS BE REVEALED: We Have To Speak Up & Not Let Fear Takeover | Dr. Rashid Buttar
BILL GATES’ INVESTMENTS in BIG PHARMA, THE WHO & CDC 💉Dr Rashid Buttar on The Coronavirus Truth
https://youtu.be/iuTqGE-Wkgk
“CORONAVIRUS CAN’T TRAVEL THROUGH THE AIR”: Social Distancing Is Being Used To Surveil Where You Are
DOES THE CORONAVIRUS EXIST? DR. RASHID BUTTAR EXPLAINS THE PECULIAR ORIGINS OF COVID-19
FEAR IS BEING USED TO CONTROL US: Coronavirus Is Bad, But Not As Bad As What’s Coming Next
Sons of Liberty is currently trying to secure Dr. Buttar for the morning radio show which you can view here at 6am EST each weekday morning and our health and wellness show with Kate Shemirani on Saturdays at 8am EST.
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media


thewashingtonstandard--2020-04-29--It’s All About The Money:  Video Exposes Masks Being Made In Sweat Shops Offering You A False Sense

It ’ s All About The Money : Video Exposes Masks Being Made In Sweat Shops Offering You A False Sense Of Security OK , while people all over are making money off of selling masks to people too ignorant and afraid of the “ invisible enemy ” that you can ’ t actually spread to someone called “ coronavirus , ” the reality is that the majority of these masks are barely a sneeze guard , much less capable of protecting you from bacteria or anything else .
Yet , people love their false sense of security from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lying politicians , which they say they don ’ t believe , are terrorizing you with .
Here , let me see if this video doesn ’ t open your eyes to what you ’ re really getting .
Does this appear sanitary ?
Does it appear like it ’ s good for your health ?
Does it appear as though these are even sterile ?
See the illusion of safety and security you are under ?
It ’ s a lie !
Additionally , as we have pointed out , you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another .
Viruses , or exosomes are simply response your body makes to toxins in the cells .
• The Truth About Viruses : What They Actually Do Will Expose The Lies Of Coronavirus And this MIT doctor said that even the N95 masks wouldn ’ t stop anything that the mainstream media and lying politicians are claiming that is a threat !
• Must See : MIT Medical Doctor Exposes The Lies Of Government & President ’ s Doctors Concerning Coronavirus & Viruses In General ( Video ) The real threat is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s from the bad terrain that your body is made up of considering what we breathe , eat and take into our bodies today .
You Are What You Eat With UK Nurse & Nutritionist Kate Shemirani In A Toxic World But Not Of It : How To Build Your Immune System To Fight Off Sickness & Disease Considering that we have a history that correlates with flu-like symptoms when new radio frequencies are introduced , one would think people should begin looking at the real and present danger of the new 5G @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , natural , God-given hope , without a prescription and harmful side effects , for those who are suffering from these illnesses and we discussed it on this episode of The Sons of Liberty – YouTube .
• Hydroxychloroquine : Is It Really Safe , & Is There A Better , Natural , Cheaper Alternative ?
• In A Toxic World But Not Of It : How To Build Your Immune System To Fight Off Sickness & Disease The mask is a symbol of submission , not freedom .
Stop buying the lie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Liberty Media

It’s All About The Money: Video Exposes Masks Being Made In Sweat Shops Offering You A False Sense Of Security
OK, while people all over are making money off of selling masks to people too ignorant and afraid of the “invisible enemy” that you can’t actually spread to someone called “coronavirus,” the reality is that the majority of these masks are barely a sneeze guard, much less capable of protecting you from bacteria or anything else. Yet, people love their false sense of security from the “enemy” the lying media and lying politicians, which they say they don’t believe, are terrorizing you with.
Here, let me see if this video doesn’t open your eyes to what you’re really getting.
Does this appear sanitary? Does it appear like it’s good for your health? Does it appear as though these are even sterile?
See the illusion of safety and security you are under? It’s a lie!
Additionally, as we have pointed out, you cannot pass coronavirus from one person to another. Viruses, or exosomes are simply response your body makes to toxins in the cells.
And this MIT doctor said that even the N95 masks wouldn’t stop anything that the mainstream media and lying politicians are claiming that is a threat!
The real threat is not from these things, it’s from the bad terrain that your body is made up of considering what we breathe, eat and take into our bodies today.
Considering that we have a history that correlates with flu-like symptoms when new radio frequencies are introduced, one would think people should begin looking at the real and present danger of the new 5G rollout.
However, there is real, natural, God-given hope, without a prescription and harmful side effects, for those who are suffering from these illnesses and we discussed it on this episode of The Sons of Liberty – YouTube.
The mask is a symbol of submission, not freedom. Stop buying the lie!
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media


thewashingtonstandard--2020-04-29--The State That Betrays You

The State That Betrays You

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is betraying the people of the united States , but he has help .
HSLDA is also aiding that effort in the homeschooling community .
Eyes need to be opened , but it must take the Spirit of God to open them , and in this episode , Common Core Diva Lynne Taylor exposes the continued globalist agenda in education via the Trump administration .
Lynne also provided these resources for further study on the issue mentioned .
Images mentioned in the information will follow .
https : //www.commoncorediva .
com/2019/04/23/all- encompassing-moves/ ( *Note : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how Rep. Mark Meadows ( NC ) is also tied to the UN leftism . )
Direct link to Alex Newman ’ s article on Pompeo : https : //www.thenewamerican .
com/usnews/foreign-policy/ item/30247-secretary-of-state- pompeo-continues-obama-s-lgbt- imperialism 4 ) Article to accompany attached image # 3 : ( *Note : in this article you can also see how Rep. Mark Meadows ( NC ) is also tied to the UN leftism . )
Direct link to Alex Newman ’ s article on Pompeo : To see the current article about the 6 Senators seeking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : //www.nasdaq.com/ articles/six-senators-urge- justice-dept-to-take-tough- look-at-problematic-textbook- merger-2020-04 ( *Note : These Senators are asking the U.S. Justice Dept .
to become involved .
The U.S. Justice Dept .
can also be tied to the leftist UN ( United Nations ) .
U.S. Justice also overreaches into education at all ages/levels/choices , via ESSA .
But , Tim , here ’ s a rub .
The U.S. Dept.of Justice is one of the CCSS Machine federal agencies .
Here ’ s an excerpt from a 2015 article I wrote about ( then ) VP Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group which seeks to transform America ) .
Paul Ryan ’ s Promise of Immigration Restrictions are not as They appear “ Under the leadership of Vice President Biden , Secretary of Labor Tom Perez , Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker , and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan , the Administration engaged in an intensive review to identify , initiate , and implement actions to make federal employment and training programs and policies more job-driven and effective , consistent with existing statutory authority .
” Here ’ s something else you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engagement of Cabinet Secretaries and leaders of employment , training , education , and workforce development programs in the Departments of Agriculture , Defense , Energy , Health and Human Services , Housing and Urban Development , Interior , Justice , Transportation , Veterans Affairs , the Social Security Administration , and Environmental Protection Agency , and from the expertise of the Department of the Treasury , the National Science Foundation , and the Office of Personnel Management.
” Article where you ’ ll find this quote : https : //www.commoncorediva .
com/2014/11/02/rmt-sunday-vp- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
of Justice and its ties to the UN vs US .
“ Justice also overreaches into education via data tracking , drugs , and oversees our national security .
Parts of our National Security Plan are centered on the United Nations declarations , not the U.S. Constitution.
” Where you ’ ll find that quote : https : //www.commoncorediva .
com/2019/03/11/2020-vision/ 5 ) STEM ’ s “ Dark Side ” will tie back to what ’ s available , not only in public schools , but to entire communities , where homeschooling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
https : //www.commoncorediva .
com/2020/03/13/stems-dark- side/ 6 ) How the UN got into American education via MN and now , all the States : https : //www.commoncorediva .
com/2017/05/20/my-state-in- the-w_-_-_-d/ ( *Note : It ’ s here you can find Harvard and global education , which is SDG # 4 ) 7 ) Since many homeschool students go on to higher education , do you really know what ALL types of colleges and universities use as a way to indoctrinate ?
Entertainment , community events , and , talent shows .
https @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NASA is a big draw for homeschooling families , esp .
with ‘ free curriculum ’

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is betraying the people of the united States, but he has help. HSLDA is also aiding that effort in the homeschooling community. Eyes need to be opened, but it must take the Spirit of God to open them, and in this episode, Common Core Diva Lynne Taylor exposes the continued globalist agenda in education via the Trump administration.

Lynne also provided these resources for further study on the issue mentioned. Images mentioned in the information will follow.
https://www.commoncorediva. com/2019/04/23/all- encompassing-moves/
(*Note: in this article you can also see how Rep. Mark Meadows (NC) is also tied to the UN leftism.)Direct link to Alex Newman’s article on Pompeo:
https://www.thenewamerican. com/usnews/foreign-policy/ item/30247-secretary-of-state- pompeo-continues-obama-s-lgbt- imperialism 4) Article to accompany attached image #3:(*Note: in this article you can also see how Rep. Mark Meadows (NC) is also tied to the UN leftism.)Direct link to Alex Newman’s article on Pompeo: To see the current article about the 6 Senators seeking to have Pearson and company investigated:
https://www.nasdaq.com/ articles/six-senators-urge- justice-dept-to-take-tough- look-at-problematic-textbook- merger-2020-04
(*Note: These Senators are asking the U.S. Justice Dept. to become involved.
The U.S. Justice Dept. can also be tied to the leftist UN (United Nations).
U.S. Justice also overreaches into education at all ages/levels/choices, via ESSA.
But, Tim, here’s a rub. The U.S. Dept.of Justice is one of the CCSS Machine federal agencies. Here’s an excerpt from a 2015 article I wrote about (then) VP Biden and his ties to Third Way (a group which seeks to transform America). “Under the leadership of Vice President Biden, Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the Administration engaged in an intensive review to identify, initiate, and implement actions to make federal employment and training programs and policies more job-driven and effective, consistent with existing statutory authority. ” Here’s something else you’ll need to know, ” constructive engagement of Cabinet Secretaries and leaders of employment, training, education, and workforce development programs in the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency, and from the expertise of the Department of the Treasury, the National Science Foundation, and the Office of Personnel Management.”
Article where you’ll find this quote:
https://www.commoncorediva. com/2014/11/02/rmt-sunday-vp- common-core-and-jobs/ More proof about the U.S. Dept. of Justice and its ties to the UN vs US.
“Justice also overreaches into education via data tracking, drugs, and oversees our national security. Parts of our National Security Plan are centered on the United Nations declarations, not the U.S. Constitution.”
Where you’ll find that quote:
https://www.commoncorediva. com/2019/03/11/2020-vision/ 5) STEM’s “Dark Side” will tie back to what’s available, not only in public schools, but to entire communities, where homeschooling family often use in their lesson plans.
https://www.commoncorediva. com/2020/03/13/stems-dark- side/ 6) How the UN got into American education via MN and now, all the States:
https://www.commoncorediva. com/2017/05/20/my-state-in- the-w_-_-_-d/
(*Note: It’s here you can find Harvard and global education, which is SDG #4) 7) Since many homeschool students go on to higher education, do you really know what ALL types of colleges and universities use as a way to indoctrinate? Entertainment, community events, and, talent shows.
https://www.commoncorediva. com/2020/02/25/the- indoctrination-show/ 8) NASA is a big draw for homeschooling families, esp. with ‘free curriculum’
https://www.commoncorediva. com/2020/02/14/big-bucks-for- what/
https://www.commoncorediva. com/2020/02/15/big-bucks-for- what-part-two/ However, NASA is a UN/STEM hotbed. https://www.commoncorediva. com/2019/10/04/making-plans/ 9) From the President, himself, his FY 2021 Budget Requests have STEM as a major pet project. 10) To see the U.S. Dept. of Justice’s inclusion of UN treaties over the US Constitution, when it comes to the US National Security Plan:
https://www.commoncorediva. com/2018/10/15/wicked-web/
(*Note: in this article you can also find a complete list of US involvement with all the UN programs.)
****************************** ************************


thewashingtonstandard--2020-04-29--Texas: Man With Hands Up Shows Cops He’s Unarmed – Moments Later, They Murder Him (Video)

Texas : Man With Hands Up Shows Cops He ’ s Unarmed – Moments Later , They Murder Him ( Video ) Austin , TX — A video of a police killing in Austin , Texas over the weekend — which witnesses referred to as a murder — was reportedly so disturbing that even the city ’ s mayor was forced to speak out about it .
In the video , a man is seen trying to surrender to police with his hands in the air , moments later , he ’ d be killed by a police officer firing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not appear to threaten but ends up dead .
There ’ s got to be a better way , ” Austin Mayor Steve Adler said in a statement on Monday .
“ I ’ m very disturbed.
” According to police , they responded to a 911 call on Friday about a man possibly doing drugs in an apartment parking lot .
Police Chief Brian Manley said officers were investigating reports of people in a car , including an armed man , doing drugs when they encountered Ramos .
Whether or not that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ramos , remains unclear .
Ramos , a 42-year-old Hispanic man was seen in the video exiting the car when ordered by police .
As he gets out , he raises his shirt to show officers that he is unarmed .
He is seen in the brief video with his hands in the air trying to talk to police .
“ I ’ ve seen the videos that are on social media , and I understand the concern that those have brought forward in our community , ” Manley said .
The entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the air .
He never attempted to get back in the vehicle and had proven to cops that he was unarmed .
Ramos was merely talking with the officers , asking them why they were stopping him .
Then , without warning , while Ramos still had his hands in the air , a rookie cop opened fire with a beanbag round .
This likely sent Ramos into panic , thinking he was about to be killed .
Sadly , he would be right .
After being shot with a beanbag round for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get away from the threat .
He jumps in the car and attempts to drive off .
As he attempts to flee , however , another cop , officer Christopher Taylor opens fire with an AR-15 , dumping three rounds into the fleeing man , who was only suspected of being a person of interest in an alleged crime .
The shots killed Ramos , who then crashed his car .
When asked if a weapon was found in the car or on Ramos person , the police chief refused to answer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many witnesses that have yet to be interviewed and I do not want to put out information that they may not be aware of that would influence or change a statement that they may make.
” While the chief gives these canned responses , anyone who has been a reader of TFTP knows that if there is a gun involved in the incident , almost every single time , that gun is mentioned by cops in their initial statement .
In fact , in their initial statement , they had no problem mentioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 911 call .
As for the mayor , he says there are many questions still unanswered .
“ We must respond to this moment and also to the fear , anxiety and lack of confidence expressed by communities of color , ” Adler said .
“ This incident happens against the backdrop of investigations and assessments of the department that must also be full , transparent , concluded and reported.
” After the killing , protesters took to the scene of the shooting , chanting , “ APD are murderers.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the officers , it appears from the video that at least one officer on the APD has committed murder .
The League of United Latin American Citizens ( LULAC ) of Austin has since released a statement , demanding the chief ’ s resignation and that officer Taylor be arrested .
“ We the members of LULAC District 12 are shocked at the blatant killing of Mr. Ramos , ” said Gavino Fernandez Jr. , LULAC District 12 leader .
“ These are too many murders under Chief Manley and enough is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the video shows , after he was killed , the woman filming was warned by a male companion off camera not to approach the police .
“ If they just shot him for no reason , don ’ t go near them , because they might shoot you too , ” he said .
This is the state of policing in America .
Below is that disturbing video .

Austin, TX — A video of a police killing in Austin, Texas over the weekend — which witnesses referred to as a murder — was reportedly so disturbing that even the city’s mayor was forced to speak out about it. In the video, a man is seen trying to surrender to police with his hands in the air, moments later, he’d be killed by a police officer firing his AR-15.
“Mike Ramos does not appear to threaten but ends up dead. There’s got to be a better way,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler said in a statement on Monday. “I’m very disturbed.”
According to police, they responded to a 911 call on Friday about a man possibly doing drugs in an apartment parking lot. Police Chief Brian Manley said officers were investigating reports of people in a car, including an armed man, doing drugs when they encountered Ramos.
Whether or not that man mentioned in the 911 call was Ramos, remains unclear.
Ramos, a 42-year-old Hispanic man was seen in the video exiting the car when ordered by police. As he gets out, he raises his shirt to show officers that he is unarmed. He is seen in the brief video with his hands in the air trying to talk to police.
“I’ve seen the videos that are on social media, and I understand the concern that those have brought forward in our community,” Manley said.
The entire time, Ramos had his hands in the air. He never attempted to get back in the vehicle and had proven to cops that he was unarmed. Ramos was merely talking with the officers, asking them why they were stopping him. Then, without warning, while Ramos still had his hands in the air, a rookie cop opened fire with a beanbag round.
This likely sent Ramos into panic, thinking he was about to be killed. Sadly, he would be right.
After being shot with a beanbag round for no apparent reason, Ramos tried to get away from the threat. He jumps in the car and attempts to drive off. As he attempts to flee, however, another cop, officer Christopher Taylor opens fire with an AR-15, dumping three rounds into the fleeing man, who was only suspected of being a person of interest in an alleged crime.
The shots killed Ramos, who then crashed his car.
When asked if a weapon was found in the car or on Ramos person, the police chief refused to answer, stating only that: “We have many witnesses that have yet to be interviewed and I do not want to put out information that they may not be aware of that would influence or change a statement that they may make.”
While the chief gives these canned responses, anyone who has been a reader of TFTP knows that if there is a gun involved in the incident, almost every single time, that gun is mentioned by cops in their initial statement. In fact, in their initial statement, they had no problem mentioning the alleged gun they say was reported in the 911 call.
As for the mayor, he says there are many questions still unanswered.
“We must respond to this moment and also to the fear, anxiety and lack of confidence expressed by communities of color,” Adler said. “This incident happens against the backdrop of investigations and assessments of the department that must also be full, transparent, concluded and reported.”
After the killing, protesters took to the scene of the shooting, chanting, “APD are murderers.”
While we can’t speak to all the officers, it appears from the video that at least one officer on the APD has committed murder. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of Austin has since released a statement, demanding the chief’s resignation and that officer Taylor be arrested.
“We the members of LULAC District 12 are shocked at the blatant killing of Mr. Ramos,” said Gavino Fernandez Jr., LULAC District 12 leader. “These are too many murders under Chief Manley and enough is enough. ¡Ya basta!”
As the video shows, after he was killed, the woman filming was warned by a male companion off camera not to approach the police.
“If they just shot him for no reason, don’t go near them, because they might shoot you too,” he said.
This is the state of policing in America.
Below is that disturbing video.
WARNING: Language
Article posted with permission from Matt Agorist