thewashingtonstandard--2020-10-20--China “Owns” Us: How the Chinese Are Buying Up America

The People ’ s Republic of China isn ’ t exactly a favorite of the American public .
Since the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak of early 2020 , Americans are questioning whether or not all of that cheap plastic junk from Wal-Mart doesn ’ t come with a hidden cost .
It ’ s not just about the virus : There is also the spectre of deindustrialization , which has been a social disaster for the United States , particularly the rust belt .
What ’ s more , Tucker Carlson and others reported during the early days of the Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dependent on China for basic medical supplies , such as penicillin .
Carlson ’ s comments are incredibly important , especially when we begin drilling down further into just how reliant the United States is on China : 97 percent of all antibiotics and 80 percent of all active ingredients in American pharmaceuticals come from China .
In 2017 alone , the United States imported a whopping $ 4.6 billion in foodstuffs from the People ’ s Republic of China .
The corporate press has largely been silent on this matter , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long history of sympathy for the People ’ s Republic of China and virtually all enemies of America and liberty .
But there is also a deep presence by the People ’ s Republic of China in the United States , both in our media and in our economy , specifically in the real estate market .
If it sounds insane to you that United States laws allow a hostile foreign power to own both media and land in this country , well , you ’ re not alone .
And while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making a mountain out of a molehill , if you read the following article you will probably be amazed at just how deep the rabbithole of Chinese influence in the American media and economy goes .
This is nothing less than the defining national security issue of our age .
China Buying U.S. Land : How Much Land Does China Own in the U.S. ?
American prosperity has largely been built on a dual foundation : cheap land , expensive labor .
Until Ted Kennedy ’ s Immigration Act of 1965 , Ronald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NAFTA opened up the floodgates of Third World immigration ( both legal and illegal ) this formula basically held firm .
When there was not enough labor , employers had to pay more rather than simply importing massive amounts of cheap labor from countries with little in the way of worker protections .
The same laws allowing for a massive influx of cheap labor have also destabilized the American real estate market : More buyers means more demand means higher prices for those looking to buy a home .
There are a myriad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among them that family formation is more expensive and thus less attainable for the average young American worker in the 21st Century than it was in years past .
But beyond this , there is the problem of allowing foreign nationals to own real estate in the United States , a practice that is outlawed in a number of countries .
Where foreign nationals are allowed to own real estate , there are often restrictions on where they can buy and how much they can own .
The reasons for this hardly need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyway : First , the citizens of a nation have first claim on the land there .
Second , it is potentially dangerous to allow too much of a nation ’ s land to fall into the hands of foreigners .
Currently 30 million acres of American farmland is owned by foreign investors or fully 2.2 percent of all American farmland .
For context , that ’ s an area roughly the size of Mississippi or Pennsylvania These are effectively absentee landlords who own some of the best real estate in the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owned 191,000 acres worth $ 1.9 billion as of 2019 .
This might not sound like a lot , but Chinese ownership of American farmland has exploded dramatically over the last decade .
Indeed , there has been a tenfold expansion of Chinese ownership of farmland in the United States in less than a decade .
Six states — Hawaii , Iowa , Minnesota , Mississippi , North Dakota and Oklahoma — currently ban foreign ownership of farmland .
Massive Chinese investment in American farmland is troubling for one very obvious reason : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation in the hands of a hostile foreign power .
But there is also the social cost of allowing foreign buyers who have effectively unlimited resources to compete on the real estate market with smaller domestic buyers .
It is understandable if no one reading this has any tears to shed for Big Aggie , but the real victims of this are smaller landholders .
For those concerned about environmental issues , ask yourself who is more likely to practice good stewardship of the land — American farmers or Chinese bureaucrats thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S .
In addition to their farmland holdings , China owns more residential real estate than any other foreign country , which has a significant impact on the real estate market on the West Coast .
Sound far-fetched ?
According to Market Watch , “ Chinese buyers accounted for roughly 25 percent of total foreign investment in U.S. residential real estate.
” Canada was far behind at a relatively scant 9 percent .
The article specifically mentions Chinese investment in California real estate as a driving force behind high housing prices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s worth noting that many of these properties are owned as rental properties by absentee landlords .
Again , who is going to care more about the quality of tenant life ?
An American down the street or a Chinese bureaucrat thousands of miles away ?
Precious little is written in the major media in the United States about this epidemic of Chinese ownership of American land and real estate .
Even less is written about the influence and leverage that the People ’ s Republic of China has within the corporate media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the corporate directors of media firms having close financial ties to China that are little known to the American public .
This creates a financial incentive to white wash the actions of the People ’ s Republic of China , both domestically and abroad .
Recall the way that the media bristled at calling COVID-19 “ the China Virus ” or “ Wuhan Coronavirus.
” There is a reason for this beyond simple political correctness .
Many in the upper echelons of the corporate media have a vested interest in protecting the reputation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China .
Take Carlos Slim , the largest shareholder of The New York Times , who controls about a third of the board .
His other ventures have very close ties to Chinese firms that are directly tied to the Chinese government .
His Giant Motors is engaged in joint operations with China ’ s JAC Motors to penetrate the Latin American market .
This was an attempt to work around the Trump Administration ’ s aggressive trade policies against China .
America Movil , his mobile phone company , has partnered with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colombia .
Huawei is a proven threat to American security and wants to end federal restrictions on their access to 5G technology .
Jeff Bezos , Amazon CEO and owner of the Washington Post .
Many of Amazon ’ s biggest-selling products , such as the Echo and the Kindle , are manufactured in China by low-wage , low-skill labor .
Bezos ’ cheerleading for the People ’ s Republic of China is much more explicit than that of Slim : The Washington Post includes a supplement called “ China Watch ” which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s official media arm .
The fact that this is a paid advertising supplement shouldn ’ t calm any worries about the PRC ’ s influence over at the Post — it effectively means that Bezos is accepting money from the Chinese government to run official Chinese propaganda in an American newspaper .
CNN is a property of WarnerMedia , which is very closely tied to the People ’ s Republic of China .
They have a $ 50 million investment deal with the PRC .
Specifically , this is an investment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company ( in as much as such things exist in the PRC ) subject to the censorship of the Chinese government .
It is worth remembering how CNN fawned over the Chinese reaction to the Wuhan Coronavirus in the early days of the pandemic .
Both MSNBC and NBC are owned by NBC Universal who have a partnership with China ’ s state-run media , Xinhua , to cooperate on international news .
The United States State Department has identified Xinhua as “ foreign missions , ” effectively Chinese propaganda outfits with no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s more , CMC Partners , an investment group with direct technological and financial oversight from Beijing , now has full ownership of Oriental Dreamworks , formerly owned by NBC Universal .
ABC arguably has the strongest ties with the Chinese economy .
The Chinese government and state-owned enterprises provided significant support for the $ 3.6 trillion cost of building a Disney World in Shanghai .
ESPN , another ABC property , told staff to not disparage the Communist regime and , where possible , to avoid the topic entirely .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coach ’ s criticism of the Chinese regime , American media properties effectively siding with China over America .
Bloomberg is heavily invested in China , which is perhaps why Michael Bloomberg refuses to even refer to the People ’ s Republic of China as a dictatorship .
For Bloomberg , it is a far more insidious relationship than other American media companies : They have sent $ 150 billion into Chinese bond markets to 364 countries .
Out of the 364 , 159 were directly controlled by the Chinese government .
Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing servant of the Chinese Communist Party .
In 2014 , they squashed a story about the wealth of the Chinese elites .
They leveraged a non-disclosure agreement to silence both a reporter based in Beijing and his wife , neither of whom ever worked for Bloomberg .
Lest one think that this is simply an example of companies seeking to do good business in a large and emerging market , it is worth noting that conservative media outlets are far less likely to be invested in China and when they are , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than their mainstream , liberal counterparts .
News Corp , for example , the parent company of Fox News , has effectively abandoned trying to penetrate China in any significant way .
Finally , there is the question of communication infrastructure in the United States .
In February 2020 , Attorney General William Barr warned Americans that we were losing the war to roll out 5G networks both domestically and abroad .
The economic concern here is not insignificant : There ’ s tons of money in 5G infrastructure and it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pockets of Americans than to the People ’ s Republic of China .
However , especially in the wake of the Huawei security scandal , it is worth asking whether or not any American data is safe in a world where the Chinese control the dominant mobile telecommunications infrastructure .
There ’ s no “ smoking gun ” per se , but there is a heck of a lot of smoke when it comes to Chinese influence in the American media ecosystem .
One step beyond this is the literal ownership of Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China Radio International is effectively the Chinese equivalent of Radio Free Europe .
It broadcasts PRC propaganda all around the world , including in the United States .
They own ten radio stations in the United States , which might not sound like a lot until you consider that they ’ re in most of the major American media markets including Atlanta , Houston , Boston , Las Vegas and two in the Washington , D.C. metro area .
It can also be accessed basically anywhere in the world via Internet or shortwave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ’ s penetration in the American media is not limited to a few AM radio stations , either .
Beginning in 2012 , the People ’ s Republic of China began looking for ways to penetrate the American film market .
Specifically , China has sought to create inroads into owning American film distribution .
This effectively allows them a veto over films that might run contrary to the PRC ’ s goals for its image abroad .
This could be something as simple as squashing a movie revolving around protests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are a sort of soft propaganda for the Chinese regime , such as the Disney nature documentary Born In China .
Dalian Wanda is a Chinese firm that stands as an exemplar of how Chinese penetration of the American media market will work .
It is , since 2012 , the owner of the AMC theater chain , which it then used to purchase Carmike Cinemas .
When taken together , these two companies form the largest chain of theaters in the United States , giving a Chinese firm a massive amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The parent company , Dalian Wanda , has been very candid about its intention to use ownership of these chains to promote Chinese interests in the United States .
The bottom line is , don ’ t expect to see any films about Tibet or the Hong Kong protests in AMC theaters anytime soon .
Dalian Wanda and other Chinese firms are also looking to acquire significant stakes in American film production companies , controlling the content that Americans — and , of course , the world market — can see from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Legendary Entertainment in 2016 .
This is the studio responsible for such international hits as : Godzilla : King of the Monsters , The Dark Knight , Jurassic Park : Fallen Kingdom and many others .
Paramount Pictures wanted to sell 49 percent of its shares to Dalian Wanda , however the deal fell through .
Instead , they formed a partnership with Chinese media companies Shanghai Film Group and Huahua Media .
In addition to pro-Chinese propaganda , China can and has used their leverage in the American film market to begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s article “ China : Economic Power , Political Enigma ” in Washington Quarterly , he details how film companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party have glorified the 9/11 attacks .
Coming soon to a movie theater near you .
The PRC has likewise made inroads into the lucrative and popular gaming market .
For many young people , the preferred form of media is not movies or even television , but gaming .
Chinese companies are now in control of Riot Games , Epic Games , and Cryptic Studios .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ controlling media consumed by children and young adults , able to insert various forms of subtle propaganda into their favorite games .
But the real concern might not even be a hostile foreign power propagandizing to your children through the medium of video games .
It might be the technological and military capabilities that China has access to when they purchase video game companies .
The United States military has worked in the past with large research universities to come up with realistic training simulations leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there was also TikTok , the Chinese social media platform popular with “ Zoomers ” that was little more than Chinese spyware .
The Trump Administration moved to either ban it or force China to sell it to an American firm .
This represents the first significant pushback against Chinese infiltration of the American media and economy , but we sincerely hope that it will not be the last .
The Fight Against Communist Chinese Influence in America In February 2020 , the Trump Administration announced that five state-run Chinese “ media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Global Television Network , China Radio International , Hai Tian Development USA Inc. and Xinhua News Agency ) would no longer be recognized as such , but would instead be called by their proper names — they will now be treated as foreign embassies .
In June of that same year , the Trump Administration added an additional four state-run media entities to that list : China Central Television , China News Service , the Global Times and the People ’ s Daily .
This was in part thanks to increased use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
China retaliated in March by revoking the press credentials of three reporters from the New York Times , Washington Post and Wall Street Journal before expelling them from the country .
PRC officials were very candid that this was in direct response to American actions to curb and monitor the activity of Chinese propaganda outlets in the United States .
The tangible effect of this is that the companies now have to disclose to the government who works for them , as well as share all hiring and firing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likewise will now have to register with the State Department all properties rented and owned within the United States .
Before they can purchase or lease new property , they will have to obtain approval from the State Department .
It is worth noting that Western media outlets operate under far more strict rules in China than their Chinese counterparts do in the United States .
It is unsurprising that the People ’ s Republic of China would do anything within its power to expand its global reach and to influence public opinion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more and more Westerners are becoming skeptical of the relationship between the PRC and the West .
However , what is surprising is how little the United States and other Western governments have done to prevent Chinese penetration of their economy and culture .
It may or may not be troubling when foreign nationals own real estate and media within the United States .
There are solid arguments in either direction .
However , one would be hard pressed to make the case that allowing the People ’ s Republic of China — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the chief rival of the United States internationally and an enemy of liberty around the world — any influence in the American real estate market and media is a mistake of potentially world-changing proportions .

The People’s Republic of China isn’t exactly a favorite of the American public. Since the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak of early 2020, Americans are questioning whether or not all of that cheap plastic junk from Wal-Mart doesn’t come with a hidden cost.
It’s not just about the virus: There is also the spectre of deindustrialization, which has been a social disaster for the United States, particularly the rust belt. What’s more, Tucker Carlson and others reported during the early days of the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak that the United States was dependent on China for basic medical supplies, such as penicillin.
Carlson’s comments are incredibly important, especially when we begin drilling down further into just how reliant the United States is on China: 97 percent of all antibiotics and 80 percent of all active ingredients in American pharmaceuticals come from China. In 2017 alone, the United States imported a whopping $4.6 billion in foodstuffs from the People’s Republic of China.
The corporate press has largely been silent on this matter, which isn’t surprising: They have a long history of sympathy for the People’s Republic of China and virtually all enemies of America and liberty. But there is also a deep presence by the People’s Republic of China in the United States, both in our media and in our economy, specifically in the real estate market.
If it sounds insane to you that United States laws allow a hostile foreign power to own both media and land in this country, well, you’re not alone. And while it might sound like we’re making a mountain out of a molehill, if you read the following article you will probably be amazed at just how deep the rabbithole of Chinese influence in the American media and economy goes.
This is nothing less than the defining national security issue of our age.
China Buying U.S. Land: How Much Land Does China Own in the U.S.?
American prosperity has largely been built on a dual foundation: cheap land, expensive labor. Until Ted Kennedy’s Immigration Act of 1965, Ronald Reagan’s Amnesty of 1986 and NAFTA opened up the floodgates of Third World immigration (both legal and illegal) this formula basically held firm.
When there was not enough labor, employers had to pay more rather than simply importing massive amounts of cheap labor from countries with little in the way of worker protections.
The same laws allowing for a massive influx of cheap labor have also destabilized the American real estate market: More buyers means more demand means higher prices for those looking to buy a home.
There are a myriad of social consequences from this, chief among them that family formation is more expensive and thus less attainable for the average young American worker in the 21st Century than it was in years past.
But beyond this, there is the problem of allowing foreign nationals to own real estate in the United States, a practice that is outlawed in a number of countries. Where foreign nationals are allowed to own real estate, there are often restrictions on where they can buy and how much they can own.
The reasons for this hardly need explaining, but we will do so anyway: First, the citizens of a nation have first claim on the land there. Second, it is potentially dangerous to allow too much of a nation’s land to fall into the hands of foreigners.
Currently 30 million acres of American farmland is owned by foreign investors or fully 2.2 percent of all American farmland. For context, that’s an area roughly the size of Mississippi or Pennsylvania These are effectively absentee landlords who own some of the best real estate in the United States.
For its part, China owned 191,000 acres worth $1.9 billion as of 2019. This might not sound like a lot, but Chinese ownership of American farmland has exploded dramatically over the last decade. Indeed, there has been a tenfold expansion of Chinese ownership of farmland in the United States in less than a decade.
Six states — Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota and Oklahoma — currently ban foreign ownership of farmland.
Massive Chinese investment in American farmland is troubling for one very obvious reason: It puts the food security of the nation in the hands of a hostile foreign power. But there is also the social cost of allowing foreign buyers who have effectively unlimited resources to compete on the real estate market with smaller domestic buyers.
It is understandable if no one reading this has any tears to shed for Big Aggie, but the real victims of this are smaller landholders. For those concerned about environmental issues, ask yourself who is more likely to practice good stewardship of the land — American farmers or Chinese bureaucrats thousands of miles away.
Chinese Real Estate Investors in the U.S.
In addition to their farmland holdings, China owns more residential real estate than any other foreign country, which has a significant impact on the real estate market on the West Coast. Sound far-fetched?
According to Market Watch, “Chinese buyers accounted for roughly 25 percent of total foreign investment in U.S. residential real estate.” Canada was far behind at a relatively scant 9 percent.
The article specifically mentions Chinese investment in California real estate as a driving force behind high housing prices in the Golden State. It’s worth noting that many of these properties are owned as rental properties by absentee landlords. Again, who is going to care more about the quality of tenant life?
An American down the street or a Chinese bureaucrat thousands of miles away?
Modern Chinese Propaganda and the Corporate Media
Precious little is written in the major media in the United States about this epidemic of Chinese ownership of American land and real estate. Even less is written about the influence and leverage that the People’s Republic of China has within the corporate media.
This often takes the form of the corporate directors of media firms having close financial ties to China that are little known to the American public. This creates a financial incentive to white wash the actions of the People’s Republic of China, both domestically and abroad.
Recall the way that the media bristled at calling COVID-19 “the China Virus” or “Wuhan Coronavirus.” There is a reason for this beyond simple political correctness. Many in the upper echelons of the corporate media have a vested interest in protecting the reputation of the People’s Republic of China.
The New York Times (NYT)
Take Carlos Slim, the largest shareholder of The New York Times, who controls about a third of the board. His other ventures have very close ties to Chinese firms that are directly tied to the Chinese government. His Giant Motors is engaged in joint operations with China’s JAC Motors to penetrate the Latin American market.
This was an attempt to work around the Trump Administration’s aggressive trade policies against China. America Movil, his mobile phone company, has partnered with Huawei Technologies to sell 5G technology in Colombia. Huawei is a proven threat to American security and wants to end federal restrictions on their access to 5G technology.
Washington Post (WaPo)
Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO and owner of the Washington Post. Many of Amazon’s biggest-selling products, such as the Echo and the Kindle, are manufactured in China by low-wage, low-skill labor.
Bezos’ cheerleading for the People’s Republic of China is much more explicit than that of Slim: The Washington Post includes a supplement called “China Watch” which is written directly by the Chinese government’s official media arm.
The fact that this is a paid advertising supplement shouldn’t calm any worries about the PRC’s influence over at the Post — it effectively means that Bezos is accepting money from the Chinese government to run official Chinese propaganda in an American newspaper.
Cable News Network (CNN)
CNN is a property of WarnerMedia, which is very closely tied to the People’s Republic of China. They have a $50 million investment deal with the PRC. Specifically, this is an investment in China Media Capital, a private company (in as much as such things exist in the PRC) subject to the censorship of the Chinese government.
It is worth remembering how CNN fawned over the Chinese reaction to the Wuhan Coronavirus in the early days of the pandemic.
National Broadcasting Company (NBC)
Both MSNBC and NBC are owned by NBC Universal who have a partnership with China’s state-run media, Xinhua, to cooperate on international news. The United States State Department has identified Xinhua as “foreign missions,” effectively Chinese propaganda outfits with no independence from the Chinese government.
What’s more, CMC Partners, an investment group with direct technological and financial oversight from Beijing, now has full ownership of Oriental Dreamworks, formerly owned by NBC Universal.
American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
ABC arguably has the strongest ties with the Chinese economy. The Chinese government and state-owned enterprises provided significant support for the $3.6 trillion cost of building a Disney World in Shanghai.
ESPN, another ABC property, told staff to not disparage the Communist regime and, where possible, to avoid the topic entirely. This was during the fracas over an NBA coach’s criticism of the Chinese regime, American media properties effectively siding with China over America.
Bloomberg
Bloomberg is heavily invested in China, which is perhaps why Michael Bloomberg refuses to even refer to the People’s Republic of China as a dictatorship.
For Bloomberg, it is a far more insidious relationship than other American media companies: They have sent $150 billion into Chinese bond markets to 364 countries. Out of the 364, 159 were directly controlled by the Chinese government.
Bloomberg’s media arm has been a willing servant of the Chinese Communist Party. In 2014, they squashed a story about the wealth of the Chinese elites. They leveraged a non-disclosure agreement to silence both a reporter based in Beijing and his wife, neither of whom ever worked for Bloomberg.
Lest one think that this is simply an example of companies seeking to do good business in a large and emerging market, it is worth noting that conservative media outlets are far less likely to be invested in China and when they are, they tend to be significantly less invested than their mainstream, liberal counterparts.
News Corp, for example, the parent company of Fox News, has effectively abandoned trying to penetrate China in any significant way.
Finally, there is the question of communication infrastructure in the United States. In February 2020, Attorney General William Barr warned Americans that we were losing the war to roll out 5G networks both domestically and abroad.
The economic concern here is not insignificant: There’s tons of money in 5G infrastructure and it’s much better that this go in the pockets of Americans than to the People’s Republic of China.
However, especially in the wake of the Huawei security scandal, it is worth asking whether or not any American data is safe in a world where the Chinese control the dominant mobile telecommunications infrastructure.
There’s no “smoking gun” per se, but there is a heck of a lot of smoke when it comes to Chinese influence in the American media ecosystem. One step beyond this is the literal ownership of Chinese propaganda media in the United States.
Meet China Radio International: China’s Equivalent to Radio Free Europe
China Radio International is effectively the Chinese equivalent of Radio Free Europe. It broadcasts PRC propaganda all around the world, including in the United States.
They own ten radio stations in the United States, which might not sound like a lot until you consider that they’re in most of the major American media markets including Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Las Vegas and two in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
It can also be accessed basically anywhere in the world via Internet or shortwave.
China Buys Hollywood: Chinese Penetration in the Film Market
The People’s Republic of China’s penetration in the American media is not limited to a few AM radio stations, either.
Beginning in 2012, the People’s Republic of China began looking for ways to penetrate the American film market. Specifically, China has sought to create inroads into owning American film distribution. This effectively allows them a veto over films that might run contrary to the PRC’s goals for its image abroad.
This could be something as simple as squashing a movie revolving around protests. They can also help to promote films that are a sort of soft propaganda for the Chinese regime, such as the Disney nature documentary Born In China.
Dalian Wanda is a Chinese firm that stands as an exemplar of how Chinese penetration of the American media market will work. It is, since 2012, the owner of the AMC theater chain, which it then used to purchase Carmike Cinemas.
When taken together, these two companies form the largest chain of theaters in the United States, giving a Chinese firm a massive amount of leverage over the American movie marketplace. The parent company, Dalian Wanda, has been very candid about its intention to use ownership of these chains to promote Chinese interests in the United States.
The bottom line is, don’t expect to see any films about Tibet or the Hong Kong protests in AMC theaters anytime soon.
Dalian Wanda and other Chinese firms are also looking to acquire significant stakes in American film production companies, controlling the content that Americans — and, of course, the world market — can see from the very source.
Dalian Wanda purchased Legendary Entertainment in 2016. This is the studio responsible for such international hits as: Godzilla: King of the Monsters, The Dark Knight, Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom and many others.
Paramount Pictures wanted to sell 49 percent of its shares to Dalian Wanda, however the deal fell through. Instead, they formed a partnership with Chinese media companies Shanghai Film Group and Huahua Media.
In addition to pro-Chinese propaganda, China can and has used their leverage in the American film market to begin pushing anti-American propaganda.
In Joshua Kurlantzick’s article “China: Economic Power, Political Enigma” in Washington Quarterly, he details how film companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party have glorified the 9/11 attacks.
Coming soon to a movie theater near you.
TikTok Controversy: China Controls the Algorithm
The PRC has likewise made inroads into the lucrative and popular gaming market. For many young people, the preferred form of media is not movies or even television, but gaming. Chinese companies are now in control of Riot Games, Epic Games, and Cryptic Studios.
This means that China will now be controlling media consumed by children and young adults, able to insert various forms of subtle propaganda into their favorite games.
But the real concern might not even be a hostile foreign power propagandizing to your children through the medium of video games. It might be the technological and military capabilities that China has access to when they purchase video game companies.
The United States military has worked in the past with large research universities to come up with realistic training simulations leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
And, of course, there was also TikTok, the Chinese social media platform popular with “Zoomers” that was little more than Chinese spyware. The Trump Administration moved to either ban it or force China to sell it to an American firm.
This represents the first significant pushback against Chinese infiltration of the American media and economy, but we sincerely hope that it will not be the last.
The Fight Against Communist Chinese Influence in America
In February 2020, the Trump Administration announced that five state-run Chinese “media” companies (China Daily Distribution CorpChina Global Television Network, China Radio International, Hai Tian Development USA Inc. and Xinhua News Agency) would no longer be recognized as such, but would instead be called by their proper names — they will now be treated as foreign embassies.
In June of that same year, the Trump Administration added an additional four state-run media entities to that list: China Central Television, China News Service, the Global Times and the People’s Daily. This was in part thanks to increased use of these media arms as propaganda outlets in the United States.
China retaliated in March by revoking the press credentials of three reporters from the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal before expelling them from the country.
PRC officials were very candid that this was in direct response to American actions to curb and monitor the activity of Chinese propaganda outlets in the United States.
The tangible effect of this is that the companies now have to disclose to the government who works for them, as well as share all hiring and firing decisions with the State Department. They likewise will now have to register with the State Department all properties rented and owned within the United States.
Before they can purchase or lease new property, they will have to obtain approval from the State Department. It is worth noting that Western media outlets operate under far more strict rules in China than their Chinese counterparts do in the United States.
It is unsurprising that the People’s Republic of China would do anything within its power to expand its global reach and to influence public opinion abroad, especially at a time when more and more Westerners are becoming skeptical of the relationship between the PRC and the West.
However, what is surprising is how little the United States and other Western governments have done to prevent Chinese penetration of their economy and culture.
It may or may not be troubling when foreign nationals own real estate and media within the United States. There are solid arguments in either direction.
However, one would be hard pressed to make the case that allowing the People’s Republic of China — a rogue state by virtually any definition, the chief rival of the United States internationally and an enemy of liberty around the world — any influence in the American real estate market and media is a mistake of potentially world-changing proportions.
Article posted with permission from LibertasBella


thewashingtonstandard--2020-10-20--Don’t Vote for a Psychopath: Tyranny at the Hands of a Psychopathic Government

Twenty years ago , a newspaper headline asked the question : “ What ’ s the difference between a politician and a psychopath ?
” The answer , then and now , remains the same : None .
There is no difference between psychopaths and politicians .
Nor is there much of a difference between the havoc wreaked on innocent lives by uncaring , unfeeling , selfish , irresponsible , parasitic criminals and elected officials who lie to their constituents , trade political favors for campaign contributions , turn a blind eye to the wishes of the electorate , cheat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the corporate elite , entrench the military industrial complex , and spare little thought for the impact their thoughtless actions and hastily passed legislation might have on defenseless citizens .
Psychopaths and politicians both have a tendency to be selfish , callous , remorseless users of others , irresponsible , pathological liars , glib , con artists , lacking in remorse and shallow .
Charismatic politicians , like criminal psychopaths , exhibit a failure to accept responsibility for their actions , have a high sense of self-worth , are chronically unstable , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have parasitic lifestyles and possess unrealistic goals .
It doesn ’ t matter whether you ’ re talking about Democrats or Republicans .
Political psychopaths are all largely cut from the same pathological cloth , brimming with seemingly easy charm and boasting calculating minds .
Such leaders eventually create pathocracies : totalitarian societies bent on power , control , and destruction of both freedom in general and those who exercise their freedoms .
Once psychopaths gain power , the result is usually some form of totalitarian government or a pathocracy .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the interests of its own people except for favoring certain groups , ” author James G. Long notes .
“ We are currently witnessing deliberate polarizations of American citizens , illegal actions , and massive and needless acquisition of debt .
This is typical of psychopathic systems , and very similar things happened in the Soviet Union as it overextended and collapsed.
” In other words , electing a psychopath to public office is tantamount to national hara-kiri , the ritualized act of self-annihilation , self-destruction and suicide .
It signals the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groundwork for a totalitarian regime that is legalistic , militaristic , inflexible , intolerant and inhuman .
Incredibly , despite clear evidence of the damage that has already been inflicted on our nation and its citizens by a psychopathic government , voters continue to elect psychopaths to positions of power and influence .
Indeed , a study from Southern Methodist University found that Washington , DC—our nation ’ s capital and the seat of power for our so-called representatives—ranks highest on the list of regions that are populated by psychopaths .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2012 , a group of psychologists evaluated every President from Washington to Bush II using ‘ psychopathy trait estimates derived from personality data completed by historical experts on each president.
’ They found that presidents tended to have the psychopath ’ s characteristic fearlessness and low anxiety levels — traits that appear to help Presidents , but also might cause them to make reckless decisions that hurt other people ’ s lives.
” The willingness to prioritize power above all else , including the welfare of their fellow human beings , ruthlessness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are among the defining traits of the sociopath .
When our own government no longer sees us as human beings with dignity and worth but as things to be manipulated , maneuvered , mined for data , manhandled by police , conned into believing it has our best interests at heart , mistreated , jailed if we dare step out of line , and then punished unjustly without remorse—all the while refusing to own up to its failings—we are no longer operating under a constitutional republic .
Instead , what we are experiencing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands of a psychopathic government , which “ operates against the interests of its own people except for favoring certain groups.
” Worse , psychopathology is not confined to those in high positions of government .
It can spread like a virus among the populace .
As an academic study into pathocracy concluded , “ [ T ] yranny does not flourish because perpetuators are helpless and ignorant of their actions .
It flourishes because they actively identify with those who promote vicious acts as virtuous.
” People don ’ t simply line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one ’ s own personal identification with a given leader , party or social order that they become agents of good or evil .
Much depends on how leaders “ cultivate a sense of identification with their followers , ” says Professor Alex Haslam .
“ I mean one pretty obvious thing is that leaders talk about ‘ we ’ rather than ‘ I , ’ and actually what leadership is about is cultivating this sense of shared identity about ‘ we-ness ’ and then getting people to want to act in terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promote our collective interests .
.
.
.
[ We ] is the single word that has increased in the inaugural addresses over the last century .
.
.
and the other one is ‘ America.
’ ” The goal of the modern corporate state is obvious : to promote , cultivate , and embed a sense of shared identification among its citizens .
To this end , “ we the people ” have become “ we the police state.
” We are fast becoming slaves in thrall to a faceless , nameless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ erodes our freedoms through countless laws , statutes , and prohibitions .
Any resistance to such regimes depends on the strength of opinions in the minds of those who choose to fight back .
What this means is that we the citizenry must be very careful that we are not manipulated into marching in lockstep with an oppressive regime .
Writing for ThinkProgress , Beauchamp suggests that “ one of the best cures to bad leaders may very well be political democracy.
” But what does this really mean in practical terms ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions and the actions of their staff using every available means at our disposal : through investigative journalism ( what used to be referred to as the Fourth Estate ) that enlightens and informs , through whistleblower complaints that expose corruption , through lawsuits that challenge misconduct , and through protests and mass political action that remind the powers-that-be that “ we the people ” are the ones that call the shots .
Remember , education precedes action .
Citizens need to do the hard work of educating themselves about what the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accountable .
Don ’ t allow yourselves to exist exclusively in an echo chamber that is restricted to views with which you agree .
Expose yourself to multiple media sources , independent and mainstream , and think for yourself .
For that matter , no matter what your political leanings might be , don ’ t allow your partisan bias to trump the principles that serve as the basis for our constitutional republic .
As Beauchamp notes , “ A system that actually holds people accountable to the broader conscience of society may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep conscienceless people in check.
” That said , if we allow the ballot box to become our only means of pushing back against the police state , the battle is already lost .
Resistance will require a citizenry willing to be active at the local level .
Yet as I point out in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , if you wait to act until the SWAT team is crashing through your door , until your name is placed on a terror watch list , until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as collecting rainwater or letting your children play outside unsupervised , then it will be too late .
This much I know : we are not faceless numbers .
We are not cogs in the machine .
We are not slaves .
We are human beings , and for the moment , we have the opportunity to remain free—that is , if we tirelessly advocate for our rights and resist at every turn attempts by the government to place us in chains .
The Founders understood that our freedoms do not flow from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to us only to be taken away by the will of the State .
They are inherently ours .
In the same way , the government ’ s appointed purpose is not to threaten or undermine our freedoms , but to safeguard them .
Until we can get back to this way of thinking , until we can remind our fellow Americans what it really means to be free , and until we can stand firm in the face of threats to our freedoms , we will continue to be treated like slaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run by political psychopaths .

“Politicians are more likely than people in the general population to be sociopaths. I think you would find no expert in the field of sociopathy/psychopathy/antisocial personality disorder who would dispute this… That a small minority of human beings literally have no conscience was and is a bitter pill for our society to swallow — but it does explain a great many things, shamelessly deceitful political behavior being one.”—Dr. Martha Stout, clinical psychologist and former instructor at Harvard Medical School
Twenty years ago, a newspaper headline asked the question: “What’s the difference between a politician and a psychopath?”
The answer, then and now, remains the same: None.
There is no difference between psychopaths and politicians.
Nor is there much of a difference between the havoc wreaked on innocent lives by uncaring, unfeeling, selfish, irresponsible, parasitic criminals and elected officials who lie to their constituents, trade political favors for campaign contributions, turn a blind eye to the wishes of the electorate, cheat taxpayers out of hard-earned dollars, favor the corporate elite, entrench the military industrial complex, and spare little thought for the impact their thoughtless actions and hastily passed legislation might have on defenseless citizens.
Psychopaths and politicians both have a tendency to be selfish, callous, remorseless users of others, irresponsible, pathological liars, glib, con artists, lacking in remorse and shallow.
Charismatic politicians, like criminal psychopaths, exhibit a failure to accept responsibility for their actions, have a high sense of self-worth, are chronically unstable, have socially deviant lifestyles, need constant stimulation, have parasitic lifestyles and possess unrealistic goals.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about Democrats or Republicans.
Political psychopaths are all largely cut from the same pathological cloth, brimming with seemingly easy charm and boasting calculating minds. Such leaders eventually create pathocracies: totalitarian societies bent on power, control, and destruction of both freedom in general and those who exercise their freedoms.
Once psychopaths gain power, the result is usually some form of totalitarian government or a pathocracy. “At that point, the government operates against the interests of its own people except for favoring certain groups,” author James G. Long notes. “We are currently witnessing deliberate polarizations of American citizens, illegal actions, and massive and needless acquisition of debt. This is typical of psychopathic systems, and very similar things happened in the Soviet Union as it overextended and collapsed.”
In other words, electing a psychopath to public office is tantamount to national hara-kiri, the ritualized act of self-annihilation, self-destruction and suicide. It signals the demise of democratic government and lays the groundwork for a totalitarian regime that is legalistic, militaristic, inflexible, intolerant and inhuman.
Incredibly, despite clear evidence of the damage that has already been inflicted on our nation and its citizens by a psychopathic government, voters continue to elect psychopaths to positions of power and influence.
Indeed, a study from Southern Methodist University found that Washington, DC—our nation’s capital and the seat of power for our so-called representatives—ranks highest on the list of regions that are populated by psychopaths.
According to investigative journalist Zack Beauchamp, “In 2012, a group of psychologists evaluated every President from Washington to Bush II using ‘psychopathy trait estimates derived from personality data completed by historical experts on each president.’ They found that presidents tended to have the psychopath’s characteristic fearlessness and low anxiety levels — traits that appear to help Presidents, but also might cause them to make reckless decisions that hurt other people’s lives.”
The willingness to prioritize power above all else, including the welfare of their fellow human beings, ruthlessness, callousness and an utter lack of conscience are among the defining traits of the sociopath.
When our own government no longer sees us as human beings with dignity and worth but as things to be manipulated, maneuvered, mined for data, manhandled by police, conned into believing it has our best interests at heart, mistreated, jailed if we dare step out of line, and then punished unjustly without remorse—all the while refusing to own up to its failings—we are no longer operating under a constitutional republic.
Instead, what we are experiencing is a pathocracy: tyranny at the hands of a psychopathic government, which “operates against the interests of its own people except for favoring certain groups.”
Worse, psychopathology is not confined to those in high positions of government. It can spread like a virus among the populace. As an academic study into pathocracy concluded, “[T]yranny does not flourish because perpetuators are helpless and ignorant of their actions. It flourishes because they actively identify with those who promote vicious acts as virtuous.”
People don’t simply line up and salute. It is through one’s own personal identification with a given leader, party or social order that they become agents of good or evil.
Much depends on how leaders “cultivate a sense of identification with their followers,” says Professor Alex Haslam. “I mean one pretty obvious thing is that leaders talk about ‘we’ rather than ‘I,’ and actually what leadership is about is cultivating this sense of shared identity about ‘we-ness’ and then getting people to want to act in terms of that ‘we-ness,’ to promote our collective interests. . . . [We] is the single word that has increased in the inaugural addresses over the last century . . . and the other one is ‘America.’”
The goal of the modern corporate state is obvious: to promote, cultivate, and embed a sense of shared identification among its citizens. To this end, “we the people” have become “we the police state.”
We are fast becoming slaves in thrall to a faceless, nameless, bureaucratic totalitarian government machine that relentlessly erodes our freedoms through countless laws, statutes, and prohibitions.
Any resistance to such regimes depends on the strength of opinions in the minds of those who choose to fight back. What this means is that we the citizenry must be very careful that we are not manipulated into marching in lockstep with an oppressive regime.
Writing for ThinkProgress, Beauchamp suggests that “one of the best cures to bad leaders may very well be political democracy.”
But what does this really mean in practical terms?
It means holding politicians accountable for their actions and the actions of their staff using every available means at our disposal: through investigative journalism (what used to be referred to as the Fourth Estate) that enlightens and informs, through whistleblower complaints that expose corruption, through lawsuits that challenge misconduct, and through protests and mass political action that remind the powers-that-be that “we the people” are the ones that call the shots.
Remember, education precedes action. Citizens need to do the hard work of educating themselves about what the government is doing and how to hold it accountable. Don’t allow yourselves to exist exclusively in an echo chamber that is restricted to views with which you agree. Expose yourself to multiple media sources, independent and mainstream, and think for yourself.
For that matter, no matter what your political leanings might be, don’t allow your partisan bias to trump the principles that serve as the basis for our constitutional republic. As Beauchamp notes, “A system that actually holds people accountable to the broader conscience of society may be one of the best ways to keep conscienceless people in check.”
That said, if we allow the ballot box to become our only means of pushing back against the police state, the battle is already lost.
Resistance will require a citizenry willing to be active at the local level.
Yet as I point out in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People , if you wait to act until the SWAT team is crashing through your door, until your name is placed on a terror watch list, until you are reported for such outlawed activities as collecting rainwater or letting your children play outside unsupervised, then it will be too late.
This much I know: we are not faceless numbers.
We are not cogs in the machine.
We are not slaves.
We are human beings, and for the moment, we have the opportunity to remain free—that is, if we tirelessly advocate for our rights and resist at every turn attempts by the government to place us in chains.
The Founders understood that our freedoms do not flow from the government. They were not given to us only to be taken away by the will of the State. They are inherently ours. In the same way, the government’s appointed purpose is not to threaten or undermine our freedoms, but to safeguard them.
Until we can get back to this way of thinking, until we can remind our fellow Americans what it really means to be free, and until we can stand firm in the face of threats to our freedoms, we will continue to be treated like slaves in thrall to a bureaucratic police state run by political psychopaths.
Article posted with permission from John Whitehead


thewashingtonstandard--2020-10-20--Are People Dying “Of” COVID-19 Or “With” COVID-19?  Is Fear Consuming Us Rather Than Good Common Sen

Are People Dying “Of” COVID-19 Or “With” COVID-19?  Is Fear Consuming Us Rather Than Good Common Sense & Demanding Answers?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has been releasing data almost on a daily basis updating their findings on COVID-19 .
A virus purposely generated by China to every country in the world — and we knew little about what made it tick .
Much of the information contradicts itself and is a roller coaster of fact or fiction .
In fact , the CDC has admitted that of Americans who have died from COVID-19 , only 6 % of deaths had COVID-19 as the only cause mentioned , revealing that 94 % of patients who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health conditions and contributing causes.
” So as our country functions in contradictory medical information and total fear , I would like to throw some thoughts out to you as a former nurse who worked on an infectious disease floor in a regional hospital — during the AIDS epidemic .
My commentary below is in no way to be construed as my being “ an expert ” in COVID-19 , but rather a “ common sense searcher.
” So here it goes in no particular order .
Just call them “ ponder points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing our country crippled in fear : Initially , we were told to glove up because COVID-19 was a “ contact virus.
” So people ran to the stores and purchased useless vinyl gloves .
They were safe — their hands were covered with vinyl gloves which offered no protection whatsoever .
Also , any hand covering being worn all day is equivalent to a bare , bacteria-ridden hand .
Then the respiratory virus ( not an intestinal virus ) caused every roll of toilet paper to be emptied off store shelves .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in plentiful supply though .
I was in a store one day and a man jumped on a shelf to retrieve a roll of paper towels and happily called out to me — “ People don ’ t need toilet paper as long as we have paper towels.
” I replied , “ What better way to make friends with your plumber.
” I was chastised by a woman in a supermarket one day because I did not follow the arrows in the aisle and was walking the “ wrong way.
” Still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Must have had to do with the quality of directional air .
She was very annoyed with me so I said “ please don ’ t tell on me — I don ’ t want to be arrested.
” She couldn ’ t leave the aisle fast enough .
Then we come to the masks .
If we had only known that home-made cloth , designer masks were going to be the business opportunity of a lifetime .
Who needs masks intended for medical use when we can promote our favorite political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Ask Vistaprint – the company that makes business cards how much they have gained in revenue with their over-priced designer cloth masks — made in China .
That ’ s right — the same country that gave us COVID-19 is making designer masks for people to make fashion statements .
You might be interested in knowing that medical professionals in a hospital , following protocol , gown up , glove up and mask up for each patient diagnosed with an infection .
Upon leaving the patient ’ s bedside , the gown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a bio-hazard bin with a lid on it .
Where are the bio-hazard bins for people to dispose of the “ COVID-19 prevention gear ” they are wearing ?
People wouldn ’ t be wearing the same mask day after day — some while driving alone in a car — with the same bacteria and droplets on it , would they ?
Has the CDC issued any directive that designer cloth masks can be safely laundered to kill any virus residue on it ?
Who thought of the expression “ social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t the term “ physical distancing ” encouraged to be used ?
Social distancing resulted in churches being closed , schools being closed , small businesses being closed , hospitals and nursing homes banning families from visiting their sick and dying family members .
We allowed this to happen out of fear .
When I wrote about the misuse of masks , I had a “ medical coder ” admonish me for downplaying the deaths due to COVID-19 .
I challenged the medical coder and asked how she knew to attribute a patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advised me that the doctor would tell her to code it that way .
Since I know autopsies are not being performed on patients whose deaths are being attributed to COVID-19 , I asked how the doctor could make the call of COVID-19 if there were no autopsy .
There was no reply back .
And what “ think tanker ” thought of the term “ the new normal ?
” This is not the new normal , the old normal or the normal .
It is “ abnormal.
” We are living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a new normal .
Young children are now out and about wearing masks to breathe in their own carbon dioxide and not build their immune systems up .
They are also self-isolated with no interaction in schools .
How long do you believe it will be before there is a medical condition for children being isolated from friends and schools ?
It will be similar to a PTSD and the pharmaceutical companies will be at the doors of the FDA promoting “ a pill ” to treat children for this “ Childhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone with young students in high school that they invest in a law school for them .
Imagine the lawsuits against nursing homes , hospitals , physicians , schools , pharmacies and the list goes on when this “ closedown of America ” comes to an end of insanity .
This article is dedicated to “ Mark ” a young man I met one night while working with AIDS patients in my hospital .
I walked in the room and he was laying in the bed — his skin covered in purple lesions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people and caused such fear .
I walked over to Mark to talk with him and with the saddest eyes , he told me his family , friends and co-workers had deserted him because of his diagnosis .
He was alone — and he was scared .
I sat on the edge of his bed and cradled him in my arms .
Mark begged me not to touch him — that I would catch AIDS .
I held him and told him he was no longer alone and did not have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mark took his last breath in my arms .
I will never forget Mark and the experience that night .
We all deserve to live our lives without fear and isolation .
If nothing else , it is called “ common sense.
” Marianne Perez Investigative Reporter exposing the manufactured opioid epidemic , FDA and Purdue Pharma https : //www.wired.com/story/mom-who-took-purdue-pharma-oxycontin-marketing/ https : //www.simonandschuster.com/books/Pharma/Gerald-Posner/9781501151897 Phillip McCallum , President of Alabama Bar Association video re : my work at exposing Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty @

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been releasing data almost on a daily basis updating their findings on COVID-19. A virus purposely generated by China to every country in the world — and we knew little about what made it tick. Much of the information contradicts itself and is a roller coaster of fact or fiction. In fact, the CDC has admitted that of Americans who have died from COVID-19, only 6% of deaths had COVID-19 as the only cause mentioned, revealing that 94% of patients who died from coronavirus also had other “health conditions and contributing causes.”
So as our country functions in contradictory medical information and total fear, I would like to throw some thoughts out to you as a former nurse who worked on an infectious disease floor in a regional hospital — during the AIDS epidemic. My commentary below is in no way to be construed as my being “an expert” in COVID-19, but rather a “common sense searcher.” So here it goes in no particular order. Just call them “ponder points” from someone who does not enjoy seeing our country crippled in fear:
Initially, we were told to glove up because COVID-19 was a “contact virus.” So people ran to the stores and purchased useless vinyl gloves. They were safe — their hands were covered with vinyl gloves which offered no protection whatsoever. Also, any hand covering being worn all day is equivalent to a bare, bacteria-ridden hand.
Then the respiratory virus (not an intestinal virus) caused every roll of toilet paper to be emptied off store shelves. Tylenol for the initial low-grade fevers was in plentiful supply though. I was in a store one day and a man jumped on a shelf to retrieve a roll of paper towels and happily called out to me — “People don’t need toilet paper as long as we have paper towels.” I replied, “What better way to make friends with your plumber.”
I was chastised by a woman in a supermarket one day because I did not follow the arrows in the aisle and was walking the “wrong way.” Still can’t figure that concept out. Must have had to do with the quality of directional air. She was very annoyed with me so I said “please don’t tell on me — I don’t want to be arrested.” She couldn’t leave the aisle fast enough.
Then we come to the masks. If we had only known that home-made cloth, designer masks were going to be the business opportunity of a lifetime. Who needs masks intended for medical use when we can promote our favorite political candidate, cartoon character or sports team? Ask Vistaprint – the company that makes business cards how much they have gained in revenue with their over-priced designer cloth masks — made in China. That’s right — the same country that gave us COVID-19 is making designer masks for people to make fashion statements.
You might be interested in knowing that medical professionals in a hospital, following protocol, gown up, glove up and mask up for each patient diagnosed with an infection. Upon leaving the patient’s bedside, the gown, gloves and masks are disposed of in a bio-hazard bin with a lid on it. Where are the bio-hazard bins for people to dispose of the “COVID-19 prevention gear” they are wearing? People wouldn’t be wearing the same mask day after day — some while driving alone in a car — with the same bacteria and droplets on it, would they? Has the CDC issued any directive that designer cloth masks can be safely laundered to kill any virus residue on it?
Who thought of the expression “social distancing” denoting isolation? Why wasn’t the term “physical distancing” encouraged to be used? Social distancing resulted in churches being closed, schools being closed, small businesses being closed, hospitals and nursing homes banning families from visiting their sick and dying family members. We allowed this to happen out of fear.
When I wrote about the misuse of masks, I had a “medical coder” admonish me for downplaying the deaths due to COVID-19. I challenged the medical coder and asked how she knew to attribute a patient’s death to COVID-19. She advised me that the doctor would tell her to code it that way. Since I know autopsies are not being performed on patients whose deaths are being attributed to COVID-19, I asked how the doctor could make the call of COVID-19 if there were no autopsy. There was no reply back.
And what “think tanker” thought of the term “the new normal?” This is not the new normal, the old normal or the normal. It is “abnormal.” We are living in an abnormal state right now — not a new normal.
Young children are now out and about wearing masks to breathe in their own carbon dioxide and not build their immune systems up. They are also self-isolated with no interaction in schools. How long do you believe it will be before there is a medical condition for children being isolated from friends and schools? It will be similar to a PTSD and the pharmaceutical companies will be at the doors of the FDA promoting “a pill” to treat children for this “Childhood COVID-19 Social Isolation.”
I recommend to anyone with young students in high school that they invest in a law school for them. Imagine the lawsuits against nursing homes, hospitals, physicians, schools, pharmacies and the list goes on when this “closedown of America” comes to an end of insanity.
This article is dedicated to “Mark” a young man I met one night while working with AIDS patients in my hospital. I walked in the room and he was laying in the bed — his skin covered in purple lesions from the horrible disease that isolated so many people and caused such fear. I walked over to Mark to talk with him and with the saddest eyes, he told me his family, friends and co-workers had deserted him because of his diagnosis. He was alone — and he was scared. I sat on the edge of his bed and cradled him in my arms. Mark begged me not to touch him — that I would catch AIDS. I held him and told him he was no longer alone and did not have to be afraid. In a short time, Mark took his last breath in my arms. I will never forget Mark and the experience that night.
We all deserve to live our lives without fear and isolation. If nothing else, it is called “common sense.”
Marianne Perez
Investigative Reporter exposing the manufactured opioid epidemic, FDA and Purdue Pharma
https://www.wired.com/story/mom-who-took-purdue-pharma-oxycontin-marketing/
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Pharma/Gerald-Posner/9781501151897
Phillip McCallum, President of Alabama Bar Association video re: my work at exposing Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media


thewashingtonstandard--2020-10-20--Muslim Beheads Man on French Street, and Here We Go Again With Denial That It Has Anything To Do Wit

Muslim Beheads Man on French Street , and Here We Go Again With Denial That It Has Anything To Do With Jihad It happened again on Friday : a Muslim migrant from Chechnya , screaming “ Allahu akbar , ” beheaded a schoolteacher , Samuel Paty , on a street in a Paris suburb for the crime of showing cartoons of Muhammad to his students .
The response to this gruesome jihad murder has been as predictable , and dreary , and drearily predictable , as one might expect .
In response to the murder , French President Emmanuel Macron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it is existential .
They will not pass .
Obscurantism and the violence that goes with it will not win .
They will not divide us .
That ’ s what they seek and we must stand together.
” This sounds great on the first hearing .
That ’ s the idea .
But in reality , “ They will not divide us ” is a statement that is designed to reassure Muslims in France .
Macron is saying that he will do nothing to “ divide ” the supposedly happily united @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” them ?
Well , something like scrutinizing the Islamic death penalty for blasphemy and challenging Muslim leaders in France to repudiate it explicitly and declare their support for the freedom of speech , and to demonstrate their sincerity by instituting programs in mosques and Islamic schools in France to teach against Sharia blasphemy laws and emphasize the importance of the freedom of speech .
That would “ divide us.
” Macron is saying it won ’ t happen , as expected .
Meanwhile , according to the Telegraph , “ Jean-Luc Mélenchon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unbowed France , said : ‘ Horrible crime in Conflans !
In fact , the assassin takes himself for the god that he claims he follows .
He is sullying religion .
And he is inflicting on us all the hell of having to live with murderers like him.
’ ” Jean-Luc Mélenchon , like so many non-Muslims who assure us that Islam is the most peaceful , benign and cuddly of religions , clearly has no clue about what Islam actually teaches .
Islam mandates death for non-Muslim subjects of the Islamic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allah , the Prophet ( Allah bless him and give him peace ) , or Islam ” ( ‘ Umdat al-Salik , o11.10 ) , and such laws are based upon passages in the Hadith and Sira in which Muhammad orders the murders of people who have insulted him .
These include Abu Afak , who was over one hundred years old , and the poetess Asma bint Marwan .
Abu Afak was killed in his sleep , in response to Muhammad ’ s question , “ Who will avenge me on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another occasion cried out , “ Will no one rid me of this daughter of Marwan ?
” One of his followers , Umayr ibn Adi , went to her house that night , where he found her sleeping next to her children .
The youngest , a nursing babe , was in her arms .
But that didn ’ t stop Umayr from murdering her and the baby as well .
Muhammad commended him : “ You have done a great service to Allah and His Messenger , Umayr !
” ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Ka ’ b bin Al-Ashraf .
Muhammad asked : “ Who is willing to kill Ka ’ b bin Al-Ashraf who has hurt Allah and His Apostle ?
” One of the Muslims , Muhammad bin Maslama , answered , “ O Allah ’ s Apostle !
Would you like that I kill him ?
” When Muhammad said that he would , Muhammad bin Maslama said , “ Then allow me to say a ( false ) thing ( i.e .
to deceive Kab ) .
” Muhammad responded : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maslama duly lied to Ka ’ b , luring him into his trap , and murdered him .
( Sahih Bukhari , volume 5 , book 59 , number 369 ) Likewise , the popular fatwa website Islam QA used to call for death for blasphemers , using both Qur ’ an and Hadith to make its argument , although now it has removed this .
“ The scholars are unanimously agreed , ” the site explained , “ that a Muslim who insults the Prophet ( peace and blessings of Allaah be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unbeliever ] and an apostate who is to be executed .
This consensus was narrated by more than one of the scholars , such as Imaam Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh , Ibn al-Mundhir , al-Qaadi ‘ Iyaad , al-Khattaabi and others.
” In light of all that , what this migrant did Friday is not in the least out of the ordinary , or unexpected .
When is France , and when is the West in general , going to recognize the danger that mass Muslim migration without any attempt at assimilation poses for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a free society ?
Note that Paty invited Muslim students to leave the room before showing the Muhammad cartoons .
He was beheaded anyway .
His crime , as far as his attacker was concerned , was daring to show the cartoons at all , even if the tender eyes of Muslim students were not assaulted by this blasphemy .
The Islamic supremacist demand is that all people , Muslim and non-Muslim , in non-Muslim as well as in Muslim countries , bow to Islamic law .
The West is eventually going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to do so , or defend free society .
So far it has gotten along by pretending that the conflict doesn ’ t exist and that the showdown will never come .
Samuel Paty is dead today because of that pretense .
At a certain point , France is going to have to choose between the freedom of expression and Sharia blasphemy laws .
Which it will choose is anyone ’ s guess , but in Sweden police are already hunting down people who burned the Qur ’ an , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their silencing of all dissidents from their hard-Left agenda , so the overall prognosis for free societies is not good .

Muslim Beheads Man on French Street, and Here We Go Again With Denial That It Has Anything To Do With Jihad
It happened again on Friday: a Muslim migrant from Chechnya, screaming “Allahu akbar,” beheaded a schoolteacher, Samuel Paty, on a street in a Paris suburb for the crime of showing cartoons of Muhammad to his students. The response to this gruesome jihad murder has been as predictable, and dreary, and drearily predictable, as one might expect.
In response to the murder, French President Emmanuel Macron said: “This battle is ours and it is existential. They will not pass. Obscurantism and the violence that goes with it will not win. They will not divide us. That’s what they seek and we must stand together.”
This sounds great on the first hearing. That’s the idea. But in reality, “They will not divide us” is a statement that is designed to reassure Muslims in France. Macron is saying that he will do nothing to “divide” the supposedly happily united French people. What would “divide” them? Well, something like scrutinizing the Islamic death penalty for blasphemy and challenging Muslim leaders in France to repudiate it explicitly and declare their support for the freedom of speech, and to demonstrate their sincerity by instituting programs in mosques and Islamic schools in France to teach against Sharia blasphemy laws and emphasize the importance of the freedom of speech. That would “divide us.” Macron is saying it won’t happen, as expected.
Meanwhile, according to the Telegraph, “Jean-Luc Mélenchon, head of the far-Left party, Unbowed France, said: ‘Horrible crime in Conflans! In fact, the assassin takes himself for the god that he claims he follows. He is sullying religion. And he is inflicting on us all the hell of having to live with murderers like him.’”
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, like so many non-Muslims who assure us that Islam is the most peaceful, benign and cuddly of religions, clearly has no clue about what Islam actually teaches.
Islam mandates death for non-Muslim subjects of the Islamic state who mention “something impermissible about Allah, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), or Islam” (‘Umdat al-Salik, o11.10), and such laws are based upon passages in the Hadith and Sira in which Muhammad orders the murders of people who have insulted him.
These include Abu Afak, who was over one hundred years old, and the poetess Asma bint Marwan. Abu Afak was killed in his sleep, in response to Muhammad’s question, “Who will avenge me on this scoundrel?” Similarly, Muhammad on another occasion cried out, “Will no one rid me of this daughter of Marwan?” One of his followers, Umayr ibn Adi, went to her house that night, where he found her sleeping next to her children. The youngest, a nursing babe, was in her arms. But that didn’t stop Umayr from murdering her and the baby as well. Muhammad commended him: “You have done a great service to Allah and His Messenger, Umayr!” (Ibn Ishaq, 674-676)
Then there was Ka’b bin Al-Ashraf. Muhammad asked: “Who is willing to kill Ka’b bin Al-Ashraf who has hurt Allah and His Apostle?” One of the Muslims, Muhammad bin Maslama, answered, “O Allah’s Apostle! Would you like that I kill him?” When Muhammad said that he would, Muhammad bin Maslama said, “Then allow me to say a (false) thing (i.e. to deceive Kab).” Muhammad responded: “You may say it.” Muhammad bin Maslama duly lied to Ka’b, luring him into his trap, and murdered him. (Sahih Bukhari, volume 5, book 59, number 369)
Likewise, the popular fatwa website Islam QA used to call for death for blasphemers, using both Qur’an and Hadith to make its argument, although now it has removed this. “The scholars are unanimously agreed,” the site explained, “that a Muslim who insults the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) becomes a kaafir [unbeliever] and an apostate who is to be executed. This consensus was narrated by more than one of the scholars, such as Imaam Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, Ibn al-Mundhir, al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad, al-Khattaabi and others.”
In light of all that, what this migrant did Friday is not in the least out of the ordinary, or unexpected.
When is France, and when is the West in general, going to recognize the danger that mass Muslim migration without any attempt at assimilation poses for the freedom of speech and other aspects of a free society? Note that Paty invited Muslim students to leave the room before showing the Muhammad cartoons. He was beheaded anyway. His crime, as far as his attacker was concerned, was daring to show the cartoons at all, even if the tender eyes of Muslim students were not assaulted by this blasphemy. The Islamic supremacist demand is that all people, Muslim and non-Muslim, in non-Muslim as well as in Muslim countries, bow to Islamic law.
The West is eventually going to have to decide whether it is going to do so, or defend free society. So far it has gotten along by pretending that the conflict doesn’t exist and that the showdown will never come. Samuel Paty is dead today because of that pretense. At a certain point, France is going to have to choose between the freedom of expression and Sharia blasphemy laws. Which it will choose is anyone’s guess, but in Sweden police are already hunting down people who burned the Qur’an, and the social media giants are increasingly open about their silencing of all dissidents from their hard-Left agenda, so the overall prognosis for free societies is not good.
Article posted with permission from Robert Spencer


thewashingtonstandard--2020-10-20--Hunter Biden’s Magical Moscow Laptop:  The Only Russian Disinformation Operation Here Is The One Bei

Hunter Biden ’ s Magical Moscow Laptop : The Only Russian Disinformation Operation Here Is The One Being Waged By The Media There are only so many ways that media and social media companies can avoid saying , “ We refuse to run this story or allow it to be seen by any human being because it might hurt Biden.
” First , they claimed that it was unverified , a problem that never troubled the same papers and news networks that had spent years claiming that President Trump was a Russian agent .
After arguing that the story is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a scruple that the media had never previously exercised when it gleefully rushed to dig through everything from Sarah Palin ’ s email account to President Trump ’ s tax returns , they defaulted to Russia .
Hunter Biden ’ s laptop is , the media and social media companies insist , a Russian operation .
What ’ s the evidence for the Biden laptop being a Russian operation ?
About the same as the evidence that Trump is a Russian agent .
Or , as the media might politely call it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the origins of this whole smear are from the Kremlin , and the president is only happy to have Kremlin help in trying to amplify it , ” Rep. Adam Schiff claimed , “ I think we know who the driving force behind this smear has been all along , and it ’ s been the president and the Kremlin .
The Kremlin has an obvious interest in denigrating Joe Biden.
” Clearly , if you say “ Kremlin ” three times , the claim becomes magically verified .
“ They want Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He ’ s been the gift that doesn ’ t stop giving for the Kremlin , so clearly , they want to help him , so they want to denigrate the vice president.
” In President Trump ’ s latest gift to the Kremlin , he turned down Putin ’ s request to extend the START treaty , while Biden has committed to a five-year extension with no preconditions .
The Kremlin is terrified of Joe “ I ’ ll Give You Everything You Want With No Preconditions ” Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the so-called liberal values , closer to social democratic ideas .
And it was from the social democratic environment that the Communist Party evolved , ” Putin recently said .
“ This can be seen as an ideological basis for developing contacts with the Democratic representative.
” Or , to translate that into English , we ’ re all Commies here .
But forget the evidence .
When it comes to Russia and Trump ( or any scandalous accusation and Trump ) , the media has the same evidentiary standards as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s do something so simple and obvious that the media ’ s fact-checkers , who are trained to consult anonymous Estonian intelligence analysts and their grandmas , would never think of it .
John Paul Mac Isaac , the Delaware computer repair store owner who got the laptop , claimed that he came into possession of it on April 12 , 2019 .
Biden only announced his candidacy in late April .
That would mean that the Russians had launched their disinformation operation against Biden before he was even running with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the primaries .
Moscow must have been terrified of the guy who wanted to send $ 200 million to Iran after 9/11 .
But let ’ s say Isaac was in on it .
In September , someone Isaac was in contact with , reached out to the FBI .
And on December 17 , 2019 , the FBI took the laptop into custody , and then did nothing with it .
In December , Biden was leading a three-way race between him , Bernie Sanders , and Elizabeth Warren .
While Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still open , and most Democrats were undecided .
Assuming that the contents of the laptop in the custody of the FBI match the released materials , then the latest that a hypothetical Russian operation could have been launched is December .
If Democrats want to claim that the laptop was a Russian disinformation operation , then they have to argue that the Russians weren ’ t trying to interfere in the presidential election , but in the Democrat presidential primaries .
That ’ s a credible argument considering Bernie ’ s Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were pretty obviously meant to help Bernie ’ s people take over the Democrats while having no impact on the race between Trump and Hillary .
But the Democrats would rather eat Hunter ’ s laptop then concede that the drunk half-naked Castro-loving socialist singing Communist songs in a sauna might be compromised by Moscow .
And yet that ’ s the only way that the Russian disinformation operation claim could work .
If Isaac is a Russian patsy , then the Russians sent the Biden laptop to the FBI in the fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t a Russian stooge , then the Russians deployed the operation in April 2019 .
Both are really bad for the media conspiracy theory that Russia was behind the laptop .
If Isaac was working for the Russians , then Moscow , for some incomprehensible reason , created the laptop in the fall of 2019 , when Biden could easily lose , sent it to the FBI , and then did nothing for a year .
That makes even less sense than reading the Steele Dossier backward .
There is literally nothing about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way whatsoever .
Were the Russians under the impression that the same FBI that had investigated and undermined Trump would jump at the opportunity to publish photos of Hunter with a crack pipe ?
And what were they trying to accomplish during the primaries , except help Bernie ?
But , alternatively , the Russians created the laptop in the spring of 2019 , before Biden was even running , and then cunningly dropped it off with a partially blind repairman in a small computer shop in Delaware , understanding that he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make its contents public at the precise time that they wanted it made public .
How ?
Magic .
Obviously .
And this whole entire Russian operation to rig the election depended on a small computer repair shop owner deciding not to switch from Trump to Biden during a heated election year .
Despite going to all this trouble , the Russians didn ’ t bother including anything truly and irrevocably damning about Joe Biden .
Maybe their photoshop people just got too caught up depicting Hunter Biden ’ s drug use to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That the Russian disinformation operation talking point doesn ’ t pass the simplest common sense tests doesn ’ t bother the media .
There ’ s a reason why they keep blaming it all on Moscow .
The best conspiracy theories can ’ t be disproven .
And any conspiracy theory involving a foreign intelligence operation , especially one that , like the Russians , enjoys taking credit for things it had nothing to do with to boost its image and influence , is essentially impossible to disprove .
Conspiracy theories can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theorist .
Everything you do to show it makes no sense just proves how cunning the conspirators are and how likely it is that you ’ re working with them .
So the Russian disinformation operation can ’ t be disproven .
But it can be proven .
The origin of the media ’ s obsession with Russian disinformation operations came from the Steele Dossier , a piece of opposition research from the Clinton campaign , farmed out to a foreign intelligence operative who assembled it using unpaid Russian sources .
These Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence , were just happy to give this stuff away .
Steele ’ s primary sub-source for the dossier had been deemed a likely Russian agent .
The media , which spent the next four years raving about Russian disinformation operations and which is now whining about unverified information , accepted the contents of the Steele Dossier , with zero verification .
It showed absolutely no interest in whom Steele was working for .
And it took extensive digging to learn that it was the Clinton campaign , even as the media dismissed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the unverified dossier it had been relying on .
Democrats and the media fought every attempt to learn about the Steele Dossier and to question its contents .
They suggested that doing so might even get some people killed .
And they happily disregarded the blatantly false and inconsistent elements of the Dossier .
The Russian disinformation operation was embedded into the DOJ and the FBI was used to discredit the intelligence community , and create the perception of an omnipotent Russia .
The media claims that Hunter Biden ’ s laptop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as opposition research .
But their obsession with Russian disinformation operations is itself the product of a Russian disinformation operation aimed at defeating President Trump in 2016 .
Ever since , Democrats have casually thrown around claims of Russian disinformation operations to stifle , censor , and suppress their political opponents .
Moscow would approve .
From Russian Facebook ads to Cambridge Analytica , every media attempt to marginalize their political opponents as Russian fronts has fallen apart very badly .
But the media isn ’ t stopping .
Their constant claims of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The documents in the Hunter Biden laptop deserve at least as much review as Hillary Clinton ’ s campaign serving up claims of urinating Russian prostitutes from Russian intelligence sources .
The only Russian disinformation operation here is the one being waged by the media for Biden .

Hunter Biden’s Magical Moscow Laptop: The Only Russian Disinformation Operation Here Is The One Being Waged By The Media
There are only so many ways that media and social media companies can avoid saying, “We refuse to run this story or allow it to be seen by any human being because it might hurt Biden.”
First, they claimed that it was unverified, a problem that never troubled the same papers and news networks that had spent years claiming that President Trump was a Russian agent.
After arguing that the story is unethical because it contains stolen materials, a scruple that the media had never previously exercised when it gleefully rushed to dig through everything from Sarah Palin’s email account to President Trump’s tax returns, they defaulted to Russia.
Hunter Biden’s laptop is, the media and social media companies insist, a Russian operation.
What’s the evidence for the Biden laptop being a Russian operation? About the same as the evidence that Trump is a Russian agent. Or, as the media might politely call it, “unverified”.
“Clearly, the origins of this whole smear are from the Kremlin, and the president is only happy to have Kremlin help in trying to amplify it,” Rep. Adam Schiff claimed, “I think we know who the driving force behind this smear has been all along, and it’s been the president and the Kremlin. The Kremlin has an obvious interest in denigrating Joe Biden.”
Clearly, if you say “Kremlin” three times, the claim becomes magically verified.
“They want Donald Trump to win,” Schiff argued. “He’s been the gift that doesn’t stop giving for the Kremlin, so clearly, they want to help him, so they want to denigrate the vice president.”
In President Trump’s latest gift to the Kremlin, he turned down Putin’s request to extend the START treaty, while Biden has committed to a five-year extension with no preconditions.
The Kremlin is terrified of Joe “I’ll Give You Everything You Want With No Preconditions” Biden.
“The Democratic Party is traditionally closer to the so-called liberal values, closer to social democratic ideas. And it was from the social democratic environment that the Communist Party evolved,” Putin recently said. “This can be seen as an ideological basis for developing contacts with the Democratic representative.” Or, to translate that into English, we’re all Commies here.
But forget the evidence. When it comes to Russia and Trump (or any scandalous accusation and Trump), the media has the same evidentiary standards as a witch hunter with a barrel.
Let’s do something so simple and obvious that the media’s fact-checkers, who are trained to consult anonymous Estonian intelligence analysts and their grandmas, would never think of it.
Look at a calendar.
John Paul Mac Isaac, the Delaware computer repair store owner who got the laptop, claimed that he came into possession of it on April 12, 2019.
Biden only announced his candidacy in late April.
That would mean that the Russians had launched their disinformation operation against Biden before he was even running with the aim of preemptively knocking him out of the primaries.
Moscow must have been terrified of the guy who wanted to send $200 million to Iran after 9/11.
But let’s say Isaac was in on it.
In September, someone Isaac was in contact with, reached out to the FBI. And on December 17, 2019, the FBI took the laptop into custody, and then did nothing with it.
In December, Biden was leading a three-way race between him, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren. While Biden had a lead, the race was still open, and most Democrats were undecided.
Assuming that the contents of the laptop in the custody of the FBI match the released materials, then the latest that a hypothetical Russian operation could have been launched is December.
If Democrats want to claim that the laptop was a Russian disinformation operation, then they have to argue that the Russians weren’t trying to interfere in the presidential election, but in the Democrat presidential primaries. That’s a credible argument considering Bernie’s Russian connection and that the DNC email hacks were pretty obviously meant to help Bernie’s people take over the Democrats while having no impact on the race between Trump and Hillary.
But the Democrats would rather eat Hunter’s laptop then concede that the drunk half-naked Castro-loving socialist singing Communist songs in a sauna might be compromised by Moscow.
And yet that’s the only way that the Russian disinformation operation claim could work.
If Isaac is a Russian patsy, then the Russians sent the Biden laptop to the FBI in the fall of 2019. If Isaac isn’t a Russian stooge, then the Russians deployed the operation in April 2019.
Both are really bad for the media conspiracy theory that Russia was behind the laptop.
If Isaac was working for the Russians, then Moscow, for some incomprehensible reason, created the laptop in the fall of 2019, when Biden could easily lose, sent it to the FBI, and then did nothing for a year. That makes even less sense than reading the Steele Dossier backward.
There is literally nothing about this scenario that holds together in any way whatsoever.
Were the Russians under the impression that the same FBI that had investigated and undermined Trump would jump at the opportunity to publish photos of Hunter with a crack pipe?
And what were they trying to accomplish during the primaries, except help Bernie?
But, alternatively, the Russians created the laptop in the spring of 2019, before Biden was even running, and then cunningly dropped it off with a partially blind repairman in a small computer shop in Delaware, understanding that he would be bound to search through it and make its contents public at the precise time that they wanted it made public. How? Magic. Obviously.
And this whole entire Russian operation to rig the election depended on a small computer repair shop owner deciding not to switch from Trump to Biden during a heated election year.
That’s a hell of a plan.
Despite going to all this trouble, the Russians didn’t bother including anything truly and irrevocably damning about Joe Biden. Maybe their photoshop people just got too caught up depicting Hunter Biden’s drug use to bother photoshopping Joe snorting cocaine off rubles.
That the Russian disinformation operation talking point doesn’t pass the simplest common sense tests doesn’t bother the media. There’s a reason why they keep blaming it all on Moscow.
The best conspiracy theories can’t be disproven. And any conspiracy theory involving a foreign intelligence operation, especially one that, like the Russians, enjoys taking credit for things it had nothing to do with to boost its image and influence, is essentially impossible to disprove.
Conspiracy theories can never be disproven to the enthusiastic conspiracy theorist. Everything you do to show it makes no sense just proves how cunning the conspirators are and how likely it is that you’re working with them. So the Russian disinformation operation can’t be disproven.
But it can be proven.
The origin of the media’s obsession with Russian disinformation operations came from the Steele Dossier, a piece of opposition research from the Clinton campaign, farmed out to a foreign intelligence operative who assembled it using unpaid Russian sources. These Russian sources, with supposed access to prime intelligence, were just happy to give this stuff away.
Steele’s primary sub-source for the dossier had been deemed a likely Russian agent.
The media, which spent the next four years raving about Russian disinformation operations and which is now whining about unverified information, accepted the contents of the Steele Dossier, with zero verification. It showed absolutely no interest in whom Steele was working for. And it took extensive digging to learn that it was the Clinton campaign, even as the media dismissed that as completely irrelevant to the credibility of the unverified dossier it had been relying on.
Democrats and the media fought every attempt to learn about the Steele Dossier and to question its contents. They suggested that doing so might even get some people killed.
And they happily disregarded the blatantly false and inconsistent elements of the Dossier.
The Russian disinformation operation was embedded into the DOJ and the FBI was used to discredit the intelligence community, and create the perception of an omnipotent Russia.
In short, it worked brilliantly.
The media claims that Hunter Biden’s laptop is a Russian disinformation operation being used as opposition research. But their obsession with Russian disinformation operations is itself the product of a Russian disinformation operation aimed at defeating President Trump in 2016.
Ever since, Democrats have casually thrown around claims of Russian disinformation operations to stifle, censor, and suppress their political opponents. Moscow would approve.
From Russian Facebook ads to Cambridge Analytica, every media attempt to marginalize their political opponents as Russian fronts has fallen apart very badly. But the media isn’t stopping.
Their constant claims of Russian disinformation operations are a disinformation operation.
The documents in the Hunter Biden laptop deserve at least as much review as Hillary Clinton’s campaign serving up claims of urinating Russian prostitutes from Russian intelligence sources. The only Russian disinformation operation here is the one being waged by the media for Biden.
Article posted with permission from Daniel Greenfield