thewashingtonstandard--2020-12-29--$600 Stimulus Checks Won’t Pull America Out Of This Mess…

Well , it looks like we are going to get $ 600 stimulus payments from the federal government after all .
Oh goody !
For the millions of Americans that are on the brink of being evicted from their homes , that will be enough for about half a mortgage payment or about half a month of rent .
Many are referring to this as America ’ s “ let them eat cake moment ” , and that probably is not too far off target .
As our politicians spend hundreds of billions of dollars on other nonsense , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them for tossing a few hundred bucks our way .
But the truth is that $ 600 dollars does not go as far as it once did .
20 years ago , it would have bought more groceries than any of us could have possibly put into a single vehicle , but today it will buy about two carts of food and maybe a tank of gas .
If we are going to go “ full Weimar ” and destroy any hope of ever getting our national finances under control , we might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to smile about .
But while you get a measly $ 600 , the federal government is spending $ 6,900,000 on a “ smart toilet ” that can actually recognize a user ’ s “ analprint ” … Just when I think that it can ’ t possibly get any worse , the federal government comes up with even more bizarre ways to waste our tax dollars .
At least if we were only spending what we brought in I could live with that .
But instead , we have been stealing more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans every single hour of every single day ever since Barack Obama first entered the White House .
I am not just picking on the Democrats .
At this point , most Republicans have abandoned any pretense of fiscal responsibility , and that fact makes me sick to my stomach .
Today , we are 27.5 trillion dollars in debt , and soon it will be 30 trillion dollars .
If we are going to liquidate the nation anyway , let ’ s give people checks that are so large that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because giving people $ 600 checks in this economic environment is essentially the equivalent of spitting into Niagara Falls .
Let me try to illustrate what I am talking about .
Right now , there are 12 million U.S. renters that are more than $ 5,000 behind on their rent and utilities… Okay , so let ’ s assume that all of those people get $ 600 payments on a timely basis .
In the end , on average they will still be about $ 5000 behind on their payments , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the corner .
And there are millions of other Americans that are living so close to the edge financially that they have been putting their rent payments on a credit card… Yes , $ 600 will help .
But not much .
For 32-year-old Jo Marie Hernandez , $ 600 might buy a little bit of time , but what she really needs is a new job… I can ’ t even imagine the emotional pain that she must be going through right now .
When you have a young child and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the streets , nothing else really matters… Sadly , there are millions and millions of other Americans that are facing similar scenarios right now .
This is what an economic depression looks like , and economic conditions are going to continue to deteriorate moving forward .
Many on the left are assuming that future stimulus checks will be bigger once Joe Biden gets into the White House .
But every additional dollar that we borrow makes our long-term problems even worse .
Our national debt continues to spiral wildly out of control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at an exponential rate , and we are mired in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s despite unprecedented government intervention .
This is the big meltdown that everyone has been waiting for , and we are still only in the very early chapters .
So no , $ 600 stimulus payments won ’ t actually fix anything .
But hopefully , they will ease the suffering slightly as the U.S. economy continues to relentlessly steamroll toward oblivion .

Well, it looks like we are going to get $600 stimulus payments from the federal government after all. Oh goody! For the millions of Americans that are on the brink of being evicted from their homes, that will be enough for about half a mortgage payment or about half a month of rent. Many are referring to this as America’s “let them eat cake moment”, and that probably is not too far off target. As our politicians spend hundreds of billions of dollars on other nonsense, we are supposed to be deeply grateful to them for tossing a few hundred bucks our way. But the truth is that $600 dollars does not go as far as it once did. 20 years ago, it would have bought more groceries than any of us could have possibly put into a single vehicle, but today it will buy about two carts of food and maybe a tank of gas.
If we are going to go “full Weimar” and destroy any hope of ever getting our national finances under control, we might as well make the checks big enough to smile about.
But while you get a measly $600, the federal government is spending $6,900,000 on a “smart toilet” that can actually recognize a user’s “analprint”…
In his latest report on federal government waste, a project he completes every year, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) highlights $54.7 billion in government spending that he deems wasteful. Among the items noted this year is the creation of a $6.9 million “smart toilet,” which operates with three cameras, one of which can identify a user’s “analprint.” As explained in The Festivus Report 2020, researchers at Stanford University used $6,973,057 in funds granted through the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to create a so-called “smart toilet.”
Really?
Just when I think that it can’t possibly get any worse, the federal government comes up with even more bizarre ways to waste our tax dollars.
At least if we were only spending what we brought in I could live with that. But instead, we have been stealing more than $100,000,000 dollars from future generations of Americans every single hour of every single day ever since Barack Obama first entered the White House.
I am not just picking on the Democrats. At this point, most Republicans have abandoned any pretense of fiscal responsibility, and that fact makes me sick to my stomach.
Today, we are 27.5 trillion dollars in debt, and soon it will be 30 trillion dollars.
If we are going to liquidate the nation anyway, let’s give people checks that are so large that they will be dancing in the streets.
Because giving people $600 checks in this economic environment is essentially the equivalent of spitting into Niagara Falls.
Let me try to illustrate what I am talking about. Right now, there are 12 million U.S. renters that are more than $5,000 behind on their rent and utilities…
The newest data from Moody’s Analytics shows about 12 million renters are now at least $5,850 behind in rent and utilities payments — and eviction protections expire in weeks.
Okay, so let’s assume that all of those people get $600 payments on a timely basis.
In the end, on average they will still be about $5000 behind on their payments, and the start of a new month is right around the corner.
And there are millions of other Americans that are living so close to the edge financially that they have been putting their rent payments on a credit card…
There’s been as much as a 70% percent increase from last year in people paying rent on a credit card, according to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. “If you’re putting your rent payments on to a credit card, that shows you’re really at risk of eviction,” says Shamus Roller, executive director of the nonprofit National Housing Law Project. “That means you’ve run out of savings; you’ve probably run out of calls to family members to get them to loan you money.”
Yes, $600 will help.
But not much.
For 32-year-old Jo Marie Hernandez, $600 might buy a little bit of time, but what she really needs is a new job…
Jo Marie Hernandez doesn’t know how she and her 4-year-old daughter will survive after her unemployment aid lapsed this weekend. Hernandez, who lives in Olean, New York, is on the brink of losing her home in days after she lost her job as a customer service associate at a gas station in the spring. Enduring prolonged unemployment, she’s struggled to make ends meet and has nothing left in savings to keep her afloat.
I can’t even imagine the emotional pain that she must be going through right now.
When you have a young child and you are about to be thrown out into the streets, nothing else really matters…
“I only have $100 left to my name. My whole world is shattered,” says Hernandez, 32, who was forced to put her car up for sale. “We can’t wait a few weeks for help. We’re starving and will be out on the street soon.”
Sadly, there are millions and millions of other Americans that are facing similar scenarios right now.
This is what an economic depression looks like, and economic conditions are going to continue to deteriorate moving forward.
Many on the left are assuming that future stimulus checks will be bigger once Joe Biden gets into the White House. But every additional dollar that we borrow makes our long-term problems even worse.
Our national debt continues to spiral wildly out of control, the money supply is shooting up at an exponential rate, and we are mired in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s despite unprecedented government intervention.
This is the big meltdown that everyone has been waiting for, and we are still only in the very early chapters.
So no, $600 stimulus payments won’t actually fix anything.
But hopefully, they will ease the suffering slightly as the U.S. economy continues to relentlessly steamroll toward oblivion.
Article posted with permission from Michael Snyder


thewashingtonstandard--2020-12-29--2020: The Year the Tree of Liberty Was Torched

No doubt about it : 2020—a terrible , horrible , no good , very bad year for freedom—was the culmination of a terrible , horrible , no good , very bad decade for freedom .
Government corruption , tyranny , and abuse coupled with a Big Brother-knows-best mindset and the COVID-19 pandemic propelled us at warp speed towards a full-blown police state in which nationwide lockdowns , egregious surveillance , roadside strip searches , police shootings of unarmed citizens , censorship , retaliatory arrests , the criminalization of lawful activities , warmongering , indefinite detentions , SWAT team raids , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisons , and pay-to-play politicians were accepted as the norm .
Here ’ s just a small sampling of the laundry list of abuses—cruel , brutal , immoral , unconstitutional and unacceptable—that have been heaped upon us by the government over the past two decades and in the past year , in particular .
The government failed to protect our lives , liberty and happiness .
The predators of the police state wreaked havoc on our freedoms , our communities , and our lives .
The government didn ’ t listen to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitution , and treated the citizenry as a source of funding and little else .
Police officers shot unarmed citizens and their household pets .
Government agents—including local police—were armed to the teeth and encouraged to act like soldiers on a battlefield .
Bloated government agencies were allowed to fleece taxpayers .
Government technicians spied on our emails and phone calls .
And government contractors made a killing by waging endless wars abroad .
The American President became more imperial .
Although the Constitution invests the President with very specific , limited powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Trump , Obama , Bush , Clinton , etc . )
claimed the power to completely and almost unilaterally alter the landscape of this country for good or for ill .
The powers that have been amassed by each successive president through the negligence of Congress and the courts—powers which add up to a toolbox of terror for an imperial ruler—empower whoever occupies the Oval Office to act as a dictator , above the law and beyond any real accountability .
The presidency itself has become an imperial one with permanent powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves , 911 calls turned deadly , and traffic stops took a turn for the worse .
Lacking in transparency and accountability , protected by the courts and legislators , and rife with misconduct , America ’ s police forces continued to be a menace to the citizenry and the rule of law .
Despite concerns about the government ’ s steady transformation of local police into a standing military army , local police agencies acquired even more weaponry , training and equipment suited for the battlefield .
Police officers were also given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a variety of reasons and subject them to forced cavity searches , forced colonoscopies , forced blood draws , forced breath-alcohol tests , forced DNA extractions , forced eye scans , forced inclusion in biometric databases .
The courts failed to uphold justice .
With every ruling handed down , it becomes more apparent that we live in an age of hollow justice , with government courts more concerned with protecting government agents than upholding the rights of “ we the people.
” This is true at all levels of the judiciary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the land , the U.S. Supreme Court , which is seemingly more concerned with establishing order and protecting government agents than with upholding the rights enshrined in the Constitution .
A review of critical court rulings over the past two decades , including some ominous ones by the U.S. Supreme Court , reveals a startling and steady trend towards pro-police state rulings by an institution concerned more with establishing order and protecting the ruling class and government agents than with upholding the rights enshrined in the Constitution .
COVID-19 allowed the Emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started out as an apparent effort to prevent a novel coronavirus from sickening the nation ( and the world ) became yet another means by which world governments ( including our own ) could expand their powers , abuse their authority , and further oppress their constituents .
While COVID-19 took a significant toll on the nation emotionally , physically , and economically , it also allowed the government to trample our rights in the so-called name of national security , with talk of mass testing for COVID-19 antibodies , screening checkpoints , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccinations , snitch tip lines and onerous lockdowns .
The Surveillance State rendered Americans vulnerable to threats from government spies , police , hackers and power failures .
Thanks to the government ’ s ongoing efforts to build massive databases using emerging surveillance , DNA and biometrics technologies , Americans have become sitting ducks for hackers and government spies alike .
Billions of people have been affected by data breaches and cyberattacks .
On a daily basis , Americans have been made to relinquish the most intimate details of who we are—our biological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our biometrics ( facial characteristics and structure , fingerprints , iris scans , etc . )
—in order to navigate an increasingly technologically-enabled world .
America became a red flag nation .
Red flag laws , specifically , and pre-crime laws generally push us that much closer towards a suspect society where everyone is potentially guilty of some crime or another and must be preemptively rendered harmless .
Where many Americans go wrong is in naively assuming that you have to be doing something illegal or harmful in order to be flagged and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detention .
In fact , all you need to do these days to end up on a government watch list or be subjected to heightened scrutiny is use certain trigger words ( like cloud , pork and pirates ) , surf the internet , communicate using a cell phone , limp or stutter , drive a car , stay at a hotel , attend a political rally , express yourself on social media , appear mentally ill , serve in the military , disagree with a law enforcement official , call in sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardware store , take flying or boating lessons , appear suspicious , appear confused or nervous , fidget or whistle or smell bad , be seen in public waving a toy gun or anything remotely resembling a gun ( such as a water nozzle or a remote control or a walking cane ) , stare at a police officer , question government authority , appear to be pro-gun or pro-freedom , or generally live in the United States .
Be warned : once you get on such a government watch list—whether it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental health watch list , a dissident watch list , or a red flag gun watch list—there ’ s no clear-cut way to get off , whether or not you should actually be on there .
The cost of policing the globe drove the nation deeper into debt .
America ’ s war spending has already bankrupted the nation to the tune of more than $ 20 trillion dollars .
Policing the globe and waging endless wars abroad hasn ’ t made America—or the rest of the world—any safer , but it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxpayer expense .
The U.S. military reportedly has more than 1.3 million men and women on active duty , with more than 200,000 of them stationed overseas in nearly every country in the world .
Yet America ’ s military forces aren ’ t being deployed abroad to protect our freedoms here at home .
Rather , they ’ re being used to guard oil fields , build foreign infrastructure and protect the financial interests of the corporate elite .
In fact , the United States military spends about $ 81 billion a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world .
This is how a military empire occupies the globe .
Meanwhile , America ’ s infrastructure is falling apart .
Free speech was dealt one knock-out punch after another .
Protest laws , free speech zones , bubble zones , trespass zones , anti-bullying legislation , zero tolerance policies , hate crime laws , shadow banning on the Internet , and a host of other legalistic maladies dreamed up by politicians and prosecutors ( and championed by those who want to suppress speech with which they might disagree ) conspired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for our own good .
On paper—at least according to the U.S. Constitution—we are technically free to speak .
In reality , however , we are only as free to speak as a government official—or corporate entities such as Facebook , Google or YouTube—may allow .
The reasons for such censorship varied widely from political correctness , so-called safety concerns and bullying to national security and hate crimes but the end result remained the same : the complete eradication of free speech .
The Deep State took over .
The American system of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deep State—a.k.a .
the police state a.k.a .
the military/corporate industrial complex—a profit-driven , militaristic corporate state bent on total control and global domination through the imposition of martial law here at home and by fomenting wars abroad .
The “ government of the people , by the people , for the people ” has perished .
In its place is a shadow government , a corporatized , militarized , entrenched bureaucracy that is fully operational and staffed by unelected officials who are , in essence , running the country and calling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who sits in the White House .
Mind you , by “ government , ” I ’ m not referring to the highly partisan , two-party bureaucracy of the Republicans and Democrats .
Rather , I ’ m referring to “ government ” with a capital “ G , ” the entrenched Deep State that is unaffected by elections , unaltered by populist movements , and has set itself beyond the reach of the law .
This is the hidden face of a government that has no respect for the freedom of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ operates according to its own compass heading regardless of who is formally in power , ” makes a mockery of elections and the entire concept of a representative government .
The takeaway : Everything the founders of this country feared has come to dominate in modern America .
“ We the people ” have been saddled with a government that is no longer friendly to freedom and is working overtime to trample the Constitution underfoot and render the citizenry powerless in the face of the government ’ s power grabs , corruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you balance the scales of justice at a time when Americans are being tasered , tear-gassed , pepper-sprayed , hit with batons , shot with rubber bullets and real bullets , blasted with sound cannons , detained in cages and kennels , sicced by police dogs , arrested and jailed for challenging the government ’ s excesses , abuses and power-grabs , and then locked down and stripped of any semblance of personal freedom ?
No matter who sits in the White House , politics won ’ t fix a system that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , protests and populist movements also haven ’ t done much to push back against an authoritarian regime that is deaf to our cries , dumb to our troubles , blind to our needs , and accountable to no one .
So how do you not only push back against the government ’ s bureaucracy , corruption and cruelty but also launch a counterrevolution aimed at reclaiming control over the government using nonviolent means ?
You start by changing the rules and engaging in some ( nonviolent ) guerilla tactics .
Take your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything the government does that flies in the face of the principles on which this nation was founded .
If there is any means left to us for thwarting the government in its relentless march towards outright dictatorship , it may rest with the power of juries and local governments to invalidate governmental laws , tactics and policies that are illegitimate , egregious or blatantly unconstitutional .
In an age in which government officials accused of wrongdoing—police officers , elected officials , etc.—are treated with general leniency , while the average citizen is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law , nullification is a powerful reminder that , as the Constitution tells us , “ we the people ” are the government .
For too long we ’ ve allowed our so-called “ representatives ” to call the shots .
Now it ’ s time to restore the citizenry to their rightful place in the republic : as the masters , not the servants .
Nullification is one way of doing so .
America was meant to be primarily a system of local governments , which is a far cry from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet if our freedoms are to be restored , understanding what is transpiring practically in your own backyard—in one ’ s home , neighborhood , school district , town council—and taking action at that local level must be the starting point .
Responding to unmet local needs and reacting to injustices is what grassroots activism is all about .
Attend local city council meetings , speak up at town hall meetings , organize protests and letter-writing campaigns , employ “ militant nonviolent resistance ” and civil disobedience , which Martin Luther King Jr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sit-ins , boycotts and marches .
The power to change things for the better rests with us , not the politicians .
As long as we continue to allow callousness , cruelty , meanness , immorality , ignorance , hatred , intolerance , racism , militarism , materialism , meanness and injustice—magnified by an echo chamber of nasty tweets and government-sanctioned brutality—to trump justice , fairness and equality , there can be no hope of prevailing against the police state .
We could transform this nation if only Americans would work together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and push back against the government ’ s overreach , excesses and abuse .
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , the police state is marching forward , more powerful than ever .
If there is to be any hope for freedom in 2021 , it rests with “ we the people .
”

“The people are unaware. They’re not educated to realize that they have power. The system is so geared that everyone believes the government will fix everything. We are the government.”—John Lennon
No doubt about it: 2020—a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year for freedom—was the culmination of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad decade for freedom.
Government corruption, tyranny, and abuse coupled with a Big Brother-knows-best mindset and the COVID-19 pandemic propelled us at warp speed towards a full-blown police state in which nationwide lockdowns, egregious surveillance, roadside strip searches, police shootings of unarmed citizens, censorship, retaliatory arrests, the criminalization of lawful activities, warmongering, indefinite detentions, SWAT team raids, asset forfeiture, police brutality, profit-driven prisons, and pay-to-play politicians were accepted as the norm.
Here’s just a small sampling of the laundry list of abuses—cruel, brutal, immoral, unconstitutional and unacceptable—that have been heaped upon us by the government over the past two decades and in the past year, in particular.
The government failed to protect our lives, liberty and happiness. The predators of the police state wreaked havoc on our freedoms, our communities, and our lives. The government didn’t listen to the citizenry, refused to abide by the Constitution, and treated the citizenry as a source of funding and little else. Police officers shot unarmed citizens and their household pets. Government agents—including local police—were armed to the teeth and encouraged to act like soldiers on a battlefield. Bloated government agencies were allowed to fleece taxpayers. Government technicians spied on our emails and phone calls. And government contractors made a killing by waging endless wars abroad.
The American President became more imperial. Although the Constitution invests the President with very specific, limited powers, in recent years, American presidents (Trump, Obama, Bush, Clinton, etc.) claimed the power to completely and almost unilaterally alter the landscape of this country for good or for ill. The powers that have been amassed by each successive president through the negligence of Congress and the courts—powers which add up to a toolbox of terror for an imperial ruler—empower whoever occupies the Oval Office to act as a dictator, above the law and beyond any real accountability. The presidency itself has become an imperial one with permanent powers.
Militarized police became a power unto themselves, 911 calls turned deadly, and traffic stops took a turn for the worse. Lacking in transparency and accountability, protected by the courts and legislators, and rife with misconduct, America’s police forces continued to be a menace to the citizenry and the rule of law. Despite concerns about the government’s steady transformation of local police into a standing military army, local police agencies acquired even more weaponry, training and equipment suited for the battlefield. Police officers were also given free range to pull anyone over for a variety of reasons and subject them to forced cavity searches, forced colonoscopies, forced blood draws, forced breath-alcohol tests, forced DNA extractions, forced eye scans, forced inclusion in biometric databases.
The courts failed to uphold justice. With every ruling handed down, it becomes more apparent that we live in an age of hollow justice, with government courts more concerned with protecting government agents than upholding the rights of “we the people.” This is true at all levels of the judiciary, but especially so in the highest court of the land, the U.S. Supreme Court, which is seemingly more concerned with establishing order and protecting government agents than with upholding the rights enshrined in the Constitution. A review of critical court rulings over the past two decades, including some ominous ones by the U.S. Supreme Court, reveals a startling and steady trend towards pro-police state rulings by an institution concerned more with establishing order and protecting the ruling class and government agents than with upholding the rights enshrined in the Constitution.
COVID-19 allowed the Emergency State to expand its powers. What started out as an apparent effort to prevent a novel coronavirus from sickening the nation (and the world) became yet another means by which world governments (including our own) could expand their powers, abuse their authority, and further oppress their constituents. While COVID-19 took a significant toll on the nation emotionally, physically, and economically, it also allowed the government to trample our rights in the so-called name of national security, with talk of mass testing for COVID-19 antibodies, screening checkpoints, contact tracing, immunity passports, forced vaccinations, snitch tip lines and onerous lockdowns.
The Surveillance State rendered Americans vulnerable to threats from government spies, police, hackers and power failures. Thanks to the government’s ongoing efforts to build massive databases using emerging surveillance, DNA and biometrics technologies, Americans have become sitting ducks for hackers and government spies alike. Billions of people have been affected by data breaches and cyberattacks. On a daily basis, Americans have been made to relinquish the most intimate details of who we are—our biological makeup, our genetic blueprints, and our biometrics (facial characteristics and structure, fingerprints, iris scans, etc.)—in order to navigate an increasingly technologically-enabled world.
America became a red flag nation. Red flag laws, specifically, and pre-crime laws generally push us that much closer towards a suspect society where everyone is potentially guilty of some crime or another and must be preemptively rendered harmless. Where many Americans go wrong is in naively assuming that you have to be doing something illegal or harmful in order to be flagged and targeted for some form of intervention or detention. In fact, all you need to do these days to end up on a government watch list or be subjected to heightened scrutiny is use certain trigger words (like cloud, pork and pirates), surf the internet, communicate using a cell phone, limp or stutter, drive a car, stay at a hotel, attend a political rally, express yourself on social media, appear mentally ill, serve in the military, disagree with a law enforcement official, call in sick to work, purchase materials at a hardware store, take flying or boating lessons, appear suspicious, appear confused or nervous, fidget or whistle or smell bad, be seen in public waving a toy gun or anything remotely resembling a gun (such as a water nozzle or a remote control or a walking cane), stare at a police officer, question government authority, appear to be pro-gun or pro-freedom, or generally live in the United States. Be warned: once you get on such a government watch list—whether it’s a terrorist watch list, a mental health watch list, a dissident watch list, or a red flag gun watch list—there’s no clear-cut way to get off, whether or not you should actually be on there.
The cost of policing the globe drove the nation deeper into debt. America’s war spending has already bankrupted the nation to the tune of more than $20 trillion dollars. Policing the globe and waging endless wars abroad hasn’t made America—or the rest of the world—any safer, but it has made the military industrial complex rich at taxpayer expense. The U.S. military reportedly has more than 1.3 million men and women on active duty, with more than 200,000 of them stationed overseas in nearly every country in the world. Yet America’s military forces aren’t being deployed abroad to protect our freedoms here at home. Rather, they’re being used to guard oil fields, build foreign infrastructure and protect the financial interests of the corporate elite. In fact, the United States military spends about $81 billion a year just to protect oil supplies around the world. This is how a military empire occupies the globe. Meanwhile, America’s infrastructure is falling apart.
Free speech was dealt one knock-out punch after another. Protest laws, free speech zones, bubble zones, trespass zones, anti-bullying legislation, zero tolerance policies, hate crime laws, shadow banning on the Internet, and a host of other legalistic maladies dreamed up by politicians and prosecutors (and championed by those who want to suppress speech with which they might disagree) conspired to corrode our core freedoms, purportedly for our own good. On paper—at least according to the U.S. Constitution—we are technically free to speak. In reality, however, we are only as free to speak as a government official—or corporate entities such as Facebook, Google or YouTube—may allow. The reasons for such censorship varied widely from political correctness, so-called safety concerns and bullying to national security and hate crimes but the end result remained the same: the complete eradication of free speech.
The Deep State took over. The American system of representative government has been overthrown by the Deep State—a.k.a. the police state a.k.a. the military/corporate industrial complex—a profit-driven, militaristic corporate state bent on total control and global domination through the imposition of martial law here at home and by fomenting wars abroad. The “government of the people, by the people, for the people” has perished. In its place is a shadow government, a corporatized, militarized, entrenched bureaucracy that is fully operational and staffed by unelected officials who are, in essence, running the country and calling the shots in Washington DC, no matter who sits in the White House. Mind you, by “government,” I’m not referring to the highly partisan, two-party bureaucracy of the Republicans and Democrats. Rather, I’m referring to “government” with a capital “G,” the entrenched Deep State that is unaffected by elections, unaltered by populist movements, and has set itself beyond the reach of the law. This is the hidden face of a government that has no respect for the freedom of its citizenry. This shadow government, which “operates according to its own compass heading regardless of who is formally in power,” makes a mockery of elections and the entire concept of a representative government.
The takeaway: Everything the founders of this country feared has come to dominate in modern America. “We the people” have been saddled with a government that is no longer friendly to freedom and is working overtime to trample the Constitution underfoot and render the citizenry powerless in the face of the government’s power grabs, corruption and abusive tactics.
So how do you balance the scales of justice at a time when Americans are being tasered, tear-gassed, pepper-sprayed, hit with batons, shot with rubber bullets and real bullets, blasted with sound cannons, detained in cages and kennels, sicced by police dogs, arrested and jailed for challenging the government’s excesses, abuses and power-grabs, and then locked down and stripped of any semblance of personal freedom?
No matter who sits in the White House, politics won’t fix a system that is broken beyond repair.
For that matter, protests and populist movements also haven’t done much to push back against an authoritarian regime that is deaf to our cries, dumb to our troubles, blind to our needs, and accountable to no one.
So how do you not only push back against the government’s bureaucracy, corruption and cruelty but also launch a counterrevolution aimed at reclaiming control over the government using nonviolent means?
You start by changing the rules and engaging in some (nonviolent) guerilla tactics.
Take your cue from the Tenth Amendment and nullify everything the government does that flies in the face of the principles on which this nation was founded. If there is any means left to us for thwarting the government in its relentless march towards outright dictatorship, it may rest with the power of juries and local governments to invalidate governmental laws, tactics and policies that are illegitimate, egregious or blatantly unconstitutional.
In an age in which government officials accused of wrongdoing—police officers, elected officials, etc.—are treated with general leniency, while the average citizen is prosecuted to the full extent of the law, nullification is a powerful reminder that, as the Constitution tells us, “we the people” are the government.
For too long we’ve allowed our so-called “representatives” to call the shots. Now it’s time to restore the citizenry to their rightful place in the republic: as the masters, not the servants.
Nullification is one way of doing so.
America was meant to be primarily a system of local governments, which is a far cry from the colossal federal bureaucracy we have today. Yet if our freedoms are to be restored, understanding what is transpiring practically in your own backyard—in one’s home, neighborhood, school district, town council—and taking action at that local level must be the starting point.
Responding to unmet local needs and reacting to injustices is what grassroots activism is all about. Attend local city council meetings, speak up at town hall meetings, organize protests and letter-writing campaigns, employ “militant nonviolent resistance” and civil disobedience, which Martin Luther King Jr. used to great effect through the use of sit-ins, boycotts and marches.
The power to change things for the better rests with us, not the politicians.
As long as we continue to allow callousness, cruelty, meanness, immorality, ignorance, hatred, intolerance, racism, militarism, materialism, meanness and injustice—magnified by an echo chamber of nasty tweets and government-sanctioned brutality—to trump justice, fairness and equality, there can be no hope of prevailing against the police state.
We could transform this nation if only Americans would work together to harness the power of their discontent and push back against the government’s overreach, excesses and abuse.
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People , the police state is marching forward, more powerful than ever.
If there is to be any hope for freedom in 2021, it rests with “we the people.”
Article posted with permission from John Whitehead


thewashingtonstandard--2020-12-29--Mr. President, This Is Not Your Job!

Mr. President, This Is Not Your Job!

Anti Fed Ed Warriors , it ’ s not a secret that I ’ ve been critical of ANY administration overreaching into education .
It ’ s simply NOT constitutional !
I don ’ t care what political team the administration is on .
Wrong is wrong .
In the image below , you ’ ll see that I was pointing out THEN , how We the People were STILL WAITING for the President ’ s promises on education to come to life , yet nothing happened .
You ’ ll also see how I pointed out how the President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda since taking office .
Now that it appears he ’ s leaving , he ’ s creating a massive set-up to fail ‘ scheme ’ .
What ‘ scheme ’ ?
Vouchers in the name of educational success during COVID .
It ’ s also not a secret that I ’ ve shown you , how , presidential executive orders mandating anything in education , are also unconstitutional .
When I , along with others , exposed the fascist roots of the voucher system ( a ‘ pay as you go ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woke up ’ .
However , many MORE embraced it as an opportunity for more freedom/more choice/more independence .
( *Note : the link above will give you access to at least 6 pages of researched and published evidence . )
You ’ ve heard it from Charlotte Iserbyt and many others ( including myself ) that ANYTIME the government waves money in front of a State , school , or family , many poisoned strings are attached which KILL freedoms and independence .
I ’ ve shown you time and time again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act ) KILLED true school choice .
Still the CCSS Machine ’ s propaganda has continued to promote vouchers , ESAs ( education savings accounts ) , and any other pay as you go scheme ( like ‘ freedom scholarships ’ ) , as not only a way to help relieve COVID pains , but to give families more power .
This illusion of power is a dangerous game and is absolute socialism in nature .
Look below : HELLO ?
!
The President has just released a new Executive Order giving , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hand out education vouchers , but the U.S. Dept .
of Health and Human Services !
HHS , just like ED : UNCONSTITUTIONAL in its very existence !
!
Wait , what ?
How can HHS have the authority ?
Warriors , it was in the language of the ESSA , that the federal powers actually increase in all educational/family activities .
Those powers were based in 3 federal departments : HHS , ED , and , LABOR ( in order of power structure ) .
Did you catch that ?
ED @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most increase , it was HHS .
It ’ s playing out perfectly , now , especially in the name of COVID .
However , if you look at the ‘ pay as you go ’ scheme , it ’ s not the families or even students , who will be benefiting , but the federal government .
The image below is depicting the ‘ new normal ’ as MSM ( Main Stream Media , which includes the CCSS Machine ) will not show you .
THIS is what you accept when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credits , etc .
for education .
Trump ’ s new EO includes ALL ‘ choices ’ are eligible , even homeschools !
HOW ?
Anytime you accept government funding , especially in the forms of vouchers and grants , you give the authority over to the federal government ; you DON ’ T keep it for yourself !
By giving this authority over in education , you are basically handing the government your children to be molded and shaped as the government prescribed ‘ outcomes ’ of ESSA come to life .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ workforce skilled minions ; NOT free thinking active citizens !
How does Trump ’ s new EO able to do this ?
Read Section 2 .
It ’ s the Block Grants for Community Development .
ESSA was full of these and each fiscal year since ESSA became law , these grants have been not only funded , but have seen increased funding .
These grants are the bedrock of the wrap around services Anita Hoge has been warning us about for years .
These services were meant to ensnare not only the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but EVERYONE else in the community .
Hence , the title “ Community Development ” .
The ‘ developing ’ isn ’ t a natural or organic extension of what your town wants , but is dictated by funding to be what the government mandates !
Long time CCSS Machine member , Rep. Foxx ( NC ) released this quote following the Trump EO .
Note her use of the phrase ‘ zip code ’ .
That ’ s a propaganda educratic term the Democrats have used for years .
What does this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference between the Rs and the Ds !
“ This pandemic has devastated millions of our nation ’ s students .
Our medical health experts , including the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics , have warned of the consequences of prolonged distance learning , including depression , extreme absenteeism , and learning loss .
“ We know it ’ s possible for schools to safely reopen with proper precautions , and although the federal government has provided more than $ 13 billion , with at least another $ 57 billion on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precautions , countless children continue to have their futures predetermined solely by their zip code .
“ The Executive Order announced by the White House today will provide additional flexibility to help states provide much needed funding to families in the form of emergency learning scholarships .
This will empower disadvantaged families to connect their child with the educational setting of their choosing .
“ Educational choice is powerful .
Families should have the opportunity to make informed decisions that work for them and their individual needs , rather than being forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater educational freedom we can ensure that every student is successful – not just in the classroom but in years after .
In doing so , we make our country even stronger.
” The lies in Foxx ’ s statement are off the charts .
Government shouldn ’ t provide families additional flexibility .
The government didn ’ t give parents children , God did !
The government will NOT empower your family to retain your personal values , attitudes , or , beliefs when you take their money !
Page 17 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SIZE fits ALL mandate !
What was that mandate we are STILL kowtowing to ?
“ ALL education must be aligned to the same post-secondary readiness standards as laid out in the WIOA ( Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ) ” !
One thing I ’ d like to point out , the States using Blaine Amendments ( supposedly separates public money from private schools , especially faith based ) will not be exempt under this new EO .
They can ’ t be .
Why ?
The summer Supreme Court decision on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this short two minute video , I explain it .
In the accompanying article , I give you more evidence .
So why am I pointing out Rep. Foxx ’ s statement ?
Below is her view of education ( If you aren ’ t sure what Career Tech Education is , it ’ s the CCSS Machine ’ s answer to training workers , not academically gifting children .
It ’ s accessible to ALL education choices , too . )
: Warriors , if you think I ’ m simply bashing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how I exposed VP Biden ( at the time ) and his ties to the Big Unions to align education to labor needs at Pres .
Obama ’ s direction .
You can find that link in this article where you ’ ll also see that many others have similar myopic vision when it comes to education .
Biden ’ s pick for Sec .
of Education will expand on this and carry out what Trump ’ s EO has now set in place .
Again , there ’ s no difference between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to education and labor !
( expect more on this as it unfolds ) In the image above , you can see the 10/6 ed/labor scheme our government uses .
It ’ s based , 100 % on the globalism plan from the United Nations in the SDGs ( Sustainable Development Goals ) .
Education for all is SDG # 4 and Labor for all is SDG # 8 .
It ’ s absolutely NO ACCIDENT that the Trump Administration , like the ones before it , has kicked the globalism can down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pick up .
This EO all but seals it in cement .
It ’ s simply NOT a president ’ s job to use Executive Orders to set the globalist agenda as a national mandate .
From 2002 to today , Lynne has been a featured speaker at small meetings and large conferences .
Since 2009 , she has served as a frequent guest on nationwide radio and multimedia shows .
Lynne also co-established PIE NC ( Preserving Integrity and Excellence in Education ) .
She is a retired private ( homeschool ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She has also been a business owner , worked with children 's ministry and currently is an education liaison for Protecting Innocence Campaign ( based in OH ) , wife and mom .
Lynne is also an adviser to the national grassroots campaign `` Child Abuse in the Classroom '' , where it is the campaign 's belief that `` Repealing ESSA and Restoring FERPA '' are the best ways to help restore our nation 's education system .
She was also awarded the 2011 Distinguished Educator from the National Society of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2016 L & B Network 's Torchbearer Award for educational advocacy .
She has been recognized by her peers as an expert in Common Core , Career Tech Education , Career Pathways , workforce and competency-based education reform , federal overreaches into education and our families .

Anti Fed Ed Warriors, it’s not a secret that I’ve been critical of ANY administration overreaching into education. It’s simply NOT constitutional! I don’t care what political team the administration is on. Wrong is wrong. In the image below, you’ll see that I was pointing out THEN, how We the People were STILL WAITING for the President’s promises on education to come to life, yet nothing happened. You’ll also see how I pointed out how the President has advanced the CCSS Machine’s agenda since taking office. Now that it appears he’s leaving, he’s creating a massive set-up to fail ‘scheme’.
What ‘scheme’? Vouchers in the name of educational success during COVID.
It’s also not a secret that I’ve shown you, how, presidential executive orders mandating anything in education, are also unconstitutional.
When I, along with others, exposed the fascist roots of the voucher system (a ‘pay as you go’ scheme), many of you ‘woke up’. However, many MORE embraced it as an opportunity for more freedom/more choice/more independence. (*Note: the link above will give you access to at least 6 pages of researched and published evidence.)
You’ve heard it from Charlotte Iserbyt and many others (including myself) that ANYTIME the government waves money in front of a State, school, or family, many poisoned strings are attached which KILL freedoms and independence. I’ve shown you time and time again how the ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) KILLED true school choice.
Still the CCSS Machine’s propaganda has continued to promote vouchers, ESAs (education savings accounts), and any other pay as you go scheme (like ‘freedom scholarships’), as not only a way to help relieve COVID pains, but to give families more power. This illusion of power is a dangerous game and is absolute socialism in nature. Look below:
HELLO?! The President has just released a new Executive Order giving, not the U.S. Dept of Education power to hand out education vouchers, but the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services! HHS, just like ED: UNCONSTITUTIONAL in its very existence!!
Wait, what? How can HHS have the authority? Warriors, it was in the language of the ESSA, that the federal powers actually increase in all educational/family activities. Those powers were based in 3 federal departments: HHS, ED, and, LABOR (in order of power structure). Did you catch that? ED wasn’t the Dept. with the most increase, it was HHS. It’s playing out perfectly, now, especially in the name of COVID. However, if you look at the ‘pay as you go’ scheme, it’s not the families or even students, who will be benefiting, but the federal government.
The image below is depicting the ‘new normal’ as MSM (Main Stream Media, which includes the CCSS Machine) will not show you. THIS is what you accept when you accept ESAs, vouchers, tax credits, etc. for education. Trump’s new EO includes ALL ‘choices’ are eligible, even homeschools!
HOW? Anytime you accept government funding, especially in the forms of vouchers and grants, you give the authority over to the federal government; you DON’T keep it for yourself! By giving this authority over in education, you are basically handing the government your children to be molded and shaped as the government prescribed ‘outcomes’ of ESSA come to life. Those ‘outcomes’ are nothing BUT workforce skilled minions; NOT free thinking active citizens!
How does Trump’s new EO able to do this? Read Section 2. It’s the Block Grants for Community Development. ESSA was full of these and each fiscal year since ESSA became law, these grants have been not only funded, but have seen increased funding. These grants are the bedrock of the wrap around services Anita Hoge has been warning us about for years. These services were meant to ensnare not only the public school students and their families, but EVERYONE else in the community. Hence, the title “Community Development”. The ‘developing’ isn’t a natural or organic extension of what your town wants, but is dictated by funding to be what the government mandates!
Long time CCSS Machine member, Rep. Foxx (NC) released this quote following the Trump EO. Note her use of the phrase ‘zip code’. That’s a propaganda educratic term the Democrats have used for years. What does this tell us? There’s no difference between the Rs and the Ds!
“This pandemic has devastated millions of our nation’s students. Our medical health experts, including the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have warned of the consequences of prolonged distance learning, including depression, extreme absenteeism, and learning loss.
“We know it’s possible for schools to safely reopen with proper precautions, and although the federal government has provided more than $13 billion, with at least another $57 billion on the way, to help implement these precautions, countless children continue to have their futures predetermined solely by their zip code.
“The Executive Order announced by the White House today will provide additional flexibility to help states provide much needed funding to families in the form of emergency learning scholarships. This will empower disadvantaged families to connect their child with the educational setting of their choosing.
“Educational choice is powerful. Families should have the opportunity to make informed decisions that work for them and their individual needs, rather than being forced to accept a one-size-fits-all mandate. By providing greater educational freedom we can ensure that every student is successful – not just in the classroom but in years after. In doing so, we make our country even stronger.”
The lies in Foxx’s statement are off the charts. Government shouldn’t provide families additional flexibility. The government didn’t give parents children, God did! The government will NOT empower your family to retain your personal values, attitudes, or, beliefs when you take their money!
Page 17 of ESSA was crystal clear in a ONE SIZE fits ALL mandate! What was that mandate we are STILL kowtowing to? “ALL education must be aligned to the same post-secondary readiness standards as laid out in the WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act)”!
One thing I’d like to point out, the States using Blaine Amendments ( supposedly separates public money from private schools, especially faith based) will not be exempt under this new EO. They can’t be. Why? The summer Supreme Court decision on public money in private schools. In this short two minute video, I explain it. In the accompanying article, I give you more evidence.
So why am I pointing out Rep. Foxx’s statement? Below is her view of education (If you aren’t sure what Career Tech Education is, it’s the CCSS Machine’s answer to training workers, not academically gifting children. It’s accessible to ALL education choices, too.):
Warriors, if you think I’m simply bashing Republicans, let’s not forget how I exposed VP Biden (at the time) and his ties to the Big Unions to align education to labor needs at Pres. Obama’s direction. You can find that link in this article where you’ll also see that many others have similar myopic vision when it comes to education.
Biden’s pick for Sec. of Education will expand on this and carry out what Trump’s EO has now set in place. Again, there’s no difference between the Rs and Ds when it comes to education and labor! (expect more on this as it unfolds)
In the image above, you can see the 10/6 ed/labor scheme our government uses. It’s based, 100% on the globalism plan from the United Nations in the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). Education for all is SDG #4 and Labor for all is SDG #8.
It’s absolutely NO ACCIDENT that the Trump Administration, like the ones before it, has kicked the globalism can down the road for the next Administration to pick up.
This EO all but seals it in cement. It’s simply NOT a president’s job to use Executive Orders to set the globalist agenda as a national mandate.
Article posted with permission from Lynne Taylor


thewashingtonstandard--2020-12-30--Read The Bible In 2021 – Or Starve Spiritually

Apparently , fewer Americans are reading the Bible daily .
A Barna study on behalf of the American Bible Society came out a few months ago ( during the time of COVID-19 ) that showed a drop in the number of Americans who claim to read the Bible every day – from 14 % to 9 % .
That seems strange since you would think that during the pandemic , when we have been forced to spend more time indoors , more of us would have found time to read the Scriptures .
It should also be noted that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans who carve out time every day to read the Bible .
There ’ s no other book that would rival that kind of readership .
I have found , as a Bible reader for about 45 years now , that reading the Scriptures is rewarding in and of itself .
I was shocked , when I first started reading the Bible , how many daily words and phrases come right from its pages .
“ Turn the other cheek.
” “ Do unto others.
” “ Go the second mile.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so on .
There are easily a couple hundred words and phrases used all the time – even in our highly secular age – that first came from the Bible .
Reading the Bible is vital because through it , God speaks to us .
Because He speaks to us , His Word is inexhaustible .
What I mean by that is that you can read and re-read the same passages and learn something new from it .
No other book is like that .
No other book warrants re-reading and re-studying like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our world today who pay a high price just to read the Bible .
Many of them don ’ t even have access to the Scriptures .
Wendy Wright , the president of Christian Freedom International , a group that helps the persecuted church , notes that Christians at risk for persecution around the world today number about 260 million .
And many of them crave the Scriptures .
Wendy gave me one example : “ In North Korea , where citizens are indoctrinated to worship Kim Jong-un , 40 percent of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desperately find ways to send food – and Bibles – to their countrymen .
One man who miraculously escaped now risks his life to help others .
He said , ‘ Rice is important .
But Bibles are even more important . '
” In our own country , we have a rich tradition of many presidents and leaders who were regular readers of the Bible .
Take , for example , the sixth president , John Quincy Adams .
Here was a man who did so much to fight against slavery in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he became a congressman ( the only former president to do so ) .
He invested time into a young congressman from Illinois , who served only one term , training him on the fight against the evil practice of slavery .
That man was Abraham Lincoln .
Adams was called “ The Hell-Hound of Slavery.
” Like William Wilberforce , who led the half-century crusade against slavery in England , and like Abraham Lincoln , Adams was a fervent reader of the Bible .
Adams wrote in his diary on Sept. 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it a practice for several years to read the Bible through in the course of every year .
I usually devote to this reading the first hour after I rise every morning .
… My rule is to read five chapters every morning .
… Extraordinary pressure or business seldom interrupts more than one day ’ s reading at a time.
” If busy presidents could carve out time to read the Bible , why can ’ t we ?
If we ’ re too busy to read the Bible , then we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For the Christian , reading the Bible is like eating .
If you don ’ t eat , you starve .
If you don ’ t spend time in God ’ s Word , you ultimately starve spiritually .
So this coming year , find some plan to spend time reading and studying God ’ s Word .
It will drastically improve your walk with God .
I like a book from the 1940s from England , called “ Search the Scriptures.
” If you use it every day , over a three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire Bible cover to cover .
I ’ ve used that book many times .
Walk Thru the Bible and other ministries have developed schedules whereby people can plug into a daily plan to read the Word of God , daily .
Find a plan and stick with it .
I heard a man say recently that reading that calendar day ’ s chapter in Proverbs ( with 31 chapters ) every day turned his work life around , from failure to success .
Twenty years ago there was a national outdoor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-liners signed by “ God.
” The stark white text on a simple black background were bold and thought-provoking .
One of the billboard messages read : “ Have you read my # 1 bestseller ?
( There will be a test . )
– God .
”

Apparently, fewer Americans are reading the Bible daily. A Barna study on behalf of the American Bible Society came out a few months ago (during the time of COVID-19) that showed a drop in the number of Americans who claim to read the Bible every day – from 14% to 9%.
That seems strange since you would think that during the pandemic, when we have been forced to spend more time indoors, more of us would have found time to read the Scriptures.
It should also be noted that we are talking about at least 30 million Americans who carve out time every day to read the Bible. There’s no other book that would rival that kind of readership.
I have found, as a Bible reader for about 45 years now, that reading the Scriptures is rewarding in and of itself. I was shocked, when I first started reading the Bible, how many daily words and phrases come right from its pages. “Turn the other cheek.” “Do unto others.” “Go the second mile.” “My brother’s keeper” and so on. There are easily a couple hundred words and phrases used all the time – even in our highly secular age – that first came from the Bible.
Reading the Bible is vital because through it, God speaks to us. Because He speaks to us, His Word is inexhaustible. What I mean by that is that you can read and re-read the same passages and learn something new from it. No other book is like that. No other book warrants re-reading and re-studying like the Scriptures.
There are many in our world today who pay a high price just to read the Bible. Many of them don’t even have access to the Scriptures. Wendy Wright, the president of Christian Freedom International, a group that helps the persecuted church, notes that Christians at risk for persecution around the world today number about 260 million.
And many of them crave the Scriptures. Wendy gave me one example: “In North Korea, where citizens are indoctrinated to worship Kim Jong-un, 40 percent of the people are undernourished. Christians who escape desperately find ways to send food – and Bibles – to their countrymen. One man who miraculously escaped now risks his life to help others. He said, ‘Rice is important. But Bibles are even more important.'”
In our own country, we have a rich tradition of many presidents and leaders who were regular readers of the Bible.
Take, for example, the sixth president, John Quincy Adams. Here was a man who did so much to fight against slavery in this country. After his presidency, he became a congressman (the only former president to do so). He invested time into a young congressman from Illinois, who served only one term, training him on the fight against the evil practice of slavery. That man was Abraham Lincoln. Adams was called “The Hell-Hound of Slavery.”
Like William Wilberforce, who led the half-century crusade against slavery in England, and like Abraham Lincoln, Adams was a fervent reader of the Bible.
Adams wrote in his diary on Sept. 26, 1810: “I have made it a practice for several years to read the Bible through in the course of every year. I usually devote to this reading the first hour after I rise every morning. … My rule is to read five chapters every morning. … Extraordinary pressure or business seldom interrupts more than one day’s reading at a time.”
If busy presidents could carve out time to read the Bible, why can’t we? If we’re too busy to read the Bible, then we’re too busy. Period.
For the Christian, reading the Bible is like eating. If you don’t eat, you starve. If you don’t spend time in God’s Word, you ultimately starve spiritually.
So this coming year, find some plan to spend time reading and studying God’s Word. It will drastically improve your walk with God.
I like a book from the 1940s from England, called “Search the Scriptures.” If you use it every day, over a three year period, you will have studied the entire Bible cover to cover. I’ve used that book many times. Walk Thru the Bible and other ministries have developed schedules whereby people can plug into a daily plan to read the Word of God, daily. Find a plan and stick with it.
I heard a man say recently that reading that calendar day’s chapter in Proverbs (with 31 chapters) every day turned his work life around, from failure to success.
Twenty years ago there was a national outdoor ad campaign on some 10,000 billboards with one-liners signed by “God.” The stark white text on a simple black background were bold and thought-provoking. One of the billboard messages read: “Have you read my #1 bestseller? (There will be a test.) – God.”
Article posted with permission from Jerry Newcombe


thewashingtonstandard--2020-12-30--Why Have Murder Rates Absolutely Skyrocketed All Over America In 2020?

Why Have Murder Rates Absolutely Skyrocketed All Over America In 2020 ?
We have seen spikes in certain major cities before , but there has never been a year quite like this .
In 2020 , murder rates have been soaring dramatically from coast to coast , and many are deeply concerned about what our big metropolitan areas will look like if this trend continues into 2021 and beyond .
The civil unrest that erupted in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd certainly contributed to the rising numbers , but authorities have been shocked that murder rates have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans are killing Americans in record numbers , and nobody seems to have a solution to this growing national crisis .
Let ’ s take a look at some of the hard numbers .
In New York City , the number of murders has risen 41 percent compared to 2019… At one time NYC was considered to be one of the safest cities in America , but those days are long gone .
But at least New York is not as bad as Chicago .
In fact , the number of murders in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high as the number of murders in NYC… Out on the west coast , rates of violent crime seem to be rising faster than anywhere else .
For example , the number of shootings in Portland is up 116 percent compared to last year… Almost everywhere you look , records have either already been broken or are in danger of being broken .
In Philadelphia , if 15 people get murdered by January 1st they will break the all-time record which was originally established 30 years ago… And in south Florida , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already broken the old record by a good margin… Many Republicans have pointed out that murder rates seem to be rising fastest in cities that are governed by Democrats .
In Atlanta , Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says that she is “ open to suggestions ” because at this point she is at a total loss for how to stop the dramatic escalation of violent crime in her city… Shall I share more examples , or do you get the point ?
To call this a “ crime wave ” would be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , carjackings in Minneapolis were up 537 percent last month .
Just think about that .
When something is rising 537 percent , you are talking about an exponential increase .
Of course , it might help if Minneapolis and other major cities were to actually increase police funding instead of decreasing it .
You can put as much money into “ mental health programs ” as you want , but the truth is that very few criminals will ever be talked out of committing crimes .
What keeps criminals from committing crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to prison , and our politicians should never forget that .
Also , the reality of the matter is that so many of our law enforcement resources are being wasted right now .
Instead of brutally assaulting a disabled veteran for not wearing a mask , our law enforcement personnel need to be out in the streets battling one of the greatest crime waves that we have ever seen in all of U.S. history .
Our society is literally in the process of melting down all around us .
The thin veneer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ granted on a daily basis is in grave danger , and many believe that very dark days are ahead for our country .
If we are seeing this much violent crime now , what will happen when economic conditions in this country become far worse ?
Yes , reform is desperately needed in police departments all over the nation .
But we should be incredibly thankful for the boys in blue because they are putting their lives on the line for us on a daily basis .
When someone is trying to break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want someone to be there on the other end of the phone when you dial 911 .
And the way things are going , more Americans than ever will be facing that sort of a scenario in 2021 .

We have seen spikes in certain major cities before, but there has never been a year quite like this. In 2020, murder rates have been soaring dramatically from coast to coast, and many are deeply concerned about what our big metropolitan areas will look like if this trend continues into 2021 and beyond. The civil unrest that erupted in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd certainly contributed to the rising numbers, but authorities have been shocked that murder rates have remained so elevated all year long. Americans are killing Americans in record numbers, and nobody seems to have a solution to this growing national crisis.
Let’s take a look at some of the hard numbers. In New York City, the number of murders has risen 41 percent compared to 2019…
The city – heralded as the safest big city in America in recent years – has recorded 447 killings this year as of Tuesday, a 41 percent increase over last year and the largest number since 2011. The number of people shot has more than doubled last year´s total, nearing a 14-year high.
At one time NYC was considered to be one of the safest cities in America, but those days are long gone.
But at least New York is not as bad as Chicago. In fact, the number of murders in Chicago this year is almost twice as high as the number of murders in NYC…
At least eight people were killed and 30 more were wounded in citywide shootings over the extended holiday weekend, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Monday. Three people were shot and killed on Christmas Day. “We’re over 700 homicides by gun in Chicago this year and close to 800 total homicides for the year,” Chicago FOP President John Catanzara told Fox News Tuesday. “It’s reaching historic levels, and this when the city council and the mayor’s budget just cut over 600 jobs from the police department’s budget when crime is soaring. It’s ridiculous.”
Out on the west coast, rates of violent crime seem to be rising faster than anywhere else. For example, the number of shootings in Portland is up 116 percent compared to last year…
Fox News reports based on local crime statistics that murders are surging in Portland, Oregon. “As of Christmas Eve, this year’s shootings had surpassed last year’s by more than 116%, with 393 shootings reported in all of 2019.” 2020 numbers dwarf the prior year’s, having reached over 850 shootings. Among these are more single-year homicides than in any year over the prior nearly three decades.
Almost everywhere you look, records have either already been broken or are in danger of being broken.
In Philadelphia, if 15 people get murdered by January 1st they will break the all-time record which was originally established 30 years ago…
A violent night pushes Philadelphia closer to reaching a grim milestone. The city could be on track to surpass the most homicides ever in a calendar year. The record is 504 homicides which was set in 1990 and with three days left to go in this year the city is has had at least 490.
And in south Florida, the number of murders in Miami-Dade County has already broken the old record by a good margin…
Officials recorded 272 homicides through Dec. 24 across Miami-Dade County, up 31 cases from all of 2019, records show. The year isn’t even over and it’s a recent high — up from 232 in all of 2017, and 252 in 2015.
Many Republicans have pointed out that murder rates seem to be rising fastest in cities that are governed by Democrats. In Atlanta, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says that she is “open to suggestions” because at this point she is at a total loss for how to stop the dramatic escalation of violent crime in her city…
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a rising star in the Democratic Party who was recently considered for a position in President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet, is coming under fire for her administration’s handling of a surge in violent crime in her city. Saying she was ‘open to suggestions’ on stopping the crime wave, the mayor was on the defensive over the holiday weekend after three people were fatally shot in the city, bringing Atlanta’s homicide count to its highest in more than two decades.
Shall I share more examples, or do you get the point?
To call this a “crime wave” would be a major understatement. Compared to last year, carjackings in Minneapolis were up 537 percent last month.
Just think about that.
When something is rising 537 percent, you are talking about an exponential increase.
Of course, it might help if Minneapolis and other major cities were to actually increase police funding instead of decreasing it.
You can put as much money into “mental health programs” as you want, but the truth is that very few criminals will ever be talked out of committing crimes.
What keeps criminals from committing crimes is the fear of being caught and going to prison, and our politicians should never forget that.
Also, the reality of the matter is that so many of our law enforcement resources are being wasted right now. Instead of brutally assaulting a disabled veteran for not wearing a mask, our law enforcement personnel need to be out in the streets battling one of the greatest crime waves that we have ever seen in all of U.S. history.
Our society is literally in the process of melting down all around us. The thin veneer of civilization that we all take for granted on a daily basis is in grave danger, and many believe that very dark days are ahead for our country.
If we are seeing this much violent crime now, what will happen when economic conditions in this country become far worse?
Yes, reform is desperately needed in police departments all over the nation.
But we should be incredibly thankful for the boys in blue because they are putting their lives on the line for us on a daily basis.
When someone is trying to break into your home, you will definitely want someone to be there on the other end of the phone when you dial 911.
And the way things are going, more Americans than ever will be facing that sort of a scenario in 2021.
Article posted with permission from Michael Snyder


thewashingtonstandard--2020-12-30--WHO Chief Scientist:  There Is No Evidence That The Vaccine Will Prevent Infection (Video)

WHO Chief Scientist : There Is No Evidence That The Vaccine Will Prevent Infection ( Video ) A World Health Organization chief scientist has said that there is no evidence that any of the approved vaccines will prevent a person from getting infected with COVID-19 .
This scamdemic is never-ending and the hoax is becoming more apparent by the day .
The comments were made by WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan during what appears to have been a virtual press conference held Monday .
Swaminathan said there is “ no evidence to be confident shots prevent transmission ” and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing masks and following all social distancing and travel guidelines .
She ’ s not the only tyrant to suggest the vaccine is worthless , yet you should get it anyway and still wear your ritualistic shame muzzle signaling your submission to the New World Order cult .
Fauci : Take The Vaccine , Or Wear The Submission Muzzle Forever “ At the moment , I don ’ t believe we have the evidence on any of the vaccines , to be confident that it ’ s going to prevent people from getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
Of course , a close look at the research released by Pfizer and Moderna shows the studies haven ’ t actually tested whether the vaccines actually prevent transmission of the virus ; the goal of the trials was to see whether vaccinated patients presented with COVID symptoms at a rate that was substantially less frequent than individuals who hadn ’ t been vaccinated .
That ’ s pretty much it , according to a report by ZeroHedge .
Though the data might hint at lowering transmission rates , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparently .
Are there still people lining up to get this thing ?
If they can only get only 5 % of the population to agree to take this vaccine , it will eventually disappear , but not without a massive propaganda push to get the public injected .
The time to stand against this tyranny is now .
Forcing something ( anything , not just a vaccine ) into another person ’ s body is one the biggest human rights violations you can commit .
Wake up and stand on some kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve seen , the ruling class will not .

A World Health Organization chief scientist has said that there is no evidence that any of the approved vaccines will prevent a person from getting infected with COVID-19. This scamdemic is never-ending and the hoax is becoming more apparent by the day.
The comments were made by WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan during what appears to have been a virtual press conference held Monday. Swaminathan said there is “no evidence to be confident shots prevent transmission” and that people who receive the vaccine should continue wearing masks and following all social distancing and travel guidelines. She’s not the only tyrant to suggest the vaccine is worthless, yet you should get it anyway and still wear your ritualistic shame muzzle signaling your submission to the New World Order cult.
Fauci: Take The Vaccine, Or Wear The Submission Muzzle Forever
“At the moment, I don’t believe we have the evidence on any of the vaccines, to be confident that it’s going to prevent people from getting the infection and passing it on,” she said.
Of course, a close look at the research released by Pfizer and Moderna shows the studies haven’t actually tested whether the vaccines actually prevent transmission of the virus; the goal of the trials was to see whether vaccinated patients presented with COVID symptoms at a rate that was substantially less frequent than individuals who hadn’t been vaccinated. That’s pretty much it, according to a report by ZeroHedge. Though the data might hint at lowering transmission rates, that’s still to be determined, apparently.
Are there still people lining up to get this thing? If they can only get only 5% of the population to agree to take this vaccine, it will eventually disappear, but not without a massive propaganda push to get the public injected.
The time to stand against this tyranny is now. Forcing something (anything, not just a vaccine) into another person’s body is one the biggest human rights violations you can commit. Wake up and stand on some kind of morals, because as we’ve seen, the ruling class will not.
Article posted with permission from Mac Slavo


thewashingtonstandard--2020-12-30--Reporter Calls On Courageous Religious Leaders To Take A Stand Against COVID Tyranny – Tells Hypocri

Reporter Calls On Courageous Religious Leaders To Take A Stand Against COVID Tyranny – Tells Hypocritical Cowards To “ Renounce Their Religion ” & “ Admit That What True Faith Requires Is Too Much ” I love to read former CBS Healthwatch reporter and author of The Matrix Revealed Jon Rappoport ’ s daily emails .
He ’ s always timely with news and commentary you don ’ t get pretty much anywhere else .
In his recent email , he called out the cowardly , hypocritical leaders in the Church to not only renounce their professed faith , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that professed faith with actions was just too costly for them .
“ The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.
” Edmund Burke , 1784 When are religious leaders going to issue demands to their members ?
Demands to express a duty to God first ; above and beyond the restrictions of the State .
These leaders certainly believe God created humans with the quality of freedom .
The Bible irrevocably states it .
Therefore , under the cover of COVID , the State can not remove that freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flocks to rebel .
Not just in order to attend church services ; but to live without fear , out in the open , without hiding behind masks , without keeping their distance , without lockdowns , without sacrificing their right to earn a living .
Several Catholic prelates have declared the COVID fraud is being used as a rationale for creating an anti-spiritual new world order .
The next step is telling their Church members and believers to rebel , to choose The Good and God .
Every early story about every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day had to be overcome .
Is it now time to develop terminal amnesia about these origins ?
Are those stories buried because they are inconvenient ?
Quoting from an anonymously written article , “ Ancient Christian Martyrdom : A Brief Overview ” : “ By 200 [ AD ] , the [ Christian ] faith had permeated most regions of the Roman Empire , though Christians were mostly in the larger urban areas ( Gaul , Lyons , Carthage , Rome ) .
By 325 , an estimated 7 million were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed for the faith.
” Among the reasons for this vast persecution : “ Christian refusal to worship or honor other gods was a source of great contention.
” “ Christians were accused of being atheists because of their denial of the other gods and refusal of emperor worship .
Thus , they were accused of treason to the state.
” “ For many provincial governors , Christians were considered social radicals , rather than being persecuted specifically for their faith only.
” And now , in 2020 , the major religious objection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worshipers allowed inside a church during services ?
Is this the evolution of faith , or its destruction , at the hands of the faithful themselves ?
Is civilization now so “ advanced ” that suffering and even dying for one ’ s faith is considered absurd ?
Is bargaining with the State over whether 10 or 50 members can enter a house of worship the cutting edge of rebellion ?
It seems to me people should renounce their religion , if they ’ re unwilling to go to the wall for it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requires is too much .
Jesus endured pain and torture , and surrendered his human form , in order to save humanity , but now faithful followers can declare their loyalty during online virtual services .
Or from their cars , in a parking lot .
Without feeling a tremor of conscience .
Over the years , I ’ ve heard many claims that America ( and other Western nations ) were created on the basis of Christian values .
Putting aside counter-arguments , if that is the assertion , then where is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What good are these claims , if in a great crisis , there is no mass rebellion , out in the open , against the tyrannical State , on behalf of God ?
Again , mass rebellion means the refusal to wear masks , the refusal to maintain distancing , the refusal to obey lockdowns or close businesses .
It means reclaiming freedom .
But perhaps some people believe God wants obedience to the State .
He wants his loyal followers to submit to the lockdowns .
He wants worshipers to surrender to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which citizens will function as pawns in a Brave New World technocracy .
He wants the faithful to be stripped of their humanity .
If so , let ’ s hear THAT argument .
Months ago , I said pastors and priests and other religious leaders should stand up in their houses of worship and confess their lack of courage and resign their positions .
Confess they are unworthy to lead congregations .
Ask for the most brave to step forward and take over .
Why should these religious leaders make superficial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In order to maintain their non-profit status with the State ?
In order to keep their flock comfortable ?
Jesus : “ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness , for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
” But perhaps , in these enlightened times , people should worship a purported virus , and desert God .
Jesus had words for the very hypocrites Rappoport is referencing .
The apostle John also reminds us that cowards are first on the list of those who enter the lake of fire .
Article @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Media

Reporter Calls On Courageous Religious Leaders To Take A Stand Against COVID Tyranny – Tells Hypocritical Cowards To “Renounce Their Religion” & “Admit That What True Faith Requires Is Too Much”
I love to read former CBS Healthwatch reporter and author of The Matrix Revealed Jon Rappoport’s daily emails. He’s always timely with news and commentary you don’t get pretty much anywhere else. In his recent email, he called out the cowardly, hypocritical leaders in the Church to not only renounce their professed faith, but to also admit that the hold to that professed faith with actions was just too costly for them.
Rappoport writes:
“The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.” Edmund Burke, 1784
When are religious leaders going to issue demands to their members? Demands to express a duty to God first; above and beyond the restrictions of the State.
These leaders certainly believe God created humans with the quality of freedom. The Bible irrevocably states it. Therefore, under the cover of COVID, the State cannot remove that freedom.
The religious leaders must order their flocks to rebel.
Not just in order to attend church services; but to live without fear, out in the open, without hiding behind masks, without keeping their distance, without lockdowns, without sacrificing their right to earn a living.
Several Catholic prelates have declared the COVID fraud is being used as a rationale for creating an anti-spiritual new world order.
The next step is telling their Church members and believers to rebel, to choose The Good and God.
Every early story about every religion shows how the State power of the day had to be overcome. Is it now time to develop terminal amnesia about these origins?
Are those stories buried because they are inconvenient?
Quoting from an anonymously written article, “Ancient Christian Martyrdom: A Brief Overview”:
“By 200 [AD], the [Christian] faith had permeated most regions of the Roman Empire, though Christians were mostly in the larger urban areas (Gaul, Lyons, Carthage, Rome). By 325, an estimated 7 million were Christians with as many as 2 million killed for the faith.”
Among the reasons for this vast persecution: “Christian refusal to worship or honor other gods was a source of great contention.”
“Christians were accused of being atheists because of their denial of the other gods and refusal of emperor worship. Thus, they were accused of treason to the state.”
“For many provincial governors, Christians were considered social radicals, rather than being persecuted specifically for their faith only.”
And now, in 2020, the major religious objection to COVID restrictions concerns the number of worshipers allowed inside a church during services?
Is this the evolution of faith, or its destruction, at the hands of the faithful themselves?
Is conscience “outmoded”?
Is civilization now so “advanced” that suffering and even dying for one’s faith is considered absurd?
Is bargaining with the State over whether 10 or 50 members can enter a house of worship the cutting edge of rebellion?
It seems to me people should renounce their religion, if they’re unwilling to go to the wall for it.
Just admit that what true faith requires is too much.
Jesus endured pain and torture, and surrendered his human form, in order to save humanity, but now faithful followers can declare their loyalty during online virtual services. Or from their cars, in a parking lot. Without feeling a tremor of conscience.
Over the years, I’ve heard many claims that America (and other Western nations) were created on the basis of Christian values. Putting aside counter-arguments, if that is the assertion, then where is the courage to back it up?
What good are these claims, if in a great crisis, there is no mass rebellion, out in the open, against the tyrannical State, on behalf of God?
Again, mass rebellion means the refusal to wear masks, the refusal to maintain distancing, the refusal to obey lockdowns or close businesses. It means reclaiming freedom.
But perhaps some people believe God wants obedience to the State. He wants his loyal followers to submit to the lockdowns. He wants worshipers to surrender to an all-encompassing secular new world order, in which citizens will function as pawns in a Brave New World technocracy. He wants the faithful to be stripped of their humanity.
If so, let’s hear THAT argument.
Months ago, I said pastors and priests and other religious leaders should stand up in their houses of worship and confess their lack of courage and resign their positions. Confess they are unworthy to lead congregations. Ask for the most brave to step forward and take over.
That’s a correct course of action.
Why should these religious leaders make superficial distinctions about the limits of rebellion? In order to maintain their non-profit status with the State? In order to keep their flock comfortable?
Jesus: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
But perhaps, in these enlightened times, people should worship a purported virus, and desert God.
Jesus had words for the very hypocrites Rappoport is referencing.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. -Matthew 23:23-24
The apostle John also reminds us that cowards are first on the list of those who enter the lake of fire.
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. -Revelation 21:8
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media


thewashingtonstandard--2020-12-30--Shocking Report Links Girl Scout Cookies To Child Sex Trafficking & Slave Labor

A shocking investigation by the Associated Press into child labor has revealed unsettling details about an ingredient in Girl Scout cookies and it its ties to child slave labor and sex trafficking .
Palm oil .
The $ 65 billion global palm oil industry is one of the largest food industries in the world and it is rooted in corruption and child abuse .
The AP ’ s report focused on two children , Ima and Olivia .
Olivia is a Girl Scout in Tennessee who became worried about the ingredient in the cookies she was selling and its ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a child slave .
Ima is among the estimated tens of thousands of children working alongside their parents in Indonesia and Malaysia , which supply 85 % of the world ’ s most consumed vegetable oil .
An Associated Press investigation found most earn little or no pay and are routinely exposed to toxic chemicals and other dangerous conditions .
Some never go to school or learn to read and write .
Others are smuggled across borders and left vulnerable to trafficking or sexual abuse .
Many live in limbo with no citizenship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raids and thrown into detention .
The AP used U.S. Customs records and the most recently published data from producers , traders and buyers to trace the fruits of their labor from the processing mills where palm kernels were crushed to the supply chains of many popular kids ’ cereals , candies and ice creams sold by Nestle , Unilever , Kellogg ’ s , PepsiCo and many other leading food companies , including Ferrero – one of the two makers of Girl Scout cookies .
“ I am dreaming one day I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ima told the AP , tears rolling down her cheeks .
According to the report , palm oil is contained in roughly half the products on supermarket shelves and in almost three out of every four cosmetic brands , though that can be hard to discern since it appears on labels under more than 200 different names .
Due to the unscrupulous means of production , companies attempt to conceal the source of their ingredients .
Some say “ sustainably produced ” like the Girl Scout cookies , but as Olivia found , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ mixed ” designation on Girl Scout cookies means that some of the palm oil is sourced from child slaves .
“ For 100 years , families have been stuck in a cycle of poverty and they know nothing else than work on a palm oil plantation , ” said Kartika Manurung , who has published reports detailing labor issues on Indonesian plantations .
“ When I … ask the kids what they want to be when they grow up , some of the girls say , ‘ I want to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” To be clear , some of these are children helping out in their family businesses attempting to pull themselves out of poverty — though an entire family may earn less in a day than a $ 5 box of Girl Scout Do-si-dos .
However , in other instances , these children are forced into labor camps and literally worked to death , sold into sex slavery , raped and abused .
The AP ’ s investigation into child labor is part of a broader in-depth look at the industry that also exposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slavery .
According to the report , inside the palm oil industry , more than 33,000 children work there , many under hazardous conditions – with nearly half of them between the ages of 5 and 11 .
“ I thought Girl Scouts was supposed to be about making the world a better place , ” Olivia said .
“ But this isn ’ t at all making the world better.
” Indeed , many of these American based companies like Kellogg ’ s , Nestle , Pepsi and Unilever , have used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and have faced very little backlash or consequence from the US government .
While the Free Thought Project often reports on the megacorp Nestle and their rampant abuse and exploitation of drinking water supplies across the nation , few are aware that the company has been found using slave labor .
What ’ s more , as governments across the world attempt to crack down the use of slave labor by requiring companies to report on its use , Nestle is fighting it , saying that it will end up costing consumers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nestle issued a warning against proposed legislation that would require them to report on their efforts to weed out slavery within their company .
The company says the cost of checking to see if they are forcing people to work against their will end up being passed on to the consumer .
The best way to stop Nestle and other companies from using slave labor in their production lines is to stop buying their products .
Below is a list of some of their popular brands and products to help you understand just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is just one of the many companies involved .

A shocking investigation by the Associated Press into child labor has revealed unsettling details about an ingredient in Girl Scout cookies and it its ties to child slave labor and sex trafficking. Palm oil. The $65 billion global palm oil industry is one of the largest food industries in the world and it is rooted in corruption and child abuse.
The AP’s report focused on two children, Ima and Olivia. Olivia is a Girl Scout in Tennessee who became worried about the ingredient in the cookies she was selling and its ties to child slave labor. Ima is a child slave.
As the AP reports:
Ima is among the estimated tens of thousands of children working alongside their parents in Indonesia and Malaysia, which supply 85% of the world’s most consumed vegetable oil. An Associated Press investigation found most earn little or no pay and are routinely exposed to toxic chemicals and other dangerous conditions. Some never go to school or learn to read and write. Others are smuggled across borders and left vulnerable to trafficking or sexual abuse. Many live in limbo with no citizenship and fear being swept up in police raids and thrown into detention. The AP used U.S. Customs records and the most recently published data from producers, traders and buyers to trace the fruits of their labor from the processing mills where palm kernels were crushed to the supply chains of many popular kids’ cereals, candies and ice creams sold by Nestle, Unilever, Kellogg’s, PepsiCo and many other leading food companies, including Ferrero – one of the two makers of Girl Scout cookies.
“I am dreaming one day I can go back to school,” Ima told the AP, tears rolling down her cheeks.
According to the report, palm oil is contained in roughly half the products on supermarket shelves and in almost three out of every four cosmetic brands, though that can be hard to discern since it appears on labels under more than 200 different names.
Due to the unscrupulous means of production, companies attempt to conceal the source of their ingredients. Some say “sustainably produced” like the Girl Scout cookies, but as Olivia found, they also say “mixed.” The “mixed” designation on Girl Scout cookies means that some of the palm oil is sourced from child slaves.
“For 100 years, families have been stuck in a cycle of poverty and they know nothing else than work on a palm oil plantation,” said Kartika Manurung, who has published reports detailing labor issues on Indonesian plantations. “When I … ask the kids what they want to be when they grow up, some of the girls say, ‘I want to be the wife of a palm oil worker.’”
To be clear, some of these are children helping out in their family businesses attempting to pull themselves out of poverty — though an entire family may earn less in a day than a $5 box of Girl Scout Do-si-dos.
However, in other instances, these children are forced into labor camps and literally worked to death, sold into sex slavery, raped and abused.
The AP’s investigation into child labor is part of a broader in-depth look at the industry that also exposed rape, forced labor, trafficking and slavery.
According to the report, inside the palm oil industry, more than 33,000 children work there, many under hazardous conditions – with nearly half of them between the ages of 5 and 11.
“I thought Girl Scouts was supposed to be about making the world a better place,” Olivia said. “But this isn’t at all making the world better.”
Indeed, many of these American based companies like Kellogg’s, Nestle, Pepsi and Unilever, have used slave labor — many of them willingly — and have faced very little backlash or consequence from the US government.
While the Free Thought Project often reports on the megacorp Nestle and their rampant abuse and exploitation of drinking water supplies across the nation, few are aware that the company has been found using slave labor. What’s more, as governments across the world attempt to crack down the use of slave labor by requiring companies to report on its use, Nestle is fighting it, saying that it will end up costing consumers at the register.
In 2018, Nestle issued a warning against proposed legislation that would require them to report on their efforts to weed out slavery within their company. The company says the cost of checking to see if they are forcing people to work against their will end up being passed on to the consumer.
The best way to stop Nestle and other companies from using slave labor in their production lines is to stop buying their products. Below is a list of some of their popular brands and products to help you understand just how far their reach goes. And this is just one of the many companies involved.
Article posted with permission from Matt Agorist