Several years ago, an aggravated American while attempting to deal with some government agency found it closed for apparently no reason—It wasn’t even St. Vitus’ Day! In his rage, he did some investigating regarding these various government “agencies” such as how many existed and what they (supposedly) addressed within the government. When he had finished, he sent out to all and sundry the following list with the comment that they could close most of them and nobody would know the difference until they received their tax bill. Actually, as this was done some years ago, it would not surprise me to find that more barnacles had become stuck to the hull of the ship of state! (*Everything with an asterisk is a comment by the aggravated writer) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Administration for Native Americans Administration on Aging (AoA) Administration on Developmental Disabilities Administrative Committee of the Federal Register Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Advisory Council on Historic Preservation African Development Foundation Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Agency for International Development Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Agricultural Marketing Service Agricultural Research Service Agriculture Department (USDA) Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Interagency Coordinating Committee Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (Justice) Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade (Treasury) Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS) Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Bureau of Engraving and Printing Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Bureau of Industry and Security (formerly the Bureau of Export Admin.) Bureau of International Labor Affairs Bureau of Justice Statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (*No, NOT what you think it means!) Bureau of Prisons Bureau of Public Debt Bureau of Reclamation Bureau of the Census Bureau of Transportation Statistics Census Bureau Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (formerly the Health Care Financing Administration) Central Command (CENTCOM) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (*a/k/a Treason Inc.) Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Chief Acquisition Officers Council Chief Financial Officers Council Chief Human Capital Officers Council Chief Information Officers Council Denali Commission Department of Agriculture (USDA) Department of Commerce (DOC) Department of Defense (DOD) Department of Defense Inspector General Department of Education (ED) (*should be in jail!) Department of Energy (DOE) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (*no pun intended!) Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department of Justice (DOJ) (*pun intended!) Department of Labor (DOL) Department of State (DOS) Department of the Interior (DOI) Department of the Treasury Department of Transportation (DOT) Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Director of National Intelligence Disability Employment Policy Office District of Columbia Home Page Domestic Policy Council Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs (State Department) Economic Adjustment Office DoD Office of Economic Adjustment home page (DOD) Economic Analysis, Bureau of Economic Development Administration Economic Research Service Economics & Statistics Administration Education Department (ED) Election Assistance Commission Elementary and Secondary Education Employee Benefits Security Administration Security Administration (formerly Pension and Welfare Benefits Admin.) Employment and Training Administration (Labor Department) Endangered Species Committee Energy Department (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy DOE Energy Information Administration English Language Acquisition Office Engraving and Printing Bureau of Environmental Management (Energy Department) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Farm Credit Administration Farm Service Agency Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (*apparent adjunct of the CIA) Federal Bureau of Prisons Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Federal Consulting Group Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Federal Election Commission (*possibly also listed under “find a grave”) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Federal Executive Boards Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Federal Financing Bank Federal Geographic Data Committee Federal Highway Administration Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight Federal Housing Finance Board Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds (*soon moving to California) Federal Interagency Committee on Education Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy Federal Judicial Center Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer Federal Labor Relations Authority Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (*also soon moving to California) Federal Library and Information Center Committee Federal Maritime Commission Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Federal Railroad Administration Federal Reserve System Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (*the word “thrift” has no place in anything that starts with “Federal.” Federal Student Aid Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Federal Transit Administration Federated States of Micronesia Home Page (*Really???) Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Financial Management Service (Treasury Department) Fish and Wildlife Service Florida Home Page Florida State, County and City Websites Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food and Nutrition Service Food Safety and Inspection Service (*Sometimes asleep at the switch) Foreign Agricultural Service Foreign Claims Settlement Commission Forest Service Fossil Energy Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board General Services Administration (GSA) Geological Survey (USGS) Georgia Home Page Georgia State, County and City Websites Global Affairs (State Department) Government Accountability Office (GAO) (*Apparently non-functioning) Government National Mortgage Association Government Printing Office (GPO) (*VERY busy place! Ask Iran!) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration Guam Home Page Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration Helsinki Commission (Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe) Holocaust Memorial Museum (*Whose “holocaust?) Homeland Security Department (DHS) House Leadership Offices House Office of Inspector General House Office of the Clerk House of Representatives House of Representatives Committees (*Missing the Treason Committee.) House Organizations, Commissions, and Task Forces House Representatives on the Web Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) Housing Office (HUD) Immigration and Customs Enforcement Immigration and Naturalization Service (Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services) (*Apparently dissolved as unnecessary!) Indian Affairs: Bureau of Indiana Home Page Indian Arts and Crafts Board Indian Health Service Industrial College of the Armed Forces Industry and Security, Bureau of (formerly the Bureau of Export Administration.) Information Resource Management College Innovation and Improvement Office Institute of Education Sciences Institute of Museum and Library Services Institute of Peace (*Wasn’t that also under Big Brother?) Interagency Alternative Dispute Resolution Working Group Interagency Council on Homelessness Inter-American Foundation Interior Department Internal Revenue Service (IRS) (*a/k/a The Spanish Inquisition) International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) International Labor Affairs, Bureau of International Trade Administration (ITA) International Trade Commission (*a/k/a the “Screw America” commission) John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (*Something worthwhile) Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies Joint Fire Science Program Joint Forces Command Joint Forces Staff College Joint Military Intelligence College Judicial Circuit Courts of Appeal, by Geographic Location and Circuit Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation Justice Department Justice Programs Office (Juvenile Justice, Victims of Crime, Violence Against Women and more) Justice Statistics, Bureau of Labor Department (DOL) Labor Statistics, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Lead Hazard Control (Housing and Urban Development Department) Legal Services Corporation Library of Congress Marine Mammal Commission Maritime Administration Marketing and Regulatory Programs (Agriculture Department) Marshals Service National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) National Agricultural Statistics Service National AIDS Policy Office National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare (*Sure.) National Capital Planning Commission National Cemetery Administration (Veterans Affairs Department) (*possible new voter information) National Constitution Center National Council on Disability National Counterintelligence Executive Office National Credit Union Administration National Defense University National Drug Intelligence Center National Economic Council National Endowment for the Arts (*Propaganda, Inc.) National Endowment for the Humanities (*See above) National Gallery of Art National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency National Guard National Highway Traffic Safety Administration National Indian Gaming Commission National Institute for Literacy (*Terribly UN-p.c.) National Institute of Justice National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Interagency Fire Center National Laboratories (Energy Department) National Labor Relations Board National Marine Fisheries National Mediation Board National Nuclear Security Administration National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service National Park Foundation National Park Service (*TERRIBLY politically correct!) National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK) National Reconnaissance Office National Science Foundation National Security Agency (NSA) (*See CIA and FBI) National Security Council National Technical Information Service National Telecommunications and Information Administration National Transportation Safety Board Oak Ridge National Laboratory (*Didn’t we BUILD that damned bomb?) Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission Office of Compliance Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (*Who oversees the overseers?) Office of Government Ethics (*REALLY?????) Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (*Should be OMG!) Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Office of Personnel Management Office of Refugee Resettlement (Everybody in the world—except Americans—are “refugees” today) Office of Science and Technology Policy Office of Scientific and Technical Information Office of Special Counsel (*Way too much use these days!) Office of Thrift Supervision Public and Indian Housing Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (State Department) (Too damned MANY “affairs!”) Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Pentagon Force Protection Agency Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Policy Development and Research (HUD) Political Affairs (State Department) Postal Regulatory Commission Postal Service (USPS) Postsecondary Education (*Should be Department of Marxist Universities) Power Administrations Presidio Trust Radio and TV Marti (Español) Radio Free Asia (RFA) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Railroad Retirement Board Reclamation, Bureau of Refugee Resettlement Regulatory Information Service Center Rehabilitation Services Administration (Education Department) Research, Education and Economics (Agriculture Department) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (Transportation Department) Rhode Island Home Page Rhode Island State, County and City Websites Risk Management Agency (Agriculture Department) Rural Business-Cooperative Service Rural Development Rural Housing Service Rural Utilities Service Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Selective Service System Senate Committees Senate Leadership (*An oxymoron if ever there was one) Senators on the Web (*They are IN not ON the Web—of deceit) Small Business Administration (SBA) Smithsonian Institution Social Security Administration (SSA) (*a/k/a Congressional Cash Cow) Social Security Advisory Board (*They are not doing their job—see above!) Southeastern Power Administration Stennis Center for Public Service Strategic Command Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Superfund Basic Research Program Supreme Court of the United States Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement Surface Transportation Board Susquehanna River Basin Commission Tax Court Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (*M.I.A.) Tennessee Home Page Tennessee State, County and City Websites Tennessee Valley Authority Territories of the United States Transportation Command Transportation Security Administration Transportation Statistics, Bureau of Treasury Department TRICARE Management Trustee Program (Justice Department) U.S. Border Patrol (now Customs and Border Protection) U.S. Capitol Visitor Center U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services U.S. Customs and Border Protection (*Presently at war with Congress) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (see above) U.S. International Trade Commission U.S. Military Academy, West Point U.S. Mint U.S. Mission to the United Nations (*This should be removed IMMEDIATELY!) U.S. National Central Bureau - Interpol (Justice Department) U.S. Postal Service (USPS) U.S. Sentencing Commission U.S. Trade and Development Agency U.S. Trade Representative U.S. Virgin Islands (*Nice!) Unified Combatant Commands (Defense Department) Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Weather Service, National Western Area Power Administration Western Area Power Administration Washington Headquarters Services DoD Washington Headquarters Services home page Women's Bureau (Labor Department) Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (*All three of them ~scholars, that is!) So, there you have it folks. When they talk about the National Debt, read it again – and weep.

If you're like the average American, times have gotten tight lately. Years of high inflation have taken their toll. You're putting your hands firmly in your pockets and taking longer to pull out your wallet. Spending is down. This is one of those times when you're better off observing your own behavior than listening to the "so-called" experts. After all, this election season so much is at stake in how we perceive the economy. One of the main factors in any election is whether our elected representatives have promoted economic growth. Incumbents nationwide always tout the current situation as "the best economy ever."This year, in particular, much of the financial press has joined in the celebration of our robust economic and commercial growth. I read article after article extolling the wonderful situation we're in and how we're just one Fed interest rate cut away from pure nirvana. I suspect, however, that you may not share those giddy emotions. You may feel the full burden of the rising cost of living and a steadily diminishing prospect for higher income. I think we're entering a period similar to the 1970s. At that time, the nation endured high inflation, which morphed into a brief stagflation ( a combination of inflation and low growth) before finally emerging into one of the longest periods of true economic prosperity (the 1980s). To make my point, we'll use money to show how the economy evolved during that time. The Federal Reserve measures money constantly. It is one of the most precise and accurate measures of financial and commercial activity and a great measure of economic activity. We'll be looking at a measure of money called M2, which means all cash, checking accounts, and easily converted accounts such as savings accounts, CDs, and money market accounts. The Fed releases the latest measure of money on the third Tuesday of the month, and you can find that report here: https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/default.htmHere is a picture of M2 Money over time: From 1969 until 1982, the economy endured four recessions: the 1969-70 recession, the 1973-75 recession, and the one-two punch 1980 and 1980-81 recessions. Notice what money did just before each recession. It fell. That is, there was literally less money available in the financial system. There were several reasons for this. For one thing, you and I, the average consumer, stopped spending. Oh, not entirely. More accurately, we slowed down our spending, taking some time before we reached for our wallets - those impulse purchases were curtailed, frivolous things were put off, and our spending patterns changed .The banks also changed their behavior. They raised interest rates, making money more expensive to borrow and contributing to reduced consumer spending. Banks also made some technical moves that weren't always visible to the average consumer. They raised their lending requirements, making it harder to get a loan. The Fed raised its reserve rates, requiring the banks to hold more of their money in "reserve" and not eligible to be loaned out. All of these factors contribute to the reduced amount of M2 money we see in this chart. Prior to each of these recessions, M2 money drops precipitously. Money reflects all of the factors that contribute to a recession: lost jobs (less money), companies going out of business (less money), consumers reducing spending (less money), and banks raising interest rates (more expensive money). From the "money/banker" perspective, the answer to recessions is to make more money available: lower interest rates, make loans more attractive and reduce reserve requirements. This will lead companies to hire new workers and consumers to open their wallets and spend. It's all the "virtuous cycle" that economists and Wall Street dream about. Best of all, it worked. The Federal Reserve's policy of easy money leads the economy out of the recession of the 1970s. The Fed had found monetary magic, the method to minimize the impact of recessions. By timing the growth of money, they could control the economy's direction, slow inflation, and mitigate recessions. That, at least, was the world we lived in throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Looking again at our chart, you'll see there were three recessions: 1990-91, 2001, and 2007-09. Again, we see the familiar pattern: a sharp drop in money (supply) leading to a recession. But before the recession even begins, the Federal Reserve begins its money stimulus in each of these cases. In other words, the Fed lowers interest rates, encourages bank lending, reduces reserve requirements, and so on. Although each of these moves was not enough to prevent the recession, it did reduce its length and severity. This brings us to today, the last portion of our chart. You'll note again the precipitous drop in money (supply). You'll also note how much greater this drop is than any of the other declines over the past 64 years. The current decline in money supply (7.3%) is nearly double the worst decline in the past (4.8% in 1980). The other distinction from past money supply events is the Federal Reserve's seeming complacency. Yes, they did lower interest rates (.5%) at their last meeting. But by all appearances, they've done very little else that is stimulative—at least nothing that has yet shown up in the money supply. I believe that the Money Supply is the best measure for average Americans to determine how the economy is performing because it encapsulates many, if not all, of the other factors in the economy. Any objective review of the current performance of the money supply indicates that a slowing economy lies directly ahead and possibly a recession. Will the Fed be able to pull us out of this decline? Perhaps they do have a lot of tricks up their sleeve, and we're still in the beginning phase of the current economic cycle. Only time will tell. But one thing is sure: the current hype surrounding the economy is not well-founded. From a Monetary perspective, we are, at best, in a transition period. You already knew that. You are the one who feels the pinch of inflation and worries about your future. You will build this economy, and in the final analysis, you are the best judge of the current economy. Don't forget to vote. Follow me here on ThinkSpot for more stories from the ValueSide.

Everyone has heard of and believes that he knows all about the “insurrection!” that allegedly took place in Washington on January 6th, 2020. Supposedly, newly “defeated” President Donald Trump sent his hordes of MAGA followers out to destroy the Capitol, notwithstanding that the bronze doors into that ediface have a combined weight of 20,000 pounds and a magnetic lock that could only be opened from the inside! Indeed, a “tweet” first posted on January 31st claims that these doors were opened from the inside! I am not going to go into the “attack” on the Capitol save to say that none of the Capitol police were even so much as scratched but a young, unarmed white woman was murdered by a black Capitol policeman, a matter that seems to have provoked absolutely no outrage from the government, the media or the people. I will also say that those involved are frequently referred to as “rioters” though many were older folks whose good behavior in such matters is a “given” not the least because it’s hard to “riot” while using a walker! On the other hand, there were a great many people who looked suspiciously like government “plants” leading any person with half a brain to see this “incident” as just another false flag operation by the Deep State. No, the real problem is the fate of those who were arrested. Few people are even aware that there were arrests and fewer know that those arrested are still confined in the DC jail having been denied the most basic rights available to Americans under such circumstances including being charged with a crime! At least one has already committed suicide, and the rest have been tortured and humiliated, ignored by what is supposed to be a “government of, by and for The People.” This is especially egregious as it is most probable that those televised wandering about the Capitol were, in fact, government agents creating the “crime” for which these people are paying with their freedom and even their lives. Recently, having no recourse at what is available to far more egregious wrongdoers such as murderers and drug dealers, these forgotten Americans produced a handwritten petition requesting transfer to the federal facility in Guantanamo, Cuba in the hopes that they will receive at least humane treatment if they are going to remain incarcerated without trial for the foreseeable future. The number of the petitioners is thirty-four and they have already been held for over a year and a half on misdemeanor and false felony charges. Many among them have been isolated, viciously beaten and otherwise abused as well as being threatened, tormented and belittled by guards for their political and religious beliefs. Both men and women have been without medical assistance, prescribed medications and exercise while most have been held in isolation with little or no human contact for months at a time. One woman, Victoria White described a bare-fisted beating by DC police on January 6th and is probably not the only person so assaulted. Their request for a transfer to GITMO is motivated by the fact that in that facility for terrorists and “enemies of the State,” they would not have to endure inhuman conditions that include flooded toilets, mold, flies, and frequent beatings, but rather, with the rest of the prisoners they would receive good meals, sunlight, freedom of religion, exercise and entertainment while being treated like human beings. Indeed, Alexander Solzhenitsyn would have easily understood their plight in America’s gulag. At the end of this article is a link to the transcript of the original handwritten letter to the Garland “Department of Justice!” and the names of the petitioners. Below is their list of grievances that clearly demonstrate the present condition in this “United States” for those adjudged “enemies of the State” and it should make any decent person ashamed not only for what has been and is being done here, but for our total lack of concern for our fellow Americans whose only crime was to believe that our constitutional rights still obtained: · Begging for Help / Water / Medical Aid / Mercy through a 4 inch by 10-inch window of cold metal doors · No Visitations · No Religious Services · No Attorney Access · Mail delayed 3-4 months prior to delivery · Laundry returning with brown stains, pubic hair, and or reeking of ripe urine · Worms found in salad of “Meals” · Inadequate calorie count of “Meals” · Complete lack of nourishment in “Meals” · Loss of Head Hair due to malnourishment of “Meals” · Loss of Eye Sight due to malnourishment of “Meals” · Suffering from Scurvy due to malnourishment of “Meals” · Blatant extortion via commissary in order to maintain health and or body weight · Rust in the Water · Rust in jagged metal desks in Cells · Rust on metal cages near face on small windows of Cells · Black Mold on walls of Cells · Black Mold on floors of Cells · Black Mold in vents of Cells · Broken Sinks in Cells · Broken toilets that either wont flush or repeatedly explode in Cells · Cockroaches in Cell / Cell Block · Mice in Cell / Cell Block · Black Mold on floors and walls of showers in Cell Block · Black Sewer Flies in the Shower · Denial of basic cleaning equipment to sanitize Living Space · Denial of personal grooming allowed, forced to use Nair on head and face leaving chemical burns on skin · Stuck in Cells for 9 days without shower · Improper Medical Care · Medical Care arriving months later, or none at all! · Lead Paint inside Cell / Cell Block · No Access to Discovery · No Legal Support such as laptops, printers, copiers · Denial of Legal Mentors · Vaccine Requirements for Visitations · Vaccine Requirements for Visitors · Vaccine Requirements for Haircuts · Vaccine Requirements for Religious Services · Vaccine Requirements for speaking with Lawyers in person · C.R.T. Propaganda on Tablets · Re-Education Propaganda on Tablets · Lack of Legal Documentation on Tablets · Racially Biased information on Tablets · Removal of Internet Access/Booster for Educational Tablets · Solitary Confinement for 25 ½ hours or more at a time · Outdoor Rec denied arbitrarily · Entry to Congressmen & Women who came to check on us Denied · Repeatedly Mocked and or Insulted for our skin color or “Religious” documentation · Compared to “Beasts”, “Dogs” and “Hogs” by “The Final Call” Magazine · Politically mocked by staff with Democrat, Black Lives Matter, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden related attire · Sent to “The Hole” if we express any political views whatsoever · Racially Profiled by Guards · Sleeping on the job by Guards · Denial of hot water by Guards · Prevented from attending court dates by Guards · Homosexual and or Verbal Assaults by Guards · Maced by Guards · Physically Harassed by Guards · Assaulted by Guards · Cell Invasions in the middle of the night by Guards · Grievous Beatings by Guards · Threatened with and or Nearly Stabbed with “12 Inch Knives” · Trials Postponed for at least 6 Months or almost a Year · Bond / Bail continually Denied · Removal of Internet Access of Clear Tablets · Removal of Access to Attorney · Removal of Access to Law Library · Removal of Access to Worship Services · Removal of Access to Grievance Forms on Tablets Of course, this is not the first time the “American government” punished its citizens for choosing the wrong side in a war or even for criticizing that war – and in this case it was an actual war! Abraham Lincoln eventually imprisoned what some sources report as 40,000 of his own countrymen with the outbreak of the Civil War – another mislabeled “insurrection!” Indeed, Lincoln went much further. He rendered the First Amendment virtually null and void by shutting down newspapers that criticized the war and/or his own actions. One of his political prisoners, Francis Key Howard, editor of The Exchange Newspaper of Baltimore, was arrested on the morning of September 13th, 1861 and taken to Fort McHenry. He later wrote: "When I looked out in the morning, I could not help being struck by an odd and not pleasant coincidence. On that day forty-seven years before my grandfather, Mr. F. S. Key, then prisoner on a British ship, had witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry. When on the following morning the hostile fleet drew off, defeated, he wrote the song so long popular throughout the country, the Star Spangled Banner. As I stood upon the very scene of that conflict, I could not but contrast my position with his, forty-seven years before." Just as Biden and his minions are served by Garland and the rest of his criminal agencies, Lincoln was served by his Secretary of State, William Seward who reveled in his ability to terrorize his fellow citizens as seen in this comment he made to Lord Lyons, the British envoy to the United States for much of the war: “My Lord, I can touch a bell on my right hand, and order the arrest of a citizen of Ohio. I can touch a bell again, and order the imprisonment of a citizen of New York; and no power on earth, except that of the President, can release them. Can the Queen of England, do so much?” So for those who take foolish comfort in believing “it can’t happen here,” know that it has already happened here and it is only going to get worse! For instance, in his book Lincoln Uncensored, author Joseph E. Fallon pointed out that “Lincoln concluded that the laws were insufficient and the courts inadequate. [Therefore] Congress passed the conspiracies act of July 31, 1861, and the treason act (known also as the second confiscation act) of July 17, 1862 … The conspiracies act decreed fine and imprisonment for those who conspired to ‘overthrow the government’ or opposed governmental authority. The treason act softened the penalty [and definition] for treason from death … to an alternative of death or imprisonment and fine.” [James G. Randall and David Donald, The Civil War and Reconstruction, 2nd Ed. (Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Heath and Company, 1969), p. 300.] And again, “Congress had also passed earlier conspiracy and treason acts to facilitate the prosecution of antiwar activities in civilian courts. But Lincoln preferred to employ military courts or, better yet, dispense with courts entirely.” [Jeffrey Rogers Hummel, Emancipating Slaves, Enslaving Free Men: A History of the American Civil War, p. 256.] I bring this matter to the reader’s attention to point out in times of social chaos as we now have, it is very easy indeed to lose those liberties we have taken for granted for so many years though, God knows, they have been slowly eroded even since Lincoln’s day. Indeed, they have been so eroded that a fairly large number of our fellow Americans have been deprived of all their rights including for Ashley Babbitt and the prisoner who committed suicide in his despair, the right to life itself. And, if we remain silent and apathetic, we will not be able to complain when our turn comes as immortalized by Lutheran pastor and Nazi martyr, Martin Niemöller: First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. Link: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/10/breaking-34-us-political-prisoners-dc-gulag-demand-transfer-guantanamo-bay-escape-intolerable-conditions-receive-rights-violent-foreign-terrorists/#disqus_thread

The Election Of Trump Posted on November 6, 2024 by john Dear Friends, It seems to me, with the evident election of Trump, the deep state is conniving a way to get rid of him. A plan that will eviscerate his ability to change anything for the better. Like they did before. The real problem with Trump, for the elite, is that he’s a patriot who loves America and the American way. Which is the antithesis of the way the elites feel. They loathe America and the American way. But most of all, they hate you and I. They hate our culture.. our freedom to speak up, our liberty to carry weapons, and our Right to privacy. All of which infuriate the elites. Because they see the US as the single biggest stumbling stone to their new world order. A globalist state where we will own nothing and be happy. Even as they own everything and will remain perpetually angry. Control of the administrative state gives the unelected elites great power to do evil in the world. An ability they use to great effect. Trump’s election threatens that monopoly on power. Unlimited in scope, reach and law, the bureaucracy is the real force behind the throne. The administrative state is our version of the Praetorian Guard. They choose who will take the figurehead position. Now their choice has fallen, they’ll be livid. Power is the single goal of those in the oligarchy, that is the bureaucracy, otherwise called… the administrative state, or deep state. The ultimate destination for them is more power and on a global scale. Trump stands in the way of that dark vision for humanity. As you read this the unelected powers that be will connive to undermine him and get rid of him. The elite will try to trick him into abandoning the people and policies that got him elected… like last time. They managed to get Trump to shunt to the side people like Newt Gingrich, in favor of deep state actors, who undermined Trump’s first presidency from start to finish. The message will be clear, RFK and those like him, are a danger to our republic. Because of their “radical” ideas. Trump will be inundated with demands to hire backstabbers like Amy Comey Barrett. Since folks like her are reliable elitist scum. Any choice like Rand Paul will be met with outrage in the Senate. Even a republican controlled senate. Because most of the republicans are controlled by the deep state. As Chucky Schemer said… “The intelligence community has six ways to Sunday to get you.” Expect another frame job. A frame they hope to stick Trump in this time. By the time I finish this article the progressive faction will be brainstorming ways to destroy him. With the backing of the traitorous media, the unelected elites will have an unobstructed path to build it. Who knows what they’ll come up with this time. It may be difficult to claim foreign interference though… what with the Iranian, CCP, British and other foreign governments openly backing Harris, with money, intelligence, propaganda and election workers. The hypocrisy maybe a bit much even for the hypocrites that run the world. Then again… maybe their void of self awareness will win out. So I expect the frame job to have something to do with his campaign, businesses or personal relationships. There will be violence. The progressive faction will burn down DC during the inauguration… again. In an act of blind rage. Which is perfectly acceptable since the progressive faction is above the law. In fact, they see law as a means to power, not a way to enhance personal safety, facilitate economic actions or smooth interactions between men. So, without past consequences, the left will riot in the streets. Perhaps some drug dealer will OD again, that they can somehow pin on Trump… then they’ll use it to justify more violence. Expect the left to use the same playbook they used before. Because it’s the only one they have. Lie, cheat, and beat downs are the progressive globalist play. Hopefully Trump has been inoculated by his last term so is wiser this time. I pray he has. For all of our sake’s. Sincerely, John Pepin

I know that “thinkspot is an online refuge for serious thinkers and quality discourse”, but I believe that what just happened in the past 24 hours in the USA, has a deeper meaning than the title may offer, and the issue must be addressed as such. First of all, it should be mentioned that a definitive and irrevocable rupture has been highlighted between the purpose and role that the mass media should have in society and the society to which it is addressed and whose interests it should protect, and this situation is a fact present not only in the USA, it is a global phenomenon. Thank God, this place has been filled by the positive side of technology, because people need information and social media platforms have proven their efficiency once again. Another aspect that is worth mentioning is that related to the existence of a social dimension that is not ideologically involved in political life and that seemed to no longer exist. I think they are wrongly called undecided, because there is a distinction between having left-wing orientations and being socialist, just as there is a distinction between having right-wing orientations and being ideologically committed in this sense. Finally, I want to highlight a clear recalibration of the value system that society is moving towards - God, family, and quality of life ( peace and wellbeing ) have once again become the focus of political discourse and it is likely that this aspect will be reflected in all of our lives. God bless us! P. S. Thank you America!

Few people know that the time-honored words in Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration, “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” was originally written as “Life, liberty and property.” It was changed, it is thought because it lacked the inspirational note desired in a document intended to obtain the support of European nations for America’s efforts to throw off the yoke of British colonial rule. And yet, of all the matters engaged in this small phrase, property was probably the most “revolutionary” concept extant! Life and liberty were understood but the concept of property in the hands of ordinary people was unique for the time. The era of the serf whose labor was bound to the land – and therefore to the owner of that land – was over. But even so, only the most wealthy or important (not necessarily the same thing!) had actual legal attachments to the land. As precious few in the American colonies could look to the “mother country” for titled holdings, the concept of any person having the means to obtain and gain title to not only land, but what was built thereon, was novel to the extreme at that time in history! Going back to Jefferson’s Declaration and all that followed, by the late 1700s, the country conceived in 1776 had come into being albeit in a rather confused state. Efforts to bind together the original thirteen “colonies” – now “states” – in individual governing structures and not part of an overarching “nation,” was not faring well. Attempts were made first with the Articles of Association framed by the Continental Congress in 1774 and later by the Articles of Confederation, adopted on March 1st, 1781, to “govern” the disparate former colonies. But as the matter stood at the time, there were simply too many areas of dispute for the ill-assorted consortium to go forward in any sort of reasonable order. Hence, a convention called in 1787 to “amend” the Articles became, instead, a means to create an entirely new document called the Constitution of the United States of America that was eventually adopted (ratified) in 1789 Of course, the Constitution dealt with many things, but the concept of private property was paramount in its considerations. Indeed, the Founders believed that property rights were the basis of all freedoms that were to be guaranteed by that Constitution! Thus, the common law, state law and the Constitution itself protected property rights – the right of people to acquire, use and dispose of property freely. The Constitution protects property rights through the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process clauses and, more directly, through the Fifth Amendment’s “Takings” clause: “nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation;” that is the legal matter described as eminent domain. One of the manifestations of constitutional expression is the fact that the Founders understood that there was no way any document could define everything that was permitted under that document. Instead, they chose to at least try to define what was not permitted, a far easier task! That is why secession is not mentioned in the Constitution, and neither is slavery. These were ongoing, acceptable situations and thus considered unnecessary to address. Yet, the Founders did try to circumvent, where possible, undesired interpretations as can be seen in the Tenth Amendment of the Bill of Rights that states: The powers not delegated to the United States [that is, the federal government] by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the People. This was hoped – and intended – to prevent wholesale misinterpretations of the Constitution to the detriment of the People’s rights including their rights to own property. Alas, as in everything else, the slow deterioration of the spirit of the Constitution as the nation grew, began to affect a great many things, the concept of the sanctity of the holding of private property included. But first and foremost, it must be remembered that the Constitution as created by the Founders actually died with the election of Abraham Lincoln and his unconstitutional war to prevent the constitutionally guaranteed right of secession by the Cotton States and most of the rest of the South. As noted, the so-called “Civil War” – it was no such thing! – resulted in a “national government” (as Lincoln himself called it) and no longer a federal government acting with the consent of the governed. From 1865 on, the Constitution became a dead letter that had as its “memorials” those “Amendments” that only enlarged the power of the central government while reducing the liberties, rights and powers of the citizenry, private property being one such. The idea, whether well intentioned or not, was to make the government not just a part of every American’s life, but the ruling part! That is, the part that had the power to maintain the illusion of freedom or stifle it beyond all hope of resurrection. In the beginning, actions by the government – at all levels – were presented as helpful and needful during times of distress. America’s ongoing years of warfare beginning with the Revolutionary War and still going strong down to today, has given immense opportunities for the government to increase in power and strengthen its hold over the citizenry in the name of patriotism or giving aid and comfort to “the people” in their distress – distress usually created by that same government. The late Ronald Reagan put it best when he said that the most frightening words in the English language were, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help!” In the new millennium, the true desire of our government – indeed all governments – is that all power should reside in the hands of government; that is, the era of personal freedom and all that that entails – including the concept of “private property” – must end! In his article “Social Justice, Affordable Housing, and Government Tyranny” to which I am responding, author Tom DeWeese makes the following point: “Eventually – and very soon – the only source of housing will be from government. Take a good look at the destroyed neighborhoods now under government control and see your future. Property rights and personal ownership is an equal opportunity for everyone to build wealth and freedom. It’s how the United States quickly became so prosperous. Government destroys personal choice, incentive and the wealth created from it.” Actually, government didn’t get into the “housing” business until the late 1930s during the Great Depression. The “Federal Reserve” created in 1913 was supposed to prevent such crises but actually helped create the world-wide depression that initiated the next link in the chain leading to the New World Order, World War II. Of course, Social Security, Medicare and other government schemes were presented to the American public as “limited” efforts to succor a very few “at risk” populations such as the elderly, widows, orphans and a whole list of cultural rarities who would “benefit” from, we were told, the relatively small amount spent by government to “do the right thing.” Yet, if the only people to benefit from “government housing” were one-eyed albino lepers, the cost would still be prohibitive and the results disastrous. For as with every other “government program,” there is no “brake” much less any restitution of the monies stolen from the People to fund this supposed government largesse. But the worst thing is, government housing is our future. We have been told by the elites of the New World Order, that soon, we will own nothing! Everything we think we have will be on loan from Big Brother to be removed if and when we fail in obedience and homage. You would suppose, given the obvious results of public housing, that Americans would revolt against being forced into a life that is, frankly, not worth living, but apparently, such is not the case. Perhaps too many believe that better people forced to live in these “ghettos” will lead to better conditions. Not so albeit, there undoubtedly is a certain class of people who make a slum out of anything once they are ensconced. Yet, Mr. DeWeese points out: “Here’s what it’s like to actually live in those government projects. In many cites these neighborhoods are drastically rundown in disrepair as lights, air conditioning, and appliances fail to work. The roof leaks, windows are broken, and the plumbing backs up. Trash around the grounds is in ever-growing piles, is rarely, if ever cleaned and hauled away. Don’t even think about any kind of yard work to create a place for the children to play. Worse, the residents live in fear of gang elements like MS-13 that have taken over the neighborhoods to rule as their territory. Pimps, pedophiles, and drug-dealers prey on the children. And no matter how many times residents may ask for repairs, it never happens. “Why are the conditions so bad in this government-controlled housing? Government is a monopoly that has no incentive to be efficient. The taxpayers are forced to pay and the money rolls in so the politicians can puff out their chests over how generous THEY are in helping the less fortunate. Meanwhile, the management of these properties is by government bureaucrats with no personal stake in the projects. Their paychecks keep rolling in, no matter what happens to the properties they manage. Only private owners care about the condition of their property.” And while much of the destruction and devastation in public housing as noted above comes from the behavior of the residents involved, once everyone – other than our ruling elites – find themselves so domiciled, one doubts that the conditions will greatly improve. But whether they do or not, the freedom that our Founders understood resulted from a man’s right to own his own property, will be as dead as the Founders themselves and their Constitution. The article Social Justice, Affordable Housing, and Government Tyranny appears on the website News with Views. The author is Tom DeWeese and All Rights are Reserved