Goodbye, Uncle Joe

Well, not quite. That won’t happen officially until 20 January 2025, but we now again have a lame duck at 1600 PA.

Y’all have probably seen this, but here it is anyway. Another historic first for 2024.

As resignation letters go, perhaps it isn’t so bad. We wonder which of his inner circle of advisors wrote this – or was it dictated by one of the Powers-That-Be – the puppeteers that have been pulling his strings for far more than 3-1/2 years?

But like his opponent, The Donald, the thing is full of lies and misdirection and warped thinking. Just as we accept and expect to hear from anyone in politics. The list of accomplishments glows with pride and warped thinking. Or just outright falsehoods: the claim of “strongest economy in the world” in particular rings hollow, as does the generic claims “never been better positioned to lead than we are today” and “revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.”

But here are some specific items we here at TPOL note:

There is no ringing endorsement for dear Kammi to replace him at the top of the ticket. Nor anyone else, for that matter.

The bald-faced lie that “we’ve protected and preserved our Democracy” is exaggerated by capitalizing “Democracy” – and we ask does he mean what was once commonly called “The Democracy” (the Democratic Party) or the increasingly-fractured Union?

And he obviously – clearly states that – he places party ahead of the country. (No surprise, really.)

At the same time, we pray (sincerely) that he truly benefits from this decision – forced on him though it may be. Not for his own power and prestige but because now he will be less and less abused by those around him – including his wife and the rest of his family – and able to somewhat better enjoy the remaining time he has to live on this planet. We also pray that he might wake up enough to repent of the mistakes and evil he has done, instigated, and permitted. He deserves, as a creation of God, his eternal rest provided by God’s grace and mercy, not the just consequences of his actions.

And we do admit that we understand the concern and fear of Jill Biden. We know that those who have Alzheimer’s and other senility problems very seldom live very long once they have had all responsibility and decision-making taken away. Once they have no purpose in life, it is too often a sad tale of a spiral into death. But what she did and allowed and cooperated with is very much abuse of an elder.

So what is next? Do the PTB in the Democratic Party think they have the election already rigged enough to put Harris or some other “deserving” Democrat into power and defeat The Donald? Have they come up with a foolproof Plan B? Or are they going to try and do everything to ensure that they can neuter The Donald by controlling one or both houses of Congress? Or will they simply do away with anything but a Potemkin village of elections? Rumors and theories abound, and many seem truly crazy. But the rumor of Uncle Joe calling it quits turns out to be an accurate forecast, at least.

Who knows? But leaving the futures of 300+ million of us in the hands of people like this is definitely something to worry about. And work to prevent.


An afterthought.

Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota wrote this on her Facebook page:

“This is the right decision for our nation. Whoever replaces Biden will support the same radical agenda of open borders, unchecked illegal immigration, and woke values that do not appreciate what America stands for.

“The Democrats’ nominee must answer for runaway inflation, the dismantling of the American Dream, rampant violet [sic] crime, and a disastrous and weak foreign policy.

“Donald Trump is the leader America needs to get this country back on the right track. Republicans are unified and will work tirelessly to ensure Donald J. Trump wins in November and Makes America Great Again.”

Clearly, TPOL disagrees as much with Kristi as with Uncle Joe (and The Donald). But at the same time, she reflects what a majority – a large majority – of South Dakotans and other Westerners believe. We know that despite recent defections from the GOP Never-Trump ranks, the GOP is as fractured as the Democrats. And as likely to further mess up our States and the world as anything Joe or Kamela or the dozen other Democrats busy sharpening their knives in their offices and homes would do.

And apparently, neither Kristi nor her staff know the difference between “violent” and “violet” – even though the WordPress spell-checker does. Denoting an over-reliance on computers, software, and no doubt, most of the graduates of our public schools for the past three or more decades.

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Lesson not learned from almost two centuries ago.

Nobody wants to learn lessons from Russia or Turkei, do they? But…

By the time 80,000 Russian troops invaded Ottoman territory in June 1853 at the outbreak of the Crimean War, the imperial finances of the Ottoman Empire were already a complete disaster. The Ottoman Empire had once been the most dominant superpower in the world. But that had been centuries prior in the 1400s. By the mid-1800s, the Ottoman Empire had fallen far behind European powers like Britain and Prussia, and its economy was in such bad shape that it became known as the “Sick Man of Europe”.

So the Crimean War broke out– one of the most pointless and easily avoidable conflicts in history. And suddenly the Ottoman Empire found itself with no money to fight. That’s when British bankers entered the scene… led by Baron Lionel de Rothschild, who orchestrated a £3 million sovereign bond for Istanbul.

The bonds yielded 7.5% initially… (definitely high in those days). But it wouldn’t be long before the Ottoman government had spent all the money and needed to borrow more funds. And the Ottomans kept borrowing even when the Crimean War ended in 1856 (Russia lost). They had become addicted to debt, and bonds were sold in 1858, 1860, 1862, 1863, and 1865. By 1875, the Ottoman public debt was so large that debt service consumed two-thirds of tax revenue. A few years later, they had their own version of a government shutdown… because the Ottoman Empire had no money to pay the salaries of its soldiers and bureaucrats. Not wouldn’t – couldn’t.

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Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun

The attempted killing of The Donald last week brings to mind an old political aphorism.

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun (枪杆子里面出政权). The phrase was coined by Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong. He first used the phrase during an emergency meeting of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on 7 August 1927, at the beginning of the Chinese Civil War. His actions through that war and victory over the Chinese Nationalists and totalitarian, authoritarian, and murderous rule of the Chinese empire demonstrated the accuracy of his observation.

As has virtually every war and election and change of government in human history.

Political power is exercised by government – and factions and individuals in power in (and through) that government. Whether it is claimed to be a democracy, a republic, an empire, a monarchy, or whatever. And whatever it actually is. Most lovers of liberty understand the fable of the two wolves and the ewe voting on what’s for dinner.

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The bitter fruit of politics and parasites

American politics is honestly the pits. A series of cesspools in which idiots, their manipulators, and their clientele and victims splash around, spewing and spreading vicious evil. Some of the occupants of these cesspools are symbolic plants – ugly, bitter, even poisonous, noxious weeds. In fact, the Himalayan bitter goard above might not be the most accurate representation: it has some good uses. Perhaps this one is better:

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A Baker’s Dozen ™: Why do people fear independence and liberty?

Just a few thoughts. These thirteen reasons are somewhat vague. No doubt readers will think of many other reasons. Or have been told by people they know why those people are afraid of being free. Some of them might seem silly. But know why people are afraid is necessary knowledge we must have, both to free ourselves and to free others.

Basically, as the thirteen items describe in more detail, that fear of independence, of freedom, and of liberty has two objects. Other people. And themselves.

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It’s Tuesday – what universe is this?

In the days since the killing and attempted killing in Pennsylvania, the rifts in American society are getting wider.

An example of this is the absolutely astonishing commentary published in Slate yesterday. The headline does not accurately describe the actual text: “Attack on Trump exploited: “An opportunity to shame dissenters from the MAGA movement into silence”.” It is a series of brief scribblings by various regressive, Woke, and self-proclaimed lovers of democracy trashing conservatives, republicans, and of course The Donald. It is an incredible list of twisted history, mad claims, and doomsday predictions. It is an attack on libertarians (minarchists) and we anarchists, as well, though we are not called out by name.

We wish we had the time and word space to address the hundred-plus claims and attacks made by an author, professor, journalist, cartoonist and activist. And point out the nonsense and warping of reality. All of which makes us question what universe they exist in, versus what we here at TPOL and most of the people we know live in.

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Civil war? Catastrophic impact on the States?

As we here at TPOL already mentioned, we believe that these States dodged a bullet when the would-be assassin’s shot only sliced his right ear and did not even skate around his skull or punch a big .223 hole in his brain.

Many people are referring to the Providence of God, and that may be so: as Daniel wrote concerning the “Great King” Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon (5:21): “He was driven away from people, his mind was like an animal’s, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky until he acknowledged that the Most High God is ruler over the kingdom of men and sets anyone He wants over it.”

(We might say that fortunately, even Uncle Joe is not in such bad shape. But maybe being that way for a few years (Nebuchadnezzar endured that punishment for 7 years) would turn the man into something better than the mob boss he apparently has been. Of course, with his dementia, it might not work.)

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Trump assassination attempt – first thoughts

Just minutes ago, we here at TPOL first learned of someone shooting Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, which apparently had happened about 30 minutes earlier.

We saw video and what sounded like 8, maybe 10 shots, heralding the increasing potential for seeing the nation collapse.

But what we really noted was the way the mainstream media tried to spin the event, even while viewing and hearing what was clearly going on.

CNN, for example had this headline “Trump speech interrupted by Secret Service,” and the “live coverage” had voice-over of a woman saying “we” can’t tell what the sounds were.

USA Today? “Trump removed from stage by Secret Service after loud noises startles former president” and does not report the blood on Trump’s ear and face, clearly visible.

NBC tells us that “Secret Service rushes Trump offstage after popping noises heard at his rally” again reporting nothing about shots, blood, or the way the crowd reacted.

Others claim that Trump was ordered down to “the ground” by either the Secret Service or the crowd. Again, a five-second review of the video shows an amazing response time for a man of his age and experience. He is not a Marine or ex-Army with honed instincts and instant trained, muscle-memory response to getting shot!

And the photos and video show (1) clearly shots were fired, in several groups, and (2) he was hit and bleeding – probably from getting hit in the upper right ear, just after turning his head slightly in his speechifying.

It also is clear that Trump is defiant, and not badly hurt. Indeed, his necessary manhandling and carry by Secret Service men and woman may have caused more immediate bodily injury that the bullet, based on the blood.

His defiance and anger were mild compared to that of the pro-Donald crowd seen as he was carried and then walked to the limousine.

For now, we have no reason to doubt the Pennsylvania government, GOP/campaign, and Secret Service announcements that Trump is well.

But we can point out that clueless Uncle Joe (who said he had not been briefed) is FAR from well.

We suspect several things:

  1. The immediate claim will be that this was staged by Trump, as a false flag, as part of his master plan to destroy democracy and enslave the nation (or at least many leftist celebrities and politicians).
  2. Accusations and conspiracy theories (already exploding: one claims the Secret Service is in on it) will explode rapidly and energeticly.
  3. Almost certainly the election is now, more than ever, Trump’s to lose: Biden and anyone else the Democrats put up to replace him, is toast.
  4. There will be over-reaction on both sides, especially the Trumpistas. Can they control their temper and moderate their actions enough to prevent open warfare?
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Hatred breeds contempt and stupidity

As the Democratic Party seems to be on the verge of internal civil war – seeking someone, anyone who can replace Uncle Joe and Auntie Kamala on the November ticket, there are more examples of what passes for drastic action on the part of Congressional leaders to deal with that evil monster and destroyer of democracy, The Donald.

One of the latest is reported by MSM today. Dear, dear leader Chuck Schumer is introducing legislation to declare that what The Donald did on 6 January 2021 (and no doubt much else) is NOT any sort of official act by a sitting POTUS. Thus overturning the infamous SCOTUS Nazgul ruling that POTUS is immune from prosecution for whatever awful things he did.

I wonder if Dear Leader Schumer will include a mandatory death penalty for such heinous acts?

As that may be, it seems that Mr. Schmer has perhaps overlooked some things.

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Four months and counting – election day 2024

As I wrote this, it was 5 July 2024, the day after Independence Day and therefore in the public mind, the 1st Day of Anno Libertatus (AL) 249. Wow.

And four painfully long months before the official election day. {And at the rate things are happening, just in the last week, it is going to be even more painful than thought when we first wrote this.}

Never mind that people will start voting by mail or early voting in courthouses months before. Not just people, of course: no doubt many dead people. And even a few artificial ones. (Fake? Fictional? Imaginary?) And some of those will be people that weren’t supposed to have the franchise: border jumpers and underage and felons.

Consider this:

The above poster is based on the idea that partisan politics is a big problem in the States today. And we don’t argue that. But it is far from the only problem, and the partisanship is as much an effect as a cause.

The root? Lack of teaching people to be responsible and accountable to themselves (and their Deity, if any) for their actions. An essential for liberty: otherwise, it is license and leads (by a different path, perhaps) to the nightmare we find ourselves in today.

Real education: not the propaganda and pap you find in virtually all public schools today and in far too many private schools (especially so-called private universities: even religious ones). And more and more in home schooling. An individual cannot truly enjoy and practice liberty if they are unable to exercise self-discipline. And self-discipline is taught and experienced by being disciplined. By parents, grandparents, elders, and those who themselves are able to be self-disciplined. Or as Lady Susan liked to refer to it: self-governing.

Only if we truly understand and practice liberty can we ever hope that an election and change in leadership (real or imagined) will make a difference in the course of our society, our economy, and our culture. Otherwise, we are just being stupid.

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