30 July 2018

Update no.864

Update from the Sunland
No.864
23.7.18 – 29.7.18
Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

            Tall,

            The follow-up news items:
-- After the BIC created the trade war by unilaterally imposing punitive tariffs [802] on our Allies and adversaries (competitors) alike, the administration announced a plan to extend some US$12B (money the USG does not have) in emergency aid to farmers amid growing concerns that the U.S. agricultural sector could suffer from the escalating trade dispute with allies.  Guess who pays for all of this?
-- In the wake of the Cohen recordings revelations [863], the reverberations continue.  One of the BIC’s small army of attorneys, in this instance Guiliani, flipped in a heartbeat from praising Cohen to condemning the erstwhile personal attorney as a pathological liar . . . of course he would say that. This whole sordid affair is taking on bizarre dimensions.
-- The on-again, off-again follow-up Putin summit after the Helsinki debacle [863] has apparently been delayed until next year (if ever) . . . after the Russia investigation is concluded.  Since we have no idea what was discussed or agreed to at the Helsinki summit, we have only the public press conference to go by.  Let it suffice to say, I am embarrassed as an American citizen to state the president of Russia was far more of a calm, steady, stable, statesman than the president of the United States.  In a sad way, I understand the BIC’s attempt at a do-over, but unfortunately that is rarely possible with international diplomacy.  With the Putin regime’s implied effort to undermine the image and authority of the United States, he was successful far beyond expectations. Further, his publicly professed choice of the BIC to become president, for that purpose, his choice and actions have paid off in spades.  Putin has made the United States look feckless, marginal, isolated and unworthy.  Tragic . . . tragic, I say.  The BIC’s campaign slogan was “Make America Great Again”; he has single-handedly done more to destroy the status and prestige of the United States.  I am wondering how the BIC defines “great” in the context of his slogan?
-- The BIC and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker held a joint Rose Garden press conference to announced that the U.S. and the EU have agreed to “work together toward zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers and zero subsidies on non auto-industrial goods.”  The BIC also stated, “This was a very big day for free and fair trade.”  The BIC unilaterally imposed steel and aluminum tariffs [842/4, 845], presumably to induce the Europeans to conduct fairer trade.  This was a notional but positive step.  If the BIC’s bad cop routine ultimately improves trade, I will be the first to sing his praises, although I shall remain critical of his methods. From the BIC’s statement, why did he specify “non auto-industrial goods”?  What about automobile tariffs?  Are they now acceptable?

              The White House fired a broadside as a warning shot—a rather unusual, if not unique, action.  They announced they were considering revocation of the security clearances of six former national security officials who “politicized and in some cases monetized their public service and security clearances.”  White House Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the administration is examining the clearances of:
-- John OwenBrennan (former CIA Director), 
-- James Brien Comey Jr. (former FBI Director),
-- Lieutenant General James Robert Clapper Jr., USAF (Ret.) (former Director of National Intelligence),
-- General Michael Vincent Hayden, USAF (Ret.) (former Director of the National Security Agency),
-- Susan Elizabeth Rice (former National Security Adviser and United Nations Ambassador) and
-- Andrew George McCabe (former FBI Deputy Director).
            First, it is my understanding that the clearances of Comey and McCabe were automatically revoked when their service was terminated, so their clearance is moot.  Second, this action in conjunction with the BIC’s well-documented vindictive behavior over many years well beyond his current employment stands out as consistent and of equally bad form.  It has been common practice for former intelligence officials to retain their security clearances to be readily available to the current officials for consultation on past and contemporary matters.  While the administration has not yet revoked their clearances, they are clearly warning those named citizens (and anyone else with a clearance, frankly) to refrain from speaking out against the president or the administration’s actions.  Presumably speaking in favor would be acceptable.  Third, the retention of their clearances is only valuable or important to the current administration . . . of no value to the former intelligence officials.  Fourth, even with a clearance, they still have to be granted access and have a need to know, which are both determined by the current administration. Lastly, this initiative simply makes and affirms the BIC as a simple, shallow, thin-skinned, spiteful person—not the qualities needed in a president.

            The CFO of the BIC’s private business, Allen Weisselberg, has been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury in the criminal probe of Michael Cohen.  While the Cohen case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the examination of the BIC’s financial gatekeeper cannot be a comfortable feeling for the BIC, given the fact that the case was referred to the Justice Department by the Special Counsel.

            The Commerce Department reported the U.S. economy grew at a seasonally and inflation-adjusted annual rate of 4.1% in 2Q2018—the strongest pace in nearly four years (4.9% annual rate in 3Q2014—the Obama administration).  The increase from 1Q2018 rate of 2.2% was powered by a rebound in consumer spending, exports and firm business investment.
            The BIC, of course, took sole credit for the thriving economy; he alone has stimulated the economy, and we all know that to be true.  To his credit, every president in my lifetime has taken credit for a booming economy and naturally blamed everyone else for a failing economy.  So, yes, the BIC has a strong economy. The Great Recession began in 2008. President Bush (43) applied the tourniquet.  President Obama applied the necessary stimulants to revive the economy in a slow, methodical and careful manner, like a doctor treating a patient suffering from malnutrition, dehydration and starvation.  So, if anyone deserves credit for the recovery from the Great Recession, it is President Obama and his administration.  However, in this instance, I will not deny the BIC his moment of glory. That said, I will confess my concern that the BIC may be over-stimulating the economy with the tax cut, wanton spending, and pressure on the Fed to keep interest rates low; his actions may be too much stimulation that may generate runaway inflation.

            Comments and contributions from Update no.863:
“On the ZTE deal: that one smells, too. On the other hand, the phone provided to me via a ‘privatized’ government program is a ZTE, and nothing else is available from this source.  So there’s one more self-dealing Trump issue, but my phone service probably won’t be interrupted.
“Let’s summarize the current drama and let go of agonizing for a moment. Governments routinely try to influence one another, often by subversive means.  Russia’s current projects in that regard with respect to the USA have been spectacularly successful, culminating in Trump’s election as President.  The operation didn’t begin there and is not over.  It has made the very most of U.S. oligarchs’ takeover of both major political parties and, at some levels, partly supports their aims because of the degree to which they weaken our nation.  The Russians chose Trump as the best tool for the job.  They might have expected to control his behavior more than they have, but maybe not.  Whether Trump is mentally ill/impaired, spectacularly corrupt, or the object of extortion is not especially relevant except in upcoming legal actions.  Your other correspondent’s all-caps assertion of ‘no indictments’ is outright ignorance unless he refers to Trump himself.  Give Mueller a little more time.  (There have, in fact, been some allegations of miscounted votes in Wisconsin and I believe, Michigan, but they went away.) 
“The only different factors in the current drama from any number of other similar spy adventures are (1) the Trump operation successfully captured the highest office in the USA, and (2) true secrecy has become impossible, so these stories play out on TV and the Internet.
“All that media coverage distracts from Russia’s accomplishments.  They are, in fact, destroying our unity and our social progress, distorting and otherwise harming our economy (and hiding that by choosing the stories the media cover), and costing us enormous amounts of money, lives, and international standing via pointless military activities.”
My response:
            Yes, it smells to high heaven.  None of his actions make sense.  My salient question is, what does he gain by this action.  On a related note, I seriously wonder about why the joint reconciliation committee abandoned the rebuke section of the defense bill.  Why haven’t the supporters called out what happened?  Why did they abandon that section?
            Your observations regarding the BIC are spot on, it seems to me.  We really need to Special Counsel’s final report, so we can move on. I’m really tired of listening to him whine incessantly . . . he’s worse than a bratty toddler.
            I do not give Russia that credit.  If we were strong and believed in ourselves, it would be impossible for them to do what they have done.  Russia (and the Soviet Union from Stalin onward) has been trying to diminish the United States . . . and far worse . . . half of We, the People, are allowing the BIC to help them do it, and sadly praising him for his actions.

            Mvery best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap                        :-)

23 July 2018

Update no.863

Update from the Sunland
No.863
16.7.18 – 22.7.18
Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

            Tall,

            The follow-up news items:
-- Senate and House negotiators abandoned the congressional effort to undo the BIC’s deal with Beijing to save Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE and removed §891 of H.R.5515 [853/7,859].  The ZTE deal still baffles me . . . why?  What purpose is served in saving a PRC company that has violated international sanctions and threatened U.S. national security interests?
-- After the shock surrounding the execution of a federal search warrant on the office and residences of Michael Cohen [837, 850], someone leaked the existence of digital recordings (among the federal haul) of conversations between Cohen and the BIC (among others), and the Special Counsel and the Justice Department have those recordings.  I wonder how those recordings might affect the various on-going investigations.

            Just when we thought it could not get any worse, I will simply say that the BIC’s performance at the summit press conference with his good buddy, NKGB colonel, Volodya Putin was disgusting, nauseating and embarrassing.  I have never seen or heard of such betrayal by any president—Democrat, Republican, Whig or Federalist—in all of the history of this Grand Republic.
            The day before the magic meeting, the BIC tweeted this little gem to the whole world:
“Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!”
11:05 PM - 15 Jul 2018
Beyond his denigration of the United States, he demonstrated the paucity of any detectable knowledge of history; 1948 or 1962 were far more threatening to the United States and the world—he probably does not remember.  His ego and narcissism vastly exceed his ignorance, and yet it is his ignorance I find the most threatening.
            After the BIC’s tweet above, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov simply responded, “We agree!”  How refreshing!  The BIC connected so well with his Russian . . . friends.
            Is this what “America First” looks like?
            I am all in favor of improved relations with Russia, with the PRC, with the IRI, with all our former adversaries.  I want peace throughout the world. Our disagreements with Russia are not with the Russian people; they are with the Kremlin leadership.  Those men have long sought to undermine U.S.-European relations—the alliance that has sustain what peace we have had for 70 years.
            It was NOT America First; it was Russia Over All.  His blatant genuflecting to the great dictator was outright embarrassing.  Congratulations Volodya, you played the President of the United States masterfully!
            We have no idea what was discussed or agreed to at his summit, but the Russians have been publicly rejoicing.  While the BIC’s intentions appeared to be good (we should all want better relations with the Russians . . . with everyone), his public performance was literally revolting. I listened intently to the full, live, joint press conference.  Of all the elements that seriously bothered me, it was one specific exchange that stands out to me as the ultimate betrayal.
            Associated Press Reporter Jonathan Lemire stated, and then asked . . . the fellow who occupies the Oval Office (he most emphatically showed no signs of being on his typical strongman bully) . . . 
“Just now President Putin denied having anything to do with the election interference in 2016. Every U.S. intelligence agency has concluded that Russia did.  My first question for you, sir, is who do you believe?”  
With Putin stoically standing beside him, the fellow who occupies the Oval Office answered to the World:
“So let me just say that we have two thoughts. You have groups that are wondering why the FBI never took the server.  Why haven’t they taken the server?  Why was the FBI told to leave the office of the democratic national committee?  I’ve been wondering that.  I’ve been asking that for months and months and I’ve been tweeting it out and calling it out on social media. Where is the server?  I want to know, where is the server and what is the server saying?  With that being said, all I can do is ask the question.  My people came to me, Dan Coats came to me and some others and said they think it’s Russia.  I have President Putin.  He just said it’s not Russia.  I will say this, I don’t see any reason why it would be, but I really do want to see the server (emphasis mine).  But I have confidence in both parties.  I really believe that this will probably go on for a while, but I don’t think it can go on without finding out what happened to the server . . . .”  
WTF!  What!  How the hell is the DNC server even remotely related to the question? So, this is all about him. He has never considered himself the chief executive of this Grand Republic or of We, the People. And, at best, he believes Putin has been as truthful, forthright and accurate as all the U.S. intelligence services, and at worst, he truly believes Putin over the U.S. intelligence community.

            The BIC returned to the White House amid the furor over his obscene performance in Brussels and especially in Helsinki, and tried to talk back the words he spoke.  The next day, reading from a prepared script in part, he said:
 So I’ll begin by stating that I have full faith and support for America’s great intelligence agencies, always have.  And I have felt very strongly that while Russia’s actions had no impact at all on the outcome of the election, let me be totally clear in saying that — and I’ve said this many times — I accept our intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election took place.  It could be other people also.  There’s a lot of people out there(emphasis mine). There was no collusion at all, and people have seen that and they’ve seen that strongly.”
He went on to say:
 “It should have been obvious, I thought it would be obvious but I would like to clarify just in case it wasn’t.  In a key sentence in my remarks, I said the word ‘would’ instead of ‘wouldn’t.’  The sentence should have been ‘I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t’ or ‘why it wouldn’t be Russia.’  So just to repeat it, I said the word ‘would’ instead of ‘wouldn’t,’ and the sentence should have been, and I thought I would be maybe a little bit unclear on the transcript or unclear on the actual video.  The sentence should have been ‘I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia,’ sort of a double negative.  So you can put that in and I think that probably clarifies things pretty good by itself.  I have on numerous occasions noted our intelligence findings that Russians attempted to interfere in our elections.”
The BIC just cannot help himself.  He tries to fix things he screwed up, and all he does is make them worse.  The BIC says he believes his intelligence community, who have repeatedly stated the evidence that it was Russia is irrefutable and pervasive, but he must add it could be other people, which in fact means he does not believe his intelligence community.  The only thing that seems to be consistent with the BIC is his inconsistency and his inherent distrust and disbelief of the entire intelligence community.

            After his atrocious summit press conference and his lame, ridiculous “explanation” the next day, the BIC felt compelled to tweet:
The Fake News Media wants so badly to see a major confrontation with Russia, even a confrontation that could lead to war. They are pushing so recklessly hard and hate the fact that I’ll probably have a good relationship with Putin.  We are doing MUCH better than any other country!
3:59 AM - 19 Jul 2018
To which he added:
The Summit with Russia was a great success, except with the real enemy of the people, the Fake News Media. I look forward to our second meeting so that we can start implementing some of the many things discussed, including stopping terrorism, security for Israel, nuclear........
6:24 AM - 19 Jul 2018
with a continuation . . .
....proliferation, cyber attacks, trade, Ukraine, Middle East peace, North Korea and more. There are many answers, some easy and some hard, to these problems...but they can ALL be solved!
6:30 AM - 19 Jul 2018
He just had to lash out rather than look to his own actions, his own words.  I quoted no words from the Press, not the liberal Press, not the conservative Press . . . ONLY HIS WORDS.  No one made him say those things.  He said them.  There is no “fake news”; there is only his words.

            rapidly growing number of people, far beyond me, are asking, what the hell does Putin have on the BIC . . . to get him to act like that and say those things?  To me, if there is some implied threat, which is quite common tradecraft for the NKGB, it has to be something a whole lot more than a bunch of prostitutes urinating on the BIC (before he was the BIC). My guess is financial.  He exhausted U.S. banks, and then exhausted European banks, and I suspect now he has turned to former Soviet banks for financing his “deals.” My suspicion, ol’ Volodya’s banker oligarch comrades hold the majority markers on the whole organization; thus, the threat is calling those markers and sending his entire family into bankruptcy.  That would be far more embarrassing to the BIC than prostitutes urinating on him as a private citizen.
            I have long felt the Russians have something very powerful on him, hanging over his head like Damocles’ Sword, and it is not a bunch of prostitutes pissing on him; he would see that as a badge of honor.  Putin does not even have to remind him; the BIC knows the sword is there—always there, hanging by a fragile thread.  The issue is not prostitutes; it must be financial; prostitutes peeing on him cannot hurt him; financial ruin would emphatically, permanently and personally hurt him deeply, if not expose him to criminal charges.

            The BIC has confused and conflated the national security issue of Russian cyber-warfare and meddling in our elections with potential collusion and the legitimacy of his election. Emphatically, he was duly and properly elected to be POTUS.  The Special Counsel’s investigation is focused on Russian cyber-warfare activity relative to the election process.  There has never been, to my knowledge, even a rumor that the Russians manipulated the vote count; therefore, the votes are the votes. His election was proper and legitimate.  If the Russians affected the minds and thoughts of American citizens before they voted, that is a completely different matter from actually changing the vote count.  The BIC has compromised the national security of this Grand Republic because he is apprehensive and self-conscious about any implication regarding his election, which I suspect he did not believe possible himself.

            Prostrating yourself before a ruthless, omnipotent killer and begging for mercy is a valid tactic to garner favor or seek survival; it works sometimes.  If that was the BIC’s tactic in the “negotiations” with Putin to gain extended peace and better cooperation, we shall have to wait and see if it worked.  From my perspective, showing weakness before a dictator is usually encouragement for further aggression rather than restraint, e.g., Chamberlain at Munich in 1938.

            think we have clearly seen in graphic terms that he believes the majority of were not listening, could not understand, or just did not care what he said.  To that end, CNN interviewed a number of voters in Wisconsin.  An adult woman in a restaurant was asked, “What did you think of President Trump’s performance in Helsinki?”  Her answer was most illuminating.  “I don’t care. That does not affect me.  The economy is doing great.”  There you have it, and she is not alone.

            Another relevant cover from TIME magazine for July 30, 2018 . . . and the associated cover story: The Summit Crisis.
They also produced an eerie video of the cover image morphing process:

            Please indulge me . . . a little history lesson might be useful.
            Montenegro . . . why should we defend Montenegro?  [FYI: Montenegro is the most recent accepted member of NATO.]
            Then Secretary of State Dean Acheson, in a speech to the National Press Club [12.Jan.1950], perhaps inadvertently signalled to the communists that South Korea was not in the U.S. sphere of influence . . . the result was DPRK dictator Kim Il Sung (Kim Jung Un’s grandfather) believed he had a greenlight to extend his communist dictatorship to the south by force of arms [25.Jun.1950], because the United States did not care.
            The death, destruction and sacrifice of the Korean War [25.Jun.1950 to 27.Jul.1953, and technically just suspended by armistice] were a direct consequence of imprecise language.

            still have not found one of those magic decoder rings [758] to understand what the BIC is really saying when his lips move. To me, he is extraordinarily imprecise with his language.  Such a trait in a president or any other leader of any organization is dangerous beyond measure.  A business leader might lose millions or even billions for his company with just one incorrect or inappropriate statement.  A president might well get a lot of citizens killed as a consequence.

            continue to ask the question of those who worship the BIC, or at least voted for or support him: Is this really what you sought when you voted to put the current fellow in the Oval Office?  If so, why? What national interest purpose does his employment serve?

            Comments and contributions from Update no.862:
“Cap, Cap .. (Shaking my head) .. You really need to quit believing CNN .. Key words here .. DISTRACTION, NO INDICTMENTS.. JUST MORE INVESTIGATIONS .. lets keep our Democrat supporters believing in a Russian collusion, especially during an election year.
“Did you not know that just in previous months they did the same thing and a Russian lawyer showed up to go along with the supposed indictment, asking for our evidence at which the justice department back stepped and moved the indictment to merely an investigation.
“Did you hear Putin just question what about the $400M the Russians paid the Clinton Foundation?  Did CNN forget or neglect to broadcast that comment?
“By the timing of the previous supposed indictment, your special counsel and the Democrat party hoped to hurt Trump in the public eye before the Helsinki meeting, yet Trump was successful in his dealings with Putin in the Iran/Syria situation.
“Mueller cries indictment knowing he will not and CAN not prosecute due to NO evidence .. tries to continue to smear Trump and moves the indictments to yet MORE time consuming, costly, distracting investigations .. " Well Done ROD"  (NOT)”
 . . . to which I responded:
Is this one of those [855/6] I am just supposed to listen to and not respond?
 . . . with this answer:
“Just let the man do his job .”
 . . . to which I asked:
I am left to assume the answer to my query is YES.  So be it.
If you will permit me, what am I doing to interfere with his doing his job?  I would love for him to do his job.
[There was no response to my most recent reply.]

            Mvery best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap                        :-)