Update no.1125

 Update from the Sunland

No.1125

31.7.23 – 6.8.23

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

Well, sports fans, the day is finally here . . . at least in part. More than 1,000 American citizens have been charged, tried in a court of law, convicted, and punished for the insurrection [991]. Special Counsel John Luman ‘Jack’ Smith has finally charged [the person who shall no longer be named] with four federal felony crimes—United States v. Trump [USDC DC Case 1:23-cr-00257-TSC (2023)]. District Judge Tanya Sue Chutkan of the District of Columbia has been assigned the case; she is known as a tough, no-nonsense, but fair judge. The charges in the indictment are:

Count 1: 18 U.S.C. 371 (Conspiracy to Defraud the United States)

Count 2: 18 U.S.C. 1512( k ) (Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding)

Count 3: 18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(c) (2 ), 2 (Obstruction of and Attempt to Obstruct an Official Proceeding)

Count 4: 18 U.S.C. 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights)

Smith did not mention the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6^th Attack on the United States Capitol (HSCJ6) nor their final report [1093], but he did summarize the details contained in the HSCJ6 report in the indictment. One sentence summarizes the summary, “[T]here had not been outcome-determinative fraud in the election.” {An important FYI note: there is attempted fraud (some successful) in every election that I am aware of, e.g., Box 13 in Jim Wells County, Texas (1948) and arguably Cook County, Illinois (1960), which were allegedly successful frauds}. There was no “outcome-determinative fraud” in the 2020 election. Nonetheless, [the person who shall no longer be named] falsely expanded that reality into a fraud on We, the People. The charges focus on the Defendant’s actions to corrupt, delay, overturn, and otherwise subvert the 2020 election, and yet the Special Counsel apparently did not feel he had sufficient evidence or prosecutorial position to charge him directly with inciting and supporting the insurrection [991]. {NOTE: I would love to know why, but we may never know.} Perhaps of more significance is the implication contained within the indictment, specifically paragraph 8.

8.  The Defendant enlisted co-conspirators to assist him in his criminal efforts to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election and retain power. Among these were:

a. Co-Conspirator 1, an attorney who was willing to spread knowingly false claims and pursue strategies that the Defendant's 2020 re-election campaign attorneys would not.

b. Co-Conspirator 2, an attorney who devised and attempted to implement a strategy to leverage the Vice President’s ceremonial role conversing the certification proceeding to obstruct the certification of the presidential election.

c. Co-Conspirator 3, an attorney whose unfounded claims of election fraud the Defendant privately acknowledged to others sounded "crazy." Nonetheless, the Defendant embraced and publicly amplified Co-Conspirator 3's disinformation.

d. Co-Conspirator 4, a Justice Department official who worked on civil matters and who, with the Defendant, attempted to use the Justice Department to open sham election crime investigations and influence state legislatures with knowingly false claims of election fraud.

e. Co-Conspirator 5, an attorney who assisted in devising and attempting to implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding.

f. Co-Conspirator 6, a political consultant who helped implement a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding.

Reading the indictment in the whole, this indictment leaves me with the distinct impression that the document is as much the formal legal charges against [the person who shall no longer be named] as it is a detailed warning shot to Tiny’s co-conspirators. I suspect criminal charges will be coming for all six of them, separately or collectively. I will also say that the indictment lays out the factual evidence that virtually negates a defense of [the person who shall no longer be named] of, “I was advised by counsel.” He chose bad lawyers and got terrible advice. He is also signaling that the best chance the co-conspirators have is flipping on the Defendant. Who are the listed co-conspirators? Multiple independent press sources correlated the facts in the indictment with publicly available facts to identify the co-conspirators. They are Co-Conspirator numbers:

1.         Rudolph William Louis ‘Rudy’ Giuliani

2.         John Charles Eastman

3.         Sidney Katherine Powell

4.         Jeffrey Bossert Clark

5.         Kenneth Chesebro

6.         Unknown (at present but believed to be Boris Epshteyn; not validated; there are multiple individuals who match the above description and insufficient information in the indictment to narrow the choices to one.)

All the names are readily identifiable multiple times in the HSCJ6 report. They are all lawyers who fostered, created, and supported the BIG LIE that [the person who shall no longer be named] espoused and promotes to this very day. The press repeatedly, almost consistently, and erroneously adds the adjective ‘unindicted’ in reference to the co-conspirators. Yes, none of the co-conspirators have been indicted to the best of the public information. However, the adjective was distinctly missing from the indictment, the absence of which may well signal that all the co-conspirators are in the Special Counsel’s crosshairs. The purpose may be to signal there is insufficient evidence, so far, to indict them, or to pressure each of them to flip and testify against the defendant.

Of particular note here, [the person who shall no longer be named] did avail himself of his rights under the law and contested the election results of the 2020 election in 61 court cases across the country, only one passing the probable cause threshold, and many of them dismissed with prejudice. He lost every single one of them. Having exhausted his legal options, [the person who shall no longer be named] turned to illegal means. He sought lawyers who would support his delusional view of the election process, and he found them—his co-conspirators.

I offer a simple reminder to Tiny and his minions. Ignorance is not an excuse nor a defense in a court of law.

[The person who shall no longer be named] was arrested, booked, and arraigned in federal court on Thursday, 3.August.2023. And then, as if he does not have enough problems to deal with, the following afternoon, [the person who shall no longer be named] sent out the following message on his Truth Social application:

IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU.
Aug 04,2023 at 4:16 PM

Special Counsel Smith immediately filed a motion in court, requesting a protective order. The trial judge gave him until close of business Monday to respond the government’s request. Judge Chutkan will presumably decide the issue on Tuesday. I expect the judge to issue a strong order against Tiny. He cannot and must not be allowed to hide behind his political campaign. And so it begins.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1124:

Comment to the Blog:

“That obstruction of justice charge sticks in corruption cases.

“If the Democrats would run a viable candidate, then he, she, or they would defeat Tiny in a landslide. Instead, they’re betting on Biden.

“I’m reading a book on social psychology, and I recommend that field as a way to understand society. Surface-level logic and reason won’t get us there. Many people don’t base their votes or non-vote on reason and logic.

“Placing his chosen appointees in the Federal Courts was a backup plan for Tiny. It hasn’t done him much personal good.

“The Greenland ice cap’s melting may be the most drastic issue of all when the AMOC (Gulf Stream and related) ocean circulation collapses because of it.”

My response to the Blog:

From what I have seen so far, I think obstruction is going to stick on all three of those defendants. But hey, I was convinced O.J. would be convicted of double murder. Go figure!

We do not control either party, only our votes. I will only add that Biden is an infinitely better president than Tiny ever was. ‘Nuf said.

Of course, you are quite correct. There are myriad other contributors than logic and reason to how each individual votes, e.g., emotion, tribe, perception, hunch, appearance, et cetera. Despite Tiny’s criminal charges and other legal actions against him, he is in a better position today than he was in 2016. I must admit that a 2^nd term in office (without any constraints, I might add) is a distinct possibility. The thought is nauseating, but it is real and actually scary.

Most of Tiny’s judicial appointees have demonstrated integrity so far . . . with a few notable exceptions. Not much personal good . . . so far. There are many critical judicial milestones ahead in holding Tiny accountable.

There are also many climatic dynamics at play and will get worse as global warming continues. I am sad to say, perhaps we need another Mount Tambora to cool things off for a bit.

 . . . Round two:

“‘We do not control either party, only our votes’ doesn’t address the point. My point wasn’t about controlling the parties; it was about people not bothering to vote if there’s no candidate they like, the same as the last two Presidential elections.

“The judiciary seems less corruptible than the other branches, except for the Supreme Court.

“If the AMOC collapses, it will cool Northern Europe drastically, not ‘a bit.’ Sea levels will rise rapidly as well.”

 . . . my response to round two:

I did not miss your point. I am not sure how you expect the process to change? There is no such animal as a perfect candidate, and probably no better-good-than-bad candidate either. They are all flawed human beings. If we like Tiny or Bernie Sanders, we are probably not going to like Joe Biden. To me, Biden is an infinitely better president than Tiny ever was or could be. I tried to articulate Tiny’s disqualifying personality and conduct traits when he was the Republican chosen candidate in 2016. That did not stop the fiasco we endured. President Biden is not doing what many Americans want him to do, but at the bare minimum, he is acting in a dignified, presidential manner. I am not here to sing his praises; there are more than a few decisions we know about publicly that I do not agree with, but he is still a worthy president. I worry about his age, his health, his cognitive capacity, but if we are headed to a repeat of 2020, then I know who I will vote for. I will throw the dice. I cannot imagine who Tiny is going to select for his vice-presidential partner, but I dare say s/he will be as close to a Tiny clone as he can achieve; he definitely does not want another Mike Pence.

I will not be so bold to accuse the Supreme Court of corruption. I will agree that at least two justices have less than acceptable moral and ethical conduct. Further, I intellectually disagree with at least four justices on a general basis. But, that does not make them corruptible (well, except for two of them, perhaps).

A lot of bad things will likely happen if the AMOC collapses, just like there is more than a little chaos that will ensue if the poles flip. Rising sea levels will cause uncalculatable destruction and dislocation of massive populations worldwide. Regardless, we must wean ourselves off of fossil fuel consumption; it will not be easy but it is imperative. We cannot continue down the path we are on.

 . . . Round three:

“To be clear, Biden is widely seen as a tool of the corrupt Democratic Party. If the DNC can’t do better, they’ll have a difficult time. Many of us detest Tiny more, but the ‘lesser evil’ is still evil and plenty of eligible voters refuse to vote for either evil.

“At least three Supreme Court Justices have been publicly shown to have behaved in ways that would disqualify a Federal Judge from the bench.

“The poles haven’t been shown to be likely to flip. AMOC collapsing is a question of timing, not probability. Governments won’t take effective measures to lessen climate change in time to avoid major catastrophes. In fact, I suspect the overall climate tipping point is already past.”

 . . . my response to round three:

You are entitled to your beliefs, such is the nature of freedom. I do not agree with your assessment of President Biden. For whatever reason citizens refuse to vote, then we will get what we get. Prepare yourself. I will prepare my mind for what may be coming.

Three? Who is the third?

I do agree with you that the climate change tipping point may have already passed—not a good state. This whole issue gets mired in the intersecting question of human activity as the root cause. There were scientists back in the 60s and 70s that were forecasting a new ice age. They predicted the use of DDT had already destroyed the planetary ecosystem. Most citizens are not accustomed to the machinations of scientific thought, which makes determinative conclusions difficult. The glaciers and ice caps are hard evidence; there is no denial of those facts. Why they are melting is debatable. Yet, as I have long contended, the use of fossil fuels is not good for the atmosphere just like coal slag in our rivers is not good for our drinking water. Whether human intervention has the capacity to cool the planet is a highly debatable question, but we must try. Plus, what we learn from the process may well assist us in colonizing Mars and other celestial bodies.

 . . . Round four:

“I have no clue why you expect people to vote without the motivation to do so.

“Thomas and Alito have received expensive gifts from people with cases before the Court. Roberts’s issues center on his wife. Then there’s Kavanaugh . . .

“There’s nothing to be gained by arguing against human activity as the cause of climate change. In any case, we need all of our resources to try to mitigate the effects. Most of the causes will lessen as human and livestock populations decline dramatically. Colonizing Mars is a bigger project than Musk and others can conceive and will get worse as earthly resources fail.”

 . . . my response to round four:

Perhaps my views of voting are different from everyone else. I accept that potential. To me, voting has nothing to do with motivation. To me, voting is an obligation—a duty—of citizenship. But hey, that is just me.

Ahso! I am not aware of mischief or malfeasance by Roberts; his writing is decidedly moderate. Whether he is influenced by his wife is a different story. I think the accusations against Kavanaugh during his confirmation were accurate and true, which should have disqualified him from the federal bench at any level. But, the Republicans confirmed him. I must say his writing since taking his seat on the bench have been far more balanced and fairer than either Thomas or Alito. He is not an idealogue like Thomas and Alito.

I understand your admonition. Yet, humans consume fossil fuels through a wide variety of activities. We must amend our behavior. Yes, indeedie, Mars and even the Moon are much larger projects than Musk. They are arguably much larger than the United States. I will argue that they must be done for a host of reasons, equivalent to Jefferson’s Corps of Discovery order and the Lewis & Clark expedition [1804].

 

Another contribution:

“Thanks again as usual. Update 1124 has just appeared this side.

“When do you think the news agendas will cheer up and take a different view of this world’s activities? I do wonder at times is the human kind really capable or suitable of ‘owning’ this lovely green planet of ours. Or will our joint creator one day say ‘that’s enough-I’m replacing you.!’ What a thought! “

My reply:

Very good question. Unfortunately, I am afraid we are going to be in this muck for quite some time to come, and it is likely to get deeper and stinkier before we see improvement.

You are certainly not alone in that wonder. I question our suitability as stewards of this planet, and we are endeavoring to inhabit adjacent celestial bodies.

Where the Good Lord Above is near his patience threshold is unknowable. But, we are certainly provoking His doubt. Indeed, what a thought! There is always hope, until there is none.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)