What It Means to Say, “Christ Is Risen!”

From Breakpoint.org (Mar. 29):

On Sunday morning, Christians will gather in houses of worship around the world—like they have since the very first century—and make a proclamation to one another. It’s the central claim of the Christian faith: “Christ is risen! He has risen indeed!”

It’s tempting to think of this claim in a highly personal and privatized way, along the lines of “I believe that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.” While I certainly hope that if you make this proclamation that you truly believe it, that sentiment doesn’t quite catch the full effect of what this proclamation meant throughout Christian history. When the first Christians said, “Christ is risen! He has risen indeed!” they were making a public statement in a context where everyone had seen Jesus die. It was more than a statement of personal conviction and carried incredible implications for how to think about all of life.

This Easter, it won’t just be American Christians who say, “Christ is risen! He has risen indeed!” Our brothers and sisters in various parts of the world who, by saying these words, risk great harm, will, too. For example, Christians in Nigeria, for several years in a row on Easter Sunday morning, have been attacked in their houses of worship. Yet there, in the most dangerous place on the planet to be a Christian, they too will say, “Christ is risen! He has risen indeed!”

The Apostle Paul wrote an epistle to the church at Philippi. It’s all about what it means to have joy. Interestingly, Paul wrote Philippians from prison. There’s also a book that’s all about what it means to have hope. First Peter also was written in an unexpected context, to a group of early believers in Jesus facing an increasingly intensifying persecution. We know from history that he is speaking of the persecution of the Early Church under the Roman Emperor Nero. Just as the context of the book of joy in the Bible is prison, the context of the book of hope is persecution.

To these new believers facing an imminent and incredibly difficult situation, Peter does not say that they ought to feel hope but that they have hope. For Peter, hope is not a feeling. It is a certainty.

We tend to use the word hope as a way of expressing wishful thinking. We “hope” that a situation causing us distress or worry would change; that the next election may turn out as we “hope”; that the Supreme Court would decide a very important case how we “hope”; that our team would survive and advance in March Madness.

But for Peter, hope is not for a situation to change. It’s hope in a situation that’s already happened and will never change. For Peter what has already happened and will never change, that which solidly grounds our hope no matter what the future holds, is the proclamation we’ll say to each other this Sunday morning: “Christ is risen! He has risen indeed!”

The resurrection not only happened in human history: It is the defining moment of human history. For the Christian, this is not just a personal belief: It is the clearest statement of reality possible. Death is defeated. The Son of God is alive and sits on the throne of heaven and earth. No matter what happens in the history of the world, what will always be most true is that “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”

Easter always makes me think about Chuck Colson. Chuck spent many, many Easter Sunday mornings visiting “the Church behind the walls” by joining Easter services in prison. Chuck had a wonderful explanation of why he believed in the resurrection, an explanation connected to his experience in Watergate. Year after year, that quotation of Chuck Colson is shared widely around social media in a rare example of a meme both truthful and helpful:

I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Everyone was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world—and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.

Every Easter, I remember something else Chuck often said to Christians as a way to encourage them to stay engaged in the cultural moment with their feet firmly grounded in the hope Peter described: “For Christians, despair is a sin because Christ is risen.”

Perhaps as our culture seems increasingly challenging, it may help to think of hope as the complete opposite of despair. Hope is not optional for the believer. Our hope is secure because, as we all say again, “Christ is risen! He has risen indeed!”

For the Colson Center. I’m John Stonestreet with Breakpoint. Have a blessed Easter. [source]

Happy Easter everyone!

I like the Watergate analogy. Well, done!

Heavenly Father, I am so thankful You are my Father God. The resurrection of Jesus is not just a story to tell during Easter. It is the cornerstone of my faith, proving You have the power over death and sin. Because Jesus was raised from the grave, I, too, can be raised from any situation that is not of You. I desire to walk in Your will and purpose for my life. Thank You, Father God. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Quantum Theory Is Mind-Boggling

From Breakpoint.org (April 13, 2022):

Quantum theory boggles the mind.

As science journalist John Horgan writes, quantum theory is “science’s most precise, powerful theory of reality. It has predicted countless experiments, spawned countless applications. The trouble is physicists and philosophers disagree over what it means, that is, what it says about how the world works.”

At the core of the disagreement is what matter consists of at the quantum, or the smallest, level. At that size, matter’s properties change when we try to observe it, even—amazingly—because we try to observe it. That’s led to over a century of frustrated efforts to understand exactly what the fundamental “stuff” of reality is. It’s not that these tiny things aren’t real; it’s that we can’t figure out what they’re like.

At the same time, quantum theory has proven explanatory power.

A theological parallel is the Trinity. We can’t comprehend exactly how the Godhead functions, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real.

As C.S. Lewis wrote back in 1952, if Christianity is true, it would be “at least as difficult as modern physics.”

And, we could add, just as rational. [source]

Shocking survey reveals the reason elites are out of touch – and it isn’t why you think

From NY Post.com (Jan. 19):

The United States has a wealthy, partisan elite class that’s not only immune from and numb to the problems of their countrymen, but enormously confident in and willing to impose unpopular policies on them.

This is a recipe for disaster.

The problem is starkly illustrated in a new survey Scott Rasmussen conducted on behalf of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, which divided respondents between elites (people with at least one postgraduate degree, earning more than $150,000, living in ZIP codes where the population density exceeds 10,000 per square mile) and the general public.

Rasmussen also recorded the responses of a subset of elites — “super elites,“ if you will — who graduated from a few prestigious private universities, including members of the Ivy League, Duke, Stanford and Northwestern.

It’s near impossible to behold the results and not acknowledge they’re indicative of a fundamental disconnect between two Americas.

That disconnect should be of as much concern to proud aristocrats as it is to the peasantry.

It should come as no surprise that between America and its upper crust, a much higher proportion of the latter (73%) consider themselves Democrats and approve of Joe Biden’s performance as president (84%).

But there are less surface-level — and more telling — findings.

The rich are indeed getting richer, say the rich.

Seventy-four percent of the elites and 88% of super elites report their personal finances are on the upswing.

And the bulk of those who remain say they’re either unsure or they’re getting neither better nor worse.

A negligible proportion of respondents said their pocketbooks are getting lighter.

Compare that to Americans more generally, and it’s hard to believe the two groups are living in the same country.

While 40% of Americans say their financial situation is worsening, just 20% say it’s improving.

This might seem intuitive; it stands to reason that those who are making more money would be more inclined to think well of their financial standing.

But it is still striking that the class disproportionately represented in positions of influence does not feel the same, very real economic pains the rest of America does.

Why? Because that makes them less likely to take steps to alleviate that pain and even more likely to worsen it in pursuit of their ideological objectives.

Government control

This truth was borne out by the three groups’ answers to other questions.

A stunning 77% of elites and 89% of super elites support the “strict rationing of meat, gas, and electricity.”

Seventy-two percent and 81% would ban the use of gas-powered cars.

Fifty-five percent and 70% would prevent Americans from engaging in “non-essential” air travel.

Oh, and 47% and 55% believe the government affords Americans “too much freedom.”

Predictably, the rest of the country would be appalled to hear what this group would do with absolute power; the percentage that would agree to any of those measures lies between 16% and 25%.

What’s perhaps most troubling of all, however, is elites’ staggering surplus of self-confidence in government, a halfway decent proxy for themselves.

Seventy percent of elites (double the number of average Americans) and 89% of super elites said they trust the government to do the right thing.

“Out of touch” barely describes this attitude. Arrogant is more accurate.

If America is to avoid a tailspin into this toxic feedback loop, its elites will need to step outside their bubble, stop conforming in an effort to blend in with their myopic peers and start addressing the legitimate grievances of their fellow Americans. [source]

Not too surprising. The Elites are always insolated from the Commoners (as they like to think of everyone else), they think they know better than everyone else and use their money to influence gov't policy for their benefit. And any policy they support (high taxes, over regulations) that hurts the Commoners, they can absorb without much cost to them.

7 Ridiculous Examples of Government Waste in 2023

From FEE.org (Jan. 12):

Almost nobody doubts that the federal government wastes a lot of money. Every day we hear stories of fraud, mismanagement, and misplaced priorities that cost taxpayers millions, and sometimes billions, of dollars.

But just how much money is wasted? In his annual Festivus report—named after the fictional Seinfeld holiday—Senator Rand Paul tallies up some of the most egregious examples of government waste from the year. The report for 2023 came out on December 22, and as usual, the stories spanned the range from hilarious to deeply disconcerting. In all, Paul identified $900 billion in government waste from 2023.

Here are some of the highlights.

1) $659 Billion for Interest on the National Debt

The national debt continues to skyrocket, from roughly $30 trillion last year to roughly $34 trillion today. One of the many problems with carrying such a heavy debt burden is the sheer volume of money that needs to be spent on interest. As Senator Paul’s report highlights, the U.S. Department of the Treasury spent $659 billion(!) in Fiscal Year 2023 just on interest payments.

What’s worse, there seems to be no end in sight. “The Congressional Budget Office predicts that we will add an average of $2 trillion in debt annually for the next decade,” the report notes. “The U.S. government will add over $5 billion of debt every single day for the next ten years. We borrow over $200 million every hour, we borrow $3 million every minute, and we borrow $60,000 every second.”

2) $6 Million to Boost Egyptian Tourism

It is puzzling how the concept of foreign aid ever got off the ground. One can at least understand the reasoning for spending taxpayer money on local schools, roads, and the like, even if you disagree. But how on earth did they sell foreign aid to taxpayers? “Ok, here’s the deal. We’re going to take your money without your consent, and then we’re going to send it to our friends in a far-away country. There’s pretty much nothing in it for you, dear taxpayers.”

Um…thanks?

In just the latest example, the federal government spent $6 million to boost tourism—yes, tourism—in Egypt last year. “The U.S. has spent over $100 million on Egyptian tourism so far,” the report notes. “What’s next – rebuilding the pyramids? Apparently, Congress and the agencies it funds think our treasury is a bottomless pit.”

3) Training DHS Employees to Be Their ‘Authentic & Best Selves’

The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has been pursuing some…creative training programs as of late. In a federally funded workshop last year, CISA employees focused on “effective strategies to build and sustain psychological safety that allows individuals to show up to work as their authentic and best selves.” The workshop was part of a 5-year “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA)” strategic plan.

“Ironically, the workshop coincided with CISA’s efforts to suppress protected speech on social media platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Paul notes. “Even I was censored at the behest of our government speech minders. And all while I thought I was being my best self.”

4) $38 Million to Dead People

According to a special task force for tracking COVID payments from the federal government, $38 million went to people who were known to be dead in 2023. In fact, $1.3 million of that money went to 30 individuals who had been dead for at least a year.

COVID-relief funding has of course been rife with fraud and mismanagement since the beginning. You’d think politicians would have learned their lesson by now. Then again, it’s not like it’s their money on the line, so why should they care? What are taxpayers going to do, take their money to a competing relief organization? [read more]

Very stupid and wasteful govt. spending. Like boosting Egyptian tourism. What? Huh? Why are we boosting any foreign countries tourism? That's their business. Is Egypt boosting US tourism? Probably not. Or training DHS employees to be their ‘authentic & best selves.' Is this training really necessary? No.

Feds asked financial institutions to flag Bible purchases, terms like 'MAGA,' 'TRUMP' to identify 'Extremists': Report

From The Blaze.com (Jan. 17):

A shocking report from Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, indicates that federal law enforcement agencies wanted financial institutions to identify potential extremists by flagging otherwise benign purchases and search terms affiliated with former President Donald Trump in the wake of the incident at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

On Wednesday, Jordan sent an alarming letter to Noah Bishoff, the former director of the Treasury Department's Office of Stakeholder Integration and Engagement in the Strategic Operations Division of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, better known as FinCEN. According to the letter, Jordan's committee and select subcommittee have collected documents which suggest that FinCEN was targeting law-abiding Americans "on the basis of protected political and religious expression."

One FinCEN document referenced in the letter allegedly urged financial institutions to query "Zelle payment messages" for terms such as "TRUMP" and "MAGA." Another FinCEN analysis mentioned in the letter apparently suggested that these same institutions could identify possible "Lone Actor/Homegrown Violent" extremists by examining customers' transactions, looking for the purchase of "religious texts" — including the Bible, Jordan said — or "bus tickets, rental cars, or plane tickets, for travel areas with no apparent purpose."

The letter also alleges that Key Bank created presentation slides about merchant category codes and keywords that financial institutions could use that might identify "potential active shooters" or other "dangerous International Terrorists / Domestic Terrorists / Homegrown Violent Extremists ('Lone Wolves.')" The MCCs Key Bank suggested supposedly included "3484: Small Arms" and "5091: Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies," and the keywords supposedly included the names of notable national gun stores, such as "Cabela's" and "Bass Pro Shops."

FinCEN then shared these Key Bank slides with other financial institutions, the letter claims.

Jordan's letter makes clear that, if the documents are real, then FinCEN and coordinating federal law enforcement officials likely characterized "Americans as potential threat actors" simply for "exercising their Second Amendment" and other rights. "This kind of pervasive financial surveillance ... into Americans' private transactions is alarming and raises serious doubts about FinCEN's respect for fundamental civil liberties," Jordan wrote.

While the letter states that FinCEN's alleged intrusion on Americans' private purchases began as a result of January 6, an exclusive report on the letter from Fox News Digital suggests that January 6 was a mere pretense to justify a much broader investigation into Trump supporters and other conservatives. According to a source "familiar" with the investigation who spoke with the outlet, none of the documents compiled by the committee or select subcommittee contained "specific time frames or limitations for banks searching customer transactions with the terms," and federal agents almost certainly expanded their investigation to collect information "beyond" that supposedly related to Jan. 6.

The letter asks former FinCEN Director Bishoff to contact Judiciary Committee staff members sometime before 5 p.m. on January 31, 2024, to schedule a "transcribed interview." According to the letter, Bishoff's testimony will shed light on:

• "federal law enforcement's mass accumulation and use of Americans' private information without legal process;
• "FinCEN's protocols, if any, to safeguard Americans' privacy and constitutional rights in the receipt and use of such information; and
• "FinCEN's general engagement with the private sector on law-enforcement matters."

Both the Treasury Department and Key Bank declined Fox News Digital's request for comment, and Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops did not respond to its request for comment. [source]

More persecution by the Briben regime. The signal is: If you support Trump, MAGA, or are a Christian you are on notice.

Kevin Morris confirms $5 million in loans to Hunter Biden, art purchases: Comer

From Just the News.com (Jan. 18):

The House Oversight Committee reported Thursday Kevin Morris said that he gave Hunter Biden at least $5 million to pay off his tax debts and personal expenses and purchased over half of Hunter Biden's artwork, confirming months of reporting by Just the News.

"Kevin Morris’s massive financial support to Hunter Biden raises ethical and campaign finance concerns for President Joe Biden. Shortly after meeting Hunter Biden at a Joe Biden campaign event in 2019, Kevin Morris began paying Hunter Biden’s tax liability to insulate then-presidential candidate Joe Biden from political liability," Chairman James Comer said in a statement.

"Kevin Morris admitted he has ‘loaned’ the president’s son at least $5 million. These ‘loans’ don’t have to be repaid until after the next presidential election and the ‘loans’ may ultimately be forgiven," he continued.

Despite describing his financial assistance to Hunter Biden as "loans," Morris originally provided the funds with no written agreement, according to the committee. Promissory notes were created about 20 months after the he started transferring funds, according to previous reporting by Just the News.

The transcribed interview also confirmed Just the News' reporting that Morris was introduced to Hunter Biden by Lanette Phillips, a Democratic donor who also connected Hunter Biden with his future art gallery.

Last week, the House Oversight Committee revealed that Morris purchased $875,000 worth of artwork from Hunter Biden, according to a committee interview Georges Bergès who owned the gallery that had signed a contract with the younger Biden.

House Democrats believed Morris' testimony was less conclusive.

"Just like every other witness in this colossal embarrassment of an ‘investigation,’ Kevin Morris affirmed today that he has no evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden and that Joe Biden was not involved in, did not profit from, and took no official actions in relation to Morris and Hunter Biden’s relationship," Ranking Member Jamie Raskin said in a statement. "It is hard to articulate how far removed this interview is from an impeachment inquiry for presidential high crimes and misdemeanors."

"None of this is illegal or unethical—far from it—nor does it have anything to do with President Biden or presidential high crimes and misdemeanors.  Mr. Morris stated to the Committee unequivocally that neither President Biden nor his Administration had any role in his decision to loan money to or buy paintings from his friend and client, Hunter Biden," he continued.

Comer noted, however, that after Morris sent money to Hunter Biden, he started visiting the White House during the Biden Administration, attending a wedding and the 4th of July picnic. [source]

A loan huh? That's a lot of money for a loan. Since Hunter probably won't pay it back. Morris is a pretty generous friend. Must be nice to be a Briben. No one else could get a million dollars for crappy paintings.

More Hunter Biden news:

• Hunter Biden, partners aided Chinese bid to corner nuclear energy market with U.S. tech, memos show
• Hunter Biden's partners: A rogues' gallery of corruption, indictments, and charges of treason

13 Tips in Thinking and Reasoning

1. Whenever possible, consider alternative hypotheses. As we have seen, we humans are not in the habit of evaluating evidence in dispassionate and objective ways. One of the simplest things we can do to improve our capacity to think and reason is to discipline ourselves to consider alternative hypotheses. Something as simple as merely forcing ourselves to list alternatives can improve the reliability of reasoning.
2. Reframe the question. Is that soap 99.4 percent pure or 0.6 percent toxic? Politicians, advertisers, and even our local supermarket staff routinely spin just about everything we hear, see, and read. Everything is presented to be as positive as possible. Our job—as consumers, voters, and citizens—must be to perpetually cast a skeptical eye and develop a habit of rethinking whatever we are asked.
3. Always remember that correlation does not entail causation.
4. Never forget the size of your sample. From medicine to baseball statistics, people often fail to take into account the amount of data they've used in drawing their conclusions. Any single event may be random, but recurrence of the same pattern over and again is less likely to be an accident. Mathematically speaking, the bigger the sample, the more reliable the estimate.
5. Anticipate your own impulsivity and pre-commit. Odysseus tied himself to a mast to resist the temptations of the Sirens; we would all do well to learn from him. Compare, for example, the groceries we might choose a week in advance, with a well-rested stomach, to the junk we buy in the store when we are hungry.
6. Don't just set goals. Make contingency plans. It's often almost impossible for people to stick to vague goals like "I intend to lose weight" or "I plan to finish this article before the deadline." Gollwitzer shows that by transforming goals into specific contingency plans—of the form "if X, then Y" (for example, "If I see French fries, then I will avoid them")—we can markedly increase the chance of success.
7. Whenever possible, don't make important decisions when you are tired or have other things on your mind.
8. Always weigh benefits against costs.
9. Imagine that your decisions may be spot-checked. Research has shown that people who believe that they will have to justify their answers are less biased than people who don't. When we expect to be held accountable for our decisions, we tend to invest more cognitive effort and make correspondingly more sophisticated decisions, analyzing information in more detail.
10. Distance yourself. Whenever we can, we should ask, How will my future self feel about this decision? It pays to recognize the differences in how we treat the here and now versus the future, and try to use and balance both modes of thinking— immediate and distant—so we won't fall prey to basing choices entirely on what happens to be in our mind in the immediate moment. (A fine corollary: wait awhile. If you still want it tomorrow, it may be important; if the need passes, it probably wasn't.) Empirical research shows that irrationality often dissipates with time, and complex decisions work best if given time to steep.
11. Beware the vivid, the personal, and the anecdotal.
12. Pick your spots. Decisions are psychologically, and even physically, costly, and it would be impossible to delay every decision until we had complete information and time to reflect on every contingency and counteralternative. The strategies I've given in this list are handy, but never forget the tale of Buridan's Ass, the donkey that starved to death while trying to choose between two equally attractive, equally close patches of hay. Reserve your most careful decision making for the choices that matter most.
13. Try to be rational.

Source: Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind (2008) by Gary Marcus.

4 ways Republicans should talk about life in 2024

From Christian Post.com (Jan. 20):

Every January, tens of thousands trek to Washington, D.C. to memorialize the 63 million unborn babies killed in the United States since 1973 and to call on elected officials to end this evil.

As the March for Life approaches, political pundits are recommending Republicans leave the unborn to speak for themselves. Even “pro-lifers” have argued that if Republicans want to win the 2024 election, they must “find a middle ground” on the life issue.

Sadly, this path has already failed.

Since the Dobbs Supreme Court decision, candidates have relied on public opinion polls to dictate their position on life. Over 60% of Americans agree that abortion should be illegal after 15 weeks, and so logically, the path of “compromise” should have won the day.

But, when it comes to defending life, public opinion polls have not correlated with the ballot box.

In each election since Dobbs, Democrats have claimed that when laws protect unborn babies, women die. Meanwhile, Republicans have tripped over themselves to convince voters that they are NOT trying to ban all abortions — they’re merely trying to be reasonable. And so, voters have been left with a choice: cast a ballot for Democrats from 2024 or cast a ballot for Democrats from 1992.

Republicans have failed to make elections about babies at all. Instead, it’s been about “common sense limits,” “things we can all agree on,” “reasonable restrictions,” and “consensus.”

The logically inconsistent message of “sometimes you can kill a baby and sometimes you can’t,” just isn’t good enough.

Here are four ways Republicans can chart a different course in 2024.

1. State the goal

Instead of trying to find a “middle ground” and explaining how they aren’t “banning abortion,” pro-life candidates should start describing what they are doing — working to protect and defend every single unborn child because life is a precious gift from God. But it’s not enough to speak in generalizations.

Candidates need to share the stories of families they know who have been blessed with a child with fetal anomalies, of children whose mothers have sacrificed everything to give them life, of immigrants who have fled oppression and come to America because it’s a place where their children will be valued simply because they are human beings, of the struggle of couples who have miscarried or carried the cross of infertility, and of babies whose smile has helped their mother heal from wounds she should never have borne. Stories change hearts. Republicans need to tell them.

2. Describe who abortions kill

Melissa Ohden lived through a saline infusion abortion that was meant to poison and scald her to death. Claire Culwell’s 13-year-old mother had an abortion and weeks later, she realized she was still pregnant. She had twins, and only one of the babies had been killed. Claire survived. Josiah Presley lives with a deformed arm as the result of a curettage abortion that was meant to take his life. Gianna Jessen’s life was attacked through a saline abortion that didn’t kill her but left her with cerebral palsy instead. There are many other abortion survivor stories, and each one forces Democrats to literally come face to face with their position.

Instead of appealing to “reasonable restrictions,” candidates should emphasize that an abortion isn’t a magic wand that painlessly reverts a couple back to the point where their child didn’t exist. Abortion brutally murders a baby — typically by either starving that child to death or tearing that child’s body apart limb from limb. Democrats should have to answer for the people their legislation has allowed abortionists to kill.

3. Talk about moms

Women who have had abortions bear physical and emotional scars that are real and heartbreaking — and there are numerous statistics candidates could reference to prove this. But facts are cold and can seem heartless. Candidates shouldn’t just share them. They should tell the stories of the moms they’ve met who were physically injured by abortions. They should talk about those pressured or forced into abortion by their partner, their family, their trafficker, their coach, or their employer. These women deserve better, and their stories are compelling.

Just as importantly, candidates should give real life examples of the work they are doing to help mothers in need. We live in America. A mother should not think killing her child is the best way out of whatever problem she is facing. Supporting legislation to assist pregnancy resource centers — or better yet, volunteering at one themselves — is a great place for candidates to start.

4. Make promises you can keep

Candidates cannot protect life from conception the moment they are elected, but they can take steps to bring about the day when the unborn will be protected. Candidates should demand the enforcement of protections for unborn children already on the books, promise to sign or vote for any democratically passed legislation protecting life, and vow to appoint only pro-life members of the administration or in positions of leadership in Congress.

If Republicans want to win in 2024, they need pro-lifers to come out to vote and bring their friends. Republicans have to stop messaging that killing an unborn child could be “reasonable.” Instead, they need to tell the story of the beautiful gift of life, describe the person an abortion kills, share ways they’re helping moms in need, and promise to do everything in their power to protect the unborn. [source]

Good advice.

Supreme Court Allows Federal Government to Remove Texas Border Wire

From The Epoch Times.com (Jan. 22):

The Supreme Court voted 5–4 to allow U.S. Border Patrol agents to remove razor wire that was set up along the U.S.–Mexico border by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, while a legal challenge plays out.

In a brief order, the high court vacated a ruling issued in mid-December 2023 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh voted to deny the application to vacate that lower court injunction, which would have prevented Border Patrol agents from removing the barrier.

Chief Justice John Roberts, along with Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor, sided with the Biden administration. No one provided an explanation for their vote.

The order represents a win for President Joe Biden’s administration, which has struggled to curb illegal immigration into the United States since he took office in 2021, amid an ongoing battle with Mr. Abbott, a Republican, over the border. The administration had filed an emergency request to the Supreme Court and argued that Texas was blocking federal agents from carrying out their duties.

The court’s temporary ruling “allows Biden to continue his illegal effort to aid the foreign invasion of America,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said Monday.

“The destruction of Texas’s border barriers will not help enforce the law or keep American citizens safe,” he added in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “This fight is not over, and I look forward to defending our state’s sovereignty.”

In arguments to the high court, Biden administration lawyers claimed that the barrier prevented agents from reaching illegal immigrants who had already entered the United States. However, lawyers for the state of Texas have said that Washington has not been able to secure the border as Mr. Abbott’s administration set up razor wire fencing under the Operation Lone Star plan.

The Biden administration argued that the razor wire blocks agents from gaining the access necessary to do their jobs.

“Like other law-enforcement officers, Border Patrol agents operating under difficult circumstances at the border must make context-dependent, sometimes split-second decisions about how to enforce federal immigration laws while maintaining public safety,” Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote to the Supreme Court. “But the injunction prohibits agents from passing through or moving physical obstacles erected by the State that prevent access to the very border they are charged with patrolling and the individuals they are charged with apprehending and inspecting.”

In the application, she also rejected the idea that federal agents have done anything illegal or improper.

“Border Patrol agents’ exercise of discretion regarding the means of enabling the apprehension, inspection and processing of noncitizens in no way suggests that they cut wire for impermissible purposes,” the solicitor general wrote.

In court papers, the administration also asserts that, in any case, federal immigration law trumps Texas’s efforts to stem the flow of migrants into the country.

The application was submitted after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit sided with Texas several weeks ago, saying that “the public interest supports clear protections for property rights from government intrusion and control.”

Earlier this year, Mr. Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration and multiple federal agencies and officials for destroying the razor wire. He and other state officials have argued that federal agents cut the wire to help groups crossing illegally through the river before taking them in for processing.

“Federal agents have developed and implemented a practice of destroying Texas’s concertina wire to encourage, induce, and assist thousands of aliens to illegally cross the Rio Grande and enter Texas,” Mr. Paxton said in a statement in October 2023. “Federal agents in some cases attempted to ease aliens’ ability to illegally climb up the riverbank into Texas by attaching ropes or cables to the back of pickup trucks. Federal agents regularly cut new openings in the wire fence, sometimes immediately after Texas officers have placed new wire to plug gaps in fencing barriers.”

Mr. Abbott has also authorized installing floating barriers in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas, and allowed troopers to arrest and jail thousands of migrants on trespassing charges. The Biden administration is also challenging those actions in federal court. A federal appeals court last month forced federal agents to stop cutting the concertina wire. Large numbers of migrants have crossed at Eagle Pass in recent months.

In a separate case, the U.S. 5th Court of Appeals in December 2023 ordered Texas to do away with a 1,000-foot-long buoy barrier in the Rio Grande, also designed to block illegal immigration. The court sided with the Biden administration, which argued that the barrier makes the Rio Grande difficult to navigate.

This month, Texas denied entry to Border Patrol agents around Shelby Park in Eagle Pass after Mr. Abbott said the state won’t allow agents “on that property anymore,” widening a dispute with the Biden administration.

“We said, ‘We’ve had it. We’re not going to let this happen anymore,’” the governor said earlier this month, referring to the dispute. [source]

I guess the justices that voted for removal of the border wire don't want the border secured from criminals and terrorists.

More on the subject: ‘It’s Foolish’: Alan Dershowitz Slams Biden For Border Crisis Response

Trump's Running Mate?

From Bill O’Reilly.com (Mar. 6):

All that's left after ho-hum Tuesday is for Donald Trump to select his running mate.  So, let's run down the list.

How about Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina?  Looks to be a good person, a patriot, but what does the Senator bring to the campaign?  His state is Trump country, and he's not identified with African-American voters.

And then there's Nikki Haley, who would help with the women's vote, but I don't think she and Trump like each other.  Got to have chemistry.

Kristi Noem, the Governor of South Dakota, is a good conservative campaigner, but Democrats would launch fierce personal attacks against her, and so would the media.  Think Sarah Palin.

Perhaps the best choice would be another Sarah, the Governor of Arkansas - Ms. Huckabee-Sanders.

Compatible with Trump, smart women like her.

So she wins! Right? Hello?

See you this evening for the No Spin News. [source]

Yea, I agree. Governor Sarah Huckabee-Sanders would be a good running mate.

Report: 'Zuckerbucks' Group Aims for Election Meddling

From Newsmax.com (Jan. 22):

A group of  left-wing activists that allegedly assisted in the manipulation of the election system in favor of Democrats in 2020 is reportedly trying to skirt prohibitions against the private funding of election activities.

The Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) is holding a webinar Thursday with a national federal grants expert to use $700 million in Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) funding to help state and local election officials improve election operations, The Federalist reported Friday.

Elections are typically funded by state and local budgets — with occasional federal assists. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, private and philanthropic funding for local election offices to the tune of $332 million was made available by the CTCL, with donations from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan.

CTCL money financed the takeover of city and county election offices by left-wing activists, The Federalist reported, and made those a platform to implement preferred practices, voting methods, ballot harvesting efforts, and data-sharing agreements that were favorable to Democrat candidates.

There are now 27 states that prohibit, limit, or regulate the use of private or philanthropic funding to run elections, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

CTCL announced the webinar in its regular e-newsletter sent to thousands of election officials who are part of its network, The Federalist reported. The webinar intends to advise those on how to get grants from FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, which according to FEMA, is intended to "help state, local, tribal, and territorial governments address future risks to natural disasters, foster greater community resilience, and reduce disaster suffering."

In its newsletter, CTCL said the grants are "to ensure that local jurisdictions can increase resilience of critical services from natural hazards." It's theory is because elections are a core element of government function, they "are a critical service and eligible for this government funding."

The webinar plans to cover the application process, and "will include sample content, as well as inspiration for what the grant funds can be used for."

It is not known how CTCL plans to advise election officials to tap into such a large resource of federal funding that has nothing to do with elections, even if it argues that elections are a "core element" of government function.

But the author of The Federalist report, William Doyle, research director at The Caesar Rodney Election Research Institute in Irving, Texas, who specializes in economic history and the private funding of American elections, raised concern the CTCL and radicalized Democrats "appear to be up to mischief once again."

"[Lawmakers] should subject their relationship with the BRIC [Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities] grant program, and public election offices in general, to closer scrutiny, with an eye toward eliminating election interference in 2024 by yet another well-funded cabal of 'election fortifiers,'" he wrote.

Newsmax reached out to the CTCL for comment. [source]

Of course. Zuckerberg did it before why not again? He got away with election interference. Should be investigated.

Why Sun Yat-Sen Was An American Thinker

From American Thinker.com (Apr. 12, 2022):

In modern Chinese history, Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925) holds a unique place. He led the revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty in 1911; devoted his life to championing an independent and democratic China; and was a revolutionary leader and a man of vision. Sun remains the only political leader honored by both mainland China and Taiwan. What’s fascinating about Sun, but little known in America, is that his birthplace, formal education, medical training, religious faith, and political values made him a true American.

Sun’s elder brother concealed the fact that Yat-sen was an American. His family would claim that he was born in China because a Chinese identity was crucial to his mission for China’s future but contemporaneous records show that he was an American citizen by birth. The National Archives at San Francisco verified on April 29, 1904, that Sun had US citizenship. The American Institute in Taiwan also confirms that Sun Yat-sen was born in Hawaii.

When Sun was 4 years old, his parents took him back with them to China. Then at age 12, he sailed on a British steamship back to Hawaii, to live with his elder brother. Sun received his secondary education at the ʻIolani School under the supervision of the Church of Hawai’i.

At 18, Sun wanted to convert to Christianity. He was baptized in Hong Kong by Rev. C. R. Hager, an American missionary. He began studying Western medicine at the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese. At 22, he joined a group of revolutionary thinkers called the Four Bandits. They founded the Furen Literary Society, which emphasized discipline, purifying the character, and learning from the West. In 1892 Sun graduated with a medical doctorate degree from the University of Hong Kong, a globally respected educational establishment in the British territory.

In 1894, Sun wrote a petition to the Qing Viceroy of Zhili, Li Hongzhang, presenting his ideas for modernizing China but was refused an audience. That same year, he founded a nationalist party in Hawaii, the Revive China Society. It would later be renamed the Kuomintang.

In 1895, Sun formed an alliance with the underground Triad Societies in Hong Kong to organize the First Guangzhou uprising against the Qing dynasty. But when the plan failed, Sun escaped to Japan. This began his 16-year traveling exile, during which his brother supported him, selling most of his 12,000 acres of ranch and cattle in Hawaii to do so.

In 1896, now in London, Sun was kidnapped by the Chinese legation, which wanted to extradite him to China for execution. With the help of Sir James Cantlie (Dean of the College of Medicine in Hong Kong,) the British Foreign Office intervened. Sun was released and stayed at Gray’s Inn Place for eight months. Every day, he went to the nearby British Museum library for reading, constantly searching for an ideal political system applicable to a modern China.

In 1897, Sun was in Canada to seek funding from the Chinese communities, where he was followed by a Chinese official and a British detective whom the Chinese consulate in London had hired. Sun evaded capture and boarded a transpacific liner to Japan. There he soon met Tōten Miyazaki, a philosopher, who offered to assist his cause. Sun began organizing a more inclusive and influential network for fundraising in Southeast Asian countries, where large numbers of overseas Chinese lived and prospered.

In 1900 Sun launched the Huizhou uprising but failed. His Great Ming uprising in 1903 also failed. He further extended his network with a revolutionary base in Ha Noi and a military academy near Tokyo. Returning to Hawaii, he joined the Triad Societies’ branch there. Blessed with a magnetic personality, Sun’s popularity was now spreading beyond Greater China. [read more]

I wonder if the Confucius Institutes in American universities teaches about this historical person? Probably not. He wasn’t a communist.

After years of denials, Hunter Biden FINALLY acknowledged Joe was ‘the big guy’ in $5M China deal

From News Max.com (Feb. 29):

At long last, first son Hunter Biden affirmed during his Wednesday impeachment inquiry deposition that his father, Joe, was “the big guy” referenced in an email about a business deal with a Chinese state-linked energy firm that yielded millions for Biden family members and other associates, more than three years after The Post broke the story — but rejected the notion that the president was ever penciled in for a 10% stake.

The deposition represents the first time the 54-year-old Hunter has admitted that his former business partner James Gilliar was referring to Joe Biden when he raised the prospect on May 13, 2017, of the first son holding a 10% stake in the lucrative joint venture involving CEFC China Energy “for the big guy.”

“I truly don’t know what the hell that James was talking about,” the first son said when asked about the reference, according to a transcript released Thursday.

“All I know is … what actually happened.”

The email, found on Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop, was first reported by The Post in October 2020 as part of a bombshell series of reports on the first son’s influence-peddling schemes.

Hunter Biden and his allies had long insisted that information found on the laptop either was not his or had been manipulated by bad actors — with dozens of former intelligence officials insisting the trove bore the hallmarks of Russian election interference.

Later in his response, Hunter said that Gilliar’s suggestion of his dad getting a stake was a “pie in the sky idea” with Biden leaving public life after eight years as Barack Obama’s vice president.

“Like, ‘Joe Biden’s out of the office. Maybe we’ll be able to get him involved,'” the first son said.

“Remember, again, is that Joe Biden, for first time in 48 years, is not an elected official and is not seeking office. And so James is probably, like, ‘Wow, wouldn’t be great if a former Vice President could be in our business together?'” [read more]

Well, well, well. Who would have thunk it? Just anyone following news of the Biden Crime Family.

The Biden Crime Family saga continues:

• 8 Unbelievable Claims From Hunter Biden’s Congressional Deposition
• James Biden: President Was Paid Back $40K From China
• The White House is not a memory care facility
• Hunter Biden sought $5 million to try to quash indictment for Ukrainian oligarch, ex-partner says
• Hunter Biden’s Chinese legal ‘client’ threatens to sue unless first son pays back $1 million

Megyn Kelly to Newsmax: Biden's Border Killed Laken Riley

From Newsmax.com (Feb. 27):

Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly criticized the Biden administration's open border policies Tuesday on Newsmax, linking them to the murder of Laken Riley.

"The border policies this guy [Jose Ibarra] came in under Biden, he committed this murder under Biden because we have an open border, and nobody's enforcing the laws against people like this," Kelly stated on "Eric Bolling The Balance."

Kelly described the White House's response to the tragedy as generic condolences.

"People should be held accountable, and then they say, 'Well, it's a state prosecution, so we shouldn't say more,'" Kelly said, expressing frustration with what she perceived as a lack of attention from the administration.

"Really, in this case, you decide to hold your tongue?" she queried.

Jose Ibarra, accused of Riley's murder, faces multiple charges, including murder and assault. Details surrounding the 22-year-old Riley's death remain limited, with authorities stating that her death resulted from blunt force trauma. Ibarra, a Venezuelan citizen, unlawfully crossed into the United States in 2022, according to immigration authorities, reported CBS News.

Conservatives criticized the Associated Press for allegedly downplaying the immigration and criminal law aspects of the case. The AP's focus on Riley's solo jogging instead of Ibarra's immigration status drew scrutiny.

Americans can see right through a media cover-up. Kelly added, "They're doing their level best, but they see the truth. It's too late for that. Those tactics were yesterday's; they don't work anymore."

Kelly highlighted the need for policy change, citing the situation's urgency.

"We have to stop the sanctuary city policies. People are getting hurt, and they're starting to feel it firsthand," Kelly asserted.

She emphasized the importance of maintaining attention on such issues through media coverage, suggesting that failure to address them adequately could result in more tragedies like Riley's.

"It doesn't matter what the New York Times leaves out. The story is ubiquitous," she said, "and if Republicans were smart, they would make sure that this stays, at least in the right-wing media, all the way through November because how else do you affect change if we don't?" [source]

She's right. Biden and the Left only care about potential Democrat votes. If someone gets killed by an illegal, that's too bad. It's just a "one-off." Bill O'Reilly says Riley's family should sue DHS and other gov't agencies indirectly responsible for her murder. Her family should seriously consider that. Actually, since she isn't a "one-off" there could even be a class action lawsuit too.

A young potential life ended.

Other articles on the matter:

• Laken Riley’s blood is on Joe Biden’s hands as migrant crime rises
• Don’t Blame JUST the Border Crisis for the Murder of Laken Riley [video]
• Laken Riley’s suspected killer linked to bloodthirsty Venezuelan gang behind terror in NYC: court docs
  

The Republican House Needs to Cancel John Kerry

 

From Front Page Mag.com (July 26, 2023):

Last week 24 House Republicans introduced the No Taxpayer Funding for Climate Zealots Advancing Radical Schemes Act which if passed will defund our “climate czar” John Kerry’s office. This federal feed-bag is beyond political accountability to the voters or Congress, but at least the taxpayers will not be footing the bill for his emissions-spewing, global gallivanting to promote suicidal climate policies.

A Congressional rebuke would be a fitting end to Kerry’s public career––one marked by thoughtless adherence to leftish Democrat shibboleths, new-world-order received wisdom, and bad policies dangerous to our national security and interests.

Kerry’s latest junket was to China last week to coax the communist regime to remain on board with the West’s suicidal “green” energy demonization of cheap, abundant fossil fuels as codified in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.  That’s a big reason for the House’s bill to defund the energy czar’s $14 million budget and his staff of 45.

As Rep. Chip Roy (R. Texas) put it, Kerry is the “poster child for the Biden administration’s anti-energy policies that are destroying both our economy and national security.” The trip to China, Roy adds, which is “the top threat to our national security and the world’s number one polluter,” will do nothing but “further hamstring our energy policy.”

Moreover, approaching China as a suppliant and de facto junior partner––Xi didn’t deign to meet with Kerry personally–– in our relationship only emboldens our global rival to continue with its duplicitous diplomacy. As the Wall Street Journal pointed out the obvious, China’s agreement to stick with the Paris deal is “another way of saying Beijing intends to keep increasing its carbon emissions for another seven years. From 2015 to 2022 China’s greenhouse gas emissions grew nearly 12%, while the U.S. cut them by some 5%, according to the Climate Action Tracker.”

And it’s not just China’s duplicity about mitigating “global warming.” China understands that the West is in thrall to the climate-change cult and its “green energy” psalter, and takes such meetings as a way to leverage influence over our foreign policy by dangling the promise of cooperation on greenhouse gas emissions, of which China is by far the biggest emitter––almost as big as the next four emitters combined.

The Journal continues,  “The Chinese summary [of the meeting] said Mr. Wang [foreign affairs chief]  mentioned how Beijing wants the U.S. to ‘pursue a rational, pragmatic, and positive policy toward China’ and ‘properly handle the Taiwan issue,’ among other things.” The explicit acknowledgement of the quid pro quo, which China will not honor, is just another bold assertion of China’s superior position vis-à-vis its geopolitical rival.

It’s obvious that such negotiating in bad faith has long characterized China’s behavior once one looks at the Chi-Com’s deeds rather than listening to its dishonest tactical rhetoric. While the West has been dismantling its supply of cheap fossil fuels, according to Climate Action Tracker, the Journal reports,  “China’s emissions under current policies remain sky high with no sign of substantial emission reductions before the 2030 peaking timeline.”

And no wonder, given that China has been building dirty-coal plants hand over fist. The Journal continues, Climate Action Tracker tells us that China’s “coal production reached record levels in 2022 for the second year running.” According to S&P, “China has added some 112 gigawatts of new coal-fired power plants.” Global Energy Monitor writes, “As of January China had some 306 coal-fired power stations proposed, permitted or under construction. . . . When finished those plants would generate some 366 gigawatts, or about 68% of the world’s total coal capacity under development.” And don’t forget the 180 new coal mines that will “produce some 657 million metric tonnes per year upon completion and could release as much as eight million tonnes of methane emissions a year.” [read more]

Yea, Congress should cancel Lurch.

Trump Stands to Make Billions in Truth Social Merger Deal

From The Epoch Times.com (Feb. 27):

A potential merger involving former President Donald Trump’s social media platform Truth Social can take the company public and will give him access to $3.5 billion in funds—a deal which his political rivals are looking to thwart.

On Feb. 14, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the merger between Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC) and Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). TMTG is the owner of social media platform Truth Social. Once DWAC merges with TMTG, it can go public, with President Trump holding 78.75 million shares in the combined entity. DWAC shares were trading at around $45 as of 1:45 p.m. EST on Feb. 27, indicating that President Trump’s stake in the new entity could be worth $3.5 billion.

The amount can be a substantial cash infusion for the former president who has been charged with a $355 million fine two weeks ago by a New York judge in a civil fraud ruling. Adding in interest, the final amount comes to $464 million.

With the SEC nod, all that is left for the merger to be completed is shareholder approval. DWAC has scheduled a shareholder vote on the merger for March 22. A SPAC merger usually closes within a few days after getting the approval.

However, the merger is facing Trump-related risks. DWAC said in a Feb. 16 filing that the merger may be delayed by third parties. Political opponents of President Trump could seek to block the merger to prevent his “potential financial gain,” DWAC said.

The focus of the $464 million lawsuit was the annual statements of The Trump Organization, which the New York Supreme Court said inflated values of President Trump’s assets. However, his defense pointed out that no harm was done through the transactions with no victims.

On Feb. 26, Trump attorneys appealed the ruling. The court can potentially put the $464 million ruling on hold while the appeals process is carried out, which could last a year or more.

“The New York State CONSPIRACY (WITCH HUNT!) against Crooked Joe Biden’s Political Opponent, ME, is the greatest and most dangerous Political HOAX in the history of our Country!” President Trump said in a Feb. 26 post at Truth Social.

The ruling against President Trump has been heavily criticized. During an interview with CNN, businessman Joe Lonsdale said that the U.S. government is being weaponized against President Trump.

“It’s like basically what happens in these countries when you have a regime takeover that’s going after its enemies, as you weaponize it and you penalize people in ridiculous ways. This [Trump’s case] is an obvious example of that,” he said.

“This is why it’s scary to my friends who do business, who don’t even like Trump, because it’s a $400 million fine for something where there’s no victims ... is obviously a weaponization of government and everyone knows on its face.” [read more]

This will help in paying the stupid lawsuits (witch hunts) against him. Although, then prosecuting (persecuting) lawyers could then hike up the amount they are suing him for.

New study suggests people with dark personalities weaponize victimhood to gain advantage over others

From Psy Post.org (Feb. 26, 2021):

New research provides evidence that narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism — maladaptive personality traits known as the “Dark Triad” — are associated with overt displays of virtue and victimhood. The study suggests that people with dark personalities use these signals of “virtuous victimhood” to deceptively extract resources from others.

The findings have been published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

“Fortune and human imperfection assure that at some point in life everyone will experience suffering, disadvantage, or mistreatment,” wrote the authors of the new study. “When this happens, there will be some who face their burdens in silence, treating it as a private matter they must work out for themselves, and there will others who make a public spectacle of their sufferings, label themselves as victims, and demand compensation for their pain. This latter response is what interests us.”

In a series of studies, which included 3,536 participants in total, the researchers examined how signals of virtue and victimhood were related to Dark Triad traits and deceptive behaviors.

The researchers first found that perceiving someone as a virtuous victim made people more likely to help them, indicating that using signals of virtue and victimhood is a valid strategy to gain resources from others. For example, participants were more willing to help a victim of a random act of violence who was described as being shot while volunteering at a charity event than a victim shot walking in front of a grocery store or a victim shot at a strip club.

In subsequent studies, the researchers established there was a positive relationship between Dark Triad traits and emitting signals of both victimhood and virtue. Among the three Dark Triad traits, Machiavellianism — which is characterized by a willingness to be manipulative and deceitful — was the strongest predictor of virtuous victim signaling.

In other words, people with high levels Machiavellianism were more likely to report that they have often “pointed out how I am not able to pursue my goals and dreams because of external factors,” “explained how I don’t feel accepted in the society because of my identity”, and “expressed how people like me are underrepresented in the media and leadership.” They also reported virtue signaling more often, such as buying products to communicate their positive moral characteristics.

Importantly, this relationship held even after accounting for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Put another way, people with darker personalities were more likely to claim victimhood status regardless of their actual status in society.

Participants who reported engaging in more virtuous victim signaling scores also tended to be more willing to purchase counterfeit goods and were more likely to cheat in a coin-flip game. Finally, participants who reported engaging in more virtuous victim signaling were more likely to exaggerate perceived mistreatment by a colleague to gain an advantage over them, an association that was mediated by the Dark Triad traits.

“Together, our studies present converging evidence that the virtuous victimhood signal is an effective mechanism for persuading others to part with their resources in a way that benefits the signaler and that people who tend to engage in amoral social manipulation to achieve their goals are more likely to emit them,” the researchers explained.

But the researchers “strongly caution against” interpreting the findings as suggesting that everyone who engages in virtuous victim signaling has maladaptive personality traits such as Machiavellianism.

“Our conclusion is simply that victim signals are effective tools of social influence and maximally effective when deployed with signals of virtue. We also provide evidence supporting our proposition that for some people these signals can be deployed as a duplicitous tactic to acquire personal benefits they would otherwise not receive,” they wrote.

The study, “Signaling Virtuous Victimhood as Indicators of Dark Triad Personalities“, was authored by Ekin Ok, Yi Qian, Brendan Strejcek, and Karl Aquino. [source]

The Left’s MO to a tee.

Dan Bongino uncovers more mystery surrounding the J6 “attempted assassination” of Kamala Harris…

From Revolver.news (Jan. 25):

Did you hear about the assassination attempt on the first female Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris? It all went down on the evening of January 5th, involving the so-called “pipe bomber,” who was targeting her with an explosive device placed at the DNC headquarters in Washington, DC. Surprisingly, this didn’t make major news. It’s curious, right? An assassination attempt on the VP would normally dominate the headlines, yet it didn’t this time. The reasons remain unclear but somehow feel blatantly obvious. There wasn’t even a single “breaking news” alert from the regime-controlled propaganda media. So, what gives? It’s almost as if the media and officials are covering up the fact that Kamala was nearly assassinated. After all, we know Kamala herself covered up the fact that she was at the DNC in the first place. Why?

Kudos to Darren Beattie from Revolver for diving deep into this so-called “assassination coverup.” He just dropped a knockout piece on the “pipe bomber” that blasts away the FBI and media’s narrative—and yes, that pun’s intended. Revolver’s piece is making huge waves online.

Revolver:

The most obvious question is what could possibly account for the casual, lackadaisical, utterly unperturbed demeanor and behavior of the Secret Service and Metro PD officers in question upon being informed of an explosive device right outside the building in which their protectee is housed, and, for that matter, within feet of the agents themselves. To emphasize the seriousness with which the government takes pipe bombs as potential terror devices, it is worth noting that the government officially considers pipe bombs “weapons of mass destruction.”

It is hard to imagine what conditions could account for such a casual, unconcerned reaction on the part of the Secret Service. As pointed out above, even if they are the worst protection detail in the world, willing to completely abandon protocol when apprised of a weapon of mass destruction dangerously close to their protectee, you’d think they’d at least be concerned for their own personal safety. This complete lack of concern indicates that these agents somehow knew or were utterly confident that the bomb was inert and posed no threat, but how could they possibly know that? How could the secret service and metro PD officers be so confident that the pipe bomb wouldn’t pose a danger to themselves, to their protectee, VP elect Kamala Harris, and to the children they cavalierly allowed to walk within feet of the explosive device, and yet somehow the bomb was considered dangerous enough to require a bomb-safe robot to “defuse” only minutes later? Troubling and damning questions indeed.

When we discussed the Capitol Police video depicting the discovery of the pipe bomb, we observed the bizarre fact that the Secret Service agents seemed entirely unconcerned with the revelation that there was a pipe bomb within feet of themselves and their protectee, who was inside the DNC building (not to mention the children they allowed to walk within feet of the bomb). Perhaps equally bizarre as the fact that the Secret Service was unconcerned with the bomb when informed of it is the fact that the Secret Service hadn’t discovered the bomb already in their sweep of the building before Kamala Harris’ entry.

[read more]

Yea, a lot of strange occurrences in the video. Like why were the area of the "pipe bomb" not cordoned off by the Capitol Police? More questions than answers.

More on the subject:

• FBI Tied January 6 Pipe Bomber To Metro Card Of Ex-Gov Official, But Blocked Interview Of Him, Former Agent Says
• The FBI Said There Were ‘Pipe Bombs’ On January 6. Evidence Points To A Coverup, Congressman Says
• Pretext for a Fedsurrection
• JUST IN: New J6 Footage Raises More Troubling Questions – Bomb-Sniffing Dog Misses DNC ‘Pipe Bomb’ Just a Few Feet Away [video]
• WE NEED ANSWERS: Why did Capitol Police MOVE Cameras Away from the Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Scene? [video]
• New Evidence in the J6 Pipe Bomb Story Is Bound to Cause a Stir
• The Pipe Bombs Before Jan. 6: Capital Mystery That Doesn't Add Up
  

ALAN DERSHOWITZ: The Media Has Totally Ignored This Good News From Gaza

You wouldn’t know it from the hectoring decision just rendered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel, but the death toll among civilians in Gaza — even including children and women — is among the lowest in the history of comparable warfare. Over the past several months, it has become even lower.

According to The New York Times, “The daily death toll in Gaza has more than halved in the past month,” and has fallen almost two-thirds since late October. Moreover, the percentage of civilian to combatant causalities has gone down considerably as well.

In a massive understatement, The New York Times also reported that these considerable reductions in civilian deaths have been “somewhat overlooked” by the media and critics. “Somewhat”! They have been totally buried and ignored. The New York Times also opined that Israel’s “harshest critics are wrong to accuse it of wanting to maximize civilian deaths.”

It is no accident that this reduced civilian death toll has been “somewhat overlooked” by the media and by Israel’s critics, including previously by The New York Times itself. Israel is subject to a discernible double standard when it comes to covering its military actions.

Even before the recent dramatic reduction in civilian deaths, Israel’s military actions produced far fewer deaths and a far lower ratio of civilian-to-combatant deaths than in any comparable urban warfare. This is especially significant considering the reality that Hamas deliberately increases civilian deaths by using women and children as human shields and by hiding its military personnel and equipment among civilians. The current ratio of civilian-to-combatant is well below two-to-one, which compares extremely favorably with ratios achieved by other Western democracies in urban warfare.

Critics of Israel almost never cite comparable data from other military encounters. This omission creates the false impression that the civilian death tolls in Gaza are among the highest in history, when they are in fact among the lowest.

Every actual death of an innocent civilian — especially among babies and very young children — is a tragedy. It is these deaths that are always highlighted by Hamas to the media, but no one knows how many such deaths are actually among this most vulnerable segment of the population, and how many of those are the result of Hamas deliberately using young children as shields.

The Hamas figures for total deaths do not purport to distinguish combatants from what they consider civilian deaths. They never give the ages of the “children” they claim have been killed, although they regard anyone under the age of 19 as a child, even if they are active combatants. Hamas has recruited fighters as young as 13 to 19. The Hamas figures also do not count the Gazans who were killed by errant rockets launched by terrorists, or Gazans who were killed by Hamas for refusing its orders not to move to safer locations. [read more]

Not surprising. The drive-by-media is totally against Israel. After all Hamas is the victim in their warped world view.

FBI improperly used warrantless surveillance powers on US senator and other state officials, court documents reveal

From The Blaze.com (July 24 2023):

Court documents released Friday revealed that the FBI improperly used its anti-terrorism surveillance powers on a United States senator, a state senator, and a state judge.

Once again, the FBI is being accused of abusing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which grants the agency the authority to spy on non-U.S. individuals living abroad.

According to the FBI, Section 702 is an “indispensable tool” that allows the bureau to “protect against national security threats.” However, the agency has repeatedly been accused of abusing its powers to spy on Americans.

In May, it was revealed that the FBI improperly implemented Section 702 powers to gather intelligence on “133 individuals arrested in connection with civil unrest and protests” between May 30 and June 18, 2020. In total, the bureau was accused of surveilling Americans more than 278,000 times in the fiscal year ending November 2021, according to a court filing.

At the time of the findings, a spokesperson speaking on behalf of FBI Director Christopher Wray described the agency’s “errors” as “completely unacceptable.”

Despite the repeated improper use, Wray has maintained that Section 702, which is set to expire by the end of the year unless a new resolution is passed to extend the powers, is a “critical” tool necessary to “fight against foreign adversaries.”

“We take seriously our role in protecting national security and we take just as seriously our responsibility to be good stewards of our Section 702 authorities. Compliance is an ongoing endeavor, and we recently announced new additional accountability measures. We will continue to focus on using our Section 702 authorities to protect American lives and keeping our Homeland safe, while safeguarding civil rights and liberties,” Wray previously stated.

On Friday, it was revealed that the agency used Section 702 to conduct improper searches for information linked to an unnamed U.S. senator, a state senator, and a state judge.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court claimed that the FBI conducted searches of “sensitive query terms,” including those related to American public officials and candidates, The Hill reported.

“In June 2022, an analyst conducted four queries of Section 702 information using the last names of a U.S. Senator and a state senator, without further limitation,” the opinion stated.

The targeted individuals did not meet Section 702’s requirements.

The American Civil Liberties Union slammed the FBI for conducting the searches.

“These disturbing new revelations show how Section 702 surveillance, a spy program the government claims is focused on foreign adversaries, is routinely used against Americans, immigrants, and people who are not accused of any wrongdoing,” said the ACLU’s National Security Project deputy director Patrick Toomey.

“The FBI continues to break the rules put in place to protect Americans, running illegal searches on public officials including a U.S. senator, and it’s long past time for Congress to step in,” he added. “As Congress debates reauthorizing Section 702, these opinions make clear why fundamental reforms are urgently needed.”

Following the release of Friday’s court documents, Wray stated that the bureau has made “significant improvement in the FBI’s Section 702 querying compliance.”

A spokesperson for the FBI told the Daily Caller News Foundation, “It is important to note neither the U.S. Senator nor the state senator were surveilled, and no new information was collected on either of them.” [source]

It's almost like J. Edgar Hoover is still alive and running the FBI.

Will Joe Have to Go

From Bill O’Reilly.com (July 23, 2023):  

Now, I don't have all the answers, but I have more than most. We've been diligently investigating this potential game-changer for every American.

First of all, it looks bad for President Biden. Evidence is mounting that he knew his son and brother were taking massive amounts of foreign money and selling influence to get it.

No reasonable doubt on that. They did it and derived close to $20 million, maybe more. But where did all that money go? That question remains unanswered largely because the Justice Department and many Democrats could not care less.

In fact, strong evidence has been presented that Attorneys General Holder, Barr, and, of course, Garland tanked the Biden investigation.

But what about Joe? On Monday, I will run down the likelihood that this scandal will take him off the board.

Here are some unanswered questions beginning with, who is paying the Biden family's legal bills? It's not them.

- Was Joe Biden actually sitting next to his son when he shook down a Chinese Communist guy for $5 million? Hunter Biden described that scenario, but the Justice Department blocked a location search for Joe Biden on the day the damning Hunter email was sent. However, it is not beyond the grifter Hunter to lie for money, so there's doubt.

- And why isn't the President's brother Jim under public scrutiny? He was a big part of the money scheme.

- Why did the wife of US Attorney Matthew Graves, who refused to investigate Hunter despite being formally asked, visit the White House 28 times? Extremely bad look that the Justice Department overlooks with enthusiasm.

What say you, Fatima Graves?

-And finally, $20 million is a colossal amount of money coming into a family for nothing. But it was not the FBI that traced the cash through a variety of shadowy banks. No, it was Republicans in the House who did the tracking because the establishment swamp in DC is corrupt and would not.

That kind of terrible behavior is the bad news. The positive development is the investigation continues at an energetic clip in Congress.

President Biden may not even know it, but I believe he's "this close" to going down.

And if he did, indeed, take Hunter's money, he should. [source]

Good questions that need to be answered. As for Fatima Graves, why is she going back and forth between Crooked Briben and the Justice Dept.? Delivering unrecorded messages between the two is my guess. Which is what organize crime does. No need to keep a written or vocal record of something illegal or nefarious. CYA mode has been activated.

The Militant Man

To sum up, the militant man of words prepares the ground for the rise of a mass movement: 1) by discrediting prevailing creeds and institutions and detaching from them the allegiance of the people; 2) by indirectly creating a hunger for faith in the hearts of those who cannot live without it, so that when the new faith is preached it finds an eager response among the disillusioned masses; 3) by furnishing the doctrine and the slogans of the new faith; 4) by undermining the convictions of the "better people"— those who can get along without faith—so that when the new fanaticism makes its appearance they are without the capacity to resist it. They see no sense in dying for convictions and principles, and yield to the new order without a fight.

Thus when the irreverent intellectual has done his work:

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand,

Surely the Second Coming is at hand.

The stage is now set for the fanatics.

Source: The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (1951) by Eric Hoffer.