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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-4: Wheel Of Corruption: A True Underdog Story Edition
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #12-4: Wheel Of Corruption: A True Underdog Story Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yo what’s up Detroit? Motown! The Motor City! How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! You know we were supposed to be here last November and of course didn’t not because of COVID but because there was a fuck up in our supply chain that got screwed up. Now that’s out of the way it’s good to be here! I hope it’s not too cold! Well we have just two Top 10s remaining before my favorite Top 10 of the year – Stupidest State Selection Sunday! That’s right – the NFFSA is back and we will be holding our annual contest to find out which state is stupider than them all! First off, I want to say congratulations to the Los Angeles Rams for winning the Super Bowl! Cincinnati Bengals, you did great and you can rest assured that your Super Bowl champion merchandise will be going to clothe third world countries. Oh come on that joke never gets old! But I want to talk about this headline in the New York Post. Did you see this? I laughed so freaking hard when I saw this story. But the headline is: “Snoop Dogg Smokes Weed Right Before Star Studded Super Bowl Halftime Show”. Uh… this was in the news??? Do you know Snoop Dogg? I’m pretty sure that his name comes up when you Google “celebrities who have smoked the most weed”. Well, maybe aside from Willie Nelson and Kevin Smith and Cypress Hill. But come on, Snoop Dogg’s most famous album is literally called “The Chronic”. He’s written whole albums about smoking weed and even appeared in movies about smoking weed. Pretty sure there’s tons of pictures of him out there holding joints. Man some people really need to smoke some pot, I’m just saying! OK enough of the intro, we have a lot of idiocy to get to this week. But first Stephen Colbert is back and he has some thoughts on Marjorie Greene's "Gazpacho police" remark.
Hey everyone! The Wheel Of Corruption is back! Yay!!!! Oh the kids love the wheel don’t they? Well in the number one slot this week it goes to the GOP (1). Last week we reported that the GOP censured the one independent voice in their party, Liz Cheney, for serving on the 1/6 committee. Well it gets messier and even those in their own party are turning against the extremists! In the second slot this week is the Canadian Truckers (2). Yes, this protest refuses to die, but Doug Ford is laying the smack down on these anti-vaxxer idiots and they’re taking their fight to crowd funding sites – wait until you hear the latest! In the number 3 slot this week is That Former Guy (3). So last week we reported on the fact that he has taken and destroyed official White House documents and even pays someone to tape them back up, because that’s what perfectly innocent people do. But now did he flush those documents down the toilet? Well it’s complicated. Taking the #4 seed this week is Marjorie Taylor Greene (4). Yes, MTG attempted to compare the vaccine mandates to the gestapo, but accidentally wrote “gazpacho” and utter hilarity ensues! At the number 5 spot this week is Vladimir Putin (5). While the White House claims that Putin could invade the Ukraine as early as this week, the Kremlin is saying literally the exact opposite. In the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit”, and this week we’ve got a fun one! Why are the religious right increasingly calling themselves “prophets” and why do they increasingly make violent threats? Our resident pastor is going to go through the craziest of these! At slot #7 this week is a new “Beating A Dead Horse” (7). So the feud between Neil Young and Spotify isn’t going away any time soon, but you might be surprised at what Joe Rogan’s fan base now consists of! In slot #8 this week is a new Conspiracy Corner (8) – why is Kanye West cozying up to Russia and Vladimir Putin? Is it to expand his fanbase and his “Sunday Sermons” or is there something much more sinister underneath? We will find out! At slot #9 (NEIN!!!), we have a new “People Are Dumb” (9) because of course they are! Finally this week in our ongoing survey of the post-presidency MAGA world in “Red State Diaries” (10), the Freedom Convoy’s plans to disrupt the Super Bowl are a total bust, but could they come to your city? Possible, but we know the kind of crowd that they attract. Plus we have some live music from the legendary Spoon! Really buy their new album “Lucifer On The Sofa” or you’re no friend of this program. Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!
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Of course you know the rules by now – I spin the wheel and we have to talk about whatever it lands on. Of course if it lands on the guacamole option, you know that it costs $1.50 extra. And the wheel is all new with lots of items on it! Here’s what is on the wheel this week:
- Guns
- Abortion
- Crime
- Poverty
- Capitol Riots
- Treason
- Buy A Vowel
- Whammy
- Food
- Elections
- Nazi Germany
- The Border
- Donald Trump
- The GOP
- Clip Without Context
- Death
- Fox News
- COVID-19
- Something Random In The News
- ‘Merica!
- Chance
- 5,000
- Homosexuality
- The US Constitution
- COVID-19
- Russia
- Clip Without Context
- Top 10 Investigates
- Conspiracy Corner
- Morally Bankrupt
- Guacamole
- My Pillow
- Holy Shit
- Beating A Dead Horse
- This Fucking Guy
- How Is This Still A Thing?
- Red State Diaries
- Intermission
- Double Whammy
- 10,000
- People Are Dumb
- I Need A Drink
- Infowars
- Go Directly To Jail
- T-Shirt Cannon
- Lightning Round
- Bonus Spin
So with all that, let’s get going! Spin that shit! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! Hey it’s one of our patented Clips Without Context!
Shhhhhhhhhh!!! Nobody tell them how the Salem Witchcraft Trials ended! Spin it again! And it lands on… wait for it… the GOP! Yes, folks the GOP is treading into dangerous territory. We reported back in Idiots # 11-5 that Dick Cheney was concerned about the future of the GOP and that it’s been taken over by a dangerous cult. Of course as we all know, cults don’t like their followers to question anything they are taught. So of course the one person in that party who has an independent thought is Dick Cheney’s daughter, Liz Cheney. But what’s really scary about this whole thing is how the GOP keeps trying to minimize the events of January 6th. So let me spell it out for you: JANUARY 6TH WAS TREASON! YOU THREATNED TO MURDER YOUR OWN SITTING VICE PRESIDENT IF HE DIDN’T OVER TURN THE ELECTION! So yeah Liz Cheney had an independent thought and the Fox / Infowars / Trump cult doesn’t like that.
Senate Republicans are not happy with the Republican National Committee.
In interviews on Monday evening, GOP senators lashed out at their own national party’s overwhelming vote to censure Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) for working on the House’s investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. They warned that alienating a portion of the party for being overly anti-Trump is not a political winner heading into the midterms, a sharp message from sitting members that goes far beyond criticism already aired by a handful of GOP pundits.
Several Republican senators took more direct action: Both Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) were in communication with RNC chair Ronna McDaniel about the censure, with Graham calling her and Romney texting his niece.
“A very unfortunate decision by the RNC and a very unfortunate statement put out as well. Nothing could be further from the truth than to consider the attack on the seat of democracy as legitimate political discourse,” Romney said in an interview. Graham said the party is going in the “wrong direction” when it’s not talking about taking back control of Congress.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/07/senate-gop-backlash-smacks-rnc-after-cheney-kinzinger-censure-00006456
In interviews on Monday evening, GOP senators lashed out at their own national party’s overwhelming vote to censure Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) for working on the House’s investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. They warned that alienating a portion of the party for being overly anti-Trump is not a political winner heading into the midterms, a sharp message from sitting members that goes far beyond criticism already aired by a handful of GOP pundits.
Several Republican senators took more direct action: Both Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) were in communication with RNC chair Ronna McDaniel about the censure, with Graham calling her and Romney texting his niece.
“A very unfortunate decision by the RNC and a very unfortunate statement put out as well. Nothing could be further from the truth than to consider the attack on the seat of democracy as legitimate political discourse,” Romney said in an interview. Graham said the party is going in the “wrong direction” when it’s not talking about taking back control of Congress.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/07/senate-gop-backlash-smacks-rnc-after-cheney-kinzinger-censure-00006456
Yeah well fucking duh it was an unfortunate decision! The GOP is getting more exponentially batshit insane and increasingly hostile by the minute! Who knows what kind of spark will set off this powder keg which will inevitably go off? And by exponentially, too, I mean shittier and shittier and shittier. This whole situation is insane. We know there were people in Congress involved in January 6th! It’s time to find out who and expel them. They are a danger and traitors. But even Mitch McConnell is saying that they went too far!
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has criticized the Republican National Committee over its recent censure of two House Republicans, in a rare break with his party.
In remarks on Tuesday, McConnell criticized the way the RNC's resolution had described the Capitol riot and said the national party's role has traditionally been to support all of its members regardless of their positions. However, when asked, he said he continues to back RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel.
"The issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority," he said. "That's not the job of the RNC."
On Friday, the RNC censured Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois for their participation on the House panel investigating the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection.
https://www.npr.org/2022/02/09/1079500844/mcconnell-rnc
In remarks on Tuesday, McConnell criticized the way the RNC's resolution had described the Capitol riot and said the national party's role has traditionally been to support all of its members regardless of their positions. However, when asked, he said he continues to back RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel.
"The issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority," he said. "That's not the job of the RNC."
On Friday, the RNC censured Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois for their participation on the House panel investigating the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection.
https://www.npr.org/2022/02/09/1079500844/mcconnell-rnc
Yeah I feel like that sometimes too! Fuck… who knows how deep this thing goes and who is involved in carrying out this act of treason? We may never know. It’s been a year since the events of January 6th and we may never know exactly what the hell they were planning to do if they succeeded but we now know that it was carefully planned and hundreds if not thousands of people were in on it. But this is truly insane how low the GOP has sunk and they are sinking lower by the minute.
Rep. Liz Cheney on Thursday hit back at critics of the House select committee investigating January 6, saying the panel will move ahead with its investigation of the US Capitol attack regardless of criticism or intimidation attempts.
Cheney, writing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Thursday, vowed that the committee, of which she is vice chair, "will demonstrate in hearings later this year, no foreign power corrupted America's voting machines, and no massive secret fraud changed the election outcome."
"Those who do not wish the truth of Jan. 6 to come out have predictably resorted to attacking the process—claiming it is tainted and political," the Wyoming Republican wrote. "Our hearings will show this charge to be wrong. We are focused on facts, not rhetoric, and we will present those facts without exaggeration, no matter what criticism we face."
Cheney's piece follows a resolution from the Republican National Committee last week that formally censured her and fellow GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois for serving on the House select committee with Democrats. Though she did not address the RNC's decision to refer to that day as "legitimate political discourse" in the resolution, the congresswoman said in her op-ed that the probe "isn't only about the inexcusable violence of that day: It is also about fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law, and whether elected representatives believe in those things or not."
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/10/politics/liz-cheney-january-6-committee-op-ed/index.html
Cheney, writing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Thursday, vowed that the committee, of which she is vice chair, "will demonstrate in hearings later this year, no foreign power corrupted America's voting machines, and no massive secret fraud changed the election outcome."
"Those who do not wish the truth of Jan. 6 to come out have predictably resorted to attacking the process—claiming it is tainted and political," the Wyoming Republican wrote. "Our hearings will show this charge to be wrong. We are focused on facts, not rhetoric, and we will present those facts without exaggeration, no matter what criticism we face."
Cheney's piece follows a resolution from the Republican National Committee last week that formally censured her and fellow GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois for serving on the House select committee with Democrats. Though she did not address the RNC's decision to refer to that day as "legitimate political discourse" in the resolution, the congresswoman said in her op-ed that the probe "isn't only about the inexcusable violence of that day: It is also about fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law, and whether elected representatives believe in those things or not."
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/10/politics/liz-cheney-january-6-committee-op-ed/index.html
Yeah fuck these fuckers. I just am so mad I can’t even see straight. Like what would they have done if their evil plan had succeeded? I wouldn’t trust these idiots to run a 7-11, let alone the highest levels of government! It’s truly scary what the GOP has turned into and we’re not going to be rid of these people any time soon, especially since they seem to be multiplying and endorsing more MAGA / America First people by the day. God these people truly suck.
Ana Navarro took no prisoners in the Republican Party on today’s taping of The View. The fill-in panelist, who happens to be a Republican herself, completely bashed her own party over the recent vote to censure Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, labeling the Trump-wing of the GOP a “cult.” What a way to start out the week in which former Trump staffer Alyssa Farah will sub in as guest host!
Last Friday (Feb. 4), Reps. Cheney and Kinzinger were censured for their work on the Jan. 6 committee for targeting folks that engaged in “legitimate political discourse.” Joy Behar, stepping in as moderator for another week, introduced the hot topic. Navarro was the first to grab the bait, fiery as ever.
“First off, let’s talk about the RNC. The RNC and this censorship against Kinzinger and Liz Cheney — imagine Dick Cheney’s daughter being censured by the RNC, which apparently now stands for ‘Republicans with No Cojones,'” Navarro joked. “It’s turned into a cult, and all they do is worship at the altar of Trump. It’s ridiculous!”
https://decider.com/2022/02/07/ana-navarro-pans-liz-cheney-censure-the-view/
Last Friday (Feb. 4), Reps. Cheney and Kinzinger were censured for their work on the Jan. 6 committee for targeting folks that engaged in “legitimate political discourse.” Joy Behar, stepping in as moderator for another week, introduced the hot topic. Navarro was the first to grab the bait, fiery as ever.
“First off, let’s talk about the RNC. The RNC and this censorship against Kinzinger and Liz Cheney — imagine Dick Cheney’s daughter being censured by the RNC, which apparently now stands for ‘Republicans with No Cojones,'” Navarro joked. “It’s turned into a cult, and all they do is worship at the altar of Trump. It’s ridiculous!”
https://decider.com/2022/02/07/ana-navarro-pans-liz-cheney-censure-the-view/
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[font size="8"]Canadian Truckers Vs Go Fund Me
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Spin that muthafuckin’ wheel! Let’s go! Wheel goes round… and round… and round… where does it stop, nobody knows? And it lands on… Chance!
All right! A get out of jail free card! I’ll just put that away for later. Spin it again! And it lands on… wait for it… COVID-19. Folks, I don’t need to tell you that the pandemic is still serious business. Yes, things are relaxing a bit as case trends continue downward and it looks like we might finally be exiting the emergency phase of this nightmare and return to the time that we once knew before. But that said, before we exit the emergency phase, we must also exit the idiotic phase. That’s right. Idiots currently rule the world as we have seen in the last few weeks – whether it’s Robert Kennedy Jr at the capitol comparing vaccine mandates to Nazi Germany or it’s Canadian truckers blocking the roads to the nation’s capital in Ottawa and destroying property and flinging their own poop. Well, as if that wasn’t weird enough, this whole Canadian Trucker protest is getting pretty damn weird. And the latest thing happening isn’t the truckers blocking the freeway exits. It turns out that someone is paying them, and it’s leaving a very messy money trail.
A Canadian bank has frozen $1.1 million in donations to Freedom Convoy protesters through a crowdfunding platform as the anti-mandate movement drags into its third week.
Toronto-Dominion Bank made the move after the Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued an order barring the dispersal of convoy donations made through GiveSendGo, which has raised more than $9.2 million for convoy supporters.
A spokeswoman for the bank confirmed the funds were seized in accordance with last Thursday's court ruling.
'TD has asked the court to accept the funds, which were raised through crowdfunding and deposited into personal accounts at TD, so they may be managed and distributed in accordance with the intentions of the donors,' Carla Hindman told the Globe and Mail.
Despite the provincial government making it illegal to donate to GiveSendGo's trucker campaigns, the crowdfunding platform said it has no plans to back down.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10508291/Bank-freezes-Freedom-Convoy-supporters-accounts-crowd-fundraising-site-says-defy-order.html
Toronto-Dominion Bank made the move after the Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued an order barring the dispersal of convoy donations made through GiveSendGo, which has raised more than $9.2 million for convoy supporters.
A spokeswoman for the bank confirmed the funds were seized in accordance with last Thursday's court ruling.
'TD has asked the court to accept the funds, which were raised through crowdfunding and deposited into personal accounts at TD, so they may be managed and distributed in accordance with the intentions of the donors,' Carla Hindman told the Globe and Mail.
Despite the provincial government making it illegal to donate to GiveSendGo's trucker campaigns, the crowdfunding platform said it has no plans to back down.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10508291/Bank-freezes-Freedom-Convoy-supporters-accounts-crowd-fundraising-site-says-defy-order.html
Yeah so when Go Fund Me blocks you and fails to provide the goods you so desperately seek – money, of which there is a finite amount, you go to the even shadier Go Fund Me – GiveSendGo, which is run by fundamentalist Christians and hardcore supporters of that guy who we used to call president. But before we get into the meat of this brew ha ha, we got to find out what’s up with Go Fund Me because they could be in deep trouble. Not because they are donating to the Freedom Convoy, because they are *NOT* donating their money to the Freedom Convoy. Fuck Ron DeSantis, and SMH and FML.
The Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton (R), said Wednesday that the office will investigate GoFundMe after its decision to end a fundraising effort aimed at assisting the “Freedom Convoy” in Canada. Paxton said they will review possible breaches or violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Missouri’s AG Eric Schmitt is also probing the company, accusing GoFundMe of trying to silence the Freedom Convoy.
The protest is broadening outside Ottawa as well. Protest convoys are gearing up elsewhere in Canada, in the US, Europe and New Zealand.
EARLIER The GoFundMe website has reversed course and decided to automatically refund donations to the truckers organization leading a protest against Canadian pandemic restrictions. But politicians vowed to investigate the website’s original plans for dealing with donations to the truckers.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Saturday morning that he and the state’s attorney general will investigate GoFundMe after it shut down a fundraiser for the Canadian truckers participating in the so-called “Freedom Convoy.”
https://deadline.com/2022/02/gofundme-invetigations-freedom-convoy-texas-ron-desantis-florida-west-virginia-1234927300/
Missouri’s AG Eric Schmitt is also probing the company, accusing GoFundMe of trying to silence the Freedom Convoy.
The protest is broadening outside Ottawa as well. Protest convoys are gearing up elsewhere in Canada, in the US, Europe and New Zealand.
EARLIER The GoFundMe website has reversed course and decided to automatically refund donations to the truckers organization leading a protest against Canadian pandemic restrictions. But politicians vowed to investigate the website’s original plans for dealing with donations to the truckers.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Saturday morning that he and the state’s attorney general will investigate GoFundMe after it shut down a fundraiser for the Canadian truckers participating in the so-called “Freedom Convoy.”
https://deadline.com/2022/02/gofundme-invetigations-freedom-convoy-texas-ron-desantis-florida-west-virginia-1234927300/
Yeah seriously only in the republican party can you punished for enforcing your own company’s code of conduct. I just can’t… what the fuck is wrong with these people? If you tell them not to do something, they’re going to want to do it no matter how bad it is for them. I mean if you told them not to jump off of a cliff, they would be lining up for miles and fighting each other to be first in line to be the first one to jump off that cliff. So Go Fund Me didn’t work but someone’s getting rich, time to find out who.
A new fundraising appeal for Canadian truckers protesting vaccine mandates has already raised millions of dollars after GoFundMe halted the campaign on its website.
A new appeal for the Canadian Freedom Convoy has raised more than $2.1 million out of a $16,000 target on platform GiveSendGo after GoFundMe halted the campaign after police raised concerns of violence. This include one anonymous donor giving the truckers $215,000 on the now platform.
The original GoFundMe appeal had raised an estimated $9 million before website managers said it would withhold money donated to support the truckers.
In a fresh campaign, under the name Freedom Convoy 2022, organizers said it was raising the funds for truckers protesting against vaccine mandates in Canada.
https://www.newsweek.com/freedom-convoy-raises-2m-givesendgo-after-gofundme-removes-campaign-canada-truckers-1676591
A new appeal for the Canadian Freedom Convoy has raised more than $2.1 million out of a $16,000 target on platform GiveSendGo after GoFundMe halted the campaign after police raised concerns of violence. This include one anonymous donor giving the truckers $215,000 on the now platform.
The original GoFundMe appeal had raised an estimated $9 million before website managers said it would withhold money donated to support the truckers.
In a fresh campaign, under the name Freedom Convoy 2022, organizers said it was raising the funds for truckers protesting against vaccine mandates in Canada.
https://www.newsweek.com/freedom-convoy-raises-2m-givesendgo-after-gofundme-removes-campaign-canada-truckers-1676591
Mr. Weatherby???? No, no Scooby Doo moment yet. And the sad thing is we’re not going to get rid of these idiots yet. The idiots are being drawn to this thing like flies to a bug zapper. Look, the entire point of the mandates is to keep you from fucking dying! But these idiots are the ones who are killing themselves in droves. But the good news is that now we do know who is donating to these idiots and keeping this batshit insane protest afloat!
The leak website Distributed Denial of Secrets on Tuesday said it has posted more donor files from the fundraising platform GiveSendGo relating to the Canadian movement of people opposed to pandemic health measures, including COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
On Sunday, the DDoS website, which is devoted to disseminating leaked data, said it was releasing donor information relating to the "Freedom Convoy 2022" campaign, which raised more than $2 million in donations. It includes funds raised from several Canadian business owners.
Tuesday's leak contains donor information about a similar “Adopt-a-Trucker” campaign, which says it is operating “in partnership with the Freedom Convoy." The Adopt-a-Trucker effort appeared to raise less money and involved fewer donors.
The funding of the Canadian protests has emerged as a key point of interest as authorities in Ottawa and elsewhere try to get a grip on rallies led by truckers since late January that have blockaded cities and border crossings across Canada with demands that include deposing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. read more
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-data-canada-truck-convoy-donors-leaked-website-2022-02-15/
On Sunday, the DDoS website, which is devoted to disseminating leaked data, said it was releasing donor information relating to the "Freedom Convoy 2022" campaign, which raised more than $2 million in donations. It includes funds raised from several Canadian business owners.
Tuesday's leak contains donor information about a similar “Adopt-a-Trucker” campaign, which says it is operating “in partnership with the Freedom Convoy." The Adopt-a-Trucker effort appeared to raise less money and involved fewer donors.
The funding of the Canadian protests has emerged as a key point of interest as authorities in Ottawa and elsewhere try to get a grip on rallies led by truckers since late January that have blockaded cities and border crossings across Canada with demands that include deposing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. read more
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/more-data-canada-truck-convoy-donors-leaked-website-2022-02-15/
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
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Spin that shit! Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… STOP! And it lands on… Donald Trump.
Link to tweet
Helllllllllllllo lawsuit! And come on do we really need him barfing his brain on social media again? Well, I know that I do not. Twitter has been so much better without him. Spin it again! And it lands on… Donald Trump again! Ugh, this whole White House document dump story just gets weirder and weirder. You know last week we reported that he has people who he literally pays money to tape up documents that he purposely put through the paper shredder. And come on, anyone who’s performed that task knows how annoying and impossible it is to be able to perform and complete that task. But that said, could it eventually lead to what we all hope will be his ultimate demise and he finally gets arrested and has to sit out the 2024 election? God I hope so! But the latest developments? He might have literally flushed some of those documents down the toilet. That’s right – remember when he said that the average American flushes 10 times? Well only if you clog the toilet with stuff that shouldn’t go down the toilet.
There’s a scene in the Robert DeNiro film, “Goodfellas,” where second-tier gangster Henry Hill, just out of prison, searches his home for drugs. “Where’s the stuff that I left, Karen?” he asks his wife. Karen’s reply: “I flushed it down the toilet” — some $60,000 worth of cocaine flushed to keep the evidence from the FBI. “They would have found it, I swear to you Henry!”
That scene came to mind last week with the news — in a tease from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman for her forthcoming book about Donald Trump — that “White House residence staff periodically found papers had clogged a toilet, leaving staff believing Trump had flushed material he’d ripped into pieces.”
That’s one way to keep incriminating materials from the National Archives. In the Trump White House, even the water closets may have been crime scenes.
The former president’s Goodfellas-style habit apparently carried over from his days as a businessman; he reportedly tore up displeasing papers as casually as one-ply bathroom tissue. In the White House, West Wing staffers mindful of his obligations under the Presidential Records Act often picked off the floor the shredded refuse and taped it, like Humpty Dumpty, back together again.
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/594278-document-dump-turns-toxic-for-trump
That scene came to mind last week with the news — in a tease from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman for her forthcoming book about Donald Trump — that “White House residence staff periodically found papers had clogged a toilet, leaving staff believing Trump had flushed material he’d ripped into pieces.”
That’s one way to keep incriminating materials from the National Archives. In the Trump White House, even the water closets may have been crime scenes.
The former president’s Goodfellas-style habit apparently carried over from his days as a businessman; he reportedly tore up displeasing papers as casually as one-ply bathroom tissue. In the White House, West Wing staffers mindful of his obligations under the Presidential Records Act often picked off the floor the shredded refuse and taped it, like Humpty Dumpty, back together again.
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/594278-document-dump-turns-toxic-for-trump
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! That’s probably what was going through Trump’s head as he was flushing those documents down the toilet. Because that’s what perfectly innocent people do. And when you get accused of doing something that heinous, what do you do? Why you deny it of course! Because again, that’s what perfectly innocent people do. In the GOP it’s always someone else’s fault. No one ever takes responsibility for their own actions. Have you ever noticed that? Well some in Trump’s cap would like for you to believe that, but we know what he did!
Former President Donald Trump denied Thursday that he had flushed documents down a toilet when he served in the White House.
"Another fake story, that I flushed papers and documents down a White House toilet, is categorically untrue and simply made up by a reporter in order to get publicity for a mostly fictitious book," Trump said in a statement.
The detail, which comes from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman’s forthcoming book, “Confidence Man,” was reported by Axios.
Haberman tweeted, "Here’s some reporting from the book’s later years — White House residence staff periodically found papers had clogged a toilet, leaving staff believing Trump had flushed material he’d ripped into pieces."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-denies-flushed-records-white-house-toilet-rcna15693
"Another fake story, that I flushed papers and documents down a White House toilet, is categorically untrue and simply made up by a reporter in order to get publicity for a mostly fictitious book," Trump said in a statement.
The detail, which comes from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman’s forthcoming book, “Confidence Man,” was reported by Axios.
Haberman tweeted, "Here’s some reporting from the book’s later years — White House residence staff periodically found papers had clogged a toilet, leaving staff believing Trump had flushed material he’d ripped into pieces."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-denies-flushed-records-white-house-toilet-rcna15693
Accurate! But that said, Joe Biden ain’t playing. Because again this is some really serious and heinous shit that Trump is pulling here. Again if it’s something that we can nail him on that will prevent him from running in 2024 – whatever that is, make it happen! Time is running out and we cannot afford to fuck around with this. But that said – what the fuck was he hiding? Because this is some seriously incriminating stuff if this holds true!
President Joe Biden has rejected a request by former President Donald Trump to shield White House visitor logs from the committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including appointments for individuals granted entry to the White House complex that day.
In a letter to the National Archives, White House counsel Dana Remus wrote Biden has determined that asserting executive privilege "is not in the best interests of the United States, and therefore is not justified, as to these records and portions of records." The New York Times was first to report on Biden's decision.
The National Archives provided these documents to the current White House for review in late January, and they include "visitor logs showing appointment information for individuals who were processed to enter the White House complex, including on January 6, 2021."
Remus explained the administration's decision by noting that, while Trump decided to block the visitor logs from public view on claims about national security, the Biden administration "voluntarily discloses such visitor logs on a monthly basis," with some exceptions.
"The Obama administration followed the same practice. The majority of the entries over which the former President has asserted executive privilege would be publicly released under current policy," Remus wrote.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/politics/donald-trump-joe-biden-january-6-white-house-visitor-logs/index.html
In a letter to the National Archives, White House counsel Dana Remus wrote Biden has determined that asserting executive privilege "is not in the best interests of the United States, and therefore is not justified, as to these records and portions of records." The New York Times was first to report on Biden's decision.
The National Archives provided these documents to the current White House for review in late January, and they include "visitor logs showing appointment information for individuals who were processed to enter the White House complex, including on January 6, 2021."
Remus explained the administration's decision by noting that, while Trump decided to block the visitor logs from public view on claims about national security, the Biden administration "voluntarily discloses such visitor logs on a monthly basis," with some exceptions.
"The Obama administration followed the same practice. The majority of the entries over which the former President has asserted executive privilege would be publicly released under current policy," Remus wrote.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/politics/donald-trump-joe-biden-january-6-white-house-visitor-logs/index.html
Yes holy shit indeed! And while this might be building up to something, who knows what it will be? Will New York AG Letitia James finally put the boot in his big fat ass that we all are hoping will happen in the next few months? We’d better hurry and get our asses in gear because tomorrow may be too late. Oh… what’s this? Ladies and gentlemen, I just got handed some serious late breaking news here! Maybe this is what Trump was hiding in those visitor logs! Don’t worry, we will be covering this in full next week! Same bat time, same bat channel!
Mazars USA, the accounting firm that former President Donald Trump and his businesses have used for years, cut ties with him in stunning fashion, declaring it could no longer vouch for the financial statements it has complied over the past decade.
The February 9 letter was disclosed Monday amid litigation around a civil investigation into Trump and his businesses, where New York Attorney General Letitia James has alleged that Trump's business had made misstatements and omissions in the financial statements that were used in its dealings with banks. The Trump Organization denies those claims and is currently seeking to freeze the investigation.
The accounting firm is backing away from Trump now after standing by his side for years of controversies and allegations about his financial practices.
"For an accountant to basically withdraw their report and to alert the client that the financial statements aren't reliable is a pretty extreme action," said Terri Herron, a professor of accounting at University of Montana. "It's required by our standards that we do that as CPAs. But it doesn't happen very often."
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/15/politics/mazars-trump-letter-letitia-james/index.html [/div
The February 9 letter was disclosed Monday amid litigation around a civil investigation into Trump and his businesses, where New York Attorney General Letitia James has alleged that Trump's business had made misstatements and omissions in the financial statements that were used in its dealings with banks. The Trump Organization denies those claims and is currently seeking to freeze the investigation.
The accounting firm is backing away from Trump now after standing by his side for years of controversies and allegations about his financial practices.
"For an accountant to basically withdraw their report and to alert the client that the financial statements aren't reliable is a pretty extreme action," said Terri Herron, a professor of accounting at University of Montana. "It's required by our standards that we do that as CPAs. But it doesn't happen very often."
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/15/politics/mazars-trump-letter-letitia-james/index.html [/div
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[font size="8"]Marjorie Taylor Greene
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Let’s spin it to win it! Ooh that was a good And it lands on… wait for it… oh hey it’s one of our patented Clips Without Context!
Yeah there’s this new thing called the Constitution that is preventing you from doing that, Hank. My god there is no end to their stupidity. OK spin it again! Ugh, really… do I have to talk about Infowars? Come on, make me. OK fine. Well there’s no secret that Infowars’ favorite Congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q – Batshit), is completely off her rocker. I mean this woman is absolutely fucking insane. And that’s putting it lightly. And can we all agree that anyone who goes on Steve Bannon and/or Alex Jones should be considered a national security risk? Thank you audience! Well this might be one of the funnies things I’ve ever seen. Can we roll that clip first and then we’ll talk about it?
Yeah come on, you can’t even get the Nazi references right. Sit down. It’s like when you’re so mad at something you can’t even get it right about who you are mad at. But why are they mad? Oh that’s right, we’re only trying to keep you from dying from a preventable disease. But hey if you want to kill yourself because you don’t want to get vaccinated, I’m not going to stop you. Anyway this is what this crazy woman actually meant to say. Did I mention she’s crazy?
"I know nothing." That was the response members of the Order of the Star Spangled Banner were supposed to give when asked about their secret society, which was founded in 1849.
The fiercely anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic group evolved into the American Party, but it will be forever remembered by another name. The "Know Nothings" became a powerful political force, commanding the allegiance of more than 100 members of Congress in the 1850s, as Lorraine Boissoneault wrote in Smithsonian Magazine.
Last week, a Republican member of Congress, Marjorie Taylor Greene, lashed out at Speaker Nancy Pelosi, falsely accusing her of having "gazpacho police spying on members of Congress," apparently mistaking a cold vegetable soup from Spain for the Gestapo, the Nazi regime's secret police. The botched reference was widely mocked on social media, and Greene later made fun of herself, tweeting: "No soup for those who illegally spy on Members of Congress, but they will be thrown in the goulash."
It wasn't the first time Greene had reached for wildly inappropriate Nazi comparisons. Even if she had gotten the term Gestapo right, there would have been no excuse for comparing the Capitol Police with the murderous agents of Hitler's Germany.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/13/opinions/greene-gazpacho-police-sums-it-up-column-galant/index.html
The fiercely anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic group evolved into the American Party, but it will be forever remembered by another name. The "Know Nothings" became a powerful political force, commanding the allegiance of more than 100 members of Congress in the 1850s, as Lorraine Boissoneault wrote in Smithsonian Magazine.
Last week, a Republican member of Congress, Marjorie Taylor Greene, lashed out at Speaker Nancy Pelosi, falsely accusing her of having "gazpacho police spying on members of Congress," apparently mistaking a cold vegetable soup from Spain for the Gestapo, the Nazi regime's secret police. The botched reference was widely mocked on social media, and Greene later made fun of herself, tweeting: "No soup for those who illegally spy on Members of Congress, but they will be thrown in the goulash."
It wasn't the first time Greene had reached for wildly inappropriate Nazi comparisons. Even if she had gotten the term Gestapo right, there would have been no excuse for comparing the Capitol Police with the murderous agents of Hitler's Germany.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/13/opinions/greene-gazpacho-police-sums-it-up-column-galant/index.html
Yeah come on, speaking of that guy, let’s find out about what he thinks about Marjorie Greene making a literal connection between Nazis and soup. Of course you remember that now infamous Seinfeld episode, and the guy who played the Soup Nazi is none other than Larry Thomas. Of course when I saw this video last week, I laughed my ass off so hard that I just about fell off my chair. So what does the actual Soup Nazi think about these shenanigans?
The extremist congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who previously alerted the US to the dangers of space lasers, issued a new warning to the American people on Thursday: the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, has unleashed “gazpacho police” to spy on Greene’s colleagues in Congress.
It is, of course, possible that a clandestine network bent on the regulation of cold soup operates deep under the Capitol cafeteria. But Greene was presumably confusing “gazpacho” with the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police.
Could the Soup Nazi have secretly been a member of the gazpacho police? We asked Larry Thomas, who played the character, for his take on the moment as soups and Nazis march back into the headlines.
Thomas, no fan of Greene or the ex-president she claims won re-election, says he was floored by the comments. “How in the world can a grown person, who grew up in the 20th century, not know what the word Gestapo is?” he asks. “They say ‘You can’t write this shit.’ It’s beyond you can’t write this shit.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/11/marjorie-taylor-green-gazpacho-police-soup-nazi
It is, of course, possible that a clandestine network bent on the regulation of cold soup operates deep under the Capitol cafeteria. But Greene was presumably confusing “gazpacho” with the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police.
Could the Soup Nazi have secretly been a member of the gazpacho police? We asked Larry Thomas, who played the character, for his take on the moment as soups and Nazis march back into the headlines.
Thomas, no fan of Greene or the ex-president she claims won re-election, says he was floored by the comments. “How in the world can a grown person, who grew up in the 20th century, not know what the word Gestapo is?” he asks. “They say ‘You can’t write this shit.’ It’s beyond you can’t write this shit.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/11/marjorie-taylor-green-gazpacho-police-soup-nazi
Well he’s not wrong! And again Marjorie Greene – totally missing the point! But then again if you still support that former Fucking Asshole In Chief, then missing the point is part of your M.O.. And honestly I know that people have mixed feelings about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but can we all agree with her statement on this latest stupidity? I mean she’s totally not wrong here and I expect that Mrs. Greene would have done this. Because come on, spelling… thoughts… independent thoughts… these are all products of a lib’rul society!!! My freedumbs!!!
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said her Republican colleague Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene "clearly banned all books from her house years ago" after Greene mistakenly said "gazpacho police" instead of "Gestapo" on Wednesday while criticizing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the US House select committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.
"Not only do we have the DC jail, which is the DC Gulag, but now we have Nancy Pelosi's gazpacho police spying on members of Congress," Greene said on the far-right channel OAN's show "Real America with Dan Ball." "Spying on the legislative work that we do, spying on our staff, and spying on American citizens that want to come talk to their representatives."
Greene surely meant to say "Gestapo," the name of the Nazis' secret police in the 1930s and 1940s. Gazpacho is a Spanish cold soup, popular across the world.
Responding to a request for comment about the gaffe, a representative for Greene told Insider, "No soup for those who illegally spy on Members of Congress, but they will be thrown in the goulash."
During the show segment, Greene was criticizing subpoenas handed out to affiliates of former President Donald Trump by the House January 6 committee. She also lamented the treatment of people jailed in Washington, DC, on charges related to the attack.
https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-mtg-banned-all-books-from-her-house-gazpacho-gaffe-2022-2
"Not only do we have the DC jail, which is the DC Gulag, but now we have Nancy Pelosi's gazpacho police spying on members of Congress," Greene said on the far-right channel OAN's show "Real America with Dan Ball." "Spying on the legislative work that we do, spying on our staff, and spying on American citizens that want to come talk to their representatives."
Greene surely meant to say "Gestapo," the name of the Nazis' secret police in the 1930s and 1940s. Gazpacho is a Spanish cold soup, popular across the world.
Responding to a request for comment about the gaffe, a representative for Greene told Insider, "No soup for those who illegally spy on Members of Congress, but they will be thrown in the goulash."
During the show segment, Greene was criticizing subpoenas handed out to affiliates of former President Donald Trump by the House January 6 committee. She also lamented the treatment of people jailed in Washington, DC, on charges related to the attack.
https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-mtg-banned-all-books-from-her-house-gazpacho-gaffe-2022-2
Thinking is hard, yo! You have things like numbers and big words and statistics to confuse you! Here’s the thing, kids – don’t be like Marjorie. Actually think for yourself and if you use big words you are definitely not the kind of voter that Trump and the Facebook misinformation sphere is actively seeking out. They are instead seeking out the kind of people like Marjorie Greene, people who actively listen to dipshits like Alex Jones and Steve Bannon. And if you do then the misinformation sphere will scramble your brain. And that’s when you make stupid statements like this.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who has become known for her love of conspiracy theories and angry outbursts at Democratic leaders, apparently meant to accuse House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Gestapo police tactics in an interview Tuesday.
But it didn’t quite come out that way, and the mistake she made immediately set off a chorus of delighted ridicule from her critics on social media.
Rather than compare Pelosi’s tactics to the Nazi secret police, she instead compared them to a bowl of chilled soup.
"Now we have Nancy Pelosi's gazpacho police spying on members of Congress, spying on the legislative work we do, spying on our staff and spying on American citizens," Greene said on One America News Network's "Real America" program.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-warns-nancy-pelosis-gazpacho-police-rcna15620
But it didn’t quite come out that way, and the mistake she made immediately set off a chorus of delighted ridicule from her critics on social media.
Rather than compare Pelosi’s tactics to the Nazi secret police, she instead compared them to a bowl of chilled soup.
"Now we have Nancy Pelosi's gazpacho police spying on members of Congress, spying on the legislative work we do, spying on our staff and spying on American citizens," Greene said on One America News Network's "Real America" program.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-warns-nancy-pelosis-gazpacho-police-rcna15620
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[font size="8"]Vladimir Putin
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… intermission! OK everyone let’s take 5 and I will just sit here and play Wordle on my phone for a couple minutes. Cue the music!
Spin it again! And it lands on… Russia. Seriously, why is everything always jankier in Russia? So we’re airing on Thursday at 2:00. Last I checked, Vladimir Putin still has not invaded the Ukraine yet? NO? Now is he saying “no” or does he really mean “no”? But this situation just keeps getting weirder and weirder. You know that Pooty is itching to claim some new territory and right now US intelligence is saying that it’s extremely likely that he’s going to invade within the next week. Or is he? Well before we get in on the supervillian’s latest scheme to garner new territory, what the fuck is going on? Why is he so bent on getting revenge on his next door neighbor? So two things happening here. One is that he’s basically using the “THEY LOOK LIKE DORKS!!!” defense and it's backfiring on him big time. And the other is that it might have something to do with Ukraine entering NATO and Putin has a grudge against NATO. Either way it’s confusing as hell and we will do our best to attempt to sort out this mess.
Last July, Vladimir Putin supplied the mythical basis for Russian war propaganda in an essay titled “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians.” The essential idea is that Russia has the right to Ukraine because of things that happened a thousand years ago in Kyiv. At the time, the city was a trading hub of Viking slavers who were gaining dominance over local Khazars. It takes some fanciful thinking to see here a reason for Russia to invade Ukraine in the 21st century, as it seems prepared to do. The absurd particulars, though, are less important than the principle. If countries can claim other countries on the grounds of millennial myths, the modern state system ceases to exist.
Putin’s idea is that Ukraine is a fraternal nation because of how he personally feels about the past. This is known as imperialism. It flies in the face of the basic legal principle of state sovereignty and the basic moral principle of democracy. People who speak of other nations as little brothers wish to be Big Brother. Whether Ukraine is a nation or not is a question for Ukrainians today, not for imaginary Russians in an imaginary past. In Putin’s presentation, though, the West is to blame when Ukrainians don’t answer the question the way he would like. He seems to believe that Ukrainians would share his view about “historical unity,” if only the West would get out of the way.
Russian propaganda depends upon myths and counterfactuals, all spun in the direction of Russian greatness and innocence. Putin writes that when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the principle for deciding the borders of its constituent republics should have been: “Take what you brought with you.” In history as it actually happened, however, it was the Russian republic of the U.S.S.R. that brought about the end of the Soviet Union. The whole point was to liberate Russia from what was then understood to be the burden of supporting the periphery. Boris Yeltsin, the man who achieved this, accepted the borders of the Soviet Russian republic as Russia’s. As Yeltsin’s handpicked successor, Putin knows all this very well. Today he is dreaming of the Russian Empire that the Bolsheviks destroyed. But it “brought” nothing to the U.S.S.R. It no longer existed. And it was never a Russian nation-state. Its dynasty and much of its elite was of non-Russian origin; most of its population spoke languages other than Russian, and few of those who did speak Russian would have known what a nation was before the Bolsheviks made their revolution in 1917.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/01/28/putin-russia-ukraine-myths/
Putin’s idea is that Ukraine is a fraternal nation because of how he personally feels about the past. This is known as imperialism. It flies in the face of the basic legal principle of state sovereignty and the basic moral principle of democracy. People who speak of other nations as little brothers wish to be Big Brother. Whether Ukraine is a nation or not is a question for Ukrainians today, not for imaginary Russians in an imaginary past. In Putin’s presentation, though, the West is to blame when Ukrainians don’t answer the question the way he would like. He seems to believe that Ukrainians would share his view about “historical unity,” if only the West would get out of the way.
Russian propaganda depends upon myths and counterfactuals, all spun in the direction of Russian greatness and innocence. Putin writes that when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the principle for deciding the borders of its constituent republics should have been: “Take what you brought with you.” In history as it actually happened, however, it was the Russian republic of the U.S.S.R. that brought about the end of the Soviet Union. The whole point was to liberate Russia from what was then understood to be the burden of supporting the periphery. Boris Yeltsin, the man who achieved this, accepted the borders of the Soviet Russian republic as Russia’s. As Yeltsin’s handpicked successor, Putin knows all this very well. Today he is dreaming of the Russian Empire that the Bolsheviks destroyed. But it “brought” nothing to the U.S.S.R. It no longer existed. And it was never a Russian nation-state. Its dynasty and much of its elite was of non-Russian origin; most of its population spoke languages other than Russian, and few of those who did speak Russian would have known what a nation was before the Bolsheviks made their revolution in 1917.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/01/28/putin-russia-ukraine-myths/
?noredirect
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! That never gets old no matter how many times I see it! So Pooty is looking to claim some territory by using the “they look like dorks” defense. And this could possibly backfire on him big time. So let’s use this handy FAQ to tell you what you should know and feel about Pooty’s possible invasion of the Ukraine. And yes, I feel like calling him “Pooty” will downplay the fact that he’s a James Bond villain out for global domination. And the main question is – what does Pooty hope to get by invading Ukraine? The answer might surprise you!
Why is Russia threatening to invade Ukraine?
Russian spokespeople daily deny any intention to invade. So, too, did Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, when he met the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, last week, and when he spoke to US president Joe Biden on the phone. There are two problems with this. First, given Putin’s Johnsonian relationship with truth, few western governments believe the denials. Second, Putin has not explained why, if his intentions are peaceful, more than half of Russia’s armed forces, including 130,000 troops, are massed on Ukraine’s borders. It could all be a bluff. But who would bet the house on that?
So what drives Putin?
There are numerous theories. Putin is said to want to rebuild a Russian sphere of influence in eastern Europe, principally embracing former Soviet republics such as now independent Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine. He has frequently bemoaned their “loss” after the Soviet Union collapsed. Putin may also hope to demonstrate to the west (and Russians) that the country is still a superpower, even though by most measures (nuclear weapon stockpiles and geography apart) it is a failing medium-sized power.
Why Ukraine?
Putin fears strategically important Ukraine, commanding Russia’s south-western flank, is assimilating into the west. He objects to its growing closeness to Nato. He also opposes Kyiv’s developing links with the EU. Worse still, from his point of view, Ukraine is a democracy, with free speech and free media, which freely elects its leaders. In practice, Russians enjoy no such freedoms – if they followed Ukraine’s example, Putin would not last long. More broadly, Putin is a nostalgic revisionist who regards Ukraine as an integral part of historical Russia and its loss as a symbol of Russia’s cold war defeat.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/12/russia-ukraine-what-does-putin-want
Russian spokespeople daily deny any intention to invade. So, too, did Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, when he met the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, last week, and when he spoke to US president Joe Biden on the phone. There are two problems with this. First, given Putin’s Johnsonian relationship with truth, few western governments believe the denials. Second, Putin has not explained why, if his intentions are peaceful, more than half of Russia’s armed forces, including 130,000 troops, are massed on Ukraine’s borders. It could all be a bluff. But who would bet the house on that?
So what drives Putin?
There are numerous theories. Putin is said to want to rebuild a Russian sphere of influence in eastern Europe, principally embracing former Soviet republics such as now independent Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine. He has frequently bemoaned their “loss” after the Soviet Union collapsed. Putin may also hope to demonstrate to the west (and Russians) that the country is still a superpower, even though by most measures (nuclear weapon stockpiles and geography apart) it is a failing medium-sized power.
Why Ukraine?
Putin fears strategically important Ukraine, commanding Russia’s south-western flank, is assimilating into the west. He objects to its growing closeness to Nato. He also opposes Kyiv’s developing links with the EU. Worse still, from his point of view, Ukraine is a democracy, with free speech and free media, which freely elects its leaders. In practice, Russians enjoy no such freedoms – if they followed Ukraine’s example, Putin would not last long. More broadly, Putin is a nostalgic revisionist who regards Ukraine as an integral part of historical Russia and its loss as a symbol of Russia’s cold war defeat.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/12/russia-ukraine-what-does-putin-want
No, no we’re not back to the USSR yet. Come on, stop playing that Beatles song for a minute. We’re not back at that level yet. But here’s another question – in Putin’s quest to become supreme overlord of the earth, would it be a mistake to invade the Ukraine? Oh you bet your ass it would! And what people don’t seem to realize yet is that Pooty doesn’t want just part of the Ukraine, like he took with the whole Crimea SNAFU. He wants the whole damn thing. And if he were to succeed in his evil plot, there would be no stopping him. It would take a World War to do so.
The odds are growing that Russian President Vladimir Putin will make the greatest mistake of his career by invading Ukraine. This is likely to result in the very outcomes that the Kremlin claims it seeks to avoid. A new assault on Ukraine would weaken the Russian government, hurt its economy, over-extend its military, strengthen NATO unity and resolve, cause Washington to increase the U.S. military presence in Europe, and give new impetus to Western military modernization.
Were Moscow to seize all of Ukraine, it would actually exacerbate the Kremlin’s sense of vulnerability and feed its determination to defend its conquests even at the price of alienating the West. The U.S. and Europe now need to make an attack on Ukraine so unattractive that Putin will have reason to rein in his imperial ambitions.
Some politicians, experts, and pundits have sought to minimize the danger to the West should Russia invade Ukraine, arguing that Putin is driven largely by the fear that Ukraine will join NATO. Were that the primary issue, the conflict could be readily avoided. However, in Putin’s mind, the true danger to Russia is the existence of an independent, democratic Ukraine. Putin has gone so far as to assert that Ukraine cannot be an independent state and has no real history or culture outside of its ties with Russia. But Ukraine remains its own country, one that is too close to Russia geographically and too distant from it politically.
More: https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/02/putin-must-understand-invading-ukraine-would-be-a-historic-mistake-for-russia/
Were Moscow to seize all of Ukraine, it would actually exacerbate the Kremlin’s sense of vulnerability and feed its determination to defend its conquests even at the price of alienating the West. The U.S. and Europe now need to make an attack on Ukraine so unattractive that Putin will have reason to rein in his imperial ambitions.
Some politicians, experts, and pundits have sought to minimize the danger to the West should Russia invade Ukraine, arguing that Putin is driven largely by the fear that Ukraine will join NATO. Were that the primary issue, the conflict could be readily avoided. However, in Putin’s mind, the true danger to Russia is the existence of an independent, democratic Ukraine. Putin has gone so far as to assert that Ukraine cannot be an independent state and has no real history or culture outside of its ties with Russia. But Ukraine remains its own country, one that is too close to Russia geographically and too distant from it politically.
More: https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/02/putin-must-understand-invading-ukraine-would-be-a-historic-mistake-for-russia/
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Let’s spin it to win it, shall we? And it lands on… come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! Chance!
I’m OK with this – to be fair I’ve actually paid more in taxes this year than Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos combined! Hey o! Spin it again! And it lands on… oh it’s time for Holy Shit!
Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! It’s time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and it’s time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! Please have a seat. You know we live in trying times right now. For you see there are some who believe they are speaking directly to and for GAWD. Well I can assure you this – they are completely wrong. Let’s think about this here – imagine the sheer balls that it takes to call yourself a “prophet”. Then imagine that you have command over people. And I can tell you this my fair congregation – those people are wrong. They are so wrong in fact that they are punching themselves a one way ticket to the fieriest pit of HELL! And why is that you might ask? Well I’m of course referring to the fact that all of these prophets have one thing in common – they all support the unholy, ungodly Dark One! I of course speak of a man so foul, depraved, and disgusting that his name dare not be spoken in my church! We’ve spoken about these abominations to religion before. But what are these so called “prophets” up to? Some very scary shit!
Curt Landry is a Trump-loving right-wing pastor who was among the various “prophets” who boldly and explicitly guaranteed that former President Donald Trump would win reelection in 2020.
Landry proclaimed that 2020 would result in a “red tsunami” in which Trump won the White House and the GOP won control of both houses of Congress. None of those things happened. In fact, ever after Congress had certified Joe Biden’s win as president, Landry was positive that God would ensure that Trump remained president, so much so that he declared that he was “making arrangements” to be in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20 for Trump’s inauguration.
Amazingly, Landry did a livestream on his YouTube channel last Tuesday on the dangers of “cancel culture” in which he asserted that Christians must repent and apologize for daring to criticize the “prophets” who got the election wrong.
It is not the “prophets” who need to apologize for being wrong, Landry said, but rather “the body of Christ” which must apologize for criticizing the “prophets” for being wrong.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/curt-landry-says-criticizing-false-prophets-is-cancel-culture/
Landry proclaimed that 2020 would result in a “red tsunami” in which Trump won the White House and the GOP won control of both houses of Congress. None of those things happened. In fact, ever after Congress had certified Joe Biden’s win as president, Landry was positive that God would ensure that Trump remained president, so much so that he declared that he was “making arrangements” to be in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20 for Trump’s inauguration.
Amazingly, Landry did a livestream on his YouTube channel last Tuesday on the dangers of “cancel culture” in which he asserted that Christians must repent and apologize for daring to criticize the “prophets” who got the election wrong.
It is not the “prophets” who need to apologize for being wrong, Landry said, but rather “the body of Christ” which must apologize for criticizing the “prophets” for being wrong.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/curt-landry-says-criticizing-false-prophets-is-cancel-culture/
No pastor, you’re wrong. All wrong! See, that’s the very definition of what a false prophet is – the fact that you are wrong! You see, these dark prophecies might have worked in the 2016 election when people still believed in that shit. But this is 2022, 6 years later and people are wising up to the fact that these so-called “prophets” are completely full of shit! The thing is people worship the unholy Dark One and the ground that he walks on. But that is not what the good LAWRD JAYSUS would want now, is it?
As such, these “prophets” spent the last year doggedly promoting the Big Lie about the election and vehemently insisting that they are not, in fact, false prophets.
Just take, for instance, the “prophetess” Kat Kerr who claimed in 2018 that she had been taken to Heaven where God showed her the results of the next five elections, which she said would result in “24 years of God in the White House” beginning with Trump winning reelection in 2020. His term, in Kerr’s telling, would be followed by Vice President Mike Pence being elected to two terms as president, followed by the election of whomever Pence has chosen as his vice president.
Needless to say, with the fact that Trump has not been in the White House for the last year and has turned against Pence for failing to stop the confirmation of Biden’s electoral win, it is now literally impossible for Kerr’s prophecies to come true. But that hasn’t chastened Kerr in the least, as she has spent the last year resolutely spreading false claims about a stolen election and insisting that Trump is actually president.
Like Kerr, QAnon conspiracy theorist and self-proclaimed “prophet” Johnny Enlow also prophesied that Trump would win reelection and has correspondingly spent the last year refusing to admit that he was wrong and insisting instead that Trump has secretly become “President of the World.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trump-prophecies-and-the-big-lie-one-year-in/
Just take, for instance, the “prophetess” Kat Kerr who claimed in 2018 that she had been taken to Heaven where God showed her the results of the next five elections, which she said would result in “24 years of God in the White House” beginning with Trump winning reelection in 2020. His term, in Kerr’s telling, would be followed by Vice President Mike Pence being elected to two terms as president, followed by the election of whomever Pence has chosen as his vice president.
Needless to say, with the fact that Trump has not been in the White House for the last year and has turned against Pence for failing to stop the confirmation of Biden’s electoral win, it is now literally impossible for Kerr’s prophecies to come true. But that hasn’t chastened Kerr in the least, as she has spent the last year resolutely spreading false claims about a stolen election and insisting that Trump is actually president.
Like Kerr, QAnon conspiracy theorist and self-proclaimed “prophet” Johnny Enlow also prophesied that Trump would win reelection and has correspondingly spent the last year refusing to admit that he was wrong and insisting instead that Trump has secretly become “President of the World.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trump-prophecies-and-the-big-lie-one-year-in/
That’s because today’s religion doesn’t do that. Today’s religion has melded with politics, much like the merging of two robot entities at the end of Terminator 2, and produced something extremely dark. So, so dark in fact! But of course here’s where the prophets run amok. Because you know that when the Dark One is involved, they are going to. It is not their right to say that someone doesn’t get to appoint a judge, that is determined by the Constitution of the United States! Not by a very small faction of right wing religious zealots!
Right-wing pastor Hank Kunneman is a self-proclaimed prophet who resolutely pushes the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen rather than admit that his “divine” proclamations that former President Donald Trump would be reelected were false. On Sunday, Kunneman used the services at his Lord of Hosts Church in Omaha, Nebraska, to insist that President Joe Biden has no right to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer because Biden’s presidency is “not legitimate.”
Kunneman said that Christians have no obligation to refer to Biden as president or to pray for him and asserted that Biden has no right to control the military or appoint new justices because “that guy is illegitimate.”
“Father, you know, I know, they that stole the election know, and those who have had their eyes open know that those who are seated in power are illegitimate,” Kunneman prayed. “By acts of treason and lies have they sat upon their seats, lofty with pride! And yet, they would even risk and put our own soldiers upon foreign soil by one who has no authority as president to be acting in such ways of authority to put our troops at risk, or to appoint a Supreme Court justice at the expense of being able to legislate and declare verdicts over the people when no power should have ever been given to a point.”
“This is unjust,” he screamed.
“There’s too much division in the nation for [the election] not to be settled,” Kunneman declared. “It demands that the truth be heard, be represented. And so here’s my point: Let’s just say that that guy is illegitimate—which all signs point to—then why would we even call him president? Why should we even pray for somebody—now you pray for his soul—but why should we pray for him in the context of being president? Why should he also be given the right—this is what infuriates me—why should he be given the right to appoint a Supreme Court justice who judges over the affairs of man if he’s not legitimate?”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/prophet-hank-kunneman-says-biden-has-no-right-to-appoint-a-new-scotus-justice-because-hes-illegitimate/
Kunneman said that Christians have no obligation to refer to Biden as president or to pray for him and asserted that Biden has no right to control the military or appoint new justices because “that guy is illegitimate.”
“Father, you know, I know, they that stole the election know, and those who have had their eyes open know that those who are seated in power are illegitimate,” Kunneman prayed. “By acts of treason and lies have they sat upon their seats, lofty with pride! And yet, they would even risk and put our own soldiers upon foreign soil by one who has no authority as president to be acting in such ways of authority to put our troops at risk, or to appoint a Supreme Court justice at the expense of being able to legislate and declare verdicts over the people when no power should have ever been given to a point.”
“This is unjust,” he screamed.
“There’s too much division in the nation for [the election] not to be settled,” Kunneman declared. “It demands that the truth be heard, be represented. And so here’s my point: Let’s just say that that guy is illegitimate—which all signs point to—then why would we even call him president? Why should we even pray for somebody—now you pray for his soul—but why should we pray for him in the context of being president? Why should he also be given the right—this is what infuriates me—why should he be given the right to appoint a Supreme Court justice who judges over the affairs of man if he’s not legitimate?”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/prophet-hank-kunneman-says-biden-has-no-right-to-appoint-a-new-scotus-justice-because-hes-illegitimate/
Oh shut up Hank. The Dark One is not GAWD! He is one man, and he is a very sick, twisted and evil man who desecrates everything he touches! In fact even our Good Book says that you should be aware of a twisted and foul creature who will present himself as a child of light! And by the way if you want to see someone who worships and follows the prophets,. I give you Christian nationalist Heidi St. John, who wants to bring GAWD back into politics. No, these two should separate much like olive oil and vinegar!
Early in 2021, Christian nationalist home-schooling advocate, author, and podcaster Heidi St. John launched a bid for U.S. Congress in Washington state’s 3rd Congressional District. Outraged by incumbent Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler’s vote to impeach former President Donald Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, St. John decided to try and unseat her in the GOP primary by appealing to MAGA voters, denouncing public libraries as “evil organizations,” and pledging to “be a mom for America.”
Earlier this month, St. John appeared on the “Stand Up For The Truth” podcast, where she sounded Seven Mountains and Christian nationalist themes that have been central to her campaign, describing politics as “a spiritual battle” and vowing to “bring back the name of God into the political sphere.”
“[Politics is] in my blood,” St. John said. “And I think it should be in the blood of every Christ follower. Politics determined policy, and it is policy that has murdered 63 million of our unborn in this country. It is policy that has gotten us into the mess that we are in as a nation, and we need wise people and godly people to ascend to positions of authority in the nation.”
“What we’ve observed over years and years and years is a church deciding to pull itself out of arguably one of the most important aspects of the culture, which is determining our laws and determining the policy that governs the people here,” she continued. “Christians belong in every sphere of influence. We have a command to be strong and courageous. [God] did not say, ‘Be strong and courageous except for in the political sphere, stay out of that one.’ No, we belong in every sphere of influence. We belong in medicine. We belong in entertainment. We belong in education. And we belong in politics.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/heidi-st-john-is-running-for-congress-to-bring-back-the-name-of-god-into-the-political-sphere/
Earlier this month, St. John appeared on the “Stand Up For The Truth” podcast, where she sounded Seven Mountains and Christian nationalist themes that have been central to her campaign, describing politics as “a spiritual battle” and vowing to “bring back the name of God into the political sphere.”
“[Politics is] in my blood,” St. John said. “And I think it should be in the blood of every Christ follower. Politics determined policy, and it is policy that has murdered 63 million of our unborn in this country. It is policy that has gotten us into the mess that we are in as a nation, and we need wise people and godly people to ascend to positions of authority in the nation.”
“What we’ve observed over years and years and years is a church deciding to pull itself out of arguably one of the most important aspects of the culture, which is determining our laws and determining the policy that governs the people here,” she continued. “Christians belong in every sphere of influence. We have a command to be strong and courageous. [God] did not say, ‘Be strong and courageous except for in the political sphere, stay out of that one.’ No, we belong in every sphere of influence. We belong in medicine. We belong in entertainment. We belong in education. And we belong in politics.”
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/heidi-st-john-is-running-for-congress-to-bring-back-the-name-of-god-into-the-political-sphere/
NO! Keep these people as far away from politics as humanly possible! The Dark One and his false prophets have no place in politics! God, I want to get off this planet sometimes! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? And it lands on… wait for it… Oh hey a Clip Without Context!
Um… pretty sure the 2nd amendment does not give you the right to own a tank or a grenade launcher or enough weapons to take out a small army. Spin it again! Time for Beating A Dead Horse!
OK so the feud between Spotify and Neil Young and Joe Rogan isn’t going to go away any time soon, that is one thing we can be certain of! But you know people give Spotify shit, not because they are peddling a guy who is a noted racist and also notorious for hawking some extremely dangerous misinformation regarding vaccines, and in particular, the COVID-19 vaccine, that is getting people killed in large numbers on a daily basis. But that said, there’s tons of other reasons to hate Spotify too. And I’m not talking about when they wrap up the year and your social media feeds get flooded with how many posts of people bragging that they’re in the top 1% of their favorite artist. In fact while most of the blame is resting on Spotify and Mr. Rogan, there’s someone who you should be even angrier at over this whole flap – Spotify’s sponsors. That’s right – Spotify has sponsors and they’re choosing to remain silent over this whole brew ha ha.
In pulling his music, Neil Young started a conversation about the music industry’s responsibility in keeping Spotify accountable for the controversial, potentially harmful content it exclusively distributes for Joe Rogan. Two of the largest music companies in the world, however — both of whom own stakes in Spotify — don’t seem interested in talking about it publicly.
Spotify has faced controversy for the past several weeks since Young pulled his music from the platform in light of misinformation about Covid-19 on the platform, particularly on Rogan’s podcast. Joni Mitchell followed suit days later, with India Arie also calling for her music to be removed over Rogan’s past use of a racial slur on the podcast. Last weekend, Spotify quietly removed around 70 episodes of the Joe Rogan Experience from the platform, with Rogan taking to Instagram to apologize for racist language he used in the past. Since then, he took to standup and mocked some of the backlash he received both for his use of the slur and misinformation about Covid on his podcast.
So far, have both UMG and Sony have been publicly silent and haven’t issued any statement regarding where their responsibility lies in the issue, and it isn’t clear what the two companies have had with Spotify in light of their place as shareholders. Representatives for both companies declined to comment.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/umg-sony-quiet-joe-rogan-spotify-1296947/
Spotify has faced controversy for the past several weeks since Young pulled his music from the platform in light of misinformation about Covid-19 on the platform, particularly on Rogan’s podcast. Joni Mitchell followed suit days later, with India Arie also calling for her music to be removed over Rogan’s past use of a racial slur on the podcast. Last weekend, Spotify quietly removed around 70 episodes of the Joe Rogan Experience from the platform, with Rogan taking to Instagram to apologize for racist language he used in the past. Since then, he took to standup and mocked some of the backlash he received both for his use of the slur and misinformation about Covid on his podcast.
So far, have both UMG and Sony have been publicly silent and haven’t issued any statement regarding where their responsibility lies in the issue, and it isn’t clear what the two companies have had with Spotify in light of their place as shareholders. Representatives for both companies declined to comment.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/umg-sony-quiet-joe-rogan-spotify-1296947/
Yeah so the people who are responsible for keeping Spotify accountable aren’t doing a damn thing to keep Spotify accountable. But of course they’re using the old “it??s cancel culture, you can’t censor voices!!!!1!” argument. You know what? Fuck that shit. Here’s the thing – this whole anti-vaccine movement is literally yelling fire in a crowed theater, except that theater is the whole damn United States Of America. But there’s more against Joe Rogan than it seems.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek says he “strongly” condemns Joe Rogan’s use of the N-word and other derogatory comments toward Black people but remains firm in his decision to keep the podcaster on the platform in order to “[elevate] all types of creators.”
In a letter sent to staff, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Ek acknowledged that Rogan’s comments were “incredibly hurtful” and confirmed that Rogan decided to remove multiple past episodes from Spotify but said he did not believe in removing the podcast from Spotify.
“I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek wrote. “We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.”
Last Thursday, the musician India.Arie — who has said she will remove her music and podcast from Spotify in protest of Rogan’s comments about race — resurfaced a compilation of video clips showing Rogan using the racial slur and describing being with Black people as akin to “Planet of the Apes.” The podcaster apologized over the weekend, calling his comments “regretful and shameful.”
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/spotify-joe-rogan-daniel-ek-1235087928/
In a letter sent to staff, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Ek acknowledged that Rogan’s comments were “incredibly hurtful” and confirmed that Rogan decided to remove multiple past episodes from Spotify but said he did not believe in removing the podcast from Spotify.
“I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek wrote. “We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.”
Last Thursday, the musician India.Arie — who has said she will remove her music and podcast from Spotify in protest of Rogan’s comments about race — resurfaced a compilation of video clips showing Rogan using the racial slur and describing being with Black people as akin to “Planet of the Apes.” The podcaster apologized over the weekend, calling his comments “regretful and shameful.”
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/spotify-joe-rogan-daniel-ek-1235087928/
Yeah so after all of that, and even after using the N word, Spotify is still standing by their boy Joe, because you know, money. After all, vaccine misinformation costs a lot of money, you know! Which is funny considering that actually taking the vaccine is free. So even after the N word and all the things that Joe Rogan has said about illegal immigrants, just how bad does it have to be before the plug gets pulled and he’s wandering around the dark corners of the internet as an Infowars host? Well apparently there is no bottom.
The Joe Rogan situation at Spotify keeps getting more confused.
As the situation has evolved, so has the company’s treatment of its star podcaster. One day, it says it’s a hands-off platform that treats all creators the same. The next, it admits to having backdoor discussions with Rogan and pulling episodes due to outrage over language used on the show. The whiplash undermines Spotify’s narrative about how it interacts with Rogan and other podcasters and offers a window into the delicate relationship between Rogan and the company that depends on him to stay differentiated. Let’s dive into where things aren’t lining up.
Spotify has reiterated multiple times now that it considers itself merely a platform for podcasts — despite paying Rogan a reported $100 million to distribute his show. That Spotify wants to believe Rogan is an audio creator like any other has been a constant refrain since Neil Young and other musicians pulled their music from the platform nearly two weeks ago over their belief that Rogan and his guests spread COVID-19 misinformation.
Spotify responded to that controversy by saying that it would only take moderation actions against content that violated its rules — rules that were not public until The Verge first reported on them, and then which Spotify itself published days later.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/7/22921608/spotify-joe-rogan-moderation-guidelines-episode-deletion
As the situation has evolved, so has the company’s treatment of its star podcaster. One day, it says it’s a hands-off platform that treats all creators the same. The next, it admits to having backdoor discussions with Rogan and pulling episodes due to outrage over language used on the show. The whiplash undermines Spotify’s narrative about how it interacts with Rogan and other podcasters and offers a window into the delicate relationship between Rogan and the company that depends on him to stay differentiated. Let’s dive into where things aren’t lining up.
Spotify has reiterated multiple times now that it considers itself merely a platform for podcasts — despite paying Rogan a reported $100 million to distribute his show. That Spotify wants to believe Rogan is an audio creator like any other has been a constant refrain since Neil Young and other musicians pulled their music from the platform nearly two weeks ago over their belief that Rogan and his guests spread COVID-19 misinformation.
Spotify responded to that controversy by saying that it would only take moderation actions against content that violated its rules — rules that were not public until The Verge first reported on them, and then which Spotify itself published days later.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/7/22921608/spotify-joe-rogan-moderation-guidelines-episode-deletion
Well they are right in that you can’t police speech, but why have rules if you’re not going to enforce them? It’s kind of a two way street here. But all that said, at the very least, Joe’s got himself an overseas audience. Much like Spinal Tap had after they got chewed up and spit out the bottom of the US touring scene and found success in Japan. So even if Joe’s podcast doesn’t work out after vaccine misinformation and the overuse of racist slurs, he’s got an audience for… Jair Bolsonaro. That’s right, dictators love the Joe Rogan show!
Why in the world is the president of Brazil taking time to weigh in on Rogan and his critics?
Andre Pagliarini, an assistant professor of history at Hampden Sydney College who often writes on U.S.-Brazil relations, says the show of support was yet another example of the “Bolsonaro clan dragging U.S.-style culture wars into the very different world of Brazilian politics and media landscape.” Whether Bolsonaro’s social media slam on the moderation of misinformation in the name of fighting “Big Tech censorship” works in his favor will become more apparent when Brazil holds national elections in October.
Bolsonaro has himself spread misinformation about COVID-19. The so-called “Trump of the Tropics” has also suggested that the only way he could lose the upcoming presidential election is if the vote is rigged, and he has aligned himself closely with the police and military—all while signaling a need for a “quite probable and necessary countercoup” should he lose. Trump has endorsed Bolsonaro’s reelection bid.
Bolsonaro became an ally to the Trump administration as soon as he assumed office in 2019. His son, Brazilian congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, frequently traveled to the U.S. to engage with members of Donald Trump’s inner circle. The younger Bolsonaro even traveled to Washington, D.C., ahead of the Jan. 6 insurrection to meet with figures like Mike Lindell and Jared Kushner, as detailed in a recent report by the nonprofit research organization Advance Democracy, Inc.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/hugs-from-brazil-brazils-far-right-president-jair-bolsonaro-offers-support-to-joe-rogan/
Andre Pagliarini, an assistant professor of history at Hampden Sydney College who often writes on U.S.-Brazil relations, says the show of support was yet another example of the “Bolsonaro clan dragging U.S.-style culture wars into the very different world of Brazilian politics and media landscape.” Whether Bolsonaro’s social media slam on the moderation of misinformation in the name of fighting “Big Tech censorship” works in his favor will become more apparent when Brazil holds national elections in October.
Bolsonaro has himself spread misinformation about COVID-19. The so-called “Trump of the Tropics” has also suggested that the only way he could lose the upcoming presidential election is if the vote is rigged, and he has aligned himself closely with the police and military—all while signaling a need for a “quite probable and necessary countercoup” should he lose. Trump has endorsed Bolsonaro’s reelection bid.
Bolsonaro became an ally to the Trump administration as soon as he assumed office in 2019. His son, Brazilian congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, frequently traveled to the U.S. to engage with members of Donald Trump’s inner circle. The younger Bolsonaro even traveled to Washington, D.C., ahead of the Jan. 6 insurrection to meet with figures like Mike Lindell and Jared Kushner, as detailed in a recent report by the nonprofit research organization Advance Democracy, Inc.
https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/hugs-from-brazil-brazils-far-right-president-jair-bolsonaro-offers-support-to-joe-rogan/
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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin, shall we? Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! No, a whammy!!! How much did I lose?
Ah come on! Spin it again! Oh hey it’s time for Conspiracy Corner!
Welcome back to our segment where we attempt to explain the unexplainable – Conspiracy Corner! We of course are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter deep within the New Mexico badlands, undisclosed location! Let me just adjust my tin foil hat for maximum government interference – they are trying to read yours and my thoughts after all! ah there we go! So this week – it’s been reported that our old buddy Kanye West, who now for some reason just goes by the name of “Ye”, is planning to go to Russia to meet with supreme overlord Vladimir Putin. So why is Kanye cozying up to dictators? We’ve reported in the past that he’s a remote compound in the woods away from becoming a full blown cult leader. Now how does him moving to Russia fit into his grand master plan? And by the way unless you’re a home decorator or any kind of engineer, the words “master plan” should neve be that close together for any reason whatsoever. But here’s what we do know.
Kanye West is looking east — to Russia. The artist and entrepreneur, now known as Ye, is planning a trip to Moscow later this year to meet with President Vladimir Putin, hold Sunday Service performances as his first-ever shows in Russia and expand his business ventures into the country, his associate tells Billboard.
Travel plans are currently in the works for spring or summer, depending on Ye’s schedule, according to his confidant and strategic advisor Ameer Sudan, who’s helping to coordinate the arrangements with attorney Scott Balber. Balber is the managing partner of Herbert Smith Freehills’ New York office and is the law firm’s U.S. head of investigations and financial services litigation. Sudan says he and Balber are acting as liaisons between Ye and Balber’s clients Azerbaijani-Russian billionaire real estate developer Aras Agalarov and his son Emin Agalarov. Balber declined to comment. Ye’s personal and label reps also declined to comment.
Russia is going to be “a second home” for Ye, says Sudan: “He will be spending a lot of time out there.”
Aras Agalarov, a close associate of Putin and, as president of the Crocus Group, one of Russia’s leading developers, is sometimes referred to as the “Trump of Russia” because of how he often self-brands his buildings. He and his son and business partner, Emin Agalarov, worked with Donald Trump to bring the 2013 Miss Universe pageant to Moscow and were in discussions about a Trump Tower development project in the country that failed to materialize. Later, the Agalarovs helped coordinate the infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting where senior members of Trump’s election campaign met with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya expecting to receive dirt on Hillary Clinton.
https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/kanye-ye-russia-putin-trip-sunday-service-1235017604/
Travel plans are currently in the works for spring or summer, depending on Ye’s schedule, according to his confidant and strategic advisor Ameer Sudan, who’s helping to coordinate the arrangements with attorney Scott Balber. Balber is the managing partner of Herbert Smith Freehills’ New York office and is the law firm’s U.S. head of investigations and financial services litigation. Sudan says he and Balber are acting as liaisons between Ye and Balber’s clients Azerbaijani-Russian billionaire real estate developer Aras Agalarov and his son Emin Agalarov. Balber declined to comment. Ye’s personal and label reps also declined to comment.
Russia is going to be “a second home” for Ye, says Sudan: “He will be spending a lot of time out there.”
Aras Agalarov, a close associate of Putin and, as president of the Crocus Group, one of Russia’s leading developers, is sometimes referred to as the “Trump of Russia” because of how he often self-brands his buildings. He and his son and business partner, Emin Agalarov, worked with Donald Trump to bring the 2013 Miss Universe pageant to Moscow and were in discussions about a Trump Tower development project in the country that failed to materialize. Later, the Agalarovs helped coordinate the infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting where senior members of Trump’s election campaign met with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya expecting to receive dirt on Hillary Clinton.
https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/kanye-ye-russia-putin-trip-sunday-service-1235017604/
Of course everyone gets it but Ye! And come on, I can’t be the only one alarmed by the fact that he wants to meet with the Algalarovs, am I? Because those of us who have been following the demise of the Trump administration know that they were behind that infamous Trump Tower meeting that helped overturn the 2016 election and flipped America to the dark side. Yeah booooo!!!! Of course Kanye’s representatives are flat-out denying it.
Kanye West‘s representative has denied claims that the rapper is planning to take his Sunday Service shows to Russia this year and meet President Vladimir Putin.
Ameer Sudan, a “confidant and strategic advisor” of the rapper and producer (who is now legally known as Ye), had told Billboard that West was planning on making Russia “a second home”, adding: “He will be spending a lot of time out there.”
Sudan claimed that he and attorney Scott Balber had been planning the trip on West’s behalf, and that West was aiming to grow his business ventures in Russia with the Azerbaijani-Russian billionaire real estate developer Aras Agalarov and his son Emin Agalarov.
However, Pierre Rougier, one of West’s publicists, has now denied that West is planning on making such moves in Russia.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/kanye-wests-representative-says-plans-to-meet-putin-in-russia-are-entirely-fabricated-3135898
Ameer Sudan, a “confidant and strategic advisor” of the rapper and producer (who is now legally known as Ye), had told Billboard that West was planning on making Russia “a second home”, adding: “He will be spending a lot of time out there.”
Sudan claimed that he and attorney Scott Balber had been planning the trip on West’s behalf, and that West was aiming to grow his business ventures in Russia with the Azerbaijani-Russian billionaire real estate developer Aras Agalarov and his son Emin Agalarov.
However, Pierre Rougier, one of West’s publicists, has now denied that West is planning on making such moves in Russia.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/kanye-wests-representative-says-plans-to-meet-putin-in-russia-are-entirely-fabricated-3135898
I somehow don’t think that is enough tin foil. But that said it’s still alarming that this even being talked about because if there’s one celebrity who could command a death cult, it’s Kanye. And have you seen how insane his Sunday Sermons are? And if there’s one person to trust in this currently dreary, disease ridden world, it’s a guy whose name consists of two letters. So what does Kanye hope to accomplish in Moscow? What’s his ultimate end goal here? I’m sure expanding his empire is only a small part of it.
Ye, 44, is no stranger to questionable forays into the political world, having launched an unsuccessful bid for the American presidency in 2020 as an independent candidate of the Birthday Party.
In 2018 he met with then-president Trump for a surreal tete-a-tete that included a hug between the two and an on-camera rant.
Neither the prospect of travel restrictions nor potential criticism over building ties in Russia would deter Ye, according to Sudan.
"Kanye knows what's going on more than the average human being, he's well aware of things. And it's nothing against the United States or to cause conflicts, but Ye is Ye - he can't be controlled," Sudan said.
"This is Ye, Ye is going to get there regardless. What are they going to say?"
Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/kanye-west-to-make-russia-his-second-home-in-2022-plans-to-meet-vladimir-putin/articleshow/88846568.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
In 2018 he met with then-president Trump for a surreal tete-a-tete that included a hug between the two and an on-camera rant.
Neither the prospect of travel restrictions nor potential criticism over building ties in Russia would deter Ye, according to Sudan.
"Kanye knows what's going on more than the average human being, he's well aware of things. And it's nothing against the United States or to cause conflicts, but Ye is Ye - he can't be controlled," Sudan said.
"This is Ye, Ye is going to get there regardless. What are they going to say?"
Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/kanye-west-to-make-russia-his-second-home-in-2022-plans-to-meet-vladimir-putin/articleshow/88846568.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Yeah probably! So what is to stop Mr. Ye from going to Russia? Besides the fact that he’s burned tons of bridges including but not limited to Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson, Mac Miller, Kid Cudi, Billie Eilish, the people who run Coachella, I could go on and on. But if he defies the US government, will he be considered a traitor like Stephen Sega;? Yeah that’s the underlying irony of that movie Under Siege – Segal is now a Russian asset. But yeah Kanye’s burning plenty of bridges before he goes, and keeps failing to actually start some shit. Also, by the way, why is Forbes covering this crap? When did Forbes turn into People?
Kanye West has been on the warpath lately, targeting his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and pop sensation Billie Eilish through Instagram; neither seem particularly interested in a public feud, despite West’s best efforts.
As West and Kardashian continue to navigate a messy divorce, West has broadcasted many of their disagreements loud and clear to the public, claiming that Kardashian did not invite him to their daughter’s birthday party, and voicing his extreme disapproval of the fact that his daughter has a TikTok account.
The latter prompted Kardashian to respond:
“Kanye’s constant attacks on me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create … I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision.”
Kardashian concluded by writing that she wishes to “handle all matters regarding our children privately.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2022/02/11/kanye-west-keeps-trying-and-failing-to-start-feuds/?sh=54e9ff195b2b
As West and Kardashian continue to navigate a messy divorce, West has broadcasted many of their disagreements loud and clear to the public, claiming that Kardashian did not invite him to their daughter’s birthday party, and voicing his extreme disapproval of the fact that his daughter has a TikTok account.
The latter prompted Kardashian to respond:
“Kanye’s constant attacks on me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create … I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision.”
Kardashian concluded by writing that she wishes to “handle all matters regarding our children privately.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2022/02/11/kanye-west-keeps-trying-and-failing-to-start-feuds/?sh=54e9ff195b2b
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[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Let’s give the wheel a good strong spin shall we? Come on no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy no whammy… stop! And it lands on…. Oh hey another Clip Without Context!
Of course, it always comes back to Nazi Germany with them. Like do they have no other references to go on? Of course they don’t! Let me tell you – unless you’ve actually lived in a concentration camp, this is nowhere near that level, so shut up. Spin it again! People are Dumb!
Hit it!
Of course you know by now that people are people, and people are dumb. So of course I have to clarify what makes a People Are Dumb story. Like a person who attempts to disprove the theory of evolution in a biology class? Not dumb. A person who builds a homemade rocket to prove that the earth is flat and then winds up dying in a horrible crash? That’s a guaranteed one way ticket to the People Are Dumb Hall Of Fame! RIP Mad Mike. Anyways, that being said we’re not always about stupid criminals but that does make a good 99% of People Are Dumb stories. I want to start with this story out of Phoenix. Yes, stupid criminals are not just confined to Florida – they are everywhere! So what happens if you miss your flight or connecting flight? Well don’t do what this woman did – run out onto the tarmac. See, these areas are secured for a reason and you’re about to find out why!
A woman is facing charges after running onto the tarmac at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
According to the police report, the door to the jetway was already secured when Vickie Meyers, of St. Louis, Missouri, tried to catch a flight Sunday afternoon.
Instead of waiting for the next flight, police say she ran through the glass doors separating the passenger area and the secure airfield.
Meyers was stopped by employees as she ran down a flight of stairs towards the nose of the airplane.
According to police, she told employees she was “attempting to have the plane stopped so she would not miss her flight.”
Meyers was charged with first degree criminal trespassing on a crucial public service facility, which is a felony in Arizona.
https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2021/12/28/woman-runs-onto-phoenix-tarmac-stop-plane-she-missed/
According to the police report, the door to the jetway was already secured when Vickie Meyers, of St. Louis, Missouri, tried to catch a flight Sunday afternoon.
Instead of waiting for the next flight, police say she ran through the glass doors separating the passenger area and the secure airfield.
Meyers was stopped by employees as she ran down a flight of stairs towards the nose of the airplane.
According to police, she told employees she was “attempting to have the plane stopped so she would not miss her flight.”
Meyers was charged with first degree criminal trespassing on a crucial public service facility, which is a felony in Arizona.
https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2021/12/28/woman-runs-onto-phoenix-tarmac-stop-plane-she-missed/
Next up – I love a story that involves someone test driving a car and then winds up stealing the car that they test drove. Oh and it happens more often than you would think! That’s exactly what happened in this story out of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Look – even after you steal the very car you test drive, don’t return to the dealership! That just furthers your stupidity. Come on, I think even Homer Simpson and Moe had a better and more well thought out plan than this.
A suspect accused of robbing an auto dealership with what police later identified as a BB gun is now sitting behind bars, according to the Mt. Pleasant Police Department.
On Jan. 19 at 9:55 a.m., officers were sent to an armed robbery at Right Way Auto, located at 1119 S. Mission St.
When police arrived on the scene, they were told a male suspect brandished a gun and fled the scene in a vehicle stolen from the Right Way dealership lot, the Mt. Pleasant Police Department said.
Police identified the suspect as a 20-year-old man from Mt. Pleasant by the vehicle he drove to the dealership and left at the scene.
Mt. Pleasant Police alerted other local law enforcement agencies to be on alert for the suspect and stolen vehicle in the surrounding area. A short time later, authorities in Bay County found the suspect and took him into custody without incident.
https://www.wnem.com/news/suspect-arrested-in-armed-robbery-at-mt-pleasant-auto-dealership/article_2474db76-7a11-11ec-98af-978e65ca190d.html
On Jan. 19 at 9:55 a.m., officers were sent to an armed robbery at Right Way Auto, located at 1119 S. Mission St.
When police arrived on the scene, they were told a male suspect brandished a gun and fled the scene in a vehicle stolen from the Right Way dealership lot, the Mt. Pleasant Police Department said.
Police identified the suspect as a 20-year-old man from Mt. Pleasant by the vehicle he drove to the dealership and left at the scene.
Mt. Pleasant Police alerted other local law enforcement agencies to be on alert for the suspect and stolen vehicle in the surrounding area. A short time later, authorities in Bay County found the suspect and took him into custody without incident.
https://www.wnem.com/news/suspect-arrested-in-armed-robbery-at-mt-pleasant-auto-dealership/article_2474db76-7a11-11ec-98af-978e65ca190d.html
Next up – we go to fabulous Las Vegas for this one. I love me some Vegas action but then again even Sin City isn’t immune from People Are Dumb stories. And not only is this one dumb, but this one is some serious batshit crazy. I’m sure every ER doctor out there has that story about having to pull an embarrassing object out of one’s ass. But then there’s this guy who claimed to be a literal human bomb, among other claims like he’s the next Joe Rogan:
A man was arrested outside of a Las Vegas casino after police say he made several bomb threats.
According to an arrest report, Brian Gower was wandering through the street near The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod on Feb. 2, threatening to blow up the building.
After he came onto the property, security put Gower in handcuffs and contacted the police.
Gower allegedly continued making threats, stating he was "Joe Rogan 2.0" and that he "had a grenade in his a** and he wanted to fart."
https://krcgtv.com/news/offbeat/man-arrested-outside-of-las-vegas-casino-claimed-to-have-grenade-in-his-a
According to an arrest report, Brian Gower was wandering through the street near The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod on Feb. 2, threatening to blow up the building.
After he came onto the property, security put Gower in handcuffs and contacted the police.
Gower allegedly continued making threats, stating he was "Joe Rogan 2.0" and that he "had a grenade in his a** and he wanted to fart."
https://krcgtv.com/news/offbeat/man-arrested-outside-of-las-vegas-casino-claimed-to-have-grenade-in-his-a
Next up – Of course we can’t get out of here without mentioning our old buddy Florida Man. He never stops, does he? Well remember a couple of weeks ago when we talked about how people claimed that Mick Jagger and JFK were the same person after JFK Jr failed to show at that crazy Q Anon cult gathering in Dallas? Well now there’s this guy who is actually claiming to be Mick Jagger. Look I’ve been on some benders in my lifetime, but I never, not once ever thought I was Mick Jagger.
A Florida man police say declared he was Mick Jagger while drunk in downtown Naples was arrested on Monday.
According to the Naples Police Department, Eugene Bingham was disrupting in a number of downtown Naples restaurants including Ocean Prime and Yabba’s.
At Ocean Prime, he yelled at a guest and tried to fight others at the bar. At Yabba’s he is accused of trying to get on stage during a live performance.
Naples police found Bingham walking near the bathrooms on the north side of Cambier Park after a woman told the officer “a drunk male in a red shirt is yelling at people claiming he is Mick Jagger.” ............(more)
https://www.winknews.com/2022/02/08/florida-man-drunkenly-claiming-to-be-mick-jagger-in-downtown-naples-arrested/
According to the Naples Police Department, Eugene Bingham was disrupting in a number of downtown Naples restaurants including Ocean Prime and Yabba’s.
At Ocean Prime, he yelled at a guest and tried to fight others at the bar. At Yabba’s he is accused of trying to get on stage during a live performance.
Naples police found Bingham walking near the bathrooms on the north side of Cambier Park after a woman told the officer “a drunk male in a red shirt is yelling at people claiming he is Mick Jagger.” ............(more)
https://www.winknews.com/2022/02/08/florida-man-drunkenly-claiming-to-be-mick-jagger-in-downtown-naples-arrested/
Finally this week – board games! People look, it’s just a game. Don’t take things too seriously. That’s what happened with this story out of Rogersville, Tennessee. And come on I’ve played board games before and I’ve had some intense marathon sessions. But you know what? I’ve never done anything to get arrested for them. And you never want to escalate things to where the police get involved, because that will end badly for everyone, especially you. Why does this remind me of the Seinfeld where Kramer and Newman play Risk?
A Rogersville woman is facing multiple charges after she allegedly lost her temper while playing a board game, hit her husband, and then fought police who responded to the incident.
On Dec. 20 shortly after 3 a.m. Rogersville Police Department Officer Eric Pease responded to a domestic assault complaint at the apartment complex at 701 Dennis Drive.
The alleged victim stated that his wife, Madison Lee Collins, was intoxicated and became irate while they were sitting and playing a board game.
The husband stated that Collins, 22, turned the table over and started striking him on the side of the head.
https://www.therogersvillereview.com/rogersville/article_ae666d50-b729-5d0a-8066-43fc89156bc2.html?
On Dec. 20 shortly after 3 a.m. Rogersville Police Department Officer Eric Pease responded to a domestic assault complaint at the apartment complex at 701 Dennis Drive.
The alleged victim stated that his wife, Madison Lee Collins, was intoxicated and became irate while they were sitting and playing a board game.
The husband stated that Collins, 22, turned the table over and started striking him on the side of the head.
https://www.therogersvillereview.com/rogersville/article_ae666d50-b729-5d0a-8066-43fc89156bc2.html?
That’s it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Red State Diaries: Great Big Freedom Convoy
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Let’s give the wheel one final spin this week! And it lands on… wait for it… what? Go directly to jail? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Wait, I’ve got that get out of jail free card! I’m out! Ha ha! Let’s spin it again! Oh it’s time for Red State Diaries!
Welcome back to our ongoing segment where we examine what the post-election MAGA world is up to in… *cue reverb* Red State Diaries! Ooh that was some good reverb there! Last week, we told you about the ReAwaken America tour which was a melting pot of batshit crazy religious zealots and batshit crazy science denying lunatic conspiracy theorists. This week, we’re going to tell you about the Freedom Convoy. Now they’ve mostly been confined to Canada’s capital of Ottawa. By the way – shameless plug alert - I do want to tell you we’re planning a show there later this year! But now there’s talk that the Freedom Convoy could come to the US courtesy of shady underground funding. And they’re being egged on by the likes of Rand Paul and Tucker Carlson. That fact alone should scare anybody. But before I get into that more, this little stunt is costing some big name manufacturers a lot of money and let’s put it this way – they are not happy.
The trucker protests against vaccine mandates that have blocked key trade crossings between Canada and the United States have prompted losses of nearly $300 million in wages and production in the automotive industry, according to a study this week.The self-styled "freedom convoy" protests have blocked U.S.-Canadian border crossings, including the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, and the Blue Water Bridge, linking Sarnia, Ontario, to Port Huron, Mich.
The demonstrations have resulted in losses of direct wages totaling $144.9 million, mostly affecting Michigan and Ontario, from Feb. 7 to Tuesday, according to an analysis by the Anderson Economic Group, based in East Lansing, Mich.
During that same period, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Honda and Toyota have lost an additional $155 million, Anderson said in a statement on Monday.
Lost wages in Michigan alone after the first week of protests tallied more than $51 million, the group said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/freedom-convoy-disruptions-cost-auto-industry-millions-rcna16318
The demonstrations have resulted in losses of direct wages totaling $144.9 million, mostly affecting Michigan and Ontario, from Feb. 7 to Tuesday, according to an analysis by the Anderson Economic Group, based in East Lansing, Mich.
During that same period, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Honda and Toyota have lost an additional $155 million, Anderson said in a statement on Monday.
Lost wages in Michigan alone after the first week of protests tallied more than $51 million, the group said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/freedom-convoy-disruptions-cost-auto-industry-millions-rcna16318
Yeah so an industry that is already hurting thanks to product shortages is taking an even further hit because of these assholes. But what does someone like Tucker Carlson have to gain from this? Well it’s definitely helping Fox News’ ratings, that is for sure. And once again this is a call to advance right wing ideals, as if they don’t need any further advancing. But the fact that the right wing has latched onto the Freedom Convoy says more about them than it does about us.
American right-wing pundits have taken great interest in the Canadian “freedom convoy” of truckers who have protested Covid-19 restrictions in Canada by occupying parts of the country’s capital and blockading U.S.-Canadian border crossings. But Fox News host Tucker Carlson is downright giddy about the possibility of a counterpart to the Canadian protest movement rising in the United States, and has been using his platform to try to boost the likelihood of that happening.
He sees the trucker protests as a useful vehicle for advancing right-wing populism — and in the process, he’s helping reveal why its claim to anti-elitism is specious.
The convoy was initially sparked by a small group of Canadian cross-border truckers angry over losing their exemption to vaccine mandates in January. Since then, their protests have been joined by others, and evolved into a broader protest against any kind of Covid restriction at all in Canada — one of the protesters in Carlson’s segment says, “We want freedom, freedom of all mandates.” (It’s also attracted far-right white supremacist activity.)
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/what-tucker-carlson-s-love-freedom-convoy-reveals-n1289111
He sees the trucker protests as a useful vehicle for advancing right-wing populism — and in the process, he’s helping reveal why its claim to anti-elitism is specious.
The convoy was initially sparked by a small group of Canadian cross-border truckers angry over losing their exemption to vaccine mandates in January. Since then, their protests have been joined by others, and evolved into a broader protest against any kind of Covid restriction at all in Canada — one of the protesters in Carlson’s segment says, “We want freedom, freedom of all mandates.” (It’s also attracted far-right white supremacist activity.)
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/what-tucker-carlson-s-love-freedom-convoy-reveals-n1289111
Oh people stop your rabbling! But this might be my favorite story to come out of the Freedom Convoy so far. And when I saw this story I just seriously almost fell off my chair laughing so hard. Yes, Mike Lindell, or as we like to call him here, Creepy Pillow Man, is involved in the actual Freedom Convoy, and whether or not it could actually come to the US remains to be seen. But I must admit that I did not have “Mike Lindell plans to drop pillows from the sky” on my 2022 Bingo card!
My Pillow CEO and staunch Donald Trump supporter Mike Lindell, as well as a truck full of “10,000 pillows,” were denied entry into Canada Tuesday evening while trying to join Ottawa Freedom Convoy protesters, National Post has learned.
A senior government source said that Lindell, as well an accompanying videographer, were intercepted at the Port Huron-Sarnia border crossing on Tuesday evening as they were enroute for Ottawa to distribute “pillows and Bibles” to convoy protestors.
On the same day, a My Pillow truck carrying “over 10,000 pillows,” including 1,000 “Bible pillows” destined for the truckers’ children was also intercepted trying to cross the border through the Ambassador Bridge leading to Windsor, ON.
According to the senior government source, Lindell was turned back because he was not fully vaccinated and did not have a negative PCR test in hand. The source said that truck was also denied entry into Canada because the U.S. trucker did not have a valid pre-arrival PCR test.
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/my-pillows-mike-lindell-barred-from-entering-canada-to-support-convoy-protestors
A senior government source said that Lindell, as well an accompanying videographer, were intercepted at the Port Huron-Sarnia border crossing on Tuesday evening as they were enroute for Ottawa to distribute “pillows and Bibles” to convoy protestors.
On the same day, a My Pillow truck carrying “over 10,000 pillows,” including 1,000 “Bible pillows” destined for the truckers’ children was also intercepted trying to cross the border through the Ambassador Bridge leading to Windsor, ON.
According to the senior government source, Lindell was turned back because he was not fully vaccinated and did not have a negative PCR test in hand. The source said that truck was also denied entry into Canada because the U.S. trucker did not have a valid pre-arrival PCR test.
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/my-pillows-mike-lindell-barred-from-entering-canada-to-support-convoy-protestors
So that being said – could the Freedom Convoy come to the United States? Well aside from the fact that it’s being egged on by the usual band of idiots – Tucker Carlson and Mike Lindell, now Rand Paul is egging on the Freedom Convoy. Of course it’s no mistake that their plan to disrupt the Super Bowl this year was a colossal failure. But could they have success like our neighbors to the north? Well make no mistake that this isn’t going away any time soon.
Sen. Rand Paul has watched the protests in Canada over coronavirus restrictions shut down several blocks in Ottawa for weeks and bring traffic along key nearby crossings to a halt.
Now, he's ready to roll out the welcome wagon for the protesters in the U.S.
In an interview Thursday with the Daily Signal, a conservative media site, the U.S. senator from Kentucky said "it'd be great" if the protests spread to Washington, D.C., when asked about his thoughts on the protests and how the nation's capital would react if they spread south across the border.
"The thing is, it wouldn't shut the city down because the government workers haven't come to work in two years anyway, so I don't know if it'd affect D.C.," Paul joked. "It'd be nice change. We'd actually have some traffic."
Just under 25% of office workers in Washington, D.C., were working out of their offices as of September 2021, according to a survey from the DowntownDC Business Improvement District, as more employees opted to work from home amid the pandemic, which has frequently closed schools and upended child care options.
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2022/02/11/rand-paul-supports-freedom-convoy-trucker-coronavirus-protest-america/6752105001/
Now, he's ready to roll out the welcome wagon for the protesters in the U.S.
In an interview Thursday with the Daily Signal, a conservative media site, the U.S. senator from Kentucky said "it'd be great" if the protests spread to Washington, D.C., when asked about his thoughts on the protests and how the nation's capital would react if they spread south across the border.
"The thing is, it wouldn't shut the city down because the government workers haven't come to work in two years anyway, so I don't know if it'd affect D.C.," Paul joked. "It'd be nice change. We'd actually have some traffic."
Just under 25% of office workers in Washington, D.C., were working out of their offices as of September 2021, according to a survey from the DowntownDC Business Improvement District, as more employees opted to work from home amid the pandemic, which has frequently closed schools and upended child care options.
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2022/02/11/rand-paul-supports-freedom-convoy-trucker-coronavirus-protest-america/6752105001/
[font size="4"]And Now This:[/font]
[font size="4"]Spoon[/font]
My next guest, their latest album is called “Lucifer On The Sofa”, you can see them on tour through June 4th. Playing their song “The Hardest Cut”, give it up for Spoon!
Thank you Detroit! We’re off to Seattle next! See you next week!
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