usaf-vet
usaf-vet's JournalThere is evidence that the banks & credit card companies have found a way to extract a few extra dollars from.....
....... us each month, even if you pay the bill in full each month.
For the complete discussion on that topic, see: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=20046918
But that discussion got me thinking about this and where we are at this point in our history.
1. They force us all to get credit cards if we want to rent a car, take a trip, or fly.
2. They slowly but surely raise the interest rates.
3. That forces small businesses to charge a small fee to use a card.
4. Now that they have the entire buy public tied to a credit card, they make the next move of this long-term plan.
5. If you have paid in full on each credit card for years and are never late because of electronic bank-to-bank payments.
6. Then this is the good one. They FUCK UP the USPS mail system to control voting by mail so they have better control over whose votes count. But in many cases, your mail never arrives as it used to it is slower and unreliable.
NOW Louis DeJoy has resigned. His work is done. https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2025/0218-usps-announces-tenure-plan-of-pmg-louis-dejoy.htm?
7. They stack the Supreme Court to ensure right-wing control for years.
8. They hand this maniac IMMUNITY
9. Oh! And now credit card/banks are so greedy they bleed your bank balances by adding fees WHEN YOU PAY YOUR BILLS in full on time. See the link below.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=20046918
I might have missed a step or two, but please join in and add your two cents worth. It's interest-free!
This is more a local story but given that the small liberal arts college....
..... in this town has served students from every corner of the United States I thought it was worth telling all those alum the sad news.
HAS ANNOUNCE THEY WILL CLOSED DOWN THE CAMPUS AT THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR
Sorry I don't know the history of the school but I will try over the next couple of days. To add some text and pictures to the sad story.
We have lived in this town for 45 years and the college has been an important part of this community.
No news about what will happen to the wonderful campus. But a bunch of fine teachers and support staff have lost their jobs. Some within a stones throw of where we live.
Returning to my new tool in my quiver. This time regarding Gaza and how likely a resort would succeed.
A U.S. takeover of Gaza to build a Mediterranean resort would be highly unlikely to succeed without massive resistance and deep-seated generational tensions. Heres why:
International Law & Sovereignty: Any attempt by the U.S. to seize Gaza for economic development would be an outright violation of international law and sovereignty. The international community, including allies, would strongly oppose such an action.
United Nations & Global Reaction: The UN would almost certainly condemn any U.S. intervention of this kind, and it could lead to severe diplomatic consequences.
Existing Conflict & Governance: Gaza is governed by Hamas, a militant group that is in direct conflict with Israel. Any attempt to forcibly develop the region would require military occupation, escalating violence further.
Palestinian Resistance: Even if the plan promised economic prosperity, the people of Gazamany of whom have suffered under war, blockades, and displacementwould see such a move as another form of colonization. The idea of a foreign power taking over their land for commercial purposes would likely spark generational resistance and militant opposition.
Arab & Muslim World Response: The entire Arab world, including U.S. allies like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, would likely condemn such a move, possibly leading to severe diplomatic and economic repercussions.
Israeli Stance: Even Israel, which has its own complex relationship with Gaza, might not support a direct U.S. takeover because it could create further instability and unwanted American entanglement in the region.
Colonial & Imperialist Legacy: The idea of taking over a region for economic development mirrors historical European colonialism in the Middle East and Africa. These past experiences have left deep scars, making any similar U.S. action deeply unpopular and widely resisted across generations.
Failed Attempts at Western-Led Nation Building: The U.S. has a poor track record when it comes to reshaping foreign territories for economic or strategic purposes (e.g., Iraq, Afghanistan). Any attempt to impose such a vision on Gaza would likely face the same fateprolonged insurgency and failure.
Destruction & Infrastructure Issues: Gaza has been heavily bombed and lacks basic infrastructure. Turning it into a luxury resort would require massive investments, all while navigating war-torn conditions.
Security Concerns: No tourist would visit a "resort" in a place with ongoing conflict, instability, and potential terror threats. The idea of a peaceful Mediterranean getaway in an occupied war zone is not realistic.
Alternative Locations: The Mediterranean already has thriving resort locations in places like Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, and Israels own coastal cities. There would be little incentive to invest in a high-risk area.
A U.S. takeover of Gaza to build a Mediterranean resort would be an absolute non-starter. The move would:
Face overwhelming local and regional resistance
Be condemned by the international community
Create generational resentment that would likely spark endless conflict
Be economically and logistically unfeasible
The only way economic development in Gaza could happen is through peaceful negotiations, local governance stability, and regional cooperation, not foreign occupation.
From a source more in formed the me
Kash Patel as FBI director? From multiple sources this looks like his intent is not to protect but attack.
Michael Atkinson (former Inspector General of the Intelligence Community)
Lloyd Austin (Defense Secretary under President Joe Biden)
Brian Auten (Supervisory Intelligence Analyst, FBI)
James Baker (former General Counsel for the FBI and former Deputy General Counsel at Twitter)
Bill Barr (former Attorney General under Trump)
John Bolton (former National Security Adviser under Trump)
Stephen Boyd (former Chief of Legislative Affairs, FBI)
Joe Biden (President of the United States)
John Brennan (former CIA Director under President Barack Obama)
John Carlin (Acting Deputy Attorney General, previously led DOJs National Security Division under Trump)
Eric Ciaramella (former National Security Council staffer, Obama and Trump administrations)
Pat Cipollone (former White House Counsel under Trump)
James Clapper (Obamas Director of National Intelligence)
Hillary Clinton (former Secretary of State and presidential candidate)
James Comey (former FBI Director)
Elizabeth Dibble (former Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, London)
Mark Esper (former Secretary of Defense under Trump)
Alyssa Farah (former Director of Strategic Communications under Trump)
Evelyn Farkas (former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia under Obama)
Sarah Isgur Flores (former DOJ Head of Communications under Trump)
Merrick Garland (Attorney General under Biden)
Stephanie Grisham (former Press Secretary under Trump)
Kamala Harris (Vice President under Biden; former presidential candidate)
Gina Haspel (CIA Director under Trump)
Fiona Hill (former staffer on the National Security Council)
Curtis Heide (FBI Agent)
Eric Holder (former Attorney General under Obama)
Robert Hur (Special Counsel who investigated Biden over mishandling of classified documents)
Cassidy Hutchinson (aide to Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows)
Nina Jankowicz (former Executive Director, Disinformation Governance Board under Biden)
Lois Lerner (former IRS Director under Obama)
Loretta Lynch (former Attorney General under Obama)
Charles Kupperman (former Deputy National Security Adviser under Trump)
General Kenneth McKenzie, ret. (former Commander of United States Central Command)
Andrew McCabe (former FBI Deputy Director under Trump)
Ryan McCarthy (former Secretary of the Army under Trump)
Mary McCord (former Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security under Obama)
Denis McDonough (former Chief of Staff for Obama, Secretary of Veterans Affairs under Biden)
General Mark Milley, ret. (former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff)
Lisa Monaco (Deputy Attorney General under Biden)
Sally Moyer (former Supervisory Attorney, FBI)
Robert Mueller (former FBI Director, Special Counsel for Russiagate)
Bruce Ohr (former Associate Deputy Attorney General under Obama and Trump)
Nellie Ohr (wife of Bruce Ohr and former CIA employee)
Lisa Page (former Legal Counsel for Deputy Director Andrew McCabe at FBI under Obama and Trump; exchanged texts about Trump with Peter Strzok)
Pat Philbin (former Deputy White House Counsel under Trump)
John Podesta (former Counselor to Obama; Senior Adviser to Biden on Climate Policy)
Samantha Power (former Ambassador to the United Nations under Obama, Administrator of USAID under Biden)
Bill Priestap (former Assistant Director for Counterintelligence, FBI under Obama)
Susan Rice (former National Security Adviser under Obama, Director of the Domestic Policy Council under Biden)
Rod Rosenstein (former Deputy Attorney General under Trump)
Peter Strzok (former Deputy Assistant Director for Counterintelligence, FBI under Obama and Trump; exchanged texts about Trump with Lisa Page)
Jake Sullivan (National Security Adviser under President Joe Biden)
Michael Sussmann (former Legal Representative, Democratic National Committee)
Miles Taylor (former DHS official under Trump; penned New York Times op-ed critical of Trump under the byline Anonymous)
Timothy Thibault (former Assistant Special Agent, FBI)
Andrew Weissmann
No surprise Susan Collins will back R. F. Kennedy Jr's nomination as head of the Department of Health and Human Services
She's been bought again.
Her statement suggests that the former presidential candidate, who has no training in public health, may clear his confirmation vote before the Senate.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/feb/10/trump-aluminium-aluminum-steel-tariffs-china-us-politics-live?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-67aa80038f0807c383876e91#block-67aa80038f0807c383876e91
Election loss IMHO pre-election VOTER Suppression efforts in key states including Wisconsin, PA, OH, GA ........
......... and others targetting MINORITIES.
Blacks, Hispanics, and other non-white voters.
See: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220001252
Or here for broader distribution:
Early Sunday morning coffee had a new twist re: the Secretary Of Transportation. How has the internet missed this?
These podcasters and DU posters have some interesting connections. Check out their latest post and share it with others.
The right-wing hounded Pete Buttigieg when he was Secretary of Transportation. Where is the republican outrage now?
https://www.democraticunderground.com/132259861
For broader distribution.
To take over GAZA we would need a DRAFT!
https://www.democraticunderground.com/13241777The take over of Gaza will require military troops. The current numbers for the U.S. is estimate 1,300,000 active duty.
Here are the most recent numbers:
Army: 453,551
Navy: 332,322
Air Force: 318,698
Marine Corps: 172,577
Space Force: 8,879
National Guard and Reserve Members: 767,238
During the Vietnam War, the United States drafted approximately 2.2 million men through the Selective Service System. This occurred between 1964 and 1973 when the U.S. relied on conscription to meet military personnel needs, as volunteer enlistments were not enough to sustain the demand for troops. THAT draft was highly controversial and faced increasing opposition as the war dragged on. In 1973, the draft was ended, and the U.S. military transitioned to an all-volunteer force.
Presidents since 1973 have realized that the citizens of the U.S. would not support a draft, particularly for unnecessary incursion into places like Gaza, Greenland, and Panama. All targets Trump appears to have on his delusional agenda.
The following is a transcript from today's SEASON 3 EPISODE 95: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN
https://www.democraticunderground.com/132259414
https://omny.fm/shows/countdown-with-keith-olbermann/how-do-we-get-elon-and-his-mutant-turtles-arrested#sharing
Think of this my friends and fellow DUer. When Musk has ALL of your data. How safe do you think you, we are......
..... from retaliatory attacks from vindictive felons and his personnel "army" of billionaire and ex-J6 convicts.
Why can't you find the private information of any government official anywhere online? They don't want the US to disrupt their privacy.
Just think how long it would take for an unknown individual to call your bank and identify themselves as a government representative working for a specific agency. They want ALL your bank accounts frozen until further notice.
Would your bank say HELL NO? Would you have to hire a law firm to free your assets? How long could you survive without money?
Seriously, try calling your Senator and ask him or her for their private data, JUST IN CASE!!
JUST ASKING !!
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Member since: Mon Sep 15, 2008, 10:33 AMNumber of posts: 7,613