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Biden does not have the strength to even do the wrong thing - C'mon Man!
Joe Biden Says He Will Let Justice Breyer Decide When to Retire
Commerce/cupidity often trumps morality/sanity. Particularly when it comes to the French.
The West's shameful Iranian capitulation | The Spectator
By Jake Wallis Simons
On a sweltering day in July 2018, German police pulled over a
scarlet Ford S-Max hire car that was travelling at speed towards Austria. The
driver, Assadollah Assadi, the third secretary to the Iranian embassy in
Vienna, was arrested at gunpoint and taken into custody.
Although unusual, there was a good reason for detaining the
diplomat: Assadi had used his immunity to smuggle a bomb on a commercial
airliner from Tehran to Austria, intending to carry out what would have been
one of Europe's worst atrocities in recent years.
Once in Vienna, he had handed the device — codenamed the
'Playstation' — to two married Belgian-Iranian agents, Amir Saadouni and
Nasimeh Naami, and instructed them to blow up an anti-regime event in Paris,
which was to be attended by dignitaries including Rudy Giuliani and former
environment secretary Theresa Villiers.
The plot was thwarted on the day of the attack after a tip-off
from Mossad, saving hundreds of lives. Assadi was arrested the following day
while pursuing diplomatic refuge in Austria. But as we reported in this
week's Jewish Chronicle, the treasure
trove of evidence inside the vehicle should have set off alarm bells in
European corridors of power — alarm bells that should be sounding especially
loudly today.
The car was effectively being used as a mobile intelligence
station to run agents. It contained handwritten records of trips to 289
locations in 22 cities across Europe as well as notes on bomb handling and
ideas for attacks using acid and toxic pathogenic substances. Also discovered
were receipts for expense reimbursements and salary payments to spies, details
of computers issued to them, numerous mobile phones and GPS devices, and more
than €30,000 (£26,000) in cash. In short, it revealed an Iranian espionage
network in Europe that was startling in both its scale and scope.
'The plot may have been a wake-up call, but the Europeans tend
to wake up from time to time, then fall asleep again'
When seen in the light of the political context at the time, the
arrest seemed almost ironic. Not eight weeks previously, Donald Trump had
pulled America out of the nuclear deal with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action (JCPOA), reimposing 'maximum pressure' sanctions on the theocracy.
The Europeans were appalled.
One of Washington's main reasons for leaving the deal, signed by
the Obama administration in 2015, was that lifting sanctions allowed Tehran to
fund extensive terror networks, proxy militia and missile emplacements
overseas. But even while investigators were poring over the material found
inside Assadi's scarlet Ford S-Max, policymakers in Europe's capitals were busy
designing a mechanism to allow Iran to continue to trade behind the backs of
the Americans. The system, known as 'Instex', was launched five months later,
in an attempt to neuter the deterrent from Washington.
This bizarre state of affairs cannot be overemphasised.
- Exhibit
A: Tehran activates its extensive spy network in an attempt to blow up
hundreds of civilians on the streets of Paris.
- Exhibit
B: the Europeans try to undermine American pressure on the theocracy,
shovelling more money into its maw. A cynic might call it suicide by
diplomacy.
This week, history is repeating itself. Eight weeks ago, an
Antwerp court sentenced Assadi and his three co-conspirators to between 15 and
20 years in prison. This was the first conviction of an Iranian official for
terrorism offences since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Yet this week, the
European powers pressed ahead with direct negotiations with Tehran in Vienna,
aimed at expunging all trace of the Trump years and restoring the nuclear deal.
By all accounts, progress was swift: a few days of discussions resulted in a
'roadmap' that could lead to a new agreement in as little as two months.
The Ayatollahs have never been in any doubt that the Europeans
are in the palms of their hands. The only sanctions insisted on by Europe last
week were symbolic restrictions on a small number of Iranian officials, a
gesture of solidarity for dual nationals held hostage in Iranian prisons. Aside
from this, there was simply no disguising the enthusiasm for welcoming the
malignant theocracy back into the fold.
To make matters worse, in the post-Trump era, Washington is
equally wide-eyed. Returning to the Obama deal has become a political pose to
this new administration, which pursues it like an article of faith. It took Joe
Biden just 11 weeks to go from being elected as 46th President of the United
States to commencing new nuclear negotiations with Iran.
In fact, even before he entered the Oval Office, Biden had
publicly telegraphed his intentions to reheat Obama's JCPOA. In an article for
CNN last September, he argued that President Trump had 'recklessly tossed away
a policy that was working to keep America safe and replaced it with one that
has worsened the threat'. The Iranians, shall we say, were hardly kept guessing
about America's negotiating objectives. This was the David Cameron-Theresa May
school of negotiations that produced such truly exemplary results during the
Brexit era.
Unsurprisingly enough, Tehran's foreign minister, Seyed
Araghchi, opened the talks by playing hardball, insisting that all sanctions
imposed since 2016 — including those unrelated to its nuclear programme — be
lifted before any return to compliance. This would mean a fresh wave of dollars
breaking on the shores of the Islamic Republic, allowing it to kick-start its
beleaguered economy with oil exports and return to a fully functional banking
system. Only then — with the influx of cash being toasted by terror cells from
Sudan to Vienna — would the theocracy consider curtailing its nuclear
ambitions. Or rather, consider agreeing to do so.
The United States, negotiating at arm's length via its European
allies around the table in Vienna, responded feebly by suggesting a
step-by-step approach. 'I think what essentially ruled out are the maximalist
demands that the United States do everything first and only in turn would Iran
then act,' Ned Price, the State Department spokesman, said. But there was never
any doubt about the American endgame.
There are two Iranian spy networks in the West.
The first, Department 312 of Tehran's Ministry Of Intelligence
and Security, aims at infiltrating, intimidating and assassinating Iranian
dissidents who have gone into exile to campaign against the theocracy. That is
the ring that was exposed in 2018 and is now being rebuilt.
The second targets Israelis, whether representatives of the
state or civilians. The latter espionage group has the more difficult task.
Iran knows full well that any aggressive action against Israeli citizens will
meet with swift retaliation.
Israel, as the single country most threatened by Tehran
(intelligence sources estimate that 80 per cent of threats against the Jewish
state emanate from the theocracy) does not, shall we say, buy into the
transatlantic policy of appeasement. Last week, Benjamin Netanyahu made
his position clear ahead of a visit to Jerusalem by the new
US secretary of defence, General Lloyd Austin, a visit designed to calm
Israeli nerves over the impending nuclear deal. 'These type of deals with
extremist regimes are worth nothing,' he said. 'A deal with Iran that threatens
us with annihilation will not obligate us.'
Speaking on Holocaust Remembrance Day, he added: 'Only one thing
will obligate us: to prevent those who wish to destroy us from carrying out
their plans.' On Sunday, an unexplained 'incident' occurred at Iran's nuclear
facility in Natanz — which had just started using more advanced centrifuges —
taking out its electrical distribution grid.
In sharp contrast with Israel, whatever the opposite of
retaliation is, Europe is following that policy. In the somnambulant haze that
hangs in the continent's corridors of power, even a fully armed bomb, built in
Tehran and on its way to delivery to a rally of thousands of people in central
Paris, is not enough to raise serious hesitations abut the intentions of the
Iranian regime. The planned attack in the heart of France was generally viewed,
amazingly enough, as an internal Iranian issue. The security services uprooted
the spy network, then returned to business as usual. As one source familiar
with the matter told me: 'The plot may have been a wake-up call, but the
Europeans tend to wake up from time to time, then fall asleep again.' And this
time, Europe and America are in lockstep. One can only hope that they are not
sleepwalking to their own destruction.
++++++++++++++++++
Several days ago, Lynn and I were driving home around 8PM after grabbing a bite at Moes, All of a sudden it seemed my headlights dimmed or died. I took my car to the dealer yesterday and yes, both main headlights had gone "caput." To put two $48/each bulbs in they had to take off the integrated front end to the tune of $200. The bulbs probably cost $5 each.
I asked my service man, who is excellent, why can't GM design a swing front headlight lens that you can unscrew, and install the bulb without dis-assembling the car?. He had no answer other than engineers do not think about repair cost but they are capable of "screwing" you.
Brian, my son-in-law, knows a lot when it comes to electricity, fixing just about anything and particularly cars. He has been rebuilding a Ford for the last 7 years in between taking care of the kids , fixing their dinners etc. One day I asked him why all cars look alike and he said Government (OSHA) regulations. That's all I needed to know because the main function of government is also to "screw" you.
Finally:
This was sent by another friend and fellow memo reader. Seems the recent vote in Alabama rejecting Amazon unionizing speaks for itself.
Democrats launder money through unions and that is why the cost of public government and pensions has exploded as has staffing. Thank Andy Stern for that. He recently retired but he was good at "screwing" citizens as well through the union he presided over as its president.
Now Biden is going to fatten the unions for us:
U.S. House Passed the PRO Act: How It Could Affect the Future of Labor Law
On March 9, 2021, the United States House of Representatives passed the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The PRO Act (the Act), if it becomes law, would make vast, union-friendly changes to the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The House originally passed the Act in 2019, but it did not make any progress in the Senate. This time, its fate may depend on whether the Senate eliminates the filibuster. Even if the Act doesn’t get through the Senate in its entirety, it may be possible for parts of the Act to pass the Senate and reach President Biden, who has already spoken emphatically about his support for unions and union organizing.
Passage of the PRO Act would represent the biggest change in labor law in decades. Below is a summary list highlighting some of the changes the Act would bring to existing labor law.
Extend joint employer liability. A joint employer is held jointly and severally liable for the unfair labor practices committed by an employer if the joint employer possesses “substantial direct and immediate control” over the employer’s employees. The PRO Act would extend liability for joint employers by creating liability based on the mere existence of reserved or indirect control over the employer’s employees.
Expand “employee” definition by narrowing the definition of both supervisors and independent contractors. The NLRA governs employees rather than supervisors or independent contractors, and the PRO Act would redefine who qualifies as a supervisor and an independent contractor. As to the definition of a supervisor, the PRO Act eliminates two elements of the current definition (“assign” and “responsibly direct”) and requires that a supervisor act in that capacity for a majority of their work time. For independent contractors, the Act implements the “ABC” test. To be classified as an independent contractor, the ABC test would require that a worker be free from the purported employer’s control, operate outside the typical course of the purported employer’s business, and be customarily engaged in an independent trade. With this test, the NLRA would likely cover gig workers, such as Lyft drivers and Instacart shoppers.
Implement numerous changes to union election rules. The PRO Act would codify the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) 2015 “quickie” election rules (which means a union election could take place within as little as 13 days from an election petition), would permit unions to petition for units of very small groups of employees, and allow the petitioning union to specify the location of the election or to specify that the election be conducted by mail or electronically. Employers also would no longer be a “party” in NLRB election proceedings, nor could employers require employees to attend meetings to educate them about their options and rights with respect to the union election or what it means to be part of a union.
Eliminate right-to-work protections. Currently, 27 states have established right-to-work protections that prohibit employees from being compelled to pay union dues or fees as a condition of their employment. The PRO Act would allow unions to insist that a collective bargaining agreement compel all employees in a bargaining unit to pay union dues or fees, even if they do not want to.
Allow more picketing and more strikes. The NLRA permits only picketing when it is directed at a primary employer with which the union has a lawful dispute. The PRO Act would permit secondary picketing, meaning that unions could picket a neutral employer for the purpose of pressuring it to cease doing business with the primary employer. The PRO Act also would expressly permit intermittent strikes.
Eliminate an employer’s right to permanently replace economic strikers and prohibit offensive lockouts. This change would overturn long-standing U.S. Supreme Court precedent on the right of an employer not to discharge workers whom it has hired during a strike.
Mandate interest arbitration for initial contracts based on nebulous factors. The PRO Act would allow an arbitration panel to decide the terms of an initial collective bargaining agreement if the parties fail to reach an agreement within as little as 120 days. The Act also specifies the factors on which the panel shall base its decision about the contract’s terms. Those factors include not only the employer’s financial status, but also its “prospects,” as well as the employees’ ability to sustain themselves, their families, and their dependents on the wages and benefits offered by the employer. Those initial terms would be binding for two (2) years.
Enhance remedies and penalties. The PRO Act would allow for liquidated damages, civil penalties (which can be doubled if there was another violation in the last five years), and statutory remedies for cases of discrimination and retaliation. Under the Act, the NLRB could hold directors and officers liable for civil penalties in situations in which they directed or committed the violation, had established a policy that led to such a violation, or had actual or constructive knowledge of and the authority to prevent the violation and failed to prevent the violation, among other things.
Dissuade legal advice. The PRO Act would require employers to report any arrangement, including an engagement with a law firm, that “directly or indirectly” attempts to persuade employees on how to exercise their rights under the NLRA, including advice concerning the drafting of personnel policies. This change likely would require extensive reporting measures for any legal advice that could be interpreted as persuading workers with respect to whether to join a union.
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Just received this from Rush's Snerdley: (I edited.)
Dick:
I have always been a
fan of Charles Barkley – not only for his skills on the court but also for his
ability to say precisely what is on his mind. Barkley doesn't care what the
media thinks about what he says, that's why he always tells the truth.
And this time he told a truth Democrats DON'T want you
to know: they LOVE racial division in America. They have been using it for decades to stoke
anger between White and Black America so they can stay in power.
·
To White America: You are so racist; you don't even know that you are racist. We
are the only ones who can save you from your racism. Vote for us.
·
To Black America: All White people are racist, which is the reason for all of
your problems. We are the only ones who can save you from America's
racism. Vote for us.
It is all a lie, and
they KNOW it is a lie. They KNOW if White and Black America started
working together, we will see through their lies.
It is why I am leading the fight to make Black America Conservative Again.
Donald Trump received a record
amount of the Black vote in 2016 and only increased that margin in 2020.
The
liberal lies are tearing our nation apart – these are the same people who were
CHEERING when American cities were burned during mass riots last summer. When
they keep blacks and whites fighting, we cannot fight what they are doing to our nation.
I have had enough, and can no longer sit back and watch them tear America apart with their lies.
Charles Barkley was right – White America and black America need to build a New Journey.
James Golden, AKA Bo Snerdley
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I asked a former institutional client, a very dear friend and fellow memo reader what he thought about the current market scene and this was his reply:
"...Do not have many strong ideas now - the market seems way overpriced and subject to the effects of a financial accident. Leverage is way too high and valuations are subject to the Fed's maintenance of the zero bound or possibly even delving into negative rates and yield curve control."
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