What is the alt-right? What does it believe? Who are its leaders? In this week's video, Michael Knowles, bestselling author and host of The Michael Knowles Show, takes a deep dive into the alt-right, and shows why, ironically, the alt-right has much more in common with the left than with the right. Watch the video here.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I have issues with Bannon but in this op ed he is absolutely correct.
Far too many alt-Left and anti-Trumpers believe they can define everything Trump says. Just because they say it does not make it so.
Trump is neither globalist nor isolationist. He is a pragmatist who believes in everything American should be first if at all possible and certainly not be taken advantage of by others. (see 1 below.)
++++++++++++++++++++
This perspective from a man called Joe Ross. (See 2 below)
++++++++++++++++++++
A reminder:
Subject: Veterans Day Weekend boycott of the NFL
A National total boycott of th NFL is planned for Sunday, November 12th, Veterans Day Weekend.
Boycott all football telecasts. All fans, all ticket holders, are asked to stay away from attending or viewing any NFL games on Sunday, November 12th; let the NFL play to empty stadiums.
Pass this post along to all your friends and family. Honor our military, some of whom came home with the American Flag draped over their coffin. Continue with the weekly boycott of televised games, but let’s make this a day the owners, coaches, players, and advertisers will notice.
They have a right to protest if they want to, but during the National Anthem is NOT the time or venue! They show an utter lack of patriotism and total disrespect for our Veterans – living and dead – and everything for which they put their lives on the line!!!
++++++++++++++++++++++
Well it is about time. I just noted, a few memos ago, it was disgraceful for him to still be in office. (See 3 below)
++++++++++++++++++++
The FBI used faked information as the basis for obtaining FISA warrants in order to spy on Trump and many of his administration associates. (See 4 below.)
The stench keeps building.
++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1)
“I think anybody who thinks … his philosophy is isolationist, I don’t know how you look at that Arab Summit that took place in May in Riyadh,” Bannon said.
Bannon was speaking at an event organized by the institute: “Countering Violent Extremism: Qatar, Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood” in Washington, D.C. Bannon was referring to the Arab Islamic American Summit held in Saudi Arabia in May, where Trump met with Arab leaders to organize a united front against ISIS and to stop the financing of terrorism.
Bannon said that specifically, the point of the summit was to stop the financing of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, and also Iran’s aggressive anti-Western strategy.
‘I don’t think it’s just by happenstance that two weeks after that summit that you saw the blockade of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain [and] Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Qatar,” he said.
Just eight months into Trump’s term, Bannon also noted, ISIS has largely been wiped out after major defeats in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria. The latter is arguably a more significant defeat for the terror group as Raqqa was the group’s de facto capital in the Middle East. But last week it fell to U.S.-backed troops.
As Breitbart News reported last week, analysts caution that ISIS has not been destroyed, but with these twin defeats, it has been broken down from a terror state back into a terrorist organization.
Bannon noted that despite Trump being criticized during the campaign for his perceived lack of foreign policy knowledge, he has achieved a victory that would have been seen as almost impossible just a year ago.
“President Trump has accomplished something that I think people would have mocked and laughed at him in the campaign,” Bannon said. “Raqqa fell the other day, the physical destruction of ISIS’s caliphate, which shocked the world with its rapid rise.”
He put the victory down to changing the strategy from a war of attrition, to a war of annihilation.
“In eight months of President Trump’s strategy, executed by General Mattis, and that strategy was not a war of attrition, he was very specific from day one, this is a war of annihilation: ‘we will annihilate the caliphate’ and that’s been accomplished,” he said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2)A lot of good things are happening in Asia now. The Japan election solidifies Abe, and he now has the votes to make more good things happen in Japan to build on the improved economy they are experiencing. Japan is now even more dependent on the US in light of N Korea, and that will afford the US leverage to work on improved trade terms.
Xi is now the absolute ruler of China and will remain so for many years. The recent party congress puts him in a position to do almost anything he wants. Xi understands that China is now a major player in the world and he cannot let Kim ruin the opportunities China now has to improve their economy and to work on solving the over leverage and aging demographics issues which are serious risks to the regime. He also fully understands that a war in N Korea will ruin everything, and bring about a potential confrontation with the US. That is not what Xi needs when he now has a seemingly good working relationship with Trump, and a potential to work out trade terms on a reasonable basis. Working with the US is far more important than continuing to use N Korea to create problems. The Chinese now understand backing Kim is not in their long term interest, and he needs to be shut down. Eventually someone will assassinate Kim, and it may well be the Chinese who set it up. My view is China will put the screws to Kim and use sanctions and embargos to try to get him to give up nukes. It is unclear if that will work, but in the end Kim will either fold or be killed. Kim may do something very stupid and try to attack Japan, or Guam or a US carrier, but it is unlikely as China has said publicly if he does that they will not be there to help him. I believe in the end, Kim folds or dies, and the nukes go away. It will be very tense, but Kim is all alone now, and China seems to realize that the US, S Korea and Japan are too key to its future to side with Kim. If this does play out this way, Trump will have accomplished a major foreign policy victory. We will know how this ends sometime in 2018.
India is taking huge steps to get its economy and politics on a much better footing. They just bailed out the banking sector due to many bad loans, and that should strengthen the ability of banks to lend and help grow the economy. Many other steps are being taken to clean up a corrupt mess of an economy, but it will take years to accomplish. Labor laws and land issues are still a huge issue. The whole corrupt business culture has to be changed for there to be real progress. India also is playing the US off against China and is now receiving major military assistance from the US. This is of tremendous help to the US to offset issues with Pakistan and China. This is also much to the US benefit as it shows XI, we can play the game in SE Asia also. India is the potential balance to China in Asia and the military bulwark against Pakistan. The tight relationship of the US and India lets us exert much greater pressure on Pakistan to go after terrorists. This will take time, but the fact that the US is now back in force in Afghanistan, and will assure they do not lose to the Taliban, combined with our close ties to India, leaves Pakistan in a tough position and with China now cooperating with the US, Pakistan has nowhere to turn.
All of this is very good for the world economy. It also means that Asia will be a much more key player in the world economy. China has severe financial and economic problems and needs to have peace and cooperation if Xi is to succeed and avoid an uprising of the younger generation. If Kim is eliminated and peace prevails, then the US will have real influence in Asia and everyone will benefit. China will continue to challenge the US militarily and economically, but not in a way, nor to the extent it could lead to a military confrontation. If things work out, as I think they will, Asia will be a major growth opportunity for US companies. We will know a lot more by next summer.
The Dems are getting desperate to try to kill the tax reform. They will fail. Research shows that 70% of lower taxes for corporations does flow to wages. Corporate taxes really do matter as to where companies locate and where they keep idles cash. Lower corporate taxes are a major good growth stimulator to the economy. It would seem there is no way they will touch the 401K rules unless they have a much better idea that allows retirement savings to increase, but why change what works so well. Seems politically stupid to touch this but maybe they have a better idea. The average retiree has a net worth other than the house of just $80,000, and the 401k has become much more important to retirees as most private sector working people now have one. Schumer and Larry Summers have gotten hysterical and strident, and instead should work with the Republicans to put out a bipartisan bill. But they likely realize if a tax bill is passed and the middle class does see more money in their pockets, then the Dems get crushed in 2018. Republicans need to make a big point that the top 10% now pay 71% of all taxes and will pay an even greater share with the tax bill. Several Dems are in a rock or hard place on this bill. It will be interesting to see how the senators up for reelection play it since they will be voting against tax cuts for average voters if they are not voting with the Republicans on this.
All of this leaves Europe still the place where the economy is improving, but is still far from good. That is why the ECB today voted to leave rates the same and to only reduce QE, not eliminate it. With the US now possibly doing 3% growth, and Asia getting its political and economic act together, Europe is the laggard by comparison. Even Africa is starting to grow with more potential upside than Europe. While Africa has major structural, political and cultural issues, it is beginning to improve and really grow. They are starting on the road to joining the world economy like other emerging markets have done in Asia, but they have a very long way to go. At some point in the next decade, Africa will be an opportunity for investment. For some long term players, they are there now, but the risks are very high.
The Catalan crisis is very real for Spain, and the eastern Europe countries: Poland Hungary, and Austria, are now controlled by the right wing. These leaders are working to have Brussels have less power. They are strongly anti- immigrant. Merkel is much weaker now after the election and Macron will struggle to get his policies fully approved. The EU is growing, but the substantial problems with banking and productivity remain.
The truth about what the Clintons and Wasserman and Podesta were doing, and how Holder and Obama were very possibly working in concert with them, will blow up now. The truth is going to come out. It is ugly. Just wait to hear what the informant says now that he is free to testify-it will get really bad for Obama, Hilary, Bill, Holder, Comey and Wasserman. It is beginning to smell like Watergate. The payoffs to the Clintons in the uranium deal, and the money laundering by the foundation, will all come out. Comey will be seen to be a very political animal and will lose credibility. There are serious questions as to why the FBI under both Mueller and Comey did not pursue many of these issues, and why the email scandal was essentially covered up by Comey and Lynch. All of this will be in full gear into the election cycle for 2018, and if tax reform passes and something is done on Obamacare, and if the economy is growing at 3%, the Dems will be the big losers again. My theory is Obama and Hilary needed to try to delegitimize Trump. They came up with the dossier and hid it through Perkins Coie. They also were using the IRS and Lois Lerner to stop right wing groups, and they used huge corporate and bank fines to fund left wing groups. Debbie Wasserman colluded with Clinton to eliminate Bernie. It was all a plan to stop Trump and try to destroy his presidency, and maybe get him impeached in 2018. The obstruction by the Dems in not confirming appointments, and in refusing to cooperate on any legislation, was just a part of the overall effort. As the scandal unfolds, and as it becomes clear that Obama and Clinton conspired to destroy Trump and the Republicans, there is a good chance the Republicans can pick up the seats they need in 2018 in the Senate. The entire game changed this week, and when the informant testifies it will blow open. I am sure my liberal friends will think this is a political piece and pro Trump, but it is just sitting back and objectively looking at all the events and strings, and how they now fit together. Lois Lerner shutting down tea party groups, the funds to left wing groups, opening the border to a flood of Latinos who could eventually vote Democratic where voter ID is not allowed, and who could be used as a major issue to fuel protests, the uranium deal, the giant “fees” to Bill for speeches, the foundation being in Canada to avoid transparency, Wasserman conspiring with Hilary, the Pakistani computer assistants to Wasserman, the unmasking by Powers and Rice to nail Flynn, and the infamous dossier and Russia probe. They all tie together into a potential scandal of Watergate proportions.
The press is trying to deny there is anything here, and trying to minimize the story, but it will crawl out from the rocks. I ask you just try to be objective and let this play out before you conclude that what I have said is just a partisan view. It is why I have kept saying for months, the Dems will regret ever starting the collusion story. Soon the mainstream media will be all over this as it becomes clear what a major story this is, and the Republicans will deep dive with investigations, and it will explode. We are about to witness a historic moment in American politics.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
3)Trump Picks A New Leader Of The IRS
President Trump made it official on Thursday that embattled IRS Commissioner John Koskinen will be out of a job next month.
Trump tapped David Kautter, the Treasury Department’s assistant secretary for tax policy, to serve as interim IRS commissioner, beginning Nov. 13.
Koskinen’s term ends on Nov. 12. He was eligible for reappointment, but Koskinen is fiercely opposed by congressional Republicans. Members of the House Freedom Caucus attempted but failed to impeach Koskinen last year, largely over his handling of the scandal involving former IRS official Lois Lerner.
Prior to Koskinen’s tenure, Lerner was accused targeting conservative groups who applied for non-profit status. Koskinen was accused of stonewalling congressional investigators looking into Lerner’s activities as well as of covering up for the Obama administration.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
4)
| REWIND: FBI Used Clinton Campaign's Steele Dossier to Get FISA Warrant on Trump Campaign
BY PATRICK POOLE
|
There’s one suggestion for President Trump as all of this unfolds
|
CNN reported back in April that Steele's dossier was used to secure a FISA warrant against former Trump adviser Carter Page:
The FBI last year used a dossier of allegations of Russian ties to Donald Trump's campaign as part of the justification to win approval to secretly monitor a Trump associate, according to US officials briefed on the investigation.
The dossier has also been cited by FBI Director James Comey in some of his briefings to members of Congress in recent weeks, as one of the sources of information the bureau has used to bolster its investigation, according to US officials briefed on the probe.
This includes approval from the secret court that oversees the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to monitor the communications of Carter Page, two of the officials said. Last year, Page was identified by the Trump campaign as an adviser on national security.
But it wasn't just Carter Page who was targeted by the FBI/DOJ warrants obtained from the FISA Court.
CNN reported last month that Paul Manafort was also the subject of a FISA warrant both before and after last year's election:
A secret order authorized by the court that handles the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) began after Manafort became the subject of an FBI investigation that began in 2014. It centered on work done by a group of Washington consulting firms for Ukraine's former ruling party, the sources told CNN.
The surveillance was discontinued at some point last year for lack of evidence, according to one of the sources.
The FBI then restarted the surveillance after obtaining a new FISA warrant that extended at least into early this year.
Sources say the second warrant was part of the FBI's efforts to investigate ties between Trump campaign associates and suspected Russian operatives.
The extent to which the DNC-Clinton dossier was used to obtain the FISA surveillance on Manafort is still unknown, but given the timing and the fact that the dossier was used to target Carter Page, it seems likely.
The FBI's involvement in the dossier itself was explained by none other than Christopher Steele himself.
Just days before last year's election, he gave an interview to David Corn of Mother Jones trying to push out the allegations made in his dossier before Election Day.
Steele was only identified in the Mother Jones article as "a former senior intelligence officer for a Western country who specialized in Russian counterintelligence."
According to Steele, he provided his dossier and other memos to the FBI in August of last year:
The FBI, after receiving the first memo, did not immediately request additional material, according to the former intelligence officer and his American associates. Yet in August, they say, the FBI asked him for all information in his possession and for him to explain how the material had been gathered and to identify his sources. The former spy forwarded to the bureau several memos—some of which referred to members of Trump’s inner circle. After that point, he continued to share information with the FBI. “It’s quite clear there was or is a pretty substantial inquiry going on,” he says.
There is no mention in Corn's article that Steele's work was funded as part of a contract with the Clinton campaign and the DNC.
The extent of the relationship between Steele and the FBI is still murky.
What we do know is that the FBI paid at least some of Steele's expenses.
CNN reported last March about the payments made by the FBI to Steele:
The FBI reimbursed some expenses of the former British intelligence operative who produced a dossier containing allegations of President Donald Trump's ties to Russia, people familiar with the matter said.
The short-lived arrangement before the US election ended abruptly in part because of the frustration of Christopher Steele, the former MI6 spy, that the FBI wasn't doing enough to investigate the Trump-Russia ties.
The Washington Post first reported Tuesday that the FBI and Steele had sought to reach a payment arrangement.
An official familiar with the discussions said the FBI didn't hire Steele as an informant, but that the arrangement instead allowed for expenses to be paid. It couldn't be learned how much he was paid and for how long.
We know from the Washington Post story this week that what ended the relationship with Steele and the FBI was Steele's identity being made public:
Some of Steele’s allegations began circulating in Washington in the summer of 2016 as the FBI launched its counterintelligence investigation into possible connections between Trump associates and the Kremlin. Around that time, Steele shared some of his findings with the FBI.
After the election, the FBI agreed to pay Steele to continue gathering intelligence about Trump and Russia, but the bureau pulled out of the arrangement after Steele was publicly identified in news reports.
Steele was first publicly identified for his involvement in the dossier by the Wall Street Journal on January 11, 2017: the day after BuzzFeed published the dossier online.
One could understand the FBI's reasoning for cutting ties with Steele: the Bureau was actively cooperating with a former foreign spy who had been commissioned by Hillary Clinton's campaign and the DNC to investigate and undermine the next president of the United States.
But nearly a year after the presidential election, there remain a number of unanswered questions about the relationship between Steele and the FBI:
To what extent was the Steele dossier used by the FBI/DOJ to obtain the FISA warrants targeting Trump campaign officials?
Was the FBI aware of the extent to which Steele relied on information from Russian intelligence for the dossier's claims?
Did the FBI recognize that the use of attorney's to conceal the relationship between Steele and the Clinton campaign and the DNC might have violated federal election laws?
Was Steele's dossier used as justification to unmask communications of Trump campaign associates?
Just yesterday we reported here at PJ Media that Rep. Trey Gowdy -- the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence -- wants to know how much the FBI relied on Steele's work for its investigation on the Trump campaign.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No comments:
Post a Comment