Powerful gangs use surge of migrants as recruits for dirty work
Germany’s Berlin police are raising the alarm that local Arab crime gangs are using incoming migrants as recruits to escalate their activities.
The surge of over one million asylum seekers has provided the gangs with expendable muscle, police warn.
According to Daily Mail:
Known in the media as Berlin’s ‘clans’, whose founders themselves fled war in Lebanon in the 1980s, they have long controlled much of the city’s illegal drugs trade, street prostitution and protection rackets.
Now police warn that the clans have sought out new members from among the more than one million asylum seekers who have arrived in Germany since mid-2015, half of them from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
The clans ‘are trying to get others to do the dirty work’ such as selling drugs or committing small burglaries, said Benjamin Jendro of the GDP police union.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, December 28, 2018
Syrian-born US father accused of Lockerbie 'bomber' is discovered living in Washington DC suburb
A man suspected of planting the Lockerbie bomb has been discovered living in a suburban town in Washington DC under a different name.
Once allegedly identified as Abu Elias, the Syrian-born American father claimed it was 'complete lies' that he was involved in the terror attack that killed 270 people 30 years ago.
Elias hit out at former Cold War spy and author Douglas Boyd who claimed Libyan Abdelbaset al-Megrah - the man convicted of the attack - was falsely imprisoned.
And the suspect, who lives 20 miles from the Lockerbie Cairn Memorial at Washington, told the Daily Mirror he was innocent.
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Once allegedly identified as Abu Elias, the Syrian-born American father claimed it was 'complete lies' that he was involved in the terror attack that killed 270 people 30 years ago.
Elias hit out at former Cold War spy and author Douglas Boyd who claimed Libyan Abdelbaset al-Megrah - the man convicted of the attack - was falsely imprisoned.
And the suspect, who lives 20 miles from the Lockerbie Cairn Memorial at Washington, told the Daily Mirror he was innocent.
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Song ignites 200-person brawl at Virginia skating rink, witnesses say
A Virginia roller skating rink erupted into chaos over the weekend after 200 teenagers and some adults began brawling.
And witnesses say the massive fight was sparked by, of all things, a song.
Roanoke Police were called to the Star City Skate Center just before 1 a.m. Sunday. They encountered around 200 teenagers and some adults fighting, the Roanoke Times reported. There were even reports of shots fired but police couldn’t confirm them and found no victims or suspects.
Two witnesses, including a 13-year-old, told WFXR that a song came on and sparked local gang tension in the crowd, with many throwing up gang signs. Reports offered no information about what song was specifically involved.
But one witness claims to have seen at least one individual holding a handgun, WFXR reported.
According to WFXR, no arrests have been made but the case remains under investigation.
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And witnesses say the massive fight was sparked by, of all things, a song.
Roanoke Police were called to the Star City Skate Center just before 1 a.m. Sunday. They encountered around 200 teenagers and some adults fighting, the Roanoke Times reported. There were even reports of shots fired but police couldn’t confirm them and found no victims or suspects.
Two witnesses, including a 13-year-old, told WFXR that a song came on and sparked local gang tension in the crowd, with many throwing up gang signs. Reports offered no information about what song was specifically involved.
But one witness claims to have seen at least one individual holding a handgun, WFXR reported.
According to WFXR, no arrests have been made but the case remains under investigation.
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/song-ignites-200-person-brawl-at-virginia-skating-rink-witnesses-say
U.S. Stocks Just Had Their Best Day Ever – And Here Is Why That Is A REALLY Bad Sign…
The Dow Jones Industrial Average just posted its biggest single day point gain ever
The Dow Jones Industrial Average just posted its biggest single day point gain ever.
On Wednesday, the Dow shot up 1,086 points, which shattered the old record by a staggering 150 points. It truly was a remarkable day, and this is the sort of “Santa Claus rally” that investors had been hoping for. Many are convinced that this rally is an indication that the crisis of the last three months is over, but as you will see below, this sort of extreme volatility is actually a really bad sign. But for the moment, the mainstream media is pushing the narrative that everything is once again peachy keen in the financial world. Just consider the following quote from CNN…
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average just posted its biggest single day point gain ever.
On Wednesday, the Dow shot up 1,086 points, which shattered the old record by a staggering 150 points. It truly was a remarkable day, and this is the sort of “Santa Claus rally” that investors had been hoping for. Many are convinced that this rally is an indication that the crisis of the last three months is over, but as you will see below, this sort of extreme volatility is actually a really bad sign. But for the moment, the mainstream media is pushing the narrative that everything is once again peachy keen in the financial world. Just consider the following quote from CNN…
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Delusional: Hillary Clinton Issues Christmas Message With White House Photo
Hillary is dreaming of a White House Christmas.
The failed president candidate — who some are predicting will make yet another run in 2020 — shared a Christmas greeting on Twitter and included a photo from her time as First Lady.
“Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating today!” she tweeted, along with a photo of Bill about to embrace a woman, presumably Chelsea.
Clinton has left the door open to a potential third run for the White House.
In October, Hillary admitted, “I’d like to be president.”
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Trump: Schumer and Pelosi MUST fund his wall because most employees hit by shutdown are Democrats
Donald Trump said Thursday afternoon that his dispute with Democrats isn't actually about a border wall — it's about their refusal to give him a victory.
He predicted that he'd be the one to come out on top, though, when he's back on the ballot in 2020.
'This isn’t about the Wall, everybody knows that a Wall will work perfectly (In Israel the Wall works 99.9%). This is only about the Dems not letting Donald Trump & the Republicans have a win,' he proclaimed. 'They may have the 10 Senate votes, but we have the issue, Border Security. 2020!'
The president spent the afternoon haranguing Democrats for the 'stupidity' that he said was driving them to oppose his strategy for keeping out illegal immigrants via a wall that he says he needs at least $5 billion to finish.
'They don’t have much to campaign on, do they? An Open Southern Border and the large scale crime that comes with such stupidity!' he wrote in one of several tweets that he sent over a three-hour period.
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He predicted that he'd be the one to come out on top, though, when he's back on the ballot in 2020.
'This isn’t about the Wall, everybody knows that a Wall will work perfectly (In Israel the Wall works 99.9%). This is only about the Dems not letting Donald Trump & the Republicans have a win,' he proclaimed. 'They may have the 10 Senate votes, but we have the issue, Border Security. 2020!'
The president spent the afternoon haranguing Democrats for the 'stupidity' that he said was driving them to oppose his strategy for keeping out illegal immigrants via a wall that he says he needs at least $5 billion to finish.
'They don’t have much to campaign on, do they? An Open Southern Border and the large scale crime that comes with such stupidity!' he wrote in one of several tweets that he sent over a three-hour period.
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BREAKING: DOJ Colluding With Clinton Email Scandal Witnesses to Thwart Court-Ordered Discovery Efforts by Judicial Watch!
Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch revealed on Wednesday that the DOJ is colluding with Hillary Clinton email scandal witnesses to thwart court-ordered discovery to stop the watchdog’s efforts to gather evidence.
Judicial Watch appeared in a DC federal court last month on a motion to compel more testimony from Hillary Clinton as well as to make public video recordings of depositions of top Clinton aides such as Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills.
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Judicial Watch appeared in a DC federal court last month on a motion to compel more testimony from Hillary Clinton as well as to make public video recordings of depositions of top Clinton aides such as Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills.
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Liberal Billionaire Apologizes For Funding Russian Bot ‘False Flag’ — But Questions Remain Unanswered
Billionaire Reid Hoffman apologized Wednesday for funding an effort to dupe Alabama voters into believing Russian bots were fueling Republican Roy Moore’s failed senatorial bid. But he left crucial questions unanswered.
His statement left several important facts about the so-called experiment unaddressed, including a detailed accounting of everyone involved in the caper, as well who crafted and executed the campaign. The effort was the subject of a closed-door presentation in Washington, D.C., to a group of liberal technology experts, The Washington Post reported, citing anonymous sources.
“I find the tactics that have been recently reported highly disturbing,” Hoffman said in his statement. “For that reason, I am embarrassed by my failure to track AET — the organization I did support — more diligently as it made its own decisions to perhaps fund projects that I would reject.”
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His statement left several important facts about the so-called experiment unaddressed, including a detailed accounting of everyone involved in the caper, as well who crafted and executed the campaign. The effort was the subject of a closed-door presentation in Washington, D.C., to a group of liberal technology experts, The Washington Post reported, citing anonymous sources.
“I find the tactics that have been recently reported highly disturbing,” Hoffman said in his statement. “For that reason, I am embarrassed by my failure to track AET — the organization I did support — more diligently as it made its own decisions to perhaps fund projects that I would reject.”
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In Wake Of Minority Transcript Fraud Scandal, Ivy League Silent On Admissions Process
A private school has been accused of numerous unethical practices to help its minority students gain acceptance to prestigious universities including Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale, and these universities are refusing to clarify how they were fooled by the fraudulent records or how they plan to improve their admissions process to prevent it in the future.
T.M. Landry College Prep, a school in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, has in recent years drawn the attention of several major programs including the “Today” show, “Ellen,” and “CBS This Morning” due to many of its students’ having been accepted at many of America’s most prestigious universities. Numerous students were presented as having surmounted difficulties at home to achieve outstanding grades in challenging courses and earn impressive honors in extracurricular activities.
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T.M. Landry College Prep, a school in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, has in recent years drawn the attention of several major programs including the “Today” show, “Ellen,” and “CBS This Morning” due to many of its students’ having been accepted at many of America’s most prestigious universities. Numerous students were presented as having surmounted difficulties at home to achieve outstanding grades in challenging courses and earn impressive honors in extracurricular activities.
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Police: Illegal Alien Suspected of Killing Officer Day After Christmas
The Newman Police Department and Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department are searching for an illegal alien accused of murdering a California police officer a day after Christmas.
Newman, California Corporal Ronil Singh, 33-years-old, was shot and killed by the illegal alien suspect, whose name has not been released by law enforcement officials.
According to law enforcement, Singh stopped the illegal alien during a routine traffic stop to check if the suspect was driving drunk in the city of Newman, about 100 miles out of San Francisco.
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Newman, California Corporal Ronil Singh, 33-years-old, was shot and killed by the illegal alien suspect, whose name has not been released by law enforcement officials.
According to law enforcement, Singh stopped the illegal alien during a routine traffic stop to check if the suspect was driving drunk in the city of Newman, about 100 miles out of San Francisco.
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Sheriff: Customer Shot Two Armed Suspects on Christmas Day
The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office says a customer shot two armed suspects at a Stop and Shop Convenience Store in the early hours of Christmas Day.
The store is located in Reidsville, North Carolina.
Fox 8 reports that two masked men entered the store shortly after 2 a.m. and allegedly “held the cashier and two other people inside the business at gunpoint.” One of the customers opened fire during the robbery attempt, striking both suspects and causing them to flee.
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The store is located in Reidsville, North Carolina.
Fox 8 reports that two masked men entered the store shortly after 2 a.m. and allegedly “held the cashier and two other people inside the business at gunpoint.” One of the customers opened fire during the robbery attempt, striking both suspects and causing them to flee.
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GOP Rep. Biggs: I Think Shutdown Will Last 'At Least Another Couple of Weeks'
On Wednesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Ingraham Angle,” Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) said he believes the government shutdown will last at least a couple more weeks.
Biggs said, “Well, since the president’s holding firm, and the Democrats have said they’re not willing to budge on this, I would think we’re going to go at least another couple of weeks, actually.”
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Biggs said, “Well, since the president’s holding firm, and the Democrats have said they’re not willing to budge on this, I would think we’re going to go at least another couple of weeks, actually.”
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Illegal Alien Charged with Violently Raping High School Student
An illegal alien has been arrested and charged with violently raping a Connecticut college student in 2014.
Edibaldo “Eddie” Duran, a 29-year-old illegal alien, was arrested in Mexico City, Mexico last week by the U.S. Marshal Service, according toNews12 Connecticut, after he allegedly raped a college student in 2014 and fled the country to Mexico.
Duran was extradited to Connecticut and charged with the alleged September 2014 rape.
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Edibaldo “Eddie” Duran, a 29-year-old illegal alien, was arrested in Mexico City, Mexico last week by the U.S. Marshal Service, according toNews12 Connecticut, after he allegedly raped a college student in 2014 and fled the country to Mexico.
Duran was extradited to Connecticut and charged with the alleged September 2014 rape.
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Las Vegas judge is charged with domestic battery for allegedly assaulting her 19-year-old son
A judge in Las Vegas has been charged with domestic battery for allegedly punching her 18-year-old son in the mouth.
Clark County District Judge Stefany Miley, 47, was arrested on Saturday evening after the incident, which occurred at about 6.45pm in a residential area near downtown Summerlin, a suburb of Las Vegas, police said.
At 7.06pm, the teen boy sent a frantic text message to his father, who is in the midst of a divorce battle with Miley, according to the father's lawyer.
'Call me now,' the message read, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
It continued: 'I need help. Mom punched me in the mouth and hit me in the head while I was driving. I (am) bleeding and need you to pick me up. She started screaming around the neighbors and tried falling on me to make it look like I was hurting her.'
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Clark County District Judge Stefany Miley, 47, was arrested on Saturday evening after the incident, which occurred at about 6.45pm in a residential area near downtown Summerlin, a suburb of Las Vegas, police said.
At 7.06pm, the teen boy sent a frantic text message to his father, who is in the midst of a divorce battle with Miley, according to the father's lawyer.
'Call me now,' the message read, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
It continued: 'I need help. Mom punched me in the mouth and hit me in the head while I was driving. I (am) bleeding and need you to pick me up. She started screaming around the neighbors and tried falling on me to make it look like I was hurting her.'
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Jerome Corsi: "I've Got Evidence That the FBI and Mueller's Team Are Now Harassing My Family"
Conservative journalist, Dr. Jerome Corsi says Robert Mueller’s team and the FBI is harassing his family after the special counsel questioned him for over 40 hours about his ‘inside sources’ at WikiLeaks and alleged advance knowledge Julian Assange was going to release John Podesta’s emails.
Dr. Corsi spoke to Fox Business host Trish Regan on Wednesday and said he has evidence Mueller’s thugs and the FBI are harassing members of his family with surveillance vans and FBI door knocks.
“Right now I’ve got evidence that the FBI and Mueller’s team are now harassing my family,” Corsi said, adding, “They’re doing door knocks to my stepson. They’re parking surveillance vans with two agents outside the places where various members of my family work.”
“My children have done nothing wrong. My wife who I’ve been married to for 27 years and now they’re gonna try to make them criminals? Harassing my family is beyond bounds and I won’t stand for it,” Corsi said.
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Dr. Corsi spoke to Fox Business host Trish Regan on Wednesday and said he has evidence Mueller’s thugs and the FBI are harassing members of his family with surveillance vans and FBI door knocks.
“Right now I’ve got evidence that the FBI and Mueller’s team are now harassing my family,” Corsi said, adding, “They’re doing door knocks to my stepson. They’re parking surveillance vans with two agents outside the places where various members of my family work.”
“My children have done nothing wrong. My wife who I’ve been married to for 27 years and now they’re gonna try to make them criminals? Harassing my family is beyond bounds and I won’t stand for it,” Corsi said.
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Black Marriott exec compared to Buckwheat, told dance to Michael Jackson racial discrimination suit
A black former sales executive for Marriott Vacations Worldwide is suing the company, alleging a picture of Little Rascals' character Buckwheat, was used to represent him during a team building exercise.
In a lawsuit, Daryl Robinson, who started working for the company in February 2017 selling time shares on properties, says he was the only African-American in his office. He claims he was asked to dance to Michael Jackson for entertainment during company meetings, according to NBC News.
Robinson says in one instance, the director of sales complimented the staff saying
'we have a good looking crew,' and then looked to him saying 'Daryl looks ready to breakdance.'
Robinson said his coworkers laughed and he was 'completely humiliated, dejected and felt completely defeated.'
In the team building exercise, the employees were told to bring in photos of themselves as babies to test how well they know each other.
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In a lawsuit, Daryl Robinson, who started working for the company in February 2017 selling time shares on properties, says he was the only African-American in his office. He claims he was asked to dance to Michael Jackson for entertainment during company meetings, according to NBC News.
Robinson says in one instance, the director of sales complimented the staff saying
'we have a good looking crew,' and then looked to him saying 'Daryl looks ready to breakdance.'
Robinson said his coworkers laughed and he was 'completely humiliated, dejected and felt completely defeated.'
In the team building exercise, the employees were told to bring in photos of themselves as babies to test how well they know each other.
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The War On Trump Is All About Keeping Liberals And Their Lackeys In Power
And this year ends with our loser ruling class shedding any pretense of legitimacy in its quest to reclaim the power we took back from it in 2016. The reaction to Donald Trump by our alleged betters - SPOILER: They are much, much worse than us - is instructive. They have abandoned all the principles they once claimed to support - democracy, civil rights, due process, and equality. None of those principles help them to keep or regain power anymore, so they are expendable. As are you.
Liberalism was always a lie and a scam, right from its sordid beginnings among the progressives with their creepy messianic fervor, their infatuation with “expertise” (and hence, their embrace of evils like eugenics), and their contempt for the Constitution. Liberals consider themselves the anointed, divinely entitled to rule over us lesser folk, and they aren’t going to let anything get in the way of retaking the throne.
And this time, they mean never to give it up again.
Remember democracy? Yeah, I know this is a republic, but the word “democracy” is established as shorthand for the idea that every citizen should be able to participate in his/her/xir own governance so I’m using it that way (and yeah, I know modern liberals are nothing like classical liberals. Just stop.).
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Liberalism was always a lie and a scam, right from its sordid beginnings among the progressives with their creepy messianic fervor, their infatuation with “expertise” (and hence, their embrace of evils like eugenics), and their contempt for the Constitution. Liberals consider themselves the anointed, divinely entitled to rule over us lesser folk, and they aren’t going to let anything get in the way of retaking the throne.
And this time, they mean never to give it up again.
Remember democracy? Yeah, I know this is a republic, but the word “democracy” is established as shorthand for the idea that every citizen should be able to participate in his/her/xir own governance so I’m using it that way (and yeah, I know modern liberals are nothing like classical liberals. Just stop.).
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Bacteria Found in Dirt Stops Growth of SuperBugs Resistant to Antibiotics
Ancient soil historically known to have healing properties
Researchers analyzing soil from Ireland long thought to have medicinal properties have discovered that it contains a previously unknown strain of bacteria which is effective against four of the top six superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics, including MRSA.
Antibiotic-resistant superbugs could kill up to 1.3 million people in Europe by 2050, according to recent research.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes the problem as “one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today”.
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Researchers analyzing soil from Ireland long thought to have medicinal properties have discovered that it contains a previously unknown strain of bacteria which is effective against four of the top six superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics, including MRSA.
Antibiotic-resistant superbugs could kill up to 1.3 million people in Europe by 2050, according to recent research.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes the problem as “one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today”.
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Three men charged in 2017 deadly mass shooting at bogus gender reveal party
Three men have been arrested in connection to a 2017 shooting in Ohio that left one woman dead and eight people wounded at a gender reveal party for another woman who had faked her pregnancy.
A grand jury earlier this month indicted 28-year-old Roshawn Bishop, 23-year-old James Echols and 21-year-old Michael Sanon on 22 criminal counts, including murder, aggravated robbery and cruelty to animals, leading to their arrests this week.
The gunfire that erupted on July 8, 2017, at a home in Colerain Township, about 20 miles northwest of Cincinnati, killed Autum Garrett, a 22-year-old mother-of-two from Andrews, Indiana.
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A grand jury earlier this month indicted 28-year-old Roshawn Bishop, 23-year-old James Echols and 21-year-old Michael Sanon on 22 criminal counts, including murder, aggravated robbery and cruelty to animals, leading to their arrests this week.
The gunfire that erupted on July 8, 2017, at a home in Colerain Township, about 20 miles northwest of Cincinnati, killed Autum Garrett, a 22-year-old mother-of-two from Andrews, Indiana.
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Nearly Half of Student Loans “in Distress”
Student loan debt has grown to over $1.5 trillion.
And that just accounts for loans held by Federal Student Aid. It doesn’t include private loans. Meanwhile, the Department of Education says 43% of those government-backed loans are considered “in distress.”
In a speech last month, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos put the current level of student debt in perspective.
“One-point-five trillion dollars is almost impossible to fathom. So, let me put it this way: $1.5 trillion is more than $10,000 of someone else’s student loan debt for each and every American taxpayer—145 million of them.”
Most people saddled with this debt aren’t paying it off. According to DeVos, fewer than a quarter of student loan borrowers are paying down their principal. Most are simply making interest payment — if they are paying anything at all. Nearly 20% of all loans are delinquent or in default. That’s seven times the rate of delinquency on credit card debt, according to DeVos. Nearly 43% of all loans are currently considered “in distress.”
For many borrowers, their debt is actually increasing over time. CNBC provides this anecdotal case.
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And that just accounts for loans held by Federal Student Aid. It doesn’t include private loans. Meanwhile, the Department of Education says 43% of those government-backed loans are considered “in distress.”
In a speech last month, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos put the current level of student debt in perspective.
“One-point-five trillion dollars is almost impossible to fathom. So, let me put it this way: $1.5 trillion is more than $10,000 of someone else’s student loan debt for each and every American taxpayer—145 million of them.”
Most people saddled with this debt aren’t paying it off. According to DeVos, fewer than a quarter of student loan borrowers are paying down their principal. Most are simply making interest payment — if they are paying anything at all. Nearly 20% of all loans are delinquent or in default. That’s seven times the rate of delinquency on credit card debt, according to DeVos. Nearly 43% of all loans are currently considered “in distress.”
For many borrowers, their debt is actually increasing over time. CNBC provides this anecdotal case.
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How Many Of Your Local Taxes And Fees Are Rocketing Higher?
While wages have supposedly gone up 3.4% in 2018, taxes and fees are rising at much higher rates.
Here's a list of tax and fee increases hitting residents of one of the counties I call home; the list includes taxes/fees raised in 2017 and 2018:
1. Property taxes: between 6.5% and 10%, depending on the property class
2. Gasoline tax (county), from 8.8 cents to 23 cents, phased in over 3 years
3. General excise tax, up 6.3%
4. Garbage fee (commercial): up 27%
5. Sewer fees: up 44%
6. Electricity (base rate): up 7.4%
7. Annual vehicle safety inspection fee (state): up $5.81
8. County water service: up 8%
9. Accommodation fee (a.k.a. hotel tax) (state): up 10%
I may have missed a few, but you get the idea: while wages have supposedly gone up 3.4% in 2018, taxes and fees are rising at much higher rates. (Given that the Consumer Price Index underweights increases in big-ticket costs such as healthcare and college, the 3.4% gain is suspect; those households exposed to giant leaps in expenses likely lost ground).
I understand local governments are caught in a vise: wages and benefits to their employees make up the majority of their expenses, and those costs are mandated by union contracts and/or state-level agreements.
Many local governments cut services in the Great Recession rather than raise fees and taxes, and so now that the economy has "recovered," they're rushing to raise revenues to restore services or deal with the backlog of projects set aside during the lean years.
But none of that makes it easier for households and enterprises getting hit by fast-rising fees and taxes. The above list is just the tip of the iceberg: how much does a simple parking ticket cost you now? In many locales, what once cost $15 is now north of $60.
How about the cost for a copy of an official document at the County Records office? In many locales, what was once a nominal fee is no longer nominal.
We all know public pensions are often underfunded, or dependent on outsized stock market gains, which means the increases in local government taxes and fees are just getting started.
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Here's a list of tax and fee increases hitting residents of one of the counties I call home; the list includes taxes/fees raised in 2017 and 2018:
1. Property taxes: between 6.5% and 10%, depending on the property class
2. Gasoline tax (county), from 8.8 cents to 23 cents, phased in over 3 years
3. General excise tax, up 6.3%
4. Garbage fee (commercial): up 27%
5. Sewer fees: up 44%
6. Electricity (base rate): up 7.4%
7. Annual vehicle safety inspection fee (state): up $5.81
8. County water service: up 8%
9. Accommodation fee (a.k.a. hotel tax) (state): up 10%
I may have missed a few, but you get the idea: while wages have supposedly gone up 3.4% in 2018, taxes and fees are rising at much higher rates. (Given that the Consumer Price Index underweights increases in big-ticket costs such as healthcare and college, the 3.4% gain is suspect; those households exposed to giant leaps in expenses likely lost ground).
I understand local governments are caught in a vise: wages and benefits to their employees make up the majority of their expenses, and those costs are mandated by union contracts and/or state-level agreements.
Many local governments cut services in the Great Recession rather than raise fees and taxes, and so now that the economy has "recovered," they're rushing to raise revenues to restore services or deal with the backlog of projects set aside during the lean years.
But none of that makes it easier for households and enterprises getting hit by fast-rising fees and taxes. The above list is just the tip of the iceberg: how much does a simple parking ticket cost you now? In many locales, what once cost $15 is now north of $60.
How about the cost for a copy of an official document at the County Records office? In many locales, what was once a nominal fee is no longer nominal.
We all know public pensions are often underfunded, or dependent on outsized stock market gains, which means the increases in local government taxes and fees are just getting started.
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2018 Leftist Ideas Most Worthy of Mockery & Derision
It’s time once again for those year-end lists when people rate everything from sports to literature. When it comes to politics and the bizarre notions from today’s Left, there is an embarrassment of riches from which to choose. Some of these ideas have hung around from the previous year and earlier because they haven’t been mocked and derided successfully by weak and wobbly Republicans.
Since Democrats had no federal legislative power in 2018, it was a banner year for advancing liberal language and cultural concepts. Make no mistake, whenever Democrats work to change our language today, it’s only the first step in their mission to change our policies tomorrow. Now that they are set to take control of the US House of Representatives, look for them to roll out those policies one after another.
Case in point: Jack Phillips of the Masterpiece Cake Shop is being persecuted because in 1992, voters thought it was kind to include “LGBT” in the list of groups protected by civil rights legislation. Even after unelected bureaucrats on the “Colorado Civil Rights Division” (CCRD) lost their case in the Supreme Court, they still believe they should have the authority to force Phillips to create a custom cake to celebrate a gender transition or be driven out of business.
You have to give the Left credit. They never act like they’re in the minority even when they are. Don’t you wish Republicans would take a lesson from them and act like they’re in the majority when they actually are?
Liberals regularly employ humor, mockery and derision with spectacular success while Republicans generally have an aversion to such tactics. In 2019, I hope more Republicans will plant and nurture their sense of humor and start putting the Left’s anti-reality ideas back where they belong—into the dustbin of spoof and sarcasm.
So without further ado, here are my 10 favorite liberal nonsensical notions of 2018. Let the mockery begin!
10. “Gender Fluidity”
Since Democrats had no federal legislative power in 2018, it was a banner year for advancing liberal language and cultural concepts. Make no mistake, whenever Democrats work to change our language today, it’s only the first step in their mission to change our policies tomorrow. Now that they are set to take control of the US House of Representatives, look for them to roll out those policies one after another.
Case in point: Jack Phillips of the Masterpiece Cake Shop is being persecuted because in 1992, voters thought it was kind to include “LGBT” in the list of groups protected by civil rights legislation. Even after unelected bureaucrats on the “Colorado Civil Rights Division” (CCRD) lost their case in the Supreme Court, they still believe they should have the authority to force Phillips to create a custom cake to celebrate a gender transition or be driven out of business.
You have to give the Left credit. They never act like they’re in the minority even when they are. Don’t you wish Republicans would take a lesson from them and act like they’re in the majority when they actually are?
Liberals regularly employ humor, mockery and derision with spectacular success while Republicans generally have an aversion to such tactics. In 2019, I hope more Republicans will plant and nurture their sense of humor and start putting the Left’s anti-reality ideas back where they belong—into the dustbin of spoof and sarcasm.
So without further ado, here are my 10 favorite liberal nonsensical notions of 2018. Let the mockery begin!
10. “Gender Fluidity”
Judge Denies Mueller Request for Delay in Corsi Case
A federal judge in a Washington D.C. District Court Thursday denied a request filed by special counsel Robert Mueller and federal agencies seeking to delay an upcoming hearing in a lawsuit filed by author Jerome Corsi.
The government's attorneys said the government shutdown cut off funding for the Justice Department, hindering their case, but Judge Richard Leon denied the request, confirming the hearing will be held next Thursday in Washington, reports CNBC.
The government had claimed that DOJ lawyers were prohibited from working during the shutdown. But an attorney for Corsi, 72, said that was "highly doubtful." Corsi tweeted that he plans to be in court for the hearing on Jan. 3.
Corsi claims in his lawsuit that the defendants illegally searched his phone records.
He also says Mueller tried to force him to lie under oath that he had been an liaison between his friend, political operative Roger Stone, a longtime confidant of President Donald Trump, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that led toward the publication of leaked Democratic emails.
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The government's attorneys said the government shutdown cut off funding for the Justice Department, hindering their case, but Judge Richard Leon denied the request, confirming the hearing will be held next Thursday in Washington, reports CNBC.
The government had claimed that DOJ lawyers were prohibited from working during the shutdown. But an attorney for Corsi, 72, said that was "highly doubtful." Corsi tweeted that he plans to be in court for the hearing on Jan. 3.
Corsi claims in his lawsuit that the defendants illegally searched his phone records.
He also says Mueller tried to force him to lie under oath that he had been an liaison between his friend, political operative Roger Stone, a longtime confidant of President Donald Trump, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that led toward the publication of leaked Democratic emails.
More
Trump Administration Restricts Chinese Students
On December 2, 2018 Voice Of America (VOA) published a news report, US Considers New Restrictions on Chinese Students.
This is certainly welcome news. The actions of the Trump administration to restrict Chinese students studying in the United States has been long overdue given the outrageous conduct of the Chinese government in its massive spying program against the United States; which has been so pervasive that it has come to be sarcastically referred to by the American intelligence community as “Chinese Take-Out!”
Here is how the VOA article began:
The administration of American President Donald Trump is considering new restrictions on Chinese students entering the U.S.
U.S. officials say increased concerns over spying and the loss of new technologies are among the reasons.
In June, the U.S. State Department shortened the length of stay for visas given to Chinese graduate students studying in several fields. The fields include flight, robotics and some kinds of manufacturing. Visas were shortened from five years to one.
At the time, the officials said the goal was to limit the risk of spying and of the loss of intellectual property that is important to national security.
More here
This is certainly welcome news. The actions of the Trump administration to restrict Chinese students studying in the United States has been long overdue given the outrageous conduct of the Chinese government in its massive spying program against the United States; which has been so pervasive that it has come to be sarcastically referred to by the American intelligence community as “Chinese Take-Out!”
Here is how the VOA article began:
The administration of American President Donald Trump is considering new restrictions on Chinese students entering the U.S.
U.S. officials say increased concerns over spying and the loss of new technologies are among the reasons.
In June, the U.S. State Department shortened the length of stay for visas given to Chinese graduate students studying in several fields. The fields include flight, robotics and some kinds of manufacturing. Visas were shortened from five years to one.
At the time, the officials said the goal was to limit the risk of spying and of the loss of intellectual property that is important to national security.
More here
Boston Marathon Bomber Appeals Conviction, Death Sentence
Lawyers for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Thursday asked an appellate court to overturn his conviction and death penalty sentence for helping carry out the 2013 attack, which killed three people and wounded more than 260 others.
Lawyers for Tsarnaev, 25, argued in a brief filed with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston that a lower-court judge's refusal to move the case to another city not traumatized by the bombings deprived him of a fair trial.
The attorneys acknowledged that their client, then 19, carried out the attack along with his now-deceased 26-year-old brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
But they argued that wall-to-wall media coverage of the bombings meant that nearly the entire jury pool was exposed to news about the attacks, which included "heart-wrenching stories about the homicide victims, the wounded and their families."
"The pre-trial publicity was damning: the more a prospective juror had seen, the more likely she was to believe that Tsarnaev was guilty and deserved the death penalty," Tsarnaev's lawyers wrote in a 500-page brief.
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Lawyers for Tsarnaev, 25, argued in a brief filed with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston that a lower-court judge's refusal to move the case to another city not traumatized by the bombings deprived him of a fair trial.
The attorneys acknowledged that their client, then 19, carried out the attack along with his now-deceased 26-year-old brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
But they argued that wall-to-wall media coverage of the bombings meant that nearly the entire jury pool was exposed to news about the attacks, which included "heart-wrenching stories about the homicide victims, the wounded and their families."
"The pre-trial publicity was damning: the more a prospective juror had seen, the more likely she was to believe that Tsarnaev was guilty and deserved the death penalty," Tsarnaev's lawyers wrote in a 500-page brief.
More
Rudy Giuliani: Investigate Mueller for Destroying Evidence
Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for President Donald Trump, says special counsel Robert Mueller should be investigated for destruction of FBI evidence. The former New York City mayor claims in a new interview that Mueller's office allowed the erasure of text messages from now-fired FBI official Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page, who helped launch Mueller's probe of possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
NY Times pressures Credit Card Giants to Blacklist Gun Purchases
The New York Times (NYT) is pressuring credit card giants to monitor customers’ buying habits and blacklist gun purchases.
The Times suggests banks are “unwittingly financing mass shootings” by allowing individuals to use their cards to buy firearms and related accessories.
Two days before Omar Mateen killed 49 people and wounded 53 more at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, he went on Google and typed “Credit card unusual spending.” Mr. Mateen had opened six new credit card accounts — including a Mastercard, an American Express card and three Visa cards — over the previous eight months. Twelve days before the shooting, he began a $26,532 buying spree: a Sig Sauer MCX .223-caliber rifle, a Glock 17 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol, several large magazines, thousands of rounds of ammunition and a $7,500 ring for his wife that he bought on a jewelry store card. His average spending before that, on his only card, was $1,500 a month.
They pivot to the June 20, 2012, Aurora movie theater attack:
A little more than a month before James E. Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colo., in 2012, a psychiatrist was considering having him involuntarily committed. Mr. Holmes quit his job, filed for unemployment benefits and used a new Mastercard issued by USAA to help buy more than $11,000 in weapons and military gear. He bought two tear-gas grenades, a gas mask and filter, a .40-caliber Glock handgun, a 12-gauge shotgun, a .223-caliber AR-15, a 100-round drum magazine, two 40-round magazines, a laser sight, a bulletproof vest, 5,000 rounds of ammunition, two sets of handcuffs and “road stars” meant to slice through car tires.
They jump to the Las Vegas attacker, “who spent nearly $95,000 on firearms and gun-related purchases in the year before the massacre, buying some 55 guns, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s report.”
In between various examples of mass shooters, they point out systems credit card companies have in place — or could put in place — to detect firearm purchases and either refuse them altogether or flag them to see how much is being spent on guns.
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The Times suggests banks are “unwittingly financing mass shootings” by allowing individuals to use their cards to buy firearms and related accessories.
Two days before Omar Mateen killed 49 people and wounded 53 more at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, he went on Google and typed “Credit card unusual spending.” Mr. Mateen had opened six new credit card accounts — including a Mastercard, an American Express card and three Visa cards — over the previous eight months. Twelve days before the shooting, he began a $26,532 buying spree: a Sig Sauer MCX .223-caliber rifle, a Glock 17 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol, several large magazines, thousands of rounds of ammunition and a $7,500 ring for his wife that he bought on a jewelry store card. His average spending before that, on his only card, was $1,500 a month.
They pivot to the June 20, 2012, Aurora movie theater attack:
A little more than a month before James E. Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colo., in 2012, a psychiatrist was considering having him involuntarily committed. Mr. Holmes quit his job, filed for unemployment benefits and used a new Mastercard issued by USAA to help buy more than $11,000 in weapons and military gear. He bought two tear-gas grenades, a gas mask and filter, a .40-caliber Glock handgun, a 12-gauge shotgun, a .223-caliber AR-15, a 100-round drum magazine, two 40-round magazines, a laser sight, a bulletproof vest, 5,000 rounds of ammunition, two sets of handcuffs and “road stars” meant to slice through car tires.
They jump to the Las Vegas attacker, “who spent nearly $95,000 on firearms and gun-related purchases in the year before the massacre, buying some 55 guns, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s report.”
In between various examples of mass shooters, they point out systems credit card companies have in place — or could put in place — to detect firearm purchases and either refuse them altogether or flag them to see how much is being spent on guns.
More
Chicago Women's March canceled amid anti-Semitism accusations
CHICAGO — Organizers have canceled next month’s Women’s March in Chicago citing logistical issues, as accusations of anti-Semitism dog the national movement.
Local organizers blamed high costs and not enough volunteers as key reasons for abandoning the rally that would have taken place Jan. 19, when similar marches are scheduled to take place in cities around the world, including Washington, D.C. An estimated 250,000 people participated in the initial Chicago march in January 2017. The heavier than expected turnout led organizers to reroute the march due to security concerns.
But infighting across the national Women’s March movement arose after Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan praised Women’s March Inc. co-president Tamika Mallory and declared Jews his enemy during an address in February. The movement has since splintered, with chapter members criticizing the Women’s March leadership’s response to Farrakhan’s anti-Semitic rhetoric as being insufficient.
The Nation of Islam has been labeled an anti-Semitic hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Mallory later denounced the anti-Semitic statements. But Women’s March chapters have continued to put pressure on movement leaders to step down, with one chapter disbanding over the issue.
The Chicago chapter responded to the controversy in March through a statement condemning “bigotry in all its forms.”
More
Local organizers blamed high costs and not enough volunteers as key reasons for abandoning the rally that would have taken place Jan. 19, when similar marches are scheduled to take place in cities around the world, including Washington, D.C. An estimated 250,000 people participated in the initial Chicago march in January 2017. The heavier than expected turnout led organizers to reroute the march due to security concerns.
But infighting across the national Women’s March movement arose after Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan praised Women’s March Inc. co-president Tamika Mallory and declared Jews his enemy during an address in February. The movement has since splintered, with chapter members criticizing the Women’s March leadership’s response to Farrakhan’s anti-Semitic rhetoric as being insufficient.
The Nation of Islam has been labeled an anti-Semitic hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Mallory later denounced the anti-Semitic statements. But Women’s March chapters have continued to put pressure on movement leaders to step down, with one chapter disbanding over the issue.
The Chicago chapter responded to the controversy in March through a statement condemning “bigotry in all its forms.”
More
Amazon's Fleet of Jets Growing as Delivery Independence Looms
Amazon is expanding its airplane fleet, diminishing further its reliance on major delivery services like UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service.
The company recently said it will lease 10 Boeing 767s planes, bringing its total fleet to 50 with the goal of getting orders to people faster and more reliably.
Amazon's fleet of planes is far smaller than those at UPS and FedEx, which number in the hundreds, but it's pushed in recent years to close that gap and gain more control over deliveries.
Amazon (AMZN) launched a program over the summer that allows contractors around the country to deliver Amazon packages in vans stamped with the Amazon smile logo. It also plans to open a package sorting hub at Fort Worth Alliance Airport in Texas next year and another at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 2021.
FedEx CEO Frederick Smith said this week that he didn't see Amazon Air as a competitor and that it was "fantastical" to think it could disrupt FedEx.
A number of industry watchers see a more significant threat.
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The company recently said it will lease 10 Boeing 767s planes, bringing its total fleet to 50 with the goal of getting orders to people faster and more reliably.
Amazon's fleet of planes is far smaller than those at UPS and FedEx, which number in the hundreds, but it's pushed in recent years to close that gap and gain more control over deliveries.
Amazon (AMZN) launched a program over the summer that allows contractors around the country to deliver Amazon packages in vans stamped with the Amazon smile logo. It also plans to open a package sorting hub at Fort Worth Alliance Airport in Texas next year and another at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 2021.
FedEx CEO Frederick Smith said this week that he didn't see Amazon Air as a competitor and that it was "fantastical" to think it could disrupt FedEx.
A number of industry watchers see a more significant threat.
More
Tom Homan: 'Shame on the Parents' Who Send Unaccompanied Minors to US
It is a "sad fact" that children die entering the United States every year, former acting ICE Director Tom Homan said Wednesday, and that's why he pushes for Congress to close loopholes that entice people to come to the United States under false pretenses.
Further, Homan, now a Fox News contributor, told "Outnumbered Overtime" that parents who send their unaccompanied children into the United States should be shamed.
"They do not qualify for asylum, so let's push in the measure so that they stop paying criminal organizations to smuggle them," Homan, said, while commenting on the news that an 8-year-old Guatemalan boy had died on Christmas Day while in custody after coming into the United States.
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Further, Homan, now a Fox News contributor, told "Outnumbered Overtime" that parents who send their unaccompanied children into the United States should be shamed.
"They do not qualify for asylum, so let's push in the measure so that they stop paying criminal organizations to smuggle them," Homan, said, while commenting on the news that an 8-year-old Guatemalan boy had died on Christmas Day while in custody after coming into the United States.
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Utah First In The Nation To Lower Its DUI Limit To .05 Percent
In 1983, Utah was the first state to lower its blood alcohol limit from 0.10 to 0.08 for impaired driving. It would take nearly two decades for every state to follow suit, but as they did, the nation's rate of alcohol-related traffic deaths dropped 10 percent. Now, Utah is pioneering the move to lower it once again.
Beginning Dec. 30 — yes, the day before New Year's Eve — Utahns will have to be extra careful about drinking and driving. On Sunday, the state's blood alcohol content limit will drop from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent, marking the strictest DUI law in the country.
To give you an idea of the difference in consumption, for a man weighing 180 pounds, it takes about four drinks to reach a BAC of 0.08 percent, according to the American Beverage Institute. But to reach .05, it's about half as many drinks and can be even fewer for women.
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Beginning Dec. 30 — yes, the day before New Year's Eve — Utahns will have to be extra careful about drinking and driving. On Sunday, the state's blood alcohol content limit will drop from 0.08 percent to 0.05 percent, marking the strictest DUI law in the country.
To give you an idea of the difference in consumption, for a man weighing 180 pounds, it takes about four drinks to reach a BAC of 0.08 percent, according to the American Beverage Institute. But to reach .05, it's about half as many drinks and can be even fewer for women.
More
Political Madness
MY SON WAS FLUNKING OUT OF COLLEGE SO I TOLD HIM, "YOU WILL MARRY THE GIRL I CHOOSE."
HE SAID, "NO."
I TOLD HIM, "SHE IS BILL GATES' DAUGHTER."
HE SAID, "YES."
I CALLED BILL GATES AND SAID, "I WANT YOUR DAUGHTER TO MARRY MY SON."
BILL GATES SAID, "NO."
I TOLD BILL GATES, "MY SON IS THE CEO OF THE WORLD BANK."
BILL GATES SAID, "OK."
I CALLED THE PRESIDENT OF WORLD BANK AND ASKED HIM TO MAKE MY SON THE CEO.
HE SAID, "NO."
I TOLD HIM, "MY SON IS BILL GATES' SON-IN-LAW."
HE SAID, "OK."
AND THAT'S EXACTLY HOW POLITICS WORKS HERE IN AMERICA.
And thus, began the practice of hiring morons to work in influential positions of government.
The practice is unbroken to this date.
HE SAID, "NO."
I TOLD HIM, "SHE IS BILL GATES' DAUGHTER."
HE SAID, "YES."
I CALLED BILL GATES AND SAID, "I WANT YOUR DAUGHTER TO MARRY MY SON."
BILL GATES SAID, "NO."
I TOLD BILL GATES, "MY SON IS THE CEO OF THE WORLD BANK."
BILL GATES SAID, "OK."
I CALLED THE PRESIDENT OF WORLD BANK AND ASKED HIM TO MAKE MY SON THE CEO.
HE SAID, "NO."
I TOLD HIM, "MY SON IS BILL GATES' SON-IN-LAW."
HE SAID, "OK."
AND THAT'S EXACTLY HOW POLITICS WORKS HERE IN AMERICA.
And thus, began the practice of hiring morons to work in influential positions of government.
The practice is unbroken to this date.
Paul Craig Roberts Exposes The Myth Of Western Democracy
How does the West get away with its pretense of being an alliance of great democracies in which government is the servant of the people?
Nowhere in the West, except possibly Hungary and Austria, does government serve the people.
Who do the Western governments serve? Washington serves Israel, the military/security complex, Wall Street, the big banks, and the fossil fuel corporations.
The entirety of the rest of the West serves Washington.
Nowhere in the West do the people count. The American working class, betrayed by the Democrats who sent their jobs to Asia, elected Donald Trump and the American people were promptly dismissed by the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton as “the Trump deplorables.”
The Democrats, like the Republicans, serve power, not the people.
In Europe we see the squashing of democracy everywhere.
British prime minister May has turned Brexit into subservience to the EU. She has betrayed the British people and has not yet been hung off of a lamp post, which shows how acceptance the British people are of betrayal. The British people have learned that they do not count. They are as a nothing.
The Greeks voted for a leftwing government that promised to protect them from the EU, IMF, and big banks, but promptly sold them out with austerity agreements that destroyed what remained of Greek sovereignty and Greek living standards. Today the EU has reduced Greece to a Third World country.
The French have been in the streets in revolt for weeks against the French president who serves everyone except the French people.
There are currently massive protests in Brussels, Belgium, with half the government also resigning in protest against the government signing a pact that will replace the Belgian people with migrants from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The corrupt and despicable governments who signed this pact represent foreigners and George Soros’ money, not their own citizens.
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Nowhere in the West, except possibly Hungary and Austria, does government serve the people.
Who do the Western governments serve? Washington serves Israel, the military/security complex, Wall Street, the big banks, and the fossil fuel corporations.
The entirety of the rest of the West serves Washington.
Nowhere in the West do the people count. The American working class, betrayed by the Democrats who sent their jobs to Asia, elected Donald Trump and the American people were promptly dismissed by the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton as “the Trump deplorables.”
The Democrats, like the Republicans, serve power, not the people.
In Europe we see the squashing of democracy everywhere.
British prime minister May has turned Brexit into subservience to the EU. She has betrayed the British people and has not yet been hung off of a lamp post, which shows how acceptance the British people are of betrayal. The British people have learned that they do not count. They are as a nothing.
The Greeks voted for a leftwing government that promised to protect them from the EU, IMF, and big banks, but promptly sold them out with austerity agreements that destroyed what remained of Greek sovereignty and Greek living standards. Today the EU has reduced Greece to a Third World country.
The French have been in the streets in revolt for weeks against the French president who serves everyone except the French people.
There are currently massive protests in Brussels, Belgium, with half the government also resigning in protest against the government signing a pact that will replace the Belgian people with migrants from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The corrupt and despicable governments who signed this pact represent foreigners and George Soros’ money, not their own citizens.
More