“The FBI division overseeing the investigation of former President Trump’s handling of classified material at his Mar-a-Lago residence is also a focus of Special Counsel John Durham’s investigation of the bureau’s alleged abuses of power and political bias during its years-long Russiagate probe.
Although the former head of Crossfire Hurricane, Peter Strzok, was fired after the disclosure of his vitriolic anti-Trump tweets, several members of his team remain working in the counterintelligence unit, even though they are under active investigation by both Durham and the bureau’s disciplinary arm, the Office of Professional Responsibility.
In addition, a key member of the Crossfire team—Supervisory Intelligence Analyst Brian Auten—has continued to be involved in politically sensitive investigations, including the ongoing federal probe of potentially incriminating content found on the abandoned laptop of President Biden’s son Hunter Biden. FBI whistleblowers have alleged that Auten tried to falsely discredit derogatory evidence against Hunter Biden during the 2020 campaign by labeling it Russian “disinformation,” an assessment that caused investigative activity to cease.
Auten has been allowed to work on sensitive cases even though he has been under internal investigation since 2019, when Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz referred him for disciplinary review for his role in vetting a Hillary Clinton campaign-funded dossier used by the FBI to obtain a series of wiretap warrants to spy on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Horowitz singled out Auten for cutting a number of corners in the verification process and even allowing information he knew to be incorrect slip into warrant affidavits and mislead the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court.
In congressional testimony this month, Wray confirmed that “a number of” former Crossfire Hurricane team members are still employed at the bureau while undergoing disciplinary review.”
More connections between FBI officials who played key roles in advancing the Russiagate hoax and bureau agents involved in the Mar-a-Lago raid follow in the article.
“Former FBI counterintelligence official and lawyer Mark Wauck said he is troubled by signs that the same cast of characters from the Russiagate scandal appears to be involved in the Mar-a-Lago investigation.
“If these people, who were part of a major hoax that involved criminal activity and displays of bias and seriously flawed judgment, are still involved, then that’s a major scandal.””
“In 1965, columnist and commentator Paul Harvey wrote an interesting piece titled, “If I were the Devil.” This was basically a commentary on what Harvey would do if he were Satan and wanted to destroy America.
Nearly 60 years later, most of what Harvey predicted has come to pass. While America has not been completely destroyed, our nation is clearly in decline. In 2022, here’s what I would do if I wanted to finish the job.
I’d Devalue the Currency
The United States is approximately 30 trillion dollars in debt. But I wouldn’t stop there. I know the dollar isn’t going to be the world’s dominant reserve currency much longer, so I’d continue to sedate the drooling, self-pleasuring masses with cradle-to-grave entitlements and stimulus checks for as long as possible. In order to implement the Great Reset and usher in the new globalist system, it will be necessary to print the dollar into oblivion and replace it with a digital currency.
I’d Develop Hyper-Inflation
The obvious result of extensive money-printing and endless free government programs is inflation. Everything from food and fuel to housing and cars will quickly become unattainable for the average family. But this isn’t enough. I’d continue devaluing the currency until hyperinflation set in. Along with more empty shelves, it won’t be long until we start seeing food rationing, social unrest, and possibly even food riots in the hardest hit areas.
I’d Diminish Energy Independence
After food security, energy is what’s necessary to keep a society running efficiently. To destroy America’s energy independence, I’d cancel the Keystone XL pipeline, impose extreme environmental rules on gas emissions, and pause natural gas and oil leases on all federal land. I’d insist that everyone get his energy from windmills, solar panels, and electric cars that only the wealthy can afford. I’d make sure rolling brownouts and blackouts increasingly occur until America becomes a third-world nation.
I’d Defund the Police
I would attack, demoralize, and ultimately drain money and resources from police departments across the country. During this time, I would make sure the elites of society from politicians to celebrities were well protected with police escorts and armed bodyguards. I would then sit back and watch the carnage unfold. That’s when I’d implement my real agenda: a nationalized police force similar to what’s found in Communist China and Cuba.
I’d Disarm the Citizens
I’d make sure the citizens are at the mercy of the government and the nationalized police force by passing extensive legislation to limit Second Amendment rights. But I don’t want to take away just assault rifles or semi-automatics. I want to take away everything. If I wanted to destroy the country, I would agree with the article published in the Nation on August 17, 2019, in which the writer stated:
That leads to only one logical conclusion. Repeal the Second Amendment and start over from presumption that you do not need a gun unless you are going off to war or going off to train for war.
I’d Demolish the Voting System
If I were trying to destroy America, I would insist it were racist and bigoted to require any type of identification to vote. Never mind that photo identification is required for everything from drinking a beer to driving a car. I would argue that voting ID discriminates against minorities and poor individuals. Of course, extensive identification is required to apply for Medicaid and almost any type of government assistance. But I wouldn’t let pesky facts like that dissuade me. Without required identification, the voting process would eventually become chaotic and untrustworthy, and ultimately undermine our entire democratic process.
I’d Destroy the Education System
I would give teachers’ unions unprecedented power. I would allow basic academics to be superseded by woke theology and social justice mandates. I would also eliminate school choice and make it as difficult as possible for parents to educate their children outside the government-run school system. This would produce a nation of surly Bolsheviks who are unable to do simple math, write a coherent paragraph, or read at grade level. But they will be able to protest and burn down entire swaths of once great cities.”
“Founded in 2006, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue is a London-based nonprofit with a stated purpose of “safeguarding human rights and reversing the rising tide of polarisation [sic], extremism, and disinformation worldwide.” The group previously worked with the Obama administration, combating “violent extremism,” and their website lists critical topics most vulnerable to fake news and hate speech, which include:
Electoral, climate, and public health disinformation
Conspiracy networks
Far-right extremism
LGBTQ
Islamophobia
A recent blog posted to the ISD website discussed a “hate-riddled public health disinformation campaign” where social media users identified monkeypox as almost exclusively (if not entirely) spread by homosexual male relations and questioned how children were getting the disease. The author said this truth was used to spread “dangerous rhetoric against the queer community,” despite the legitimacy of the concerns: less than two weeks ago, Georgia law enforcement arrested a gay couple who stand accused of using their adopted sons in the creation of child pornography, so it’s not as though adults abusing children is a right-wing boogeyman story.
So which Republicans help fund this nightmarish leftist enterprise? If you guessed Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, or Mitt Romney, you’re correct. However, a few more are flying under the radar, and they are Tom Cotton, Joni Ernst, Dan Sullivan, and Kay Granger.
Those seven members of Congress sit on the board of the International Republican Institute, which is listed as a donor to ISD. Additionally, ISD lists partnerships with the McCain Institute — John McCain was a chairman for 25 years — as well as a tentacle of the United Nations. On top of receiving funding from the IRI and those seven prominent Republicans, other benefactors to the ISD include George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
And just last month, ISD hired Jared Holt, a notorious leftwing media operative. Jack Hadfield at Valiant News said:
Holt, who spent much of his career reporting on those on the American right, and encouraging companies to deplatform those who he and his colleagues deem unacceptable for society, such as Infowars and Alex Jones.
Holt was also involved in downplaying violence from far-left abortion protesters and Black Lives Matter rioters, arguing that conservatives were fear-mongering despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary.
So why are Republican elites facilitating the growth and success of an authoritarian, globalist bureaucracy? What common bond do these politicians share with men like Soros, or Gates, or Holt?”
“After announcing executive action to unilaterally and retroactively wipe away $300 billion in federal student debt, President Biden looked over his shoulder to answer a question: Was this debt forgiveness fair to those who had sacrificed and saved to pay their way through college? Biden deflected.
“Is it fair to people who, in fact, do not own multibillion dollar businesses,” he replied. “Some of these guys want to give them all tax breaks,” he said, seemingly referring to unrelated Republican tax proposals. “Is that fair?” he asked the reporter. “What do you think?”
Then, the president left. The fundamental question of fairness, however, remains as millions of Americans now search the Department of Education’s website for guidance to see if they qualify for loan forgiveness. Or if they would have qualified had they not repaid their loans earlier.
According to the plan, the White House will cancel $10,000 in federal student debt loans for any individual making less than $125,000 a year and $20,000 for those with Pell grants. Republicans quickly complained that the debt amnesty was “a slap in the face to working Americans.” For many working in Washington, D.C., however, it was a sigh of relief.
Student debt forgiveness is personal for the Biden administration. About one in five of the White House aides required to file a financial disclosure, as Bloomberg News previously noted, reported owing student debt. Collectively, those 30 senior White House staffers owe as much as $4.7 million. Those personal finances are not unusual in the nation’s capital.
There is more outstanding student debt in Washington than in any other city in the country. The average debtor in D.C., according to a 2021 breakdown by the small business analyst, AdvisorSmith, owes $54,982 in unpaid student loans. This includes many political staffers at the Department of Education, senior advisors as well as junior aides who moved to that agency from the Biden campaign.
Analysis of financial disclosures by the conservative-leaning American Accountability Foundation found that the political staff at the agency that oversees the student loan program stand to benefit. The outstanding student loan debt balance among 41 education staffers evaluated could amount to between $2.8 and $6.5 million. According to the AAF estimate obtained by RealClearPolitics, the president may have wiped away as much as $512,646 of their debt.
More than 45 million Americans owe $1.6 trillion in federal student debt, a balance that the New York Times reports dwarfs what they owe in car loans, credit cards, and other consumer debt. The White House insists that the administration’s plan will target low- to middle-income borrowers in particular, with 90% of relief going to earners who make less than $75,000 a year. As many as 43 million people can benefit, according to an administration infographic, and 20 million people “can have their loans fully cancelled.”
It is precisely the kind of relief, Biden said, that the country needs post-pandemic. “All of this means people can start finally to climb out from under that mountain of debt,” the president said. “To finally think about buying a home or starting a family or starting a business. And by the way, when this happens the whole economy is better off.”
Mitch McConnell called it “student loan socialism.” The Republican Senate minority leader accused the president of delivering “a slap in the face to every family who sacrificed to save for college, every graduate who paid their debt, and every American who chose a certain career path or volunteered to serve in our Armed Forces in order to avoid taking on debt. This policy is astonishingly unfair.”
Tom Jones echoed that criticism. The founder of AAF pointed to the “windfall” that political employees at the Education Department were set to receive, calling it “shameful” evidence of “the gap between the people and the ruling class in Washington, D.C.” Press spokesmen for the department did not respond to RCP requests for comment.
Susan Rice dismissed gripes about fairness as “inaccurate” and part of a “double standard.” The director of the White House domestic policy council, previously a visiting fellow at Harvard, an institution with an untaxed $53 billion endowment, told reporters that “Republicans didn’t complain when certain small businesses during the pandemic got extraordinary financial relief without having to pay back those loans.” The forgiven federal loans in question, from student loans and from the pandemic, were part of the same principle.”
“Americans are already far too familiar with spiraling energy costs and rolling blackouts in areas where the energy grid is being pushed to the brink. Now the people of Great Britain are bracing for their own negative and potentially deadly experiences of a similar nature. Because of the socialist bent of their government, energy companies must adhere to government caps on the price of utilities, but those caps are about to be raised significantly. And the coming increase won’t be the last one, either, since another increase is scheduled to follow on the heels of this one in January. So how much will people’s utility bills be rising? By February (just when everyone is using more energy for heating) they will more than double. (Associated Press)
A deepening cost-of-living crisis in Britain is about to get worse, with millions of people expected to pay about 80% more a year on their household energy bills starting in October.
The U.K. energy regulator on Friday is set to announce the latest price cap, which is the maximum amount that gas suppliers can charge customers per unit of energy. It could mean people pay up to 3,600 pounds ($4,240) a year for heating and electricity, according to analysts’ forecasts.
Scores are already struggling to make ends meet as inflation soared to 10.1% last month — the highest in 40 years — and the rapidly spiraling costs of energy and food are certain to hit the poorest the hardest.
Translated into American currency, British residents are currently paying on average $2,320 per year. That’s a 54% increase since January of 2022. After the new cap kicks in, the rate will go up to $4,247 in October. By February the price will reach $4,718 annually.
These are not insignificant increases. They represent a huge change in the average household’s budget. And they’re coming at a time when the inflation rate in the UK is already over 10% with current forecasts showing it will likely exceed 18% next summer. The cost of food, along with everything else, is exploding exponentially faster than any perceived increase in wages.
Citizens are already protesting and calling for the price caps to remain where they are. But when the cost of producing energy rises to the point where it is no longer profitable to sell that energy at the capped price, the producers will shut down. They really don’t have a choice in the matter.”
“In the social hierarchy of prison inmates, mob bosses, bank robbers, and cop killers tend to get respect. But “short eyes,” those convicts who have committed crimes against children, especially sexual abuse, are hated, harassed, and abused. In schools, however, this group of detestable perverts rates a “meh.”
The numbers are stunning. A report prepared for the U.S. Department of Education in 2004 revealed that nearly 9.6 percent of students are victims of sexual abuse by school personnel, and these are just the reported cases.
Stop Educator Sexual Abuse Misconduct & Exploitation (SESAME), a nonprofit that works to stop childhood sexual abuse by teachers and other school employees, disclosed that in 2015, about 3.5 million 8th-11th grade students, or nearly 7 percent of those surveyed divulged that they had experienced “physical sexual contact from an adult” (most often a teacher or coach). The type of physical contact ranged from “unwanted touching of their body, all the way up to sexual intercourse.” Even worse, the statistic increases to about 4.5 million children (10 percent) when other types of sexual misconduct are taken into consideration, such as being shown pornography or being subjected to sexually explicit language or exhibitionism. SESAME also explains that one child sex offender can have as many as 73 victims in a lifetime.
One might assume that these disgusting perverts would be rounded up, fired, and incarcerated, but all too often, that doesn’t happen. Most recently, Eric Burgess, a high school English teacher in Rosemead, California was found to have repeatedly groomed students for sex, and had sexual relationships with female students over a 20-year period. Infuriatingly, he was allowed to resign without admitting to any wrongdoing and continued to receive his salary for another six months. The settlement agreement bars Burgess from working in the school district, but he can be employed elsewhere, and district officials agreed to provide a “content neutral” reference if he applies for a teaching job in another district.
On a personal level, I taught middle school with “Roy” in the 1990s. One day, this 8th-grade English teacher allegedly touched a female student inappropriately. There were witnesses, but the student involved would not press charges so he was sent off to the district office for a while—the so-called “rubber room” or “teacher jail.” Since firing him was not a viable option, the powers-that-be then decided to transfer him to another school, where he was accused of fondling another student. So he was sent back to the district office, where he whittled away his paid time ogling porn. Busted, he was transferred to yet another school, where he got caught sharing his smut with some of his female students. He was then returned to the district office, where the last I heard, he was waiting for his next assignment, courtesy of his union lawyer.
Perhaps the poster boy for perversity is Mark Berndt. This Los Angeles Unified School District teacher was arrested in 2012 for feeding semen-laced cookies to his second graders. Perhaps not as well-known is that his obscene antics began in 1983, when he was accused of (and admitted to) dropping his pants during a class trip, which he blamed on the fact that he wore “baggy shorts.” In the 1990s many students came forward and said that Berndt would masturbate in class. Then in 2010, investigators from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department came into possession of some of Berndt’s photos, which showed children gagged and bound, “sometimes with live cockroaches on their faces or about to eat a cookie covered in a clear white liquid.” The school district couldn’t get rid of him without going through a lengthy appeals process costing over $300,000. When his crimes were fully exposed, Berndt gamed the system by accepting a $40,000 bribe and retiring—but only after racking up another year of credit toward his pension, before finally starting a lengthy prison sentence. The various lawsuits against the Los Angeles Unified School District over Berndt alone cost the district some $200 million. When added to four other sexual abuse cases in L.A., the cost to the district topped $300 million.
A big part of the problem in Los Angeles and elsewhere lies with the teacher union-mandated labyrinthine collective bargaining agreements that must be followed before a dismissal is finalized. The expensive process is so laborious that many administrators don’t even bother trying to navigate it. Additionally, because about 95 percent of educator sexual misconduct cases are handled internally and not turned over to law enforcement, it is very easy for a teacher to go to a new school district or state without any legal baggage.
State laws—or the lack thereof—are another big part of the problem. In 2016, USA Today journalists gathered piles of information and determined that America’s system for checking teachers’ backgrounds is a loosely-connected patchwork of state laws and procedures, inconsistent practices by school districts and state officials, and wide variations in who’s accountable for what and how accountable they are. They ranked the states, and while 15 got an A or a B, 22 states received a D or F. In fact, Rhode Island has had no law which prohibited teachers and other school employees from having sex with their students until June, when it passed Senate Bill 2219. The legislation outlaws any act of “sexual penetration or contact perpetrated by an individual with a position of authority upon a person over the age of 14 and under the age of 18.” (Those under 14 years old were already protected.)”
——-
But don’t you dare call them groomers, because Twitter and Facebook will ban you for stating the truth.
“Not all liberal writers sip the Kool-Aid, and Matt Taibbi is one of them. The former contributing editor for Rolling Stone ditched the publication to write exclusively on Substack for obvious reasons; many of his pieces wouldn’t pass the quasi-politburo system established at most liberal publications. The only rule is don’t make the Democrats look bad. Glenn Greenwald, the co-founder of The Intercept, a hub from which government whistleblowers can feel safe coming forward with information, was booted from his site after a lengthy piece questioned the disreputable business dealings hashed out by the Biden family. With no left-wing corporate overlords, these guys can write articles that shred their side’s logical fallacies while ripping their usual conservative targets. It’s always good to read from a good core of liberal writers. Taibbi is one of the few original skeptics of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, which probably earned him quite a bit of hate mail. Still, he’s laser-focused on the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago, an unprecedented event where federal agents ransacked the home of a former president.
What piqued Taibbi’s curiosity is not the latest developments which don’t provide much of a punch regarding potential felonious activity regarding the alleged mishandling of classified documents which provided the basis of the federal raid. It was the lack of coverage afterward. The CNN crowd relished the raid as the final nail in the coffin—this was when the walls caved in on Trump. Like most Americans who aren’t mentally ill, the Department of Justice leak alleging that Trump had nuclear secrets on-site exposed the legal fallout that was to come because nothing has corroborated that explosive yet facially untrue claim. There’s been a deafening silence regarding anything that resembles a smoking gun. The affidavit that provided probable cause for the ransacking will be redacted to death, so we’re just going to be left hanging here again.
Is this another Trump story that will fizzle out? Taibbi listed the endless stream of purported scandals that would destroy the Trump presidency. They did nothing except chip away at the media’s already abysmal credibility with the public. What is notable about the FBI raid is that it was a massive show of force from the federal government, historical, and the stealthy but noticeable backtracking specifically on anything incriminating.
Even Trump’s harshest skeptics in the media were warning the Justice Department that the clock is ticking on finding anything that is bombshell-worthy lest they want this Mar-a-Lago treasure hunt to look like political persecution of the Democrats’ chief opponent. I think the deadline has passed on that one, and tens of millions of Americans knew what message was being sent with federal agents busting down the door: don’t run, Don.
We’ve been through all of this, but Taibbi noted that the past Trump scandal narratives were lengthy and flawed but contained a rudimentary formula that flowed when it comes to telling a story, even a fake one. The FBI raid was a political atomic bomb, but there is no conclusion. It’s the equivalent of ‘pay no attention to the man behind the curtain’ type of fallout—just ignore what happened on August 8 because there was a misfire. The author does lay out the perfect analogy; the raid was an accidental missile launch (via Substack):
Excuse me for giving a damn, but what happened to the Trump raid story?
Two weeks ago, the FBI raid on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home was the biggest story on earth and seemingly one of the most consequential American news events since 9/11. The search inspired a few hours of social media jubilation, followed by roughly a week of frenzied leaking as a parade of national security soothsayers unspooled sinister scenarios on TV, and then — nothing. The line went dead. By last week’s end, the cancellation of Brian Stelter on CNN was a top national headline in comparison.
With a caveat that the relative quiet could be upended by a court decision Thursday, could we pause to reflect on the oddness of this episode? Has a story this big ever receded to the back pages this quickly?
Once the FBI finished searching, everyone from Andrew Cuomo to the New Yorker to Mother Jones to George Will at the Washington Post pointed out the obvious, that the Justice Department needed to quickly produce an explanation, if not an indictment, to avoid the disaster of allowing the perception of a politicized raid to fester.
[…]
In sum: Joe Biden didn’t know the raid was coming, Merrick Garland blamed Trump for the raid becoming public at all and took three days to take responsibility for ordering it, and Trump’s crime has moved from mishandling “nuclear documents” to keeping “Sensitive Compartmented Information,” whose possession by Trump poses “exceptionally grave” risk to the United States.
Something about all this stinks. On one hand, we’re in the same place we’ve been a hundred times in the Trump era, waiting for the big reveal. We were here before Michael Cohen’s testimony, before the Mueller report, before the Ukraine whistleblower letter, the Barr memo, and countless other expected bombshells.
On the other hand, the evidentiary hype train has been turned off early this time. The deadline for more news out of Reinhart’s court about what’s inside the affidavit is this Thursday, when Garland is supposed to submit his proposed redactions, yet the story is getting more coverage on Fox (Gutfield! incredibly surged to the top of late-night comedy ratings after the raid) than in mainstream press, which appears to be tiptoeing back from the case much as administration officials did in the first week.
[…]
Unless Garland and the Biden administration give a clear idea of what exactly precipitated the Trump raid — whether it involved Trump funneling the names of spies to Putin, leaving launch codes out on a pizza box, whatever — Trump is going to continue to hammer this issue. Unless the man is literally in manacles before November 2024, this mess will remain an open wound for Democrats. Even if the raid wasn’t politically motivated, it will for sure continue to look politically motivated, if the Justice Department doesn’t come up with a better explanation than the six or seven leaked so far. Yet everyone is acting like that question has been answered.
“Are we really being softened up for the DOJ ending this story without ever explaining what it had at the time of the raid? That would be bananas,” he wrote. Indeed, there don’t appear to be any actual law violations with the classified materials angle that the media and the Justice Department inflated. The president can declassify whatever he wants, and the classification regulations do not apply to the office of the presidency. Mike Davis, a former law clerk to Neil Gorsuch, noted that the Presidential Records Act isn’t a criminal statute. And even if Trump had classified materials, they were secure, as all former presidents have staff to handle these items, and taking them was the declassifying act. “
DJ – French is correct; PPP loans and student loans are different. However, forgiving these loans are very similar. In fact gov’ts were far quicker and more willing to forgive business loans than student loans. It seems both Trump and Biden favored business over people. The stated justification for the forgiveness is also the same.
The idea that student loan forgiveness is a slap in the face to those who paid before is ridiculous. We don’t say the same thing about the PPP loan forgiveness – was that a slap in the face to people/corporations who paid gov’t loans in the past? Student loan forgiveness is good for the economy – you have a well educated workforce no longer burdened and limited by debt.
The gov’t pays for Medicare and Medicaid – is that a slap in the face to those who pay their own health care? My cousins were born in the 50s and my aunt and uncle had to pay the hospital bill; 10 years later my brother and I were born and my parents didn’t have to pay; universal health care. My uncle wasn’t offended. In societal interests, the gov’t of the day makes decisions – just because some benefit and others don’t is not a slap in the face. I would think it’s more a slap in the face to taxpayers that Amazon didn’t pay taxes last year.
Tychicus, the FBI DC office is in charge of federal crimes occurring in Washington so it’s no surprise we see some of the same people. Bureaucratic inertia and careerism will mean they will be there for quite a long time. And given the FBI considered the Russian investigation legitimate means the only discipline you will see will be for procedural errors that occurred. Errors police frequently make but in politically sensitive cases, they should have been more careful. Hopefully, they were far more careful this time to avoid accusations of errors and procedural mistakes. This isn’t corruption just typical bureacracy and careerism.
1. For some inexplicable reason, the American dollar is rising in value. Despite Chinese-Russian attempts to create an alternative, the US dollar is preferred. All currencies are digital now it’s a matter of credibility. I have cospiracy type friends who think the American dollar is strong because countries fear retribution if they work with a Russian-Chinese currency — the US military-economic might keeps the dollar up in their opinion. I’m not sure but high oil prices usually benefit the currencies of oil producers which the US is one.
2. Hyper-inflation is near impossible in OECD countries; there are far too many safety mechanisms in place. Massive dollar printing did occur post 2008 yet did little to spark inflation — most these newly printed dollars were merely digits on a screen that are used to secure the monetary system but are never actually in use thus not affecting prices. Even the current inflation is slowing down as energy prices slowly decline. As the West readjusts their supply chains and energy use, inflation will decline.
3. The US is energy independent. It produces enough oil for its population. Rolling brown outs in Texas is an infrastructure problem compounded by Texas’s refusal to integrate with other states. California’s power grid is under stress but broadening the type of energy production should alleviate the problems. As solar and wind infrastructure becomes cheaper, the US should be even better.
4.US police forces receive more public money than other OECD countries. They could stand with a little budget cutting. The last few decades have seen the grandual militarization of police — right wingers/liberatarians should support these calls for defunding police. Weirdly the writer thinks the idea is defund city and state police so the US will have a national police but they already do; the FBI. Of course he wants to defund that. Be consistent defund all levels or no levels.
5. I’ll never understand this weird logic that private ownership of guns somehow safeguards democracy. Looking at the data, there is no correlation between gun ownership and democracy. Gun ownership is high in areas with large rural areas and a hunting tradition. Even in the Soviet Union, gun ownership was common in rural areas but that never led to an overthrow of an oppressive regime.
6. The American voting system is insanely complex and not functioning well in 1965 or prior to that. Poll taxes, literacy tests, jim crow, tammany hall, and the list goes on. I’d think the current electoral system is more secure and accurate than in 1965. The dead don’t vote nearly as much and blacks have an easier time accessing the ballot box now than in 1965.
7. The elementary and secondary education system in the US was never the best (but the post secondary state school system is the world’s best) . Its quality varies by region. Current attempts to demonize teachers and micro-manage classrooms will only make it worse. Desantis is doing more to wreck Florida education than any letists. Interestingly in direct contradiction to the author, the best education system in the West (Finland) does not allow for private tuition schools. The rich and poor share classrooms and that means the rich have a vested interest in quality.
The UK and most of Europe are bracing for increased fuel costs, but this won’t cross the Atlantic. Over reliance on Russia fossil fuels has made the sanctions levied by Europe hurt them as much as it hurt Russia. However, once new sources are found, the Russians will have a long term problem. In the meantime Europe has a short term problem.
On the other hand, many older homes in the UK and elsewhere don’t have central heating or AC and increased fuel costs won’t hurt them just those living in nicer suburbs. My daughter has made the simple decision to move south (Portugal) for the winter.
I’d love to read the actual Tabbi article (he’s an extremely good investigative journalist) but it’s hidden behind a subtack barrier. I don’t think he left Rolling Stone because of any type of censorship – anything he wrote guaranteed eyeballs to the screen for Rolling Stone. If you are well known enough, it simply makes sense to publish your own work – you get the eyeballs to the screen. Michael Moore has done the same thing. Skip the middleman.
The American Greatness article is one of many in a not so subtle attempt to undermine the US education system. Ironically, something another article you posted feared leftists would do.
I read the article but the links given on the data did not go back to the original source of the data. One went to a 70 page pdf and another was simply an article quoting an agency but not giving a link. Thus the data becomes suspect. I’m not denying sexual exploitation occrus but I do question the data. I also need to know the definitions employed — what is physical sexual contact? was it explained to the surveyed children? Did this include hugging, a pat on the back or did it only include something more explicit? I know from working with kids that misinterpretations abound (which is why I don’t hug kids) both in teacher contact and when asked about teacher contact. Some kids will consider an odd look or stare in a sexual context. Thus before we throw out accusations – we need to be careful about definitions, context, interpretation, etc.
The article goes on to throw out some anecdotes and case studies. While having nothing to do with data, they do slant the reader’s perception. Ancedotally, I’ve never met or worked with a teacher who sexually exploited children, that I know of. I know of at least 5 male teachers who were falsely accused. One to such an extent that he was out of the classroom for five years. In the end the police case fell apart when one girl confessed her friends had made up the story and then convinced students in another school to say similar things. His wife left him but his kids stayed with him (I taught the kids – great kids). Both the police and the school board were willing to throw him under the bus. The union however protected him paid for his legal costs and made sure he was well defended. The number of accusations is not well known because teachers are advised not to share accusations amongst each other for various reasons that I never fully understood.
The bottom half of the article was dedicated to union bashing and associating them with child exploitation but unions have a legal responsibility to defend and represent all their members. If they don’t, they are liable. In the end, I know the only organization which will defend me is my union so I gladly pay my dues.
The above stats and anecdotes do point to the need for better screening of employees – starting with criminal checks of all employees. In addition, quality staff are attracted by quality pay and working conditions. Make teaching an attractive and well respected profession and quality applicants will appear.
The story of three college students: One worked full time almost the entire time she was in college. She worked while in high school, too, saving for a car and college money. She worked hard to pay off any remaining student loans. One did her last two years of high school at the local community college and saved two years of tuition or boarding. She worked hard to pay off her loans. One spent borrowed money on foolish things, telling anyone who warned against such a thing, “That you only live once.” Her husband also didn’t worry about taking a semester in Europe, although it was an unnecessary expense and not needed for his degree. Now the first two have to have their tax money (and it will be OUR tax money) to pay for the third’s debt.
My grandson worked hard to pay off all of his vocational training. He did borrow money for a car. He is working now to buy things needed for his vocation. He should have borrowed money for school and used his cash for whatever else he needed. That way the taxpayers would be paying his schooling at least, although not a whole 10,000 was needed there, since he, too, took classes in high school he did not have to pay for.
I could go on and on. Anyone who thinks it is not unjust to give money to certain people for their education is willingly blind. Those who paid their loans off have every right to feel scammed by their own government.
I, also, believe it is totally unconstitutional. Next will they buy electric cars for some people, since most can’t afford them? What else? When does it end? To use Covid as justification is just so stupid, it is insulting to any thinking person and just plain ridiculous.
Oh gosh!!! The government does NOT pay for Medicare!!!!! The American worker worked endless years and was obligated to have funds taken out of their pay for Medicare! Now it is time for coverage at retirement and we still pay 530.00 a quarter for coverage with a 80/20 coverage with a yearly deductible. So no it is not a slap in the face to those paying for their own healthcare because WE are!!!
The joke that is US public education needs to be undermined at every opportunity. They’re a large part of the problem in the US. Woke perversion and the pushing of it, groomers, and identity politics is all they’re concerned with and all they really teach anymore.
Nancy — sorry I shouldn’t have used Medicare as an example; perhaps just Medicaid then. I used Medicare as an example since I assumed the American gov’t just paid for senior’s health care without co-pays and premiums. It’s insane that retired people still have to pay for coverage. Almost every OECD country treats seniors for free and gives them additional coverage. My parents receive free prescription drugs, some dental and some eyewear. Those under 65 only receive them via workplace benefits.
My point still stands though — people should not be upset that the gov’t is forgiving loans. I paid my student loans but I would not be upset if loans were forgiven here or post secondary was made free. I recognize that society benefits if working people are not limited by debt and we have an educated populace.
One of my relatives believes the real people who should be paying for college debt is the colleges themselves. If they’re turning out students who are unemployable, maybe they should assume responsibility for doing so.
The fact of the matter is, every time the Pell Grants were raised, the colleges raised their rates. Harvard, Yale, and all the other Ivies except Penn (I think), have such large endowments they don’t ever need to charge their $50K+ tuition (or whatever it is now).
When challenged with the question of why they charge tuition, Harvard spokespeople explained, “If we didn’t charge tuition, people wouldn’t apply here.”
I was sitting in the orthodontist’s office (2 kids getting braces, no dental insurance) when I read that quote in Newsweek Magazine many years ago. I got so angry, I threw the magazine on the floor and stomped on it. The arrogance! Financially enslaving students for the Harvard ego.
If we had not scrimped and saved for many years to help our children have enough money for college, we would have sent them to our local junior college for the first two years.
As it was, they all AP tested out of a year or so of college. (I did the same).
They worked during college and during the summer.
They valued their education, as a result.
My teenage housekeeper also worked her way through college–but she had an odd attitude toward college that first year. “I didn’t even have to study and I could skip the early morning classes! I just read the cliff notes and passed the class!”
“I don’t understand,” I replied. “You’re working here to earn money to go to school, but then you don’t even bother to attend? You’re not in high school anymore. You’re paying for the privilege. Why waste the money if you can’t be bothered to attend class?”
It had never dawned on her before that an education was something to be appreciated.
She never skipped class after that–and graduated (after three years at the JC and two at the local university, always living at home) debt-free.
Character formation is part of education.
Watch tuition rise again. Maybe even as much as $10K.
If an adult takes out a loan for whatever reason that adult should pay it back….it’s in the signed contract.
We paid for our children’s college tuition/books/ etc. and they all worked part time jobs during their time in school. It would be my experience that the person getting the education needs to have a little “skin in the game” or it is not fully appreciated and taken for granted…you know like “entitled”. No…it’s real life with real commitment and hard work. My kids appreciate our support (well three of them anyway) and we were blessed to be part of their education equation.
The idea that poverty forms character is highly overrated. I grew up poor, it didn’t help in my character formation, my dad’s role modelling did more than anything. I worked 20-30 hours a week while going to uni full time. I paid off my student loans. I created an education fund for my daughter to help her out. If tomorrow the gov’t decided post secondary should be free; I wouldn’t complain. It’s the right decision both policy wise and ethically. Placing young people in debt before they begin a career is just wrong. And student loan debt is a huge drain on the US economy.
As for “skin in the game”, I do see the merit in the argument. It’s frustrating to watch trust fund babies just waste money. However, the trust fund babies aren’t the ones with loans — those with “skin in the game” usually have loans.
Are 18 year old college students really that adult? Many members of congress happily signed up for PPP loans and they didn’t pay them back. They are adults, they signed on the dotted line, pay up. I’m waiting for Greene, Boebert and Gaetz to pony up.
Tychicus – you seriously expected anything different? Affidavits for search warrants are usually not released until the investigation is complete. The fact these affidavits were released in any form indicates Trump is getting special treatment – laws should apply equally; his lawyers could’ve waited until the investigation was completed. The unredacted portions I’ve seen are pretty damning – unsecure location, top secret documents, etc.
Well we could wait until we are blue in the face for those not deserving PPP to repay. Including Hunter Biden’s favorite prostitute or Paul Pelosi benefiting with millions in his interests. Or how about the LA Lakers? It was the most corrupt doling out of taxpayer money I have witnessed. And the little guy business owner? Yes….my old boss owning a small antique shoppe that was shut down for months paid back her PPP loan…that’s called integrity.
If an 18 yr old is old enough to sign a contract they are old enough to be held accountable.
Neither side is at all interested in solving the student loan problem. I have student loans that I fully expect to be saddled with for the rest of my life. And I seriously doubt anything Biden does or does not do is going to relieve me of them: I don’t expect it. There are Income Based Repayment (IBR) programs that allow people to repay according to their income, and I am in one of those.
If either party were interested in solving the massive student loan problem it wouldn’t be difficult and probably not all that expensive: expand the IBR to include even those people who are behind in their payments [right now it does not], AND, make student loans dischargeable through bankruptcy as they used to be. This would allow graduates to continue to build a financial life while paying, while those who, for whatever reason, fall down financially, could have a chance to recover and be productive.
Businesses do this all the time. They restructure loans, OR, they go bankrupt and all is forgiven by the court in bankruptcy. And often the same people start up again under another name. Rinse and repeat, as they say.
Wandering Views 
HRW: A lot of the same suspicious characters are still with the same FBI unit.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/fbi-unit-leading-mar-a-lago-probe-earlier-ran-discredited-trump-russia-investigation_4675803.html
“The FBI division overseeing the investigation of former President Trump’s handling of classified material at his Mar-a-Lago residence is also a focus of Special Counsel John Durham’s investigation of the bureau’s alleged abuses of power and political bias during its years-long Russiagate probe.
Although the former head of Crossfire Hurricane, Peter Strzok, was fired after the disclosure of his vitriolic anti-Trump tweets, several members of his team remain working in the counterintelligence unit, even though they are under active investigation by both Durham and the bureau’s disciplinary arm, the Office of Professional Responsibility.
In addition, a key member of the Crossfire team—Supervisory Intelligence Analyst Brian Auten—has continued to be involved in politically sensitive investigations, including the ongoing federal probe of potentially incriminating content found on the abandoned laptop of President Biden’s son Hunter Biden. FBI whistleblowers have alleged that Auten tried to falsely discredit derogatory evidence against Hunter Biden during the 2020 campaign by labeling it Russian “disinformation,” an assessment that caused investigative activity to cease.
Auten has been allowed to work on sensitive cases even though he has been under internal investigation since 2019, when Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz referred him for disciplinary review for his role in vetting a Hillary Clinton campaign-funded dossier used by the FBI to obtain a series of wiretap warrants to spy on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Horowitz singled out Auten for cutting a number of corners in the verification process and even allowing information he knew to be incorrect slip into warrant affidavits and mislead the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court.
In congressional testimony this month, Wray confirmed that “a number of” former Crossfire Hurricane team members are still employed at the bureau while undergoing disciplinary review.”
More connections between FBI officials who played key roles in advancing the Russiagate hoax and bureau agents involved in the Mar-a-Lago raid follow in the article.
“Former FBI counterintelligence official and lawyer Mark Wauck said he is troubled by signs that the same cast of characters from the Russiagate scandal appears to be involved in the Mar-a-Lago investigation.
“If these people, who were part of a major hoax that involved criminal activity and displays of bias and seriously flawed judgment, are still involved, then that’s a major scandal.””
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And those same agents/actors are even more corrupt now than they were then…..
But HRW knows this already, or hasn’t been paying attention.
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“What Would the Devil Have to Do Today to Destroy America?”
Honestly?
Not much, as his minions in govt. have shown us.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2022/08/what_would_the_devil_have_to_do_today_to_destroy_america.html
“In 1965, columnist and commentator Paul Harvey wrote an interesting piece titled, “If I were the Devil.” This was basically a commentary on what Harvey would do if he were Satan and wanted to destroy America.
Nearly 60 years later, most of what Harvey predicted has come to pass. While America has not been completely destroyed, our nation is clearly in decline. In 2022, here’s what I would do if I wanted to finish the job.
I’d Devalue the Currency
The United States is approximately 30 trillion dollars in debt. But I wouldn’t stop there. I know the dollar isn’t going to be the world’s dominant reserve currency much longer, so I’d continue to sedate the drooling, self-pleasuring masses with cradle-to-grave entitlements and stimulus checks for as long as possible. In order to implement the Great Reset and usher in the new globalist system, it will be necessary to print the dollar into oblivion and replace it with a digital currency.
I’d Develop Hyper-Inflation
The obvious result of extensive money-printing and endless free government programs is inflation. Everything from food and fuel to housing and cars will quickly become unattainable for the average family. But this isn’t enough. I’d continue devaluing the currency until hyperinflation set in. Along with more empty shelves, it won’t be long until we start seeing food rationing, social unrest, and possibly even food riots in the hardest hit areas.
I’d Diminish Energy Independence
After food security, energy is what’s necessary to keep a society running efficiently. To destroy America’s energy independence, I’d cancel the Keystone XL pipeline, impose extreme environmental rules on gas emissions, and pause natural gas and oil leases on all federal land. I’d insist that everyone get his energy from windmills, solar panels, and electric cars that only the wealthy can afford. I’d make sure rolling brownouts and blackouts increasingly occur until America becomes a third-world nation.
I’d Defund the Police
I would attack, demoralize, and ultimately drain money and resources from police departments across the country. During this time, I would make sure the elites of society from politicians to celebrities were well protected with police escorts and armed bodyguards. I would then sit back and watch the carnage unfold. That’s when I’d implement my real agenda: a nationalized police force similar to what’s found in Communist China and Cuba.
I’d Disarm the Citizens
I’d make sure the citizens are at the mercy of the government and the nationalized police force by passing extensive legislation to limit Second Amendment rights. But I don’t want to take away just assault rifles or semi-automatics. I want to take away everything. If I wanted to destroy the country, I would agree with the article published in the Nation on August 17, 2019, in which the writer stated:
That leads to only one logical conclusion. Repeal the Second Amendment and start over from presumption that you do not need a gun unless you are going off to war or going off to train for war.
I’d Demolish the Voting System
If I were trying to destroy America, I would insist it were racist and bigoted to require any type of identification to vote. Never mind that photo identification is required for everything from drinking a beer to driving a car. I would argue that voting ID discriminates against minorities and poor individuals. Of course, extensive identification is required to apply for Medicaid and almost any type of government assistance. But I wouldn’t let pesky facts like that dissuade me. Without required identification, the voting process would eventually become chaotic and untrustworthy, and ultimately undermine our entire democratic process.
I’d Destroy the Education System
I would give teachers’ unions unprecedented power. I would allow basic academics to be superseded by woke theology and social justice mandates. I would also eliminate school choice and make it as difficult as possible for parents to educate their children outside the government-run school system. This would produce a nation of surly Bolsheviks who are unable to do simple math, write a coherent paragraph, or read at grade level. But they will be able to protest and burn down entire swaths of once great cities.”
——-
The Democrat party is Satan’s most useful tool.
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But even Democrats need useful idiots for their dirty deeds, enter the RINO’s….
“RINO Republicans sit on the board of a nonprofit that bankrolls global left-wing censorship efforts”
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/08/rino_republicans_sit_on_the_board_of_a_nonprofit_which_bankrolls_global_leftwing_censorship_efforts_.html
“Founded in 2006, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue is a London-based nonprofit with a stated purpose of “safeguarding human rights and reversing the rising tide of polarisation [sic], extremism, and disinformation worldwide.” The group previously worked with the Obama administration, combating “violent extremism,” and their website lists critical topics most vulnerable to fake news and hate speech, which include:
Electoral, climate, and public health disinformation
Conspiracy networks
Far-right extremism
LGBTQ
Islamophobia
A recent blog posted to the ISD website discussed a “hate-riddled public health disinformation campaign” where social media users identified monkeypox as almost exclusively (if not entirely) spread by homosexual male relations and questioned how children were getting the disease. The author said this truth was used to spread “dangerous rhetoric against the queer community,” despite the legitimacy of the concerns: less than two weeks ago, Georgia law enforcement arrested a gay couple who stand accused of using their adopted sons in the creation of child pornography, so it’s not as though adults abusing children is a right-wing boogeyman story.
So which Republicans help fund this nightmarish leftist enterprise? If you guessed Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, or Mitt Romney, you’re correct. However, a few more are flying under the radar, and they are Tom Cotton, Joni Ernst, Dan Sullivan, and Kay Granger.
Those seven members of Congress sit on the board of the International Republican Institute, which is listed as a donor to ISD. Additionally, ISD lists partnerships with the McCain Institute — John McCain was a chairman for 25 years — as well as a tentacle of the United Nations. On top of receiving funding from the IRI and those seven prominent Republicans, other benefactors to the ISD include George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
And just last month, ISD hired Jared Holt, a notorious leftwing media operative. Jack Hadfield at Valiant News said:
Holt, who spent much of his career reporting on those on the American right, and encouraging companies to deplatform those who he and his colleagues deem unacceptable for society, such as Infowars and Alex Jones.
Holt was also involved in downplaying violence from far-left abortion protesters and Black Lives Matter rioters, arguing that conservatives were fear-mongering despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary.
So why are Republican elites facilitating the growth and success of an authoritarian, globalist bureaucracy? What common bond do these politicians share with men like Soros, or Gates, or Holt?”
——–
Two words.
Money. Power.
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So who does Biden’s illegal student loan scam benefit most?
Their base, and the swamp dwellers who do their dirty deeds.
“Biden Student Loan Amnesty a Windfall for DC Staffers”
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2022/08/25/_biden_student_loan_amnesty_a_windfall_for_dc_staffers_148099.html
“After announcing executive action to unilaterally and retroactively wipe away $300 billion in federal student debt, President Biden looked over his shoulder to answer a question: Was this debt forgiveness fair to those who had sacrificed and saved to pay their way through college? Biden deflected.
“Is it fair to people who, in fact, do not own multibillion dollar businesses,” he replied. “Some of these guys want to give them all tax breaks,” he said, seemingly referring to unrelated Republican tax proposals. “Is that fair?” he asked the reporter. “What do you think?”
Then, the president left. The fundamental question of fairness, however, remains as millions of Americans now search the Department of Education’s website for guidance to see if they qualify for loan forgiveness. Or if they would have qualified had they not repaid their loans earlier.
According to the plan, the White House will cancel $10,000 in federal student debt loans for any individual making less than $125,000 a year and $20,000 for those with Pell grants. Republicans quickly complained that the debt amnesty was “a slap in the face to working Americans.” For many working in Washington, D.C., however, it was a sigh of relief.
Student debt forgiveness is personal for the Biden administration. About one in five of the White House aides required to file a financial disclosure, as Bloomberg News previously noted, reported owing student debt. Collectively, those 30 senior White House staffers owe as much as $4.7 million. Those personal finances are not unusual in the nation’s capital.
There is more outstanding student debt in Washington than in any other city in the country. The average debtor in D.C., according to a 2021 breakdown by the small business analyst, AdvisorSmith, owes $54,982 in unpaid student loans. This includes many political staffers at the Department of Education, senior advisors as well as junior aides who moved to that agency from the Biden campaign.
Analysis of financial disclosures by the conservative-leaning American Accountability Foundation found that the political staff at the agency that oversees the student loan program stand to benefit. The outstanding student loan debt balance among 41 education staffers evaluated could amount to between $2.8 and $6.5 million. According to the AAF estimate obtained by RealClearPolitics, the president may have wiped away as much as $512,646 of their debt.
More than 45 million Americans owe $1.6 trillion in federal student debt, a balance that the New York Times reports dwarfs what they owe in car loans, credit cards, and other consumer debt. The White House insists that the administration’s plan will target low- to middle-income borrowers in particular, with 90% of relief going to earners who make less than $75,000 a year. As many as 43 million people can benefit, according to an administration infographic, and 20 million people “can have their loans fully cancelled.”
It is precisely the kind of relief, Biden said, that the country needs post-pandemic. “All of this means people can start finally to climb out from under that mountain of debt,” the president said. “To finally think about buying a home or starting a family or starting a business. And by the way, when this happens the whole economy is better off.”
Mitch McConnell called it “student loan socialism.” The Republican Senate minority leader accused the president of delivering “a slap in the face to every family who sacrificed to save for college, every graduate who paid their debt, and every American who chose a certain career path or volunteered to serve in our Armed Forces in order to avoid taking on debt. This policy is astonishingly unfair.”
Tom Jones echoed that criticism. The founder of AAF pointed to the “windfall” that political employees at the Education Department were set to receive, calling it “shameful” evidence of “the gap between the people and the ruling class in Washington, D.C.” Press spokesmen for the department did not respond to RCP requests for comment.
Susan Rice dismissed gripes about fairness as “inaccurate” and part of a “double standard.” The director of the White House domestic policy council, previously a visiting fellow at Harvard, an institution with an untaxed $53 billion endowment, told reporters that “Republicans didn’t complain when certain small businesses during the pandemic got extraordinary financial relief without having to pay back those loans.” The forgiven federal loans in question, from student loans and from the pandemic, were part of the same principle.”
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Coming soon to America if Biden and Democrats get their wish.
“Brits brace for record, crippling energy prices”
https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2022/08/25/brits-brace-for-record-crippling-energy-prices-n492209
“Americans are already far too familiar with spiraling energy costs and rolling blackouts in areas where the energy grid is being pushed to the brink. Now the people of Great Britain are bracing for their own negative and potentially deadly experiences of a similar nature. Because of the socialist bent of their government, energy companies must adhere to government caps on the price of utilities, but those caps are about to be raised significantly. And the coming increase won’t be the last one, either, since another increase is scheduled to follow on the heels of this one in January. So how much will people’s utility bills be rising? By February (just when everyone is using more energy for heating) they will more than double. (Associated Press)
A deepening cost-of-living crisis in Britain is about to get worse, with millions of people expected to pay about 80% more a year on their household energy bills starting in October.
The U.K. energy regulator on Friday is set to announce the latest price cap, which is the maximum amount that gas suppliers can charge customers per unit of energy. It could mean people pay up to 3,600 pounds ($4,240) a year for heating and electricity, according to analysts’ forecasts.
Scores are already struggling to make ends meet as inflation soared to 10.1% last month — the highest in 40 years — and the rapidly spiraling costs of energy and food are certain to hit the poorest the hardest.
Translated into American currency, British residents are currently paying on average $2,320 per year. That’s a 54% increase since January of 2022. After the new cap kicks in, the rate will go up to $4,247 in October. By February the price will reach $4,718 annually.
These are not insignificant increases. They represent a huge change in the average household’s budget. And they’re coming at a time when the inflation rate in the UK is already over 10% with current forecasts showing it will likely exceed 18% next summer. The cost of food, along with everything else, is exploding exponentially faster than any perceived increase in wages.
Citizens are already protesting and calling for the price caps to remain where they are. But when the cost of producing energy rises to the point where it is no longer profitable to sell that energy at the capped price, the producers will shut down. They really don’t have a choice in the matter.”
——
The pain is the point.
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Broken and corrupted, like most of our govt and the scams they run scams.
CONTENT WARNING!
“Pedophiles Are Proliferating in Our Schools
Inept state legislators and corrupt/apathetic school administrators have an interest in not making any waves by simply passing the trash.”
“In the social hierarchy of prison inmates, mob bosses, bank robbers, and cop killers tend to get respect. But “short eyes,” those convicts who have committed crimes against children, especially sexual abuse, are hated, harassed, and abused. In schools, however, this group of detestable perverts rates a “meh.”
The numbers are stunning. A report prepared for the U.S. Department of Education in 2004 revealed that nearly 9.6 percent of students are victims of sexual abuse by school personnel, and these are just the reported cases.
Stop Educator Sexual Abuse Misconduct & Exploitation (SESAME), a nonprofit that works to stop childhood sexual abuse by teachers and other school employees, disclosed that in 2015, about 3.5 million 8th-11th grade students, or nearly 7 percent of those surveyed divulged that they had experienced “physical sexual contact from an adult” (most often a teacher or coach). The type of physical contact ranged from “unwanted touching of their body, all the way up to sexual intercourse.” Even worse, the statistic increases to about 4.5 million children (10 percent) when other types of sexual misconduct are taken into consideration, such as being shown pornography or being subjected to sexually explicit language or exhibitionism. SESAME also explains that one child sex offender can have as many as 73 victims in a lifetime.
One might assume that these disgusting perverts would be rounded up, fired, and incarcerated, but all too often, that doesn’t happen. Most recently, Eric Burgess, a high school English teacher in Rosemead, California was found to have repeatedly groomed students for sex, and had sexual relationships with female students over a 20-year period. Infuriatingly, he was allowed to resign without admitting to any wrongdoing and continued to receive his salary for another six months. The settlement agreement bars Burgess from working in the school district, but he can be employed elsewhere, and district officials agreed to provide a “content neutral” reference if he applies for a teaching job in another district.
On a personal level, I taught middle school with “Roy” in the 1990s. One day, this 8th-grade English teacher allegedly touched a female student inappropriately. There were witnesses, but the student involved would not press charges so he was sent off to the district office for a while—the so-called “rubber room” or “teacher jail.” Since firing him was not a viable option, the powers-that-be then decided to transfer him to another school, where he was accused of fondling another student. So he was sent back to the district office, where he whittled away his paid time ogling porn. Busted, he was transferred to yet another school, where he got caught sharing his smut with some of his female students. He was then returned to the district office, where the last I heard, he was waiting for his next assignment, courtesy of his union lawyer.
Perhaps the poster boy for perversity is Mark Berndt. This Los Angeles Unified School District teacher was arrested in 2012 for feeding semen-laced cookies to his second graders. Perhaps not as well-known is that his obscene antics began in 1983, when he was accused of (and admitted to) dropping his pants during a class trip, which he blamed on the fact that he wore “baggy shorts.” In the 1990s many students came forward and said that Berndt would masturbate in class. Then in 2010, investigators from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department came into possession of some of Berndt’s photos, which showed children gagged and bound, “sometimes with live cockroaches on their faces or about to eat a cookie covered in a clear white liquid.” The school district couldn’t get rid of him without going through a lengthy appeals process costing over $300,000. When his crimes were fully exposed, Berndt gamed the system by accepting a $40,000 bribe and retiring—but only after racking up another year of credit toward his pension, before finally starting a lengthy prison sentence. The various lawsuits against the Los Angeles Unified School District over Berndt alone cost the district some $200 million. When added to four other sexual abuse cases in L.A., the cost to the district topped $300 million.
A big part of the problem in Los Angeles and elsewhere lies with the teacher union-mandated labyrinthine collective bargaining agreements that must be followed before a dismissal is finalized. The expensive process is so laborious that many administrators don’t even bother trying to navigate it. Additionally, because about 95 percent of educator sexual misconduct cases are handled internally and not turned over to law enforcement, it is very easy for a teacher to go to a new school district or state without any legal baggage.
State laws—or the lack thereof—are another big part of the problem. In 2016, USA Today journalists gathered piles of information and determined that America’s system for checking teachers’ backgrounds is a loosely-connected patchwork of state laws and procedures, inconsistent practices by school districts and state officials, and wide variations in who’s accountable for what and how accountable they are. They ranked the states, and while 15 got an A or a B, 22 states received a D or F. In fact, Rhode Island has had no law which prohibited teachers and other school employees from having sex with their students until June, when it passed Senate Bill 2219. The legislation outlaws any act of “sexual penetration or contact perpetrated by an individual with a position of authority upon a person over the age of 14 and under the age of 18.” (Those under 14 years old were already protected.)”
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But don’t you dare call them groomers, because Twitter and Facebook will ban you for stating the truth.
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Looks like someone skipped the kool aid….
“Former Rolling Stone Editor Has the Perfect Analogy for the FBI’s Raid of Mar-a-Lago”
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2022/08/25/former-rolling-stone-editor-has-the-perfect-analogy-for-the-fbis-sacking-of-mar-n2612180
“Not all liberal writers sip the Kool-Aid, and Matt Taibbi is one of them. The former contributing editor for Rolling Stone ditched the publication to write exclusively on Substack for obvious reasons; many of his pieces wouldn’t pass the quasi-politburo system established at most liberal publications. The only rule is don’t make the Democrats look bad. Glenn Greenwald, the co-founder of The Intercept, a hub from which government whistleblowers can feel safe coming forward with information, was booted from his site after a lengthy piece questioned the disreputable business dealings hashed out by the Biden family. With no left-wing corporate overlords, these guys can write articles that shred their side’s logical fallacies while ripping their usual conservative targets. It’s always good to read from a good core of liberal writers. Taibbi is one of the few original skeptics of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, which probably earned him quite a bit of hate mail. Still, he’s laser-focused on the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago, an unprecedented event where federal agents ransacked the home of a former president.
What piqued Taibbi’s curiosity is not the latest developments which don’t provide much of a punch regarding potential felonious activity regarding the alleged mishandling of classified documents which provided the basis of the federal raid. It was the lack of coverage afterward. The CNN crowd relished the raid as the final nail in the coffin—this was when the walls caved in on Trump. Like most Americans who aren’t mentally ill, the Department of Justice leak alleging that Trump had nuclear secrets on-site exposed the legal fallout that was to come because nothing has corroborated that explosive yet facially untrue claim. There’s been a deafening silence regarding anything that resembles a smoking gun. The affidavit that provided probable cause for the ransacking will be redacted to death, so we’re just going to be left hanging here again.
Is this another Trump story that will fizzle out? Taibbi listed the endless stream of purported scandals that would destroy the Trump presidency. They did nothing except chip away at the media’s already abysmal credibility with the public. What is notable about the FBI raid is that it was a massive show of force from the federal government, historical, and the stealthy but noticeable backtracking specifically on anything incriminating.
Even Trump’s harshest skeptics in the media were warning the Justice Department that the clock is ticking on finding anything that is bombshell-worthy lest they want this Mar-a-Lago treasure hunt to look like political persecution of the Democrats’ chief opponent. I think the deadline has passed on that one, and tens of millions of Americans knew what message was being sent with federal agents busting down the door: don’t run, Don.
We’ve been through all of this, but Taibbi noted that the past Trump scandal narratives were lengthy and flawed but contained a rudimentary formula that flowed when it comes to telling a story, even a fake one. The FBI raid was a political atomic bomb, but there is no conclusion. It’s the equivalent of ‘pay no attention to the man behind the curtain’ type of fallout—just ignore what happened on August 8 because there was a misfire. The author does lay out the perfect analogy; the raid was an accidental missile launch (via Substack):
Excuse me for giving a damn, but what happened to the Trump raid story?
Two weeks ago, the FBI raid on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home was the biggest story on earth and seemingly one of the most consequential American news events since 9/11. The search inspired a few hours of social media jubilation, followed by roughly a week of frenzied leaking as a parade of national security soothsayers unspooled sinister scenarios on TV, and then — nothing. The line went dead. By last week’s end, the cancellation of Brian Stelter on CNN was a top national headline in comparison.
With a caveat that the relative quiet could be upended by a court decision Thursday, could we pause to reflect on the oddness of this episode? Has a story this big ever receded to the back pages this quickly?
Once the FBI finished searching, everyone from Andrew Cuomo to the New Yorker to Mother Jones to George Will at the Washington Post pointed out the obvious, that the Justice Department needed to quickly produce an explanation, if not an indictment, to avoid the disaster of allowing the perception of a politicized raid to fester.
[…]
In sum: Joe Biden didn’t know the raid was coming, Merrick Garland blamed Trump for the raid becoming public at all and took three days to take responsibility for ordering it, and Trump’s crime has moved from mishandling “nuclear documents” to keeping “Sensitive Compartmented Information,” whose possession by Trump poses “exceptionally grave” risk to the United States.
Something about all this stinks. On one hand, we’re in the same place we’ve been a hundred times in the Trump era, waiting for the big reveal. We were here before Michael Cohen’s testimony, before the Mueller report, before the Ukraine whistleblower letter, the Barr memo, and countless other expected bombshells.
On the other hand, the evidentiary hype train has been turned off early this time. The deadline for more news out of Reinhart’s court about what’s inside the affidavit is this Thursday, when Garland is supposed to submit his proposed redactions, yet the story is getting more coverage on Fox (Gutfield! incredibly surged to the top of late-night comedy ratings after the raid) than in mainstream press, which appears to be tiptoeing back from the case much as administration officials did in the first week.
[…]
Unless Garland and the Biden administration give a clear idea of what exactly precipitated the Trump raid — whether it involved Trump funneling the names of spies to Putin, leaving launch codes out on a pizza box, whatever — Trump is going to continue to hammer this issue. Unless the man is literally in manacles before November 2024, this mess will remain an open wound for Democrats. Even if the raid wasn’t politically motivated, it will for sure continue to look politically motivated, if the Justice Department doesn’t come up with a better explanation than the six or seven leaked so far. Yet everyone is acting like that question has been answered.
“Are we really being softened up for the DOJ ending this story without ever explaining what it had at the time of the raid? That would be bananas,” he wrote. Indeed, there don’t appear to be any actual law violations with the classified materials angle that the media and the Justice Department inflated. The president can declassify whatever he wants, and the classification regulations do not apply to the office of the presidency. Mike Davis, a former law clerk to Neil Gorsuch, noted that the Presidential Records Act isn’t a criminal statute. And even if Trump had classified materials, they were secure, as all former presidents have staff to handle these items, and taking them was the declassifying act. “
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DJ – French is correct; PPP loans and student loans are different. However, forgiving these loans are very similar. In fact gov’ts were far quicker and more willing to forgive business loans than student loans. It seems both Trump and Biden favored business over people. The stated justification for the forgiveness is also the same.
The idea that student loan forgiveness is a slap in the face to those who paid before is ridiculous. We don’t say the same thing about the PPP loan forgiveness – was that a slap in the face to people/corporations who paid gov’t loans in the past? Student loan forgiveness is good for the economy – you have a well educated workforce no longer burdened and limited by debt.
The gov’t pays for Medicare and Medicaid – is that a slap in the face to those who pay their own health care? My cousins were born in the 50s and my aunt and uncle had to pay the hospital bill; 10 years later my brother and I were born and my parents didn’t have to pay; universal health care. My uncle wasn’t offended. In societal interests, the gov’t of the day makes decisions – just because some benefit and others don’t is not a slap in the face. I would think it’s more a slap in the face to taxpayers that Amazon didn’t pay taxes last year.
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Tychicus, the FBI DC office is in charge of federal crimes occurring in Washington so it’s no surprise we see some of the same people. Bureaucratic inertia and careerism will mean they will be there for quite a long time. And given the FBI considered the Russian investigation legitimate means the only discipline you will see will be for procedural errors that occurred. Errors police frequently make but in politically sensitive cases, they should have been more careful. Hopefully, they were far more careful this time to avoid accusations of errors and procedural mistakes. This isn’t corruption just typical bureacracy and careerism.
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Interesting piece at 9:47 but dead wrong
1. For some inexplicable reason, the American dollar is rising in value. Despite Chinese-Russian attempts to create an alternative, the US dollar is preferred. All currencies are digital now it’s a matter of credibility. I have cospiracy type friends who think the American dollar is strong because countries fear retribution if they work with a Russian-Chinese currency — the US military-economic might keeps the dollar up in their opinion. I’m not sure but high oil prices usually benefit the currencies of oil producers which the US is one.
2. Hyper-inflation is near impossible in OECD countries; there are far too many safety mechanisms in place. Massive dollar printing did occur post 2008 yet did little to spark inflation — most these newly printed dollars were merely digits on a screen that are used to secure the monetary system but are never actually in use thus not affecting prices. Even the current inflation is slowing down as energy prices slowly decline. As the West readjusts their supply chains and energy use, inflation will decline.
3. The US is energy independent. It produces enough oil for its population. Rolling brown outs in Texas is an infrastructure problem compounded by Texas’s refusal to integrate with other states. California’s power grid is under stress but broadening the type of energy production should alleviate the problems. As solar and wind infrastructure becomes cheaper, the US should be even better.
4.US police forces receive more public money than other OECD countries. They could stand with a little budget cutting. The last few decades have seen the grandual militarization of police — right wingers/liberatarians should support these calls for defunding police. Weirdly the writer thinks the idea is defund city and state police so the US will have a national police but they already do; the FBI. Of course he wants to defund that. Be consistent defund all levels or no levels.
5. I’ll never understand this weird logic that private ownership of guns somehow safeguards democracy. Looking at the data, there is no correlation between gun ownership and democracy. Gun ownership is high in areas with large rural areas and a hunting tradition. Even in the Soviet Union, gun ownership was common in rural areas but that never led to an overthrow of an oppressive regime.
6. The American voting system is insanely complex and not functioning well in 1965 or prior to that. Poll taxes, literacy tests, jim crow, tammany hall, and the list goes on. I’d think the current electoral system is more secure and accurate than in 1965. The dead don’t vote nearly as much and blacks have an easier time accessing the ballot box now than in 1965.
7. The elementary and secondary education system in the US was never the best (but the post secondary state school system is the world’s best) . Its quality varies by region. Current attempts to demonize teachers and micro-manage classrooms will only make it worse. Desantis is doing more to wreck Florida education than any letists. Interestingly in direct contradiction to the author, the best education system in the West (Finland) does not allow for private tuition schools. The rich and poor share classrooms and that means the rich have a vested interest in quality.
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The UK and most of Europe are bracing for increased fuel costs, but this won’t cross the Atlantic. Over reliance on Russia fossil fuels has made the sanctions levied by Europe hurt them as much as it hurt Russia. However, once new sources are found, the Russians will have a long term problem. In the meantime Europe has a short term problem.
On the other hand, many older homes in the UK and elsewhere don’t have central heating or AC and increased fuel costs won’t hurt them just those living in nicer suburbs. My daughter has made the simple decision to move south (Portugal) for the winter.
I’d love to read the actual Tabbi article (he’s an extremely good investigative journalist) but it’s hidden behind a subtack barrier. I don’t think he left Rolling Stone because of any type of censorship – anything he wrote guaranteed eyeballs to the screen for Rolling Stone. If you are well known enough, it simply makes sense to publish your own work – you get the eyeballs to the screen. Michael Moore has done the same thing. Skip the middleman.
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The American Greatness article is one of many in a not so subtle attempt to undermine the US education system. Ironically, something another article you posted feared leftists would do.
I read the article but the links given on the data did not go back to the original source of the data. One went to a 70 page pdf and another was simply an article quoting an agency but not giving a link. Thus the data becomes suspect. I’m not denying sexual exploitation occrus but I do question the data. I also need to know the definitions employed — what is physical sexual contact? was it explained to the surveyed children? Did this include hugging, a pat on the back or did it only include something more explicit? I know from working with kids that misinterpretations abound (which is why I don’t hug kids) both in teacher contact and when asked about teacher contact. Some kids will consider an odd look or stare in a sexual context. Thus before we throw out accusations – we need to be careful about definitions, context, interpretation, etc.
The article goes on to throw out some anecdotes and case studies. While having nothing to do with data, they do slant the reader’s perception. Ancedotally, I’ve never met or worked with a teacher who sexually exploited children, that I know of. I know of at least 5 male teachers who were falsely accused. One to such an extent that he was out of the classroom for five years. In the end the police case fell apart when one girl confessed her friends had made up the story and then convinced students in another school to say similar things. His wife left him but his kids stayed with him (I taught the kids – great kids). Both the police and the school board were willing to throw him under the bus. The union however protected him paid for his legal costs and made sure he was well defended. The number of accusations is not well known because teachers are advised not to share accusations amongst each other for various reasons that I never fully understood.
The bottom half of the article was dedicated to union bashing and associating them with child exploitation but unions have a legal responsibility to defend and represent all their members. If they don’t, they are liable. In the end, I know the only organization which will defend me is my union so I gladly pay my dues.
The above stats and anecdotes do point to the need for better screening of employees – starting with criminal checks of all employees. In addition, quality staff are attracted by quality pay and working conditions. Make teaching an attractive and well respected profession and quality applicants will appear.
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White House twitter is not holding back, apparently there’s more on twtitter but here’s a few examples.
https://nowthisnews.com/news/white-houses-twitter-account-drags-gop-over-loan-forgiveness-hypocrisy?&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=nowthisnews&fbclid=IwAR0-YekreDpQaITC9cLkd2jRYQ83BzTOL4YQ2iuDAiUpJqUbcLhJu9R4mII
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The story of three college students: One worked full time almost the entire time she was in college. She worked while in high school, too, saving for a car and college money. She worked hard to pay off any remaining student loans. One did her last two years of high school at the local community college and saved two years of tuition or boarding. She worked hard to pay off her loans. One spent borrowed money on foolish things, telling anyone who warned against such a thing, “That you only live once.” Her husband also didn’t worry about taking a semester in Europe, although it was an unnecessary expense and not needed for his degree. Now the first two have to have their tax money (and it will be OUR tax money) to pay for the third’s debt.
My grandson worked hard to pay off all of his vocational training. He did borrow money for a car. He is working now to buy things needed for his vocation. He should have borrowed money for school and used his cash for whatever else he needed. That way the taxpayers would be paying his schooling at least, although not a whole 10,000 was needed there, since he, too, took classes in high school he did not have to pay for.
I could go on and on. Anyone who thinks it is not unjust to give money to certain people for their education is willingly blind. Those who paid their loans off have every right to feel scammed by their own government.
I, also, believe it is totally unconstitutional. Next will they buy electric cars for some people, since most can’t afford them? What else? When does it end? To use Covid as justification is just so stupid, it is insulting to any thinking person and just plain ridiculous.
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Oh gosh!!! The government does NOT pay for Medicare!!!!! The American worker worked endless years and was obligated to have funds taken out of their pay for Medicare! Now it is time for coverage at retirement and we still pay 530.00 a quarter for coverage with a 80/20 coverage with a yearly deductible. So no it is not a slap in the face to those paying for their own healthcare because WE are!!!
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HRW,
The joke that is US public education needs to be undermined at every opportunity. They’re a large part of the problem in the US. Woke perversion and the pushing of it, groomers, and identity politics is all they’re concerned with and all they really teach anymore.
It’s a joke.
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Nancy — sorry I shouldn’t have used Medicare as an example; perhaps just Medicaid then. I used Medicare as an example since I assumed the American gov’t just paid for senior’s health care without co-pays and premiums. It’s insane that retired people still have to pay for coverage. Almost every OECD country treats seniors for free and gives them additional coverage. My parents receive free prescription drugs, some dental and some eyewear. Those under 65 only receive them via workplace benefits.
My point still stands though — people should not be upset that the gov’t is forgiving loans. I paid my student loans but I would not be upset if loans were forgiven here or post secondary was made free. I recognize that society benefits if working people are not limited by debt and we have an educated populace.
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One of my relatives believes the real people who should be paying for college debt is the colleges themselves. If they’re turning out students who are unemployable, maybe they should assume responsibility for doing so.
The fact of the matter is, every time the Pell Grants were raised, the colleges raised their rates. Harvard, Yale, and all the other Ivies except Penn (I think), have such large endowments they don’t ever need to charge their $50K+ tuition (or whatever it is now).
When challenged with the question of why they charge tuition, Harvard spokespeople explained, “If we didn’t charge tuition, people wouldn’t apply here.”
I was sitting in the orthodontist’s office (2 kids getting braces, no dental insurance) when I read that quote in Newsweek Magazine many years ago. I got so angry, I threw the magazine on the floor and stomped on it. The arrogance! Financially enslaving students for the Harvard ego.
If we had not scrimped and saved for many years to help our children have enough money for college, we would have sent them to our local junior college for the first two years.
As it was, they all AP tested out of a year or so of college. (I did the same).
They worked during college and during the summer.
They valued their education, as a result.
My teenage housekeeper also worked her way through college–but she had an odd attitude toward college that first year. “I didn’t even have to study and I could skip the early morning classes! I just read the cliff notes and passed the class!”
“I don’t understand,” I replied. “You’re working here to earn money to go to school, but then you don’t even bother to attend? You’re not in high school anymore. You’re paying for the privilege. Why waste the money if you can’t be bothered to attend class?”
It had never dawned on her before that an education was something to be appreciated.
She never skipped class after that–and graduated (after three years at the JC and two at the local university, always living at home) debt-free.
Character formation is part of education.
Watch tuition rise again. Maybe even as much as $10K.
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When you have redactions on 20 of the 38 pages (some of them totally redacted), then things are there that the FBI doesn’t want made public…
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If an adult takes out a loan for whatever reason that adult should pay it back….it’s in the signed contract.
We paid for our children’s college tuition/books/ etc. and they all worked part time jobs during their time in school. It would be my experience that the person getting the education needs to have a little “skin in the game” or it is not fully appreciated and taken for granted…you know like “entitled”. No…it’s real life with real commitment and hard work. My kids appreciate our support (well three of them anyway) and we were blessed to be part of their education equation.
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The idea that poverty forms character is highly overrated. I grew up poor, it didn’t help in my character formation, my dad’s role modelling did more than anything. I worked 20-30 hours a week while going to uni full time. I paid off my student loans. I created an education fund for my daughter to help her out. If tomorrow the gov’t decided post secondary should be free; I wouldn’t complain. It’s the right decision both policy wise and ethically. Placing young people in debt before they begin a career is just wrong. And student loan debt is a huge drain on the US economy.
As for “skin in the game”, I do see the merit in the argument. It’s frustrating to watch trust fund babies just waste money. However, the trust fund babies aren’t the ones with loans — those with “skin in the game” usually have loans.
Are 18 year old college students really that adult? Many members of congress happily signed up for PPP loans and they didn’t pay them back. They are adults, they signed on the dotted line, pay up. I’m waiting for Greene, Boebert and Gaetz to pony up.
Tychicus – you seriously expected anything different? Affidavits for search warrants are usually not released until the investigation is complete. The fact these affidavits were released in any form indicates Trump is getting special treatment – laws should apply equally; his lawyers could’ve waited until the investigation was completed. The unredacted portions I’ve seen are pretty damning – unsecure location, top secret documents, etc.
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Well we could wait until we are blue in the face for those not deserving PPP to repay. Including Hunter Biden’s favorite prostitute or Paul Pelosi benefiting with millions in his interests. Or how about the LA Lakers? It was the most corrupt doling out of taxpayer money I have witnessed. And the little guy business owner? Yes….my old boss owning a small antique shoppe that was shut down for months paid back her PPP loan…that’s called integrity.
If an 18 yr old is old enough to sign a contract they are old enough to be held accountable.
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Neither side is at all interested in solving the student loan problem. I have student loans that I fully expect to be saddled with for the rest of my life. And I seriously doubt anything Biden does or does not do is going to relieve me of them: I don’t expect it. There are Income Based Repayment (IBR) programs that allow people to repay according to their income, and I am in one of those.
If either party were interested in solving the massive student loan problem it wouldn’t be difficult and probably not all that expensive: expand the IBR to include even those people who are behind in their payments [right now it does not], AND, make student loans dischargeable through bankruptcy as they used to be. This would allow graduates to continue to build a financial life while paying, while those who, for whatever reason, fall down financially, could have a chance to recover and be productive.
Businesses do this all the time. They restructure loans, OR, they go bankrupt and all is forgiven by the court in bankruptcy. And often the same people start up again under another name. Rinse and repeat, as they say.
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