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SKYE’S LINKS 07/18/24

jack-smith-unappointedThere’s no joy in Mudville, D.C. today. Judge Cannon has finally ruled Jack Smith’s appointment as unconstitutional, and the attempted assassination of President Trump has changed the narrative. We’ll look at the many and varied responses and reactions to that serious event, as well as some surprising new information about Covid origins and the refusal by the FDA to inform the public of vaccine side effects. Then there’s the unsurprising (to TTPers) results of DEI on our military, the inevitable pains of the Minsky Moment approaching, and other looming financial realities. Hold onto your hats!

Jack Smith (Trump Florida classified documents case) gets the Constitutional boot:

Judge Tosses Documents Case Against Trump; Jack Smith Appointment Unconstitutional

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VON HANSON – UKRAINE WINTER WAR

In early World War II, on Nov. 30, 1939, a Soviet-Russian army invaded Finland in a surprise massive attack.

The Finns were eventually outnumbered nearly 3 to 1. The population of the Soviet Union in 1940 was 50 times larger than that of Finland.

Finland’s former anti-Soviet ally, Nazi Germany, had sold it out under the August 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which made Germany and Russia de facto allies.

Finland’s other allies, particularly France and Britain, were slow in giving aid. Both were unsure whether Finland had any chance of survival.

And they were further confused as to whether their archenemy Germany was friendly or hostile to Finland.

 

Yet for nearly the next four months, the Finns fought ferociously. They were led brilliantly by their iconic general and commander-in-chief, Carl Mannerheim.

By March 1940, however, the brave but exhausted Finns were being slowly ground down.

Soon they were facing abject defeat—even after courageously inflicting nearly 500,000 Russian casualties, 10 times the number of their own dead, wounded, and missing.

Finnish ferocity shocked Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

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TRUMP, BIDEN, SECRET SERVICE, AND THE ASSASSIN

“It’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.”

Those are the ill-timed words Joe Biden used in a political call to action days before the attempted assassination of  Donald Trump, which our team covered in real time.

There is no direct association between those words and the attempt on Trump’s life other than they characterize Biden’s caustic campaign rhetoric asserting that Trump is a grave existential threat to “democracy.”

Biden, whose administrative record is littered with a plethora of domestic and foreign policy failures, has centered his whole campaign on the diversionary theme of saving our nation from the Trump threat, and his low-information voters are sucking it up.

As I have noted, the proliferation of Biden’s faux “democracy” rhetoric is very deliberate in its obfuscation about the founding tenets of American Liberty.

When he autocratically demands that you “support democracy,” he means the statist authoritarian rule of democratic socialism, now the foundational platform of his Democrat Party.

That reveals Biden and his leftist Demo cadres are the real threats to our Republic and Liberty.

Given that Biden’s notion of “democracy” is the antithesis of our nation’s founding tenets, in that context, in fact, Trump is an enormous threat to Biden’s statist authoritarian “democracy.”

What follows is a mix of observations and analysis regarding the attack on Trump by Biden, his leftists, and a radicalized assassin.

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WHAT SHOULD WE MAKE OF TRUMP’S VP PICK?

[TTP:  The news is out that President Trump’s VP pick is J.D. Vance (see Monica Showalter’s article in American Thinker) but this writer has some very important points to make about the Veep position regarding the future.]

President Trump will be announcing his running mate within the next few days, and opinions are flying about the qualities he should seek in his next vice president.

 

Experience, state of origin, race, sex, loyalty, and past comments regarding President Trump are all factors voters are focusing on when deciding their preferred candidate to round out the Republican ticket.

The common goal is to draw turnout from as many typically non-Republican voting demographics as possible. However, the most consistent theme is that many seem to believe that Trump needs to pick someone who can be his successor.

This belief may be based in ignorance.

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THE MYTH OF MARKET FAILURE

market-failure-homerA prominent topic that economics students anywhere cannot avoid is market failure.

Students everywhere are taught that the free market is inherently unstable and causes problems that can only be fixed through legislation and regulation.

As a result, most of those who take an economics class come out of it believing that the state helps counter the shortcomings of the free market.

However, the concept of market failure is fallacious as it is based upon faulty economic reasoning.

Belief in market failure is often complementary with seeking to promote politically desirable goals rather than to promote economic growth.

 

First, a free market operates on freedom of association and property rights. Therefore, for any transaction or exchange to be conducted on a free market, it must be voluntary.

Further, if both parties agree on an exchange, then both parties must assume that the exchange is beneficial to themselves.

Whenever consumers buy a product, they value the product more than the money they pay for it. Similarly, the store sells them the product since it values the money earned more than the loss of the product that they sell to consumers.

It may be the case that one party is mistaken and ends up not preferring the exchange retroactively, but this is not a determining factor in the choice to transact.

Through this process, value is created through free markets. As people are free to interact and exchange, they make mutually beneficial trades that benefit both parties.

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FLASHBACK FRIDAY – WASHINGTON POST, APRIL 16, 1986

jw-adventures-w-freedom-fighters

This is the story on me in WaPo that chronicled my creation and implementation of The Reagan Doctrine and established my reputation in DC. The WaPo writer was very gracious and genuinely interested in my story. He told it straight and accurately quoted the people in the Reagan White House with whom I worked. I had no idea, though, that the story would be so large, spread across the front page of the Style section and continuing for another full page.

Unfortunately, you need get behind the WaPo paywall to read the entire article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/04/16/jack-wheelers-adventures-with-the-freedom-fighters/7869872b-a5db-4acf-9ed9-7bc14dac9e9e/. . (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #301, photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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POPEYE’S VILLAGE

popeyes-villageEver see the 1980 movie Popeye starring Robin Williams? It takes place in the seaside town of Sweethaven – and you’re looking at it. The film set was built in a cove on the northern end of the island of Malta in the Mediterranean just for the movie.

It’s now been transformed into a Disney-type fun park for kids and families. Not what you expect to find in an island famous for ancient temples older than the pyramids, massive medieval fortresses that were scenes of battles that saved Western Civilization, magnificently ornate Renaissance cathedrals, gorgeous beaches and breathtaking scenery. But here it is, with shows, rides, and play houses filled with children laughing and exploring. One more reason to love Malta. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #147 Photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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THE TEMPLE OF ULU WATU

ulu-watu-templeBuilt 1,000 years ago on the edge of a cliff hundreds of feet above the sea on the island of Bali, the sacred temple of Ulu Watu is one of the holiest places of worship for the Balinese people. They have retained their unique form of Balinese Hinduism for millennia that incorporates their original animism, ancestor worship, and reverence for Buddhist saints or Bodhisattva. This has resulted in a spiritual warmth and gentle friendliness matched by few other places on earth. It is little wonder so many who come here consider Bali to be a worldly paradise. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #108 Photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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THE PILLARS OF HERCULES

pillars-of-herculesOn either side of the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar there are two small mountains known since great antiquity as the Pillars of Hercules. The pillar on the northern, European side is the famous Rock of Gibraltar. That on the southern, African side is Mount Abyla, Phoenician for “lofty mountain.”

The legend for the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans was that Hercules pushed the two pillars apart to join the Mediterranean with the Atlantic. We think today of Hercules as a comic-book bodybuilder, while the truth is opposite. The entire ancient Mediterranean world very seriously worshipped him. For the Phoenicians, he was Melqart, King of the Earth. For the Greeks, he was Heracles, Divine Protector of Mankind. He was the same for the Romans, who pronounced his name as Hercules.

The Phoenician trading port of Abyla has a history of 3,000 years, from Phoenician to Carthaginian to Roman to Byzantine to Christian Visigoths to Islamic Berbers to Portuguese – and since 1668 to Spain, which continues to govern it today as the Spanish Autonomous City of Ceuta on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco.

Ceuta is a charming European city with beautiful beaches, open air cafés with great sangria, very relaxed and pleasant. It is here you find the statue of Hercules separating his Pillars commemorating the legend pictured above. Easy to get to with high-speed ferries from Algeciras near Gibraltar, Ceuta is definitely worth your while to experience. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #137 Photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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THE VOODOO MARKET OF TOGO

akodessawa-fetish-marketThe Akodessawa Fetish Market in Lomé, Togo has to be seen to be believed. Here on display is a vast array of animal parts -- heads, skulls, bones, horns, skins et al – for sale to the adherents of Togo’s official religion of Voodoo. They are used to communicate with and pray to the huge variety of spirits and deities they believe in.

What you see here is a very small fraction of the market – there are thousands of animal parts here from entire elephant skulls to small mummified rodents. Behind the displays are stalls where voodoo priests cater to devotees for healing potions or being an interlocutor to the spirits. This is not sticking pins in dolls of enemies. The people of Togo and neighboring Benin believe deeply in their religion. Togo in West Africa is the size of New Jersey and has over 130 fetish markets in the country, with the largest here. This is an experience you never forget.

(Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #273 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

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DESPERATE DEMOCRATS LIST JOB OPENING FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ON LINKEDIN

desperate-job-ad-for-dem-president WASHINGTON, D.C. — As rumors about President Biden withdrawing from the presidential race continue to swirl around the nation, desperate Democrat leaders have recently resorted to listing a job opening for a new presidential candidate on LinkedIn.

According to the posting, the Democrats are looking for four things in a new candidate: ability to breathe, ability to form coherent sentences, a strong commitment to DEI and abortion, and a lack of being named "Kamala Harris."

"Yeah, things are getting a little tight around here, so we felt like we might as well go for the full-court press and use LinkedIn," said one Democrat staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "I mean, it's not like we really have any other options, right? We're just hoping that this last resort works. Otherwise, we've just got nothing left."

Several Democrats have confirmed that the listing was inundated by applications, including several decent options like Jarack Bobama, Ramala Charis, Frammela Ferris, Garack Stomama, Handela Schmeris, and Camella Paris.

"We had to add a new requirement that all applicants would be completely prohibited from laughing, no exceptions," said the Democrat staffer. "Several of our interviewers passed away from the cackling."

At publishing time, Gavin Newsom and Gretchen Whitmer had been seen making LinkedIn accounts, though both still claimed to completely support Biden as candidate. Nancy Pelosi reportedly attempted to make an account but was unable to pass the reCaptcha.

- Babylon Bee reporting.

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HALF-FULL REPORT 07/12/24

John Fogerty’s Creedence Clearwater Revival released this back in 1969 yet they’re singing about America today.  Watch and listen to it once then once again to enjoy the music and absorb the lyrics, for there’s only one thing that can save America from this fate now.

Put another way, this is what we’re up against:

vampires

The Democrats’ invasion of illegal alien vampires sucking the blood of taxpayers with Democrat-sponsored welfare like food stamps, free housing, cash payments on and on.  All for the purpose of millions of illegals casting illegal votes to keep their Deep State in power.  Here’s what you can personally do about it.

Lots more in this HFR so jump on in.

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SKYE’S LINKS 07/11/24

no-id-votesDue to a 5-day internet outage, the links are short this week. We’ve got a heads-up about another cheat baked into the border crisis; brazen refusal by the ‘Crats to even pretend to want a fair election; and their continued determination to censor any narrative but their own (thanks to justices Barrett and Kavanaugh). They even want babysitters for Biden in the next debate (as though that would make him look stronger). Their disdain for us knows no bounds.

Then there’s Inflation, the Fast Food Price Crisis, and red Jeff Bezos tapping the benefits of a blue state before we end with a good look at the sudden collapse of the façade of liberal “democracy.” Let’s go!

 

Joe Rogan on illegal migrants. I would add one more point; the Census Department counts illegals for purposes of Congressional apportionment and hence electoral votes:

Joe Rogan Explains The Border Crisis

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AMERICA’S CURSE

mexican-rally[This Monday’s Archive was originally published on July 9, 2003, 21 years ago almost to the day.  The war that the Mexican government and ruling elite that this article warned about then has become unimaginably worse, with Obrador – yes, the article warns about him too – in power since 2018 and forming an alliance with Chicom China to destroy America via illegal invasion and drug smuggling.  Yet upon reflection today, we must recognize that America’s Curse is not Mexico, but Woke Left Americans who want their own country destroyed.  It is they who enable Obrador and the Chicoms to succeed in their war against us.] 

TTP, July 9, 2003

In a talk entitled "The Map of the Future" I gave last week in Dallas, I discussed which countries throughout the world were or could become the greatest threats to America's national security. At the top of the list, more dangerous than Iran or North Korea or China, I placed Mexico.

The bottomless inferiority complex that Mexico feels towards America is summed up in an old saying known to all Mexicans as "Mexico's Curse," the lament that their country is "So far from God, so close to the United States."

The truth, however, is the reverse. Today, Americans lament "America's Curse," that their country is so close to Mexico.

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FRAGGING, DESERTIONS AND CORRUPTION MOUNTING FOR RUSSIA

Executive Summary:

  • Moscow’s forces in Ukraine face increasing problems with the military, both at the front and at home. These issues are bound to affect Russia’s ability to fight in the coming months.
  • At the front, Russian commanders are dealing with fragging, desertions, and corruption. At home, Moscow has been compelled to offer larger bonuses to recruit more men and has even asked Russians to turn in their privately owned guns.
  • Public hostility is growing toward veterans of the war, who are committing violent crimes upon their return. These are precisely the people Putin says will become Russia’s new elite.

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