SUNDAY DIGEST | US Admiral: China Has Fully Militarized South China Sea Isles
US Admiral: China Has Fully Militarized South China Sea Isles
China has completed its militarization of at least three of the several islands it built in the disputed South China Sea, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, and fighter jets in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating nearby. US Indo-Pacific commander Adm. John C. Aquilino said the hostile actions were in stark contrast to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s past assurances that Beijing would not transform the artificial islands in contested waters into military bases.
If the West has learned anything from the actions of the Communist Chinese through the 21st Century it is that they cannot be trusted. They have thieved intellectual property and military secrets, disingenuously manipulated their currency against other world currencies, lied about their intentions in the South China Sea, and aggressively built up their military. They enslave and commit genocide against their own people, support the aggressive military actions of Russia, align themselves with terrorist-financing nation-states, and are actively seeking to co-opt the world financial system with the help of the greedily ignorant at the World Economic Forum. The question we all should be asking is this: Why does any nation have any interaction with them at all?
Biden Administration Resumes Planning for Oil Drilling Leases on Federal Lands
The Department of the Interior announced Friday that it will resume planning for the issuance of leases for oil and gas drilling on federal lands. The move comes two days after a federal appeals court decision temporarily allowing the agency to use the Biden administration's increased social cost of carbon (SCC), in its decision-making process for leasing. Last week, the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that the Biden administration could temporarily resume using the increased SCC while it weighs the case.
This move, a quasi-victory for those pushing for a return to energy independence in the United States, very quietly injects the financial cancer of ESG scoring into the mix, legitimizing it for use by the departments and agencies of the federal government. This plays into the hands of the greed-merchants who want to see the sovereignty of the US economic system kneel to the World Economic Forum’s Great Reset.
Amid Soaring Inflation, Skyrocketing Gas Prices, Democrat-Controlled Congress Brings Back Earmarks
Congress' $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill includes scores of earmarks that dole out millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars to lawmakers' pet projects back home in their districts. Originally taken down during the Republican Tea Party wave during former President Obama’s administration, earmarks were used for decades to give lawmakers a loophole to fund pet projects back home. Congress’s appropriations bill quietly brought back earmarks to Congress.
Apparently, the fact that only 19 percent of Americans approve of the earmark tactic means nothing to a spendthrift federal government. Not only do the federally elected continuously and habitually spend beyond their means; spend us into debt, they do so to bribe fickle constituencies and pad the pockets of political benefactors at our expense. If there was ever a solid case for term limits and stand-alone legislation, the disingenuous reinstitution of earmarks is it.
Metal Shortages, Escalating Costs May Short-Circuit Green Energy Schemes
In an unusual step, the London Metal Exchange suspended nickel trading on Tuesday morning after three-month contract prices more than doubled to over $100,000 per ton. Nickel is a critical ingredient in the lithium-ion battery cells used in most electric vehicles sold in – and planned for – the US market. Its abrupt price surge has analysts and investors raising hard questions about automakers’ ambitious electric-vehicle programs.
As I have stated repeatedly and, no doubt, will continue to say, the Green energy technology is simply not there yet; it is not ready to the lead in satisfying the energy needs of either the United States or the world. If those pushing for the use of renewable energy would simply approach energy with an “all of the above” mindset as renewable energy technology advances to affordability and reliability, there isn’t a soul on the planet that would object to embracing Green energy. But the eco-zealotry of the Green movement is so caustic, arrogant, and offensive that many won’t embrace a cooperative tone with the Green movement because they are, well, egotistical assh*les.
Germany Calls for Renewed Free-Trade Negotiations with the US, European Union
Germany is calling for renewed negotiations over a free trade agreement between the US and European Union. "We should resume negotiations on a transatlantic free trade agreement," Christian Lindner, Germany’s finance minister said, "Especially now in the [Ukraine] crisis, it is becoming clear how important free trade is with partners around the world who share our values." The US embassy in Berlin didn't respond directly to Lindner's comments.
Of course, the Biden administration would refrain from directly addressing the statement. Every one of their actions is reactionary and done in a retarded (meaning painfully slow, in the primary) manner. A significant article by Samuele Furfari in the French publication Contrepoints (which you can use any translation app to read) points out that now that Vladimir Putin has used the energy card in his quest to coerce Europe into taking a knee to his special brand of jackass that card cannot be played again. Europe will seek to shore up its energy needs to marginalize Putin’s stranglehold. So, Biden and his Green energy zealots might want to knock it off with the purest energy ideology and start engaging ingenuously with the real world, lest Europe pivots to China and its satellite oil providers.
Poland's Diplo Asserts Nation's Troops 'Willing, Ready' to Help Ukraine
Poland’s ambassador to the United States, Marek Magierowski, outlined a “preliminary concept” that there be a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine to stop Russian aggression. “We are willing and ready to help the Ukrainians as much as possible...within the framework of NATO cooperation to defend themselves...We have to be very adamant that if Russia escalates and if this war is protracted in the longer term, we have to be ready to defend NATO territory...we're ready to defend every inch of NATO territory, ready to defend every NATO member country.”
If you take the temperature of any government that existed behind the Iron Curtain and had to fight for their freedom and autonomy against a grasping Russia, the opinion would be overwhelming that they will do whatever it takes not to be placed – ever – under the yoke of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. They know too well that existence and they want no part of it...just like the Ukrainians.
Putin Lays Out Demands for Ceasefire in Ukraine in Talks with Turkey's Erdogan
Vladimir Putin laid out several demands for the Ukrainian government in addressing the possibility of a ceasefire during a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. A Turkish presidential spokesperson said, “Basically, there are six topics discussed. The first is Ukraine’s neutrality...its withdrawal from NATO membership. Second, disarmament and mutual security guarantees in the context of the Austrian model. Third, [is] ‘de-Nazification.’ Fourth, removing obstacles to the widespread use of Russian in Ukraine.” The other two demands center on Ukraine recognizing Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the independence of the Donbas.
Given Erdagon’s recent kneejerk to align his government with Islamism and Islamofascist entities, the world should trust him as an honest peace broker like we should recognize Charles Manson as a youth group leader. Further, since Putin has obliterated his credibility as a truthteller on the world stage in his violation of the Budapest Memorandum, how can anything that he says be taken at face value? Fool me once, shame on you...
Saudi Arabia, China Discussing Using Chinese Yuan Instead of US Dollar for Oil Purchases
Saudi Arabia is in active talks with Beijing to price some of its oil sales to China in yuan, a move that would cripple not only the petrodollar’s dominance of the global petroleum market, marking another shift by the world’s top crude exporter toward Asia, but also a move aimed squarely at the heart of the US financial system which has taken advantage of the dollar's reserve status by printing as many dollars as needed to fund government spending over the past several decades.
Those of us who have been sounding the alarm about the reckless, wasteful deficit spending of our federal government, are approaching a very painful “I told you so” moment and one that will catch most Americans in very vulnerable situations. This is the cost of not reigning in your elected officials when they want to spend millions on turtle tunnels in Northern California or on Bahamian Art centers in Miami, both of which the federal government should have nothing to do with. The smart American is hedging his/her bets by investing in cryptocurrency until we can get a handle on the US economy. At some point, Keynesian economics will be realized as a fool’s errand and some adults will be at the head of the country’s financial stewardship.
In the Face of 52% Interest Rates, IMF Strong-Arms Argentina to Discourage Cryptocurrency Use
The IMF has leveraged a $45 billion debt restructuring deal to demand the Argentinian government ‘discourage’ the use of cryptocurrencies. The demand has outraged bitcoin holders in Argentina, who use BTC as a safe haven against the country’s runaway interest rates of 52 percent. The restructuring deal will prevent Argentina’s imminent default of $19 billion in repayments due to the fund, granting the country a four and a half year grace period. In return, the government agrees not only to reduce its deficit and money-printing but also to curb the use of cryptocurrencies within the nation.
Just another example of the global elite creating a monopolistic dependence while devastating the economic sovereignty of nations. What business is it of the IMF how cryptocurrency is used in Argentina? If the financial health of any given nation is the goal of the IMF – which it most certainly is not – then should they be using an “all of the above” approach to financial health? The IMF doesn’t want any nation to use or embrace cryptocurrency because they can’t control decentralized currency markets. Cryptocurrencies force the spendthrift governments of the world as well as the globalist robber barons like those of the IMF and the WEF to come to heel because they can’t manipulate the masses through the control of money. Viva le Cryptocurrency!
Australian Government to Overhaul Payments Systems; Will Introduce Crypto Framework
The Australian government will regulate cryptocurrencies as part of an overhaul of the payment systems in Australia. The proposed regulations will cover cryptocurrency taxes, investor protection from criminals, and ways to regulate digital banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, and brokers.
Congratulations to Australia on embracing the unstoppable advancement of cryptocurrencies. Now if only they can keep from needing to “protect” the sphere with opportunistic laws and regulations meant to empower them with the means to destroy is just like the governments of the world have destroyed fiat currencies by the micromanagement and grifting opportunism, we might be able to see wealth generation for all the people of the world, not just the George Soros’ and Biden’s.
Six Dead, over 20 Seriously Injured After Car Plowed Into Carnival Crowd In Belgium
At least six people have died, including a child, and over 70 have been injured, more than 20 seriously after a car rammed into a large crowd of festival-goers in Belgium Sunday morning. The collision is unexplained, although authorities immediately discounted terrorism. At least one person – a local – has been arrested by Belgian police. The incident took place as locals prepared for a local carnival, which involves traditional celebrants known as ‘Gilles’ getting up early in the morning to dance throughout the event.
Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the victims and families of this attack. Whether it is terrorism-related or otherwise, this act of aggression on the peaceful people of Strépy-Bracquegnies is evil and those responsible should see the swift and decisive sword of justice applied.
'Coding Logic Error, Forces CDC to Dramatically Reduce the Number of Deaths Related to COVID; Reduce a 24% Reduction for Those Under 18
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has removed tens of thousands of deaths linked to COVID, including nearly a quarter of deaths it had listed in those under 18 years old. The health agency quietly made the change on its data tracker website on March 15. “Data on deaths were adjusted after resolving a coding logic error. This resulted in decreased death counts across all demographic categories,” the CDC says on the site.
And now that Walensky, Collins, Fauci, and the CDC, on the whole, have so politically damaged the once austere organization, the public cannot but see this “correction” in a “coding error” as blatant manipulation of the data to protect political activism. No thinking American can trust the word of the CDC, HIH, Pfizer, or those in the federal government after the blatant and purposeful manipulation of the American people on the issue of COVID. Those in positions of power during this “event” lied to everyone and financially gained from the lies. They need to be held to account and names need to be named.
Forbes Destroys Its Credibility; Removes Contributor After ‘Numerous’ Articles About Fauci
Forbes has cut off its association with a prolific contributor after he wrote a number of articles about Dr. Anthony Fauci. Forbes recently removed Adam Andrzejewski, founder and CEO of OpenTheBooks.com, as a contributor. Prior to the action, Andrzejewski had multiple stories on information that he and his group obtained regarding Fauci’s financial situation. After being instructed to “stop writing about Fauci,” the column was terminated – the same day Forbes published a piece about how Fauci’s portrait will hang in the Smithsonian.
Another one bites the dust. Through its censorship and micromanaging of its analysts – who by the very nature of their mission in any publication are supposed to speak truth to power, Forbes has removed itself from the list of credible news sources. The cancerous epidemic of censorship in the American media sphere needs to end. The only way that can happen is if the people start excommunicating offending outlets, both publications and social media.
New York City to Indefinitely Continue Vaccine Mandate for Private Sector
New York City’s new health commissioner, Ashwin Vasan, said on Friday that the city’s vaccine mandate for private-sector workers who work on-site will continue indefinitely. The city’s school mask mandate for children aged 5 and under will also remain in place. At his first COVID press briefing, when asked whether there were any specific benchmarks that would enable the city to decide to lift the vaccine mandate for private-sector workers, Vasan did not initially provide a direct response.
Guess following the science for the elected in New York is just oh so boring. A waterfall of studies are not only calling into question the effectiveness of the vaccines, but they are also pointing out very real and debilitating side effects for many. Further, the omicron variant serves as a direct pathway to herd immunity. So, what part of the message “the pandemic is over” doesn’t the activist Vasan understand? Allowing zealots like Vasan to destroy cities like New York should be a crime. Instead, Democrats give them pensions.
LA Unified School District to End Indoor Mask Mandate Next Week
The Los Angeles Unified School District announced it will end its indoor mask mandate for students and staff by March 23 after a week of negotiating an existing contract with its teachers’ union. The schools will align with the guidance from the State of California and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to make masking strongly recommended. A March 18 agreement between the school district and the United Teachers of Los Angeles includes a requirement for weekly COVID testing for students and staff until the end of the school year.
As almost every study done about COVID and children under 18 has proven that they are next to unaffected by the virus, this agreement is an exercise in bending over for the teachers' unions, who should have zero say in how the schools handle internal affairs and policy unrelated to teacher pay and benefits. The LAUSD should have taken a page out of Ronald Reagan’s book and fired every one of the teachers who didn’t show up for work without caveat.
Equifax, Experian, TransUnion to Remove Majority of Medical Debt from Consumers' Credit Reports
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion have announced they will collectively remove nearly 70% of medical collection debt tradelines from credit reports. Starting July 1, paid medical collection debt will no longer be included on consumer credit reports. In addition, the time period before unpaid medical collection debt would appear on a consumer’s report will be increased from 6 months to one year, offering consumers more time to address their debt with insurance and healthcare providers before it is reported.
Given that the entire “credit rating” scam is just that – a scam to control the economic mobility of the populace – this move, while sounding like something of substance, really means very little. And as the ESG scoring scam starts to trickle into personal finance, there is little hope that honest brokers of credit will survive. Perhaps if financial institutions told Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to go p*ss up a rope and started making their own decisions about loan applications and lines of credit, communities would be stranger and the globalists would be neutered. Just saying...
Indiana Governor Signs Bill Mandating Paper Backup for All Voting Machines
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has signed legislation that requires all counties using certain voting machines to leave a paper trail before the 2024 presidential election. The new state law, HEA1116, requires Indiana counties that use electronic voting machines to install “voter-verifiable paper audit trails” – a backup system that allows people to check their votes on a paper printout before confirming their votes, before the 2024 election.
Common sense voter integrity legislation. So, obviously, San Francisco will boycott Indiana because of its oppressive voter laws and Stacey Abrams will arrive shortly for protest rallies. The Hollywood elite will call all Hoosiers fascists and racists and Antifa and Black Lives Matter will torch the streets of Terre Haute and Indianapolis. How dare the people of Indiana want to know who they actually voted for...where’s Greta Thunberg when you need her?
GOP Launches Voter Mobilization Effort at Gas Stations Amid High Fuel Prices
The Republican National Committee said it has begun a voter mobilization effort at gas stations across the United States as Americans pay record-high prices for fuel. “Don’t like the #BidenGasHike? Vote! Republicans are coming to gas stations nationwide to register voters!” wrote the GOP Chair.
Smart. This just goes to validate the claim that even a blind squirrel can find a nut occasionally. Now let’s see if the RNC is bright enough to make future elections all about policy instead of personality. Let’s see if they can ignore the marketing traps that Democrats set for them and remain laser-focused on educating the masses so as to create a more intelligent electorate. When voters understand the issues and the policies being offered by honest Republicans (not that establishment reprobates like Mitch McConnell and Lindsay Graham) they almost always vote GOP.
South Carolina to Resume Firing Squad Executions
South Carolina will now be able to perform executions via firing squad after a decadelong hiatus. The state's Department of Corrections announced Friday it made the necessary renovations at its capital punishment facility to accommodate the method, which condemned prisoners can now choose as a means of death under a state law passed last year. "The death penalty is going to stay the law here for a while," Democrat state Sen. Dick Harpootlian said. "If we're going to have it, it ought to be humane."
Truthfully, no one really knows the pain felt when being shot in the head in execution, so we should presume. For that matter, we only believe that lethal injection is pain-free. We do know that the electric chair is a bit on the barbaric side. And, I suppose, along with the immediacy of death by firing squad, one could bring back the guillotine. That was pretty “right now.” That said, when someone has been convicted beyond a reasonable doubt of having committed a capital crime – and after all appeals and mitigating circumstances have been weighed in considering a pardon, as the theme song to Baretta goes, “don't do the crime if you can't do the time.”
