Venezuela Blockade and No-Fly Zone

America is the last remaining superpower but rarely do we act as such. It could be argued we are timid when it comes to flexing our economic and military might even though we typically flex it for the benefit of others.

Today things are a bit different. This week Russia landed approximately 100 troops in Venezuela and is clearly testing American influence in the region. The Monroe Doctrine, penned in 1823, is as valid today as ever and if South America is to remain peaceful, Russians (as well as Cubans) need to pack up and leave.

Since 1959 the United States, along with our South American friends, has conducted a maritime exercise called UNITAS for these situations. The United States should mobilize South America's Maritime defense in accordance with UNITAS training and blockade Venezuela. This blockade should extend to the air space above Venezuela. Venezuela should essentially become a no-fly zone.

At the same time the US, in coordination with the United Nations, should establish refugee camps along the boarders of Columbia, Brazil and Guyana.

The Venezuelan Constitution is very clear and the national Assembly has voted to declare the office of the President vacant. With the declaration of vacancy the leader of the national Assembly becomes interim president and this has been recognized by virtually every country in free world.

There are times it becomes important to go into harms way for the benefit of others and the stability of an entire region. This is one of those times. There are significant risks associated with action but the long term impact of no action must be weighed and Russia needs to understand Venezuela will not become another Crimea.

Many Airports Don't Use TSA

On November 19th, 2001 the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) became a government agency and it's time that we rethink its existence. Did you know many Airports with commercial flights do not use the TSA for security? Predictably their results are also consistently better than TSA. Some of the airports are: Rochester, Jackson Hole, Kansas City, Key West, Orlando, San Francisco, Sarasota, Sioux Falls and Seattle.

If the results of private airport security are consistently as good if not better than TSA why in the world do have a bloated government agency who's funding is at the whim of Congress or the pen of the President? It's likely the same reason we still have: The Rural Electrification Administration, The U.S. Geological Survey, The Economic Development Administration (EDA) which I just learned duplicates the activities of at least 62 other community development programs. The list goes on and the shear number of government agencies that Americans don't know exist and wouldn't miss is mind boggling.

Government isn't the solution... In my experience it's typically the problem and should get out of the way. George W. Bush was WRONG to establish the Department of Homeland Security and the TSA is just one of the reasons. It's time to rethink the existence of the TSA.

TSA Free Airports:

Atlantic City International Airport
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport
Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport
Dawson Community Airport
Glacier Park International Airport
Greater Rochester International Airport
Havre City-County Airport
Jackson Hole Airport
Kansas City International Airport
Key West International Airport
L. M. Clayton Airport
Orlando Sanford International Airport
Portsmouth International Airport
Punta Gorda Airport
Roswell International Air Center     
San Francisco International Airport
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
Sidney-Richland Municipal Airport
Sioux Falls Regional Airport
Tupelo Regional Airport
Wokal Field/Glasgow International

The Deep State

I don't believe the "Deep State" is some official organization or even a group of leaders that get together and discuss how they want to run the country. It's the natural result of decades of government growth of an ever increasing bureaucracy. Once a department, agency, commission, board, etc... is created they are every increasingly impossible to eliminate.

Take for example the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) that was set up to regulate the railroads because fixed tracks didn't promote competition. This agency was "captured" by the industry to such an extent when the trucking industry was able to compete with trains they were regulated in such a way as to protect trains from competition. This lasted until 1980 when Congress eventually stepped in allowing trucks to compete. The result? Freight charges declined substantially with an increase in quality of service. Trucks became more dependable allowing those using their services to maintain smaller inventories which when applied to the entire country saved tens of billions of dollars.

Government Agencies

Government Departments

Official Executive Branch Websites  "This page contains Executive Branch sites only. With the time we have available, it is not possible to list every department agency..." Library of Congress

Every government agency, department, commission, board, etc... Should be required to have a website that concisely shows their legal mandate, mission, number of employees and annual budget each year. Furthermore, the public should be able to leave comments on these websites. Finally, significant rewards should be given to leaders, managers and workers who find a way to eliminate their jobs.

Hillary Never had a Government email Address?

HRC never used or even had a State Department email account?

Yep, I too am blown away that Hillary didn't have a State Department email address. Let me spell this out... she didn't have the ability to send emails from a goverment email server unless she went to the State Department's SCIF pronounced "skiff", which she loathed to do because it was a hassle.

Hillary repeatedly saying she did not send classified emails from her private server is akin to her statements about dodging sniper fire. Totally false, easy to verify and it's crystal clear she's not being truthful but yet repeatedly said over and over to the point I think it's fair to say she believes she is being truthful.

Why did the press give her a pass? Why did the lead FBI investigator (Peter Strzok) broom the investigation. Virtually anyone else doing this would spend time in jail... Seriously jail. Saying that it would be hard to prove she intended to break the law doesn't pass the smell test?

Only after her emails, server, devices, etc... Were subpoenaed by Congress did she take efforts delete 30,000 none work related emails, bleachbit the server and use hammers on her blackberries.

"There is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information," Comey said of Clinton and her team.

Why did the FBI Director hold a press conference to make it clear the FBI was declining to prosecute Hillary Rodham Clinton? Seriously, that has to be one of the biggest overt broom jobs in the history of our Nation.

The truth will one day get out as it always does and I believe that when it does fair minded Americans will be shocked to the core while many will not even register the slightest out rage... As the mainstream media moves on to something more interesting than the overthrowing of our Democratic process.

What Exactly did Michael Cohen Plead Guilty To?

How many charges did Cohen actually plead guilty to? Nine charges? Eight Charges?

Lying to Congress about the Moscow real estate project was one and that was a bomb shell even though it's not really and Cohen never went to Moscow. Concealing more than $4 million of income from the IRS is pretty darn big. Lying to bankers about assets in order to obtain loans for which he otherwise wouldn't have qualified is a felony.

It seems the press is only interested in campaign finance violations because there salacious and implicate Trump. I was the treasurer of a congressional campaign and I had to learn the FEC rules and submit filings. The FEC campaign finance rules aren't that tough to understand if you remember their purpose is to provide transparency and hopefully prevent undue influence in our elections. The charges Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to were many but I'm pretty sure he didn't violate campaign finance law.

Can you follow the bias?

Michael Cohen sentenced to three years in prison for crimes committed while working for Trump - Washington Post

Michael Cohen, former Trump attorney, gets 3 years in prison for tax fraud, campaign finance violations, lying - Fox News

Michael Cohen Sentenced to 3 Years After Implicating Trump in Hush-Money Scandal - NYT

Michael Cohen sentenced to three years in prison after admitting he covered up Trump's 'dirty deeds' - CNN

Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen sentenced to three years prison - Reuters

Cohen sentenced to three years in prison - The Hill

‘Dirty deeds’: Ex-Trump lawyer Cohen gets 3 years in prison - AP

Michael Cohen Sentenced To 3 Years In Prison Following Plea That Implicated Trump - NPR

Michael Cohen slams Trump as he’s sentenced to 3 years in prison - New York Post

Cohen gets 3 years in prison, blames Trump for his 'path of darkness' - ABC

Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen sentenced to 3 years in prison - CBS

Michael Cohen sentenced to three years in federal prison - NBC

Michael Cohen gets 3 years in prison for tax fraud, campaign finance violations, lying to Congress, etc... - Dave Beemer

South Africa and Zimbabwe

In 2002 Zimbabwe confiscated white farmers land by gunpoint which resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe. By the end of March 2019, South Africa intends to repeat this while the West is silent.

Property rights are fundamental to democracy and I fear the world, specifically the West,  doesn't understand how significant this chain of events is going to be as the impact ripples through the world economy and psyche.

As always, I hope that there will come a day that skin color will matter as much as shoe size.

Trump is Anti Illegal Immigration?

I watch a lot of news and over and over I hear the same phrase... "Trump is anti immigration." Yep he hates immigration... Can't stand it and thinks it's destroying our country.

Wrong! Words matter and there is a big difference between illegal and legal immigration. His mom was born in Scotland and two of his three wives are foreign-born. It could safely be said that Donald Trump loves immigrants.

Why the disconnect?

The media HATES President Trump. They cried when he was elected and collectively they long since hung up their journalistic ethics. The mainstream media are to a person biased political hacks which seems like a crazy statement but for one fact... It's true.

STOP USING "IMMIGRATION" WHEN TALKING ABOUT "ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION." They are two completely different things.

Minimum Wage Should be $15.00 an Hour?

Bernie Sanders, God bless him, has a new book out and was on "CBS This Morning" pitching his progressive agenga to the unsuspecting American public. He was asked about the minimum wage and again stated that if you work 40 hours a week you shouldn't be living in poverty and the panel nods in agreement and some actually say yes.

It's so fustrating hearing this, seeing the polls showing Americans want this and knowing how totally wrong it is. Being willing to pay more for everything you buy so someone can have a living wage is compassionate. Not knowing that the opposite will happen is ignorant. Knowing an increase in the minimum wage will have the opposite result and still wanting to do it because it feels right is just wrong.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that new business models are eliminating low wage jobs. Left leaning politicians, progressives, elites, etc... that are pushing the minimum wage are either living in a bubble or not paying attention to what is going on the world.

With every increase in the minimum wage low skill jobs are phased out. Agricultural products are being harvested by machines. Workers are being replaced by robots. Wait staffs are being eliminated and kiosks are replacing order takers.

Low-wage jobs once educated and provided spending money for our nation's youth. These low wage jobs provided tempory employment and transition options for the recently unemployed but more and more they are being phased out.

Growing up in America and not understanding how a free-market economy works within a capitalistic system is beyond me. Bernie pleae stop using Sweden as an example of how democratic socialism can work... They haven't been socialist since the 60's when they figured out it doesn't work. Sweden, in many ways is more capitalistic than the United States and oh by the way they do not have ANY minimum wage laws.

"The Right Minimum Wage Should be Zero"

Admiral Mike Rogers Tells Trump He's Being Spied on!

In 2016, Admiral Mike Rogers, former Commander US 10th fleet, former commander US Cyber Command and while serving as Director of the Central Security Service & NSA Director ran an audit and discovered that the DOJ and FBI had been lying to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) to get warrants and had done so to watch Trump and his team. He went to the FISC and told them what he discovered.

Shortly after the election, Admiral Mike Rogers (without permission and without asking) went to see Trump. Note: It only took five days for NPR to smear the Admiral which indicates how damaging what he discovered likely was.

- On Thursday November 17th, 2016, NSA Director Mike Rogers traveled to New York and met with President-Elect Donald Trump.

"In a move apparently unprecedented for a military officer, Rogers, without notifying superiors, traveled to New York to meet with Trump on Thursday at Trump Tower. That caused consternation at senior levels of the Obama Administration, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters."

- On Friday November 18th, 2016 the Trump Transition team left Trump Towers for good and relocated to Trump's New Jersey golf club.

- On Friday November 18th The Washington Post reported on a recommendation that Mike Rogers be removed from his NSA position:  "The heads of the Pentagon and the nation’s intelligence community have recommended to President Obama that the director of the National Security Agency, Adm. Michael S. Rogers, be removed." Why? For cause as he was allegedly doing a poor job and lacked leadership... Admiral Rogers lacked leadership? Just to be clear that was total sarcasm.

The recommendation was made by Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr., according to several U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The same Clapper who lied to Congress and the American people stating the NSA was not collecting massive amounts of data on millions of unsuspecting Americans.

On Saturday November 19th, 2018 Reuters also reported on the Washington Post story. They confirmed that the heads of the Pentagon and the U.S. intelligence community had requested President Obama fire Mike Rogers.

If you want a list of members of the "Deep State" you can start by determining who was asking for Mike Rogers head.

- Admiral Rogers continued on as the director of the NSA in the Trump Administration. Admiral Mike Rogers retired from active duty and Directer of the NSA on May 4th, 2018.

To this day James Clapper, CNN contributor, continues to embarrass himself and the intelligence community by making erroneous statements about what he did as director of national intelligence during the Obama years.

Silicone Valley Hard Core Liberals

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