I think most of us hoped for the best but expected the worse
for 2021. We weren't disappointed. Starting the year with the continuing Covid
Crisis, a looming withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, an aggressive
China, and a highly contested presidential election, 2021 was one for the
history books.
January 6th Protest:
Trumping Justice?
2021 came in with a roar and we're still hearing its echo.
It began as a protest in Washington on January 6th over the contested results
of the presidential election. It devolved into an all out protest over a broken
political system. Protestors stormed Capitol Hill, flags in hand, and entered
the House and Senate Chambers where, as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said
with her usual sarcastic seriousness, the "People's business" was
conducted. If by "people" she meant corporations, she was right.
Windows were broken, laptops and other "mementos"
were stolen as legislators fled rather than face the angry voters they were
supposed to represent. Many officials hide under their desk behind lock doors to wait things out. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed to
have been there and terrified by what might happen next when in reality she was
over a block away and in no danger.
Immediately members of the House and Senate blamed President
Trump, who was as surprised by the magnitude of the protests as anyone, but bedeviled
by his ill-advised texts of support for the protest. By the time it was all over,
one unarmed protester, 35 year old Ashli Babbit, lay dead on the
Speaker's lobby floor, having been shot and killed by a Washington police officer. Four others died of natural causes. Two were
heart attacks, one was an overdose, while the other, a police officer, had a
stroke.
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, deeply spiteful toward
Trump and his supporters, has tried every way possible to impeach Trump a
second time and bar him from ever holding office again. The Department of
Justice has sought out anyone involved with the protest (which the corporate media
terms as a "riot" and "insurrection" as opposed to Antifa's
and BLM's "peaceful" looting, vandalism of public and private
property, random assaults, and arson of the previous Summer).
Thus far, 727 protestors have been charged by the DOJ. 50
have been tried, convicted, and sentenced (one person, who stole a beer from
Pelosi's office, got 20 days. Good thing he left the bourbon alone!).
Most of the 50 arrested were charged with
misdemeanor crimes. Of those, 19 received jail time. Four were charged with
felonies and sentenced from 8 months to 3 1/2 years in prison.
Democrats and Leftist activists are demanding lengthier
sentences while those on the Right are outraged at any sentencing (especially
in lieu of the Antifa and BLM protests and violent riots over the summer and
faced little or no legal repercussions), calling the convicted "political
prisoners".
Meanwhile, at year's end, the DOJ and other federal agencies
are still conducting investigations into whether President Trump or anyone in
his administration were involved or had any prior knowledge of the protests.
It's seems that the Democrats (and a few Republicans) are determined to insure
that Trump doesn't ever run again for any office. Establishment Republicans
want to be rid of any and all Trump supporters.
The protests of January 6th was an explosion of emotion by
the Right who've, up to that point, had largely held back their anger and
frustration at what they saw a stolen election by the Democrats and the further
destruction of America; egged on by the media. It's an example of not just how
divided we've become, but also how the Right wasn't going to set back and take
it any longer.
Biden's Year One
The protests of January 6th and its aftermath marked the
beginning of Biden's Administration. Perhaps too, it should be seen as a
warning of the depth of our divide and anger. The Biden Administration started
off by quickly overturning many of Trump's policies, especially regarding
illegal immigration along our southern border. One of his first order of
business was stopping the construction of the border wall and removing what had
already been erected.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration reportedly had indicated
the families "separated" under Trump's "Zero Tolerance"
policy were to received $425,000
each
according to a Wall Street Journal story. According to the story, the ACLU had
filed a lawsuit on behalf of the families affected despite the fact that the
actions of the immigrants being in violation of section 212 of the Immigration
and Naturalization Act and section 275(a) making it a crime to enter the
country illegally. The lawsuit would be like a burglar suing a homeowner for
injuring them self while robbing their house.
However, in a November 3rd press conference, Biden angrily
denied there would be any payments when asked by a reporter. The executive
director of the ACLU, Anthony Romero, quickly refuted Biden's statement and
suggested that Biden might want to discuss the matter with his Justice
Department regarding the settlement negotiations, which apparently Biden is
unaware of. Meanwhile, the crisis on the southern border keeps growing as
illegal immigrants pile up.
COVID and the
Continuing Pandemic
By the end of 2020, most Americans had begun to breathe a
sigh of relief...without the masks. After being assured of a short 14 day
shutdown which turned in a nearly yearlong quarantine, shortages, and constant
"doomsday" reporting by governors, the CDC, Dr. Fauci, and the media,
Americans had reached a breaking point when, out of the blue, three vaccines
appeared...just like magic.
Again, Americans were assured that the vaccines; these
magical elixirs would save the day. All we had to do now was "take the
jab", and many did. However, several things happened. First, we were told
we could still get the virus, except the symptoms wouldn't be as bad (but
people could still died). Second, we should continue wearing our masks,
use sanitizers, and take all of the previous precautions. Third, we were to
continue to "social distance" just like the previous (election) year. Just
saying.
Then the other shoe dropped. Reports started emerging from
highly reputable doctors, professional medical associations, and others that
the vaccines, which were produced, approved, and released within four months (a
process which normally can take years or decades) weren't a safe as promoted.
Then we started hearing from those who "got the jab" and about their
reactions to the vaccine, including development of other health issues, some of
which were serious or potentially deadly.
The CDC, Biden Administration, and media immediately jumped
in to delete the reports, discredit the doctors and testimonials, while social
media overtly started censoring any content contrary to the Status Quo. As an
aside, social media platforms had previously been censoring, labeling, or
removing any content which it regarded as not in compliance with its
"community guidelines" (ie: conservative).
A large segment of Americans, mostly conservative or
independent, began opting out of the "jab", along with wearing a mask
or social distancing. They also refused to censor their speech. This resulted in
Biden issuing a "mandate" telling Americans to comply. Never a good
idea. This "mandate" also directed all government employees and
"encouraged" all businesses to require workers to get the jab and provide
proof; reminiscent of the Nazi Era "Kennkarte" or identification
cards. An even worse idea.
As the mandate took effect, companies quickly found
themselves in serious trouble. No employees. This mushroomed into unstocked
shelves .Trucks and ships not being unloaded. No one to operate checkout
counters, take orders at restaurants, or staff offices. With shortages came higher
demand for products, resulting in higher prices; inflation has now raised its
ugly head, thus creating a new economic crisis on top of the 2020 quarantine which
forced many small businesses to close for good.
War and Rumors of War
Another hallmark of 2020 was the "withdrawal" of
U.S. and Allied forces from Afghanistan. President Trump had intended a slow
withdrawal of troops while continuing to work with Afghan forces based on the
advice of his generals. Biden, however, opted for a immediate and full pullout,
leaving a unstable government under President Karzai in a precarious situation.
The Afghan Army and security forces was never that good. While
its equipment (mainly American and British) were superb, it's training adequate,
it's dedication and willingness to fight was pathetic. It reminded many of the
South Vietnamese Army in the 70's as America withdrew from that war.
Many called Biden's decision "ill advised" or
"dangerous", which proved to be right. Within 30 days of U.S. exodus,
Karzai and his regime were gone (along with billions of dollars). The Taliban
was back in charge and now in possession of state of the art American and
British equipment. Al Qaeda, the reason for our invasion in the first place,
was back in business along with ISIS. Our
20 year war was a failure. Thousands of Afghans, many unvetted, were evacuated
mainly to Europe and the U.S.. Let's hope no terrorists were among them. Meanwhile,
Biden was the Taliban's new "Man of the Year".
As if that wasn't enough, China has been flexing its
economic and political muscle. The pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong vanished
under the cloud of Covid; Taiwan has been increasingly threaten, as China has
invaded the territorial fishing waters of its neighbors and staking claim over the
South. China Sea while skirmishing with India over the disputed Sino-Indian
border region known as "South Tibet".
Given America's perceived weakness by China and other
nations, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, and
Australia have begun to work together as
a buffer against Chinese expansion and to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty. China has already issued stern warnings that
any interference would result in serious consequences. Is that muscle or mouth?
We may soon find out.
Meanwhile, Biden claims that according to his intelligence
reports, Russia is preparing to invade the Ukraine, a claim which President
Putin strongly denies. The Ukraine has petitioned to join NATO, which would
allow NATO missiles, troops, and other military hardware to be stationed
directly on Russia's border. Other former Warsaw Pact nations have joined NATO.
Thus, a threatened Putin has stated that while no invasion is intended, NATO
missiles and military in the Ukraine would not be tolerated.
Who's In Charge of
This Circus?
Lastly, there's the matter of Biden's health. Ever since the
presidential debates, there's been questions concerning Biden's health. He's
already had two surgeries for brain aneurysms and appears to have memory
trouble. He's shown repeated odd behavior, like getting lost, unable to
properly read speeches on teleprompters, understand issues or questions, even
with ear piece he tries to conceal.
His latest physical (first since becoming president) was
good for someone 79 years old, at least that's what we were told. However, a
lot of people, both in and out of politics seriously question his ability to
hold office. Foreign leaders seem to agree, and see America as weak and
potentially vulnerable. His approval rating is in the low 30's, which is one of
the worse of any president, while his Vice President, Kamala Harris, has the
lowest approval ratings ever for a VP with 28%.
All of this raises the question, who is actually in charge,
and what does it mean for America? We all know America is in the decline as a
world power. The ruling Oligarchy and the media has sought to divided us up
ever way from Sunday. It makes us easier to control and manipulate, but as the
"anti-vaxxers" and the January 6th protestors have shown, their grip
is slipping. Even those on the Left
outside of the Establishment, know something is wrong. We feel it our souls.
This is not our America.
As we've learned over the past several presidencies, neither
intelligence, experience, or even character are essential to be president. It
seems that only the right connections (especially money), and the ability to
look good, sound good, and have some a medicorum of charisma are required. Everything
else can be faked or manufactured. Of course, the one ironclad quality is to
maintain the Status Quo, no matter what you tell or promise the people. The
empire must be maintained.
Getting Out Alive:
We're All Americans
We need to do more than "hope" 2022 is better. We
must ensure that it is. We must acknowledge who the real enemy of our freedoms
really are, and it's not each other. It's not black vs. white vs. brown, red,
or yellow, nor is it pro gun vs. gun control. It's also not pro-choice vs. pro-life
any more than it's straight vs. gay, or conservative vs. liberal. Party
registration means nothing either.
When you get down to it, there's little difference between
the two. They both serve the same corporate masters. Perhaps that's why the
majority of Americans have chosen to become Independent. We need to find ways of coming together,
starting at the local level, and finding solutions with or (preferably) without
government's "help" which always comes with strings, and take action.
"Sheeple" need not apply. Labels and hyphens mean nothing. We are
Americans first, now, and last.
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