Current Events – Page 21 – The Laughing Wolf

They Didn’t Learn

And we are likely to pay. The so-called leaders who were the most draconian during COVID faced no sanctions of any kind for their illegal, high-handed, and unconstitutional orders. Heck, most of them have been re-elected despite all the damage they did. Just look at Indiana where human petri dish High Tax Holcomb was sailed merrily along raising taxes, and Boss Hogsbreath, the mayor of Indianapolis who went both missing and Screwloose at different times, is likely going to be re-elected. Look at Reichsgovernor Witmer in Michigan, along with so many more.

The true poster child of the lockdown left, however, was Gov. Grisham of NM. I’m really surprised she didn’t get more of a national stage (which seemed to be her goal) as she not only went full lockdown, but even shut down grocery stores for two (or more) weeks. Let the peasant’s starve! She also took full advantage to regulate liquor and other stores because she could. Where was the principled opposition to her draconian and over-reaching orders? Good question. I haven’t found any significant opposition to her then, or now.

Yes, now. Yesterday, Gov. Grisham declared the 1st and 2nd amendments null and void in the area of Albuquerque over a public health emergency of violence. She is also demanding and/or seizing a lot of info into types of guns, calibers, etc. and may be demanding it of local gun dealers. You don’t go after that info unless you intend to use it.

The Albuquerque chief of police has thanked the governor for her actions, though he has noted in a memo that enforcement will be by state-level resources. In other words, APD is not getting involved with making those arrests or decisions. There are a lot of problems with LE and prosecution in the Albuquerque area, and I leave that research up to you. I used to go out there on a regular basis for NASA, and saw the slide start. You get out from there, and things aren’t bad except for a spineless legislature and a fascist governor. The latter are why I have not looked at NM as a viable location.

A quick note for LE and those working for state and county governments, and not just in NM though they are the audience I hope to reach. I wrote a while back about the need to make decisions, as circumstances are putting people in the position of assisting, enforcing, or otherwise implementing illegal and unconstitutional orders The shadow of Nuremberg is upon us, and you have decisions to make. Will you be a good little servant and do as you are told, and join the ranks of the Stasi and party bureaucrats? Or, will you have the courage, honor, and integrity to refuse even if it means your job, or life? The choice is yours, and I will note that if you refuse to make a choice, you still have made a choice you just don’t have the integrity to admit to yourself.

For everyone else, be aware of who makes what choices. This is a chilling reminder that there are many who will cheerfully and willingly enforce illegal orders. There are even more who will keep the bureaucratic machine running so as not to rock the boat.

The governor, who seems to think she’s the Präsident der Republik Grisham, needs to be removed from office ASAP. I’m not sure what the mechanism is per the New Mexico constitution, but clear violations of the Constitution can’t be allowed to stand. This order and power grab needs an emergency injunction via the Supreme Court as well. Provided that court and others don’t wimp out again and declare that the citizens of the state don’t have standing to question their betters. Also, this does require New Mexico legislators and politicians (or even LE) with a spine and a brain — which seems to be in short supply.

This needs to be dealt with hard and fast, because if it isn’t, she may be the first but will not be the last. Expect to see every power-hungry wanna-be tyrant declare public health emergencies on a similar vein, and they won’t just be going after guns though they will at the start. Remember what has happened to every disarmed population in history… The Biden Regency and imperial governors are also hard at work to destroy the First Amendment, and will use these orders to advance that effort. So, find ways to call this out, to help those who can stomp it hard and fast in the courts, and to hold those abusing power accountable so that they suffer consequences, real consequences, for their actions.

Otherwise, the dark days I see coming will get here a lot sooner than they would otherwise. We’re still in the Golden Hour, but efforts like this, unless met, will erode that hour to uselessness.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Kadyrov, hmmmmmm

I’ve noted for a while now that I considered Kadyrov to be the kingmaker in ongoing Russian politics. Almost fanatically loyal to Vladimir, he has benefited from Vladmir’s largely successful efforts to integrate him into the current Kremlin political structure. That has required a level of ongoing effort by Vladimir, as not everyone is fond of Kadyrov’s past or the fact that even before the “coup” attempt he had 1,000 troops stationed next to the Kremlin for the use by and protection of Vladmir. During the “coup” he was bringing a lot more troops in to protect Moscow, the Kremlin, and Vladimir — and key Russian figures moved none.

If you are not familiar with the relationship between Russia and the Chechens, let’s just describe it as interesting. There’s long been a push for a ‘free Chechen republic’ and a lot of friction (massive understatement) and not just in the last few decades. Add to it that Vladimir cemented his hold on power by blaming the Chechens for the apartment building bombings (done by the FSB) and fomenting a war. Despite all this, things worked out for Kadyrov to become a Vladimir loyalist and a major power player in Kremlin politics. Or, possibly, former major power player.

Keep in mind that I don’t think Vladimir is anywhere near the top of his game anymore. In fact, I continue to see signs of personal and political decline. Pringle’s “coup” seems to be accelerating the latter. Back to this in a minute.

For all the publicity, Pringles was a vassal to a vassal of Vladimir within the power structure, for all intents and purposes. For all he had turned into a billionaire and small-time oligarch, he was not the key player he (and most corporate media) portrayed. For all that he was a staunch supporter of Vladimir, his first love was to himself. To build the empire he wanted, and to enjoy fully the lifestyle he very much enjoyed (the uniformed figure camping with the troops was mostly for show IMO), he advanced by parroting others. He echoed Vladimir extensively. It has also been noted that when Kadyrov spoke, Pringles echoed.

This was particularly true in regards criticism of the MoD and the general (cough) incompetence in regards the war. For all that both wanted to put the blame for issues squarely on the MoD, and not them or their troops, I think that Kadyrov, more than Pringles, was unhappy at excess casualties and other issues. Kadyrov was, however, far better at playing the game than Pringles, and despite some apparent attempts to get Pringles to calm down, Pringles launched his coup while trying to frame it as focused on the MoD and not Vladimir, and perhaps even within certain circles to present it as an effort to protect Vladimir from those who were effectively betraying him.

That didn’t fly, however, and both Vladimir and Kadyrov both condemned the “coup” and labeled Pringles as a backstabbing traitor. Interestingly enough, both have come out faintly praising/praising Pringles and noting that he let his ambitions get the better of him. The faint was, of course, Vladimir. The not-so-faint was Kadyrov. It is the degree of the difference of the praise that may be very interesting.

As an aside, yes, I do believe Pringles is dead. If it were some sort of Hollyweird “WitSec” effort, it would require not only extensive plastic surgery for Pringles and Utkin, but also personality transplants. I don’t think it psychologically possible for either one of them, even with new faces and identities, to simply go live a quiet life somewhere.

Over the years, I’ve met two people in witness protection who exemplify what I’m talking about. In the first case, when I first graduated I worked at a large bookstore, where we had an “interesting” older female customer. Always trying to pull fast ones, total PITA. Turns out, she was doing interesting things at her business, which led to law enforcement investigation(s), which led to the story coming out in the paper that she was in witness protection and they had to know she was scamming people even before they moved her again. The other was an accountant turned restaurant owner who opened an Italian place where I was living at the time. Actually, some of the best Italian I’ve had in the U.S. His fast one involved (possibly among other things) not paying the witholding for his employees. Again, as law enforcement moved in, he was moved out as he really was an accountant who had testified against the mob.

Is there anyone out there who believes Pringles and Utkin could just go off and not do something similar? Coming from the Russian government, the DNA evidence is automatically suspect, but it is out there. That said, lot of circumstantial evidence around that they are indeed dead. While it wasn’t Vladimir’s normal extra-gruesome death for those he feels have personally betrayed him, it was a stark reminder that even if you are surrounded by troops pretty much 24-7 as well as security he can and will get you. That’s a message on more than one level, and with more than one target.

Which ties in to previous discussions on smart moves and why I expected the hit to happen later. Russia was using Wagner to great advantage in Africa, even more so than in the Middle East. I honestly expected to see them use them even more before striking. I think two things may have changed that calculus. First is Niger, where Wagner had extensive involvement. Did Pringles push some things against orders to curry favor and build back power? Interesting questions. There are, of course, rumors of that and other things that would have not sat well with Vladimir or other power players. Second is that Vladimir took some serious internal political hits during and after the coup. He very much needs propping up/shows of strength right now.

The whole “push some things” holds true in many regards to Kadyrov as well. Kadyrov moved troops against the “coup” both in occupied Ukraine and in Moscow. Keep in mind this so-called coup had silent backers in Moscow and beyond, and not just in one or more major players. More than ever I think it had silent partners in several key players and a number of oligarchs outside the regular power structure.

Keep in mind it doesn’t take much of a mispeak to make Vladimir suspicious of you, especially these days. Now, look back over the last year of what Kadyrov has said and compare it to Pringles (including his echoes of Kadyrov). Think it would take much to make an increasingly paranoid Vladimir see Kadyrov as a threat?

There are a lot of people who are not Vladimir supporters who would have good reason to encourage it. Think about those silent backers of the so-called coup. Those who would like to see Vladimir out of power (and/or dead).

Which makes it more than interesting that opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov appears to be warning that going after and/or eliminating Kadyrov would be a mistake (possibly of epic proportions). Doing so in public and in private apparently. Veerrrrry Interesting.

Which brings up another point. I’ve taken some flack in the past for pointing out that we do have an obligation to Ukraine on defense (though we totally reneged on it in 2014), that leaving Russian aggression unchecked is a bad idea, but that our current efforts are neither smart nor sustainable and could lead to escalation. I also remain convinced that any unilateral enforced peace is a bad idea that will only lead to something magnitudes worse within a fairly short period of time. The only way to ensure long-term peace is for the current Russian Federation to come apart (and Russkiy Mir get a wooden stake through it) — which could lead again to very bad things happening if NATO/West/China/Other were to do it. Yes, as previously discussed China has great reason to make this happen. Ability is a different issue, but they do have the interest.

Things could still go sideways with ease if it happens from within. That said, the “coup” brought out a number of fault lines within the Federation. More than one region apparently told Vladimir that he was on his own. Others were a little more creative, but assistance was not guaranteed shall we say.

Now we have a situation where RUMINT says Vladimir is no longer able, or possibly willing, to continue to spend the effort to keep Kadyrov integrated into the power structure. A power structure in which a number of people don’t like or trust Kadyrov or the Chechens. Can Kadyrov hold his own?

What happens if Gudkov and others are right, and either Vladimir or elements of the Kremlin power structure move against Kadyrov? What will the Chechen republic do?

I don’t think it will go the way many appear to be thinking it will. First up, the power structure of the Kremlin was badly off on the whole invasion of Ukraine, as well as on the capabilities of the Russian military. Second, our own top political and military leadership has yet to be right on matters involving the Ukraine. In fact, they’ve been as badly wrong as the Kremlin leadership, if not more so.

Which is why I sincerely hope we don’t go fishing in those troubled waters, as our current leadership couldn’t successfully organize a drinking party in a distillery, and have to have sex lying on their back as they can only fuck up. While it appears China and Iran may both be trying to fish in these waters already, there are internal dynamics at play that I think may backfire on them as well. For now, I’m more inclined to sit back, wait, watch, and hope that despite the odds that our so-called experts will do the same. The issue of the Russian Federation breaking up may well take care of itself for us.

Good Read & More

A good read from the good CDR Salamander. Ties into something I wrote a while back, will try to link it here later. Update: Here it is.

Right now, need to do a bit of exercise, and burn off some frustration. Yet again, someone didn’t do what they were supposed to in regards the insurance paperwork for more PT. Tomorrow’s visit not looking very likely right now.

More soon.

Execution

Over at Hot Air, Jazz Shaw has up a post about Alabama’s efforts to use nitrogen for executions. A lot of good food for thought there.

When it comes to executions, humanity has displayed its creativity to excess. Given that the purpose of execution was to make it clear to others not to do X (especially if aimed at the king, etc), any number of very horrific methods were developed. Sawing someone in half with the blade coming up between the legs, drawing and quartering, broken on the wheel, burning at the stake or in an oven, impalement, having molten metal poured down your throat, and, well, you get the idea. In my lifetime, I know of hanging, the electric chair, firing squad, and lethal injection being used here in the U.S. For many years, Russia used a bullet to the back of an unsuspecting prisoner’s head. What goes on in some countries tends to hark back to earlier times.

We moved from the concept of making the death as gruesome as possible to simply having death, and the ability of the state to kill you, as the deterrent. The problem is, our current system makes it about anything but a deterrent. Even with executions being legal (again), the efforts to sabotage the process are well underway. Such efforts are why it is almost impossible for states to get the needed drugs for lethal injection. It’s why several states have opted to reinstate firing squads as an option.

So, Alabama is going to try (or try to try) using nitrogen. The parenthetical is because corporate media and the anti-death penalty brigade of the lawyer’s guild are already fighting against it. Untested, unproven, yada, yada, yada. Except it has been used, fairly extensively, with animals and I remember reading a few years back about an assisted suicide company/euthanasia outfit having some famous designer work with them on a chic portable death chamber where the person inside could watch the world/be in a favorite place as they died from the nitrogen. After all, with nitrogen there is no choking/suffocating sensation, and it’s all rather peaceful.

My own personal take on the death penalty is that I prefer it to happen at the hands of the intended victim on the spot. That’s not always possible, unfortunately. My problem with state executions is that part of me does not like giving the state that power; and, the possibility of a false conviction. It does happen, and if the raft of prosecutors exposed for lying, cheating, and worse doesn’t concern you, it should. Especially in a case where the plaintiff could face the death penalty.

That said, I do feel there are some people who need to be permanently removed from the world for the safety of the world. For all that I do worry about someone who’s innocent being jailed, much less executed, the current system is a joke. When you have a process that can literally stretch out for decades, something’s wrong and you have no deterrence from the penalty.

As for this specific method, I don’t have a problem with it. It works, it’s relatively humane, and it’s something not dependent on big pharma and such. If all goes smoothly, it will be a way to get the system moving again, which is exactly why it’s being opposed. After all, if it does become a deterrent again, crime might drop instead of climbing unchecked. We can’t have that, now can we.

The Death Of Pringles

23 June. 23 August. Kinda hard to miss the message. Whether it was a S-300 enema or something onboard, the top leadership of Wagner and the group responsible for their part of the “coup” are dead. Surovikin has been dismissed and may have been detained. There are some other rumblings that seem to suggest more is going on behind the scenes.

I do find the timing interesting, in that I would have either expected it sooner or around next June. Wagner was/is a key piece of operations in the Middle East and more importantly, Africa. The latter is extremely important to the Kremlin (resources and blocking Western counter-terrorism activities and influence) and many of the relationships with various countries were built on personal interactions and relationships with Utkin and Pringles.

The coup in Niger was not just Russian backed, but was backed and apparently assisted and encouraged by the Wagner Group. How much assistance and guarantees of future assistance were made by the men on the plane? What does their loss mean for the coup and efforts to overturn it?

The pivot of Wagner to Africa and the Middle East after the “coup” made a lot of sense. It put them where they could do the most good and it got them (mostly) out of the war with Ukraine. Which is why I figured any retribution would wait for a year or so, until certain goals were accomplished. Between that and internal Russian politics previously discussed, I thought it would be longer. Which suggests that something has changed in Africa in regards Wagner and Russian influence operations, and/or something has changed the political calculus in Moscow.

Pringles was a member of the “St. Petersburg Mafia” that took over Russia after the fall. Quick aside, if you aren’t familiar with the tension (sometimes warfare) between the Moscow faction/leadership and the St. Petersburg faction/leadership, it really is fascinating and goes back almost to the day of St. Petersburg’s founding. It still exists and is very much in play today. Despite all the media and PR, Pringles was not a senior member of the group and despite his friendship with Vladimir he was as close to being the lowest ranking member as possible. As someone put it on Twitter, he was a vassal to a vassal.

Unless I’m mistaken, he is also the first member of that mafia to experience the tender ministrations of 29155. Again, message. There are several layers to the message, this one being no one is safe. Toe the line, or else.

I’ve gotten the impression that the silent backers of the “coup” are still not all identified, though a lot of people are looking for them for a variety of reasons. I’ve also begun to suspect that some messages from Pringles to Vladimir may not have been passed along. I think he was genuinely surprised when Vladimir took it as an attack on him, rather than an effort to remove those who were misleading and botching the war on Ukraine per Pringles.

If he thought that his friendship with Vladimir, and the Kremlin need for Wagner, would save him and the others, he was mistaken and not paying attention. Once Vladimir feels someone has betrayed him, particularly in public, no amount of new information, apologies, etc. help. You are dead and quite often in ways as creatively nasty as possible.

There are unconfirmed reports that Pringles regular pilot was not onboard and may have been involved. Patsy? Also, it may be that none of the regular crew was onboard. If the crew was essentially a pickup from an FBO, they would be the only ones for which I would feel sorry.

There is more to come, and I expect 29155 to be busy in the days ahead as payback continues. There are some interesting fault lines in both the Russian Federation, and in the political structure around Vladimir, starting to show. The times may be about to get even more interesting for those in the Kremlin.

Some Thoughts On Maui And Emergency Management

The disaster on Maui has been years in the making, and has nothing to do with climate change. It has everything to do with incompetence in our elites and power seeking in politics. Emergency Management is not immune to this unfortunately, and I think is headed for a very bad place.

From the start, let me say that I’ve never had to manage a major disaster. For that, I do sincerely give thanks. My first real career job was at a military R&D center, where the office I worked in was part of emergency operations. Got to know the Emergency Management team, and learned a lot working with them. They helped me get our office ready for emergencies with “crash kits” distributed to team members and things we might need electronically stored in multiple places for access at need.

The driver for this was a mishap at the center one night that almost knocked me out of bed ten miles away. A phone call to security resulted in my making a very fast trip in to base, a search for the one crash kit available at the time, and later realizing at the ops center that it needed upgrading and updating. Hadn’t been a priority for my boss at the time, and afterwards I was told to make it happen and do it right as the big bosses were now watching. Amidst all the attaboys for what I did, got a quiet “oh shit” from said Boss who felt that while what I had done had indeed gotten us a lot of attaboys, good exposure, and made the office look good, that it had made him look bad… Ah well, that’s life. Meantime, I became our point person on the incident and recovery efforts.

So, I got earmarked as “that guy” you sent to classes, workshops, and meetings on disaster preparedness and emergency management. That continued in several jobs, and when I served a (sadly abbreviated) hitch in the Indiana Guard Reserve (State Guard, not National) I had fun with a lot of the disaster preparedness/response and emergency management component. Like many, I earned my basic Military Emergency Management Systems (MEMS) badge, part of which included doing all the coursework for becoming an On Scene Commander. Doing the shadowing, practicums, and other to get the advanced MEMS and actually serve as an On Scene Commander was cut short by my aborted embed to Afghanistan and then moving out of state.

To say I have mixed emotions about the FEMA emergency management system is a bit of an understatement. It is very top-down, buttoned up, by-the-numbers where initiative is not really appreciated. When I semi-self deployed all those years ago (Sir, I can’t tell you to come in but…), all but my boss applauded. Today, it would have me sent home and quite possibly up for discipline if not charges. Nothing gets done without the approval and/or order of the On-Scene Commander. Anyone attempting to render aid or do pretty much anything to help those in the declared area that are not fully under the control of Emergency Management will be run off or arrested. I thought at the time there was a lot of “we are the experts and in charge” to the system, and I’ve heard it’s gotten worse.

Thing is, I can understand some of the stated reason for such control. Some of it even makes sense in an active situation, at least to some extent. You don’t want something done to make things worse, or to have people go into areas where they or others could get hurt or killed. That said, it only works if the people in charge are competent, in communication, and on the ball. There are some good people in DP and Emergency Management. They do amazing things. Then, there are others who are not.

I can’t write what I would like to write about the apparent situation with Maui (and Hawai’i) DP/EM. I need to start by saying that years back, Hawai’i DP/EM was on the ball. They had plans and preparations, backups to the backups to the backups, and they practiced and drilled to check and double check. Don’t know if anyone that I might have known is still there, but it sure appears that none of the old school was present in the Maui office. You had a director with no DP/EM experience, and who was proud he didn’t sound the sirens that could have saved lives. You have someone over water who feels it should be revered and worshiped, not used. The failure to activate the sirens and the failure to release the water in a timely manner directly resulted in more than 100 deaths, possibly hundreds. Frankly, they should both already be decorating lamposts as this is far beyond tar, feathers, and a rail.

Nor did it happen by accident. Hate to say it, but at this level, leadership and operations are a political matter. These people didn’t earn the positions; rather, they had to be appointed or otherwise selected through a political process. How else would one get a “leader” who had no background or experience in DP/EM?

Want to know why the official response to the fire is getting so many complaints? EM is the bottleneck, and X, Y, and Z must be done though A, B, and C are needed and available. Bring the Feds into the mix, and it’s like adding concrete to the trickle. Add politics and incompetence to that mix, and, it’s a good thing the Citizens are responding. They see or are told M needs N at O right now, and they get N and take it O without the drama or approvals. Centralized control may be the best option as the disaster is occurring. May. A distributed network is far more responsive and effective in the aftermath.

BTW, anyone willing to take a bet on the lead-up to this? I’m very much reminded of California not all that long ago. Power company forced to spend money on things important to the politicians, not on maintenance and fire prevention. Add in “environmental” regulations that not only did not do what they were supposed to do, but built up the materials that fuel the fires… I will make a cash bet right now that the same thing happened in Maui.

Years ago, it was pointed out by some smart people that if you let natural fires happen and burn, you got a lot less damage and healthier forests. It was tried, it worked, and certain people and groups pitched a fit. So, back to the old way. What happened? Far worse fires with lots more damage. When it comes to areas around people, clear the hazards, keep it maintained, and don’t be stupid. But, all too often, you can’t clear that brush or other hazard, that’s the habitat of the dodderingmealticket. What happens? Disaster.

I’m told that in Maui, which has fires every year, the locals had warned the government that something needed to be done. That the wet spring led to an overabundance of grass and such, and that it needed to be cleared. Nothing was done. Not then, not when it got dry. Not even when they knew the winds were coming. Willing to bet that if anyone had tried to do anything, the government would have prevented it. Now the government is talking about buying up all that prime land. Any bets on how fast it ends up in the hands of the politicians developer pals and donors? Yeah, I am a bit cynical…

I hope all those responsible for this preventable disaster are held accountable. Don’t expect it, but still hope. It’s up to the people to publicize and mock. No, it won’t do a thing to stop them after the fact. It’s not about them. It’s about those looking at this. It’s about making clear to them, particularly the younger, that this behavior is not acceptable and carries a high price. Pour encourager les autres.

In days of old, I would list some groups that did good work helping people after disasters here. Increasingly, I’m hearing, the feds are working hard to keep groups out (at least on the mainland) unless they agree to all the rules and regulations and to be controlled by the government. Not all are playing ball, and I’m not going to list them here. I don’t want to put a target on their back. I will say, research and pick your choices well. There’s a lot of scams, and a lot of roadblocks. Find the ones that aren’t scams and go around the roadblocks. Look for those in the distributed networks who are getting the right things done at the right time in the right place. Those are who you want and need to support.

The Great Kansas Newspaper Raid

I’ve long held it a truism that the smaller the puddle, the more vicious the fighting to be on top in it. In nature, very true and you get to see nature red of tooth and claw rather clearly. In a company, whatever is going on at the top, go to the smallest and least important department and watch the fighting to be top in it. For all that national politics can be a literal blood sport, if you want to see blood literally spilled, lives lost, and other lives ruined, go check out small town politics.

A recent bit of such vicious local politics has gone international, with national implications for free speech, first amendment rights, and the survival of local journalism. Police in Marion, Kansas, made use of a loophole in federal law to raid the “aggressive” local paper that apparently was looking into several things that the police and local politicians did not want them to look into. In addition, they also seized the electronics of a local official. To top it off, the 98-year-old co-owner apparently died as a direct result of the raid, which also included the homes of the owners and employees.

First up, I’m not sure anyone involved in this raid, including judge Laura Viar who signed off on something apparently illegal under Kansas law, thought at all. Certainly not past the end of their nose. If they did indeed want to bury a story about a local business owner having a DUI and other issues, they didn’t succeed. Not only that, but it turns out judgywudgy has some DUIs and history of her own. The police chief, Gideon Cody, seems to have left his previous job right as he faced discipline for insulting and sexist comments to a fellow officer. One does wonder what else may turn up in the days ahead, as both LE and every facet of journalism is digging into the story and even the White House has weighed in with concern.

The KBI took over the “investigation” pretty quickly, and equally as quickly withdrew the warrant. The newspaper is having the returned electronics forensically examined to determined if they were illegally accessed, since any effort to access them on the basis of the withdrawn warrant would be illegal. Meantime, Cody, Viar, and others seem to be doing their best to avoid questions or answers.

For all that I expect a lot of sound and fury over this, I really don’t expect anything to happen. The only reason I will give any odds on anything being done other than wrist slaps is that they fucked up and attacked the media arm of the Democratic party (hence the White House viewing with concern). I would love to be wrong on this, more than I can say. But…

Those behind this raid have blood on their hands. Yes, the lady was elderly, but they knew it and did it anyway. All of the officers in that police department took part, and not one refused an illegal order. You know my thoughts on that. So, that leaves only one way to stop the spread: give them and the incident all the publicity possible; mock them for the authoritarians/totalitarians they are; and, shun them. Yes, they are getting a lot of attention now, keep it up and make it rain. Odds are they, like the West Yorkshire Police, are going to try to hunker down and hope it all goes away. It’s not, it should not, and it really is up to everyone to make sure it doesn’t. BTW, go read the ratios of the WestYorks in the posts where they try to pretend nothing happened.

Don’t count on the courts, other judges, or LE to do the right thing. The only way to make clear that this type of behavior is unacceptable is for each and every member of society to reinforce that it won’t be tolerated. Without that social pressure, nothing is going to change.

New Old Country

Growing up, I was indeed a child of rock and roll, though I tried to keep how much so hidden from my mother. Much I could say, and I do ask for prayers for her soul, but let’s just say she was not a fan of rock and roll for all she did seem to enjoy the Beatles and others on the Ed Sullivan show. That said, she much more enjoyed other acts and encouraged me to do so as well.

Her preference, and to some extend Dad’s, was much more into classical/baroque music, musicals, and bluegrass/old-school country. By old-school country, I mean what you would hear at the Grand Old Opry back when it was in the Ryman auditorium. If you don’t know who Stringbean and Bill Monroe are, much less Flatt and Scruggs, you are missing something. Have to admit, glad I got to go there before the Opry left Ryman. Yes, Porter Wagoner was a regular watch in our house. When Hee Haw started, it was a regular watch as well, and they brought in a lot of the old school to share with modern audiences. Sort of interesting to think back and realize that Roy Clark and Buck Owens were considered in some ways as ‘the new kids’ (Stringbean and Grandpa Jones being old school) despite having been around a while. Also, have to confess to having quite a crush on Cathy Baker…

Bit of an aside, mom tried hard to get me into musicals and I did sort of enjoy them. Think she finally gave up when she found out my favorite line from a musical was “I knew I loved her when I saw the moonlight gleaming off, the barrels of her father’s shotgun.” Also, she may have caught some of the alternative lyrics I devised for some songs, which became a bit, er, risque, as I hit puberty.

The reason for the discussion is that two bits of music have caused quite a stir in certain circles. I’ve listened to both, and have a couple of thoughts to share.

First up, Jason Aldean has a slick piece up that shook up what I consider to be the right people. High production values, fancy video, and a message to go with it. For me, not racist (if you hear the dog whistle, you are the dog; and, if you hear dog whistles in everything, get help) or any of the other wrong-think attributed to it. A solid commercial country hit.

Second, we now have Oliver Anthony coming out of left field with an anthem that is taking the world by storm. Not as slick, not as polished, but from the heart. The sound, to me, is a mix of old-school country/bluegrass and just a bit of the new. I hear a lot of influence in both music and lyrics from the bluegrass world.

Of the two, I have to admit I’m going through everything I can find by Mr. Anthony on the web. I’m not going to get into analyzing all the lyrics, but the music is something I think has been missing. A synthesis of some of the best of the new country and bluegrass, with a heapin helping (sorry, couldn’t resist) of old-school sounds and even techniques. Also, if you go back, even messaging.

I will say this about his lyrics: they resonate. I think they are going to resonate with more people, and in a deeper way, than Mr. Aldean’s good song. The word choices, the inflections, the feelings are in many ways raw and compelling. He’s singing the way average people, working people, outside the bubbles talk and think. That’s why it hitting home for so many people across a range of demographics. It’s why so many in the authoritarian/totalitarian camp hate him, and will try any way they can to cancel him. Which is also why I expect a lot of corporate Nashville (which is Big Music these days) will ignore him. Which also just makes this both more funny and more likely to be another Babylon Bee prophecy.

For me, in many ways, I just want to sit back and enjoy the music. The lyrics are okay and hit home, but it’s the sound that makes it all work. Check out some of his other work, think it is worth the time. If you are into such things, tell me you don’t hear a bit of old-school Stringbean coming out in that. In fact, good odds I will not just listen to what he has out, but go back and listen to some of the old-school classics as well. Time well spent on both I think.

So, tell me. What do you think of the message, and who all do you hear reflected in his somewhat unique sound?

A Letter To Some Friends

Yesterday’s post reminded me I needed to finish writing a letter to some friends. Some friends with hard decisions to make, that will effect themselves and others. Decisions where it helps to bounce things off another person, so that you can check your impression of what is going on as well as search for options. We can’t have that meal together to do that, so a letter seems the best way.

Let me just say, you are not wrong, you are not alone, and on many levels it is worse than you think.

In some ways, the point where this should have come up is in the rearview mirror. But, you always hope that something good will happen, changes will be made, and promises honored. The problem is, our so-called “expert” leadership class is anything but such. They have shown they have no honor and only crave gaining yet more power and control; and, their word is not worth the spit behind it.

This isn’t confined to the military or law enforcement/public safety, but also public health, politics, and education. It is your doctor who looked you in the eyes and lied to you at the government’s behest during COVID. It’s the teacher and administrators secretly encouraging children to sterilize themselves in pursuit of the current secular religion. For those that serve, your children, with the approval of our military leadership. Leadership that heard the phrase “baby killer” and thought it a good thing and noble, and so encourage the murder of the unborn via another sacrament of the secular religion, abortion.

The best descriptor of what I’m hearing from those still in, but looking at getting out out of the military, can best be summed up as “Toxic Command Environment.” Physical and mental abuse, sexual harassment and assault, and lack of support are what I’m hearing is causing us to hemorrhage experienced and dedicated troops. All branches. And lack of support includes lack of food and more. It’s not just one base in Texas, it’s all over. The whole concept of Mission, Men, Me has been tossed out the airlock without a backwards glance.

You are not wrong to be thinking of taking your skills to Civvy Street. In fact, I would encourage it because your “leaders” do not respect you or your service, they have no consideration for you, and they will get you killed. Yes, I do know of a few bright spots, a few leaders who truly live up to the word and their obligations. Problem is, almost none of them are current GOFOs and because they are good and competent leaders are unlikely in the current environment to become a GOFO.

From law enforcement and public safety, I hear much the same. There are few in larger cities who feel the politicians and top brass have their backs. I can’t imagine having to go to work everyday knowing that if anything happens I’m going to be eagerly tossed under the bus by that so called leadership.

Some of you have already left the force in such cities, and taken jobs with smaller, better departments elsewhere. I’m glad you did, they are lucky to have you. That said, I think you’ve only put off the real decision for a few years. Hope I’m wrong, but I’m afraid I may not be. I know some of you who have left LE/PS, either for totally new careers or in something related. I’m glad you made that choice as well, as your employers are also lucky to have you.

I could turn this into a wordy take down of all that is wrong with America and the world, but it’s Saturday and you have other things to do. So, let’s cut to the chase.

Unlawful Orders

A serious and somewhat controversial topic, but one we ALL need to think about as it is the key to what is going on above. What makes it an even more complex topic is that even if there is a law that says X is okay and good, it can still be illegal to obey an order to do X. Let’s say there’s a law on the books that says it is okay to euthanize the physically and mentally defective, those of inferior genetics, etc. Still doesn’t necessarily make it legal, not to mention that it’s wrong on other levels as well. Exploring the intricacies of legal versus illegal homicide is not why we are having this conversation however, fascinating though the topic can be.

We are having it because of a symptom of how far the rot has spread in society. There have always been sociopaths and others who would torture, rape, and kill for the fun of it. Because they could do it and get away with it. They were, for the most part, a minority. However, the current secular religion has been chipping away at the social compact for a few decades now. Lots of columns have already been written about the othering of anyone who disagrees in any way with the current thing of the secular religion. Yes, I do think it deliberate and yes I think it is being deliberately done to foment violence. I’ve also noticed that there has been a push towards obey-the-order as well. You must wear the mask. You must get the vax. You must go green. The list goes on, but it is conditioning pure and simple. Obey. Or else.

Those watching have seen the creep. Watching seven “police” officers physically attack an autistic juvenile (and that is exactly what that so-called arrest was IMO) is but the latest example. They are going to claim that they were only following orders. It may be a slight variation, but that is going to be their defense in any and all actions against them. Bad thing is, they will probably get away with it rather than being given the boot as they richly deserve. Thing is, there was a law that X was bad and should be treated harshly and they willfully obeyed without thought. Out of the seven, not one had any qualms about attacking that girl.

Thing is, you and I know that the laws or executive orders about X are coming here. It’s not just speech, but a whole range of topics. And, yes, it would not surprise me in the least to see them come for your old gas stove and take it from you at gunpoint. They are that stupid and that fanatical.

They are stupid and see you, me, and a lot of others as automatons who will obey any order they give, even if the law behind said order is not Constitutional. It’s the law, you will obey.

No, we won’t. That’s why ultimately we and the concepts of individual liberty and rights granted by God will win. We have the right and responsibility to say no. It’s why they are trying and will try to make horrendous examples of those who did not/do not obey. When it’s just a few, they can do that and may even get away with it. But, courage is contagious. It starts with one person saying no, but as more stand up to do so, the more that will join them. They can’t do the horrendous it when those who say no are legion. Efforts to control large populations through control of food, water, and power are not going to work the way they think it will. We are legion.

Recognize that illegal orders are not just something barked by someone wearing stars on their collar. They can and do come as executive orders, mandates, regulations, and the other weapons of the bureaucrats. Embrace the power of no. There will be repercussions, and we might even see a Waco, Utah, or Ruby Ridge writ large — unless enough people have the courage and integrity to disobey illegal orders. To say no.

To those staying in, God Bless and Keep you and yours. May he guide and shield you now and in the days ahead. Just remember that it’s not you don’t have to obey, it’s you must not obey an illegal order. Keep in mind that as a member of the military, or federal, state, or local LE/PS, you are legally and morally required to not follow the order. There are times you are even required to resist having others follow the order. Even if it means you don’t walk out.

Think, make your decisions, and prepare. If you come out, glad to have you on the civvy side. If you stay in, may you be spared certain decisions.

Thing is, I suspect we will be rebuilding a lot of things here in the next few years, one way or another. We can rebuild good and needed institutions. A few years back, a retired Army general talked to a small group of us frankly and forthrightly. The subject was the Army, and how it was a broken institution effectively destroyed in the aftermath of Vietnam. He talked about what it took to rebuild the Army and take it from the hellhole it was to an all-volunteer force that was so well trained that when war came green troops operated as if they were veterans. A force that could take on and successfully do almost any task.

We can do it again, across a number of good and needed institutions. Why? Because we are legion, and we have the courage and drive to say NO when needed. We have experience, we have knowledge, and with luck we have some wisdom. We are legion.

Until then, keep those that matter close and your things where you can find them in the dark. Embrace the power of NO as needed.

Stopping The Spread

This is the face of unbridled and unprincipled authoritarianism. A face that would have fit right in with the Stasi, Gestapo, KGB, or a dozen others. A face in it only for power and pettiness. This is the face of tyranny. This is the everyday face of utter evil. The problem is, it’s not alone.

The banality of evil comes from it becoming common. Once the toe is in the door, more comes in and evil will spread and grow. Almost always that toe is disguised as some measure of safety and protection. Doesn’t matter if it is the oxymoron of hate speech, or a lockdown to slow the spread, it is an assault on your body autonomy and independence. Every time it is a means of chipping away at freedom, be it speech, movement, self-defense, or other basic rights granted not by government but by God. These efforts always attempt to grow.

It is not a new thing, for those who follow history know the pattern well and have seen it in multiple forms, in multiple times, and in multiple places. Those who study humanity, particularly in the forms of psychology and theology, know that we are flawed creatures and that there have always been, and will always be, people who because of their own flaws and insecurities are driven to obtain power over others. In the worst cases, you wind up with a national leader and piles of dead, as the millions of dead killed by such in just the last century will attest. For the rest, those insecurities reinforce the feelings of powerlessness over themselves such that they are driven to find any form of power over others for compensation. From those ranks come the nasty clerk at the motor vehicles bureau, the overly officious HOA board member, the Karen screaming at a store employee over the person not wearing a mask right/standing only 5 feet 11 inches from others. Like something else, they are legion because most don’t don’t want to deal with the hassle of confrontation.

There is, however, a third class of tyrant that as they become more common pose the greatest danger to individual liberty and stable governance. Their own self-loathing causes them to despise others, and worse yet to treat them as others and not as human beings or a life to be respected. For some, it reaches the point of sociopathy, for others something almost as bad. This group tends to find jobs and careers in organizations that give formal power over others such as teaching, law enforcement, and administration to name a few. The easiest way to spot them is that they are the ones who will take an innocent question or comment as a challenge to their authority. The ones that do so spectacularly and in a way that becomes public — say a teacher beating a developmentally challenged student who didn’t lift a finger at any point, or made one eat his own vomit; the cop who goes to town on someone without provocation, or elevates a comment to a high crime; a politician who has security, LE, or just members of their team harass or even assault a reporter or constituent over a comment or for daring to ask a question; a school board abusing power to prevent the parents of students from talking at an open meeting; or, well, you get the picture — are actually the better ones for society. They identify themselves and make it easy to have them fired, reassigned, sued, voted out, etc. If you follow the news, you know that those examples are in fact reality.

The British officer above hit viral status yesterday for having multiple officers swarm and physically assault an autistic juvenile and throw her into the dungeon, as it were, with no contact with her parents as a means of physical and psychological torture all because the autistic juvenile made a comment about the officer looking like her lesbian grandmother and wondering if she was a lesbian too. Now, the officer and the police department maintain that a huge and vicious crime was committed by the AUTISTIC JUVENILE and that the arrest including the use of force was justified. Judge for yourself. Since it appears that there was a complete absence of malice, and that no rational human being could see those words as an attack, I see it as assault, torture, and intimidation under colour of authority. Yeah, did that spelling because they are Brits. Sir Robert Peel must be spinning in his grave at several hundred thousand RPM over what the police and law have become in England.

However sickening and infuriating those who do things that become public are, they also are not the ones who scare me. The ones who have it a bit more together, who cover their tracks are the real danger. They are the ones who work with that first group of tyrants to take things national. They are the ones who design the “laws” (and help get them expanded), the gulags/camps/etc, sign the death warrants, and use the public types for intimidation, brutality, and all the dirty work while keeping their own hands clean. Mostly. There are always a few who will sneak into the dungeons or camps to have a bit of sick fun, then ensure there are no records or witnesses. Most, however, try to stay above such things.

What can be done about any of the three types of tyrant?

First, allow me to recommend mockery. Evil can’t stand to be mocked or laughed at. Look at how hard so many bureaucrats and politicians worked to silence memes and mockery in recent years. Tells you everything you need to know about them. Mockery also sends a message from society that such behavior is not acceptable. It humiliates those so hit, and lets others watching know not to do such things. Enough mockery from enough people, and you can indeed bring about change. Memes and memetics matter. Also, even in closed societies, you can mock with a degree of anonymity and at least some safety. Be smart, be careful, and be brutal with the mockery.

Second, shun. Do not stand with any of the three groups of tyrants. Ostracize them. Make them not of your circle of friends, invite them not to social events, cut them out of your life. You and your life will be much better for it. Again, it gets a message across to the person(s) in question and to those around you both about what does and does not constitute acceptable behavior, morals, and ethics.

Third, publicize. In closed societies, like England, you are going to have to be careful about what and how you do as one of the first things tyrants do is make it illegal to share news. When you can’t make it illegal, you can set up groups of bureaucrats (“experts”) to illegally censor content in social media. *Cough* My recommendation is to learn what you can about VPNs, proxies, and how to remove as many fingerprints as you can even in open societies for the safety of you and your loved ones. For non-electronic, keep in mind that printers and copiers still mark each sheet with a code to identify which printer/copier did the work. Typewriters have their own weaknesses too. That said, there are work arounds — find them. Meanwhile, spread the news any way and every way you can. Evil, like a cockroach, does not like a light shined on it. SHINE THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT YOU CAN!

Fourth, Courts and Elections. In closed societies, such is limited or eliminated. In those still pretending to be open, or that truly are open, make use of the courts and elections. On the latter, be sure the candidate is what and who they say they are and isn’t going to pull a Shreve. Start local, because until your area of operations is secure, trying for the top isn’t going to get too far. Even if you have a success with it, you are still having to fight the layers of bureaucracy, tyranny, and authoritarianism between you and the top. Much better to remove as much of that as you can, and it also makes it far more likely will get those national wins. Courts are iffy, especially with our descent into a two-tier system, but can result in some surprising wins. One can only pray that those wins will be enforced. Besides, it is a good way to implement Robert Heinlein’s instructions on the need to step on certain toes.

The final option is, of course, revolution. On many levels, it truly is a Final Option. The calls for revolution and violence in the U.S. I’m seeing online seem to come almost completely from the Feds and/or those idiots who are ignorant of how vanishingly rare a successful revolution — such as the American Revolution — are in this world. I’m willing to bet that the latter group has never studied, or seen in person, what happens in most revolutions and the devastation that even a “successful” revolution can produce. Also, they have not seen who is up against the wall second, if not first, in any revolution. Nor do they get that vigilante justice against any of the three groups is indeed the start of a revolution, and you better have your ducks in a row before encouraging such. A revolution via the ballot box is almost always preferable to a revolution via the ammo box. Are there times and valid reasons for violence and revolution? Yes, there are times when such are fully justified. Mayhaps we will explore them a bit here soon. For now, just keep in mind that violence and revolution should always be the last resort.

Where are we now? In the case of the officer above and her department, things seem to be well into the mockery and publicity phase. While some seemed to miss the point, several campaigns on social media were gleefully calling her a lesbian or asking if she was one. Another was linking her to #lesbiannana in various forms. For anyone who missed the point, it’s not about if she is or isn’t a lesbian. Frankly, nobody cares except apparently her, and Officer Cartman was enraged that someone didn’t respect her au-thor-a-tay. What it is about is asking the question that got the autistic juvenile assaulted, and in the process mocking the hell out of her and a group of Stasi wannabes pretending to be policemen. Personal opinion, none of those involved in this is fit to wear a badge or uniform ever again. Meantime, while mocking and hoping for some small measure of justice for the victim, it’s being seen and felt by police and such around the world. It is reinforcing that this is not acceptable behavior, and if seen will have negative consequences.

It’s a message the FBI hasn’t figured out yet. The execution in Utah was meant to intimidate. Instead it has opened the eyes of additional members of the public to the corruption in the DOJ and elsewhere, and enraged a good bit of the public rather than intimidating them. Mockery underway as the media got the journo-list message of how what little coverage was to be played. For something other than the corporate media spin, check this out from Brad Torgersen and scroll around as he has some other good thoughts to share.

The banality of evil is that it is common, and often in forms not confronted. This allows larger and worse evil to flourish. That needs to change. If you want to stop the spread of evil, and the growing scourge of authoritarianism and tyranny, rather than direct confrontation, publicize them and relentlessly mock, ridicule, shame, and shun.

UPDATE 1441 HRS 11AUG23: Seems the “police” department in question is feeling some heat. No charges for the flippin autistic juvenile they abused, but also no indications of any justice for her or her family (also assaulted) either. The department does come across, to me at least, as really hoping this fades out public view quickly. Usual political weasel words on reviewing and making changes if and as needed, which usually means a lot of talk and smoke in an effort to make this go away. Don’t let them succeed.

UPDATE 1632HRS11AUG23: If this is true, it would explain a lot about the overreaction. Also about the circle of wagons around a member of a protected class. All the more reason to name and shame. It also fits the authoritarian/tyranny profile to a T. You might be surprised at how many of that class have sexual issues on top of other issues.