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August 2018

ANTI-SEMITISM Comments turned off

A Not So Fine Madness By Michael Walsh

By on August 23rd, 2018

https://amgreatness.com/2018/08/22/a-not-so

Today, the emperor to be feared is not Donald Trump, it is the D.C. mob itself, inflaming the nation via the media, both social and anti-social. And mob rule never ends well, neither for the country nor the mob.

Near the end of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, in the first century A.D., with the emperor having removed himself from Rome and living out his dissipated life on the isle of Capri, the Eternal City was gripped by a kind of madness. Plots and rumors of plots were everywhere; senators of high standing and noble birth were accused of everything from treason to the slightest trifle, and were executed—their veins were opened, they were strangled in jail, or they fell on their swords. Noblewomen were banished or murdered on whispers of adultery. To even associate with one who had fallen into the chaos of disfavor was tantamount to a death sentence.

Guilt-by-association was rampant, especially in the wake of the plot by Sejanus—as Prefect of the Praetorian Guard, once numbered among Tiberius’s intimates—against the emperor. Anyone associated with Sejanus effectively was liquidated. The madness persisted through the brief reign of Caligula, and extended into the rule of Claudius and, of course, Nero. Any chance Rome might have had of a restoration of the Republic vanished in a welter of blood and legal savagery. Forget Gibbon’s theory about the destructive nature of Christianity upon the Roman spirit: practically from the birth of Christ, the Empire had already sown the seeds of its destruction in the ambition, venality, and cruelty of men—and all based on a lust for absolute power.

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POLITICS Comments turned off

More Muslim Candidates for Political Office By Janet Levy

By on August 23rd, 2018

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2018/08/more_muslim_

According to an Associated Press report issued in July this year, close to 100 Muslims filed to run for federal or state offices in the current election cycle, and nearly half made it through to the primaries. Meanwhile, numerous other Muslim candidates are campaigning for seats on local planning commissions, school boards, library committees, and other positions of influence at the county and city levels.

The proliferation of Muslim candidates may appear to some as positive and benign participation in American democracy by an emerging minority, but it cannot be denied that a Muslim plan to usurp American democracy has existed for decades. Careful scrutiny of this new wave of Muslim candidates yields a number with questionable backgrounds, motivations, and support groups, whose motives may be to implement the plan.

The plan to infiltrate and take over American democracy is explained in a 1987 strategic document, “An Explanatory Memorandum,” written and approved by the Muslim Brotherhood, a political organization with ties to the fundamentalist terrorist organization Hamas. The Muslim Brotherhood has itself been designated a terrorist organization by seven nations, including Egypt, where the Brotherhood began in 1928. The memorandum calls for the elimination of the U.S. Constitution and its replacement with an Islamic government under sharia law. It spells out its “process of settlement” as a “Civilization-Jihadist Process” to eliminate and destroy Western civilization from within. It calls for the establishment of political organizations designed to train and promote the Muslim Brotherhood goal of establishing the Quran as the sole authority for the Muslim family, individual, community, and state.

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NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

Is Kavanaugh Legitimate? Senate Democrats now want to deny Trump the appointment power.

By on August 22nd, 2018

https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-kavanaugh-legitimate-1534979653

We figure we’ve seen everything, but then Chuck Schumer keeps providing a daily education in weird political science. The Senate Democratic leader on Tuesday attempted the double bank shot of claiming that Brett Kavanaugh shouldn’t be confirmed for the Supreme Court because Michael Cohen copped a guilty plea.

“It is unseemly for the President of the United States to be picking a Supreme Court Justice who could soon be, effectively, a juror in a case involving the President himself,” Mr. Schumer declared, picking up a trope that has quickly become part of the liberal echo chamber. Senators Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) and Ed Markey (his own private Idaho) cancelled meetings with Judge Kavanaugh, with Mr. Markey saying he is now an “illegitimate” nominee.

So let’s see. Donald Trump is the elected President with the power of appointment under the Constitution, but because his former lawyer has pleaded guilty to evading taxes and paying off a couple of Mr. Trump’s alleged mistresses, Mr. Trump no longer enjoys the powers of the Presidency under Article II. This novel interpretation of presidential authority somehow eluded James Madison.

As for Judge Kavanaugh being a “juror” for Mr. Trump if he is confirmed to the High Court, the Chief Justice presides over Senate impeachment trials. Associate Justices have no role. The jury is 100 Senators, who get a vote only after the House impeaches a President.

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NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

Why Mueller Can’t Subpoena Trump The president can rely on a Clinton-era precedent—one that doesn’t involve Starr or Lewinsky. By David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey

By on August 22nd, 2018

https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-mueller-cant-subpoena-trump-1534973736

Donald Trump’s lawyers have signaled he won’t agree to a voluntary interview with special counsel Robert Mueller. If Mr. Mueller insists, he will have to subpoena the president. To enforce a subpoena, the special counsel would have to go to court and meet a highly exacting standard, showing what he wants and why he needs it. He would be unlikely to succeed, given that Mr. Trump already has cooperated extensively with the investigation, producing 1.4 million documents and making dozens of White House staffers available for interviews.

The leading precedent is a 1997 opinion, In re Sealed Case, by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The case involved the independent counsel investigation of former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, who was accused of receiving unlawful gifts. The independent counsel sought to obtain sensitive documents produced in the course of an internal White House inquiry. These materials involved the preparation of a report to then-President Clinton himself. Although Mr. Clinton had directed that most of the materials be provided, he asserted executive privilege to withhold some items.

At issue in particular was information regarding whether Mr. Clinton should discipline or fire Mr. Espy, who did resign. To justify producing such sensitive materials involving “the exercise of [the president’s] appointment and removal power, a quintessential and non-delegable presidential power,” the court required the independent counsel to demonstrate with “specificity” why he needed the materials and why he could not get them, or equivalent evidence, from another source. (Mr. Espy was acquitted in 1998.)

Mr. Mueller’s initial charge was to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. But his investigation has expanded to cover whether Mr. Trump has obstructed justice. The president’s critics say his obstructive acts include urging then-FBI Director James Comey to “go easy” on former national security adviser Mike Flynn, subsequently firing Mr. Comey, and his public criticism of Mr. Mueller, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

There are significant factual disputes about these episodes, but all involve the president’s exercise of his core constitutional powers as chief executive, including the power to appoint and remove high-level executive-branch officials, to supervise the performance of their duties (as in the Espy case), and to determine law-enforcement priorities. We have argued in these pages that the president cannot obstruct justice by exercising the discretionary powers of his office, especially in determining whether and why to fire high-level presidential appointees like Mr. Comey. According to the two leaked letters from Mr. Trump’s lawyers to Mr. Mueller, they take essentially the same view. CONTINUE AT SITE

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HOMELAND SECURITY Comments turned off

Emerging Tech Impacting The Security Industry Chuck Brooks

By on August 22nd, 2018

https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2018/08/22/emerging-tech-impacting-the-security-industry/#61e28aa5429a

Emerging technologies are already impacting how we live and work. They’re also changing how we approach, plan, and integrate security operations. With the advent of artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing, the Internet of Things, augmented reality, materials science, 3-D printing, and data analytics, the security industry is being transformed.

Certainly, we are living in an era where innovation, agility and imagination are all essential in order to keep pace with the exponential technological transformation taking place. For security, both physical and cyber, the equation is the same catalyzing many new potential applications for emerging technologies.

Some of the applied verticals in homeland security where I personally see emerging technologies are making an impact include:

Counter terrorism and law enforcement informatics via predictive analytics and artificial intelligence
Real-time horizon scanning and data mining for threats and information sharing
Automated cybersecurity and information assurance
Enhanced Surveillance (chemical and bio detection sensors, cameras, drones, facial recognition, license plate readers)
Simulation and augmented reality technologies for training and modeling
New non-lethal technologies such as: acoustics systems, chemicalsmarkers, communications systems, entanglement systems, optical devices, non-penetrating projectiles and munitions
Safety and security equipment (including bullet and bomb proof) made with lighter and stronger materials
Advanced forensics enabled by enhanced computing capabilities (including future quantum computing)
Interoperable communications, soon to be bolstered by 5G for First Responders
Situational awareness capabilities via GPS for disaster response and crisis response scenarios
Biometrics: assured identity security screening solutions by bio-signature: (every aspect of your physiology can be used as a bio-signature. Measure unique heart/pulse rates, electrocardiogram sensor, blood oximetry, skin temperature)
Robotic Policing (already happening in Dubai!)

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WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

David Goldman: Europe, Japan, China and Russia line up against US Investment patterns are shifting in response to America’s new assertiveness

By on August 22nd, 2018

http://www.atimes.com/writer/david-p-goldman/

The United States starts a tariff war with China. Japan and Germany jump at the chance to gain market share in China’s booming auto industry and boost their capacity in China, the world’s fastest-growing passenger car market.

The United States imposes sanctions on Turkey. Germany announces that it will offer economic aid to Turkey, Qatar pledges $15 billion in new investment and a $3 billion foreign exchange swap line, and Chinese banks provide billions of dollars in new loans to the cash-strapped Turks. Chinese commentators declare that crisis is a great opportunity to integrate Turkey into China’s “One Belt, One Road” strategy.

US President Donald Trump chides German Chancellor Angela Merkel for buying Russian natural gas through the Nord Stream II pipeline. Merkel summits with Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirms the pipeline arrangement, and also strikes a deal to aid the reconstruction of Syria in cooperation with Russia.

The United States imposes economic sanctions on Iran, and Western insurance companies stop insuring Iranian oil cargoes. China responds by accepting Iranian insurance on oil imports, increasing oil imports from Iran, and shipping the oil in Iranian tankers, Reuters reported August 20. India was offered Iranian insurance on oil shipments as well, but Indian refiners reportedly will reject the offer. Western insurance companies have told them that if they import Iranian oil, they will cancel insurance on refinery operations.

And German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas proposes a new international payments system independent of the dollar sphere, a new interbank transfer system, and a European Monetary Fund, to “protect European businesses from [American] sanctions. He also proposed a digital tax on American Internet firms. Writing in the German daily Handelsblatt on August 21, Maas declared, “We will not let the United States go over our heads.” No representative of a major Western European government has suggested anything remotely like this in public before.

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EDUCATION Comments turned off

An Open Letter to the College Board on AP: World History

By on August 22nd, 2018

https://www.nas.org/articles/an_open_letter_to_the_college_board_on_ap_world_histor

The College Board revised two of its Advanced Placement history exams in recent years—United States History and European History. The National Association of Scholars (NAS) formulated analyses of how progressive bias affected these revised exams. NAS also spearheaded two national campaigns to have the College Board eliminate this political skew. In both cases the College Board changed the exam for the better, although the NAS judges that significant bias remains.

The College Board recently announced, apparently as a result of pressure by activist teachers, that it will extend the coverage of its revised Advanced Placement World History exam from ca. 1450 AD to the present to ca. 1200 AD to the present. The College Board also announced that it will add a second World History examination, covering the period before ca. 1200 AD.

We now publish this open letter from NAS President Peter Wood to David Coleman, President of the College Board.

***

August 1, 2018

David Coleman, President

College Board

250 Vesey Street

New York, NY 10281

Dear Mr. Coleman,

The College Board recently announced that it will add a second World History examination, covering the period before 1200 AD.

We are committed to offering a second AP world history course—AP World History: Ancient. To develop an AP World History: Ancient course, exam, and accompanying resources, we first must confirm the willingness of colleges to award credit for an additional AP world history exam and the interest among high schools to offer two full, separate AP world history courses.

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WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

Peter Smith Dead Wood. It’s Best for Burning

By on August 22nd, 2018

https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2018/08/dead-wood-best-burning/

Trump is good because he has good policies, as did Thatcher and Reagan. Big deal if the Liberals get a new leader! Dutton or Hastie, whoever it might be, will inherit a dearth of good policies, bad ones aplenty, shifty colleagues and a party withered in root, branch and wallet. We need a new one.

How times change. Dow plummets as Trump beats Clinton. Dow futures edged down when news just broke that Trump’s ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, has pleaded guilty to making hush payments to Trump’s putative casual squeeze before the election. Why the change? Well it isn’t because Trump has proved himself to be a sophisticate after all. It is because his policies are working and the market likes that and is nervous about him being undermined.

Trump has good policies. Here are just some of them. Lowering corporate taxes and red-tape regulations to get the private sector investing. Lowering regulatory burdens on the energy sector in order to produce more coal, oil and gas. Tightening immigration to fight terrorism and crime, to protect America’s social services, and to prevent cheap labour from undercutting wages for those at the bottom of the rung. Putting North Korea and Iran on notice of America’s resolve to prevent them ever using nuclear weapons. Moving the American embassy to Jerusalem to show solidarity with the only beacon of hope in the Middle East. Renegotiating trade deals to prevent America being ripped off by unfair tariffs. Putting the hard word on NATO allies to pay a fairer share of their own defence. Ensuring that the Supreme Court is not dominated by left-wing activists by appointing originalists to the court.

These are the policies that had Deplorables coming out to vote. I would have been lining up from the early hours to vote for these policies. And, totally unsurprisingly, they are working.

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IMMIGRATION Comments turned off

Illegal Alien from Mexico Charged With Killing Ex-Girlfriend Daniel Greenfield

By on August 22nd, 2018

https://www.frontpagemag.com/point/271113/illegal-alien-mexico-charged-killing-ex-girlfriend-daniel-greenfield

This is not the Mollie Tibbets story. But it does show the ubiquity of illegal alien crime. Especially the murder of women.

On Tuesday evening, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced it placed an immigration detainer with the Scott County Jail on Fraider Diaz-Carbajal, “an illegal alien from Mexico, for suspected immigration violations following his local arrest for second-degree murder.”

According to ICE, Diaz-Carbajal has a criminal history that includes “numerous misdemeanor convictions, including three DUIs and one for domestic assault. On Dec. 17, 2012, a federal immigration judge ordered Diaz-Carbajal removed (deported) to Mexico; ICE officers removed him two days later. Since then he illegally re-entered the United States, which is a felony. He remains in local custody pending adjudication of his criminal charges.”

Fraider Diaz-Carbajal is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 27-year-old Enedelia Perez Garcia.

Shortly after 4 p.m. on Aug. 12, officers were called to an apartment on the 1200 block of Taylor Street on a report of an assault. According to the criminal complaint, when officers arrived, they found Diaz-Carbajal lying face down on top of the victim. The victim was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall and did not appear to be breathing. The suspect was laying on her with his head resting on her stomach and chest. Officers observed a lot of blood around the pair and in the area, as well as a large knife covered in blood next to the suspect.

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IMMIGRATION Comments turned off

Elizabeth Warren To Mollie Tibbetts’ Family: You Need To Focus On ‘Real Problems’ Like Immigrant Family Separations Warren said she’s ‘sorry’ Mollie Tibbetts is dead, but we must focus on the ‘real problems’ of lawbreaking parents at the border who are being temporarily separated from their kids. Bre Peyton

By on August 22nd, 2018

http://thefederalist.com/2018/08/22/warren-on-mollie-tibbetts-family-separation-policy-is-the-real-problem/

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Wednesday she’s “sorry” Mollie Tibbetts is dead, but urged her family and friends to remember to focus on the “real problems” at the border, where parents are being temporarily separated from their children.

An illegal immigrant has been charged with murdering Tibbetts, a 20-year-old University of Iowa student recently found dead in a cornfield. Republicans have called for a stronger immigration system that might have prevented this crime.

After offering her condolences to the Tibbetts family, who will never be reunited with their daughter again, Warren immediately pivoted to how said it is that moms at the border who have willfully broken the law are being temporarily separated from their babies.

“I’m so sorry for the family here and I know this is hard not only for her family but for the people in her community, the people throughout Iowa,” she said. “But one of the things we have to remember is we need an immigration system that is effective, that focuses on where the real problems are.”

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