The Western Way Of War – Owning The Narrative Trumps Reality
Authored by Alastair Crooke,
War propaganda and feint are as old as the hills. Nothing new. But what is new is that infowar is no longer the adjunct to wider war objectives – but has become an end in and of itself.
The West has come to view ‘owning’ the winning narrative – and presenting the Other’s as clunky, dissonant, and extremist – as being more important than facing facts-on-the ground. Owning the winning narrative is to win, in this view. Virtual ‘victory’ thus trumps ‘real’ reality.
So, war becomes rather the setting for imposing ideological alignment across a wide global alliance and enforcing it via compliant media.
This objective enjoys a higher priority than, say, ensuring a manufacturing capacity sufficient to sustain military objectives. Crafting an imagined ‘reality’ has taken precedence over shaping the ground reality.
The point here is that this approach – being a function of whole of society alignment (both at home and abroad) – creates entrapments into false realities, false expectations, from which an exit (when such becomes necessary), turns near impossible, precisely because imposed alignment has ossified public sentiment. The possibility for a State to change course as events unfold becomes curtailed or lost, and the accurate reading of facts on the ground veers toward the politically correct and away from reality.
The cumulative effect of ‘a winning virtual narrative’ holds the risk nonetheless, of sliding incrementally toward inadvertent ‘real war’.
Take, for example, the NATO-orchestrated and equipped incursion into the symbolically significant Kursk Oblast. In terms of a ‘winning narrative’, its appeal to the West is obvious: Ukraine ‘takes the war to into Russia’.
Had the Ukrainian forces succeeded in capturing the Kursk Nuclear Power Station, they then would have had a significant bargaining chip, and might well have syphoned away Russian forces from the steadily collapsing Ukrainian ‘Line’ in Donbas.
And to top it off, (in infowar terms), the western media was prepped and aligned to show President Putin as “frozen” by the surprise incursion, and “wobbling” with anxiety that the Russian public would turn against him in their anger at the humiliation.
Bill Burns, head of CIA, opined that “Russia would offer no concessions on Ukraine, until Putin’s over-confidence was challenged, and Ukraine could show strength”. Other U.S. officials added that the Kursk incursion – in itself – would not bring Russia to the negotiating table; It would be necessary to build on the Kursk operation with other daring operations (to shake Moscow’s sang froid).
Of course, the overall aim was to show Russia as fragile and vulnerable, in line with the narrative that, at any moment Russia, could crack apart and scatter to the wind, in fragments. Leaving the West as winner, of course.
In fact, the Kursk incursion was a huge NATO gamble: It involved mortgaging Ukraine’s military reserves and armour, as chips on the roulette table, as a bet that an ephemeral success in Kursk would upend the strategic balance. The bet was lost, and the chips forfeit.
Plainly put, this Kursk affair exemplifies the West’s problem with ‘winning narratives’: Their inherent flaw is that they are grounded in emotivism and eschew argumentation. Inevitably, they are simplistic. They are simply intended to fuel a ‘whole of society’ common alignment. Which is to say that across MSM; business, federal agencies, NGOs and the security sector, all should adhere to opposing all ‘extremisms’ threatening ‘our democracy’.
This aim, of itself, dictates that the narrative be undemanding and relatively uncontentious: ‘Our Democracy, Our Values and Our Consensus’. The Democratic National Convention, for example, embraces ‘Joy’ (repeated endlessly), ‘moving Forward’ and ‘opposing weirdness’ as key statements. They are banal, however, these memes are given their energy and momentum, not by content so much, as by the deliberate Hollywood setting lending them razzamatazz and glamour.
It is not hard to see how this one-dimensional zeitgeist may have contributed to the U.S. and its allies’ misreading the impact of today’s Kursk ‘daring adventure’ on ordinary Russians.
‘Kursk’ has history. In 1943, Germany invaded Russia in Kursk to divert from its own losses, with Germany ultimately defeated at the Battle of Kursk. The return of German military equipment to the environs of Kursk must have left many gaping; the current battlefield around the town of Sudzha is precisely the spot where, in 1943, the Soviet 38th and 40th armies coiled for a counteroffensive against the German 4th Army.
Over the centuries, Russia has been variously attacked on its vulnerable flank from the West. And more recently by Napoleon and Hitler. Unsurprisingly, Russians are acutely sensitive to this bloody history. Did Bill Burns et al think this through? Did they imagine that NATO invading Russia itself would make Putin feel ‘challenged’, and that with one further shove, he would fold, and agree to a ‘frozen’ outcome in Ukraine – with the latter entering NATO? Maybe they did.
Ultimately the message that western services sent was that the West (NATO) is coming for Russia. This is the meaning of deliberately choosing Kursk. Reading the runes of Bill Burns message says prepare for war with NATO.
Just to be clear, this genre of ‘winning narrative’ surrounding Kursk is neither deceit nor feint. The Minsk Accords were examples of deceit, but they were deceits grounded in rational strategy (i.e. they were historically normal). The Minsk deceits were intended to buy the West time to further Ukraine’s militarisation – before attacking the Donbas. The deceit worked, but only at the price of a rupture of trust between Russia and the West. The Minsk deceits however, also accelerated an end to the 200-year era of the westification of Russia.
Kursk rather, is a different ‘fish’. It is grounded in the notions of western exceptionalism. The West perceives itself as tacking to ‘the right side of History’. ‘Winning narratives’ essentially assert – in secular format – the inevitability of the western eschatological Mission for global redemption and convergence. In this new narrative context, facts-on-the-ground become mere irritants, and not realities that must be taken into account.
This their Achilles’ Heel.
The DNC convention in Chicago however, underscored a further concern:
Just as the hegemonic West arose out of the Cold War era shaped and invigorated through dialectic opposition to communism (in the western mythology), so we see today, a (claimed) totalising ‘extremism’ (whether of MAGA mode; or of the external variety: Iran, Russia, etc.) – posed in Chicago in a similar Hegelian dialectic opposition to the former capitalism versus communism; but in today’s case, it is “extremism” in conflict with “Our Democracy”.
The DNC Chicago narrative-thesis is itself a tautology of identity differentiation posing as ‘togetherness’ under a diversity banner and in conflict with ‘whiteness’ and ‘extremism’. ‘Extremism’ effectively plainly is being set up as the successor to the former Cold War antithesis – communism.
The Chicago ‘back-room’ may be imagining that a confrontation with extremism – writ widely – will again, as it did in the post-Cold War era, yield an American rejuvenation. Which is to say that a conflict with Iran, Russia, and China (in a different way) may come onto the agenda. The telltale signs are there (plus the West’s need for a re-set of its economy, which war regularly provides).
The Kursk ploy no doubt seemed clever and audacious to London and Washington. Yet with what result? It achieved neither objective of taking Kursk NPP, nor of syphoning Russian troops from the Contact Line. The Ukrainian presence in the Kursk Oblast will be eliminated.
What it did do, however, is put an end to all prospects of an eventual negotiated settlement in Ukraine. Distrust of the U.S. in Russia is now absolute. It has made Moscow more determined to prosecute the special operation to conclusion. German equipment visible in Kursk has raised old ghosts, and consolidated awareness of the hostile western intentions toward Russia.
‘Never again’ is the unspoken riposte.
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Originally Posted at; https://www.zerohedge.com//
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Tropical Storm Hone Forecast Discussion
000 WTPA41 PHFO 290237 TCDCP1 Tropical Storm Hone Discussion Number 27 NWS Central Pacific Hurricane Center Honolulu HI CP012024 500 PM HST Wed Aug 28 2024 This morning's burst of deep convection near the center of Hone has faded, and the low-level circulation center has become fully exposed again. Strong vertical shear continues to keep the tropical cyclone asymmetric with deep convection confined to the northeastern quadrant. The latest subjective Dvorak intensity estimates from PHFO, JTWC, and SAB again came in at 30 to 55 kt. The objective estimates were 28 to 40 kt. A nice ASCAT pass from late this morning showed several 45 kt wind barbs. The initial intensity for this advisory will be kept at 45 kt, and the 34 kt radii were also expanded slightly based on the scatterometer data. Hone will remain over warm SSTs through the forecast period. Vertical shear will remain strong over the next 2 to 3 days. The main question will be whether or not the strong shear will result in post-tropical cyclone status within that time frame. GFS simulated IR data seems to favor the post-tropical scenario. The high-res hurricane models favor maintenance as a tropical cyclone. The ECMWF has pulsing but generally decreasing deep convection that could result in post-tropical cyclone status between 24 and 72 hours. For this advisory, Hone is now forecast to remain as a tropical cyclone through the forecast period in deference to the high-res models and considering that its current deep convection is stronger than the GFS/post-tropical solution valid for the current time. In terms of intensity, the forecast generally follows the consensus of the objective aids and shows slight initial weakening, then keeps Hone as a 40 kt system until 96 hours. This forecast of relatively steady intensity reflects the possibility that despite the strong shear, deep convection will continue to pulse enough to maintain its strength. At the end of the forecast period, Hone is forecast to intensify, with several models showing an increase to typhoon strength beyond 120 hours west of the International Date Line. For this advisory, Hone's initial movement is 280/8 kt. The tropical cyclone is being steered by a weak low- to mid-level ridge to the north. This general motion is expected to continue over the next couple of days based on the tight clustering of the objective guidance. As Hone approaches the International Date Line, the tropical cyclone is forecast to interact with a developing low pressure system aloft, which will result in a turn toward the northwest. The various global models handle this interaction differently, resulting in greater spread in the objective guidance and greater uncertainty beyond 72 hours. Toward the end of the forecast period, there is a potential risk of impacts to Midway, Kure, and Pearl and Hermes Atolls. FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INIT 29/0300Z 20.8N 170.2W 45 KT 50 MPH 12H 29/1200Z 21.0N 171.4W 40 KT 45 MPH 24H 30/0000Z 21.4N 173.0W 40 KT 45 MPH 36H 30/1200Z 21.8N 174.4W 40 KT 45 MPH 48H 31/0000Z 22.3N 175.5W 40 KT 45 MPH 60H 31/1200Z 23.1N 176.3W 40 KT 45 MPH 72H 01/0000Z 24.3N 176.9W 40 KT 45 MPH 96H 02/0000Z 26.5N 179.5W 40 KT 45 MPH 120H 03/0000Z 27.5N 177.0E 45 KT 50 MPH $$ Forecaster Kodama
Originally Posted at:
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At The NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
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Tropical Storm Hone Public Advisory
000 WTPA31 PHFO 290237 TCPCP1 BULLETIN Tropical Storm Hone Advisory Number 27 NWS Central Pacific Hurricane Center Honolulu HI CP012024 500 PM HST Wed Aug 28 2024 ...HONE WESTBOUND AND STILL A TROPICAL STORM... SUMMARY OF 500 PM HST...0300 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...20.8N 170.2W ABOUT 795 MI...1275 KM W OF HONOLULU HAWAII ABOUT 680 MI...1100 KM SE OF MIDWAY ISLAND MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...50 MPH...85 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...W OR 280 DEGREES AT 9 MPH...15 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1002 MB...29.59 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect. Interests on Midway, Kure, and Pearl and Hermes Atolls should monitor the progress of Hone. DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK ---------------------- At 500 PM HST (0300 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Hone was located near latitude 20.8 North, longitude 170.2 West. Hone is moving toward the west near 9 mph (15 km/h). A westward or west-northwestward motion is expected to continue over the next couple of days. A turn toward the northwest and a decrease in forward speed is expected this weekend. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. After a slight weakening tonight, Hone's strength is forecast to remain relatively steady for several days. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 85 miles (140 km) from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1002 mb (29.59 inches). HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- None. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- Next complete advisory at 1100 PM HST. $$ Forecaster Kodama
Originally Posted at:
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER and CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER
At The NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
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Tropical Storm Gilma Public Advisory
107 WTPA32 PHFO 290235 TCPCP2 BULLETIN Tropical Storm Gilma Advisory Number 44 NWS Central Pacific Hurricane Center Honolulu HI EP072024 500 PM HST Wed Aug 28 2024 ...WEAKENING GILMA EXPECTED TO PASS CLOSE TO HAWAII ON FRIDAY... SUMMARY OF 500 PM HST...0300 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...19.5N 148.3W ABOUT 440 MI...710 KM E OF HILO HAWAII ABOUT 635 MI...1020 KM E OF HONOLULU HAWAII MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH...65 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...W OR 280 DEGREES AT 14 MPH...22 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1006 MB...29.71 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect. DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK ---------------------- At 500 PM HST (0300 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Gilma was located near latitude 19.5 North, longitude 148.3 West. Gilma is moving toward the west near 14 mph (22 km/h). A continued motion toward slightly north of due west will continue into Thursday, followed by a turn toward the west-northwest on Friday as the remnant low of Gilma passes near the Hawaiian Islands. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Continued weakening is expected, and Gilma is expected to weaken to a remnant low late Thursday or Friday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1006 mb (29.71 inches). HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- None NEXT ADVISORY ------------- Next complete advisory at 1100 PM HST. $$ Forecaster Wroe
Tropical Storm Hone Wind Speed Probabilities
000
FOPA11 PHFO 290234
PWSCP1
TROPICAL STORM HONE WIND SPEED PROBABILITIES NUMBER 27
NWS CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER HONOLULU HI CP012024
0300 UTC THU AUG 29 2024
AT 0300Z THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM HONE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE
20.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 170.2 WEST WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR
45 KTS...50 MPH...85 KM/H.
Z INDICATES COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (GREENWICH)
PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME (PDT)...SUBTRACT 7 HOURS FROM Z TIME
HAWAIIAN STANDARD TIME (HST)...SUBTRACT 10 HOURS FROM Z TIME
WIND SPEED PROBABILITY TABLE FOR SPECIFIC LOCATIONS
CHANCES OF SUSTAINED (1-MINUTE AVERAGE) WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST
...34 KT (39 MPH... 63 KM/H)...
...50 KT (58 MPH... 93 KM/H)...
...64 KT (74 MPH...119 KM/H)...
FOR LOCATIONS AND TIME PERIODS DURING THE NEXT 5 DAYS
PROBABILITIES FOR LOCATIONS ARE GIVEN AS OP(CP) WHERE
OP IS THE PROBABILITY OF THE EVENT BEGINNING DURING
AN INDIVIDUAL TIME PERIOD (ONSET PROBABILITY)
(CP) IS THE PROBABILITY OF THE EVENT OCCURRING BETWEEN
00Z THU AND THE FORECAST HOUR (CUMULATIVE PROBABILITY)
PROBABILITIES ARE GIVEN IN PERCENT
X INDICATES PROBABILITIES LESS THAN 1 PERCENT
PROBABILITIES FOR 34 KT AND 50 KT ARE SHOWN AT A GIVEN LOCATION WHEN
THE 5-DAY CUMULATIVE PROBABILITY IS AT LEAST 3 PERCENT.
PROBABILITIES FOR 34...50...64 KT SHOWN WHEN THE 5-DAY
64-KT CUMULATIVE PROBABILITY IS AT LEAST 1 PERCENT.
- - - - WIND SPEED PROBABILITIES FOR SELECTED LOCATIONS - - - -
FROM FROM FROM FROM FROM FROM FROM
TIME 00Z THU 12Z THU 00Z FRI 12Z FRI 00Z SAT 00Z SUN 00Z MON
PERIODS TO TO TO TO TO TO TO
12Z THU 00Z FRI 12Z FRI 00Z SAT 00Z SUN 00Z MON 00Z TUE
FORECAST HOUR (12) (24) (36) (48) (72) (96) (120)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
LOCATION KT
20N 175W 34 X 1( 1) 3( 4) 1( 5) 2( 7) X( 7) X( 7)
25N 175W 34 X 1( 1) 1( 2) 3( 5) 9(14) 2(16) X(16)
LAYSAN 34 X 1( 1) X( 1) 1( 2) 1( 3) X( 3) X( 3)
LISIANSKI 34 X 1( 1) X( 1) 1( 2) 2( 4) 1( 5) 1( 6)
PEARL/HERMES 34 X X( X) X( X) X( X) 2( 2) 4( 6) X( 6)
MIDWAY 34 X X( X) X( X) X( X) 2( 2) 6( 8) 1( 9)
KURE 34 X X( X) X( X) X( X) 1( 1) 8( 9) 2(11)
$$
FORECASTER KODAMA
Originally Posted at:
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER and CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER
At The NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
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Tropical Storm Hone Forecast Advisory
674 WTPA21 PHFO 290234 TCMCP1 TROPICAL STORM HONE FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 27 NWS CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER HONOLULU HI CP012024 0300 UTC THU AUG 29 2024 NOTICE... LAND-BASED TROPICAL CYCLONE WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THE TROPICAL CYCLONE FORECAST/ADVISORY...(TCM). CURRENT LAND-BASED COASTAL WATCHES AND WARNINGS CAN BE FOUND IN THE MOST RECENTLY ISSUED TROPICAL CYCLONE PUBLIC ADVISORY...(TCP). TROPICAL STORM CENTER LOCATED NEAR 20.8N 170.2W AT 29/0300Z POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 15 NM PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE WEST OR 280 DEGREES AT 8 KT ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE 1002 MB MAX SUSTAINED WINDS 45 KT WITH GUSTS TO 55 KT. 34 KT....... 75NE 0SE 0SW 55NW. 12 FT SEAS..100NE 20SE 40SW 100NW. WINDS AND SEAS VARY GREATLY IN EACH QUADRANT. RADII IN NAUTICAL MILES ARE THE LARGEST RADII EXPECTED ANYWHERE IN THAT QUADRANT. REPEAT...CENTER LOCATED NEAR 20.8N 170.2W AT 29/0300Z AT 29/0000Z CENTER WAS LOCATED NEAR 20.7N 169.7W FORECAST VALID 29/1200Z 21.0N 171.4W MAX WIND 40 KT...GUSTS 50 KT. 34 KT... 75NE 0SE 0SW 55NW. FORECAST VALID 30/0000Z 21.4N 173.0W MAX WIND 40 KT...GUSTS 50 KT. 34 KT... 50NE 0SE 0SW 40NW. FORECAST VALID 30/1200Z 21.8N 174.4W MAX WIND 40 KT...GUSTS 50 KT. 34 KT... 50NE 0SE 0SW 40NW. FORECAST VALID 31/0000Z 22.3N 175.5W MAX WIND 40 KT...GUSTS 50 KT. 34 KT... 50NE 0SE 0SW 40NW. FORECAST VALID 31/1200Z 23.1N 176.3W MAX WIND 40 KT...GUSTS 50 KT. 34 KT... 40NE 20SE 10SW 30NW. FORECAST VALID 01/0000Z 24.3N 176.9W MAX WIND 40 KT...GUSTS 50 KT. 34 KT... 40NE 30SE 10SW 20NW. EXTENDED OUTLOOK. NOTE...ERRORS FOR TRACK HAVE AVERAGED NEAR 150 NM ON DAY 4 AND 200 NM ON DAY 5...AND FOR INTENSITY NEAR 20 KT EACH DAY OUTLOOK VALID 02/0000Z 26.5N 179.5W MAX WIND 40 KT...GUSTS 50 KT. 34 KT... 40NE 30SE 10SW 20NW. OUTLOOK VALID 03/0000Z 27.5N 177.0E MAX WIND 45 KT...GUSTS 55 KT. 34 KT... 50NE 40SE 0SW 30NW. REQUEST FOR 3 HOURLY SHIP REPORTS WITHIN 300 MILES OF 20.8N 170.2W NEXT ADVISORY AT 29/0900Z $$ FORECASTER KODAMA
Originally Posted at:
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At The NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
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Tropical Storm Hector Forecast Advisory
000 WTPZ23 KNHC 290231 TCMEP3 TROPICAL STORM HECTOR FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 14 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP082024 0300 UTC THU AUG 29 2024 TROPICAL STORM CENTER LOCATED NEAR 17.2N 134.2W AT 29/0300Z POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 30 NM PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE WEST OR 270 DEGREES AT 10 KT ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE 1006 MB MAX SUSTAINED WINDS 35 KT WITH GUSTS TO 45 KT. 34 KT.......100NE 0SE 0SW 0NW. 12 FT SEAS.. 0NE 0SE 0SW 60NW. WINDS AND SEAS VARY GREATLY IN EACH QUADRANT. RADII IN NAUTICAL MILES ARE THE LARGEST RADII EXPECTED ANYWHERE IN THAT QUADRANT. REPEAT...CENTER LOCATED NEAR 17.2N 134.2W AT 29/0300Z AT 29/0000Z CENTER WAS LOCATED NEAR 17.2N 133.7W FORECAST VALID 29/1200Z 17.3N 135.9W MAX WIND 30 KT...GUSTS 40 KT. FORECAST VALID 30/0000Z 17.3N 138.6W...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW MAX WIND 30 KT...GUSTS 40 KT. FORECAST VALID 30/1200Z 17.3N 141.4W...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW MAX WIND 25 KT...GUSTS 35 KT. FORECAST VALID 31/0000Z...DISSIPATED REQUEST FOR 3 HOURLY SHIP REPORTS WITHIN 300 MILES OF 17.2N 134.2W NEXT ADVISORY AT 29/0900Z $$ FORECASTER BEVEN
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Kamala Harris Pushed for Removing School Police to Combat Racial Inequities During 2019 Presidential Campaign
Vice President Kamala Harris called for the removal of police officers from schools in 2019 to address racial disparities in student discipline, according to remarks she made during her first presidential campaign.
In a 2019 interview during her initial run for the presidency, then-Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) argued for eliminating on-campus police presence to address racial inequities.
In a recently resurfaced clip of the event, Harris voices her concerns about the disproportionate rates of suspensions and expulsions among black and brown students, calling for a reevaluation of how discipline is enforced in schools.
“What we need to do about demilitarizing our schools and taking police officers out of schools. We need to deal with the reality and speak the truth about the inequities around school discipline,” she says. “Where in particular, black and brown boys are being expelled and or suspended as young as … in elementary school.”
Her comments came during the Presidential Justice Forum at Benedict College in South Carolina where she outlined her vision for criminal justice reform, including reducing juvenile incarceration, which she described as “traumatic,” and ending solitary confinement for minors.
In light of her comments, backlash ensued online, with many expressing concerns over the safety implications of her proposal.
“Why does she want our kids to be less safe?” asked Donald Trump Jr.
“Insanity,” responded radio talker Clay Travis. “I want every school to have an officer and I’m glad my kids schools have them.”
“This is sickening,” wrote Parkland parent Andrew Pollack. “My daughter was killed because Parkland didn’t have enough security.”
“We need more school resource officers — not fewer!” he added.
“Kamala’s policies show how much she hates the police,” insisted former top Trump administration official and former U.S. ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell.
“Once the General Public Realizes how radical Kamala is, its over,” wrote podcast host Cash Loren.
Harris’s stance on demilitarizing schools was part of a broader criminal justice reform platform she promoted during her 2020 presidential bid.
During the 2020 anti-police riots — the most costly in U.S. history — many leaders in blue cities caved to BLM’s (Black Lives Matter) call to “defund the police,” which became popular with Democrats during and after the 2020 presidential election season.
However, crime surged nationwide after progressives campaigned endlessly against police, leading to eroded confidence in law enforcement, sunken police morale, and an officer exodus.
Following the defunding of police in many Democrat cities, murder rates rose 16 percent in 2021 across major U.S. cities, a trend which bled into the following years.
Flashback: D.C. Mayor Dodges When Asked If She’ll Remove “Defund The Police” Street Art
Mayor Muriel Bowser / Periscope
Big cities also continued to see an upward trend of violent crime in places such as Los Angeles and New York City — both of which defunded their departments and employed soft-on-crime “bail reform,” which allows career criminals back on the streets.
In response, Democrats began distancing themselves from the policies they pushed, at one point even attempting to blame Republicans for defunding police.
Similarly, several school districts across the nation responded to protests over George Floyd’s death by severing ties with police departments. However, rising concerns over school violence later prompted some districts to reinstate school resource officers.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
Originally Posted At www.breitbart.com
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Gavin Newsom to Decide After CA Democrats Pass $150,000 Home Loans for Illegal Aliens
California Governor Gavin Newsom will make the final decision on a bill that would make illegal aliens eligible for $150,000 in home loans for first-time buyers, after the State Assembly passed a final version of the bill on Wednesday.
AB 1840, a bill by @AsmArambula that expands eligibility in the state’s down payment assistance program to undocumented Californians, passes the Assembly and is off to the governor.
— Sameea Kamal (@SameeaKamal) August 28, 2024
Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Corona) helped lead Republican opposition to the bill, but Democrats passed it by a three-to-one veto-proof majority, sending it to the governor’s desk — and drawing attention to the party’s pattern of creating incentives for illegal migration by heaping taxpayer-funded benefits onto people who are not supposed to be in the country at all.
California democrats love illegal immigration so much they offer many incentives for them to come here.
Today, the Assembly just voted to give illegal immigrants free down payment assistance (up to $150k) to buy a house a new home. Thats on top of providing free health care and… pic.twitter.com/qGJ4OIcLCG
— Bill Essayli (@billessayli) August 29, 2024
As Breitbart News has reported, the loan program expands an existing program that does not require a down payment or interest payments, but instead requires borrowers to repay the principal and a percentage of the appreciation of the value of the home.
Newsom’s decision will be closely watched, not only because it will be a sign of Democrats’ policy direction, but also because California is the home state of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
Originally Posted At www.breitbart.com
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Zuckerberg Is Sorry for Censoring Facebook for the Biden/Harris Administration
by Daisy Luther, The Organic Prepper:
Mark Zuckerberg sent a bombshell letter to Congress proving yet another of our silly little conspiracy theories right. He admitted that the Biden/Harris administration had asked his company to censor posts about the Hunter Biden laptop and Covid-19.
In a letter addressed to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Zuckerberg explained.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
He told Jordan that in 2021, “senior officials” from the Biden administration and White House “repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire.”
When Facebook did not agree with the censorship, Zuckerberg said, the Biden administration expressed a lot of frustration.
“Ultimately, it was our decision whether or not to take content down, and we own our decisions, including COVID-19-related changes we made to our enforcement in the wake of this pressure,” Zuckerberg wrote. “I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it. (source)
But it wasn’t only information about Covid that they covered up. Hunter Biden’s laptop story could have changed the outcome of the last election, and mentions of this, too, were erased from Facebook and Instagram.
Zuckerberg also said that Facebook shouldn’t have censored the NY Post‘s Hunter Biden laptop story – and said that the FBI had warned the platform “about a potential Russian disinformation operation about the Biden family and Burisma in the lead up to the 2020 election.”
“That fall, when we saw a New York Post story reporting on corruption allegations involving then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s family, we sent that story to fact-checkers for review and temporarily demoted it while waiting for a reply,” reads the letter. “It’s since been made clear that the reporting was not Russian disinformation, and in retrospect, we shouldn’t have demoted the story.” (source)
Why does this matter?
Some of you are thinking, “I don’t use Facebook or Instagram. Why should I care?”
As I’ve written before, the level of influence here is utterly massive.
Consider the fact that the “population” of Facebook is bigger than the populations of the US, China, and Brazil combined.
That’s how many people will now only receive one side of the story on things like war, politics, guns, and current events. People will believe what they’re told because there is no alternative information presented. There are no questions asked. It’s literally the textbook definition of brainwashing.
Social media is a massive source of information and influence today. If the information is rigged by entities that support socialism, gun control, and the end of privacy, we’re doomed. 2.2 billion active users will be bombarded with these messages without any real option for the other side of the story.
So regardless of whether you, personally, participate, this will color popular sentiment to a massive degree. It will grow the cognitive dissonance that assures people of things like “the government is your friend” and that “you don’t need to protect yourself, the police will take care of you.”
People who hate freedom will get unfettered access to the minds of 2 billion people. That should scare the crap out of you.
This isn’t the first illicit action that Facebook has taken to hide information.
In 2018, there was a coordinated social media purge that deleted hundreds of alternative news accounts from both Facebook and Twitter. These small websites, just working to share opinions and facts that differed from what the MSM shared, had their lifes’ work completely eradicated. They lost everything they had built and many sites shut down completely at that time.
Read More @ TheOrganicPrepper.ca
Originally Posted at https://www.sgtreport.com
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