Lol it's for entertainment
Miscellaneous News
- Thread starter bd popeye
- Start date
Drive out the corrupt bastards
In addendum, defamation and extortion are still crimes in China, are they not?
Why shouldn't the MSS extradite this "workers rights consortium" and force them to face justice?
It doesn't stop the U.K. from blowing it's trumpet. Self praise indeed.
British carrier group example of ‘powerful partner’ say US
British carrier group example of ‘powerful partner’ say US
ByAugust 8, 2021
HMS Queen Elizabeth and her Carrier Strike Group pulled into Apra Harbor in the midst of the CSG21 deployment this week.
that the deployment is the UK’s first by a carrier strike group in the Indo-Pacific for almost 25 years and “marks a historic achievement in the bilateral partnership between the U.S. and UK”.
“CSG21 is a prime example of the powerful partnerships we have, not just with our neighbors in this region, but around the world,” said Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, commander, Joint Region Marianas.
“The U.K. is one of our most stalwart and skilled allies, and their participation in our exercises and operations in the Pacific is a demonstration of the deep relationship we share in terms of defense and deterrence of our adversaries.”
From The Financial Times...
“HMS Diamond, was forced to divert to an Italian shipyard for repairs after encountering engine problems. The vessel was just one of two operational Type 45 destroyers, which were designed to protect the carriers from air attacks. The other four are all undergoing various types of maintenance.”
The Britain just ended up embarrassing itself like this.
There is the real problem with building aircraft carriers, hidden in plain sight. British governments wanted them and were prepared to pay for them but not willing to spend enough to make them viable without reliance on direct military contributions from other countries.
Aircraft carriers are expensive white elephants and also sitting ducks without integrated strike groups around them to protect them and to leverage their presence. This means the full complement of aircraft (NOT ones mostly borrowed from Uncle Sam). It also means having a complete force of escort vessels, and not ones loaned by other navies because UK politicians have cut the number of hulls in the British Navy below the necessary levels and most of those Britain do still have are in dock being serviced when the carrier is sailing.
It's hard not to conclude that UK shiftless politicians wanted these two ships simply for purposes of waving their male appendages and that they ignored the obvious professional advice about the minimum naval and aviation assets that would be required to field a credible British carrier force. If Britain isn't going to spend enough to do the job properly then please don't waste money doing it badly.
Polite but devastating takedown of the UK’s absurd military delusions by the US. The US calling out the UK, correctly, as a spent medium-sized military force. Hasn't this been the case ever since World War II? There is really nothing "special" about this US-UK senior-junior partner relationship.
Britain had "got told" by the US ever since World War II. The humiliation of both Britain and France in the Suez Crisis in 1956 was a classic example of the US telling the British and French that the yesteryears European powers would no longer have the right to influence on global affairs unless the US tell them to act.
A powerful 'partner' (ahem Poodle) indeed. HMS The Queen Elizabeth carries only 8 x F-35B from the RAF. But carries another 10 x F-35B from the USMC. The HMS Queen Elizabeth is surely acting more like an American carrier than a British one. What? Is the USMC short on flattops for their F-35Bs? Or is the 'mighty' Royal Navy actually admitting who really owns the HMS Queen Elizabeth?
Britannia to return to her rightful place as queen of the seas? Ok, if you say so....
Britain still harbours for the "good old days" when "Britannia rules the waves". Unfortunately for them, that boat has sailed many decades ago.
So yes, they built their mightiest warship ever, and assembled an armada and sail half around the world with great fanfare only to be found out it is a paper tiger without teeth, with more than half of its aircraft is borrowed, and the other purchased from their Lord and master.
All this to try and pick fights with people who have not wronged them. Came unstuck with Russia in Crimea. And now embarrassed themselves in SCS. Oh how the mighty has fallen!
Yes indeed. Gone were the days where the Royal Navy sets the example for warship designs and naval strategies for the world to follow. Now the Royal Navy orders ships to fit the template of the US Navy. Worse still, the Royal Navy is now acting as a subsidiary of the US Navy. Procuring US-made arms, and even helping to carry around their USMC airwings for them. Britain now sets the example of the perfect Poodle. LOL!
Lobbyists Spent $426 Million to Reap an Infrastructure Bonanza (07 AUG)
Nearly 2,000 companies and organizations have lobbied Congress and the administration this year in an attempt to influence the contours of major new infrastructure spending, an effort that is sure to intensify now that the Senate is hoping to vote within days on their version of the $1 trillion public-works package.
The proposal — along with a still-forming second economic package valued at $3.5 trillion — carries high stakes for corporations that have long pined for infrastructure improvements and other federal spending that would be beneficial to their bottom lines.
The organizations working to shape the package — ranging from powerful trade associations representing agricultural and energy giants to small-time firms working for cities in Alabama and Kansas — mentioned either “infrastructure” or President Biden’s initial proposal, known as the American Jobs Plan, on their lobbying disclosure forms during the most recent quarter this year, according to an analysis from the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit group that tracks money and influence in Washington.
Amazon, whose founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, spent nearly $10 million in the first six months of the year on a slew of lobbyists who worked on issues including “electric vehicle charging infrastructure” and “infrastructure investment legislation,” according to filings. The Global Infrastructure Investor Association, which represents financial firms like Goldman Sachs, Blackstone and Morgan Stanley, lobbied earlier this year on “public-private partnerships in financing state and federal infrastructure,” its disclosures show.
The RATE Coalition, a group that represents companies like AT&T, CVS, FedEx and Toyota, hired Forbes Tate Partners to lobby AGAINST corporate tax raises, a firm whose lobbyists include former aides to the Senate’s top tax-focused committee. The American Chemistry Council, which represents companies including 3M, Dow, Dupont and ExxonMobil, has taken particular aim at a portion of the infrastructure package that would raise the country’s so-called Superfund Tax.
Result: 2,701-Page Infrastructure Bill
As fruits of their efforts, the lobbyists produced a 2,701-page bill.
It's important to understand that Congressmen do not write bills, lobbyists do. They are the only ones who understand what's in those 2,701 pages.
On Fox News, Larry Kudlow, the former director of the National Economic Council under Trump's administration asked: How many Senators have read this bill?
Dirty Little Republican Secret
17 GOP Senators have signed on to this package making it a truly bipartisan boondoggle. The WSJ comments on the Republican support.
So why did 17 GOP senators vote to proceed? On the baser end of the scale, here’s the dirty little secret: The bill fundamentally amounts to a HEAP OF SPENDING, and some Republicans can spend with the best of Democrats. The member press releases are already flying, bragging about the pork they are directing back to their home states.
Long time readers knew from the top of this post that a musical tribute was coming. This one is a movie flashback.
(Unbelievable -- the short clip of Bonanza - Intro (HD) already gone -- hours ago I still watched the cool very short footage of the past movie "BONANZA" -- The Cowboy were having the abundant wild wild West
Here's the replacement link of the full movie, timing starts on the music like the above one:
Worst Bills Money Can Buy
In the end, Democrats and Republicans mostly feed from the same trough in the same smelly pigsty.
Lobbyists reap the Bonanza and taxpayers foot the bill.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Lobbyists Spent $426 million to Reap an Infrastructure Bonanza"
$426 million to guide multi-trillion bucks? That's chump change. The payoff of such "contributions" was always in ratio of about 1,000 to 1. In other words, if a corporation donates $250,000 in "campaign contributions", they will get $250,000,000 in government contracts, or a law change that makes them that much profit.
About 2,000 entities gave up $420 million.... to bribe the people in government and Congress, legally. The keepers of the constitution -- the corrupt political hacks at SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) have legalized the bribery of Congress.
There are 11,542 registered lobbyists in Washington D.C. It's multi-billion dollar industry!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buried within ‘infrastructure’ bill lies provision to install breathalyzers, eye scans in new cars, report (05 AUG)
As the behemoth 2,702-page, $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill is being debated in Congress, Americans have had time to fish out buried provisions that are, notably, not infrastructure – the most recent example being in-car breathalyzers.
The provision is called “Advanced Drunk and Impaired Driving Prevention Technology Safety Standard” and it would require automobile manufacturers to install technology in new cars to monitor and prevent drivers from getting behind the wheel under the influence by utilizing breathalyzers, eye scans to track drivers’ focus or infrared touch tests.
Where some see a safety measure, others see Big Brother-reminiscent mandates and technology. The invasive tech doesn’t stop at preventing impaired driving either. It would also require rear guards for semi-trucks to protect passenger vehicles that may rear-end them, an in-car reminder to check the backseat for a child every time the engine stops [a nanny feature], and a study on whether federal crash-test dummies are accurate indicators of crash impacts on women, children and the elderly, according to Time.
Some may argue that these provisions are well-intentioned, while others can’t be so sure as the government appears to be taking every opportunity to encroach on their lives. One thing that is certain, however, is that drunk driving, car check reminder technology, and crash test dummies are not infrastructure.
It’s not always clear how provisions like this end up in unrelated legislation, but all you have to do here is follow the money.
(…)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Lobbying was Illegal
Wouldn’t it be nice if lobbying were illegal?
It’s a tempting thought. But it seems impossible. Lobbying is a multi-billion dollar industry and an accepted — if hated — part of American politics. American courts have ruled that lobbying is constitutionally protected free speech, and lawyers and laymen alike generally accept this.
The same is true of more indirect lobbying, like the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling that allows businesses to spend unlimited sums of money on Super PACs [political action committees] and advertisements for or against a candidate.
Yet from America’s founding through much of the 19th century, the legal system treated lobbying as a corrupt and illegitimate activity. Lobbying still happened, but a number of states made lobbying a criminal offense, and the federal government banned some forms of lobbying. This all happened without legal challenge, as the courts viewed lobbying as incompatible with the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
(…)
===========================================
Graft flows like water in a democrat-run DC, just look at how Biden has paid off his voter base under the guise of "Covid-19 relief", and understand how democrats need to perpetuate division and fear to retain their political power...
As part of his emergency relief package, Biden handed over $86 billion of taxpayer money to fill deficits of labor unions pension plans. These deficits were accumulated over decades, from mismanagement by inept union officials, and were the obligations of the unions and the private companies who employed the union labor. These deficits were not a result of the effects of COVID-19, nor were they an obligation of the US taxpayer, but Biden took action to reward his labor union voter base.
This leads to an important point for the future. The midterm elections are due next November. Democrats hold a razor thin margin in the Senate, and a diminished majority in the house. Polling is demonstrating that the democrats honeymoon is over, and favorability ratings are turning negative.
As a result, the democrats have to achieve Two objectives:
Firstly, they must be able to keep the flood of payoff money flowing to their voters, be it overpriced and inefficient spending on "infrastructure", or enhanced socialist welfare programs.
Secondly, in order to keep the money flowing, democrats then must continue to promote an atmosphere of fear and division around the corona virus, to justify the increased spending to support "oppressed and affected" groups, who just happen to constitute the bulk of democrat voters.
All of the rhetoric in the hallways in Washington D.C. is just a kabuki dance clouding the democrats' true priorities: holding onto power at any cost!
Nearly 2,000 companies and organizations have lobbied Congress and the administration this year in an attempt to influence the contours of major new infrastructure spending, an effort that is sure to intensify now that the Senate is hoping to vote within days on their version of the $1 trillion public-works package.
The proposal — along with a still-forming second economic package valued at $3.5 trillion — carries high stakes for corporations that have long pined for infrastructure improvements and other federal spending that would be beneficial to their bottom lines.
The organizations working to shape the package — ranging from powerful trade associations representing agricultural and energy giants to small-time firms working for cities in Alabama and Kansas — mentioned either “infrastructure” or President Biden’s initial proposal, known as the American Jobs Plan, on their lobbying disclosure forms during the most recent quarter this year, according to an analysis from the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit group that tracks money and influence in Washington.
Amazon, whose founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, spent nearly $10 million in the first six months of the year on a slew of lobbyists who worked on issues including “electric vehicle charging infrastructure” and “infrastructure investment legislation,” according to filings. The Global Infrastructure Investor Association, which represents financial firms like Goldman Sachs, Blackstone and Morgan Stanley, lobbied earlier this year on “public-private partnerships in financing state and federal infrastructure,” its disclosures show.
The RATE Coalition, a group that represents companies like AT&T, CVS, FedEx and Toyota, hired Forbes Tate Partners to lobby AGAINST corporate tax raises, a firm whose lobbyists include former aides to the Senate’s top tax-focused committee. The American Chemistry Council, which represents companies including 3M, Dow, Dupont and ExxonMobil, has taken particular aim at a portion of the infrastructure package that would raise the country’s so-called Superfund Tax.
Result: 2,701-Page Infrastructure Bill
As fruits of their efforts, the lobbyists produced a 2,701-page bill.
It's important to understand that Congressmen do not write bills, lobbyists do. They are the only ones who understand what's in those 2,701 pages.
On Fox News, Larry Kudlow, the former director of the National Economic Council under Trump's administration asked: How many Senators have read this bill?
Dirty Little Republican Secret
17 GOP Senators have signed on to this package making it a truly bipartisan boondoggle. The WSJ comments on the Republican support.
So why did 17 GOP senators vote to proceed? On the baser end of the scale, here’s the dirty little secret: The bill fundamentally amounts to a HEAP OF SPENDING, and some Republicans can spend with the best of Democrats. The member press releases are already flying, bragging about the pork they are directing back to their home states.
Long time readers knew from the top of this post that a musical tribute was coming. This one is a movie flashback.
(Unbelievable -- the short clip of Bonanza - Intro (HD) already gone -- hours ago I still watched the cool very short footage of the past movie "BONANZA" -- The Cowboy were having the abundant wild wild West
Here's the replacement link of the full movie, timing starts on the music like the above one:
Worst Bills Money Can Buy
In the end, Democrats and Republicans mostly feed from the same trough in the same smelly pigsty.
Lobbyists reap the Bonanza and taxpayers foot the bill.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Lobbyists Spent $426 million to Reap an Infrastructure Bonanza"
$426 million to guide multi-trillion bucks? That's chump change. The payoff of such "contributions" was always in ratio of about 1,000 to 1. In other words, if a corporation donates $250,000 in "campaign contributions", they will get $250,000,000 in government contracts, or a law change that makes them that much profit.
About 2,000 entities gave up $420 million.... to bribe the people in government and Congress, legally. The keepers of the constitution -- the corrupt political hacks at SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) have legalized the bribery of Congress.
There are 11,542 registered lobbyists in Washington D.C. It's multi-billion dollar industry!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buried within ‘infrastructure’ bill lies provision to install breathalyzers, eye scans in new cars, report (05 AUG)
As the behemoth 2,702-page, $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill is being debated in Congress, Americans have had time to fish out buried provisions that are, notably, not infrastructure – the most recent example being in-car breathalyzers.
The provision is called “Advanced Drunk and Impaired Driving Prevention Technology Safety Standard” and it would require automobile manufacturers to install technology in new cars to monitor and prevent drivers from getting behind the wheel under the influence by utilizing breathalyzers, eye scans to track drivers’ focus or infrared touch tests.
Where some see a safety measure, others see Big Brother-reminiscent mandates and technology. The invasive tech doesn’t stop at preventing impaired driving either. It would also require rear guards for semi-trucks to protect passenger vehicles that may rear-end them, an in-car reminder to check the backseat for a child every time the engine stops [a nanny feature], and a study on whether federal crash-test dummies are accurate indicators of crash impacts on women, children and the elderly, according to Time.
Some may argue that these provisions are well-intentioned, while others can’t be so sure as the government appears to be taking every opportunity to encroach on their lives. One thing that is certain, however, is that drunk driving, car check reminder technology, and crash test dummies are not infrastructure.
It’s not always clear how provisions like this end up in unrelated legislation, but all you have to do here is follow the money.
(…)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Lobbying was Illegal
Wouldn’t it be nice if lobbying were illegal?
It’s a tempting thought. But it seems impossible. Lobbying is a multi-billion dollar industry and an accepted — if hated — part of American politics. American courts have ruled that lobbying is constitutionally protected free speech, and lawyers and laymen alike generally accept this.
The same is true of more indirect lobbying, like the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling that allows businesses to spend unlimited sums of money on Super PACs [political action committees] and advertisements for or against a candidate.
Yet from America’s founding through much of the 19th century, the legal system treated lobbying as a corrupt and illegitimate activity. Lobbying still happened, but a number of states made lobbying a criminal offense, and the federal government banned some forms of lobbying. This all happened without legal challenge, as the courts viewed lobbying as incompatible with the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
(…)
===========================================
Graft flows like water in a democrat-run DC, just look at how Biden has paid off his voter base under the guise of "Covid-19 relief", and understand how democrats need to perpetuate division and fear to retain their political power...
As part of his emergency relief package, Biden handed over $86 billion of taxpayer money to fill deficits of labor unions pension plans. These deficits were accumulated over decades, from mismanagement by inept union officials, and were the obligations of the unions and the private companies who employed the union labor. These deficits were not a result of the effects of COVID-19, nor were they an obligation of the US taxpayer, but Biden took action to reward his labor union voter base.
This leads to an important point for the future. The midterm elections are due next November. Democrats hold a razor thin margin in the Senate, and a diminished majority in the house. Polling is demonstrating that the democrats honeymoon is over, and favorability ratings are turning negative.
As a result, the democrats have to achieve Two objectives:
Firstly, they must be able to keep the flood of payoff money flowing to their voters, be it overpriced and inefficient spending on "infrastructure", or enhanced socialist welfare programs.
Secondly, in order to keep the money flowing, democrats then must continue to promote an atmosphere of fear and division around the corona virus, to justify the increased spending to support "oppressed and affected" groups, who just happen to constitute the bulk of democrat voters.
All of the rhetoric in the hallways in Washington D.C. is just a kabuki dance clouding the democrats' true priorities: holding onto power at any cost!
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