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Sep 18, 2023
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Mike R.'s avatar

Ben--Isn't your first line an almost exact Klaus Schwab/WEF quote?

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Albert Loveland's avatar

Most of us know that when we are online, our information is going to someone else. Most of it is sold to someone who wants to sell me a product or service. As for the government, we have plenty of oversight. Fear of the government doing anything nefarious with my data is wildly overblown.

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Mike R.'s avatar

There are eyeballs right behind the screen you're looking into. There is a file where every comment and post you make is sorted and labeled.

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ALToronto's avatar

Yeah, that's what the Canadian truckers and their supporters thought.

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Bruce Miller's avatar

"Fear of the government doing anything nefarious with my data is wildly overblown."

Please tell us you're joking.

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Skinny's avatar

This person is in La la land.

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Albert Loveland's avatar

Not really - What could they get away with within the oversight structure, media freedom , and my ability to shut it off. Any examples that happen in reality not tin foil fantasy?

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LonesomePolecat's avatar

I read your posts and shake my head. Have you been living under a rock? Have you not been following TFP articles? The government and its minions when it came to covid shut down any critics of our corrupt government's collusion with the drug companies. One of Bari's articles posted not too long ago was about covid critics winning a supreme court case allowing them freedom of speech to criticize the ever senile Joe's government from censoring them.

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Timothy Kaluhiokalani's avatar

Matt Taibbi, Glen Greenwald, Michael Schellenberger... have written extensively on the subject. For laughs, just watch a house oversight committee meeting when they're questioning FBI heads. The standards agency response is "I'm not going to answer any questions about an ongoing investigation"

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Albert Loveland's avatar

I follow all three and I don't see your point. I have always felt they should use whatever they want in pursuit of criminal activity but with oversight for when they fall out of line. Its not the power but the abuse of power. TIme will tell but I am not worries about it.

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Mike R.'s avatar

The there there is having daily reports delivered to a well staffed twenty million dollar yacht protected by armed security units made up of former intelligence and special operations agents from across the globe. The owner and friends all have numbered Swiss accounts. The friends are CCP Chinese, EU/WEF billionaires, Soviet block oligarchs, Drug cartel, human trafficking arms dealers, D.C. political hogsters, central banking Wall Street corporatists, shape shifting fixers and bribe wielding hyenas of every stripe imaginable. It's not that they don't mean you well, it's that for them, you don't mean anything at all.

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Lynne Morris's avatar

You do understand that Americans who question government authority are being treated as criminals right?

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Albert Loveland's avatar

That is a little bit high on the hyperbole meter. I doubt that is happening as you describe. What is the law that was passed they are using to go after people. I still think the 1st Admendment is in the Constitution.

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james p mc grenra's avatar

Big Al... "laws passed, they are using (one sided) to go after people". I understand, you might not like... But the courts can and do twist, and it will cost $.

A car runs a stop sign, hits a truck, who is guilty, answer, the truck driver, because he/she should not have been there. I know this does not apply directly, but you did ask.

I spent 8 hours in jail, plus a fine, because I logged 15 minutes over the allowed time. Do you abide with such rules, if not, why.

Just look at the Laughable Laws they (courts) are using to try to nail "The Trumpty" and you pay...we have right/wrong and laws. I didn't intend to solve. thanks.

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Lynne Morris's avatar

No it is not hyperbole (see arrest of Scott Smith in Loudon County, Virginia; arrests of protesters against Whitmer's lockdowns in Michigan), although there is a lot of hyperbole at play throughout our information systems. Gaslighting I think it is called. Reading your commentary today I have been struck by your optimism that all is well. Personally I think that kind of optimism is what has allowed those of nefarious intent to flourish in our society.

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james p mc grenra's avatar

Yep, as long as "it happens" to someone else, way over there, no problemos.

To me, Trump had an obligation to refute.

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Pacificus's avatar

Lynne, our friend Albert L may be a paid optimist, if you know what I mean...

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Mike R.'s avatar

That anxious feeling in the gut and the invisible straw we are grasping at stems from the the reality that no one gave the perps permission, they are, as they have always done, just doing it. Cause, effect, and the times aside, no popular narrative fits the reality. It's a change in Aion and a change in consciousness. Everyone is in over their heads. This is all 20th Century retro and what is most obviously missing is a workable vision of a positive 21st Century future.

Where does one stand when looters rig, exploit a system and call it capitalism when clearly free markets and capitalism no longer exist. Or, utopian ideologues claim equality but dominate the reality by destroying the lives of anyone who refuses to obey. And clearly, the one serves the other. Through it all, the same thread of self-justifying violence, human murder and insanity that defined 20th Century totalitarianism. An "ism" doesn't put a bullet in your head, a finger does.

Sheep can muddy the wolf's drinking water but can in no way do him any other harm. The only engine of human dignity and survival, the only way forward, is the CITIZEN, the CONSTITUTION and the REPUBLIC.

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Bruce Miller's avatar

Tin foil fantasy. Now that's funny. OK you just revealed all we need to know.

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JAE's avatar

Thinking Albert Loveland (really?) IS the government. Certainly answers in doublespeak.

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Pacificus's avatar

I think the technical terms are "denial, deflection, and diffusion."

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Albert Loveland's avatar

Who is we and what are your examples?

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Michael Frankel's avatar

We have come a long way from the concerns expressed when the Patriot Act was enacted.

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Glenda's avatar

That has proven a slippery slope indeed.

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Bruce Miller's avatar

Rule one of any new administration had to be its repeal.

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Michael Frankel's avatar

Given the obsma-biden views on executive orders i gather the next president has the power to do just that, no?

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Bill Cribben's avatar

Whereas Trump never used executive orders

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Lynne Morris's avatar

They are all using executive orders. Congress is AWOL so we are ruled by executive orders and executive rules and regulations.

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Sierras23's avatar

Agreed, Lynne. And hence we are ruled by unelected bureaucrats.

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Lynne Morris's avatar

Indeed we are. And in 2020 they picked the executive to whom they owe their loyalty.

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LonesomePolecat's avatar

I love that non-answer. When a leftwinger can't or won't address the subject they change the subject with a "what about" non-answer to the original question.

Of course Trump did it but so did your heroes the messiah and the ever senile Joe.

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Michael Frankel's avatar

Bingo. I imagine Bill has a PHD in whataboutism. I also would love to see a comparison of the SUBSTANCE of the trump v obama/biden exec orders.

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Mike R.'s avatar

There is no "left" or "right" gentlemen there isn't even a score card. There's the Republic and the Constitution. Should this anti-human house of fraud collapse under its own weight or be ultimately brought down by the people, we are on our on. What ever is left of America only exists inside ourselves. This is a free fire zone. If you don't believe it watch news clips from Houston, Chicago or any other gutted and abandoned American city. The difference between the man with his ass on fire and the observer is opinion.

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Bill Cribben's avatar

Another assumer who might have an idea who I am if he had read other posts. I wish a plague on both their houses. Official Washington is a much a an enemy as Beijing

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Jim Wills's avatar

I don't think there are very many evil people who KNOW they're evil. They think that somehow the evil they are doing is justified by a Greater Good; never mind that said Good also accrues a lot of good for them personally.

I think I understand human weakness pretty well, but I am truly baffled by the Republicans' lack of testicular fortitude. I often wonder whether, if I were to pass Lindsey Graham on the street, I could stop myself from nailing his pansy ass. I hope I never find out.

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Mike R.'s avatar

The Republican Party is MIA. But it is malleable.

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LonesomePolecat's avatar

If you don't want people calling you a leftwinger quit posting like one.

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Bill Cribben's avatar

Call me what you wish the framers never intended rule by executive order and Trump was guilty as anyone else. Another Trump/Biden campaign will be the nadir of the Republic.

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JoeyL's avatar

Fair point about executive orders. Trump issued the most in one term of any president since Jimmy Carter. Going back to Nixon and before him, though, there appeared to be a lot less restraint from the executive.

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Michael Frankel's avatar

That's a bit strong but there is little doubt that The Swamp is a two party problem. I will look for your posts going forward. I would add that despite all of his faults ( and there are many) it is hard to describe trump as part of official Washington.

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Bill Cribben's avatar

I donтАЩt, but he foolishly surrounded him self with them. This to hard to say but if Trump picked Christie for AG Russian collusion delusion would had withered on vine. Jeff Sessions is one of the worst cabinet picks ever.

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Casey Jones's avatar

Nope. Patriot ACT is an actual law. High school civics. Back when.

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Michael Frankel's avatar

Humor Casey. You speak of a time before "fundamental transformation. "

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Timothy Kaluhiokalani's avatar

Oh come on, itтАЩs just a law. A law that like any other, can be ignored by the dems when it interferes with their agenda

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Deltawhiskylima's avatar

...can be ignored by the party in charge when it interferes with their agenda.

There, fixed it for ya.

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Timothy Kaluhiokalani's avatar

Fair enough. If you're keeping score, let me know who's ahead.

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George Neidorf's avatar

If your keeping score, we're all behind.

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Casey Jones's avatar

Sadly true. But that does not alter the fact that it cannot be erased by an executive order, unless it's issued by a Democrat, in which case it will stay erased until the case gets to SCOTUS. I know How Things Work. I can also pretend that there are laws -- until there aren't.

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The Shadowbanned's avatar

Klaus Schwab: "In this new world... everything is going to be transparent, and you have to get used to it, you have to behave accordingly... if you have nothing to hide you shouldn't be afraid"

Why would any politician want people to have privacy? Well, they want it for themselves. And they might argue wanting privacy from China. But when it comes down to it, they want to monitor every single person at every single moment to {insert talking point -- stop crime, stop hate, prevent climate change, stop pandemics, stop suicide, prevent dangerous insurrections like J6, increase equity, save the children....}.

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Brian's avatar

Sounds like my wife complaining that I disabled the camera and microphones on our "smart" tv. I can't believe how ready she and so many others are to give up their privacy for a tiny bit of convenience, or in the case of Tik Tok, entertainment.

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Skinny's avatar

God Brian do smart TVs have c├вmera - IтАЩm shocked we have one

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Hulverhead's avatar

cameras microphones all kinds of good stuff that can be hacked . And the firmware software is not updated once the set is 2 or 3 years old . Hard to find a dumb tv these days

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Skinny's avatar

Sherbet thatтАЩs hectic!

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LonesomePolecat's avatar

No more sex with the mailman on the couch in front of the TV. If you do, you might make the evening news.

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Skinny's avatar

LP not the mailman but my legitimate husband would that make the evening news? ЁЯШВЁЯШВ

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LonesomePolecat's avatar

I don't think so. With the mailman is a shoe i for the evening news.

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Skinny's avatar

I canтАЩt trade and I wonтАЩt trade him LP we love each to much but am a bit disappointed you cancelled the evening news for meЁЯШЬЁЯШВ

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LonesomePolecat's avatar

Good for you Skinny. I know how you feel. I've been married 53 years.

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Mike R.'s avatar

"..give me back my broken night my mirrored room..my secret life.. it's lonely here there's no one left to torture..give me absolute control over every living soul..and lie beside me baby that's an order...give me crack and anal sex..take the only tree that's left and shove it up the hole in your culture....I've seen the future brother--it is murder...the chaos of the world has crossed the threshold and its overcome the order of the soul.."

Leonard Cohen/THE FUTURE/1992

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Jim Wills's avatar

I hear that manure all the time: why should you worry if you have nothing to hide?

The response? Well then, I would assume you don't close the door when you use the restroom or take a shower. Right? You do? Why? Are you doing something you are ashamed of? Got something to hide?

Or do you perhaps just want some privacy?

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Chuck's avatar

"If you have nothing to hide we'll fabricate something" will be more accurate.

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Skinny's avatar

Yip spot on Chuck, Prof Dershowitz says show me the crime and I will give you the body! That is exactly whatтАЩs going to happen to us all, if we not guilty today we will be guilty tomorrow.

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Celia M Paddock's avatar

Beria: "Show me the man and I will show you the crime."

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Skinny's avatar

I think I said it the other way round Celia, I apologize if it is soЁЯШГ

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Casey Jones's avatar

Ja. I may THINK that I have nothing to hide. And what I need not hide today may very well require hiding tomorrow.

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Kevin Durant?'s avatar

Yeah I kinda have a shitload of things to hide from people who want to put you in prison if you disagree with the government.

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Casey Jones's avatar

Isn't that a de facto definition of a Thinking Person?

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Kevin Durant?'s avatar

No I think he said

тАЬIn the new world everyone will have a trans parent.тАЭ

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vladROBOT ЁЯк▒'s avatar

SnortтЭЧя╕П

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Kevin Durant?'s avatar

Sorry I meant

тАЬIn ze new vorld everyvun vill have ze trans parent!!тАЭ

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Timothy G McKenna's avatar

Awesome, man - I'll have what you're drinking.

As long as it's not a Piledriver (vodka and prune juice)

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Skinny's avatar

ЁЯШВЁЯШВ

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Jim Wills's avatar

As my roomie used to say: "Ze problem vith us Chermans iss zat ve are too early oldt und too late schmart."

Man, you should apply for a position at the Babylon Bee. You're missing your calling.

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Sierras23's avatar

Bahahahaha!!!!

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LonesomePolecat's avatar

Once again Kev, you have nailed it.

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