See Intro in Dysfunctional Donald Trump Section
When Government Power is Personalized, You Have a Failed Democracy
Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch & the Personalization of the Power of the American Presidency
Updated March 17, 2020 from 2/10/2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / Rupert Murdoch & the Rise of the 21st Century Propaganda Press / News Analysis, Opinion & Satire/ Gotham Buzz NYC. Continued.
PART I. Australian Born & Bred Billionaire Rupert Murdoch's Behind-the-Scenes Play
Until recently we, the American electorate, probably didn't truly understand how fragile our democracy - any democracy - really is. And one need only look through the history books to learn how difficult it is to take back power from those who want everything for themselves, and who are willing to do anything to get it and keep it. Those in search of power and wealth often resort to lying, cheating, stealing and manipulating the weak [minded] through deceptions into believing things that simply are not true.
On March 21, 1785 Founding Father and first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Jay said,
"I consider knowledge to be the soul of a republic, and as the weak and wicked are generally in alliance, as much care should be taken to diminish the number of the former as of that latter. Education is the way to do this, and nothing should be left undone to afford all ranks of people that means of obtaining a proper degree of it at a cheap and easy rate."
Kings [billionaires] and nobles [oligarchs] are nothing new to the human condition. It was only 237 years ago, when King George III signed the Treaty of Paris in 1783, ending the war with the American colonists. Today many people can live for over 100 years, like Rupert Murdoch's mother who lived to be 103. So one could say that it's only been a few lifetimes ago, that our ancestors were 'royal subjects' which is the equivalent of, at best, second class citizens with second class rights.
What happens in an authoritarian state is that the upper class - be it billionaires, oligarchs or royal families - scarf up all of the resources, they make all the important social and community decisions, and they leave the rest of the people in the nation with scraps. That's in part why civilization evolved so slowly, as progress was maintained at a crawl, because entire populations were disenfranchised, had no real voice, nor any real access to resource and thus opportunity ... like the minority Uighurs in China, the gays in Russia, or the women in Saudi Arabia.
- CLICK here to read my Thanksgiving report where a few years ago I began cataloguing all of the accomplishments that have taken place since America, France, Britain and other Western European nations secured their freedom from tyranny via the establishment of democracies. Change invariably starts from the ground up, as those at the top are either too lazy enjoying their wealth, or too busy playing nasty games to keep it. Click to see American and democratic technological progress over the past couple of centuries.
Americans Living in Tyranny was not so Long Ago
Most People on the Planet are Still Ruled by Dictatorial Authoritarians who don't Respect their Own People
Tyranny is established when the wicked manipulate the weak [minded]. The weak are suckered into supporting efforts which they are lead to believe is in their own interest [sometimes survival], but which is not good for the whole community nor for future generations. The Nazis in Germany in the 1930's and 1940's are a case in point. A third of that nation voted for Hitler, and that start was sufficient enough for Hitler to get hold of the reins of power, and use the apparatus of the state to turn one of the world's most powerful nations into a war / killing machine.
I recall watching and listening to accounts given by former Nazis / Germans following WWII, where they were queried about the Holocaust. Invariably they replied, "I didn't know". For a long time I took their responses at face value, thinking that perhaps Hitler was so clever that he fooled tens of millions about his effort to exterminate the Jews.
But in recent times I've come to believe something else. I've decided that it wasn't that these people "didn't know" - but rather that these people "didn't want to know". They ignored the signs along the way which is what ignorance is all about. If you ignore enough facts related to any issue, you can convince yourself of anything you want to believe. That's what likely happened in Nazi Germany and that's what appears to be happening in this country, in part thanks to Rupert Murdoch's propaganda machine.
Demagogues: Hitler & Goebbels, Murdoch & Trump
Hitler and Goebbels were certainly masterful liars / masters of deception. They used various mass media newspapers and radio broadcasts to tell their tales. They were even early adopters of film, which they used to narrate stories with messages embedded in the movies. The messages in the films were distortions of reality that the Nazis wanted the German electorate to believe.
Rupert Murdoch appears to have imitated Hitler and Goebbels, by delivering a litany of false narratives from many different sources, in order to manipulate the general public. Murdoch controls well known mass media brands like Fox 'News', the Wall St Journal & the NY Post. All of these near century and multi-century old brands appear to have been corrupted with Murdoch's brand of propaganda, which is hidden under the guise of American journalism. The pundits at these 'news' organizations seem to omit key facts, amplify others and provide the public with distorted narratives of what Murdoch appears to want them to believe.
Thus, it appears that since Rupert Murdoch planted himself on our shores in the mid 1970's, there has been: 1) a steady and continual erosion of truth in reporting, 2) the undermining of the credibility of those who profess it, and 3) ultimately an erosion of trust in our democratic institutions. This has striking similarities to what Hitler and Goebbels did in the 1930's and 1940's. By attacking and discrediting the 'elites' in the establishment, Hitler and Goebbels fired up the anger and frustration of the German people, and carved out a place for themselves as the 'new elites' and the 'new establishment' all centered around the Nazi Party.
Australian born and bred Murdoch, is pushing his Fox Nation in 2020, in a manner which seems to have similarities to Austrian born Hitler's push of the Nazi Party of the 1930's. Murdoch's Fox Fake News Pinocchio pundits seem to relentlessly attack the other media, our government institutions such as the courts and law enforcement, and government officials from both parties who disagree with them. They seem to attack pretty much just about anyone who disagrees with them. A recent example of the Fox 'News' vitriol and demagoguery were hurled abusively at Mitt Romney, when Romney cast one of two of his votes in favor of one of the Articles of impeachment against Donald Trump.
Prior to Murdoch's arrival on our shores in the late 1960's and early 1970's - issues of public concern and the people who championed both sides of the argument for and against them - may have been periodically attacked one other. But nobody had anywhere near close to the large share of voice / share of media in this nation that Rupert Murdoch has today, and nor did anyone wield it so abusively for their own selfish, power hungry interests.
America's Media Was Far More Dispersed and Far More Diverse than it is Today
Because there were so many media outlets, that were owned by many different people [in the 1980's media ownership was dispersed among 50 unique entities], there was far more of a respectful national dialogue and conversational back and forth than there is today. Before Murdoch's arrival there were also FCC requirements that limited media ownership and required fair and balanced reporting - meaning TV outlets had to provide viewers with adherents of both sides of an issue. But today there are only about six corporations that control most of the media in America, and Murdoch, by far, owns the largest share as he controls two of them [Fox & Newscorp] and is the largest shareholder in a third [Disney / ABC effective 2019].
There's a fair amount of circumstantial evidence that points to Murdoch's undoing of not only America's media regulation, but the media regulation in Britain and Australia too. In both of these nations Murdoch has somewhere between an oligopolistic share and a monopoly share of their media - even though he is not a citzen in either country - nor even a resident. The result is that prior to Murdoch's arrival and acquisition of the largest share of media in America, Republicans and Democrats used to more or less respectfully discuss the issues, without routinely resorting to personally attacking each other like they seem to now do. It's now routine for pundits and / or pols to use Murdochian media labels to discredit or diminish those who disagree with them.
Since I started monitoring Murdoch's media [Fox News, the NY Post & the Wall St Journal], I have found that they spend most of their time attacking the messenger. Far too little of what they report actually examines the pros and cons of the issues themselves. And when the Murdoch mendicants do talk about the pros and cons of an issue, their presentation appears to include such a cherry-picked selection of the facts, seemingly designed to support the narrative that Murdoch appears to want people to believe, so as to seem a lie.
Click here to read about an OpEd in the NY Post defending NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo's actions in the death of Eric Garner that demonstrates as much.
Is Rupert Murdoch a Divisive Seditious Traitor?
Murdoch Seems to Champion Dishonest Media so he can Divide us by Propagating 'Alternative Facts'
Since We're Not Starting our Conversations with AGREEMENT of the FACTS, it's Nearly Impossible for the American People to Reasonably Discuss Anything
Talking about the issues in a 'fair and balanced' fashion was once required by the FCC [Federal Communications Commission] on Network TV. Murdoch turned the phrase 'fair and balanced' into a very cynical and empty slogan which he seemed to use in a manner that can only be described as false advertising.
What happens when a nation experiences the erosion of truth in its national conversation? When there are two sets of facts - the real facts and the Fox Fake News / Kelly Anne Conway 'Alternative Facts'? The people in the nation lose their ability to have an intelligent dialogue, a civil discussion amongst ourselves about the issues we all face - which at its core is what democracy is all about.
This is why Australian born and bred Murdoch's mendacious use of his overwhelming share of mass media actually appears to make him a seditious traitor. Because he is undermining the institutions - the very foundations - of our democracy, while betraying the philosophy and priniciples upon which our nation was founded.
Murdoch Maintains the Fox 'News' Charade
Because Real News Organizations Pander to the Fox 'News' Pretense
Recognition should be given to Rupert Murdoch for dividing our great nation - for turning the United States into the Divided States. He appears to have done it so insidiously, that the pundits who aren't members of the Fox Nation even to this day still don't fully call him or his mendicants out for it. The lame brained Main Stream Media / Network TV pundits still seem to play along with Murdoch's pretense that Fox is a news organization - not a well-oiled propaganda machine that does some news, that seems mostly used for cover.
The real journalism that Fox 'News' does produce, seems overwhelmed by the HUGE AMOUNT OF PROPAGANDA that they put out every day alongside of it. I truly don't understand how the Mainstream Media Outlets can refer to Fox 'News' as anything other than what it is, which is a propaganda machine - that employs a few journalists. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. By reporting otherwise, as the Mainstream Network TV outlets do, they are distorting the facts and thus ENABLING Murdoch to maintain the pretense - a mass deception of the American public.
I think it's important to remind people that propaganda is most effective when it masquerades as truth [aka news / real journalism].
Part II. A Merger of Unequals - Trump & Murdoch's Trojan Horse
Donald Trump WON the Presidency because of Support from Rupert Murdoch NOT Russia
The election of Donald Trump seems Murdoch's opportunity to complete his takeover of America, in a fashion similar to how Murdoch has taken control of both Australia and Britain. In the Goebbels Diaries, the dynamic between the top ranking political figure and the top ranking propagandist come to light. It's a synergistic relationship, as the two must corroborate the same deceptive narratives they keep propagating to manipulate the public.
We've seen this dynamic play out in Australia and Britain, where Murdoch appears to have conveniently reduced these two nations into his own personal banana republics. Murdoch seems to swap out Prime Ministers in both nations every time they fail to comply with his 'requests'. In Murdoch's version of the Goebbels Diaries, his relationship is not with a single person, but rather with the right wing parties in those nations. It is primarily through the right wing parties of these nations, that he controls them via the methods referenced above in this report as well as in our series about Rupert Murdoch & Fox Fake News.
It's worth noting that in both Australia and Britain Murdoch has also aligned his considerable media arsenal with the left wing as well, but only for as long as they seemed to give him what he wanted - which didn't appear nearly as long as the right wing parties seemed willing to do. And when the pols don't concede to his demands, well ... they seem to lose their jobs. Since 2016, Murdoch seemed to undermine Prime Mininster David Cameron who stepped down, then Theresa May, and now his man BoJo is the Prime Minister of Britain. That was three Prime Ministers in in Britain in just over three years.
In Australia Murdoch has had to turnover Prime Ministers even faster than he seemed to be sacking them in Britain. By sacking I mean undermining them by attacking them with his overwhelming share of mass media and propagandistically promoting someone else. This effort is likely accompanied along with what I surmise is a considerable amount of bargaining by, for or with Murdoch behind closed doors. Between 2013 and 2018, AUSTRALIA has had FIVE PRIME MINISTERS. If this isn't a banana republic - then what is? I have seen accounts that impart some of the cause for these top level changes to Murdoch.
The MainStream Media was suckered into the Russian collusion narrative - which while serious - had nowhere near the impact on the 2016 presidential election that the Fox Nation's decades long, 24/7, hostile, unrelenting attacks on our government officials, institutions and media have had. You can view one of our reports showing how Murdoch's Fox News propaganda machine supported Trump in the 2016 election.
I've come to view Murdoch's mass media as the Trojan horse of a hostile, stateless, foreign power. The Australian born and bred billionaire's goals do not seem in line with the principles outlined by America's Founding Fathers in the U.S. Constitution.
Murdoch's Media has Immeasurable Influence over the Republican Party & Trump
Trump wouldn't be able to hold the entire Republican Party's feet to the fire, if he didn't have the unwavering and unrelenting support of Rupert Murdoch's overwhelming share of mass media including Fox News, Wall St Journal and NY Post.
In 2019, thanks to Trump, Rupert Murdoch became the largest shareholder of Disney / ABC, where he appears to be insidiously transforming that TV Network into another manipulative Murdoch media outlet. Even excluding Disney / ABC, Murdoch appears to control about a third or more of the United States national news.
Since Trump took office, at least 21 high ranking government officials were appointed to his administration who had previously worked for Murdoch's Fox News, or after leaving the Trump Administration, took positions with Fox News. This seems a sign that the American federal government is in danger of becoming overrun with the personnel of a privately run Fox Nation, which seems very much like the approach Hilter and Goebbels used, whereby they inserted Nazi Party members into the German government, replacing qualified, duty bound, German government officials.
Murdoch's 'Free' Media Support Seems Like Lobbyist Campaign Donations
Murdoch's Journalists, Researchers, Investigators & Pundits Appear to Search for Dirt on Pols that seems to be used to extort Political Favors
Murdoch came to be known as the "Dirty Digger" in Britain some time ago. He would and still does seek dirt on people that he can sensationally publish in his headlines to promote newspaper sales and TV ratings. I believe at some point along the way, Murdoch found that some of the dirt he received could be put to a more profitable use, by extorting political favors from compromised pols.
Murdoch used to deny he ever used his media attacks and support to obtain favors. But the facts don't seem to support his narrative, in much the same way a full venting of the facts too often doesn't support many of the narratives put out by Murdoch's Fox Fake News Pinocchio pundits.
Murdoch appears to have received innumerable favors like British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher waving through Murdoch's acquisition of two London newspapers which gave Murdoch an overwhelming share of voice, more influence, and higher profits. Favors like Murdoch's newspapers receiving unrelenting support from the Margaret Thatcher's British Police during the year he broke the printing unions.
Favors like U.S. President George W. Bush changing the FCC laws enabling Murdoch to increase his share of ownership of American TV stations. Favors like U.S. President Donald Trump appearing to have taken the same sort of laissez-faire approach to the FCC during Murdoch's inverted takeover of Disney / ABC.
And Murdoch also appears to have been granted a gift of about $900 million by the Australian government through former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott who failed to follow up on court proceeding thus relinquishing the Australian people's tax claims vis a vis Murdoch's company. It's worth mentioning that Tony Abbott was a former employee of one of Murdoch's companies.
In the United States Donald J. Trump appears to have bestowed an incredible amount of favors upon the Australian born and bred billionaire, in just three short years. The said favors include, but are not limited to the firing all U.S. Attorneys, including the one investigating Murdoch's company for hacking [he got caught in Britain] and sexual harassment. Favors like Donald J. Trump blessing Israel's takeover of the Syrian Golan Heights, for which the Netanyahu government had sold / leased the oil and gas deposits in that illegally occupied area to a company in which Murdoch and former VP Dick Cheney have significant shares [Genie Energy - see link above or look it up]. And favors like the Trump FCC green lighting Murdoch's inverted takeover of Disney / ABC as mentioned above.
Murdoch now appears to be inserting his kind of people [aka propagandists] into the soft news / conversational news programs at Disney / ABC like the View, Nightline and This Week with George Stephanopoulos, as well as some of the people in the ABC Nightly News like one of the Producers who instructs their vidifont operator. Vidifont operators control the tag lines you see, generally at the bottom of the TV screen.
Depending on how far Murdoch gets this year, his role at Disney / ABC could also be a factor in the election results by November 2020 and certainly on 2024.
CLICK here to read our report on what appears Trump corruption & Rupert Murdoch's Fox Fake News propaganda payout.
Part of the Problem is that the Other TV Networks too Often Seem Blind
But all this said about Rupert Murdoch and his propaganda outlets, I've also come to the realization that part of the problem is that America's Main Stream Media [aka MSM / Network TV] is broken too.
For example Michael Bloomberg is blanketing Network TV with hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising, and the TV Networks seem all too wiling to look the other way with respect to how Bloomberg really governed as Mayor of NYC. Bloomberg's real record as NYC Mayor is a vastly different story than told in his ad campaign. See our report for the real Bloomberg record as Mayor of NYC.
And, as mentioned above, the other networks don't call out Fox as the propaganda machine it is, thus enabling the subterfuge that they're a news organization with some propagandists, rather than that they are a propaganda machine for which the few journalists provide a deniable cover.
Part III. Trump, Murdoch & the Personalization of Power
We've been watching the Donald for four years now, with three of them as president. So what have we learned?
We've have learned that Donald Trump has been personalizing the power of the American federal government at an alarming rate. As mentioned above, he could not do this without the support of Rupert Murdoch's overwhelming share of mass media, which Murdoch seems to use propagandistically. Trump took an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and rule of law, but Trump seems only to do this when his feet are held to the fire - or it serves his own personal goals.
For example Trump appears to have had more 'acting' cabinet members than any recent one term president in the history of the nation, and possibly in the entire history of the republic. And there is still another year left to his presidency.
By keeping his cabinet members and staff in an 'acting' capacity, Trump doesn't have to go through a Senate confirmation process, which the Founders required in the Constitution. And this is in spite of having the Senate being controlled by Mitch McConnell and Trump's own Republican Party.
The result is that Cabinet members are beholden to Trump personally for their position, rather than being certified in the Senate, sworn to abide by the Constitution and uphold the rule of law, and beholden to the nation. This is how monarchs behave. And let's face it - monarchs are really dictators with a royal name - not duly elected presidents of real democracies.
In other parts of the world rulers may call themselves presidents - like Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China - but they are not presidents duly chosen by their own people. In China they don't even pretend to be duly elected servants of the people. In China the people are disrespected by the ruling class of government officials, as they are given no voice in the policies of their own nation. In Russia the elections seem to be charades of democracy, because opposition candidates are locked up ["lock her up"], the ruling class controls the majority of the mass media - and when thought necessary- the Russian ruling class seems to use police powers to hold opposition media, pols and groups within the electorate in check.
Power is personalized when the ruling class doesn't trust that the people will choose them and / or assent to their policies and programs. Authoritarian rulers don't respect the rights of their own people enough to give them a voice in deciding the affairs and direction of their own state. But as President John F. Kennedy said,
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
Extortion: Towing the Fox Nation Party Line Seems Very Nazi or Gangster-like
The definition of extortion is,
"the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats".
I think Trump's and Murdoch's actions qualify. Look what happened to Comey, Romney, John Bolton & Vindman.
Trump doesn't allow anyone to disagree with him and stay in his loyal royal fold. Matt Gaetz voted for the Congressional resolution limiting Trump's ability to wage war following the untruthfully explained assassination of an Iranian General [Trump said General Soleimani was an imminent threat while a Defense Dept / Intel report said he was not]. Prior to that vote Matt Gaetz was one of Trump's obsequious toadies who was given plenty of airtime on Murdoch's Fox TV.
Since that vote, Gaetz has been scarcely seen or heard on Fox News. Rupert Murdoch's Fox Nation TV - which certainly seems increasingly to resemble Goebbel's Nazi Nationalist TV - keeps all of the key Republican players in line by attacking, promoting or ignoring them. Australian born and bred Murdoch does this by licensing our American airwaves - which prior to his arrival in America - were only lawfully licensed to native born Americans [Murdoch appeared to cut a deal with President Ronald Reagan].
The Republicans appear to have a 'contract', but it's not a contract with America - even though Newt Gingrich is a Fox commentator. Rather it is a contract with Fox News billionaire owner Rupert Murdoch and President Donald Trump.
Trump provides his packers with publicity by retweeting them to his audience, and Murdoch's propaganda machine will provide free airtime, as long as their guests keep towing the Fox Nationalist party line and singing anthem of the Fox Nation. But once these packers stray, they seem to become the subject of relentless attacks, or completely ignored, until they've been beaten back into submission or out of office. So if appears that if these packer pols want to keep their jobs, they must do as Murdoch's Fox proxy propagandists and the Donald say. These pols no longer serve the American people who elected them, because enough of the folks who elected them seem to blindly follow the guidance provided by Murdoch's propaganda machine and Trump's tweets.
What has happened, particularly over the past few years, is that the real Republicans aka the Republican statesmen, have quietly been stepping down. And they are being replaced with loyalists who seem neither competent, nor to have much integrity. The new class of Republicans are toadies, sycophants and some - like Congressmen Devin Nunes and Jim Jordan - sometimes appear to behave a bit like henchmen.
Click here to read a prior report on how Sean Hannity spins narratives that seem more in alignment with what Rupert Murdoch appears to want his audience to believe, than any kind of unbiased account of the facts.
This was made possible in part, because the non-Fox mainstream media broadcasters have not done a good job of informing the American electorate on the back stories - meaning providing context on how our institutions and the players that run them have been changing. But the American electorate is also partly culpable, because they aren't paying close enough attention, even though the 'real news' is at their fingertips via the web. They only need to start asking the right questions and begin searching for answers from reliable / verifiable sources.
Part IV. Chapter & Verse of Trump's Personalization of the Power of the American Presidency
Let's examine a few of the ways that Donald Trump has personalized the power vested in the office of the presidency by the Constitution. This is a reversal of what our Founding Fathers did in 1783, when they took away the personal power of King George III and embedded that power in a social contract that "We The People" have with one another through the rule of law and embedded in the U.S. Constitution.
All of us are now being called upon to do our civic duty which is not only to register and vote, but just as importantly, to make sure we're well informed about the candidates and issues - and to the extent we can - help inform our fellow [wo]men.
Unfortunately, just when we need them most, our national media seems either very incompetent [major TV networks] or very corrupt [Fox]. It's not just Murdoch's Fox Fake News, NY Propaganda Post and the Wall St Journal. While they seem by far and away the worst, the other TV networks don't appear to do a passable job of contextually informing the American electorate, save PBS. Perhaps it's because the TV Networks no longer seem to take their civic duty and role as the Fourth Estate seriously anymore, as they are in search of ratings and profits. To that end Leslie Moonves, former CEO of CBS was quoted during the 2016 presidential election by the Hollywood Reporter as saying,
" ... [the Trump candidacy] may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS ... "
The Hollywood Reporter story on February 29, 2016 went on to state,
" ... Moonves called the campaign for president a "circus" full of "bomb throwing," and he hopes it continues... "
Profits before patriotism? But CBS's role failure in keeping America informed, is nothing compared to the propaganda machine of Australian born billionaire and global propagandist Rupert Murdoch. While CBS might be deemed an opportunist, Murdoch seems to have embarked on a strategy of multi-national deception and strong arming government officials through a mix of threats and incentives, to give him what he wants from the public, regardless of the consequences.
A. Nepotism & Financial Incest in the Oval Office?
Has the Trump Family Corrupted the White House & Executive Function?
I could start this section by asking why the Donald's son-in-law Jared Kushner has an office down the hall from the President in the White House - even though he is NOT a federal employee and has no official role. So what is Jared Kushner doing there and why hasn't the Senate and Congress held the Donald to account- ? Is Jared's role that of promoting the Trump Kushner family interests on the premises of the White House?
I could follow up on that line of questioning by asking why Ivanka, the Donald's daughter, accompanies him on official international and domestic visits. She's not his wife, and she's not his under age daughter - even though one could make a pretty fair argument that she behaves like both. So what is Ivanka doing at these official functions? Perhaps the same thing as her husband - which is somewhere between possibly and probably - promoting the Trump family business interests.
If these arrangements sound not just unprofessional - but truly messed up - well then, maybe they are. I have not heard any legitimate defense of this arrangement. One has to ask how the 100 Senators and the 435 Congress[wo]men who are supposed to represent us, have let this happen? Have they given up representing us? See Part III above for some of the possible answers to this question.
The Donald talked about the 'Swamp' in 2016 - but since taking office - he seems to have turned it into a 'Cesspool'.
How Badly is Ivanka Trump Undermining U.S. Government Officials?
Congressman Jim 'Benghazi' Jordan, relentlessly attacked Hillary Clinton for using a private email account through which Clinton had passed official business. Yet the former wrestling coach has been conspicuously silent about Ivanka Trump's use of private email, while discussing official White House business.
This is from a PBS News Hour report on March 21, 2019.
"In a previous written statement, [Lowell] spokesman Peter Mirijanian has acknowledged that Ivanka Trump used private email while transitioning to a position in the White House but said that the emails were retained "in conformity with records preservation laws and rules." He also noted that "there was never classified information transmitted" using her private email account. In an interview with ABC News last year, Ivanka Trump defended her use of a private email account, saying: "All of my emails are stored and preserved. There were no deletions."...
"Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said in a letter to the White House that the use of private email accounts and the messaging application WhatsApp by senior administration officials raises "security and federal records concerns." Cummings said that Trump's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, told the committee that Trump doesn't preserve official emails she receives in her personal account if she doesn't respond to them. Cummings says that appears to violate the Presidential Records Act."
First Ivanka claims "NO DELETIONS" and then her spokesperson claims Ivanka does "SOME DELETIONS". It appears Ivanka, like her father, is adept at obfuscating the truth. Ivanka seems to be a case where the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
In July 1, 2019 USA Today headline,
"... AOC criticizes Ivanka's role: 'Being someone's daughter not a qualification' ... "
In a meritocracy, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's statement is true, family membership is not a qualification. But the times they are a changing. We seem to be heading back in time, when family ties were all that counted and the cruel and corrupt ruled the planet while eveyone else fought for crumbs from the royal families' tables.
Welcome to the new America - when intellect, talent and focus matter not - as the wannabe American royal family, the Trumps, deceive the electorate into believing that they're not a selfish, money grubbing, flim flamming family - but rather that they are examples of the living rubric of patriots.
A July 3, 2019 Think report talks about how the Trump nepotism undermines the entire government official apparatus, stating,
"... But it is not just the Cabinet-level officials whose standing suffers when the president surrounds himself with his children. Presumably they knew, or should have known, more or less what they were getting into when they hitched their wagon to Trump. More serious is that it undermines an entire strata of U.S. government professionals with knowledge and experience in foreign countries, languages, and ways to advance U.S. interests on whom we depend to conduct diplomacy with foreign governments. Foreign officials now understand that American ambassadors and lower-ranking diplomats, most of whom have no access to the First Family, may have little of value to offer as a channel reflecting U.S. government views. If you don't hear it from a Trump family member, it is as good as useless."
How Much are Jared Kushner & Ivanka Trump Feeding at the Public Trough?
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump seem to push public policies that they then turn around and capitalize on. The Opportunity Zones seemed to provide a big payday opportunity for the Trump related couple via real estate investments in areas that didn't appear to need to provide incentives to spur investment.
The PBS News Hour on Dec 12, 2018 reports,
"At an Oval Office gathering earlier this year, President Donald Trump began touting his administration's new real estate investment program, which offers massive tax breaks to developers who invest in downtrodden American communities. He then turned to one of the plan's strongest supporters. "Ivanka, would you like to say something?" Trump asked his daughter. "You've been pushing this very hard." The Opportunity Zone program promoted by Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner -- both senior White House advisers -- could also benefit them financially, an Associated Press investigation found."
"Kushner holds a big stake in a real estate investment firm, Cadre, that recently announced it is launching a series of Opportunity Zone funds that seek to build major projects under the program from Miami to Los Angeles. Separately, the couple has interests in at least 13 properties held by Kushner's family firm that could qualify for the tax breaks because they are in Opportunity Zones in New Jersey, New York and Maryland -- all of which, a study found, were already coming back."
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump also seemed to be in a position to run up the United States government tab with the Trump Organization while providing security - compliments of the American taxpayer - free to them.
Less than a year into the Trump presidency a November 18, 2017 Newsweek story reports,
"... If the Secret Service did pay the Trump Organization to accompany the first daughter and her husband on the private helicopter, it certainly wouldn't be the first time the agency forked over money to the president's company. Federal purchase orders indicated the Secret Service paid over $137,000 to rent golf carts during Trump's visit to his own properties in New Jersey and Florida throughout 2017 ..."
It's worth adding the Newsweek listed Related Stories which included the following,
- " Jared Kushner Hid a Company on Forms -- Then Profited
- Ivanka Trump's Conflicts of Interest Under Fire
- The nonprofit organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) also condemned the use of a Trump Organization helicopter by government officials for private purposes, citing the potential conflicts of interest in an interview with Newsweek."
They used to say that the cream rose to the top. These days Jared Kushner & Ivanka Trump make it look more like scum.
A May 3, 2018 Pro Publica report shows that Jared Kushner had to redo his federal filings about 40 times. Pro Publica states,
"It keeps happening. Jared Kushner filed the wrong information about two of his loans in Brooklyn. He has had to update his disclosure form at least 40 times."
It seems dishonesty not only runs in the family, but also through the in-laws. Click here to read our report about the possibility of the Trump Bambino Crime Family. It seems to me that at some point a repeatedly dishonest person should be disqualified.
B. Undermining the Government using Friends & Cronies - Rudy & the Royal Republican Boot Licking Courtiers
Incompetence & Loyalty Appear to have a Higher Value than Qualifications & Integrity
Rudy Giuliani employs Gestapo-like tactics? It seems former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, dubbed 'America's Mayor' by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, has become Trump's international fixer in the Ukraine. Giuliani admitted to trying to get Yovanovitch out of the way, while he was pressuring Ukraine to mount an investigation into the Ukranian company on whose board Joe Biden's son held a position.
A January 15, 2020 report in Foreign Policy Magazine stated,
"... Hyde's involvement in the Ukraine pressure campaign was not previously known, but a string of text messages exchanged with Parnas suggest that he may have had then-Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch under physical, and possibly electronic, surveillance... "
"... She's talked to three people. Her phone is off. Computer is off," he wrote to Parnas in March last year, later adding "They will let me know when she's on the move." Parnas replied to say, "Perfect." Later in the same conversation, Hyde said, "They are willing to help if we/you would like a price. ... Guess you can do anything in Ukraine with money ... what I was told ..."
"... A former State Department official who worked with Yovanovitch told Foreign Policy that they felt sick when they read the messages, "I didn't think I had the capacity to be shocked any more and yet here we are."
The revelations were "Not just insane, but deeply chilling," said a current State Department official ... "
"... Needless to say, the notion that American citizens and others were monitoring Ambassador Yovanovitch's movements for unknown purposes is disturbing," Lawrence S. Robbins, Yovanovitch's attorney, said in a statement to CNN. "We trust that the appropriate authorities will conduct an investigation to determine what happened ..."
But it's worth pausing here for a minute to reflect on the allegations that an associate of Trump's fixer, aka attorney Rudy Giuliani, was spying on an Ambassador of our own state department. This was apparently being done in an attempt to discredit / pressure Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch out of office because she was apparently getting in the way of Rudy Giuliani's efforts to get the Ukrainians to go through the process of making allegations about Joe Biden and his son. Reportedly there is a recording documenting that Trump was aware of the matter.
This seems very much like a tactic used by Adolph Hitler and the Nazis, whereby they went around the state government officials, in order to weaken and discredit the government, while inserting members of their own Nazi party in unofficial roles that paralleled the government structure.
Rupert Murdoch appears to be doing the same with his Fox Nation, in a manner similar to Goebbels. What Trump and Murdoch are doing looks a helluva lot to me like what Hitler, Goebbels and the Nazi nationalists did in the 1930's. A February 28, 2017 report in the Nation explores some of the tactics of the Nazis' ascent to power. Note the parallels to what's alleged to have happened above, some of all of which Giuliani confirmed.
"Beneath the surface appearance of normality, the cabinet was being marginalized as Hitler appointed his own cronies and disciples to new positions or pushed out his conservative coalition partners. The men who ruled Germany did not do so because they were constitutionally acting government ministers but because they were Hitler's cronies: Goebbels, Göring, Heinrich Himmler, Robert Ley, and a handful of others."
The Real Foreign Invasion - Australian Born & Bred Murdoch
Murdoch's 'Fox Nationalists' Invade the U.S. Federal Government
A February 15, 2020 report in Business Insider catalogues the roles of 21 former or currrent Fox [the real fake 'News'] employees, contractors or Board Members who have held positions in the Trump Administration.
The positions range from Cabinet level posts such as those held by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao [Mitch McConnell's wife] and HUD Secretary Ben Carson to Press Secretary Suckabee Handers to ICE Director to Deputy Chief of Staff, to National Security Advisor John Bolton plus one lower ranking member, to three Ambassadors [Germany, Poland & New Zealand], to multiple press secretaries in the State Department including one in the disinformation unit [only position for which a Fox Nationalist is truly qualifed?] and Treasury Department, a couple of communications directors, a body man in the Department of Homeland Security and a Trump Campaign Manager.
It's not just Trump that who appears to be personalizing American government power, Rupert Murdoch seems to be doing the same too. Murdoch has far more experience that Trump in these matters, because that's how Murdoch seems to control the governments of Australia and Britain. Government officials in those nations cannot fart without Murdoch's knowing about it.
Wilbur Ross & the Russian Oligarchs?
Somebody should look into Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross's activities. Wilbur Ross appeared to help Trump cheat banks and investors through bankruptcy proceedings, prior to joining the administration. Ross also has long standing relationships with some of the Russian oligarchs. Wilbur Ross has been keeping an awfully low profile, which begs the question - what is Wilbur Ross up to?
C. Corruption - Using Public Money & Power to Further Trump Interests
EDITOR'S NOTE - Think of the following section as alleged, but you can easily look up the detail on these incidents on your own.
1. Russia - Nato / Brexit / Syria
How this all began. Taking money from Russian oligarchs. The oligarchs also funded other Republicans, which gives Trump more sway to extort them. Rubio, McConnell and Graham. Elimination of Russian sanctions by letting expire. The approval of gas pipleine in South Dakota which was being worked on or owned in part by a Russian Oligarch.
How corrupt is Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell?
Click here to read our report on Trump Putin & the Russian Oligarchs.
Abandoning Kurds - pro Russian yet saved Syrian Golan Heights = see Murdoch payola link below.
Using the American people's funds to get a deal from Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden.
LINK to Trump Russian story.
2. Murdoch - Firing attys / ABC / tax break / FCC appt / Fox News hires
See Murdoch payola from Trump for propaganda support of Trump candidacy.
3. Family Enrichment - Violation of the Emoluments Clause
Saudis stay at Trump hotels $250k & get weapons deal.
Chinese approve Ivanka's trademarks.
Administration officials stay at Trump hotels & events - Barr. Mulvaney. Mnuchin.
Is Wall builder a crony / friend? Look it up.
Puerto Rican disaster relief guy. Look it up. Never had company.
Cuts Bezos company out of cloud buy, in Defense Department provisioning. Trump excludes publisher of paper that reports the real news - unlike Murdoch's NY Post and WSJ - which sometimes seem more like part of the Murdoch propaganda portfoolio.
Security told to donors. Attack on Iranian General. Told donors before hand? NYC $ubway.
Sondman appointment. $1 mil donation & no experience in public sector / diplomatic relations.
Investigation Clintons. Ditto on the Clinton emails / FBI.
Dumps a boatload of debt on America's children and unborn babies to goose the richest in the land.
CLICK - Trump Tax Act steals from America's babies & gives to the richest of them all.
PENTAGON BUDGET INCREASES.
The Chiefs of Staff didn't look thrilled. I wonder what they know, but aren't telling.
And public lands / mineral rights?
D. Using Public Personnel & Policy to Further Trump Interests
William Barr says President can do what he wants. Then appears to play personal emissary to Rupert Murdoch to remove Anchorman Shepard Smith at Fox.
Trump wanted Comey to waive him through on Russia.
Mulvaney - As Congressman says doesn't even consider someone if not a donor. As Budget Director held the Ukrainian funds and took over roles - see hand notes.
Nunes. Reportedly flies to Europe / Ukraine on taxpayer dollar and talks to Giuliani guys. During Comey / Mueller report fbi. Does stealth run w/ info to Trump.
E. Undermining Rule of Law / Breaking the Law with Impunity
Pardons undermine the civil & military courts / Unjustified & UnAuthorized Executive Actions Undermine the Rule of Law
Pogue Family reportedly gave $200,000 to Trump or held fundraiser for as much prior to Trump pardon.
Michael Milken friend held fundraiser for Trump last Saturday.
Bernie Kerik, a long time friend of Trump lawyer Rudy Guiliani, was also pardoned.
Former Illinoise Governor Blagoevich pleaded for his release multiple times on Fox News.
Trump is expected to pardon his cronies in the Russian collusion during the 2016 campaign, like Roger Stone and Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort.
Eddie Gallagher convicted of war crimes and alleged murder [?], but Trump undermines the military courts.
Joe Arpaio found guilty of racism, but Trump undermines the Civil / Criminal Courts.
Assassinating Iranian General, Qasem Soleimani, in January 2020, who was not an immediate threat. American GI's take the counter punch, not Trump.
Using Rudy Giuliani, Devin Nunes and possibly the American taxpayers' funds to get a deal from Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden.
Firings of Vindman whistleblower and / or brother. Ambassador Sondman in retaliation for whistleblowing.
DUPE OF BELOW. Acting Cabinet members weakens the official government function.
DUPE OF ABOVE. How this all began. Taking money from Russian oligarchs. The oligarchs also funded other Republicans, which gives Trump more sway to extort them. Rubio, McConnell and Graham.
LINK to Trump Russian stories.
Impeachment. No evidence. No witnesses. Justice by Moscow Mitch.
Dershowitz claim that the president can deem whatever in the national interest - including his re-election.
Border ICE. Executive Orders. It's authoritarian - not democratic.
F. Executive Branch & Court Appointments based on Personal Loyalty & / or Gain
Failure by Schumer. Brett Kavanaugh seems a compromised man. I believe his story is yet to be told. The wicked prey upon the weak to get them to do their bidding. First Supreme Court Justice John Jay.
LINK
Show Kennedy interview with Trump Court nominee.
The case where Trump was angry with a democratic congresswoman, vote because he did something for her or her husband.
Sondman who donated $1 million to Trump campaign or Inaugural.
Acting Cabinet members weakens the official government function. Personalizes it.
John Bolton / John Kelly / Comey
G. Compromising American Security & Foreign Policy as if a Monarch not President
ABC on nuclear submarine.
Fox News blonde [they're all blondes] on Homeland Security. Challenging look up.
Taking money from Russian oligarchs. The oligarchs also funded other Republicans, which gives Trump more sway to extort them. Rubio, McConnell and Graham.
Syria / Ukraine / NATO / Brexit / Sanctions.
Abandoning Kurds - pro Russian yet saved Syrian Golan Heights = pro Murdoch
Saudis stay at Trump hotels $250k & get weapons deal.
Cuts Bezos company out of cloud buy. In provisioning excludes publisher of paper that reports the real news.
Allegedly told donors before hand - Security compromised regarding attack on Iranian General?
Dershowitz claim that the president is above the law. Whatever the president deems in the national interest is in the national interest.
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