Friday, January 31, 2025

Mexico --- Friend, enemy, neutral, or something else?

 Victor Davis Hanson

  . . ."Rather than worry about who is sending remittances, why not politely place a 20 percent tax (about $12 billion) on all cash sent from the U.S. to Mexico? We could also hail our mutual friendship and then reluctantly slap tariffs on imported assembled goods until the two-way trade is roughly balanced."  . . .VDH




"Mexican nationals, likely cartel members, recently crossed the border and shot and wounded an American hiker. Did they assume that Joe Biden was still president, and so it was still a veritable open season on Americans without consequences?

"Mexico also recently balked at allowing a U.S. transport plane to land, returning its own nationals apprehended as illegal aliens.

"Was its attitude that Alejandro Mayorkas was still Homeland Security Secretary and thus working with Mexico to ensure that millions of illegal aliens could stay in the U.S. indefinitely?

"After four years of Biden’s appeasement, Mexico seems to assume that it has a sovereign right to encourage the flight of millions of its own impoverished citizens illegally into the U.S. and further assumes that it can fast-track millions of Latin Americans through its territory and across our border.

"Mexico either cannot or will not address the billions of dollars of raw fentanyl products shipped in — mostly from China — and then processed for export to the U.S. by its cartels across a nonexistent border.

"Mexico seems to have little concern that some 75,000 Americans on average die from mostly Mexican-imported fentanyl each year — more deaths in just the last decade than all the Americans killed in action during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War combined. Who then is our friend, and who is our enemy?

"This appalling death toll is in part due to the deliberate efforts of the cartels to mask fentanyl as less deadly narcotics or camouflage the poison by lacing it into counterfeit prescription drugs.

"Mexico encourages its expatriate illegal aliens to send back some $63 billion per year in remittances. That huge sum constitutes one of Mexico’s largest sources of foreign exchange, surpassing even its tourist and oil revenues." . . .

Freed hostages detail sexual abuse while in captivity

i24NEWS English  

"In an emergency session at the Israeli parliament, released hostage recounts the sexual abuse female hostages face while in captivity. i24NEWS' Natasha Raquel Kirtchuk reports."

Close-knit figure skating community mourns DC plane crash victims

"The tight-knit figure skating community is grieving the loss of several of its members in the tragic midair plane crash near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Wednesday, including Tara Lipinsky and Nancy Kerrigan who shared emotional reactions to the tragedy. NBC’s Sam Brock reports for TODAY."

As Kash Patel Faces US Senators, Let’s Review The Corruption He Must Clean Up

American Free News Network   

"Kashyap Pramod Patel, if confirmed, will have his work cut out for him. He will be rebuilding the Federal Bureau of Investigation almost from scratch after two plus decades of decline into a gestapo-like agency. Patel was nominated by President Trump to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray, who resigned, hired criminal defense attorneys, and “ran for the hills” before the inauguration" . . .


. . ."Yes, Trump 45 appointed Wray, but that was when he wasn’t aware of the number of snakes in the DC viper’s den. Let’s review Wray’s seven plus years as director of the largest law enforcement agency in the USA. He oversaw and directed the following crimes against We The People. This is not a complete list:"

"1. Sent FBI agents after parents because they were protecting their children from the Department Of Education’s agenda regarding transgender indoctrination, pornographic books, sexualization beginning in kindergarten, Covid tyranny and other types of indoctrination that do not belong in a school curriculum.

2. Attacked Catholics organizations for their pro-life stance.

3. Attacked pro-life protesters and put 50+ in jail by perverting federal statutes. These political prisoners were pardoned by Trump 47.

4. Worked with Big Tech to silence dissenters of the Covid lockdown, Covid medical care, The Jab, Hunter’s Laptop, etc. which were hugh free speech violations, and terrorized those asking questions.

5. Got James A. Baker, FBI General Counsel, hired at Twitter in order to censor speech in favor of pushing Democrats’ America Last agenda.

6. Created the fake kidnapping of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmore.

7. Infiltrated and/or set up the events on January 6, 2021.

8. Presented false dossiers to FISA courts to undermine Trump 45 and start the Russian Collusion Hoax.

9. Went to foreign intelligence sources to fabricate trumped up charges against Trump’s associates.

10. Covered up the vital information contained in Hunter laptop.

11. Ordered agents to retrieve Hunter’s gun out of the dumpster in Delaware in order to protect him from prosecution.

12. Quickly got rid of evidence from the July 13th assassination attempt.

13.Worked closely with AG Garland to propagate an atmosphere of fear in the DOJ and among We The People. Two years ago I started telling friends: If FBI agents show up at your door, politely say “lawyer” and close the door.

14. Raided Mar-a-Lago.

15. Lied under oath multiple times."

There’s Been a Disturbing Update About the Fatal D.C. Airplane & Helicopter Crash

Madeline Leesman  

"On Tuesday night, just one day before the collision between an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, a different plane alerted the air traffic control tower that it had to abort its landing to avoid collision with a helicopter, the Washington Post reported.  Yet another plane arriving at DCA from Charlotte scrubbed its landing on Jan. 23, again because of a helicopter." . . .

UNOFFICIAL UPDATE: Plane Crash with Black Hawk Helicopter Explained

"On Friday, reports broke that an air traffic control supervisor allowed a controller to leave their post early at Reagan National Airport, just before the fatal mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter.

"According to NBC Washington, one controller was left to handle both airplane and helicopter traffic on that fateful night. Reportedly, it is “allowable” but not “optimal” for one person to perform both jobs.

"Matt reported that a preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report detailed that staffing was “not normal” at Reagan Airport when the crash occurred.

"Additionally, there are reports that the helicopter may have been on an unapproved route before the crash, as Matt noted. 

"Since then, the FAA has indefinitely closed routes to most helicopter traffic near Reagan National Airport as an investigation continues." . . .

.....................WATCH: New videos show the mid-air collision in Washington, D.C. -                           CNN  pic.twitter.com/lkSCw7ucbA

RFK vs. his good Democrat friends; "Democrats hate Republicans, but they REALLY hate Democrats who leave the party."

The Democrats: Beware taking on the party that produces the likes of Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Reid, Adam Schiff, the Congressional Hamas Caucus, Late-night TV hosts like Colbert, Sunny Hostin, most of CNN, all of MSNBC, Nancy Pelosi and the coastal dwellers, etc, etc,etc... 

"Yes, it is pretty ironic for Democrats to stand in RFK's way, given how much they loved everything the disgusting Teddy did in his pathetic life."  JC Raines

‘Have Some Shame’: Chris Cuomo Unloads On Elizabeth Warren For Attacking RFK Jr. Despite Her ‘History Of Fudging’   
. . ."Cuomo, on “CUOMO,” suggested that Warren’s record, which includes becoming substantially wealthier while in office and misrepresenting her Native American heritage, should have disqualified her from such questioning of Kennedy." . . .
Just how disgusting were Democrats to RFK, Jr. at his hearing?  "What kind of people are Democrats in terms of human decency?

"I blogged yesterday about about their execrable behavior to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. at his Senate confirmation hearings for the Health and Human Services portfolio in the new Trump administration. They bellowed. They bloviated. They interrupted, while Kennedy remained the perfect gentleman in a setting no gentleman should ever have to endure.

"But they only got worse after I signed off on that piece.

"Here's what kind of creature Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is as he preens on the Senate floor, piously intoning "You frighten me":

Imagine being such an insufferable a**hole that you'll lecture a nominee for 7 minutes as if he's some stranger, when in fact, you were law school roommates, you were a guest at his wedding, and you repeatedly accepted his help for your political campaigns. https://t.co/P4KjodEvl8 pic.twitter.com/4F6LZKUCh7

— Zach Parkinson (@AZachParkinson) January 29, 2025

"So he's known him for years, was his classmate in law school, was his guest at his wedding, and gladly took his money for his campaigns, but now he's howling about how 'frightened' he is. Frightened? Really? It's his old pal Bobby. What kind of creature could even do such a thing to someone he's known for years? What does he have to gain from breaking a long friendship, just for that moment on the Senate floor? He doesn't seem actually human. His decency is in the crapper.

"Meanwhile, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MASS) can be called the man of many faces:" . . .

The Party Has LEFT US! Lifelong Dem FURIOUS with Senate Dems Attacking RFK Jr . . .   

. . .Perhaps what we've been saying was right all along. Democrats hate Republicans, but they REALLY hate Democrats who leave the party.

That being said, plenty of Democrats are shying away from their own party after watching the behavior of people like Sheldon Whitehouse ... see for yourselves:"...

Since 2013:  Dems Are the Out-of-Touch Extremists Referring to Obama, whose third-term the latest Democrat administration is said to be. To say Biden is to say Obama.


RFK Jr. Reminds Bernie Sanders That Big Pharma has Given Million to Almost All Panel Members, Including Sanders    . . ."Sanders tried to deny it:

RFK JR: By the way. Bernie. The problem of corruption is not just in the federal agencies, it’s in Congress, too. Almost all the members of this panel are accepting, including yourself, are accepting millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry….

SANDERS: No, no, no…Nooooo…

RFK JR: ….to protect their interests.

SANDERS: I ran for president like you. I got millions. I know, millions of contributions. They did not come from the executives. Not one nickel of PAC money from the pharmaceutical engineer. They came from workers all over this country. Not a nickel from corporate….

RFK JR: In 2020, you were the single largest…

SANDERS: Because I had contributions from works all over this country.

RFK JR: $1.5 million

 "According to Open Secrets, between 2015-2020, Sanders did lead the bunch getting donations from pharmaceutical manufacturing.

"Overall, Sanders received over a million from pharmaceuticals/health products from 1990-2024." . . .

The hostility @RobertKennedyJr experienced at his hearing was directly proportional to how much Pharma money each Senator received.

Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot Killed in D.C. Tragedy Identified as Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves

The Gateway Pundit  

“My husband was one of the pilots in the Blackhawk. We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today. We ask for peace while we grieve. Please refrain for negative comments on social media as these families children do not need to suffer more pain.”


. . ."Multiple sources, including family and friends, have confirmed that Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves was one of the pilots aboard the Black Hawk helicopter. He is survived by his wife and children.
"Earlier, Fox News obtained exclusive information regarding the crew members aboard the Army helicopter at the time of the accident. The instructor pilot commanding the Black Hawk boasted 1,000 flying hours.
"Meanwhile, his co-pilot was a woman with 500 flying hours, which is considered to be a standard level of experience in aviation circles.
"Now, the Local newspaper, The Macon Beacon, first reported the incident on its Facebook page, detailing the community’s loss.
“ 'Noxubee County is mourning the death of native son Andrew Eaves. His wife has confirmed reports that he was among the military Blackhawk pilots who died in last nights crash with airliner in Washington, D.C. Andrew was a Central Academy graduate who grew up in the Brooksville area,” the post read." . . .




Boy, Did We Dodge a Bullet ...

 "There has never been a wider divide between our two political parties. We have one whose presidential convention members booed when someone said the word 'God.' And the other proudly utters praise and gratitude for His intercession in this great nation’s life."  Alicia Colon

"As I watched Vice President J.D. Vance swear in our new Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, I couldn’t help but breathe a long sigh of relief.

"At last, our military forces will be restored to its full potential to protect this great nation.

"If we are looking for further proof that a higher power is watching over us, consider this one question: why haven’t our enemies taken advantage of the fact that for the past four years, America has been at its most vulnerable because the man in charge of that nuclear football has been non compos mentis since he took office? As if that wasn’t bad enough, the man in charge of our Defense Department at the time was missing for a number of days without letting anyone know he was in the hospital.

"During the confirmation hearings for Hegseth, RINO Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitch McConnell all voted with the Democrats against him, yet they all voted to confirm the AWOL Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. 

"These GOP traitors have the nerve to think they know who would handle our military most efficiently. Well, Austin was in charge when we quit Afghanistan and left billions of equipment to the Taliban.

"There is no doubt that the new Secretary of Defense has a history of sexual entanglements that his Democrat interrogators were eager to expose during his confirmation hearings. I would have been more impressed if they concentrated on his plans to restore our military rather than harping on his sex life as we all know that veterans returning from combat missions frequently go through chaotic personal relations in civilian life.

"Since watching Hegseth’s swearing in, I  was curious to learn more about this man who had been a Fox News host and author who caught Trump’s attention with his book, The War on Warriors.

"Anyone who lived through the Vietnam era, will recall that these veterans, including my brother, went through a period of public disdain thanks to the effective war protesters such as Jane Fonda.

"Vietnam vets were called 'baby killers' and yes, were spat upon by hippies." . . .

Jim Acosta and the Tyranny of the Liberal Media

 American Spectator

"Acosta appears now, per some reports, to be headed to Substack. But wherever he is headed, it is a safe bet that Jim Acosta will continue to represent the tyranny of a powerful left-wing tyranny. And not regret a single moment of it."

"Acosta is not a journalist. He is a commentator..."

. . ."Here again, is Acosta saying that “it is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant” and that “it’s the job of the press to hold power to account.” He is also quoted as saying:

“Don’t give in to the lies. Don’t give in to the fear. Hold on to the truth. And to hope, even if you have to get out your phone, record that message,” he said.

“I will not give in to the lies. I will not give in to the fear. Post it on your social media, so people can hear from you, too.”

"Amazing.

"What Acosta ignores completely, whether deliberately or unconsciously, is this question. Which is: Who holds the powerful press to account? And if it’s “never a good time to bow down to a tyrant” then three cheers to those who refuse to bow down to the tyranny of a self-absorbed, all-powerful press.

"What better illustration of refusing to bow down to the tyranny of the press than that famous showdown between Acosta and President Trump at a long ago Trump press conference.

"Trump called the mass flow of illegals over the U.S. Southern border an “invasion.” And right there is where Acosta decided to play press tyrant.

"Instead of simply noting the fact — say again fact — that this was the president’s view — which is a journalist’s job — Acosta decided to play the opponent, the tyrant, and get into a quite public verbal tussle with the president. Lecturing him that he, Trump, was wrong in describing the massive crowd of illegals coming across the border as such.

"Trump, to his considerable credit, would have none of it. To borrow from Acosta, Trump was not going to “bow down” to the tyranny that Acosta was representing. That is the tyranny of the liberal media. Acosta was not a journalist simply reporting the facts of what Trump said. Instead, Acosta took on the role of political opponent, trying to use the power of his position to shut down Trump’s point of view." . . .

 Bill O'Reilly on Jim Acosta's Demise

Just how disgusting were Democrats to RFK, Jr. at his hearing?

 Monica Showalter 

"The sad part is, if a democrat had won and appointed RFK JR, they would be SCREAMING his praises. The majority of the people against him are simply against whatever President Trump wants. The rest are afraid their corruption will be exposed." Reader comment

Bobby and Sheldon before RFK joined Trump

"What kind of people are Democrats in terms of human decency?

I blogged yesterday about about their execrable behavior to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. at his Senate confirmation hearings for the Health and Human Services portfolio in the new Trump administration. They bellowed. They bloviated. They interrupted, while Kennedy remained the perfect gentleman in a setting no gentleman should ever have to endur.

But they only got worse after I signed off on that piece.

Here's what kind of creature Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is as he preens on the Senate floor, piously intoning "You frighten me":

Imagine being such an insufferable asshole that you'll lecture a nominee for 7 minutes as if he's some stranger, when in fact, you were law school roommates, you were a guest at his wedding, and you repeatedly accepted his help for your political campaigns. https://t.co/P4KjodEvl8 pic.twitter.com/4F6LZKUCh7

— Zach Parkinson (@AZachParkinson) January 29, 2025

So he's known him for years, was his classmate in law school, was his guest at his wedding, and gladly took his money for his campaigns, but now he's howling about how 'frightened' he is. Frightened? Really? It's his old pal Bobby. What kind of creature could even do such a thing to someone he's known for years? What does he have to gain from breaking a long friendship, just for that moment on the Senate floor? He doesn't seem actually human. His decency is in the crapper.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MASS) can be called the man of many faces:

Here's what he wrote yesterday for Newsweek:" . . More...

We can thank Whitehouse for approving Mayorkas, Garland.and Xavier Becerra, to list just the low-hanging fruit. TD

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Israel Orders Buses Bearing Exchanged Terrorists Back to Prison After Sick Hamas Display

Ward Clark; RedState  

. . ."Israel ordered the buses carrying the released terrorists from today’s exchange to turn around and get back to prison. The move is in response to the savage images from the release of the hostages that were nearly lynched by those monsters."

. . ."Take a good look at that image. One Israeli, a young woman, was held as a hostage, and on her release, Hamas literally made her walk a hate-filled gauntlet of armed Hamas terrorists. These are not the acts of civilized people. 

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement on Thursday:"

Prime Minister Netanyahu: "I view with great severity the shocking scenes during the release of our hostages. This is further proof of the unimaginable cruelty of the Hamas terrorist organization. I demand that the mediators ensure such horrific scenes do not recur and guarantee the safety of our hostages. Anyone who dares to harm our hostages will have their blood on their own hands."

. . ."There will be no peace in this part of the world until Hamas is no longer a factor. 

"We are engaged in a major conflict between civilization and the uncivilized. Israel is on the front line. The conflict is radical Islam vs. civilization. That is what it is. Europe may well already be lost. The next century may be very uncomfortable, as there are people here, now, in the United States, who harbor these same inclinations." 


Goodbye Pacific Palisades, Hello Full Communism

Stephen Green  

There is a recall petition circulating but there's yet no formal recall process. But with Bass and Soboroff calling the shots on the big-money rebuilding effort, you should expect the big money to back Bass in case of a recall election. 

rofcbybroc

"Embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass made her big play this week to rebuild Pacific Palisades in her own image. Needless to say, it won't be pretty.

"During what the Los Angeles Times called "a freewheeling half-hour walking tour in Pacific Palisades," with reporters and "chief recovery officer" and former LAPD commissioner Steve Soboroff, Bass announced that the city plans to hire "an outside consultant to handle a significant rebuilding contract for areas devastated by this month’s Palisades fire," as the Times put it. 

“ 'They’re going to represent you and make sure that everybody does exactly what they say they’re going to do,” Soboroff told reporters. 

"Pacific Palisades residents were not so much as consulted on the decision. "Locals have had virtually no input into any of the decisions currently being made by city and state officials," Breitbart's Joel Pollack reported on Tuesday. "Most were only able to access their property for the first time on Monday, after direct intervention by President Donald Trump."

"Um… is that how representation works? When the mayor and her philanthropist pal Soboroff pick the firm that will make all the decisions?

"Soboroff later clarified to Pollack that "the ‘consultant’ will be an ‘owner’s rep’ to oversee the work of the various agencies involved, much like a construction manager on a building project," and that there "would be a competitive bidding process for the role.”

"In other words: this is going to take some time. Rather than a relatively simple process of homeowners filing their insurance claims and rebuilding once the money and the permits come through, big-name consultants will spend big money on big-name contractors to give the Palisades a big government makeover.

"Indeed, that's exactly the case." . . .

Everything We Know about the Airliner and Black Hawk who Collided On Approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

 The Aviationist  "Multiple fatalities have been reported after a horrific incident involving American Airlines flight 5342 and a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over Washington D.C., with first responders still at work around the wreckage in the Potomac River.


"The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed shortly before 3:00 UTC that a midair collision had taken place between a Bombardier CRJ700 regional airliner and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter. At the time of writing there appears to have been a significant loss of life, with no survivors reported so far while more than 300 first responders are still at work." . .

Daily Mail has comprehensive coverage of the helicopter - plane no survivor crash

UK Daily Mail  Many links from this article.

"Asra Hussain messaged husband Hamaad Raza, 25, to say 'We are landing in 20 minutes' as American Eagle Flight 5342 approached Reagan National Airport jut before 8pm ET Wednesday night. Tragically it was the last text Asra, 26, would ever send. Her shaken husband of two years Hamza Raza, 25, was filmed explaining how he'd texted a few replies but that they'd never been received. Asra was one of 60 passengers killed when the Bombardier CRJ700 jet - flown by American Airlines regional subsidiary American Eagle - was struck by a Black Hawk helicopter on an Army training sortie. PICTURED: Asra and Hamaad on their wedding day; Asra, inset; Hamad speaking to the news last night, left; and recovery efforts on the Potomac River this morning, top right."

Then come the conspiracy theories.

At least 30 bodies have been recovered from a Washington DC aircraft collision, including a TikTok skating star and a famed athlete couple.

American figure skater John Maravilla, as reported by RIA Novosti, said: 'I don't want to name names, but there were around 14 figure skaters on the plane, not counting their parents and several coaches.'

 How disaster over the Potomac unfolded: Minute-by-minute reconstruction shows how American Airlines jet carrying 64 hit Black Hawk helicopter in mid-air before plunging into river, leaving no survivors

Army says Black Hawk crew in DC plane crash was 'fairly experienced' as next of kin notifications begin    Animated video of the two aircraft shows their flight paths.

DC plane crash live updates: Trump goes on the offensive against DEI at briefing