President Trump Joins the Deep State and Ron Paul Leads the Fight Against It

July 21, 2016 - Republican National Convention
Donald Trump’s strategy in three words: ‘Americanism, not globalism’ - Washington Post, July 22, 2016

"The most important difference between our plan and that of our opponent is that our plan will put America first," Trump said. "Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo."

April 27, 2017 - Interview with WSJ
Trump: ‘I’m a Nationalist and a Globalist’ - Bretibart, April 28, 2017

“Hey, I’m a nationalist and a globalist,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. “I’m both.”

“And I’m the only one who makes the decision, believe me,” Trump said.

The comments made during an interview with the Wall Street Journal by President Trump culminate a series of policy changes that have perplexed analysts and many of his supporters.

First, I'd like to provide some perspective based on a timeline of events from March 29 through April 8:
On March 30, the Trump administration seems to accept the idea of Assad staying. On March 31, President Trump meets with former Secretary of State Rice who favors a more aggressive stance on Syria. But, on April 2, President Trump golfs with Senator Rand Paul (Ron Paul's son). On April 3, the Trump administration seems to hedge on Assad by calling him a war criminal. On April 4, the US administration blames Assad for the chemical attack. The next day, April 5, former Congressman Ron Paul claims there was zero chance that Assad would have done this chemical attack deliberately and brings up the possibility of a false flag attack. On April 6, President Trump orders missile attacks on a Syrian air base and suggests Assad should be removed from power. On April 7, Ron Paul calls for  a revolution. In the midst of this, tensions with North Korea rise and both Russia and China solidify their move away from the US dollar in global trade. My question is what did Senator Paul really discuss with the president (aside from healthcare)?
 
As a result of the bombing of Syria, the alternative media has justifiably criticized President Trump. A large base of Trump supporters voted for him to prevent war with Russia and avoid blowing up the world. The Syrian attack completely contradicts the platform he ran on (in addition to prior tweets on Syria in 2013). So, has President Trump sold out?

Bix Weir has always spoken about there being good guys and the bad guys within the government. He has a positive view on President Trump's actions:
CONFUSED? Trump's 5 New Accomplishments (Bix Weir) - Youtube, April 11, 2017

He contends that the cruise missile attack is just a plain orchestration (empty airbase - no one died). The five immediate outcomes according to him are as follows:

1. Change the narrative (Russia)
2. Itchy trigger finger
3. Exposed the CIA
4. Destabilized economy
5. Change judgement stance

Talk of war with Russia has quieted the past few weeks as the war machine gets a reality check (although a war with North Korea could happen anytime). So, maybe things aren't so dire.

But what about draining the swamp and ending the FED??? It looks like my two predictions are far away from actually happening:
Donald Trump Will End The FED And Move US Toward The Gold Standard - January 2, 2017
President Trump Will Drain The Swamp (or die trying) - February 13, 2017

Not necessarily. My view is that President Trump is putting all his cards on the table to deal with a huge threat - North Korea. Some in the alternative media think that the deep state has something incriminating on President Trump and are blackmailing him to start war. While a possibility, I don't see this as likely - especially don't agree with those who blame Jews!!!

First, let's take a look at the political landscape.

The Democratic party is a complete mess as they continue their Russia hysteria.
I covered this in an earlier post here:
The Hypocrisy of Progressives Will Be Their End - January 10, 2017

This post has been proven correct as the only Democratic member of Congress (Rep Tulsi Gabbard) not to toe the party line on Assad got slammed by party leaders.
Democratic leaders slam Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for being ‘skeptical’ Assad ordered chemical weapons attack in Syria - NY Daily News, April 10, 2017

At this time, there can not be any meaningful cooperation between the Trump administration and the Democratic party.

But, to effectively deal with North Korea, President Trump needs a larger base of support. Unfortunately, a good portion of the population is still influenced by the discredited, war mongering mainstream media. Notice how as soon as the President bombed Syria, all these fake journalists started cheering. It really is a poor reflection of our population that continue to watch their nonsense.

So, to gain that extra support from those outside the liberty movement and the alternative media, President Trump has altered his strategy and effectively joined the deep state.

I view this as an extension of a strategy I alluded to in a prior post and a further alignment to the establishment elements of the Republican party:
Phase One of Trump Plan to Defeat Deep State - Take Out Leftist Faction - March 5, 2017

I do believe the policy gaps between the Trump base (some in the liberty movement and the alternative media) are easier to bridge with mainstream Republicans (like those who listen to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin) than Democrats. That means converting war hawks to libertarians. They can start by learning about the deep state and reading posts like one I wrote:

President Trump Is Not Acting Weak Towards Russia but Is Fighting the Deep State - February 7, 2017

Still might be hard for those in the military-industrial complex. This quote by Upton Sinclair says it all:
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!"

Which brings me back to where Congressman Paul fits into this. While he does not advocate war, I found his take on North Korea interesting:

Ron Paul: N. Korea kept unstable 'on purpose' - Washington Examiner, April 17, 2017

Former Texas Republican congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul argued in a video clip he Tweeted Monday that U.S. foreign policy intentionally keeps North Korea unstable so the communist nation can play the role of international boogeyman.

"We've been doing this all this time and it's almost like [it is] to keep it unstable ... The instability is [because] we have promised the South Koreans that, 'We are going to take care of you. We are going to provide your weaponry. We are going to provide your indirect subsidies. We are going to take care of you and we're going to make sure that North Korea is held in check.' Don't ever talk to them. Don't ever have an open-door policy ... We need an enemy and for that part of the world, it is North Korea. They serve as the monster in that area," Paul said.

The former lawmaker argued that was not President Trump's intention but he is now "falling in line" with the existing policy.

If you go down the rabbit hole far enough, maybe all roads lead to the deep state:
Is Kim Jong-Un a MK-Ultra Monarch asset of the US government used to start the World War 3??? - Youtube, March 29, 2013

So could North Korea be part of President Trump's big fight against the deep state?

The implications of this are biblical as evidenced here:
Mystical rabbi predicted today's top threat 22 years ago - 'The nuclear key to the final war of Gog and Magog' - WND, April 25, 2017

And, they tie into a certain individual in my prior posts here and here.

Note that Congressman Paul hasn't been afraid of discussing controversial topics in the past.
Ron Paul: Government Had Foreknowledge of 9/11 Terror Attacks - The Washington Free Beacon - August 28, 2014

"I believe that if we ever get the full truth [about 9/11], we'll find out that our government had it in the records exactly what the plans were, or at least close to it," said Paul, during the interview with Money and Markets host Charles Goyette. "You already mentioned that [the U.S. government] had been warned that something was going to happen."

"The Kennedy assassination probe and commission, we don’t know the truth about that, and probably 80 percent of the American people don’t even believe that [Lee Harvey] Oswald was the only one involved," said Paul. "Also we don’t know all we should know about Martin Luther King assassination, either."

So maybe that is the new plan to defeat the deep state - President Trump joins it while Congressman Ron Paul (and by extension his son, Senator Rand Paul) lead the opposition.

I hope they are successful, since the world's fate depends on it.

Syria / North Korea Timeline - March 29, 2017 - April 8, 2017:

March 29:
Exclusive: Trump team to ‘turn up the volume’ on North Korea - WTOP, March 29, 2017
Noam Chomsky: Donald Trump could stage false-flag terror attack to maintain fanbase amid failing policies - Independent, March 29, 2017

March 30:<------ US: Assad can stay
US signals openness to Assad staying put - CNN, March 30, 2017
Haley: U.S. no longer focused on removing Assad from power - Politico, March 30, 2017
Donald Trump expects 'very difficult' summit with Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago - CNN, March 30, 2017

March 31:
McCain Furious At Rex Tillerson For Saying Assad Can Stay - Zerohedge, March 31, 2017
Trump meets with Condoleezza Rice - CNN, March 31, 2017

April 2:
Donald Trump warns China the US is ready to tackle North Korea - Financial Times, April 2, 2017
Moscow And Beijing Join Forces To Bypass US Dollar In Global Markets, Shift To Gold Trade - Zerohedge, April 2, 2017
>>>>>>Rand Paul had 'great time' golfing with Trump, 'getting closer' on healthcare - The Hill, April 2, 2017

April 3:<------ US: Assad is a war criminal but doesn't rule out cooperation
Trump: ‘If China Is Not Going to Solve North Korea, We Will’ - Brietbart, April 3, 2017
Jared Kushner travels to Iraq - CNN, April 3, 2017
Nikki Haley Says Syria's Assad Is a War Criminal, but the U.S. May Need Him - Time, April 3, 2017

April 4:
Worst Chemical Attack in Years in Syria; U.S. Blames Assad - NY Times, April 4, 2017
North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile a Day Before U.S.-China Summit - NY Times, April 4, 2017
Trump to pressure China's Xi for help dealing with North Korea - USA Today, April 4, 2017

April 5:
Marco Rubio strongly implies Syrian gas attack encouraged by Trump appeasement - The Blaze, April 5, 2017
>>>>>>‘FALSE FLAG’ — Ron Paul Says Syrian Chemical Attack ‘Makes No Sense’ - Ron Paul Liberty Report, April, 5 2017

April 6:<------ US: Assad must go
Trump blames Obama for crisis in Syria - USA Today, April 6, 2017
Trump says chemical attack in Syria crossed many lines - Reuters, April 6, 2017
Trump, Tillerson suggest Assad should be removed, in apparent reversal - April 6, 2017
Dozens of U.S. Missiles Hit Air Base in Syria - NY Times, April 6, 2017
Trump dines with Xi as US strikes Syria: What's Trump trying to say? - CNBC, April 6, 2017
Signs point away from Trump labelling China currency manipulator - Reuters, April 6, 2017

April 7:
Bannon Lost To Kushner In Syria Strike Debate - The Daily Caller, April 7, 2017
>>>>>>Ron Paul: "We need a revolution"  - Ora.TV, April 7, 2017

April 8:
Michael Savage Turns on Trump, Says Syrian Gas Attack Was False Flag Operation - Zerohedge, April 8, 2017
‘They’re terrified that peace was going to break out’ – Ron Paul on US Syria strike - RT, April 8, 2017

As China and Russia Move Toward a Gold Standard, US Must Join Them or Counter with Bitcoin

As someone who was skeptical about cryptocurrencies, I posted an article a few months ago (see here) where I laid out a US policy shift towards a gold standard based on:
- President Trump's favorable statements toward gold during the presidential campaign
- The impossibility of successfully implementing President Trump's economic priorities
- Eventual blame put squarely on the FED for economic stagnation or economic collapse
- China's economic internationalization and preference for gold

With the current administration's concern over serious trade deficits and complaints over Chinese currency manipulation, a USD devaluation (or currency reset) is a realistic policy option. But, the gaining acceptance of bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) will be a factor in setting policy. For example, the suggested border tax by the Trump administration will be virtually impossible to implement:
Mexican remittance tax could lead to Bitcoin boom - Axios, February 7, 2017

"Nobody wants to talk about it, but the number one use case for bitcoin (beyond speculation) is and will continue to be circumventing capital controls," says Ryan Selkis, managing director of CoinDesk. "If the cost of remittance shoots way up in any given corridor, Bitcoin will get more popular."

Japan, one of the major US trading partners, has seriously advanced the use of cryptocurrencies:
Bill making cryptocurrencies legal way of payment comes into force in Japan - RT, April 1, 2017

Bitcoin (like other cryptocurrencies) is a decentralized currency (see videos below for more details) as opposed to a fiat currency that is centralized. As more cryptocurrencies (i.e. Dash, Ripple, Ethereum) gain acceptance (current market caps), there will not be an easy way for governments to regulate them. We are seeing a new paradigm in place where any time a country's currency is in danger of devaluation (an official lowering of the value of a country's currency within a fixed exchange rate system), the countries' citizens buy bitcoin. In the past, people would line up at a currency exchange center to exchange their local currency for a more stable one (i.e. USD, EUR). Now, the most simple and easy thing to do is just to go online, open an account on a cryptocurrency exchange and buy bitcoin.

Here are two recent examples:

Mexican Peso Weakens, Google Searches for Bitcoin Rise - The Merkle, January 12, 2017

Although it is still early to establish a correlation between bitcoin and the struggling economy of Mexico, it seems as if the economic uncertainty of Mexico has led to rising demand for bitcoin.

On January 10, CNBC analyst Brian Kelly revealed that Google Trends for bitcoin spiked as the peso weakened. In fact, Google searches for the keyword “bitcoin” almost reached an all-time high record this past week, being close to surpassing Google Trends interest for bitcoin in late 2013.

Bitcoin is devaluing China’s currency but the country won’t do much about it - Salon, February 25, 2017

China has been trying to curb the practice of using bitcoin to circumvent rules limiting the amount of money Chinese mainlanders can send abroad, which is currently capped at $50,000 a year.

This capital flight has caused a drop in the value of the renminbi and Chinese regulators have connected the dots between last year’s drop in the value of the country’s currency and a corresponding rise in the value of bitcoin. Bitcoin bought in renminbi accounted for a staggering 98 percent of all bitcoin trading activity in the last six months of 2016, according to bitcoinity.org.

Eager to convert the Chinese currency into a more stable global currency and stash that wealth abroad, many Chinese mainlanders have been buying bitcoin locally in renminbi and then, using bitcoin’s blockchain technology, which allows users to safely transmit bitcoin through the Internet, they’re sending bitcoin to other countries where recipients (family members, friends or other contacts) convert bitcoin back into a local currency which can then be used to make investments outside of the country.

Note that China's capital flight issues are not due to bitcoin. In an article last November, Barron's details the serious issues with the Chinese economy which predate last month's rise in bitcoin price:
Is China’s Currency Heading for a Big Fall? - Barron's, November 2, 2016

China has hinted at attempts to implement regulations to remedy the matter.
Bitcoin Can Not Cross “Some Red Lines” In China Post ETF Refusal: PBoC - The Cointelegraph, March 14, 2017

In a translated summary of his findings uploaded to Twitter by cnLedger, Xuedong stated, among other items, that “most Bitcoin investors are young people” and that exchange behavior such as faking trading volumes “should be examined and regulated.”

Bitcoin’s future in China “cannot work out without regulations,” he said, speaking in the wake of the US refusal of the first Bitcoin ETF.

In a truly free society, capital flows efficiently. The rise of bitcoin buying in China was simply a reaction to an inevitable currency devaluation. It was not the root cause of this devaluation. China is caught trying to balance competing interests: keep up with the latest technology to further grow its economy vs preventing a currency devaluation that could potentially lead to an economic catastrophe.

But what if the rumors of China (and Russia) banding together to dump the US dollar are true and that they are holding up their economies until the right time to move towards a gold standard. This bombshell reports seems to confirm the idea.

Moscow And Beijing Join Forces To Bypass US Dollar In Global Markets, Shift To Gold Trade - Zerohedge, April 2, 2017

Speaking on future ties with Russia, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in mid-March that Sino-Russian trade ties were affected by falling oil prices, but he added that he saw great potential in cooperation. Vladimir Shapovalov, a senior official at the Russian central bank, said the two central banks were drafting a memorandum of understanding to solve technical issues around China’s gold imports from Russia, and that details would be released soon.

If Russia - the world's fourth largest gold producer after China, Japan and the US - is indeed set to become a major supplier of gold to China, the probability of a scenario hinted by many over the years, namely that Beijing is preparing to eventually unroll a gold-backed currency, increases by orders of magnitude.
...
"We discussed the question of trade in gold. BRICS countries are large economies with large reserves of gold and an impressive volume of production and consumption of this precious metal. In China, the gold trade is conducted in Shanghai, in Russia it is in Moscow. Our idea is to create a link between the two cities in order to increase trade between the two markets," First Deputy Governor of the Russian Central Bank Sergey Shvetsov told Russia's TASS news agency.

In other words, China and Russia are shifting away from dollar-based trade, to commerce which will eventually be backstopped by gold, or what is gradually emerging as an Eastern gold standard, one shared between Russia and China, and which may day backstop their respective currencies.

So, I suspect that in the event that China and Russia announce a move toward some form of a gold standard (i.e. gold backed trade note), virtually all fiat currencies (those not backed by gold, silver, oil, etc.) will hyper-inflate. In that case, people will lose confidence in central banks and the only viable alternative will be cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.

For the US, there are two options - either back the USD with gold or devalue the USD which will thereby encourage the US population to use cryptocurrencies.

We'll probably have our answer soon.

Good References:

These are two great introductory videos on Bitcoin.

 
An info-graphic related to Miners, Wallets, Hardware & Storage, Exchanges, Payment Processors, Merchants, Investment & Banking, Media & Advocacy, Developer Tools, Blockchain Development, Financial Services
The Entire Blockchain Ecosystem in One Visualization - Visual Capitalist, May 30, 2016

Bix Weir contends bitcoin is more viable than gold or silver.
ALERT: Perfect Storm for Silver, Gold and Bitcoin

Other interesting articles:


When the Dollar Collapses, which is better Money, Gold or Bitcoin? - Cryptocoins, March 21, 2015

Bitcoin vs USD vs Gold – Here’s why Bitcoin wins - 99 Bitcoins, July 25, 2016

Bitcoin Is Now As Good As Gold, Actually It’s Better - Dollar Vigilante, March 3, 2017

Bitcoin vs Gold: Which is a Better Long-Term Bet? - Coindesk, April 1, 2017

A Peaceful Approach to Solve the United States' Iran Problem

The troubled relationship between the United States and Iran has generated great debate and tension. Iran holds the United States responsible for the 1953 Iranian coup d'état (not an isolated case of US involvement - see here) where democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh was overthrown in favor of strengthening the monarchical rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlai. In addition, Americans still hold animosity towards Iran as a result of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis where a group of Iranian students, who supported the Iranian Revolution, took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held fifty-two American diplomats and citizens hostage for 444 days.

Interestingly and unbeknown to many, the United States did attack Iran (justifiably) a few times towards the end of the Reagan administration - Operation Nimble Archer and Operation Praying Mantis.

While it is true that Iran has never invaded another country in over 200 years, they have and continue to fund terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. But, some may argue that the United States has (directly and indirectly) supported terrorist groups. Unfortunately, there is ample evidence that gives credence to this claim. I documented just a few recent instances of this in my prior post titled: President Trump Is Not Acting Weak Towards Russia but Is Fighting the Deep State - February 7, 2017

Declassified DOD Release - March 10, 2015 - page 5
If the situation unravels there is the possibility of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist principality in eastern Syria (Hasaka and Der Zor), and this is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition want, in order to isolate the Syrian regime, which is considered the strategic depth of the Shia expansion (Iraq and Iran).

ISIS Coverup: US Centcom Accused Of Lying To President, Congress, Public About Airstrikes, Ground Fight - Zerohedge, November 22, 2015

Hackers trace ISIS Twitter accounts back to internet addresses linked to Department of Work and Pensions - Mirror Online, December 14, 2015

ISIS, Al Qaeda And The CIA: The Documented Connection - Zerohedge, December 17, 2015

But right now, President Trump has a unique opportunity to foster real change. He certainly appears to be trying to defeat ISIS:

Marines have arrived in Syria to fire artillery in the fight for Raqqa - Washington Post, March 8, 2017

Trump administration inviting more than 60 countries for strategy session on countering ISIS - Washington Post, March 9, 2017

Sadly, Iran's supreme leader has repeatedly made provocative statements towards Israel such as these:

Iran's supreme leader: There will be no such thing as Israel in 25 years - CNN, September 11, 2015

Israel will not exist in another quarter century, Iran's supreme leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said during a speech this week in Tehran, state-run media report.
"I'd say (to Israel) that they will not see (the end) of these 25 years," the Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Khamenei as saying Wednesday at the Imam Khomeini Mosque.

and more recently:

Iran's leader calls Israel a 'fake' nation, 'dirty chapter' - AP, February 21, 2017

Iran's supreme leader on Tuesday used the podium of a pro-Palestinian gathering in Tehran to lash out at Israel, calling the Jewish state a "fake" nation in a "dirty chapter" of history.

The remarks by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were some of his most vitriolic against Israel, Iran's archenemy. Every four years since the early 1990s, Tehran has hosted a similar conference in support of the Palestinian cause, assembling foreign guests and those who oppose Israel.

Speaking to the gathering, Khamenei said Israel was created by bringing Jews from other parts of the world to the Mideast region to settle in the land of the Palestinians to replace its "true entity."

The creation of Israel is "one of the dirty chapters of history that will be closed, with the grace of God," he added. Khamenei's speech lasted 33 minutes.

The supreme leader, who has final say on all state matters in Iran, also urged all Muslims to support the Palestinians and "resistance" movements — a reference to anti-Israeli militant groups such as Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon's Shite Hezbollah militants. Iran has always been their staunch ally.

These statements are not simply directed at Israeli politicians but against the Israeli people. They imply genocide and should be condemned. They also don't represent the views of the vast majority of the Iranian people. I don't care how many 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' staged events the mullahs set up, a significant majority of their citizens do not particularly care about the Israeli Arab conflict.

Strategically, Iran is part of a burgeoning economic axis that includes China and Russia.
These two articles clearly illustrate the economic and military ties between the three countries (although I do not necessarily agree with all the conclusions in the first article).

How a United Iran, Russia and China are Changing The World - For the Better - Strategic Culture Foundation, January 1, 2017

The Iran-Russia-China Strategic Triangle - Near Eastern Outlook, November 21, 2016

An area of enormous concern for the United States is Iran's decision to completely ditch the dollar.

Iran To Ditch The Dollar In Wake Of Trump's 'Muslim Ban' - Forbes, January 30, 2017

The Iranian government is to stop using the US dollar in its official statements, according to a report in the local English-language daily the Financial Tribune.

The decision was announced by Central Bank of Iran governor Valiollah Seif during a television interview on the evening of January 29 and, according to the paper, is due to take effect from the start of the new fiscal year on 21 March. It will affect all official financial and foreign exchange reports.

...Seif said in the television interview that “we have to set a currency as the basis of financial reporting that has better stability and greater application in our foreign trade,” according to the Financial Tribune.

The Iranians don't seem to have much respect for the United States currency. Although it is well within their legal right as a sovereign nation to act in their best interests, this is somewhat dangerous - Gaddafi tried to establish a gold dinar and the end result did not go very well - see here.

But wait, didn't President Trump lay out his agenda very clearly in his inauguration speech. Any suggestion for regime change via covert operation contradicts the statements by President Trump where he implicitly took regime change off the table:

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world -- but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.
We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow.
We will reinforce old alliances and for new ones - and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth.

Please note that the United States will not initiate any kind of Iranian invasion via military force. There aren't enough soldiers and not to mention the willpower within the military to do it.
Nevertheless, the current United States administration has its own problems (mainly from the previous one) trying to maintain old alliances in a rapidly evolving world. The effects of either the Phillippines, Saudi Arabia or Turkey pivoting toward this China-Russia-Iran axis are potentially devastating. These scenarios are outlined by our friends at Rogue Money.

Philippine, Saudi, and Turkish pivots signalling the end of the American century - Rogue Money, October 23, 2016

It would appear that the current administration is in a current box as Iran supports Islamic terrorist groups and has clear hostile intent towards American interests while its leadership advocates genocide against another sovereign country. It is also highly unlikely for Israel to be 'thrown under the bus' by President Trump and foolish for the United States to pursue a policy of isolationism thereby doing nothing.

I suggest a three point approach for the United States to mitigate Iranian threats:

1. Pull Russia away from Iran

Although some arguments have been made that a Russian detente does not serve American interests, I would disagree. Russia is a country more culturally and religiously aligned with Europe in contrast to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Since no European country has pulled out of NATO yet and moved to the China-Russia-Iran axis, Russia has a greater incentive to do business with the countries aligned with the United States as opposed to Iran.

2. Create a wedge between Arabs and Persians

Although most people are familiar with the theocratic divide between Sunnis and Shiites, an even more relevant one is between Arabs and Persians. Deeply rooted prejudices exist as many Persians view Arabs as having a lower status in society - somewhat like the caste system in India. This has been evident in the war in Syria.

Hezbollah Losing Its Luster Under Soleimani - Washington Institute, February 22, 2017

Relations between Hezbollah fighters and their commanders in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are similarly complicated, but much more problematic to discuss publicly. Hezbollah remains Iran's most skilled militia, but anecdotal accounts indicate that it may no longer enjoy its privileged status with Tehran, at least in terms of how its forces are treated on the battlefield. The war in Syria has uncovered Iran's true expansionist intentions, along with a Persian arrogance toward Arab Shiites that Hezbollah fighters are not used to.

Those who have fought under Soleimani tend to remark on this tension; as one Hezbollah fighter told the author in December, "It was clear to many of us that [Soleimani's] priority was to protect the Iranians, and that [Hezbollah fighters] and all non-Iranian Shiites could be sacrificed."

Important to note that no better instance of Arabs showing loyalty to their own country was during the Iran-Iraq war. Although Iraq was a majority Shiite country (like Iran), their soldiers fought against their Shiite Iranian brothers fiercely. A unified Arab world can be useful tool to counter an expansionist Iran.

3. Truth bombs courtesy of President Trump

The defeat of the deep state and its affiliated terrorist groups (i.e. ISIS) would provide President Trump with the moral high ground to speak out against other terrorist groups like the ones sponsored by Iran. There will be no way the Iranian regime can spew out any nonsense that America is controlled by Freemasons or that any opposition to their power is a CIA plot. President Trump could go directly to the Iranian people and speak about the gross corruption of their government officials. Maybe, he could engage in a twitter war with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who just opened an account. He could even bring up the complete fallacy of the Iranian revolution based on these declassified cables:

US had extensive contact with Ayatollah Khomeini before Iran revolution - The Guardian, June 10, 2016

But new documents seen by the BBC’s Persian service show he [Khomeini} went to a great lengths to ensure the Americans would not jeopardise his plans to return to Iran – and even personally wrote to US officials.

The BBC’s reporting suggests that the Carter administration took heed of Khomeini’s pledges, and in effect paved the way for his return by holding the Iranian army back from launching a military coup.

The best part of this approach is that it is consistent with President Trump's stated goals and doesn't require any large investment in resources. It also does not require any nefarious covert activity often associated with US foreign policy. It relies on truth and diplomacy. The Iranian regime may feel just enough pressure to be willing to negotiate a peaceful resolution to better serve American interests.

Unfortunately, Iran might be realizing this pressure to change course. They have been conducting multiple missile tests recently - latest one here.

Of course, any military action between the United States and Iran completely changes the political dynamic. Hopefully, it will not lead to this scary biblical prophesy:

“In the year Moshiach comes all the nations of the world will provoke each other and threaten with war. The king of Persia (Iran) will provoke the King of Arabia (Saudi Arabia) with war. The King of Arabia goes to Edom (The Western Countries, headed by USA) for advice. Then the King of Persia destroys the world. And all the nations of the world begin to panic and are afraid, and Israel too is afraid as to how to defend from this. G-d then says to them “Do not fear for everything that I have done is for your benefit, to destroy the evil kingdom of Edom and eradicate evil from this world so that the Messiah can come, your time of redemption is now.”

In that case, all bets are off, as the only thing left for Israel (and all Jews), who will no doubt be caught in the middle is to rely on G-d:

Phase One of Trump Plan to Defeat Deep State - Take Out Leftist Faction

Liz Crokin, writer for Townhall, speculates about what is really going on with the allegations of improper communication between the Trump campaign and Russia:

Trump, Sex Trafficking & How It Ties To Russia - Townhall, March 5, 2017

The shadow government led by former President Barack Obama is working overtime to delegitimize President Donald Trump and his administration. They’ve accused and even set up Trump’s people to tie his administration to “evil” Russia and now Trump’s alleging that Obama tapped his phones. There’s never been such a concerted effort in modern history, if ever, to overthrow a democratically elected U.S. president by not only the Democrats but by some Republicans aka RINOS as well. The bigger question is why are they so desperately trying to stage this coup and sabotage his presidency? Why is Obama remaining in Washington D.C. and moving his top adviser Valerie Jarrett into his new mansion? Furthermore, why is Trump’s opposition so hell bent on tying him to Russia and using the superpower as a scapegoat when they are the actual ones who have far more questionable ties to the Kremlin?

...could the shadow government’s coup against Trump be tied to child sex trafficking? After all, both General Mike Flynn and his son were targeted after making public statements about sex trafficking.

Her article ties in with my prior post titled: President Trump Is Not Acting Weak Towards Russia but Is Fighting the Deep State

Reminder, from February 24:

 

Not to make any aspersions on President Obama's character, but, only a few days later, he curiously appeared to lay the foundation for a comeback when his friend and former Attorney General Eric Holder made the following comments:
Holder: Obama is 'ready to roll' - Politico, February 28, 2017

“It’s coming. He’s coming,” Holder said, speaking to reporters at a briefing for the new group. “And he’s ready to roll.”
Throughout, Holder said, Obama “will be a more visible part of the effort.”

 This provided an opening for President Trump to strike back with the wiretapping accusation:

It appears President Trump has consolidated support on the right with Fox News, Limbaugh, Hannity and Levin in his corner:

Limbaugh: We’re Watching a Silent Coup Put in Place By Obama and the Democrats - Breitbart, March 3, 2017

"We’re watching a silent coup that was put in place by Obama and the Democrats during the transition and before and after the election.....I think what is happening here is a full-fledged effort here to deny Trump the actual control of governing and the government by leaving so many Obama career people appointed, by going so slowly on confirming Trump’s cabinet appointees and other lesser bureaucratic position that remain open and haven’t been filled,” 

Hannity Tweetstorm Grills Obama & Underlings on FISA Trump Attack - Breitbart, March 4, 2017

FOX News host Sean Hannity went on the warpath against President Obama and Obama administration officials Valerie Jarrett, Ben Rhodes, and former senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer on Saturday.

Mark Levin: "The Evidence Is Overwhelming" That Obama Administration Spied On Trump - Real Clear Politics, March 5, 2017

On Sunday's edition of 'Fox & Friends' radio host Mark Levin discussed the evidence backing up President Trump's claim that someone from the Obama administration was spying on him before the inauguration

Lt. Col. Shaffer: Potential Obama Wiretapping Is 'Soviet-Level Wrongdoing' - Fox News, March 4, 2017

Ret. U.S. Army Intelligence Officer Tony Shaffer said potential wiretapping by a sitting U.S. president is "Soviet-level wrongdoing."

Amazing how in only one month, the media (see here) now acknowledges the existence of a deep state / shadow government instead of constantly denying it exists! They should have more closely read quotes from President Eisenhower, President Kennedy, Senator Daniel Inouye and Congressman Larry McDonald (see here).

While I commend Ms. Crokin's work, I personally do not think President Obama is in charge of this shadow government. In fact, I hope that in the event he is indicted, he cuts a deal and tells all.

As things stand right now, this is a shrewd tactical move by President Trump to consolidate his base and fight a winnable war with the leftist faction of the deep state. The next phase (assuming there is one) will deal with certain individuals on the Republican side (see here).

Understanding the Trump Phenomenon

To my non-violent progressive friends,

You are being played. Your extraordinarily uncontrollable hatred against President Trump is hurting your cause in more ways than you understand. You may think you are winning, but you're not. While you complain about each of the president's lies, misstatements, alternate facts, etc., he is busy executing on his plan to 'Make America Great Again'. I mean this with all sincerity - stop falling for the same trap over and over and over again!! Every time you and your compliant media attempt to fact check each of President Trump's statements (like here), you enable the president to set the narrative and push more of the populace toward his side. Just follow this chart.

H/T to Scott Adams who has a simpler version of this (see his video here).

I would offer you more advice but you probably wouldn't listen to someone who isn't ideologically aligned with your views.

So, keep up the great work!

Sincerely,

Alan

President Trump Will Drain The Swamp (or die trying)

President Trump tweeted the following as a candidate for president:

“I will Make Our Government Honest Again — believe me. But first, I’m going to have to #DrainTheSwamp.”.

The importance of this statement can not be underestimated. Corrupt elected officials are a central cause for the continued failure of government to work for the people. While President Trump has been in office less than one month, his promise has been either disparaged or simply ignored by a majority of the mainstream media. For some of them, they interpret these remarks at the Republican National Convention (in Cleveland, July 21, 2016) as the commencement of an egomaniac dictator who puts himself on a pedestal above all.

'I have joined the political arena so that the powerful can no longer beat up on people that cannot defend themselves. Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it.'

I do not share this viewpoint and in fact believe that President Trump is uniquely qualified to be president because:

• He has spent a majority of his life around politicians and understands them (probably better than themselves). 
• He closely recognizes the myriad of issues and the severe corruption of the deep state / shadow government (see here, here and here) and has taken action. 
• His career as a media figure and financier provide experience to fight the lies of the mainstream media (see here) and the faulty policies of the Federal Reserve (see here).
• He most likely can not be threatened or bullied by anyone.

Although I don't agree with everything in these posts, I found the analogy to President Andrew Jackson striking: A New Jacksonian Era? Part I and Part II - The Burning Platform, February 12 & 13, 2017

Personally, I feel the military-industrial complex (term President Eisenhower used in his closing speech) should be renamed the financial-media-military-industrial complex. As much as I respect Congressman Ron Paul, he could never have won an election running against these forces and accomplish what President Trump has done.

For those awake to the corrupt nature of this financial-media-military-industrial complex, there may be some impatience as to why President Trump does not just release available incriminating information and lock up the 'bad guys'. The answer is complex but check this post on the Burning Platform for some insight.

A Game Of Chess - The Burning Platform, February 8, 2017

During the last 18 months or so I’ve heard a lot of talk about chess. This guy or that guy is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers or some mastermind is playing 3 dimensional chess, etc. I find it odd that these statements are made given that only a tiny percentage of Americans know how to play chess with that number sitting around 5% or slightly over 14 million people. This is too bad because if the population, as a whole, had a better understanding of chess then the actions of President Trump would make perfect sense.
...
Chess is a game where the number of possible positions rises at an astronomical rate. By the 2nd move of the game there are already 400 possible positions and after each person moves twice, that number rises to 8902. My coach explained to me that I was not trained enough to even begin to keep track of those things and that my only chance of ever winning was to take the initiative and never give it up. “You must know what your opponent will do next by playing his game for him.” was the advice I received.
...
First, we can all agree that Trump, if nothing else, throws a lot of punches. We really saw this in the primaries where barely a day could go by without some scandal that would supposedly end his presidential bid. His opponents and the press erroneously thought that responding to each and every “outrage” was the correct thing to do without ever taking the time to think whether or not they had just walked into a trap. They would use their turn to block his Twitter attack but he wouldn’t move that piece again once that was in play but, instead, brought on the next outrage – just like my coach instructed me to do.

Second, Trump is very vocal in what he is going to do. Just like I had my students announced to each other their plans, Trump has been nothing but transparent about what he intends to do. After all, announcing your plans only works if your position is unassailable. It demoralizes your opponent. You rub their face in it. Another benefit to being vocal is that it encourages your opponent to bring out his favorite piece to deal with said announced plans. This is a big mistake as any good chess player will quickly recognize which piece his opponent favors and then go take them.

Time has been the one area that our president is having problems. Executive Orders and Twitter Wars have pushed the opposition off balance but he has not been able to use this time to get all of his pieces into play. The Justice Department (his Queen) is still stuck behind a wall of pawns. Furthermore, only 5 of his 15 Cabinet picks have been confirmed as of this writing. Without control over these departments, the president can fight a war of attrition but he really can’t go on the offensive. In chess, I will gladly trade a piece for a piece if it means you have to waste your turn dealing with it. It isn’t a long term strategy if you do not have all of your pieces ready to go.

In the end it would appear that Trump is playing the kind of game that I was taught to play by my coach. His opponents are never given time to mount an attack. Their queen – the MSM has been removed from the board and their favorite piece – the Celebrities are locked in a war of attrition while Trump gets the rest of his pieces on the board. Remember, these are all Tactics but Strategy flows from Tactics. Sooner or later the Left will find itself in some terrible position and the Strategy to drain the swamp will present itself.

Another important dimension to add is that time is on President Trump's side. As more people in the United States engage in some critical thinking and conduct their own research, they will become awake to the existence of this financial-media-military-industrial complex. Viewership for alternative media sites like Infowars (see here), will continue to increase. An enlarged (not to mention enraged) populace who have a greater appreciation for the president's positions will also create an even larger base of populist support. There is no debate to this. President Trump is facilitating this awakening.

One of the challenges for President Trump, as evidenced by the numerous leaks, is the 'swamp' within his own administration.
This photo speaks volumes..I don't think Vice President Pence has read my blog!!

President Trump put his reputation on the line in full view of all Americans with his campaign promise to 'Drain the Swamp'. He even told Alex Jones during an interview "Your reputation is amazing. I will not let you down.". The veracity of the alleged crimes (unspeakable in nature) by elected officials rumored over the past few months can be discussed in a separate post. If the allegations are true, I believe the Trump administration will pursue justice. Why? Because, if the Trump administration does block criminal investigations that result in no (or limited) prosecutions, President Trump will by default be a protector of these alleged criminals. And, in the future, if these rumored allegations are proven true (truth always finds its way out eventually), he will go down as a con-man and the biggest fraud in the history of the United States. For all of his documented personal flaws, I do not think that is his goal.

What I do think he is doing is navigating a slow and somewhat tedious process to restore a functioning government that represents the will of its citizens. His enemies include (but are not limited to) SJW, the Bush family, the Clinton family, the Federal Reserve, the DC political establishment, Hollywood, and the mainstream media. While some delusional characters actually believe a military coup is possible (i.e.Sarah Silverman calls for military to overthrow President Trump), the truth is that the military (along with local police, militias and just about all gun owners) fully back the president.

The bottom line is that President Trump will drain the swamp (or die trying). If he is cornered, he may pull a stunt like the Indiana Jones character from the famous 'Rope Bridge' scene and take his enemies down with him.

President Trump Is Not Acting Weak Towards Russia but Is Fighting the Deep State

President Trump was asked about Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview with Bill O'Reilly and said "There are a lot of killers. We've got a lot of killers. What do you think? Our country's so innocent?"

Hawkish Republicans were quick to distance themselves from President Trump's remarks:

Republicans seek distance from Trump's comments on Putin, US - ABC News, February 6, 2017

"Putin's a former KGB agent. He's a thug. He was not elected in a way that most people would consider a credible election," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told CNN's "State of the Union. "The Russians annexed Crimea, invaded Ukraine and messed around in our elections. And no, I don't think there's any equivalency between the way the Russians conduct themselves and the way the United States does."

Added Sen. Ben Sasse, of Nebraska, one of Trump's Republican critics: "There is no moral equivalency between the United States of America, the greatest freedom living nation in the history of the world, and the murderous thugs that are in Putin's defence of his cronyism.

Frank Brady from the Gate To Liberty blog penned an open letter, which I mostly agree with (aside from inclusion of Iran), in direct response to certain members of Congress including Senator McConnell and Senator Sasse.

An Open Letter Regarding Trump and Putin - Gate To Liberty Blog, February 6, 2017

Thank God for President Trump’s honesty.

In your coordinated weekend expressions of outrage over the President’s comments regarding Putin and Russia, you are correct about one thing: there is no “moral equivalence” between the conduct of Russia under Vladimir Putin and the behavior of the United States during the quarter of a century that has elapsed since the Soviet Union collapsed. Putin wins that contest every time and it is not even close.

Since then, the United States has violently overthrown governments and invaded, bombed, and occupied territories in more than a dozen countries stretching from the Balkans, across North Africa, throughout the Middle East and up into the Ukraine. During the same period, Russia has attacked no other nation despite a blizzard of propaganda to the contrary emanating from the bi-partisan U.S. War Party and its allies in Establishment media organs.

During the last 25 years, the United States has caused the deaths of more than a million people in sovereign nations that have not attacked us including hundreds of thousands of non-combatant men, women and children. This trail of bloody carnage runs through the former Yugoslavia, Algeria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Pakistan, the Ukraine, Yemen, Somalia, and Syria (among others) and continues to this day. In contrast, Russia has conducted itself with admirable restraint despite the most recent United States’ aggression in which the United States organized, funded, and directed the violent overthrow of Ukraine’s democratically-elected government and inserted a puppet regime in its place in February of 2014. Senator John McCain and Hillary Clinton's Deputy Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, were intimately and directly involved in that putsch.

Just to be clear, I am no peacenik. I believe defense of the nation is the Federal Governmen's primary responsibility. I am a veteran of five years active duty service with the 1st Cavalry Division, the 7th Infantry Division, and the XVIII Airborne Corps. I am a small businessman and the father of five grown children, two of whom were career military men. I despise Marxism, Socialism, and collectivism of all sorts and for most of my life have considered myself to be a conservative Republican. That self-identification ended when I finally realized that the Republican Party and the Washington Defense and Diplomatic establishment had been subverted by an insane empire-building neoconservative cult during the Clinton administration.

The hypocrisy that underlies your constant efforts to demonize Russia and Iran is disgusting and transparently obvious. For murderous thugs like you who have been constant cheer leaders to Washington’s bloody banditry and are implicit in it to presume to lecture the President of any other country about his conduct is enough to make one vomit. I only hope the American people awaken quickly enough bring you and your fellow war criminals to justice before you ignite the Great War you are working so hard to foment.

Both President Trump and Mr. Brady must be familiar with General Smedley Butler who spoke and wrote about the ones who actually benefit from war in 'War is a Racket'

“I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.”

“WAR is a racket. It always has been.
It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one
international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the
losses in lives.”

President Trump laid out his agenda very clearly in his inauguration speech:

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world -- but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.
We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow.
We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones -- and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

President Trump knows that most wars fought by the United States over the past fifty years (probably longer) have provided absolutely no benefit to its citizens and have caused unnecessary death and destruction around the world. This is a bitter pill for some on the right to accept - especially ones who still think the Iraq war was justified. Most of them will come around - hopefully soon. Those on the left are basically hypocrites (see here) and have no credibility.

President Trump is aware that Russia can be an effective ally against ISIS. In addition, he is trying to use Russia to counter economic and military threats (not likely) from China and Iran. It does not advance the United States' interests nor does it help obtain friendship and goodwill by calling the Russian president a killer.

Importantly, on the president's agenda is the dismantling of the deep state / shadow government that I've repeatedly discussed (see here and here). This process will result in disclosures which will surely shock the American public (everyone else around the world will not be shocked - I promise).

We have already gotten a glimpse of these disclosures.

Pro Trump Democrat Turns On Obama's Policy Of Arming ISIS - January 29, 2017

Declassified DOD Release - March 10, 2015 - page 5

If the situation unravels there is the possibility of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist principality in eastern Syria (Hasaka and Der Zor), and this is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition want, in order to isolate the Syrian regime, which is considered the strategic depth of the Shia expansion (Iraq and Iran).

ISIS Coverup: US Centcom Accused Of Lying To President, Congress, Public About Airstrikes, Ground Fight - Zerohedge, November 22, 2015

Hackers trace ISIS Twitter accounts back to internet addresses linked to Department of Work and Pensions - Mirror Online, December 14, 2015

ISIS, Al Qaeda And The CIA: The Documented Connection - Zerohedge, December 17, 2015

We can be sure that there will be more disclosures to come out that will put President Trump's remarks in the proper perspective.

MSM Acknowledges Existence of Deep State

The Washington Post had a somewhat shocking article (for them) where they acknowledged the existence of a "deep state" (also known as a shadow government) existing in Washington.

Is Trump fighting the ‘deep state’ or creating his own? - Washington Post, February 1, 2017

It's just the second week of the Trump presidency, but it's time to think about the "deep state" in America.

It's not far-fetched to suggest there is a "deep state" in Washington. Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower looked at the nexus of the Pentagon and arms manufacturers and coined the phrase the "military-industrial complex." Today's observers also point to the collusion of corporate interests and D.C. power brokers as the true guiding hand in American politics.
..
The Trump White House already seems to be at war with what it would say is the "deep state:" thousands of federal government bureaucrats faced with the awkward reality of working for a president who campaigned loudly against Washington officialdom and promised to "drain the swamp" when in power.

A "deep state" is a subversive force that can be a direct threat to any democratically elected government. Unfortunately, this deep state has often acted in its own best interests and not in the best interests of its citizens (see here).

To counter the deep state, President Trump has been proactive.

Trump assembles a shadow Cabinet - Politico, January 24, 2017

The White House is installing senior aides atop major federal agencies to shadow the administration's Cabinet secretaries, creating a direct line with loyalists who can monitor and shape White House goals across the federal bureaucracy.

While most President Trump supporters would agree with his attempt to counter and overtake the deep state, a fair question one may ask is whether this potentially new Trump deep state will still exist once President Trump is no longer president.