The Summer of Love in 2020 grew out of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the elevation of Black Lives Matter. Protests, violence, and destruction filled the evening news. Some of our bigger cities were taken over and destroyed by gangs in the name of ending Racism and violence towards Blacks. It was violence to solve violence, and it was anything but a love fest. It was ugly and an embarrassment for America.

The radical Left supported this movement and promoted BLM while simultaneously demanding the defunding of the Police. Prominent Democrats, including Kamala Harris, raised money and supported the Freedom Fund to bail out protestors arrested for their violent, destructive acts. There are strong indicators that the Left may be laying the groundwork for another Summer of Love. This time, the reason for protests is not Racism but something much more dangerous in the Democrat’s minds. The possibility of Donald Trump successfully beating Joe Biden in November and this Hitler-like dictator reentering the White House demands civil unrest to draw attention to the danger. This call to action is the subliminal message we are hearing and reading in some of the messages from the Left.

Here are a few comments from our President who promised to return civility to the White House. Joe Biden claimed to be President for all Americans. Joe was committed to healing America. You be the judge as to the healing properties of these words from our President.

Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic.

Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are determined to spread anger, hate, and division

This MAGA threat is a threat to the brick and mortar of our Democratic institutions.

We have Liz Cheney, whose constituents voted her out of office for turning on Donald Trump and taking an integral part in the made-for-TV January 6 hearings. She labeled Trump a fascist who, like Hitler, needed to be outed. She urges Americans not to downplay the danger that is Donald Trump and his sleepwalk to a dictatorship of the United States. This belief was echoed in the Washington Post, where Robert Keagan wrote, “Opinion-A Trump Dictatorship is increasingly inevitable. We should stop pretending.”

These people are evidence that Trump Derangement Syndrome is alive and thriving. These people are a dog-whistle call to action to prevent Donald Trump from overthrowing the country. These people are calling out rogue extremists to do what they don’t feel the American voter can do. They want Donald Trump taken out and his followers put down so it can never breathe life again. Donald Trump became a movement when he rode the Golden Escalator into the 2016 Presidential Election. He is a danger to the Swamp that is the Washington Machine. Trump is not one of them and must be put down like a rabid dog. That is how dangerous the Democrats are. Their policies have been exposed as destructive for all Americans, and they know it is no longer a messaging problem but a philosophy problem. They see the President’s ratings falling as Trump’s rises and know they will lose a legitimate election in 2024. Their dire situation requires a drastic reaction, which is what they call for. This is a smoldering situation and should make us all uneasy as we enter 2024.

The post Night Cap: Are We In For Another Summer of Love appeared first on Granite Grok.

The recent election of Argentinian President Javier Milei is a political earthquake as big as the election of President Donald Trump in 2016. The anti-establishment movements in Argentina and the United States share remarkable similarities. Comparable movements have also been showing up in Italy, Greece, Finland, Holland, France, Germany, Hungary, and other countries.

The establishment model of high taxes, expensive welfare systems, lax migration enforcement, and large (often corrupt) bureaucracies has been the dominant Western pattern since the end of World War II.

Throughout the world, people are finding that the system no longer delivers on prosperity, safety, accountability, and protection of national interests.

Milei’s election is one more example of the popular repudiation of the traditionally dominant establishment.

Argentinians decided that their economy was a disaster, their government was out of control, and corruption was rampant. So, gambling on a new, bold, aggressive reformer made sense.

The inflation rate in Argentina is approaching 150 percent a year. Compare this to the current 3.2 percent annualized rate in the United States (which peaked at 9.1 percent last year). You can see why Argentinians would be unhappy. If our inflation rate increased 50-fold, the level of pain and public anger would be almost unimaginable.

Argentina has been badly governed since the 1946 election of Juan Peron (of “Evita” fame). Argentinians have gotten used to enduring economic and political conditions that would lead to a massive response in the United States. Now, Argentinians are clearly tired of failure.

As Eric Lyman wrote for Just the News:

“Like former President Donald Trump, the coiffed Milei is a one-time television personality and political outsider who rode into office on a wave of discontent with the political establishment.

“He has promised radical solutions to entrenched problems (he wants to dollarize the Argentinian economy, for example, and says he will privatize companies and dramatically slash government spending, illustrating that goal using a chainsaw on the campaign trail.)

“Milei has like Trump also suggested the country’s political elite has left behind the country and has questioned the integrity of its election system.”

Sonia Cavallo Runde is a lecturer at The Catholic University of America and co-author of “Argentina’s Economic Reforms of the 1990s in Contemporary and Historical Perspective.” Runde explained the dramatic scope of change Milei’s election represents for Argentina:

“Milei has a popular mandate, ideological clarity and, for now, the political will to overturn Argentina’s decadence.

“Argentines have awakened from 20 years of populism… Those 50 and older, have positive memories of the stable 90s, when Argentina enjoyed a decade of price stability, was receiving investments, open to trade, exporting industrial and agricultural goods, and, of course, enjoying macroeconomic stability and growth.

“The young subjected to 2 decades of Kirchnerist propaganda were surprisingly enthusiastic supporters of Milei who explained in the campaign that there is no prosperity or growth without free markets and that there is no stability without fiscal balance.

“Milei’s credibility stems from the simplicity of his statements. The message got through, 55% of the Argentine population gave Milei a mandate for change. Now the challenge is to create the political consensus to implement the tough but needed changes.”

Indeed, Milei’s direct language is in the tradition of Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, and Trump. He argues, “Socialism is always and everywhere a violent, murderous, and impoverishing phenomenon.”

Barry Casselman captured Milei’s uniqueness as a political personality in his newsletter. Like Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Milei appeared in the political stage out of nowhere. As Casselman wrote, Milei is also “difficult to categorize:”

“He is a social conservative, an economic libertarian, and has been called an ‘anarcho-capitalist.’

“He admires Donald Trump, the late Hasidic leader [Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneersohn], the U.S.A., Israel, and free markets.

“He is pro-life and anti-climate extremism. He opposes current Argentine government regulations, and wants to replace the nearly bankrupt Argentine peso with the U.S. dollar. …

“With his trademark uncombed hair and leather jacket, he is a charismatic speaker who has a huge following among working class Argentinians.”

Milei’s rise has been amazing to watch. But he should take note: The establishment he is fighting will almost certainly defend itself with every tool available – including breaking the law.

It happened to President Trump, and it can happen to Milei, too.

Like Trump, Milei will discover that winning is just the beginning.

 

 

Newt Gingrich | RealClear Wire

The post The Trump of Argentina Wins appeared first on Granite Grok.

Joe Biden was in Colorado this week to push his Bidenomics Program and how it has the American economy on the right track. For a man who grew up on the railroad, the economy may be on the right track but is heading in the wrong direction.

You can stand behind the microphone, as his Press Secretary does daily, and tell stories and call them facts, but the American people are tuned in to this Biden Gaslighting. The truth is not on Joe’s side, but he refuses to give up the lie called Bidenomics.

Marie Harf appeared on the Faulkner Focus this week, and I know as a Socialist, she has to, but even a Radical Leftie must know she is not being truthful. She praised Biden for lower Gas and food prices than last year, but that is comparing today’s costs against the peak of Biden’s Inflation. That is like telling Mrs. Lincoln to hang in. The second act will be better. The latest statistics indicate the increased cost of living for the average family is more than $11,000 annually, more than what it cost in 2021. That increase is forcing families to use savings, early withdrawal from retirement accounts, or credit cards to make ends meet. That is why Biden’s approval ratings are mired in the 30s, which are not numbers to campaign on.

Biden was touting the 14 million jobs he created but failed to say 12 million people are going back to work after the pandemic. The majority of the net gain in new jobs are Government jobs and do not indicate economic growth. Biden talks about his brilliant mandate to have all Americans in electric vehicles in the same week he received notice of 3,900 car dealerships who will not back Biden’s EV car push. The car manufacturers are losing billions, there are 16-18 months of EV inventory sitting in new car lots, and 25% of all car dealerships now refuse EVs from the factories. One thing that Joe Biden forgot, or never knew, was you cannot dictate change on the American consumer. Change has to be their idea, and electric vehicles are not on many wish lists. Those good-paying union jobs Biden takes credit for in 2023 may become record layoffs in 2024.

It is very concerning for me that the truth and facts no longer seem to matter. As Fox Contributor Lisa Booth aptly wrote on X, we now live in a “post-truth era.” The Right has been fighting the team of the Left and the media. In the past, it may have been a difference of opinion or interpretation of an issue. Now, it is a case of the facts versus a narrative. Folks on the Left feel empowered to stray from the truth because what they say will be supported by the mainstream media. As we see every day from Karine Jean-Pierre and Gavin Newsom in his recent debate with Ron DeSantis, a statement does not have to be factual as long as it ends with the words; that’s a fact. It is as if those few words give indisputable credibility to their message, and then the people who get their news from these sources are getting inaccurate news.

We see thousands of naive people marching and demonstrating worldwide against Israel and for Palestine/Hamas. There is no such country as Palestine, and they refuse to believe the horrendous acts performed by Hamas on October 7th. They have been given a false narrative, bought it, and took to the streets in protest. It is easy to see how these same people will fall victim to the lies of the Left and think the country is in good hands with Biden/Harris. God bless us if this plan works.

The post The Bidenomics Fairy Tale And Other Leftist Lies appeared first on Granite Grok.

In light of the latest legal twist, wherein Special Counsel Jack Smith’s maneuvers have sparked a heated debate on the tightrope walk between privacy rights and the expansive reach of investigative tactics, I keep asking myself the question: Do we, as U.S. citizens, have any privacy rights or not?

“They won’t allow me to SPEAK?” ~ President Donald Trump

The issuance of search warrants, laying out a sweeping data collection strategy, has disturbed the delicate balance between privacy rights and the extent of investigative measures and raised legitimate concerns about poking around in the private lives of individuals, especially those in the public eye.

This investigation has become controversial, supposedly centered on the timeline and circumstances surrounding former President Donald Trump’s actions leading up to the Capitol riot. These probes reek of political motives, seemingly aimed at tarnishing or undermining Trump. The once-thin line between lawful scrutiny and political agendas has not just blurred; it’s become the defining feature of this unfolding drama.

The imposition of a gag order, apparently designed to rein in the president’s exercise of First Amendment rights, shears through the surface between legal constraints and preserving the principles of free speech and pushes us to ponder the broader implications of handcuffing any public figure’s ability to criticize the government.

Smith’s arrogant move into demanding data from Trump and his followers raises many eyebrows. How else do we grasp the exceptional nature of this demand, which is essentially an illicit surveillance operation? Shouldn’t Smith be duty-bound to protect against such clear violations of the Constitution?

Such requests are disproportionate, especially when the charges against Trump lack a solid foundation. Striking the right balance between investigative reach and protecting civil liberties emerges as a crucial aspect of this ongoing narrative.

Then, adding a layer of complexity is the green light given to the gag order by a judge with an apparent partisan background. The concerns about potential political bias within the legal system intensify the debate over the fairness and impartiality of the investigation. This episode underscores the urgent need for a legal process that’s robust and transparent, free from perceived affiliations.

Smith’s filing asserts that the “narrowly tailored” order aims to prevent witness harassment. The proposed directive seeks to muzzle Trump from making statements about prospective witnesses’ identity, testimony, or credibility, along with any disparaging, inflammatory, or intimidating remarks about parties, witnesses, attorneys, court personnel, or potential jurors.

Trump’s response to the gag order accuses Smith’s team of misconduct, “they won’t allow me to SPEAK?”

The gag order is one of several contentious issues in the ongoing case led by Special Counsel Jack Smith.

The narrative takes a surprising twist, with Twitter initially resisting the search warrants and eventually complying, culminating in a fine for perceived non-compliance. This development delves into the complexities of private corporations navigating the intersection of user data protection and legal obligations, raising broader questions about the role of tech companies in safeguarding individual privacy rights.

Stepping back to examine the broader context of the investigation, particularly the events leading up to the January 6 Capitol riot, unravels a multifaceted tale. While the spotlight is on holding Trump responsible for others’ actions, recent revelations about FBI-associated individuals partaking in the riot add a layer of intricacy. This revelation underscores the nuanced challenges of pinpointing responsibility within a convoluted web of events.

The political arena takes center stage with Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s role in rejecting a request to deploy the National Guard on that tumultuous day. The interplay between political decision-making and security measures invites scrutiny, underscoring the need for a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to the events of January 6.

As this legal and political saga plays out, don’t we find ourselves thinking about how the judicial system should find a balance between thorough investigations concerned with protecting individual rights at all costs?

As in recent history, the potential sway of political motives in legal proceedings and the intricate interplay of actors shaping a defining moment also play on our minds. The necessity for a judicious and impartial examination of events remains paramount as the narrative unfolds further.

To conclude, here is a sane piece of advice for Special Counsel John Smith: Upholding fairness and justice should be your top priority in this critical state, and not be a part of a political witch-hunt that compromises the integrity of the legal process and unfairly targets President Donald Trump.

The post Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Expansive Search Warrants and Legal Implications appeared first on Granite Grok.

Russell Brand continues to regale millions daily with his podcasts, delivering an endless stream of words that are interesting, entertaining, and that (most importantly) piss off the ruling-class globalist elites. They hate him and have tried to destroy him, but he’s the podcasting energizer bunny.

I do not spend enough time listening to his or any podcast. I’ve not yet managed my time well enough to loop those into my day. But I catch Brand’s brand now and then, and yesterday, while walking the wilds of the webby world, my digital travels landed me on Rumble, and there he was. Brand was talking about Elon Musk, who had responded to a question about the risk of losing advertisers by saying they could leave. His point was that the threat of lost revenue wouldn’t move him off course. If you thought you could leverage him with the threat of lost revenues, you could “go F***k Yourself.” He said it. Three times, I think.

Brand leveraged that into a point we don’t quite make as well here as we’d like, despite much effort trying. Uncensored free speech and free press are so crucial in the age of government-captured media that everyone needs to find and support folks like Musk (or the ‘Grok) who are defending it without regard to the risk. Align with them. Read, watch, share, encourage.

The time has come to create alliances with people willing to stand up against the establishment (Clip: 55 sec.).

 

 

We agree, and no one is suggesting we’re the best at this, but we have a reputation for being direct and often brutal, and we don’t care where you work, who for, or to which political party you claim an affiliation. And attacks on free speech, free press, property, and privacy will be met with resistance.

Unlike Musk, we have to ask (beg) for financial support, and we appreciate every dime but continue to need to raise funds every month, all year round, to keep the wheels on our bus well lubricated and the engine firing on all cylinders. As noted in the Giving Tuesday email, there are a few ways to do that.

 

 

Share ‘Grok content with friends, in online groups, and in your own social feeds, like and share our social updates, keep track of your local political hijinks and share that with us as a letter to the editor or some inside baseball we can pursue in our own stories. And, of course, donations. If we reach our goal, then I can spend more time on research, writing, reporting, growing audience, and site updates and less on trying to raise a salary and offsetting operating costs.

So many of you have been beyond generous, and maybe you can’t give again until next year, but if you help spread the word, we will get in front of people who can give or give more. Just sharing the words can be with a lot in many ways.

And regardless of that, we’re not backing down, and we’ll always try to have your back, but we need each other. We are an alliance against the establishment, and after what happened during COVID, building these relationships, these partnerships, is more important than ever, and Brand nailed that on the head.

 

The post Standing Up Against the Censorious Establishment! appeared first on Granite Grok.

Campaign for Vermont released some initial teaser numbers from a poll they conducted as we head into the 2024 legislative session just about a month away. They are not good for the Democrat/Progressive supermajority. They are very good for Governor Phil Scott. Are they good for Republican legislators?

The big number that pops out is that only 35 percent of Vermonters polled believe the state is on the right track. Responding to the question, “Generally speaking, would you say things in Vermont are going in the right direction or wrong direction,” 53 percent said the wrong direction. Thirty-five percent are totally cool with what’s happening, and 12 percent have no opinion.

Asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of the job the Vermont State Legislature [controlled by a Democrat Supermajority] is doing representing issues you care about,” only 40 percent approved, while 51 percent disapproved, and 9 percent didn’t know. On the other hand, when asked the same question about Phil Scott, 64 percent approved of the job he’s doing, while only 30 percent disapproved.

 

 

A solid interpretation of the data is that a majority of Vermonters don’t like the policies coming out of Montpelier, blame the Democrats/Progressives for passing unpopular laws that yield unsatisfactory outcomes, and appreciate that the governor did his best to stop those policies via his veto pen, although unsuccessfully. Certainly, watching the drama of the Clean Heat Standard (S.5), where thousands of Vermonters called, emailed, and wrote letters begging Democrats to kill the ideologically driven bill that is estimated to add 70¢ to a gallon of home heating oil, only to be backhand slapped by Democrats (every Republican voted against the bill) bolsters that conclusion.

Similarly, the even more unpopular policy of banning internal combustion engine vehicle sales by 2035 – and making it progressively harder and more expensive to buy one in the meantime – appears to be striking a nerve. Car dealers in all fifty states, including nine here in Vermont, recently wrote a letter to President Biden telling him to back off EV mandates as customers don’t want them. Down I-91 this week, Connecticut’s Democrat governor Ned Lamont and that state’s Democrat legislative majority just pulled the plug on joining the California Clean Cars and Trucks initiative. New Hampshire never considered signing on. But the Vermont legislature jumped in with both feet despite a survey showing around 65 percent of Vermonters do not agree with that policy. Solid evidence that they jsut don’t care.

Apart from their radical “green” agenda that is driving up the cost of living in the state – housing costs, energy costs, transportation costs, and the cost of products that are transported and housed (i.e., pretty much everything) – the stuff you were able to afford to buy is more likely to be stolen because of the Left’s “defund the police” policies. Crime in once-safe, rural Vermont is way up, as is the drug use and homelessness at the root of these problems.

Moreover, it can’t help that Vermont Democrat leaders are also siding with the people who just stormed the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony brandishing swastikas and chanting “from the river to the sea,” an antisemitic rallying cry for genocidal racial cleansing. This, despite another recent poll by Marist for PBS and NPR and reported by the New York Times showing that only 1 percent of Americans support Hamas, and just 30 percent support the Palestinians as opposed to 61 percent who support Israel.

And herein lies a glittering example of the problem. The one demographic exception to the majority of Americans who support Israel over Palestine following the October 7th massacre is people who identify as “very liberal.” Very liberals are anti-Israel by a 2-1 margin (32 to 16 percent). And Vermont’s “very liberal” population is very vocal. We have a disproportionate number of “very liberal” activists, “very liberal” media outlets, and “very liberal” politicians. But these folks, while overrepresented in those aforementioned bubbles, do not represent anything near a majority of Vermonters. (Note to Republicans: Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the 65 percent who are not “very liberal” are “very conservative.” They are not.)

Getting back to the Campaign for Vermont poll, I suspect (without access to the cross-tab data) some subset the 35 percent of Vermonters who think the state is on the right track and the 30 percent who disapprove of Phil Scott is “very liberal.” This should present an opportunity for Republican House and Senate candidates in 2024 – if they do the work to take advantage of the situation. Here are four suggestions to start working on today:

1)    Recruit candidates for every seat. I started this yesterday. Too many Vermonters are under the illusion that voters overwhelmingly choose for Democrats, so what’s the point of getting involved? The truth is, most voters never have the opportunity to vote for a Republican because there isn’t one on the ballot. Last cycle roughly half the Democrat and Progressive house candidates ran unopposed. Voters aren’t choosing Democrats and Progressives; they’re stuck with them. You’ve got to be in it to win it, as the old lottery slogan wisely observes.

2)    Recruit “Representatives.” The problem with elected Democrats today is that they are “very liberal” ideologues who only listen to other very liberal ideologues and ignore the problems and opinions of the majority of people in their districts in favor of national or global ideological agendas. If Republicans similarly recruit only very conservative ideologues who aren’t interested in focusing in on and working to solve the problems of their constituents, they aren’t going to win. Pick people known in their communities with a reputation for solving local problems. People who are primarily interested in things like funding the police and making sure people can afford to heat their homes in winter.

3)    Volunteer and Donate. Politics is not a spectator sport. If you don’t participate, you can’t expect to win. Not everyone is in a position to run for office, but everybody can support someone who does run. Write letters to the editor. Attend sign waves. If you have a lot of friends, host a house party. And donate! It costs at least $10,000 to run a competitive state House race and multiples of that to run for Senate. Democrats understand that Early Money Is Like Yeast (EMILY’s List). Republicans need to learn that lesson. You can’t expect the candidate to shoulder that burden all by his or herself or to win without resources. (One opportunity to contribute now is to the Right for Vermont PAC, which is building a war chest that will be used to recruit and support Republican candidates for 2024.) If you’re not on the field, you can’t win the game.

4)    Actively Make the Case. Democrats stink and are out of touch. That’s the problem. But what’s the solution? If the answer to that question is silence from Republicans, how will voters know to vote for you? They won’t, and they won’t. But this is not hard. Just tell Vermonters that, unlike the Democrats passing laws now, Republicans won’t force you into an electric vehicle you don’t want and can’t afford, powered by “renewable” electricity you don’t want because you can’t afford it, especially after you pay the property taxes you can’t afford, on the house in the neighborhood that’s no longer safe. Republicans have solutions to these problems! A majority of people will agree with you. Probably, thank you. Maybe even vote for you. But Republicans need to articulate and spread these messages themselves because the Vermont “very liberal” media is not going to help. So, to steal another advertising slogan, Just Do It.

 

Rob Roper is a freelance writer with 20 years of experience in Vermont politics, including three years of service as chair of the Vermont Republican Party and nine years as President of the Ethan Allen Institute, Vermont’s free-market think tank. He is also a regular contributor to VermontGrok.

The post Dem/Prog Supermajority is Super Out of Touch appeared first on Granite Grok.

Iran is a nation gripped by a crisis. In the last few decades, the lines between truth and misinformation have gradually blurred, adding to the complexities of an already dire situation.

As the nation grapples with the onslaught of these Islamic terrorists, who have usurped power, it becomes increasingly crucial to distinguish between the aggressors and the innocent citizens trapped within the chaos.

I make an impassioned call to politicians, media outlets, and individuals alike and urge them to refrain from painting Iran with the same brush as that of these terrorists. My plea is clear: those who fail to distinguish between Islamic terrorists and the genuine people of Iran are “wicked.” My cry for accuracy underscores the gravity of the situation, and yet again, I seek to shed light on the situation in my beloved Iran.

Once again, I assert that Iran is an occupied country and a historical parallel can be drawn to the occupation of France during World War II. These Islamic terrorists responsible for the siege should be referred to as the “Islamic Republic” or simply “IRGC.” This distinction is more than a matter of semantics; it serves as a crucial reminder that the perpetrators of any attack or supporting any terrorist initiative across the globe are not representative of the Iranian people.

My repeated call to cease the use of the term “Iran” in connection with the terrorists highlights the urgency of preventing the mischaracterization of an entire nation with such a deeply rooted ancient culture as that of Iran. Such misattribution can perpetuate stereotypes, breed prejudice, and hinder international efforts to address the root causes of the conflict.

It is essential to recognize the gravity of the situation and acknowledge the long-term impact that the Islamic Republic’s actions could have on Iran. By consistently labeling them accurately, the hope is to diminish their perceived connection to the nation they have invaded and oppressed.

Within Iran, there is a deliberate control over the media and the narrative of the country, where the Islamic Republic censors news and controls what information is disseminated to the public. I can give a few specific examples of this:

The Islamic Republic mandates complete control over television and radio broadcasting. The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) controls all internal and external broadcasting. There are no private or independent broadcasters inside Iran. This control extends to the state-controlled television that airs nationally and internationally and is streamed online. The host operates dozens of provincial, national, and foreign networks airing programs on culture, science, and news.

The Islamic Republic News Agency’s (IRNA) official news service is controlled and operated by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Semi-official news agencies operate allegedly independently of government control but are often seen by analysts as touting the agendas of various government agencies.

The Islamic Republic has developed sophisticated means to control the internet. This includes blocking popular international platforms like WhatsApp or Instagram and imposing precise, targeted blocking of access to mobile data in specific neighborhoods where protests are planned. The Islamic Republic has also created a “cyber police” unit and announced a Supreme Council of Cyberspace, placing Internet regulation more directly in Mullahs—not secular—authorities.

The Islamic Republic operates an immense web of online personas and propaganda mills, virtually none of which disclose their affiliation with the government of the Islamic Republic. These operations have targeted dozens of nations with tens of millions of pieces of content, varying widely in their message and intent.

The use of fake social media accounts to disseminate false information creates a battleground of misinformation, making it challenging for both domestic and international audiences to discern the truth. This deliberate confusion contributes to an information war that muddles reality and perception.

Iran has as many as three hundred newspapers but only a dozen major national dailies. Like their weekly cousins, these papers are typically funded by and ideologically connected to political parties or politicians. They all have an unequivocally anti-Iranian tilt.

The Islamic Republic’s control over media and information is a crucial aspect of its strategy to maintain power and control over the population. Through this global information dissemination program, the Iranian government’s concerted efforts to control the narrative have far-reaching consequences that extend beyond the nation’s borders.

By shaping the narrative presented to the public, the Islamic Republic creates an environment where dissenting voices are marginalized and alternative perspectives are suppressed. This manipulation could breed fear and distrust among the domestic population. The Islamic Republic’s restrictions on internet access and increased censorship play a pivotal role in narrative control. In response to shocking images and stories emerging from the country, the Mullahs seek to mitigate the potential fallout by restricting access to such content. However, it’s an altogether different matter that resilient users find ways to circumvent these controls, thereby leaking out accurate information about the terror happenings within the country.

The control exercised by the Islamic Republic over the narrative extends to the international stage. By filtering information that reaches the global community, the IRGC can craft a narrative that portrays their actions positively or downplays negative occurrences. This strategic shaping of international perceptions contributes to the nation’s diplomatic and geopolitical challenges.

The Islamic Republic’s narrative control becomes particularly apparent during social protests, where attempts to suppress sentiments of freedom and democracy are met with international support for the protesters. The global community’s response highlights the direct link between the Islamic Republic’s narrative control and its influence on global perceptions and support.

However, I see the promise of a brighter future, and this vision is embedded in the faith that there will come a time when the Islamic terrorists will face justice, and Iran will rise again. This vision serves as a rallying cry for my homeland, for unity, resilience, and the ultimate triumph of justice over oppression.

Therefore, once more, my plea to the global community is clear: distinguish between the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran, for only then can a path toward liberation and reconstruction be forged. In a world where the lines between fact and fiction often blur, the quest for truth becomes more critical than ever.

The post Iran: The Aggressors and the Innocent Citizens Trapped Within the Chaos appeared first on Granite Grok.

Deep-pocketed left-wing interests have spent millions on a wide range of vectors, but Local “news” sites? They began popping up with an almost “Patch.com” “-like appeal: a few local stories, local sports, and ever-so-slightly slanted political opinions peddled as news.

Our original October 2022 coverage is here and here, and aside from pissing off a local who wasn’t affiliated, we’ve not heard or said much about it. From one of our earlier reports, to re-set the table.

 

A network of at least 51 locally branded news sites has popped up since last year under names like the Milwaukee Metro Times, the Mecklenburg Herald, and the Tri-City Record. The sites are focused on key swing states with elections in 2021 and 2022: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. …

Each follows a similar template: aggregated local news content and short write-ups about local sports teams and attractions — interspersed with heavily slanted political news aimed at boosting Democratic midterm candidates and attacking Republican opponents.

 

We shared a list of the known entities nationwide, and not much more was said, but the story is back in the news. As 2024 approaches, they are still at it or at it again.

 

Courier Newsroom is a progressive digital media company that operates news publications in some crucial swing states, including Arizona, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, Nevada, and New Hampshire. The network also plans to open a publication in Texas. …

According to the DCNF, the liberal news network, which has used its “local newsrooms” to back Democratic candidates, received $1.2 million from the New Venture Fund, Hopewell Fund, and the Sixteen Thirty Fund. All three nonprofit funds are managed by Arabella Advisors, a left-wing, for-profit dark money group based in Washington, D.C. ..

The DCNF reported that the Sixteen Thirty Fund gave Courier Newsroom $125,000. New Venture Fund provided the network with $940,000, and Hopewell Fund gave $100,000.

 

I’ve no new “outlets to add in the Granite State, but the four from 2022 are still online and have updated content.

 

• https://amoskeagtimes.com/
• https://everetttimes.com/
• https://rockinghamjournal.com/
• https://seacoaststandard.org/

 

They all share the same look, layout (more or less), and lead stories, and it is safe to say any like that are affiliated. But are they part of Courier Newsroom now, or is that a reflection of the same scheme with different backing – to seed stories for the Majors?

You see, the old scheme was similar. A legitimate news site would speculate or release an opinion piece – maybe staff, perhaps a third party (op-ed pages are an excellent place for a paper to plant narratives). Some other corporate media outlets would cite that and add or expand, and suddenly, it has traction and legitimacy. Everyone cites everyone else along with unnamed sources, and ta-da! (Related: NewsGuard: Surrogate the Feds Pay to Keep Watch on the Internet and Be a Judge of the Truth.)

That still happens, but by creating unaffiliated third-party sites from go, you can start the same internet Rube-Goldbergian game of telephone. So and so said this here and so on. The Blue Boots share it on social media first, or it ends up on CBS, then on to the socials, and millions make sure it spreads so far and wide you can’t miss it, and the collective consciousness makes the lies real. The addition of old Twitter and Facebook squelching or censoring any challenge just helped the arsonist media’s wildfire lie spread.

It is the very thing of which they accuse the Right, and I’m not saying it doesn’t happen on the Right. I have debunked more than my fair share of edited videos or unusually convenient stories that have come our way. It happens, but ideally, you create content and chase stories to their internet roots before you trust them. And while a lot of what we do is more opinion about other stories or events, right, left, or in the squidgy middle, we want to be as accurate about the source as possible so you can chase the white rabbit yourself.

No millionaires are, however, sending us checks for hundreds of thousands annually. Not yet. We could use some of that for good instead of evil, but part of our situation is that it won’t buy you preferable treatment on our pages, so that might be why we don’t see that sort of thing. The Left is creating multiple “news” sites portrayed as nonpartisan local public interest websites to advance favorable narratives or impugn opponents.

There are a lot of “stories” and a lot of landing pages on the naked internet. Just be careful out there. And let us know if you think you’ve found one.

 

The post “Local” Public Interest Websites as Cover for Partisan Progressive Narratives appeared first on Granite Grok.

Mr. Biden blasted MAGA Republicans for opposing his Green Energy Agenda, but there’s a problem; a new survey shows Americans really don’t want to be a part of his green agenda.

Biden was in Pueblo, Colorado, on a campaign swing, accusing Republicans of being in favor of tax breaks for the rich. He called out Republicans for daring to oppose investments in green energy programs. But Joe never mentioned how heavily subsidized his green Green Agenda is and how his rich supporters are benefiting from the Green New Deal. No mention of the 600K birds killed by those windmill blades every year. He didn’t say anything about Consumer Reports recently releasing the annual survey of Auto Reliability.

Every year, they ask Americans for their thoughts on which cars and pickup trucks are the most reliable and least reliable and why. At the top of the list of most reliable vehicles were gas and diesel-powered cars.  Next were hybrid vehicles, or those with a mix of gas engines and battery-powered electric motors.  In dead last are Electric Vehicles and Plug-in Hybrids.  They are, according to your fellow Americans, real stinkers.

Car owners of Electric Vehicles had 79% more problems than gas-powered vehicles.  Especially bad were Electric pickup trucks and hybrid plug-ins, which had 146% more problems than gas-powered cars. That probably helps explain why companies like Ford and GM are now canceling or downsizing their plans to embrace EVs, especially those pickup trucks.

A separate report from Autolist showed that 39% of Americans found electric pickup vehicles to be unappealing.  That’s up from 33% last year.  The CEO of Consumer Reports said this: “What matters most to consumers remains the same [as always]: finding safe, reliable cars.”  That apparently does not include Electric Vehicles.

God Bless capitalism. The market is speaking loud and clear.  We all think these EVs are trash. Car companies are listening.  The Detroit News reported that GM is now considering a dramatic move to reverse their commitment to EVs and instead build hybrid cars, too.

They are doing this because those are the vehicles that you want.  Not the ones that Biden or his fellow Leftists want you to want.  This is a really great story.  It’s a new version of the wonderful old tale of politicians trying to tell you what to do and you telling them “where to stuff it.”

 

The post Biden Whines About Republican Opposition to his Green Agenda, But Americans Agree with Them appeared first on Granite Grok.

Bill Gates’s “Breakthrough Energy Ventures” has backed a startup called Graphyte that just pulled a George C. Parker on American Airlines. Parker was famous for selling the Brooklyn Bridge to rubes for large sums. As often as twice a week until, years later,  he was finally sent to jail for life. We can only hope history repeats itself.

 

The startup is called Graphyte and it gathers agricultural residues like sawdust or tree bark that naturally soak up carbon dioxide, according to the WSJ. Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures backs Graphyte, which intends to seek funding from a newly launched U.S. government initiative that purchases carbon-removal credits. …

Graphyte has a facility in Arkansas that will use “crop and wood residues … that have already captured significant CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis,” according to the press release. “The biomass is then dried to prevent decomposition, converted into dense carbon blocks, wrapped in an environmentally safe polymer barrier, and monitored in a state-of-the-art underground storage facility.”

 

Brady will put some wood chips in the hefty bag, and Cletis will push some dirt over it with the blade they welded on the front of the lawn tractor. I jest. I’m sure that Graphyte’s state-of-the-art underground facility used no carbon in its manufacture or operation and that the net change in “emissions” will always appear to make their bank account more “green.”

Not that American Airlines doesn’t have the right to get taken. Aside from being a pointless exercise, carbon capture is the kind of con George Parker would have loved—one where you promise not to emit carbon or remove carbon-sinking wilderness in exchange for money. I was going to burn some tires, cut down some trees, and take a private Jet to Davos but decided to sell my not doing any of that as carbon reduction.

The list of places to which I am not traveling in exchange for money (as carbon offsets) is so extensive that after selling them, I’ll actually be able to afford to travel and will because, by that point, what I’m doing is far too important “for the planet” to be criticized by peasants.

And maybe George could fetch a few Federal Grants to support the work, and instead of being repeatedly arrested only to die years later in Sing Sing Prison, he’d have gotten book deals, big payouts on the lecture circuit, Cable News appearances, and perhaps – if he made a documentary about it – the Nobel Prize and an Oscar for his trouble.

I’m sure Graphyte will be a tremendous success if, by success, we mean greenwashing money from the hands of virtue-signaling corporations for personal profit, at least some of which will end up in the pockets of Bill Gates.

 

HT | Daily Caller

The post Where Bill Gates Sells American Airlines The Brooklyn Bridge appeared first on Granite Grok.

Last week, Americans rendered thanks for yet another season of harvest and plenty. With little more than turkey, dressing, and pie weighing on our thoughts, many of us settled in to watch the biggest rivalries in college football face off in stadiums across the country.

As Alabama snatched victory from Auburn in the Iron Bowl, Ohio State, and Michigan duked it out, and Georgia faced down Georgia Tech, our nation’s army did an about-face on its recruiting strategy.

Throughout the games, the Army presented its new strategy to the American people.

The Army’s latest Be All You Can Be 30-second ad is a complete reversal of its marketing strategy in 2021-2022. The spot opens with thundering music and a lone Chinook helicopter flying over mist-covered mountains. “Stand up!” are the first and only spoken words, and we watch a young man make his first parachute jump over the roar of the CH-47’s blades.

When he lands safely amid his billowing parachute, his smile is full of genuine pride.

It’s an iconic ad, moving and visceral. It may well inspire many of the nation’s young men who watch gridiron rivalries to join up. (RELATED: MORGAN MURPHY: Don’t Ask Israel To Pull Its Punches)

Those men are sorely needed. So needed, in fact, that what is notable about the commercial is that the main subject is a white male. The helicopter is full of young white men. There isn’t a woman in sight. Surely such a commercial wouldn’t have gotten past the diversity mandarins in the Pentagon if Uncle Joe’s recruiting situation weren’t in shambles.

Biden’s Department of Defense is failing on the most fundamental level—not enough young Americans are signing up to join the Army, Air Force, or Navy. In 2022, the Army missed its recruiting goal by 15,000 people—the equivalent of an entire division. In fiscal year 2023, which ended last month, the Army failed to reach its goal again, with 10,000 missing recruits. That’s a total readiness shortfall of 25,000 recruits for one service branch alone.

Fat camp in fatigues: that gap would have been 35,000 had the Army not relaxed entrance requirements by creating the “Future Soldier Preparatory Course.” Located in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Fort Moore, Georgia, the course allowed the Army to place 10,000+ young adults on its rolls who didn’t meet the service’s minimum physical and academic standards. The Navy is following suit with its own “Future Sailor Preparatory Course.”

And for soldiers and sailors already serving in the military, Biden’s services are reducing standards and boosting pay and bonuses. The Navy has replaced the standard sit up with a much easier plank and has cut the number of physical readiness tests to just one a year. America’s sea service is also offering staggering bonuses of up to $48,000 for select reserve officers to just remain in a drilling status. Military bearing? The new Navy is letting sailors get unlimited tattoos on their arms, neck, legs, and behind the ears. Anything that might irritate a new recruit is being relaxed, even the uniforms. The famous thirteen buttons of a sailor’s bell-bottomed trousers have now been replaced by a zipper, presumably to save a poor millennial from finger fatigue.

Army leaders look calm testifying before Congress about their recruiting collapse, but there’s a growing panic among Pentagon politicals. Never before in the history of America’s all-volunteer force has the Army missed its yearly recruiting goals. The Army made its number during the 1970s, when morale was sapped by Vietnam. It made in the ’80s during a booming economy and when the Army stood at 780,000 soldiers, or almost twice its current size. Even amidst COVID and the morass of 2020, the Army met its recruiting goals.

Officials are quick to blame these shortfalls on obesity, poor schools, and the economy. They fail to mention that Biden’s first acts as commander-in-chief was to invite trans individuals to join up and to force the entire military to spend 8 million man hours scouring the ranks for “extremism.” (RELATED: ASHLEY HAYEK: America’s Military Deserves Better Than Biden)

If that didn’t to turn off America’s young warriors, the Army’s campaign “The Calling” surely did. Rolled out in May 2021, the animated spots looked like a Disney cartoon and primarily showcased the Army’s diversity. “Emma,” featured a young soldier talking about her upbringing with two moms. In fact, each soldier featured in “The Calling” focused on self, rather than service. What the spots didn’t feature were white men, even though males account for 84 percent of the Army and 54 percent of troops are white. Unsurprisingly, the ads were such a disaster that the Army was forced to turn off comments online.

Now, after two years of plummeting recruiting and a true readiness emergency, the Army has not only taken to showing white male warriors, but it’s even asking back soldiers kicked out for not taking the COVID vaccine.

You can bet your M4 this about-face didn’t come lightly.

Morgan Murphy is a former national security advisor and Pentagon press secretary.

 

Morgan Murphy | Daily Caller

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

The post The Military Does An About-Face After Woke Garbage Tanks Recruiting appeared first on Granite Grok.

Is it ignorance of the truth, or are they just outright lying to America? Karine Jean-Pierre went to the podium and started with this statement that would not live through any fact-check filter.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, here’s the thing. When we walked into this administration, the economy was on a tailstin — a tailspin — that is the fact — because of the last administration, because of the Trump administration, because of how they dealt with — dealt with COVID and the pandemic, because they didn’t have a comprehensive plan.

The President came in. He passed the American Rescue Plan, which was able to get the economy back on its feet, which was able to open up small businesses — small businesses were able to open up. Schools were able to open up.

And we understand what Americans have been feeling over the last two, three years. It’s going to take some time. We get that. It’s going to take some time. But it does not take away how we have seen the economy getting back on its feet. We actually had to fix the problem that we saw that the last administration left us.

How do you walk to the podium as the spokesperson for the President of the United States and deliver such a factless statement? Even more egregious is nobody in the room challenged her, and that is a fact.

Let’s examine the tailspin she referred to. In the first quarter of 2021, the first of the Biden Administration, the economy grew at 6%, and inflation was less than 1.5%. Both are stats that any Administration would want to brag about, but not Joe Biden’s Administration. In his first six months in office, Biden threw every tool in the box into the economic machine and broke it. All he had to do was nothing. Had he taken the oath and flown off to Rehoboth, the economy would have continued its “tailspin” to post-Covid prosperity. Biden slowed the economy to less than 2% growth and nearly 10% inflation. That is a tailspin, Karine. That is the “fix” the Biden team gave the American people, and it destroyed dreams and set people back in such a way it may take generations to recover.

Biden’s MO is to use Executive Orders, Mandates, and spending Trillions, which created the inflation that has been the post-COVID epidemic impacting every American. The Fed has been raising interest rates to combat the money Biden has flooded into the economy. Those hikes have raised credit card rates to over 30% and mortgage rates to 8%. These rates are crippling personal budgets and killing the dreams of most young people who want to own their homes instead of renting. Many experts feel this influx of fake money in the economy is fueling artificial market growth and that a recession is still probable in 2024. Biden says nothing about this possibility or urging Americans to prepare. It is irresponsible, but can we expect a better effort from Biden now? Probably not.

I am unsure which is Biden’s greatest sin: the bad policies or the constant contortion of the truth. The problem is the lies become sound bites for the mainstream media, and that is what the majority of America sees and hears. It is gaslighting at its best, which, we have found, is one thing the Biden Administration has down pat.

The post Night Cap: I am Unsure Which of these is the Bigger Biden Sin appeared first on Granite Grok.

So #australia is rapidly going CBDC and soon to be followed by all of #europe, no doubt. The Potato Obama doubtless has plans as well.

Australia Officially BANS Cash and Mandates Bill Gates ‘Digital Passport’ To Participate In Society (eutimes.net)

Here in America the banking system is looking increasingly shaky:

More Problems With The Banks: JPMorgan Chase, Bank Of America And Wells Fargo Have All Had Their Ratings Downgraded – DC Clothesline

Law professors dis free speech:

Law Professors Hate Free Speech and Embrace Control — Minding The Campus

Even as the Biden DOJ SS hoovers up anyone who liked, reposted, or commented on Trump’s twitter feed.  And going after the media harder now:

Biden’s DOJ demanded info on ‘all users’ who interacted with Trump’s Twitter account | Blaze Media (theblaze.com)

Biden’s media intimidation crusade takes a turn for the worse | Blaze Media (theblaze.com)

And now add in NY’s new “round up” law… doubtless other blue states are eager to follow:

New Ruling Allows for Indefinite Detention of Unvaccinated at Governor’s Whim | Facts Matter | EpochTV (theepochtimes.com)

Video, about 15 minutes.

Spicy time approaches.

Things Fall Apart… With A New Cartoon, “Getting Ready for the Spicy” – Granite Grok

Things Fall Apart 2 – Granite Grok

Find your steel, because it’s coming.  The wolves are closing in.

The Riddle of Steel – Liberty Version – Granite Grok

(Interesting how many of the videos on the above are now private or gone.)

Hungry Wolves and Darkened Campfires – Granite Grok

All they need now is a pretext. Solar effects on the grid, or a run on the banks, or anything – any pretext at all.  All done because they truly believe they’re doing something good and necessary.

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.”

― C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology (Making of Modern Theology)

And thus, we slip-slide into hell on earth.

Slip-Sliding Towards Hell with a Good Conscience – Granite Grok

And the worst thing?  All this will be sold as convenience and safety and fighting crime and saving the planet from a life-giving gas fighting climate change.  And the sheeple will eat it up… until they finally see the gates swing shut as they attempt to live a normal life, thinking they’re still free.

 

BoarBuster Feral Hog Trap Drop | Feral Hog Trapping

 

 

I TOLD YOU SO will be on the menu for them.

 

 

The post A Short Post Inspired by a Jarhead Friend’s Email appeared first on Granite Grok.

Currently, the TikTok ban debate is swirling through the USA and raising concerns about national security and parental frets. Like vigilant conductors, the concerned moms lead the chorus against TikTok’s potential negative influence on their children.

The composition includes worries about inappropriate content, age appropriateness, psychological impact, behavior influence, and safety, as well as the content maestros at TikTok potentially exposing their little ones to unsuitable tunes. Indeed, on the parental front, it is the age-old melody of parental anxiety that echoes, questioning the appropriateness of content and its potential influence on the impressionable minds of children.

A  trio of lawmakers is tuning their instruments to legislate a ban on TikTok. The proposed bill to ban TikTok, known as the RESTRICT Act, aims to prevent transactions with social media giants from countries deemed foreign adversaries. The bill seeks to empower the Secretary of Commerce to decide which technologies Americans can or cannot access, and it could potentially exempt lawmakers from providing details about their decision process.

We want to thank Suzanne Harp for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

A new movement begins as lawmakers draft legislation forcing app owners to disclose ownership information. Transparency becomes the critical refrain, potentially harmonizing trust among users and attracting a larger audience to the app.

In the ongoing symphony of the TikTok debate, the security movement takes the lead, orchestrating concerns about data safeguarding from the Chinese government. The FBI has also raised the curtain on national security concerns surrounding TikTok’s U.S. operations. The potential for the Chinese government to sway American users or gain control over their devices is immense. FBI warnings give rise to apprehensions about data collection, algorithm manipulation, and the ominous prospect of device compromise on a massive scale.

The ability to compel data sharing upon request and concerns about gathering intellectual property and personal data add a dissonant note to the melody. TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, acknowledges a potential breach in fortifying U.S. user data by allowing non-U.S. employees access – a revelation that resonates like a haunting refrain.

However, there are several legal and constitutional challenges to this bill. The First Amendment protects American freedom of speech, and the Berman Amendment restricts the President’s power to regulate or forbid the free flow of information in and out of the country. These laws make banning TikTok for all American citizens an unconstitutional decision. Another critical point is who owns the data garnished from these apps or any other platform? I strongly believe Congress should pass laws or a Data Bill of Rights into the constitution as inherent no different than our identity or image.

Moreover, the RESTRICT Act could be used to challenge these constitutional protections. It would require any ban to be justified by a significant governmental interest and would have to be narrowly tailored to address that interest. This means that ByteDance, the Chinese-based company that owns TikTok, could easily challenge a possible ban in court on constitutional grounds.

China’s National Intelligence Law, a law with an absolute stance on supporting national intelligence efforts, injects an element of suspense. Skepticism surrounds the law’s potential for punishment, raising questions about the compliance dance that foreign and domestic firms may be forced to perform.

The symphony turns unexpectedly as critics argue that the data issue is merely a prelude. The genuine concern lies in TikTok’s potential to manipulate opinions, a potential front-runner in controlling political discourse. The platform’s influence on shaping public sentiment becomes a haunting refrain in the minds of skeptics.

The accusation that TikTok allows access to American data, including sensitive biometrics, heightens the concerns about national security. The risks posed to individual privacy and the broader national security landscape amplify the circumstances surrounding this digital symphony.

Amidst the security overture, proposed legislation emerges as a regulatory intermezzo, introducing potential impacts on app owners and their operations. This legislative sonata could reshape the tech industry’s landscape in significant ways.

The curtain rises on the Increased Transparency Act. App owners may need to pull back the curtains on their ownership structures and operational bases, creating a more transparent tech industry. This shift could harmonize trust among users, potentially attracting a larger audience to the app.

The demand for increased regulatory compliance will only increase, and due to this, App owners may find themselves at the center of this regulatory maelstrom, necessitating robust data security measures and policy updates and potentially altering their business models. Like echoes through the concert hall, the impacts could be felt across financial, operational, and strategic dimensions.

The concerns and legislation continue as the TikTok turmoil reaches its zenith, leaving audiences anticipating the final movement. Will the security overture find a resolution, or will the discord persist, impacting the digital stage? Only time will tell as this intricate symphony unfolds its final notes.

 

Suzanne Harp (Republican Party) candidate for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas’ 3rd Congressional District. She declared her candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on March 5, 2024.

The post The TikTok Tussle of Concerns and Legislation appeared first on Granite Grok.

Rising overdoses and homelessness in Oregon, where hard drugs have been legalized, may be a red flag to Vermont lawmakers considering repealing legal penalties for the personal use of opioids.

Granite Grok (New Hampshire news and commentary website) editor Steve MacDonald recently reported on the Oregon 2021 drug-legalization experience. “As expected, things quickly went sideways,” MacDonald writes. “In the first year, overdose deaths rose 200 percent. …Human nature had, once again, taken progressive policy to the mat and beaten its scrawny little [behind].”

Governor vetoed attempts to legalize hard drugs in Vermont

The Vermont Legislature in 2022 passed H.505, titled “An act relating to the creation of the Drug Use Standards Advisory Board within the Vermont Sentencing Commission.” The bill was sponsored by then-House Judiciary Chair Maxine Grad, Rep. Martin LaLonde (D-South Burlington), and Rep. Bill Notte (D-Rutland). Grad is no longer in the Legislature, but LaLonde is now chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee.

The purpose of the bill is “to reclassify the penalties for unlawfully possessing, dispensing, and selling regulated drugs; to combine the criminal penalties for dispensing or selling heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of heroin and fentanyl.” In effect, it repealed legal penalties for possession of 60 grams or less of crack cocaine, and established a drug sentencing review board to examine further steps, including possibly decriminalization.

Gov. Phil Scott was not sold on the idea of legalizing or decriminalizing hard drugs. He vetoed the bill and he wrote in his veto letter, “This bill creates a Drug Use Standards Advisory Board with a stated goal to identify a path to effectively legalize personal possession and use of dangerous and highly addictive drugs.”

Scott added, “It places no limits on which drugs can be contemplated for legalization or the amounts, and while rightly saying we need to view substance abuse as a public health matter — a point where I agree — it includes absolutely no recognition of the often-disastrous health and safety impacts of using drugs like fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines, and more. Nor does it acknowledge the role of enforcement in tracking down and stopping the dealers who seek to poison Vermonters — including children — for profit.”

Burlington Police Chief says overdoses dramatically increasing

VtDigger.com was recently told by Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad that The Queen City is also seeing an exceptionally high rate of drug abuse when compared with much of the rest of the nation.

“I’ve spoken to my fellow chiefs around the county,” he told them. “They are not seeing the same spike in overdoses that Burlington is seeing.”

The city had at least 350 overdoses as of mid-September of this year. The previous high the year prior year as of that point was 155. The current tally for 2023 as of Oct. 31 is now 422.

In September he had said more on the subject, including that “Overdoses in Burlington are at unconscionable levels,” the report states. “It is possible there may be as many as 500 by year’s end.”

Burlington mayoral candidates soft on drug use?

The current candidates for mayor of the Queen City are already being challenged to come up with tangible solutions to the growing drug use crisis. A report on Wednesday by Seven Days covering one of their debates describes where the candidates stand.

“Burlington leaders have generally favored harm reduction, believing that substance-use disorder is an illness that can’t be treated with incarceration. As drug use becomes more visible, though, some have suggested the city’s stance is too permissive,” the report states.

The report continues that all the candidates generally seem to favor treatment rather than incarceration, not unlike the policies currently failing in Oregon.

“The candidates also share similar views on how to address the problem,” it states. “They all believe Burlington would be safer with more police and better-funded social services, such as street outreach teams.”

The City’s Council recently passed a resolution declaring drug abuse a public emergency, but its wording fails to commit to a hard line on drug use.

“The public safety and health approaches must go hand in hand and are all part of the holistic approach to fully addressing this crisis,” the resolution states.

The Seattle City Council also passed a similar resolution this year, similarly continuing to avoid commitments to a stricter policy.

Online reaction

When an X user shared a Fox News report on the failures of Oregon’s drug policy, commenters piled on their frustrations.

“Well, for those wanting government out of their ability to take drugs. Oregon sounds like the haven they’ve been looking for.” @crazzer6 posted last week.

Another said that decriminalization leads to “lawlessness.”

“Of course…liberal now means lawless, and lawlessness is how a civilization is destroyed,” wrote @onetruthonelaw.

A native Oregonian said he left the city.

“True News! Papa and I were born and raised in Oregon! Lived there until 2020. Between Antifa and Fake BLM, Soros DA, mayor and Kate Brown! All Soros! Then drugs! Yup we were outta there! ” wrote @Grams1st.

Another suggested that there is an outside influence at play.

 

Michael Bielawski | Vermont Daily Chronicle

The post Crime Rise in Drug-Legal Oregon Forewarns Vermonters After Recent Hard Drug Legalization Attempts appeared first on Granite Grok.

One of the biggest problems with New Hampshire’s ruling class Concord swamp creatures, what we refer to whimsically as ‘The Five Families,’ is that without regard to a political party, they love them some Federal Money, and there is no such thing as too much.

When confronted with the very real strings attached to handouts from inside the Beltway, the pat response is that there are no strings. But there are always strings. Federal grants exist, just like welfare and other handouts, to create dependency while erasing the ability of states to exercise sovereignty. If enough of the budget is top-loaded with taxdollars laundered through the General Government, leverage is easily applied. Transgender policies in schools, or else? One of many examples from COVID.

And there is no such thing as one-time money. Those funds – robbed from taxpayers – come with rules that typically require the state to continue funding the program after the grant runs out or to enforce regs with all the in-perpetuity costs associated with managing it … forever (to which we can add the increased expense of compliance by businesses or citizens where applicable). And there are few programs as expensive and burdensome as EPA regs under any circumstance but especially in the guise of reducing CO2 or greening the planet, which is a contradiction if you are an actual scientist. CO2 greens the planet!

Another contradiction is our state motto (Live Free or Die) smothered with a pillow by the whores in Concord who then (I’ll let you finish that sentence in your mind). They are beside themselves with glee about being “awarded” a new grant from the EPA.

 

New Hampshire has been awarded a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update the state’s climate action plan to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses. EPA is administering this CPRG Program as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The CPRG program has two phases: planning and implementation.

The goals of the New Hampshire CPRG Program are to:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the creation of good jobs and lowering energy costs for families.
• Empower community-driven solutions in neighborhoods overburdened from pollution and impacts of climate change by directly seeking input from those communities. Under Justice40 guidance, the program’s goal is to have 40% of overall benefits flow to these communities.
• Deliver cleaner air by reducing harmful air pollution in places where people live, work, play and go to school.

Planning

In the current planning phase, NHDES will use awarded funds from EPA for development of a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) and a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP). The PCAP is due on March 1, 2024, and will focus on identification of actionable measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and an analysis of some benefits. Completion of this initial plan is a necessary prerequisite to allow our state to compete for $4.6 billion in implementation grants described below. The CCAP is due on August 15, 2025, and will build upon the information in the PCAP but will include more in-depth analysis of benefits, projections of future reductions and more detailed study of future implementation options.

Implementation

In the second phase of the program, entities identified in the PCAP may apply for implementation grants. Implementation grant applications are due April 1, 2024. There will be a total of $4.6 billion available nationally for implementation, and grant applications will be evaluated by EPA on a competitive basis.

Engagement

The EPA has made clear that meaningful community engagement is essential  for this planning process and accessing funding for the implementation grants that follow (i.e., support for local ideas, policies and programs to reduce pollution and build more equitable and resilient communities). Learn more on the EPA website.

 

Meaningful community engagement. Yes, I think our readers should get engaged with NH DES. And what do they think that looks like?

 

Meaningful Community Engagement

Each climate action plan requires meaningful community engagement. The design and initial efforts to identify climate action priorities must actively involve the participation of people who live in communities that experience a disproportionate burden of environmental hazards that affect their quality of life – linked to the following sectors. There is much to talk and engage about across New Hampshire! See EPA Technical Assistance for more information.

1. Transportation.
2. Electricity generation and/or use.
3. Natural and working lands.
4. Industry.
5. Agriculture.
6. Commercial and residential buildings.
7. Waste and materials management.
8. Wastewater.

Process for Engagement

1. Assessment Phase: Clarifying engagement and workplan goals while identifying partners, interested parties, their interests and resources.
2. Design Phase: Work with and engage interested parties and partners to plan the engagement process.
3. Engagement Phase: Begin to implement the engagement plan by holding community conversations across New Hampshire with a mix of stakeholders, including and emphasizing people who are from communities most affected by greenhouse gases and air pollution in New Hampshire. The focus comes from guidance put forth by the EPA  and Justice 40.

Community engagement activities that will focus on building relationships and opportunities for people to voice their ideas are being scheduled between October 2023 and February 2024. Per EPA guidance, we will seek to:

• Develop a strategy with community involvement that outlines the benefits and disbenefits that the local community will receive and defines when and how community engagement will occur throughout and beyond the entirety of the project.
• Identify relevant community members (those with interest or influence, and those who will be affected), and what they care about or bring to the table.
• Develop a plan, with community involvement, that lays out the goals, challenges, potential solutions and methods to measure progress, and manners for continued engagement.
• Outline a strategy to understand, engage, and evaluate the full landscape of community interests and resources moving forward.

 

Interested? I think at least a few legislators should check it out in the interest of protecting their citizens from federal overreach. Maybe the Executive Council?

 

“If you are interested in joining a list for the community conversations between December 2023 and February 2024, please fill out your information here in this notification sign-up form.”

Some concerns might be how there is no reason to reduce CO2, or that doing so is detrimental to the planet, NH businesses, the tax base, and affordable quality living, they printed this money, and it has added to inflation, maybe just send it back. You know the drill. And don’t forget to look for the strings.

 

| NH DES

The post Concord Whores Drop Their ‘Drawers’ for EPA Green Deal Dollars appeared first on Granite Grok.

Public elementary schools have rapidly implemented nebulous “Comprehensive Sex Education” (CSE), which introduces children at a very young age to sex, gender identity, gender orientation, and a worldly rainbow of other sexual “education.” Parents of many faiths are resisting this ungodly initiative on religious freedom grounds. Christians who believe “He made them male and female” (Genesis 5:2) must opt out of CSE.

Despite incontrovertible scientific affirmation that God’s Word is accurate as to the gender binary dualism of His Creation, “queer theory” is being thrust into schools post-haste, all the way down to kindergarten. This is not simply an issue of teaching sexual deviance but of teaching sexuality at an extremely young age. According to some proponents, early training about transgenderism is necessary because “transgender young people become self-aware that their assigned birth sex is different from their gender identity between the ages of 3–5 years old.”

The recent case of Mahmoud v McKnight in the US District Court for the District of Maryland considered objections by three families – one Jewish, one Muslim, and one Christian – to this sexual conditioning of their children. The parents sought to be permitted to have their children “opt-out” of these periods of instruction. Many states already permit opt-outs for sex ed about birth control, but the Biden-appointed judge’s ruling dismissed the plaintiffs’ religious liberty claims::

The plaintiffs believe the books and the School Board’s guidance on their use promote “an ideologically one-sided view of issues” that is contrary to their faiths and their understandings of scientific evidence. …The sine qua non of a free exercise claim is coercion, and the plaintiffs have not shown the no-opt-out policy likely will result in the indoctrination of their children or otherwise coerce their children to violate or change their religious beliefs. …No government action prevents the parents from freely discussing the topics raised in the storybooks with their children or teaching their children as they wish. The no-opt-out policy does not prevent the parents from exercising their religious obligations or coerce them into forgoing their religious beliefs.

This is complete balderdash: of course, these policies prevent and pervert parents’ desire to hold off teaching their children about sex until a traditional age and challenge scriptural texts. Children who “misgender” other children are disciplined in public schools, even at very young ages. Moreover, progressive secular states are increasingly targeting religious schools for failing to similarly indoctrinate students into believing there are infinite genders (and presumably otherkin) with neither scientific evidence nor lawful precedent. The foregoing shallow decision in Maryland would equally justify allowing kindergartners to watch Debbie Does Dallas in school: parents of faith would be told they can “unteach” the porn at home.

The Court stated, “There is no doubt parents have substantial rights under the Due Process Clause, but the Court still must define the specific right at stake with granularity.” It is hard to imagine what religious rights remain for parents of faith if this anti-faith decision prevails. In these toxic times, parents who cannot opt their children out of indoctrination into ideological “theories” about race, gender, and sexual orientation may choose to opt out of public schools entirely.

It is to be hoped that this fatuous, virtue-signaling decision will be strongly challenged. As American courts tamper with clear religious rights, believers must reflect on their spiritual duties to shield young children from such corrupting perversions of the world:

Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

Scriptural guidance must be assessed with granularity.

 

John Klar is an Attorney, farmer, and author. Mostly farmer… And Regular Contributor to GraniteGrok and VermontGrok.

The post Navigating the Cultural Storm – Religious Freedom, Education, and the Battle for Parental Rights appeared first on Granite Grok.

To all those who are sending in memes, thank you!  Keep them coming please, as it helps me gather weaponry to fight the Left.  Please do share this post, and if you share an individual meme, consider mentioning you saw it on the Grok!

Speaking of, from this week, Monday Edition and Wednesday Edition.  Also check out my latest Israel-focused meme & commentary post if this is a subject of interest to you.

 

*** Warning, a few possibly off-color ones, in case tender eyes are about ***

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

 

Many years ago I was visiting a high school friend who was complaining that “the charitable people” wanted to put a homeless shelter in his neighborhood.  He said – rightly – that if they were so concerned they could build one in THEIR neighborhood.

 

 

 

 

This same Red Cross has denied that the Jab enters the bloodstream.  They’re also a subcontractor to the US government in providing aid and maps to the invading army poor migrants flooding into the US.

 

 

 

This isn’t just about Gaza.  It’s every war.  People – including civilians – die in wars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of BBB:

 

Build Back Better – the hidden message Bumper Sticker | Zazzle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA – PSA

 

 

Remember, when a gun shop closes, all the 4473 forms you filled out go to FEDGOV.  Is there a person with three brain cells that talk to each other that thinks – pinkie swear! – they’re not compiling a database for confiscation based on that?

Start lining up your “tragic boating accident” plans.  Sooner rather than later.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

 

 

 

From in-debt bartender to multi-millionaire.

 

 

 

 

Our society is dying.  The campfire of civilization is dying being extinguished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The OJ case proved to me that there is a privileged – i.e., rich – class.  This, above, versus the persecution Trump is facing, is just revealing the horrible truth about the various classes we really have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Pick of the Post:

 

 

Note at the bottom.  Provisional application in 2015.

2015.

20-frickin’-15.  By a Rothschild.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

Palate Cleansers:

 

—

—

 

Back in the days when company leaders had a sense of honor and commitment / service to the public – not just a commitment to their personal bonuses.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

And don’t forget… come back Monday for another edition.  Same Meme Time.  Same Meme channel.

 

>>>>>=====<<<<<

 

The post Friday Meme Overflow-Overflow appeared first on Granite Grok.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of erasing the next Christian holiday and only a few weeks since the idea that slaughtering Jews is a good reason to stand with “Palestine,” the Queer lobby continues to beclown themselves in Burqua-level ignorance.

We’ll skip the bit about Palestine being a generically named region that includes Israel and Jordan – making them all, technically, Palestinians and sticking to the preferred narrative. Arabs, mostly Muslims as they ran the Christians out years ago, are afforded some special place in the region of Palestine, just not anywhere with Arabs or Muslims. They have to take land from the Jews, whom they hate and want to kill.

Funny coincidence. Gender-spectrumists with the intellectual agility of a small soap dish have been quick to grasp The Next Thing (attention can be so fleeting). The Television people are telling them to stand with Arab Muslims who hate Jews but also hate the LGBTQ community. Were you standing with them on a rooftop, for example, they’d be happy to assist you with your ‘suicide.’

Supporting Arabs backed by militant Islamists whom they put into power isn’t in your best interest. Still, this individual has discovered something in the Quran without discovering the part that might get them dead.

 

Trans social media influencer just fell in love with Islam and is now promoting the Quran.

Wait until Ahmed invites they/them to the LGBTQ-inclusive rooftop party.pic.twitter.com/H0GXnxZfJC

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 26, 2023

 

And this works for They/Them because,

 

Per Social Justice dogma, the ultimate Axis of Evil is whiteness, heterosexuality, Christianity, and maleness. Any identity that is not these things, therefore, is on the positive side of the moral binary, as it were. (It turns out they do love binaries when they are moral ones that they can put themselves on the favorable side of. Imagine that!)

Accordingly, the Social Justice faction of the left is positively desperate, and has been for years, to reconcile Islam with gender-deviancy as well as feminism, which it obviously cannot be.

 

Whoever is “teaching” they/them the Quaran is leaving something out, and you’d be right to wonder if that’s deliberate. The answer is yes. And the consequences are grave for anyone influenced to think otherwise.

 

The post Irony Alert: Trans-Influencer Loves They/Them Some Quranic Wisdom … Say, What? appeared first on Granite Grok.

The Left has created its own conundrum. They hate gun violence and ownership, but the Democrat policies have resulted in a spike in legal gun ownership, including first-time gun owners.

This trend cuts across every demographic, but fear not, the White House has announced the first office of Gun Violence Protection, and heading up this new initiative is none other than Vice President Kamala Harris. Through Karine Jean-Pierre, the President admitted that Harris was his second choice, but Beto O’Rourke was unavailable to take the job.

How ironic that the Border Czar who has done nothing to alleviate the surge at our Border is now in clean-up mode. She is going to prevent Americans from the violence she has helped create by her failure at the Border. And let’s not forget we may never recover from the Defund the Police movement that was born during the Black Lives Matter Summer of Love. The Left is throwing money at policing, but we lost so many of our irreplaceable, experienced cops, and recruitment is down, meaning we have an inexperienced, understaffed police force in America. People are tired and fearful about the ridiculous 911 response times and are buying guns at a record rate to self-protect themselves and their families.

According to NBC News, 52% of American voters say they or someone in their household owns a gun. 41% of Black voters are now gun owners, and that is up 17% from the previous year’s numbers.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) thought he had the answer when he called gun violence a Public Health Epidemic. If you cannot solve a problem, you should at least give it a label. He cited CDC stats of 48,000 deaths in 2022. That is 132 dead every day from “gun-related deaths.” Of course, you always have to be leery of statistics, and hidden in Durbin’s numbers is that 65% of the deaths he reports are suicides. Democrats are minimizing the issue and trying to sell a simple solution to a complex problem. They call it gun-related deaths as if the guns are pulling the trigger. People are pulling the trigger: evil people and desperate people. Kamala’s public service announcement of a new White House initiative will do nothing to solve the problem, but we know and associate Kamala with failed initiatives. She is the curse that keeps on giving to the Republicans.

To oversimplify the solution to the problem, we have to start with the state of the country. People are miserable with fear and anxiety. That state of mind has been created by the systematic destruction of our country by an Administration that Hates America. That might be a harsh observation, but how else can you explain this circle down the drain called the Joe Biden Presidency? He has destroyed our economy and decimated our retirement accounts, so he has disillusioned the older segment of America who were looking forward to a well-deserved retirement and now continue to work with no end in sight.

He has obliterated the American Dream of raising a family and buying a home. He burst the bubble for the younger generation. This generation is the first to be indoctrinated from K-16 and believed the Government would protect and provide for them. The Government pulled the rug out from under these kids, and their depressed state of mind is palpable. Suicides for people under 25 are skyrocketing, and yes, these are the 65% of gun-related deaths the Dems ignore.

The Left has abandoned lower-income Black and Brown citizens. Expenses, crime, drug-related deaths, and illegal immigrants stealing their jobs are what the Left has given these folks. Is it no wonder the frustration of this group in manifesting itself with crime and violence? We failed to educate, protect, or allow them to dig themselves out of poverty and into the middle class.

So good luck with your new assignment, Kamala. We already know how this act ends. If you need us, we will either be at the gun store or range. Leave a message, and we’ll get back to you. By the way, you should have recorded your PSA in multiple languages because not many of those illegals you allow to flood over our Southern Border are fluent in English.

 

The post Left Hates Guns As Gun Ownership Soars appeared first on Granite Grok.