Govt shutdown deal included provision reducing spending oversight of surveillance agencies
The swamp wins: The deal that ended the government shut down included a provision that will allow intelligence agencies to spend billions with much less Congressional oversight.
From the article:
The new wording was requested by the White House Office of Management and Budget at the urging of the Pentagon and was backed by House and Senate appropriations committee leaders over the strident opposition of intelligence committee leadership.
…“Essentially the intelligence community could expend funds as it sees fit,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., warned about the change on the Senate floor Monday. “A situation like this is untenable.” Senate intelligence panel Ranking Member Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., warned covert operations could be funded without oversight and the House Intelligence Committee’s GOP leadership also opposed the wording.
…Steven Aftergood, who directs the government secrecy project at the Federation of American Scientists, has a different view. “The new provision is certainly a departure from the norm that all intelligence activities must be authorized,” he said. “What is not clear is whether this is simply an artifact of the legislative drafting process, with no particular significance, or whether it is intended as a cover for some unauthorized activity,” Aftergood said. “Normally, I would suspect the former. But the fact that steps to correct the language were deliberately blocked in the Senate … makes you wonder if there is something else going on.” [emphasis mine]
Considering the revelations in recent days about the possible secret efforts of FBI agents to overturn the 2016 Presidential election, either Congress is incredibly stupid, or corrupt, or both, to give such organizations more spending power at this time. The highlighted quote indicates to me that they are both, and that there are some people in the government who have done this for very corrupt reasons.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
The swamp wins: The deal that ended the government shut down included a provision that will allow intelligence agencies to spend billions with much less Congressional oversight.
From the article:
The new wording was requested by the White House Office of Management and Budget at the urging of the Pentagon and was backed by House and Senate appropriations committee leaders over the strident opposition of intelligence committee leadership.
…“Essentially the intelligence community could expend funds as it sees fit,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., warned about the change on the Senate floor Monday. “A situation like this is untenable.” Senate intelligence panel Ranking Member Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., warned covert operations could be funded without oversight and the House Intelligence Committee’s GOP leadership also opposed the wording.
…Steven Aftergood, who directs the government secrecy project at the Federation of American Scientists, has a different view. “The new provision is certainly a departure from the norm that all intelligence activities must be authorized,” he said. “What is not clear is whether this is simply an artifact of the legislative drafting process, with no particular significance, or whether it is intended as a cover for some unauthorized activity,” Aftergood said. “Normally, I would suspect the former. But the fact that steps to correct the language were deliberately blocked in the Senate … makes you wonder if there is something else going on.” [emphasis mine]
Considering the revelations in recent days about the possible secret efforts of FBI agents to overturn the 2016 Presidential election, either Congress is incredibly stupid, or corrupt, or both, to give such organizations more spending power at this time. The highlighted quote indicates to me that they are both, and that there are some people in the government who have done this for very corrupt reasons.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Can’t readily find the relevant clip, but it’s Jordan Peterson paraphrasing Alexander Solzhenitsyn,
“In a tyranny, everyone lies about everything, all the time.”
The answer IS both.
The only reason that anything will be being done about the corruption and sedition that has been going on in the FBI and DOJ and then to Hillary and her operation memebers is because they are all on both sides being dragged to it kicking and screaming by the overwhelming arrogance and hubris of these empowered actors. No empowered politician really wants any part of where they all know it must now go.
If not for the extreme set of very much needed for their own survival and self preservation actions that has been perpetrated by these politicians and agencies against one particular politician who was not supposed to be president no one would be the wiser. Or more precisely stated, no possibility of prosecution and real consequences would exist. All because Hillary was not elected.
You really can not trust any of them at the highest levels. Why? Because they will always be able to justify their “forward” thinking by the application of S.O.M. type thinking. At the leadership level this is all explained away as “necessary” for existential reasons, this is the foundation of corruption and abuse of power.
The structuring of how money is spent and who has oversight is just a work around, what we all have to be very concerned about is, what about next time? The next time will involve even higher levels of technology, admittedly on both sides, but. Higher levels of technology in the political realm and the pedestrian realm, but next time I suspect that the political realm actors will have all their ducks very nicely arranged by a quantum super computer that will be in control of all elements.
I am not sure that the Constitution can withstand the next assault (which is probably underway but only delayed as we move through this event). The future will be the ultimate Constitutional test.
Dr. Jordan Peterson
2017 Maps of Meaning 3:
“Marionettes and Individuals” (Part 2)
–the relevant clip
https://youtu.be/Us979jCjHu8?t=5808
(roughly 2 minutes)
Still working on it: Due to recent more illuminating events I have expanded and refined my S.O.M. theory to more correctly reflect reality and the Oval- V- Wave Form models of civilization. S.O.M. represents the eternal Oval form and the Constitution represents the counter balance and short circuit to that eternal Oval model.
STRATEGY OVER MORALITY / S.O.M. : The Foundation Of Abuse Of Power
Copyright, J.G.L. 2011, revised 1/20/18
EXTREME LEADERSHIP THOUGHT PROCESS AND ACTION WHERE THE ENDS ALWAYS JUSTIFIES THE MEANS, WHERE MORALITY IS ONLY A HUMAN CONCEPT, ADHERED TO BY “OTHERS”.
How civilizations, governments and wars throughout history are founded, fought and at their existential human core operate.
EXPLANATION:
Strategy Over Morality describes a two-tiered “conversation” between a Public and their Empowered Leadership where the Public believes there is only a single, no tiered conversation occurring and that single conversation relates to the Public’s morality model perspective.
A model in which leadership or their empowered subordinates within government can subjectively justify to choose to formulate an interpretation of their core fiduciary responsibilities which becomes paramount over and above the public’s morality model or interests. Where plausible deniability can be claimed when “immoral” acts or strategies are employed or executed by leadership, their subordinates or by arms length leadership proxies.
In this “conversation”, leadership or their empowered subordinates step “down” to the public’s level and presents information, agenda or strategy in a tailored, palatable package the public can believe and comfortably accept. Leadership then steps back to their “higher” level, formulates and executes “necessary”, by their subjective standards, agenda and strategy where the public’s interpretation of morality or interest is not relevant or becomes optional.
CONCLUSION: The public lives and operates under a subjective moral code perspective which they assume their leadership is constrained by. This is a subjective false perspective conclusion on the part of the public.
TERM DEFINITIONS:
PUBLIC: The individual citizens of any civilization, society or country.
LEADERSHIP: Any macro empowered governing entity or their direct subordinates concerned with the formulation and implementation of laws, strategies and policies, both civil and military.
LEADERSHIPS CORE PRIME DIRECTIVE: Above all else the securing, promotion and survival of the society, culture, territory, power and treasure.
A funny thing in the shutdown debacle:
Florida senator Bill Nelson is probably not happy with the Schumer Shutdown, according to this notice. He angered both sides, and both Florida landmarks KSC and Disney Land were involved, and the hurricane recovery. Hmm, he’s been senator for 17 years and is still out of touch.
We can identify the problems; so why can’t we solve them?
ken anthony “We can identify the problems; so why can’t we solve them?”
Might I suggest reading the book “Alligators in the Moat” by Ed Ashurst for the answers; not nice answers but they are what I have come to realize through my reading over the past two years.
Ken Anthony / Phill O, See revised S.O.M.:
All that can be done is to adhere to the Constitution. The nature of man is to abuse power, to acquire power, to amass power, to hide power, it is a condition that will never go away but it can be understood and counter balanced.
There is no and will never be a “perfect” state of being for governance related to power or those who become empowered, never. This is a fundamental human mistake to look for such, it does not exist. But it makes us feel better and keeps us busy thinking so and looking for it.
Which Constitution, do you refer?
Personally, I want it rolled back to about 1910. (If federal Senators aren’t elected by their respective State Legislatures, for example–what purpose do they serve?)
[seen this movie before, my entire life.]
Mark Levin Mocks Mitch McConnell
9-23-15
https://youtu.be/3OUpIEOxEGY
15:52
LevinTV:
“Constitution Day Special”
September 2017
https://youtu.be/gtaSxeiqUg0
22:03
“THE” American Constitution, there is only one.
Its not perfect but it attempts as best as can be attained to counter balance the nature of man related to governance and power.
The Constitution, and the constant political warfare that goes along with it, that is the process which ensures some level of balance that tends to or has the potential to short circuit the eternal Oval civilization model of destruction. To look for the “perfect” state of being for government to arrive at is simplistic, not real and ignores the complexities of understanding what human beings are.
“I have seen the enemy, and it is us”.
Its not good, its not bad, it just is and we look in the mirror and we recognize it and get on with the business of being American. We are humble (hopefully), we are benevolent (hopefully) we wield and execute power and never apologize for it. And there will be corruption and abuse of power in all of its potentials of the spectrum, from the smallest and minutest to the biggest and most unbelievable. That is reality.
With the Constitution all we have is potential.
Why Trump must be ruthless in dealing with the democrats.
https://youtu.be/vkZZHQNA_mY
In their own words: THE DEMOCRAT PARTY MUST HAVE ILLEGALS FLOODING INTO THE COUNTRY TO REMAIN RELEVANT, TO EXIST.
Flooding the country with illegals is not a political platform it is a seditious act that threatens our country and the world. That is how bankrupt of true American thinking the Democrat party has become. By necessity they must move further and further Left in order to exist.
This is today’s Democrat party, nothing more, nothing less.
Cotour-
your emoting quite a bit, but I’m not following the thought. (too much ‘potentiality’ going on here.) (and what’s this “perfect State” stuff? Our Founders well understood the nature of Man.)
Which “THE” Constitution? The one that has the 21st Amendment, or the 18th Amendment, or how ’bout the 16th Amendment?
-We are far from operating anywhere close to OEM-specs.
Best of 2017: Convention of States Project
https://youtu.be/DEInn7Gz0Xk
4:46
(endless street-signs on the CAPTCHA today…)
As close as it can get to the original specs. The further we are dragged from it the worse the potential becomes and we risk the reconnect to the Oval model.
Yes, all there is is potential, that is what the Constitution creates through the counter balancing of human nature related to power and governance.
Potential means that we are constantly presented with the choice to choose because of the governmental scheme we exist within. If this was not so then Hillary Clinton would now be president and this conversation would have no point. We are living in the proof on my contention.
Why? For two reasons: 1. The Founders included the Electorial College and 2. The peoples vote because of the Electorial College is still something that can not (for the moment) be gotten around or gamed.
Example: If, like the Democrats have plainly stated we should expunge the Electorial College from the Constitution then that is being dragged too far and the Founders intent has been usurped and the Oval model again ensues. As long as the fundamental principles are retained within the Constitution things will work out using the political warfare system.
Saying you are a “good democrat” is no better than saying your a good Nazi. no better than saying your a good muzzie. A world dominated by Democrats or Muslims cannot stand.