No Need for a Conspiracy Theory

In recent days, social media like Twitter and Facebook have taken action to prevent Q-Anon, a shadowy entity that promotes various conspiracy theories, including the "Deep State," from using their platforms. For those who haven't been following this matter, the "Deep State" is basically also a shadowy conspiracy, within the government, that seeks to undermine the policies of Republicans.

Why a conspiracy is necessary is something of a mystery: the same people who believe that thousands or even millions of people can keep such a conspiracy secret over years, decades, or even millennia often have difficulty recognizing that a pair of people could conspire to pick their pocket while walking in the street. Resistance from within the government to policies advocated by Republicans doesn't require a conspiracy — only that the personnel of that government pursue their personal interests.

I call such people the "permanent government," people who have chosen to make their careers in and off government. The existence of these people is not open to any serious debate: residents of the Washington area see them morning and evening, commuting in and out of the city; they're why suburban Washington exists, why the Beltway has a near permanent traffic jam, and why it became necessary to build a modern subway system. Some of these people, mainly at lower levels, are largely unaffected by what policies are being pursued, while for others, those policies have direct consequences.

Personnel in policy positions have personal interests that influence what they recommend and what they do. For all bureaucrats, the survival of their particular agency is an imperative because it may determine whether that bureaucrat has a job and how much he is paid. Expanding the agency is beneficial because it opens up potential promotions within the larger agency. Service in government provides bureaucrats with contacts who can later be approached if a "retired" bureaucrat goes into lobbying. Obviously, a policy that might result in trimming, closing, or consolidating an agency, or cutting one off from those potential contacts, is to be avoided if possible and thwarted if necessary.

Democrats favor the expansion of government, while Republicans typically oppose that. The result is exactly what upsets "Deep State" believers: bureaucrats acting to thwart Republicans when they control the government.

This effect isn't observed across all of government. Several activities, mainly of a technical nature, are basically without serious controversy, but there are others where the imperatives of the permanent government lead to perverse results: anti-poverty programs, anything dealing with race, and foreign policy, to name three.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/08/no_need_for_a_conspiracy_theory.html

Church defies city restraining order despite threats of mass arrests and armed guards

Rob McCoy of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park told LifeSite that the 'draconian' measures imposed by the state are 'an overreach' and that he has no intention of closing his church.

THOUSAND OAKS, California, August 14, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Churches across the state of California are being forced to halt indoor worship services thanks to a decree issued by liberal Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. But one Christian pastor is defying the state’s orders and literally risking his freedom for his sheep.

Rob McCoy of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park told LifeSite correspondent Lisa Stover today that the “draconian” measures imposed by the state are “an overreach” and that he has no intention of closing his church.

“If your doors are closed because you have a fear of man instead of a reverential fear of God, then you have to measure that and take a look at it,” he said.

“The supervisors and the counselors and all the folks that run government, they’re actors performing a script,” McCoy continued. “If we're not going to push back, they'll take everything we surrender to them. And we really have to stand because I know how government works. Most pastors don’t. I do.”

McCoy had been serving on the Thousand Oaks City Council until April when he resigned over religious objections he had with the state’s coronavirus orders. “I cannot submit to the authority that declares the church to be nonessential” he said in a sermon at the time.

Earlier this week, a Ventura County judge ruled against county officials who wanted McCoy’s church to be closed out of fear keeping it open would “cause great and irreparable injury to the general public…including hospitalizations and deaths.” They also requested that he be held in contempt of court. McCoy told LifeSite that his contempt hearing will be held next week.

McCoy clarified that the county wanted to “beef up” their temporary restraining order placed on him and that they wanted “armed officers” to shut the church down but that the judge turned down both their requests.

Godspeak has been hosting in-door services since May 31st. The church has put in ionization machines, UV lights, and hand sanitizer dispensers as precautions to protect church-goers from the virus. “There's no social distancing, no masks,” McCoy said. And yet there’s been “no cases” of COVID-19.

Over the last few weeks, Godspeak has seen a massive uptick in attendance. Typically, the church hosts 400 people on Sundays. At recent Sunday services, there have been over two thousand attendees. “The church has exploded in growth…we were in overflow…people just want to come to church,” McCoy said.

Other churches are stepping up to coordinate efforts as well, even as local politicians threaten to cut their electricity. Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, Grace Community Church, Cornerstone Church of Fresno, Destiny Christian Church of Rocklin, and Harvest Rock Church of Pasadena have all defied the governor’s orders. Some have switched to outdoor services.

“It is a big joke,” McCoy said of the state-mandated restrictions. “We know the data. Open up California now…open our businesses, open our schools. Let's move on with this.”

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/watch-church-defies-city-restraining-order-despite-threats-of-mass-arrests-and-armed-guards?utm_source=featured&utm_campaign=standard

CABAL

THE OPEN DOOR

Kamala Harris: Our Ticket Can Say ‘Black Lives Matter’ While Trump Is ‘Sowing Hate’

During an interview with “The 19th,” presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) compared the Democratic and Republican presidential tickets.

Harris said, “Black women pay attention to the issue issues. Black women are motivated to vote for the people who represent their priorities and their needs. And so when you look at everything that relates to what we’ve discussed in terms of childcare when you look at what we’re talking about in terms of jobs, health care when you look at what we need to do to address racial and not only disparities in terms of the healthcare system and in terms of the economy and education system, we need to speak about systemic racism, and when you have one ticket that can say the phrase Black Lives Matter and another who has full-time sowing hate and division in our country, those are the things that are going to motivate black women to vote. a point in pride about a black woman being on the ticket, it takes more than just that to motivate black women to vote.”

She added, “Joe says and has been saying, this is a battle for the soul of our country, and when we look at someone like the current occupant of the White House, again, he has not been lifting folks up. Joe and what we are about, we’re about lifting people up, understanding the strength of a leader is based on not who you beat down, but you lift up, and these are the things that are at stake right now. When we talk about the election in November, this is probably one of the most important elections of our lifetime. Literally, this is probably one of the most important elections of our lifetime. This is about every issue we discussed and whether we’ll have a president of the United States who actually works to lift folks up and give you a sense of pride in your country or somebody who’s just full time just beating people down. I fear that if we don’t correct course, the damage will be irreversible. Everything is on the line in this election.”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2020/08/14/kamala-harris-our-ticket-can-say-black-lives-matter-while-trump-is-sowing-hate/

Obama: Trump Trying to Discouraging Voting with Attempt to ‘Actively Kneecap the Postal Service’

Friday on the “Campaign HQ with David Plouffe” podcast, former President Barack Obama criticized President Donald Trump for his attacks on mail-in voting.

Obama said, “What we’ve seen in a way that is unique to modern political history is a President who is explicit in trying to discourage people from voting. Usually, the Republican Party for quite some has actively tried to discourage people’s votes from counting in all kinds of ways, whether its voter ID laws or blatant gerrymandering, making it difficult for people in certain precincts to find their polling places. All that stuff is contrary to American democracy, but I think the Republicans view has been it’s all fair game as long as it helps us gain power. What we’ve never seen before is a President say, ‘I’m going to try to actively kneecap the postal service to encourage voting, and I will be explicit about the reason I’m doing it.’ that is sort of unheard of.”

Later in the podcast, Obama said, “You now have the President throwing in this additional monkey wrench trying to starve the postal service.”

He added, “My question is, what are Republicans doing where you are so scared of people voting that you are now willing to undermine what is part of the basic infrastructure of American life?”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2020/08/14/obama-trump-trying-to-suppress-the-vote-by-actively-kneecap-the-postal-service/

IDF Aircraft Launch Retaliatory Strikes on Gaza Strip

Airstrikes on at least three sites in the Gaza Strip were reported late Friday night, making the fourth night the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have attacked the territory in response to incendiary balloon attacks.

Observers noted attacks on at least three observation posts in the Gaza Strip, noting a mixture of drones and F-16 fighter jets were in the air. Targeted locations include Beit Lahia, Bein Hanoun, Khan Younis port, and al-Bureij, the latter of which reportedly targeted agricultural land.

Al-Quds newspaper reported homes near the al-Bureij strike had been damaged by the attack, and observers reported several injured persons were being taken to al-Aqsa hospital. At least one child was reported injured in the attacks.

For several nights, IDF aircraft and tanks have attacked sites across the Gaza Strip in response to the launching of incendiary balloons, which sparked several wildfires inside of Israel. The IDF says it is targeting Hamas sites and "infrastructure" in response. Jerusalem has also halved the fishing area Gazans are allowed off the coast and suspended the importation of fuel into the territory.

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008141080173830-idf-aircraft-launch-retaliatory-strikes-on-gaza-strip—reports/

Mitt Romney Ramps up Defense of Mass-Mail Voting

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Sen. Mitt Romney said Friday that politicians attacking the vote by mail system are threatening global democracy but stopped short of criticizing President Donald Trump, who has been openly against an expected surge of mail-in ballots.

The United States must stand as an example to more fragile democratic nations to show that elections can be held in a free and fair manner, Romney said. He urged the federal government to make every effort to ensure that people are able to vote in the general election this November.

“That’s more important even than the outcome of the vote,” he said at a virtual event hosted by the conservative Utah-based Sutherland Institute. “We have got to preserve the principle of democracy or the trend we’re on is going to continue to get worse.”

Trump has suggested that increased mail-in voting because of the coronavirus pandemic could result in fraud and cost him reelection. This week he acknowledged that he’s starving the U.S. Postal Service of money to make it harder to process the expected flood of ballots from voters who are seeking to avoid polling places.

Romney said he has seen no evidence that voting by mail has led to fraud and that this voting method may be even more secure than electronic voting because it’s less likely to invite hacking interference by foreign entities. He said he would support providing additional funds to states to strengthen their voting systems.

The Republican lawmaker also discussed what he called the threat of an emerging Chinese economy and military that he says has been able to expand with virtually no pushback.

Romney said the U.S. will need to work together with other free nations to “stop China’s predation.”

He applauded the Trump administration for being tough on China. But Romney said that sticking to a nationalist “America First” approach will further alienate the U.S. from its allies and push them to support China’s interests instead.

“We’re pulling out of the world,” Romney said. “As America retreats and China pushes forward, why the nations of the world will line up behind China.”

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/08/14/mitt-romney-ramps-up-defense-of-mail-in-voting/

Markets rise as economy struggles; 'It does not make sense'

The expression “stock markets are not the economy” may have never been truer.

The S&P 500, an index that tracks the country's largest publicly traded companies, has all but erased its pandemic losses and closed within a fraction of a percentage point of its all-time high Thursday.

But far away from Wall Street, the economy on main streets in cities and towns across the country feel as if they are in tatters.

Unemployment stands at 10.2 percent as thousands of businesses remain closed. Many of the jobs shed when businesses closed their doors for extended lockdowns have not come back, and the jobless rate remains at its highest level since the Great Depression.

Gene Goldman, chief investment officer at Cetera, says that equity markets are enjoying a V-shaped recovery even as the real economy is experiencing a slower, U-shaped recovery.

“It does not make sense,” he said.

While some of the economic data that’s come out has been positive, Goldman noted that a lot of the real time indicators are showing worrisome signs.

Last month, for example, Yelp found that 26,000 restaurants had closed, almost 16,000 of them permanently.

“Think about the workers who lost their jobs, whose benefits have been cut and who are uncertain about paying their rent.” he said. “Those are the consumers, they’re the ones who are supposed to be buying things.”

Consumer confidence fell in 41 states over the course of July, according to Morning Consult, particularly in the South and West, and remains some 24 points below its pre-pandemic average.

So why are markets flying so high?

A central reason for the spike is the Federal Reserve.

The Fed dropped interest rates to near zero and opened a slew of new lending facilities to keep financial markets afloat. Its balance sheet exploded from roughly $4.3 trillion in mid-March to about $7 trillion today.

“I think what’s driving the market is the incredible response from the Federal Reserve to provide a tremendous amount of liquidity to ensure the smooth functioning of markets,” said Michael Arone, chief investment strategist for State Street Global Advisors.

“Markets are convinced that fiscal policy has helped soften the blow.”

Brad McMillan, chief investment officer for Commonwealth Financial Network, says some of the stock market returns are a bit of an illusion.

“You can make the case that a handful of companies are buoying the stock market as a whole, even when the rest of the stocks aren’t doing a whole lot better,” he said.

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/511926-markets-rise-as-economy-struggles-it-does-not-make-sense

>>10288422

Trump dodges question about whether he backs GOP candidate's belief in QAnon

President Trump on Friday would not say whether he agreed with Georgia congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene's support of the QAnon conspiracy theory after hailing her as a "future Republican star."

Trump was asked during a briefing about his tweet congratulating Greene on her primary victory and specifically whether he agreed with her views on QAnon, which posits that Trump will expose and arrest a "deep state" cabal of Democrats and elites who control the government and run sex trafficking rings.

"She did very well in the election. She won by a lot. She was very popular," Trump said. "She comes from a great state. And she had a tremendous victory, so absolutely I did congratulate her."

Trump ignored a follow-up question about QAnon specifically and moved on to another reporter.

The conspiracy theory has been blamed for violent incidents, and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have taken action in recent weeks to suspend groups and accounts associated with the theory.

The president on Wednesday offered his full-throated support for Greene, who has also made incendiary comments about Muslims and Black people.

"Congratulations to future Republican Star Marjorie Taylor Greene on a big congressional primary win in Georgia against a very tough and smart opponent," Trump tweeted. "Marjorie is strong on everything and never gives up — a real WINNER!"

Greene won the GOP primary in Georgia’s 14th District to replace outgoing Rep. Tom Graves (R). She defeated neurosurgeon John Cowan in a runoff after neither candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote in the June 9 primary. Greene won with 60 percent of the vote on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.

She has garnered national attention after Politico unearthed past racist, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic comments she made, including comparing Democratic donor George Soros to a Nazi, saying the 2018 midterms were like an “Islamic invasion of our government” and asserting that African Americans "are held slaves to the Democratic Party."

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/512061-trump-dodges-question-about-whether-he-backs-gop-candidates-belief-in

Shilling intensifies

>>10288801

>>10288537

>>10288417 Church defies city restraining order despite threats of mass arrests and armed guards

>>10288422 WAPO lies about Q / POTUS

>>10288472 Kamala Harris: Our Ticket Can Say ‘Black Lives Matter’ While Trump Is ‘Sowing Hate’

>>10288480 Obama: Trump Trying to Discouraging Voting with Attempt to ‘Actively Kneecap the Postal Service’

>>10288510 IDF Aircraft Launch Retaliatory Strikes on Gaza Strip

>>10288530 CNN attacks

>>10288539 MATTHEW GERTZ PANIC

>>10288599 Markets rise as economy struggles; 'It does not make sense'