The Real National Emergency?
President Pinocchio's Pants are on Fire
February 19, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / Gotham Buzz NYC. News Analysis, Opinion & Satire.
I stumbled upon an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, from January 10, 2018, about how Donald Trump has differentiated himself from all other presidents of the United States of America - as the greatest known liar of them all.
Cut and paste this link for a short video of Jimmy Kimmel's documentary of Trump Telling His 2,000th Lie over a year ago - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQruDaf7bKs
Real Presidential Greatness vs 'Greatest'
It's important to distinguish between greatest - which compares one to another - and greatness, for which there is no comparison. Greatest is an amount or extent considerably above normal, while greatness is about having won the respect for achievements in one's field. True greatness is rarely achieved by braggadocious people, because they are too busy talking to make time to do anything truly great.
Presidential Greatness. George Washington was achieved greatness by risking his life as the Commander in Chief of the colonial army during the Revolutionary War. A greatness which was made even more so, by the fact that the first president didn't try to keep / possess the title of the president beyond two terms /eight years. Abraham Lincoln, similarly risked his life, to hold the Union together, while exorcising it of the heinous institution of slavery. And Franklin Delano Roosevelt, saved democracy, capitalism and freedom, by leading the nation through the Great Depression and the Second World War.
But while the Donald may not have done anything remotely deserving the moniker of greatness, over a year ago Jimmy Kimmel identifed that Trump had already become the greatest liar who ever occupied the White House. That was over a year ago, in January of 2018, and since then the Trump has continued onward with his train of lies.
President Pinocchio Supported by Murdoch's Fox News Pinocchio Pundits
But to be fair, Trump likely could not have come up with so many different lies to tell, without the help of multi-billionaire, global propagandist, Keith Rupert Murdoch, and his mass media mendacity machine.
The Murdoch propaganda machine includes outlets like Fox News and their portfolio of Pinocchio pundits, the Wall Street Journal and the NY Post.
Murdoch appears to have benefitted greatly from the Trump presidency, via 1) huge tax cuts for the wealthy, 2) Trump military action in Syria where Murdoch owns part of Genie Energy with former VP Dick Cheney and several other robber barons, 3) huge Fox News ratings wins due in part to the Donald's Crazy Town [name of a book by Bob Woodward about the Trump Administration] and last but not least 4) Department of Justice and FCC approval of Murdoch's inverted takeover of Disney / ABC which will soon enable Murdoch to take control of about half of America's broadcast news.
5 of President Pinocchio's Biggest Lies Since 7/2018
Since Kimmel's video was posted in January of 2018, Trump has continued telling many lies - including some very, very big ones. Here are five of Trump's biggest lies between July 2018 and today, including a brief analysis of the impact.
- CLICK here to read the rest of our report on a few of the Big Lies by Trump in the second half of 2018 and early this year: The Real National Emergency: President Pinocchio's Pants are on Fire & Pinocchio pundits Ingraham & Hannity on Murdoch's Fox Fake News.
The Real National Emergency?
President Pinocchio's Pants are on Fire
February 19, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / Gotham Buzz NYC. News Analysis, Opinion & Satire. Continued.
I. Trump Lies in Support of Russia & Putin at Helsinki, While America Gasps at the Betrayal
In July of 2018, at a Helsinki, Finland meeting with Vladimir Putin, the Donald discredited America's Intelligence community by refuting their assessment that it was Russia who had attempted to hack the 2016 election. At that meeting - in front of the whole world - Trump sided with the aggressive and hostile Russian 'President' Putin, saying that there's "no reason it would be Russia" [who hacked the 2016 election].
Putin, during that same press conference, said that Russia favored Trump. What's uncertain here is whether Putin was intentionally discrediting Trump on the world stage, in the same fashion as President Kennedy discredited Russian Premier Kruschev at the United Nations during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. At that time, U.S. representative to the United Nations, Adlai Stevenson, showed aerial photos of the construction of a Russian missile base in Cuba. This followed the Russian denial of building such a base, which thus discredited the Russian Premier's veracity along with his false claims.
In Juy 2018, upon returning home from Finland, Trump did an about face saying, he should have said there's "no reason it wouldn't be Russia" [that hacked the U.S. 2016 election]. This was the exact opposite of what he'd said at the conference only a day or so earlier.
According to a July 16, 2018 report in Mother Jones, "At Monday's press conference, Putin was asked, "Did you want President Trump to win the election, and did you direct any of your officials to help him do that?" Putin replied, "Yes, I did. Because he talked about bringing the US-Russia relationship back to normal." Putin seems to have made it clear that he favored Trump. His statement could even be interpreted as acknowledging intervention in the election, though that seems highly unlikely. (It's possible Putin misheard the question--which came after he talked about potentially cooperating with the United States on law enforcement matters--meaning his answer might have been related to that issue.) In any event, his reply could be read as undercutting Trump's claim he was not Putin's favored candidate. "
Putin Buys Trump's Lies but it's America that Pays the Price?
On February 19, 2019, former Deputy Director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, said that he believed it's possible that President Donald Trump is a Russian asset.
When one considers how Trump has torn apart our military alliance with NATO nations, and torn apart the trade agreements with other similar, free, democratic, capitalist nations - while pandering to Russia's Putin, the sadistic Saudi Prince, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, the Philippine autocrat Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese 'President for life' Xi Jinping - that assertion seems credible. By the way 'President for life' is - by definition - an oxymoron. It is a Chinese euphemism for dictator.
Think back just two and a half years ago, to July 2016, as Trump publicly invited Russia, on network TV, to disclose Hillary Clinton's emails. We thought it was a joke. At that time it was nearly inconceivable to us, the general public, that Russia would interfere in our elections, or that a candidate for president would conspire with a hostile foreign power to win the presidential election.
But now, two and a half years later, there seems to be a mountain of evidence that both are true. Following the election Trump was slow to sign off on economic sanctions against Russia, he was slow to take Putin to task over his acquisition of the Crimean Penninsula, Trump advocated to have the G7 readmit Russia, the Donald advocated and then slow walked sanctions on the Russian Oligarchs [which I believe have since been rescinded] and Trump met privately with Putin five times, sometimes without any other American in the room.
It seems that thousands of lies later, the smoke is clearing, and the truth is becoming increasingly obvious.
II. A Pompous President Lies at the UN & The World Laughs at Him
In September of 2018, during an address to the United Nations, the members of the General Assembly laughed as Trump told them, "I don't believe there has been any administration in the history of this country that has done more in two years -- and we're not even up to two years yet -- than our administration ...".
With that one outlandish statement, President Pinocchio laid claim to doing more than Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy, FDR, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and George Washington during their first two years in office.
During Trump's first two years in office the Donald has succeeded in passing one major bill, the Tax Reform Act, in December of 2017. By contrast, Franklin Delano Roosevelt passed 15 major bills through Congress in his first 100 days in office.
Apparently the members of the UN General Assembly are better versed on American history than the 45th president, and they likely don't obtain their information from Murdoch's Fox Fake News, Wall St Journal or NY Propaganda Post - so they laughed at Trump's ridiculous statement.
Russia Buys Trump Lies and it's America that Pays the Price
In February 2019 our NATO allies rebuked Trump's request to help in Afghanistan / Syria if America withdrew. And our NATO allies continue to comply with the treaty they and the United States signed with Iran - as long as Iran continues upholding the agreement - even though the Donald wants to break the deal because ... he wants to 'renegotiate or rebrand' every major U.S. deal of the past couple of decades?
III. Trump & Murdoch's Pinocchio Pundits' Fake News 'Invasion'
Why Would these Cynical Foxhole$$$$ Cry Wolf?
On October 29, 2018 Trump called up and deployed 5,200 American troops to the southern border to repel what the Pinocchio pundits on Rupert Murdoch's Fox Fake News called "an invasion".
The 'invasion' that President Pinocchio was referring to, was a band of asylum seekers that started out with 7,000 and which had dwindled down to 3,500 at the time of the troop deployment. Trump appeared to get his 'intel' from the dishonest pundits on Rupert Murdoch's media mendacity machine [Hannity & Ingraham - see graphic at right], which helped Trump sensationalize the 'invasion' and hype Trump's troop deployment, which appears to have been a pre-election media stunt.
Most NYC Parades are larger than Trump's and Murdoch's Fox Fake 'News' INVASION.
Here it is a full four months after the coming 'invasion' and we've heard of no great pitched battles. Hannity and Ingraham, the fake 'news' people at Fox Fake News, have been largely silent about the 'invasion' they had so hyped just a couple of months ago. Kind of like Hannity's "I'll get back to you" on his Seth Rich conspiracy theory back in June of 2017, about which we've heard nothing since.
A Demented Man Buys Trump / Murdoch Machine Lies - but it's America that Pays the Price?
In October 2018, Robert Bowers, appeared to be so moved by the alarming 'invasion' promoted by the Pinocchio President and his Murdoch-controlled Fox Fake 'News' misleading hysteria-inflammatory reports, that Bowers is alleged to have committed the largest anti-Semitic attack in America by killing eleven people on October 28, 2018 at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh. To be fair, Bowers appears to have had a long history of anti-Semitic / neo-Nazi leanings, prior to the attack, but it seems that Bowers only began weaponizing himself in July 2016 when he obtained a firearm permit.
Where is Hannity's caravan of invaders, or Laura Ingraham's invading horde now [see graphic above]? Probably still trying to escape the Fox Fake 'News' broadcasters' bobbling knuckleheads.
IV. Did Fox 'News' Shame to Frame a 'Gutless' Trump into the U.S. Government Shutdown?
In December of 2018, the Donald, who seems like Murdoch's Manchurian Candidate, appeared to follow Big Brother Murdoch's instructions to shut down the government.
Did Murdoch, who controls Fox Fake News, the WSJ, the NY Post and numerous other outlets [soon to control Disney / ABC], make the same kind of erroneous assumptions that he and former VP Dick Cheney appeared to make while they were promoting the ratings winning Iraqi War, using the fake news of weapons of mass destruction aka WMD?
Or did Murdoch intentionally sabotage Trump with bad advice, so he can ditch Trump to push for a new propaganda puppet in in time for the 2020 election?
On December 11, 2018 the Donald said he would be 'proud' to own the government shutdown to "save America". But just over a week later, by December 20th, Trump completely reversed himself, lying to the American public, stating that it was the Democrats fault.
Murdoch Buys Trump Lies and Americans are Made Losers, Paying the Price Again?
Should Trump thank Fox Fake News for giving him such 'good' information?
Add in the real immigration / border wall stats.
V. Trump Declares a non-emergency National Emergency
Fake News or Fake President?
On Friday, February 15th, 2019 President Pinocchio, with clear enablement of Senate Mouse Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, declared building walls along our Southern border was a national emergency. In his National Emergency declaration, Trump completely undermined himself, by saying he didn't need to declare the national emergency now, and that he could - if he wanted - build the wall over time.
An emergency is, by definition, something that requires immediate action. Donald Dunce?
Prior to February 15, 2019, there have been 58 National Emergencies declared by presidents since 1979, which was about the time the law went into effect. Three of them were declared by Trump, and nearly all of them appear to be related to terrorism / addressing hostilities and human rights abuses by other governments or terrorist groups.
Rupert Murdoch Buys Trump Lies & the Donald goes Delusional?
Relay the recent surreal / delusional interaction with the National Security Intelligence community and the Donald.
Why the Truth Matters
The truth matters because if we can't agree on the facts, we will never be able to agree on anything else.
Whoever has the biggest loudspeaker [in America that is now Rupert Murdoch] will be in a position to do whatever he wants, and make it appear legitimate. This is just like it's done in authoritarian, totalitarian states, where there's no fair due process, and the voice of the people is never heard. We're on the verge of moving from due process - to trial by a hysteria-inciting mass media.
If we don't agree on the facts, we can never learn, we will never grow, we will never move forward leaving behind - as John Adams once said - the tyranny of the past [the forerunner to this statement is attributed to Montesquieu].
If it becomes the case that facts and truth don't matter, then the past couple of decades will mark the pinnacle of our society, and everything that follows will be its degradation - not just of truth - but of trust, responsibility, decency, learning, evolving and everything else that truly matters.
Birds of a Feather Flock Together?
Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch & his Fox Fake 'News' & Fox Empire Star Jussie Smollett
Rupert Murdoch who owns Fox Fake News, the Wall Street Journal, the NY Propaganda Post and a number of other media outlets, will soon take control of Disney / ABC giving Murdoch control about half of America's broadcast news.
Trump may be a liar, but without the unrelenting media distractions, distortions and outright lies of Rupert Murdoch's mass media manipulation machine - Trump wouldn't be president. And it's likely going to get worse, before it gets better.
Jefferson said that eternal vigilance is the price of democracy [although John Philpot Curran, an Irish lawyer, is reported to have been the first to make this statement in 1790]. Perhaps growing up in America in the latter half of the 20th century, we had things too easy, and ignored the importance of our civic duty, thus allowing our legislators and the media to go unchecked.
Again Jefferson comes to mind, as he is reported to have said, "Those who think they can remain ignorant and be free, believe in something that never was and never will be."
If we, as a nation, are relying on the lies of politicians or the corrupted information provided by inaccurate, unreliable and dishonest 'news' outlets - to have discussions and make decisions about political candidates, government officials and public policy - then we are allowing these swindlers to manipulate us through their dishonesty. And fraudulent people are invariably out to enrich themselves, at the expense of the suckers they deceive.
The jury is still out on Smollett, BUT he reportedly came back to his room that night with the 'noose' still around his neck, was slow to turn over his phone to the police AND had redacted records he claimed were personal, and following the Chicago police meeting with the two brothers identified in the surveillance cameras and with whom Smollett once worked [they appeared to allege it was a Smollett instigated hoax], Smollett has avoided fulfilling the Chicago Police request to meet for further questioning. None of this seems like the behavior of an innocent man, but in this country a man is still innocent until proven guilty.
What could have been Smollett's motive? Is Smollett, like the Donald and the man who controls the network upon which Smollett's show airs [Rupert Murdoch's Fox], willing to do anything for ratings? I reckon that in time, we may get the answer to that question.
Remember that a government of the People, by the People and for the People will not work if the People aren't actively engaged in the political, government and public policy process.
Best wishes to you and yours on Presidents Day.
