he American College of National Security leadershas sent this message to President Trump, urging him to NOT go to war with Iran
______________________________
Dear Mr. President,
We write to you to express our deep concern with the current escalation with Iran in the Arabian Gulf. The mutual animosity between the United States and Iran, the accelerated deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region, and reports of Iranian preparations for attacks on U.S. military and diplomatic facilities are highly concerning and make for a potentially deadly confrontation. A war with Iran, either by choice or miscalculation, would produce dramatic repercussions in an already destabilized Middle East and drag the United States into another armed conflict at immense financial, human, and geopolitical cost.
As national security professionals with extensive careers in the U.S. armed forces and diplomatic service, we have witnessed first-hand how quickly disputes can spiral out of control. The lack of direct communication between U.S. and Iranian political and military leaders during a time of heightened rhetoric only increases the possibility of a miscalculation resulting in unintended military conflict. Washington and Tehran are talking past each other and taking actions the other views as dangerously provocative at best and the beginning of forceful action at worst.
We were heartened by your reported desire to avoid war with Iran in favor of other tools, including common-sense diplomacy. While economic sanctions against Iran have had the beneficial effect of reducing financial support for Hezbollah in Lebanon, these, as well as military threats against Iran have thus far proved ineffective in changing the regime's behavior and have likely reaffirmed the beliefs of Tehran's hardline elements that compromise with the United States is impossible.
As President and Commander-in-Chief, you have considerable power at your disposal to immediately reduce the dangerous levels of regional tension. Crisis de-escalation measures should be established with the Iranian leadership at the senior levels of government as a prelude to exploratory diplomacy on matters of mutual concern. The protection of U.S. national interests in the Middle East and the safety of our friends and allies requires thoughtful statesmanship and aggressive diplomacy rather than unnecessary armed conflict.
Sincerely,
Rear Adm. Sandy Adams, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Clara Adams-Ender, U.S. Army (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Ricardo Aponte, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Vice Adm. Donald Arthur, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Donna Barbisch, U.S. Army (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Roosevelt Barfield, U.S. Army (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Donald C. Bolduc, U.S. Army (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Stephen A. Cheney, U.S. Marine Corps (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Julia Cleckley, U.S. Army (ret.) | Ambassador Herman J. Cohen (ret.) | Rear Adm. Christopher Cole, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Peter Cooke, U.S. Army (ret.) | Vice Adm. Dirk Debbink, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Brig. Gen. James H. Doty Jr, U.S. Army (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, U.S. Army (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Mari K Eder, U.S. Army (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Robert J. Felderman, U.S. Army (ret.) | Vice Adm. Michael Franken, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Lt. Gen. Walter Gaskin, U.S. Marine Corps (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Robert A. Glacel, U.S. Army (ret.) | Rear Adm. Stephen Glass, JAGC, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Vice Adm. Kevin P. Green, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Richard S. Haddad, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Irv Halter, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Rear Adm. Jan Hamby. U.S. Navy (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Bob Harding, U.S. Army (ret.) | Rear Adm. Charles Harr, MD, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Rear Adm. Len Hering, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Donald D. Harvel, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Major General Sanford E. Holman, U.S. Army (ret.) | Ambassador Richard Holwill, (ret.) | Ambassador Vicki Huddleston, (ret.) | Ambassador Cameron Hume, (ret.) | Brig. Gen. David R. Irvine, U.S. Army (ret.) | Lt. Gen. Arlen D. Jameson, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Ambassador Dennis Jett, (ret.) | Brig. Gen. John H. Johns, U.S. Army (ret.) | Ambassador Patrick Kennedy, (ret.) | Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, U.S. Army (ret.) | Ambassador Jimmy Kolker, (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Dennis Laich, U.S. Army (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Steven J. Lepper, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Phil Leventis, U.S. Army (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Donald Loranger, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Randy Manner, U.S. Army (ret.) | Ambassador Edward Marks, (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Frederick H. Martin, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Carlos E. Martinez, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Mr. J. R. McBrien, Senior Executive Service, Treasury (ret.) | Lt. Gen. John W. Morgan III, U.S. Army (ret.) | Maj. Gen. David Morris, U.S. Army (ret.) | Adm. John Nathman, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Brig. Gen. J. Scott O’Meara, U.S. Marine Corps (ret.) | Rear Adm. David Oliver, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Eric T. Olson, U.S. Army (ret.) | Ambassador Richard G. Olson, (ret.) | Lt. Gen. Charles P. Otstott, U.S. Army (ret.) | Rear Adm. Glenn Phillips, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Phillips, U.S. Army (ret.) | Maj. Gen. John Phillips, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock, U.S. Army (ret.) | Ambassador Charles Ray, (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Ronald Rokosz, U.S. Army (ret.) | Brig. Gen. John M. Schuster, U.S. Army (ret.) | Rear Adm. Joe Sestak, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Paul Smith, U.S. Army (ret.) | Rear Adm. Michael E. Smith, U.S. Navy (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Francis X. Taylor, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Maj. Gen. F. Andrew Turley, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Ambassador Edward Walker, (ret.) | Brig. Gen. George Walls, U.S. Marine Corps (ret.) | Brig. Gen. John Watkins, U.S. Army (ret.) | Lt. Gen. Willie Williams, U.S. Marine Corps (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Dan Woodward, U.S. Air Force (ret.) | Brig. Gen. Stephen N. Xenakis, U.S. Army (ret.) | Maj. Gen. David T. Zabecki, U.S. Army (ret.) |
Prediction on the upcoming food shortage
I don't usually make predictions, but this one is easy to see. Here is what is going to happen:
Due to too much rain, flooding, and soaked fields practically everywhere, a probable majority of American farmers will either plant so late they get lower yields, or they will not plant at all. Those who plant, even those who planted on time, are going to see reduced yields overall due to continued excessive rain that is simply too much for the crops, coupled with crop damage from severe storms and tornados. This may sound silly to people who don't know what happens in agriculture, but severe storms are HORRIBLE on corn and wheat. If there is no hail, soybeans and potatoes survive severe storms better, but that's really not where it is "at" when it comes to store shelves.
Canada is likely to have an absolute bumper crop, but it will not be enough to make up for American losses. Corn is going to be hit the hardest, because Canada is not a good growing place for corn. However, wheat is going to do just fine in Canada.
The end result: No one is going to starve, but there will be drastic increases in meat prices and even things like bread and pasta will cost more. Canada is going to reduce the impact with wheat based products because their growing conditions are prime this year, but anything corn based is going to go BONKERS, and that includes beef, which is corn fed to an enormous degree.
The impact from all of this has not hit yet, STOCK UP.
BUY YOUR EMERGENCY FOODS NOW
There is a looming disaster that has not happened yet, but it certainly could. This is not a clickbait bluff,
It is not a disaster yet, but with the weather the way it has been lately, and continues to be, it could easily become a disaster.
My advice, is as usual, to buy LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of the cheapest stuff you eat in your regular diet (pasta is a good choice, as is rice) and start using it before it expires. If it is not canned it will get buggy, you have to buy stuff you really will eat in your normal daily life if it is not canned. Obviously canned foods and things like peanut butter last a long time unopened and are gold when tshtf. Most likely Americans are not going to starve from this, but food prices could easily skyrocket. Now is the time to get ahead of the curve, the answer will start to arrive in a couple months.
Conservative shift in the EU?
Just watch. Nothing will be lost by the left and the balance of power will stay the same. But the media will squelch public dissent towards the "same old same old" by saying "The right made many gains in the election, WOW, what happened? But miraculously, every last key position the left needs will be taken and the status quo will continue.
Will the recent attempt to outright kill Huawei work?
Here is the reality: Huawei was a sparkling gem of a company making top tier products, that was not in debt, has brilliant engineers, and probable backing of the Chinese government. Being denied all rights to use Android would be survivable, because the Chinese have already released their own viable operating systems and Linux is open source. They won't be without an OS, they could scrape something up quick. The bigger obstacle is not being allowed to use ARM tech. But I am having my doubts about this actually being an obstacle after their own design enhancements produced the most powerful ARM based chip to date. They are not stupid.
Only time will tell, and we'll know in six months if Huawei is dead or not. It is a safe bet that Huawei was shut down only because the Mate 20 pro was so awesome and the subsequent models even more awesome, blowing away everything else from Apple, Samsung, and more. Huawei HAD TO be killed before they took the phone market away from the NSA. They were poised to do it. We will wait and see what happens with this.
IF I WAS CHINA: I would immediately stop all manufacture of all ARM processors for ALL vendors and not only ban Apple, I'd kick their manufacturing out also, along with Nike and everyone else. This is obviously war, and if China struck back like that, they'd instantly bankrupt MAJOR top tier American corporations and would probably even destroy Samsung. They could do it with ease. In my opinion, they would be stupid not to.
NOT RUMOR: Adam Schiff has told intelligence leaders to resign rather than comply with Declass.
TOLD YOU SO. The system is so subverted the chances of declass actually happening are slim.
Julian Assange near death
Basically it is stating that after the "removal" from the embassy, which I am certain was the second removal, done for show, the Brits went totally bonkers with the drugs and torture, and have put him in the prison hospital at the edge of death. The claim is now that they intend to erase his intellect totally (but my belief is they already did that long ago to a lesser degree) and that Ecuador played along with it all for a $5 billion payoff. At any rate, Assange may well die from this.
I am reluctant to post other people's stuff on this topic, because I firmly believe I am the only one that nailed it. However, Lew Rockwell has an excellent piece written by Lieutenant Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski that's going to fill in a lot of detail on the topic of Assange, and as long as it is read in the context of Assange being removed, returned, removed again and now they are REALLY destroying him, it's worthy of a link. I don't like how she starts out with a Trump rip, but after that, she gets right down to business explaining what is likely to be happening to Assange, in great detail.
Bilderberg meeting to be held in Switzerland on May 30
The meeting will take place at the Hotel Montreux Palace in the Swiss town of Montreux from Thursday to Sunday. They are faking "openness" by simply announcing it so late that no one can get there, but early enough to make it look like they are not hiding anything. The Swiss media report is here'
Corrupt judicial activism MUST BE STOPPED
If America is to come out on top after a civil war, ALL of these corrupted federal judges who screw the will of the people via "lawfare" need to be wiped out. Period. END OF DISCUSSION.
"Tsunami bombs cannot be real BULLSHIT getting rave reviews!
If you want to see an example of someone using "credentials" to spew B.S., while backing it up with a few loose facts and then making it sound all flowery, a a prime example is here.
The report, backed up by the USGS and other "intellectuals" claims that the power in tsunamis VASTLY exceeds the power in nuclear weapons, and some absolute fool with GREAT credentials made the claim that the 15 KT yield of the Hiroshima bomb could have powered Delhi India for 6 years. Ahh yes, the magic "6".
So take a look at the report, and here's the obvious debunk:
Earthquakes are measured for their seismic yield, and nukes are also rated for their seismic yield. Seismic yield is a perfect, immutable reference, that bypasses whatever crap math is in that report.
Tsar Bomba, the reduced power version that was set off, at 45 megatons, was worth an 8.7 earthquake. If an earthquake is what sets off a tsunami, the net energy in the tsunami cannot exceed that of the quake that caused it. Let me repeat that:
OBVIOUSLY, the net energy in a tsunami cannot exceed that of the quake that caused it.
Add losses such as ground shaking and harmonics, and no earthquake can trigger a tsunami that has more than a few percent of the total seismic yield in it's energy.
The ultimate for making tsunamis would be a nuke, which can drop ALL of it's energy directly into the water with few losses.
So why this backhanded effort to debunk nuclear tsunamis? Does Fukushima have anything to do with it?
This is why "they" want common core, with traditional education erased because anyone with a real education can challenge anyone using "credentials" to spew BULLSHIT.
Here's another beauty in that report: the claim that 15 KT yield could power Delhi for six years. Here's the debunk for that:
I got to admit, that claim flabbergasted me, because Delhi is SO ENORMOUS that It's metro transit system ALL BY ITSELF needs 300 megawatts to run. That's 30 percent of the output of an average BWR 3 nuclear reactor. So how much does 300 megawatt hours (which would get consumed by Delhi transit in ONE HOUR, which does not even consider what the city itself actually needs amount to in explosive yield PER HOUR? This nifty calculator makes finding out easy. DELHI'S TRANSIT SYSTEM ALONE uses .25 kilotons worth of "atomic bomb yield" PER HOUR. 10 hours - 2.5 kilotons. 100 hours? 25 kilotons, which is more than 15 kilotons and happens in a few days. BUT FOR THE COMMON CORE CROWD, IT IS SIX YEARS.
Be careful what you read folks, there's a LOT of "credentialed" CRAP out there. All debunkable with simple math and obvious logic.
Even if you can't understand the tsunami part, the B.S. claim about what the Hiroshima blast amounted to in equivalent electrical output ought to do it, the report is BUNK.
North Korea's KCNA just proved they are not "fake news"
First, I am going to show you the American MSM's partially "accurate" but heavily censored version (released on NBC) and then I will post what KCNA actually said. It is a LOT WORSE and has lots of stuff that will make Americans THINK. NBC did not, obviously, want to print that part.
From NBC news
North Korea has labeled Joe Biden a "fool of low IQ" and an "imbecile bereft of elementary quality as a human being" after the U.S. presidential hopeful called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a tyrant during a recent speech.
Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday said the former American vice president had insulted the country's supreme leadership and committed an "intolerable and serious politically motivated provocation" against the North.
Biden during a campaign launch in Philadelphia on Saturday accused President Donald Trump of cozying up to "dictators and tyrants" like Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"What he uttered is just sophism of an imbecile bereft of elementary quality as a human being, let alone a politician, " KCNA said.
It added: "There is nonstop comment over his bid for candidacy that he is not worth pinning hope on, backed by the jeer that he is a fool of low IQ, " KCNA said.
Here is what KCNA actually published. It's a lot worse, and 100 percent true.
Biden, Snob Bereft of Elementary Quality as Human Being
Former US Vice-President Biden has gone reckless and senseless, seized by ambition for power.
This presidential candidate from the Democratic Party during his recent election campaign reeled off rhetoric slandering the supreme leadership of the DPRK.
What he uttered is just sophism of an imbecile bereft of elementary quality as a human being, let alone a politician.
He has been accused even within the Democratic Party, to say nothing of the American society, for his vulgar words and acts with women and his thoughtless remarks.
It is well known to the world that he received a grade of F during his university days for plagiarizing other's article in his paper and was forced to give up running for presidency in 1988 for plagiarizing a speech of a British politician that led to a public furor.
It is by no means accidental that there is nonstop comment over his bid for candidacy that he is not worth pinning hope on, backed by the jeer that he is a fool of low IQ.
Even the American media derided him as a man with "manic-obsessive running of the mouth", saying that he likes giving a speech but he is not serious in his words.
Yet, he is self-praising himself as being the most popular presidential candidate. This is enough to make a cat laugh.
One has to wonder about the politics that will be pursued by such a thoughtless guy.
Such a guy had the temerity to insult the supreme leadership of the DPRK, an intolerable and serious politically-motivated provocation against the DPRK.
Explicitly speaking, DPRK will never pardon anyone who dare provoke its supreme leadership but will certainly make them pay for it.
Biden had better think back about the reason for his past two failures in presidential elections and remember that prudence commensurate with the objective is integral to a presidential candidate.
My comment: Well stated. It would be better without the "you insulted our supreme leader" but even with that, it is spot on.
Dozens of shoe retailers, including Nike and Adidas, sign letter to Trump urging a halt to tariffs
More than 170 shoe retailers, including Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, Foot Locker, Ugg and Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, have penned a letter to the White House asking President Donald Trump to consider a halt in raising tariffs on footwear imported from China.
It comes after the White House last week released a fresh list of about $300 billion in Chinese goods that could get hit with 25% tariffs, if Trump decides to move forward with his threat. The list includes footwear — everything from sneakers to sandals, golf shoes, rain boots and ski shoes.
The Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, a trade organization for its industry, has estimated the tariffs could cost shoe shoppers more than $7 billion each year.
FDRA said a popular type of canvas "skate" sneaker, currently retailing for $49.99, with a 25% tariff, could increase to $65.57. The price of a typical hunting boot would increase from $190 to $248.56. And a popular performance running shoe could jump from $150 to $206.25, FDRA said.
In a letter sent to Trump on Monday, dozens of retailers asked him to "immediately remove footwear" from being considered for additional taxation.
MY COMMENT:
I'll make a bet: The people who own the shoe companies that are "DEMANDING" Trump drop the tariffs are SLAVE DRIVING COMMIE LEFTIST HYPOCRITES, who virtue signal while performing abortions and drive "lesser people" into the trash. To hell with the American worker, you can't pay them a living wage and then score a 7X markup!
An excellent social media post
First hand experience with Chinese tariffs
The wholesaler I primarily dealt with gave notice last October of a 10% across the board price increase due to Chinese tariffs and that another 15% increase would come into effect in February. A total if 25% price increase, not only on their Chinese parts but all parts they sold. The bulk of this wholesaler's inventory was Chinese. Now, another wholesaler's pricing is generally better, so I've been buying from that one but I still shop around for every part. The wholesaler I'm using now has not increased their pricing. In fact, they have lowered it. This wholesaler stocks a greater percentage of US, Canadian and Mexican made parts and they are not feeling the full effects of the Chinese tariffs, to the point they are absorbing the increase in sales and making up profits on increased sales volume.
Bottom line, I have NOT found it necessary to increase my retail prices since the Chinese tariffs have gone into effect and it is likely that wholesalers who have pro-actively diversified their inventories to include non-Chinese products will be just fine also. This needed to be done. It is not only helping US manufacturers but Canadian, UK and Mexican manufacturers as well who are filling the void the US is creating with China.
Any wholesaler or retailer who finds their inventory not moving because of price increases will either have to sit on that inventory, which itself costs money, or eventually lower their prices again to liquidate it and then shop around to other importers to replenish it. All of this inventory coming in on Chinese cargo ships or sitting in import warehouses or transport hubs eventually has to enter the distribution chain, even if it has to be sold at a loss.
These Chinese tariffs are an upheaval. Trump really did kick the table over but wholesalers and retailers ARE making market adjustments to the point where the impact to the consumer will be minimal.
Arnold Schwarzenegger got attacked in South Africa
A quick comment:
Every last one of these Democrats pretends to support women's rights, and feminism. ALL OF THEM. Yet they allowed males to enter women's sports and blow them away. You can't tell me you are "all about helping women" if you are just going to let guys wipe them out. No matter how much you entertain the fantasy that transvestites are women, sports prove that is not the case, the fantasy has to end at least there. If it does not, then it becomes clear that the only sole lone unified objective is to create chaos and destruction of society, psychopaths and freaks are running the hen "house".
Great job Nancy, you just showed exactly what you and everyone around you really stands for.
Here's a creepy one: Law abiding man fined for avoiding facial recognition in Britain
Creepier: There's a reason why they will punish people for hiding their faces, because the real goal is to round up dissidents - which is why the law abiding will be punished this way.
From the Daily Mail
Police fined a pedestrian £90 for disorderly behaviour after he tried to cover his face when he saw a controversial facial recognition camera on a street in London.
Officers set up the camera on a van in Romford, East London, which then cross-checked photos of faces of passers-by against a database of wanted criminals.
But one man was unimpressed about being filmed and covered his face with his hat and jacket, before being stopped by officers who took his picture anyway.
After being pulled aside, the man told police: 'If I want to cover my face, I'll cover my face. Don't push me over when I'm walking down the street.'
My comment: Busted for covering his face with hat and jacket. Do I need to state the obvious with regard to this?
