Was the whole thing a big psyop? Alex Jones discusses the esoteric nature of the Qanon movement and describes how and why occultism appeals to people throughout history.

How often do most people‚ experiencing server errors and slow internet speeds‚ chalk it up to poor service? Who would suspect the government of being behind server errors and slow internet speeds? “No president from either party should have the sole power to shut down or take control of the internet or any other of our communication channels during an emergency.”—Senator Rand Paul What’s to stop the U.S. government from throwing the kill switch and shutting down phone and internet communications in a time of so-called crisis? After all‚ it’s happening all over the world. Communications kill switches have become tyrannical tools of domination and oppression to stifle political dissent‚ shut down resistance‚ forestall election losses‚ reinforce military coups‚ and keep the populace isolated‚ disconnected and in the dark‚ literally and figuratively. As the Guardian reports‚ “From Ukraine to Myanmar‚ government-run internet outages are picking up pace around the world. In 2021‚ there were 182 shutdowns in 34 countries… Countries across Africa and Asia have turned to shutdowns in a bid to control behaviour‚ while India‚ largely in the conflict-ridden region of Jammu and Kashmir‚ plunged into digital darkness more times than any other last year… Civil unrest in Ethiopia and Kazakhstan has triggered internet shutdowns as governments try to prevent political mobilisation and stop news about military suppression from emerging.”Winter Sun Plus is NOW 40% off! Boost your natural defenses with this powerful vitamin D3 and K formula! In an internet-connected age‚ killing the internet is tantamount to bringing everything—communications‚ commerce‚ travel‚ the power grid—to a standstill. Tyrants and would-be tyrants rely on this “cloak of darkness” to advance their agendas. In Myanmar‚ for example‚ the internet shutdown came on the day a newly elected government was to have been sworn in. That’s when the military staged a digital coup and seized power. Under cover of a communications blackout that cut off the populace from the outside world and each other‚ the junta “carried out nightly raids‚ smashing down doors to drag out high-profile politicians‚ activists and celebrities.” These government-imposed communications shutdowns serve to not only isolate‚ terrorize and control the populace‚ but also underscore the citizenry’s lack of freedom in the face of the government’s limitless power. Yet as University of California Irvine law professor David Kaye explains‚ these kill switches are no longer exclusive to despotic regimes. They have “migrated into a toolbox for governments that actually do have the rule of law.” This is what digital authoritarianism looks like in a technological age. Digital authoritarianism‚ as the Center for Strategic and International Studies cautions‚ involves the use of information technology to surveil‚ repress‚ and manipulate the populace‚ endangering human rights and civil liberties‚ and co-opting and corrupting the foundational principles of democratic and open societies‚ “including freedom of movement‚ the right to speak freely and express political dissent‚ and the right to personal privacy‚ online and off.” For those who insist that it can’t happen here‚ it can and it has. In 2005‚ cell service was disabled in four major New York tunnels‚ reportedly to avert potential bomb detonations via cell phone. In 2009‚ those attending President Obama’s inauguration had their cell signals blocked—again‚ same rationale. And in 2011‚ San Francisco commuters had their cell phone signals shut down‚ this time‚ to thwart any possible protests over a police shooting of a homeless man. With shutdowns becoming harder to detect‚ who’s to say it’s not still happening? Although an internet kill switch is broadly understood to be a complete internet shutdown‚ it can also include a broad range of restrictions such as content blocking‚ throttling‚ filtering‚ complete shutdowns‚ and cable cutting. As Global Risk Intel explains: “Content blocking is a relatively moderate method that blocks access to a list of selected websites or applications. When users access these sites and apps‚ they receive notifications that the server could not be found or that access was denied by the network administrator. A more subtle method is throttling. Authorities decrease the bandwidth to slow down the speed at which specific websites can be accessed. A slow internet connection discourages users to connect to certain websites and does not arouse immediate suspicion. Users may assume that connection service is slow but may not conclude that this circumstance was authorized by the government. Filtering is another tool to censor targeted content and erases specific messages and terms that the government does not approve of.” How often do most people‚ experiencing server errors and slow internet speeds‚ chalk it up to poor service? Who would suspect the government of being behind server errors and slow internet speeds? Then again‚ this is the same government that has subjected us to all manner of encroachments on our freedoms (lockdowns‚ mandates‚ restrictions‚ contact tracing programs‚ heightened surveillance‚ censorship‚ overcriminalization‚ shadow banning‚ etc.) in order to fight the COVID-19 pandemic‚ preserve the integrity of elections‚ and combat disinformation. These tactics have become the tools of domination and oppression in an internet-dependent age. It really doesn’t matter what the justifications are for such lockdowns. No matter the rationale‚ the end result is the same: an expansion of government power in direct proportion to the government’s oppression of the citizenry. According to Global Risk Intel‚ there are many motives behind such restrictions: “For instance‚ the kill switch serves to censor content and constrain the spread of news. This particularly concerns news reports that cover police brutality‚ human rights abuses‚ or educational information. Governments may also utilize the kill switch to prevent government-critical protestors from communicating through message applications like WhatsApp‚ Facebook‚ or Twitter and organizing mass demonstrations. Therefore‚ internet restrictions can provide a way of regulating the flow of information and hindering dissent. Governments reason that internet limitations help stop the spread of fake news and strengthen national security and public safety in times of unrest.” In this age of manufactured crises‚ emergency powers and technofascism‚ the government already has the know-how‚ the technology and the authority. Now all it needs is the “right” crisis to flip the kill switch. This particular kill switch can be traced back to the Communications Act of 1934. Signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt‚ the Act empowers the president to suspend wireless radio and phone services “if he deems it necessary in the interest of national security or defense” during a time of “war or a threat of war‚ or a state of public peril or disaster or other national emergency‚ or in order to preserve the neutrality of the United States.” In the event of a national crisis‚ the president has a veritable arsenal of emergency powers that override the Constitution and can be activated at a moment’s notice. These range from imposing martial law and suspending habeas corpus to shutting down all forms of communications‚ restricting travel and implementing a communications kill switch. That national emergency can take any form‚ can be manipulated for any purpose and can be used to justify any end goal—all on the say so of the president. The seeds of this ongoing madness were sown several decades ago when George W. Bush stealthily issued two presidential directives that granted the president the power to unilaterally declare a national emergency‚ which is loosely defined as “any incident‚ regardless of location‚ that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties‚ damage‚ or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population‚ infrastructure‚ environment‚ economy‚ or government functions.“ Comprising the country’s Continuity of Government (COG) plan‚ these directives (National Security Presidential Directive 51 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20)‚ which do not need congressional approval‚ provide a skeletal outline of the actions the president will take in the event of a “national emergency.” Just what sort of actions the president will take once he declares a national emergency can barely be discerned from the barebones directives. However‚ one thing is clear: in the event of a perceived national emergency‚ the COG directives give unchecked executive‚ legislative and judicial power to the president. The country would then be subjected to martial law by default‚ and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights would be suspended. The internet kill switch is just one piece of the government’s blueprint for locking down the nation and instituting martial law. There may be many more secret powers that presidents may institute in times of so-called crisis without oversight from Congress‚ the courts‚ or the public. These powers do not expire at the end of a president’s term. They remain on the books‚ just waiting to be used or abused by the next political demagogue. Given the government’s penchant for weaponizing one national crisis after another in order to expand its powers and justify all manner of government tyranny in the so-called name of national security‚ it’s only a matter of time before this particular emergency power to shut down the internet is activated. Then again‚ an all-out communications blackout is just a more extreme version of the technocensorship that we’ve already been experiencing at the hands of the government and its corporate allies. Packaged as an effort to control the spread of speculative or false information in the name of national security‚ restricting access to social media has become a popular means of internet censorship. In fact‚ these tactics are at the heart of several critical cases before the U.S. Supreme Court over who gets to control‚ regulate or remove what content is shared on the internet: the individual‚ corporate censors or the police state. Nothing good can come from techno-censorship. As Glenn Greenwald writes for The Intercept: “The glaring fallacy that always lies at the heart of pro-censorship sentiments is the gullible‚ delusional belief that censorship powers will be deployed only to suppress views one dislikes‚ but never one’s own views… Facebook is not some benevolent‚ kind‚ compassionate parent or a subversive‚ radical actor who is going to police our discourse in order to protect the weak and marginalized or serve as a noble check on mischief by the powerful. They are almost always going to do exactly the opposite: protect the powerful from those who seek to undermine elite institutions and reject their orthodoxies. Tech giants‚ like all corporations‚ are required by law to have one overriding objective: maximizing shareholder value. They are always going to use their power to appease those they perceive wield the greatest political and economic power.“ As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries‚ these censors are laying the groundwork to preempt any “dangerous” ideas that might challenge the power elite’s stranglehold over our lives. Whatever powers you allow the government and its corporate operatives to claim now‚ whatever the reason might be‚ will at some point in the future be abused and used against you by tyrants of your own making. By the time you add AI technologies‚ social credit systems‚ and wall-to-wall surveillance into the mix‚ you don’t even have to be a critic of the government to get snared in the web of digital censorship. Eventually‚ as George Orwell predicted‚ telling the truth will become a revolutionary act. Deep State To Remove Joe Biden At DNC In July

by Craig Hemke‚ Sprott Money: The year ahead will be volatile and‚ at times‚ quite frustrating for the precious metals. Already in the first two weeks‚ we’ve seen some significant down days as well as one very nice up day. Expect this type of trading to continue as January grinds toward February. As the year […]

from 21st Century Wire: Few will argue that justice in the United States today operates under a double standard – where politics and power often prevail over principle. Nothing demonstrates this institutional affection more that the Biden family corruption scandal. At nearly every turn in this investigation‚ the same pattern emerges‚ where both U.S. and […]

Ten years ago‚ when Michael Hall retired as dean of students at the Pacific Northwest College of Art and began to spend more time at home‚ he noticed an ear-splitting noise — something he’d never been around during the day to hear. “The neighbor’s contractor was rattling my windows and assaulting my ears!” he says. One day‚ he went out and met the contractor at the curb and said‚ “Can you dial back on the leaf blower? There’s only 10 feet between our houses and it’s really a nuisance.” The contractor responded‚ “If you kept better care of that side of your house‚ I wouldn’t have to do that.”   That launched Hall on a mission that he’s still leading to this day. “At first I started out as Don Quixote out there‚ tilting at windmills‚” says Hall‚ who describes himself as an old Berkeley hippie. Today he’s not only a co-chair of Quiet Clean PDX‚ a grassroots organization that’s pushing to ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers city-wide‚ but part of a growing national movement. More than 100 US cities have banned gas-powered leaf blowers and over 45 different organizations across the country are part of the Quiet Clean Alliance‚ from Quiet Clean Philly to Quiet Clean Seattle.   Not only do gas-powered leaf blowers create extreme noise pollution — the most powerful can produce sounds of up to 100 decibels of low-frequency noise‚ around the same as a Boeing 737 taking off — they are also an environmental menace and a threat to human health. Most have what’s called a “two-stroke engine‚” an outmoded design that burns a mix of gas and oil (for lubrication). It’s been shown that because this type of equipment doesn’t have catalytic converters‚ only two-thirds of the gas and oil mix is burned as fuel. The rest is emitted as toxic fumes of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)‚ two of the main ingredients in ground-level ozone‚ which both trigger asthma attacks and contribute to premature death. In fact‚ according to the California Air Resources Board‚ a single operator using a gas leaf blower for one hour generates the same smog-forming emissions as one car driving 1‚100 miles. These small devices also leak formaldehyde and benzene‚ both of which are known carcinogens. And the people who are most impacted by these toxic fumes? The lawn care workers who use them‚ many of whom are from lower socio-economic backgrounds. After that‚ children‚ the elderly and anyone who is ill are the most impacted — and unlike landscapers‚ they aren’t wearing protective gear.  A single operator using a gas-powered leaf blower for one hour generates the same smog-forming emissions as one car driving 1‚100 miles. Credit: Bob Pool / Shutterstock Finally‚ these relatively small devices also emit tons (literally) of carbon dioxide‚ the leading cause of global warming. According to the latest data from the EPA‚ fossil fuel-powered lawn equipment (including not just leaf blowers but trimmers‚ mowers‚ weedwackers‚ etc.) emits 30 million tons of carbon dioxide in the US each year — more than the amount of greenhouse gases that Los Angeles produced in 2021.  The high-decibel noise pollution of a gas-powered leaf blower is not just obnoxious and disruptive; it can actually cause tinnitus and hearing loss for the workers who use them (or anyone who is close to one for a full hour). In an article in The Atlantic about his antipathy to gas-powered leaf blowers‚ journalist (and former Jimmy Carter speechwriter) James Fallows explained why the low-frequency buzz of these devices is especially insidious. “Low-frequency noise has a great penetrating power: It goes through walls‚ cement barriers‚ and many kinds of hearing-protection devices‚” writes Fallows. The upshot is that even if crews are wearing ear protection‚ they’ll likely suffer hearing loss after long-term repeated use.  When it comes to changing the status quo‚ California is in the lead‚ as usual‚ being the first state to require manufacturers to make zero-emission lawn equipment including leaf blowers‚ lawn mowers and other small off-road lawn equipment. (The law went into effect this month). Though the law doesn’t ban existing gas-powered leaf blowers or lawn mowers‚ the California legislature has also allocated $30 million in incentives for individuals and landscaping businesses to make the switch to zero-emission lawn equipment.  Crushed by negative news? Sign up for the Reasons to be Cheerful newsletter. [contact-form-7] Cities from Burlington‚ Vermont to Evantston‚ Illinois have banned the sale and use of gas-powered leaf blowers along with one county: Montgomery County‚ Maryland. At least 25 cities across California have enacted legislation to regulate or ban gas-powered leaf blowers including Oakland‚ Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara.   But the gold standard‚ according to Hall from Quiet Clean PDX‚ is Quiet Clean D.C. James Fallows and Chuck Elkins‚ former director of the Noise Control Program at the EPA‚ led the charge years ago and after a three-year phase-in‚ the ban finally went into effect in 2022. By all accounts‚ it has been successful. What sets Washington‚ D.C.’s ban apart is its broad prohibition of gas-powered blowers (it is both illegal to use them and illegal to sell them in District stores); a three-year ramp-up that allowed for education and compliance; and no-nonsense enforcement. According to Hall‚ “They’ve got it set up where a citizen affidavit can be filed to the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection and then the Department sends‚ at first‚ a warning. They didn’t want it to be punitive‚ they wanted it to be an educational issue for the mow and blow guys‚” he says. After that first warning‚ fines of up to $500 are issued.  Electric leaf blowers are expensive — but once you have one‚ you never have to buy oil or gas again. Credit: JacZia / Shutterstock There are many arguments against the bans. Some landscapers argue that the electric blowers aren’t as powerful. Others complain about the expense of buying all new equipment. Hall from Quiet Clean PDX understands that people have a deep relationship with their tools and may be reluctant to part with them. But he points out that there’s also an economic benefit to converting. It costs about $2‚000 to get a top-of-the-line electric leaf blower (including charger and batteries)‚ but the return on investment is only a year or two at most. After that‚ you never have to buy gasoline or oil again.  The Santa Cruz Coalition for a Healthy &; Safe Environment recently published a study on the economics of switching and found that even in the most expensive scenario‚ for a high-performance Stihl battery blower‚ the savings are significant. Though the up-front cost of this device is $2‚261 (including tax)‚ the coalition found‚ a positive return on investment is seen in just 10.5 months. By the end of the second year‚ using the electric blower would already have saved $2‚904.   Nick Seagraves‚ who runs Seagraves Landscaping in West Linn‚ Oregon‚ has been a landscaper for 40 years. He only started using electric devices a few years ago‚ mostly because Lake Oswego’s Department of Parks &; Recreation (a client) required it. He has a crew of 14 and says that his guys like the electric blowers. “They actually prefer them‚” he admits. That said‚ he says that even the Husqvarna electric models he purchased don’t put out quite as much energy as the gas blowers. But now that he has them‚ he says homeowner associations that have long been clients really appreciate them. “It gives us an edge‚” he says.  Become a sustaining member today! Join the Reasons to be Cheerful community by supporting our nonprofit publication and giving what you can. Join Many cities (including D.C. and Dallas) are offering rebates or trade-in programs for quieter and less polluting electric blowers‚ which helps lessen the initial cost of switching over. On January 1 of this year‚ a new law went into effect in Colorado giving residents a 30 percent discount on all electric lawn mowers‚ leaf blowers‚ trimmers‚ and snow blowers. Back in Portland‚ Quiet Clean PDX is working to get county commissioners to vote on the issue this year. Does Hall hope that Quiet Clean PDX will eventually take up the crusade against electric leaf blowers‚ too? Even though they don’t emit benzene or VOCs‚ they still generate propulsive wind speeds of up to 200 miles per hour‚ stirring up ultrafine particles of demolition debris‚ fecal matter‚ pollens‚ pesticides‚ dirt and debris‚ and industrial pollutants.  Courtesy of the Xerces Society Hall is philosophical. “Yes‚ it would be great to Make America Rake Again‚” he says. He is a proponent of Leave the Leaves‚ a campaign initiated by the Xerces Society‚ a nonprofit committed to protecting pollinators and other invertebrates. Pollinators‚ it turns out‚ find their homes in leaves that are a few inches thick. “We’ve had a tremendous uptick in birds since we started leaving the leaves‚” Hall says.  But Hall’s main focus is eliminating gas-powered blowers. Though he started out most offended by the devices’ noise pollution‚ he’s now more panicked about the carbon dioxide they emit. “It’s an existential issue right now‚” Hall says.  “I’ve become oddly more incremental in my thinking‚” he says. He points to a quote by Martin Luther King‚ Jr.: “If I cannot do great things‚ I can do small things in a great way.”  “If my contribution can be getting off the polluting‚ death-creating bottom line with lawn equipment‚” Hall says‚ “that’s what I’d like to do with the remainder of my life.”   The post The Movement to ‘Make America Rake Again’ appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

Thousands of members of the pro-life movement will gather in Washington‚ D.C.‚ on Friday for the 51st annual March for Life. While there is plenty for marchers to celebrate in light of 50 years of hard work that resulted in Roe v. Wade being overturned in 2022‚ the movement has suffered big losses over the past year and a half.  Since Roe v. Wade was overturned‚ every single pro-life ballot measure has failed‚ regardless of whether the vote was in a red or blue state. Even in largely conservative states such as Montana and Kentucky‚ measures intended to protect the unborn have been voted down.  “The pro-life side has lost seven out of the past seven ballot initiatives at the state level—a perfect record of failure‚” Sen. Marco Rubio‚ R-Fla.‚ told The Daily Signal on Tuesday in an exclusive discussing his plan for how the Republican Party can turn the tide on abortion.  In a recent piece for Newsweek‚ Charles Camosy‚ professor of medical humanities at Creighton University School of Medicine‚ wrote “For data-driven pro-lifers‚ it is no exaggeration to say that our post-Roe v. Wade reality in the United States has been a disaster.”  In November‚ writer-editor Carmel Richardson wrote for The American Conservative: “The pro-life movement has been rhetorically apologizing for Dobbs [v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization] ever since it was handed down‚ trying to prove its moderation with compromise and sidestepping‚ as though suddenly ashamed of the belief that human life begins at the moment of conception.”  Whether among politicians‚ medical professionals‚ or journalists‚ there is widespread agreement that something has gone wrong in the fight for life and that change is needed if mothers are to be supported and babies’ lives saved.  On today’s edition of the “Problematic Women” podcast‚ we discuss the issues the pro-life movement is facing‚ why all the pro-life ballot measures have failed‚ and‚ most importantly‚ what can be done to restore a culture of life in America and see state pro-life measures finally pass.  Also on today’s show‚ we discuss why New Jersey has redefined infertility to include same-sex couples and single persons. And America is not the only one having a major election this year. Taiwan’s election Saturday sent a clear message to China. We explain why. And as always‚ we crown our “Problematic Woman of the Week.” Listen to the podcast below:  Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.  The post After Pro-Life Movement Suffers Ballot Losses‚ Its Strategy‚ Tactics Need to Change appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Even before Tuesday‚ Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had‚ to quote Ricky Ricardo‚ some ’splainin to do. Austin‚ as you will no doubt recall‚ was AWOL from his position for the first week of the month. First‚ we were told it was due to an "elective procedure" -- implying some...

With President Joe Biden's approval rating reaching a new low this week and with former President Donald Trump consistently ahead of him in polls‚ the temptation for Democrats to replace their presumptive nominee will continue to grow. And a name that consistently comes up is former first lady Michelle Obama....

If there was any player the sports media wanted to hear from on the first weekend of the NFL playoffs‚ it had to be quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud‚ a rookie first-round pick by the Houston Texans‚ a team in the basement of the AFC South last season‚ looked like anything...

"Just because you can doesn't mean you should." That enduring quote‚ often attributed to American writer William C. Taylor‚ was a thought echoed by numerous consumers when some of the more off-the-wall ideas were unveiled at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The event began Tuesday‚ and will...