Ep. 21 Dave Portnoy founded Barstool Sports and just completed the most impressive business transaction of our lifetime. He also just got into an epic fight and shared the video with us first. Watch. pic.twitter.com/W7AJ10kZni
by Viktor Vasiliev
The "Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions" (CTRI) announced the appointment of Bris Oligui Nguema, Commander of the Republican Guard of Gabon, as its head . Only in the morning, his name was chanted by the guards immediately after a successful coup, and just yesterday, an unknown military man, already on Wednesday afternoon, becomes the leader of an OPEC + member country that produces about 15 thousand barrels of oil per day.
Hours before, ousted President Ali Bongo himself appeared on video and urged his "friends" to "make a fuss" to prevent" what's going on in the country". He looked visibly confused.
If successful, the Gabon coup attempt would be the eighth military coup in Africa in the past three years. Along with coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
But there is a fundamental difference in the motives and causes of political revolutions in Gabon in comparison with the states of the Sahel zone.
In recent years, military coups have taken place against the background of the inability of the authorities to cope with the jihadist threat and against the backdrop of anti-French sentiment. Gabon is not threatened by terrorism, and it is one of the most developed and stable states of the Black Continent.
And despite the fact that Gabon was and remains one of the pearls of the Francafrique system and the traditional zone of influence and presence of Paris, neither the French Foreign Ministry, nor any other of the major Western powers or neighboring states made harsh statements and did not apply militant rhetoric against the putschists, as was the case, for example, with Niger.
International reaction
Let's analyze this fact in more detail, because it contains an understanding of what happened on Wednesday in Gabon can lead to.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres was the latest high-profile party to "strongly" condemn the Gabon coup d'état on Wednesday. Guterres is following the situation in Gabon "closely" and notes with "deep concern the announcement of election results amid reports of serious violations of fundamental freedoms".
"He strongly condemns the ongoing coup attempt as a means of resolving the post-election crisis," UN resources say.
The rest of the parties, interested in this or that development of the situation in Gabon, spoke in a surprisingly similar way.
"France condemns the military coup that is taking place in Gabon ," government spokesman Olivier Véran said, confirming that Paris was " closely following the development of the situation."
China has urged "stakeholders" in Gabon to "guarantee the security" of ousted President Ali Bongo.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Washington was "watching the situation closely" and assured diplomatic personnel and US soldiers stationed in Gabon were safe. He believes that the string of coups d'état in Africa in recent years is "deeply troubling" but believes it is "too early" to speak of it as a "trend".
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was "deeply concerned" and was "closely" following the situation in Gabon.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco, who is a childhood friend of Ali Bongo," emphasizes the importance of maintaining the stability of the brotherly country and the tranquility of its population" and "believes in the wisdom of the Gabonese nation".
Quite reasonable statements.
So far, there is not even a hint of sanctions against the new military authorities of Gabon, and even more so the threat of armed intervention.
The Economic Community of Central African Countries (ECCAS), which is an analogue of ECOWAS in Central Africa and which could take certain steps against the putschists, today did not even react in any way to the events in Gabon.
It was not until late Wednesday that the Chadian Foreign Ministry called for a return to constitutional order and initiated a general meeting of the ECCAS countries, which may take place in the coming days.
All this speaks in favor of the fact that the military coup is likely to maintain the current status quo - the interests of foreign players in Gabon will be preserved. This, among other things, was stated in the first statement of high-ranking military officers, which was played from early morning and all day on national television.
But how is this possible?
Bongo clan
And here we return to the personality of Bris Oligui Nguema. But even before that, to the personality of the most legendary Omar Bongo, the founder of the ruling Bongo dynasty and the entire numerous Bongo clan.
From 1967 to 2009, Omar Bongo managed to maintain control over the country, turning Gabon into one of the most stable, but at the same time closed and authoritarian states on the African continent.
Omar Bongo wrote the book “White as a Negro”, famous in Africa, on the basis of which he derived a national idea designed to unite the Gabonese, who represent 42 different ethnic groups. The main thesis of the ideology of Bongo: "Bantu civilization" came out of Ancient Egypt. That is why the Gabonese are the same white, only they became black in skin color due to the changed natural conditions after they left Ancient Egypt.
After the death of Omar Bongo, his son Ali took over the government of the country and continued the family tradition, although with less approval from the opposition, but more importantly, not all members of the clan agreed with his new role as ruler.
According to various sources, Omar Bongo had from 30 to 53 children from different women.
Three times he was officially married. All of his children also have their own relatives on the maternal side, including influential ones. Numerous children also appeared and grew up. That is, the clan became very numerous and began to be segmented into groups competing with each other.
What remains unchanged in this system is that all members of the clan, even in the case of a formal "disgrace", retain access to the distribution of material wealth and official positions in the country.
For example, until 2019, the Gabon intelligence service was headed by Frederic Bongo Ondimba . The National Agency for Digital Infrastructure and Radio Frequencies is headed by Alex Bongo Ondimba . Arthur Bongo was Ali Bongo's personal jet pilot, then manager of DGA Air Services, then manager of the state telephone company. His wife, Virginia, runs BGFI, whose shareholders include President Ali Bongo and his sister Pascaline. And so on, ad infinitum.
Among the numerous descendants of Omar Bongo and the various groups of the clan, Sylvia Valentin , a French businessman who worked in Africa, deserves special mention. After her marriage to Omar Bongo's son in 1989, Ali's mother-in-law Evelyn Valentin received the position of President Omar Bongo's secretary. Sylvia also took the position of Deputy Director of Marketing and Economic Development in the largest Gabonese real estate agency Gabon Immobilier. Also a year after the wedding, she opened the management company Alliance.
Having become the first lady of Gabon, Sylvia Valentin Bongo Ondimba created a charitable foundation, the activities of which are constantly reported by the local press.
The first Gabon couple has four children. The eldest son of Ali and Silvia Noureddine Bongo Valentin was appointed in December 2019 to the position of chief coordinator of presidential affairs.
Let us now return to the personality of General Bris Oligui Nguema, who was declared interim president and began his reign with an order to restore the broadcasting of international radio and television channels that turned out to be French. And their broadcast was banned due to a "biased and biased position" in the course of coverage of the electoral process, according to Ali Bongo's administration.
Let's start with the fact that Bris Oligui Nguema comes from the province of Haute-Ogüé, the cradle of the Bongo family. He owes his career to General Andre Oyini, who was actually an adjutant to the late Omar Bongo. Also seen in the ranks of the "Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions" (CTRI), which made a statement early Wednesday morning, Aimé-Vivian Oyini, the son of the late General André Oyini , is currently acting as Chief of Staff of the Republican Army.
Further, in the biography of a promising soldier, there comes a moment of cool relations with his son Ali Bongo, who replaced Omar Bongo. During this period, Nguema's diplomatic work abroad falls precisely.
He manages to return in 2019, at the initiative of Bris Lakkrush Alikhanga, whom he knew from childhood and who was Ali Bongo's chief of staff at the time. All of them, Bris Oligui Nguema, Aime-Vivian Oyini and Bris Lakkrush Alihangi, are in turn close to Nureddin Bongo-Valentin and Ali Bongo's first wife, Silvia Bongo.
In fact, we are talking about a palace revolution of one branch of the family against another.
Ethnic factor
There remains the ethnic factor, which is traditionally of great importance in Africa. In the case of Gabon, it also matters, but is not decisive.
Africa's New Ideology: Against LGBT, Against Covid, Against Colonialism
The Bongo family belongs to the Bateke people. This is about 30% of the country's population. While the majority of the country's population is made up of the Fang ethnic group, about 40%. The Fangs traditionally gravitate towards the opposition. Obviously, the Batek maintain a privileged position in society only if the Bongo clan remains in power. The military elite is a little more than completely made up of the same ethnic group.
Any other scenario can result in an open confrontation of approximately equal forces. In addition, since Gabon is the most modern and developed society, ethnic contradictions at the moment are no longer so pronounced.
In addition, according to rumors, Bris Oligui Nguema is of mixed origin (Bateke and Fang), and for this reason, the political opposition also supported him. But the determining factor is still kinship and membership in one of the groups of the Bongo clan, which entered into an agreement with the military elite through the young general.
Link goes to redstar.ru , which is only available via a VPN
By Maria Eleeseva
In memory of the great strategist.
August 31, 2023 marks the 170th anniversary of the birth of the Russian and Soviet military leader Alexei Brusilov. His name is forever associated with the brilliant, most effective strategic operation of the First World War, which went down in history under the figurative name "Brusilovsky breakthrough".
Alexey Alekseevich came from hereditary nobles of the Oryol province, whose ancestors were from the Commonwealth. Many representatives of his family connected life with military labor. Great-grandfather, grandfather and father served in the Russian army for two centuries. Continuing the dynasty, Alexei graduated from the Corps of Pages in St. Petersburg. It was the most privileged military educational institution of the Russian Empire, which trained officers for the Russian guard.
At first, the young man did not study very diligently, but in the senior class, when the classes were already only in military affairs, he began to study with great pleasure. He especially liked the exercises in cavalry riding.
In the summer of 1872, Alexei Brusilov, with the rank of ensign, arrived at his first place of service - in the 15th Tver Dragoon Regiment, stationed near Kutaisi. He was appointed junior platoon officer in the 1st squadron, and six months later - adjutant of the regiment. Soon he was promoted to lieutenant.
The first serious test of officer maturity for Brusilov was the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, in which the Tver dragoons were at the forefront of the Russian troops. The future commander fully knew the heavy battles in the defense and the furious assault on the fortresses, the swift cavalry attacks and the aching bitterness of farewell to the dead friends. During the seven months of the war, he earned three military orders and was promoted to staff captain.
In 1881 Alexei came to St. Petersburg again. As one of the best riders in the regiment, he won the right to enter the St. Petersburg officer cavalry school. Two years of intense study flew by unnoticed, but Captain Brusilov did not part with the "horse academy", as this school was then jokingly called. In August 1883, he was enrolled in it as an adjutant and connected his fate with this educational institution for a quarter of a century. Over the years, he became a major general, head of the school, created a system for training cavalrymen, won wide fame and appreciation in the army. The school he led was considered the best center for training senior officers for the cavalry.
In fact, Alexei Alekseevich at one time, perhaps the only one in the Russian army, called for the consistent implementation of the most important principle of military training: to teach troops to what is needed in war. And he, by the way, was the first to express the idea of the massive use of cavalry in major military operations of future wars, proposing the creation of cavalry armies, which was implemented during the Civil War by his followers.
In 1906, General Brusilov, having passed the rank of regiment and brigade commander, was appointed commander of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Division stationed in St. Petersburg, which included the oldest and most famous regiments in battle - the Life Guards Hussar, Horse Grenadier, Ulansky of Her Majesty and Dragunsky. From this position began the rapid growth of the now army career of the famous cavalryman.
By secular standards, the life of the general was successful: an excellent career, a good family. In addition to what was considered important, he was a member of the royal palace. But everything changes overnight. His wife died. Alexey Alekseevich experienced her loss very hard. Having applied for a new appointment, he left as commander of the 14th Army Corps, which was located on the western border, in the Kingdom of Poland, near the city of Lublin. Soon followed by the highest order for the production of A.A. Brusilov to lieutenant general.
Arriving at the place, he first changed the preparation
troops, in particular, introduced the military-scientific training of officers, and the rank and file began to be taught the basics of modern combat tactics: night combat, an unexpected maneuver to the flank and rear of the enemy, an offensive supported by artillery fire from closed positions.
Like the great Russian commander A.V. Suvorov, Aleksey Alekseevich put initiative, a conscious attitude to military duty at the forefront. In order to get better acquainted with the situation in the units entrusted to him, he often personally attended not only regimental exercises, but also company ones, which was rare for a commander of this rank. As a result, in a relatively short period of time, the combat training of the corps improved markedly.
On May 15, 1912, General Brusilov was appointed assistant commander of the Warsaw Military District. He was struck by the fact that all the key posts in the Warsaw top administration were exclusively Germans. Alexey Alekseevich, as a person dedicated to the cause, did not hide his negative attitude towards the situation in the district. He sent a letter to the Minister of War V.A. Sukhomlinov, in which he reported on the current situation and asked for a transfer to another military district.
In December 1912, he received the highest military rank in Russia at that time - a full general. On August 15, 1913, he was appointed commander of the 12th Army Corps in the Kiev District. This, of course, was not a promotion, but Brusilov reacted to the appointment with great joy.
This unit was one of the best, the largest in the Russian army in terms of numbers and firepower. As in his previous posts, Aleksey Alekseevich delved deeply into the preparation of the units and formations entrusted to him.
In April 1914, the largest staff war game before the war was held in Kyiv. In the presence of a narrow circle of senior military men, a future war with Germany and Austria-Hungary was played out on the map. This game, carried out on the basis of strategic plans for the deployment of Austrian
troops against Russia, obtained by Russian military intelligence, revealed many weaknesses in the plans of the Russian military command. But, unfortunately, they were not taken into account ...
With the beginning of the Great War, as the First World War was then called, during the mobilization of A.A. Brusilov took command of the 8th Army of the Southwestern Front, formed from two corps of the Kyiv and two corps of the Odessa military districts. Already in the first months, he showed that the Austro-Hungarian intelligence was cruelly mistaken about him, describing in one of the reports to the high command as a narrow-minded general who "can hardly cope with the position of corps commander." His army occupied the southern flank of the front from the Romanian border to Proskurov (now Khmelnitsky).
On August 5, literally on the second day after the poorly trained armies of the North-Western Front under the command of Generals A.V. Samsonov and P.K. Rennenkampf invaded East Prussia, listening to the desperate cries of the French for help, General Brusilov also launched offensive operations, only much more successful. Having quickly crossed the Sbruch River, which served as the state border, the troops of the 8th Army broke the resistance of the Austrians and rapidly advanced to the rivers Zolotaya Lipa and Rotten Lipa, where the battle took place.
At the right moments, using infantry and artillery reserves and using a roundabout maneuver, Alexey Alekseevich won this major clash with the enemy. For a military leader who did not have a military academic education, this was the first exam in a combat, rapidly changing environment. And he bore it with dignity. At the right moments, using infantry and artillery reserves and using a roundabout maneuver, Alexey Alekseevich won this major clash with the enemy.
For a military leader who did not have a military academic education, this was the first exam in a combat, rapidly changing environment. And he bore it with dignity. At the right moments, using infantry and artillery reserves and using a roundabout maneuver, Alexey Alekseevich won this major clash with the enemy. For a military leader who did not have a military academic education, this was the first exam in a combat, rapidly changing environment. And he bore it with dignity.
As a result of the successful actions of the troops of General Brusilov, the 8th and 3rd armies united and moved to Lvov, and so swiftly that the enemy, fearing encirclement, left the city. They also captured Galich, opening the way for the further advance of the Russian troops. So the Galich-Lvov operation of the left wing of the Southwestern Front, an integral part of the Battle of Galicia, one of the largest in the First World War, ended victoriously.
Brusilov's merits were awarded the Order of St. George 4th and 3rd degree - the highest military awards in Russia.
However, in May 1915, the enemy struck at the right flank of the Southwestern Front, and the 8th Army had to retreat with heavy fighting. To the credit of the commander, she retreated in an organized manner, under the cover of strong rearguards. In addition, for the first time in world practice, on a large scale, the Brusilovites used the destruction of bridges, ferry crossings, railroad tracks and other transport facilities on the enemy’s path, which significantly reduced the pace of his offensive.
In addition, they captured many prisoners and even carried out a counterattack, temporarily returning Lutsk and holding Rivne.
The successes of General Brusilov caused a surge of envy towards him in St. Petersburg.
In early 1915 he was awarded the rank of Adjutant General. But, as the tsar himself said, it was not given to him for military merit, but, it turns out, “for the highest visit” to the 8th Army and a good dinner at headquarters.
The Brusilovsky breakthrough is considered the only successful offensive operation of the First World War, and the commander of the Southwestern Front, Alexei Brusilov, went down in history as an offensive strategist, an innovative commander who made a great contribution to the development of military art
On March 17, 1916, Alexei Alekseevich was appointed commander of the Southwestern Front instead of the deposed General N.I. Ivanova. At that time, Russia's allies - the French, British and Italians - found themselves in a difficult position and began to implore the Russians to intensify operations on the Eastern Front in order to divert enemy forces from the western sector of the war.
On April 1, 1916, in Mogilev, at a meeting of front commanders and their chiefs of staff at the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, General M.V. Alekseev proposed to strike the main blow with the troops of the Western Front, where there was a double superiority over the Germans. The Southwestern Front was assigned a supporting role: M.V. Alekseev believed that these troops were not capable of a serious offensive.
But Aleksei Alekseevich categorically disagreed with the Chief of Staff of the Stavka and declared, that his troops not only can, but must advance. There are few examples in history when a military leader, putting his authority at stake, sought to complicate the task. The final word was with the Supreme Commander. Emperor Nicholas II, on the whole, did not mind, however, he warned that General Brusilov should rely only on his own strength.
Aleksey Alekseevich was destined to be the first in the world to successfully break through the enemy defenses in a positional war. The plan he developed was fundamentally different from the accepted methods of attack. Instead of the main blow with a "fist", it was proposed to act with "spread fingers" - simultaneously attack along the entire front in four points in order to disperse the attention, forces and means of the enemy, to prevent him from maneuvering reserves: units of the 8th army - in the direction of Lutsk, 11th - Zolochev, 7th - Stanislav (now Ivano-Frankivsk) and 9th - Kolomyia.
It was expected that the enemy troops remaining in the dead zones between the indicated four breakthrough vectors would inevitably abandon their positions under the threat of falling into the encirclement boilers or surrender. As a result, the Austro-Hungarian front, opposing the Southwestern, will completely collapse, Brusilov's plan, which many military leaders advised him to abandon right up to the start of the offensive, was never guessed by the enemy.
The preparations were kept secret. On June 4 (May 22, old style), 1916, at four in the morning, Russian artillery opened fire on the positions of the Austro-German troops, and only on reconnoitered targets. The algorithm of actions of the gunners was very skillfully planned: as soon as the fire stopped, the enemy left the shelters, filled the trenches, and then the Russian batteries opened fire again at the same sight settings. And so several times. And only at noon the Russian infantry went on the attack in waves (10-20 human waves).
Each company had an assault group of the most dexterous soldiers. Walking at the head of the attack, they eliminated firing points with grenades and massive machine-gun fire, clearing the way for the advancing comrades. The third-fourth waves quickly rolled over the first two, with fresh forces they took the third trench and artillery positions. This method then became widely used under the name "roll attack".
For the first time, batteries were allocated to accompany the advancing infantry, which immediately increased its independence and survivability. The role of escort was performed by mountain three-inch models of 1909. They were one and a half times lighter than a field gun, and the crew easily moved them behind the attacking infantry.
Artillery preparation proved to be extremely effective. For the first time, a front-line fighter aviation group was formed to fight for air supremacy on the Southwestern Front. She delivered bombing strikes and fired machine guns at enemy targets in the rear and on the battlefield.
The general offensive lasted until the twentieth of August. The enemy was driven back to a distance of 120 kilometers, Russian troops occupied Volhynia, almost all of Bukovina and part of Galicia. Their losses amounted to about 600,000 people.
But the number of killed, wounded and prisoners of the Austro-Hungarian army exceeded 1.5 million people. The combat readiness of the enemy was finally undermined. The Austrians had to suspend the offensive on the Italian front, which, in fact, saved Italy from defeat. The position of the Anglo-French units on the Western Front was significantly eased, and after the battle on the Somme, where 75,000 British were killed, the scales in this war finally tipped to the side of the Entente powers. Neutral Romania decided to enter the war on the side of this alliance.
The next act of the war was to be the complete defeat of the German troops standing against our Western and Northwestern fronts, where the Russians had a double numerical superiority. And what? But nothing. The commanders of these fronts did not support the success of the armies under the command of A.A. Brusilov, obtained at the cost of great blood. Due to the blatant lack of will of the high command and personally of Nicholas II, the strategic success achieved was not realized. Russia did not take advantage of a real chance to withdraw Austria-Hungary from the war and failed to benefit from the favorable operational-strategic situation created for its own purposes.
For the successful conduct of the offensive, Alexei Brusilov, by a majority vote of the St. George Duma at the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander, was presented with the Order of St. George, 2nd degree. However, the emperor honored him only with the St. George's weapon with diamonds, which was a less significant reward. And very humiliating in the eyes of the public.
Alexei Alekseevich clearly realized the general weakness, almost the doom of the monarchy, which he had faithfully served for so many years. He accepted the February Revolution, if not enthusiastically, then at least with great optimism. Together with other military leaders, General Brusilov put pressure on the tsar, convincing him of the need to abdicate.
And in March, the headquarters of the Southwestern Front swore allegiance to the Provisional Government, and Alexei Alekseevich was the first to utter the words of the oath.
When the question of a new Supreme Commander-in-Chief arose before the leadership of the country, everyone agreed: the only one who combined in himself, according to the Chairman of the State Duma M.V. Rodzianko, "brilliant strategic talents ... a broad understanding of the political tasks of Russia and is able to quickly assess the current situation, this is exactly ... Brusilov." The talented commander, who enjoyed great popularity and impeccable reputation in Russia, was appointed to the highest military position on a memorable day for him on May 22, 1917 - the anniversary of the famous breakthrough.
However, due to disagreements between the general and Prime Minister A.F. Kerensky about strengthening discipline in the armed forces, he was replaced by L.G. two months later. Kornilov (later one of the organizers of the White movement) and was recalled to Petrograd as an adviser to the government. Soon he left for Moscow, where he settled near the center. During the October armed uprising of 1917, when many of its districts became the scene of fierce battles between the Red Guards and supporters of the Provisional Government, one of the artillery shells hit the general’s apartment, seriously injuring him in the leg.
After a long treatment, in the spring of 1920 he became a member of the Military Historical Commission for the study and use of the experience of the World War at the All-Russian General Staff. Later he headed the Special Meeting under the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, then held a number of responsible positions in the leadership of the Red Army.
Alexey Alekseevich died on March 17, 1926 from pneumonia at the age of 73 and was buried with general honors on the territory of the Novodevichy Convent, remaining in the people's memory as the personification of all the best that was in the Russian army at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries.
The Brusilovsky breakthrough is considered the only successful offensive operation of the First World War, and the commander of the Southwestern Front, Alexei Brusilov, went down in history as an offensive strategist, an innovative commander who made a great contribution to the development of military art.
#5
A complete Russian tool. If Russia wants peace it needs to retreat behind the ukranian border it recognized in 1991 and vowed to help Ukraine to protect.This is Putins 4th or 5th war of agression, I do not think a ceasefire will do much to end this.Nato offered Ukranian neutrality before the war began…General Magreagor is an Idiot.
#7
It doesn't matter - we're out of Ukrainians. All their men have either fled the country or are dead now. All their good troops, Azov and the other nazis, have been ground down into dust.
That's why US troops are needed to enter the war and put a stop to Russian ambitions of world hegemony. #5 is right, only regime change in Moscow will accomplish our objectives. We won't stop at the Ukrainian border.
#9
5 A complete Russian tool. If Russia wants peace it needs to retreat behind the ukranian border it recognized in 1991 and vowed to help Ukraine to protect.This is Putins 4th or 5th war of agression, I do not think a ceasefire will do much to end this.Nato offered Ukranian neutrality before the war began…General Magreagor is an Idiot.
The Russians were the ones who offered neutrality, not NATO (USA).
And that is part of what Russia will receive that will end this war.
[BEE] COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — A quiet community was thrown into chaos in the early hours of Wednesday morning, as a tactical team from the Federal Bureau of Investigation staged a pre-dawn raid at the home of 6th-grader Jaiden Rodriguez. Reports indicated the boy's backpack, which has a Gadsden flag patch, was seized in the raid.
"We have secured a highly dangerous item," said FBI spokesperson Chad Rookstool. "There was an anonymous tip from a concerned citizen in the area who reported a young man at this residence was in possession of a backpack that posed a threat to democracy itself. That threat has now been neutralized."
Controversy erupted on social media yesterday after it was learned Jaiden had been sent home from school for wearing his backpack, with faculty believing the Gadsden flag was a sign of Jaiden plotting a coup to overthrow the U.S. government. "Thank God it's been addressed by the authorities," said frightened schoolteacher Stephanie Dean. "That backpack was just out in public, threatening the lives of everyone who saw it. Democracy is once again safe."
School officials advised Jaiden to find a new, less-threatening backpack before returning to school. "He can choose from Pride patches, BLM patches, even a sickle and hammer patch," a member of the school's administrative staff explained. "However, a backpack displaying an important image from American history has no business at an American school."
At publishing time, Jaiden was reportedly prepared to return to class with his new, bright red "Make America Great Again" backpack.
#9
It's a sad commentary when you have to look twice to be sure it's the Babylon Bee.
Posted by: Tom ||
09/01/2023 12:36 Comments ||
Top||
#10
It occurred to me that the combination of the words "rook" and "stool" could be construed to mean something rather unpleasant but, apparently, it's a real name.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
09/01/2023 12:57 Comments ||
Top||
#11
Rookstool would mean something different in English than Swiss/German.
[Washington Examiner] Newt Gingrich said he believes former President Barack Obama is the "driving force" behind the Biden administration’s decisions.
The former speaker of the House told Hannity that President Joe Biden, 80, is "not capable" of making "real decisions at the White House."
"He was so clearly out of it that frankly, I think it’s frightening," Gingrich said of Biden’s recent trip to Maui in the aftermath of the island’s wildfires. "This is not about politics and scoring points. This is the commander in chief of the most powerful military in the world. And it is clear that at least half of the time, he is just not there. Month by month, his cognitive collapse is more and more obvious."
The former speaker referenced a recent poll showing that more than three-quarters of people say Biden is too old to effectively serve another term as president, saying he believes that at least 90% of Americans will hold that view by next summer.
"One of the nice things about cognitive dissonance is he may not know the number, and it may not occur to him that it matters," Gingrich said. "And he is just going on with his life. You know, going back to the beach. He’s relaxing. He’s doing some bicycling. He has a pretty decent life, and it doesn’t occur to him these things are piling up that will be an absolute disaster for the Democratic Party."
"My personal guess is that the driving force behind the Biden administration is Barack Obama. Obama is the only president since Woodrow Wilson to stay in Washington," he continued. "So, the fact that Obama’s here all the time, and the fact that his staff permeates, literally permeates, the Biden administration, and Obama is really, really smart. Whatever Biden’s problems are at being kind of slow and cognitively decaying, Obama doesn’t have any of those problems."
[American Thinker] Mitch McConnell has lost it again.
One need not reference a Feinstein, Pelosi, or a Brandon -- or any of the other dozens of septa- and octogenarians currently entrusted with writing legislation.
This is definitely not a rant against the elderly -- my entire life has been characterized by a drive to seek out my elders and learn what I can from them. It has even been a shortcoming of mine as I have also sought out their respect as more legitimate and therefore desirable than 'respect' from the kids. It took me decades to recognize that many of them aren't respectable. Wisdom can come from age - it is not automatic.
There is a very serious problem that goes beyond mere medically obvious cognitive failure. Although this is a real issue -- many of our 'leaders' would not be allowed a driver's license in many states due to their frailties -- it is one of perspective more than anything else.
The generation who coined the mantra "Never trust anyone over 30" horrifically became the same individuals who loudly complained "kids these days have no respect" but I have labored in vain to find the time when these same people recognized and confessed that youth ages. I have yet to meet one of them who will honestly recount coming to understand -- some time in their thirties or forties -- that the ideas, opinions, and beliefs that we all have in our teens and twenties are best left there.
Maybe it was all the lead in the gas? Maybe it was the permissiveness of their parents as a result of being tired from killing Nazis? Maybe it was all the cocaine and just a little too much Jagger? For whatever reason, the 'aged elite' with the power do not seem to realize that the world that they think exists, does not in fact exist -- if ever it even did.
I raise my daughters to replace me -- such that I work myself out of a job. If I do well, they will continue to need me less, and this seems to be the point. My parents' generation however did the exact opposite, and the horrifying increase in tax-funded-pension-type-entitlements proves this conclusively in my mind -- to say nothing of "Cold War 2.0"TM.
I don't know Mitch McConnell -- he may be the very image of a kind, wise old grandpa -- but he and his cohort’s refusal to pass the torch is simply arrested adolescence, to my mind.
#3
Trump is as mentally sharp as they come. To use "age" as an issue isn't a cookie-cutter thing.
As for McConnell....hmmm, first he allegedly falls down at some restaurant, and now these freeze-ups. I hate McConnell's guts, but all of these health issues just seem rather convenient. But that's just me.
#7
The Murder Turtle needs to stay in the Senate, even if he gives up the Minority Leader position, because Gov. Bashear (D-asshole) has vowed to replace him with a Democrat
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/01/2023 8:58 Comments ||
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[Blaze] Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has suggested that former President Donald Trump could be targeted for assassination.
Carlson, who made the comment while being interviewed by Adam Carolla, noted that Trump has been the subject of criticism, protests, impeachments, and indictments.
"We're speeding toward assassination, obviously," Carlson said, adding that "permanent Washington, both parties, have decided that there's something about Trump" which is "so threatening" toward them that they cannot have him in office.
"It's hard to overstate how bad this is," Carlson said. "I don't know where it's going. But there's a collision that's clearly imminent."
Carlson also described President Joe Biden as "senile, in a way that's impossible to deny," claiming that he is "not running the government."
"I've never been this worried about anything as I am about where this is going," Carlson said.
Biden, who is already the oldest president in U.S. history, would be 86 by the end of a second term.
#1
I did it. Other than get my name on even more lists...'Viva Zapata' anybody?, it will have no effect.
It is a competitive sickness with socialists. Who can go the farthest in outraging normative principles? Like the unstable, cat lady in Lexington, VA filming herself desecrating Jackson's grave; quite the victory.
A lot easier to confront Stonewall or Bedford Forrest when they've been dead for a century and half.
#2
My comments:
This monument stands for the reconciliation was between both sides of the Civil War. The living from both sides of our Civil War placed this here. It was meant to help bring this great nation back together. Above all monuments in Arlington, this one stands for what America is missing today. We are again a divided nation driving toward disaster. Tearing down this monument shows policies of division, hate, and misunderstanding. Stop this madness, be above it, Arlington should stand for unity of the brothers in America that fought and sacrificed for their country, and this monument stands for the ability to forgive and move forward. Don't fall for the ignorance and hate, leave this monument alone!
And last removing it using an "environmental impact study" excuse is beyond acceptable...
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
09/01/2023 12:17 Comments ||
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#3
^^^I'm in California for a few days visiting relatives. And "ignorance and hate" are the exact words to describe a lot of their friends.
Pavlov's dogs have nothing on these people for their visceral responses to anything they disagree with.
Posted by: Tom ||
09/01/2023 12:40 Comments ||
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#4
It was meant to help bring this great nation back together.
And it's being removed to tear us apart.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
09/01/2023 13:32 Comments ||
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#5
They are no longer interested in Reconciliation. Submission is now the only accepted goal.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
09/01/2023 15:48 Comments ||
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#6
Don't say "reconciliation." Say "reckoning."
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
09/01/2023 17:24 Comments ||
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[WWD] Today’s augmented reality is undeniably a creature of the web, a tech typically defined by social media lenses, Zoom effects, virtual product try-ons and other fun or useful visual mirages. But those digital bedazzlements are making moves to break out of the online space and into the real world, according to experts.
According to Diego Di Tommaso, chief operating officer and cofounder of AR metaverse platform Over, there’s more energy in the space since Apple unveiled the Vision Pro in June. He credits the device, which will release in early 2024, for raising the profile of AR and spatial computing, and he expects brands to take those cues into new territory, including physical locations.
"In the next six to 12 months, we expect AR adoption by brands to exist mainly around bricks-and-mortar activations," he told WWD. "[That means] either integrating an augmented reality experience into the exterior of stores, such as Pull & Bear, or including an interior element, like try-ons or product augmentation — anything that can drive people into stores."
With that framework, any location can be a store. This may benefit brands with strong online followings in particular, because they could leverage that popularity by beaming a store-like experience with avatars right into shoppers’ homes, he added.
In September, Over will team with Pinko on an AR activation at a pop-up store in Florence’s Rinascente building. Though it’s still a little early, the Italian fashion company told WWD, "it will feature exterior and interior AR experiences, including interactive digital products, to drive awareness of a new sustainable product line for the brand."
AR’s expansion in the real world is part of a broader push under a so-called "phygital" movement.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Washington Examiner] Newt Gingrich said he believes former President Barack Obama is the "driving force" behind the Biden administration’s decisions.
