[American Thinker] A few days ago, The Daily Caller released its first investigative documentary: Cartelville USA. The film is short — only 36 minutes — and you can watch it here with a subscription or free trial. There is also an interview on the Federalist Radio Hour with the director, Jorge Ventura, which is nearly as long as the documentary itself.
In case the title doesn't give it away, the topic of Cartelville USA is a string of communities in the California desert that have been taken over by drug cartels. The cartels grow marijuana in hoop houses on land that may or may not be theirs, using slave labor and stolen water. They pack heavy weapons and gun down whoever looks too much like a rival or a threat, and they generally do as they wish.
"These drug cartels are wreaking havoc on the entire antelope valley, and nobody is talking about it," says the narrator near the beginning of the film. "This is the cartels. We are very, very close to driving down the freeway, and seeing bodies hanging from the overpasses. That is what's coming."
Ventura's disturbing look into the growing power of drug cartels on this side of the border caught my interest because it has two important political ramifications, one short-term and the other long-term. But before I discuss those in detail, a summary of what I learned from the documentary is in order.
The setting is, for the most part, in rural Los Angeles County, though it extends into neighboring counties as well. The inhabitants are, for the most part, old, working-class conservatives who settled there in their twilight years to get away from the bustle of city life, only to be rudely surprised by what is going on. And you can tell that something is deeply wrong from the get-go by the fact that most of the people Ventura interviews (the sheriff and Congressman Mike Garcia being notable exceptions) have their faces blurred to avoid recognition.
Ventura and his crew reveal how a combination of Mexican, Chinese, and Armenian organized crime syndicates are growing marijuana in hoop houses in the California desert. Some growers own the land or are in league with absentee landlords, while others are just squatters. The hoop houses, complete with lights and irrigation systems, can be set up in just a day or two, and even when police get a search warrant, the law usually allows them to take only the marijuana plants, while leaving everything else, so the whole enterprise carries surprisingly little risk.
Labor is provided by illegal aliens brought from Mexico or China and forced to work by their traffickers; water is simply stolen, often from fire hydrants.
Most Californians are unaware of the severity of the problem: in their minds, since their state already legalized marijuana, they shouldn't have to worry about this kind of thing anymore. "People just shrug their shoulders," says Ventura. "Who cares, it's just pot, like, why are we even wasting our tax dollars fighting this issue?"
Yet Proposition 64, which passed in 2016, was in many ways a half-measure. While Californians can now legally grow weed under some circumstances, there are enough licensing requirements, regulatory requirements, and production limits to ensure that it's still much more profitable to do it illegally — and that's before you add in the fact that, due to federal law still frowning on everyone involved in the cannabis trade, no money earned by selling the stuff can be deposited into a bank account. Then tally up the costs saved by using stolen water and forced labor, and it's easy to see why working outside the law is still the most profitable option.
[Babylon Bee] KENOSHA, WI—In a verdict that surprised both the prosecution, defense, and judge, the jury for the Rittenhouse trial declared that the Media be found guilty on all counts.
The courtroom fell silent as the jury foreman stood to read the verdict, "We the jury find the media guilty on all counts, including the egregious use of its influence to lie to the American people."
The jury then listed guilty verdicts for the following allegations:
Painting an innocent American teenager as a white supremacist terrorist.
Painting violent, communist criminals as peaceful, innocent victims.
Using its influence to sow painful divisions in the greatest nation on Earth.
Using minorities as pawns in race-baiting schemes just for ratings.
Inciting violence on vulnerable neighborhoods and minority-owned businesses.
Giving an entire show to Brian Stelter.
Upon hearing the verdicts, the judge summarily sentenced the Media to continue its inevitable decline in viewership and trust, until they either strive for objective journalism, or disappear entirely.
Following the verdicts and sentencing, the Media immediately reported to the American people that a murderous white supremacist terrorist was set free, given a KKK outfit and bazooka, and told to kill, kill, kill.
Mike Tyson was so scared of killing opponents in the ring, he often had sex with groupies before fights to diminish his strength, his former bodyguard claims
Bodyguard and chauffeur Rudy Gonzalez said he would tuck girls away 'in bathrooms and changing rooms' so Tyson could have sex with them before fights
The strategy may have worked. Tyson, now 55, never did kill anyone in the ring, although he bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear in 1997, leading to a DQ
As Gonzalez explained, the ritual was born out of the champ's fear of killing another boxer: 'His biggest fear was that he would kill someone in that ring'
Gonzalez added that Tyson also 'had an anxiety problem where he would be in despair with anxiety of not feeling good enough or not wanting to screw it up'
#5
Leave Mike alone, he's got more sense that ruling class.
Posted by: Chris ||
11/20/2021 8:58 Comments ||
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#6
Can't argue with success.
Mike described his problem in life as having a big ego and low self esteem -- which gave mice elf an immediate That's It! epiphany. I had always wondered why I would be so insufferable so often. As John Astin's character said in Night Court, "I'm feeling much better now."
[Gateway Pundit] The outspoken, conservative actor and producer of Capitol Punishment, Nick Searcy, showed up for the interview with Gateway Pundit and 100 Percent Fed Up wearing a MAGA hat and a "Let’s Go Brandon" t-shirt. The director of Capitol Punishment, Chris Burgard, is wearing a cowboy hat.
Searcy and Burgard told an incredible story of twin 75-year-old grandmothers who walked up the open doors of the Capitol on January 6 and asked if they could go inside? The Capitol Police told them, "Yes," that they could go inside. According to our guests, the elderly women walked inside the Capitol and walked back outside. After they returned home, their neighbors called the FBI on them. They were arrested by the FBI and charged with "criminal trespassing" and were told they would be put on a domestic terrorist list.
When asked about Ray Epps and his involvement in the so-called "insurrection," Chris Burgard replied by calling Ray Epps an "agent provocateur." He explained that there were "many, many, many Ray Epps" in the crowd, adding that there were "teams of Ray Epps out there that were coordinating" He relayed a story about a man "who was very similar to Ray Epps," who was offering medical help to a "very in-shape 27-year-old fella, decked out in tactical gear who had gotten stuff in his eye." When Rich, a person on their team, who described the man administering first aid as a "commander who was helping one of his troops," began to record him with their phone, the alleged agent snapped, grabbed Rich’s wrist until he dropped the phone. The "commander" then threatened Rich, telling him, "If you took pictures of this, there are people that are gonna want to hurt you. And I don’t wanna see you get hurt." According to Chris, the "commander" went back to his earpiece and began speaking to someone apparently on the inside of the Capitol, asking, "Yeah, what hallway are you in? Where are you?" and proceeded to give him specific directions to help him navigate inside the Capitol. Chris told us, "So, that guy’s a director, he’s not a player," adding that there were "all kinds of guys like that there on that day."
Posted by: Bubba Lover of the Faeries8843 ||
11/20/2021 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
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#1
Congratulations to Kyle Rittenhouse, his defense team Messrs. Mark Richards, and Corey Chirafisi.
President "Stand-in" Kamala "Toe" Harris deserves a round of applause for not starting World War V* (Five) on her brief watch. 👏
However, We might be surprised by any "Executive Orders" or any "Executive Decisions" she may have rendered, which have not been publicized, heretofore.
(*WWWI, WWII, Global Cold War {Communism 1917- ongoing}, Global War on Terror {2001 - ongoing} (4 Count))
#3
All the people Rittenhouse shot in self defense were white. White communists and thugs are taking advantage of poor blacks by getting them to riot. The white guys are probably paying blacks for pennies on the dollar for the goods they steal.
[NYSun] The acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse on charges of killing two persons and wounding a third during the riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, will likely go down in history as a broad reaffirmation in America of the ancient right to self defense.
Mr. Rittenhouse was ordered by Judge Bruce Schroeder to stand and face the verdict shortly after noon. He stood solemnly, his hands crossed in front of him, until the pronouncement of not guilty on the third charge, when he began to weep. As the fifth acquittal was announced, he collapsed.
The verdict was brought in by a jury that — apparently — was uncowed by threats of violence and more riots should it acquit the 18-year-old who had come to Kenosha with a semi-automatic rifle and been pursued by rioters. Mr. Rittenhouse’s actions were caught on video tape that apparently played a role in convincing jurors he acted in self defense.
The video evidence made plain that Mr. Rittenhouse was in a chaotic situation and under physical threat and seemed, prima facie, to undermine the prosecution’s attempts to cast as beyond a reasonable doubt the idea that Mr. Rittenhouse had committed murder. During the trial, Mr. Rittenhouse gave lengthy testimony in his own defense.
An effort by the prosecution to suggest that Mr. Rittenhouse’s bearing a weapon in Kenosha was in and of itself a provocation. That notion apparently had little impact on the jury. A misdemeanor charge against Mr. Rittenhouse for carrying the rifle was dropped by the judge during the trial when it turned out the barrel length of the gun he was carrying made it legal.
The trial had been marked by controversy. Judge Schroeder was criticized for not allowing the persons Mr. Rittenhouse shot to be described as “victims,” noting that this would tend to prejudice the case against the defendant.
Judge Schroeder himself criticized press coverage of the trial, calling it “really quite frightening.” He was upset at personal attacks on himself, and on the lawyers on both sides. An MSNBC producer was arrested for a traffic incident while trailing a bus carrying the jurors, and Mr. Schroeder banned the network from the courtroom. Read the rest at the link
For the Rioters: "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." Isaac Asimov
US Citizens: "Self-defense is not only our right; it is our duty." Ronald Reagan
RULE #1 IN SELF-DEFENSE: "There’s only one basic principle of self-defense - you must apply the most effective weapon, as soon as possible, to the target." Bruce Lee
#2
BTW: In case you missed it....
Filed under how far will the Congressional Left go in trying to violate the US Constitution / Bill Of Rights?
"Rep. Nadler (D-NY) was calling for a federal investigation over his dissatisfaction with the jury’s decision."
Summary:
I guess he is ticked off that all the planned and organized Jury Threats and Intimidation tactics were not properly use by his Socialcrat party counter parts.
Actually, most experts will counsel avoidance of a confrontation, which often means retreating from a would-be aggressor.
Which of course is exactly what Kyle Rittenhouse did when he was confronted by two rioters, a giant with a gun and a berserk dwarf-rioter, the latter of whom charged at Kyle and screamed at him while the former discharged at least one shot from his gun.
And the charger was that bipolar, off-his-meds "shoot me now" violent convicted child-rapist who'd just been released from hospital after a failed suicide attempt.
Who hurled at Kyle his bag of meds and other hospital supplies as he screamed obscenities.
Who had earlier that evening directly threatened to kill Kyle and several other normal peaceful citizens if he "found them alone." Kill them by "cut[ting their] f--king hearts out."
And for retreating, Kyle has endured 14 months of a political prosecution, jail time, and the nonstop calumnies of hordes of baboons screeching "White supremacist!" "Racist!" "Vigilante!"
We're going to need a new definition of self-defense, I think. One that includes playing OFFENSE. For once.
[MSNBC] Rittenhouse, a teenager who fatally shot two men and injured another at an antiracist protest last year in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was acquitted on all charges on Friday afternoon. He had been charged with homicide, attempted homicide and recklessly endangering safety, and could've faced a life sentence if convicted.
For many the verdict is an outrage and a brazen miscarriage of justice. Rittenhouse is a Blue Lives Matter enthusiast who went to protests against a police shooting with a military-style rifle that he obtained illegally, falsely told people he was a medic, and ended up killing and hurting people who felt threatened by him. The overwhelmingly white jury appears to have given Rittenhouse the benefit of the doubt, after a trial in which the judge at times appeared to show favorable treatment of the defendant, and in a country in which it’s almost impossible to imagine a Black defendant accused of similar crimes receiving such easy treatment.
In other words, the Rittenhouse verdict easily reads like a referendum on the nation’s ongoing clashes over the state of racism in American life: not just an expression of mercy toward Rittenhouse, but white vigilantism.
The whole situation would never have emerged anywhere but in a deeply ill society.
But I think that’s probably not the best way to look at it. Instead, this case was both smaller and bigger: It was decided based on a narrow question of self-defense under a permissive law, not Rittenhouse’s ideological predilections. At the same time, Rittenhouse’s series of encounters was only possible in a society with truly harrowing social maladies, including a pathological obsession with guns and a rising culture of right-wing militias. Did Rittenhouse set out to shoot people that night? That question is unanswerable. But the whole situation would never have emerged anywhere but in a deeply ill society.
Here are three takeaways from this trial — and the national conversation surrounding it. Read the rest at the link Yeah, I don't think so.
My learning for the day — so all that shocked talk about the kid coming in from out of town to feel big by brandishing a gun not his own was just more propaganda by professional liars and their true believers. Thank you, Deacon Blues.
#11
Yeah, half his family lives there, including grandparents. So he'd hardly be considered to have traveled far. Apparently he lived 17 minutes away from the town and worked a shift at the pool the day he cleaned graffiti. When you weigh the total amount of lies told by the left on this, you realize this was nothing more than a political lynching. This was a flag they wanted to wave about 'evil white men with rifles' to try and crush ideas about protecting your homes. Same with the McClosky's or whatever their name is.
#12
Somehow, the same people who get all lathered about Rittenhouse "cossing state lines" have no problem at all with the professional, iterant, Soros-funded riot tourists of teefa amd BLaMMO. I think their selective outrage hypocrisy is showing...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/20/2021 9:37 Comments ||
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#13
So the men he shot show the character of the entire black lives matter crowd, and antifa for that matter. The guy who lost his bicep was a violent felon and Pedophile. The two he killed were violent felons. And the one that kicked him in the face was facing at least three felonies at the time of the event, and not related to the event. This is the face of the "Somewhat peaceful" protestors. Yet MSNBC still supports them. Yes this nation is divided, but not between colors, but between good and evil.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
11/20/2021 9:47 Comments ||
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#14
Huber had a disorderly conduct conviction from 2018 as a domestic abuse repeater, which is a misdemeanor. He gave a Kenosha address. Here are the charges in that case.
940.19(1) Battery Misd. A Dismissed on Prosecutor’s Motion
Modifier: 939.62(1)(a) Repeater
Modifier: 968.075(1)(a) Domestic Abuse
2 947.01(1) Disorderly Conduct Misd. B Guilty Due to Guilty Plea
Modifier: 968.075(1)(a) Domestic Abuse
Modifier: 939.62(1)(a) Repeater
He also had a forfeiture case for possessing drug paraphernalia.
Joseph rosenbaum & anthony huber criminal records explored
Huber mugshot in past case
He also had a case from 2012 with these charges:
1 941.30(2) 2nd-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety Felony G Charge Dismissed but Read In
Modifier: 939.63(1)(c) Use of a Dangerous Weapon
Modifier: 968.075(1)(a) Domestic Abuse
2 940.235(1) Strangulation and Suffocation Felony H Guilty Due to Guilty Plea
Modifier: 968.075(1)(a) Domestic Abuse
3 940.30 False Imprisonment Felony H Guilty Due to Guilty Plea
Modifier: 968.075(1)(a) Domestic Abuse
Modifier: 939.63(1)(b) Use of a Dangerous Weapon
4 940.19(1) Battery Misd. A Charge Dismissed but Read In
Modifier: 968.075(1)(a) Domestic Abuse
Modifier: 939.63(1)(a) Use of a Dangerous Weapon
5 947.01(1) Disorderly Conduct Misd. B Charge Dismissed but Read In
Modifier: 968.075(1)(a) Domestic Abuse
Modifier: 939.63(1)(a) Use of a Dangerous Weapon
6 947.01(1) Disorderly Conduct Misd. B Charge Dismissed but Read In
Modifier: 968.075(1)(a) Domestic Abuse
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
11/20/2021 10:14 Comments ||
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#15
Criminals come from two kinds of families: Those that separate themselves from the bad actor, and those that cover for the bad actor every time.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/20/2021 10:18 Comments ||
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#16
The overwhelmingly white jury appears to have given Rittenhouse the benefit of the doubt...
MSNBC discovers the presumption of innocence.
Posted by: Matt ||
11/20/2021 10:51 Comments ||
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#17
MSNBC? If people watch MSDNC, they will know little of what's going on. According to MSNBC, it is racist if you try to prevent an insane mob from burning looting or killing [you or someone else].
#18
^ The left calls it a form of tribalism because that's the only lens they see everything through since the "class struggle" became passé.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/20/2021 11:03 Comments ||
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#19
I think MSNBC is trying to take over from Babylon Bee as a satire site. Another one is Yahoo News if you need a good laugh. Is there a medical term for people that can't or won't acknowledge facts? Makes me wonder what my blind spot is.
#20
Not to be outdone, and pandering to his base, Jerry nadler announce he is calling on DOJ to prosecute him in federal court since the state could not get it done....
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
11/20/2021 11:25 Comments ||
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#1
My father spoke of limitations of artillery that detonated upon impacting the ground. Enemy in trenches were below the shrapnel. So his unit in WWII used artillery shells with fuses that caused detonation a few feet above ground which decimated Japs in trenches. Battle map messages on the maps he brought back home showed how much forward US rifle companies relied on his unit to decimate enemy units. He told me when his heavy weapons unit that was just behind rifle companies opened up on jap positions, the Japs were obliterated so quickly and thoroughly "they never knew what hit them.". He was 1st Cavalry Ft Hood, Texas under the command of General Swift (who he admired greatly).
#3
The Americans use proximity fuzes. The American Army went big on artillery preferring to substitute fire power for manpower (although the Marines seem to shift more to the manpower thing).
#4
Was not common until 1943/44 and used only by the US. Was a top secret shell as they did not want such a devastating artillery shell (air burst shell) used against US forces.
Developers included many US companies (RCA, General Electric, Sylvania, Kodak, and many others and the British were also involved.
Products derived from the development of the VT Fuse technology were hearing aids, Energizer type batteries, bread board circuitry, Doppler radar, etc..
It's use caused minor mutinies among German troops who refused to leave bunkers during US atillery barrages. General Patton credited the VT Fuse for winning the Battle of the Bulge.
#5
Procopius2k you are so correct regarding the Army vs the Marines. My father actually mentioned the same thing. He said a lot of good men died in the Marines because they did not rely on artillery as much as the Army in WWII.
#6
He spoke of on one occasion he took out entire entire jap reinforcement formations by himself by sitting on a hill top over looking a valley directing artillery fire. As columns of jap reinforcements moved into the valley below his observation position and were fully exposed, he ordered the artillery to fire for effect which completely wiped out each formation.
The only danger he experienced was from a round hitting between his feet from a vicious dog fight above him between a Jap Zero and a US Mustang.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KP] In July 2020, the Belarusian authorities showed a video about the detention of 33 Russian citizens.
Let me tell you why the conclusion of the British investigators that the delay in the departure of the Wagnerites from Minsk, which occurred after the meeting with Zelensky on July 24, led to the disruption of the special operation, is complete nonsense. And that is why the publication does not say a word about the participation of the CIA in this whole provocation.
Representatives of the Russian special services told me about this last year, and I have no reason not to trust them. Moreover, after the Bellingcat publication coincided with my facts in the smallest detail. So, it was the CIA curators in Kiev, Timothy James Skovin and Brian Thomas O'Burn, who canceled the option of landing a plane with the Russians in Kiev. Here is my dialogue with people who untangled this tangle: Russian counterintelligence in bold - At the final stage, at the suggestion of the Americans, an additional, more global, strategic goal appeared - to split the Belarusian-Russian relations. It was for this that the special services of Ukraine brought the group to Minsk and created conditions for its non-departure to Istanbul.
- The Ukrainian media reported that after the departure of the liner with the Russians on board, it was supposed to land at one of the airfields in Ukraine. Journalistic versions differed - the Ukrainian agent on the plane was supposed to pose as either a sick person who suddenly became ill, or a terrorist.
- Such options were discussed in the offices of the SBU, but only at the initial stage. Already in the spring of 2020, it was decided to drag a group of conditional "Wagnerites" to Minsk and detain them with the hands of the special services of Belarus. Let me remind you that at the time of crossing the border with Belarus late at night on July 24, tickets for all 33 Russian citizens with an original departure date on the morning of July 25 from Minsk were canceled, which the members of the group did not know.
- In Ukraine, some are inclined to believe that the operation failed due to treason. Allegedly, at a meeting with Zelensky on July 24, a decision was made to postpone the operation, which ultimately suffered a fiasco ...
- Perhaps, on July 24, Zelensky had some kind of meeting. Maybe even on this topic. Let me just remind you that the booking for tickets on the Minsk-Istanbul route for all 33 Russians with a departure date on July 25 was canceled from Kiev on July 20! That is, four days before the 24th, the organizers of the action assumed that all Russian citizens would remain in Belarus, and then end up in Ukraine.
- How do you yourself assess this operation?
- Operations in intelligence and counterintelligence are not figure skating or rhythmic gymnastics, where the performance of complex elements is assessed. Here, success or failure is judged by the end result. It is necessary, as in hockey, to look at the scoreboard. And today we see on it that Russian citizens are in their homeland. What is this if not a failure of the CIA and their Ukrainian partners?
That is, both the conclusions of the Provisional Investigative Commission of the Verkhovna Rada, and the conclusions of the British coinciding with it, are an attempt to shield the involvement of the CIA, which, in fact, profited the operation. Leaving their Ukrainian partners to take the rap. * Organization recognized as a foreign agent.
So You See "Bear" 🐻
No, It is really a short man
in bear suit, who is drinking Vodka
(little water - with strong preservative - alcohol)
I like picture 🖼
remind me of cold days at home 🏡
and father caring for child...
could have been me...
but Dad only drank "4 Roses - Kentucky straight bourbon Whiskey 🥃 "
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.
[Babylon Bee] KENOSHA, WI—In a verdict that surprised both the prosecution, defense, and judge, the jury for the Rittenhouse trial declared that the Media be found guilty on all counts.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] 
[Gateway Pundit] The outspoken, conservative actor and producer of Capitol Punishment, Nick Searcy, showed up for the interview with Gateway Pundit and 100 Percent Fed Up wearing a MAGA hat and a "Let’s Go Brandon" t-shirt. The director of Capitol Punishment, Chris Burgard, is wearing a cowboy hat.
