U.S.: Letter from EEC to Deputy AG Rosenstein on violations of the “AG Sessions recusal from FBI’s Russian Probe” (12.05.2017)

Opinion: Trump’s two Executive Orders tries to deflect FBI’s Russian Probe!

President Donald Trump tries to deflect the Federal Bureau of Investigations Russian Probe into the Trump Campaign and United States Election in 2016. That must be seen since he the day after the FBI Director James Comey. He has tried to fill the news cycle with new movement, that goes back into the campaign spin, that even Sean Spicer hasn’t the capacity to hide behind. This is worrying if the American society buys into the quest Trump has with this new measures, while the acting FBI Director will continue the probe. Certainly, the case will not go away, even if Trump lies out of his teeth to the NBC, as he did earlier today.

LESTER HOLT: He asked for the dinner?

DONALD TRUMP: A dinner was arranged, I think he asked for the dinner. And he wanted to stay on as the FBI head. And I said I’ll, you know, consider and we’ll see what happens– But we had a very nice dinner. And at that time, he told me you are not under investigation. [OVER TALK]

LESTER HOLT: That was–

DONALD TRUMP: Which I knew anyway.

LESTER HOLT: That was one meeting. What was it, what were the other two? [OVER TALK]

DONALD TRUMP: First of all, when you’re under investigation, you’re giving all sorts of documents and everything. I knew I wasn’t under and I heard it was stated at the committee, at some committee level, that I wasn’t. Number one.

LESTER HOLT: So that didn’t come directly from him?

DONALD TRUMP: [OVER TALK] Then during a phone call he said it. And then during another phone call he said it. So he said it once at dinner and then he said it twice during phone calls.

LESTER HOLT: Did you call him?

DONALD TRUMP: Uh, in one case I called him and one case he called me.

LESTER HOLT: And did you ask, “Am I under investigation?”

DONALD TRUMP: I actually asked him, yes. I said, “If it’s possible, would you let me know am I under investigation?” He said you are not under investigation.

LESTER HOLT: But he’s, he’s given sworn testimony that there is an ongoing investigation into the Trump campaign and possible collusion with the Russian government? You were the centerpiece of the Trump campaign so [OVER TALK] was he being truthful when he says you weren’t under investigation?

DONALD TRUMP: [OVER TALK] Well, all I can tell you is, well I know what, I know that I’m not under investigation. Me. Personally. I’m not talking about campaigns. I’m not talking about anything else. I’m not under investigation” (NBC Exclusive Interview, 11.05.2017).

This is typical way of lying, putting different issues together and mixing it, while not disclosing or answering the interviewer. That President Trump knew is strange and that he claims Comey lied, is evident. Because Trump doesn’t want to lose face. Therefore, he called in this interview to try to look smart and deflect the grand issues arising from the sacking. It is not weird that he claims not be under investigation, since the FBI has had this probe for a while and different agents at the San Francisco, Pittsburg and Washington D.C. headquarters has worked on different parts of the investigation. So Mr. Trump is lying out of his teeth.

That is why he suddenly starts wasting public funds looking into ghosts and non-issues like fraudulent elections that the President has claimed all along, therefore now that he is catching a shit-storm of epic proportions. He has to try to send messages of other problems. So that he hopes the media looks away from the investigation that the FBI will continue to pursuit. Even with the firing of Comey and scandal of reasoning for doing so.

Therefore, this mission for a Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which just happen to be executed today: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the

laws of the United States of America, and in order to promote fair and honest Federal elections, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Establishment. The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity (Commission) is hereby established” (…) “Sec. 3. Mission. The Commission shall, consistent with applicable law, study the registration and voting processes used in Federal elections. The Commission shall be solely advisory and shall submit a report to the President that identifies the following:

(a) those laws, rules, policies, activities, strategies, and practices that enhance the American people’s confidence in the integrity of the voting processes used in Federal elections;

(b) those laws, rules, policies, activities, strategies, and practices that undermine the American people’s confidence in the integrity of the voting processes used in Federal elections; and

(c) those vulnerabilities in voting systems and practices used for Federal elections that could lead to improper voter registrations and improper voting, including fraudulent voter registrations and fraudulent voting” (Executive Order, Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, 2017).

So by all means he tries to start a Commission to safe himself on the grand-issue has claimed all along, that the election was filled with frauds, even if he won it. Like he has been proud of all the time, and to top it all off, he delivered yet another one connected with the whole election. Since there been discussed the leaks and hacking of the elections, therefore he had to order on Cyber Security, even if he has no knowledge of what that entails or envisions how this might implicate the current freedom of the internet.

Like this quote of the Executive Order:

Section1. Cybersecurity of Federal Networks.

(a) Policy. The executive branch operates its information technology (IT) on behalf of the American people. Its IT and data should be secured responsibly using all United States Government capabilities. The President will hold heads of executive departments and agencies (agency heads) accountable for managing cybersecurity risk to their enterprises. In addition, because risk management decisions made by agency heads can affect the risk to the executive branch as a whole, and to national security, it is also the policy of the United States to manage cybersecurity risk as an executive branch enterprise” (…) “Sec. 2. Cybersecurity of Critical Infrastructure.

(a) Policy. It is the policy of the executive branch to use its authorities and capabilities to support the cybersecurity risk management efforts of the owners and operators of the Nation’s critical infrastructure (as defined in section 5195c(e) of title 42, United States Code) (critical infrastructure entities), as appropriate” (…)

Sec. 3. Cybersecurity for the Nation.

(a) Policy. To ensure that the internet remains valuable for future generations, it is the policy of the executive branch to promote an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet that fosters efficiency, innovation, communication, and economic prosperity, while respecting privacy and guarding against disruption, fraud, and theft. Further, the United States seeks to support the growth and sustainment of a workforce that is skilled in cybersecurity and related fields as the foundation for achieving our objectives in cyberspace” (Executive Order – Strengthening the cybersecurity of Federal Network and Critical Infrastructure, 2017).

For a person like me, this seem like a tactic for President Trump to get the discussions being on the Executive Orders, instead of the Russian Probe. Like people will forget that he is investigated by the FBI. Since he trying to get other people to look into the elections and the issues created by the election. Therefore, he now on the same day after the sacking, has to do all of this. Not build roads or anything constructive for the Republic. Instead, he has to gain attention on the other problems that was also during the election. Some that was only in his mind and imagination. So don’t expect any deep findings of irregularities, because I don’t expect them to look into the laws in the different states that often disqualify minorities and people who is not well-informed about the laws on how to register to be voter.

Still, the President Trump will lie, he will not accept the probe and subpoenas, which is about Michael Flynn and other Trump Campaign associates. We will not know for a long while the end-game of this. But there will be more documentation and more findings of the connections between Moscow and Trump. He can blindly lie to the fans of him and the Republican party. Still, the rest of us doesn’t have faith in a man, who cannot speak truthful or act reasonable.

President Trump are really in trouble, still not discussing legislation or trying to get it passed through the House of Representatives or the Senate. Only the Paul Ryan’s draconian health care bill. Therefore, he has to write Executive Orders, since he lack ability to work with others or even trust others. Since he knows and the world knows, he is under investigation by the FBI. That will continue, but don’t believe the hype of these orders today. They are used as pawns to try to change the agenda and questioning the firing of Comey, the Sally Yates revelations and the Russian probe. Peace.

Reference:

NBC News exclusive interview with Donald Trump – Partial transcript – (May 11, 2017)

Donald J. Trump – Executive Order: ‘ESTABLISHMENT OF PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ELECTION INTEGRITY’ (11.05.2017)

Donald J. Trump – Executive Order: ‘STRENGTHENING THE CYBERSECURITY OF FEDERAL NETWORKS AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE’ (11.05.2017)

Jason Chaffetz letter to Inspector General Michael Horowitz of DOJ on the FBI Probe into Russia and Clinton (10.05.2017)

Opinion: Jubilee and President Kenyatta hires Cambridge Analytica to ‘Big Data’ massage their Campaign message!

Today there we’re revealed that the International ‘Big Data’ Company Cambridge Analytica, the offspring of Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL), who has appeared and even had now Presidential Adviser Steve Bannon on their board. This company is famous for using their techniques to manipulate and make sure the message of the Trump campaign got spread to the masses. This through the big data collection and through the algorithms that the social media sites produces. So that the election cycle can produce stories and messages, that are positive in favor of the ones that are trying to get elected and are the clients of the Cambridge Analytica or SCL.

Therefore, the news of Jubilee Alliance Party, that President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto hired the company to alter the big data traffic in Kenya. Proves that they will use any method, except the righteous ones to win. Because Jubilee knows they are trading in shallow waters, with a IEBC, rising food prices and inflation, together with missed promises from the last campaign. Therefore, the Jubilee are now sticking to the expensive tricks of the trade from the United Kingdom and United States. Certainly, the chicken-gate will not be replicated, but might tried to be deflected as people are not finding out about quick enough. Take a look!

Big Data on the Kenyan Election:

According to sources in the Office of the President cited by The Star newspaper, the Jubilee coalition contracted Cambridge Analytica, which “uses data to change audience behaviour” (…) “Based on a Guardian expose, The Star newspaper writes that in the Kenyan context, Cambridge Analytica is expected “to pay Facebook and other third-party data companies for information about Kenya’s undecided voters whom it will then bombard with social media posts and adverts” (…) “Cambridge Analytica, which has already dispatched a small team to Kenya, will work alongside BTP Advisers. The latter has already commenced campaign planning” (Buchanan, 2017).

Methods:

Cambridge Analytica has marketed itself as classifying voters using five personality traits known as OCEAN — Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism — the same model used by University of Cambridge researchers for in-house, non-commercial research. The question of whether OCEAN made a difference in the presidential election remains unanswered. Some have argued that big data analytics is a magic bullet for drilling into the psychology of individual voters; others are more skeptical. The predictive power of Facebook likes is not in dispute. A 2013 study by three of Kogan’s former colleagues at the University of Cambridge showed that likes alone could predict race with 95 percent accuracy and political party with 85 percent accuracy. Less clear is their power as a tool for targeted persuasion; Cambridge Analytica has claimed that OCEAN scores can be used to drive voter and consumer behavior through “microtargeting,” meaning narrowly tailored messages. Nix has said that neurotic voters tend to be moved by “rational and fear-based” arguments, while introverted, agreeable voters are more susceptible to “tradition and habits and family and community.” (Schwartz, 2017).

We don’t consider ourselves a ‘big data’ company, we are a data analytics company. Many organization out there want to serve as the database of record for their clients. We aim to be the layer on top of that, which provides our clients with actionable insights – essentially acting as the brain behind the decision-making process. We’ve come a long way, but there is still a lot of work to be done on the side of automation. Campaigns move so quickly that often it’s difficult to keep up. The more automation we can bring to the process outside of the campaign HQ will greatly increase our speed in delivering insights to the decision makers” (Patterson, 2017).

Privacy International on CA:

It’s one thing to profile people, and another to say that because of that profiling you are able to effectively change behaviour on a mass scale. Cambridge Analytica clearly does the former, but only claims (!) to succeed in the latter. Even before the company was in the news, their methods raised a lot of eyebrows amongst experts on data-driven campaigning, with one consultant claiming that “everyone universally agrees that their sales operation is better than their fulfilment product” (Kaltheuner, 2017).

So even if Privacy International are saying that the CA are not as all powerful as they claim they are. This might be relief, even if the idea of all power Big Data collective and possible manipulation of electoral process. This being the sales pitch of the CA and SCL. That the company will micro-targeting the Kenyan electorate with big data and five personality traits on their OCEAN program. We can officially question their motives and if the Jubilee will believe in it. If so, they are smug and thinking they can rig the whole spectrum news and sharing of information ahead of the last months of campaigning. They can certainly need to circle their message and deliver on inflation and on the food prices.

“‘The impressive bit,’ says Nix, is to expand the findings from those who took the personality tests to the entire American electorate of 230 million. They can do this because Cambridge Analytica also has ‘4,000–5,000 data points’ — pieces of information — on every single adult in the US. This can be anything from age, gender and ethnicity to what magazines they buy, which TV programmes they watch, the food they eat, the cars they drive, even the golf clubs they belong to. This is indeed impressive — and a little bit creepy. Regardless, the data is for sale; Cambridge Analytica take it and (they have persuaded their clients) spin it into gold. There are two assumptions: first that people who buy the same things and have the same habits — the same ‘data points’ — have similar personalities; secondly that your personality will help predict, say, whether you go for Coke or Pepsi, Clinton or Trump. ‘Behaviour is driven by personality,’ Nix said” (…) “A Republican data scientist for a rival firm said he did not use psychographics. ‘If you get a voter on the phone, why are you asking them what their favourite ice cream is or what their favourite colour is — why don’t you just ask them who they’re going to vote for?’ He added: ‘They’ve got a smooth-talking Brit wearing Savile Row suits who gives you a great pitch and wows you a little bit; they’ve got a great PR operation, but with psychographic profiling, there’s nothing there. They’re really, really smart people. It’s like they’re a bunch of board-certified doctors who decided to make a lot more money selling snake oil’” (Wood, 2016).

So, if this is true, than President Kenyatta has bought into the CA tricks and that people believes in the companies sales pitch. Something that cannot claim at this point. If so, wouldn’t more people be direct afraid, also PI for instance who is always talking about the possibility of what CA is promising. Therefore, the British sales pitch is bought by the Jubilee, but the public should be aware of the misuse of funds to pay the foreign political data enterprise, who clearly see a naive bunch of Kenyans. Kenyans who has money to spend on something cannot be proven. President Kenyatta and DP Ruto really wants to make sure they win, even if they micro-targeting the public.

Therefore, this will really see more marketing stunts and more that fits the paradigm of the OCEAN quizzes that deliver the target CA sets for Jubilee. CA has said they we’re behind the Trump victory, but there many counterclaims, even some who questions investors of SLC and CA. Even some thinks the Mercer family is behind it and therefore, first supported Cruz campaign, than later Trump. Which the CA did! So they wasn’t as perfect and brilliant since they didn’t help Cruz much.

So we can hope they can promise the same stats and the same services to Kenyatta and Ruto. After looking into it, the matter seem less powerful, but in the future some companies might have the power to really manipulate the electorate. Something, the CA doesn’t have yet, but the fear of might overpower the crowds. Since, this sort of tactic is not yet proven. Even if CA says so, but that is their sales pitch that clearly got Jubilee tricked as well. Peace.

Reference:

Buchanan, Elsa – ‘How Kenya’s Jubilee party is using UK ‘big data’ firm linked to Trump and Brexit victories’ (10.05.2017) link:http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/how-kenyas-jubilee-party-using-uk-big-data-firm-linked-trump-brexit-victories-1620923

Kaltheuner, Frederike – ‘Cambridge Analytica Explained: Data and Elections’ (13.03.2017) link: https://www.privacyinternational.org/node/1440

Patterson, Dan – ‘Cambridge Analytica: The future of political data is in the enterprise’ (13.03.2017) link: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/cambridge-analytica-the-future-of-political-data-is-in-the-enterprise/

Schwartz, Mattathias – ‘FACEBOOK FAILED TO PROTECT 30 MILLION USERS FROM HAVING THEIR DATA HARVESTED BY TRUMP CAMPAIGN AFFILIATE’ (30.03.2017) link: https://theintercept.com/2017/03/30/facebook-failed-to-protect-30-million-users-from-having-their-data-harvested-by-trump-campaign-affiliate/

Wood, Paul – ‘The British data-crunchers who say they helped Donald Trump to win’ (03.12.2016) link: https://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/12/the-british-data-crunchers-who-say-they-helped-donald-trump-to-win/

Opinion: Trump’s Russian ghost doesn’t disappear with the axing of Comey!

“For Carter, it was as if the ghosts of Watergate stalked the halls of the White House. As with most ghosts, he wasn’t sure they existed, where they were or how to exorcise them.” Bob Woodward

President Donald J. Trump neither the wisest men of all; neither does he have the tact to look smart. He is just vicious and mean; he does not have character or have any grudges, except for when demeaning his wealth. Yesterday’s sacking of Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Director James Comey is now on long list of people sacked by him.

Before the FBI director got the axe, several others legislators and security leaders has gotten the axe, that was the former Federal Prosecutor Preet Bharara and Acting Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates. House Intelligence Chairman David Nunes also stepped down from his position in the midst of the growing allegations. Therefore, it is not the first time President Trump clear the house of men and woman who looks into his chambers and his paper trail. Certainly, Trump think this is a wise decisions and thinks he can get people working directly for him, instead of people who investigate wrongdoings.

That the Trump Administration thinks this is brilliant and defending it is evident. As all spokespeople and all of the hired spin control are put into ALERT and trying to deflect the obvious reasons for the sudden axing. Suddenly the shadow of Moscow and the friendly Vlad are not going away. Like a pre-historical relic, it is figuratively the monument in the way for the legitimacy of President Trump.

It is very clear that President Trump want to deflect the matter, as the monster that overshadows his presidency. That is evident with his whiny tweets, and his digressions concerning the matter. Certainly, his manners and his acts towards fellow legislators who are in dismay proves the vulnerable position he has put himself into.

That Trump knows his concerning position on the Russian affairs, should be worrying. If he thinks people and investigators are stupid, than he underestimate the porous and fragile state he is in. President Trump already hired a sacked National Security Advisor, that even President Obama warned him about, but Trump did not care and hired Michael Flynn anyways. Only about 20 days later, because he was lying to Vice-President Mike Pence and later sacked as well.

That was because General Flynn gotten payments without authorization and without consent of the State Department by Russian affiliated groups and by Turkish interests. This was something he did not disclose and his reckless behavior with these foreign entities should have worried Trump, but it did not. Just like it did not matter for Trump during his campaign that the second campaign manager Paul Manafort clearly had contact and been paid by both Ukrainian interest and Russian affiliates. Just like has not mattered to Trump that his daughter Ivanka Trump and now advisor has been on vacation in August 2016 with the one of the supposed “girlfriends” of Vlad. The same as Jared Kushner, the son-in-law’s secret meetings with Russian ambassador and Alfa Bank, as well as the revelation of Eric Trump that it wise to do business in Russia, as reported in 2014.

There are a bit too many straws and too little time to maneuver them. He has hired people like former ExxonMobile executive Rex Tillerson who was enjoying a favorable relationship with Russia and was trying to giant business, even pursuing while in corporate to whine-down the sanctions against Russia. Since he wanted to do a massive oil-deal with the government there. Therefore, getting the job and getting the State Department proves how little effort the President Trump tries to conceal the apparent connection.

He must think people or the American people are stupid with the latest firing of James Comey, that the monster of the past and of the election suddenly disappear. No sorry brother, it will not be that easy. President Trump has mixed feelings, because he knows and therefore he have not been transparent. Certainly, some signs and evidence would be out there if the cash flow of wealth and business was looked into, the apparent profits and trades with Russia would appear. In addition, the IRS Tax Return would certainly establish the real value and the concentrated transactions of his personal wealth and his Trump Organization. Therefore, the world would see his inner-works and not just the image he likes to play.

That President Trump has connections and done activity with Russian is clear, to what extent and what effort, is still not disclosed to the world. We can know that it is something there, if it was not then he would not gone to the step of firing yet another individual looking into his business and the possible interference from a foreign power, in this regard, the Russians.

So even as the subpoenas are against Michael Flynn and on-going Probe in the Russian connections happens, and that Kremlin confirm a coming meeting between President Trump and Sergey Lavrov. Apparently, this all just happen simultaneously and co-existing. While President Trump thinks, it can be a castaway. You can throw a donut, but you cannot get rid of shadows and ghosts. Especially in the oval-office and while being President. The Commander-in-Chief should not have to worry about foreign interference, as he is a sovereign. However, I doubt President Trump knows the definition of sovereign. Peace.

Opinion: President Kabila appoints new Cabinet, but he is 141 days on overtime! (Time to leave for Togo?)

On the 19th December 2016 the last term of President Joseph Kabila went out. The Democratic Republic of Congo we’re the opposition negotiation through Conférence Episcopale Nationale du Congo (CENCO) agreement on the 31st December 2016. Still, the President hasn’t left any sign of leaving. As the Army are fighting on different front, are trying to avoid more problems, but having civil war situation in Kasai-Oriental, where the province has rebels killing and the army doing the same.

There are not been any visible signs that he is stepping down or giving way. Neither any clear signs of up-coming elections. Like there are just figment of imagination that his term went out in December 19th 2016. That is 4 months and 20 days that he is on overtime, without any consideration of the violation of the Third Republic. The Democratic Republic of Congo deserves better and should have legitimate President. Also, if you count days he has already spent total 141 days, which he shouldn’t be the Commander-in-Chief and President.

Therefore, 141 days on overtime, the news that he has unleashed a new cabinet and new set of ministers. Proves the violation and the rights of the Republic is being misused and misguided. I don’t care to look into the men and woman appointed, because that isn’t fair to the citizens of the DRC. They deserve a legit President and a regime they have elected. Not someone using the army and the resources as their personal business.

Even if on this date that the President appointed 47 Ministers and 11 Vice-Ministers. They are surely all loyal to Kabila, as they doesn’t care about the constitution, nor the laws that the Third Republic are supposed to have.

The Constitution of 2005 says clearly:

Article 70: The President of the Republic is elected by direct universal suffrage for a term of five years which is renewable only once. At the end of his term, the President stays in office until the President-Elect effectively assumes his functions” (Democratic Republic of Congo – The Constitution of 2005).

So he has had two terms, plus the waiting term after the assassination of his father, who also was President. Therefore, because of that, he has already had three terms in that respect, but only elected in two. Now he is on his fourth without any consent or ballots. That because cannot be elected as long as the Constitution is written like this. The thing that he didn’t do, like many other totalitarian leaders, they change the laws to fit their paradigm and continues “legally”. He is functioning as President while waiting to President-Elect assumes his functions. But with no election and no plan of doing so, there is no evidence of him leaving.

That is even more evident as he changes and appoint a new Cabinet, with lots of ministers loyal to him. It is within the law that he appoint ministers. Still, it is 141 days since he had legitimate powers and was the President. Right now, he shouldn’t be preoccupied with who leads Communications or where Lambert Mende is working. President Kabila, should be come a civilian or join Yayah Jammeh in Equatorial Guinea, even go to Togo like Mobotu!

After a weekend of confusing reports on Mobutu’s whereabouts, CNN confirmed on Monday that he was in Togo, escaping there early Sunday just ahead of rebels advancing on his home in the northern Zairian village of Gbadolite” (…) “Mobutu — who fled Kinshasa on Friday, the day before rebels entered the capital in force — was resting in a residence belonging to his old friend, Togolese dictator Gnassingbe Eyadema, government officials in the West African nation said” (Arnett, 1997).

So if he would do the 3rd Republic a favor, he would leave the Presidency and leave the Nation. It doesn’t seem to be possible at this point. President Kabila has not conceded or tried to give way. Therefore, the trust of him leaving power, seems day-by-day unlikely. President Kabila shows that he uses his power and capacity, as the army are loyal to him. This proves that the elections seems far-fetched, since he has not showed anything feasible or even tried to even get tenders for ballots.

That President Kabila will say elections are expensive, the are to many rebellions, that the M23 are in the Kivu’s, that FDLR are doing their thing, that ADF-NALU still existing, that the Kamunia Nsapu and other groups killing in different provinces. This will all be used as tactics to postpone the elections and make sure there are no official date for elections, nor ordering ballots or securing funds for the Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante (CENI). They will all be left behind, since there are no plans or wish of the President to get a successor. That means he will leave all his power behind!

This new government is just a disgrace… and not respecting the Constitution of the 3rd Republic. Neither, it is clear disrespect of the people and republic. President Kabila doesn’t own the nation and the public doesn’t owe him anything, they deserves some who legitimate rule them. Time for Kabila to follow the fleeing President and leave for Togo! Peace.

Reference:

Arnett, Peter – ‘Mobutu in Togo as Zaire rebels assume leadership’ (19.05.1997) link:http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9705/19/zaire/index.html?eref=sitesearch

Opinion: Trump’s proposed Tax Reform is made for the wealthy and no-one else!

It is hard to take the “2017 Tax Reform for Economic Growth and American Jobs” that was released on 26th April 2017, a one page leaflet of wishes. This is shorter than most of the restaurant and they usually doesn’t have that many dishes to serve their clientele. Still, the Trump Administration and their “Treasury Secretary Steve Mnushin set out a test for tax reform that, “there will be no absolute tax cut for the upper class.” (Richard E. Neal – ‘President Trump’s Tax Proposal Another Broken Promise to the Middle Class’ – 26.04.2017). Still, with the first prospect of the wish-list of the Trump Administration is to give the rich less taxes.

An on a one-page wish-list you don’t really have the space or the care for describing the results, I look forward to read the CBO report on the proposed tax cuts. Since this should have some sort of implications, not only let the Manhattan elite afford yet another cabin in the Aspen or trip to Formula One in Monaco. They are speaking of easing the tax-codes and provide tax-relief for American families, without giving any specific detail into what that might be. I am sure the tickets of travel and the indispensable Secret Service guards to the golfing-weekends at the Mar-A-Lago in Florida has more explained reports, than these quick promises to the American families.

They are putting new brackets for the American families, also doubling deductions from the taxes and promise relief, without saying what this means, or if the families really get any serious cuts. While the Business get a shaved business tax rate from 35% to 15 %. One time tax on the Business Ownership abroad, to make sure the funds comes back into the United States. Last is to eliminate the tax breaks for special interest. So the last one, is to significantly add some tax back in the Internal Revenue Service.

So the little plan they have is to either cut and reform it minimally, while giving tax breaks to bigger corporations and the wealthy. The ones who already have the money and earns the profits, get to pay less, while the ones who needs or could have need of serious reform doesn’t get it. The ones earning on this wish-list is the Wall Street connected individuals, the Multi-National Corporations and the Limited Liability Companies (LLC). This sort of tax reform is made for the richest, not for the working class or the average voters who voted for the current President.

This is just another proof, that the President Trump isn’t there to drain the swamp or even trying to stop the major corporate takeover of Washington D.C. and the Capitol Hill. He is more of the same, just infused with less coded language and straight-face doubling down on the foreplay for the business executives. There isn’t anything in the works that proves that President Trump want to care about environment or health of his population over the profits of Goldman Sachs, Merrill-Lynch or any other significant private sector business operative like Exxon-Mobile. All of them will get the blessings and their days in the sunshine. As long as their Manchurian Candidate Trump are in office.

There aren’t anything that proves otherwise, his Executive Orders has been for easement of the businesses, not for the well-being of the population nor environment. The lacking care of the citizens and only caring for corporate citizens will clearly alter the pledges and promises. Certainly, the ones who voted for him should feel betrayed. The corporate greed in the United States is endless, as all the lobbyists, the paid senators, paid representatives and other legislators in Washington D.C. follows their donors more than the public. Just look at Ted Cruz record of praising the Mercer family and their values. Than you get a prime time example and all of the Republicans working for the Koch Brothers will.

The same is now happening from the oval office, with no restraint or any care of the consequence, if they fail or bitterly accept the truth. Doubt it, as they will double down and say it is for the common core, while the true tax cuts is for big-business and multi-national corporations who will have a surge of profits. The supposed trickling down theory will be put into play, while more of the monies will go into the pockets of the wealthy and the difference between the richest and poorest will grow even more. The lack of care from the state combined with the massive wealth, will really also destroy the society and make the ones left behind even feel more vulnerable, but that is not a concern the Trump Administration has. They only care for the billionaires and millionaires, not the ones living on food-stamps or on government subsidizes, as this government would easily have axed all of that.

I look forward to see the estimates from a real tax-plan from the Trump Administration, one with the implication and proposed reaction to the taxes and cuts. If the Trump Administration after these sort of cuts ever compare themselves to previous administrations and their cuts. They should be careful, as this will spike the deficit and the borrowing will grow enormously, into amounts that make the Democratic government look careful and fiscal sound. But it is only the Republican Presidents and Governments who is allowed to act as drunk dogs and then complain when the democrats doesn’t serve them at the last call. Certainly, this is the prospect of this sort of acts. This will not be for the American families, neither for the middle-class, this tax cuts are for the business owners and the wealthy who pockets dozens of millions on this without any consideration on fiscal funding of the budget, nor the expenses running the current government. But hey, Trump wants to downgrade the American economy and also weaken the dollar, so this might be one of the many ways he tries to do it. Kudos! Peace.

Trump Administration proposed budget (FY-2018) to axe the ‘Economic Support Funds’ and the ‘Development Assistance’ on the African Continent!

Action without thought is empty. Thought without action is blind.”Kwame Nkrumah

You should expect by a man blessed and gotten the support by the Christian Conservative in the United States of America, to care a little about the ones who has less and needs support. You would expect of a man who claims to be a Christian and a man of faith to support charity and good causes. But President Donald J. Trump isn’t like any other Christian Conservative, I know, as he has used his own Foundation to buy statutes of himself and also use it on his real-estate, as well as reports of buying celebrity memorabilia.

Well, why do I start with this? Because it was released yesterday the remarkable “Financial Year 2018 Control Levels by state bureau, operating unit and Account”, this are the planned budget for the AEECA, DA, ESF, GHP-State and GHP-USAID. This United States Government document is dated not further back than the 6th April of 2017. The effects of the planned cuts in some of the regional aid projects, development aid and economic support funds, is as astonishing as the Presidency itself. It is a disgrace to anything of humanitarian understanding and belief of goodness in the Trump Administration at all. This sort of acts of disregard of humanitarian assistance, proves that the Trump Administration is a selfish, disgusting and belittling state. Who cannot afford to help the ones in need or the continue to finish the projects they have put forward abroad. The development projects overseas will now fail over night. Just take a look!

The “Economic Support funds” and “Development Assistance”, who are slashed a total of 100% from 2017 to 2018 are in Burundi, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the African Union! Also the own offices and planning regional development all over the continent like the: USAID African Regional, USAID Central African Regional, USAID East African Regional, USAID Sahel Regional, USAID Southern Regional and the USAID West Africa Regional as well. That is 20 African countries being directly dropped by the Trump Administration and cutting needed funding of running expenses by these government. This happens without any consideration of finding alternative sources or taxing to cover the dropped direct support. That is apparent the act of the Christian Conservative President Trump, who is supposed to be a charitable and caring character. Clearly, he wants to send the African nations a message, that he doesn’t give two shits about their fate or their sustainability.

What is the meaning behind the ESF: “Economic Support Funds (ESF) is economic aid designated to promote economic or political stability in areas where the United States has special strategic interests. Authorized under Chapter 4, Part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, ESF is a flexible assistance tool that can be structured to meet a diverse range of foreign policy and economic development objectives. The makeup of ESF programs are made on a country-specific basis, while the nature of ESF assistance to a particular country is determined by a combination of the needs of the recipient and U.S. foreign policy objectives. Among ESF’s diverse applications are the following programs (among others): advancing peace and stability, building accountable and transparent institutions, creating economic and educational opportunities for youth, countering extremist ideology, counter-terrorism and counternarcotics, governance, economic growth, anti-corruption, trade capacity building and democratic strengthening. The executive branch is responsible for policy decisions and justifications for ESF use, including country eligibility and funding levels” (Security Assistance Monitor).

What is the meaning behind the “Development Assistance”: “ … [for] sustained support of the people of developing countries in their efforts to acquire the knowledge and resources essential to development and to build the economic, political, and social institutions which will improve the quality of their lives.” (USAID, 2005).

So the Trump Administration apparently doesn’t see any Foreign Policy or Economic Development Objectives inside 20 African Nations in Financial Year of 2018. This is only in the African States and Republics, not all over the world. Clearly the values of quality of life, building economic, political and social institutions doesn’t matter to Trump. The monies saved are surely going to more ‘Mothers of All Bombs” or to expensive carriers to fight an unnecessary war. Since, President Trump is caring or considering about the acts of his time in office.

The USAID operations on the African continent is clearly sending a message, that he does not think off or has anything to offer them. That the U.S. plans to be their uncle or sugar-daddy, that their instead thinking of leaving them behind. The wealth of United States rather goes to building war-ships and bombers, than being used on Humanitarian projects building institutions abroad. Therefore, the United States as a power-player on the African continent is gone with this. As their forged relationship and patronage is gone with this sort of budget. The significant relationship between their development projects in the 20 nations who suddenly get brash cuts and stopped all funding off. Peace.

Reference:

Security Assistance Monitor – ‘Economic Support Funds’ link: http://securityassistance.org/south-asia/content/economic%20support%20fund

USAID – ‘U.S. Foreign Assistance Reference Guide’ (2005) link: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pnadc240.pdf

DRC: “Further mass graves and killings discovered in Kasais” says Zeid (19.04.2017)

This brings to 40 the number of mass graves documented by the UN in Kasai Central and Kasai Oriental Provinces since August 2016.

GENEVA, Switzerland, April 19, 2017 – UN investigators in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have confirmed the existence of at least 17 further mass graves in Kasai Central Province, which has been the scene of clashes between soldiers and members of a local militia known as Kamuina Nsapu. This brings to 40 the number of mass graves documented by the UN in Kasai Central and Kasai Oriental Provinces since August 2016.

The presence of the additional graves was confirmed during an investigation mission to Kasai Central between 5 and 7 April by staff from the UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) and UN Police (UNPOL).

Fifteen of the mass graves were in a cemetery in the town of Tshimbulu and two in the locality of Tshienke. The UN team gathered information that soldiers from the Forces armées de la Republique démocratique du Congo (FARDC) had reportedly dug the graves, after clashing with presumed elements of the Kamuina Nsapu militia between 26 and 28 March. At least 74 people, including 30 children, were reported to have been killed by soldiers as a result of these clashes.

The UN team also visited Kananga to gather information about alleged abuses and violations there. Between 28 and 30 March, FARDC soldiers were reported to have shot dead at least 40 people, including 11 children and 12 women, in the Nganza commune of Kananga, and injured at least 21 others. The majority of the victims were said to have been killed in their homes as soldiers went door to door looking for militia members.

Two of the victims died in hospital, while the remaining 38 were reportedly buried by the local population in three mass graves. FARDC soldiers were also reported to have buried an unknown number of bodies in a fourth mass grave in Nganza cemetery.

UNJHRO also received reports that at least two women and three girls had been raped by FARDC soldiers during the same operation in Nganza. Defence and security forces were alleged to have arrested and detained 27 people, including 10 boys and a 15-year-old girl.

The UN investigators, who also visited the Katoka commune of Kananga, heard reports that during search operations by officers from the Police nationale congolaise (PNC) on 28 March, a 23-year-old man, a 17-year-old boy and a one-month-old baby had been killed. The UN team was told that the baby had been fatally injured after being trampled on by police officers searching their house.

The Kamuina Nsapu militia, which is loyal to a local customary chief killed by the army on 12 August last year, has been accused of recruiting hundreds of children into its ranks, and targeting state agents and symbols, including government premises, schools, hospitals, police stations, as well as churches. An example of such violence happened on 30 March when about 30 alleged Kamuina Nsapu militiamen attacked the parish church of Saint-Jean de Masuika in Luiza territory, where they ill-treated at least three nuns and a priest, threatening to kill them. In addition, the priest and one of the nuns were reportedly abducted and then released the next day after money was paid. The militiamen also vandalized the church, breaking doors and windows, and burning the priest’s chasubles.

“The discovery of yet more mass graves and the reports of continued violations and abuses highlight the horror that has been unfolding in the Kasais over the last nine months,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

“It is absolutely vital that the Government of the DRC takes meaningful steps, which to date have been lacking,  to ensure that there is a prompt, transparent, and independent investigation to establish the facts and circumstances of alleged human rights violations and abuses perpetrated by all parties, and other abuses of justice. My Office has offered its assistance in conducting such a credible investigation. We reiterate our request for access to all sites of mass graves, as well as to all witnesses, including those in detention, and other relevant information necessary to determine responsibility at all levels,” Zeid said.

“The scale and nature of the violence increasingly underscore the need to monitor the situation closely. Should there be no effective national investigation, I will not hesitate to urge the international community to support an investigation by an international mechanism, including the International Criminal Court, which recently reminded the DRC authorities of their primary responsibility under the Rome Statute to investigate and prosecute the alleged acts of violence in the Kasais,” the High Commissioner said.

Republican’s loved the filibuster as minority, but as Majority in the Senate: they killed it!

In Federalist Papers No. 22, Alexander Hamilton seemed to anticipate the modern day Republican party, writing of the concept of a supermajority, “(I)ts real operation is to embarrass the administration, to destroy the energy of government and to substitute the pleasure, caprice or artifices of an insignificant, turbulent or corrupt junta, to the regular deliberations and decisions of a respectable majority.” (Jones, 2009).

As of today we know that Mitch McConnell and other Republicans do not value their own internal laws for bi-partisanship, neither the value of a silent minority when creating laws. That can be said in the days after the Senate used the ‘Nuclear Option’ to circumvent and have a second vote to secure the newly made nominee for the Supreme Court Judge Neil Gorsuch appointed by them. Even as the Democrats had earlier filibuster move and blocked the appointment. Just as the Republican Party did for a year, when the then elected President Barrack Obama, nominated Merrick Garland for the same slot in the Supreme Court.

This here is pivotal to the ideas of the Senate, as the Republicans clearly now proves that the laws are only mattering when they are in opposition, because when they get in power they will use it to silent the opposition. The reality is that the Democratic Party, is losing more ground quicker than they could anticipate. The Senate are now filled with corporate stooges who could not care about the laws and the true conservative measures, as the filibuster might have stopped processes, but has been there as a safeguard against regulations who might hurt the Republic. That is something the Republicans should care about, but apparently they are hooked on power.

The filibuster, long seen by its proponents as a necessary check on power and by its critics as a frustrating waste of time, has been around since the mid-19th century. A filibuster simply allows the minority political party to choose to endlessly debate a bill, stalling — and sometimes preventing — an actual vote. The word comes from the Dutch term vrijbuiter (pirate), in addition to the Spanish word filibustero (freebooting). The origins of filibuster use trace back to ancient Rome, and the practice has been common in several other countries including England and Australia. In the U.S., the tactic became known as a label for a Senator who held his colleagues hostage by overtalking legislation” (…) “The first filibuster in U.S. Senate history began on March 5, 1841, over the issue of the firing of Senate printers, and lasted six days. Ever since, politicians have loved filibusters or hated them — depending which side of the fight they were on. Proponents argue the filibuster protects the right to free speech and prevents the Senate majority from steamrolling the minority, thus ensuring that critical legislation gets a sufficient airing before being pushed through. Others contend the practice has gotten out of hand, leaving bills gridlocked in an oft-feuding Senate and stalling important votes for purely partisan gain. Peter Fenn, GOP consultant and former Senate aide, called filibusters the “tyranny of the minority.” (Oloffson, 2009).

The reality of what they have done is that after the first vote on the 4th April voted a majority Republicans to hold an Executive Session to consider Gorsuch as Supreme Court Judge. Than the Senate tried to fill in a clout on the 6th April 2017, but that got rejected by the minority after the filibuster rule. Therefore, Majority leader McConnell came with the good idea of using the Reed Rule and overrule the Filibuster through reconsidering the motion and change the rules on how many that needs to vote “yay” to win legislation victory in the senate. So late after a long debate on the 6th April, the Senate got the amount of votes to get the “On the Cloture Motion” that gave way for the majority in the Senate. So with the new rules, yesterday with 54 Yay over 45 Nay, the victory of the Republicans and the Trump nominee for the Court.

GovTrack explains it perfectly: “A vote on cloture is a vote to limit further debate and move to an up-or-down vote, in other words to prevent a filibuster. With only 55 votes in favor, 5 short of the 60 required, the Democrats blocked cloture so that they could filibuster the nomination. Following this vote, in Senate vote #109, the rule for cloture on Supreme Court nominations was changed to a simple majority. In Senate vote #110, the cloture vote was retaken under the new rules and with 55 votes again, 4 more than was needed on the second attempt, cloture was approved and further debate was limited. Gorsuch was confirmed in the final vote the following day” (GovTrack, 2017).

So with this change, the Majority knows totally control the Senate as the Filibuster is now gone away. It is ironic that the Republicans voting for this week, has as a minority proclaimed their love for the filibuster rule and it value in the Senate. So when themselves needs to circumvent it, it was easy to vote and change so their man could have a slot in the court. But they could use the same rule to stop laws and nominations from Obama.

A few recent times the Republican’s have filibuster themselves:

In 2013: “Ted Cruz called in the doctor to knock down ObamaCare — Dr. Seuss, that is.
The Republican senator from Texas recited Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham” during a wide-ranging, 21- hour quasi-filibuster to blast the health-care law(Miller, 2013).

In 2012: “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) wants to change the filibuster rule in the Senate because Republicans have been abusing it. He pointed out in Politico this September, “Since Democrats took control of the Senate in 2006, Republicans have mounted 380 filibusters. This far exceeds anything we’ve seen before in the Senate. By comparison, in Lyndon B. Johnson’s six years as Senate majority leader, he faced just one filibuster.” (…) “But Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell claims that the 60 supermajority vote rule is ordinary procedure. McConnell huffed at Reid’s filibuster reform, “What these Democrats have in mind is a fundamental change to the way the Senate operates.” (Jones, 2012).

In 2010: “Senate Republicans proved their fortitude today when they voted to filibuster the Zadroga bill, the measure to provide health insurance to 9/11 workers. The measure failed by a vote of 57-42. Under the leadership of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Republicans vowed to filibuster any legislation introduced in the Senate until a settlement is reached on the Bush tax cuts and federal funding” (Clabough, 2010).

So there is a precedence and a history of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to use the filibuster on his own grounds and stop the Democratic Party from getting through legislation, as much as 380 times at least since 2006 alone. So it is not like the Republican Party doesn’t know how obstructive they have been in opposition. Nevertheless, when they got in power they used the tools possible to not respect the way the Democratic Majority Leader Reid did, but instead overrule the filibuster to get in the Trump nominee. The Nobel men of the Republican party who, has said they care about the sacred laws of the Senate, we’re lying all these years. Since the minute they get into power and get majority inside the Senate, they use the clouts and the roads not used. To make sure their will get passed. No bi-partisanship, but instead close the gate and says “our will rule them all”.

The Republican Party and their Senate leader will surely be remembered for their ill-will and take control of the Senate, rewrite the rules for their donors and their corporate partners, instead of serving the public will. The Republican Party and their leader can be remembered for not caring that they we’re ones using a 200 year old rule for their benefit, but when they entered the gates as majority. They couldn’t care less. Peace.

Reference:

Clabough, Raven – ‘Republican Filibuster Blocks 9/11 Bill’ (09.12.2010) link: https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/3577-republican-filibuster-blocks-9-11-bill

Miller, S.A. – ‘Cruz reads ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ in marathon filibuster’ (23.09.2013) link: http://nypost.com/2013/09/25/cruz-vows-to-speak-till-he-cant-against-obamacare/

Jones, Sarah – ‘Since Democrats took control of the Senate in 2006, Republicans Have Mounted 380 Filibusters’ (09.12.2009) link: http://www.politicususa.com/2012/12/09/block-blame-successful-republican-filibuster-strategy.html

GovTrack – ‘Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States’ (06.04.2017) link: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2017/s105?utm_campaign=govtrack_feed&utm_source=govtrack/feed&utm_medium=rss

Oloffson, Kristi – ‘A BRIEF HISTORY OF Filibusters’ (02.11.2009) link: http://content.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1933802,00.html