Some Signs Of Life or Just Another Ploy?

Fact is, people like Tulsi Gabbard and Daniel Larison should be credited with this: 

The US House of Representatives has voted in favor of ending US involvement in the war in Yemen, but the bill is expected to be vetoed by President Donald Trump as the White House cites “serious constitutional concerns.”The House voted 247-175 in favor of the resolution to direct Trump to end US military involvement in the war within 30 days and to end support for the Saudi-led coalition that it has been backing.

Trump will veto this most likely and then there is another small twist to all that:

Congress is “no longer going to ignore its constitutional obligations when it comes to foreign policy,” said Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, adding that the war in Yemen, now in its fifth year, “demands moral leadership.”

My issue is this:

Article I of the Constitution enumerates several of Congress’s foreign affairs powers, including those to “regulate commerce with foreign nations,” “declare war,” “raise and support armies,” “provide and maintain a navy,” and “make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces.” The Constitution also makes two of the president’s foreign affairs powers—making treaties and appointing diplomats—dependent on Senate approval. 

But here is this constitutional conundrum, I omit here the impetus of Saudis greatly publicized slaughter of opposition journalist Khashoggi, in this matter: US Congress can not make treaties but it can and it did, in fact, it de-fanged Trump. Remember?

Public Law No: 115-44 (08/02/2017) Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act

So, as I wrote in 2017: 

But as of now--it is as good time as any to get pop-corn out and see, sometimes with pain, sometimes with amusement, how a bunch of morons in some Congress in D.C. just created America's worst case scenario with Russia and China all but becoming a full fledged allies (once Power of Siberia is launched in 2019, Europe can go to hell), with Iran now, inevitably, moving closer to this alliance. Talk about shooting oneself in a foot--but that was my position from the inception of this blog: the level of ignorance about outside world in D.C. is unbelievable and is clear and present danger to real American interests in staying much relevant and important major power in emerging new world geopolitical and economic order.  

Trump is really NOT in control of US Foreign Policy and a single occasion on which US Congress raised its voice allegedly for moral reasons, doesn't change situation with US foreign policy being ultimately controlled by neocons both in executive and legislative branches. While Saudi's genocidal war against Yemen must stop, this all is as far as it goes. American political machine and, especially, its foreign policy establishment are broken and I don't see how this could be fixed.

American Politcs Today.

There is a good ol' Russian (Soviet, really) anecdote: two cowboys, Bill and John, ride their horses in prairie. While riding there, Bill sees a pile of horse shit and because he has 100 dollars it occurs to him--why wouldn't I dare John to eat this pile of horse shit for a hundred dollars. So, he dares John to do just that. John thinks: hm, of course, eating horse shit is really humiliating and disgusting but 100 bucks, damn, too serious of a money to pass on such an opportunity. So, he agrees and eats this pile of shit and Bill gives him his 100 bucks. They continue to ride side-by-side after that. While riding both think. 

Bill: well, it is all cool that John ate a pile of horse shit but, man, 100 bucks is too great sum of a money to pay even for such an atrocious challenge. I wish I never dared Bill and kept my 100.

John: well, it is really cool to have 100 bucks, but, man, I ate a pile of horse shit for that and now Bill will taunt and humiliate me for this. I wish I never agreed to accept his challenge. 

While thinking like that they pass another pile of horse shit and John dares Bill to eat this pile of shit for 100 bucks. Bill agrees and does just that, John gives him 100 bucks. After that both cowboys continue to ride side-by-side in full silence. After few minutes of riding in silence John breaks it: 

"Hey, Bill, you know what? Don't you think that we both just ate a load of horse shit for free?" 

This is a description of modern American politics which is an exercise in eating an excrement. In related news, US MSM is officially dead and its rotting corpse poisons atmosphere, and US political house is a house of organized crime, this is what Mueller Report confirmed today. 

The short version? Mueller is done. His report unambiguously states there was no collusion or obstruction. He was allowed to follow every lead unfettered in an investigation of breathtaking depth. It cannot be clearer. The report summary states, “The Special Counsel’s investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 US Presidential Election…the report does not recommend any further indictments, nor did the Special Counsel obtain any sealed indictments that have yet to be made public.” Robert Mueller did not charge any Americans with collusion, coordination, or criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia. The special counsel also considered whether members of the Trump campaign “coordinated,” a much lower standard defined as an “agreement, tacit or express,” with Russian election interference activities. They did not. Everything—everything—else we have been told since the summer of 2016 falls, depending on your conscience and view of humanity, into the realm of lies, falsehoods, propaganda, exaggerations, political manipulation, stupid reporting, fake news, bad judgment, simple bull, or, in the best light, hasty conclusions.

The only way United States will be able to recover at least some self-respect (forget it on the international arena) is if those people, including in both Clinton and Obama clans, who came up with this whole coup attempt and unprecedented attack on Constitution and Due Process will see real justice and prison terms. If not, and it will continue to be business as usual, then it is really over. As per sanctity of Office of POTUS, since Bill Clinton times all efforts were put in discrediting this important office, including by its present occupant.    

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. (c)

Vi lever i illiberale tider. Gruppetænkning, konformisme og en stadigt smallere meningskorridor har sat sit præg på den offentlige debat i Danmark. Hver uge bringer nye foruroligende eksempler. Seneste forsøg på at gøre den danske meningskorridor smallere er et lovforslag, der skal »styrke indsatsen mod ulovlige påvirkningsoperationer fra fremmede efterretningstjenester« med en maksimumstraf på 12 års fængsel, hvis forbrydelsen bliver begået under en valgkamp. Forslaget er rettet mod forsøg på at påvirke den almene meningsdannelse i Danmark og konkrete beslutninger både i den private og den offentlige sektor.

Above is the quote from Danish newspaper which, when translated, sounds like this in English:

We live in illiberal times. Group thinking, convergence and a steadily narrower sense corridor have highlighted public debate in Denmark. Each week brings new disturbing examples. Recent attempts to make the Danish opinion corridor narrower are a bill to "strengthen efforts against illegal influences from foreign intelligence services" with a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison if the crime is committed during an election campaign. The proposal is aimed at attempts to influence public opinion formation in Denmark and concrete decisions in both the private and public sectors.

 If you want to have a full English version of otherwise for pay article you may retroactively translate it in English from Russian here (famous Russian resource InoSmi-Foreign Media). It is stunning and it is full on 1984. Europe slides towards Orwellian reality for a long time now and it is getting there with acceleration. Prosecution for alternative political point of view not may but will become official in EU (of course, under pretext of Russian "hybrid war") soon. In fact, this practice is already partially implemented. 

This whole thing contrasts with recent statement by not very bright, as I stated many times before, Federika Mogherini who continues to live in La-La Land of refined drugs and insists that: 

  European Union is a world cultural superpower 

I, of course, have some news for her--no, it is not. European Union may still produce some hip things and it is still a wonderful cemetery of fine things architecturally, art and food wise but it is not "cultural superpower" since in the foundation of the modern EU are degenerate values of multiculturalism, political correctness, emasculation, radical feminism, latent acceptance of pedophilia, complete sexual deviance, plus other things which culturally define European Union today. Europe is still capable of producing, here and there, some technological things but, as Elena Chudinova and, later, Houllebecq, wrote--it will end with submission to Islam in some places or with complete emasculation in others where the lines between man and woman will evaporate. After all the age of the third, fourth and even fifth gender is upon us. This is a cultural heritage European Union wants to leave to us all.

So, speaking in plain language, which sophisticated Mogherini can hardly understand--European Union is a cultural shithole and unless some nationalist forces come to power (it might be already too late) it will collapse completely first as a viable civilization, which is "culture writ large", and with it economic collapse will follow. I think, Donald Trump, at least partially, bets on this, especially hoping to shove down European "elites" throats his version of "energy independence" which must kill off any competitiveness of EU products, this is not to speak of China doing her thing with OBOR trying to overwhelm EU market with its consumer products. The piece in Danish newspaper is just another, using Pink Floydian language, brick in the wall. The wall will have to come up eventually to protect what's left of European civilization in Eastern Europe from the filth trickling from EU towards Urals. But yes, new Bill in Danish Parliament will be a great tool to beat down any voice of dissent among cowardly European population (with pleasant exception of Germans from former GDR, namely Chemnitz) on the way to the dystopian apocalyptic nirvana. 

But that is what also comes to mind in relation to the US--there is STILL a Constitution and there are those amendments which are the last barricade on the path of utter political degeneracy which threatens to abolish not only free thinking but free will as well. But that is what makes America worth at least trying to save, to right it. I don't see same for Europe, at least not yet. But in a bizarre and grimly ironic twist of my life I am forced to repeat again--I never thought that I would feel free in Russia. But modern Russia is freer than EU on so many levels that it, indeed, becomes an existential question--how could we admire them in 1970s and 80s? And yes, in good ol' USA I still can blow the brains out of any intruder and not face punishment and I can still say things I think because the US is also much freer than EU, at least for now.