The republican memo came out, now we wait and see. Given the level of apathy in this Republic today, it is a great possibility that only those of us who care will even give a hoot. The memo has been spreading around the blogs and that is a good thing, it being released was also a good thing. The problem with some of the blogs media outlets is that so many say “Here is what you need to know”. I say let the people who care decide what they need to know. Let them read it and come to their own conclusions. Many will come to different conclusions, people can see or hear the exact same thing and come to different conclusions.
For instance, during the State of the Union address when President Trump made the statement that Black and Hispanic unemployment was at record low-levels. The republicans heard good news and applauded, the democrats(sitting in the same chambers and hearing the same words)sat on their hands not applauding. The republicans heard good news and the democrats heard bad news. I know what you are saying, the democrats and republicans clap like trained seals when the president is from and representing their political party. But, record low unemployment levels is good news no matter which party has the presidency.
Let’s look at the timing. Released on a Friday, not just any Friday, but the Friday before the superbowl(small s in this case because I don’t see it as worthy of a big S). So let’s look at Monday and the discussions around the “water cooler”. Will they be talking the big game of the big memo? I suspect the game by a large margin.
Why, you ask. The answer is that, people are “fickle”. It was not all that long ago that many “diehard” sports fans were up in arms because some knucklehead pampered prima donna took a knee during the National Anthem. Swearing to never watch a football game again. Some will stand by their word, while others will don their favorite jersey and sit in front of the “boob tube” eating wings and drinking beer, never minding what they said not so long ago. Much the same as when the videos came out about the selling of baby body parts at the abortion clinic.
Maybe by Tuesday the masses will get around to reading the memo, or not. It will go back to the apathy problem, or a new shiny object to look at. Then there is the crowd of Jacobins that exist in society and government. The never Trump crowd and the Trump haters will not give of flying(almost said a bad word)about the memo. To them the ends justify the means. They want the president gone and to them there is no measure that goes to far. They will not care that it appears the at least on government agency and possibly one government department “weaponized” itself to influence an election because the candidate, later the president-elect and finally the president was not one they chose.
I read it several times and the best I can say is “Wow”. It appears to me that some high-level bureaucrats were attempting to use any means possible to derail a presidential campaign. It also appears to me that failing that they would settle for bringing down a sitting president. Wow, talk about collusion, conspiracy and trying to influence an election. It also appears to me that these same individuals did not give a flying(almost said that bad word again)about the future of this Republic, they instead were concerned in their futures. Those same bureaucrats cared not if their activities tarnished the reputation of the entire agencies and/or departments. One even wanted to hang on long enough to reach full retirement benefits. Not to mention the never-ending leaks.
Well raise your hands if you are shocked that a government agency would attempt to influence anything or be used to further a political agenda. It was not all that long ago that the BATFE was used to help the gun control crowd. You do remember fast and furious, don’t you? The gun-walking scheme to send guns across the southern border. That one got Brian Terry killed. Let me see, making guns available to criminals to see if the criminals would use those guns in crimes. The IRS was used against Tea Party conservative groups.
The democrats were to craft a response to the allegations or revelations made in the republican memo and they wanted it released as well. They wanted everything to remain a secret unless they to could expose something. Then the agency wanted to redact the memo if it were released, claiming national security. Many people in government are still up in arms over the release. Claiming this memo was politicized, maybe it was and maybe it wasn’t. I would like to see the democrat memo, just to compare the two. I would like them to offer some sort of justification for the alleged abuses, from their point of view. Perhaps that will come out down the road.
There are some who will read the memo and be taken aback, to say the least. There are others who will read the memo and think that nothing was wrong. There are others who will simply let the media interpret it for them, being to lazy to read it and decide for themselves. There are still others who could care less about the whole affair, the totally apathetic.
In my view there is another thing about the memo. All of this has come to light because Trump became president. It started out as a Russian collusion investigation. It appears that someone claims or thinks that the Russians influenced the outcome of the election. There has yet been a person to come forward and publicly state that the Russians had influenced the way they voted. Each country tries to influence the outcome of elections in other countries. The reason is that they want a friendly government. As to Russia, think about who they would view as a friendly government. Would they, The Russians, view a possible friend as one who had sold to them 20% of its Uranium(you know the stuff that is used in nuclear weapons)? Or would they, the Russians, view an unknown as a possible ally? Who do you think they wanted to be president HRC or DJT? Very few trust the unknown.
If HRC had won the election and became president it is highly unlikely that any of this would have been known much been released to the public. Trump would have lost and there would be no allegation of Russian influence. That alone should anger people as much as, if not more than, what has been revealed in the memo. That means that the bureaucrats and the agencies could have operated without impunity as weapons against the citizens. They could have their “insurance policies” against unwanted results in elections, and no one would be the wiser. The “secret society” remark has yet to be explained. When one “desperately” does not wish for one to become president, how far will his and/or her desperation drive them? Likewise when one desperately wants to be president, how far will his and/or her desperation drive them? How desperate were and are some people? How far were or are they willing to go?
I also understand that there are people in government and out of government who are more than willing to betray their country. I might point this out there are many ways in which one could betray their country. Most do it for financial gain, some do it to hide and cover-up things they have either done directly or been a willing participant in, sometimes both.
Looks like some people need to look up the definitions of Fidelity, Bravery and Integrity. All Americans have their own political basis, they support a political candidate, most do not let their bias interfere with their job. Unfortunately by what is in this memo their political bias became their job. I really want to see the democrat memo.
What is happening in and with government today is pretty close to if not exactly what Patrick Henry had warned about.
The best we can hope for at this point is a ripple effect. All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.
As I recall there was a country in the 1930’s and 40’s that had used government against and to spy on its own people. Some sort of “secret society” or “secret police” as I recall. I wonder what the level of apathy was in that country.
On a side note. We have another government shutdown looming, yet the republicans managed to find time to go on a retreat, the democrats go on their retreat next. The drama of D.C. continues. A tough fight or a retreat and the politicians choose to retreat.
DEO VINDICE