Tulsi Gabbard shows some good sense
Tulsi Gabbard – who is no longer in office, having declined to run for re-election to the House – seems to be speaking reasonably about what’s going on these days in terms of restrictions on liberty. Tulsi appears to have entered Jonathan Turley and Glenn Greenwald territory on this issue.
No wonder she was persona non grata in the Democratic primary race. Remember when Hillary Clinton indicated Tulsi was being “groomed” by Russia to run third party? Good times; good times.
Here’s what Gabbard said recently:
…[L]et us be clear, the John Brennans, Adam Schiffs and the oligarchs in Big Tech who are trying to undermine our constitutionally-protected rights and turn our country into a police state with KGB-style ‘surveillance’ are also domestic enemies — and much more powerful, and therefore dangerous, than the mob which stormed the Capitol.”
Ms. Gabbard‘s video then cut to a recent appearance of Mr. Brennan on MSNBC in which he likened pro-Trump supporters at the Capitol on Jan. 6 to “insurgency movements that we’ve seen overseas.”
“I know looking forward that the members of the Biden team who have been nominated or have been appointed are now moving in laser-like fashion to try and uncover as much as they can about what looks very similar to insurgency movements that we’ve seen overseas where they germinate in different parts of the country,” he said. “They gain strength and it brings together an unholy alliance, frequently, of religious extremists, authoritarians, fascists, bigots, racists, nativists, even libertarians.”
Even libertarians.
Gabbard continued:
“President Biden, I call upon you and all of Congress from both parties to denounce efforts by Brennan and others to take away our civil liberties endowed to us by our Creator and guaranteed in our Constitution,” she said. “If you don’t stand up to them now, then our country will be in great peril.”
Brennan is a longtime viper (see this). But Gabbard’s appeal to Biden (and to both parties in Congress) reminds me of the old “if only Stalin knew!” plaint in the USSR. Unfortunately, President Biden is either fully onboard with this or far enough gone that he’s not even aware of it. Perhaps both at this point. As for the Democrats in Congress, most of them would consider it a dream come true to be able to silence the opposition.
Unlike the deranged and irrational pseudo-conservatives paraded on CNN and MSNBC (such as the loathsome grifters of The Lincoln Project and the odious J Rubin and M Boot at Pravda-on-the-Potomac), and unlike the disgraceful and highly unethical former employees of the alphabet agencies (Brennan, Clapper, Comey, Page, Strzok,etc), those leftists and Democrats who appear on Tucker’s show (such as Tulsi and Glenn Greenwald) tend to be reasonable and thoughtful contrarian and independent thinkers who, even if some of their positions may be highly questionable, are nonetheless still willing “to speak truth to (leftist) power.”
If these people were smarter, you’d think they were deliberately trying to create more paranoia and hysteria on the Right and generate the very “insurgency” they’re supposedly decrying.
Mike
Even libertarians.
Ha! I noticed that line on last night’s opinion shows. The basket of deplorables expands. Those cheering now should take care that they don’t end up in that basket too.
It’s great that Tulsi is not insane.
That Manchin and Sinema are not fully deranged.
Still, I’m not expecting the train to be derailed by such as them.
The ‘President’ is for whatever they tell him he’s for.
Just sign it.
MBunge:
Never underestimate the intelligence of your opponents.
I believe they are intentionally doing what you describe: “trying to create more paranoia and hysteria on the Right and generate the very ‘insurgency’ they’re supposedly decrying.” They are not really afraid of the strength of that insurgency. They are looking to generate more fear of it on the part of the public, so that they can justify cracking down further and extending their little Stasi imitation.
neo:
Or as shown by Hollywood of the olden days:
“A mans got to know his limitations.”
https://youtu.be/t2JnCXvm_Qc
Not Hollywood but I keep meaning to watch
“The Lives of Others,” are we living it here?
The left has long been – if ineffectively thus far – expending a great deal of rhetorical ingenuity in attempting to demonstrate that the libertarian commitment to non-coercion and indifferent treatment before the law, is somehow itself authoritarian.
This, because they recognize that in terms of a purely secular, contract based society, libertarians hold the moral high ground in any debate; insofar as there is a high ground in such a form of affiliation.
In any public debate between these two strictly secular parties, the left is sure to have the libertarian throw the leftist’s foundational moral nihilism back in its face every time the leftist attempts to stake an interpersonal claim.
The libertarians’ commitment to equality in the form of equal status before the law, and their forswearing of the exercise of force except in self-defense, neutralizes some of the left’s emotional thunder, and at the very least forces – in open debate – the left to admit that their drive to rule is not morally justified in any way by their own presumptive moral nihilism.
That is why – apart from the postmodernist’s somewhat similar refusal to “legitimize” by engaging in dialog – the left has been trying to demonize libertarians for decades now.
As a political party, the Libertarian movement is a clown posse that settles for drugs rather than liberty. But as an idea, it defeats all comers in a secular world in which moral values have no objective status. Sagging faced organisms like the Brennan, know that and act accordingly.
neo at 4:08 pm,
They are looking to generate more fear of it [insurgency] on the part of the public, …
I agree completely. It’s a type of Psyops.
“I believe they are intentionally doing what you describe”
The counter-argument is this:
Do you think people in politics are smarter than the people on Wall Street? Because two massive hedge funds have just gotten their asses handed to then by a bunch of internet randos.
https://www.nbc4i.com/news/u-s-world/gamestop-frenzy-clobbers-two-wall-street-goliaths/
If they were that smart, why would they have bet everything on a guy whose brains are turning to pudding and a woman who got defenestrated on national TV by Tulsi Gabbard.
Mike
MBunge:
Actually, I think they’re all fairly smart. That doesn’t mean they can’t be bested by other people who are smart and/or lucky, especially in certain arenas.
Nor does “smart” mean “smart in all things.” Politicians on the left tend to be tactically smart, and often smarter in that sense than politicians on the right.
Oh, “The Lives of Others” – one of the most frightening movies I’ve seen.
Insult Biden* and Harris all you want but they’re P and VP with all ranks forming up obediently to support them.
They aren’t the brains anyway. They don’t need to be.
“If they were that smart, why would they have bet everything on a guy whose brains are turning to pudding and a woman who got defenestrated on national TV by Tulsi Gabbard.” Mike
But they didn’t “bet everything on a guy whose brains are turning to pudding and a woman who got defenestrated on national TV by Tulsi Gabbard.”
They bet everything on their ability to fraudulently elect whomever they pleased. Xiden is a puppet, to be disposed of whenever its deemed advantageous. Harris will do as she’s ‘advised’ to do. She unstable but smart enough to know which side of her bread gets buttered.
It is Obama who is actually in control, through his proxies, the former Obama administration figures that now infest the Xiden administration. Xiden’s pliability was a requirement. Demonstrated by him saying as he was signing the EO’s that “I don’t know what I’m signing” and off camera a handler quietly resonding, “sign them anyway”. Which Xiden compliantly then did.
Had the democrat leadership not derailed Sanders bid for the Presidency and they’d fraudulently installed Sanders, which we now know they had the means to do… he would have been resistant to being controlled. His demeanor at the inauguration screamed resentment at the position he’s been relegated to…
The democrats imagine that shutting up the right’s vocal troublemakers will intimidate the rest of us on the right into accepting our serfdom.
All they’ll do is create martyrs.
And put steel in the spines of those of us who won’t accept a ring through our nose.
A great many of the 74+ million americans who voted for Trump fully understand that “man does not live by bread alone”… and 80%* of the military shares that POV.
* according to (D) Rep. Steve Cohen
Take away all that makes life worth living and there’s nothing left to lose.
I think part of why the Democrats wanted Biden as President, was that he wanted the job so bad, he would do what he was told to do, if he got the position. He really has no interest in actually being President, he wants the status, and the opportunities for graft. He cares not a whit for the citizens of the US.
Well, either submit to it or fight the fascism!
One Twitter troll is now arrested by the FIB for conspiring to suppress voting rights by tweeting “vote by texting” joke!
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3929436/posts
Obviously, the sinister Evil of this must be SKWASHED like an insect, but real conspiracies against legitimate state elections for the only national office that were approved by Obama and the FIB and the CYA…nada.
(See documents linked to this story at the conservative treehouse for details https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2021/01/27/feds-arrest-twitter-troll-ricky-vaughn-for-posting-lol-memes-biden-administration-claims-subversive-election-interference-via-twitter/)
WE ARE NOW AN OCCUPIED COUNTRY BY THE ENEMY, and prosecuting heresy!
DNW: “The left has long been – if ineffectively thus far – expending a great deal of rhetorical ingenuity in attempting to demonstrate that the libertarian commitment to non-coercion and indifferent treatment before the law, is somehow itself authoritarian.”
Indeed, and that stance trumps and exposes their corrupt hypocrisy.
And however small minded L/libertarian stalwarts may be, “as an idea, it defeats all comers in a secular world in which moral values have no objective status. Sagging faced organisms like the Brennan, know that and act accordingly.”
Well said, DNW.
Yet their abject failure to foresee the rise of fascism on the Left between Clinton’s impeachment and Obama and act to save actually existing freedom found me walking away from them.
UPDATE to my 8:35 posted comment: “Far-left activist and ‘comedian’ Kristina Wong posted the same fake voting meme on Twitter in 2016 — but she targeted TRUMP SUPPORTERS!
“Her tweet is still live on Twitter — via Jack Posobiec!”
—thegatewaypundit.com
Can’t think of anything worse than ending up in the same cattle car as a bunch of Autistic Libertarians who won’t STFU until they get the needle.
Just another argument for Killing the Beast before it’s too late.
As Tucker Carlson figuratively asked re. big “L” libertarians as the shit came raining down: Where the hell are they?
C’mon Gary! Cry me a river over this, if you are good for anything at all.
We could use a daily thread for “Biden stupid” items. I’ll be short.
“inspired Choice” Alondra Nelson, Biden’s Top Scientist is a Sociologist Specializing in “Social Inequality”-26Jan21-SciAm
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/inspired-choice-biden-appoints-sociologist-alondra-nelson-to-top-science-post/
The science minded here want to know, so I’m sharing.
The Lives Of Others. Yes! Fifteen years ago, when it appeared, it was already a timely warning; now, with chilling swiftness, it is becoming a mirror. And even beyond its profound monitory importance, it is in every way a brilliant example of movie art that richly rewards repeated viewings. Maybe the greatest final line ever, and number 1 in my own cinematic pantheon.
‘The Lives of Others’ is a brilliant film! We watched it recently and it has aged well!
Quick update on the Hedge Fund story (HedgeGate?)
https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2021/01/27/317592-n317592
Jen Psaki’s Pathetic Response to the Reddit Hedge Fund Story and Redditors’ Glorious Response to the SEC
For all those crying out “But what can we do!!”
https://redstate.com/jenniferoo/2021/01/28/former-trump-strategic-director-matt-braynard-forms-look-ahead-america-to-fight-tech-censorship-n317858
LINKS for signing up.
As Tucker Carlson figuratively asked re. big “L” libertarians as the shit came raining down: Where the hell are they?
See Ann Coulter on her dealings with the Libertarian Party of Connecticut 20-odd years ago: “I discovered the only thing they gave a damn about is the drug laws”. Another collection of the superfluous is at the Mercatus Center. You notice two things about Mercatus: (1) most of their fellows are at pains to say nothing that would offend an ordinary faculty member. Chuffer about occupational licenses, charter cities, and ‘coasean solutions’ to this or that, because no one has an emotional investment in that. The other is that they have no interest in liberty per se. They are cosmopolitans who dream of a borderless world.
If ‘deplorables’ was bad optics, ‘reprogramming’ demonstrates that our leadership has either lost it or is deliberately trying to provoke the insurrection they supposedly trying to avoid. Everyone should stay calm an not throw kerosene on the fire.
“bigots”
So basically everyone who isn’t on the social justice/equality bandwagon held by so-called progressives.