Sunday, August 21, 2022

How Donald Trump Lost Powerful Media Conservatives

 https://www.newsweek.com/how-donald-trump-lost-powerful-media-conservatives-1735129

Just this week both Fox News host Laura Ingraham and Infowars host Alex Jones signaled they had distanced themselves from Trump, though Jones was more direct in endorsing one of Trump's potential political rivals.

Talmud vs esoteric wisdom

 Zohar (1:27a) The study of the Talmud is bitter compared with that of the esoteric wisdom, of which it is said, “And God showed him a tree” this is a tree of life, and through it “the waters were sweetened”. Similarly of Moses it is written, “And the staff of God was in his hand.” This rod is Metatron, from one side of whom comes life and from the other death. When the rod remains a rod, it is a help from the side of good, and when it is turned into a serpent it is hostile,

This is from Soncino [Note: The Hebrew text of this page does not correspond entirely to the English translation.]

וְאִי עָבַר עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְשַׁקְיָין מִמְּרִירוּ דְאִילָנָא דְּרַע דְּאִיהוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע. וְכָל אֵבָרִין דְּאִנּוּן מֵד' יְסוֹדִין אִתְּמָר בְּהוֹן (שמות א׳:י״ד) וַיְמָרַרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם וְגו' וַיְמָרַרוּ בִּמְרִירוּ דְּמָרָה. וּלְגַבֵּי אֵבָרִין קַדִּישִׁין דְּגוּפָא דְּאִנּוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְטוֹב עֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמָר (שמות ט״ו:כ״ג) וַיָּבוֹאוּ מָרָתָה וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִמָּרָה וְגו'. כְּגַוְונָא דָא אָמְרוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין וַיְמָרַרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה בְּקוּשְׁיָא. בְּחוֹמֶר בְּקַל וָחוֹמֶר. וּבִלְבֵנִים בְּלִבּוּן הִלְכְתָא. וּבְכָל עֲבוֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה דָּא בָּרַיְיתָא. אֶת כָּל עֲבוֹדָתָם וְגו' דָּא מִשְׁנָה.

Pro-Trump wins in blue states leaves moderates skeptical of red wave

 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pro-trump-wins-blue-states-leaves-moderates-skeptical-red-wave

Trump’s endorsement has catapulted several Republican candidates to primary wins across the country during the midterm cycle and he remains wildly popular with GOP voters but some Democrats and media outlets have claimed that putting him on the ballot in general elections gives Democrats a better chance of keeping control of Congress.

Self actualiztion - in Israel

Devarim (7:: 14.) You shall be blessed above all people; there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.

Netziv עקר ועקרה. אנשים שאין בהם תועלת לעולם:

Pro-Trump wins in blue states threaten GOP hopes in November

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/pro-trump-wins-in-blue-states-threaten-gop-hopes-in-november/

“It can’t continue,” said former Connecticut US Representative Christopher Shays, a moderate Republican and Trump critic, referring to the GOP choosing pro-Trump candidates. “One of the things that will happen is that a lot of the Trump candidates who won the primary will lose the general election. And there are a lot of unhappy Republicans who hold office now who believe that the Senate now is in jeopardy of staying Democratic.”

Lock Trump Up Video Viewed More Than 1 Million Times

 https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-fbi-raid-lock-him-viral-video-meidastouch-1734805

"On political corruption, we are going to restore honor to our government," Trump said. "In my administration, I am going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information. No one will be above the law."

‘Never in a Million Years’: Arizona Republicans Grapple with the Rising Fringe

 https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/08/18/trumps-man-in-arizona-might-get-the-last-laugh-00052519

None have any political experience. But they have the main qualification that matters to the former president: They repeat the lie that the Arizona election was rigged against him. Every winning Republican candidate said they wouldn’t have certified the 2020 election. That means that as Trump gears up for a possible third run for the presidency, Arizona is facing the prospect of a slate of statewide officials who could steal the election for him. (Indeed, another victim of a Trump-backed primary was Rusty Bowers, the soft-spoken leader of the Arizona House who rebuffed Trump’s pressure campaign to overturn the state’s 2020 election results and testified to the January 6 committee.)

Saturday, August 20, 2022

McConnell admits Democrats may hold the Senate, and the data backs it up

Wall Street Journal warns Liz Cheney's 'revenge' tour could 'divide' GOP and ruin Trump's 2024 chances

 https://www.foxnews.com/media/wall-street-journal-warns-liz-cheneys-revenge-tour-could-divide-gop-ruin-trumps-2024-chances

The board, however, did not go so far as to praise Cheney. It acknowledged she lost for a fair reason; her willingness to embrace the partisan January 6 Committee. Though it also maintained the lawmaker "is a conservative by any measure and she has the courage of her convictions."

The Wall Street Journal opened the column by summing up its nuanced perspective on Cheney, writing, "Liz Cheney lost her Republican primary in Wyoming Tuesday because she bravely stood up to the stolen-election falsehoods of Donald Trump. Liz Cheney lost the primary because she alienated too many Republicans by making common cause with Democrats like Rep. Adam Schiff."

Joe: I Plead With Republicans, Please Call Out Conspiracy Theories Against IRS

First Republicans attacked the FBI. Look who they're coming for now

 https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/17/opinions/irs-taxes-funding-increase-inflation-reduction-87000-michel/index.html

Republicans have been making the scurrilous claim that the Biden administration aims to deploy a ramped-up "army" of IRS agents to target middle-income workers and small businesses. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig -- who was appointed by former President Donald Trump -- said earlier this month that the agency will only be increasing audits of the wealthiest Americans.

THE GOP IS TRYING TO CONVINCE AMERICANS THE IRS IS COMING TO KILL THEM

 https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/08/gop-irs-agents-fear-tactics

Apparently not content to stop at unleashing paranoia-fueled violence on the Capitol and FBI agents doing their jobs, Republicans would now like people to believe that the number-crunchers at the IRS are going to start knocking down the middle class’s doors and murdering them for not paying taxes. As a result of the $80 billion in additional funding the Internal Revenue Service will receive as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Yes, we wish we were joking. No, incredibly, we are not.

The new IRS employees: An 'army' or harmless programmers?

 https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republicans-call-it-an-army-irs-hires-will-replace-retirees-do-it-says-treasury-2022-08-19/

But the actual net staff increase would be far lower, as the IRS expects over 50,000 employees to retire over the next five years alone, said Natasha Sarin, Treasury counselor for tax policy and administration.

Claims that all 87,000 would be auditors, criminal enforcement agents or armed are "deeply dangerous nonsense - and false," Sarin told Reuters.

"The speed and voracity with which (Republicans) are coming at this is really a testament to how important these resources are going to be - because there are many wealthy tax evaders that stand to lose a lot," Sarin said.

If You Like the IRS, You’ll Love the Global Revenue Service

 https://www.wsj.com/articles/if-you-like-the-irs-youll-love-the-global-revenue-service-janet-yellen-treasury-inflation-reduction-act-tax-american-businesses-sovereignty-code-revenue-constitution-11660754243?mod=opinion_lead_pos7

As the Internal Revenue Service prepares to spend its $80 billion gift, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is working on global tax rules that would require a global revenue service. The overwhelmingly complex plan, which includes the global minimum tax, amounts to a new global tax code.