Democrats Gone Wild

posted by Robin M. Itzler at American Thinker 

Democrats suffering from severe cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) are now displaying another symptom: staging ill-conceived confrontations to get street cred with their antifa progressive base. Some recent headlines: 

• North Carolina state Rep. Julie von Haefen attended a “No Kings” protest and was photographed holding what appeared to be an effigy of the decapitated heads of Trump and his senior policy advisor, Stephen Miller.
• U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver was charged in a three-count indictment for forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers—all seen on video.
• New York City Mayoral candidate Brad Lander got the publicity he desired by trying to help illegal alien criminals by allegedly assaulting a federal law enforcement officer.
• Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested as he and other elected Democrats allegedly tried to break into the Delaney Hall detention facility.
• California Senator Alex Padilla started shouting when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was giving a speech in Los Angeles. Because he was not wearing credentials showing that he is a sitting U.S. senator, law enforcement physically removed the threatening Padilla. Almost on cue, Governor Gavin “Hair Gel” Newsom made a statement about what happened. Then, as predictable as the sun rising in the east, Padilla gave tearful interviews on MSNBC and other leftist “news” organizations. Of course, he cried on the senate floor...oh, the inhumanity!

Democrat juvenile behavior began in earnest during President Trump’s March 4 speech to a joint session of Congress. , who represents District 30 in Queens, expressed it best as he opened his March 6 op-ed with:

As a lifelong Democrat, I never imagined I would watch my own party embarrass itself so thoroughly—and so publicly—as it did during Tuesday’s joint session of Congress.

Was there a memo to Democrats telling them to start accosting people? In Victor Davis Hanson says the left won’t stop its two-year-old tantrums, especially when they’re directed at President Trump, because they don’t understand how else to act.

Democrats behaving in ways that never before would have been acceptable for American politicians isn’t just happening in major cities. I live in a small Orange County, California, city of nearly 50,000 residents, and I recently had a 1:1 confrontation with our mayor. Before you roll your eyes at “California,” there are throughout this state of nearly 40 million residents. Yet, as more conservatives vote with their feet, red California cities are turning purple and eventually blue.

No one was arrested during our run-in, but in my opinion, it was just another example of an elected Democrat official displaying a lack of respect and acting more like a two-year-old child than a mature adult.

As to my incident, until recently, few people knew or cared what political party our city council members belonged to as long as Cypress was well managed—and it had been for decades under majority Republican leadership. Past city councils had Democrats, Republicans, and/or Independents, and Cypress thrived with an outstanding business corridor and a well-maintained middle-class community. However, some residents believe things started to change for the worse several years ago when a disruptive Democrat was elected to the city council.

Seeing what was happening in our city and having free speech in America, a diverse group of residents came together and founded Keep Cypress United to support candidates, propositions, and issues that we believe will keep Cypress united as a welcoming community to live or work. The group is self-funded and does not seek or accept outside donations.

On May 22, a fellow Keep Cypress United (KCU) member and I were standing outside a local supermarket distributing a flyer that questioned statements and actions taken by the newly appointed Cypress mayor. Hizzoner currently holds this mostly ceremonial position because, for the first time ever, the council comprises a Democrat majority. Despite living in our community for only three years, he leapfrogged into the positions over the heads of colleagues with decades of residency.

One of the recipients of our flyer must have been Hizzoner’s supporter. Within 20 minutes after we started our flyer campaign, Hizzoner rushed over to the supermarket and wanted to know what I was doing. (At the time, he probably didn’t realize another KCU member was at the other entrance.) My perception was that he was very angry, as he challenged me about questioning his position and votes on multiple issues.

Think about it—the mayor hastily drove to the neighborhood supermarket wanting to know why a resident was questioning his comments or actions! I was shocked, but shouldn’t have been considering what Democrats in California and around the country are doing with regularity: public tantrums and public histrionics for their own benefit and aligned causes.

Then, after taking a photo of the handout, Hizzoner abruptly left. Then about 20 minutes later, he came back! This time, he wanted to meet with me. A few days later, I emailed him about the  possibility of a meeting with me and another KCU member.

Bear in mind, I am an almost 70-year-old female (yes, biological female) and legally deaf without the assistance of hearing aids. It is reasonable that I would want to be accompanied to a meeting with Hizzoner, who is a thirty-something male who made me feel very uncomfortable. Before he would discuss dates at a local coffee house, Hizzoner insisted on knowing why I would not meet with him 1:1.

I told him that I felt that politicians should not wrangle with constituents who are exercising their right to free speech in a local supermarket. I added,

Every elected official (from the president to a small city mayor) whose policies are criticized will claim that false statements (aka misinformation) are being made. It’s POLITICS!

I ended the email by saying that my level of discomfort with our interaction was such that “I will ask someone to attend with me as I do not feel comfortable meeting with you 1:1.”

After several emails as to the date, time, and location, Hizzoner stated that if I planned to bring someone with me, then he would have no choice but to bring someone with him, despite the meeting occurring at a public coffee shop. Oh, for goodness’ sake, the guy is an elected official, and he’s afraid to meet with two constituents who have issues with some of his statements and votes? Fuhgeddaboudit!

I sent an official grievance about Hizzoner’s rude actions to the Cypress city administrator. His response was that I should go to the police. Was that a small city version of New York Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul dismissing charges against Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander?

If Hizzoner could drive over to the supermarket twice because some constituents do not agree with his positions/votes, perhaps Hizzoner might soon give a long speech on the city council floor about me and Keep Cypress United just as New Jersey Senator Cory Booker did on the senate floor ridiculously railing against President Trump and the Republican Party. (If you missed Booker’s stunt, don’t worry, his book is coming out soon!)

Conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings said:

What they’re doing is clearly creating stunts. These are political stunts. I mean, this is designed to us. It’s sort of like porn for their base. There’s a lot of capital right now in the Democratic Party for getting arrested.

From rural towns to small cities to major metropolises, it appears the latest Democrat Party strategy is to verbally and/or physically confront those with different views. Perhaps because my confrontation with Hizzoner wasn’t caught on video, it didn’t culminate as most of those interactions do; that is, with the politician immediately thereafter having a public tantrum, and crying that he or she is being treated unfairly after the childish and unprofessional displays in response to constructive criticism and legitimate questions by constituents and residents.

Badlands Media- July 5th

 

American Celebration

posted by Rick McDowell at American Thinker 

It was once a day of unfettered celebration -- a proud recognition of where we, the People had taken this nation: to the highest tier of human achievement.  We stood alone at the pinnacle of civilization. A republic forged in freedom, sustained by liberty -- meaning law and order -- and driven forward by entrepreneurship, boldness, and a national spirit of risk and adventure.

This still holds true for many. And yet, a shadow stirs beneath: a creeping undercurrent of anti-nationalism, a slow-drip erosion of American pride. The pejoratives come easy now -- “imperialist,” “colonizer,” “systemically broken.” Why?

It seems that today we must fight inwardly just to speak patriotism aloud. As if love for country needs apology or footnote.  As if calling oneself a nationalist -- once a given -- now draws suspicion.

But this country, America, is still a miracle.

Look at our beginning. In an age of monarchs and divine rights, we proclaimed something staggering: that man governs himself. That government derives its power not from bloodlines or crowns, but from the consent of the governed. Then we backed that idea -- with parchment, with principle, and with gunpowder.

“The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty… is finally staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”
-- George Washington, First Inaugural Address, 1789

Washington didn’t merely lead troops -- he stepped aside from power. He could have been king, yet he returned to Mount Vernon, proving that liberty would not be a cloak for tyranny, but the living principle of the American experiment.

That experiment did not end with our founding. It endured trial after trial: civil war, depression, world war, division, and doubt. Yet still we endured.

“That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
--Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, 1863

Lincoln spoke at a battlefield where brothers died to determine whether a nation founded in liberty could survive its own contradictions. He did not flinch from the cost of freedom, nor did he pretend the promise of America had already been fulfilled. But he insisted it was worth preserving.

And even those who were born outside the promise -- who were denied its blessings at birth -- understood its greatness and called the nation to rise to its ideals.

“I am the living witness that liberty, the purest spirit of liberty, is here in this country.”
-- Frederick Douglass, 1894

Douglass, born a slave and self-made as a statesman, did not abandon America; he demanded it become more American. He saw clearly that our founding principles were not the problem, but the solution -- that liberty must be universal, not abandoned.

These were not hollow ideas. They became reality. Over less than 250 years, this nation has led the world in invention, productivity, medical advancement, and prosperity. We’ve gone from musket to Mars, from horse-drawn carriage to artificial intelligence, from wilderness to the world’s cultural engine.

More than that, we became the first great nation where the ordinary citizen -- the shopkeeper, the steelworker, the farmer -- could rise to own property, raise a family, build a life, and speak his mind without fear of a midnight knock on the door.

Our middle-class families live better than kings once did. Those we consider “poor” have refrigerators, central air, smartphones, and access to food, medicine, transportation, and freedom of expression -- luxuries denied to much of the world even today.

I write this now, and no one will come to arrest me. In many countries, they would. That fact alone should humble and inspire us.

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”
– Ronald Reagan, 1967

Reagan’s reminder still echoes: America is not self-sustaining by default. It requires active defense -- not just militarily, but morally. Civically. Culturally. When we let our pride in nation be diluted, mocked, or surrendered, we allow the slow decay of the thing that so many died to protect.

Today, American pride feels under siege -- not from foreign powers, but from within. In classrooms, patriotism is too often replaced by cynicism. In media, America is caricatured only by its flaws. And among elites, the word “nationalism” has been twisted into slander.

But we don’t need to surrender to this downward drift. We don’t need to apologize for loving the very thing that has given us more liberty than any generation in history. We are not perfect -- but we are ours. And our story is not over.

“I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.”
– Martin Luther King Jr., 1963

King’s words endure because they were never a rejection of America but a profound reaffirmation of it.  He did not march against the American dream -- he marched into it.  He asked the country to live up to its promise. And many times, in blood and courage, we have.

We, the living, are perhaps the most blessed generation in human history. And our duty is not just to enjoy that blessing -- but to preserve it. To teach our children why it matters. To remind ourselves that liberty is not inherited -- it is earned, protected, and passed on.

So celebrate the Fourth -- not just with fireworks, but with pride. Not just with gratitude, but with vigilance. And never let anyone convince you that love of country is something to be ashamed of.

Because when you strip away the noise, the truth still stands: We are Americans. And that still means something.

Freedom and Fireworks: President Trump, Iran, and Vietnam

posted by Rev Jim Harden at American Thinker 

Fireworks for America are a metaphor for freedom. After all, it takes a great deal of explosive power to free a people from a tyrant. Dropping fourteen 15-ton bunker busters from B-2 bombers on Iran’s three nuclear enrichment program sites may have just spared the lives of 58,000 U.S. military personnel from the despotism of the ayatollah, but also provided a little encouragement to the 90 million Iranian people now enslaved to him. By the way, 58,000 is the number of fatal casualties sustained by U.S. military personnel while in Vietnam. Talk about fireworks! Thank you, President Trump.

Recently, President Trump compared the importance of his bombing decision to the WWII, war-ending nuclear bombings of Japan. And despite the outrage, he is probably right. One of the key reasons President Harry Truman ordered the two nuclear strikes on Japan in WWII was to avoid the over one million estimated U.S. casualties it would require to invade. The estimate was based on the brutal one-in-three casualty rates sustained at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

And while it would be disrespectful to those military men that “gave the last full measure of devotion,” keeping the murderous Axis forces of fascism and communism at bay in the 20th Century, the unrest in the Middle East as well as recent U.S. intervention is nonetheless a pivotal scene on the geopolitical theatre just as critical as Vietnam.

America’s war in Vietnam was a win for the global nation-state system in Asia. Many misinterpreted the conflict in Vietnam as an American defeat. It certainly was a hard sacrifice for the U.S., a weeping wound which our culture still nurses. But that sacrifice gave room for fledgling new Asian states to develop unmolested by the unsatiable appetite of communism gobbling up control of the global map.

America’s willingness for Asian warfare in the 1950s and 60s, many like the late Charles Hill believe, paved the way for the economic “Asian Tigers,” Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong. In addition, while the communists were distracted with Vietnam, there grew Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. And once these new nation-states declared their sovereignty and other democratic nation-states accepted them into the Allied ranks, they were less likely to be attacked and more resilient to the threats and propaganda of communist empire builders.

The result of America’s conflict with Vietnam is 40 years of relative Asian political and economic stability. The world, and especially the people of Asia outside of China, owe an unpayable debt to the brave American soldier of Vietnam who often had to fight in blind faith, many of whom never understood or died never to see the far-reaching implications of peace and prosperity forged in that jungle furnace.

Not for nothing, like Vietnam, the Iranian Islamic regime is being supported by the largest communist conglomerate in the world, Maoist China and Marxist Russia. The virus of communism is attempting to maintain Islamic instability in the Middle Eastern region of the world by blocking any more infusions of democratic nation-statehood, the real antidote to the political disease that is communism. And now, as then, a Marxist virus is infecting the U.S. as manifested through Antifa, not unlike the Marxist Black Panthers and New Left Vietnam-war protestors like Hanoi Jane Fonda in the 60s.

And since over 80% of Iranians want to be out from under the oppressive boot of Ayatollah’s self-proclaimed “supreme leadership,” preferring instead to join the ranks of democratic nation-states represented by their neighbor, Israel, and buttressed by the United States, it stands to reason that aspirations of a communism would be threatened.

Israel’s conflict with Iran is the global flashpoint of the evil Axis powers of communism rising up against the Allied forces of the global fellowship of free democratic nation-states. Benjamin Netanyahu when speaking about the brutal Hamas terror attacks, likely backed by the Iranian Islamic regime, was right, “It’s the Battle of civilization against barbarism. And if we don’t win here, the scourge will pass [from] the Middle East to other regions.”

The sentiment of the Iranian people could very well be the key to open the gate to a pathway of relief from the chronic Middle Eastern strife. So, it behooves Israel, America, and the future peace of all peoples in the Middle East and the world, to keep fighting. Overthrow Iran’s murderous Islamic oppressor Ayatollah Khamenei so that the people of Iran, like U.S. patriots on July 4, 1776, can declare their sovereign existence as a nation, with the unalienable right to life for each person.

As Americans fighting for global security, and Iranians who yearn for freedom, it may be helpful to recall the words of John Stuart Mill, “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things… A man who has nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”

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'That Sounds Like a Lot of Commie Gobbledegook'

posted by Brandon Morse at RedState 

Democrats across the country are organizing protests and boycotts on the to make their voices heard that they do not agree with the direction the country is heading. A new Fox News poll showed that only 36% of Democrats say they are proud of the United States today, compared to 85% of Republicans expressing pride in their country. Now, in what some are calling the "No Kings 2.0" protests, Democrats are banding together in several states to lay out their grievances.  

The Women’s March, whose mission is to "transform everyday women into feminists," is calling on protesters to join their "Free America Weekend." 

"Together, we must ‘Free America’ from the grip of greedy billionaires who rig the system for themselves," the website states. "Let’s stop the rich and powerful from gambling our future away. Free America from poverty and end the rigged system where the wealthy live large while the middle class foots the bill. Everyone should be able to afford food, rent, health care, and a decent life. Free America from arbitrary firings and a flood of unlawful orders. No one should be subjected to authoritarians overwhelming us with policies designed to spread fear and control." 

When I read that, the first thing that came to my mind was Norm Macdonald's legendary moment with Sarah Silverman during YouTube's comedy week. 

"No offense, but it sounds like some f***ing commie gobbledegook," said McDonald, stunning Silverman. 

*Language Warning*

Rest in peace, big guy. 

I really do hope the left goes forward with this and with gusto, because I want people to see the difference between us and them. 

We're celebrating the greatest nation in the world. One that gave birth to technological marvels from communication to medicine, has brought people from the gutter to the penthouse, and gave the world such incredible advancements like college football and the frozen margarita. 

Our military is so great because of American grit, bravery and ingenuity mixed with our love of blowing stuff up so well that we lead the world in ass-kicking ability, and it's not even close. We have the number one Air Force in the world with over 5,000 aircraft. Can you guess who is number two? 

Wrong. 

It's us again. The Navy has around 2,500 aircraft. 

We have a missile called the "Mother of all Bombs" who loves to maternal hugs to terrorists when we feel they need some to feel the warm affection they never got as children. It's reported that those who feel her embrace never feel the need for hugs again. 

Americans love America so much that we adopted the Imperial System or "freedom units," which confuses the world who uses the more simplistic metric system, and just to prove how awesome we are, we took our confusing system and went to the moon with it. 

While we're celebrating all of this, the left will be whining, crying, screaming, and stomping their feet, proclaiming that the system that gave us John Madden and the Top Gun movies is a bad one. While we're wowing ourselves with rocket's red glare the left will be telling us we're celebrating on stolen land. 

We won't be able to hear them over the boom of the fireworks and the sound of your third Shiner being cracked open, but the juxtaposition of their rage and your joy will perfectly highlight just how miserable you're not. 

Because you're an American. A red meat eating, beer drinking, God-fearing, patriotic force of nature... and they're grown children who think that a system that killed millions of people has a point. 

Happy Independence Day! 

A Tale of 2 Parties This July 4: RNC Celebrates Greatness of USA, DNC Says American Dream 'Out of Reach'

Bob Hoge reporting for RedState 

We’ve seen this century how the two major political parties in this country have evolved vastly different views of the future for America. On this Independence Day, their vision for the country couldn’t be more stark as Republicans are celebrating our history and our promise, while despondent Democrats are weeping about the decline of the American dream.

Their tweets on what should be a celebratory holiday highlight the widening divide. Here’s the Dems response to a GOP tweet:

Happy July 4th, DNC! Jeez.

They also put out dueling statements. Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley wished America a happy 249th birthday:

On July 4, 1776, the American colonies united to declare their independence, rejecting tyranny and laying the foundation for the greatest experiment in self-government the world has ever known.

Independence Day marks the birth of our nation and reminds us of the extraordinary gift of liberty that defines the American spirit. As we gather with friends and family, we honor the courageous men and women who paved the way for this shining city on a hill with their honorable sacrifices. God bless our freedoms, and God bless America.

Compare that message with the one from the melancholy DNC:

The Democratic National Committee, in contrast, issued a July 4 press release that lambasted President Donald Trump and Republicans for passing the tax-cut and spending megabill and "putting the American Dream out of reach."

"America should be the land of opportunity but under Donald Trump, the American dream is dying," the DNC said.

The patriotism divide has shown up in polling, as RedState’s Becky Noble and Nick Arama have reported:

---

New Poll Says Donald Trump's Presidency Is Making Patriotism Great Again

CNN Delivers Numbers on Whether Dems Are 'Proud' to Be Americans on July 4th

---

The GOP today:

The DNC's X account meanwhile is filled with misery and bitterness over the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, and even the posts that are slightly patriotic are combative and loaded with innuendo. This exemplifies the vast majority of tweets on their timeline on Independence Day:

When Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and spent the subsequent four years trying to ruin the country, my patriotism did not evaporate, and I loved my country as much as ever. Democrats, however, have a long history of denigrating our accomplishments and downplaying the successes of the Great Experiment. When they don't get their way, they spend most of their time droning on about how awful we are as a people and as a nation and how over half of us are "garbage" and "deplorable."

It’s a losing strategy in the long run, in my opinion, because more and more Americans are finding out it’s cool to be patriotic again.

That’s proving true today all across the country. ‘Merica is back, and too bad for the doomsday crowd if they don’t like it. They can put in earplugs tonight and watch re-runs of “The West Wing.”

President Trump Holds Quiet Meeting with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, MbS Younger Brother

Sundance reporting for Conservative Treehouse 

It was reported last night that President Trump held a quiet meeting with Saudi Arabia Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in the White House Thursday. This meeting is reported to cover discussions around de-escalation with Iran, the conflict in Gaza and what comes next.

The meeting also comes on the heels of President Trump having a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and work throughout the middle-east region by President Trump Emissary Steve Witkoff and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

(Via Fox News) Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman secretly met with President Donald Trump and other key officials in the White House on Thursday to discuss de-escalation efforts with Iran, multiple sources confirmed with Fox News.

Khalid, also known as KBS, is the younger brother of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

[…] The talks were also reportedly about ending the war in Gaza and negotiating the release of the remaining hostages – whether dead or alive – and about working toward peace in the Middle East. (more)

Previously it was reported by Israeli media that President Trump was working on a comprehensive solution to Gaza that would encompass peace in the middle-east by normalizing ties with Israel, isolating Iran and giving them fewer options for regional instability.  Expanding the Abraham Accords provides the diplomatic vehicle for this approach.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the White House on Monday, July 7th.

It is strongly rumored that Syria and Lebanon would soon join the Abraham Accords, with the possibility of Saudi Arabia joining thereafter.  Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) is a key figure hoping to bring a new era to the middle east absent of conflict and focused on prosperity.

According to Israel Hayom, there was a 4-way call (Trump, Netanyahu, Rubio, Dermer) after the Iran strikes. President Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to “fundamental principles in general terms” including:

♦ “Gaza hostilities will conclude within two weeks.” ♦ “Four Arab nations (including Egypt and the UAE) will administer the Gaza Strip, replacing the murderous Hamas terrorist organization.” ♦ “The remaining Hamas leadership will face exile to other countries (possibly Qatar and Turkey), while the hostages gain freedom.” ♦ “Multiple nations globally will accept numerous Gaza inhabitants seeking emigration.” ♦ “Abraham Accords expansion will bring Syria, Saudi Arabia, and additional Arab and Muslim countries to recognize Israel and establish official relationships.” ♦ “Israel will declare its willingness for future Palestinian conflict resolution under the ‘two states’ concept, contingent upon the Palestinian Authority reforms.” ♦ “The United States will acknowledge limited Israeli sovereignty implementation in Judea and Samaria.”

Saudi Arabia was previously on the cusp of signing up to the Abraham Accords, but retreated from the agreement when the Israeli-Hamas war erupted within Gaza.  It would not be surprising to see them come back to that agreement with President Trump’s guidance and request.

If we think about the status of Syria, we can clearly see how President Trump has enticed the new Syrian government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa to the peace table based on economic benefits (sanctions removed).  In fact there are large billboards all over Tel Aviv thanking President Trump for his efforts in the embattled nation. It is rather remarkable.

Put all that together, and yes there are significant indications well beyond the report by Israel Hayom that something rather remarkable is possible within the middle-east and specifically as they relate to Israel.

With Iran now effectively removed from their ability to antagonize the region, and with President Trump as the enforcer to stop their extremist tendencies, the path toward regional peace seems much more likely.  This opens the door for a new era in mid-east politics.

(VIA WSJ) – […] Ms. House compares MBS to the 17th-century Russian czar Peter the Great, and the comparison is apt. Both men are best understood as modernizing autocrats, driven to shake up traditional societies and so enable them to withstand the competition and stress of a rapidly changing geopolitical scene. Like Peter, who built St. Petersburg to serve as Russia’s bridge to the West, MBS hopes that his new city—known as Neom—will make Saudi Arabia a dominant force in technological innovation. And like Peter, who asserted political control over the Russian Orthodox church and personally shaved the beards of aristocrats resisting modernization, MBS has ruthlessly imposed his vision on both religious and tribal leaders skeptical of change.

[…] While earlier rulers took small steps to wean the economy from oil, MBS believes the time for half-measures has passed. Saudi Arabia, as MBS grasped years ago, cannot live by oil alone. But to lessen its dependence on oil, the social contract between Saudi citizens and their government has to change. New sources of revenue, like tourism, will have to supplement oil wealth. New industries, like data centers, will need to be welcomed into the kingdom, and new cities to house them will either have to grow from existing ones or, like Neom, be invented.(more)

If you think about the geopolitics behind much of the global conflict you may identify the U.S, U.K and EU as the historic source of influential instability.   In the big picture BRICS was created as an economic hedge against this troubling influence, an alternative alignment of partners.

With U.S. President Donald J Trump challenging and changing the objectives of the ‘western alliance’, and indeed fracturing the western trade markets and the underlying economics therein, a new picture begins to emerge.

A strategic USA political and economic realignment based on peace, growth and independent stability, can unite America, Russia, Saudi Arabia and many emerging economies.  However, the old financial guards within the UK, EU, Japan, Canada, Australia will likely fight this geopolitical shakeup.

All of that said, the ‘old guards’ biggest weapon to fight back against a global economic and peace realignment would be their control over the western-developed intelligence networks.

Is that the dynamic we have been seeing?

When contrast against visible recent events, that is a very interesting question to ponder.

Hence, President Donald Trump’s departure from this picture is almost allegorical.  Remember, President Trump departed the G7 in Canada just before this entire ‘western-aligned’ crew showed up.