Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

What Kim Jong Un Wants From Trump
Politico | Van Jackson | 04/30/18

hy has Kim Jong Un suddenly sought high-level diplomacy after years of bearing any burden to obtain nukes and a diversified missile arsenal capable of striking the United States? The Trump administration and its surrogates have interpreted the North Korean leader's diplomatic turn as buckling to maximum pressure--in their narrative, unprecedented sanctions and the looming threat of war have brought Kim to heel. To many South Koreans and Korea watchers sympathetic to the Moon Jae-in government in Seoul, Kim has sought dialogue because of Moon's diplomatic acumen; Moon has been able to broker peace and reconciliation between the two Koreas while keeping the United States from attacking the North.

Both narratives give far too much credit to the United States and South Korea, and too little to Kim's strategy. So far, everyone is playing Kim's game. Failing to recognize that generates huge unnecessary risks to the U.S.-South Korea alliance and U.S. interests in the region. ... Read more

Condoleezza Rice's advice to Trump: Leave the details of Kim negotiations 'to people who understand all the nuance'
Politico | Quint Forgey | 05/01/18

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has a message for President Donald Trump ahead of his planned summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un: Don't sweat the details.

"Don't try to negotiate the details with Kim Jong Un," Rice told the hosts of "Fox and Friends" in a Tuesday interview. "Leave that to people who understand all the nuances of this situation." ... Read more

John Kelly Has Repeatedly Referred To Trump As An 'Idiot,' NBC Reports
HP | Dominique Mosbergen | 04/30/18

The White House chief of staff has denied the allegations, calling them "total BS."

White House chief of staff John Kelly has often called President Donald Trump an "idiot" in front of aides and has portrayed himself as a "savior" who has singlehandedly rescued the country from disaster, according to an NBC News report published Monday that cited comments from eight current and former White House officials. Four of the officials said they'd personally witnessed Kelly using the disparaging term to describe Trump.

"He doesn't even understand what DACA is. He's an idiot," Kelly allegedly said during a meeting about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and overall immigration policy. "We've got to save him from himself." ... Read more

Workers Strike at San Francisco's All-Male Bohemian Club -- a Haughty Hangout For Rich Neocons
AlterNet | Nicole Karlis / Salon | 04/29/18

The average initiation fee is rumored to be $40,000 per member. Then there's a quarterly fee--if you don't spend it, you're charged for it anyway. Women aren't allowed to join or step on the premise--with a few exceptions, such as the occasional "ladies' night."

This is the elite Bohemian Club, a male-only private club in the heart of San Francisco, and an infamous haunt of many a prominent American neoconservative. Past members have reportedly included some of the country's most conservative and wealthy men -- including Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, and former presidents such as Richard Nixon, Dwight Eisenhower, and George H. W. Bush -- yet little is known about what goes on behind its closed doors, and at its annual Bohemian Grove summer retreat, due to its exclusivity. The club's secrecy have prompted many on the right and left to forge conspiracy theories about what goes on behind closed doors, and what is the symbolism behind the many owl statues and reliefs on its premises. ... Read more

Big Guns: A Novel by Steve Israel

When Chicago's Mayor Michael Rodriguez starts a national campaign to ban handguns from America's cities, towns, and villages, Otis Cogsworth, the wealthy chairman and CEO of Cogsworth International Arms worries about the effects on his company. In response he and lobbyist Sunny McCarthy convince an Arkansas congressman to introduce federal legislation mandating that every American must own a firearm. Events soon escalate.

Asabogue's Mayor Lois Leibowitz passes an ordinance to ban guns in the town--right in Otis Cogsworth's backyard. Otis retaliates by orchestrating a recall election against Lois and Jack Steele, a rich town resident, runs against her. Even though the election is for the mayor of a village on Long Island, Steele brings in the big guns of American politics to defeat Lois: political consultants, Super PACs, and celebrities. Soon, thousands of pro-gun and anti-gun partisans descend on Asabogue, along with an assortment of heavily armed rightwing militias and the national news media. Bucolic Asabogue becomes a tinderbox. Meanwhile, Washington politicians in both parties are caught between a mighty gun lobby whose support they need for reelection and the absurdity of requiring that every American with waivers for children under age four carry a gun. What ensues is a discomfiting, hilarious indictment of the state of American politics.

Former Long Island Congressman, Steve Israel has firsthand knowledge of the cynicism and corruption at the heart of our political system. Big Guns will make you laugh, will make you angry, and will make you think as you flip the pages faster and faster to find out what happens next.

The population bomb by Paul R Ehrlich

Seminal work in population theory. Overpopulation is now the dominant problem in all our personal, national, and international planning. No one can do rational personal planning, nor can public policy be resolved in any area unless one first takes into account the population bomb. Schools, politicians, and mass media only touch the edge of the major problem. Ehrlich clearly describes our crisis in all respects--air, food, water, birth control, death control, and environmental impact. He also provides a realistic evaluation of our remaining options.