April 15 is a curiously fraught day in American history. In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln breathed his last at 7:22 a.m., and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, who adored the president, said, “Now he belongs to the ages.” In 1912, the British passenger liner RMS Titanic sank at 2:20 a.m. after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic.
And yet, with all the things trump blatantly did to undermine and destroy this country for 4 heinous years (including an attempted coup and ignoring a deadly virus) he continues to be a free man along with the criminal minions that he pardoned. IMO, that is beyond infuriating.
On April 15th two years ago, fire ravaged the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, collapsing Viollet-Le-Duc's tower into the nave of the church........the near destruction of a symbol for the whole world.
On April 15th, 2021 the retired General running the reconstruction project announced that all was now in place and secure for rebuilding to begin.....to replicate exactly the original. Oaks are being sourced in French forests for the roof structure and specialized "companions" hired to do the work from wherever they be found......just like the original Cathedral construction teams in the 12thC
Happily there are still some amongst us who recognize the power of symbols linked to significant acts to change the world, the way we look at it and how we live it.
I'm still pinching myself we're so fortunate to have the Biden Administration, and now I'm pinching myself we're so fortunate to have your daily letters. Context matters.
Thank you, HCR, for pointing out the significance of April 15. I would be interested in the back-story of how the IRS, or whoever it was, arrived on that particular date as a national tax deadline.
So there really was a rigged election; two of them in fact. The first one, (2016) worked, the second (2020) failed. No wonder the former president is so upset at the 2020 election. He had reason to expect other results. Alas.....
I'll be expecting all those judges nominated by an illegitimate president to submit their resignations forthwith.
When I couple your written analysis with your recorded lesson today, I am truly grateful, Professor Richardson, for today's presentation and elucidation. President Biden is moving ahead with a team that is ready to do as they need to do. As you write today: "It sure looks like the Biden administration is doing what the president said he would yesterday: fighting the wars of the next twenty years rather than the last twenty years. Today’s steps make Russia face substantial costs for the cyberattacks that are so badly weakening our democracy and seem to put international financial pressure on those who bankroll terrorists."
Thank you, Heather! As I finished reading today's letter, I was reminded of the Cold War years, when Russian disinformation was a focal point then, too. How much simpler it is for them to embed it into our society now than it was then! Back then they had to rely on real spies in the streets, arranging the players on the board, leaking false stories to various news outlets, etc.
With the Internet and bots, they have almost a direct link into our brains, and the kicker is, we enable them! Our own people are thrilled to pick up the ball and run with it! NewsMax, 8Chan, you name it - not to mention the fiendish system by which social media makes its money - the clicks, the eyeballs that are worth so much to advertisers. And nothing generates more clicks than chaos and controversy.
We say we want peace and love, but we are so easily triggered into anger and aggression. It's like the whole nation is in a constant state of road rage.
And I awoke today to see another 8 people murdered in a mass shooting.
President Biden and his administration are proving excellent at using symbols and dates to bolster the effect of announcements and actions. This skill is not nothing! Thank you Dr R, for helping us take this wild ride eyes wide open.
HCR touched a lot of bases today (last night actually) but I was most impressed by her pointing out that Russia's cyberattacks "are so badly weakening our democracy." That weakness is manifested by the support Trumpism still has from the 40% of our population who still support him, ignoring the facts, and the continuing fear of being "primaried from the right" by most Republicans in both Houses of Congress. It will take years, if not generations, to undo this damage which prevents gun violence from being controlled and the equality envisioned by the Declaration of Independence from being accomplished.
“sensitive information on polling and campaign strategy.” It’s not difficult to understand what happened. It’s not difficult to know what Manafort gave to C. Klimlick. “Sensitive” means the information identified personnel American’s FB identities by location in swing counties in swing states, connecting who they are by donation records, where they live, and what their Facebook profiles were/are, and who they are friends with and their friends friends. Armed with this personal info knowledge, Russians began a micro targeting campaign by geography for DT’s campaign and against HC’s campaign. We know this, because this is what we in business do now everyday. We pay Facebook to do this for us now and the Russians are still doing it. Micro target consumers with Ads relevant to who they are, where they live, what “likes” they have clicked, and if they have purchased from us before. Yes, geo targeting ads works the same with political ads. Knowing who, where, and how to target swing voters gave DT the edge in 2016. It also indoctrinated and radicalized this demographic.
If we really want to send a financial message to Putin, let’s close the dark money/shell Corp real estate loopholes laws too! Our current loopholes allow for creation of dark shell corps to buy American real estate without identifying the true buyers identity. This tactic is used among the real estate industry, banking, and Russian oligarchs to launder the cash embezzled from the Russian people through shady banks. It just happens to over utilized in London, New York, and Florida, with banks from Malta and Cypress ( banks owned and managed by the likes of former Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross), and legal counsel Bill Barr/ Kirkland Ellis’s biggest client Alpha bank of Russia, just one example)
It sure looks like the Biden administration is doing what the president said he would yesterday: fighting the wars of the next twenty years rather than the last twenty years.
When I awoke to yesterday’s news i witnessed another age ood battle America’s war machine has been waging for the last 400 years ... racism.
Republican state legislators enacting laws on children in Florida nothing short of human rights violations. And of course another day of Republican state run legislators elimination voter protection rights. I could go on and on.
The war within our democracy to weaken it is rising to all new levels through racist rule. When will we fight this war as if it were our last?
And yet, with all the things trump blatantly did to undermine and destroy this country for 4 heinous years (including an attempted coup and ignoring a deadly virus) he continues to be a free man along with the criminal minions that he pardoned. IMO, that is beyond infuriating.
On April 15th two years ago, fire ravaged the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, collapsing Viollet-Le-Duc's tower into the nave of the church........the near destruction of a symbol for the whole world.
On April 15th, 2021 the retired General running the reconstruction project announced that all was now in place and secure for rebuilding to begin.....to replicate exactly the original. Oaks are being sourced in French forests for the roof structure and specialized "companions" hired to do the work from wherever they be found......just like the original Cathedral construction teams in the 12thC
Happily there are still some amongst us who recognize the power of symbols linked to significant acts to change the world, the way we look at it and how we live it.
I'm still pinching myself we're so fortunate to have the Biden Administration, and now I'm pinching myself we're so fortunate to have your daily letters. Context matters.
You just took several topics that otherwise would have made no sense to me and laid them out like a map. Again, I thank you!
It would be terrific if we would stop wasting our greatest natural resource (our young people) on unwinnable wars that have unclear objectives.
Thank you, HCR, for pointing out the significance of April 15. I would be interested in the back-story of how the IRS, or whoever it was, arrived on that particular date as a national tax deadline.
So there really was a rigged election; two of them in fact. The first one, (2016) worked, the second (2020) failed. No wonder the former president is so upset at the 2020 election. He had reason to expect other results. Alas.....
I'll be expecting all those judges nominated by an illegitimate president to submit their resignations forthwith.
All this plus the vaccine distribution and the American Recovery Act within 100 days of taking office. Breath in, breath out.
When I couple your written analysis with your recorded lesson today, I am truly grateful, Professor Richardson, for today's presentation and elucidation. President Biden is moving ahead with a team that is ready to do as they need to do. As you write today: "It sure looks like the Biden administration is doing what the president said he would yesterday: fighting the wars of the next twenty years rather than the last twenty years. Today’s steps make Russia face substantial costs for the cyberattacks that are so badly weakening our democracy and seem to put international financial pressure on those who bankroll terrorists."
Thank you, Heather! As I finished reading today's letter, I was reminded of the Cold War years, when Russian disinformation was a focal point then, too. How much simpler it is for them to embed it into our society now than it was then! Back then they had to rely on real spies in the streets, arranging the players on the board, leaking false stories to various news outlets, etc.
With the Internet and bots, they have almost a direct link into our brains, and the kicker is, we enable them! Our own people are thrilled to pick up the ball and run with it! NewsMax, 8Chan, you name it - not to mention the fiendish system by which social media makes its money - the clicks, the eyeballs that are worth so much to advertisers. And nothing generates more clicks than chaos and controversy.
We say we want peace and love, but we are so easily triggered into anger and aggression. It's like the whole nation is in a constant state of road rage.
And I awoke today to see another 8 people murdered in a mass shooting.
President Biden and his administration are proving excellent at using symbols and dates to bolster the effect of announcements and actions. This skill is not nothing! Thank you Dr R, for helping us take this wild ride eyes wide open.
Finally we dare to deal with our real enemies.
HCR touched a lot of bases today (last night actually) but I was most impressed by her pointing out that Russia's cyberattacks "are so badly weakening our democracy." That weakness is manifested by the support Trumpism still has from the 40% of our population who still support him, ignoring the facts, and the continuing fear of being "primaried from the right" by most Republicans in both Houses of Congress. It will take years, if not generations, to undo this damage which prevents gun violence from being controlled and the equality envisioned by the Declaration of Independence from being accomplished.
“sensitive information on polling and campaign strategy.” It’s not difficult to understand what happened. It’s not difficult to know what Manafort gave to C. Klimlick. “Sensitive” means the information identified personnel American’s FB identities by location in swing counties in swing states, connecting who they are by donation records, where they live, and what their Facebook profiles were/are, and who they are friends with and their friends friends. Armed with this personal info knowledge, Russians began a micro targeting campaign by geography for DT’s campaign and against HC’s campaign. We know this, because this is what we in business do now everyday. We pay Facebook to do this for us now and the Russians are still doing it. Micro target consumers with Ads relevant to who they are, where they live, what “likes” they have clicked, and if they have purchased from us before. Yes, geo targeting ads works the same with political ads. Knowing who, where, and how to target swing voters gave DT the edge in 2016. It also indoctrinated and radicalized this demographic.
If we really want to send a financial message to Putin, let’s close the dark money/shell Corp real estate loopholes laws too! Our current loopholes allow for creation of dark shell corps to buy American real estate without identifying the true buyers identity. This tactic is used among the real estate industry, banking, and Russian oligarchs to launder the cash embezzled from the Russian people through shady banks. It just happens to over utilized in London, New York, and Florida, with banks from Malta and Cypress ( banks owned and managed by the likes of former Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross), and legal counsel Bill Barr/ Kirkland Ellis’s biggest client Alpha bank of Russia, just one example)
It sure looks like the Biden administration is doing what the president said he would yesterday: fighting the wars of the next twenty years rather than the last twenty years.
When I awoke to yesterday’s news i witnessed another age ood battle America’s war machine has been waging for the last 400 years ... racism.
Republican state legislators enacting laws on children in Florida nothing short of human rights violations. And of course another day of Republican state run legislators elimination voter protection rights. I could go on and on.
The war within our democracy to weaken it is rising to all new levels through racist rule. When will we fight this war as if it were our last?
https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2021/04/14/florida-house-passes-contentious-transgender-sports-ban-1374605
Another piece of the Russia-Trump puzzle falls into place, though the picture is far from complete.
It's known that Trump had business relationships with Russians before entering politics.
What I've not understood, however, is how others--like Jeff Sessions--got caught up with the Russians and then failed to disclose it, as required.
Thank you, Professor Richardson.
The Treasury Department’s announcements mentioned in today’s Letter would, in a normal world, be front page, bold type headlines.
To quote the Orange Beast, “Russher, Russher, Russher…what a hoax!”
Indeed it was, and huge swaths of the American electorate fell for it.