Attacks continue on Trump supporters

RESOLVE used to be primarily focused on violent extremism, particularly Islamic. Now through its subgroup, Racially and Ethnically Motivated Extremism (REMVE), it is focusing on so called "white supremacists." As the Biden administration defines them-anyone who supported Trump (not in the REMVE mission statement, but the media has explained that to us for 4 years).

Just as freely elected Adolf Hitler used the burning of the Reichstag in early 1933 as an excuse to become a dictator, the Democrats are using the attack on the Capitol building. They see it as their opportunity to label all of us who either supported Trump (black, white, Asian, Hispanic), or who believe our election rules need to be examined in light of the pandemic induced mailed ballot fiasco, as dangerous. They know better, but it sells well, (so did Hitler's excuse) and it is being used to shut us down on social media. Democrats now in control of 3 branches are joining forces with the oligarchs in Big Tech. They are the ones, not the Trump supporters, who are in dangerous territory, as history shows. Free markets, no new wars, prison reforms, and lower taxes do not define a leader of a free society as a fascist or racist. But stomping on free speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly does. An impeachment with no evidence and no trial certainly does. Racially and Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism (REMVE) (resolvenet.org)

There are white supremacists, I'm sure, just as there are black power advocates, BLM members, Antifa disruptors and anarchists. But I'd like to see something about how they are funded compared to the billions that BLM has raked in since the Floyd death in Minneapolis and the burning and looting of Democrat controlled cities the past 8 months. They are a miniscule group, and they haven't caused the spike in murders and property crime that the anarchists on the Left have caused. We know the FBI has infiltrated them, that's their job, but where were they on January 6? Creating the problem?

Using ethnicity or religion as an excuse to tamp down legitimate protests is an old, old, trick of tribal leaders, Czars, monarchists, totalitarians, and apparently American presidents.

RESOLVE is not a U.S. government agency, it's an international dot net organization supported by our taxes that is used as a revolving door for various academics and politicians from a variety of nations. It is attached to the much older USIP established in 1984. "RESOLVE is housed at the U.S. Institute of Peace, building upon the Institute’s decades-long legacy of deep engagement in conflict-affected societies." Although I've never made a study of the various peace/conflict resolution non-profits, I suspect we've never had as many wars since these entities sprang up after WWI and WWII. It does "research."

If you have the time, you can click on all the logos (I hate that instead of an easy to read list) of international organizations connected to this 501-C-3, the advisory board, and research council. I'd need some other FBF to work through all them. It's just one "tiny" group now shifting focus to U.S. citizens they don't like and fear.

Racially and Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism (REMVE) (resolvenet.org)

The obligatory inclusive statement:

“RESOLVE is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its operations and products. We welcome and actively seek contributions from all backgrounds, ethnicities, races, gender identifications, and areas of expertise to build a fair, balanced, inclusive, and representative knowledge base on violent extremism and beyond. RESOLVE strives to elevate the work of diverse and underrepresented voices through inclusiveness in its membership, contracting and hiring practices, research conceptualization, literature reviews and publications, and capacity building activities.”

I’ll just bet they don’t want my contribution, background, ethnicity, or age—which is not part of this IED statement.

Speaking of the rich . .

"As the recession lifted, poor and middle class Americans dug deeper into their wallets to give to charity, even though they were earning less. At the same time, according to a new Chronicle analysis of tax data, wealthy Americans earned more, but the portion of the income they gave to charity declined. . .Residents of Utah remain by far the nation’s most generous... Memphis, Birmingham, Ala., Atlanta, and Nashville are the most generous cities, and . . . The 17 most generous states, as measured by share of income donated to charity, voted for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in the 2012 election." (Chronicle of Philanthropy)

President Obama complains about the income gap and the fat cats. Does his staff understand "optics?" (perception not physics) Last night he had a fund raiser in Connecticut, talked about wealth inequality at a lavish mansion in a gated estate, the home of Richie Richman. The economy is stagnant, the rich are getting richer, and he whines at the home of a rich man named Richman (real estate developer who's made his wealth in "affordable housing"). Federal tax credits and subsidies for “affordable housing” are very complex, but the recession of 2008-09 really had Richman’s business booming since other investors had to back off.

Transfer of wealth

Just heard a Social Security defender on Fox News say that for every $1 in benefits, Social Security payments generate $2 in the economy. What about the two workers paying in for every retiree drawing Social Security? Some working for minimum wage at Wal-Mart or McDonald’s.  How would they be spending that money taken from them? This is generational transfer from the young to the old, not drawing on an investment or "trust fund.”

Both the working poor and the upper income rich have their wealth transferred to the middle class, the group that is the beneficiary directly and indirectly of most government policies and taxes, many for the misnamed War on Poverty, (but Social Security is probably the oldest and best example). According to the catalog of federal domestic assistance, there are 2,199 Federal assistance programs and most benefit the middle class either directly, or by employment. HHS has 19 offices and 461 programs; each with its own bureaucracy. Please don't blame Obama for this, or any political party.

Does the federal government really need "To maintain and expand existing markets for dairy which are vital to the welfare of milk producers in the United States." We still have "separate but equal" when it comes to Indians and anyone who is 1/4 Indian, with federal grants galore, including Tribal Colleges and Universities. For 50 years the federal government has been funding "conciliation and mediation services" to local groups to reduce "tensions, conflicts, and civil disorders arising from actions, policies, and practices that are perceived to be based on race, ethnicity, or national origin." Imagine the community organizers who live well on that one! And yet 93% of murdered blacks are killed by other blacks, mostly young with no racial or ethnicity motives.

A tiny percentage of federal grant money goes to the poor; most goes to the middle class in the form of jobs, contracts, conferences, travel, research grants, academic salaries, indirect costs to the institution for utilities, staff, overhead (can be as high as 60% of the grant) and that doesn't even include the buildings that are required and the trades and unions who benefit. One Appalachian grant I read through (about $76,000,000 a year) supposedly was training 20,000 students a year; it’s been going on since 1965—why aren’t they all successful and free of poverty at that rate?  Because the money goes to the teachers, social workers, facilities, grant writers, conferences, etc.

I should know--I've made a very nice middle class living on special government contracts funneled through Ohio State or the state of Ohio. I have been employed on USAID funds, FIPSE money, JTPA,  Department of Aging of Ohio; I have published research funded by the state and federal government, which was then purchased by the institutions for which I worked, which were funded in part by the government; I have done some very nice travelling on your dime—Washington, DC, San Antonio, Kansas City, Seattle, Detroit and Chicago.  I also have a teacher's pension which pays far better than Social Security which non-government workers get. Don’t get me wrong--I worked hard, and you got your tax dollar’s worth, however, few poor people were lifted out of poverty.  Primarily the middle class benefited, including me.  Go to this website and type "library" or even something more exotic, like fashion or travel,  into the search window. https://www.cfda.gov/

Page after page, lustful thinking

The AIA report on how to spend billions and billions of federal money on local and state projects to help the building and construction trades, many of which no one will want or use (transit, model schools, etc.) or will forget about as it filters through the bureaucracy pipe line for several years (block grants to communities), was supposed to include a "tax cut for businesses." I searched and searched, and finally found it on the final (9th) page.

Repeal Section 511 of P.L. 109-222, which requires federal, state and most local government agencies to levy a three-percent withholding on all government contracts, grants and other payments.

Although this provision is not slated to go into effect until 2011, many businesses are in the process of developing their plans for the next few years and are having to invest funds already in preparing accounting systems to handle the new withholding. In addition, the withholding would come into effect around the time that many economists believe that the economy will begin to recover. It makes no sense to provide economic relief to businesses on one hand and yet punish them for
performing government work with the other.

This is an unfunded mandate from 2005 which could cost some of the building trades more than their margin of profit. Certainly worthy of cutting, but I doubt that it's enough to offset the huge gorging of green the architects are craving and the banquet table loaded with pork. The building trades have been under the thumb of the federal government for at least 30-40 years--not as long as the farmers, but they've lost control of their professions. Why are all these buildings, roads and bridges in such tough shape if the government knew how to do everything better 20-30 years ago?