Obama DOJ initiative became political de-banking scheme, Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen tells Joe Rogan



Brexiteer Nigel Farage was de-banked last year for political reasons. While acknowledging he was a commercially viable customer, Coutts bank, part of the NatWest Group, dropped the British politician because of his comparison of Black Lives Matter rioters to the Taliban; his criticism of climate alarmism and his suggestion that "net zero is net stupid"; his "endorsements of Donald Trump"; and other expressions thought unpalatable by the powers that be.

Although Britain has done its best in recent months to clamp down on perceived wrong think, including silent prayer, it is hardly exceptional when it comes to the practice of de-banking.

Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape and general partner at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, recently told Joe Rogan that scores of tech founders have been de-banked under the Biden administration through a coordinated and politically motivated effort he referred to as "Operation Choke Point 2.0," an apparent update on a scandalous Obama Department of Justice initiative. In the days since the interview, numerous crypto entrepreneurs have gone online with their own de-banking tales.

The 'wrong politics'

After explaining that "de-banking is when you, as either a person or your company, are literally kicked out of the banking system," Andreessen told Rogan that it has hit close to home — his business partner's father was de-banked.

When asked why David Horowitz, a critic of Islamic and leftist extremism, would have been de-banked, Andreessen said, "For having the wrong politics. For saying unacceptable things."

"I mean, David Horowitz is, you know — he's pro-Trump," said Andreessen. "I mean, he's said all kinds of things. You know, he's been very anti-Islamic terrorism. He's been very worried about immigration, all these things."

Other individuals and groups who have been de-banked in recent years were similarly on the right, which may explain why the Southern Poverty Law Center has defended the practice.

'There's no constitutional amendment that says the government can't de-bank you.'

In September 2023, Bank of America de-banked John Eastman, founding director of the Claremont Institute's Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence and one of the attorneys also targeted by the 65 Project for his work with President-elect Donald Trump. Two months later, USAAA Federal Saving Bank similarly de-banked him.

Former Nebraska state Treasurer John Murante (R) noted in an op-ed last year that Chase had de-banked multiple individuals and organizations — including the Arkansas Family Council, Defense of Liberty, and retired general Michael Flynn Jr. — over "mainstream American views."

Months after JPMorgan Chase canceled the checking account for former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback's faith-based nonprofit National Committee for Religious Freedom, Brownback reportedly received an email from Chase indicating that he was a "politically exposed person."

"Under current banking regulations, after all the reforms of the last 20 years, there's now a category called a 'politically exposed person,' PEP," Andreessen told Rogan. "You are required by financial regulators to kick them off, to kick them out of your bank. You're not allowed to have them."

According to a 2021 Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council document, the "term PEP is commonly used in the financial industry to refer to foreign individuals who are or have been entrusted with a prominent public function, as well as to their immediate family members and close associates." The term has also been applied to domestic individuals similarly entrusted with prominent public functions.

The Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, an international outfit hosted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, noted in its own definition that due to their position and influence, many PEPs "are in positions that potentially can be abused for the purpose of committing money laundering offences and related predicate offenses, including corruption and bribery, as well as conducting activity related to terrorist financing."

Andreessen suggested that the de-banking of domestic PEPs tends to go only one way, noting, "I have not heard of a single instance of anyone on the left getting de-banked."

A private-public scheme

The tech entrepreneur explained that this politically unidirectional mechanism is wielded by a combination of governmental and private forces.

"There's a constitutional amendment that says the government can't restrict your speech, but there's no constitutional amendment that says the government can't de-bank you," said Andreessen.

The government leans on private banking institutions to do its dirty work, which gives it the benefit of distance, such that "the government gets to say, 'We didn't do it. It was the private company that did it, and of course, JPMorgan can decide who they want to have as customers.'"

Andreessen characterized the political persecution scheme as a "privatized sanctions regime that lets bureaucrats do to American citizens the same thing that we do to Iran: Just kick you out of the financial system."

According to Andreessen, this "regime" has been targeting numerous crypto entrepreneurs since President Joe Biden took office.

'It's just raw administrative power.'

"This has been happening to a lot of the fin-tech entrepreneurs, anybody trying to start any kind of new banking service, because they're trying to protect the big banks," said Andreessen. "This has been happening, by the way, also in legal fields of economic activity that they don't like."

Thanks, Obama

Andreessen suggested that this coordinated effort to crush perceived political adversaries through monetary pressures kicked off in earnest "about 15 years ago with this thing called Operation Choke Point."

Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel and senior vice president of corporate engagement at the Alliance Defending Freedom, told members of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government in March:

In the now infamous Operation Choke Point, President Obama's DOJ and FDIC spearheaded a multi-agency initiative to target legal industries like firearms dealers, tobacco sellers, dating services, coin dealers, and payday lenders. After a group of payday lenders sued the FDIC, litigation filings and subsequent federal oversight offered a rare look into the world of financial regulation. The FDIC expanded "reputational risk" to include "any negative publicity involving the third party." It then worked in conjunction with the DOJ and other agencies to pressure financial institutions to deny service to disfavored industries. The DOJ issued over 60 subpoenas; the FDIC and OCC issued related guidance on the reputation risk presented by payment processing for these entities; and the FDIC listed the above businesses as "high-risk businesses," all with the intent to cut off banking access to these industries.

Andreessen suggested that the Biden administration extended the concept to apply to political opponents as well as to crypto and tech entrepreneurs.

"Choke Point 2.0 is primarily against their political enemies and then to their disfavored tech startups," said Andreessen. "And it's hit the tech world hard. We've had like 30 founders de-banked in the last four years."

According to the tech entrepreneur, those he knows who have been de-banked effectively had to reinvent themselves or get creative with where they put their money to "try to get away from the eye of Sauron."

Tyler Winklevoss, co-founder of Gemini, noted after Elon Musk highlighted Andreessen's comments that he was de-banked and suggested that there have likely been far more than 30 individuals de-banked in the burgeoning industry.

"Totally unlawful, evil behavior," said Winklevoss.

Brian Armstrong, co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, responded to Andreessen's claims, noting, "Can confirm this is true. It was one one of the most unethical and un-American things that happened in the Biden administration, and my guess is we'll find Elizabeth Warren's fingerprints all over it (Biden himself was probably unaware). We're still collecting documents via FOIA requests, so hopefully the full story emerges of who was involved and whether they broke any laws."

Konstantin Richter, CEO of Blockdaemon, claimed that Bank of America similarly cut his organization loose.

The nature of de-banking leaves victims with few or no means to seek remedy.

"You can't go sue a regulator to fix this. It's not through any kind of court judgment. It's just raw power. It's just raw administrative power," said Andreessen. "It's the government or politicians just deciding that things are going to be a certain way, and then they just apply pressure until they get it."

To make matters worse, "There are no fingerprints," said Andreessen. Those behind the de-banking are virtually untouchable.

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Conor McGregor removed from Hitman video game after losing sexual assault case



Conor McGregor was removed from popular online game Hitman after he was found liable for sexual assault by a jury in a civil case.

McGregor, who plans to appeal the decision, will have to pay more than $262,000 (€250,000) to the victim. Nikita Hand filed a civil suit in early 2021 alleging that while intoxicated, McGregor and another man, James Lawrence, had sex with her without her consent in 2018. Criminal charges were not pursued.

IO Interactive, the developer of the Hitman game, reacted promptly after the verdict, announcing that it was removing the former UFC champion from the game.

"In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor, IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately," the company wrote on X. "We take this matter very seriously and cannot ignore its implications. Consequently, we will begin removing all content featuring Mr. McGregor from our storefronts starting today."

— (@)

McGregor took to his social media the day following the verdict and apologized to his wife.

"People want to hear from me, I needed time. I know I made mistakes. Six years ago, I should have never responded to her outreaches. I should have shut the party down. I should never have stepped out on the woman I love the most in the world," McGregor wrote.

The fighter continued, "That's all on me. As much as I regret it, everything that happened that night was consensual and all the witnesses present swore to that under oath."

McGregor added that he has instructed his legal team to appeal the decision and that he must "move forward," not back.

"I am beyond grateful to my family, friends and supporters all over the world who have stayed by my side. That's it. No more. Getting back to the gym- the fight game awaits!"

— (@)

McGregor is part of a paid, downloadable content pack in which gamers take on a mission to assassinate him before or while he is engaging in a fight to the death against an eccentric billionaire on an island-castle surrounded by an elite secret society.

In recent years, McGregor has had many run-ins with law enforcement across the world. He has engaged in shattering bus windows and allegedly attacked fans in separate incidents in both Florida and Ireland.

He was accused of assaulting an Italian musician in Rome and a woman on his yacht in Spain. Other allegations of sexual assault have been dropped against the fighter, as well.

While it will be interesting to see if the IO Interactive team reinstates McGregor should the verdict be overturned, there will always be questions as to whether or not he should have been included in the game at all if his out-of-the-Octagon troubles were the reason for taking him out.

McGregor has another court battle on the horizon. His former training partner Artem Lobov is suing him over the creation of his popular whiskey Proper Twelve, saying the liquor brand was originally his idea, the Irish Star reported.

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Biden administration spent $267 million on 'misinformation' projects to battle vaccine skepticism



More than 10 federal agencies under the Biden administration were allocated funding for research and projects on misinformation, spending records show.

According to federal figures obtained by Open the Books, the Biden administration spread hundreds of millions of dollars throughout federal agencies to tackle "misinformation."

With a total of $273,860,723 spent since 2017, just $6.7 million in federal funding was provided under the Trump administration, with $267 million falling under Biden's years.

The report revealed that HHS received the bulk of the funding to stop the spread of "health misinformation."

HHS defines "misinformation" as information that is "false, inaccurate, or misleading according to the best available evidence at the time."

The federal department has claimed that misinformation spreads easily on social media, as well as on "online retail sites" and "search engines."

HHS further declared that building a "healthier information environment" is just as important clean air and water.

"Health misinformation has led people to decline vaccines, reject public health measures, and use unproven treatments."

A breakdown of the spending showed that HHS received well over $185 million over this time period, which included money to combat what it saw as COVID-19 misinformation.

This resulted in a plethora of propaganda materials, including the following from the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General:

During the pandemic, health misinformation has led people to decline vaccines, reject public health measures, and use unproven treatments. Health misinformation has also led to harassment and violence against health workers, airline staff, and other frontline workers tasked with communicating evolving public health measures.

In total, $127 million was directly related to fighting COVID "misinformation." The most typical ways were through public programs to meant to limit misinformation through on-the-ground advocacy, or studies and conferences explaining how misinformation is spread.

A whopping $80 million was awarded to HHS and the CDC to partner with "community-based organizations" to "increase vaccination coverage" across different racial and ethnic populations who are allegedly "experiencing disparities."

With a "health equity focus," the program has the stated goal of increasing "access and acceptance of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines among adults in racial and/or ethnic populations."

The project does not end until April 2026.

Other projects focused on alleged misinformation related to HIV, the HPV vaccine, and opioids.

One obscure grant included over $230,000 to "educate consumers about the sustainable management of Bering Sea crab fisheries."

"[The project] will combat misinformation that negatively impacts public perception of crabbing and the commercial fishing industry."

Other federal agencies receiving misinformation funding included the National Science Foundation ($65.5 million), the State Department ($12.6 million), and the Department of Defense ($2.9 million).

Other departments including the Institute of Museum & Library Services, the Department of Justice, Department of Commerce, Department of Agriculture, and Department of the Interior received funding ranging from $200,000 to $2,000,000.

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Undersea internet cable possibly severed in Baltic Sea, sparking concerns about sabotage



The 745-mile underwater internet cable linking NATO allies Finland and Germany was apparently severed in the Baltic Sea Monday morning, sparking concerns about possible sabotage.

The cybersecurity and telecoms network company Cinia said in a statement that a "fault" was initially detected in its C-Lion1 submarine cable — the only undersea cable connecting Finland to Central Europe — just after 4 a.m. on Monday, killing the services provided over the line.

According to Cinia, it could take anywhere from five to 15 days for cable repairs and to get a clearer sense of what precisely is responsible.

Telia Lietuva AB, one of the Baltic states' biggest telecommunication companies, told Bloomberg that the incident took place just hours after an undersea cable linking Lithuania to Sweden's Gotland island, nearly 33 feet away from the Finnish line, was cut.

Their allusion to Russian aggression prompted some to speculate that Moscow may have severed the line — possibly in a similar manner to how senior Ukrainian military officers and businessmen allegedly sapped the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in September 2022.

Elina Valtonen, the Finnish minister of foreign affairs, and her German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, said in a joint statement, "We are deeply concerned about the severed undersea cable connecting Finland and Germany in the Baltic Sea. The fact that such an incident immediately raises suspicions of intentional damage speaks volumes about the volatility of our times."

After noting that an investigation into the incident is underway, the duo stressed that "European security is not only under threat from Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, but also from hybrid warfare by malicious actors. Safeguarding our shared critical infrastructure is vital to our security and the resilience of our societies."

Their allusion to Russian aggression prompted some to speculate that Moscow may have severed the line — possibly in a similar manner to how senior Ukrainian military officers and businessmen allegedly sapped the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in September 2022.

A line-cutting in the area would have been risky business for the Russians given that just days before the malfunction, NATO allies took part in an anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Baltic Sea and likely had some assets in the area.

"The Baltic Sea is a challenging operational environment. The local expertise of our regional Allies facilitates success here and rehearsing command and control ensures the effective use of assets," Royal Danish Navy Commodore Thomas Stig Rasmussen said of the maritime exercises that ran from Nov. 11-14. "Training together in Swedish waters offers Allies an important opportunity to enhance interoperability, which is the key to success in real life operations. Our new Allies in Sweden and Finland have redefined how NATO approaches maritime security in the region."

When pressed on whether the Finnish cable showed signs of sabotage, Cinia CEO Ari-Jussi Knaapila indicated there was "no way to assess the reason right now."

"We can say that such damage doesn't happen without some kind of external impact," Knaapila told Bloomberg, citing ship anchors and bottom trawling as possible causes.

Knaapila ruled out seismic activity and suggested sabotage has not been eliminated as a possibility.

Ship anchors have done serious damage to undersea cables in recent years. On Oct. 8, 2023, two telecom cables and a rupture to a Baltic Sea gas pipeline were caused by the Hong Kong-flagged cargo vessel Newnew Polar Bear. After months of investigation and finger-pointing, Beijing finally admitted the error in August.

Samuli Bergström, communications chief of the Finnish transport and communications agency, told Deutsche Welle, "The reasons are under investigation. Disturbances occur from time to time and there can be various reasons. For example, they are susceptible to weather and damage caused by shipping. The essential thing is that the problems are identified and corrective measures are taken."

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Texas announces plan for advanced nuclear reactors across the state worth over $50 billion



Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Public Utility Commission of Texas have identified 61 possible sites across the state for new nuclear reactors.

A recently-released state report on Advanced Nuclear Energy is hoping to bring in over $50 billion in new economic output to Texas, along with $27 billion in income for Texas workers.

Governor Abbott announced the state's new plan, saying the plants would enhance the "reliability" of the state grid and provide "affordable, dispatchable power" to residents.

"Texas is the energy capital of the world, and we are ready to be No. 1 in advanced nuclear power," the governor added.

The Nuclear Energy Institute defines advanced nuclear reactors as smaller, more efficient reactors that are safer to build and protect than the previous generation of reactors. Underground and underwater housing can be used for advanced reactors to greater endure natural disasters.

Advanced nuclear designs have been used for the newly popular small modular reactors being built privately across the country by the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle. States like Virginia and Maryland have become popular sites for SMRs and self-sustaining commercial campuses.

Texas is already home to two nuclear plants that generate over five gigawatts of electricity, which makes up about 10% of the state's grid.

The state report alleged that the two plants have already displayed "resilience during extreme weather."

— (@)

Of the 61 possible nuclear sites identified, 21 of them are closed or closing coal sites. The report stated that replacing the coal sites, which are typically seen as bad for the environment, would be just one puzzle piece in overcoming strong environmental regulatory hurdles.

In order to garner approval for the plant builds, energy officials suggested appointing a Nuclear Permitting Officer to facilitate "tailored assistance to companies seeking to build advanced nuclear reactor operations in the state."

Cool
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 18, 2024

The report pinpointed a possible $700 million in costs leading up to the building of advanced nuclear reactors, using estimations based on public funding that has been awarded in other states.

This included $60 million to retain and attract supply chain companies and another $350 million for design and development of small nuclear reactors.

About $100 million was awarded across Kentucky, North Carolina, and Wyoming for permitting and studies, along with $40 million in South Carolina for support of nuclear workforce development.

While these costs are similar to what other companies have been spending on small modular reactors across the country, those are typically used to power a company's campus and/or data centers. This means that reactors meant to power the public at large would likely come at twice the cost, especially considering how much government oversight and appointed positions the state report has recommended.

For example, computer technology company Oracle announced in early September its intention to build a 1-gigawatt data center campus powered by three small modular reactors.

Therefore, about 15 small modular reactors would be required to match the five gigawatts of power (10% of the grid) put out by Texas' two existing plants.

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Elon Musk triumphant as IBM, Disney, and Comcast end yearlong advertising boycott on X



Big-name brands have ended their advertising boycott against Elon Musk's X after approximately a year of refusing to support the platform.

Comcast, Discovery, Disney, IBM, Lionsgate Entertainment, and Warner Bros. have resumed their ad spending on X, with Musk thanking CEO Linda Yaccarino for her work on bringing the companies back onto his platform.

"Just want to say that we super appreciate major brands resuming advertising on our platform!" Musk wrote. "Thanks [Linda Yaccarino] and the whole X team for your hard work in restoring confidence in our platform and ensuring that advertising content only appears where advertisers want it shown."

In November 2023, the brands mentioned above (along with Apple) dialed back their ad campaigns after claims their branding appeared next to "anti-Semetic content" and "hate speech," AdWeek reported.

'The censorship apparatus is coming to an end.'

Without the major companies, brands like Karma Shopping and Canles Shoes became the top ad-buyers on X. Overall, ad revenue dropped by a reported 98% year over year, but Musk remained principled in his cause.

"I'll say what I want to say, and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it," Musk told CNBC at the time.

Political commentator Ian Miles Cheong called the boycott a failed effort "the moment Donald Trump won the election."

"The censorship apparatus is coming to an end, and the advertisers know it. Beyond that, advertisers can undoubtedly see the strength of X, and depriving themselves of profits for the sake of sticking it to Elon clearly doesn't work," Cheong added.

— (@)

The new report comes after claims in September that there would be a mass exodus of advertisers from the platform over concerns of "extreme content" that could damage brand images.

However, that was after X announced a lawsuit against major advertisers in August, following a House Judiciary Committee report that pointed to an illegal boycott against the company.

The World Federation of Advertisers, which represents some of the world's largest companies and advertisers, was accused of directly organizing boycotts and targeting disfavored platforms, content creators, and news organizations in an effort to demonetize them.

BlazeTV host James Poulos said the smoke surrounding the advertising conflict was cleared once the nature of the report was revealed.

"Rather than mild-mannered normies afraid of controversial content on X, advertisers operate as a cartel of far-left propagandists, reaping profits from taxpayers on government contracts while conspiring to silence free speech at odds with their radical ideologies."

Concurrently, many left-wing celebrities are announcing plans to leave X. This includes MSNBC's Joy Reid, who said she doesn't want to support the platform, and ex-CNN host Don Lemon, who claimed he disagrees with the new terms of service.

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We’re on the verge of Orwell’s Thought Police becoming a reality in Ireland



As Donald Trump prepares to re-enter the White House in January, the push to police "truth" is gaining momentum.

Literally. With real cops.

Police1, a powerful arm of “public safety policy management” behemoth Lexipol, is reshaping law enforcement across the United States — though certainly not for the better.

Barring decisive pushback, the madness spreading across the UK and Ireland will soon find its way into the United States.

You see, Police1 is busy preparing officers to confront what it labels the “misinformation” crisis of the digital age. If they're not already prepared, the author of a recent article on the Police1 website, Joseph J. Lestrange, insists they should be.

But Lestrange isn’t your average op-ed writer. As a former high-ranking official in the Biden administration, he sees misinformation and disinformation not as minor nuisances but as direct threats — ones that erode public trust, fuel hostility toward officers, and undermine police operations. With AI-powered tools like deepfakes and manipulated audio, he warns, these threats have reached unprecedented sophistication, opening the door to ever more calculated assaults on public perception. At the same time, these threats open the door to another possible assault — specifically, law enforcement overreach.

As the fight against misinformation intensifies, “Big Brother” risks morphing into an even more pervasive “Bigger Brother,” blurring the line between protection and control. More of the latter. Much less of the former.

Lestrange suggests that police agencies adopt “Misinformation/Disinformation Units” to identify, fact-check, and counter false narratives. This move would position law enforcement as responders and architects of public perception, armed with the power to collaborate with tech giants and preemptively flag “harmful” content. Lestrange frames the unholy alliance to protect officers and rebuild community trust.

But these units, if created, would cast a dark shadow and raise serious concerns about transparency, civil liberties, and unchecked power. If Edward Snowden taught us anything — now over a decade ago — it's that government tools meant for “protection” can easily slip into surveillance and control tools, threatening the very freedoms they claim to defend.

Not surprisingly, Lestrange’s promises of “impartial policing” ring hollow. These units risk becoming tools for selective narrative control — amplifying certain voices and silencing others. The report’s concerns about eroding public trust underscore how fragile this balance is; if law enforcement assumes the role of “truth arbiter,” any misstep or bias will swiftly deepen public distrust. Let me be clear here. This isn’t an attack on officers. Most boys (and girls) in blue are decent, honorable people. The real issue lies with the powerful few who officers must answer to. Those behind the curtain pull the strings not to protect us but to manipulate and control us.

The implications are potentially dire with Police1 and Lexipol driving this model nationwide. By framing narrative control as essential to policing, Lexipol pushes departments to blur the line between traditional duties and digital influence. This shift should raise alarms: It marks a slippery slope into content moderation — a realm typically reserved for independent platforms, not government agencies. We’re on the verge of Orwell’s Thought Police becoming a reality.

Some essential questions must be asked. Who will hold these “misinformation” units accountable? What will prevent personal or political biases from determining what gets flagged as “harmful”? Without strict transparency and oversight, these units risk becoming unchecked gatekeepers of information, placing the public’s right to knowledge — and the integrity of law enforcement — in jeopardy.

The threat is not hypothetical; it is already a reality in the U.K., where similar units have been established, wielding considerable influence over what is deemed "truth." In my own country, Ireland, people are already being arrested for “misgendering” others. Referring to a biological man who believes he's a woman isn’t just expected — it’s now mandatory. Calling him what he truly is can land you in prison for years. In other words, speaking the truth is now a punishable offense.

This raises crucial concerns about who holds the power to decide what constitutes "mis" or "dis" information. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the public witnessed how accurate yet dissenting narratives were swiftly demonized, labeled misinformation, and suppressed. Such tactics delegitimized valid perspectives, leading to a chilling effect on open dialogue. In the U.S., if Lexipol’s framework for misinformation units is adopted without strict oversight, the implications could be similarly far-reaching, threatening the plurality of voices that is fundamental to democracy.

And as public safety agencies venture into content moderation, the question of who defines "truth" will become increasingly critical — and potentially contentious — highlighting the need for clear, accountable practices to safeguard public trust and democratic integrity. Barring decisive pushback, the madness spreading across the U.K. and Ireland will soon find its way into the United States.

As Trump’s team readies to take charge, his allies like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy must push back against a state apparatus eager to police thought — a system the current administration eagerly embraces.

How Trump’s 'golden age' rhetoric could redefine America



The golden hair. The golden penthouse. Yes, he turned down the golden toilet, but surely Donald Trump is to be believed when he offers Americans a new golden age.

Who’s on board? Not the Guardian — which recently rage-quit X — where one column warns, “Trump’s ‘golden age of America’ could be an unrestrained imperial presidency. Emboldened by a strong mandate,” the paper laments, “the Republican will bring his dark Maga vision to the US with little resistance.”

Pride still comes before a fall, and as even the wisest ancient pagans remind us, the pinnacle of civilization typically tips all too fast under the weight of decadent luxury into rack and ruin.

But the golden age pitch is also getting more serious and perhaps unexpected blowback — from certain corners of the anti-globalist right. Elon Musk’s choice to caption his post celebrating Trump’s election win with the phrase Novus Ordo Seclorum — one of the two Latin mottos on the Great Seal of the United States — has set off skeptics worried that the rise of an antichrist might be around the corner.

“This phrase resonates with the term 'Golden Age,' which has been referenced by Donald Trump and is echoed by various new age teachers and high-degree Freemasons, who at higher levels, are known to worship Lucifer,” one popular X account warns. “These expressions align with Biblical warnings of a great deception, where people are described as welcoming what is referred to as the beast system with open arms.”

It’s always alarmingly easy to see how the world’s most powerful people could give in to what must be the enormous temptation to sell their souls for control of the planet. So far, Musk’s biggest ambitions concern not Earth but Mars, population zero. And both he and Trump are assembling a governing team focused on avoiding world war and countering China’s bid for global domination. They’re also both friendly to Christians — a stark contrast to many leaders of the other political team.

Nevertheless, we’d do well to carefully discern how to avoid paving our way to hell with intentions as good as gold. Pride still comes before a fall, and as even the wisest ancient pagans remind us, the pinnacle of civilization typically tips all too fast under the weight of decadent luxury into rack and ruin.

They say there’s a tweet for everything — sorry, a post — and in this case, it’s true. In typical X dot com fashion, it’s a half-joke with a deeper meaning written by a pseud: “Golden age Hollywood actor's wikipedia biographies are like, ‘he worked as a train conductor, ranch hand, denim model, and itinerant drifter before being drafted to serve in WWII. When he came back he decided to become an actor and two weeks later was discovered by Fritz Lang.’”

Interesting, isn’t it? How radically different is that “golden age” culture from the one that scares critics of the gilded empire across the political spectrum? Doubtless, the Hollywood golden age itself was one all too festooned with excess and corruption. But the films themselves, which give the era its name, brought a refined yet accessible beauty and grace to the public — and they did it by welcoming ordinary people with real experience living in the rough-and-tumble world onto the screen.

The point isn’t that we ought to romanticize a bygone age or value the appearance of virtue over the reality of vice. It’s that when Americans circulate fruitfully with one another, that energy enlivens and elevates our institutions, setting fresh standards for our social, cultural, and economic life.

I often go back to Alexis de Tocqueville when measuring the pace and scope of change in America — sometimes what seems to be a new twist is something he saw coming long ago — and, in that spirit, here’s one of my favorite of his observations, as timely and instructive now as ever.

Men connect the greatness of their idea of unity with means, God with ends: hence this idea of greatness, as men conceive it, leads us into infinite littleness. To compel all men to follow the same course towards the same object is a human notion; — to introduce infinite variety of action, but so combined that all these acts lead by a multitude of different courses to the accomplishment of one great design, is a conception of the Deity. The human idea of unity is almost always barren; the divine idea pregnant with abundant results. Men think they manifest their greatness by simplifying the means they use; but it is the purpose of God which is simple — his means are infinitely varied.

Now, there’s a MAGA vision everyone should be able to get behind.

Court freezes Onion deal for Infowars: Alex Jones exclusively responds on 'Glenn Beck Program'



As our nation looks forward to turning the page into a new era following the clear mandate for freedom in the recent election, the existing regime is not going quietly into the night.

Alex Jones’ Infowars has allegedly been acquired by the satire site the Onion in a court-ordered bankruptcy auction. Developments on Friday have cast doubt on the legitimacy of this acquisition, however.

Thanks to X, he moved studios and was able to immediately start broadcasting again.

On Thursday, there were reports that the Onion had acquired Alex Jones’ Infowars. By late Friday morning, Alex Jones released a statement alleging that the auction for his assets was fake and that there is now an ongoing criminal investigation into the proceedings. Infowars.com is once again live after being taken down from Thursday into Friday morning.

According to BBC News, the Onion bought Infowars with the support of the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims, who won a $1.5 billion defamation lawsuit over Jones’ claims surrounding the school shooting. Financial details have not been disclosed.

Ben Collins, the CEO of the Onion, is reported to have said, “The Onion has a long history of helping the American public navigate some of the most difficult moments in American life, from our historic issue after 9/11 to our groundbreaking reportage after every American mass shooting. In that tradition, we hope the Sandy Hook families will be able to marvel at the cosmic joke we will soon make of Infowars.com.”

On X, Collins posted, “We're planning on making a very stupid website.”

Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization, will reportedly be “the exclusive launch advertiser for the site in the new venture.” John Feinblatt, the president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said, “It’s fitting that a platform once used to profit off of tragedy will be a tool of education, hence our multiyear advertising commitment to this new venture.”

He went on: “We’re proud to be a part of what comes next, not only in terms of staunching the flow of hurtful misinformation, but also for the potential this new venture has to help Everytown reach new audiences ready to hold the gun industry accountable for contributing to our nation’s gun violence epidemic.”

It is almost poetic that a gun control organization is partnering with the Onion in this attack on free speech. The First Amendment was listed first for a reason, yet the Second Amendment is listed immediately afterward as a fail-safe in the event of egregious violations of the First Amendment. Keeping that in mind, the fight for the First Amendment is not over.

Alex Jones posted a video update on his X account, saying, “This is a total attack on free speech.” He also said, “They want to silence the American people, but we’re not gonna be silenced.” He then directed his viewers to follow the Alex Jones Network on X, where he will continue to speak out against what is happening to Infowars.

However, Jones posted later in the day Thursday that the auction was not legitimate: “Infowars was not sold to the The Onion. I am breaking the news now.” According to the Independent, the judge involved in the case, District Judge Christopher Lopez, said, “No one should feel comfortable with the results of this auction.”

Since this news story broke, it was revealed that the auction’s process was questionable and is now under review. As the Independent reports, bidders were required to submit their best offers, yet the amounts of these offers were not disclosed. “The trustee who ran the auction said the total amount was a better deal overall but came in under First United American’s [Alex Jones’ proxy] $3.5 million offer.”

Therefore, the auction results are paused. The judge explained the next steps in this case: “We’re all going to an evidentiary hearing, and I’m going to figure out exactly what happened.” He added: “I personally don’t care who wins the auction. … I care about process and transparency.”

The shadiness of these developments in this story seem to confirm the true motivations behind this acquisition. Many opponents of Alex Jones take issue with him being able to speak at all, it seems. For example, an NBC anchor discussing the acquisition said, “His X account will remain — for now, at least.” While this reporter is not related to the case, it seems to be implied that the main issue is not the legal acquisition of Infowars as an asset in the defamation case but rather Alex Jones’ ability to speak out on a platform at all.

— (@)

Today, Alex Jones called "The Glenn Beck Program" to break down some of the latest developments. Jones alleges the court is trying to prevent him from broadcasting in the future. He also alleges to Beck that there was a secret sale to subvert the auction and alleges a deep state plot to take him off the air forever.

The social media landscape has completely changed the idea of a platform, which means that even the most vindictive attacks on a well-established platform are somewhat ineffective. While the defamation lawsuit and the subsequent auction for Jones’ assets were a blow to Jones’ image and security, his ability to continue speaking freely is relatively unchanged. Thanks to X, he moved studios and was able to start broadcasting again immediately.

Now, the relative ease that Jones had in moving his platform and broadcast will reveal something very interesting in our political landscape going forward. Anyone who has a problem with this fact is fundamentally opposed to free speech. Free speech and the First Amendment are the first bulwarks against tyranny.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

DOD has captured alien craft? Bombshell report from congressional whistleblower alleges decades-long cover-up



Congressional lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee held a joint subcommittee hearing Wednesday to discuss alleged secret government investigations into UFOs — now called unidentified anomalous phenomena — and the knowledge obtained from the inquiry.

During the hearing, Michael Shellenberger, a publisher of the Twitter Files and co-founder of the "Public" newsletter on Substack, shared some shocking claims from a government whistleblower about an alleged special access program at the Defense Department called "Immaculate Constellation. "

Shellenberger noted in his written testimony that existing and former government officials have notified members of Congress that notwithstanding suggestions to the contrary, the Pentagon has kept a "significant body of information about UAPs, including military intelligence databases that have evidence of their existence as physical craft," under wraps.

One unnamed whistleblower submitted a report to Congress through the UAP whistleblower mechanisms established by the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, detailing the nature of the alleged Immaculate Constellation project.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) published that report this week.

Shellenberger acknowledged that DOD spokesperson Susan Gough indicated last month the "Department of Defense has no record, present or historical" of Immaculate Constellation.

However, the journalist said that a source subsequently notified him that Immaculate Constellation, apparently created after the New York Times reported in 2017 on a similar program called the Advance Aerospace Threat Identification Program, is "controlled by the White House and executed and administered by the DOD to avoid compliance with Title 10 of the United States Code."

A former intelligence community official reportedly told Shellenberger's Public that Immaculate Constellation "is run out of SEC DEF," adding, "They don't want to acknowledge it's real."

'The F-22 pilot noted multiple metallic orbs — slightly smaller than a sedan — hovering in place.'

The whistleblower report alleges at the outset that "elements of the U.S. Executive Branch have conspired to prevent the U.S. Legislative Branch from exercising its lawful powers of governance with respect to the UAP, [Technologies of Unknown Origin], and [Non-Human Intelligence] issues."

While the allegation of a criminal conspiracy might itself be newsworthy, what is more interesting is the conclusion drawn in the report:

The official disclosure of the existence of Non-Human Intelligences (NHIs) and their presence on Earth is a pivotal moment in human history. The nature of this information is of such incomparable relevance to the public good that it demands to be shared. Some may object and say that disclosure at this time poses too many risks. To them it must be said that we will never be able to predict how individuals, families, communities, and nations will react to revelations of such magnitude. Moving forward, we must guard against the lure of authoritarian solution justified by expediency and appeals to national security. The Good in humanity will always triumph through time, and it is in moments of crisis that our capacities for achieving the extraordinary are discovered. Be not afraid.

According to the whistleblower, who Shellenberger has indicated "discovered this material accidentally," Immaculate Constellation collects high-quality imagery intelligence on UAPs in low earth orbit, the upper atmosphere, maritime environments, and at military aviation altitude and "acts as a nexus for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating intelligence on the activities, capabilities, and locations of anomalous aerospace threats that originate from foreign or unidentified sources."

The report details multiple alleged UFO sightings, some of which were apparently captured by high-powered sensors and others that were documented by military personnel.

There is, for instance, allegedly infrared and full-motion video daytime footage of roughly 12 "metallic orbs skimming the ocean surface at high speed before dispersing in multiple directions" and maneuvering with rapidity and agility "incompatible with known aerospace vehicles."

The metallic orbs apparently flew in a tight "cuboid" formation, creating the illusion of a cube at a distance. The sensor platform reportedly lost sight of most of the UAPs when they ascended and accelerated.

UAPs reported from 1991 to 2022 in one alleged Immaculate Constellation dataset varied in shape and size and included spheres, saucers, ovals, arrowheads, and irregular or organic shapes. The report catalogues various descriptions and properties recorded for each of the various vehicle types.

The whistleblower indicated that Immaculate Constellation also has plenty of intelligence obtained from human sources as well. One account highlighted in the report claims that metallic orbs intercepted an F-22 fighter jet that was conducting a routine surveillance and control mission.

"An F-22 fighter observed multiple UAP contacts at mission-altitude," said the report. "Moving to intercept, the F-22 pilot noted multiple metallic orbs — slightly smaller than a sedan — hovering in place. Upon vectoring towards the UAPs, a smaller formation of the metallic orbs accelerated at rapid speed towards the F-22, which was unable to establish radar locks on the presumed-hostile UAPs."

The report noted that when the fighter jet attempted to flee, it was "intercepted and boxed in by approximately 3-6 UAPs. One UAP maneuvered in proximity (>12 meters) to the area directly starboard of the cockpit; there the UAP established a rigid spatial relationship with the F-22, maintaining its exact position and orientation parallel with the F-22's cockpit despite multiple evasive rolls and maneuvers."

Ultimately, the orbs reportedly escorted the fighter jet out of the mission area.

According to the whistleblower report, other countries are aware of UAP events and take them deadly seriously, especially since the unidentified objects have an apparent tendency to fly over sensitive military and intelligence facilities.

Earlier this year, the DOD's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office released a report claiming no governmental evidence of extraterrestrial technology.

"All investigative efforts, at all levels of classification, concluded that most sightings were ordinary objects and phenomena and the result of misidentification," said the report. "Although not the focus of this report, it is worthwhile to note that all official foreign UAP investigatory efforts to date have reached the same general conclusions as USG investigations."

The AARO report noted, "Although many UAP reports remain unsolved or unidentified, AARO assesses that if more and better quality data were available, most of these cases also could be identified and resolved as ordinary objects or phenomena."

Shellenberger said that the American government "appears to know significantly more about UAPs than it is revealing. But even those who believe the U.S. government has revealed all that it knows should have no objection to congressional demands for greater transparency."

Mace emphasized, "The American people have every right to know what is really happening."

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