Leftists everywhere love the 'f' word – in this case, fascism – and it's been their pejorative of choice when describing their arch nemesis, Donald J Trump. But what they're really objecting to is a strong leader who refuses to dance to their tune. We know he's not a fascist because, if he was, he'd be leading their charge, instead. Fascism - “the system of cartelization and planning by ‘corporatives’—government-business-labor boards with government the controlling partner” -(1) was the favoured societal construct of Franklin D Roosevelt, whose chief economic advisor could not countenance a world in which chance or individual initiative had a role to play:
“The future ahead must be planned always, and the technicians will be set to work to realize the dream in the blueprints. A blueprinted world—this is the vision—the organized, disciplined, planned, and blueprinted society.”(2)
Not a million miles away from socialism, then:
“Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.”(3)
More of a variation on a theme, whereby the corporate augments the government, but essentially the same ideology. In the 1932 election, FDR's opponent – Republican Herbert Hoover – was made an offer by Wall Street; if he agreed to the creation of a corporate state, they would throw their weight (and dollars) behind his campaign. He refused, but Roosevelt found the medicine much to his liking. Naturally, the word 'fascism' was as popular as a dose of the plague, so 'planned economy' and 'business cooperation' served as surrogates. The corporate socialists, rather than engaging in the free market, instead favoured a rigged system that catered to their needs:
“These are the rules of big business. They have superseded the teachings of our parents and are reducible to a simple maxim: Get a monopoly; let Society work for you: and remember that the best of all business is politics.”(4)
It may be useful to keep those definitions in mind for a little later and to note that nothing much has changed, which is becoming abundantly clear as Musk and Trump get busy with an searchlight and a broom. It seems that, even though the Administrative State had been informed – on multiple occasions – that Trump 2.0 represented a clear and present danger, it still thought it had matters in hand, that the tried and tested tricks of the trade that had stymied The Donald first time around would still be serviceable. Its denizens have been thoroughly disabused of that notion in very short order. This untrammelled Trump is an entirely different proposition.
Previously, their insubordination had been brazen. There had been no real need – nor inclination – to hide it. Stymieing the agenda of elected officials was a bureaucratic badge of honour. Career staff would produce legally unusable drafts or ones that diverged significantly from policy. They would circumvent direct orders – such as a hiring freeze – by backdating new hires' starting dates. Staff at the DoJ would refuse to prosecute winnable cases if they were not in ideological agreement. Resistance techniques were many and varied:
“Career attorneys at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not inform political appointees about major cases the agency was involved in or the government’s positions in pending cases. To learn what the agency was doing, political appointees had to monitor public court filings.”(5)
It wasn't particularly subtle, but it didn't have to be. Civil service protections make removing career employees exceedingly difficult and ensure that a lack of accountability is the norm, so the tail can wag the dog any time it likes and it was perpetually in motion during 45's term. But Trump and those around him have had four years to come up with a plan that obviates at least some of the static and they are moving too quickly for the Blob's liking. It can't keep up and, at present, “the DC system is overwhelmed by the pace of President Trump’s administrative deconstruction.”(6)
The present headlines are concerned with USAID, an unexpected primary target, otherwise known as “little more than an unmanaged slush fund -- or worse, managed by one political party to fund their pet projects, friends, and so on.”(7) Dismantling the agency – what was created by Executive Order can be dispatched via the same method – is a body blow to the Deep State, as can be divined from the wailing and gnashing of teeth by all the right people. It's never been about anything good; aid pallets just form part of the cover story. It's a CIA proxy specialising in regime change and it's been wreaking havoc for a very long time:
“It is no secret that USAID helped draft Yeltsin’s Constitution in 1993, through which it controlled Russia. Before that, it played a role in the collapse of the Soviet Union, laying the foundation for the creation of the Russian Federation, which was initially intended to be part of the global world under the direct control of USAID and the globalist elites.”(8)
It might be less challenging to list the Leftist entities that USAID didn't help fund, because its largesse was of legendary proportions. Soros prosecutors, Moroccan pottery classes, an Iraqi version of Sesame Street, sex changes in Latin America, Hamas and other terrorist entities on the US list of proscribed organisations, the Wuhan lab, Afghan opium production – you name it, USAID paid billions to it.(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15) Plus regime change operations all over the shop under the guise of 'independent media' or 'civil society organisations'.(16)(17) Plus billions to Billy Gates and that nice Uncle Klaus over at the WEF.(18) And, most egregiously, $9.3 billion to Islamic terror states, which are responsible for the death of over 3,000 US soldiers.(19)
This in addition to funding the lawfare against Trump, the sham trials, the impeachments, an astroturfing enterprise that encompasses a good proportion of worldwide mainstream media (6,200 journalists and 707 media outlets across 30 countries, including Politico, The New York Times and the BBC to the tune of $268 million),(20)(21) this seemingly in addition to the $472.6 million funnelled through another 'NGO', Internews Network,(22) which supported social media censorship and, as of 2023, had “”worked with” 4,291 media outlets, producing in one year 4,799 hours of broadcasts reaching up to 778 million people and “training” over 9,000 journalists”.(23) This is not to ignore the $2.7 billion plus that went on enabling illegal immigration into the US – in a single year (2024).(24) Nor the inevitable kick-backs that are a part of any vast grift; like one of $43 billion and counting in 2023 alone.(25)
But no more – Trump has borrowed Milei's chainsaw, binned thousands of workers and suspended USAID's budget (the agency disbursed nearly $120 billion between 2022 and 2024).(26)(27) This has gone down like a cup of cold sick with those on the blue side of the aisle, who are currently (and gratifyingly) at Defcon 5:
“This is worse than 9/11 for Democrats. USAID is the primary vessel they use to achieve their political agenda. USAID is and always has been the primary source of funding for their influence peddling schemes and for their indirect sources of income.”(28)
Slaying the first of what is likely to be many dragons has also been something of a fill-up to morale for those of a non-sociopathic disposition:
“I must admit, this news is so significant that it is hard to comprehend. Until recently, we believed that globalists were a permanent fixture, that USAID was an almost eternal structure, and that the US would always be the vanguard of globalisation. We thought nothing could be done, and no one could change this. But it turns out that it can be changed – and it already has been.”(29)
Other targets are already being lined up; the Department of Education, the Pentagon, NED (National Endowment for Democracy, twin to USAID and, as I am still writing, also kneecapped)(30) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CPFB), the latter another Democrat laundering operation which fines the banking and financial industries for infractions, as identified by the very same CPFB.(31) Things are moving fast – as I'm writing comes news that Trump has indeed shut off funding which, in novel fashion, came direct from the Federal Reserve.(32) Nothing screams 'democracy' more than a quango that receives its operating expenses direct from the money printers with no congressional oversight.
Education is likely to be gutted and returned to the states, the Pentagon will be required to pass an audit within four years (which would constitute a first although, to be fair, it was only out by $824 billion in 2024)(33)(34) and, if the CPFB quango is also brought to heel, the Democrats' apoplexy will reach heights hitherto unscaled:
“This is the core funding for the activist groups who the Democrats rely upon to manipulate election outcomes. If they get cut off from both USAID funds and CFPB funds, they lose about 75% of all their election engineering funding. The Act Blue money laundering operation took the hundreds of millions in funds from sketchy network sources attached to the CFPB/USAID, then assigned those funds to random names in the donor files of the Act Blue system; essentially washing away the fingerprints so the FEC could not identify the larger funding mechanism behind the fraudulently assigned individual donors.”(35)
And it's pretty clear that Trump is focussed on election fraud – he's just fired the Chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission, a notorious Leftist who peddled the asinine Russiagate talking points,(36) although she's presently refusing to leave the building. There is also defiance at the Treasury, whose bureaucrats are all bent out of shape at the prospect of their software being accessed by 'outsiders', a peculiar position to take as the system itself is maintained by unvetted contractors.(37) One could be forgiven for believing that a DOGE federal employee was an upgrade; better, perhaps, than the Chinese hackers who helped themselves to terabytes of data under Biden's stewardship.(38)
But no. Somehow or other, eighteen Democrat state attorneys general and multiple unions have taken it upon themselves to bring a lawsuit to prevent Musk's team from accessing the Treasury payments system (a little late in the day, as he already had and had discovered that every payment was approved, regardless) and that's all the excuse that's needed for activist judges to legislate from the bench.(39) As Sundance at CTH puts it, “on what basis do states think they can sue the federal government to stop the federal government from auditing federal spending? How can a judge block the executive branch from executing the functions of the executive branch.”(40)
As a side note, it is apparent from some ill-advised bleating in the New York Times by five former Treasury Secretaries – the tried and tested “Our Democracy Is Under Siege” trope -(41) that no elected official or their proxy has had access to the federal books since 1946, since when $193 trillion has been spent.(42) Only civil servants had been deemed worthy, which is why nobody really know how many federal agencies there are and the various estimates of the size of the federal workforce differ by up to 800,000 souls. No wonder there's a flap on – that's nearly eighty years of darkness about to meet daylight. The vampires collecting Social Security – there are over 20 million people aged 100 plus on the database – will probably be required to reapply.(43)
There is already much more where that case came from, as it is apparent that the judiciary has been mobilised; temporary injunctions against Trump on 'transgender' males in female prisons, on a buyout offer to federal staff, on disbanding USAID (and more besides) have already been issued, as the string-pullers scramble to get their footing.(44)(45)(46) Already it feels like the lawless flailing of an ancien régime that has run its course, but can't accept its fate. And a decent sized fly has found its way into the ointment:
“Many lawsuits have been mounted by blob-adjacent attorneys to make all this stop. But one big problem for them is that their gigantic legal fees — hundreds of dollars an hour on the meter multiplied by x-hundreds of lawyers— were previously paid by exactly those NGOs that are getting shut down now.“(47)
The current Acting Director of the FBI, a holdover, is also doing his best to confound Trump's order to identify those agents that were active in the January 6th persecutions.(48) It seems that anonymity for those being paid with taxpayer dollars is just fine and dandy. It should also be remembered that this is the same 'non-partisan' FBI who retained a workspace at Perkins Coie, the Democrats legal firm – since 2012 - giving the Left's attack dogs access to government databases to target whoever they want.(49)
Strangely, in amongst all the angst, there is a deafening silence from the leaders of the countries that USAID was allegedly supporting – although there is already pushback from those that the Blob was trying to undermine.(50)(51) There's a reason for that:
“Most governments don’t want USAID funds flowing into their countries because they understand where much of that money actually ends up... At best, maybe 10% of the money reaches real projects that help people in need (there are such cases), but the rest is used to fuel dissent, finance protests, and undermine administrations that refuse to align with the globalist agenda.”(52)
It's perhaps worth reflecting just how screwed up the federal bureaucracy is and the level of arrogance that runs through it like a seam. Musk has found that the Treasury protocols meant that over $100 billion (annually) is being paid to individuals with no Social Security number (SSN) or any another ID.(53) Of that, staffers estimate that at least half is definitely fraudulent, which is an estimate that merely represents the thin end of the wedge, and the database is not de-duplicated – techspeak for the same SSN being able to be mined, many times over.(54)
And the latest revelations are also an indictment of the Uniparty, which doesn't come as a surprise. The Republicans held the House after the 2022 mid-terms, yet in both 2023 and 2024 over half a trillion dollars was spent on programmes (authorised by both the House and Senate committees) that had expired.(55) Thus, over a two year period, over a trillion dollars was appropriated with obsolete authorisations.
Not even three weeks in yet and already the battle lines are becoming clear. Trump is pulling no punches and neither is Musk. It's going to be existential and the Left is going to go to the mat, repeatedly:
“Trump and Elon have thrown down such a huge gauntlet that it’s literally a battle for final survival. Either the gov corruption is rooted out 100% or it’s over for them. The [sic] put everything on the line to make things right.”(56)
It's worth being unequivocal about what the Deep State has actually done – with the Republican's full funding support – which is to steal the public's money (or print up some more which then amounts to the same outcome by creating inflation, the secret tax) and then spend it on ideological projects in faraway lands. And in funding worldwide narrative control. And conducting regime change operations. In effect, the CIA and the State Department have been conducting their own foreign policy. The public has had absolutely no say in any of this, instead being told that USAID is all about humanitarian aid.
Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State, has been doing the media rounds, excoriating USAID leadership:
“It’s supposed to respond to the State Department’s policies. It refuses to do so. A lot of functions of USAID will continue, but it has to be aligned with our foreign policy...And again, our goal was to go in and align our foreign aid to our national interests. But if you go to mission after mission and embassy after embassy around the world you will often find that in many cases USAID is involved with programs that run counter to what we are trying to do in our national strategy with that country or that region. That cannot continue.”(57)
This is some necessary theatre by Rubio, solely for public consumption. Apparently, he's shocked! Shocked, I tell you! Except he's not. The first indicator that he is not what he seems is the small matter of a Senate confirmation vote of 99-0. If the Democrats are all-in on him, there are issues and, sure enough, they're not difficult to unearth:
“Do not think the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations was blind to this USAID operation, they were not. The Senate held oversight, and they knew exactly what was going on, who was doing the orchestration of the agenda, and what the priorities of the USAID operation was all about. Senator Marco Rubio sat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.”(58)
Trump knows all about Little Marco, fortunately, so he's been hemmed in with Special Envoys for Ukraine and the Middle East and a limited purview. It's a reminder that there are layers to what we are being presented with. Nonetheless, a realignment of Swamp priorities so that they rhyme with those of elected officials is clearly a step in the right direction. It feels a little more transparent.
Trump has also bid farewell to Tedros the Terrorist over at the WHO, although opinion is divided as to when the rupture officially takes place. The president will likely pay no heed from here on in, although the Blob and its affiliates say he is still obligated to assume the position for a calendar year. No matter. It's difficult to see how the proposed Pandemic Treaty can be resuscitated without US support and there will now be a significant shortfall in funds, too. In addition, 47 ripped up the Paris Climate Accords, depositing them in a grey, circular file, brimming with discarded Diet Coke cans, and followed through on his promise to 'drill, baby, drill'.
The new Interior Secretary revoked a raft of Biden-era restrictions that blocked drilling of 625 million acres of federal land and released a plan to implement Trump's agenda. He pledged that he would
“...address the national energy emergency, unleash American energy, deliver emergency price relief for American families, revoke former president Joe Biden's offshore drilling bans, roll back regulations, and unleash Alaska's resource potential.”(59)
Next up will be a review of all the cancellations and banned drilling leases that were a hallmark of the last regime and a pursuit of independence in the mining of rare earth minerals.(60) Trump himself took aim at the federal regulations mandating vehicle fuel efficiency and, with fortuitous timing, a New Jersey court dumped on the Democrat AG from a considerable height by ruling (with prejudice) that the big oil companies could not be held accountable for global emissions.(61)(62) Aside from the boilerplate petulance of a Leftist official who gets his ass handed to him, the reaction to these events has been illuminating - inasmuch as there hasn't been one.
One might have that, given that the Donald has instituted policies that will cause the boiling seas to swamp our coastlines and condemn humanity to runaway global warming, there might have been a reaction? Indeed, as he had been promising that he would do what he's just done for years, one would surely have expected him to be challenged – relentlessly – on the campaign trail. And yet, crickets. Nada. No ranting from Bernie or AOC, no polemics on the Clown Show networks.
It's the absence of outrage that is most revealing and Trump, by simply bulling ahead, has exposed the climatistas' Achilles Heel. Their shock troops are quite content to superglue themselves to Old Masters and lob paint or tomato soup at whatever takes their fancy, but their overlords aren't quite so keen to debate the ('settled') science. How could they not, though, if humanity is teetering on the edge of a precipice? Yet they aren't, because they know that if they do, especially if Trump is the opponent, they will get decimated. It turns out that simply ignoring them and, in so doing, napalming their ideology, may be all that's needed. Trump's refusal to rethink whatever it was that he was thinking, effectively calling their bluff, has left them defenceless.
This is somewhat significant, although it doesn't seem to have fully registered with the Awake. If the Americans are going to plough ahead with energy independence, shredding the climate scam in the process, what are the progressive scolds in the EU and UK going to do? If they confront 47, the debate of the evidence that they have always avoided will be the upshot. If they pretend it isn't happening – when everybody knows that it is – whatever remaining credibility they have will, gradually, be scattered to the four winds. How will the German Greens, or von der Leyen or, infamously, Milliband justify continuing to cleave to Net Zero? It seems that there may be more than one way to shunt the Overton Window.
At present, the DC Swamp is determined to fight battles that it's already lost. In particular, Democrats and RINOs alike are raging about Trump's blanket pardon of the J6ers – despite the fact that he possesses the power to do so. They've nothing much to say about the closing of the southern border and the legacy media's outrage machine seems to have run low on gas, although that will only be temporary. It's a different feel this time, but that hasn't prevented the Type B's doing their best to victimise MAGA prisoners one last time. Many facilities slow-walked releases and then pulled stunts like the following:
“The abuses suffered by the J6 did not stop with their pardon. Had Gary Heavin and others not organized to meet the pardoned upon their release, some might have frozen to death. Some of the pardoned were released from prisons in the middle of nowhere in short pants into freezing temperatures without a cent and no ability to get to a safe place.”(63)
The way in which the institutions of the federal government under Biden treated those protesting at the Capitol was uniformly pathological. They did their level best to ruin lives and the lawless nature of their actions is indicative of a Leviathan that has entirely left the reservation. One gentleman, charged with trespass on the West Lawn – even though police had removed the barricades and waved the crowd through – was repeatedly raided (seven times in four years), forced to wear an ankle monitor, had his defence sabotaged, was the subject of an attempted sting operation, had his Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial revoked and was on house arrest for nearly two years for a misdemeanour that carries a maximum sentence of less than a year.(64) I suspect his story is one of hundreds that track similarly.
A further reminder of the sociopathic tendencies of those of a Leftist persuasion can be found in the non-response to the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Helene. As soon as the new Secretary of Homeland Security got hold of the relief operation, things started happening. In five days, they decreased the number of open cases by 80%.(65) The Corps of Engineers cleared 9,000 cubic yards of debris from a river in a week.(66) Although, to be fair, FEMA could provide succour when it wanted to. Just last week, the agency spent $59 million to luxury hotels in New York, to pay for illegal aliens' room and board in direct contravention of a Trump EO.(67) Hotels like this.
Figure 1
Even the Left-leaning polls reflect the impression the new president is making: Polling – tough? – 69%; energetic? – 63%; focussed? – 60%; effective? – 58%; doing what he promised on the campaign trail? - 70%.(68) It is apparent that government has a choice and the last regime chose to do nothing useful. It is equally apparent that Trump is determined to do the exact opposite:
“All the while, the Trump administration was issuing executive orders, more than 300 in these magical 10 days... The orders were so sensible that they generated almost no resistance other than predictable sputtering. There were of course muttering that Trump was behaving like an authoritarian. If so, it is an odd form of authoritarianism that uses power to take power away from government and give it back to the people. The driving motivation of all these efforts was to reboot the promise of 2016 to drain the swamp. This time they were serious.”(69)
The Left has no answers, beyond the activist judges' delaying tactics. In my estimation, the Democratic Party – in its current iteration – is toast. Once it's okay to stop all the pretending, once reality makes a comeback and, crucially, once Trump has finished gelding the Department of Education, a number of truths will be revealed. Chief among them is the fact that the woke agenda is supported by Gen Z women, the credentialed class and the maladjusted, activist type and those numbers aren't enough to win elections if someone with more clout doesn't allow you to cheat enough. Moreover, without centralised control over what little Johnny and Jane are learning in high school, you cannot reliably produce legions of LGBTQ, climate-change fearing, abortion worshipping drongos. And if you can't do that, you can't win the culture war. I anticipate the swift slaughter of an entire herd of sacred cows.
The Democrats are saddled with a caucus that is in hock to what used to be the lunatic fringe, but is now front and centre. Naturally, they just doubled down by prancing around DC, shrieking into microphones, declaring that they are “at war”, that “they're not going to take it£, complaining about Musk - “Nobody Elected Elon” - proving, once again, that they are unserious people. It takes a special kind of dunderhead to complain about a man who is in the process of discovering what is likely to be trillions in waste and fraud and expect to be listened to.
Ohio Democrats, not to be outdone, just introduced perhaps the most profoundly risible piece of legislation in recorded history – the Conception Begins at Erection Act would criminalise men for having unprotected sex without the intent to conceive, with fines of up to $10,000 per incident.(70) Gay men (naturally) will be exempt, but bisexuals, one presumes, will be at risk – some of the time. Strange how, when it's convenient, they find that they do know what a woman is, after all. I'm sure it all makes sense to them. With dingbats like this as representatives, the journey back from the political wilderness will be somewhat trying.
Fellow travellers in the federal government will attempt to conduct guerilla warfare, like tipping off Venezuelan gang members when a deportation raid is planned,(71) or sterilising themselves as a protest:
“Just under two weeks ago, I underwent surgery to ensure that I would never have to navigate a pregnancy in Donald Trump’s America. I refuse to let my body be treated as currency by an administration that only sees value in my ability to procreate.”(72)
These strains of idiocy will only further alienate the rest of the voting public. They also elected a guy called David Hogg, a Leftist gun-control activist, as the vice-chair of the DNC, who will now despoil the party officially, rather than unofficially, as before. This current crop of socialists do not possess the self-awareness nor the intellectual heft that will be required if they are to chart a course back to relevance. At present, they giving a faultless impression of a white-water canoeist who doesn't how to Eskimo roll.
I would anticipate that the fallout and internecine warfare that is inevitable will be a joy to watch. I have absolutely no sympathy for them. It's going to take somebody of the sanity of a Gabbard or an RFK Jnr (well, on some subjects, anyway) to recalibrate the Left, if it can be done at all. And there is a large constituency to appeal to, if they could only see it, because while Gen Z and Millennial males voted Republican, they are well to the left of their conservative parents on topics such as climate change, gay marriage and abortion.(73)
However, the moderate wing of the Democrats has been obliterated, as the success of the #WalkAway demonstrated. It's why the aforementioned duo are now in the Trump administration. It's also why the modern Left is in a death spiral – they are temperamentally unsuited to moderation. Trump has also leeched support from the establishment Republican Party (dominated by RINOs and neocons) and has built a new party from its husk. If he can make some headway on election integrity, many of the lightweights who currently adorn Congress may find themselves in receipt of a pink slip at the conclusion of the next go-around. And the USAID reveal has left the Democrats with yet another migraine, too:
“It’s very likely that, with Trump turning off the spigot, the Democrat party will be over. Every single one of the entities that drives the policies and inflames the base (as well as providing all the signs, barricades, and other useful items that routinely show up at “grassroots” protests) will be bankrupted.”(74)
In the short-term, the indignation will be dialled up to 11 but, provided Trump can maintain momentum, he'll continue to lay waste to the professional bureaucrats. I would imagine that the lawfare opposition was anticipated and that there is a strategy to deal with it. My guess is that there are some preliminary ripostes that Trump's team may feel obliged to proffer, if only to stave off any attempt at impeachment, and there are already judicial appeals in the works. But Musk called for the impeachment of the judge who has overstepped the furthest (Mr Treasury)(75) and Vance also laid the groundwork for a more proactive approach when he tweeted the following:
“If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal. Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”(76)
He is far from alone. Another attorney, not connected to the current administration, was equally gobsmacked:
“This is lawfare at its most brazen: a raw, partisan power grab dressed up in legalese. If allowed to stand, this decision sets the precedent that any left-wing judge can unilaterally strip the President of his authority and hand it to the administrative state. That is not democracy. It is not law. It is judicial dictatorship.”(77)
If anyone could see this coming it would surely be Trump himself, given the other legal chicanery that he has been subjected to. Perhaps he was prepared to let the judiciary reveal themselves to be the activists they are, which might then permit him to go for the nuclear option sooner rather than later, aka 'doing a Jackson'. Andrew Jackson, president between 1829 and 1837, famously ignored a Supreme Court judgement authored by the Chief Justice with the words “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it.”(78)
Perhaps 47 has other arrows in his quiver, but if he is to succeed in the task he has set himself, he cannot be tripped up by unconstitutional verbiage issued from the bench. The skinny is that he may be testing those limits already, as his administration did not file a notice of compliance, as per custom.(79) Perhaps Trump understands that the veil is falling from the eyes of those who are now being presented with some difficult-to-reconcile conundrums:
“When regular people think about this, they start asking serious questions. Why is it not a normal thing for the new administration to be in control of the spending systems? Why is this such a shocking thing to have happened? Isn’t auditing the books just what any new president would do? Most likely, it is shocking simply because it has never happened. For all the world, this looks to be a situation in which we are witnessing the very first actual transition of power in our lifetimes.”(80)
As is ever the case with those who demand the right to preside over us, nothing will ever be enough. Further, their proxies are temperamentally unsuited to tactical retreats, even when their machinations are suddenly subjected to daylight. They don't yet understand that they have already lost. Or maybe they do and they just can't help themselves. Either way, they are unable to correct course. I get the impression that Trump is going to allow them all the rope they need and then give SCOTUS the floor, without creating the impression that he has forced their hand,(81) which will then create precedent that prevents the hijacking of the executive branch's duty to ensure that laws are faithfully executed. In other words, yet another own goal brought about by intransigence.
As an aside, and perhaps of use when setting the record straight if some barrack-room lawyer starts bloviating, there is nothing in the US Constitution that enshrines the concept of judicial supremacy. That crown was seized by the Supreme Court in 1803, in Marbury v Madison.(82) So, yes – the courts themselves decreed that the judicial branch is first amongst equals – as you do. But federal and state officials take an oath to uphold the Constitution, not a judge's opinion in Marbury. This, in turn, means that any judgement rendered that is blatantly unconstitutional – by dictating to the president what executive actions he may or may not take, for instance – federal oath-takers have a duty to ignore it.
There is one further aspect to that particular case that the latter-day jurist mafia are consciously neglecting. The finding in Marbury related solely to non-discretionary (ministerial) acts that a court could order a recalcitrant president to perform. An 1867 case – Mississippi v Johnson – is the precedent for a court's authority over a president's discretionary acts, the Mississippi state being of the erroneous belief that it could prevent a president from carrying out legislation that it (Mississippi) characterised as unlawful, and the verdict is unambiguous:
“An attempt on the part of the judicial department of the government to enforce the performance of such duties by the President might be justly characterized, in the language of Chief Justice Marshal, as “an absurd and excessive extravagance”...we are unable to perceive that this circumstance takes the case out of the general principles which forbid judicial interference with the exercise of Executive discretion.”(83)
And so, by extension, every injunction and stay is invalid because the executive branch has the authority to execute stuff. But, while there are few certainties in life, one can rely on the wilfulness of Leftists who would rather burn it all down than submit, so the reputation that the judiciary 'enjoys' will continue to be eroded by an ever-expanding troop of individuals who lack the ability to think strategically and will, instead, continually remind the public that Trump is over the target. At some point, if the president decides that he's had enough of playing the sub to the Deep State's dom (or if SCOTUS once again fumbles the ball), the extra-constitutional power will disappear in a puff of smoke.
But until then the coordinated insurgency will rack up some (temporary) wins. Because it is coordinated by two of the perennial suspects (Marc Elias and Norm Eisen), via a newly-formed coalition of Democrat AGs and assorted stage 4 TDS sufferers through an umbrella-like firm called Civil Service Strong, formed just prior to Christmas 2024 and funded, in part, by Zuckerberg, which won't play well at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.(84)(85) Almost every lawsuit filed thusfar is this group's doing, although quite where the funding is coming from is not yet known. As an aside, it's interesting that Civil Service Strong is a Johnny-come-lately, not an entity that was locked, loaded and ready-to-go pre-election. It smacks of scramble defence, which is notable. Perhaps they weren't expecting to lose?
Trump's whirlwind start has not been solely confined to the domestic front. He's had plenty to say about Greenland, Canada, the Panama Canal, the war in Ukraine and Gaza. He's threatened tariffs on recalcitrant leaders in America's own hemisphere and disappeared the border crisis. The wall is, apparently, back under construction,(86) the Panamanian government has had second thoughts about cosying up to China (some observers believe that China already has de facto control of the Canal),(87) the threat of 25% tariffs and the jibes directed at 'Governor' Trudeau have brought down the Canadian minority government and the Danes are actually having to get proactive with their responsibilities to Greenland.
Contrary to the usual partisan blather that masquerades as 'news', countries buying land from each other is far from unprecedented. The US purchased Alaska from the Russians, 46,000 square acres of what are now parts of New Mexico and Arizona from Mexico, two million squares acres of the US from France and the Danish West Indies from Denmark.(88) Granted, the last of these acquisitions was made over a century ago, but the proposal is not anomalous. And the US has history with Greenland, having agreed to protect the island after the Germans invaded Denmark in 1940.(89) In addition, the Greenlanders have the ability to hold a referendum on their relationship with Denmark.
It remains to be seen how the latter impasse is resolved, but Canada will almost certainly elect a conservative government which will have zero interest in becoming the 51st state (although I suspect Trump's chutzpah is more of a trade bargaining gambit), but will almost certainly take Canada's fentanyl and border problems seriously. The evidence points to the conclusion that the Chinese have “established a production hub in Canada”,(90) with Vancouver at the heart of the network. Contrary to the narrative that the only drug trafficking is carried out by the cartels at the southern border, the largest fentanyl lab in the world has just been discovered north of the border.(91) Additionally, the cartels are shipping their product to Canada, as there is also little in the way of risk at the ports or the border into the US.(92)
Panama will almost certainly keep its nose clean or risk being found in breach of the US-Panama Neutrality Act. Mexico and the South and Central American countries who have exported swathes of their populations will play nice and welcome many of them back, now that they will have no choice. US maps will detail the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley. For now, that takes care of the near-abroad, but Trump also has plans to deal with Ukraine and Gaza – inevitably, as the US has been heavily involved in both conflicts.
His approach will bring him into direct conflict with his own Deep State intelligence agencies and the legacy top-brass at the Pentagon. Previously, during Obama's three administrations (and that third term may now have been confirmed)(93) there was synergy. All concerned were on the same page. The proxy war fronted by Zelensky was intended to defeat Russia, which would then be sold for parts. The schizophrenic approach to Israel – supplying materiel, but forever endeavouring to prevent a decisive outcome – is a continuation of the Lightbringer's Iran pivot of 2009. But Trump will upend both tables.
Maybe his Gaza plan is a genuine proposal, or maybe it's a device that provokes an actual search for a solution to the long-standing imbroglio in the Middle East. None of the parties involved had shown themselves to be in possession of a matching set of stones. The 'Right to Return', the 'Two State Solution' and all the other debating points had ossified generations back. Nobody had attempted to sever the Gordian Knot and, whatever one makes of the current state of play, it represents an acknowledgement that the existing solutions were delusional.
And, whilst there be the habitual paroxysms and hyperventilation, Trump's suggestion hardly represents a first; the Czechs forced three million Germans out of the country at the conclusion of World War II (an expulsion sanctioned by the allies at Potsdam),(94)(95) the Pakistanis killed three million Hindus and forced another 10 million over the border into India in 1971 –(96) the UN said and did nothing to prevent it – the Turks forced over 200,000 Greek Cypriots south when they invaded northern Cyprus in 1974 (97) and the Jordanians expelled 200,000 Palestinians in 1971 when, true to form, they attempted to destabilise the monarchy.(98) Kuwait also rid itself of 400,000 Palestinians after the First Gulf War.(99) It's what tends to happen in the aftermath of a war.
At some point down the track, perhaps there will be a realisation that “he’s telling the surrounding Arab nations that they can improve their situation, too, if they get on board with developing the region instead of letting it exist as a festering carbuncle on the derriere of the Muslim world.”(100)
At any rate, after October 7th, it is inconceivable that Israel would countenance a homicidal neighbour, incessantly lobbing rockets at Tel Aviv, but entrenched beliefs on the Arab side of the equation will likely take some time to dissipate. The Jordanian ruling class, the Hashemites, are not keen to broadcast the fact that around 70% of the population is already Palestinian Arab. They'd also just as soon we didn't know that a century ago the League of Nations' version of the 'Two State Solution' was the Jews in Israel and all the Arabs in Trans-Jordan. So, we'll see. The 'Palestinians' are trouble, even for their fellow Arabs, but Trump's plan has the virtue of removing the civilian shield that is ruthlessly exploited by Hamas and paves the way for the elimination of the organisation.
Figure 2
The Ukraine farce is – potentially – considerably easier to resolve, provided Trump doesn't succumb to his perennial need to 'go for the win'. Putin holds all the cards and both of them are smart enough to know it. As Sundance notes:
“Staying in close contact with friends in Russia, it is apparent to me from the reality on the ground as well as the datapoints from all political angles, that President Putin is no longer in a position to feel any impact from non-military geopolitical pressure...The Western economic sanctions against Russia have failed. There is no outward pressure or internal concern about Western financial and economic sanctions any longer. The Russian economy (govt) and the Russian people (civic society) in aggregate have now organized their economy and their consumer reality without further need for Western connection.“(101)
The fact that The Donald isn't seeking another term may turn out to be a blessing. While “Trump seems to have taken the honey badger attitude of taking on all his enemies, with no intention of cutting deals that don’t benefit the U.S.”,(102) it is not clear whether he has ever regarded the Russians as the enemy, per se and the 'leak' of his alleged peace plan – Russia keeps her annexed land, no NATO membership for Ukraine, which also withdraws from the Kursk region and no US troops as peacemakers –(103) may be the first attempt to normalise what's coming.
And, as I write, that has now been been explicitly articulated by Secretary Hegseth.(104) I would expect Zelensky to be sidelined, as Trump has no desire to negotiate with his own Deep State, most of NATO and a multitude of western banks. The EU and the UK, both of which are still under the control of the never-never land double-downers, will also try to undermine a deal (Lammy, the UK Foreign Secretary and the poster boy for the Peter Principle, has already tried),(105)(106), but Trump will press on regardless. A long-awaited return to common sense appears to be on the cards, signalled by Trump's comments about Ukrainian membership of NATO:
“I don’t see any way that a country in Russia’s position could allow them, just in their position, could allow them to join NATO. I don’t see that happening.”(107)
The release of US prisoners from Russian custody could be seen as some sort of quid pro quo, setting an agenda that obliges Trump to give something in return. Putin may well be good with it all, but Trump's domestic enemies are going to be apoplectic. The defeat of Russia and the divvying up of Russian resources has been their raison d'être for decades. In addition, they have considerable skin in the game – billions of reasons to sabotage an agreement.
Ukraine is 'the Breadbasket of Europe', boasting some of the most fertile land on earth, with the ability to provide enough food for at least a half billion people – 55% of the country is arable farmland.(108) And, as the rabidly hawkish Senator Graham disclosed recently, there's the small matter of $12 trillion of critical mineral assets beneath the soil which he doesn't want to “give to Russia and China”. In his view, Ukraine might well be the richest country in Europe and so, “this is a very big deal how Ukraine ends. Let’s help them win a war we can’t afford to lose.”(109) I suppose one should applaud him for his nakedly opportunistic consistency.
Then there's the prize of Russia itself. The largest nation in the world, it is also the richest in terms of natural resources:
“The nation is a leading producer of … diamonds, aluminum, asbestos, gemstones, diamonds, lime, lead, gypsum, iron ore, bauxite, gallium, boron, mica...potash...rare earth metals, pig iron, peat, nitrogen, cadmium, arsenic, magnesium, molybdenum, phosphate, sulfur, titanium sponge, silicon, uranium, tellurium, vanadium, tungsten, cobalt, graphite, silver, vermiculite, selenium, rhenium, copper, and gold.”(110)
Plus palladium (a key component in fuel cells and electronics) and platinum. And oil. And natural gas. And coal. Russia is amongst the top three oil producers, supplies 19% of the world's natural gas and possesses the second highest coal deposits.(111) The 'American exceptionalism' faction has believed that they have the right to do what they please with Russia and have done for decades. Zbigniew Bzezinski, Carter's National Security Advisor, wanted to partition Russia, leaving it vulnerable, toothless and unable to defend its borders;
“...its vast resources must be transferred to the iron grip of global transnationals who will use them to perpetuate the flow of wealth from east to west. In other words, Moscow must accept its humble role in the new order as America’s de-facto Gas and Mining Company.”(112)
The US foreign policy cabal (not the new appointees) still holds this view, as is apparent from the latest National Security Strategy.(113) Now, imagine having to have a rethink just because the despised Trump is in the house, a man keen to ensure that Europe does its bit, too. And further imagine that Putin is now in a far better position than he was and that he will want to enshrine a permanent solution. No more Minsk I & II nonsense, no more trust.
The West has spent over three decades dissipating its credibility. Trump may be in the box-seat now, but all bets could be off in four years time. A deal will need to be verifiable and cheat-proof. Putin's previously conciliatory (some might say naïve) approach to dealing with perfidious Western leaders has been ditched. So, what's rapidly coming down the track may not be a temporary setback to the Russophobes – it might very well be a full stop. That denouement would not be greeted with equanimity.
There might still be a consolation prize. Like the vultures they are, the likes of BlackRock and JPMorgan are first in line to pick at the carcass come the day. Whilst the mainstream was gaslighting us about Ukraine's summer offensive of 2023, Zelensky was partnering with the Fink and Dimon, “to establish a reconstruction bank that will serve as a conduit for public seed capital to fund rebuilding projects,”(114) which is obviously very public spirited of them. It squares a now-familiar circle.
Congress spends tax-payer money on a proxy war it never had any chance of winning – Russia's GDP was just over $2 trillion and she had a population of roughly 140 million versus $561 billion and 38 million respectively for Ukraine– and then, when devastation ensues, the Western-approved puppet-in-charge sells out his country to finance the reconstruction. Zelensky had prepared the ground by passing land reform laws in 2020, against the will of the vast majority of the population. What ensued is a tale as old as time:
“This is a lose-lose for Ukrainians. While they are dying to defend their land, financial institutions are insidiously supporting the consolidation of farmland by oligarchs and Western financial interests.”(115)
However, this time the situation is a little more fluid than usual. Much of the treasure is in the Donbass region (a little over $6 trillion of mineral resources alone),(116) behind the Russian front lines and it is unlikely that there is a world in which Putin hands it back. Russia has declared the annexation of the four eastern oblasts – the original renegades Donetsk and Luhansk, plus Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – which looks something like this.
Figure 3
Here is the distribution of all such resources across Ukraine.
Figure 4
And, in reality, Putin couldn't in all conscience abandon the predominantly Russian speaking oblasts to the retribution that would inevitably ensue were he to withdraw. Then, of course, there is Mr-Art-of-the-Deal himself who is keen to recoup the $300 billion or so he believes has been donated by the US:
“We're telling Ukraine they have very valuable rare earths. We're looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they're going to secure what we're giving them with their rare earths and other things.”(117)
Which might put a slight crimp Wall Street's plans, but there looks to be enough to go around creditor-wise and the rape of Ukraine is firmly on track – it's just the timing that's slightly up in the air. Russia, though, is off the table.
What else should we expect from this transactional president? His take on Ukraine is a prime example of a world-view that differs markedly from all modern US presidents. We all know about America First, but Trump's interpretation of what that actually means emphasises an America that is comprised of the people. Hence, while he will make deals that benefit US companies, they won't be at the expense of regular Americans. Biden, Obama, the Bushes and Clinton didn't give a rat's ass about the man in the street. Their version of America extended no further than the ruling elites and their actions were reflective. They were all-in on off-shoring and globalism, whereas Trump will attempt to bring jobs home and make the US strong and respected. With 47 in the White House, countries are dealing with a different manifestation of America.
He may or may not have a feel for how countries like Ukraine have been had-over by an American foreign policy – that was also promulgated during his first term – run by the Deep State. If it were not for the avarice and adventurism of the intelligence community and Congress, the Ukrainians would not have had an army of 700,000. Nor would they have had a pro-Western stooge in charge had USAID et al not staged the Maidan Coup in 2014. Either way, he intends to recoup the tax-payers' outlay. It is clear that he expects something in return for American beneficence.
Figure 5
It's the same with Europe. One version of the story has the continent as a key part of the American Empire, largely occupied – even now – with US military bases scattered far and wide, with NATO as America's agent provocateur vis-à-vis Russia. And, cherry on top, member countries are obliged to cough up mucho dinero (although still not as much as they've pledged) for the privilege of playing their allotted role in an abusive relationship. But, whatever Trump thinks privately, his public position is that member states aren't paying their way and that they are beneficiaries of American generosity.
He's especially keen on what he views as unfair trading practices and there have already been a smattering of tariffs imposed on the likes of Canada, Mexico and China. The EU had largely escaped censure – but that's set to change. What Trump's team knows, but we largely don't (due to the endemic warping of reality practised by the Fourth Estate), is that the Marshall Plan – the programme that was intended to help European economies rebuild after World War II – is still live:
“Since the end of World War II, the USA has permitted a system of one-way trade rules that allowed Europe to rebuild on the backs of the American economy. A series of trade tariffs against U.S. goods was imposed to raise funds for the reconstruction. Those tariffs never ended; the Marshall Plan continues through today.”(118)
The same dynamic is in place with military spending, with the US by far the largest contributor to Europe's defence. Previous presidents were content to continue the charade, likely given the aforementioned imperial ambitions. Trump is not. He is going to reset both relationships and the EU is going to resist mightily – and fruitlessly. Von der Leyen, as is typical of the progressive type, seems to believe that she has a choice, so we will be treated to yet another smack-down in due course. Which has duly been delivered with Trump's decision to switch to a 'reciprocal trade tariff' system, a methodology that will take account of the sleight-of-hand industry subsidies and domestic taxes (think VAT) when setting a tariff level. The Marshall Plan will finally be consigned to history and reciprocity will be the order of the day.(119)
What isn't appreciated, in all the talk of how tariffs are an attack on other nations, is that there is a second arena of note. Whilst some countries subsidise industry (think China) and are, therefore, directly affected by profits and losses, most are actually penalised via trade balances. The actual losses will be felt by private companies, a fair number of them at least partly American-owned, which have off-shored manufacturing. So, tariffs are also a way of 'encouraging' US companies to repatriate production and boost the job market in the US.
They aren't necessarily unfair, either. There are production costs that burden Western nations, for all the right reasons, but these costs are not borne by Chinese industry, in particular. Leaving aside the advantage conferred by a public corporation dominated market - “Chinese companies can lose money for decades by dumping below-market-priced products until they finally dominate a particular market” -(120) the lack of regulatory oversight also bestows a price advantage:
“In reality, there is a cost to society and the environment for lax regulations. However, these costs are not paid by the producer. Instead, these costs are paid for by society at large; they are externalized.” As a result, “Chinese goods are not cheaper than American goods; they simply do not reflect the full cost of making the product.”(121)
That's 'free trade' for you – hardly the panacea its proponents aver. Another shard of ancient orthodoxy is also being burnished. The Monroe Doctrine, or some version of it, is on the comeback trail. In setting out spheres of influence, the doctrine asserted that the New World and the Old World were to remain distinct and that – at that time – any effort by the European powers to control or influence sovereign states in the Americas would be seen as a threat to America's national security. In return, “the United States would recognize and not interfere with existing European colonies nor meddle in the affairs of European countries.”(122) Whilst it was enunciated in 1823, it wasn't until the early 20th century that the US was strong enough to enforce compliance.
Quite how much Trump will back off from meddling in European affairs remains to be seen, although he is obviously not enamoured of the current state of play. It is clear, however, that he will do his utmost to ensure that the near-abroad is not the playground of China. Hence, his statements regarding Panama, Greenland and Canada and Rubio's immediate focus on Latin America. Trump knows that, under previous administrations, China was given a pass time once again, almost certainly due to a 'brown envelope' culture amongst the globalist class who care nothing for their fellow countrymen.
US technology was pillaged and intellectual property was pilfered, both on a grand scale. The Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) metastasised in the Caribbean and throughout South America – nineteen of these nations have taken BRI loans and several are close to a default. We all know how that works, as the West has used the IMF and the World Bank in similar fashion in Africa and the developing world. In short, China has major leverage across some of the biggest economies in the region, Brazil, Argentina and Peru amongst them.(123) The control of ports is a particular speciality. But China is nobody's Sugar Daddy and they aren't pretending to be – this from 2023:
“Chinese leader Xi Jinping says he is preparing for war. At the annual meeting of China’s parliament and its top political advisory body in March, Xi wove the theme of war readiness through four separate speeches, in one instance telling his generals to “dare to fight.” His government also announced a 7.2 percent increase in China’s defense budget, which has doubled over the last decade...”(124)
Grandstanding like this didn't draw much of a response from Biden. Every now and again, there'd be some perfunctory kabuki theatre and Pelosi or a neocon in good standing would descend on Taiwan to roil the waters and give Xi the opportunity to sabre-rattle, but then we'd witness a return to the back-burner. Now, however, there will be some genuine geopolitical endeavour from the other side of the pond and it will almost certainly take the form of economic warfare. And China is uniquely vulnerable:
“China sells us $506 billion in goods and services yearly while only purchasing $130 billion in return. In 2023, China’s total exports amounted to approximately $3.51 trillion. China also sells another $100 billion in goods to third-party countries that assemble products destined for the U.S. China is keenly aware that we have tremendous power over its economy. Should Trump disengage from China and ban imports directly or indirectly, the consequences to China cannot be understated. There is almost nothing that China sells us that we must have.”(125)(126)(127)(128)
Unfortunately, some of the 'almost nothing' are rare earth metals that Biden and Obama, in thrall to their eco-agenda, refused to mine domestically. The race is now on and China knows it – it banned the export of gallium and germanium to the US in mid-December.(129) It seems likely that Trump will respond with some carrot and stick in attempting to isolate the Chinese, probably by weakening the ties that bind BRICS. Whilst he hasn't had much to say on the subject of Brazil, he (or his team) will likely head to Saudi Arabia to meet with Putin. And he's just cut a deal with India on trade and military sales.(130)
In addition, the South African government has offered up a free hit with its implementation of race-based land appropriation law and other excesses, which has prompted an immediate cessation of US financial assistance (in the hundreds of millions of dollars).(131) That would the stick in action. But a different approach, building a working relationship with the Russians, would lessen the 'my enemy's enemy is my friend' vibe that pervades the BRICS alliance and Trump and the Crown Prince have always rubbed along well enough, but there will also be some background tensions. 47 is fully cognisant of the threat that de-dollarization represents – some BRICS countries having already settled trade balances in other currencies – and, in typical fashion, he has not been backwards in coming forwards:
"The idea that the BRICS Countries are trying to move away from the Dollar, while we stand by and watch, is OVER. We are going to require a commitment from these seemingly hostile Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy. They can go find another sucker Nation.”(132)
At least part of reason for the creation of BRICS was the desire to escape the wanton abuse the US Deep State inflicted upon any country (death by a thousand sanctions) that didn't dance to its tune. The Russians themselves had been forced into dealing in rubles by the sanctions imposed by Biden and I would imagine that Trump will want to unravel that mess (perhaps incrementally, as a reward for compliance with whatever deal is hammered out, which will need to include agreeing a new security architecture for the entire region), as he doesn't seem to be bothered about any perception that America has received a bloody nose in the Ukraine. It appears that he doesn't believe that he personally owns the L in the results column. He's definitely not bothered about what European leaders think and that's all to the good. Bypassing the EU, in particular, is going to become a theme.
And is it a win for Russia? Yes, inasmuch as the Ukraine pustule will be lanced and cauterised. A win against the West? Kinda (the Global South will certainly see it that way), but better characterised as a win against the globalists who used the West's resources as their battering ram of choice, whilst simultaneously gaslighting their populations as to the war's causes and Russia's intent. But Trump obviously isn't a globalist and he's not going to play nicely with people that are. The rest of us in the West are, however, almost exclusively still under the yoke.
While Canada is wilting before the eye of Sauron – by virtue both of its geographical location and Trump's antipathy towards Trudeau - the Antipodes are currently scar-free. However, both Australia and New Zealand are saddled with political classes which are variations on the globalist theme. As such, it doesn't much matter which combination of made men populate government.
In Australia, as in the UK, it was an allegedly conservative government that imposed the Covid tyranny, whereas in New Zealand it was everyone's favourite shrew, the Democratic Socialist Empress Ahern, who turned the screw and then abdicated, just before her party endured a shellacking at the ballot box and lost power. But, not to worry. The Force is not strong in the 'conservative' replacement, who possesses the breaking strain of a strand of wet spaghetti and is forever reversing sensible policy positions when subjected to wokeist pressure.
Unfortunately, the zeitgeist Down-Under is depressingly familiar to those of a European persuasion. That being said, what can we expect of our glorious leaders in the EU and the UK? And what are the chances that the Trumpian carpet bombing of the American Deep State and the torching of their progressive shills resonates across the rest of the West? That's for Part Two.
Citations
(1) https://archive.org/details/clashofeconomici0000whit/page/100/mode/1up
(2) https://cdn.mises.org/As We Go Marching_2.pdf
(3) https://www.wordnik.com/words/socialism
(5) https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/20222702-federal-bureaucrats-resisted-president-trump
(7) https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/02/the_great_grift.html
(8) https://expose-news.com/2025/02/05/dismantling-of-usaid-is-a-critical-blow-to-globalism/
(9) https://expose-news.com/2025/02/05/dismantling-of-usaid-is-a-critical-blow-to-globalism/
(12) https://www.zerohedge.com/political/how-usaid-and-its-50-billion-budget-became-target-reform
(13) https://www.meforum.org/fwi/fwi-research/terror-finance-at-the-state-department-and-usaid
(16) https://expose-news.com/2025/02/06/usaid-gave-gates-soros-and-wef-billions-of-dollars/
(17)
(18) https://expose-news.com/2025/02/06/usaid-gave-gates-soros-and-wef-billions-of-dollars/
(19) https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/403723
(20) https://www.jfeed.com/tags/usaid
(22) https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1888072129327083979.html
(23) Ditto
(25) https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/where-usaid-cash-was-going
(27) https://www.rt.com/news/612418-liberal-ngos-in-crisis/
(28) https://x.com/Anc_Aesthetics/status/1886580799060713764?ref_src=twsrc
(29) https://expose-news.com/2025/02/05/dismantling-of-usaid-is-a-critical-blow-to-globalism/
(30)
(32) https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/09/vought-cuts-off-cfpb-funding-00203261
(33) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/hegseth-commits-to-pentagon-passing-clean-audit-within-4-years/ar-AA1yBxBB
(37) https://x.com/triplebankshot/status/1888818056110985327
(38) https://x.com/georg3/status/1888976571848872305
(39) https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/08/politics/elon-musk-doge-treasury-payment-system/index.html
(41) https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/10/opinion/treasure-secretaries-doge-musk.html
(42) https://brownstone.org/articles/is-our-five-year-nightmare-finally-over/
(43) https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1891350795452654076
(45) https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/breaking-trump-buyout-offer-federal-workers-paused-federal/
(47)
(48) https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/showdown-obama-judge-says-names-fbi-agents-involved/
(53) https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/explosive-revelation-elon-musk-exposes-100-billion-annual/
(54) https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1888484555092312466?ref_src=twsrc
(55) https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60580
(56) https://revolver.news/2025/02/elon-musk-is-going-to-war/
(57) https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/developing-secretary-state-marco-rubio-takes-as-acting/
(60) Ditto
(65) https://x.com/matt_vanswol/status/1888293890094141850
(66) https://x.com/matt_vanswol/status/1888276711608930412
(67) https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1888891512303263815?ref_src=twsrc
(68) https://www.zerohedge.com/political/first-cbs-news-poll-trump-stuns-democrats
(69) https://www.zerohedge.com/political/10-days-shook-world
(70) https://www.cleveland19.com/2025/02/14/ohio-lawmakers-plan-propose-conception-begins-erection-act/
(71) https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/whoa-tren-de-aragua-tipped-ice-raid-when/
(72)https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/02/doge_is_killing_the_demborg.html
(73) https://x.com/EricAbbenante/status/1890067702074470818
(75) https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5134725-elon-musk-impeachment-demand/
(76) https://x.com/jdvance/status/1888607143030391287
(77) https://x.com/amuse/status/1888310498036416643
(78) https://ncph.org/history-at-work/now-let-him-enforce-it-the-long-history-of-the-imperial-presidency/
(79) https://x.com/toneroushyus/status/1888973875796472011
(80) https://www.zerohedge.com/political/10-days-shook-world
(81) https://x.com/KurtSchlichter/status/1889129565319987628
(84) https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1889874712714416563.htm
(85) https://x.com/nataliegwinters/status/1890517451030294668
(86) https://www.enr.com/articles/60254-border-wall-construction-restarts-in-california-and-texas
(87) https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/decades-long-chinese-influence-panama-begins-unravel
(88)https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/01/greenland_for_sale_for_rent_or_for_lease.html
(89) Ditto
(91) https://x.com/SpecialSitsNews/status/1889017558151426509?ref_src=twsrc
(92) Ditto
(93) https://x.com/DefiantLs/status/1888905299550949817?ref_src=twsrc
(95)https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1945Berlinv02/d1380#:~:text=The Three Governments%2C having considered,an orderly and humane manner.
(96) https://hmh.org/education/bangladesh-1971/
(98) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussein_of_Jordan#:~:text=Around 200%2C000 Palestinian refugees fled,Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
(99) https://www.meforum.org/middle-east-quarterly/kuwait-expels-palestinians
(105) https://www.rt.com/russia/612324-uk-ukraine-peace-talks/
(106) https://www.rt.com/news/612625-europe-trump-putin-talks-ukraine/
(107) https//www.rt.com/news/612684-trump-presser-putin-ukraine/
(108) https://x.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1799832487285465244
(109) https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-major-natural-resources-of-russia.html
(110) Ditto
(111) https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-major-natural-resources-of-russia.html
(112) https://www.globalresearch.ca/washington-plan-break-up-russia/5797480
(113) https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R43838/71
(115) https://www.oaklandinstitute.org/new-report-take-over-ukrainian-agricultural-land
(116) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/trump-zelensky-rare-earth-metals-b2693202.html
(117) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/trump-zelensky-rare-earth-metals-b2693202.html
(120) https://amgreatness.com/2025/02/17/why-trumps-steel-tariffs-must-be-permanent/
(121) Ditto
(122) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_Doctrine
(124) https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/xi-jinping-says-he-preparing-china-war?form=MG0AV3
(127) https://tradingeconomics.com/china/exports/united-states
(128) https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/12/12/1108568/china-export-bans/?form=MG0AV3
(129) Ditto
(130) https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/watch-i-think-weve-taken-care-it-just/
(131) https://thehill.com/policy/international/5134371-trump-south-africa-land-law-foreign-aid/
(132) https://x.com/TrumpDailyPosts/status/1885140127468417159?ref_src=twsrc
Figure 1 https://x.com/Aku_700/status/1888892051636486638
Figure 2 https://israelforever.org/state/Mandate_for_Palestine_Jewish_State/
Figure 3 https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/Ukraine-Map-Annex-Regions.jpg?w=1024
Figure 4 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/trump-zelensky-rare-earth-metals-b2693202.html
Figure 5 https://x.com/christianheiens/status/1889835185816084793