A society where honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion, but the questioning and discussion rarely takes place. Well done newspeople.
January 6th
Seems like a post 911 Washington DC would be one of the very most prepared cities in the world to host gatherings and events of a friendly or unfriendly nature. Sort of like the Super Bowl, but every day, not just one day each year. Sort of like SWAT teams ready to show up on Puget Sound ferry boats an hour after a bad person attempts to do a bad thing by surprise.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Alternative Media and Comedians – Asking the Questions and Highlighting the Issues
First two videos – Jan 6th News
Operating A Camera In A Public Place
Americans do not live in a free and honest society. Today, the mainstream media will function like paid actors reading a script:
Private citizens are stepping in and going out with a camera to see and document what is going on.
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
Video below – Any TV newsperson could go out and educate the public on their rights/public official’s obligation to provide info, etc. That does not happen.
Here is the response from someone who wants to live in a free and honest society.
These areas had small, local newspapers and those papers featured active, online comment sections. Paying for a newspaper subscription was OK with me. There were basic rules for commenting, but it did not seem to matter what name people went by. I never cared.
I used to love the comment sections.
If a person works at a school district, county office, real estate office, on the ferries, etc. and they have info about what is going on, I want them to be able to comment without any need to use their real name.
Some people would misbehave in the comment section and the newspapers would come up with more restrictive rules or new software to run the comment section. Eliminating comments became a trend.
Comments are shut down and we encourage you to keep the conversation going?
No hate speech, insults, threats, foul language, attacking other commenters, etc. These are rules that make sense.
Eliminating the opportunity for all to follow some basic rules and comment is information suppression.
Over the years, I’ve seen some really good points brought up in the comments section. Manage it, don’t ban it.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of investigative reporting & newspeople asking questions. Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
No sense in subscribing to newspapers that do not ask public policy-related questions.
Puget Sound Ferry Security
See if you can find any reader comments or questions from newspeople on this big Homeland Security/GWOT topic:
Good luck.
One of our old/favorite blog topics and another example of newspeople not asking questions:
Love to see more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
Today, the best example of a free and independent American press is what you will find in sports culture.
Think of an NFL game. Coaches and quarterbacks face the press after every game and answer questions, win or lose.
No press secretary. No public relations spokesperson. No freedom of information act requests. No classified documents.
Instant replays, commentary in the broadcast booth, analysis from network studios, sports talk radio, etc. Fans get tons of info all of the time. No chance for conspiracy theories to develop. Missed calls by NFL officials may be discussed for weeks on end. No such thing as: “We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.” Instant replay is for all to see. Sports writers are OK with being critical of coaches, teams, players, the rule book, the league, referees, team owners, when the season starts and ends, etc. This is what a free and independent press looks like. Go ahead and have sports writers cover public policy, Homeland Security and US Dept. of Defense news and I’m good with that.
In 2023, the press tends to support government agencies, departments and policies rather than question them.
The mainstream press today is prone to suppress voices of dissent and provide news coverage that favors government agencies, departments and their policies.
Just the ticket for a Wild West shootout between the good guys and the bad guys.
If the Oklahoma City bomber rolls onto the ferry-how does the SWAT team help out an hour later?
Blogged about it over the years:
Maybe security personnel are present at some specific terminal each day. I have made dozens of round trip ferry crossings over the past 20 years from various terminals. In many cases, there has been no security screening at either terminal.
Washington State ferry passengers are advised via PA system to not leave backpacks or packages unattended during ferry crossings.
Meanwhile- on the car deck- cars, trucks, vans, commercial vehicles, etc. are left unattended during ferry crossings.
Mr. smiley dentures guy tries to shut down filming in a public place.
4,709 comments are now posted with this video – well worth a look.
Notice how LE personnel never throw him out or tell him not to operate a camera in a public place.
Before LE arrives-
Watch several public employees stop work and engage him because they do not want him to operate a camera in a public place. He is ready and able to explain himself the entire time.
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
Mark Dice produces alternative media content. I thought it was very interesting at 4:31 in the video below, where he points out that David Webb was accused of getting ahead due to white privilege:
Post 911 Surveillance State Update:
More than 20 years past 911, banking professionals had no idea that he could stand in a public place and operate a camera-no matter what direction the camera was pointed in.
I think he went wrong when he said he would defend himself with his taser/stun gun. I think he called unnecessary attention to himself at this point.
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the overthrow of Saddam Hussein or the take down of the next bad guy in distant lands, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
Love to see more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
Today, the best example of a free and independent American press is what you will find in sports culture.
Think of an NFL game. Coaches and quarterbacks face the press after every game and answer questions, win or lose.
No press secretary. No public relations spokesperson. No freedom of information act requests. No classified documents.
Instant replays, commentary in the broadcast booth, analysis from network studios, sports talk radio, etc. Fans get tons of info all of the time. No chance for conspiracy theories to develop. Missed calls by NFL officials may be discussed for weeks on end. No such thing as: “We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.” Instant replay is for all to see. Sports writers are OK with being critical of coaches, teams, players, the rule book, the league, referees, team owners, when the season starts and ends, etc. This is what a free and independent press looks like. Go ahead and have sports writers cover public policy, Homeland Security and US Dept. of Defense news and I’m good with that.
In 2023, the press tends to support government agencies, departments and policies rather than question them.
The mainstream press today is prone to suppress voices of dissent and provide news coverage that favors government agencies, departments and their policies.
Just the ticket for a Wild West shootout between the good guys and the bad guys.
If the Oklahoma City bomber rolls onto the ferry-how does the SWAT team help out an hour later?
Blogged about it over the years:
Maybe security personnel are present at some specific terminal each day. I have made dozens of round trip ferry crossings over the past 20 years from various terminals. In many cases, there has been no security screening at either terminal.
Washington State ferry passengers are advised via PA system to not leave backpacks or packages unattended during ferry crossings.
Meanwhile- on the car deck- cars, trucks, vans, commercial vehicles, etc. are left unattended during ferry crossings.
JFK speaks about the role of the press and voices of dissent in a free society:
Talk of calling out the mistakes of government and encouraging voices of dissent is the sort of stuff that might get social media accounts suppressed or restricted today. The wrong thoughts could be branded as misinformation.
Let’s go ahead and post that same speech from a different source, maybe both will stay up.
Same speech from another source:
Back in 2020, I posted a blog and included the same JFK speech. That video is no longer available.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
My Take
What did JFK’s free and independent press turn into?
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs staff as authorities prepare for the Super Bowl.
We are the very best at militarized pageantry for pro sports events.
Sorry, no time for newspeople to ask:
Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?
Today, the best example of a free and independent American press is what you will find in sports culture.
Think of an NFL game. Coaches and quarterbacks face the press after every game and answer questions, win or lose.
No press secretary. No public relations spokesperson. No freedom of information act requests. No classified documents.
Instant replays, commentary in the broadcast booth, analysis from network studios, sports talk radio, etc. Fans get tons of info all of the time. No chance for conspiracy theories to develop. Missed calls by NFL officials may be discussed for weeks on end. No such thing as: “We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.” Instant replay is for all to see. Sports writers are OK with being critical of coaches, teams, players, the rule book, the league, referees, team owners, when the season starts and ends, etc. This is what a free and independent press looks like. Go ahead and have sports writers cover public policy, Homeland Security and US Dept. of Defense news and I’m good with that.
In 2023, the press tends to support government agencies, departments and policies rather than question them.
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
No sense in subscribing to newspapers that do not ask public policy-related questions.
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the overthrow of Saddam Hussein or the take down of the next bad guy in distant lands, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
For this first video, I will say that I think of myself and others as individuals, not as members of a group. You can find good and bad people in any group. I would have framed the question here as: What went wrong with American culture, rather than what went wrong with any group. Personal blog: Boomer?
What if mainstream newspeople went out and asked questions? What if they were to interview people on various sides of any issue, rather than just one side?
Love to see the mainstream press get out and interview people on various sides of any issue.
Nice example here –
0:41 in the video below:
If ethanol made a lot of sense we wouldn’t have to subsidize it or mandate its consumption:
I want to know what various people are thinking on various issues.
Think of an NFL game. Coaches and quarterbacks face the press after every game and answer questions, win or lose.
No press secretary. No public relations spokesperson. No freedom of information act requests. No classified documents.
Instant replays, commentary in the broadcast booth, analysis from network studios, sports talk radio, etc. Fans get tons of info all of the time. No chance for conspiracy theories to develop. Missed calls by NFL officials may be discussed for weeks on end. No such thing as: “We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.” Instant replay is for all to see. Sports writers are OK with being critical of coaches, teams, players, the rule book, the league, referees, team owners, when the season starts and ends, etc. This is what a free and independent press looks like. Go ahead and have sports writers go out and cover public policy, Homeland Security and US Dept. of Defense news and I’m good with that.
In 2023, the press tends to support government agencies, departments and policies rather than question them.
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
No sense in subscribing to newspapers that do not ask public policy-related questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the overthrow of Saddam Hussein or an ongoing list of other enemies in distant lands, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
“The bottom line is that all the scary talk about rapidly rising wildfire threats in our future is really not based on solid facts, and reality is going a different way.”
“How many other scary and unfounded predictions have gone viral in the public space? That communists were taking over the universities and government in the 1950s? That Vietnam was a domino requiring intervention? That weapons of mass destruction were hidden in Iraq? We seem to love believing in apocalyptic predictions, whether or not factual information supports them?”
16:04 below: “I’m not here to argue with you.” Basic public policy discussion = arguing.
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, waiting on the press to ask questions, or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check.
Uniparty press gets pranked because they are known not to go after the truth:
Think of an NFL game. Coaches and quarterbacks face the press after every game and answer questions, win or lose.
No press secretary. No public relations spokesperson. No freedom of information act requests. No classified documents.
Instant replays, commentary in the broadcast booth, analysis from network studios, sports talk radio, etc. Fans get tons of info all of the time. No chance for conspiracy theories to develop. Missed calls by NFL officials may be discussed for weeks on end. No such thing as: “We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.” Instant replay is for all to see. Sports writers are OK with being critical of coaches, teams, players, the rule book, the league, referees, team owners, when the season starts and ends, etc. This is what a free and independent press looks like.
In 2023, the press tends to support government agencies, departments and policies rather than question them.
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
No sense in subscribing to newspapers that do not ask public policy-related questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
The uniparty press, four-star officers and high level DOD civilians will blame overweight young people, drugs, or a good economy. Anything to avoid admitting the DOD brand has been damaged and that they have played a role here.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Understandable why young people and their parents and grandparents would take a dim view on all this.
1969 – Man On The Moon
2023 – Military barracks inside the US that are unfit to live in.
Where is the Cold War era Sergeant Major or First Sergeant who would have raised hell to take care of The Troops. Are they encouraging the young people they know to sign up today? The guys that did a couple tours in Iraq or Afghanistan- are they sending young family members down to enlist?
There has been a big stir over a blocked senior military promotion system. TV newspeople will avoid interviewing people who offer up a voice of dissent. Stalling the administrative steps to promote top level officers might lead to what? Decades of undeclared/unwon wars? A giant Dept. of Defense that was nowhere to be found on 911?
Why would high level promotions be awarded to people who are part of the system that allowed The Troops to live in the barracks described below?
“The GAO concluded that leaders at the Pentagon are not only failing to provide oversight — instead choosing to largely punt the issue to the branches — but they also don’t consider it a priority. The result has been bureaucratic finger-pointing, with no one office or leader willing to own the issue.”
Never Forget-
The US Armed Forces were irrelevant in defending American rights and freedoms, our physical security, & The Constitution on 911.
Ditto for all other federal agencies and departments.
A special marketing tribute to a catastrophic military failure:
Voices of Dissent
TV newspeople keep things safe by not inviting people with alternative views to be interviewed on air. Here is a video I found the other day. A large number of honest comments have been posted to the video. Getting away from recruiting crisis denial would mean inviting these voices on air.
School children are taught about a free enterprise system. They grow up to find out that the federal government will tell them what kind of shower head they must install in the bathroom, and what type of gas can they must buy for their lawn mower.
Did hostile forces in distant lands attempt to replace US consumer demand with government demand and end the free enterprise system?
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.
Mayor Day,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
Freedoms come and go. None of the above are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
18-20 year old adults – Go and sign up now
Maybe a few more decades of undeclared/unwon wars and the freedoms will get better.
Why do we speak of the US Armed Forces as if they function as some sort of giant civil rights organization?
Both major parties are OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens.
Both major parties are good with a land of the free holding pattern where alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18? Are The Joint Chiefs of Staff working to change any of this?
Doesn’t seem to fit with a society that can’t stop bragging about freedom, thanking the troops for freedoms, fighting wars for freedoms, staging military jet flyovers at sporting events for freedom, etc.
The prosperous, homogeneous, and high-trust America of the 1960s—one where most of the families had two parents, and the dads were World War II veterans—nearly tore itself apart over the Vietnam-era draft. That cultural conflict cast a long shadow and discouraged military adventurism for many years. It is impossible to believe that the disunited, fragmented, and multicultural America of today would support a draft to pursue a high-casualty war of attrition for some abstract goal like “the balance of power in Europe” or “open shipping lanes in the South China Sea.”
“If a draft is required to maintain the American Empire, we should consider other modes of coexistence with the rest of the world that do not depend on oversized American military power, because a draft is impossible in today’s America.”
Reality Check
The US Dept of Defense spent the last 30 years squandering prestige and credibility overseas and at home.
Some Americans may be asking:
Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?
US jet aircraft have been able to strike targets in what wars won by the US?
If DOD was an NFL team, sports talk radio would feature comments like:
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.
Any college or pro football coach would have been fired a dozen times over for what DOD has done with the US Armed Forces during the fake GWOT era.
Fake GWOT?
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was invented after the catastrophic military failure of 911. The idea was to keep bad people from coming to the US to do bad things/attempt another 911, etc.
Wouldn’t the giant War on Terror be a cartel drug trafficker’s worst nightmare?
Here at Oak Bay Starfish, we believe that a return to the draft is total political fantasy. Below, we will go into some of the reasons why, but not much is new if you’re one of the many readers who have been closely following the blog at any time since the catastrophic military failure of 911. Still wondering if anyone was fired over that.
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in this area.
National Guard
The people of Minnesota need more applicants to maintain a place to live and a regular job in their hometown area when they are not doing time in foreign lands helping DOD with undeclared/unwon wars and missions completely unrelated to their home state.
A few decades back, people might think of the National Guard as one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer plus a way to support your home state by being ready to get called out for floods, fires, natural disasters, civil unrest, etc. Maybe a way to help the next state over if they needed it.
Any members of the press available to show up and ask why the people of Home State, USA needed services in distant lands, absent any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war?
Recruiting crisis for Uncle Sam? Elected officials, top Pentagon Generals and the press earned it.
Thousands of men and women who signed up for the National Guard in the past 25 years did tours in places like Syria, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.
These families have stories to tell and they’re not all positive. Will their stories support a draft?
Symbol of a culture that was once strong (Man On The Moon in ’69). A culture that is now weak. A symbol of TV newspeople who play along by not asking questions.
Hey Uncle Sam- know that information suppression will kill enthusiasm related to enlisting in the US Armed Forces.
People want to live in a free and honest society.
Also-
This video:
From comments:
“LET’S CONSIDER MILITARY RECRUITING AND RETENTION PROBLEMS.You may have heard something about the problems the military is having with recruiting and retention. Well, part of that problem is most Americans don’t know anything about it ….. or care.First, let’s establish that this is a serious issue. Our military needs the appropriate numbers and types of people to do its job protecting the rest of us. The wrong numbers and types of people means we will loose the next war. Additionally, other nations will see our weakness and decide to be extra aggressive, increasing the chance of war.WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CAUSES OF OUR CURRENT PROBLEMS?Some say it’s because about 75% of America’s youth are not qualified to enter the services. Left unexamined is the fact that this is not a new condition which has never before had a serious effect on recruitment.Some say it’s because the military has gone Woke, and that repels recruits and those already in the services. Military leadership rejects this. But, there is ample proof of its truth. And, it’s military leadership that has caused it. Some say it the economy. Conditions are so good that recruits and existing military are drawn to the civilian market. But, given the state of the current economy, that is a questionable belief….. at best.HOW IS THE MILITARY LEADERSHIP ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM?Standards are being lowered….. Regardless of lowering the ability to fight, current leadership is desperate not to look bad. It seems they would rather loose the next war instead.Bribes are being paid….. Payments of up to $100,000 are being offered to attract recruits and keep existing military.There is an increased reliance on women to fill combat slots….. This may decrease our combat effectiveness. But, it will temporally stop the leadership from looking bad.It is interesting to look at the environment in which the recruitment and retention problems exist.FOR MOST OF THE PAST 75 YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN AT WAR (although congress has not declared war as required ……even once).AND, WE HAVEN’T WON ANY OF THEM. All of these conflicts were against inferior adversaries that posed no chance of large scale war that would threaten the continental United States. We went to their countries…..they won…..and we left. Recently, 3 big things have happened. First…. After fighting for 20 years in the middle east, we were kicked out of Afghanistan looking unprofessional and like a bunch of losers. Second….. the US blundered into a proxy war with Russia….. Third, China is becoming more and more aggressive. A war involving Russia and/or China would most likely be similar to WW 2 (at best) and could easily go nuclear and end mankind…..That means all of us would be dead.Many Americans have determined that military leadership, both uniformed and, mostly civilian, has not been up to the task since WW 2. Some even believe the Deep State is pushing us to war for the benefit of the military/industrial complex. PERHAPS OUR MILITARY HISTORY IS CAUSING THE PROBLEMS IN RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION?What are our leaders NOT doing to address the problem?THEY ARE NOT CONSIDERING A DRAFTWhile a draft would solve a number of problems, politicians will never vote for it. The 25% of Americas youth who would be susceptible do not want to die and would vote the politicians out of office. Also, the parents and families of the 25% would likewise vote against these politicians. But, the biggest reason the politicians would not bring back the draft is they know a large portion of Americans would then become interested in our foreign affairs and that would drastically limit the politicians ability to send our military into conflicts. This would dry-up the money and influence politicians now have access to.THEY ARE NOT CHANGING HOW WE ADDRESS FOREIGN AFFAIRSOur leaders are also not considering changing our approach of engaging in military interventions around the world. Our history of deciding where to get involved, our goals, our definition of victory, our strategy and tactics have a 75 year record of failure. We don’t seem to know what we are doing ( This is not an opinion. this is historical FACT ).Yet, there is no call to examine what we did and how we can avoid the continuation of our record of failure. Nobody has been held responsible. NOTHING !Perhaps the gen-Z generation has recognized this and has acted to try and stay alive. WE GET WHAT WE VOTE FOR”
Some truly excellent points here. Well done.
The press, politicians, and some Americans will avoid pointing out the reality of this situation.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces. The Cold War ended in the early 90s. The Pentagon was happy with the All Volunteer Force.
Look what they did with it.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Understandable why young people and their parents and grandparents would take a dim view on all this.
Will an older generation encourage a younger generation to do time in the US Armed Forces in the years ahead?
Question For The Uniparty Press:
Currently serving four-star officers and high level DOD civilians have been associated with what wars won by the US?
The Times describes an early melt of winter snowpack, hyped reservoirs that are less than 30% of capacity, talking about a “dwindling” water supply, and OF COURSE, blamed ‘”climate change, caused by burning fossil fuels, is making these types of hot and dry summers more frequent and making droughts more severe.”
Love to see the mainstream press get out and interview people on various sides of any issue.
Nice example here –
0:41 in the video below:
If ethanol made a lot of sense we wouldn’t have to subsidize it or mandate its consumption:
I want to know what various people are thinking on various issues.
“The ferry Walla Walla, which had been sailing between Seattle and Bremerton, will be out of service for at least four weeks as crews repair a propeller that broke near Rich Passage last week.”
The companies with fleets of merchant ships serving the ports of Seattle and Tacoma are moving cargo all over the world every day. Are they converting to hybrid-electric?
How about the companies that move cargo on an ongoing basis from Seattle to Alaska. Are they converting to hybrid-electric? How about the trucking companies that move shipments of cargo from the port of Tacoma to Denver. Are they converting to hybrid-electric?
Love to see the press interview the owners of these companies to learn more.
The mainstream press provides news coverage that favors government agencies, departments and policies.
The press release style of news reporting means that a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post this statement as is.
A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
Love to see the mainstream press get out and interview people on various sides of any issue.
Nice example here –
0:41 in the video below:
If ethanol made a lot of sense we wouldn’t have to subsidize it or mandate its consumption:
I want to know what various people are thinking on various issues.
Here at Oak Bay Starfish, we have been posting Re: WA State Ferries for years. A favorite story was the auto tollbooth upgrade at Mukilteo. Here is what we found on the web:
Will it take 18 months to find out what really happened? People will say that national security is a factor in releasing information. This is an important point.
The Uvalde, Texas shooting took place well over a year ago and it appears that information may still be developing. The Uvalde story is not connected to national security concerns. Calls for more gun control will develop. Here in the Seattle area, newspeople refuse to report on results of past gun control measures.
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
No sense in subscribing to newspapers that do not ask public policy-related questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
Sports Culture Tends To Be More Honest
Think of an NFL game. Coaches and quarterbacks face the press after every game and answer questions, win or lose.
No press secretary. No public relations spokesperson. No freedom of information act requests. No classified documents.
Instant replays, commentary in the broadcast booth, analysis from network studios, sports talk radio, etc. Fans get tons of info all of the time. No chance for conspiracy theories to develop. Missed calls by NFL officials may be discussed for weeks on end. No such thing as: “We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.” Instant replay is for all to see. Sports writers are OK with being critical of coaches, teams, players, the rule book, the league, referees, team owners, when the season starts and ends, etc. This is what a free and independent press looks like.
US Armed Forces – Less Honest
In sports, coaches get fired for poor play. Not so much in the US Armed Forces.
If DOD was an NFL team, sports talk radio would feature comments like:
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.
Any college or pro football coach would have been fired a dozen times over for what DOD has done with the US Armed Forces during the fake GWOT era.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces. The Cold War ended in the early 90s. The Pentagon was happy with the All Volunteer Force.
Look what they did with it.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Understandable why young people and their parents and grandparents would take a dim view on all this.
Where were you? along with a photo of a peaceful/standing twin towers.
My response:
With my GF in Kingston. Had already done some time in uniform. Took me several years to become skeptical and see that the federal government and the press had lost credibility.
Today:
My feeling is that a man on the moon in 1969 was a proud American moment. That was maybe the best of America in my lifetime.
“What I remember most about 9/11 is the way America was unified the day after. During uncontrollable times we controlled our response. Race, Gender and Political Party were equally irrelevant.”
“We focused on loving each other, how did we get so segregated? We never would have made it this far if we embraced division on September the 12th. We are where we are because we got here TOGETHER let’s embrace love yet again.”
“God Bless The USA.”
My response:
Good Stuff
Let’s keep that and add a free and independent press that will ask questions/rock the boat, no matter who is in office.
The mainstream press provides news coverage that favors government agencies, departments and policies.
Alternative media is good about providing an active comment section.
Several comments have been posted with the blog above:
“i can confirm via my kids that most of their peers are gripped by the same anxiety. They are pushing this in schools to the point where kids are terrified and convinced their futures are gone.”
Away From The Opinion Page
The mainstream press provides news coverage that favors government agencies, departments and policies.
The press release style of news reporting means that a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post this statement as is.
A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
Love to see the mainstream press get out and interview people on various sides of any issue.
Nice example here –
0:41 in the video below:
If ethanol made a lot of sense we wouldn’t have to subsidize it or mandate its consumption:
I want to know what various people are thinking on various issues.
Sept 11th, 2001 Fire Investigation Protocols
Below is a video showing Erik Lawyer, a professional firefighter. Has any mainstream newsperson interviewed this man? If not, why not?
Erik Lawyer – Professional Firefighter
President Biden
The President walks out of a Medal of Honor ceremony:
Will any newsperson interview the President on this?
No press secretary. No public relations spokesperson. No freedom of information act requests. We are talking about a news interview with President Biden. He is running a reelection campaign. It is perfectly appropriate for him to show up and answer questions. Think of an NFL game. Coaches and quarterbacks face the press after every game and answer questions, win or lose.
Would President Biden be up for answering unscripted questions on TV in front of a live audience? Would President Biden be OK with a news media person who is critical of the federal government asking the questions?
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
No sense in subscribing to newspapers that do not ask public policy-related questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
One of the biggest lessons of the 22 years since Sept 11, 2001:
No chance for conspiracy theories to develop in the NFL because coaches and quarterbacks face the press after every game and answer questions, win or lose.
No press secretary. No public relations spokesperson. No freedom of information act requests. Player stats and injury reports are always available.
We got our ass kicked on 911.The federal government has been squandering credibility ever since. If the US Armed Forces were keeping us safe– first responders would have had a routine day at work on 911. The giant government and “Dept of Defense” were nowhere to be found on 911. For federal government convenience, take the day, follow along, pledge your allegiance and behave as that government sees fit. Do as you are told. Fly your flag as you are told. Think and behave as that government tells you. Divert your attention away from federal government failure and stay busy with federal suggestions for the day.
Here at Oak Bay Starfish, we will observe the day by avoiding network TV. At the bottom of this page, we will offer up some readings featuring voices of dissent and alternative media.
Aftermath
Let’s say the federal government did everything right before and on the day of Sept. 11th, 2001. The uniparty press avoids questions on how things have come together since.
Big Homeland Security spending
The US Dept of Homeland Security was established on November 25, 2002. Plenty of time for lessons learned, and more cartel drugs entering Hometown, USA than ever before?
Lessons Learned?
Anytime there is a plane crash, a loss at sea, or an industrial accident, a thorough investigation takes place. Lessons learned are used to prevent future accidents. A major aircraft manufacturer grounds certain airplanes after mishaps. Time is required to investigate and find out what went wrong.
Any similar effort after a big cartel drug bust inside the US?
The folks who show up and investigate the plane crash don’t spend time congratulating each other. Their work is designed to try and prevent similar future incidents, not promote themselves.
Preventing drugs from entering local communities would kill the chance for various agencies to get publicity for the occasional big drug bust happening in those communities.
Wonder what was happening at border crossing/port of entry inspections during the 12 months Operation P-22 (to take down just one branch of the cartel activity) took place. Do the good guys who made the local bust notify the good guys at the border about the weak links in their process?
Were federal authorities at the border notified of this ongoing investigation?
Did the cartel traffickers get fast track screening at the border so as not to disrupt this ongoing investigation?
If the drug traffickers were given a pass at the border- would that have tipped them off as to the investigation- or would that have been seen as standard protocol?
Imagine that LE authorities observe a shoplifter or bank robber in action. Instead of going in to make an arrest they back off and conduct an investigation that goes on for months. What if they applied the same tactic Re: crimes involving arson, terrorism, child abuse, DUI, etc.
This time next year- will there be any shortage of cartel product in the Puget Sound area? Has any city, county or state jurisdiction been able to cleanup their drug problem using these methods?
Snohomish 2015
Local law enforcement agencies may benefit when the US Dept. of Homeland Security fails to keep heroin out of the US:
Newspeople are good about posting a drug bust press release. Newspeople remain silent when it comes to asking questions about Homeland Security funding and performance.
Big DOD spending on undeclared/unwon wars for our freedoms.
School children are taught about a free enterprise system. They grow up to find out that the federal government will tell them what kind of shower head they must install in the bathroom, and what type of gas can they must buy for their lawn mower.
Did hostile forces in distant lands attempt to replace US consumer demand with government demand and end the free enterprise system?
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.
Mayor Day,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
Freedoms come and go. None of the above are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
Maybe a few more decades of undeclared/unwon wars and the freedoms will get better.
Why do we speak of the US Armed Forces as if they function as some sort of giant civil rights organization?
Both major parties are OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens.
Both major parties are good with a land of the free holding pattern where alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18? Are The Joint Chiefs of Staff working to change any of this?
Doesn’t seem to fit with a society that can’t stop bragging about freedom, thanking the troops for freedoms, fighting wars for freedoms, staging military jet flyovers at sporting events for freedom, etc.
Has it become harder to find blogs, videos and alternative media that ask questions or point to the failures of 911 and its aftermath? How about COVID? How about a giant US Dept. of Homeland Security?
“Nearly 1,800 victims’ relatives, first responders and survivors are calling on Biden to refrain from attending any memorials over his refusal to release Sept. 11 documents.”
“The administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump also declined to declassify supporting documents, citing national security concerns.”
22 Years Later
Part of the reaction was to send The Troops into undeclared wars.
If DOD was an NFL team, sports talk radio would feature comments like:
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.
Any college or pro football coach would have been fired a dozen times over for what DOD has done with the US Armed Forces during the fake GWOT era.
Fake GWOT?
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was invented after the catastrophic military failure of 911. The idea was to keep bad people from coming to the US to do bad things/attempt another 911, etc.
Wouldn’t the giant War on Terror be a cartel drug trafficker’s worst nightmare?
If REAL ID is critical to the safety of America, have travelers out at the airport been less safe since 911?
The new REAL ID requirement for domestic air travel has now been extended out more than 20 years past 911 – May 7, 2025
If sending US troops to Afghanistan and creating a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was meant to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things, why are drug cartels able to move product into all 50 states?
If the CIA (est 1947) serves as an advantage to the US, why does the Department of Defense have such a poor record of winning undeclared wars going back to 1949, the year DOD was established?
Show up early to wait in line and squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube at the airport?
What keeps the terrorists of the GWOT from creating a disruption at the back end of the screening line?
Has anyone ever seen any member of the press ask questions on this?
“What goes on at airports is not security. It is Security Theater. When the government’s own agents try to smuggle “weapons” aboard airliners to test the system, they succeed ninety-five percent of the time.”
“Further, a terrorist doesn’t need to get aboard an airliner to blow up spectacularly. At many airports, hundreds of people line up at ticket counters during peak hours. A carry-on bag of explosive would easily create enough slaughter to shut down air travel and to make international headlines for weeks.”
Will sending the National Guard, active, reserve and IRR forces to support NATO/Ukraine stimulate new enlistments over at the recruiting office?
National Guard
The people of Minnesota need more applicants to maintain a place to live and a regular job in their hometown area when they are not doing time in foreign lands helping DOD with undeclared/unwon wars and missions completely unrelated to their home state.
A few decades back, people might think of the National Guard as one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer plus a way to support your home state by being ready to get called out for floods, fires, natural disasters, civil unrest, etc. Maybe a way to help the next state over if they needed it.
Any members of the press available to show up and ask why the people of Home State, USA needed services in distant lands, absent any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war?
Recruiting crisis for Uncle Sam? Elected officials, top Pentagon Generals and the press earned it.
Thousands of men and women who signed up for the National Guard in the past 25 years did tours in places like Syria, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.
These families have stories to tell and they’re not all positive. Will their stories support a draft?
Zero questions from small or large newspapers. Zero questions from TV newspeople.
The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
No sense in subscribing to newspapers that do not ask public policy-related questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
The mainstream press provides news coverage that favors government agencies, departments and policies.
We are at a place where alternative media and comedians are asking the questions and highlighting the issues.
Small town newspaper (image at top of page) displays junk mail style advertising instead of front page news. The small papers will say they need more support from subscribers and advertising dollars or cash from the federal government to stay alive. All this because COVID or the internet or lack of newspaper sales, or a free and independent press that needs taxpayer support.
People who take no public funds, private donations or advertising dollars are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press? Call for unpaid volunteers and you’d get better news coverage than what we have now.
“America starts its wars by overestimating its own powers, underestimating the enemy, and misunderstanding the kind of war on which it is embarking.”
“A pack of rapists armed with garden trowels couldn’t possibly be difficult to defeat by the US. I mean, get serious: Dope dealers against the Marines? A cakewalk.”
“You know, like Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. That sort of cakewalk.”
Free enterprise is not the state governor setting deadlines for new restrictions, bans and mandates while creating cash giveaways for selected industries.
Did hostile forces in distant lands attempt to replace US consumer demand with government demand and end the free enterprise system?
As the years go by, it seems like celebrating independence on July 4th makes less and less sense. Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
0:41 in the video below:
If ethanol made a lot of sense we wouldn’t have to subsidize it or mandate its consumption:
We are hearing about a US Armed Forces Recruiting crisis. Maybe young people and their parents and grandparents are starting to wonder what The Troops are fighting for in undeclared/unwon wars. I am.
Vice President Harris recently made a trip to Seattle to speak on the climate crisis topic. I was looking forward to a news event that created a record of differing viewpoints in various blogs, videos and articles on the web.
Taking a look now, it appears that most of what is available is the routine news coverage that favors government agencies, departments and policies.
The general trend on the web and in the news has been to suppress voices of dissent.
Love to see the press get out and interview people on various sides of any issue.
I want to know what various people are thinking on various issues.
A video from comedian Jimmy Dore – a progressive democrat:
Google Is RIGGING Search Results For “Climate Change”
Honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion.
In a free and honest society, newspeople would be asking questions related to public policy all of the time. This is not the case.
State-owned news network: In Seattle, VP Harris Touts Administration Efforts to Boost Clean Energy
Where are the news articles that question the carbon footprint created by this cross country campaign trip? Multiple aircraft, motorcade, support staff, advance security, layers of federal and local law enforcement supervision for the event, local traffic idling and waiting for permission to proceed on normal routes, etc. How does all this impact on climate change? Any questions from newspeople?
Seattle – About the time of the VP visit:
The folks who manage this, want to tell you what kind of car you should drive and manipulate the price of your gasoline with taxes. Welcome Home Troops.
Really no need to pick on the VP
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs staff as authorities prepare for the Super Bowl:
Sorry, no time for newspeople to ask:
Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?
US jet aircraft have been able to strike targets in what wars won by the US?
Currently serving four-star officers and high level DOD civilians have been associated with what wars won by the US?
Did decades of undeclared/unwon wars (The Department of Defense track record with undeclared wars goes back to 1949.) play any role in the DNC climate crisis? Zero questions from newspeople.
“During the past weeks, profoundly flawed and error-filled stories on climate change have been headlined in the Seattle Times. Stories that can easily be demonstrated to have serious factual and interpretative errors.”
Below are several topics where newspeople have an established history of not asking questions.
Are newspeople forbidden to ask questions related to Homeland Security funding and performance?
Would the DEA be out of work if a a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was able to keep cartel product from showing up in all 50 states?
Why do we speak of the US Armed Forces as if they function as some sort of giant civil rights organization?
Both major parties are OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens.
Both major parties are good with a land of the free holding pattern where alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18? Are The Joint Chiefs of Staff working to change any of this? Not no, but fuck no.
Doesn’t seem to fit with a society that can’t stop bragging about freedom, thanking the troops for freedoms, fighting wars for freedoms, staging military jet flyovers at sporting events for freedom, etc.
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.
Mayor Day,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
Freedoms come and go. None of the above are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
School children are taught about a free enterprise system. They grow up to find out that the federal government will tell them what kind of shower head they must install in the bathroom, and what type of gas can they must buy for their lawn mower.
Did hostile forces in distant lands attempt to replace US consumer demand with government demand and end the free enterprise system?
If the CIA (est 1947) serves as an advantage to the US, why does the Department of Defense have such a poor record of winning undeclared wars going back to 1949, the year DOD was established?
Show up early to wait in line and squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube at the airport?
This urban legend has run its course. People have seen enough now to know this is no more than another giant marketing strategy.
American freedoms come and go. The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense, and a truly poor track record with undeclared/unwon wars play no role here:
Google was a clean and simple search engine. AOL was there for those who were OK with the convenience of more central control. AOL steered you to use their internet connection, browser, email, their version of searching to find AOL sports, shopping, entertainment, finance, news, travel, etc. Every move you made on the web could happen under the AOL regime.
Today, Google wants you to create a user name and password. Register, sign in, and hand over your cell phone number for security in case you need to update your password. Google wants you to use your Google ID to sign in to an expanding number of sites on the web. If you are away from home and logging in on a different device, they might think you are a scammer/spammer and may take you into a tortuous process to verify who you are. What was the house number across the street from where your best childhood friend grew up? I quit. No more logging in for me.
Prior to the midterm elections, I went to the web and searched for:
Will midterm voters be angry about the stock market? and similar searches.
Is the stock market an issue for voters?
All I was able to find was predictions for future market performance.
Love to see newspeople ask questions in the following areas:
Is Homeland Security Is A Scam?
Has any US President, since the first day the US Dept. of Homeland Security existed, been able to create any shortage of cartel product, anywhere in the US?
Does local CBP provide an advantage in keeping cartel product from arriving in the Puget Sound area?
American freedoms come and go. None of the above are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
School children are taught about a free enterprise system and how to celebrate the 4th of July. They grow up to find out that the federal government will tell them what kind of shower head they must install in the bathroom, and what type of gas can they must buy for their lawn mower.
US jet aircraft have been able to strike targets in what wars won by the US?
Currently serving four-star officers and high level DOD civilians have been associated with what wars won by the US?
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since. This reflects on the uniparty. The press goes easy on asking questions because the press supports the uniparty.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Is it understandable that young people and their parents and grandparents would take a dim view on all this?
Any college or pro football coach would have been fired a dozen times over for what DOD has done with the US Armed Forces during the fake GWOT era.
The Press
Will TV newspeople who show initiative and curiosity in asking questions be suppressed and removed from TV networks?
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
Image above: What did Americans eat for breakfast 100 years ago? They probably had something better going on.
