“The Internet, obviously, has been the mainstream media’s worst enemy. That’s because people were now able to discover websites, podcasts, videos, and other such things that were willing to tell them the truth about their villainy of their own government. The mainstream media has been having trouble ever since.”
Glenn Greenwald:
Glorification of military service / total nonsense:
WA Secretary of State
Our right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces.
Do you have a veteran in your life you would like to thank?
If a right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?
Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if overseas military operations somehow secured voting rights?
If a right to vote is protected by the US Armed Forces, what becomes of that right when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?
Look for the mainstream press to ask zero questions in this area.
Mainstream media functions like paid actors reading a script.
Americans do not live in a free and honest society. Today, the mainstream media will function like paid actors reading a script:
Would any newsperson ever 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?
Maybe there would be less in the way of conspiracy theories if people felt like they were properly informed.
Where is the press in all this?
Love to see more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
What we get now is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post the statement as is. A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
Regular newspeople don’t seem to have permission to ask hard questions.
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.
In government, it is fully understood that people will not have access to complete information through everyday channels.
Ever see a pro football coach or quarterback refer reporters to his press secretary for answers? Presidents do so on a daily basis. Professionals are hired to provide only the desired version of answers to questions.
Ever see a pro football coach or quarterback refer reporters to a public information officer for answers to questions?
The open attitude about sports reporting does not cross over to stories about the US Dept. of Homeland Security, big drug busts, The Troops, the War on Terror or local water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls.
Are people who work for newspapers and TV news folks given permission to go out and to do interviews related to public policy? If elected officials and people who run government agencies are not available to be interviewed, that should become the story.
Mainstream media functions like paid actors reading a script.
Americans do not live in a free and honest society. Today, the mainstream media will function like paid actors reading a script:
Would any newsperson ever 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?
.@PressSec says on social media that “the major platforms have a responsibility… to stop amplifying untrustworthy content, disinformation and misinformation, especially related to covid-19, vaccinations, and elections.” pic.twitter.com/pFH34cJJ1A
Today, crisis requires a one size fits all, guilty until proven innocent approach.
Newspeople show a lack of initiative and curiosity in asking questions.
Today, it seems as if the press promotes whatever message is handed down by elected officials and government agencies.
Americans were never meant to agree on matters of a personal nature. This is why we have so many different churches here and people who opt out on attending services.
We were told we needed to send troops to Vietnam, Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Some may have become skeptical along the way.
Alternative media is good about asking questions:
When major media platforms promote the idea that sending hometown troops to Africa is linked with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free, is there any discussion Re: disinformation and misinformation?
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 elected officials of any party or any member of the press help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
If a right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?
Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if overseas military operations somehow secured voting rights?
If a right to vote is protected by the US Armed Forces, what becomes of that right when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?
Less respect for the federal government. Less respect for the press.
Local newspapers are suppressing online comment sections, getting away from asking questions related to public policy, and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales while lining up for federal bailout cash.
If US Troops were never sent to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., what would have become of American rights and freedoms and the US constitution?
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.
Various newspapers in the Puget Sound area have gone with this trend.
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.
Suppressing comments, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
Got it.
After local newspapers shut down comments, people could still go to Twitter and take a look at what people were posting for comments. Some papers have since shut down posting of their news articles on what is now called X.
YouTube can be a very good place to view active comment sections, but it may be tricky to find a video that relates to a news story/public policy update you are looking for.
US Armed Forces Recruiting Crisis – Comments Are Turned Off
Here is a hand selected lady who was surprised (1:12) to get a phone call of support from The First Lady- even though cameras were rolling in her home when the phone rang:
“Comments are turned off.”
PBS News Video – Experts Deliver Their Report
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, the Pentagon seems to specialize in undeclared/unwon wars. Understandable why young people & their parents & grandparents would take a dim view on all this.
The Armed Forces recruiting crisis was earned by the politicians, generals, and high ranking civilians who have been running the Pentagon over the past 30 years or so. The crisis is also upon us due to newspeople not asking questions going back to the time the Cold War ended.
Flag officers and high level DOD civilians built careers made of undeclared/unwon wars. Now they must mastermind ways to recruit a new generation.
They are going to tell us how all this works.
Oct 30, 2024 PBS News
WATCH: U.S. military leaders hold briefing on recruitment goals and challenges for 2025
“Comments are turned off.”
If comments were open:
Some will say obese teens and young adults are to blame for the big recruiting crisis. Thousands of young, intelligent and athletic Americans participate in college athletics each year. Certainly, they would qualify to enlist- no rehab/prep program required.
Why are these people not showing up at the recruiting office?
US press plays along by not asking questions and shutting down or suppressing comment sections.
Watched the entire video above. Zero questions on how flag officers and high level DOD civilians allowed for this:
The US press has a long history of not asking questions Re: undeclared/unwon DOD wars and military operations for your freedoms.
Americans were told they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Mainstream media functions like paid actors reading a script.
Americans do not live in a free and honest society. Today, the mainstream media will function like paid actors reading a script:
Would any newsperson ever 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?
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
Alternative media provides an update on the banning of gas powered outdoor equipment:
Unlike many local newspapers, alternative media is good with maintaining an active comment section. More than 3,000 comments are posted with the video above.
I would have loved to see the moderators ask questions on how both major parties have taken turns in power/had their hands on the wheel as things went downhill after putting a Man on the Moon in 1969.
Real newspeople may ask about policy positions on decades of undeclared/unwon DOD wars.
Newspeople refuse to ask:
What happens when American families no longer send the young ones to enlist and will not support a draft?
Much about group identities and big personalities.
Little about what the major parties believe in or stand for.
Real newspeople may ask:
Whatever happened to the formal congressional declaration of war?
The crowd at the United Center got on their feet when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took the stage where she supported Vice President Kamala Harris and applauded President Joe Biden. https://t.co/myMUs8PUdkpic.twitter.com/kbmZdkhEWd
Not since the Obama years has celebrity enthusiasm been so high, merging the world of pop culture and politics as the race to kicks into high gear with this week’s Democratic convention in Chicago. https://t.co/W4xd8wGbFa
The press should have been asking questions over the past 35 years- no matter who was in office. This is not the case.
Iraq, Sept 11th, GWOT, Afghanistan, a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security that fails to keep opioids/cartel product from showing up all over the US, etc.
Is this sign still posted? Real newspeople could go to find out, then report back.
Image above:
I found this sign posted on 4/2/2020 at the west end of Penn Cove. The sign has been there long enough to become faded from the weather.
WDFW has posted this permanent sign showing a dark shaded area in the eastern part of Penn Cove. The dark shaded area indicates a location that is unsafe for clam & oyster harvest.
Interesting that the part of the cove farthest from open waters is the part where the water is cleaner.
This sign remains in place even during the driest months of the year.
Is this sign still posted? Real newspeople could go to find out, then report back.
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.
Does owning a handgun in WA require a license? How and when is a handgun licensed in WA?
Port Angeles CBP
Are newspeople forbidden to ask questions related to Homeland Security funding and performance?
Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Newspeople asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.
After a Port Angeles CBP buildup that took place more than a decade ago, is there any follow up made by the press to inform the public on whatever results have been achieved?
Massing US Border Patrol agents at the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca fails to keep more than 392 pounds of meth and two pounds of fentanyl powder from arriving in Port Angeles:
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.
Various newspapers in the Puget Sound area have gone with this trend.
Suppressing comments, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
Where was Port Angles CBP at the moment large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl entered Port Angeles from southern California?
“As Sherwood attempted to make the crossing, he lost a portion of his load and was forced to turn back, where he then stashed the remaining drugs in various locations along the beach. This proved to be the fatal flaw in his plan, as beachgoers soon discovered them.”
“Around the same time, police were alerted by another beachcomber who noticed Sherwood’s partially submerged and deflated Zodiac-style raft as well as a U-Haul van that had made several trips to and from the beach area.”
“Federal authorities have taken over the investigation into the early April discovery of 400 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine worth $7 million on a Joyce-area beach after no local-area connection with the drugs was established, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.”
When news/social media posts are created by federal employees, there’s no need to deal with any awkward/real questions from the press. Love to see a free and independent press step up to ask questions as time goes by.
Multiple news reports remain on the web describing how this event unfolded back in 2021. The incident is back in the news now, because there has been a recent conviction in this case.
Here is the news release from Port Angeles CBP, dated April 15, 2021:
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection, United States Border Patrol agents assigned to the Port Angeles Station seized a significant amount of methamphetamine west of the city of Port Angeles during a joint-interagency effort.”
Border Patrol agents seized more than 340 pounds
of methamphetamine near Port Angeles, Wash.,
April 11.
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection, United States Border Patrol agents assigned to the Port Angeles Station seized a significant amount of methamphetamine west of the city of Port Angeles during a joint-interagency effort.”
Wait- local people found the drugs and told local LE. Your “K-9 partner” played zero role in discovering the stash.
“Agents seized the contraband and further coordinated with all partner entities to include the U.S. Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations, the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, CBP’s Air and Marine Operations, Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.”
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs personnel during Operation Macho Swagger– a ride-along to let us know what is being done to keep the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca safe from B.C. incursions.
“The Border Patrol celebrated the grand opening of its fenced, sprawling headquarters, an expanded facility for its 42 agents, to the plaintive strains of a bagpipe and an appreciative reaction from a crowd of invitation-only guests.”
Unlike many cities of its size, Port Angeles, WA maintains a significant Homeland Security/CBP/Border Patrol presence.
“The Port Angeles Fire Department responded to 102 overdose calls over the first six months of 2023, Sharp said. Only about 40 percent of these individuals accepted transport to the hospital.”
Massing US Border Patrol agents at the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca fails to keep more than 392 pounds of meth and two pounds of fentanyl powder from arriving in Port Angeles:
Would the DEA be out of work if 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?
Have opioid lawsuits played any role in improving the situation?
How do cartels react to opioid lawsuits?
After a Port Angeles CBP buildup that took place more than a decade ago, is there any follow up made by the press to inform the public on whatever results have been achieved? Any interviews with top level CBP personnel or elected officials?
Zero questions from small or large newspapers? Zero questions from TV newspeople?
Love to see newspeople ask:
Does Port Angeles CBP provide any advantage in keeping cartel product from arriving in Seattle?
Is Port Angeles CBP able to keep cartel product from arriving in Port Angeles?
Zero questions here on the advantage of significant Homeland Security/CBP/Border Patrol forces at Port Angeles:
Urban legend: The US Border Patrol stopped the Millennium Bomber at Port Angeles-
Ahmed Ressam was captured at the traditional port of entry at Port Angeles by Customs Inspectors wearing blue uniforms- not by Border Patrol Agents wearing green uniforms.
“…he debarked from the MV Coho ferry driving a rental car filled with highly-volatile explosives.”
How many US Border Patrol agents were stationed at Port Angeles in 1999?
Pre-911 staffing levels got the job done.
Port Angeles – Post 911 Spending Spree
On March 1, 2003, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was established. This opened the door for a CBP spending spree at Port Angeles.
2011 – Operation Macho Swagger & Port Angeles Heroin
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs personnel during Operation Macho Swagger– a ride-along to let us know what is being done to keep the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca safe from B.C. incursions.
The press should have been asking questions like this over the past 35 years- no matter who was in office:
Iraq, Sept 11th, GWOT, Afghanistan, a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security that fails to keep opioids/cartel product from showing up all over the US, etc.
Both major US political parties may be forced to downsize their ambitions for various overseas military operations. Things are slow over at the recruiting office.
Newspeople refuse to ask:
What happens when American families no longer send the young ones to enlist and will not support a draft?
Symbol of a culture that was once strong (Man On The Moon in ’69). A culture that is now weak. Symbol of an American press that will avoid asking questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
Both major US political parties may be forced to downsize their ambitions for various overseas military operations. Things are slow over at the recruiting office.
Newspeople refuse to ask:
What happens when American families no longer send the young ones to enlist and will not support a draft?
The same people running the country with Biden as their figurehead will continue to run the country with Kamala Harris as their figurehead — or whichever democrat may end up as their nominee. The people who have actually been running the country are the unelected power elite… pic.twitter.com/YJzPuZLSDQ
I’m curious what happened in the last 48 hours from Friday when President Biden said he was eager to get back on the campaign trail to now ending his reelection campaign. Who or what changed his thinking?
“You are Full of Sh*t Today!” – Watch Rep. Nancy Mace Explode on the Secret Service Director
This had to be Cheatle’s worst five minutes of the day.
“How many Secret Service personnel have been required to take a refresher course on how not to let people shoot Donald Trump?”… pic.twitter.com/3NDNGe6zpj
Rules are in place. Coaches are fired for poor play. The press looks in on all games. A highly successful team will win the Super Bowl each year.
The federal government is a different animal. Both major parties have taken turns in power as the decades go by. When failures take place, lessons learned, solid news reporting and public information can be hard to come by.
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?
When is the last time these patrol boats were involved in any arrest or seizure related in any way to the US/Canada border?
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?
Snohomish 2015
Local law enforcement agencies may benefit when the US Dept. of Homeland Security fails to keep heroin out of the US:
“Funding for the boat was issued through the Homeland Security Grant Program under Operation Stonegarden.”
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been involved in any arrest or seizure related in any way to the US/Canada border?
What is the history of “cross border activity” related to Whidbey Island?
Newspeople remain silent.
Airport Security Screening
Show up early to wait in line and squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube at the airport?
Would any newsperson ever ask:
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?
REAL ID
Would any newsperson ever ask:
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 been extended now to 2025.
Would any newsperson ever ask:
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?
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Are passports/enhanced/REAL IDs effective in keeping cartel drugs out of the US?
Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009.
Would any newsperson ever ask:
Has General Milley’s Operation Macho Swagger reduced access to cartel product anywhere in the US?
Has there been enough time for newspeople to ask questions?
Newspeople remain silent.
April 1, 2020 C-SPAN
WWII costume reminds us of a time before decades of undeclared/unwon wars stacked up.
The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.
Thanks for doing time/risking your ass in Iraq and Afghanistan, working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Super Bowl
Tune in to any Super Bowl in the post 911 era to see the press promote a big US Dept. of Homeland Security show of force to keep the big game safe. TV newspeople skip asking questions and play the role of federal public affairs staff instead:
The folks who can’t keep fentanyl trafficking cartels from moving product into various US communities are keeping the Super Bowl safe. Way To Go Team.
Would any newsperson ever ask:
If special games require special security-what keeps regular games safe? Crowd size/capacity is similar at several stadiums.
Are fans less safe at regular games?
What prevents terror strikes at hundreds of events & locations unsupervised by federal authorities?
What stops terrorists from going 2 states over and driving a truck across the playground at a daycare center?
Symbol of a culture that was once strong (Man On The Moon in ’69). A culture that is now weak. Symbol of an American press that will avoid asking questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
No chance for conspiracy theories to develop because coaches and quarterbacks face the press after every game and answer questions, win or lose. They are replaced if they are not up to the task.
Much Respect for 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. Player stats and injury reports are always available.
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.
Coaches get fired for months of poor play.
Newspeople and politicians are more about information suppression and not asking questions.
In 2024, the press tends to support government agencies, departments and policies rather than question them.
In government, it is fully understood that people will not have access to complete information through everyday channels.
Ever hear of a Freedom of Information Act Request in sports? How about a denied FOIA request?
Ever see a pro football coach or quarterback refer reporters to his press secretary for answers? Presidents do so on a daily basis. Professionals are hired to provide only the desired version of answers to questions.
Ever see a pro football coach or quarterback refer reporters to a public information officer for answers to questions?
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
Actively communicating with a number of former colleagues from the Secret Service about the assassination attempt.
This is an obviously catastrophic failure and NO excuses should be made, or even attempted.
The failures are profound and questions must be answered about ground…
Shooter was about 150 yards from Trump on a rooftop with a direct line of sight to the stage.
It defies every security protocol ever written that this rooftop was not secured, and law enforcement personnel were not standing up there. pic.twitter.com/a1WfwMRZPA
RUMOR: I have heard from three different sources that the counter sniper team had the shooter in their sights and requested permission to engage but were told not to fire. Only AFTER the assassin fired did they return fire. It is unclear who the counter sniper team was with. pic.twitter.com/7iSo6weR1x
this BBC interview with a guy outside the security perimeter who claims he saw the shooter before he fired is absolutely wild pic.twitter.com/vJpKZTxSAe
It will be hard to get questions answered through official channels. People with questions will be told: We can’t comment on an ongoing investigation. It took a while to get answers on the Uvalde shooting.
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.
Coaches get fired for months of poor play. Newspeople and politicians are more about information suppression and not asking questions.
In 2024, the press tends to support government agencies, departments and policies rather than question them.
In government, it is fully understood that people will not have access to complete information through everyday channels.
Ever hear of a Freedom of Information Act Request in sports? How about a denied FOIA request?
Ever see a pro football coach or quarterback refer reporters to his press secretary for answers? Presidents do so on a daily basis. Professionals are hired to provide only the desired version of answers to questions.
Ever see a pro football coach or quarterback refer reporters to a public information officer for answers to 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 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.
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.
They tried that during the Vietnam War. They found out they had to stop.
Last time there was a draft, children were raised by the WWII generation, in families where Mom and Dad were married to each other.
Both major US political parties may be forced to downsize their ambitions for various overseas military operations. Things are slow over at the recruiting office.
Prediction:
The breaking point will come at the US Armed Forces recruiting office.
There is no WWII generation to encourage new enlistments like there was back in the Cold War era of the 1980s.
A Fighting Spirit?
Sending The Troops to Iraq to keep the US safe – Now this:
A $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security.
Twenty years of big US Dept. of Homeland Security spending and more cartel product in Hometown, USA than ever before? What a scam.
Welcome Home Troops
Thanks for doing time/risking your ass in Iraq and Afghanistan, working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Newspeople avoid these questions:
Would the DEA be out of work if 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?
Have opioid lawsuits played any role in improving the situation?
How do cartels react to opioid lawsuits?
Has local CBP created any shortage of cartel product in the Puget Sound area?
Uncle Sam is having a hell of a time finding people to sign up for the US Armed Forces. Pretending that decades of undeclared/unwon wars are linked in any way with American freedoms is the kind of dishonesty that will snuff out the energy American families once had for encouraging young people to enlist.
Good luck with your US Armed Forces recruiting crisis.
As time goes on, American freedoms and the consumer choices we have are becoming more restricted by a combination of government and big business policies, not Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden or the next bad guy DOD will be going after in distant lands.
If The Troops defend American rights and freedoms, what becomes of those freedoms when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?
President Biden,
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?
US Troops sent to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., are somehow defending the constitution?
IfUS Troops were never sent to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., what would have become of American rights and freedoms and the US constitution?
Would any newsperson ever ask:
The US Dept. of Defense (established after WWII, in the late 1940s) has been associated with what wars won by the US?
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.
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.
The USA is a society where honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion, but the questioning and discussion rarely takes place.
Concerns here are not specific to any political party, personality or group identity.
Whatever seemed to work in the modern society of the last century was ditched to experiment with new ways of doing things some years ago. Incentives to maintain the modern society were removed.
This post is brought to you by the Old Man Blog category:
Thoughts on changes in American culture relating to those born roughly in the late 50s & early 60s.
People can choose to take or reject drug rehab, Salvation Army shelters, etc.
As in the last century, camping on the sidewalk will not be permitted. Unfortunate that moves to legalize marijuana came along around the same time that camping on the sidewalk took off.
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.
Lived all over the USA in the 80s and 90s. Was a renter for years. Never had a problem renting. Payed on time, maintained good credit, followed property rules, left the place clean, always got my damage deposit back. Could get a good reference for renting the next place.
WA during COVID:
Governor says you may not be evicted for failure to pay rent.
Killing incentives to maintain apartment complexes and homes for rent. Killing incentives to pay rent on time. Killing incentives to be a good tenant.
Love to see newspeople ask:
Have any arrangements been made to cover property owner’s costs for mortgages, taxes, repairs, maintenance, water, trash pickup, sewer, insurance, etc.
Who pays to have the apartment complex dumpster emptied if the property manager cannot collect rent?
The way I grew up, (started driving in the 70s) there were incentives related to following the rules.
Maintain current registration and insurance. Have valid registration sticker on license plate, no broken tail lights, bulbs out, etc. Avoid speeding tailgating, etc. Park legally. Pay parking/traffic tickets on time so that fines are not multiplied, etc. Get a better rate on insurance by being a good driver.
Today, enforcement on the roads has been cut back.
During the last century, there was a tradition among American families where one generation after another would do time in uniform. I went into the Marines in 1979. No controversy. No war. No thanks for your service (a good thing). The US Armed Forces were on the back burner, right where they are meant to be. Some signed up out of high school, some did not. Both choices were good. The parental generation would support doing an enlistment.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, the Pentagon seems to specialize in undeclared/unwon wars. Understandable why young people & their parents & grandparents would take a dim view on all this.
Thousands of US families have now had a loved one who did one or more tours in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Will they encourage new enlistments?
The Oak Bay Starfish Take
The US Dept. of Defense was established after WWII, in the late 1940s. DOD has a truly poor track record with 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.
Currently serving four-star officers and high level DOD civilians have been associated with what wars won by the US?
Both major US political parties may be forced to downsize their ambitions for various overseas military operations when American families no longer send the young ones to enlist and will not support a draft.
Four-star officers and high level DOD civilians built careers made of undeclared/unwon wars. Now they must mastermind ways to recruit a new generation.
Long-term closure? No chance for a quick cleanup, ongoing State Patrol enforcement, maintenance & volunteer groups to keep rest stops cleaned up and ready to go?
49 other states operate highway rest stops. If I was Governor, I would insist on picking the top 3 states that are best at running rest stops and running WA rest stops in a similar manner until further improvements could be made.
These are federal highways. Publicly funded highway safety facilities will be shut down because of misbehavior? WTF?
Uncle Sam is having a hell of a time finding people to sign up for the US Armed Forces. Pretending that decades of undeclared/unwon wars are linked in any way with American freedoms is the kind of dishonesty that will snuff out the energy American families once had for encouraging young people to enlist.
Good luck with your US Armed Forces recruiting crisis.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms- The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
Symbol of a culture that was once strong (Man On The Moon in ’69). A culture that is now weak. A culture that will yield the right of way to violators while pushing good citizens to the side & collecting big tax money all along the way.
The shooting occurred as the two men were looking for another person
“We had two individuals go into a house, without permission, looking for someone else,” Dayton said in an interview. “During the course of this back and forth, telling them to get out of the house, one of the occupants of the residence had a concealed carry license and a firearm and approached the individuals to tell them to get out of the house. One of the suspects got into a scuffle with the guy with the firearm and the weapon discharged, striking the suspect in the lower extremity.”
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.
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.
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.
Various newspapers in the Puget Sound area have gone with this trend.
Suppressing comments, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
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.
This public parking area is adjacent to where the El Matador ferry landed on the Ocean Shores side back in 2008.
Representative Nance,
What port facility on the Ocean Shores side would be suitable for the new ferry landing? When is the last time you toured this area? When is the last time you met with Ocean Shores political leaders?
Representative Nance,
Have you been over to Westport to look at a community that faces the same concerns Re: tsunami zone, global warming, sea level rise, climate crisis, king tides, coastal erosion, El Niño/La Niña, winter storms and did not let any of that get in the way of keeping things maintained on their working waterfront?
Representative Nance,
When and why was a decision made to turn away from maintaining the 1916 jetty adjacent to public parking areas at Damon Point?
Representative Nance,
Were you aware that $6.3 million in federal cash went for a used Ocean Shores hotel in late 2022?
Were Washington State lawmakers consulted prior to this deal going through?
Unlike many cities of its size, Port Angeles maintains a significant Homeland Security/CBP/Border Patrol presence.
Are newspeople forbidden to ask questions related to Port Angeles Homeland Security funding and performance?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
New Port Angeles USBP Station opened more than a decade ago. Has the new station been able to prevent cartel drugs from entering the Olympic Peninsula?
Newspeople remain silent.
After a Port Angeles CBP buildup that took place more than a decade ago, is there any follow up made by the press to inform the public on whatever results have been achieved?
If you run a government operation-these are the reporters you want to see on interview day:
When is the last time the Port Angeles Border Patrol made an arrest linked in any way to the US/Canada border?
Has massing US Border Patrol agents at the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca played any role in reducing Clallam County drug overdose numbers?
Have opioid lawsuits played any role in improving the situation?
How do cartels react to opioid lawsuits?
Are passports/enhanced/REAL IDs effective in keeping cartel drugs out of the US?
Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009.
When is the last time the Port Angeles Border Patrol made any seizure that kept any amount of fentanyl, heroin or any opioid from entering Clallam County?
Were Clallam County drug overdose death numbers higher before the US Dept. of Homeland Security was established (2002) or are the numbers higher with a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security in place? This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US. More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
Urban legend: The US Border Patrol stopped the Millennium Bomber at Port Angeles-
Ahmed Ressam was captured at the traditional port of entry at Port Angeles by Customs Inspectors wearing blue uniforms- not by Border Patrol Agents wearing green uniforms.
“…he debarked from the MV Coho ferry driving a rental car filled with highly-volatile explosives.”
How many US Border Patrol agents were stationed at Port Angeles in 1999?
Pre-911 staffing levels got the job done.
Love to see newspeople out asking questions.
What we get now is sort of a press release style of news reporting where 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.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free 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.
Various newspapers in the Puget Sound area have gone with this trend.
Suppressing comments, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
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.
Nick Shirley did a good job here, making the rounds and gathering content on what people wanted to say. There were people who shied away from questions here. In my view: If you are out to attract attention to a message or your cause- mission accomplished when someone takes notice and asks about it in a neutral way. This is your moment to deliver a free advertisement for yourself and your message.
This blog is not about any specific news event or development in distant lands. This blog is about the general trend of newspeople not asking questions over the past 30 years or so.
Love to see the US mainstream press show some initiative and curiosity in asking questions.
The US could use more questions coming from small and large newspapers, and from TV newspeople.
Some suggestions on where to start:
Today – Mainstream US media functions like paid actors reading a script.
Americans do not live in a free and honest society when the mainstream media functions like paid actors reading a script:
Would any newsperson ever 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?
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.
Are newspeople forbidden to ask questions related to Homeland Security funding and performance?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
New Port Angeles USBP Station opened more than a decade ago. Has the new station been able to prevent cartel drugs from entering the Olympic Peninsula?
Newspeople remain silent.
If you run a government operation-these are the reporters you want to see on interview day:
More Than A Decade Of Efforts To Take Control
Unlike many cities of its size, Port Angeles, WA maintains a significant Homeland Security/CBP/Border Patrol presence.
2011 – Operation Macho Swagger & Port Angeles Heroin
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs personnel during Operation Macho Swagger– a ride-along to let us know what is being done to keep the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca safe from B.C. incursions.
“His division, located at the Port of Port Angeles’ industrial park near William R. Fairchild International Airport, has patrolled the North Olympic Peninsula for less than three years, beginning with him, another supervisor and three new agents, while the Border Patrol staff increased more than sixfold from 2006 to 2010.”
Information Suppression:
“Customs and Border Protection has refused to release arrest statistics for the North Olympic Peninsula that might be a factor in justifying the increase.”
“The Border Patrol celebrated the grand opening of its fenced, sprawling headquarters, an expanded facility for its 42 agents, to the plaintive strains of a bagpipe and an appreciative reaction from a crowd of invitation-only guests.”
“The federal government paid the Eagles Aerie $2.1 million for the land and spent $9.8 million renovating the building.”
“The agency’s agents, who cover Clallam and Jefferson counties and whose territory ranges down to the Columbia River in Oregon, began moving into the 19,000-square-foot facility July 27.”
“A Border Patrol agent who was asked about the proceedings referred questions to the agency’s public affairs office.”
Today
After a Port Angeles CBP buildup that took place more than a decade ago, is there any follow up made by the press to inform the public on whatever results have been achieved? Any interviews with top level CBP personnel or elected officials?
Zero questions from small or large newspapers? Zero questions from TV newspeople?
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
Image above:
