Monthly Archives: July 2020

The Greatest Diversion Ever!

Published / by Lee Kessler / 1 Comment on The Greatest Diversion Ever!

Hey, Director John Brennan, the “Bloodhound” is closing in now. The world may have been distracted by the China virus–a very real-world, real-threat situation. It may have been distracted by America burning, and the seemingly relentless nights of anarchy and violence in the name of social justice.

People are struggling to wrap their wits around something that is supposed to be peaceful, righteous, and motivated toward an end of equal justice, when their cities and streets explode with Molotov cocktails, broken glass, shattered statues, vandalism, theft, physical assault, and even murder. Unless one is brain dead or a sociopath, the words “social justice” and this mayhem don’t jive.

But, it sure has created a diversion for you and your cohorts to elude a true American “equal justice under the law.” Media eyes are on explosions and blood. America’s eyes are on the same. That is a great military strategy to provide cover, and potential escape.

“The Bloodhound,” however, has never taken his eyes off from you.

My friends, daily now for some time, declassified material–actual documents, notes, sworn testimony, government files–have been released to the public for you to read and understand the reality of an attempted coup. Yes, that is what it will likely be called. A conspiracy to overthrow a duly elected President of the United States. You were more than misled, my fellow Americans. You were outright lied to and deceived.

Now, that is a scandal. That is a crisis. These other “distractions”–albeit mighty ones–will pass. And if you truly love your country and freedom, you should be more than just dismissive or disdainful of this, more than just mildly interested in it. You should feel your hair stand up on end, and you should have trouble sleeping at night.

Because, while we all have sacrificed for our fellow countrymen in order to save lives, while we all have maintained extraordinary restraint in the face of nightly bullying by rampaging mobs, a group of men and women tried to steal your government.

They are still trying. Their names are all known now. I have been writing about them for two years to get you prepared for the reality of what you are about to have to face. The Media may not want to cover it. They long ago ceased to be News, and have turned into social activists and political activists. One established and renowned journalistic empire will likely be listed among the people who advanced the coup. You may want to deny it, and drive yourself batty in doing so. But, when these documents start showing up in a court of law–criminal and civil– as evidence, and juries are being selected, and the prosecutors or plaintiffs open their case, it is going to become staggeringly real to you.

No longer a parlor game, or material for Twitter wars, and the rantings of uninformed celebrities and politicians as they dismiss facts and embrace “anonymous” gossip, this is going to be VERY REAL.

‘The Bloodhound”, as I like to refer to him, has likely found evidence and connected dots in the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, the Ukraine, possibly Russia, and sadly the good ol’ USA–in the Media, Government Agencies like the State Department, the Justice Department, possibly the Defense Department, and the Treasury Department, and in the halls of Congress.

We’ve stood up to Covid-19. We are standing up to anarchists masquerading as saints. We will stand up to this.

Once, more than two years ago, you, Mr. Brennan, looked straight into the camera and threatened the President of the United States. Well, it’s your turn now, sir. Truth has a way of surfacing. And traitors have a way of turning on each other. Your words, “Stay tuned…” have boomeranged on you. These diversions will no longer divert the eyes of justice. They will no longer provide you “cover.” Stay tuned…

How Did CNN & MSNBC Miss This?

Published / by Lee Kessler / Leave a Comment

Yesterday, a bombshell dropped that rocked the Fourth Estate that seems to feel they are our guardians and masters. Many news agencies did cover this, because to fail to cover it would be dereliction of duty. Yet CNN and MSNBC avoided it. And in doing so, misled all of their viewers by withholding something of significance, and worthy of thought.

Bari Weiss, the Opinion Editor for the New York Times, resigned yesterday. Below is the letter she sent to the head of the Times, explaining her decision to leave. Any fair-minded person will want to read this. You CNN fans and MSNBC fans should ask them why this story just didn’t warrant their attention.


Dear A.G.,

It is with sadness that I write to tell you that I am resigning from The New York Times. 

I joined the paper with gratitude and optimism three years ago. I was hired with the goal of bringing in voices that would not otherwise appear in your pages: first-time writers, centrists, conservatives and others who would not naturally think of The Times as their home. The reason for this effort was clear: The paper’s failure to anticipate the outcome of the 2016 election meant that it didn’t have a firm grasp of the country it covers. Dean Baquet and others have admitted as much on various occasions. The priority in Opinion was to help redress that critical shortcoming.

I was honored to be part of that effort, led by James Bennet. I am proud of my work as a writer and as an editor. Among those I helped bring to our pages: the Venezuelan dissident Wuilly Arteaga; the Iranian chess champion Dorsa Derakhshani; and the Hong Kong Christian democrat Derek Lam. Also: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Masih Alinejad, Zaina Arafat, Elna Baker, Rachael Denhollander, Matti Friedman, Nick Gillespie, Heather Heying, Randall Kennedy, Julius Krein, Monica Lewinsky, Glenn Loury, Jesse Singal, Ali Soufan, Chloe Valdary, Thomas Chatterton Williams, Wesley Yang, and many others.

But the lessons that ought to have followed the election—lessons about the importance of understanding other Americans, the necessity of resisting tribalism, and the centrality of the free exchange of ideas to a democratic society—have not been learned. Instead, a new consensus has emerged in the press, but perhaps especially at this paper: that truth isn’t a process of collective discovery, but an orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few whose job is to inform everyone else.

Twitter is not on the masthead of The New York Times. But Twitter has become its ultimate editor. As the ethics and mores of that platform have become those of the paper, the paper itself has increasingly become a kind of performance space. Stories are chosen and told in a way to satisfy the narrowest of audiences, rather than to allow a curious public to read about the world and then draw their own conclusions.I was always taught that journalists were charged with writing the first rough draft of history. Now, history itself is one more ephemeral thing molded to fit the needs of a predetermined narrative.

My own forays into Wrongthink have made me the subject of constant bullying by colleagues who disagree with my views. They have called me a Nazi and a racist; I have learned to brush off comments about how I’m “writing about the Jews again.” Several colleagues perceived to be friendly with me were badgered by coworkers. My work and my character are openly demeaned on company-wide Slack channels where masthead editors regularly weigh in. There, some coworkers insist I need to be rooted out if this company is to be a truly “inclusive” one, while others post ax emojis next to my name. Still other New York Times employees publicly smear me as a liar and a bigot on Twitter with no fear that harassing me will be met with appropriate action. They never are.

There are terms for all of this: unlawful discrimination, hostile work environment, and constructive discharge. I’m no legal expert. But I know that this is wrong. 

I do not understand how you have allowed this kind of behavior to go on inside your company in full view of the paper’s entire staff and the public. And I certainly can’t square how you and other Times leaders have stood by while simultaneously praising me in private for my courage. Showing up for work as a centrist at an American newspaper should not require bravery.

Part of me wishes I could say that my experience was unique. But the truth is that intellectual curiosity—let alone risk-taking—is now a liability at The Times. Why edit something challenging to our readers, or write something bold only to go through the numbing process of making it ideologically kosher, when we can assure ourselves of job security (and clicks) by publishing our 4000th op-ed arguing that Donald Trump is a unique danger to the country and the world? And so self-censorship has become the norm.

What rules that remain at The Times are applied with extreme selectivity. If a person’s ideology is in keeping with the new orthodoxy, they and their work remain unscrutinized. Everyone else lives in fear of the digital thunderdome. Online venom is excused so long as it is directed at the proper targets. 

Op-eds that would have easily been published just two years ago would now get an editor or a writer in serious trouble, if not fired. If a piece is perceived as likely to inspire backlash internally or on social media, the editor or writer avoids pitching it. If she feels strongly enough to suggest it, she is quickly steered to safer ground. And if, every now and then, she succeeds in getting a piece published that does not explicitly promote progressive causes, it happens only after every line is carefully massaged, negotiated and caveated.

It took the paper two days and two jobs to say that the Tom Cotton op-ed “fell short of our standards.” We attached an editor’s note on a travel story about Jaffa shortly after it was published because it “failed to touch on important aspects of Jaffa’s makeup and its history.” But there is still none appended to Cheryl Strayed’s fawning interview with the writer Alice Walker, a proud anti-Semite who believes in lizard Illuminati. 

The paper of record is, more and more, the record of those living in a distant galaxy, one whose concerns are profoundly removed from the lives of most people. This is a galaxy in which, to choose just a few recent examples, the Soviet space program is lauded for its “diversity”; the doxxing of teenagers in the name of justice is condoned; and the worst caste systems in human history includes the United States alongside Nazi Germany.

Even now, I am confident that most people at The Times do not hold these views. Yet they are cowed by those who do. Why? Perhaps because they believe the ultimate goal is righteous. Perhaps because they believe that they will be granted protection if they nod along as the coin of our realm—language—is degraded in service to an ever-shifting laundry list of right causes. Perhaps because there are millions of unemployed people in this country and they feel lucky to have a job in a contracting industry. 

Or perhaps it is because they know that, nowadays, standing up for principle at the paper does not win plaudits. It puts a target on your back. Too wise to post on Slack, they write to me privately about the “new McCarthyism” that has taken root at the paper of record.

All this bodes ill, especially for independent-minded young writers and editors paying close attention to what they’ll have to do to advance in their careers. Rule One: Speak your mind at your own peril. Rule Two: Never risk commissioning a story that goes against the narrative. Rule Three: Never believe an editor or publisher who urges you to go against the grain. Eventually, the publisher will cave to the mob, the editor will get fired or reassigned, and you’ll be hung out to dry.

For these young writers and editors, there is one consolation. As places like The Times and other once-great journalistic institutions betray their standards and lose sight of their principles, Americans still hunger for news that is accurate, opinions that are vital, and debate that is sincere. I hear from these people every day. “An independent press is not a liberal ideal or a progressive ideal or a democratic ideal. It’s an American ideal,” you said a few years ago. I couldn’t agree more. America is a great country that deserves a great newspaper. 

None of this means that some of the most talented journalists in the world don’t still labor for this newspaper. They do, which is what makes the illiberal environment especially heartbreaking. I will be, as ever, a dedicated reader of their work. But I can no longer do the work that you brought me here to do—the work that Adolph Ochs described in that famous 1896 statement: “to make of the columns of The New York Times a forum for the consideration of all questions of public importance, and to that end to invite intelligent discussion from all shades of opinion.”

Ochs’s idea is one of the best I’ve encountered. And I’ve always comforted myself with the notion that the best ideas win out. But ideas cannot win on their own. They need a voice. They need a hearing. Above all, they must be backed by people willing to live by them. 

Sincerely,

Bari

Leo Terrell

Published / by Lee Kessler / Leave a Comment

Some years back when I was living in Los Angeles, I heard a liberal black civil rights attorney being interviewed about some case, and the journalist wanted him to weigh in.

I had heard his name before, and knew he was a prominent trial attorney, specializing in civil rights cases, and also a talk radio host. So, I listened. Now, understand that Leo Terrell and I would not likely agree on much–or so I thought. But, I remember distinctly saying to myself, “Well, if I ever get into trouble and need an attorney, I would want Leo Terrell to defend me!”

The reason? His obvious passion, which I felt however was accompanied by a keen intellect, and knowledge of the law. But, more important, I felt he had a strong personal integrity. He was who he appeared to be. He yelled a lot, but he was no self-serving faker. His emotion was not righteous indignation whipped up to get camera time. I felt it was true “righteous indignation.” Whatever the issue, I sensed he believed every word he was saying, and that he would stand behind his words.

Bottom line, I trusted him, even if I did not particularly like him. His style is so very different from my own. His politics so very different from my own. The world he operates in so very different from my own.

Yet, still, he is the one oddly enough I felt could best represent me, if I needed a fierce and compassionate advocate. Fortunately, I have not needed Leo Terrell’s services.

But, today, our nation needs him. So, my friends, if you want to know about Black Lives Matter–who they really are, and what they are really doing–I am going to direct you to Leo Terrell. I will let him do my talking for me. And I will let him tell you how he feels about the men and women in blue–the 98 percent. He has dealt with them for decades.

This way, you can’t dismiss the information as the misguided prattle of a “white privileged, systemically racist” veteran actress and author. (Just a little ironic humor there.) You, too, may find that you have a lot more in common with Leo Terrell than you ever dreamed–especially if you are principled and consistent. Most especially if you know your history.

They’re Back!!

Published / by Lee Kessler / 3 Comments on They’re Back!!

It is the 4th of July, a day of celebration. This is my Independence Day message. Please take heed.

In the late ’60’s I first encountered these folks on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, Madison. While on a fellowship there to receive my MA and PHD if desired, I was an eager and naive young woman from a Christian college in Pennsylvania. I had no idea I was about to come face to face with violent Marxist anarchists.

For you younger folks, this was the height of the Viet Nam War era, and the massive protests against it. Our right to assemble and peaceably protest is part of the First Amendment. Cherish it, but use it wisely. Never let anyone hijack your righteous cause, and exploit it for their less-than-righteous one.

One day, without any warning, a chair came crashing through a plate glass window, dropping a huge sheet of glass mere inches in front of my leg, as I sat in a classroom. I had no idea who the marauders in the hallways were who were vandalizing the building, and jeopardizing the well-being of their supposedly-fellow students. No one seemed to care about what almost happened to me. But, I did. I was an inch away from losing a leg.

In the ensuing weeks and months, Madison, Wisconsin became the most violent campus in America, even surpassing the highly-publicized Berkeley campus. National Guard was called in, and we were under martial law for most of the time I took my degree.

Madison is a state capital, and the rioting, vandalism, looting, and eventually arson spread like a conflagration from the campus, down the main boulevard, to the Capitol building. The damage was so frequent that storekeepers eventually gave up trying to protect their windows and property, and simply boarded up.

Police engagements with rioters were constant and violent. Teargassing was a regular part of my daily walk home from campus to my apartment building. Many a night I risked harm, even from the police, as I violated curfew, walking from theater rehearsals late at night. My naivety was such that I felt that since I was not doing any harm, and since I had come there to get my degree and get on with my life, it would be OK to be out.

One night watching a massive protest march, it was crystal clear to me that, though the students were in the fray with their concerns about the War, they were being egged on and organized into criminal activities by individuals who did not belong on that campus. The agitators escaped the police; the students did not.

Violence tends to escalate like a pandemic unless it is put down. Bombings began. The Krogers market next door to my building was firebombed so artfully that it was gone before the Fire Department got its first truck out. And, the Fire Department was right next door to it! I knew then that these were professional bombers and arsonists–masquerading as concerned citizens who were revulsed by the loss of life in Viet Nam. The issue was real. The issue was valid. But, their agenda was anarchy and power. ( I saw the same type of fire-bombing by the way in the Los Angeles riots after the Rodney King verdict.)

The group, I came to learn, was the Weather Underground. The SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) were like a perverted sister organization. Their game was hatred, violence, and destruction. Their motive: to destroy the existing order of things and replace it with their vision. They graduated into bombing government buildings, banks, and academic institutions.

Sound familiar, my friends? It should. Like predatory grandchildren of anti-American radicals from the past, today’s destroyers carry the name of Antifa, and who knows what else. You will recognize them by their hatred, their desire to tear down, but no real workable solutions. And they prey always upon the goodness of Americans who when they see injustice try to right it. When they see a wrong, they try to fix it. They will infiltrate your legitimate causes. It is their modus operandi.

Sadly, no one speaks of George Floyd anymore. Have you noticed? The man whose death could have triggered legitimate reform and unity, is obscured by those who hate. And make no mistake, my Democrat and Independent friends, they hate you too. It is not a party thing. It is a power thing.

Seizing on the emotions of the moment, anarchists egged on Black Lives Matter, and between the two of them, they have caused chaos in America today. Hijacking a legitimate cause, and using it to gain your empathy and contribution, is their tactic always. They need you to hide behind. These killer professionals know that if they use language that appeals to your innate sense of compassion and high ideals, they can gain your attention, and eventually your complicity.

But they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and no good comes of their escapades. They will burn your home too. They will destroy the memory of abolitionist troops and statesmen alike–in the name of racial justice. And, they are counting on your ignorance of history.

Most of today’s agitators are a new generation. Different grievance, different justification for their criminal acts. But, always the same motive: to sow dissent and division, to tear down, to destabilize, and to extort from you whatever they demand. Their game is fear, which they know will paralyze you. I have been told by people too many to count that they are not flying the American flag today out of fear of reprisal!

You need to know that two people–the founders of the Weather Underground–are still here. They took a plea and paid their debt to society years ago, yet they remain to this day unrepentant for what they did.

Their names are Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. I was victimized by their hellacious tactics back in the day, and you are being victimized by them and their philosophy again today. They’re back! With a new army of thugs! Are they themselves on the streets or war-rooming the simultaneous attacks around the country? I doubt it.

Today’s organizers have learned from them, however. From what they wrote, and what they did. You might want to read what they wrote. It might help you defend yourselves psychologically–and even physically–against their admittedly effective tactics.

Just know that we have faced this before, that the issues may carry different characters’ names and have different story lines, but it is the “same crew.” Those who wish to tear down this nation may change their underwear and their hairstyles, but never their agenda.

Be alert, and know that THEY ARE BACK! ONLY THIS TIME THEY ARE NOT COMING FOR THE SUPERMARKET NEXT DOOR, THEY ARE COMING FOR YOUR MIND. YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO NAIVELY DO THEIR WORK FOR THEM.

We Americans are a good people, and we have built an ever-improving country. We are better today than we were 50 years ago. Better than we were 150 years ago, and better than 250 years ago. We learn from our past. Don’t let anyone take your past from you, no matter what that past was.

Last, be wary of anyone who wants to whip up your emotions and send you out in a stimulus-response mob to “do something.” That, my friends, is a modern-day lynch mob. Thoughtless, raw emotion, directed toward violence, which overrides your reason. Ironic, isn’t it? In the name of black lives, we are “reverse lynching.”

We quelled this in my generation. Now, you will have to do it in yours.

Though I am not a fan of Wikipedia, you will find some interesting reading on the Weather Underground. Read “Prairie Fire: the Politics of Revolutionary Anti-Imperialism” which was their manifesto. Its tenants should cause your skin to crawl, since you hear the same chants (white privilege), and verbiage today. Catchy title, isn’t it? Make sure you note the use of “Prairie Fire.” Look that word up!

While we slumber, in our blissful ignorance of even recent history, today’s mob leaders have been studying diligently–obtaining their PHD in Anarchy and Subversion.