MAGA Bombs & Midterms

Yesterday morning, several explosive devices were sent via mail and courier delivery to prominent liberal personalities - many of us have been following the news on this. The homes of former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as the homes of sitting members of congress Maxine Waters and Debbie W. Schultz were targeted. None of the explosives were detonated, fortunately, but this heinous crime has been circulated and heavily speculated-on for the past 24 hours - let's see what we know so far.

Since Monday night, 5+ packages have been intercepted by Secret Service and law enforcement - confirming that each one contained a live explosive, most in the form of a "pipe bomb". CNN headquarters also received a device, leading to the complete evacuation of their New York offices. These acts of domestic terrorism highlight a dangerous time in American politics - especially in regard to free press and ideological conflicts.

Many of us can remember the immediate effects of 9/11: patriotism, uniformity, and togetherness. When terror strikes today, social media has helped influence the dark side of tragedy - lunacy and unhinged finger-pointing. With social media allowing instantaneous communication, like-minded individuals can form a plot and narrative before the story even gains traction. Today, the attempted bombings are labelled as left-wing false-flag conspiracies, implemented to influence voters before the midterms elections in 12 days. False-flag drills certainly have occurred in the past, but the reactionary finger-pointing of the left & right has made a potential act of terrorism against ALL Americans into another divisive milestone towards a cold civil war.

                                                            

Saudi Friends without the R

Saudi Arabia, one of our nation's strongest allies, has been under severe scrutiny this week - for notably good reason. Weeks ago, Saudi journalist and American resident Jamal Khashoggi was reported missing; bringing a wave of speculation of murder, kidnapping, and overall foul-play. Speculation seems to have been warranted because this morning, Turkish officials claim to have evidence that the journalist was murdered (and dismembered) at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Officials from the Saudi regime have claimed no wrongdoing; however, the royal family has been found guilty of involvement in supporting dictatorial actions and even terror attacks worldwide (including 9/11). Needless to say, the veil of innocence has been lifted from in-front of the Arabian peninsula - the atrocities committed have been exposed with modern-day mass media coverage. Social media has been firing off the extensive stories and hearsay that has circulated in the past week - American senators, foreign leaders, and human rights' activists have been shining a very, very bright light on Saudi Arabia.

The Arabians are anything but clean; the funding of terrorism throughout the world is bad enough, but the regime remains a friend/business-partner to the U.S. and needs to be examined. Trump - the king of fake news - has stated that no arms agreements will be stopped and that the Saudis are "beautiful friends". Over the next few weeks, mass media will certainly play a deciding factor in world politics with the death of Khashoggi and any subsequent action/inaction.

protester depicting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman

                                               

Will Kavanaugh be on SCOTUS?

The Supreme Court of the United States is one of the most prestigious positions in our democracy - the weight of duty is a heavy burden on the Justices who sit on the court. As many are aware, President Trump's nomination, Brett Kavanaugh, was accused earlier this month of sexual misconduct against Dr. Christine Ford. After an emotional hearing and a subsequent FBI investigation, the investigative unit has found no evidence alluding to the allegations against Kav. The confirmation will remain, and the Senate is expected to take a vote next week - but the overwhelming factor of media coverage has changed the stakes. Will Kavanaugh be confirmed?

Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites have been a firestorm of political banter this week. The startling allegations against Judge Kav have created a conversation about sexual abuse and misconduct - the argument between left and right isn't weighted with fact, but rather sheer propaganda and emotion.

To be clear, I'm not insinuating that Ford's allegation was a hit-piece or that Kav is lying his pants off in order to win the seat - I'm saying the opposing sides of the discussion have used social media effectively to promote their view; VERY effectively. The #metoo movement has accumulated in a firestorm over Sen. Lindsey Graham's comments about Kavanaugh and Trump's mocking of Ford in a Mississippi rally - valid concerns for a call for basic human dignity from elected officials. On the other side, Republicans are saying that Ford lied and knew she was lying, and her use of media to share her story was solely to incriminate Kavanaugh. It has been a sheer whirlwind of political theater in the past week - thanks to Twitter and Facebook's expert political scientists (sarcasm).

Will Kavanaugh be confirmed? It's increasingly difficult to say; on one hand, there is substantial evidence that he lied to the committee - perjury. On the other hand, the FBI probe concluded he was innocent of the charges. In the end, I believe the Senate will confirm Kav. with great push-back from their constituents; which may see a large swing in November towards Democratic seats in Congress.