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Bob Woodward

Truth in Peril: Trump Fawkes Day

September 27, 2021
by Peter Feinman
Britain Celebrates Guy Fawkes Day by Burning Trump in Effigy (www.express.co.uk)

Last January 3, I wrote a blog about political thrillers. This genre perhaps peaked in the 1960s during the height or depths of the Cold War (World War III). They were stories of intrigue and deception as people battled for power at a time when the very existence of the world was at stake.

I wrote this blog due to the circumstances as I understood them on January 3. The Hitman (not yet known by that name) was trying to steal the election. In a few short days he would seek to overthrow the Constitution. I did not know that at the time. Since then I have learned a lot especially in the past two weeks as more and more information has become available. Undoubtedly we will learn even more. It is mindboggling how close his attempt to steal the election came to succeeding and how little consequences there have been for that effort.

TRUMP DAY, OUR GUY FAWKES DAY

America now has its own Guy Fawkes Day. The original holiday occurred on November 5, 1605, when Catholics in England sought to blow up Parliament, the Houses of Lords and Commons, as it was called into session. The intention was to spark a revolt against the Protestant state and restore the true Catholic monarchy to power. Spoiler alert: the effort failed.

Guy Fawkes and his confederates were captured, tried for treason, convicted, and hanged. In 1606, Parliament designated November 5 as Guy Fawkes Day in remembrance of the Catholic attempt to overthrow the government.  The holiday continues to this very day but in a more genteel fashion. It is a day of family, friends, and fireworks plus the hanging of Guy Fawkes in effigy. Sometimes the British even burn effigies of Donald Trump on that day. When January 6 becomes Trump Day in the United States, then he will be burned in effigy here. One should keep in mind, however, that while Guy Fawkes failed, the battle to overthrow the Constitution continues and its outcome is uncertain.

THE HOUSE COMMITTEE

Before January 6 can become Trump Day, the House Committee investigating the Hitman’s attempt to steal the election has to complete its task. In some ways its job as been made much easier. Bob Woodward and Bob Costa have investigated the attempted takeover and published their findings. If the Committee simply documents those findings as a matter of law, it would be sufficient to convict the Hitman and his confederates.

We now know the six-point plan for the Vice President to overthrow the election results on January 6. He was castigated by the Hitman for not doing what needed to be done. At the time, we did not know that he had been tasked by this plan to take specific actions. We can look forward to the two of them testifying under the oath about the plan.

We now know that the Trump campaign knew the charges of election fraud were bogus. More testimony to come.

The first round of subpoenas has been issued to the key confederates of the Hitman. Of course they will resist testifying. When finally forced to testify they will all suffer from memory loss and plead the 5th. They also know that they will be charged with crimes in the final report.

The same sequence applies to a future round of subpoenas to members of Congress who helped foment the January 6 assault on America and the attempt to steal the election.

The same sequence applies to a future subpoena of the Hitman himself.

One should not ignore the political consequences to these actions by the House Committee. Besides the legal jeopardy there is a political one. The Committee knows that it has to complete its work before the next Congressional session. There is too great a risk that the Trumpicans will seize power in House and disband the Committee. The report also needs to be completed prior to the commencement of the 2022 Midterm Congressional campaign. These calculations mean that in less than one year a House Committee will have issued a report calling for the indictment of the former President of the United States, sitting members of Congress, and others for their role in the attempt to steal the election and overthrow the Constitution.

Think about what that means. In September 2022, a criminal case in New York involving the Trump organization and perhaps the Hitman himself will be underway. The DOJ will be mulling over what to do in response to the report it just received from the House Committee. Does it indict the individuals immediately, meaning before the election, does it wait until after the election, or does it do nothing? We will not know until it happens. However we can easily anticipate what will happen if the DOJ indicts the Hitman and seeks to arrest him just as the Congressional elections begin.

THE CIVIL WAR

For several years now, I have been writing about the Third Civil War in the United States. I have expressed doubt that by the time of the 250th birthday of the country that it will still exist in the same configuration it does today. By employing the Civil War term and not just culture wars, I was referring to the violence which will occur as part of this process.

Initially, I expected the 2020 Presidential election as the time when the war would break out. To some extent January 6 falls in that category but like Guy Fawkes Day it did not spark a revolt. However it did spark an outpouring of legislative actions designed to prevent the reelection of Joe Biden and to guarantee the election of the 2020 loser. Also there has developed a widespread conviction among Trumpicans that the election was in fact stolen. Nothing, including the farcical Arizona “forensic” audit can sway them from their deeply held beliefs. In this regard the situation is much like the religious war circumstances of the original Guy Fawkes Day.

So what will Trumpicans do if their Lord and Savior, the Chosen One, Blessed Be his Name, Say Hallelujah, is charged, indicted, and taken into custody about one year from now? The civil war eruption now scheduled for the 2024 Presidential election may then be pushed up to the 2022 indictment. Any attempt to hold the Hitman responsible to for January 6 and the attempt to steal the election is likely to trigger a violent response.

People more and more are finally accepting the reality that we are two houses divided that cannot stand together as one. The language on talk shows, the op-ed pieces, and the speeches more and more express the reality that the talk of the civil war is not just talk. It is a question of when and not if. The release of the House Committee report may be the catalyst for that violence over two years before the Presidential election. It may determine if the Hitman even can be a candidate in 2024. If the United States prevails, then January 6 will become Trump Day, the American equivalent of Guy Fawkes Day. If Trumpicans prevail, then January 6 will become the new July 4th for the United States of Trump.

Suppose the New York Times and Anonymous Already Plan on Going Public

September 7, 2018
by Peter Feinman
Another Delivery to the New York Times

Suppose the New York Times and Anonymous already plan on going public. In the past 24-hours or so, I have heard a great many people on radio and TV and I have read articles in print and on the web about Anonymous. One common comment is “Why now?” Another relates to how does this op-ed piece advance the cause to which Anonymous aspires. The follow-up thought declares that its publication makes no difference, causes no change, solves no problem…unless simply ticking off the impulsive child President was the goal.

At the same time, Anonymous is referred to a senior administration official in the singular. One possibility floated about is that Anonymous has military/security/diplomatic experience.

Let’s follow through on that supposition. People with that kind of experience make plans. They consider different scenarios. They ponder alternatives. They anticipate reactions. Is it possible that the New York Times and Anonymous never considered what would happen after the publication? We know they were aware of the possibility of being fired but did it ever occur to them that the identity of Anonymous would not remain a secret for long? Did they expect that everything would go back to normal after Hurricane Anonymous passed?

It seems more likely, that they anticipated the disclosure of the identity of Anonymous and decided to take control of the situation. After all, isn’t that what you expect if Anonymous had military background? We can see that deceptiveness is in the author’s toolkit. The use of the word “lodestar” is not a clue to author’s identity…except showing a familiarity with Mike Pence’s vocabulary. The Capital’s biggest brown nose is on a mission from God to become President. There are no circumstances under which he could be Anonymous.

The delay in announcing the identity of Anonymous is deliberate. It is a set up. It provides an opportunity for people to go on record in response to the op-ed piece. It provides an opportunity to prove the claims in the op-ed piece are true. It provides an opportunity to nail people to the wall and hang them out to dry once they have publicly responded.

Let’s consider the reactions of the target President, Congressional Republicans, and Fox.

As expected, the impulsive immature child was in full volcanic mode. There is nothing new there. What is interesting to observe is his choice of words to condemn the action. He called it “TREASONOUS.” One can be a traitor to one’s country. Even the person who thinks Canada burned the White House and Lincoln was a Democrat probably has heard of Benedict Arnold. Treasonous acts do threaten the national security, should be investigated, and should be punished. However, the narcissist is defining treason in terms of himself and not his country. Again, there should be no surprise there. But it substantiates the claims made about his amoral lack of values.

Between Woodward and Anonymous, he is in full form. He is an A+ president, doing a great job, possibly the greatest job ever by an American President. He anticipates a red wave. His polling numbers are great. No one can touch him in 2020. No doubt, Republicans, who, like the Chinese, only get their news from one source, the government-authorized propaganda media, agree. Anyone who reports otherwise is the enemy of the people engaging in FAKE NEWS.

Suppose the very stable genius is wrong about the red wave. Suppose the Democrats win control of the House. Suppose the Democrats act on that basis and investigate all the items on the Republican hit list of potential problems where they are at risk. Will the President honor the election results? If a blue wave puts Democrats in charge will the President of the United States honor the results or will he demand a full investigation into the rigged results?

Suppose the very stable genius is wrong about 2020 (assuming he is still in office and chooses to run again)? Will the President honor the election results? Will the President leave the White House voluntarily? Will he demand a full investigation into the rigged results? Will he remain in the White House until the investigation by his Attorney General (not a stupid Southerner)is completed? (Can he go without playing golf for that long?)

Our A+ President who is doing a great job can’t be subpoenaed, can’t be impeached, and can’t be voted out of office.

If Anonymous (and Woodward’s) goal was to expose the truth, getting his reactions has been priceless.

Turning now to the Congressional Republicans, the response to Anonymous is not surprising. They couldn’t care less about the merits of what Anonymous wrote. Their only interest is to punish Anonymous. This reaction confirms my longstanding belief that when the little boy exclaimed that the Emperor was naked, he would immediately be stomped to death by an enraged mob that didn’t want to know the truth.

Finally, there is Fox News. Fox has been hyperventilating about the Deep State subverter of the vote of the American people. They don’t care about the Russian violation of that vote. They do care about how the duly-elected President is being thwarted by unelected people who think they know better than the American people what should be done. Fox vehemently castigates the White House Resistance (plural) who put their judgment over that of the We the People. One almost gets the impression that Fox considers Anonymous and the Resistance to consist of Democrats, holdovers from the Obama administration.

Now let’s return to the original suggestion: suppose the New York Times and Anonymous already plan on going public. Imagine if Anonymous is a composite. Imagine if multiple people contributed to its writing. No one would be trumping if they denied writing it since no one person did write it. Now imagine say, H. R. McMasters, John Kelly, and James Mattis, as military hero John McCain was dying, finally saying, “enough is enough.” Suppose the career military officers who have been repeatedly humiliated by the ignorant 5th grader decided that they had had it. Suppose these people decide to go public and expose Crazytown. Suppose these people decided to set up Congressional Republicans as ballless and Fox as brainless. Suppose these people publicly sited chapter and verse documenting that the incumbent President lacks the emotional maturity, knowledge, and character to hold that position and that he should be removed from office as soon as possible. Then what?

It’s not Seven Days in May. It’s not Dr. Strangelove. But it’s not General McArthur either.

Obviously I am speculating but it is unreasonable to assume that Anonymous is a one-act event. There’s more to come.