With two exceptions, Congress Betrays the American People – Again
by Renee Parsons
While predominately Democratic states appear to be in more of a lockdown, millions of Americans continue to dutifully hunker down in a ‘medical’ martial law. The full realization of the effects of the coronavirus has only just begun to impact their reality with major economic or health reversals. Yet, ahead lies the discovery that the US will not be the same country it was prior to COVID-19, this reality has not yet dawned on many.
Nothing about this catastrophe has, in any way, limited the US Congress, once thought to be subservient to the will of We the People, from wasting any time adopting the most massive $2.2 Trillion ‘emergency’ Stimulus Giveaway (HR 6074) in American history – within a matter of days.
Citing the exploitation of the coronavirus event as rationale for what never could have otherwise been accomplished, former MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan called the giveaway an “abomination beyond comprehension…using taxpayer money to strangle taxpayers while calling it a bailout for taxpayers.” The full extent of the 2,232 page Great Corporate Financial and Power Consolidation will be recognized only after the money has been doled out. It remains to be seen exactly how the new reality will impact 99% of American society who may find themselves more expendable in ways not previously anticipated. Some may then realize how we have been thoroughly snookered.
Just as the Patriot Act and the TSA were adopted in response to 9/11, never to be repealed even as the ‘terrorists’ were supposedly defeated, elements of the ‘medical’ martial law will likely remain in place including the innocuous sounding ‘social distancing’ with limits on group gatherings – as well as the erosion of more civil liberties and increased censorship. There are also those who believe this chaos is cover for a Deep State take-down, and still others who believe this is a DNC/Intel effort to take down Trump. .
Under the guise of providing a token $1200 per person, $500 per child, creating one giant Omnibus legislative package was preferred by TPTB so the public would not so easily notice the contrast between the pittance going to the People Programs as compared to the stark rapacious nature of the fiscal giveaway.
Far beyond the scope of historical corruption at the same time the entire nation is facing a widespread crisis, both the Democrats and Republicans have betrayed their own constituents. The real beneficiaries of the congressional largesse are the Big Banks and financial institutions, as well as ‘businesses critical to national security’ including Amazon. The slippery slope allows the banks to pass on taxpayer generosity to American corporations and the ruling class so that they might buy up those distressed assets for pennies on the dollar as they further consolidate their market positions. More than a trivial $500 billion, as being reported by Big Media, $425 billion of which will be capitalized by the Fed Bank into (voila!) $4.2 Trillion. David Dayen compares the current fiscal calamity with 2008 and estimates the final tab will end up closer to a $6 Trillion gift as a five-member oversight board with no subpoena power or statutory authority twiddles its thumbs.
Two Members of Congress Vote No – Out of 535
Two days before the Senate vote on March 25th, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky) tested positive for coronavirus. Two days later, he cast the only Senate vote against the ‘emergency’ Omnibus – contrary to media reports.
As usual, immediately after the vote, the presiding officer in the Chair announced the final vote as 96-0 while the official roll call lists the final vote as 96 – 1 with Paul as a “No” and three other Senators “Not Voting”.
Reminiscent of how bills are adopted in a banana republic did not stop Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) from claiming a ‘unanimous’ vote that was not unanimous. With more than a tinge of self-serving bravado, McConnell termed adoption as ”one of the most contentious partisan periods in the nation’s history to pass this (alleged) rescue package 100-0” when, in fact, there was minimal disagreement and his vote count was deliberately misleading.
It is clear that there was a prevailing “Order of the Day” as a concerted campaign to present a unanimous vote from a unified Congress to the American people as proof that the Congress was acting in unison, effectively addressing the crisis when, in reality, they were giving away the store.
Yet the official roll call register not only incorrectly listed Sen. Paul who had the integrity to vote his conscience, but that neither Sen. Bernie Sanders nor Sen. Elizabeth Warren were willing to do the same. Both self-described opponents of corporate handouts, each abandoned their oft-repeated mantra to their constituents and to their campaign supporters. Both are listed as “Not Voting” even though both were present during the debate and had every opportunity to place a “Hold’ on the bill at any time. Sanders played a smoke and mirror game with Republicans who threatened to stop the bill on a union unemployment issue; with Bernie then threatening he would also put a ‘hold’ only to back off as Republicans satisfied their concern.
Big Media continued the spin that the Senate had adopted the Omnibus as a unanimous vote.
The Paul diagnosis, although asymptomatic, brought to mind the tainted anthrax letters sent to Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Sen. Patrick Leahy who both threatened to oppose the Patriot Act in 2001. The anthrax was later confirmed to be of same genetic material as created at Ft. Detrick with one scientist committing suicide. Currently, Ft. Detrick is central to George Webb’s revelations regarding coronavirus as a 5G weaponized biological virus.
On the House side, its leadership planned a voice vote under a unanimous consent agreement which would have allowed a mere handful of Members to be present until Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) threw a moneky wrench into the works. Massie requested a recorded vote which required a majority of House Members to be present. Ultimately, 216 members attended spouting vociferous protests, while millions of Americans were trudging to work each day, as the prima donnas in the House should be granted special dispensation.
Opposing the Omnibus because it would add to the $23 trillion US National Debt, Massie stated that he wanted to “make sure our Republic doesn’t die by unanimous consent in an empty chamber”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Massie a ‘dangerous nuisance” for insisting on a roll call vote with Massie pushing back that “Pelosi and McCarthy are still working together to block a recorded vote just to insulate members of Congress from accountability” and citing the “biggest spending bill in the history of mankind, and no recorded vote?” Meanwhile, President Trump joined in calling Massie a ‘third-rate grandstander”, as it takes one to know one. Currently, a Democrat has registered as a Republican to challenge Massie to a primary for his House seat.
Despite an impassioned plea for the camera, AOC derailed “crumbs for our families,’ and decried the “largest corporate bailout with few strings as possible,” and yet voted exactly as Joe Crowley would have voted. Neither she nor any of The Squad nor any member of the Progressive Caucus including the newly-discredited Rep. Tulsi Gabbard did anything to stop the unparalleled bounty.
CEO’s Take a Hike
There was a sort-of warning for those who pay close attention to business minutiae when Really Graceful informed us that 219 big time CEO’s, the most ever in one month, stepped down from their Fortune 500 companies in February as Jeff Bezos dumped $4.1 billion worth of Amazon shares.
At the same time, the dubious Bill Gates resigned from the Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway Boards. All that on the heels of 1,300 high-level CEOs leaving their positions in 2019. Is it plausible to consider that all these resignations were spontaneous or coincidental, and that none of these business elites had a heads up of the 2020 market crash that was to come? These are the folks who are in the loop and privy to the grapevine with the assurance they will all land on their feet.
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As we are living in a time of extremes, there was always the possibility that as the Paradigm Shift approached, there was going to be a significant level of chaos and stress as well as promising a dramatic change in the nature of reality. It is an old adage that where there’s no pain, there’s no gain.
There was little way to know exactly what to expect although the disintegration of form, structure and institutions fit well with revelations of corruption at the FBI and DOJ. It is certain that with the onset of the coronavirus, one level of the Shift has occurred although not in a manner most of us hoped for. This current crisis is but one Chapter of what promises to be a reawakening of humanity to throw off the shackles of war, corruption and tribulations and ultimately to embrace a world of peace, compassion and justice.
Along the way, as the disruption has a cleansing effect, external chaos is a reflection for the inner transformation that must occur. Rather than withdraw into apathy, bitterness or alienation, it will be essential to dig deep and find our own inner grit and resilience. After healing from this manufactured crisis, it is important to re-engage in society as a stronger, more dynamic and more powerful being than ever before. The evolution of humanity is to never give up our hopes and ideals and be willing to persevere as it will be your turn to push back . Do not allow yourself the luxury of being defeated; Coronavirus is not the final word.
Renee Parsons has been a member of the ACLU’s Florida State Board of Directors and President of the ACLU Treasure Coast Chapter. She has been an elected public official in Colorado, an environmental lobbyist with Friends of the Earth and staff member in the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC. Renee is also a student of the Quantum Field.
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